Wineries
Founded in 1986 on Pritchard Hill, Bryant Family Vineyard quickly rose to Napa cult status. From its rocky, lake-cooled slopes come powerful yet polished Cabernets that rival Bordeaux First Growths and embody Napa’s ambition and allure.
Wineries
Château Latour, a First Growth since 1855, is Bordeaux’s fortress. From its sacred Enclos vineyard in Pauillac, it produces Cabernet of unmatched power and longevity, releasing wines only when ready — a legacy of endurance and authority.
Tasting Notes
Schrader RBS 2018: dense cassis, violet, graphite; fine-grained tannins, long cedar-cocoa finish. Decant 2–3 hours; cellar 12–20 years.
Wine & Food Pairings
Unique Domaine Leroy Musigny 2012 food pairing inspirations—pigeon, venison, lobster, truffle, Époisses—woven with myth and terroir.
Vinotourism
Gigondas, sheltered by the jagged Dentelles, crafts Rhône reds that marry furnace heat with alpine lift. Explore its path from Roman outpost to cru, taste the imprint of limestone, meet bold growers, and see why these wines mellow like cooling stone.
Wineries
Founded in 1981 by Lodovico Antinori, Ornellaia turned Bolgheri’s coast into a stage for greatness. From its Bordeaux-inspired blend to the cult Merlot Masseto, Ornellaia is Tuscany’s symphony of power, elegance, and ambition.
Wine & Food Pairings
Unique Château d’Yquem 2001 food pairing journey—quail, eel, truffle, tagine, and saffron mille-feuille with this legendary Sauternes.
Tasting Notes
Centuries in a glass: the 1900 D’Oliveira Malvasia Madeira, alive and unstoppable.
Investment Reports
How a mythic conflict with the frost goddess forged a 99-point masterpiece and an investment fit for the gods. The Myth of the 2017 Vintage I remember the night Khione, the frost-goddess, swept into the Saar valley. She sought to freeze the precious Riesling berries of the Scharzhofberger vineyard, turning
Wineries
Realm Cellars rose from near bankruptcy to cult status in Napa. With Scott Becker’s vision, Benoit Touquette’s winemaking, and iconic vineyards like To Kalon and Dr. Crane, Realm became a phoenix estate — bold blends, legendary Cabernets, and modern myth.
Tasting Notes
Ribera’s Valbuena 5° 2017: Tempranillo-led, 14.5% ABV, warm finish, five years ageing — dark-fruited, fine tannins, cellar-friendly.
Investment Reports
Forged when Bacchus wrestled a primordial entity of stillness, Château Lafite 2016 - a modern classic with 100-point scores - now offers a rare, contrarian buy for those brave enough to seize a 34 percent discount on a First Growth titan. The summer of 2016, I was awoken by a