No Oxymoron: Affordable Burgundy
France: Burgundy, featured
, Jun 2019
Affordable Burgundy is a phrase that seems to become more oxymoronic by the day as the price of blue-chip wines spirals towards irrationality. This article hopefully serves as a reminder that Burgundy that does not damage your wallet still exists.
Lazio: New Vintages, New Discoveries
Italy: Center & South, featured
, Jun 2019
Lazio’s finest estates are making wines of a level that was unthinkable just a few years ago. Though still mostly under the radar, be they white, red, pink, sparkling or sweet, a number of Lazio’s wines are truly world-class.
Abreu – The 2009s Revisited
United States: California, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, featured
, Jun 2019
I still remember the first time I tasted the Abreu 2009s. It was fall of 2011, the year Robert Parker asked me to take over Napa Valley coverage at The Wine Advocate. Those 2009s were so showy and unbelievably alluring when they were young. Needless to say, I was deeply intrigued to revisit them at nearly ten years of age.
Domaine Leroy – The Bottled 2016s
France: Burgundy, featured
, Jun 2019
“Am I going too fast?” Lalou Bize-Leroy asks as she takes me through her bottled 2016s. Not a chance. One of the first things I observed when I started visiting the domaine years ago was Lalou’s intense pace, which remains pretty much the same today. “I like to taste quickly,” she adds. “With wines its either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. There is no middle ground. Just like people.” That insight is one of many that emerge over the course of this remarkable survey of the 2016s.
Oregon: An Embarrassment of Riches and Richness
featured, United States: Oregon
, Jun 2019
Two thousand sixteen is yet another link in an unprecedented chain of outstanding vintages in the Willamette Valley that began in 2014 and has now extended to 2018. Compared to the ‘14s and ‘15s, the ‘16s, while on the rich side for Pinot Noir, show more freshness than wines of the previous years at a similar stage.
Two Cape Crusaders: Alheit & Mullineux
South Africa, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured
, Jun 2019
Two Chrises (Alheit and Mullineux). Two winemakers. Two Chenin Blancs. Two wines that have helped transform the image of South African wines. Two vertical tastings here in one Vinous article.
An Ineluctable Pair: 2017 Vintage Ports
Portugal, featured
, Jun 2019
General Declarations of Vintage Port tend to be spread three or four per decade and never successively. But hot on the heels of the fêted 2016 arrive their 2017 counterparts. What kind of growing season prompted this unprecedented move and do these latest releases offer something different?
New Releases from the Langhe, Roero, Asti & More
Italy: Piedmont, featured
, May 2019
Although Barolo, Barbaresco, and, more recently, Alto Piemonte get the lion’s share of attention, Piedmont has so much to offer beyond those highly-regarded appellations. Dolcetto, Barbera, Freisa, Timorasso and a host of other indigenous varieties give consumers myriad options for discovering the breadth of diversity that makes Piedmont one of the world’s most dynamic regions.
Domaine Trapet Chambertin: 1949-2012
France: Burgundy, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured
, May 2019
Tireless work in the vineyards and a lighter hand in the winery have enabled Jean-Louis Trapet to restore his family’s estate to greatness in the 21st century. This remarkable vertical tasting of the flagship Chambertin encompassed most of the vintages made under Jean-Louis Trapet’s tenure, along with a handful of older gems from the Trapet family’s cellar.
Finding Filhot: Filhot 1935-2015
France: Bordeaux, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured
, May 2019
Filhot is among the largest and grandest estates in Sauternes, yet over many years of experience, its wines often pose as many questions as answers. Would visiting the estate, plus a vertical tasting stretching back decades, alter my opinion?