Browse using the new Vinous website now. Launch →
Cellar Favorite: Château Latour 2026 New Releases
France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Feb 2026
There’s a lot to like in the 2026 releases from Château Latour. I tasted the wines with Estate Director Hélène Génin during a visit to the château in December 2025.
Cellar Favorite: 1961 & 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte
France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, 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.
Cellar Favorite: 1970 Hanzell Vineyards Pinot Noir & Chardonnay
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, United States: California
, 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.
Cellar Favorite: 2005 Le Dôme
France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Feb 2026
Having consistently tasted Le Dôme since the maiden 1996 vintage, it is always fascinating to return to those earliest vintages. The 2005 is drinking perfectly now, and will offer another 12 to 15 years’ drinking pleasure.
Cellar Favorite: 2013 Domaine Didier Dagueneau – Louis Benjamin Pouilly-Fumé Silex
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Loire
, Jan 2026
I drink far too few Loire whites these days. A recent encounter with a bottle of 2013 Pouilly-Fumé Silex from Dagueneau served as a pertinent reminder of what I am missing out on.
Cellar Favorite: 1962 La Gaffelière
France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Jan 2026
My experience with older vintages of La Gaffelière is few and far between, but I had heard others wax lyrical about bottles from the 1950s and 1960s. A group of friends recently poured the 1962 at dinner, and I was absolutely smitten.
Cellar Favorite: 2020 Champagne Nakada-Park Brut Nature Vignes de Gyé-Sur-Seine
France: Champagne, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Jan 2026
When I visited Japanese-born, Gevrey-based winemaker Koji Nakada to taste his Burgundy portfolio, he mentioned that he also makes limited amounts of Champagne and presented me with his current releases. Clearly, Nakada’s talents extend beyond the Côte d’Or.
Cellar Favorite: 1997 Domaine François Raveneau Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy
, Jan 2026
There aren’t too many things I enjoy more than a mature bottle of Raveneau Chablis. Approaching its thirtieth birthday, the 1997 Domaine François Raveneau Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru is in magnificent form today.
Cellar Favorite: 1986 Mouton-Rothschild
France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, 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.
Cellar Favorite: 1955 Domaine Georges Roumier Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er Cru
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy
, 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.