Beaujolais: If You Want Value - You’ve Got It
France: Rhône & Beaujolais, featured
, Oct 2019
While prices for French wines with historic pedigree are often dramatically rising, Beaujolais, for the most part, continues to provide a respite from an overheated market. That, plus a string of recent vintages with average quality level ranging from very good to outstanding, makes Beaujolais one of the most intriguing regions in the world for savvy wine lovers.
A Century - Not Out: Talbot 1919-2010
France: Bordeaux, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured
, Oct 2019
In December last year, Château Talbot celebrated a century of ownership by the Cordier family with a vertical tasting at the property. This article assesses the vintages and where they place Talbot in the Saint-Julien hierarchy as a new chapter opens.
Mugneret-Gibourg’s Clos Vougeot 1984 - 2015
France: Burgundy, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured
, Oct 2019
An extensive tasting of their top Grand Cru this spring demonstrated that sisters Marie-Christine and Marie-Andrée Mugneret have quietly and methodically taken their famous father’s estate to greater heights through steady improvements in the vineyards and in the winery.
Madeira: Fortified for All Occasions
featured, Portugal
, Oct 2019
Following my look at ancient Madeira earlier this year, we shift the focus towards younger Madeira and more recent bottlings, many of which offer great value together with the joy that this fortified wine can bring.
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Remembering Jean-Bernard Delmas
France: Bordeaux, featured
, Oct 2019
Jean-Bernard Delmas, who passed away at the age of 83 on 3 October 2019, was a giant figure in Bordeaux and especially the Graves. In 1960 Delmas succeeded his father, Georges Delmas, as régisseur of Château Haut-Brion, not just a First Growth for him, but where he was born in 1935. They were large shoes to fill since his father had overseen every vintage since 1921. However, not only did Jean-Bernard Delmas debut with the regal 1961 Haut-Brion that continues to astonish to this day, but he made the audacious decision to replace the château’s old wooden fermentation vats with twelve stainless-steel vessels. Its revolutionary impact cannot be overstated.
The Cat’s Whiskers: Bordeaux 1961
France: Bordeaux, featured
, Oct 2019
The 1961 vintage continues to elicit tingles down the spine of Bordeaux-lovers. Almost sixty years later, how are they holding up and do they still deserve our reverence? What factors determined their quality? And who is Chairman Miaow?
Unraveling the Secrets of Cognac
featured, France
, Sep 2019
When Cognac is well-made, it’s among the finest spirits known to humanity. But Cognac is a secretive, confounding place. In this report, I unravel the mysteries of Cognac, covering more than 50 brands and offering reviews and ratings on more than 200 bottles.
The Other Side of Bordeaux
France: Bordeaux, featured
, Sep 2019
This article moves the Bordeaux spotlight to its more unfamiliar and esoteric producers, towards wines that are reminders that it can offer tremendous value-for-money.
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Santa Barbara: Present & Future
featured, United States: California
, Sep 2019
Santa Barbara remains one of the most fascinating regions in the world. Rich history, a culture of site-specific wines and reasonable pricing make Santa Barbara one of the most exciting and rewarding regions for consumers who want to discover distinctive, high-quality artisan wines that speak of place. I came away from my tastings this past summer more impressed than ever with the region, its producers and a bevy of wines that are truly magnificent.
Equal Parts Story and Substance
featured, Fellowship
, Sep 2019
Brenna Ritchey is the recipient of the 2018 Vinous Young Writer Fellowship. In her winning essay, Brenna reflects on the "supposed generational gap between older wine-drinkers and young people", while considering how millennials are "rewriting the rules of the game, dismantling the very structures that have schooled us in how to drink and appreciate wine, and rebuilding them from the vineyard up."