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Cellar Favorite: Kopke 80-Year-Old Tawny Port
Portugal, Fortified Wines & Spirits, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Mar 2026
There has been a consumer trend towards longer-aged tawnies over the last few years. I find that these wines can be superior to the more renowned vintage Ports, often a little mellower and less high-toned. They are the fortified equivalent of a warm fire on a dismal winter day.
Gentleman’s Cut Bourbon: New Releases
featured, Spirits, Fortified Wines & Spirits
, Nov 2025
NBA legend Steph Curry created Gentleman’s Cut in partnership with vintner John Schwartz and Boone County Distilling. I have been tasting these Bourbons for the last few years. These are the most ambitious releases yet. The latest batch of Bourbons includes a collaboration with Chef José Andrés.
Cellar Favorite: 2025 Aramasa No. 6 A-Type Junmai Daiginjo Sake
Japan, Fortified Wines & Spirits, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Aug 2025
The No. 6 A-Type Junmai Ginjo Sake stopped me in my tracks. So refined and almost ineffably complex, this redefined my perception of the heights that Japanese sake can reach.
A Bit of Fortification: Port and Madeira New Releases
featured, Portugal, Fortified Wines & Spirits, Fortified Wines and Spirits
, 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.
Spirits: The Tip of the Iceberg
featured, Spirits, Fortified Wines & Spirits, Fortified Wines and Spirits
, Dec 2022
It all started innocently enough. Over the last few years, I have seen a marked increase in spirits made by winemakers. I thought it would be fun to taste them and write them all up. That was the genesis for this report. But then more and more samples arrived, and before I knew it, the article had morphed into a broad survey of spirits of all kinds. This article is clearly not comprehensive to any one category, but rather intended as a collection of spirits I think Vinous readers will enjoy.
Unraveling the Secrets of Cognac
featured, France, Fortified Wines and Spirits, Fortified Wines & Spirits
, Sep 2019
When Cognac is well-made, it’s among the finest spirits known to humanity. But Cognac is a secretive, confounding place. In this report, I unravel the mysteries of Cognac, covering more than 50 brands and offering reviews and ratings on more than 200 bottles.
Port Is For Life: Symington Vintage & Tawny Ports
Verticals & Retrospectives, featured, Fortified Wines and Spirits, Portugal, Fortified Wines & Spirits
, Dec 2018
“Port is for life, not just for Christmas.” True, though I am sure sales figures would confirm that more bottles of port, in all its multifarious forms - Vintage, Ruby, Tawny, Single Quinta, Colheita, White or Crusted - are ceremoniously passed to the left over the festive period than at any other time of the year. So it would be remiss of me not to offer Vinous readers an early Christmas present in the shape of a port-themed article.
Calvados: The Apple Of A Brandy Drinker’s Eye
featured, France, France: Normandy, Fortified Wines & Spirits, France: Other
, Nov 2018
Forget about grapes in Normandy. Here, the apple is king. Each fall, dozens of apple varieties, in field blends, are harvested, crushed and pressed into cider. In Calvados, much of that cider is distilled into the exquisite apple brandy. It has taken time, but slowly over the past two decades, a serious generation of Calvados producers have elevated the spirit into a conversation with the world’s other great brandies.
Exploring the World of Armagnac
France: Armagnac, featured, France, Spirits, Fortified Wines & Spirits, France: Other
, Jul 2018
Armagnac is perhaps the most wine-like of spirits, and so it makes sense that, at Vinous, we begin our foray into the high-proof world of liquor by looking deeply into this classic brandy from Gascony. With a history that goes back more than 700 years, Armagnac offers authenticity, character and tradition, all of which are reflected in spirits that are imbued with notable complexity.
Vintage Port – The 2016 Declaration
featured, Portugal, Fortified Wines & Spirits
, Jun 2018
One of the highlights of any year is the rare instance in which the major Port houses come together in unison around St. George’s Day to declare. Unlike Bordeaux, where you have barely recovered from the last primeur when the next one arrives, general Port declarations tend to arise approximately three times per decade, thereby avoiding fatigue. So, whilst the dazzling 2011 Vintage Ports remain fresh in my mind, the 2016s arrive at a time when I am ready for more.