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The Second Coming of Australian Chardonnay
Australia, chardonnay, featured
, Jun 2025
Australian Chardonnay is now well and truly in the premier league. The best wines show genuine sophistication thanks to intuitive, thoughtful winemaking and the investment in locating and developing optimal sites. This is not confined to a single place—each region, from Tasmania and Adelaide Hills to Margaret River and Victoria’s cool-climate pockets, brings its own take on the modern style, driven by clones, climate and terroir. The only question now is how high Australian Chardonnay will go and whether it will claim its place as a genuine international leader.
Roederer Estate L’Ermitage: A Complete Retrospective
United States: California, featured
, Jun 2025
This complete retrospective of Roederer Estate’s L’Ermitage, the first of its kind, was illuminating on so many fronts. Most importantly, it proved that Anderson Valley is exceptionally well suited to the production of fine, world-class sparkling wine. I was also deeply impressed with how well the wines age. I had tasted L’Ermitage from time to time but not on a consistent basis; many of these vintages were new to me. I tasted this vertical with longtime Winemaker Arnaud Weyrich and President Nicole Carter during a visit to the property in January 2025.
Bordeaux: The Crisis Laid Bare
France: Bordeaux, featured
, Jun 2025
Bordeaux is facing its biggest crisis since the 1930s. After speaking candidly to people in and outside of Bordeaux, I felt a duty to depict the sheer scale of the calamity the Bordeaux wine industry is up against.
Bordeaux 2015 At Age Ten
France: Bordeaux, France: Bordeaux featured Verticals and Retrospectives, France: Bordeaux Verticals and Retrospectives featured, featured
, Jun 2025
The 2015 vintage in Bordeaux was warmly received on release, but 2016 stole the limelight just 12 months later. How is the vintage faring now that the wines have reached age ten? Blindfolds on.
An Eruption of Fine Wine on Mount Etna
Italy: Center & South, featured
, May 2025
Mount Etna has arrived. Long anticipated to join the ranks of Piedmont, Montalcino and Burgundy, Etna has established itself as a world-class viticultural zone. The region’s intricate array of contrade, distinctive vineyards and diverse terroirs yields site-transparent wines of incredible complexity. Mount Etna and its winemakers are poised to finally receive the attention they deserve.
The Innings Continues: 1948 to 1995 Yquem
France: Bordeaux, France: Bordeaux featured Verticals and Retrospectives, France: Bordeaux Verticals and Retrospectives featured, featured
, May 2025
I have tasted a great deal of mature Bordeaux wine, including Sauternes, but I have not yet achieved the magic number of 100 different vintages from a single estate. I mentioned my goal to Lorenzo Pasquini, Yquem’s head winemaker, when visiting in April, and he promised to do his best to help, cracking open a selection of mainly off-vintages that filled some of the gaps.
Rosé Revolution: Light Red is the New Pink
featured
, May 2025
Rosé’s future looks redder, more serious and more satisfying than ever. The growing movement of bolder, ageworthy wines from far-flung locales is making it clear that Rosé isn’t just a season, it’s a category with staying power.
Vinous Table: Canteen, London, UK
Vinous Table, featured
, May 2025
Canteen successfully combines casual presentation with quality-driven dishes to provide some of the best Italian food in London. The dishes are polished and so delicious that you will be plotting your return at first chew.
The Diverse Villages of Rioja: A New Trend Emerges
featured, Spain
, May 2025
Rioja is changing. One of the most important factors in that change is the increased prominence of small and mid-sized producers and their interpretations of Rioja as village, vineyard or parcel wines. These wines stand in stark contrast to the region’s historically blended wines, and yet they may also represent the most promising future for Spain’s most famous winegrowing region.
Emilia-Romagna: Chomping at the Bit
Italy: Center & South, featured
, May 2025
Emilia-Romagna is transforming before our eyes. Winemakers are redefining the boundaries of Sangiovese, offering surprising depth and a newfound purity, while categories like Lambrusco have started down a more artisanal path. The only thing holding the region back is Mother Nature.