2017 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti: A Day’s Work
France: Burgundy, featured, Verticals & Retrospectives
, Jul 2020
The annual presentation of new releases from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in early March was the last tasting I attended before lockdown. Initially I thought I would publish this article as a bookend, when things returned to normal. Back then, I could have never imagined where we would be today. After reading Neal Martin’s article Complex, Not Complicated: 2017 DRC in Bottle chronicling the London edition, I decided to shamelessly rip off his format. So, here you have my version…
Delivering Where It Counts: Meyney 1971–2017
France: Bordeaux, featured, Verticals & Retrospectives
, Jul 2020
Continuing my focus on Bordeaux wines that offer both quality and value, my final château visit before lockdown was to Meyney in Saint-Estèphe. How has their wine improved so much in recent years?
Vintage Retrospective: The 2001 Napa Valley Cabernets
featured, Verticals & Retrospectives, United States: California
, Jun 2020
Sandwiched between three cool years and three growing seasons affected by late-season heat spikes, 2001 has proven to be a Napa Valley classic for Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends. The better wines are in fine form today.
Château Siran 1918-2008
France: Bordeaux, featured, Verticals & Retrospectives
, Jun 2020
The Margaux appellation is home to several châteaux that are upping their game. This article focuses on one of those, Château Siran, with a vertical tasting that looks back over a century.
Vintage Retrospective: The 2010 Napa Valley Cabernets
featured, Verticals & Retrospectives, United States: California
, May 2020
The Vinous vintage chart rates 2010 as the top vintage for Napa Valley Cabernet between 1991 and 2013. As my recent retrospective tasting showed, the 2010s are overdelivering on their early promise.
Hopes and Dreams: Canon Chaigneau 1998-2019
France: Bordeaux, featured, Verticals & Retrospectives
, May 2020
The impact of COVID-19 is not evenly spread across society, nor across wine estates. Imagine you were on the cusp of buying a small Bordeaux château when suddenly the world is in lockdown. What happens then? This is the story of Canon Chaigneau.
Six Decades of Pavie-Macquin: 1928-2018
France: Bordeaux, featured, Verticals & Retrospectives
, May 2020
Pavie-Macquin is one of the great success stories of Saint-Émilion. This retrospective going all the way back to 1928 provided a remarkable opportunity to witness the evolution of the property from underachiever to superstar, with all of the highs and lows that invariably accompany an extensive vertical that spans epic, average and challenging vintages. For the occasion, estate manager Nicolas Thienpont and consulting oenologist Stéphane Derenoncourt gathered every wine they have made at Pavie-Macquin, with a few surprises thrown into the mix.
No Relation: Clos Saint-Martin 1964-2017
France: Bordeaux, featured, Verticals & Retrospectives
, Apr 2020
If small is beautiful, then Clos Saint-Martin is the fairest of them all. Twenty years after first visiting this ideally located estate on the Saint-Émilion, I return to visit proprietor Sophie Fourcade and re-taste recent vintages.
Domaine Dujac Clos Saint-Denis 1970-2004
France: Burgundy, featured, Verticals & Retrospectives
, Mar 2020
Domaine Dujac’s Clos Saint-Denis has long been one of my favorite Burgundies, so when I had the chance to participate in a unique vertical of over 20 vintages back to the domaine’s earliest days, well, how could I refuse?
Roses de Jeanne La Bolorée Retrospective
featured, Verticals & Retrospectives, France: Champagne
, Mar 2020
"What would you like to taste?” Cédric Bouchard asks as we descend into his cellar. We are in the middle of a brutal heat wave in France. The cool cellar provides a much-needed break from the unrelenting heat. “Really, whatever you want,” Bouchard says, sensing my apprehension as I gaze at a stunning collection of bottles, but not wanting to ask for too much….