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Cellar Favorite: 1991 René Balthazar Cornas

France: Rhône & Beaujolais, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites

Neal Martin, Mar 2024

The Northern Rhône is a region that I would like to know better. There is too little time with Burgundy and Bordeaux under my charge, so I look forward to future reports from my colleague, Nicolas Greinacher. A recent Riesling/Syrah-themed dinner was bejeweled with exquisite bottles and fodder for several Cellar Favorites. This one caught my eye.

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Vinous Table: Caffé Toscanini, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Vinous Table, Netherlands

Neal Martin, Mar 2024

Toscanini should be high on the list for any Italian epicures or oenophiles. The lively atmosphere is worth the entry price alone. Speaking to Pacenti later, he explained how regulars tend to come on Friday night and how customers are exacting in their demands with respect to seasoning, consistency of pasta and so on. At Toscanini, this is no problem. It is all part of the service. Factor a wine list that is so chock full of gems that I considered putting in a request to swap Bordeaux for Italy (only joking). Then you understand why this restaurant has been part of Amsterdam’s dining scene for almost four decades.

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Slovenia: Just the Beginning

featured, Slovenia

Eric Guido, Mar 2024

So similar to northeastern Italy yet alien all the same, the wines of Slovenia are increasingly of note. The country is exploding with new projects, young talents and even cross-border collaborations. Now is the time to get in on the ground floor.

Clos des lambrays line up

Merci, Monsieur Amiot: Clos des Lambrays 1923-2021

featured, Verticals & Retrospectives, France: Burgundy

Neal Martin, Mar 2024

Behind every label of an iconic wine lie nameless men and women whose combined talent and labor led to its creation. This vertical of Clos des Lambrays is dedicated to Etienne Amiot, a predecessor of Jacques Devauges, who oversaw the creation of these sublime wines.

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Domaine de la Romanée Conti: A Survey of the 2021s

featured, France: Burgundy

Antonio Galloni, Mar 2024

What a difference a year makes. After the decidedly exuberant 2020s, the 2021s from Domaine de la Romanée Conti show another side of Burgundy, one marked by a highly challenging growing season that tested the mettle of growers. In many ways, difficult years make for the most interesting discussions because individual choices so deeply inform the wines. There was plenty to talk about as Co-Directors Bertrand de Villaine and Perrine Fenal showed the 2021s in this tasting organized by long-time US importer Wilson-Daniels.

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Cellar Favorite: 1971 Staatsweingut Eltville Rauenthaler Langenstück Riesling Spätlese

Germany, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites

Neal Martin, Mar 2024

My adoration for any bottle of wine born the same year as myself is well-known. I sound like a broken record proselytizing the 1971 vintage. But then a bottle sashays along and vindicates my opinion, reconfirming that this is such a trove of outstanding bottles, arguably none more so than Germany.

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Vinous Table: Glen Ellen Star, Glen Ellen, CA

United States: California, Vinous Table

Antonio Galloni, Mar 2024

I was very much looking forward to this dinner at Glen Ellen Star after a long day of tastings. The restaurant is in the small village of Glen Ellen, just a few minutes north of Sonoma, in the heart of Sonoma Valley. I spent a lot of time here when we worked on our Sonoma Valley map project a few years ago. Sonoma Mountain is just behind the restaurant, while Moon Mountain is east. Being in this unique part of Sonoma County always brings back a lot of memories.

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Victoria: Cutting Edge Meets Classic

featured, Australia

Angus Hughson, Mar 2024

In south-eastern Victoria, the regions of Yarra Valley and Gippsland are leaders in the emerging wave of modern Australian wines thanks to a mix of cool climates and cutting-edge winemaking. This report showcases how these diverse terroirs, coupled with recent mild vintages, have delivered refined Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and even Nebbiolo that challenge traditional perceptions of Australian wine styles and quality.

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Carmignano, Montecucco and Tuscany’s Unrivaled Diversity

featured, Italy: Tuscany

Eric Guido, Mar 2024

It pays to explore beyond Chianti Classico, Montalcino and Montepulciano when looking for a diverse range of high-quality Sangioveses and blends across Tuscany. The wines of Carmignano and Montecucco are some of the region's best, often at prices that won’t break the bank.

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Cellar Favorite: 1948 Coufran

France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites

Neal Martin, Mar 2024

I do not wish to sound like a broken record, but allow me to reiterate the most sage advice I will ever dispense on old bottles of wine. Provenance is key. Perhaps even more than producer or vineyard, how that bottle has lived its life determines how it will show once released from incarceration.