The theme centered on the Southern Rhône, anchored by three titans of Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the mythic 2005 vintage. But the evening didn’t stay within bounds. A pair of Côte-Rôties carried us north, and one of Champagne’s most iconic prestige cuvées kicked off the night:

Southern Rhône — Châteauneuf-du-Pape

• Clos des Papes 2005

• Domaine Vieille Julienne Réserve 2005

• Vieux Télégraphe La Crau 2005 (corked)

Northern Rhône — Côte-Rôtie

• La Belle Hélène, S. Ogier 2005

• Lancement, S. Ogier 2001

Champagne

• Dom Pérignon 2005 P2 - purchased during our Trip to France

The evening opened on a high note with Dom Pérignon 2005 Plénitude 2, which we bought at the winery itself in Reims to honor our Club’s anniversary. Since member Wesley couldn’t make the trip, we brought it back to the states to share with him (no man left behind!!) Extended lees aging had transformed it into something both expansive and precise and surprisingly subtle in a powerful way — toasty and honeyed, yet still driven by a vibrant line of acidity. It had freshness, energy, and a sense of completeness that came together slowly in the glass. Seriously chiseled like the Statue of David.

The Châteauneuf-du-Pape trio set the tone early. Clos des Papes 2005 arrived first and made no effort to soften its impact. Paul-Vincent Avril’s benchmark estate produced a wine that, even after two decades, remains formidable and needs lots of time to open...maybe even 24hrs according to Andrew who tasted it the day after and was taken aback by the aromatic intensity. Dense and commanding, it carried layers of black olive, garrigue, and iron, all wrapped in a warmth that never quite recedes. If there is elegance here, it exists on the wine’s own terms.

Domaine Vieille Julienne Réserve 2005 followed in a similarly uncompromising register. The low-intervention approach yields a wine that feels both wild and deliberate — a dark, brooding expression of Grenache that leans fully into its scale. Time has rounded some of its sharper edges, but the core remains powerful and deeply rooted. Its finish lingered with a kind of slow, evolving persistence, unfolding long after the glass was set down. This was 100pts from Jeb Dunnuck but this wasn’t quite perfect to us and still had rough edges.

The third bottle, Vieux Télégraphe La Crau 2005, was the evening’s disappointment — corked. The damp cardboard note cut short what should have been a defining wine of the night. Still, it was met with the respect it deserved: a quiet acknowledgment, and the shared hope of encountering it again under better circumstances.

A shift north brought renewed lift and contrast. Two Côte-Rôties from Ogier showcased Syrah in a different register, less about sheer force, more about nuance and aromatic precision. La Belle Hélène 2005 offered striking perfume: violet, smoked meat, and white pepper layered with clarity and lift. Lancement 2001, with additional years in bottle, leaned further into savory complexity, dried herbs, olive, and a long, resonant finish that captured the room’s attention. Together, they provided a compelling counterpoint to the weight of the south. The group leaned more toward the ‘05 with its soft texture and smooth tannins.

Wine Club Miami’s next chapter is in very good hands.

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At our November 2025 Wine Club Miami tasting, we set out to do something ambitious and communal: pair one of the most celebrated vintages of the modern era (and our Wine Club anniversary) —2005—with Argentine asado. Fire, smoke, salt, and time were our guiding principles, mirrored in wines that have now had two decades to fully express their provenance and quality pedigree. The asado was led by Argentinean native Brian Atkinson, who founded Asado and Wine Experience which brings the flavors of Argentina to the heart of Miami for large groups like us.

The wines:

• Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2005

• Hospices de Beaune Premier Cru Cuvée Rousseau 2005

• Chambertin-Clos de Bèze – Frédéric Magnien 2005

• Château Pavie-Macquin, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé 2005

• Château Pavie, Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé 2005

• Château Léoville Poyferré, Saint-Julien 2005

• Penfolds RWT Shiraz, Barossa Valley 2005

• Bodegas Numanthia, Toro 2005

We began with Champagne. 2005 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs set the tone with precision and poise. Its mature citrus, toasted brioche, and mineral backbone provided a moment of elegance before the fire was fully lit.

From there, Burgundy took center stage. The 2005 Hospices de Beaune Premier Cru Cuvée Rousseau showed the soulful, savory side of Pinot Noir: forest floor, dried rose, and gentle spice, seamlessly echoing the earthy aromas rising from the grill. The experience deepened with 2005 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze from Frédéric Magnien, a wine of unmistakable grand cru authority, silky yet structured, its dark cherry and mineral tension stood up effortlessly to the richness of the asado.

Bordeaux followed, and with it, a lesson in contrast and power. 2005 Château Pavie-Macquin offered freshness and balance and plenty of age, its limestone-driven clarity shining alongside seasoned beef. Then came 2005 Château Pavie, monumental and unapologetic, layering black fruit, licorice, graphite, and oak in a way that demanded attention. For many, it was WOTN! With the asado, it became less about dominance and more about harmony—fat, fire, and fruit converged.

On the Left Bank, 2005 Château Léoville Poyferré delivered classic Saint-Julien refinement: cassis, cigar box, and polished tannins, showing why this vintage remains a benchmark for Bordeaux lovers.

The tasting then moved beyond Europe, without losing seriousness or depth. 2005 Penfolds RWT Shiraz brought a plush yet disciplined expression of Barossa with dark berries, exotic spice, and savory oak and lots of minty herbs! Big contender for WOTN too for its uniqueness. Finally, 2005 Numanthia closed the evening with raw intensity and Iberian soul: dense fruit, power, and a wild edge that felt perfectly at home beside open flame and shared plates.

Between the food, the wines, and the conversation, this was one of our top tastings of 2025!

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“We invented the strike,” he responded with a smile.

A week later, our club would learn that strikes, with a touch of violence, would make Champagne what it is today. “In 1911, there was a revolution in Champagne,” Bereche et Fils winemaker Raphael Bereche said as our club walked his family’s cellar in Ludes, just south of Reims. “Five hundred growers from Aÿ broke into the big Champagne houses and broke everything.”

No chopped off heads at least. We think. But why did growers get pissed? This was during the height of Phylloxera in France, where a microscopic pest decimated vineyard yields and rendered vines useless. Houses went to other places in France such as the Loire Valley to source grapes for sparkling wine. Growers didn’t have it. CHAMPAGNE COMES FROM CHAMPAGNE.

And today, it is the strongest name in wine. People say the two most recognizable names on earth are Jesus and Michael Jordan. Champagne is third. Period.

This is one of many things we would learn on our 20th anniversary trip to France, where we celebrated an important anniversary for our club, started in 2005 by our current president Jeff Tenen. We started on October 5th in the Rhône Valley, and finished in Champagne on October 12th. The following is our best attempt at a recap of our visits and the hospitable people and generous wineries that made it possible:

As we arrived in tranches to the Tain L’Hermitage train station, we made our way across the wooden planks of the iconic Passerelle Marc Seguin pedestrian bridge to Tournon-sur-Rhône, the small town that mirrors Tain L’Hermitage and the beautiful, sun drenched Hermitage hill behind it. Our hotel, Hôtel de la Villeon, is wedged into a mountain with a near vertical slope of terraced vines. This is the famous St. Joseph appellation we would later learn. Also, Bordeaux isn’t the only place with ‘right and left banks’. Here in Hermitage, St. Joseph is ‘right bank’ and Hermitage is ‘left bank’, based on the flow of the river winding south.

Sunday was a travel/rest day. Everyone got in on different flights (Matt and Stephen had an incredible experience with Air France which I recommend you ask them about), and we had a long week to prep for. Being in a small town, nothing is open on Sunday night, or Monday for that matter. But we landed a reservation at Le Quai right across the bridge. We ordered the prix-fixe menu (something we’d be doing a lot of!) and started the trip with a Y. Cuilleron Saint Joseph Cavanos 2015 and the Domaine des Grands Chemins Crozes Hermitage 2022. The aromas on the St. Joseph were powered by a smooth brick wall of black fruit and poultry. A solid start and early nightcap after a long day making it to wine country. Our spirits were so high.

Day One - October 6

The good thing about being in Hermitage is how close we were to our first two stops: Maison Delas Frères and M. Chapoutier. We left the hotel at 9:50am for our 10am appointment at Delas. Our jaws dropped when we walked in to greet Bruno Gallet, our amazing host for the day. The winery is an architectural masterpiece. If you hate wine but love design, still go and make the pilgrimage. Just drink the pure, saline sparkling water at least.

Founded in 1835, Delas has a strong history in the region, but it’s only in the last 30 years that its wines have gotten global recognition. Delas was bought by Champagne Louis Roederer in 1993, and recently went through a $23 million renovation that was completed in 2019. Designed by Swedish-born but Paris-based architect Carl Fredrik Svenstedt, the winery is its own world with an open air section in the middle, dotted with wavy patches of plants, rocks, and large trees. The rest is gravel pathways that leads to the winery, originally restored house and cellars, and a welcome center. The only thing that seeps in from the town is the silence and wind, the rest, including its inner peace, is a product of the energy this place emits.

The most impressive part of the winery is the standalone wall: a giant wave of limestone that is beautiful to look at but impossible to comprehend. The undulating wall is 283 feet long and 23 feet high, with a geometrically stable, structural form. The wall is made from limestone blocks individually carved by robots which are post-tensioned to the foundations and bonded horizontally using stainless steel cables. A work of art.

We arrived just as harvest ended, which was a good thing. The winery was empty and all the fruit was busy fermenting, not minding our presence. We put on neon ‘visitor’ vests and explored the stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels, looking like a group of city inspectors. Bruno explained how Delas’ winemaking process mostly blends stainless steel and barrel fermented wines together into one, aside from the top Hermitage bottlings. After the brief winery tour, we took off the vests and headed over to the welcome house, where the winery hosts private events, guests, and critics. The staircase is like a giant wooden ribbon that spins down all the floors, from the top floor to the underground cellar, a close second design marvel behind the Delas wall. The underground cellar is a straight hallway that runs the span of the house, with rectangular concrete cubbies that house the estate’s important bottles like the 1990 Les Bessards Hermitage, the first single vineyard wine from Delas. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of old bottles there.

Enough about design and cubbies filled with wine. We got tasting to do. The wines were already prepped by Bruno and our other host Celia Goudard. In order, we tasted:

• Delas Frères Condrieu Clos Boucher 2023, an aromatic white wine typical of Viogniers but very balanced with lots of surprising freshness. It has a midpalate creaminess to it, and could pair with scallop, lobster, and could even tackle the toughest pairing of all: asparagus. It comes from 40 year old vines!

• Delas Frères Saint Esprit Cote du Rhone 2023, a Syrah + Grenache blend that is primary fruit driven and pleasing. A whopping 600,000 bottle production behind this.

• Delas Frères Domaine des Grands Chemins Crozes Hermitage 2022. Now we are talking. Meat, olive, dark fruit, roasted black cherry, poultry, this is the entry to Hermitage flavors, but very beginner. Grapes are sourced from flat land, machine harvested, and alluvial soils.

• Delas Frères Francois de Tournon Saint Joseph 2022. This wine showed good spice, power, rich red fruit, lots of loaded strawberry. We see a different profile here from the steep slope, and granite, poor soils too. This is aged and fermented 60% stainless steel and 40% new oak, showing the Delas way.

• Delas Frères Chante Perdrix Cornas 2022. The Cornas has solid concentration that captures the sun’s energy in this solar area. For those who love bolder wines, this is a good beginner Cornas that’ll hook you into Rhone’s hottest sub-appellation.

• Delas Frères Seigneur de Maugiron Côte Rôtie 2022. Delas isn’t known for its Cote Rotie, but this is a good effort with a 100% Syrah from the steepest slopes of the Rhone. The wine has great lift, violet dry roses, more flowers, very sexy. It is 100% barrel fermented and aged. Sourced from schist soils on Cote Brune mostly.

• Delas Frères Domaine des Tourettes Hermitage 2022. Nicknamed the ‘spirit of hermitage’, this was a favorite of the tasting. It is pure balance with nice acidity, cool herbs, mint, fine grained tannins, and just so approachable at this young age. We took some back to the states in our suitcase!

• Delas Frères Les Bessards Hermitage 2020. Like 2022, 2020 was also a great vintage with lots of ripeness. The single vineyard Hermitage is sourced from 60-90 year old vines. Upon first taste, I looked at David who said, “O La La!” The profile of cigar box, strawberry, and red cherry made a mark here.

Organizing trips isn’t easy. Things fall through the cracks. But sometimes going impromptu is fun. We were supposed to have a lunch scheduled after the Delas visit but a mix up in dates had us scrambling to find a quick bite to eat in a small town on a Monday. Remember? Everything is closed. But luckily, a Shawarma place in the town square was open. The young, Uzbek owner made us platters and gyros that gave us energy to keep the engine running for M. Chapoutier. We needed Diesel fuel because Chapoutier is the big boy on Hermitage, with over one third of the hill under ownership (a big sign with the winery name pegged into the hill reminds you of that).

We were blessed with great weather for all seven days, and today was blue skies and all sun. Filled with salt, Orangina, and fries, we made our way to see Marion Tricoire, our host for the visit. We started by walking to the base of Hermitage where we looked at the famous Le Meal vineyard up close. From top to bottom, you see various soil profiles up close which shows you that Le Meal is quite diverse. In Burgundy you see the same thing, where the ‘filet mignon’ of the slope usually lies in the middle. It was incredible to see cloud shadows convert to sunlight in a sliding fashion. No other place captures the importance of sun and wine than Hermitage.

M. Chapoutier was founded in 1808 and comprises 60% red and 40% white production, both equally stunning. You don’t need Google maps to tell you when you get to Hermitage. Just look until you see the big ‘M. Chapoutier’ sign that’s been there for decades overseeing every harvest. The name personalizes the business after the several generations of owners starting with the letter ‘M’ (Marius, Marc, Michel…it’s got a ring to it).

The current proprietor, Michel, has made monumental impacts on the business, starting with plot selections in 1989 and biodynamic cultivation in 1990 (before it was cool). Every year, the winery loses 20% of its production to hail, but with so much estate fruit, so much demand, so much quality, M. Chapoutier gets to see another harvest. Michel doesn’t only have an impact on production and farming, but inclusivity too. The first label to feature Braille was the 1996 Hermitage “La Sizeranne”, named after local legend Maurice de La Sizeranne, who was himself blind. Michel wanted wine information to be accessible for all, making labels readable by touch.

After the geological vineyard lesson from Marion, we started to get our bearings more and more. The region started to make sense, with Crozes Hermitage, Hermitage, and St. Joseph around us, and Cornas a long distance away to the south. From Hermitage, you get to see how Cornas is protected from the northern winds by a giant mountain, giving the south facing slope zero breeze and loads of sun. The word Cornas comes from a Celtic term called “burned ground”, which is exemplified by these natural forces of pure sun concentration with zero respite from the breeze, leading to ultra concentrated, juice berries but still plenty of acidity from the cool temperatures at night. These are similar to some wines you find in the Salta region of northern Argentina with high altitude and close proximity to the sun.

We can’t emphasize enough how important it is to visit wine regions. You can read all you want, but touching the ground, seeing the vineyard, and feeling the energy of the place is paramount to understanding the wine. After the lesson, we walked back to the winery to taste great bottles, two of which became Top Wines on the trip. Here’s the lineup:

• M. Chapoutier Crozes Hermitage Les Meysonniers 2024. Entry level but solid white nonetheless that is a good introduction into white Hermitage. This is a 100% Marsanne (the OG grapes of Hermitage that were planted first BTW!)

• M. Chapoutier St Joseph Les Granilites 2022 (white). Another 100% Marsanne but this time across the river in the steep slopes of St. Joseph. Marion explains St. Joseph produces more austere wines, and we’re here for it. This had amazing minerality and pull, so fresh and distinct with white flowers, peaches and pear.

• M. Chapoutier Condrieu Invitare 2023. Is this the new Viognier 2.0? Forgot super oily, rich versions, this Condrieu is lean, fresh, yet not losing its aromatic flowery charm. This is the Viognier that’ll compete with the current Sauvignon Blanc craze.

• M. Chapoutier “Haut Chamblard” St Peray Single Vineyard 2023. Bitterness is not an insulting tasting note. But it can sound like it, so Marion made an adjustment: NOBLE BITTERNESS. “Without it, the wine would be very heavy,” she added. Marion recommends to pair with seabass and provence herbs. This is 100% Marsanne and has hints of almond, citrus and sweet baked spice.

• M. Chapoutier Chante Alouette Hermitage 2021. Another 100% Marsanne with blends of terroir from Le Meal, Ermite, and les Murets. The leanest Marsanne in the group and very elegant.

• M. Chapoutier De L’Oree Hermitage 2014. Wow. We just went to the stratosphere! This 10+ year white was an absolute GEM. Grilled lemon, sweet almond, long finish, high acid…like a pineapple sweating over an asado in the mountains. Six month lees aging, 70 year old Marsanne vines, intensity, golden hue, softly spoken. Take. My. Money.

• M. Chapoutier Sicamor Crozes Hermitage 2022. Onto the reds, this was like the entry Delas, fruit forward, lots of black pepper, and velvety tannins.

• M. Chapoutier Les Granilites St. Joseph 2022. We’re all on the St. Joseph train by the time this bad boy gets poured. This wine is loaded with bright, ripe cherry. The acid, alcohol and tannins are all in check. This wine is ready for liftoff and so good. This is all Syrah no brakes.

• M. Chapoutier Cornas Temenos 2022. Cornas is juicy as hell. And this Temenos is no exception. Roasted black fruit compote, soft big tannins, and a balance of freshness and power that just won’t break. Pour this for your guests and watch them melt like butter.

• M. Chapoutier Sizeranne Hermitage 2020. Remember Maurice de La Sizeranne? This wine is a blend of terroirs: Le Meal, Greffiere, and Les Bessards. It’s lighter than the other Syrahs we tried, but the spices are on full throttle.

• M. Chapoutier Le Pavillon Ermitage 2012. This is what Romeo & Juliet poisoned themselves with. JK. But seriously, if you’re gonna poison me do it with this wine. My goodness. Notice that the ‘H’ in Ermitage is missing in the wine name? That’s on purpose. M. Chapoutier takes the H out in order to express that this is a SINGLE VINEYARD HERMITAGE from Les Bessards. This is pure Rhone. Meat, bacon fat, black olives, violet, intoxicating flower perfumes, silk body, black fruit, and epic finish. This was the Wine of the Day, along with the L’Oree. Bravo!

Following a lovely afternoon with Marion and the iconic wines of M. Chapoutier, we decided to take advantage of the fact that we were at the base of Hermitage, and went for a hike up the steep hill. Stephen got a bolt of energy from the tasting despite the jetlag, and led the group in his designer black boots. The only one with the right footwear was Matt, who brought his On Clouds in a bag.

The Hermitage Hike was one of the top highlights of the trip. As we walked past the vineyards, where each vine is on its own peg to protect it from the strong winds, we noticed the light slowly change to its golden color. The town and river behind us became smaller yet clearer as we went up in elevation. The slight buzz of Syrah helped us push through the steep, stone path, and we took some breaks at nice viewpoints that led to the famous Chapelle Saint-Christophe, a small chapel believed to be built by a famous knight in honor of Saint Christopher in the Middle Ages. This knight was the ‘hermit’ of the hill, hence the hill’s name: Hermitage.

We traversed the ridge of the hill where we passed the most iconic vineyards at the very top such as Ermite and La Chapelle. On our way down, we got a bit lost…in a good way. We walked various paths that led to dead ends, and even one that got us to the front door of Jean-Louis Chave! We were more interested in asking for a taste of the 1990 Hermitage instead of directions, but instead decided to press on as darkness was creeping in. It turned into a two hour hike that burned off all the wine we drank. We ended the day eating dinner together at Brasserie le Tainois, and went back to the hotel to prep for an even better day two.

Day Two - October 7

Our black Mercedes sprinter was sitting in front of the hotel at 8:30am, ready to take us to the town of Ampuis, home of the famous Côte-Rôtie. On the one hour drive, we took turns choosing songs rotating through Grateful Dead jams, Billy Joel hits, Led Zeppelin, and French songs that fit well with the theme of the trip.

Unlike Hermitage which is mostly south facing, Côte-Rôtie aka “Roasted slope” has steeper, sun-drenched hillsides that are mostly southeast facing. The appellation is home to famous terraced vineyards built by the Romans. If you’re afraid of heights, we don’t recommend driving up the hillsides…it’s insane. The appellation is divided into two main sectors, each with distinct styles: Côte Brune (the “brown slope”), home to darker, iron-rich schist soils that produce powerful, structured wines with more tannin and longevity, and Côte Blonde (the “blonde slope”), that has lighter, pale granite and gneiss soils that make wines are more elegant, perfumed, and supple. Both are built to last.

Our first stop was Guigal, probably the most famous producer in Cote Rotie. Back in January, we tasted a fleet of their LaLa wines: La Landonne, La Turque, and La Mouline (recap here). It was some of the best wine we’ve ever had, so you can understand the excitement in our veins. Founder Étienne Guigal began working in wine at age 14 for Vidal-Fleury (another historic Rhône producer he ended up buying in 1986) before founding his eponymous domaine in 1947. Etienne’s son, Marcel, took over in the 1960s and was instrumental in elevating the Rhône’s international reputation. It was an honor for us to meet him at the winery before our tour.

At 82, Marcel explained to us how involved he still is with the 10 million bottle operation. His son, Philippe, (third generation) runs the estate, but Marcel put in 20-hour work days during the 2025 harvest. “Life is beautiful,” he reminds us in a soft voice filled with experience. He also told us how important it is to taste wines from around the world. “To increase quality you are obliged to taste all wines.”

Our guide, Camille, showed us through the historic cellars of Guigal. We walked through a maze of pre-WWII underground tunnels (a common theme among all the wineries we visited), sneaking under roads in the city and feeling the still, humid air clinging to our coats. Barrels of La La wines stood before us, and it’s crazy to think they sit in there for years before going into bottle. It shows you how much of a long game wine is. Each bottle is a blend of grapes and patience.

After dodging a few fast-moving forklifts that were filling trucks with wine, we made it to the Guigal bottling line, which was a show we couldn’t miss. Giant robotic arms filled 12-bottle cases of wine destined to shelves all over the world. They moved fast and precisely, filling box after box in an efficient manner. Etienne started the winery, but it was Marcel who made the business scalable in our eyes.

After the tour of the winery, we traveled back with Camille to Le Caveau du Chateau, where the tasting session started. Camille was generous enough to give us a great look at the winery’s operation from Chateauneuf du Pape in Southern Rhone to where we were in Cote Rotie:

• E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane 2023. This goes back to classic, full bodied Condrieu with its rich oily texture propped up by 100% new French oak. Orange blossom, honeyed flowers and toasted spice take over here.

• Château de Nalys Châteauneuf du Pape White 2021. This Roussanne/Grenache had great verve to it, and features aromas of white flowers and citrus with a full body. Southern Rhone to the max!

• E. Guigal Ex Voto Hermitage 2019. Top wine of the trip hands down, the Ex Voto is incredibly unique in flavor. It is a treasure of Guigal only made in top years, with a nose that bursts out of the glass with acacia flowers, honey and toasted lemon notes. We bought one for the train to Reims.

• Château de Nalys Châteauneuf du Pape Red 2019. This Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre (GSM) has intense aromas of black cherry compote, dried fig, cracked pepper, sandalwood, and lavender. Another favorite in the lineup.

• Domaine de Bonserine Cote Rotie La Garde 2020. This was a great bottle that showcased powerful structure but youthful energy, rich bouquet of blackberries with a dash of spices and floral notes too. One for the train to Reims please!

• Vidal Fleury La Chatillonne Côte Rôtie 2018. Vidal Fleury is close to the heart of Guigal, and literally down the street from the winery. This bottle has elegance written all over it, medium bodied and well integrated for a good depiction of the region.

• E. Guigal La Mouline 2021. Lucky to open one of the epic La La wines! This La Mouline had it all: Intense aromas of red berries, violet, and a hint of bacon fat. The mineral edge at the end didn’t hurt either.

Following Guigal, we got lunch at down the road at Le Bistrot à Vin de Serine, where we enjoyed a beautiful Jean Michel Gerin Cote Rotie Champin le Seigneur 2018. We tasted Jean Michel’s 2007 La Landonne at our November Rhone tasting back in November 2023, and wanted to revisit it. Through our conversations with winemakers, we realized that 2021 was a poor vintage in the Northern Rhone. The prices reflected this too in a drastic way. Jean Michel’s 2021 was 30 euros less than other vintages! If you know Cote Rotie, you know it needs some time, so we decided to open the 2018 at this highly recommended restaurant which hit the mark. The wine was fresh, loaded with bright strawberry and black cherry, along with white pepper. A good pick me up for the next visit which would become unforgettable.

We drank lots of water as we waited for our next host to meet us at the bottom of the Cote Rotie slope: the Great and Legendary Stephane Ogier. The Ogier family has been in Ampuis for seven generations, selling grapes to esteemed wineries. It was Stéphane’s father, Michel, who started harvesting those grapes to make wine under their family name. In 1997, after completing his oenological studies in Beaune, Stéphane formally joined the family estate. The domaine produces wines from 27 acres of vineyards in some of the most famous Côte-Rôtie areas, such as Lancement, Cognet, and the best spots of Cote Brune and Cote Blonde. Stephane is the single vineyard King of the northern Rhone. Plain and simple.

Jeff had been in contact with Stephane for over a year as we tasted his wines, along with his father’s, plenty of times before arriving here. It’s rare to have a legend such as Stephane so accessible to wine lovers like us. It seems like we got a lucky break as he had just finished harvest (you could tell by his purple-stained hands) and had some down time to show us the steep vineyards and soils of Cote Blonde and Cote Brune, and his winery that faces Le Goutay vineyard.

In the early 2000s, Stephane explained that he wanted to use every dollar to buy up vineyards on Cote Rotie. He has a strong vision, and expanded within his means in a very smart way, taking every step carefully but doing so with confidence in the vineyard’s potential. Back in the 60s and 70s, the land here was very cheap. Owners would sell the land close to the river, and offer the steep, hillside vineyard land on Cote Rotie FOR FREE (crazy right?), incentivizing people to cultivate these harsh, difficult plots. For every one worker on the plains of Crozes Hermitage, you need 10 on Cote Rotie to give you a picture of the labor challenges. So Stephane kept expanding the portfolio and focusing on expressing these single vineyards one by one.

Our goal on the trip was to taste one barrel sample. With Stephane, we lost count of how many we tasted. Our group of seven walked down to his barrel room glass in hand and surrounded a big barrel on its side. Barrels and barrels of wine towered over us and we felt isolated from the rest of the world and only in Stephane’s world. One by one, we tasted barrel samples of single vineyard plots from the 2022, 2023 and 2024 vintages, all of which won’t see store shelves for a while until Stephane feels they are ready to be released. And later on, we checked in on the 2025s that had just finished fermenting, including the inky and powerful La Belle Helene. We also got some inside scoop on Stephane’s Mon Village wines, which make up half his production and blends several single vineyards into one bottle. Remember we mentioned Rhone 2021 was a poor vintage? Well, Stephane decided to blend his top shelf single vineyards into Mon Village that year, offering in-the-know wine lovers a taste of his best plots in one of his more accessible wines. Some highlights from the barrels:

• All of the La Belle Helene’s from 2023, 2024, 2025 (tank) were magnificent and showed a common theme of monstrous power and rich flavor. The wine is made from 100% Syrah and comes from 0.5 hectares of vines planted in Cote Rozier, not far from the parcels used by Guigal for their La Landonne. The vines are nearly 100 years old, combine that with a small plot, and you get very small quantities (Cote Brune side). They are the most ageworthy of the bunch. Only the Syrah Whisperer can tame this beast.

• The single vineyard Lancement 2023 and 2024 were outstanding and so pure. “Lancement” refers to a specific single-vineyard or parcel wine from the Côte Blonde side of Côte Rôtie (the granitic, lighter-soiled side of the slope). The layers of fruit from one grape, the bold tannins that cling to your gums, and the beautiful mineral elegance give this a serious thumbs up.

• Holy cow lest we forget the Cognet 2023 and 2024! The wine sings with fresh violet, black cherry, and rose petals. It is a stunning portrait of Cote Blonde, one that belongs in The Louvre for its sheer beauty and light, and its ability to attract attention for hours in the glass. I’d rather have a glass of Cognet than an hour in an empty room with the Mona Lisa.

The next chapter of Cote Rotie has Stephane Ogier written all over it. Anyone who tastes his wines can feel the purity of each vineyard he captures, stripped of all unnecessary features but Syrah itself and the place it is born. Like the architectural works of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, form and function join in spiritual union to create “wines of place” that everyone loves to talk about. From Lancement to Cognet to Collet to Le Champon, we traversed the entire Cote Rotie hillside, each of us commenting on the singles we enjoyed most. The inky, fresh, young wines already had their stamp and structure.

Stephane is the winemaker we got along with the most. He felt like one of us from the start, sharing good stories about his travels, cracking jokes, and educating us along the way. He’s a family man with three young kids and a winery with so much demand that entertaining guests feels like a respite from dealing with distributors and excel sheets rather than a need to sell to collectors. We asked if his father is proud of the wines. “He hasn’t said much, so that means he is proud,” Stephane jokes about his old school mentor.

After tasting at the winery downstairs, we walked back up the stairs and peered out the long, clear windows that showed Cote Rotie’s magnificence as the sun set behind the ridge. Along the lower shelf opposite the windows, one can see all the empty bottles, or memories, Stephane opened along his wine journey. The only things moving outside were the tree branches and an automatic lawn mower with a lot of work to do over the spanning soft grass lawn.

Before heading out, Stephane came back into the room with a bottle of 2010 Stephane Ogier Cote Rotie Lieu-Dit Champon. He opened it with a genuine smile, knowing he was unleashing the kraken upon us. Upon putting my nose in the glass, I looked at Matt who did his signature simultaneous glass and eyebrow raise and said, “This is it.”

We were in a dream. The 2010 Champon is something out of the deepest soul of mother nature. A secret she holds for those who earn her trust. Waves of euphoria covered in smoldering black fruit and baked spice intoxicate your senses and overwhelm the palate in pleasure. It is the pinnacle of wine, the best it can possibly be. It makes sense why the Romans planted vines here. It makes sense why Stephane bought land here. It makes sense why one of Stephane’s kids will carry on the legacy. The answer is here, in this glass, that can invoke our purest emotions through taste. This was unequivocally the wine of the day, and one of the Top 10 wines I have ever tasted in my life. Similar to the 2007 La Turque we tasted earlier this year, it left us all speechless. 101 points!

We spent close to five hours with Stephane, and his generosity will never be forgotten and only retold again and again. Ogier is the name to know in the Rhone Valley.

We ended up buying a bottle of the Stephane Ogier La Belle Helene 2005 to taste back in Miami and celebrate our 20th anniversary again. Stephane gave us the blessing that the wine is ready for liftoff. We said our goodbyes and jumped in the van to make our 8pm reservation at Bistro Andre in Valence, home to one of the biggest lists in France under the leadership of sommelier Paz Levinson. Our fatigued palates took one last leap: the G. Roumier Clos de la Bussiere Morey Saint Denis 2013. Each of us drank a glass over the course of two hours since the wine needed serious time to open up. A beautiful color and cherry aroma emanated from the glass. It quenched us more than water ever could.

Day Three - October 8

You could call it recovery day, but to us it was travel day. Just as we came into the Rhone, each of us made our own plans to end the day in Reims, the capital of Champagne. Matt and Stephen took the early train to explore the markets of Lyon and take down Oysters by the dozen. Some of us slept in and bought some more wine for the plane ride home. We all met up at the Lyon train station where Matt and Stephen secured provisions for the evening train ride from Dijon to Reims, which would take close to four hours. We still had to take our second train from Lyon to Dijon though, and that’s when things went sideways. David had bought his ticket the day of at the Tain L’Hermitage station, but the ticket office got him the wrong train. For some reason, French police were packing every car, seizing threats before they turned into action. Seconds before the train departed Lyon, police and SNCF staff asked for David’s ticket and noticed he was on the wrong train. David was kicked off immediately and we had no idea what to do. We even bribed the police with our Guigal Ex Voto 2019 but they refused. Matt even offered a rare antique map of Rhone to the cops and staff, but no dice. As the train moved silently, we called David to make sure he’d get on some train to make the Dijon-Reims connection.

“I got on a train that supposedly arrives right after you guys,” he texted us. Phew. One missed train could land you a night in Beaune if you aren’t quick. Not that that’s a bad thing. Once we reconnected in Dijon, we opened the E. Guigal Ex Voto White 2019 and Domaine de Bonserine La Garde 2020, along with a blind tasting of the mini bottles Matt and Stephen kept from the Air France trip.

The seats weren’t assigned, so we managed to grab two 4-seater sections side by side with a table in the middle. A french teenager sat in one of the seats. The entire train was empty but he insisted on sitting in his seat. So the entire ride was a bunch of empty seats, seven rowdy wine lovers, and one young dude watching tik tok as we chatted and drank out of wine glasses. These are the moments of the trip we’ll never forget. It’s what makes traveling with friends so important because that is where bonds grow stronger. We just laughed and drank our way to Champagne, seeing the slopes of Burgundy whizz by us and not paying attention to the darkening of day.

Day Four - October 9

Matt, Stephen, David and Andrew stayed at a hotel right around the corner from the Airbnb where Jeff, Jesus and myself were. It was a cloudy, misty morning, but very soon the clouds dispersed and the peaceful undulating slopes of Champagne were drenched in sunshine, unveiling the infinite swell of the French landscape. This was much, much different than the land of Rhone, not a terrace in site. All of our travels took us south of Reims, where Montagne de Reims, one of the five Champagne regions, boasts loads of Grand Cru sites known for Pinot Noir. The other regions are Vallée de la Marne, dominated by Meunier, offering fruitiness and approachability, then Côte des Blancs, home of Chardonnay, then Côte de Sézanne, also Chardonnay-based, but with softer, fruitier wines, and lastly Aube (Côte des Bar) –which is further south, closer to Burgundy; Pinot Noir thrives here.

Our first stop of the day was Château de Louvois, a Chateau Versailles-inspired estate filled with rich French history dating to the 17th century. In 1989, Champagne house Laurent‑Perrier acquired the estate to host guests and harness the influence of Louis XIV on the House’s flagship cuvee: Grand Siècle (translates to “Great Century” referring to the 17th century in France, known for cultural and artistic grandeur).

The hospitality of Champagne Laurent-Perrier cannot be overstated. It was the pinnacle of hosting. From the head butler Davide’s rehearsed movements that cut through the air around us with precision and grace, to the paintings, gardens, and architecture that enveloped our surroundings, we felt inside the walls of the Great Century.

Our host, Edouard Cossy, the global director of Grand Siècle, made us feel welcome from the start. Champagne in hand, Edouard leaned on the fireplace and explained the history of Champagne Laurent-Perrier, focusing on Bernard de Nonancourt, the man who created the Grand Siecle cuvee and turned Laurent-Perrier into one of Champagne’s most respected houses.

Bernard de Nonancourt was born in 1920 into the family that later acquired Laurent-Perrier in 1939. Inspired by Charles De Gaulle’s fiery words, Bernard fought in the French Resistance during World War II. In 1944, Bernard wanted to be in the tank regiment so badly that he made his officer, Lieutenant Galley, a serious offer.

“With a smile, I offered him 100 bottles of Champagne to satisfy my desire to fight in a tank,” Bernard said in his autobiography. “That story spread like wildfire: 100 bottles of Champagne to go and get yourself killed! Then, more seriously, I added that I wanted to avenge my brother and do my duty.” Bernard ended up becoming a sniper due to his height, which would leave him too exposed sticking out of the armor.

A few years after Germany surrendered (in Reims of all places), Bernard took charge of the house in 1948, at just 28 years old. Bernard was a young, obsessive taster with talent. His radical idea for Laurent-Perrier came 10 years later, redefining what a prestige cuvée could be. In Champagne, the top bottles are considered ‘vintage’, meaning all of the grapes are sourced from one exceptional year like the highly praised 2008 vintage. But Nonancourt rejected the idea that one harvest alone could ever represent perfection. “Only the art of assemblage can offer what nature can never provide, that is, the perfect year,” the House states.

Bernard’s revolutionary idea was to blend three complementary vintages, each outstanding but distinct, sourced only from Grand Cru villages, and combine them to achieve a level of harmony and balance that no single year could yield. Balance. Design. Construction. The first release was 1959, labeled No. 1, which comprises 1955, 1953, and 1952 vintages. Only two bottles remain today. The current release is No. 26 which blends 2012, 2008, and 2007 vintages. The Grand Siecle bottles are hard to miss, inspired by the 17th century swan-neck bottles of the day.

“One vintage can bring elegance, another tension and structure, and the other concentration of fruit,” Edouard said. “And the goal is to achieve what no single year can capture.” Next time you walk the gardens of Versailles, look at the symmetry of the tall shrubs, a straight line evenly distributed that goes for miles. This is the philosophy. Their raison d’etre as Bernard would say.

The result? What some of us believe to be the most ageworthy Champagne on the planet. A wine of steel. We tasted No. 23 in magnum earlier this year as part of our Champagne tasting, and even then we knew this wine had a structural focus unlike any other.

Following the story of Grand Siecle’s beginnings, we rode together through the slopes of Montage de Reims and stopped on top of a hill, surrounded by Grand Cru vineyards. To our distant left we could see the town of Bouzy, then to our right the famous Epernay. Just like Hermitage and Cote Rotie, standing at these vantage points gave us so much to learn. We took some great pictures, courtesy of our two Directors of Photography, David and Stephen, and continued to the cellars of Laurent-Perrier.

As our first stop in Champagne, we were stunned by the literal walls of Champagne bottles stacked horizontally on one another. The sheer weight of it all seemed impossible to comprehend. But above all, it was a beautiful site. These bottles stay like this for years, sometimes decades, in these long, humid, still tunnels underground. Wine is so much more than something we drink, but a world rich in history that enlightens the present. When you get the bottle at the restaurant table, most of us don’t really understand the journey it has been on. Being here deepens our respect for it.

After walking the tunnels and seeing the bottles being riddled to collect yeast toward the neck (where they will eventually be disgorged to make room for the second and final fermentation), we made our way to the tasting room. Before getting there, we walked a hallway of vertical stainless steel cylinders.

“Notice anything about them?” Edouard asked.

Each was one single piece of steel. No welds. Unbelievable. They look like rocket ships. The tasting room had one long table with four permanent silver spittoons built into the walls at the four corners. They looked like water fountains. The room, deep underground, is pressurized to make sure no outside smells or interference affect tasting. In other words, it’s where the cellarmaster works. Again, perfection. Only three colors made up the room: black, silver and white, so we messed up the Feng shui with our clothes, but we were temporary visitors in this permanent temple of Champagne. We tasted:

• Champagne Laurent-Perrier Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature. Bang. What a start to our tour of the region. Pure, naked lemon, focused citrus aromas, and very light on the palate. But don’t be fooled, the common thread of steel structure was present. Really good.

• Champagne Laurent-Perrier Millesime 2015. Again, this version was bright but heavier in citrus fruit concentration. A true crowd pleasing wine for big parties and dinners.

• Champagne Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle No. 26. Entering Siecle territory. This blend of 2008, 2007, and 2012 was like a steel beam. Waves of salinity, peach, orange peel, and pristine flavors weaved together in a tight structure.

• Champagne Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle No. 24. This 24 is outstanding. It is a blend of 2007, 2006, and 2004. It has that characteristic brioche aromas from the 10 years + of lees aging, then flavors of lemon cream and linear acidity. It is a ballerina with balance, structure, and effortless strength. Built to last forever.

• Champagne Laurent-Perrier Les Reserves No. 20. Only one word can describe this: Epic. The Les Reserves line takes that same perfected blend and lets it age quietly in Laurent-Perrier’s cellars in Tours-sur-Marne for an additional 10-15 years on the lees before disgorgement, deepening texture and amplifying complexity. It’s not produced every year and in very limited quantities. This magnum comprises 1999, 1997 and 1996. I still feel the purity of lemon, brioche, toasted almond, flint, and flowers funneled into a long finish felt even writing this now. Drinking window? Until the end of time.

We could’ve been there all day not noticing the light changing outside. Luckily, we had some wine leftover for lunch back at Chateau du Luvois with Edouard. Davide was waiting for us with his assistant at the front door. I couldn’t help but think this was all a scene from Remains of the Day where Stevens and Miss Kenton take care of visitors, and this is their Darlington Hall.

We stood in the front room near the fireplace, tasting more of the No. 26 with light bites. Davide then opened the doors to the dining room where we sat together at a regal, oval shaped table to enjoy a three course meal from the House’s chef, Valerie Marchandise. The first course was Fines lamelles de noix de Saint Jacques, noisettes torréfiées (Thin slices of scallops with roasted hazelnuts) paired with No. 26, followed by a memorable Wellington de veau (veal Wellington) paired with No. 23, and finishing with Chartreuse aux poires (pear Chartreuse) paired with Laurent-Perrier Brut Vintage 1993, a final display of why this Champagne house is likely the most ageworthy on the planet. It tasted so bright, so fresh, and the bubbles had such power after 30+ years. “Bubbles act as a speaker to amplify the flavors of wine,” Edouard said. These bubbles don’t quit, they deliver at young or old age.

We talked about Edouard’s wine journey, how he manages one of the Great Houses of Champagne while balancing a big family led by four boys, our shared passion for the industry, and highlights of the trip so far. Davide and his assistant did a fantastic job, and we were led out into a clear afternoon with a beautiful breeze. I don’t know if it was the Champagne, but the colors amplified around us, the leaves wiggled in the air as they fell a long ways from where they detached, and life seemed so perfect at that moment.

Our next visit to Champagne Bérêche et Fils was polar opposite in wine style, going from House to Grower. Located in the town of Ludes, Champagne Bérêche et Fils was founded in 1847 and is run by the fifth generation with brothers Raphaël (winemaker) and Vincent (vineyard manager) Bérêche. Critics and wine geeks have come to admire this Champagne house deeply for its relentless focus on terroir expression over everything else. Their “house style” is the land they capture.

‘Grower’ Champagne is another word for estate-grown fruit, or a farmer’s Champagne. Most wineries buy their grapes from growers in Champagne. But Champagne Bérêche et Fils mostly uses their own grapes, a category that is growing in popularity. Raphaël led our tour of his small facility, where we ended up meeting his parents and brother as he walked us around. You could already tell this was a family business through and through. No amount of glass, cage or cork could contain Raphaël’s energy, measured in infinite bars of pressure. He uses the word ‘voila’ a lot which we loved, and he seemed like a mad scientist on a quest to capture the most accurate portrait of his land.

He stopped at a barrel, took out the rubber stopper and put his ear to the hole. He gestured us to dip our finger into the hole and hook out some brown, creamy yeast. We all tasted it and felt the sourness coat the palate. It was so raw, but we could already feel the glimpse of the finished product, that yeasty, bready, toasty flavor. He explained the 1911 strike in Champagne which exemplified his passion to protect the region and his family name. As we walked the barrel room and saw the bottles aging in cork (compared to the capsule at Laurent-Perrier), we noticed the winery was expanding with the newly excavated rooms. Raphaël’s laugh, incessant focus, and words are all the evidence we needed to know this expansion is well deserved.

“Sparkling wine is seven percent of global wine production,” he said. “But Champagne represents 58 percent of sparkling wine revenue.” This showed how important the region is and the legacy it carries.

Back upstairs, we all sat at a long table where Raphaël brought out his personal stemware for the Grand Cru tasting of his entire portfolio (Stephen’s favorite Champagne in the world):

• Champagne Bérêche et Fils Brut Reserve. This is what makes up most of the volume in the portfolio. Sourced from 43 year old vines, this is 30/30/40 Chardonnay, Meunier and Pinot Noir blended across terroirs including Montagne de Reims. A very good portrait of the region.

• Champagne Bérêche et Fils Aÿ Blanc Coteaux Champenois Grand Cru 2022. We have quickly become big fans of still white wine from Champagne, and this is why. If you love high acid wines, gravitate to this, if you can find it. Super light, electric fruit, and zippy structure.

• Champagne Bérêche et Fils Rive Gauche 2021. This is where grower style is really starting to shine through. This is 100% Meunier from 55 year old vines, where baked apple, orchard fruit, smoked nutty aromas, and a post-rainshower feeling shines through.

• Champagne Bérêche et Fils Reflet d’Antan Brut (20 year perpetual reserve). This was easily one of the favorites in the lineup. A stellar wine scooped from a 20-year reserve from 1985 to 2019! 30/30/40 Chardonnay, Meunier and Pinot Noir from 43 year old vines. Loads of lemon, salinity, and a lingering finish coat the palate in every corner. Wow wow wow!

• Champagne Bérêche et Fils Cramant Grand Cru 2019. This 100% Chardonnay comes from 45 year old vines showcasing creamy lemon, pastry and brioche notes, and lots of lees character. The color is incredible.

• Champagne Bérêche et Fils Ambonnay Grand Cru 2019. Another stunner. This wine 100% Pinot Noir from 45 year old vines, capturing a nice velvet touch and a top down x ray of a strawberry. Big fan of this gem.

• Champagne Bérêche et Fils Mailly Champagne Grand Cru 2019. Another 100% Pinot Noir from slightly older 50 year old vines, this wine is more structured than the others, a macho man feel to it that keeps the columns of red orchard fruit strong, supporting a roof of complex baked spice flavors.

• Champagne Bérêche et Fils Aÿ Ludes Prmier Cru 2017. Ok, this is next level. 75/25 Pinot Noir/Chardonnay from 50 year old vines that lend itself to an intense wine that is majestic in aromas with lots of fruit energy and powerful stone, chalk, and mineral sparks. Lovely.

• Champagne Bérêche et Fils Une Champagne Millesime 2015. The last wine in the lineup is an homage to the family name, and the wine that felt least ready to enjoy. It needs more time. It is 50/50 Pinot Noir/Chardonnay with just 850 bottles made. It is a blend of Avize, Cramant, Ay, Ambonnay and Mailly. It felt a bit muted but all of us knew it would be a powerhouse Champagne to enjoy 10+ years, if you are lucky to find it.

We got there not being too familiar with Bérêche, and left huge fans hoping to open bottles in Miami sooner rather than later. Stephen is in!

We ended the day gathering for a great burger at Sacre Burger in the heart of Reims. Like all the places we went to, the list was unbelievable. Jeff had been salivating to taste Clos Rougeard at some point, so we started with Champagne George Laval Garennes Extra Brut, a very good bottle to wake us back up, and dived into the meats with Clos Rougeard Saumur Champigny 2019, a dark, brooding Cabernet Franc that smelled and tasted older than it was. An old soul as we say. It did not disappoint.

Following dinner, Jesus gave us a night tour of the city (he’s a regular in Reims), where we passed the magnificent city hall and marveled at all the local nightlife happening around us. Whatever the headlines say about alcohol consumption, it’s strong as hell in Europe. Every night it seems the young and old gather to drink, smoke, and converse as if time didn’t exist. It’s important to stay sane. Vital actually.

Day Five - October 10

Just like M. Chapoutier and Delas on our first day, the two Champagne houses we visited today were a short walk from our stays: Champagne Louis Roederer and Champagne Taittinger. Our 10am appointment turned to 10:15am when we realized we were at the wrong entrance only 100 feet away. You can do a lot of damage in 15 minutes at a tasting, so we sped up like Stephen at an all you can eat Bérêche Buffet.

Our guide at Louis Roederer was Sarah, extremely well-versed in the history of the icon estate behind one of the most revered Champagnes in the world: Cristal. Champagne Louis Roederer was founded in 1776 and is one of the few remaining independent family-owned Champagne houses of large scale. Behind Taittinger and Moet & Chandon, Louis Roederer is the biggest landowner with 240 hectares under the name. Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon is the famous Chef de Cave (Cellar Master) since 1999 of the House and in charge of producing exceptional wines year over year, a consistency that makes him one of the best in the world.

We didn’t meet JBL, but were lucky to brush shoulders with Frédéric Rouzaud, seventh generation owner, in the hallways. We started the tour with a well crafted digital presentation of the House and its different plots across the regions, which did an amazing job of showing the depth of the terroir that makes this place so unique and unreplicable.

A spiral staircase took us to the deepest point of the cellars, where magnums and double magnums of clear bottles destined for Cristal were being riddled. The walls were wet and muggy from the humidity (a good sign). The story of Cristal starts in 1876, when the family commissioned the wine for Tsar Alexander II of Russia. The name “Cristal” comes from the clear, flat-bottomed, leaded crystal bottle originally made for the Tsar. Unlike most bottles, it has a flat bottom. The flat bottom allowed the Cossack guards to check for explosives in the bottle, and it remained that way. The grapes are sourced from Roederer’s finest estate vineyards, particularly from Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, and Côte des Blancs. The vineyards are also biodynamic.

This year, we tasted the Cristal Rosé 2013 which competed for top Champagne of the tasting. It is a wine that, when made in exceptional years, exemplifies the magic of Champagne. Unfortunately, we did not taste Cristal this time around, but enjoyed a very solid lineup thanks to Sarah and the House’s generosity:

• Champagne Louis Roederer Collection 246. This wine has a 2021 base, topped off with reserve wines from 2012 to 2017. Collection is one of the best bang for buck Champagnes out there and a favorite among many novices and experts alike. A well built, fruit forward version.

• Champagne Louis Roederer Vintage 2016. As Sarah puts it, this 2016 vintage “catches the sun” with its vibrancy. It has 68% Pinot Noir from north facing slopes that create thicker skins, hence the tighter, tannic, fruit skin feel to it. It is rich, full bodied and creamy like the rest.

• Champagne Louis Roederer Rosé 2017. This wine is 60/40 Pinot Noir/Chardonnay filled with blood orange hints and a subtle spiciness that makes it a very versatile pairing with any dish. You name it, WCM approves!

• Champagne Louis Roederer Blanc de Blancs 2017. This last wine is a stunning 100% Chardonnay from Avize. There is no malolactic fermentation here, so the wine retains its high acidity and bone structure balanced by a pure, lean citrus profile. This was the private cuvee of the family that was made available in the 80s. Not even fit for the Tsar himself perhaps?

After some more good shots directed by Stephen and David, we headed off to lunch in two separate Ubers. Matt got to Brasserie Le Jardin first and ordered his favorite cocktail, the French 75, while one of our Ubers got lost and pretty much gave us a tour of Reims. We all ordered the prix fixe menu along with an electric Coche Dury Aligote 2017 and a sub 100 euro Château Thivin Côte de Brouilly Godefroy 2022, which showed how beautiful Cru Beaujolais can be at any time of the day with its carbonic grenade of ripe red fruit. Sure, we recapped the tastings but also talked about all things life, getting closer with every laugh that brought tears to our eyes.

We then walked off the big lunch and headed to Taittinger, one of the more touristy visits of the trip but a ‘can’t miss’ because of the famous 4th century chalk caves that go down 65 feet below street level. Two restaurateurs from Rotterdam joined our tour, and we instantly became one group sharing cultural exchanges. Putting wine aside, the caves of Taittinger are simply unbelievable, and a construction marvel. Like the caves of Petra or the ancient Greeks, it’s crazy to see staircases, sketches on walls, and chip marks that go back nearly two thousand years. These cold corridors below ground were refuges during World Wars and crusades, and now home to 20 million+ bottles of wine. The cave walls are entirely made of chalk, and each room is shaped like a triangle, whose walls lead to a tiny square at the top where a beam of light pokes through. A common theme among all the cellars we’ve been is the stillness. Aging wine cannot vibrate and must remain unbothered by the common movements of everyday life. The sheer volume and attention to detail shows how Champagne can achieve quality at volume, which is very tough in an industry like wine. These tunnels go for miles under the city of Reims, creating a world of bubbles beneath the land.

We ended the tour of the caves with a private tasting of Taittinger’s magnum cuvees: Comtes de Champagne Rose 2012 and the Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2012. Our most recent dip into Comtes was at last year’s annual event where we opened the 2006 Rose which showed well. Both Comtes were excellent and showcased the House style, but this time around we really felt the 8-9g residual sugar on the wines, so the consensus was to wait a bit longer to open something like this, letting the sugar integrate more with the fruit and acidity. The caves and history of this place is what really made our jaws drop.

That night, we dined at a super cozy spot called L’Alambic, with a small underground cave lined by white coated bricks. Matt again ordered a French 75 but the lady who owned the restaurant had no idea what he was talking about. “I’ll show you how to make it,” Matt said. But instead he made it himself at the table. The lady just brought him an ounce of Cognac and glass of Champagne. Jeff and Jesus shared a red Burgundy that made us realize drinking great wine can ruin your appetite for house reds. But a drink is a drink.

Day Six - October 11

The day has come. The last supper…or lunch. We woke up with spirits higher than ever. Shining our armor, sharpening our swords, and fueling our systems with black espresso. Today had one name to it: Selosse. Our van departed at 11am for the small village of Avize, the HQ Domaine Jacques Selosse, headed by Anselme Selosse, who Jesus labels a ‘walking deity’ in Champagne. Anselme is the godfather of the grower champagne movement among many. The Domaine has a boutique hotel called Les Avises where you can taste his icon wines for a fair price. We booked the lunch there months in advance for noon sharp, right when they opened. Why? Because if you get there late, they might be out of their ‘eight’ rose allotments per day.

Jacques Selosse wines are very compelling for their unique, unapologetic style. That style revolves around oxidation. Anselme is heavily influenced by Spanish wines, especially those of Sherry. You can see that influence in the deep yellow color of the wines, but more in the aromas which remind us all of Sherry. People love it. And spend big bucks for it.

Today, some of Selosse’s wines go for $4,000+, and are desired by many in the world. Our host was the wife of the chef, a lovely lady with control over the room she deemed to serve with the same respect as Selosse gives his garden right behind the hotel. “This is the tasting,” Jeff reminded us. The culmination of this 20th anniversary trip we each worked hard to make happen. We ordered four bottles in total: Jacques Selosse Rosé (two bottles), Champagne Louis Roederer Coteaux Champenois Camille Hommage 2020, and the VO Jacques Selosse. The rosé was otherworldly, a film capture of wild strawberries and sweet spices. A wine one must try before they die. The VO (Version Originale) is a blend of older and younger wines, a complex and oxidative style that is an explosion of red apple, lemon curd, and wild sourdough flavors. The Coteaux Champenois from Louis Roederer is incredibly rare to find and was a fun pick for us since still whites from Champagne became a new discovery on this trip. The wine is an ‘hommage’ to Camille, the ingenious widow at the helm of Louis Roederer from 1932 to 1975 and quite possibly the reason we all know the name today. The wine is at the tipping point of austere but the wet stone, grapefruit and lemon on it, backed by high voltage acidity, make it irresistible. It needs one+ hour to open fully though.

Right before dessert came out, David recommended we step out in the garden for a bit to take a breath of fresh air. All it took was weaving through the grass path with ingredients grown at our feet to understand the philosophy at Selosse, one rooted in the land and honoring that which is gives us: sustenance. Wine is the celebration of the very soil that gives us food, delight, and a reason to be with each other. We went back to the table (after some group pics of course), and enjoyed the last sips of nature that remained before floating out of Les Avizes on Selosse bubble balloons.

Once we returned to Reims, we went our separate ways before gathering back at the Airbnb for a light dinner. Some of us kept the wine going by stopping at Les Caves du Forum and trying some wines by the glass, including Auguste Clape’s Cornas 2022, an unbelievable red that captures the intense fruit, cool acidity, and powerful tannins of the Rhone. In the early evening, we put together a meat and cheese board while Jesus honored us with the last Champagne of the trip: Chartogne Taillet Les Couarres Parcelle de Merfy Extra Brut. For Andrew, it was Top 3 Champagnes of the trip, and for all of us, an epic taste to go out with a bang bang.

Day Seven - October 12

We departed the same way we came, separately and on our own time. Some of us continued the wine journey down to Chablis, others headed to Amsterdam, and some back home to Miami. It’s not easy to keep a group of guys together for a week, imagine 20 years. This anniversary is a testament to our founder Jeff Tenen’s vision for the club, which started when he got to Miami in the early 2000s. It is only now, after two decades, that Jeff feels the club is in a place he had imagined from the start. People have come and gone through these seats and strikes have put the group in jeopardy in the past, but what holds it all together is every single member’s commitment to be at every tasting, feeding our shared curiosity, and embracing the changing winds with open arms. We missed our eighth member, Wesley, on the trip, but his presence was felt at every visit and we hope he, along with everyone who reads this, can experience the ride of a lifetime.

Written by Shawn Zylberberg

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“Remember gentlemen, it’s not France we’re fighting for, it’s Champagne!”

In the heat of World War II, Sir Winston Churchill broke through the uncertainty and fog of war by sipping Champagne, where a single glass could brace nerves, stir imagination, and sharpen the mind in his words. Our past two tastings have trained our troupe well for our trip to the revered region in less than a month.

Back in June, member Jesus, his incredible wife Pamela and her sister Geraldine, hosted the annual Champagne tasting, an event we do to kick off the summer and our break for June, July and August. We paired the lineup with our classic: fried chicken, along with some local dishes prepared by our hosts. The soldiers:

• Champagne Piper Heidsieck RARE Millesime 2002

• Champagne Chartogne-Taillet Hors Serie Grand Cru 2020

• Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé 2013

• Champagne Pierre Peters Cuvée Speciale Les Montjolys Blanc de Blancs 2016

• Champagne David L’Eclapart L’Amateur Premier Cru NV

• Champagne Kairos Vielles Vignes Rares 2015

• WESTBORN Rosé 2019 (*California sparkling served blind, throwing people off between Old and New World!*)

Although the David L’Eclapart ‘L’Aphrodisiaque’ stole the show in our 2024 annual summer tasting, the L’Amateur didn’t come up as a WOTN contender. The Taillet got everyone rowdy for its tremendous complexity and extended finish, while the Cristal Rosé was unstoppable like Michael Phelps showing up to a kids swim meet. Not fair. The Cristal Rosé is one of the world’s greatest wines, period. Louis Roederer is one of the most famous Champagne houses that never breaks under the enormous pressure of its icon status. And this Cristal showed the epitome of Champagne on all fronts: acidity, flavor, utmost purity in fruit expression, and long lasting in the glass. A true icon. Pierre Peters wasn’t too far behind, a great lesson in structure, finesse, and shape of a wine, plus the signature lemon meringue layers didn’t hurt. The Chardonnay comes from the soils of “Le Montjoly” located in the Grand Cru village of Les Mesnil sur Oger, so this rare wine was a treat to taste.

Part II

Fast forward to the evening of Sept. 10, and we opened another round of heavy hitters. Two Champagnes were served blind, and it was great to see that all of our palates were in tune and able to pick up on lots of details. Our confidence is strong heading into France. What we drank in order:

• Champagne Diebolt-Vallois a Cramant Blanc de Blancs Fleur de Passion 2013

• Champagne Bereche & Fils Les Beaux Regards Premier Cru Millesime 2020

• Champagne Eric Rodez Maceration Ambonnay Grand Cru NV (Served BLIND)

• Champagne Krug Rosé 28eme Edition NV (Served BLIND)

• Champagne Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Grand Cuvée N’23 MAGNUM NV

Our president Jeff Tenen hosted the dinner and went the extra mile with what a majority believe to be the highlight of the night: miso glazed sea bass. Don’t worry, we had fried chicken for the main dish, but right before that bucket came out, we paired the rich sea bass with Eric Rodez and Krug Rosé B2B and BLIND. The pairing was unbelievable and showcases why Champagne is such a versatile wine to eat with: the acidity and sharpness cuts through all the fat and gives the palate a soft whip of cool flavors. Finally, it resets the palate for the next wave.

Overall, the order of the wines was impeccable. Kicking off with Diebolt-Vallois and Champagne Bereche & Fils was a great warm up as they displayed very different styles, the Diebolt being very fruit driven especially with loads of lemon and citrus, while Bereche showed a more classic lees-y, warm butter, brioche form of flavors. We drifted to the main event which was a blind tasting of two wines which had one thing in common: the winemaker.

Winemaker Eric Rodez used to make the wines at Krug, so it was interesting to compare that rosé sparkling with the Krug today, and it was even better to see how different they were. The Rodez had a pink salmon color while the Krug was deep pink and expectedly richer and more concentrated in red fruit flavor (one guessed ‘06 Dom Perignon!) The Rodez had a coolness to it and kept opening up to reveal more and more aromas over the course of the night.

Finally, the Laurent Perrier magnum hit hard. Only released in magnums, this wine is a heavy dose of power and airtight tension that’ll stun palates left and right. The wine is 58% chardonnay and 42% pinot noir from the 2006, 2004 and 2002 vintages, all delivering different characteristics of the year. Add to that an astounding 14 years on the lees, and you got a complete picture of one of the most age worthy Champagne's on the planet.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned as we embark to the greatest vineyards of France.

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But the Mazzei’s preceded the days of Philip by a long shot. The family estate dates back to 1435 when the family started making wine at Castello di Fonterutoli right outside Siena, and in the heart of the Chianti Classico region. Their lineage even includes Ser Lapo Mazzei, who in 1398 penned the very first mention of “Chianti” as a wine region. Over 25 generations have helped create a singular thread of high quality Chianti Classico made from the Sangiovese grape. No other winery has such a strong understanding of the grape than this family. The torch is currently carried by brothers Francesco and Filippo Mazzei, along with Filippo’s son Giovanni.

On Wednesday, May 7th, the Club convened at Macchialina on south beach (peep their new restaurant called Bar Bucce in Little River!) We tasted young, but brilliant vintages of the wide-ranging Tuscan portfolio:

• Mazzei ‘Siepi’ 2020

• Castello di Fonterutoli Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2020

• Concerto di Fonterutoli 2021

• Fonterutoli Chianti Classico 2021

• Castello di Fonterutoli ‘Mix 36’ Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2015

• Mazzei ‘Philip’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

We popped off with Champagne Gaston Chiquet Special Club 2015, then dove into an incredible 4-course dinner that had a good mix of creamy, meaty, and veggie-heavy dishes. What makes Mazzei stand out is that the wines are just so pure, making them quite versatile. The Fonterutoli Chianti’s are beaming with bright red fruits, loaded with fresh strawberry and delicate cherry flavors, but light on its feet making for an amazing tap dance on the palate. The Chiantis show serious mastery over Sangiovese. With 600 years of experience, what do you expect?

We tasted the Siepi in 2024 for our Super Tuscan tasting (the 2017 vintage), and it competed very well against big names. For us, it won on quality to price ratio. This time, we took on the 2020. This 50/50 Merlot/Sangiovese is jaw-dropping. Although too young for our taste, it shows silky smooth texture and such good structure. At around $110, this is the perfect wine to give as a serious gift to someone. It is lights out every time and one of Mazzei’s best wines out there.

This was one of the few times where favorites were scattered across the board. Matt loved the Philip Cabernet for its approachability and soft yet powerful red and dark fruit flavors. David was a big fan of the Castello Gran Selezione, a newer wine with extra months of aging required to produce an ageworthy red. The bottle was light like a Gamay or Pinot but fully integrated with mouth coating acidity and strawberry paradise that begged for more sips. Jeff loved the Concerto 2021, an 80/20 Sangiovese/Cabernet blend with bold concentration and powerful tannin structure. This was the 40th anniversary bottling of Concerto, which is Italian for ‘concert’. The family gave the name for the beautiful symphony that Sangiovese and Cabernet play together when combined.

‘Mix 36’ was a top wine as well. It is a Chianti Classico with 36 distinct Sangiovese biotypes—including 18 heritage selections from their oldest vines. The result? A pure Chianti Classico Gran Selezione that’s rich, complex, and a true portrait of the Sangiovese character.

Most of the wines are below $50, making them a no brainer for any wine lover that loves Italian reds. The Fonterutoli Chianti Classico is a mandatory daily wine glass (WCM orders). For those looking to lighter, fresher style reds for the summer, Mazzei has your back. And if you’re looking to cellar anything, grab a case of Siepi ASAP.

Our annual Champagne tasting is next! Stay tuned…

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Wine Club Miami took a trip back in time for its March tasting, fully embracing the disco era with a stellar lineup of classic wines at Call Me Gaby restaurant. We arrived at the scene decked out in wigs, oversized sunglasses, and low-hanging gold necklaces to bring serious energy to South Beach. Funky beats, baller Gaja, old school Napa, and some Sauternes transported us back to the golden age.

1988 Henriot Millésimé Rosé Champagne (Mag)

The evening kicked off with vintage bubbles from Henriot. The 1988 Millésimé Rosé Champagne impressed with its fine mousse, delicate red berry notes, and rich toasty complexity. It paired beautifully with an assortment of seasonal cheeses and freshly baked focaccia, making for a perfect disco-era aperitif. For being 30+ years old in magnum, this thing was going strong as hell.

1971 Gaja Barbaresco

Possibly wine of the night. No 70s-themed tasting would be complete without a legendary Barbaresco from Angelo Gaja, one of Italy’s most revered winemakers. The 1971 vintage was an unreal beauty that showed the immortality of Nebbiolo, showcasing notes of dried cherries, rose petals, and earthy truffle with a silky yet structured finish. It was a dream pairing for handmade strozzapreti pasta with Pecorino Romano, black pepper, and fried zucchini, as well as a rich Pappardelle alla Bolognese.

1970 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

The 1970 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou from Saint-Julien proved why this Left Bank estate remains a benchmark for elegance. With an estimated blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 34% Merlot, this wine delivered a refined mix of cassis, tobacco, and cedar, all wrapped in velvety tannins. It was an old-school Bordeaux at its finest. It’s got the confidence of Austin Powers and the polish of James Bond.

1970 Beaulieu Vineyard (BV) Georges de Latour Private Reserve

In a nod to the rise of Napa Valley during the 1970s, we tasted the 1970 BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Leveled with Gaja for wine of the night for us. With deep black fruit, leather, and spice notes, this wine had the structure and opulence that put Napa on the map. Even after more than 50 years, it remained remarkably vibrant, proving why BV’s Private Reserve has long been a California icon. Drink this NOW.

1978 E. Guigal Hermitage

For the evening’s final red, we indulged in the power and finesse of a 100% Syrah from one of the Rhône Valley’s most legendary producers. The 1978 E. Guigal Hermitage showcased deep blackberry, smoked meat, and black pepper notes, with a rich, velvety texture. Paired with hanger steak, shallot confit, crispy potatoes, and grilled asparagus, this wine was an absolute showstopper. No wine made a better case for tertiary development of flavors than this.

1976 Château Climens, Barsac

Last, we traveled back to Bordeaux for a stunning 1976 Château Climens Sauternes, a 100% Sémillon masterpiece. Aged to perfection, it delivered luscious flavors of honeyed apricot, caramelized citrus, and exotic spice. The pairing was equally decadent—pizza topped with foie gras, fig jam, edible flowers, gorgonzola cream, and raisin confit, perfectly complementing the wine’s rich yet balanced profile.

A Night to Remember

At the end of the night, the DJ blasted Frankie Valli’s ‘Grease’ and we all put the funk on max turning the restaurant into a full-blown disco party. With glasses raised, music playing, and a shared passion for great wine, this was a tasting for the ages—proving once again that wine is best enjoyed with good friends, great food, and a little bit of funk. Big thank you to president Jeff Tenen for the unforgettable theme.

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Perhaps no other vintage is more famous than 1982 Bordeaux. It’s what you learn early in your wine journey: 1982 is baller status. But it’s not until you taste it that you understand why.

On February 5th, Wine Club Miami gathered once again at Michael’s Genuine for an extraordinary evening of fine wines and expertly paired cuisine. All eight of us could barely focus on work that day. Our eyes were glistening with the thought of drinking the 1982 Mouton Rothschild and 1982 Vieux Château Certan B2B, with a ‘67 Lafite Rothschild thrown as the final dagger and a stunning finale of 1990 Château d’Yquem.

Let’s get into it.

Kicking Off with Bubbles, What Else?

We began the night with a 2018 Bérêche et Fils Rilly-La-Montagne Millésime, a Premier Cru Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut generously provided by member Jesus Cabarcos. This Champagne, with its fine balance of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier, showcased remarkable elegance with a delicate 2g/l dosage. The wood oven-roasted feta and citrus-marinated baby beets provided a perfect counterpoint to the wine’s crisp structure and vibrant acidity.

White Bordeaux and a Sonoma Cousin

Transitioning to whites, we compared Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2010 Pessac-Léognan with a 2016 Morlet Family Vineyards La Proportion Dorée from the Sonoma Coast. The iconic Morlet, a rich and textured blend of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle, delivered layers of ripe grapefruit, candied lemon, and nutmeg. The Domaine de Chevalier, a classic White Bordeaux, exuded crème brûlée, apple pie, and pear tart—an exceptional match for the grilled local wahoo.

The Main Event: A 1982 Bordeaux Showcase

Few vintages in Bordeaux’s history compare to 1982, a year that defined an era of opulence, youth and longevity. Thanks to the incredible generosity of Wesley Castellanos, we experienced two legendary wines of this iconic vintage that put wine critic Robert Parker on the map:

• Château Mouton Rothschild 1982 (Pauillac, Grand Cru) – There are very few perfect wines in the world. Château Mouton Rothschild’s 1982 vintage is one of them. At 43 years old, this has the youthful strength, structure and energy of 80s Arnold on Venice Beach. But a zen-like balance of Siddhartha in the woods. It just tastes young. But texture got to me most. Smooth edges and melted tannins created this ‘embryo’ of protected flavor that hasn’t been poked since 1982. Inside were layers of dark cherry, dust-coated herbs, and a touch of sweet tobacco and wild strawberries from all corners of the world. As Vinous critic Neal Martin writes, “it builds and builds and leaves you utterly smitten”. 1000 points.

• Vieux Château Certan 1982 (Pauillac, Grand Cru) – A regal expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, offering cigar box, loamy earth, walnuts, smoke, and dried mulberries with a full-bodied, multilayered structure. You could sense the rough edges of this wine’s past. A true cowboy of a wine with a bite, spice, canon firing smoked earth that was so damn interesting. Compared to Mouton’s youth, this showed extreme age in a good way with all the components in check. It is a wine lover’s wine.

These extraordinary wines were paired with crispy duck confit and slow-roasted, smoked short rib, enhancing their richness and depth.

The Burgundy Lover’s Lafite: 1967

A good friend recently said that 1967 Bordeaux is a Burgundy lover’s vintage. The Lafite showed a different version of the strength we’re used to seeing out of this powerful region. It was a ballerina on its feet, light and slowly fading into a grainy background of darkness. Light strawberry, raspberry compote and sweet tobacco aromas lifted this high acid version of Lafite, sputtering a long finish at the end. The wine was still there but it was like the sun setting and all you see is a shrinking semi-circle of fire dissipating. It is a wine of immense history and amplitude.

The Grand Finale: Château d’Yquem 1990

To close the evening, member Jeff Tenen generously shared Château d’Yquem 1990, a Sauternes masterpiece bursting with honeyed tropical fruits, apricot, coconut, and peaches. Paired with 8-layer honey cake and sticky toffee pudding, it was the perfect sweet ending to an unforgettable night.

Until next time—cheers!

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Over the course of two decades, the winery has made a stealthy rise to become one of the most desired Cabernets in the world. The most riveting part? You may not have heard of it, making FUTO the ‘cult of the cults’ in the small sect of Napa’s Cabernet elite.

As I took in the fresh breeze and silence emanating from the property, I spent some time walking the perimeter of a vineyard block right by the front door of the eponymous winery founded by Tom Futo. The vines were dormant (as expected in January in Napa), but they were the most manicured and detailed I had ever seen. Not a stitch out of place.

“I always thought that if you’re going to do something, you might as well do it right,” Tom says as we walked up the steep slope of a vineyard where winemaker Jason Exposto and his team source the Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc for the portfolio. Napa legend and viticulture expert David Abreu planted these very vines and carefully selected clones decades ago alongside then-winemaker Mark Aubert.

On the top of that same hill, you can see Harlan Estate and Promontory just a stone’s throw away, and before that, FUTO’s other vineyard blocks that are numbered and just as easily identified through natural barriers to the eye.

The estate is a literal blueprint of a wine collector’s dream. Vineyards with varying aspects compete for ‘most unique’ in the home of the world’s most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignons.

Since 2002, when FUTO Estate was founded, the winery has focused on making some of the world’s top Cabernet Sauvignons. “I want to make the wines that I would drink,” Tom adds as we get back into the car following the brief vineyard tour and make our way through the hills and back to the winery. A lengthy allocation wait list and calculated distribution in 10 markets is enough proof to show that the quality has penetrated the cellars of the world’s most scrupulous collectors. But the hunger to improve, adapt and offer FUTO’s members an unforgettable experience has kept the team’s ears close to the ground.

Tom tapped Jason Exposto as winemaker in November of 2009 following a year as assistant to Mark Aubert. The New Zealand native got started in his home country, but later moved to Bordeaux to study under Stephane Derenoncourt and his consulting firm which makes wine and tackles issues for Bordeaux’s biggest names. Brushing shoulders with homegrown talents such as Petrus winemaker Olivier Berrouet gave Jason a leg up on how to craft serious wine. Now in California working with one of Napa’s most revered properties, Jason has made a name for himself by finding a common language with each vineyard and knowing what to capture and when.

Expanding is not an option. Tom and the team prefer not moving past its 28 planted acres, 14 of which are in Stags Leap appellation where FUTO 5500 ($600 SRP) is sourced, while the other 14 are at the Oakville estate and house the Cabernets that go into FUTO Oakville ($600 SRP). That leaves 170 acres unplanted. The reason? It lets Futo do it the FUTO way.

By sticking with the current planted acreage, Jason can pick row by row, day by day, in a controlled manner. When a winery expands, it now has more vines to deal with and varying phenolic ripeness levels that are impossible to track at the same level of detail. Do you still get great wine? Sure. Is it the best? Probably not. And that’s why there’s a long wait list for FUTO. While the estate might have hundreds of cellars eager for more of their wines, the faucet will not pour one ounce more than the current vines will give.

Inside the Howard Backen-designed winery, one would think the place was built yesterday. The tank-filled winery is cleaner than a dentist’s unopened toolkit. Any microscopic bacterial organism that was lucky enough to find its way here would die from loneliness. Jason is the only person authorized to walk the smooth cement floors during harvest, a testament to the care taken during fermentation.

All of FUTO’s wines are made with free run juice. This means that none of the wines are made from pressed juice, which often contributes harsher tannins. To put this into perspective, imagine a bunch of grapes sitting in a stainless steel tank and the only juice coming out is from the sheer weight of the grapes on top of each other. The rest of the juice you could get from pressing the grapes further is not used. Call it gravity juice. You won’t find that in almost any other winery in the world. On top of that, Jason incorporates a fool-proof crop thinning program (aka dropping grape clusters to enhance concentration and flavor on the vine). Lastly, very gentle pump overs are utilized during fermentation, no manual punch downs on the cap of the grapes. This is a perfect example of ‘letting the wine do the work’, which would make many other winemakers lose their minds… or even their jobs.

What do you get in the end? A key that doesn’t fit in any other door in the world.

Following the tank room, we moved into the FUTO library. A square room with high ceilings, this cellar houses the estate’s wines since the first 2004 vintage. It wraps in a ‘U’ and shows the addition of new wines over the years, such as FUTO Blanc, a 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc sourced from the Stags Leap estate vineyard and made in miniscule quantities. It is a perfect example of Jason’s bold yet calculated decision-making. The soil profile is a good match for Cabernet Sauvignon, but Jason had a vision that this piece of land could make a white of FUTO caliber. So he took 1.2 acres and planted Sauvignon Blanc (which is genetically related to Cabernet Sauvignon) that eventually went into the inaugural 2018 vintage. The result? It is now one of the few if only Napa whites that the fine wine auction market salivates over.

“Does it age?” I ask.

The answers were laid before me. Jason finds natural acidity in these wines and a balance that lends itself to structural integrity for the long haul. Everything is made to age, but also meant to enjoy now if desired. Tightness is rarely an issue in these young wines. As we continue to gloss over the beautiful labels, the team highlights the 2014, an overlooked vintage among critics, that is currently in top form.

Toward the end of the visit, Jason, Tom, and team member Mai Ozasa and I sat together to taste SETA Red 2022 ($250 SRP) and FUTO Oakville 2022. SETA is one of the estate’s newer, introductory offerings. It is a blend of grapes from both estates in Stags Leap and Oakville AVAs, primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. SETA also has a Sauvignon Blanc ($150 SRP) counterpart.

Both the SETA and FUTO Oakville were marked by two things: Tannin and Finish. Putting price points aside, both wines are made of the same exceptional quality, but the portrait is the differentiator. SETA is a greater snapshot of Oakville and Stags Leap while FUTO Oakville is a microscopic focus on the Cabernet site. You can taste the large brush strokes of SETA and the granular particles of the Oakville.

“Our goal is to capture the character and profile of our vineyards regardless of vintage,” says Jason Exposto. I had completely forgotten about vintage when tasting. For the team, that is secondary to getting a 20/20 shot of the site’s characteristics. The year is simply a number to order the bottles from left to right.

The SETA was marked by horizontal layers of dark fruit on the palate with a chainlink texture of firm tannins that seemed to melt yet remain like a drained lake that reveals distinctive pebbles. The finish evaporated slowly with a lasting coolness on the finish. The Oakville on the other hand had a gravitational feel with its vertical layers of red fruits. Like a gold-medal gymnast on the beam, the wine had immense confidence in its identity and showed a masterful lesson in balance. It had more granular, elegant tannins and a long finish that ticked the final box of a wine done well. While all components were integrated from a technical perspective, there was something about Oakville that felt ‘untouched’ as if sailing through the Fjords of New Zealand wondering ‘has anyone ever stepped foot here?’

As Napa’s best kept secret, FUTO has yet to be discovered and enjoyed by many. Whether it will remain that way or not, it doesn’t matter.

FUTO Estate’s Tom Futo and Mai Osaza will be in Miami on February 27th & 28th, 2025 for James Sucklings’ Great Wines of the World Miami. Get your tickets!

It seems like each consecutive tasting gets better and better at Wine Club Miami. And with Jeff Tenen as new president, it’s easy to see the envelope will be pushed until its ripped to shreds in 2025. The squad rolled into Lafayette Miami at 7pm sharp and the team led by wine director Higor Valle and sommelier Nicolas made us feel welcomed in the incredible, wine-friendly space in downtown Brickell.

Apart from being the first tasting of the year, other celebrations were in order too. With member David Yarus’ birthday around the corner, we inside Lafayette’s hidden cellar room where we opened a 2008 Krug to share (David’s gift to the crew!) and paired it with deviled eggs and a healthy scoop of caviar on top of each.

Do we need to decant Champagne? We’re not 100% sold on it but this Krug was easily evidence to support decanting, or at least waiting a good 15 to 20 minutes, to enjoy aged bubbly. Some came to regret drinking it so quickly while others in the great gasped at the evolving flavor in the glass filled with honey, orange peel and loaded croissant aromas. A truly great wine that needs to be in everyone’s cellar no doubt.

In the cellar, we also discussed details of our upcoming trip to Champagne and the Rhône Valley in October to celebrate our 20th anniversary (more details to come soon). Once the Champagne bottle was empty and we had had enough of the temptation of the insane labels shining at us from Lafayette’s cellar, we headed to our table where the team had set an unbelievable place for the tasting:

• 2004 Domaine Marc Sorrel, Hermitage Blanc

• 2009 Stephane Ogier, La Belle Helen

• 2007 Rene Rostaing, La Landonne

• 2007 E. Guigal, La Landonne

• 2007 E. Guigal, La Mouline

• 2007 E. Guigal, La Turque

We could end the article here. Why continue? The labels say everything. But we are too tempted to describe these life changing wines. The Hermitage Blanc donated by member Jesus was a left field wine with intense flavors. It takes a developed palate to appreciate its oily texture. A 100% Marsanne from old vines gave way to honey, almonds and peach aromas and a very unique wine. We paired it was Line Caught Bigeye Tuna Tartare & Caviar.

We moved onto the reds with plenty of excitement starting with young Rhône legend in the making Stephane Ogier’s La Belle Helene. This was elegant and rich with balanced acidity that kept everything in check. A beautiful wine.

Alongside the Ogier, we tasted Rene Rostaing’s ‘07 La Landonne, sourced from the steep slopes of Côte-Rôtie (aka roasted slope, for its exposure to the fierce sun). There were many interesting descriptors for this wine (some you have to DM us to know!) but we mainly noted this was one of the bigger wines in the lineup that still has decades ahead and shows the secrets of its ageability today. It showed expressive black fruit aromas and dried herbs with a strong sense of cracked pepper and bitter chocolate. We paired both those wines with young glazed chicken.

The main act followed: E. Guigal. Holy shit these were firing off on all cylinders to put it lightly. E. Guigal is special, and one of the most iconic names in wine for their outstanding quality and longevity.

All donated by president Jeff Tenen, we poured the Mouline, Turque and La Landonne side by side. Mouline is sourced from Côte Blonde (gentle slope) and showed the most feminine, elegant and Burgundian characteristics of the three. Almost sweet in character, it was silky in texture and smooth in tannin, and was the most entertaining wine of the three. It’s a movie you’ve watched 1,000 times but can’t get over how it makes you feel.

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The La Turque was one of the favorites of the night for its power and smoked meat flavors. Sourced on Côte Brune (steeper, more challenging slope), the wine popped out of the glass ready to fight with full body richness and classic black olive aromas backed by lovely spice. A wine of epic proportions with mind bending complexity.

Finally, we went back to La Landonne which was, as expected, the most powerful of the three. It was the wine you could say has not approached its peak yet, but still so good today. This one is sourced from even steeper blocks in Côte Brune, and shows masculine characters with intense dark fruit, strong tannins and unforgettable flavors that bring you only to one place: Côte Rôtie.

One of the best parts about this tasting is analyzing such stark differences between those three glasses that are made of grapes that are grown a stone’s throw away from each other. It shows wine’s greatest talent: transmitting place and nature better than anything else.

Next up: Legends of Bordeaux!

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• Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rosé 2006 (Magnum)

• G.B. Burlotto Langhe Sauvignon ‘Dives’ 2022

• La Ca Nova ‘Montestefano’ Barbaresco 2021

• Roberto Voerzio Sarmassa Barolo 1998 (Magnum)

• Brovia ‘Rocche de Castiglione’ Barolo 2020 (Magnum)

• Vietti Moscato d’Asti (Sweet)

White table cloth. Bow ties. Pressed suits. Ravioli with black truffle. Beef carpaccio. Expert service. The night was purely Italian thanks to the team at Mamo Restaurant in Brickell. The year of hard work doesn’t culminate without Mamo’s Cru, which had the perfect private room to host our 13 guests.

We got started with a few speeches from co-presidents Matt Hege and Shawn Zylberberg, who gave out a gift for each member: Frederick S. Wildman Jr.’s book, A Wine Tour of France. Next year, the Club celebrates 20 years and we will celebrate by taking a trip to France and drinking our way through Champagne and the Rhone Valley. This book is homework! We also officially handed the presidency to Jeff Tenen, founder of Wine Club Miami.

The Comtes was an obvious favorite from the start. Pure strawberry took the reins with plenty of primary fruit power to lift the palate and get the body ready for a fun night. The color was deep pink, edging toward red, and provided all we expected from the grand Comtes.

With the starters we brought out the chilled Burlotto Sauvignon Blanc. An impressive, accessible white from a non-accessible Barolo producer, this Sauvignon was a big hit with our members and outsiders alike. It has a new wave of Piemonte energy in it with a tropical spice on the citrus lime driven white.

We stopped playing games and went straight for the Brovia Barolo dagger to pair with the black truffle ravioli. Although it was a young 2020 magnum, the ‘Rocche de Castiglione’ sub region of Barolo produces approachable, early drinking reds according to Vinous critic Antonio Galloni. We took him at his word and this wine showed very well. Does it need age? Of course. But did it impress? Oh yes. A red cherry, silky, fine tannin and elegant red that went down easy and stayed on the palate through the night. A lesson in the many personalities of Piedmont’s King grape: Nebbiolo.

We jumped back to Barbaresco and went from elegance to muscle with La Ca Nova, one of the world’s top producers of Barbaresco at a really good price. The entrees needed something bold and different, and La Ca Nova’s single vineyard bottle was loaded with forest cherry, plum, herbal spice and perfumed meatiness that made you want to sit with the glass for ten years and watch her grow up!

But we couldn’t sit on our hands and wait. We had the top wine of the night waiting in the corner at six big pounds: Roberto Voerzio Sarmassa Barolo 1998. One cannot understand Barolo without drinking an aged version. No other wine shows such diversion, such difference, such change over time than Barolo, and this bottle showcased that. Layers of leather, aged chocolate and sweet raisined cherries took hold of the nose while the palate offered endless waves of pinches of mint and old fruit riding a boat of clean acidity. Pure pleasure in a bottle. It made our night go slow, like we intended from the start.

2025 here we come!

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Hurricane Milton’s outer whip was closing in on Miami the night of our long-anticipated Burgundy tasting at Brix Miami in Wynwood. We made the brave decision to move forward…and good thing we did. The tasting, led by co-presidents Shawn Zylberberg and Matt Hege, included the following wines from the Côte d’Or:

Côte de Beaune:

• Domaine Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc 2021 (Puligny Montrachet)

• Jean-Nöel Gagnard Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2011

• Domaine Tollot Beaut Chorey Côte de Beaune 2008

• Domaine François Buffet Volnay 1er Cru ‘Clos de Chênes’ 2014

Côte de Nuits:

• Domaine Josef Drouhin Clos de Vougeot 2008

• Domaine des Lambrays Clos de Lambrays Grand Cru 2017

Palates need deep experience in the battlefield of global wines before grasping the greatness of Burgundy. No other region in the world shows the full potential of wine better than this historic French region located south of Dijon, Champagne and Chablis. A thousand years ago, monks were the first to tend the vineyards and make wine here, followed by large families that passed the vineyard ownership to their families generation after generation.

What did you end up getting? A region where people own rows of vines rather than a whole block. Even more important was a grand cru, premier cru and villages quality hierarchy system that has become an accurate indicator of quality today.

On the palate, Burgundy takes patience and focus. While light, these wines have a structure stronger than carbon fiber and a complexity that’ll leave you buried in questions. The winner of the night was the Jean-Nöel Gagnard Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2011. Upon decanting, the deep yellow color and mesmerizing, kaleidoscopic aromas brought pure pleasure to the senses and body. Our glasses were fighting for the last drops of this liquid grand cru serotonin.

“Yep, this one’s the winner,” Shawn said before everyone even sat down.

Herbal. Flinty. Complex. Long finish. Winding road of layered citrus. Nothing much to say but a bliss in the abyss of white Burgundy! The Domaine Leflaive was also such a good wine. The 2021 vintage was very difficult and yielded a small crop for many growers. Lucky for us, Leflaive declassified their Puligny Montrachet grand cru bottling and used those grapes in this entry level label! Thank you Vinonueva for the tip.

The red winner was the Lambrays 2017. Coming from a ‘clos’ or walled vineyard block, this unique wine from the sub region of Morey St. Denis took a while to open up but like most prized red burgs, evolved in an up-and-down fashion. Think a dolphin jumping up and down into the water over and over again until it grows wings and flies amongst the seagulls. Was it too early to open? Yes. Was it still epic? For certain!

Brian Atkinson, founder of Brix Miami, hooked it up with an incredible roasted lamb, escargots, and an unbeatable charcuterie board to pair with these baller wines. Lastly, member David Yarus gave us a special treat by bringing the Pierre Yves Colin Morey Aligote to the dinner, which was a refreshing addition to the lineup and popping off with notes of cool reduction, vibrant green apple and hints of almond. An easy yes for Wine Club Miami.

Up next? Our Annual Event…

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The lineup consisted of some of the biggest names in the Super Tuscan category:

• Masseto 2004

• Tenuta Luce 2005

• Mazzei Siepi 2017

• Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno Toscana 2017

• Sassicaia 2020

• Ornellaia 2020

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What is ‘Super Tuscan’? The term is generally defined as Italian wines made from, or blended with, Bordeaux varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc or Petit Verdot. It all started in the mid-1900s when legendary names such as Marchesi Mario Incisa della Rocchetta and nephew Piero Antinori became interested in making wines in the Bordeaux style. So they started to blend local Sangiovese with Cabernet, leading to iconic wines such as Sassicaia and Tignanello that ended up inspiring producers in the winegrowing area of Bolgheri, along the Tuscan coast, to make wines with international grape varieties not native to Italy.

Ornellaia ring a bell?

The Tenuta Luce was our warm up wine. The group consensus was that this wine was a bit tired but still full of a life well lived. It showed plenty of development but shied away from tertiary aromas that bring older wines to the heavenly level. Roasted red fruit and layers of fine leather marked this wine. A surprise favorite, and easily the best quality to price ratio, was the Mazzei Siepi. It’s a perfect blend of Merlot and Sangiovese that was outstanding and surprised all of us for its herbal freshness and balanced acidity, alcohol and gravelly tannins. It is by far the oldest producer in the squad with the most experience, having made wine for 600+ years…and even helping Thomas Jefferson plant his Virginia vineyards in the 1700s. Bravo Mazzei!

The interlude was Oreno Toscana, a very strong and powerful wine that stood out in color thanks to a decent amount of Petit Verdot. It was the ‘surprise’ wine graciously donated by member Wesley Castellanos. The let down of the group was Sassicaia 2020. This is where expectation may have gotten the best of us, but this wine struggled to keep up with the quality pace of the others. The wine was very light on the palate, a bit too delicate in structure and subdued flavor. Sassicaia did get slightly better over time, but all of these wines had gotten to the 3hr decant mark by this point. As a very young Super Tuscan, we are willing to give it another chance in several years.

The Ornellaia 2020 was firing on all cylinders. Young but ready to ride the bull into the night, this red blend led by Cabernet was deep, extremely tightly wound but majestic in the elegant was it carried its power. A very enjoyable red to watch Raging Bull with, accompanied by a bowl of homemade Bolognese.

Then the moment came. Masseto. A dream wine for many, attainable by few. No amount of expectation could’ve ruined this experience. We emptied our glasses, got silent, awaited the greatness to be poured. We all dug our noses into the glass at once.

A collective sigh. Absurdity.

It wasn’t Bordeaux. It wasn’t Super Tuscan. It was singular. Timeless. Masseto.

An epic finish, layered dreams like Inception, a Top 5 wine among many. Twenty years had done much yet nothing to this wine. It was full of youth yet deeply complex. Like Albert Einstein in a 13-year-old. Epic on all proportions. Above all, emotional.

Following our Miami spice prix fixe and amazing raviolini al tartufo, we took time to celebrate co-president Matt Hege’s birthday!

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Every year, Wine Club Miami kicks off the summer with the Annual Champagne Tasting in June. It’s pure mayhem when we give member Jesus Cabarcos the reigns to take this longtime favorite tasting to the next level, and he did not disappoint with some of these gems. Jesus and his wife, Pamela, another Champagne lover (yes, a match made in heav - I mean Reims), also hosted the tasted at their beautiful home in Miami Beach on Friday, June 7th, 2024.

For background, our club does not meet during July and August, giving us a brief respite from downing vintage Bordeaux and Grand Cru Chablis out of oyster shells. It’s a time for us to go back to our training grounds and prepare for a jam-packed fall filled with epic tastings at Miami’s top restaurants.

Did we do the sendoff right? You be the judge.

Who would’ve thought the first wine would be the winner? As we trickled in, Jesus poured David Leclapart L’Aphrodisiaque 2012, a wine that is defined as ‘capable of arousing sexual desire’. From the hamlet of Trepail in the Montagne de Reims, David has long specialized in Chardonnay-based wines and practices biodynamic farming. The four words he uses to describe his project is Purity, Energy Pleasure and Ecology (80/20 Chardonnay/Pinot).

The wine was dialed up on complexity, dissolving into an awkward Burgundy as the bubbles whispered away. It impressed everyone for its peculiar flavor and long finish. We compared it side-by-side with the Billecart-Salmon Cuvée Françoise Nicolas 2006 which was full-bodied and voluminous wine with good concentration and beautiful gingerbread aromas (60/40 Pinot/Chardonnay).

A fan favorite came next: Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Oger ‘Special Club’ 2015. This wine was a dramatic dance that left everyone waiting for the next scene to start. It is a cuvée of wines from grand cru villages with vines dating to 1911 and 1913! A linear beam of citrus, pear and white flower took the stage and bursted with palate-enveloping fruit. A wine that kickstarts conversation and sharpens the mind.

Jesus continued with another favorite and close second place finisher: Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2007. Serious business. This wine is the Taittinger’s most exclusive cuvée, and it makes sense. It’s a Blanc de Blancs (aka a ‘white from whites’, or 100% Chardonnay) made from grand cru grapes in the Côte de Blancs region of Champagne. It was microscopic when it comes to flavor, bringing each piece of the longtime puzzle released in 1952. Not a lot of Champagnes declared ‘07, but Taittinger doesn’t lie. This stuff is baller and easy to please.

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It wouldn’t be a Champagne tasting without the big boys. That’s why we pay dues! The last two wines were Dom Perignon 2006 and Louis Roederer Cristal 2012. Surprisingly, these were not favorites among the Club. One immediately feels the need to compare the two, but a good quote came out of the conversation:

“It’s like driving a Porsche vs. Ferrari. Both are incredible cars but not the same. You can’t compare different styles.”

In the end, these two wines were vastly different. Some even thought the Dom Perignon had a flaw because it increasingly tasted ‘off’ and a bit funky. The actor forgot his lines on this stage, and the Cristal took an easy win in this side-by-side, showing an all-encompassing view of the best of Champagne. It’s purity, flavor, development in the glass (it was also decanted 1 hour +) and impenetrable ball of fruit stayed integrated to the end. A true warrior of a wine.

This night would not have been possible without the amazing food pairings that went along with the Champagnes. From homemade Cacio e Pepe to warm pan de queso to flavorful olive oil and bread, and finally, fried chicken, it was a full circle tasting that filled us with joy and unforgettable memories. Thank you to Pamela and Geraldine Mayorga for making it happen.

We’ll be back at the table come August! Until then, keep drinking good wine and follow us on Instagram at @WineClubMiami for updates.

On Thursday, May 2nd, Wine Club Miami convened at Little Brix SommCulture in Wynwood Miami ready to taste through the notable wine regions of Spain. This time, we took it a step further and organized a food pairing menu that was also Spanish-themed (big thank you to Brian Atkinson at Little Brix for setting it up). From slices of truffled cheese to salty, flavorful chorizo to mind blowing anchovies, the tasting became an instant highlight and one to remember for the club.

Our group of eight began the night with a glass of wine served blindly. It was a headscratcher and rightfully so. Our restaurant host unveiled the wine: Bodegas de Santo Tomas Chenin Blanc 2021…from Mexico. A very well made and balanced wine to get our engines started.

Our first wine was the Domecq Fino La Janda Fino Sherry, loaded with aromas and flavors of salty mist, almonds, green olives and bread crust. It paired nicely with the anchovies, matching its intense, pungent flavors! This wine hails from the south of Spain in a place called Jerez, where the world’s Sherry comes from. The Palamino grape excels here, where many others wouldn’t due to the region’s intense sunlight and chalky soils (called Albariza).

Next up was Rafael Palacios Valdeorras Godello Louro 2022, one of Matt’s favorite white wines from the northwest of Spain in Galicia, which he provided for the tasting. This wine is just what we needed to pull our palates back to earth after the sherry. Bright, juicy and super fresh, and loaded with citrus notes. It is one of the best values out there at $30 per bottle! And coming from the legendary Rafael Palacios, we were in good hands.

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The Marques de Griñon Graciano 2019 was the second wine we took from the shelves of Little Brix (Sherry was the other one). This 100% Graciano is a Vino de Pago, or single vineyard, from a region close to Rioja. According to Jesus, many Rioja wines include a touch of Graciano in them, so it was great to taste one in full throttle. This was the fruit bomb of the bunch. Red fruit, black fruit you name it, the Graciano packed a good punch but not in a bad way. The wine coated the greasy cheeses and meats and was a top contender for best pairing wine.

We moved up the ladder by heading to Ribera del Duero and Rioja next. Side by side, we tasted Ausas ‘Interpretacion’ 2018 and Tondonia 2001 which were very different but both amazing. The big winner was the Ausas! Started with the first vintage in 2016, this project was started by Xavier Ausàs, one of Spain’s most prestigious winemakers who started his personal project after working for more than two decades at Bodegas Vega Sicilia. Critics and consumers love this equally, but it is definitely a wine to lay down for 20+ years.

The Tondonia was beautiful, showing a soft and elegant texture from a textbook vintage for Rioja. It is more of a wine to enjoy on its own since it seemed so delicate compared to Ausas (for obvious reasons). Tondonia is the most legendary of the producers on this table tonight. The wines are always late-released meaning 2011 is probably the newest vintage on the market!

It’s becoming a common theme to bring extra bottles to our tastings, so member Jesus and Wine Club Miami co-president Shawn Zylberberg brought two wines to blind taste:

• Terroir al Limit Pedra de Guix Priorat 2017

• Bodegas La Horra Corimbo I Ribera del Duero 2010

The Terroir al Limit was an instant favorite, maybe because it was simply super different yet still magical. Winemaker Dominik Huber earned his chops working with South Africa’s iconic winemaker Eben Sadie before starting Terroir al Limit. Dominik refers to Pedra de Guix as his “oxidative” white. Guix is a blend of old-vines of Pedro Ximenez on clay soils, Macabeu on alluvial soils, and Garnatxa Blanca on schist in the village of Torroja. After harvesting these varieties by hand, they are brought to the cellar and placed in a basket press where they are gently pressed over several hours into a concrete vat. Dominik’s wines are an exceptional view at modern Priorat, one of the toughest, unforgiving wine regions on earth.

The Bodegas La Horra Corimbo I Ribera del Duero 2010 was a serious wine and probably the most complete and balanced of everything presented at our tasting. It showed winds of mint on the nose, deep dark fruit and 10 rounds of amazing depth that doesn’t end. According to the Bodega, 2010 vintage was extraordinary with excellent ripeness and packed full of autumnal aromas whilst maintaining freshness. It’s a 100% Tempranillo from 60+ year old bush vines. What’s better?

Thanks to our member Stephen, we ended the night with one more gem: Paul Hobbs Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon 2020. Although the vintage gets a lot of crap, some producers such as Paul Hobbs and Harlan Estate still came out guns blazing, and this wine shows that expert winemaking and careful decision-making can overcome the toughest natural elements. Bravo to all the winemakers out there who make us happy to drink the good stuff with great friends.

Next up: Champagne!

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1. Jesus and Jeff

2. Wesley and Stephen

3. Shawn and Matt

4. Andrew and David

The rule was simple: Each team must bring one still white wine at ~$50.00 standard retail price. The club tasted the four wines blind, scored them and decided the winner. The goal was to challenge the group to find the best possible wine given these limiting parameters. Jesus and Jeff took the win over a close margin with Matt and Shawn. All of the wines were scored on a 1-10 scale but ultimately decided with a show of hands for ‘wine of the night’. These were the players:

• Bodega Rémirez de Ganuza Blanco Reserva Rioja 2020

  • Jesus and Jeff thought carefully and brought a perfectly balanced white. This white blend is mainly Viura and Malvasia with other local varieties, sourced from old vines with an average age of over 60 years. It took the win. The wine was soft and mouthcoating with its medium bodied texture, but with a nice dose of complexity!

• Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay 2022

  • This super young Chardonnay was the only New World showing here. Matt and Shawn knew it would be competitive, so they went with a classic from the Cape. It opened up beautifully over time, and convinced some members for wine of the night as the tasting went on. This producer is one of the biggest names coming out of South Africa, with vineyards in the Hemel en Aarde region on the coast of the Cape. An elegant yet strong personality with lime and pear flavor and a tight line of acid throughout.

• Château Talbot Caillou Blanc 2021

  • A classic Bordeaux Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc blend had to make it in! Georges Cordier, the grandfather of the current owners of Talbot, was one of the first to replant white wine in Médoc in the 1930’s. With a majority of Sauvignon (75% to be exact), and a hint of Sémillon, Caillou Blanc is raised on its lees and has strong, persistent aromas. Wesley and Stephen brought this thinking odds would be in their favor, but Spain stepped on France in this game!

• Bodegas Muga Flor de Muga 2020

  • David and Andrew also brought a white blend from the Spanish legend, Muga. It is a Viura, Garnacha blanca and Maturana blanca blend with citrus and white blossom aromas, and spice and a hint of toast on the palate. A beautiful wine from the team, but the temperature could’ve been a bit lower to show its full potential. It’s always more than just the wine…the conditions, like harvest, must be perfect and harmonious!

As always, we brought some additional wines to the tasting. We warmed up our palates with Champagne Henri Giraud Dame Jane Rosé Brut which pleased the crowd with its strawberry notes and flavors plus the whiff of yeasty brioche notes from lees aging. We ended the night with a 2022 Burgundy from Jean-Baptiste Jessiaume which had us thinking Oregon all the way, an extra white wine that didn’t make the cut called Foradori Fontanasanta Nosiola (an ancient white from Trentino, Italy), along with a final nail to the coffin, the sweet Muscat Donnafugata Ben Ryé Passito di Pantelleria 2021.

As we wrapped the tasting, Jeff and Jesus unwrapped their well-deserved prize: Aldo Sohm’s Wine Simple book, which is for every level of wine drinker and an easy-to-follow look into the world of wine.

Whether it’s going with instinct or thinking carefully about what you pick, finding the perfect wine is head scratching, consuming work. It’s the itch to do better next time or keep the winning going that makes Wine Club Miami grow relentlessly.

On March 13th, 2024, Wine Club Miami co-president Shawn Zylberberg joined an exclusive tasting of Chilean winery Escudo Rojo’s flagship Bordeaux blend, Baronesa P. The presentation took place at Delmonico’s NYC, widely regarded as New York’s ‘first fine dining restaurant’ (menus on the wall dating to the early 1800s, when the restaurant was founded, are proof).

The winery was founded by Baronesa Philippine de Rothschild in 1999, and is owned by the family company, Baron Philippe de Rothschild. Baronesa P. is the Bordeaux blend that honors her memory and the richness of Chile’s terroirs (soils), which ultimately convinced her to make her own wine in the heart of Maipo Valley: Escudo Rojo (it is a term that is translated to ‘Rote Schild’ in German, meaning red shield, an ode to the family name).

Although the winery was founded in 1999, the first vintage of Baronesa P. was 2018. It took nearly two decades to find the right wine to match Baronesa’s elegant standard, but her passing in 2014 also convinced her son and CEO of the family company, Baron Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, to create a wine in her honor.

“Even more than a tribute, this wine is a heritage, born of the encounter of Chilean terroirs, our family company’s know-how and a charismatic personality,” writes Baron Philippe Sereys. “If I had to describe Baronesa P. in three terms, they would be exacting standards, elegance and flamboyance.”

Winemaker Gonzalo Castro has been tasked with producing Baronesa P., a monumental challenge for any producer! “When Baron Philippe Sereys told me I had to create a wine that showed Baronesa Philippine’s elegance, finesse and flamboyance, I was scared!” Gonzalo laughed. Philippe Sereys is a kind, surprisingly witty man, and followed this with a joke that his mother’s ‘short temper’ did not make it into the glass.

The wines showed strength and integrity, and are a testament to the quality of Cabernet-driven wines in Chile (all are in the $70.00 range):

1. Baronesa P. 2018

   76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Carmenere, 5.5% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4.5% Syrah

   • The 2018 was already showing hints of age in color and aromas, and the wine showed healthy Cabernet red fruit flavors which were held together nicely. Integration is a common theme throughout the wines. The vintage was exceptional and balanced.

2. Baronesa P. 2019

   78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Carmenere, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Syrah

   • This wine had a strong tannic pull to it and slight herbaciousness. It was not as rich in flavor as the others. I prefer the other vintages. The season was hot and dry, and the grapes ripened very quickly posing a challenge to the team.

3. Baronesa P. 2020

   81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Syrah, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Carmenere

   • The 2020 was the most Bordeaux-like and a clear favorite among attendees. The season was warm and dry, and this wine has the highest amount of French oak at 18 months! It’s an ageworthy beast that is an easy buy for bold Cabernet lovers. A beautiful wine.

4. Baronesa P. 2021

   81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Carmenere, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Syrah

   For those who prefer freshness, 2021 is your vintage. It is blossoming with energy and young fruit flavors that are linear and pure. The cooler seasonal temperatures made it ideal to highlight elegance and a rawness to the blend.

   

Has Bordeaux found a second home in Chile? There is no doubt that a strong French influence is present here, and has been for decades. From Maipo Valley to Aconcagua Valley (home of the legendary Seña winery) to Puente Alto, there are sub-regions that can grow Bordeaux varieties very, very well. And Chilean winemakers such as Gonzalo or Francisco Baettig, have proven to be some of the world’s best wine blenders, a notoriously difficult job to perfect. Only time will tell how these vintages perform, but for now they show a strong connection to Bordeaux structure in the glass with a soft and smooth Chilean identity…let’s see if they can hold the same life expectancy as a fine Mouton!

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If you’re a fan of Barolo or Barbaresco, put the annual Barolo Barbaresco World Opening (BBWO) on your wish list. It’s Nebbiolo-mania with a room of nearly 200 producers from the iconic Langhe region of Piedmont. While most wines are from recent ‘20, ‘21 and ‘22 vintages, the event showcases how Nebbiolo can be quite approachable at a young age (Barolo tends to have the reputation of being too tannic and austere right off the bat, which is true in some cases).

The common theme? Winemakers are zeroing in on terroir, doing their best to translate the wine’s place of origin, specifically the soils. This is most evident in Bruno Rocca’s two Barbaresco’s from the Currà vineyard and Rabajà vineyard. Both from the 2021 vintage, the Currà is grown on limestone and clay soils, separated by layers of sand. The wine is round, juicy and elegant compared to the Rabajà, which was tannic, austere and not as integrated. “It needs more time compared to the Currà which is ready to drink now,” confirmed the winemaker. These differences in structure and flavor come down to one thing: the vineyard (since the winemaking has the same regimen for both!)

Nebbiolo originates from the Italian term ‘nebbia’ which means ‘fog’. It is named after the clouds that cover the hills of the region during harvest and other points of the year. The grape is thick-skinned, early-budding and late-ripening, needing long periods of sunshine to reach its full potential. It is often planted on south- or southwest-facing hillsides for maximum exposure, but rumors have it that due to climate change, north-facing vineyards may start sprouting. The wines have high acidity, high tannin and in the case of the recent BBWO tasting, high alcohol (14% or more in most of the wines we tasted). This makes it very ageworthy in the cellar!

The Cannubi region (think elegant and light) wines were standouts at such a young age, showing finesse and purity and lightness on the palate, while the Bussia region (think muscular) wines showed bolder flavors but still just as approachable. The general Langhe Nebbiolos (not labeled Barolo or Barbaresco) were ballin’! You can find them at lower prices too. G.D. Vajra 2022 and Castello di Neive 2022 were top examples.

When speaking with the Brezza producer, she explained how Nebbiolo compares to other grapes. “Nebbiolo is like a ballerina rather than a bodybuilder,” she said. “It is elegant yet structured and concentrated with each small, delicate step.” Nebbiolo is linear and focused, a beam of pure fruit that looks light in the glass but is anything but in taste. It’s the Hulk kick!

This year, the event was held on Wednesday, March 20th at Center 415 in the heart of New York City. From press tastings to unique seminars, over 1,500 people gathered from all parts of the world to understand what makes Nebbiolo so special. We are honored to offer a small glimpse into BBWO!

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Blind.

The red wines from California comprised:

• Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet 1973

• Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello red blend 1971

• Heitz Wine Cellars Martha's Vineyard Cabernet 1970

• Clos Du Val Winery 1972

• Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet 1971

• Freemark Abbey Winery Cabernet 1969

The red wines from Bordeaux comprised:

• Château Mouton-Rothschild 1970

• Château Montrose 1970

• Château Haut-Brion 1970

• Château Leoville Las Cases 1971

Long story short, the big deal was that Napa beat Bordeaux, which erupted all notions people had of the New World. All of a sudden, Napa was recognized as a world class region. But our founder Jeff Tenen made a good point as we poured the wines in nearly 50 years later. He mentioned that the wines were from different vintages and didn’t have much age behind them to really give an equal playing field. After all, Bordeaux is eternal!

So we decided to pour three Cabernet-based red wines from Napa and three Left Bank reds, all from the same vintage: 1998. This is considered a poor vintage for Napa and Bordeaux, making this even more interesting as we are weighing this in balance and trying to make it as fair as possible. So, poor vintage, same age, same grapes. What were the results?

1. Pahlmeyer 1998 - This was the joker of the night. All eight members put down Bordeaux! An early winner, the blend (which contains Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec) was chiseled with roasted cherry, crushed herbs, eucalyptus and zesty orange peel with a stellar finish. Some had this as their #1.

2. Joseph Phelps Insignia 1998 - Our member Jesus has tasted ‘02 Insignia and claims that you automatically get Pauillac on the nose. But this ‘98 was different. For starters, the cork had seepage and was crumbled so it could have affected the taste, but it still had plenty of life: a full body, hints of smoke, dates, mint and a heavy cloud of cigar box. It didn’t match up to some of the other wines though.

3. Château Montrose 1998 - This producer was in the original Judgment, and showed extremely well. Another favorite of the night, the Montrose showed aromas of coffee and vanilla spice, combined with notes of smoldering orange peel, sour cherry and ripe raspberries. It will most likely outlive the rest of the pack, and gave the Pahlmeyer some heavy competition.

4. Château D’Armailhac 1998 - Bang Bang! This producer was pouring the 2018 vintage at James Suckling Great Wines of the World recently (see our recap here). By coincidence, the winery rep at the booth mentioned that the ‘98 was singing beautifully at this stage…indeed it was on March 6th. It had classic, Pauillac tobacco aromas and sweetness to it, held together by a strong core of fruit indicating a solid peak here. For a Mouton Rothschild family wine, we’re not surprised this was up there.

5. Château Les Carmes Haut Brion 1998 - This wine was the trickiest of the night, bending the minds at the table and testing our experience with both regions. Napa or Bordeaux? 50/50. Either way, a beam of acidity rode on this wine and didn’t show the strong fruit forwardness expected out of a Napa Cabernet…which had some of us leaning toward Bordeaux.

6. Spottswoode Cabernet 1998 - Most of us didn’t have this wine near the top, but following the reveal and an additional hour in the glass, Spottswoode began to creep up to the top three for a few. How? It’s strong, dark fruit core began to smoothen out, offering a generous bouquet of vanilla, ripe cherry, raspberry and bright acidity that made you wish the bottle was a magnum.

Although we would have liked to do six glasses at once, we opted for two rounds of three wines, with a half time in the middle. We’ll have to put six-glass cases on our wish list for 2024. The room was dead quiet for both rounds, where each of us wrote down our tasting notes and ultimately decided on the region, appellation, vintage (only the co-presidents knew this since we acquired the wines) and producer. We paired the wines with pizza from ‘O Munaciello in MiMo and Argentinean BBQ from a nearby food truck called Kincho Grill. Once we finished our notes, we discussed wine #1, revealed it, and so on until we took the last brown bag off the Spottswoode.

We ended the tasting with a reminder of Bordeaux’s ageability and quality, but also a greater respect for Napa’s ability to develop thin layers of complexity, elegance and satisfying flavors over time, while maintaining a good level of acidity throughout.

So who won? It depends on who you ask in our club. But each wine had its own magic to it, and belonged on this table of world-class producers that still stand today.

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• Domaine de Chevalier Blanc Pessac Leognan 2019

  • “This white Bordeaux was one of my top picks. It was fresh with a great balance of acid, mineral and fruit. It was my first time having this, and will seek this out in the future,” said our founder Jeff Tenen.

• Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes Hermitage Mule Blanche 2019

  • “This was very notable with slight oak flavors and a long finish,” said co-president Matt Hege.

• Erdevik Estate Omnibus Lector 2021

  • “There were so many wonderful wines,” said member David Yarus. “I’d like to draw a little attention to something very unexpected that was a lovely palate cleanser for me. Hit just right with high quality and quite surprising flavor profile: a Serbian wine! Definitely off the beaten path but quite fun + different.”

• Château Pavie Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2010

  • According to member Jesus Cabarcos, the Pavie was a serious standout, and we’re not surprised with this incredible vintage, legendary name and $500+ price tag…

• “The Shafer One Point Five 2019 was singing at only 5 years old with lovely Cabernet fruit, while the Hillside Select needed much more time to develop. The Achaval Ferrer Bella Vista 2019 balanced power, purity and elegance for a super approachable Malbec, while the Catena Zapata White Bones 2021’s were one of the most unique wines on the floor and gone too soon with addicting notes of mint, herbs and subtle white flower. The ‘09 Jaboulet La Chapelle was a crowd favorite for a reason: it was stellar, along with the Condrieu that coated the palate perfectly. The Clerc Milon 2015 and D’Armailhac 2018 showed up to perform for this 6,000+ audience, with classic Bordeaux flavor of dark red berries, subtle vanilla and a long finish…smooth criminal! I’ve never had the single vineyard Brunello from Valdicava and the 2019 was booming with power. Lastly the Ulysses Oakville Cabernet 2018 from winemaker Tod Mostero and vigneron Christian Mouiex was the best way to end an amazing two days of tasting,” said WCM co-president Shawn Zylberberg. Read our recent interview with Mostero HERE.

As Dominus Estate winemaker Tod Mostero finished pouring the last drops of his Ulysses 2018 Oakville Cabernet at James Suckling’s Great Wines of the World Miami, I waited by the booth to ask him a simple question:

How do you make such great wine?

Tod grabbed his bag and left the empty bottle of Ulysses on the table for passersby to see the orange label with Ulysses holding a bow & arrow, an ode to his 10-year journey home, fraught with terrifying obstacles and brushes with death.

“It’s a very good question,” Tod said as we walked out of the grand ballroom to a quieter spot in the lobby. “But first, I’d like to ask: What does great wine mean for you?”

My experiences with the great wines of the world came to mind: the unfolding layers of Grand Cru Burgundy, the depths of a gorgeously aged Pritchard Hill Cabernet or my first taste of a young Petrus, its flavors imprinted on my palate for hours after my last sip (fun fact: Dominus and Petrus share the same owner: the Mouiex family led by Christian Mouiex).

Following my response, Tod was able to create a masterful and detailed, yet very understandable, explanation of what makes GREAT WINE. The following is an excerpt from our conversation:

“I use three words to describe wines: the first is balance. Balance is a word that is used a lot so let’s define what it means. Oftentimes we think of balance as the balance between alcohol, acidity and tannins. When one of those elements is not out of balance, we’re in balance. But that’s a very simple, triangular balance, and there are thousands of components in wine. When those components, or compounds, come into harmony in such a way that it creates this spherical structure, it makes the wine feel like it disappears, like it floats, and that kind of balance is necessary for a wine to be lifting. When you taste it, the experience should be as if you are swallowing pure light. There is no physicality. It leaves room for everything because there’s not one thing that is in the way. So when it disappears, it allows you to experience everything and nothing all at once, and it is extraordinary.

Number two: complexity. Most people think of complexity as a lot of things meaning that the more stuff you have and the more aromas you can name, the more complexity you have. But that’s a very additive approach to complexity and I find that a little boring. A room stuffed with things doesn’t make the room interesting. I like to think of complexity as a way the story is told. For a great wine, it both quenches your thirst and it makes you thirsty. Every time you take a sip, you’re experiencing something new like walking down a path that takes you on to endless experiences of unveiling secrets. There’s so much there that you never find the end. It’s like an abyss of experience, all the universe in one thing. As soon as you start naming things or flavors, it’s probably not very complex. I find that when you can’t name anything, just like you mentioned earlier, when you can’t identify one thing, it’s actually pretty interesting because you’re asking, ‘whats going on over here?’

The third word is: purity. Purity is like a window through which you perceive a landscape that has to be absolutely crystalline and transparent because otherwise you’re distracted and you don’t perceive what’s beyond because you’re distracted by the veil that is blocking your view. Purity corresponds to lack of defects but also lack of things like oak. Oak is a veil. It blocks the experience which is the fruit and via the fruit, the land and the place where it comes from. Other examples of impurities could be Brettanomyces (considered a spoilage yeast) or dust on your grapes that get into the fermenter which impart something that is not an expression of the place. You have to be a perfect technician and super meticulous to make precise interventions. In terms of yeast, I think of it as a midwife. A midwife is there to deliver something and does not give any of its genetic profile to the end result. It’s just ‘do it well and get out of the way’, you’re not the mother. It’s a lesser influence. But it can be a source of deviation that can cause impurities.

There are a couple other words to talk about, such as personality, which shows up when those other things are in place. It is a natural expression that is absolutely unique, like a person you get to know that has its unique way of moving in the world. Personality in a wine is only interesting when it is a pure expression of the unique spirit of a place. You experience it when you walk a vineyard and feel the place, just like getting to know a person. And it’s only when that place is very interesting that it’s worth making a wine from.

The feeling comes from all of the physical things such as the soils, the physical manifestations that exist in that place and the way it’s been cared for. The vitality and life force that’s happening in that vineyard should be the life force that you are feeling in yourself. They should be in parallel. Humans are also a part of nature so the way we dance with nature and tend to the vineyards also becomes the spirit of the place.

2022 was a year we had such heat in Napa, that we decided not to produce any wine for the 2022 vintage, which is a big deal. We lost our crop. That was such a shock for somebody whose life revolves around making wine. I experienced the death of this fruit that was so beautiful, lively and vibrant. It went from that to dead. The fruit was burned and killed on the vine.

In 2023, what became very important to me is that sense of vitality that can only come from vines that are growing in harmony with the place and when the climatic conditions are stable enough to allow you to produce wine that has an energy force . That’s an added element that is so important.

So, how do you get wines that are balanced, complex, and pure?

Balanced wines can only come from balanced grapes. Balanced grapes can only come from balanced vines. There’s nothing a winemaker can do once the grapes are picked to add a balance that is not already there. We can’t obtain the balance that I’m talking about: this spherical, floating, balance if it doesn’t already exist in the berries.

So how do grapes get balanced? It’s from vines that are balanced. Vines are only balanced when they’re in perfect harmony and connected to the site, and they can only be connected to the site if they’re, in my opinion, dry-farmed and have deep roots and are so connected to the place that they have this capacity to remain stable, just like a person can if they have structure, focus and take care of themselves. They’re able to withstand all of the different challenges in life. I didn’t always know this from experience, but now I do because I’ve seen vines that have gone from young to older, and as they get older they get more stable and anchored and able to withstand more difficult climatic conditions.

The personality of wine comes not only from the place but the spirit of the vintage and the different subtleties of that year. When those are expressed, that makes the personality of a wine so much more interesting. A wine across the vintages when it comes from a great vineyard and producer should always be pure, balanced and complex, but the personality will change slightly based on the climatic conditions.

Complexity comes from a lot of different things, and is possibly the most important part. Let’s take a fruit as an example: blueberry. How many perfectly ripe blueberries have you had in your life? I’ve had very few but I remember the ones that were and what happens when they’re ripe and incredible is you pop them in your mouth and they burst with flavor that quenches your thirst, exploding into all types of things, a rainbow of different flavors that goes way beyond blueberries. It’s floral, its violet, sometimes earthy, and you taste this whole universe that takes you down a path that kind of lingers. And then it leaves. You go along your day and then lick your lips and the rollercoaster starts all over again. That’s true complexity. That comes from harvesting at the proper time. Some people will say complexity comes from adding a lot of different types of ripeness, varieties or oak. That doesn’t give you complexity. That gives you a lot of stuff. And a lot of stuff is boring to me.

You can find a whole universe in one blueberry, or one grape berry, when it is ripe. But you have to pick it exactly at that moment. It arrives at a moment that I love to think of like ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ when the sun’s ray aligns and everything happens at once (see clip below). That’s what happens when you get perfectly ripe berries.

Knowing when to pick is hard but it is obvious. If you’re present and you’re tasting, you can’t miss it. You have to clear out all of the noise through sorting to get rid of under ripe and overripe berries and leaves and stems. Some people say ‘no, that [under ripe and overripe berries] adds complexity’. I think that deteriorates complexity because if the whole universe that you want is in that perfectly ripe berry, all you want is perfectly ripe berries, not the rest. Blurring is the perfect description of what happens. It makes the wine fuzzy. Instead of the crystalline complexity that’s fascinating, you start getting this ‘soupy’ thing thats’ not interesting.

When you know what you want, it’s very clear when you are deviating.

In the end, the most important decision of a winemaker is: choose your site well. The site has to be capable of greatness. If it’s not, you’ll never make great wine. Observe. Christian [Mouiex] said something when he started Dominus: “It’ll take me 20 years to make a great wine from this site.”

Why?

It takes a lot of observation and you have to adapt your viticulture to the site and you have to adapt every year to what’s going on during the vintage. You have to listen.”

About Tod Mostero

Director of Viticulture and Winemaking, the French connection runs strong through Mostero, who studied in Bordeaux and trained at Château Haut-Brion, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix. He worked with Baron Philippe de Rothschild in the Languedoc and at Almaviva in Chile before returning to his native California to join Dominus Estate in 2007.