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The Vinous 2018 Holiday Gift Guide
Beyond Wine, FAQ, featured
, Dec 2018
Looking for that perfect gift for the wine lover in your life? We’ve got you covered with a selection of gifts ranging from new books, to glasses, maps and much more.
The Wines of Alto Adige
Italy: North, Italy, featured
, Dec 2018
Alto Adige arguably makes Italy’s best white wines. Climate change and more judicious use of oak have also improved the red wines, especially the delicious one-two punch delivered by the Schiava varieties and Lagrein. The odd bottle of outstanding Pinot Nero and Cabernet Sauvignon rounds out a truly noteworthy offering of world-class wines.
Champagne – The Season’s New Releases
France: Champagne, featured
, Nov 2018
I came away from my annual fall Champagne tastings absolutely exhilarated by the quality of the wines. As it turns out, I reviewed most of the new releases from the grandes marques in our Summer Preview, so this article focuses heavily on grower Champagnes. That is merely a coincidence, or maybe in the end, it isn’t. As I scan through the domaines covered in this article I can’t help but pause to think about how much Champagne has changed in just the last decade or so.
New Zealand: Just For Starters
New Zealand, featured
, Nov 2018
Upon joining Vinous, New Zealand came back into my purview for the first time since 2010. Its location on the opposite side of the world meant that finding time to visit this year was not quite as easy as nipping down to Bordeaux or Burgundy on the daily easyJet. This interim report covers more than 400 new releases from a wide range of estates.
Vacqueyras 2016 and 2015: Value and Consistency
France: Rhône & Beaujolais, featured
, Nov 2018
Vacqueyras enjoyed virtually flawless growing seasons in 2016 and 2015 and its producers responded by making wines of consistently high quality. While prices have been steadily rising for current releases from neighboring Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas, pricing for Vacqueyras wines has mostly been holding steady, which is terrific news for wine lovers.
Focus on Washington: The New Normal
United States: Washington, featured
, Nov 2018
Washington has experienced an unbroken succession of six very warm to hot years, but by now the state’s most serious growers and winemakers have proven that they can stand the heat. While there are underperformers in Washington, at the level of the better wineries quality has never been higher than it is today.
Blind Vision: 2015 Burgundy Red & White
featured, France: Burgundy
, Nov 2018
Bordeaux is a dog. A dog will always fetch the stick or come to heel. Dogs are predictable. But a cat? You never know what a cat might be up to at any given moment—licking its paws or catching mice. Cats are as unpredictable as opening a bottle of Burgundy. You never know what to expect until you pull the cork. Burgundy is a cat….
2014 Barolo: Late Releases
Piedmont, Italy: Piedmont, featured
, Nov 2018
The 2014 Barolo vintage offers readers plenty of intriguing options, although a little work is required to cull out the gems and avoid wines that were affected by a growing season with some of the most challenging conditions in recent memory. In a few cases, growers decided not to bottle some or all of their top single-vineyard wines, making a number of the entry-level Barolos particularly compelling. I remain just as excited by the top 2014 Barolos as I was when I first started tasting the wines in November of that year.
Calvados: The Apple Of A Brandy Drinker’s Eye
France, France: Other, Fortified Wines & Spirits, France: Normandy, featured
, Nov 2018
Forget about grapes in Normandy. Here, the apple is king. Each fall, dozens of apple varieties, in field blends, are harvested, crushed and pressed into cider. In Calvados, much of that cider is distilled into the exquisite apple brandy. It has taken time, but slowly over the past two decades, a serious generation of Calvados producers have elevated the spirit into a conversation with the world’s other great brandies.
Campania: More Than Just Fiano, Greco and Aglianico
Italy: Center & South, featured
, Nov 2018
Campania is one of Italy’s best sources of distinctive white wines. A large number of indigenous grapes are matched to an equally diverse set of microclimates that give birth to striking wines. The reds are a bit of a mixed bag and run the gamut from extraordinary to overoaked and rustic wines that don’t always capture the full potential the region has to offer. Even so, Campania’s finest reds remain captivating.