June 23, 2022 - Eric Guido
Sicily: Welcome to the Revolution
Sicily is hot, and I don’t mean temperature-wise. A significant rise in quality across the island, not just from Etna, has finally broken down many of the old stereotypes that once plagued the producers here. Today we are witnessing a focus on variety and place that has seldom been seen from Sicilian winemakers, and the results come through in the bottle. That said, there’s still an ocean of wine to sort through to find the best.
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June 21, 2022 - Neal Martin
The Wine Was Chambertin: Rousseau 1919-2017
A vertical tasting of Armand Rousseau’s Chambertin is the stuff of dreams, a tasting that goes back to 1919, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. That should not preclude objectivity, especially not when these bottles tell the magical story of one of Burgundy’s legendary wines.
June 14, 2022 - Eric Guido
A Valle d’Aosta Interlude
Italian by definition, yet more influenced by French and Swiss neighbors, Valle d’Aosta is quite unique relative to other regions in Italy. It’s precisely that diversity that makes Valle d’Aosta both fun and intriguing to explore.
June 9, 2022 - Joaquín Hidalgo
Chile in Transition
Chile is a country experiencing major upheavals in the wine scene. This report bears witness to a wide range of regions, beyond Maipo, where new flavor palates are emerging and further identifies the current trends in classic varieties and the challenges producers face today. The result, following a tasting of 800 wines, is an increasingly complex wine map, rich in different styles, varieties and flavors.
June 8, 2022 - Joaquín Hidalgo
The 2022 Harvest in Chile: A Cool, Dry Year
It’s difficult to summarize a vintage in a country where coastal and mountain valleys experience very different conditions, but the numbers show that 2022 in Chile was defined by two stand out phenomena: a lack of water and associated lack of relative humidity, as well as low temperatures. In the context of a drought that has been going on for 13 years now and a 2021 winter with some of the lowest rainfalls ever recorded from Maule to the north, the lack of water and low humidity accelerated ripening processes in the same way as one sees in hot years.
June 7, 2022 - Neal Martin
Fronsac Royalty: Château de La Dauphine 2001-2018
Fronsac is an appellation that has been firing on all cylinders in recent years, so it’s an opportune moment to examine one of its leading estates, Château de La Dauphine and discover its royal past.
June 2, 2022 - Eric Guido
Trentino & Alto Adige: The Sky’s the Limit
Trentino and Alto Adige appear to be on the cusp of grasping unheralded potential. For many years, a microcosm of cooperatives and growers, both large and small-scaled, have been turning out some of the best white wines in Italy, but they were the exception, not the rule. However, through a renewed sense of place, a focus on purity and, in some cases, the effects of global warming, that number is steadily increasing.
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June 24, 2022 - Neal Martin
Vinous Table: The Ritz Restaurant, London, UK
If you are seeking old school glamour. If you want to dine in a place with historic legacy. If you are not on a diet. If you want to escape the humdrum and seek a slice of razzamatazz. If you can tie a Windsor knot, then I recommend The Ritz.
June 17, 2022 - Neal Martin
Vinous Table: Royal China Club, London, UK
Overall, Royal China Club delivers high-class cuisine with minimal fuss and impressive execution. Despite its location in the heart of London, it manages to conjure the ambiance of a local restaurant.
June 10, 2022 - Neal Martin
Vinous Table: Tristan, Horsham, UK
This was a suitable epic dinner. It was pleasing to see Tristan recovering from the pandemic and firing on all cylinders. God knows what fellow diners thought about the performance in the corner table. But hopefully they could see that we were enjoying ourselves, something that had been denied so many of us in previous months.
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90 points ($15)
2021 J. Hofstatter Weissburgunder Pinot Bianco
The 2021 Weissburgunder Pinot Bianco wafts up with herbs and lime zest before settling on crushed green apples and ginger. Soft-textured with a reverberation of citrus tension that nicely contrasts its inner sweetness. It leaves a subtle staining of minerals through the long and juicy finale. (EG)
90 points ($12)
2020 Abbazia di Novacella Sylvaner
The 2020 Sylvaner is sharply focused with lemon oils, savory herbs and young peach forming its bouquet. It’s round and soothing on the palate with sweet florality, ripe orchard fruits and a core of juicy acidity. Confectionery spice and candied citrus linger on the medium length finish. (EG)
90 points ($21)
2019 Hahn Estate Chardonnay
Mineral- and spice-accented citrus and orchard fruit aromas are complemented by floral and tarragon suggestions in the 2019 Hahn Chardonnay SLH. Meyer lemon, pear and white peach flavors unfurl and take on a spicy ginger note with air. This finishes tight and long, with a touch of vanilla. (JR)
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June 21, 2022 - Neal Martin
Cellar Favorite: 1981 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Hermitage
I always loved the good old days when Australian winemakers “borrowed” the names of classic French wine regions to brand their cuvées. Cheeky? An homage? Theft? Well, the EU bureaucrats soon put a stop to all those Chablis and Hermitages made “Down Under”, but that doesn’t imply that some of them were not genuinely worthy of such noble appellations or even surpassed them.
June 13, 2022 - Neal Martin
Cellar Favorite: 1978 Pavie
Meeting a friend for lunch at the bustling “Brutto” Italian restaurant near Farringdon Station last February, my generous host served a wine blind that epitomized everything great about “old school Bordeaux”. Ironically, it was from an estate that later became the paragon/pariah of modern winemaking depending on your views: Château Pavie.
June 6, 2022 - Neal Martin
Cellar Favorite: 1971, 2001 & 2011 Château de Beauregard Pouilly-Fuissé Vers Cras
No Burrier, no Premier Cru! Frédéric Burrier, the congenial proprietor of Château de Beauregard in the village of Fuissé, was the driving force that, after a decade of relentless campaigning, convinced the INAO that 22 vineyards in Pouilly-Fuissé merited promotion to Premier Cru status, commencing with the 2020 vintage.
