Cfoct132025 vinous

Cellar Favorite: 1966 Trotanoy

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux

Neal Martin, Oct 2025

The 1966 Trotanoy comes from a golden era for this Pomerol estate and epitomizes everything great about mature Pomerol

Brane cantenac cover vinous

Hand Over the Keys: Brane-Cantenac 1928-2023

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

Neal Martin, Sep 2025

To mark 100 years since the Lurton family bought Brane-Cantenac, Henri Lurton organised a vertical tasting that demonstrated how this Margaux wine has improved so dramatically during his reign. A few gems then showed that his ancestors also had a magic touch when it came to turning grapes into wine.

Lafleur cover 2

A Woman’s Touch: Lafleur 1985-2022

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

Neal Martin, Sep 2025

This year, Château Lafleur celebrates four decades of ownership by the Guinaudeau family. To mark the occasion, a weekend in Austria witnessed a unique vertical of every vintage from 1985 to 2022, all poured from magnum. How did this Pomerol-turned-Vin de France perform?

Cf sept12025

Cellar Favorite: 2000 Calon-Ségur

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux

Antonio Galloni, Sep 2025

The 2000 Calon-Ségur epitomizes everything I love about Bordeaux, specifically how magnificently the wines develop over time.

Meyney 1929 bottle vinous

Cellar Favorite: 1924, 1929 & 1955 Meyney

France: Bordeaux featured Verticals and Retrospectives, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux

Neal Martin, Aug 2025

Last primeur, which already seems like ages ago, Château Meyney organised a fascinating lunch recreating a historic dinner served in 1928. Three vintages of Meyney older than any I had encountered previously were poured blind.

Five line up at chevalier vinous

A Century of...Fives

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

Neal Martin, Jun 2025

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

Cf june162025

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.

Nm market report cover 2

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.

Bordeaux 2015 cover

Bordeaux 2015 At Age Ten

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

Neal Martin, Jun 2025

The 2015 vintage in Bordeaux was warmly received on release, but 2016 stole the limelight just 12 months later. How is the vintage faring now that the wines have reached age ten? Blindfolds on.

Yquem cover

The Innings Continues: 1948 to 1995 Yquem

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

Neal Martin, May 2025

I have tasted a great deal of mature Bordeaux wine, including Sauternes, but I have not yet achieved the magic number of 100 different vintages from a single estate. I mentioned my goal to Lorenzo Pasquini, Yquem’s head winemaker, when visiting in April, and he promised to do his best to help, cracking open a selection of mainly off-vintages that filled some of the gaps.