In a memorable Champagne tasting in Paris at my friends house, the lineup highlighted the brilliant diversity of Champagne’s top houses and prestigious terroirs. Krug stood out with its electric, tightly wound 2009 Clos du Mesnil and the voluptuous, approachable 2006 Clos d’Ambonnay. Philipponnat showcased exceptional depth and tension, particularly through its single-vineyard expressions like the intense 2014 Le Léon Aÿ and the powerful 2015 Clos des Goisses Juste Rosé.

Louis Roederer presented a remarkable study in elegance with the deep, multi-dimensional 2004 Cristal Vinothèque and the energetic, perfume-like 2018 Cristal. Laurent-Perrier displayed its masterful blending art with the vibrant, multi-vintage Grand Siècle releases, while Billecart-Salmon’s 2012 Nicolas François impressed with its rich texture and lively saline finish. Across all cuvées, precision, mineral drive, and impressive longevity defined the tasting.

Brunello di Montalcino vintage 2020 Part II / Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli 2020

CANALICCHIO DI SOPRA. Vineyard Filari Lunghi, soils predominantly of Galestro, an imposing wine,intense and juicy. Pomegranate on the nose, hints of chinotto, touches of

eucalyptus and wild iris. The drink has a citrus and balsamic appeal, with red

fruits and balsamic notes. Great length. 98+

This very extensive Tastingbook's Niepoort Grand Tasting charts the revolutionary arc of Dirk Niepoort’s winemaking ethos: an unwavering commitment to tension, lower alcohol, early picking, and vineyard expression over brute force and heavy extraction. Spanning high-altitude mica-schist whites, chalky Atlantic reds, Burgundian-inspired still cuvées, and timeless fortified declarations, the tasting reveals a house philosophy centered on architectural precision, saline minerality, and extraordinary ageworthiness...

Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay 2024  and other Australian latest releases – The fruit used Yattarna was sourced from vineyards in Tumbarumba, the Adelaide Hills and Tasmania. Maturation was for eight months in French barriques, 56% of which were new.

The colour here is the palest straw. On the nose we have an array of intriguing and exquisite fragrances, including green apples, sea breezes, glacéd pineapple, jasmine, almonds and lemon curd. There is superb oak integration, with a nod to hints of oak spiciness. The wine has weight, density and balance with serious length and we see early hints of the complexity which is sure to emerge with time. Elegant and ethereal, it is already, a wine that is completely at ease with itself and harmonious in every aspect. There is a fine line of acidity, but perhaps what really stuns is the amazing length. A really exciting Yattarna that will provide pleasure for at least twenty years. Time in the glass simply saw a positive evolution with more gentle nectarine notes emerging and the texture exhibiting a wonderful creaminess. 98.

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

Tasting through recent releases from Claude and Katherine Blankiet’s Paradise Hills Vineyard reveals an estate operating at the absolute pinnacle of Napa Valley viticulture. Perched along the western Mayacamas benchlands, the site’s volcanic-alluvial soils and micro-canopy management consistently produce wines marked by extraordinary vertical tension and aristocratic polish. Across every cuvée, winemaker Graeme MacDonald has unlocked a crystalline balance between raw power and restraint.

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.

Masseto tasting 1998-2022 / Masseto 2015: A truly legendary, text-book perfect growing season. A normal spring gave way to a hot, intensely sunny summer. Crucially, timely rains in late July relieved any potential vine stress. August brought cooler nights, allowing the Merlot to preserve its aromatic freshness while reaching unprecedented levels of sugar and tannin ripeness.

 The perfect masterpiece and the ultimate expression of Masseto. This vintage is an olfactory explosion of ripe blackberries, dark chocolate, black truffles, and wet iron clay. The palate achieves absolute, breathtaking harmony. It delivers a monumental, multi-layered texture that manages to be simultaneously opulent, dense, and magically weightless. A flawless, unforgettable expression of a golden Tuscan season. 100 points

Dom Pérignon 2018 / The year unfolded under climatically ideal conditions, free from extremes, yielding a generous and balanced harvest. Chardonnay (54%) is anchored by fruit from Chouilly, while Verzenay and Aÿ provided the core of the Pinot Noir. This marks the inaugural vintage under Vincent Chaperon as Chef de Cave. The wine opens with striking aromatic purity and lush fruit tones of ripe peach, Madagascar vanilla, and lemon meringue pie. The nose remains somewhat reticent, hinting at further complexity to come. On the palate, it displays seamless harmony, textured yet precise, rich yet buoyed by a fine mineral tension. A subtle touch of phenolic grip firms the finish. Still holding much in reserve, this is a Dom Pérignon promising exceptional longevity

An extensive and diverse tasting showcasing the remarkable breadth of Niepoort’s portfolio, from mineral-driven whites and elegant reds to exceptional Ports across a wide range of styles and vintages. At the heart of this diversity is Dirk Niepoort, a boundary-pushing visionary whose curiosity, pioneering spirit and passion for experimentation have helped shape the evolution of modern Portuguese winemaking.

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.