Pomerol 2024/ Lafleur: 52% Cabernet Franc + 48% Merlot. Sometimes, this property shows its darker and unfriendly side, which happened on a rather cold Wednesday afternoon. The wine was oaky, closed, and reluctant to open up. I've no doubt there is great potential in it, and I’m looking forward to retasting it with a possible score upgrade. I give 94+p on credit. Tasted in April 2025.  2028 to 2042.

2022 Château d'Yquem + other interesting wines: Golden. Apricots, peach, pineapples, nuanced, fruit forward, detailed, nuanced, detailed, bright nose, floral.Fresh acidity, peach, pineapples, nuanced, detailed, bright, detailed, intense, creamy, very elegant texture, refreshing and intense, yet not the deepest and most concentrated Yquem made. Gorgeous purity and lovely tension. Second highest sugar level ever on Yquem at 160 grams, 1945 has 165 and is the highest level ever. 96

Domaine de Baronarques has released its 2023 vintage with a new brand, La Capitelle de Baronarques in white to celebrate the 20th jubilee of the estate.

The Vieux Château Certan 2000 today presents all the qualities of a great, classic vintage. Much as the 1996 vintage, it offers a wide range of aromas, where toasted fragrances serve to enhance the bouquet of raspberry, blackberry and liquorice. Particularly marked by the Cabernet Franc (20% in the final blend), it is deliciously fat on the palate with a remarkable aromatic intensity.

Founded in 1956 by his father, Paolo Marchi took over Isole e Olena in 1976. He transformed the estate to one of the leading wine producers in Italy. The observation of his vineyards, the promotion of Sangiovese as the estate's leading variety, lower yields, denser plantation and Massale selection for the Sangiovese were his key to success. As the DOC rules of the time did not allow to produce a Chianti Classico with 100% Sangiovese he invented Ceparello, a Super-Tuscan but pure Sangiovese, unheard at that time. 2022 was the last vintage of Paolo Marchi, he sold the estate to the French EPI group, also owner of -amongst others- Champagne Piper Heidsieck and the Tenuta Biondi-Santi. In 2023 Emanuele Reolon took over the management of the estate, a gifted vintner with the aim to continue the extraordinary work which as done by Paolo Marchi.

The 100-Best Champagne 2024 Finalists reviewed!

Tastingbook had a superb Roederer Cristal 1959-2015 tasting: A masterpiece from a golden vintage, the 1959 Cristal reveals the regal aging potential of this iconic cuvée. In the glass, it shimmers with a deep amber-gold hue, hinting at its maturity yet retaining a surprising brilliance.

The nose is profoundly expressive, offering a layered bouquet of dried apricot, honeycomb, toasted brioche, marzipan, and aged white truffle. With air, subtle notes of chamomile, dried orange peel, and candied ginger emerge, all underpinned by a gentle oxidative complexity that adds depth without overpowering.

On the palate, the wine is ethereal yet persistent. The mousse has softened gracefully, giving way to a silky texture that carries flavors of preserved lemon, roasted nuts, caramelized apple, and hints of saffron. There's a remarkable tension still present—a ghost of the wine’s youthful acidity—keeping the richness in perfect balance.

The finish is hauntingly long, echoing with notes of hazelnut, dried fig, and fine chalky minerality.

Drink now – at peak maturity. A rare and unforgettable experience.

When you are fortunate enough to taste nineteen Rousseau Chambertins at one meal, you can be sure you will have some perspective. The range of vintages was 2018 back to 1990 with almost all the most heralded vintages (no 1991), and the one that stood out above the rest was the 2005 Rousseau Chambertin. Make no mistake about it, there were many standouts, but the 2005 hit the highest note. It was deep but more hi-toned than some of its younger brethren, in a bright red way. It has a raspberry, cranberry and citrus mélange. While rich and saucy, it wasn’t like the other saucy vintages as it had more tension and style. This was a wine to restore one’s faith in the often glacial 2005 vintage. It had enough spice to satisfy the entire House of Atreides (99, Paris).

Prager Grüner Veltliner Wachau DAC Ried Zwerithaler Kammergut Smaragd 2022 / Light greenish yellow, silver reflections. Fine savoury, delicate nuances of anise, tobacco notes, delicate yellow fruit, a touch of mango and honey blossom. Full-bodied, juicy white apple fruit, well-integrated, silky acidity structure, finesse and long persistence, saline finish, lingers for minutes, Veltliner at its best. 99-100 points

Three wines arrived just for the summer season from Italy. The ideal partners for a relaxed moment during the holidays.

The 2018 Vintage in Bolgheri was of great potential and charm, hot spells allowed the grapes to mature normally and never seriously worried the wine-makers. Our personal ranking goes to the Sassicaia 2018, an inexhaustable font of precision and elegance, finesse and complexity with a veil of austerity and a snobbish character. Followed by a pure Merlot produced by Iacopo Alfeo under the Sonoro 2019 label, a tiny production of only 6 tonneau refined over time in barriques has today reached it’s best form.

Dom Ruinart Rosé 1988 / “Onionskin-hued cherry red colour. Really powerful toast, spice, meat, and gunflint nose that comes with a charming coffee and cream note. A wild one. Ripe and massive, yet vibrant and super silky. Impressive in 75cl bottle and out-of-this-world in magnum. ”