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Cellar Favorite: Ioppa Ghemme 1970-1975
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Italy: Piedmont
, Mar 2025
History, expression of place, passion and artisan family values run deep at Ioppa. The Ioppas trace their lineage back seven generations, all the way to the mid-1800s, a time when life in the countryside was much harsher than it is today. This mini-vertical from the 1970s was a very pleasant surprise at the end of a day tasting through current releases. I tasted the wines with Giorgio Ioppa, his son Andrea, and consulting oenologist Cristiano Garella.
2025 Tuscany Preview
featured, Italy: Tuscany
, Feb 2025
After the near-perfect 2021 vintage, producers were dealt with a far more challenging set of weather conditions throughout 2022.Intense heat and drought followed by rain just before harvest yielded wines that mostly offer very attractive forward fruit along with mid-weight structure. Our annual Tuscan Preview covers a handful of wines that are entering the market shortly.
Alpine Soul: Exploring Alto Piemonte & Canavese
featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Feb 2025
I continue to be deeply impressed with the wines of Alto Piemonte and Canavese. Each year, I taste more wines from these appellations, a testament to a vibrant scene that continues to grow. Readers in search of wines that speak to the essence of site, variety and vintage, all delivered with cool-climate vibrancy, will find all that and more in this patchwork of small appellations in Northern Italy.
2023 Burgundy Supplement
featured, France: Burgundy
, Feb 2025
This brief supplement to Neal Martin’s extensive report on the 2023 Burgundies covers several dozen wines I tasted on my most recent trip through the region. Readers will want to revisit Neal’s article for an in-depth look at the growing season and the conditions that shaped the wines.
Exploring Sonoma’s Moon Mountain District
featured, United States: California
, Feb 2025
Nestled in the Mayacamas Mountains just east of the town of Sonoma, the Moon Mountain District is one of the most exciting emerging appellations in California. These hillside vineyards offer an intriguing mix of the old and the new, a melting pot of historic vineyards, established players and a generation of younger winemakers who are bringing their energy and enthusiasm to these sites.
2022 Bordeaux in Bottle: Living in the Present
France: Bordeaux, featured
, Jan 2025
The 2022 Bordeaux elicited quite a bit of enthusiasm at the outset. That’s not surprising, given the challenges of the preceding 2021 harvest. The world and the wine market have changed quite a bit since then in so many ways. But the fundamental question remains: How are the 2022s now that they are in bottle? The short answer is that the very best 2022s are truly spectacular. But there is also some variability, as we will explore below.
Cellar Favorite: Château Latour 2025 New Releases
France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Jan 2025
This year’s new releases from Château Latour are especially strong as they span three important vintages, each of which has something to offer. I tasted the wines with Estate Director Hélène Genin during a visit to the château in December 2024.
2014 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: A Dark Horse Emerges
featured, napa, Verticals & Retrospectives
, Jan 2025
This retrospective of the 2014 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons was one of the most fascinating I have done in a long time. Sandwiched between 2013 and 2015, 2014 has always lived outside the limelight. At age ten, however, 2014 is having a moment. I tasted many exceptional 2014s that will give wines from more renowned vintages a run for their money, and some that will eclipse them entirely.
Update - Sonoma and Neighbors 2022 & 2023: Opposites Attract
featured, United States: California
, Jan 2025
It’s that time of year. New releases from Sonoma County and neighboring appellations are starting to hit the market. This report covers some of the most exciting wines I tasted on my recent trip to Sonoma. As is our custom, we will post frequent updates to this article in the coming weeks, which we feel is the best way to keep readers current, given the sheer volume of wines released this time of year. Readers can also look forward to a forthcoming report focused on the Moon Mountain AVA, where the wines are quite distinct from those made in the more central regions within Sonoma County.
2021 Barolo: Changing Times, Changing Wines
featured, Italy: Piedmont, Piedmont Report
, Jan 2025
My November trip to Piedmont was one of the most intriguing in recent memory. Producers were living in a sort of suspended state, their thoughts bouncing back and forth from the challenges of the just-concluded 2024 harvest to excitement over the soon-to-be-released 2021s and the outcome of the recent presidential election in the United States. Against that very colorful background, I tasted a stunning array of new releases. The 2021 Barolos are finessed, elegant wines that will delight Piedmont fans.