Roam Napa Sleeping Lady Cabernet Sauvignon 2015: Exuberant First Wine By New Napa Valley Label

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For wine lovers, there is not much more exciting than being in on the ground floor for the release of a new label, especially one that aspires to the highest quality. Being of severely limited quantities adds a tiny bit of a thrill as well. With all that in mind, Ken Gargett predicts that the new Roam Napa Sleeping Lady Cabernet Sauvignon and its first vintage, 2015, will be a welcome addition to the ranks of cracking Cabernet.

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Louis Roederer Cristal 2008

Louis Roederer Cristal 2008: Supreme Elegance And Ethereal Grace

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Individual champagnes rarely seem to attract the pre-release anticipation that we sometimes see with other wines. Ken Gargett thinks that perhaps the 1996 Krug was the last release that really generated serious excitement before it hit the market and he doubts that any champagne has created such interest since then – until we come to the 2008 Louis Roederer Cristal.

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Penfolds Grange 2014

Penfolds Grange 2014: Meeting High Expectations, Plus The Fascinating History Of Australia’s Best Wine (It Began As A Failure)

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Even though Penfolds releases all its top wines – the “Penfolds Collection” – at the same time, eyes of wine lovers around the world are always focused on one wine: Grange! Here Ken Gargett reviews the 2014 Grange. Plus he shares the early history of Grange and explains how the first tastings were a complete flop in quite colorful language.

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Cartier Panthère cufflinks in gold

Cartier’s Cufflinks And Watches: Sophistication With A Nicely Personal Touch

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Since its very early years, one of Cartier’s strengths aside from jewelry and watches has surprisingly been accessories for men. In fact, cufflinks appeared in Cartier records as far back as 1859. Here George Cramer explores modern and vintage options for a nice personal touch.

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Serra de Estrela cheese

Serra De Estrela Cheese: Rich, Ripe, And Full Of Intense, Tangy Flavors

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Ken Gargett first encountered Serra de Estrela in Oporto at a lunch. He thinks, however, that it has not received its dues outside Portugal and can only assume that is because no one seems to associate cheese with that country – a gross oversight, which he rectifies here..

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Bathys Hawaii Cesium-133

Measuring The Time Between The Seconds: The Truth Behind High-Frequency Movements (Reprise)

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Marketing material for the modern mechanical watch almost always includes a description of the the movement’s frequency. You may have even sensed that the higher the frequency, the more accurate a movement gets. But is this entirely true? Ryan Schmidt shares what he has learnt here.

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Artistic Crafts category pre-selected watches for the 2018 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève,clockwise from top left: Chaumet Ecritures de Chaumet, Fabergé Clover, Hermès Arceau Robe du Soir, Piaget Altiplano Tourbillon Malachite, Vacheron Constantin Les Aérostiers Paris 1783, and Van’t hoff Ballet in Blue

Our Predictions In The Artistic Crafts Category Of The 2018 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie De Genève And Our Panel Is Divided (Again!)

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The Artistic Crafts category of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève is for watches, “ . . . demonstrating exceptional mastery of one or several artistic techniques such as enameling, lacquering, engraving, guilloche (engine-turning), skeletonizing, and more.” Our panel picks its favorites to win the category while discovering how much taste can vary. Which one do you prefer?

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De Bethune DB28 with silicon/platinum annular balance

The Schmidt List: 5 Extraordinary Balance Wheels (Archive)

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The balance wheel is the regulatory organ of a mechanical watch, which is expected to deliver a consistent frequency with a tolerance of as little as 0.001 percent. With so much at stake, why complicate things by altering a pure and simple geometric shape? Why reinvent the wheel? Here Ryan Schmidt presents five balances that reinvented the wheel.

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Montegrappa Privilege

Montegrappa Privilege Pen: Forget Something Old, Something New; Here’s Something Discontinued

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One of the first times that Martin Green walked into high-end pen store P.W. Akkerman in The Hague – one of the few shops of its kind to survive – there was a Montegrappa Privilege on display that made a lasting impression on him. Fast forward a few years and here we are . . .

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Mornington Peninsula vineyards

Mornington Peninsula Wines Of Australia: Majestic Victorian Burgundies With Equally Majestic Views

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Most good wine regions in Australia are delightfully scenic. But few are quite as picturesque as the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia. Located just to the south of Melbourne, Australia’s second largest city, it is easy to visit for a day trip, but Ken Gargett thinks it’s much more fun to stay a few days.

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