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Bordeaux at the Crossroads: 2023 En Primeur
France: Bordeaux, featured
, April 2024
Tasting Bordeaux en primeur is largely the art of shutting out extraneous noise and concentrating just on the wines. This year, the noise is especially loud as estate owners, winemakers, consultants, négociants and other professionals debate the merits of 2023 within the context of today’s global market. Many of these views are fueled by agendas, which is certainly understandable. For this taster, it’s only about what is in the glass. When all is said and done, 2023 has a lot to offer. It is not a great vintage across the board, yet plenty of wines merit serious attention.
Vinous Table: The Progress, San Francisco, California
Vinous Table
, Apr 2024
This fabulous dinner was a nice break from my recent tastings of new releases from Sonoma. COVID-19 disrupted so many routines, including what used to be frequent trips to San Francisco. As readers know, the city has changed in recent years as it grapples with deep economic and social issues. Even so, San Francisco is a city I love.
Vinous Table: Plénitude, Paris, France
France, Vinous Table
, Mar 2024
Three-star Michelin restaurants are usually not my cup of tea. Let me get that out of the way. I often find the ambiance at these establishments far too formal and structured for my personal taste, while I tend to enjoy simpler, more ingredient-driven cooking most of the time. However, when I asked friends and colleagues whose opinions I respect where to eat in Paris, one name popped up on everyone’s list.
Champagne: The 2024 Spring Preview
featured, France: Champagne
, Mar 2024
Our annual Champagne Spring Preview takes a look at the year’s first releases ahead of my more comprehensive coverage later in the year. Readers will find a bevy of gorgeous wines in this report that span the full stylistic breadth of what Champagne has to offer.
Vinous Table: Le Dôme Montparnasse, Paris France
France, Vinous Table
, Mar 2024
Aside from the obligatory foie gras dish, the menu at Le Dôme is pretty much all fish and seafood. I can’t say if the other options are as good as the seafood tower, but I have made it a point to find out very soon. Paris can be a challenging city for eating, especially on the weekends, when so many places are closed. Le Dôme is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, which makes it a very useful address. Service is incredibly professional and friendly.
Domaine de la Romanée Conti: A Survey of the 2021s
featured, France: Burgundy
, 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.
Vinous Table: Glen Ellen Star, Glen Ellen, CA
United States: California, Vinous Table
, 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.
2021 Bordeaux: L’Enfant Terrible
France: Bordeaux, featured
, Feb 2024
After three highly successful vintages, Bordeaux owners and winemakers were presented with a highly challenging growing season in 2021. En primeur tastings presaged a vintage with a high degree of variability. Extensive tastings from bottle confirm that initial first impression. Within that context, though, readers will find a wide range of compelling wines that merit attention.
Vinous Table: Angler, San Francisco, CA
United States: California, Vinous Table
, Feb 2024
Angler is one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco. Like many routines, what were once regular visits were disrupted by COVID-19. This was my first time back in several years. Perhaps for that reason, I especially enjoyed this dinner.
Cellar Favorite: Château Latour: 2024 New Releases
Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite
, Feb 2024
For more than a decade now, Château Latour has released their wines in bottle only after several years, when the team feels they are ready to start drinking. This year’s releases provide an opportunity to revisit wines from three very different vintages, each with something to offer. I tasted the wines with Technical Director Hélène Genin during a visit to the château in December 2023.