Champagne: 2020 New Releases
France: Champagne, featured
, Aug 2020
For the first time in a dozen years, this past spring I was unable to travel to Champagne to taste the new vintage and survey the latest releases. Given the extraordinary challenges this year of both traveling and collecting hundreds of samples in a timely fashion, we will be publishing Champagne reviews within this article in a continuous stream over coming weeks and months, as I taste the wines. The best way to stay up to date on additions is to make sure you are receiving our emails and turn on notifications within the Vinous app.
Taupenot-Merme: Mazoyères-Chambertin 2002-2017
Verticals & Retrospectives, France: Burgundy, featured
, Aug 2020
Taupenot-Merme has become one of the leading Morey-based producers over the last decade. This article examines their crown jewel of Mazoyères-Chambertin from 2017 back to 2002.
Royal Tokaji Co. & Disznókő - Latest Releases
Hungary, featured
, Aug 2020
I kicked off 2020 reinvigorated with zeal and enthusiasm. Twenty-twenty was planned to be my “back to business” year, and nothing except a global pandemic could stop me...Oh. This article combines tasting notes of recent releases from the Royal Tokaji Company and Disznókő.
Generous to a Fault, Mosel 2018: Winningen to Wehlen
germany: Mosel, featured
, Aug 2020
Ripeness, personality, abundance: from every angle, the Mosel Rieslings of 2018 are characterized by generosity, though only the best preserve the cut, complexity and prodigious ageworthiness of this genre at its very finest.
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Southwold: 2016 Bordeaux Blind
Verticals & Retrospectives, featured, France: Bordeaux
, Aug 2020
The 2016 Bordeaux vintage might have been born with a halo above its cherubic head, but you cannot see a halo if blindfolded. This report sees the 2016s re-examined blind at the annual “Southwold” tasting.
Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018s
United States: California, featured
, Aug 2020
Readers will find a wealth of superb wines to explore in this year’s crop of new releases from Santa Barbara. A mix of established producers upping their games and younger winemakers building their reputations are at the heart of one of the most dynamic regions anywhere in the world. The 2018 harvest gave producers the raw materials to make stunning wines that capture the promise I sensed when I first started tasting the vintage from barrel last year, but quality is variable in some, so a little care is essential.
Oregon Pinot Noir: The Winning Streak Continues
United States: Oregon, featured
, Jul 2020
Oregon’s unprecedented run of outstanding vintages which began in 2014, has been extended yet again with 2018. In fact, you have to go all the way back to 2011 and 2007 to find years that were truly challenging, and both of those vintages actually produced a large number of outstanding wines.
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2020 Harvest Report: Chile and Argentina
Chile, Argentina, featured
, Jul 2020
By the end of March 2020, almost every winery in Chile and Argentina had finished picking. Apart from a few small pockets, on both sides of the Andes the harvest was completed in record time. With ripening accelerated by a combination of climatic factors, and the looming threat of COVID-19 exerting pressure on work teams, we were presented with the unprecedented sight of bare vineyards at the end of March – generally not something you’d see until late April or early May.
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The Vinous Mentorship for BIPOC Wine Professionals
featured
, Jul 2020
The last few weeks have been a time of deep introspection at Vinous. We’ve been shocked and saddened by recent events in our country. From the very beginning, we have strived for a culture of inclusion. But we can do more, and we will. Today, I am proud to announce the Vinous Mentorship for BIPOC Wine Professionals.
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The Grand Vin of the North: San Leonardo
Verticals & Retrospectives, Italy: North, featured
, Jul 2020
When we think of Italy’s highly successful experiments with Bordeaux blends, it’s often the coast of Tuscany that comes to mind. But what if I told you that one of the country’s grandest wines hails from the north instead, in the region of Trentino? I invite you to explore the past, present and future of Tenuta San Leonardo through one of the most riveting verticals ever assembled.