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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.
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.
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: 2016 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault Clos de la Barre
France: Burgundy, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Sep 2026
The 2016 Meursault Clos de la Barre from Domaine des Comtes Lafon is everything white Burgundy should be at this stage of its life.
Monteraponi Trebbiano: A Whiter Shade of Chianti Classico
Verticals & Retrospectives, featured, Italy: Tuscany
, Sep 2026
Monteraponi is one of the recent success stories of Chianti Classico. Most of the attention naturally focuses on the reds, but the Trebbiano is just as compelling. This recent retrospective back to 2011 provided a fascinating opportunity to check in on older vintages and track the evolution of one of the world’s most distinctive whites.
Vinous Table: Langosteria, Paris, France
Vinous Table, France
, Sep 2026
Located in the chic Cheval Blanc hotel, Langosteria is a beacon for fine Italian food and wine in the heart of the City of Lights.
Cellar Favorite: 2014 Petrus
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Sep 2026
At nearly 12 years of age, the 2014 Petrus shows a very interesting and restrained dimension of Petrus.
Cellar Favorite: Domaine Vincent Dauvissat 2004 & 2001 Chablis La Forest 1er Cru
France: Burgundy, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Sep 2026
Vincent Dauvissat would often conclude our tastings at the domaine with an older wine or two served blind, so I was not at all surprised to see how well these two vintages of the 1er Cru La Forest has aged. Both bottles, from my cellar, were utterly sublime and also a reminder of why we buy and cellar wine — for moments like this.
Cellar Favorite: 2017 & 2018 Soldera – Case Basse Toscana Sangiovese
Italy: Tuscany, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Aug 2026
I was thrilled to share the 2017 and 2018 Soldera – Case Basse Toscana Sangiovese with a group of fellow wine lovers recently. As it turns out, we tasted the 2017 almost ten years to the day after I tasted the wine as a young, fermenting must, which brought back so many memories.
Vinous Table: La Maison d’Estournel, Bordeaux, France
Vinous Table, France: Bordeaux
, Aug 2026
Where do you stay in Bordeaux? It’s one of the questions I am asked most often. La Maison d’Estournel has become one of my favorite stops over the last few years. This small, cozy country manor transformed into a hotel offers outstanding hospitality, exceptional food and wine, proximity to châteaux and the modern amenities that international travelers demand.