Cf mar312025

Cellar Favorite: 1948 La Tour Blanche

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites

Neal Martin, Mar 2025

Some bottles are more poignant than others, inextricable from the occasion, the place and above all, the person associated with the wine.

Cf mar242025

Cellar Favorite: 1995 Ridge Monte Bello

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites

Billy Norris, Mar 2025

A wine of suave sophistication and supreme textural finesse, the 1995 Monte Bello is almost shockingly primary and fresh as a daisy.

Cf mar172025

Cellar Favorite: 2019 Niepoort Charme Tinto Douro

Portugal, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites

Neal Martin, Mar 2025

I have long been an admirer and drinker of Dirk Niepoort’s wines, both fortified and unfortified. A 2019 Charme Tinto Douro was drinking beautifully when I cracked open a bottle recently.

Cf mar102025

Cellar Favorite: 2022 Yquem

France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites

Neal Martin, Mar 2025

Head Winemaker Lorenzo Pasquini flew to the UK to present the latest vintage of Château Yquem. Meeting in central London, Italian-born Pasquini gave me the background on the 2022.

Cf mar32025

Cellar Favorite: Ioppa Ghemme 1970-1975

Italy: Piedmont, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites

Antonio Galloni, Mar 2025

History, expression of place, passion and artisan family values run deep at Ioppa. The Ioppas trace their lineage back seven generations, all the way to the mid-1800s, a time when life in the countryside was much harsher than it is today. This mini-vertical from the 1970s was a very pleasant surprise at the end of a day tasting through current releases. I tasted the wines with Giorgio Ioppa, his son Andrea, and consulting oenologist Cristiano Garella.

Cf feb242025

Cellar Favorite: 1992 Domaine Hubert Lignier Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

France: Burgundy, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites

Neal Martin, Feb 2025

My good friend Lord Bruce recently raided his cellar and produced a gem of a Burgundy from a vintage more renowned for the whites: the 1992 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru from Domaine Hubert Lignier.

Latour 2016 etc

Cellar Favorite: Château Latour 2025 Late Releases

France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites

Neal Martin, Feb 2025

Following Antonio Galloni’s take on this year’s late releases from Château Latour (the First Growth having exited the customary primeur campaign in 2012), here is my own take on the trio that will hit the market this March.

Vinous la chapelle grange cover

Cellar Favorite: Breaking the Rules – La Chapelle Grange

featured, Australia, France, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites

Vinous, Feb 2025

Two icons of the old and new world come together in this inaugural blend, certain to spark discussion. While the two wines merge with surprising harmony, the true conversation starter isn’t their quality—it’s the bold and unconventional way they were crafted.

Cf feb032025 final

Cellar Favorite: 2009 & 2010 Cos d’Estournel

France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites

Neal Martin, Feb 2025

The 2009 and 2010 Cos d'Estournel were among the vintages poured at the Vinous Icons Miami event in November 2024. They provide an enlightening contrast between two stylistically different vintages.

Cf jan272025

Cellar Favorite: 2019 Domaine Dureuil-Janthial Rully En Guesnes Wadana

France: Burgundy, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites

Neal Martin, Jan 2025

I suspect that nearly all wines from the Rully appellation are consumed in their youth. The 2019 Rully En Guesnes Wadana proves that not all Rullys are made equal.