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The Misunderstood Margaux: Marquis de Terme 1947-2021
France: Bordeaux, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured
, Oct 2024
Marquis de Terme is a Margaux château that flies under the radar. Estate director Ludovic David offered me a rare insight into the property and presented a vertical of over 20 vintages back to the postwar period.
Cellar Favorite: Castello dei Rampolla: Library Releases
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Italy: Tuscany
, Oct 2024
These library releases from Castello dei Rampolla offer fascinating insights into one of Italy’s most innovative estates and wines.
Vinous Table: La Petite Colombe, Franschhoek, South Africa
Vinous Table, South Africa
, Oct 2024
La Petite Colombe certainly ranks among the best meals of 2024, and it lives up to the billing. It showcases the dazzling array of ingredients around South Africa and neighboring countries, and the execution in the kitchen is quite brilliant.
Rheinhessen & Rheingau: Riesling Triumphs After Rain
Germany, featured
, Oct 2024
Rheingau and Rheinhessen produced world-class Rieslings in 2023. The wines are bursting with flavor and delineated by freshness but moderate in alcohol. An initially dry year was drenched in late summer rains, which the late-ripening Riesling weathered with aplomb. Steep, stony slopes of historic renown proved their exalted status all over again. If there is one operative attribute for this Riesling vintage, it is juiciness. In the Rheingau, off-dry and nobly sweet wines with electric acidity are an added bonus. The 2022 Pinot Noirs are some of the best ever.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia: In Search of an Identity Part II
Italy: North, featured
, Oct 2024
Internationally perceived by some as the defining wines of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, macerated white wines from the area are blockbusters of the wine world. However, their inception, ‘history’ and quality have become confused, and in the blinding glow of their popularity, the region finds itself in yet another identity crisis. I visited the first adopters of the style to discover how the wines came to be, their meaning today and the realities of the region where they come from.
Conti Costanti: Montalcino’s Most Historic Estate
Italy: Tuscany, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured
, Oct 2024
As a self-taught young man, Andrea Costanti immersed himself in the world of winemaking and Brunello di Montalcino. He rose to become one of the region's leading winemakers. This vertical details the last nineteen years of that evolution, showing Costanti’s blend of traditionalism and progression.
Cellar Favorite: 1984 Ridge Zinfandel Geyserville Trentadue
United States: California, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Sep 2024
The 1984 Zinfandel Geyserville Trentadue is one of Ridge’s more obscure single-vineyard bottlings. This cuvée is a blend of 95% Zinfandel and 5% Petit Sirah that came from a vineyard established by Evelyn and Leo Trentadue.
Vinous Table: Akoko, London, UK
Vinous Table, United Kingdom
, Sep 2024
Overall, I highly recommend Akoko. I absolutely loved the food. I exited its doors, looking forward to a return. I’d love to see the team really get behind South African wines, whose panoply of styles means it could easily cater to all delectations. It would make a statement. If you have never tried West African cuisine before and wish to see the culinary height achievable, then try Akoko.
Abruzzo: Trials and Tribulations
featured, Italy: Center & South
, Sep 2024
Come heat waves, drought, torrential rain or frost, winemakers in Abruzzo continue to push forward to prove their value. Readers will find exciting new releases in both 2022 and 2023, but these are also two vintages with extremely low production because of challenging weather conditions.
Kumeu River: The Kiwi Dream
Verticals & Retrospectives, featured, New Zealand
, Sep 2024
Consistency, balance and a distinct house style have placed Kumeu River among the classics. From humble beginnings 80 years ago, this estate has established itself as a major player in New Zealand and around the world.