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The Fantastic Four: Alto Piemonte, Canavese, Valtellina & Valle d’Aosta
Italy: Piedmont, featured
, Feb 2026
My annual trip through northern Italy once again highlighted the extraordinary diversity of the stretch of tiny appellations often marked by heroic viticulture and rugged landscapes. Here at the foothills and lower slopes of the Alps, readers will find some of the most fascinating, complex wines in the world. This report focuses on Alto Piemonte and also looks at Nebbiolo and Nebbiolo-based wines in nearby appellations, including Canavese and Valtellina. For the first time, I also include wines from a handful of estates in Valle d’Aosta, which shares a border with Carema.
Cellar Favorite: 1961 & 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Feb 2026
There is nothing greater than a good man, and Daniel Cathiard was a good man. He and his wife, Florence, took Smith Haut-Lafitte, a once dilapidated estate, and devoted their lives to creating two of the region’s finest wines, both red and white. These two bottles were opened with my oldest friends to raise a toast to Daniel Cathiard.
Vinous Table: La Lune, Beaune, France
Vinous Table, France: Burgundy
, Feb 2026
The litmus test of a restaurant is not whether it blows you away on your first sitting, but whether it blows you away on your tenth, or your twentieth. Despite how many times I have eaten at La Lune, my favourite restaurant in Beaune, I always depart feeling elated.
Bordeaux 2023 in Bottle: Coming Around Again
France: Bordeaux, featured
, Feb 2026
Though Bordeaux has its travails, the vintages continue to roll. The bottled 2023s have much to offer those seeking a less concentrated style of claret than the previous vintage provided. As usual, 2023 is not a season without caveats, and as always, it is important to choose wisely. Those who do could be handsomely rewarded.
No Alarm: 2023 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
France: Burgundy, featured
, Feb 2026
Despite a brief interruption from the fire alarm, it was business as usual as I entered the “classroom” to taste the 2023 releases from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti with “teachers” Bertrand de Villaine and Perrine Fenal. Which cuvées stood out this year?
Moon Mountain Bounces Back with the Exceptional 2023s
United States: California, sonoma, featured
, Feb 2026
The 2023s from Sonoma’s Moon Mountain District are exceptional. A long, cool growing season with no shock events gave producers ideal conditions to turn out intensely aromatic, layered, structured wines. That’s a far cry from 2022, when intense heat and drought challenged these sites severely to the degree that some selections were not bottled at all. Readers will delight in exploring the 2023s, wines that represent Moon Mountain at its very finest.
Cellar Favorite: 1970 Hanzell Vineyards Pinot Noir & Chardonnay
United States: California, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Feb 2026
The 1970 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Hanzell Vineyards are an extraordinary testament to the quality and ageability of the wines from this pioneering Moon Mountain estate.
2024 Burgenland and Austria's East: Heavenly Reds and Crisp Whites
Austria, featured
, Feb 2026
The central and Eastern Austrian regions of Carnuntum, Thermenregion and Burgenland delivered beautifully crisp whites and evocative, precise reds in 2024. Neither spring frosts nor September rains were as severe as in Lower Austria along the Danube. Despite record heat, which spelled an unprecedentedly early harvest for some, there is no lack of freshness in the whites, while most reds took the heat in stride. Near Lake Neusiedl, clean and early botrytis arrived in late October, ensuring concentrated Ausbruch and TBAs.
Salt of the Earth: Voliero Brunello di Montalcino 2006-2021
Italy: Tuscany, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured
, Feb 2026
A true wine of place, crafted by a man who applied a lifetime of acquired knowledge to conceptualize its creation, the Voliero Brunello di Montalcino reflects the potential of Montalcino's Southern territory. This 15-vintage retrospective explores the story behind the wine and Andrea Cortoneise, who created it.
It’s Rousseau’Clock: Grand Crus 1967-2019
Verticals & Retrospectives, France: Burgundy, featured
, Feb 2026
It’s Rousseau’clock! An epic tasting of Rousseau’s Grand Crus last November provided valuable insight into their Clos de la Roche, Ruchottes and Charmes-Chambertin. Whilst market prices have escalated in recent years, what has not changed is the calibre of their wines.