Innholdsfortegnelse for July 31, 2025 i Wine Spectator

Visit WineSpectator.com/073125 to find links to all of the following resources. NEW YORK WINE EXPERIENCE Taste top-scoring bottlings and rare older vintages from the world’s best vintners. This year’s event takes place Oct. 16–18 at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. Weekend packages, which include VIP Grand Tasting access plus wine seminars, wine lunches and the Champagne reception, are available for purchase now. FREE RESOURCES FOR ALL WINESPECTATOR.COM READERS BACKYARD DINING Some of the country’s best chefs share their cooking tips and delicious make-at-home summer recipes, while our editors recommend great value wine matches from their recent tastings. WINE & HEALTH Keep on top of the latest research with our regular Health News reports, get your questions answered in our Health Q&A, and sign up for Wine & Healthy Living, a twice-monthly…

Golden State The four 90-plus Chardonnays in this group reveal the quality and intensity of the grape when planted in California’s cooler areas, while the Cannonball makes a case for an everyday version of America’s most popular white. RAMEY Chardonnay Fort Ross-Seaview 2023 (94, $50) Precise, focused; apple, Meyer lemon, pomelo, yuzu, ginger, sea salt, lemon verbena MELVILLE Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills 2023 (93, $44) Pineapple, lemon curd, pomelo, ginger, sea salt, orange blossoms; sleek, vibrant RIVERS-MARIE Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2023 (93, $40) Intense, crunchy; candied lemon peel, kumquat, lemon tart, honeycomb, lemon balm CLINE Chardonnay Los Carneros Hat Strap AVA Series 2023 (90, $25) Grilled citrus, peach, honeysuckle, litsea oil; distinctive, savory CANNONBALL Chardonnay California 2023 (87, $16) Generous, juicy; tangerine, lemon, apple, orange blossoms, lemon verbena Riesling Refresh…

By any measure, Nicholas Kristof has a résumé to envy. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard, studied law at Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship, joined the New York Times in 1984 and was bureau chief in Hong Kong, Beijing and Tokyo before becoming a social and political columnist in 2001. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1990 along with his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, for their coverage of Tiananmen Square protests, and Kristof went on to win a second Pulitzer in 2006 for his coverage of genocide in Darfur. Now this small-town boy from rural Oregon has taken on a new challenge but this one is far more bucolic: vintner and grower. “It’s my own little sandbox,” Kristof told me. “I can work with my hands. It’s a way…

Aligoté If you thought all white Burgundy was Chardonnay, get ready for the increasingly intriguing exception to that rule: Aligoté. Aligoté flourished in Burgundy in the late 18th and 19th centuries, often co-planted with Chardonnay. Yet as Chardonnay’s star rose in the 20th century, most Aligoté vines were relegated to lesser sites thought unworthy of their lofty sibling, while the best terroirs were replanted completely to Chardonnay. But slowly and quietly, Aligoté’s second-tier status is changing. Plantings are on the rise, and 2018 saw the creation of Les Aligoteurs, an association dedicated to promoting the variety. For area wineries adapting to climate change, Aligoté’s high levels of natural acidity recommend it for the production of fresh, focused wines, even if the crop of this early budding variety is easily wiped…

The flavor of fine dining in America has evolved. Once dominated by French and Italian cuisine, the nationwide landscape of top restaurants today takes in a kaleidoscope of influences and international culinary traditions. Our embrace of global cuisine presents many bold flavors, robust spices and heat. Whether guests are savoring omakase, gochujangcoated steak, lamb rogan josh or baba ghanoush, the wine directors we consulted are finding that white wines are often the solution for pairing harmony. When these cuisines were historically offered in their more casual, inexpensive, street food form, they may have been comfortably washed down with beer. Now showcased as refined, haute cuisine at some of the most acclaimed dining hot spots in the country, they are accompanied by thoughtfully curated wine lists that lean increasingly toward white…

When I tasted the 2022 red Burgundies from barrel in early 2024, I thought the quality of the vintage appeared promising. Sample after sample revealed ripe red fruit, well-integrated tannins, supple textures and good complexity. The wines were balanced, yet with vibrant profiles, a result that was more difficult to achieve in previous hot vintages. Now, nearly 18 months later, the newly released 2022 vintage for red Burgundy is living up to its potential as a superb year for quality. Because the growing season was hot, ripeness was achieved with healthy grapes, so there are excellent wines across the board, not just at the grand cru level. Thus, the reds of the Côte de Beaune rival those of the Côte de Nuits and fans of red Burgundy can buy their…

This Buying Guide contains ratings of new releases from around the world. Complete tasting notes are provided for new releases scoring 85 or more points (on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale, explained below). Hundreds of additional reviews appear each month on our website, www.winespectator.com. Each review carries the initials of the Wine Spectator editor who blind-tasted and scored the wine and wrote the review, based on the regional specializations indicated below. Bruce Sanderson Burgundy, Piedmont, Tuscany James Molesworth California Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, Bordeaux, Port MaryAnn Worobiec California Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, Australia, New Zealand Alison Napjus Spain, Italy, Champagne, South Africa Tim Fish California Zinfandel and Merlot, Oregon, Washington, U.S. sparkling wines Aaron Romano Argentina, Chile, California Rhônes Kristen Bieler Rhône Valley and other France, Germany, Austria How…

Each year, our July 31 issue includes our annual report on California Chardonnay, with expert buying advice from senior editor and Napa Valley bureau chief MaryAnn Worobiec. These perennial favorite West Coast whites have evolved in style to reflect changing tastes over the years, and as you’ll read, many top winemakers are excited about the current trend away from new oak and toward greater elegance and vibrancy. With 2022 already earning an outstanding rating, an early look at the cool, late-harvest 2023 vintage suggests it is especially promising. Worobiec gives it a preliminary rating of 92–95 across the Golden State and, true to form, Aubert tops the list of recommended Chardonnays with two 98-point offerings. (For a complete chart of the report’s top wines, see page 68.) The excitement in…

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 95 LOUIS JADOT Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St.-Jacques Domaine Louis Jadot 2022 $310 FRANCE Intense and bursting with energy, this red shows ample richness, wrapped around flavors of cherry, raspberry, sandalwood, stone and sweet spices. The harmony is there already. COLLECTIBLE 96 MASI Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Campolongo di Torbe 2016 $200 ITALY Rich with saturated flavors of plum, cherry reduction, cinnamon, anise, tobacco and bay leaf, this concentrated red shows grace and harmony, with balsamico infused acidity animating the flavor profile. SMART BUY 93 PATZ & HALL Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2022 $35 CALIFORNIA Ripe, succulent peach, apricot and mango flavors are generous and juicy, with notes of toasted coconut, crème anglaise, tangerine and orange blossoms. BEST VALUE 92 INVIVO Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough X, Sarah Jessica Parker Blend 6 2024 $19 NEW ZEALAND…

FRANCE Burgundy/Côte Chalonnaise/Mercurey 92 Chanson Père & Fils Mercurey Le Clos l’Èvêque 2022 $82 Rich yet fluid and vibrant, laced with black cherry, blackberry, violet and stony mineral. Balanced, with a light line of tannins framing the aftertaste. Drink now through 2040. 170 cases imported.—B.S. 92 Maison Chanzy Mercurey Les Bussières 2023 $42 An elegant red, with cherry, strawberry, rose, mineral and spice flavors. Taut and lively, with fine balance, purity and a mouthwatering, fruit-filled aftertaste. Drink now through 2040. 1,140 cases made.—B.S. 92 Domaine de Villaine Mercurey Les Montots 2022 $88 A pure cherry note sets the course for this ripe, juicy red, with raspberry, floral, earth and spice accents in supporting roles. Though supple in texture, there’s a rigid structure underneath, along with excellent length on the finish. Best…

Constellation Brands, the corporation behind brands including Modelo beer and Robert Mondavi Winery, has streamlined its wine stable to focus on luxury labels, announcing April 9 that it was selling a 12-million-case portfolio of mostly value-priced wines to The Wine Group for an undisclosed sum. The deal is subject to regulatory approval and is slated to close after the end of Constellation’s fiscal first quarter in May. The Wine Group, known for brands like Franzia and Cupcake, is buying Meiomi, Woodbridge, Robert Mondavi Private Selection, Cook’s, Simi and J. Rogét sparkling wine. The deal also includes three production facilities in California—one in Lodi and one in Monterey County as well as the Simi winery in Healdsburg—along with 6,600 owned and leased vineyard acres throughout the state. “The addition of these…

Over lunch at the Slanted Door in Napa, Bouchaine winemaker and president Chris Kajani of Carneros is pouring a glass of something new—Bouchaine’s first vintage-dated, estate grown de-alcoholized wine, a 2023 Pinot Noir rosé. “The 2023 vintage was not a shy vintage,” says Kajani. With a big harvest and a surplus of grapes, they decided to dip their toes into the de-alcoholized category. It’s a good match with Slanted Door’s Vietnamese cuisine, with mineral and saline notes and a touch of watermelon rind on a tight, juicy frame. “We definitely have people that come [to the tasting room] that are moderating or sober,” Kajani says. “We really see it in events. More and more, they don’t necessarily want to drink a Diet Coke. I liken this to continuing just to…

In April I spent two weeks in Bordeaux visiting a selection of estates who participate regularly in my formal blind tastings. I interviewed winemakers and tasted dozens of 2024 barrel samples, often alongside other vintages to help put the new one into better context. There continues to be no reason for consumers to purchase Bordeaux en primeur, but the tastings do provide insights into the vintage’s quality and style for those who want to plan ahead, as well as spotlighting emerging trends in the region. 2024 is not a strong vintage: The preceding winter was rainy: Good. But the rain didn’t stop through spring and early summer: Bad. Mildew pressure was enormously high and flowering was spread out over a fretful six-week period, leading to heterogeneity the likes of which…

While most white wines are enjoyable on release for their fresh, fruity characteristics and palate-cleansing acidity, others will improve with time in the bottle—including some that can boast wellearned reputations for developing over decades. White Burgundy comes to mind, as do traditional white Riojas from Spain; German Riesling, especially in the higher pradikate with greater proportions of residual sugar; Alsace Riesling; and sweet dessert styles such as Sauternes and Barsac, Quarts de Chaume and other sweet whites from the Loire Valley, Tokaji from Hungary and Italy’s Vin Santo. Manfred Prüm, owner of Joh. Jos. Prüm in Germany’s Mosel Valley, liked to go down to the cellar and bring up wine that he would serve to guests blind, to identify the vineyard site, but more importantly, the vintage. Invariably, the wines…

CALIFORNIA Chardonnay 98 Aubert Chardonnay Carneros Larry Hyde & Sons 2023 $100 Remarkable, powerful and complex, with smoked butterscotch, pear, tangerine, white peach, apricot preserves and dried mango, plus floral accents of honeysuckle and orange blossoms. Notes of pineapple upside-down cake, candied ginger and sweet cream add richness and elegance. The freshness from the acidity amplifies the flavors on the epic finish. Drink now through 2038. 1,289 cases made.—M.W. 98 Aubert Chardonnay Sonoma Coast CIX 2023 $125 See Collectibles, page 85. 98 Aubert Chardonnay Sonoma Coast Lauren 2023 $150 Grilled lemon and pineapple are a bold opening, with litsea oil and lemon balm notes giving way to flavors of ripe peach and apricot, plus a hint of green cardamom. Makrut lime leaf, lemongrass and lemon basil details linger on the long, aromatic…