70

Price (in U.S.$) per bottle of a new Sauternes label by Château d’Yquem (classified as a Premier Cru Supérieur in 1855). The Château’s 2017 grand vin costs $460. In 2005, CEO, Pierre Lurton, decided to give batches of wine deemed unsuitable for the celebrated noble-rot (botrytised) wine to the estate’s employees, rather than sell them in bulk. In 2014, d’Yquem bottled so-called “Sauternes 1” for their employees. Now in 2020, with “Sauternes 6,” the château has decided to go public with the wine.

The “Classico” in Chianti Classico refers to:

A. The fact that classic methods and classic varieties are used to produce the wine

B. The fact that the wine was once reserved for the nobility of Florence

C. The fact that the region was the historic center of Chianti production

D. The fact that the wine is tasted by a panel of experts who certify its quality and character as being top level or “classic”

The Chianti Classico is the original, small, hilly, central area in which the richest, fullest Chianti is produced. The uniqueness of the region was underscored when it was given a DOCG, or Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, of its own in 1984. The very best Chianti Classicos have plum and dried cherry flavors and sometimes a touch of salt and spice.

Laughably Litigious

We were heartened to hear that JaM Cellars invented butter. The first (and only) time we had one of their chardonnays, we said to ourselves, “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!” But it WAS butter.… Continue reading

70

Get WineSpeed