Cf dec292025

Cellar Favorite: 1986 Mouton-Rothschild

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux

Neal Martin, Dec 2025

I have been waiting to write this Cellar Favorite for many years. Put me on record as stating that the 1986 Mouton-Rothschild is one of the greatest wines of that decade.

Cf dec222025

Cellar Favorite: 1955 Domaine Georges Roumier Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er Cru

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy

Neal Martin, Dec 2025

From one of Burgundy’s greatest winemakers in one of its finest vintages, the transcendental 1955 Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er Cru is the epitome of mature Pinot Noir.

Cf dec152025

Cellar Favorite: 1947 Petrus

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux

Neal Martin, Dec 2025

The 1947 Petrus is one of the most legendary Bordeaux wines of the twentieth century. It is endowed with unerring symmetry and, like the genuine legends of the twentieth century, seems undiminished by time.

Cf dec82025

Cellar Favorite: 1970 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Montrachet Grand Cru

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy

Antonio Galloni, Dec 2025

I have been fortunate to taste many vintages of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s Montrachet Grand Cru over the years, but the 1970 was a vintage that had eluded me. This is a very special bottle, both for what is in the glass and for the rich history it unlocks.

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Cellar Favorite: Champagne Louis Roederer – Inflection Points

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Champagne

Antonio Galloni, Dec 2025

Longtime Roederer Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon pulled out a stunning series of wines at the conclusion of my annual tasting of vins clairs and new releases earlier this year. Of course, it’s always interesting to taste older vintages, but these bottles represent something more than just rare wines from the past. Most of them represent inflection points in Lécaillon’s thinking.

Cf nov242026

Cellar Favorite: 1967 Certan de May

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux

Neal Martin, Nov 2025

Travelling back in time, Bordeaux is full of lesser-known pockets of excellence—often dismissed vintages where one or two appellations bucked the trend. Nineteen sixty-seven is one of those.

Cf nov172025

Cellar Favorite: 1945 Riccardo Viganò Barolo Gran Riserva Cannubi

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Italy: Piedmont

Antonio Galloni, Nov 2025

The 1945 Barolo Gran Riserva Cannubi from Riccardo Viganò is an emotional, deeply moving wine. I doubt I will ever see or taste it again, and there must be few bottles left anywhere.

Cf nov32025

Cellar Favorite: 2013 Domaine Jean-François Coche-Dury Le Corton Grand Cru

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy

Neal Martin, Nov 2025

"Unicorn" is a word frequently misappropriated with respect to wine. In this case, the word is merited.

Cf oct272025

Cellar Favorite: 1949 Lagrange (Saint-Julien)

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux

Neal Martin, 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.

Cf oct202025 widescreen

Cellar Favorite: 1998 Grand Mayne

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux

Neal Martin, 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.