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2023 & 2024 Barbaresco: Tough Choices
featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Oct 2026
I left Europe in early July during one of the many heat waves that defined a torrid summer. When I returned two months later to taste new releases in Barbaresco, not much had changed. It was hot, hot, hot. Growers have become accustomed to very challenging conditions. That’s exactly what 2023 and 2024 are about. Both seasons pushed producers to the absolute limit. There are some very good wines, but readers will have to be especially selective.
Give Me Five: South Africa New Releases
featured, South Africa
, Oct 2026
The headwinds are gusty in the wine world at present, but if you are a country producing top-quality wines at prices most people can afford, then that will stand you in good stead. My latest South Africa report proves that the Cape continues to excel in many styles, winning hearts and palates year by year.
Cellar Favorite: 2006 Frog's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford
United States: California, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Oct 2026
The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford, the top bottling at Frog's Leap during this era, is a total stunner. At 20 years of age, it is very young, almost shockingly so.
Rethinking Umbria: A New Era of Balance
featured, Italy: Center & South
, Oct 2026
Umbria is quietly experiencing one of the most exciting turnarounds I’ve seen in Italy. Driven by refined winemaking in Montefalco, new methods of taming Sagrantino’s tannins, a surge of serious white wines and major regulatory updates, Umbrian wines overdeliver on both quality and value.
Discover Jerez: From Fortified Classics to Blancos de Albariza
featured, Spain
, Oct 2026
Jerez developed one of the world's most sophisticated winemaking traditions built on fortification, biological and oxidative aging, and the solera system. Today, a new generation of producers is revisiting those techniques to reveal the character of the wines before prolonged aging transforms them. This report explores the traditional styles of Jerez and the movement toward the new Blancos de Albariza DO.
Cellar Favorite: 1998 Mountford Pinot Noir
New Zealand, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Oct 2026
The 1998 Mountford Pinot Noir displays a sense of craftsmanship after many years in bottle — it’s easy to understand why this era of Mountford has a cult following.
Vinous Table: Estro, Central, Hong Kong
Vinous Table
, Oct 2026
Hong Kong’s dynamic food scene caters to nearly all tastes, including those with a penchant for Italian cuisine. Estro is a charming, Michelin-starred restaurant that gives a modern twist to Neapolitan dishes.
Exploring Uco Valley: From Altamira to Gualtallary
Argentina, featured
, Oct 2026
Elevation, mountain influence and soils give the Uco Valley’s subregions distinct identities. This report explores those differences through more than 600 wines, from the gravel-rich vineyards of Paraje Altamira to the cool mountain sites of San Pablo and Gualtallary.
Joseph Phelps Insignia 1974-2025: Past, Present and Future
Verticals & Retrospectives, featured, United States: California, napa
, Oct 2026
First produced in 1974, Joseph Phelps’ Insignia was a groundbreaking wine in Napa Valley. It was Napa Valley’s first proprietary red Bordeaux blend, a wine that opened the door for so many others that followed. Two recent vertical tastings provided an incredible opportunity to delve into Insignia’s rich history and examine the trends that have shaped these wines over the last six decades.
Cellar Favorite: 1982 Ormes de Pez
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Oct 2026
The 1982 Ormes de Pez is a reminder that nothing ages quite like a great Bordeaux.