Vinous Table: Le Bistro de L’Hôtel de Beaune, Beaune, France
Vinous Table, France: Burgundy
, Apr 2019
One of my favorite places to eat during my Burgundy barrel tastings is Le Bistro de l’Hôtel, located in central Beaune overlooking Place Carnot. Established in 2007 by Stockholm-born Johan Bjorkland, it is upmarket yet unpretentious.
Nahe Riesling 2017: Chills and Thrills
Germany, featured
, Apr 2019
The Nahe suffered significant crop losses to April frost. But when unseasonably chilly weather arrived once again after mid-September, it proved a blessing, allowing the creation of wines that combine aromatic finesse and textural allure with invigorating energy and infectious sheer juiciness.
The Margaux Paragon: Rauzan-Ségla 1900-2015
France: Bordeaux, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured
, Apr 2019
A unique vertical of Rauzan-Ségla that spanned more than a century was the catalyst for this in-depth château profile, which charts the course of the Margaux Second Growth from its origins under Pierre de Rauzan to the present day under Nicolas Audebert. Everything you ever wanted to know about Rauzan-Ségla should be here.
Cellar Favorite: Château Latour: 2019 New Releases
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Apr 2019
These are the new releases from Château Latour, which since 2012 has released their wines only when they are deemed ready to drink rather than following the typical Bordeaux schedule for bottled wines. The exception is the 2008 Grand Vin, which is essentially being re-released this year, whereas the 2014 Pauillac and 2013 Forts de Latour have not been available previously. I tasted these wines during a visit to the property in April 2019.
Restaurant Koehler – Auberge du Cheval Blanc, Westhalten, France
France: Alsace, Vinous Table
, Apr 2019
Restaurant Koehler – Auberge du Cheval Blanc, in the pretty Alsace town of Westhalten, strives for excellence but falls down on details that it must correct if it hopes to become a must-stop on any sybarite’s journey.
Beaulieu’s Georges de Latour Private Reserve: 1965–2016
United States: California, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured
, Apr 2019
Beaulieu Vineyard’s Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet is California’s first cult Cabernet. Adamantly Médoc-like in its earlier decades, it has evolved with the times. Recent vintages are as remarkable as ever, if in a more modern style.
An Education: La Dominique 1989-2015
France: Bordeaux, featured
, Apr 2019
A bottle of 1990 La Dominique opened my eyes to the joys of Saint-Émilion, yet recent vintages have perplexingly blown hot and cold. Last year I visited the estate to discover more and conduct a vertical tasting that would either confirm or refute my misgivings.
Cellar Favorite: 1988 Ausone
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Apr 2019
Although the 1980s were comparatively underwhelming for Ausone, this bottle is among the most enjoyable that I have encountered from that period.
Vinous Table: Ginza Cobau コバウ, Tokyo, Japan
Japan
, Apr 2019
Cobau is my go-to yakiniku restaurant in Ginza. Restaurants in this salubrious part of Tokyo can be jaw-droppingly expensive, but Cobau is reasonably priced for its quality.
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Remembering Gianfranco Soldera
Italy: Tuscany, featured
, Apr 2019
In a brilliant career that spanned five decades, Gianfranco Soldera established himself as one of the world’s most inspired and iconic winemakers. His untimely passing in an accident last February leaves an immeasurable void. Soldera’s wines remain an enduring legacy of his remarkable life and complex, rich personality.