September 21, 2023 - Antonio Galloni
Brilliance in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara continues to impress with a wide range of exceptional, world-class wines. After the challenging but ultimately strong 2020 harvest, producers were welcomed with far more favorable conditions in 2021. It is a spectacular vintage for the whites, quite possibly the best I have seen in more than a dozen years of tasting these wines, but ultimately less consistent for the reds, as we will explore in this year’s report.
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September 21, 2023 - Antonio Galloni
Rhys: The Stellar 2021s
The Rhys 2021s are off the charts. After a very difficult year in 2020, Mother Nature provided far more ideal conditions in 2021. Annual rainfall was down 50%, and yet combined effects of drought and a cool season with no heat extremes or shock events yielded a set of powerful, deep wines. Cool nights during the final phase of ripening helped preserve acidity. Readers will find wines that marry uncommon textural depth with intense vibrancy and minerality. Moreover, the 2021s are also incredibly expressive of site, something I always look for in vineyard-designate wines. I followed the 2021s over several days and saw them blossom beautifully over that time, with the exception of one or two wines that remain a bit closed.
September 19, 2023 - Neal Martin
Where Art Thou Chablis? - Chablis 2021 & 2022
Chablis is wrestling with an identity crisis as it confronts warmer growing seasons. Today, what do you expect from a glass of Chablis? This report delves into the 2021 and 2022 vintages that could both claim to represent contemporary Chablis.
September 14, 2023 - Eric Guido
Surpassing Expectations: New Releases from Sicily
It’s incredible how much Sicily has improved in such a short period. What was once a selection of hit-or-miss, over-stylized, oaky and often rustic wines has become one of my favorite annual tastings. Quality continues to rise, and prices remain fair, meaning consumers can now find some seriously world-class wines here.
September 12, 2023 - Angus Hughson
Eruptions on the Mornington Peninsula
Thanks to the never-ending march of international wine prices, “bargain” is a word seldom used to describe quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. However, hidden south of Melbourne, in Victoria, is a post-stamp-sized oasis where unicorns can still be uncovered. Forget what you think you know about Australian Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The best wines from one of Australia’s leading regions of these varieties are also truly world-class.
September 7, 2023 - Joaquín Hidalgo
The Uco Valley: Where Diverse Terroirs Work Their Magic
The mountainous region in the center of the province of Mendoza has enjoyed a boom in investment and vineyard expansion in recent decades. It is now the home of some of the country’s most accomplished efforts to make wines with an authentic sense of place. Thanks to in-depth studies of local terroirs and an increasingly diverse range, the Uco Valley produces some of Argentina's most interesting wines.
September 5, 2023 - Anne Krebiehl MW
Germany Pre-Auctions Report: Trier and Bad Kreuznach
The VDP’s two regional auctions in Trier and Bad Kreuznach in September are key dates for Riesling collectors. I was invited to attend pre-auction tastings held by the producers over the summer ahead of the auctions themselves. This article explains how these auctions work, but far more detail on the vintage and wineries will be in the respective regional reports covering Rheinhessen & Nahe and Mosel, Saar & Ruwer.
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September 22, 2023 - Neal Martin
Vinous Table: Mountain, London, UK
When I caught wind that Anglesey-born chef Tomos Parry planned to open a new restaurant called “Mountain”, well, I could not quell my excitement.
September 15, 2023 - Neal Martin
Vinous Table: 64 Goodge Street, London, UK
Overall, 64 Goodge Street is a welcome addition to the capital’s dynamic dining scene. Prices are reasonable, and the décor is tasteful and classy. I always like an open kitchen, and the service is absolutely top-notch. A central location and tempting wine list mean that oenophiles venturing to London will enjoy its take on Gallic cuisine. Plus, of course, no need to look up the address.
July 7, 2023 - Neal Martin
Vinous Table: Planque, London, UK
Planque is a fine addition to the London dining landscape. There was a buzzy atmosphere and a satisfying feeling of dining a bit geographically off-piste in a hideaway den that only you and your mates know about.
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90 points ($20)
2019 Nine Hats Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon wafts up with crushed black cherries dusted in cocoa and a dash of tangerine. Dark red fruit washes across the palate in a dense textural wave, while violet inner florals collect toward the close. This finishes structured with a lingering tart, wild berry note. (EG)
91 points ($17)
2021 Farina Valpolicella
The 2021 Valpolicella is a floral-tinged spice box. Exotic tea leaves, cedar, cloves, dusty dried flowers and spiced citrus rinds open in the glass. It’s soft in texture, pure in style, lightweight and impactful, with zesty acidity and mineral-tinged blackberry fruit. (EG)
90 points ($25)
2022 Cep Rosé of Pinot Noir Hopkins Ranch
The 2022 Rosé of Pinot Noir Hopkins Ranch is a gorgeous aperitif-style Rosé to drink now and over the next year or two. Creamy and expressive, the 2022 is impeccably balanced from start to finish. Today, it is absolutely irresistible. (AG)
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September 18, 2023 - Neal Martin
Cellar Favorite: 2011 Domaine d'Auvenay Bourgogne Aligoté Sous Chatelet
Let’s get the elephant out of the room. The secondary market price for this “humble” Aligoté is around £3,000 per bottle. That is absurd. That is unbelievable. But that is reality. Someone out there is prepared to pay that amount of money for this wine, motivated by the fact that it was crafted by Lalou Bize-Leroy or perhaps motivated by pecuniary gains.
September 11, 2023 - Neal Martin
Cellar Favorite: 1997 Boekenhoutskloof Syrah
Rewind to the mid-nineties, South Africa is basking in the afterglow of the dissolution of apartheid dissolution and Nelson Mandela’s election as President. After decades of selling wine domestically, South Africa’s wine industry is suddenly exposed to a competitive, global market, often under governmental control. Among a vast ocean of turbo-charged Bordeaux blends, the 1997 Syrah from Boekenhoutskloof is sui generis and becomes one of the Cape’s most iconic, mythical wines.
September 5, 2023 - Neal Martin
Cellar Favorite: 2016 Royal Tokaji Essencia
Royal Tokaji has released only eight vintages of Essencia in the last three decades: 1993, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2008 and 2009. A fallow period ensued until the imminent release of the 2016 in September/October, limited to 2,300 half-bottles in individual red lacquer boxes with hand-crafted crystal spoons.
