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Cellar Favorite: 2017 & 2018 Soldera – Case Basse Toscana Sangiovese
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Italy: Tuscany
, Aug 2026
I was thrilled to share the 2017 and 2018 Soldera – Case Basse Toscana Sangiovese with a group of fellow wine lovers recently. As it turns out, we tasted the 2017 almost ten years to the day after I tasted the wine as a young, fermenting must, which brought back so many memories.
Vinous Table: La Maison d’Estournel, Bordeaux, France
Vinous Table, France: Bordeaux
, Aug 2026
Where do you stay in Bordeaux? It’s one of the questions I am asked most often. La Maison d’Estournel has become one of my favorite stops over the last few years. This small, cozy country manor transformed into a hotel offers outstanding hospitality, exceptional food and wine, proximity to châteaux and the modern amenities that international travelers demand.
Chianti Classico: Looking Up
featured, Italy: Tuscany
, Aug 2026
After three very tough vintages, things are looking up in Chianti Classico. The young 2025s hold significant promise, while 2024 is revealing itself to be surprisingly good in spots, despite some inconsistency. That’s a big improvement over 2023 and 2022, when so many producers were impacted by severe weather events that dramatically lowered production and negatively impacted quality. I continue to be impressed with a general trend of increasing quality.
Vinous Table: The Inn at Pound Ridge by Jean-Georges, Pound Ridge, New York
Vinous Table
, Aug 2026
The Inn at Pound Ridge by Jean-Georges is a jewel of a restaurant in one of the prettiest and most quaint towns in New York’s Westchester County. The Inn has become a family favorite. Food, wine and service are all superb, and yet the casual setting makes the Inn extremely versatile for anything from a family gathering to a date night.
Vatan Sancerre Clos La Néore: 2005-2022
featured, France: Loire, Verticals & Retrospectives
, Aug 2026
Mention Clos La Néore and oenophiles’ ears immediately perk up. One of the world’s rarest and most distinctive whites, Clos La Néore represents the pinnacle of artisan farming and winemaking. This vertical spanning thirteen vintages back to 2005 showed Clos La Néore in many facets, from wines driven by steely minerality to those marked by textural richness and weight. With one or two exceptions, the wines were superb.
Vinous Table: La Fontaine De Mars, Paris, France
Vinous Table, France
, Aug 2026
Readers in search of a classic bistro on Paris’s Left Bank will want to check out La Fontaine De Mars. Located near the Eiffel Tower, La Fontaine De Mars opened in 1908 and offers a super-classic old Paris vibe.
The Original Napa Valley Icon: Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon S.L.V.
napa, United States: California, featured, Verticals & Retrospectives
, Aug 2026
Fifty years ago, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon Stag’s Leap Vineyards bested some of France’s best-known wines at an unassuming blind tasting. That tasting, chronicled as the Judgment of Paris, became a cultural phenomenon that changed the wine world. On the eve of the 50th anniversary of this momentous occasion, Vinous was thrilled to host a deep retrospective of the estate’s Cabernet Sauvignon S.L.V. going back to the 1973.
Remembering David Hirsch
United States: California, Vinous Remembers
, Aug 2026
The wine world lost a trailblazing pioneer when David Hirsch passed away on July 28, 2026. He was 81 years old.
Tuscany’s Maremma: Scenes from the Coast
featured, Italy: Tuscany
, Jul 2026
The Tuscan Maremma is home to some of Italy’s most iconic estates and wines, showing what is possible in a region that was once marshland. These labels have garnered considerable critical acclaim over the years and become favorites with consumers around the world. And yet within the context of fine wine, Maremma is a very young region. Only a small handful of estates are in their third generation, and virtually all others are much younger. My most recent round of tastings revealed a region in the middle of a radical transformation.
Vinous Table: Origines, Paris, France
Vinous Table
, Jul 2026
Vinous readers planning to spend time in Paris will want to book a table at Origines. Located in the 8th Arrondissement, Origines is a showcase for Chef Julien Boscus’s ingredient-driven, seasonal cuisine. Guests can choose from several tasting menus plus à la carte dining. The menu is small, which I always view as a sign of focus, but that also means guests with dietary restrictions are best served by planning ahead. Wine Director and Chef Sommelier Adrien Butko offers a thoughtful, highly curated wine program. Prices are quite reasonable by Parisian standards.