March 29, 2022 - Neal Martin
The Wines That Shaped My Life
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.
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March 24, 2022 - Antonio Galloni
From the Vault: Realm 2005-2018
Realm has been one of the hottest wineries in Napa Valley for the last decade or so. This remarkable retrospective spanning more than 60 wines started pretty humbly. My initial intent was simply to fill in a few gaps in our database. I asked some friends if they had certain wines. Then the replies started coming in. Before I knew it, we had assembled dozens of wines, more than I could count, across a number of vintages. This tasting provided an incredible opportunity to look at several key periods in Realm’s history.
March 23, 2022 - Neal Martin
Pages in the Photo Album: Vieux Château Certan 1928-2013
Few wines elicit as much anticipation as a mature bottle of Vieux Château Certan. So, you can imagine my excitement when Alexandre Thienpont joined us for a vertical tasting in London that included numerous vintages that spanned almost a century, all the way back to the legendary 1928.
March 22, 2022 - Owen Bargreen
Washington Waltzes in 2018, Slowly Marches on in 2019
My inaugural Washington report for Vinous focuses on the exceptional 2018 vintage, as well as some bottlings from 2019 and a smattering of 2020s. Of these vintages, red and white wines from 2018 stand tall among the others and complete what is arguably the finest lineup of Washington wines in the last 20 years.
March 17, 2022 - Antonio Galloni
VHR, Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2008-2019
Over the last decade or so, the VHR, Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon has established itself as one of the elite wines of Napa Valley. This retrospective, back to the inaugural 2008, provided a fascinating opportunity to check in on the early vintages and revisit more recent releases that complete the arc of the last dozen years here.
March 15, 2022 - Rebecca Gibb MW
Desperately Seeking Sauvignon
A small 2021 vintage sent international wine buyers scrabbling to secure their New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc supply, but what the wines lack in quantity, they’ve made up for in quality, while Chardonnay continues to make a strong case as New Zealand’s finest white variety.
March 17, 2022 - Antonio Galloni
Pol Roger: 2022 New Releases
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.
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March 25, 2022 - Neal Martin
Vinous Table: The Harwood Arms, London, UK
This dinner proved how a restaurant can operate at a high gastronomic level with the minimum of pretention. If you happen to be in West London, then you know where to go…and I will apologize in advance if our party just happens to be at the adjacent table.
March 18, 2022 - Neal Martin
Vinous Table: Noble Rot (Soho) - Rotter’s Christmas Gutbuster
Maybe I don’t believe in Santa as I did when I was child, but I do believe in celebrating Christmas with fine wines and company like this.
March 11, 2022 - Neal Martin
Vinous Table: Burgundy Christmas Dinner
Wines like these are not meant to be consumed in silence and solemnity. They should be accompanied by the kind of noise and laughter that echoed through the never-ending corridors and annexes of the house on this night.
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90 points ($25)
2017 Tommaso Bussola Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Ca' Del Laito
The 2017 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso Ca'del Laito impresses with its lift and grace, as autumnal spiced cherry-berry fruits are complemented by hints of sweet oak. Ripe red/black berries coast along a core of acids. Hints of dark chocolate and clove come forward toward the close. (EG)
90 points ($20)
2019 La Colombina Rosso di Montalcino
The 2019 La Colombina combines quality and value to a degree that is rare for a Rosso di Montalcino. Roses, wild herbs, plums and saddle leather create a classic bouquet. It’s rich with red fruits, licorice and violet on the palate, with a coating of fine tannins that lingers. (EG)
93 points ($23)
2021 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc
This 2021 Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough is richly aromatic with notable purity of fruit: black currant, nectarine, tropical fruit and citrus. It offers concentration and a ripe, succulent mid-palate. The acidity provides length on the zesty, passionfruit-infused structured finish. (RG)
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March 28, 2022 - Neal Martin
Cellar Favorite: Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 1981-2021
Proprietors Anthony and Olive Hamilton Russell recently tutored a special tasting of Hamilton Russell Vineyards’ flagship Pinot Noir to mark 40-years of vintages.
March 21, 2022 - Neal Martin
Cellar Favorite: 2008 Tyrrell's Wines Semillon Vat 1 Hunter Valley
These days, as I am focusing on fewer regions, I taste less widely than when I started out. However, I feel it is important to take my palate out on “away days” and taste something different. I have always loved Sémillon from the Hunter Valley.
March 7, 2022 - Antonio Galloni
Cellar Favorite: Bollinger: 2022 New Releases
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.
