#randallgrahm

[tannindactyl]

Excited for the return of Randall Grahm from Bonny Doon Vineyard @uvaggiowine More details to come! #bonnydoonvineyard#cigarevolant#winetasting#randallgrahm#instawine#winestagram#coralgables#winegeek#somm#winelover#winedinner#greatwines#santacruzwine#californiawine#rhonerangers (at Coral Gables, Florida)

[ollebosse]

@RandallGrahm

[junker-town]

LeBron James' incredible taste in wine, explained by 4 experts

Is there anything LeBron James isn’t great at?!

LeBron James loves wine. I mean, he loves wine, and anyone who follows him on Instagram knows it. Get you a partner who loves you as much as LeBron loves his red wine. That’s basically what we’re trying to say here.

I wanted to know how much James loves wine, though, and his $1,200 wine weekend felt like the perfect time to do it. Sommeliers and other wine experts will be the first to tell you that expensive wine isn’t necessarily the equivalent to good wine. Does James — or, if you’re a skeptic, the person who buys wine for James — have good taste?

Bleacher Report previously investigated James’ wine habits, and he received mostly high marks. But James has never given us a more complete look at his tastes than this Instagram, featuring six reds and a white that he presumably played a large part in drinking.

Last night was mad real, fresh out of Advil- Jesus grab the wheel Sheesh!!! You had to be there to truly Understand. Even though I wish you were there so u could. #VinoChronicles P.S. don't talk to me about wine like u know it if you really don't know what you're talking about. Seriously! Thank you! ‍♂️

A post shared by LeBron James (@kingjames) on Nov 26, 2017 at 9:14am PST

What are the wines?

In bold is what we’ll refer to the wines as throughout this post.

Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot “Les Fairendes” Premier Cru 2014 ($114)

Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 ($74)

Antica Terra Antikythera Pinot Noir 2014 ($157)

Corison Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 ($101)

Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2004 ($280)

Brand 'Brio' Red 2014 ($150)

Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri 1997 ($327)

Who did we ask?

Randall Grahm (@RandallGrahm), longtime founder and winemaker at Bonny Doon Vineyard

Joe Roberts (@1WineDude), founder and writer at 1winedude.com

Meg Houston Maker (@megmaker), wine writer at Maker’s Table

Dr. Han Wen, hospitality professor at the University of North Texas

What are the best wines in this mix?

SASSACAIA AND QUINTERELLI

GRAHM: Some of these wines (like Sassacaia and Quinterelli) are trophy wines, but they are nevertheless really great and perhaps the finest expression of their genre.

HAN WEN: While still very young, the '04 Quintarelli Amarone shows a complex, velvety palate that scintillates with a kaleidoscopic swirl of plums, chocolate, espresso, earth and that ineffable Quintarelli terroir. This is a massive, voluptuous wine that never sits still in the glass, and it's only going to grow more phenomenal with age. The Quintarelli 2004 Amarone is a hedonist's delight, a wine to be savored and meditated upon, and a fitting tribute to one of the world's greatest winemakers ever to have lived. Quintarelli produces its Amarone only in exceptional vintages, reliably crafting the benchmark for all Amarone.

CORISON AND MAYACAMAS

GRAHM: “What is most impressive is that the New World Cabs selected (Corison and Mayacamas) are in fact generally ‘against type’ from the typical over-blown, over-extracted California Cabs and are wines of genuine elegance.”

ROBERTS: “The really telling items here are the two Napa-area stalwarts (Corison and Mayacamas) and the white Burgundy (the Latour Chassagne-Montrachet). Those are absolutely legit, in-the-know choices, the kinds of picks that will give you street cred with the wine cognoscenti, serious collectors, and sommeliers.

ANTIKYTHERA

GRAHM: By all reckoning, it appears to be a fairly elegant Pinot.

HAN WEN: Even though when comparing with other wines, the Pinot Noir seems lighter, but the one he picked has a long length of finish because of the premium quality of the wine.

MAKER: Cathy Corison’s eponymous Corison Cabernet, grown in her estate Kronos vineyard in St. Helena, and Maggie Harrison’s Pinot Noir (Antikythera) from the project’s holdings in Oregon. America has a paucity of successful women winemakers, but these two are among the most respected winemakers in the country, period.

BRIO

HAN WEN: This precocious and captivating wine exudes profound notes of blackberry, coffee, licorice, and cocoa. Full-bodied and refined, it is deeply layered with delicate nuances of graphite and baking spices. The silky tannins resonate with a lush, balanced finish.

Tonight's choice of vino with my !! No games being played in this cellar of ! 2005 Quiutarelli Giuseppe vintage

A post shared by LeBron James (@kingjames) on Oct 14, 2017 at 5:24pm PDT

So is LeBron James good at wine? Of course

GRAHM: LeBron (or someone who picks out his wines) has really great taste — wines of elegance rather than wines of sheer power and extraction. Bravo, LeBron.

HAN WEN: LeBron has a good taste of wines. The selections featured on his Instagram are all excellent wines, from renowned producers and regions in the world, and most of them have very limited production in those vintages.

ROBERTS: Bottom line is that LeBron seems to be the real deal; I mean, he's an amazing athlete, he is a pretty good comedic actor, and his taste in wines looks totally legit based on that post.

MAKER: These are wines with compelling narrative backstories, creation myths that make good reading. But as with any good myth, it’s the people in the story that matter most — the winemakers, their families, and the traditions they keep or break. These wines are made by people who are driven by a clear vision about what their wine, from their place, should be. You want to be able to say that about any wine, but with these wines, it’s true.

These wines are exquisite and luxurious, but not ostentatious. These aren’t showy wines. They’re expensive, yes, but that’s because they’re carefully crafted — by people who deserve to prosper.

There’s only one flaw to LeBron’s palette

Like his sometimes wonky jump shot, James is consuming a few of these wines too young.

“The Kronos is going to enter its peak drinking window in eight to ten years, and it has the stuffing to age much longer,” Maker said. “The Brio — I confess I’m not familiar with Brand’s wines, but given the vintage, vineyard, blend, and protocols, this wine also needs some time.”

But hey — James is shooting a career high from the floor and the three-point line this season, and may have even fixed that one weak link to his game. Give him time, and I’m sure he’ll get his wine game shored up, too.

[mldisarno]

Drinking some "Proper Claret" in Buffalo, NY. Proper Pink for one and all! It was great with Porterhouse steak. #greatwine #roseallday #summertime #properpink #bonnydoon #bonnydoonwine #bonnydoonwinery #greatwine #californiawine #nyc #newyork #newyorker #newyorkcity #buffalony #celebratelife #celebrationoflife @RandallGrahm (at Town of West Seneca)

[thewinersclub]

RT @Barococo_DD: How Technology Is Minimizing The Differences Between Good And Bad Wine Vintages #wine #winelover @RandallGrahm… https://t.co/EydrGq9mfH

[sulafest]

marilenabarbera: @RandallGrahm will you attend Burlington wine festival next June? I am missing your wines badly @BostonWineExpo

https://twitter.com/marilenabarbera/statuses/833329750785523714?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr #WineFestival | All The Worlds' Wine Festivals!

[thomsonplays]

The latest The Thomson Daily! http://bit.ly/2jlIR1i Thanks to @tombiro @RandallGrahm @jbenton #scandal #nhlallstar

The latest The Thomson Daily! http://bit.ly/2jlIR1i Thanks to @tombiro @RandallGrahm @jbenton #scandal #nhlallstar

— Richard Thomson (@emailforhelp) January 27, 2017

from Twitter https://twitter.com/emailforhelp January 27, 2017 at 06:01AM via IFTTT

[wineworldnews]

Meet the Makers: Discussion with Sustainable Winemakers via @vinepair https://t.co/A6PAhFiECp with @WinesofChile @yalumba @nzwine @PasoRoblesWine TUESDAY, APRIL 20 | 6:30 PM ET @SustainableKW @RandallGrahm @winewankers @VinoNZ @TablasCreek https://t.co/PuCV4s5Sh5 (hier: Dresden-Neustadt, Sachsen, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNhm2DZLXYn/?igshid=1sglf61cc8a7x

[farehamwinecellar]

The Proust Questionnaire: Randall Grahm http://ow.ly/b11nU a quick Q&A with randallgrahm wine

[wineworldnews]

French Trademark Major Grape Varieties via @WineSearcher https://t.co/CDZJDx58XF #wine #winelover @RandallGrahm @JancisRobinson @timatkin @jamiegoode @newbordeaux @amylieberfarb @Dracaenawines @KJWines @jordanwinery #wine #winelover #wineoclock #winelovers #wineinstagram #winetasting #wineknowledge #somm #somms #sommelierlife #sommelier #wset #winetime #wines #wein #wineinstagram #winery #vineyards #winelovers 🍷 (hier: Dresden-Neustadt, Sachsen, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNGsLaSLk1p/?igshid=1tocd20pc0q8f

[wineworldnews]

@RandallGrahm partners with @lifeatgallo on Rhône varieties project https://t.co/6EJDrwItlS via @thedrinksbusiness #wine #rhone #lengadoc more #winenews by my linktr.ee Bio #wineworldnews 🍇 👍 🍷 #rhone #grapevariety #wineproject #California #rosewine #redwine #roseallday #wines #sommlife #sommelier #winefun #life #lifestyle #winetime #vins #vin #vino #vinos #rhonegrapes (hier: Dresden-Neustadt, Sachsen, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRydCm8rpJ0/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mldisarno]

Drinking some "Proper Claret" in NJ. Educating the universe one palate at a time! Proper Pink for one and all! #greatwine #roseallday #summertime #properpink #bonnydoon #bonnydoonwine #bonnydoonwinery @RandallGrahm (at Westfield, New Jersey)