Attention, readers: we are very happy to announce that we have just posted a very special Interim Mid-July Issue. 

News item number one: 2016 Port—a declared vintage! It only happens a few times each decade, almost never two years in a row, and you can almost feel the electric buzz of excitement in the opening words of his latest Port article, in which Mark Squires explains, "It was no secret when I was in Porto last year that 2016 would be a widely declared year." After the fisticuffs surrounding the undeclared 2015s, he opines that "this had a certain inevitability to it." (Of course, as is usually the case with Port, it isn't all that simple.) And in this special interim issue, you will find an in-depth analysis of this significant decision accompanied by reviews of more than 100 Ports—most of them from the 2016 vintage.

Meanwhile, another momentous occasion that demands mentioning: the 150th Anniversary of Maison Leroy! And our very own Burgundy reviewer William Kelley was among the enviable guests from around the world who flocked to Vosne-Romanée in early July for this stupendous celebration. Kelley notes that, "July’s festivities were also an occasion to celebrate the remarkable achievements of one of Burgundy’s defining personalities. Fiercely proud, and still sprightly and incisive at age 86, Madame Bize-Leroy continues to set the standards for quality in the region." Supporting this statement—and the continued greatness of the Leroy domaine and name—are reviews of 31 wines from Maison Leroy, Domaine Leroy and Domaine d'Auvenay, dating all the way back to the 1937 vintage.