Fortified wines cover

A Bit of Fortification: Port and Madeira New Releases

Portugal, Fortified Wines & Spirits, Fortified Wines and Spirits, featured

Neal Martin, Jul 2025

Fortified wine has long been a passion of mine. This short article rounds up recent releases from Quinta do Noval, Symington and Taylor Fladgate Port Houses, as well as recent Madeira bottlings from Blandy’s.

Barjac 1990 3 cover

Cellar Favorite: 1990 Guy de Barjac Cornas

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France

Neal Martin, Jul 2025

Stick me on a desert island with a choice of one Rhône wine, and I would choose Cornas. I love this appellation, especially when a mature bottle crops up.

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Cellar Favorite: 1952 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti Grand Cru

France: Burgundy, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, featured

Neal Martin, Jun 2025

1952 was a significant vintage: it marked the return of the Romanée-Conti cuvée after the monopole’s ungrafted vines were pulled out following the 1945 harvest. It was a complete privilege to drink this extraordinarily rare piece of history.

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Cellar Favorite: 2000 Noël Verset Cornas

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Rhône & Beaujolais

Neal Martin, Jun 2025

A recent bottle of the 2000 Cornas was a pertinent reminder of how Noël Verset’s wines can bring such joy.

Richebourg bottles vinous

One Night in Taipei: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg 1995-2017

France: Burgundy, featured, Verticals & Retrospectives

Neal Martin, Jun 2025

This was an invaluable overview of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s Richebourg—an opportunity to really examine a single cuvée, to observe how it interacts with the heterogeneity of growing seasons that leads to differing results in the bottle. It was also a timely reminder that despite this domaine’s lofty reputation, no bottle is beyond criticism.

Five line up at chevalier vinous

A Century of...Fives

France: Bordeaux, France: Bordeaux featured Verticals and Retrospectives, France: Bordeaux Verticals and Retrospectives featured, featured

Neal Martin, Jun 2025

My annual "Century of..." article revisits vintages on their decennial anniversaries. This year, we dive into Fives.

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Cellar Favorite: 1990 Hennebelle

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux, featured

Neal Martin, 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.

Hamachi vt

Vinous Table: L’Ardente, Washington, D.C., United States

Vinous Table, featured

Neal Martin, Jun 2025

Located just a few blocks from Capitol Hill, L’Ardente offers unpretentious, straight-down-the-line Italian fare that has earned a reputation for quality. The atmosphere is lively and the sommelier team is impressive.

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Cellar Favorite: 2021 Château Simone Palette Blanc

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France

Neal Martin, Jun 2025

The 2021 Château Simone Blanc serves as a pertinent reminder of just how good wines from Provence can be.

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Bordeaux: The Crisis Laid Bare

France: Bordeaux, featured

Neal Martin, 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.