The Iron Chevsky Wine Blog

Wine & Spirits Top 100 Wineries tasting is a great annual event in San Francisco each October that I make a point not to miss. Great venue (Metreon), sharp looking people, delectable food, and seriously good wines. Below are the highlights of the this year's 11th annual event. (The 2013 was documented here , 2012 here , 2011 here , 2010 here , and 2009 here ). Diamond Creek , with dear Boots Brounstein. As usual, Diamond Creek showed well - dark, cool, mountain fruit with good structure, one of my favorite Napa Valley wineries, recently highlighted on this blog . Dominus , with Tod Mostero, who hosted me several years ago at the estate. This was the second time I tasted the 2011 Dominus, and my opinion improved. The wine has some grippy tannins and herbs, slightly leaner than usual, thanks to the 2011 vintage. I like how the slight austerity and a leaner body give it a Euro-inclined balance. I believe it will age well. I ran into Burgundy's vunderkind of Do...

Five years in a row I have now attended this great event in San Francisco, organized by Wine & Spirits Magazine . As usual, fantastic ambiance of hors d'oeuvres , wines , chocolates and coffee, live music, and well-dressed people, with a gorgeous view from the City View at Metreon! I did not intend to provide exhaustive coverage. The following sampling of tweets reflects subjectively my most memorable wines at the event: Le Moine Charmes Chambertin 2010 Grand Cru Burg best wine W&S Top 100 2013. Spectacular. Rich focused powerful. Wow. pic.twitter.com/3oVbfaGGlc — Gary Iron Chevsky (@IronChevsky) October 16, 2013 Ridge Monte Bello 2009 - best new world red at W&S Top 100 Wineries 2013. Complex, delicious, great acid, incomparable. — Gary Iron Chevsky (@IronChevsky) October 16, 2013 Louis Roederer Cristal 2005 - best Champagne at Wine&Spirits Top 100. pic.twitter.com/PavSjb4ZDq — Gary Iron Chevsky (@IronChevsky) October 16, 2013 JJ Prum very good, es...

San Francisco SoMa district. Wednesday afternoon, October 14. At 4:30 the doors of San Francisco Design Center open to the trade. Normally - designers and architects, but not this night. Most trade tastings are free, yet this event commands a hefty price tag. By 5pm, the cost of entry a non-deterrent, the place is packed with nicely groomed men with pleasant Euro accents, and attractive women - a staple of the wine trade circles. Yours truly, in jeans and t-shirt, and in need of a haircut stands out like a sore thumb, swallowed by the sea of humanity imbibing prized wines and gourmet eats. Thankfully the semi-mysterious Russian-ish accent elevates my image throughout the evening. From the Wine & Spirits 23rd Annual Buying Guide: "Our Annual Buying Guide reviews not only the best wines of the year, but the best wineries... A great wine should be marked by the character of the place where it was grown, and reveal something about the traditions of the people who made it. Our ra...