Abruzzo and Molise: More Than Meets the Eye
Italy: Center & South, featured
, Apr 2021
The time has come to dig into Abruzzo and Molise, regions that offer everything from easy-drinking wines to world-class bottles, all while delivering terrific value. My recent tastings suggest the wines have come a long way - and this is just the beginning.
Cellar Favorite: 2014 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Bianco Santo Spirito Cuvée delle Vigne Niche
Italy: Center & South, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Apr 2021
I remember quite well the first time I tasted the 2014 Santo Spirito Cuvée delle Vigne Niche Bianco. My eyes lit up the second I put my nose to the glass.
Wiston Estate & The Trouble With Dreams
United Kingdom, featured
, Apr 2021
Overseeing the wines of Wiston and his own label, Trouble With Dreams, Dermot Sugrue is one of the UK’s most talented and intriguing winemakers. Anyone believing that English sparkling wine should not be taken seriously should read this in-depth and revealing article.
Beyond Wine: Album Review of Black Honey – Written & Directed
United Kingdom, Beyond Wine
, Mar 2021
I have been slightly obsessed with Brighton-based Black Honey for a while now. They have the whole package. Written & Directed is a step up from their impressive eponymous debut in 2018. Everything is bigger, louder and bolder.
Bordeaux 2018: Not Back in Black
France: Bordeaux, featured
, Mar 2021
After an uneven vintage in 2017, Bordeaux was buzzing with anticipation over the 2018s. To be sure, the wines were showy from barrel, but tasting en primeur is always a moving target. The wines are of course very young and sensitive to atmospheric changes as well as other variables. Now that the 2018s have been bottled, do they live up to expectations?
Cellar Favorite: The Fives at Château d’Issan
France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Mar 2021
Following the vertical that I conducted at the estate back in 2018, I recently joined Emmanuel Cruse via Zoom for a small tasting of recent vintages of “The Fives”, including the 2000 d’Issan that was not included in my The Marital Margaux: d’Issan 1945-2015 article.
Vinous Table: Ma Cuisine, Beaune, France
Vinous Table, France: Burgundy
, Mar 2021
Beaune would not be Beaune without Ma Cuisine. For sure, I missed the atmosphere that makes Ma Cuisine what it is, but it will return with flocks of customers once COVID-19 is in the rearview mirror.
Interpreting Chenin Blanc
featured, France: Loire
, Mar 2021
In my first Loire report for Vinous, I take the pulse of Chenin producers with a focus on current releases from Savennières and Vouvray.
Where the Wild Things Are: Welcome to Sardinia
featured, Italy
, Mar 2021
Vines, like people, endure and build character through living and growing within the most harsh and rugged environments. Nowhere within Italy is this more evident than on the Island of Sardinia, which can almost seem like a country, or even a continent unto itself. The island covers 9,300 square miles; and with a 125-mile separation from the mainland, when touring its diverse terrain, listening to its own dialect and taking in the regional flavors, it would be easy to forget that you are indeed in Italy.
Cellar Favorite: Château Latour: 2021 New Releases
France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Mar 2021
In this week's Cellar Favorite column, we offer two completely separate and independent views on the 2021 releases from Château Latour.