Michael Franz

Washington, D.C.

Editor and Managing Partner at Wine Review Online

Editor & managing partner of http://t.co/UKejXMYHTy, instructor for L'Academie de Cuisine, consultant to 13 restaurants, international #wine competition judge.

Articles

55 Reviews of Platinum Award Winning Wines from Critics Challenge

3 days ago | winereviewonline.com | Michael Franz

Enjoying wine is easy for almost everyone, provided they are open to trying wine in the first place and can manage to find wines that suit their personal tastes and price ranges. And yet, we know it is equally true that vast numbers of consumers don’t consider enjoying wine to be easy at all, for reasons we can readily identify. There are so many wines available for sale that anyone inclined to start buying is likely to be intimidated.
Villa Saletta, Chianti Superiore DOCG (Tuscany, Italy) 2019 ($20)

3 days ago | winereviewonline.com | Michael Franz

I elected to taste this Chianti solely as a point of reference in relation to the producer’s releases from Terre di Pisa and Toscana IGT, also from the 2019 vintage. The wine was listed on my roster at the “Vini delle Coste” event under wines from the Province of Pisa, but it is possible that that’s only because the winery is located there, with the fruit having been trucked in from further inland.
Villa Santa Stefano, Colline Lucchesi DOC (Tuscany, Italy) “Sereno” 2023 ($30)

3 days ago | winereviewonline.com | Michael Franz

A very seductive young wine, this rather elaborate blend shows a degree of density coupled with a rounded mouthfeel that is in keeping with this producer’s house style for red wines. The blend is based on Sangiovese at 85%, with another 15% derived from Colorino, Canaiolo, and Ciliegiolo.
Villa Saletta, Terre di Pisa DOC (Tuscany, Italy) “Chiave di Saletta” 2019 ($24)

3 days ago | winereviewonline.com | Michael Franz

Based on 50% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Merlot, this shows significantly more oak influence than this producer’s Chianti Superiore, but the fruit musters enough aroma and flavor to hold its own all the way though the finish. Dark fruit notes include not only Bing cherry, but also blackberry and cassis, making this seem as much like a Bordeaux-style wine as a Sangiovese-based Tuscan one (which I suppose it is, based on the percentages).
Tenuta Maria Teresa, Toscana IGT (Tuscany, Italy) Merlot 2021 ($23)

3 days ago | winereviewonline.com | Michael Franz

Although I confess to having found the Syrah-, Cabernet Franc- and Sangiovese-based wines from the Tuscan coastal region more compelling than the Merlots, this is an exceptionally fine rendition that shows plenty of power and persistence rather than just being a “Cab Light.” The aromatic topnotes show notable oak influence, but they are entirely positive, with spicy accents and whiff of pencil shavings and distant woodsmoke nicely accenting the ripe, physically dense fruit.
Ombroneta, Sangiovese Toscana IGT (Tuscany, Italy) “Rena” 2021 ($47)

1 week ago | winereviewonline.com | Michael Franz

This is flat-out gorgeous Sangiovese from a great vintage in Tuscany, and though it is not inexpensive, it can out-perform more than a few Brunellos and Sangiovese-based “Super Tuscans” that are significantly more costly. The bouquet is already fully open and very expressive, offering a combination of fruity and savory nuances that ride nicely in paralell, with neither overshadowing the other.
Ombroneta, Rosso Toscana IGT (Tuscany, Italy) “Argilla” 2021 ($47)

1 week ago | winereviewonline.com | Michael Franz

A 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this is a richer, firmer, “gutsier,” more structured wine than its Sangiovese “Rena” stablemate from Ombroneta, also from the 2021 vintage. Those are truly relative characterizations because this wine was also matured in steel tanks and in bottle, with no wood involved in its vinification or aging.
Podere Pellicciano, Toscana IGT (Tuscany, Italy) Colorino “Buccianello” 2021 ($33)

2 weeks ago | winereviewonline.com | Michael Franz

This is among very few single-variety bottlings of Colorino I can recall tasting, though more frequently I’ve sampled from barrels in which the variety was isolated for subsequent blending. Aromatically, the impressions are of black fruits and savory notes (of a rather rustic nature), and these scents are very interesting and inviting.
Fattoria Varramista, Toscana IGT (Tuscany, Italy) Syrah 2019 ($66)

2 weeks ago | winereviewonline.com | Michael Franz

Offering additional evidence that Syrah can be very successful as a single variety wine when grown to the West of Florence, this is rich but not chunky, and very flavorful without being over-ripe or juked up with oak. Quite substantial in feel, it doesn’t offer the sense of layered-ness or detail of the most impressive Syrahs of the broader region, but its blackberry-like fruit flavors are so delicious that the wine proves winning despite that.
Leafi Nova Makes Blinds Accessible at an Affordable Price

3 weeks ago | newmobility.com | Michael Franz

Leafi, a Canadian smart home technology company, has released a device that converts horizontal tilt-wand blinds into smart blinds in minutes, providing a cost-effective, simple alternative to most automated blinds on the market. The Nova smart device attaches to the headrail of a set of horizontal blinds without the need for tools or technological know-how. The Nova uses an adapter connected to a small motor that replaces the traditional wand that you twist to open and close the blinds.