The preview of the new vintages of VDP Grosses Gewächs was held in Wiesbaden and featured over 400 different wines. This year I was focussing on the grape varities Silvaner, Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) of the vintage 2025 as well as some 2005 Rieslings from Franconia and the 2024 Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) from Baden.

Head-to-Head Blind Tasting Report: Monteverro vs. Ornellaia

A distinguished group of Tastingbook professionals gathered to evaluate seven critical vintages from both estates in a completely blind format. The lineup spanned over a decade of winemaking, showcasing the evolutionary arc of both properties.

The wines were tasted blindly side-by-side across the following years: 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.

A Masterclass in Tuscan Coastal Terroir: A Vertical Exploration of Monteverro and Ornellaia. This tasting showcases a world-class vertical lineup from the Tuscan coast. It contrasts Ornellaia’s classic, structured Bolgheri elegance against Monteverro’s powerful Maremma precision across seven distinct vintages. Featuring highly precise 2016 and 2021 vintages alongside the exceptionally rare, balanced 2020 whites, it offers an ultimate study in coastal terroir, climate variability, and structural longevity.

Perfect 100 points Graham 80 year old Tawny Port – Only 600 bottles of the 80y old were bottled and the shelf price will be well above 1.000 GBP. For Charles Symington the blending process was very emotional, as his father, Peter Symington, was born in 1944. When turning 80, Peter very much enjoyed this special Port. Dark red colour with intense reflections and a green-gold rim. Gentle and perfectly balanced Douro Bake aromas on the nose with coffee, dried orange and tobacco. Complex, dense herbal notes in the bouquet, chocolate, malt, tobacco leaves and caramel, floral notes and a hint of chocolate and toffee in the background. Incredibly complex notes on the palate. Herbal mix, chocolate, tea, malt, honey, tobacco. Perfectly long, balanced and complex finish with many overlapping layers. A perfect Port! 100

Bordeaux 2025 vintage - Margaux & Saint Julien: Chateau Margaux: 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. 13.8% alcohol. Yield 22hl/ha. It’s intense on the nose, with plenty of black fruit, tobacco, and mint. You find it in concentrated form on the palate, with great tension and verve, a sophisticated touch, great midpalate, remarkable acidity, and velvety texture. The aftertaste goes on and on. Awesome stuff. 98-99p.

Experiencing a vertical tasting of Château d’Yquem across eight decades is a journey through liquid history. From the luminous, tropical intensity of the 2022 vintage to the monumental, mahogany-hued depth of 1934, Yquem demonstrates why it remains the undisputed pinnacle of Sauternes.

What defines these legendary wines is not merely their decadent richness—packed with saffron, candied citrus, and toasted hazelnut—but their astonishing longevity and laser-sharp acidity. Even century-old bottles maintain brilliant vitality. Each glass captures a unique interplay of climate, noble rot, and meticulous craftsmanship, proving that true excellence transcends generations, evolving into something ethereal with age.

Australian New Releases / Claymore Wines The Fields of Anfield Road 2024 ($75) – When one thinks of Claymore wines, two things come to mind – cracking Clare Valley wines and an unfathomable devotion to the Liverpool Football Club (I guess you can’t have everything). Those who follow the sport will know that the mugsmashers, as they are fondly known, snuck in to win the competition earlier this year. To celebrate that, they have released this Shiraz Cabernet blend and a bottle can be yours for literally just 0.00000025% of what the Club has spent on players in the off-season. 

An inky maroon hue with a purple rim, there are notes of cocoa powder, blackberries, cassis, mocha, cold tea, dried herbs, chocolate and smoked meats. The oak is deftly handled and there is an intriguing saline/iodine notes running through the wine. Good balance and focus, with bright acidity, there is excellent length. It will drink well over the next decade and continue to improve. Those who are not fans of Liverpool are probably hoping that this is a one-off. 93.

Large Coche-Dury tasting and few others: The Corton-Charlemagne 2002 was equally as impressive, but in a more mature way. It was in a perfect spot, on a bridge between youth and wisdom, with extraordinary balance and tension. I think that the 15-20 year mark is a real sweet spot for great vintages of Coche CC. Ooh la la (98).

Château Fontenil Vertical 2022-2005 / I have tasted Château Fontenil during primeur for more than a decade, but I have rarely seen them in bottle, and even rarer tasted them. Boy was I in for a treat! On a relatively misty morning I turned up at Fontenil and I did not expect anything near this amazing lineup. I am a big fan of Fronsac, these wines are so undervalued, and here we are, another big tasting confirming that exact same thing. Gorgeous wines. 

An Unforgettable Tasting day: Highlights from the 100-Best Champagnes 2026 tasting event - Day 5.

The fifth and final tasting day of the 100-Best Champagnes 2026 event brought to a close an extraordinary journey through the highest echelons of sparkling wine. Having evaluated over 300 of the finest Champagnes currently on the market or slated for release soon, the tastingbook.com and Champagne Magazine's jury witnessed the immense diversity, precision, and cellaring potential defining modern Champagne winemaking. With the official results and the ultimate Best Champagne of 2026 set to be announced at the end of August, anticipation is at an all-time high.

Among the absolute triumphs of the session was the 2012 Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Françaises (98 Points), a monumental release from ungrafted pre-phylloxera vines that captivated tasters with its breathtaking concentration and endless mineral finish. Equally spellbinding were the 2013 Jacques Selosse Millésimé (97 Points) and 2008 Bollinger R.D. (98 Points), both delivering masterclasses in autolytic complexity and vinous grip.

Rosé offerings reached new heights with the radiant 2015 Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé (98 Points), while grower showcases like Vilmart & Cie’s "Cœur de Cuvée" (95 Points) and Chartogne-Taillet’s pre-phylloxera "Les Barres" 2019 (96 Points) proved that single-plot precision stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the grandest houses.

Overall, the marathon tasting celebrated Champagne’s golden era—where traditional power, terroir authenticity, and chiseled freshness harmoniously meet.

Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 1929 / An absolutely sensational bottle—youthful, highly elegant, and perfectly balanced between acidity and sweetness. Delicate, slightly salty caramel, malt, dried figs, and molasses weave together in a masterpiece of flavor. Simply brilliant—off the charts! 20+ points

Tastingbook tasted Penfolds Grange vintages 2002-2022/ Penfolds Grange 2010 -100 Points. A majestic, perfectly balanced vintage from a textbook South Australian growing season. It struck an ethereal balance between massive density and vibrant freshness, showing exquisite definition of cassis, graphite, and lavender, backed by a monumental wall of architectural tannins and seamless acidity.