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Roederer Cristal Full Circle: 1993-2015
France: Champagne, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured
, Dec 2023
My visit to Roederer a few months ago, the first post-COVID-19, was memorable. After a survey of the 2022 vins clairs, longtime Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon presented a vertical of every Cristal he has made and released since assuming his current role in 1999. It was an incredibly instructive tasting that encompassed several themes over what has arguably been the most significant period in Roederer’s long history.
Champagne: 2023 New Releases
France: Champagne, featured
, Nov 2023
Champagne is one of the most dynamic regions in the world. Change and innovation continue at an increasingly fast pace. Many of the most coveted wines now command Burgundy-like premiums, a relatively recent phenomenon here. There’s a lot more going on beyond the obvious, though, and plenty to explore.
Champagne Jacques Selosse Retrospective Tasting & Dinner
France: Champagne, featured
, Jun 2023
I was thrilled to host this intimate Selosse tasting and dinner as part of the special events we are doing around our ten-year anniversary. Over the last few years, the Selosse Champagnes have become so coveted that the opportunity to taste a number of them side by side is quite rare. It was a real pleasure to share the wines with a small group of Vinous subscribers who traveled from all over the world to be part of this magical evening.
Cellar Favorite: 1982 Dom Pérignon Rosé
France: Champagne, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Jun 2023
It has been quite a few years since I last tasted the 1982 Dom Pérignon Rosé, especially the original release. This bottle, one of the best I have ever had, proves that provenance and storage are everything.
Cellar Favorite: 2002 & 2004 Dom Pérignon
France: Champagne, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Dec 2022
A recent family gathering provided a great opportunity to check in on two of my favorite Dom Pérignons.
Cellar Favorite: Raiding the Cellar at Inspire Napa Valley
France: Alsace, France: Burgundy, France: Champagne, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Aug 2022
I was thrilled to open this eclectic collection of wines from my cellar during this year’s Inspire Napa Valley dinner at Staglin. It’s a rare treat to take a break from the hectic pace of tasting wines for review and actually drink a few things for pleasure.
The 2022 Champagne New Releases
France: Champagne, featured
, May 2022
This 2022 Spring Preview takes a look at releases that are new in the market. The pace of change in Champagne remains quite fast, with new wines appearing regularly pretty much every year now. Readers can expect to see additions to this article in the coming weeks and months.
The Wines That Shaped My Life
France: Burgundy, France: Champagne, featured, France: Bordeaux, New Zealand, Germany, France: Rhône & Beaujolais
, Mar 2022
A charity dinner themed around the significant wines of my career threw up a couple of surprises. I doubt DRC and Blue Nun have ever found themselves reviewed in the same article. In these days of bleak headlines, the vignettes accompanying these eclectic wines hopefully put a smile on your face.
Pol Roger: 2022 New Releases
France: Champagne, featured
, Mar 2022
I was quite impressed with these new releases from Pol Roger. The 2013 Sir Winston Churchill is a superb Champagne in a superb vintage, but it should be that. I am more struck by the quality of the 2015s, Champagnes that deliver plenty of Pol Roget stylishness without the awkward edges that are such an issue throughout the region.
Cellar Favorite: Bollinger: 2022 New Releases
France: Champagne, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Mar 2022
Bollinger fans will want to be sure to check out these new releases. I was quite taken with the Champagnes I tasted recently with General Manager Charles-Armand de Belenet and Deputy Cellar Master Denis Bunner.