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Cellar Favorite: 1949 Lagrange (Saint-Julien)
France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Oct 2025
Provenance is the most important factor that determines the quality of a mature claret. A magnum of 1949 Château Lagrange that was recently served blind at the estate in Saint-Julien exemplified this.
Cellar Favorite: 1998 Grand Mayne
France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Oct 2025
The 1998 Grand Mayne probably marked my introduction to this Saint-Émilion estate. Now at 27 years of age, this might actually represent the best bottle I have encountered.
Cellar Favorite: 1966 Trotanoy
France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Oct 2025
The 1966 Trotanoy comes from a golden era for this Pomerol estate and epitomizes everything great about mature Pomerol
Hand Over the Keys: Brane-Cantenac 1928-2023
France: Bordeaux, featured, France: Bordeaux featured Verticals and Retrospectives
, Sep 2025
To mark 100 years since the Lurton family bought Brane-Cantenac, Henri Lurton organised a vertical tasting that demonstrated how this Margaux wine has improved so dramatically during his reign. A few gems then showed that his ancestors also had a magic touch when it came to turning grapes into wine.
A Woman’s Touch: Lafleur 1985-2022
France: Bordeaux Verticals and Retrospectives featured, France: Bordeaux, featured
, Sep 2025
This year, Château Lafleur celebrates four decades of ownership by the Guinaudeau family. To mark the occasion, a weekend in Austria witnessed a unique vertical of every vintage from 1985 to 2022, all poured from magnum. How did this Pomerol-turned-Vin de France perform?
Cellar Favorite: 2000 Calon-Ségur
France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Sep 2025
The 2000 Calon-Ségur epitomizes everything I love about Bordeaux, specifically how magnificently the wines develop over time.
Cellar Favorite: 1924, 1929 & 1955 Meyney
France: Bordeaux, France: Bordeaux featured Verticals and Retrospectives, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Aug 2025
Last primeur, which already seems like ages ago, Château Meyney organised a fascinating lunch recreating a historic dinner served in 1928. Three vintages of Meyney older than any I had encountered previously were poured blind.
A Century of...Fives
France: Bordeaux Verticals and Retrospectives featured, France: Bordeaux, featured, France: Bordeaux featured Verticals and Retrospectives
, Jun 2025
My annual "Century of..." article revisits vintages on their decennial anniversaries. This year, we dive into Fives.
Cellar Favorite: 1990 Hennebelle
France: Bordeaux, featured, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Jun 2025
The 1990 Hennebelle is a pertinent reminder of the glories of Bordeaux, how a modest quarter-century-old Haut-Médoc could deliver such pleasure.
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.