Champagne: Louis Roederer’s 2016 Cristal

Jean-Baptise Lecaillon described 2016 as a complicated season, much like 2021 and 2024 (thus far). The resulting wine is a classic in the best sense of the term, and one...

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Champagne: New Releases from Bollinger

These new releases are two blanc de noirs: the latest rendition of the house's NV bottling and the 2014 Vieilles Vignes Françaises, one of my favorite wines but one I...

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Rhône: Cleaning Out My Closet

This is a compilation of miscellaneous reviews accumulated during the last 18 months or so. There are some gems, plus many reasonably priced wines....

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Bordeaux En Primeur 2023: Make or Break

The best 2023s are just as exciting as the best 2022s, even if the vintage is more varied in quality and style; yet the final paradox is that, due to...

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Alsace: A New Icon Wine from Schlumberger and Three Rieslings from Domaine La Rogerie

This report features Schlumberger’s new Riesling Le Clos Saint-Léger Grand Cru Monopole along with the Grand Cru Kitterlé and Kessler Rieslings and those from La Rogerie....

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Champagne: Bollinger's 2015 Grande Année and Grande Année Rosé

The 2015 Champagne vintage enjoys a mixed reputation, but Bollinger’s 2015s have turned out very well due to terroir and agronomic and vinification approaches....

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France, Bordeaux: Château Grand Village – The Pearl of the Guinaudeau Family

This property’s wine is produced by the same team, using the same techniques, as Château Lafleur in Pomerol, but it’s released at a reasonable price....

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Book Review: "Mille Vignes, Penser le Vin de Demain," by Pascaline Lepeltier

This groundbreaking book by Pascaline Lepeltier is a deeply personal exploration of the relationship between the land, the vine and the wine....

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Bordeaux in 2023: The State of the Art

This essay offers an extensive personal overview of Bordeaux’s state of the art in 2023, informed by 15 weeks of visits to over 500 châteaux over the last calendar year....

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France: Up From the Cellar 28

While I taste and review thousands of young wines throughout the year, it’s older bottles that I most often reach for at home. This installment reflects a year’s domestic drinking....

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