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Salt of the Earth: Voliero Brunello di Montalcino 2006-2021
Italy: Tuscany, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured
, Feb 2026
A true wine of place, crafted by a man who applied a lifetime of acquired knowledge to conceptualize its creation, the Voliero Brunello di Montalcino reflects the potential of Montalcino's Southern territory. This 15-vintage retrospective explores the story behind the wine and Andrea Cortoneise, who created it.
It’s Rousseau’Clock: Grand Crus 1967-2019
France: Burgundy, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured
, Feb 2026
It’s Rousseau’clock! An epic tasting of Rousseau’s Grand Crus last November provided valuable insight into their Clos de la Roche, Ruchottes and Charmes-Chambertin. Whilst market prices have escalated in recent years, what has not changed is the calibre of their wines.
Cellar Favorite: 2005 Le Dôme
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Feb 2026
Having consistently tasted Le Dôme since the maiden 1996 vintage, it is always fascinating to return to those earliest vintages. The 2005 is drinking perfectly now, and will offer another 12 to 15 years’ drinking pleasure.
Remembering Pierre Trimbach
featured, Vinous Remembers, France: Alsace
, Feb 2026
It was with sadness and disbelief that I learned of Pierre Trimbach’s death on January 31, 2026, at the age of 69. His legacy will endure in his long-lived, pure and brilliant wines.
Vinous Table: La Trompette, London, UK
Italy: Tuscany, Vinous Table, France: Rhône & Beaujolais
, Jan 2026
You could define a bona fide great restaurant as one where tingles of excitement run down your spine no matter many times you enter its doors. La Trompette is essentially my second home, given the innumerable times I have visited, and I recently returned for two splendid evenings: a Soldera dinner and a Rhône dinner.
Northern Rhône 2024: One Hill Rises
featured, France: Rhône & Beaujolais
, Jan 2026
In 2024, the Northern Rhône delivered Syrahs of striking aromatic typicity, anchored by a distinctive peppery profile reminiscent of past cooler vintages. This report examines how an exceptionally challenging growing season shaped both red and white wines across all eight appellations. After a final word on the in-bottle 2023 reds, I look ahead to the extremely low-yielding 2025 harvest and the potential addition of a new cru to the region.
Going to California: Sonoma’s 2024s & 2023s
featured, United States: California
, Jan 2026
January is always such an exciting time in Sonoma, heavy rains and flooding excepted. The promise of the new year lies ahead. Many estates are releasing their latest wines. This year’s new releases are mostly from 2024 and 2023, two strong back-to-back vintages that provide fascinating contrasts, as the growing seasons were diametrically opposite. The best wines from both vintages are superb.
Cellar Favorite: 2013 Domaine Didier Dagueneau – Louis Benjamin Pouilly-Fumé Silex
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Loire
, Jan 2026
I drink far too few Loire whites these days. A recent encounter with a bottle of 2013 Pouilly-Fumé Silex from Dagueneau served as a pertinent reminder of what I am missing out on.
The Marcassin Mystique
featured, United States: California
, Jan 2026
There are few wineries in the United States, or the world for that matter, with the level of mystique that surrounds Marcassin. “Have you heard anything about Marcassin?” I am asked regularly. “When is the next release?” inevitably follows. A recent visit and tasting provided some answers during a wide-ranging conversation that ran the gamut from wine to vineyards to jazz.
2022 Barolo: Half-Full or Half-Empty?
featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Jan 2026
Two thousand twenty-two is one of the most complicated vintages I have seen in the more than 25 years I have visited Piedmont on a regular basis. The 2022 Barolos are frustratingly erratic, wildly inconsistent wines, and yet some growers found a way to make the most out of the hand they were dealt by Mother Nature. It’s a vintage to approach with caution. There are some real gems in 2022, but they are very much the exceptions.