Innholdsfortegnelse for February 28, 2026 i Wine Spectator

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Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House and began enacting tariffs on goods from most other nations, the wine industry has debated whether the duties would help or hurt American wineries. Many winemakers argue that the tariffs would actually hurt them, because higher prices and lower sales of imported wines would weaken the wholesalers, retailers and restaurateurs that U.S. wineries depend on. But others, particularly grapegrowers, argue that many foreign wineries receive unfair advantages in the form of government subsidies and other benefits, and that tariffs could help American vineyards. Ironically, while the tariffs’ impact on imported wines is not yet clear, they’ve had one strong effect on American wineries—the loss of their biggest export market, Canada. The White House imposed 25% tariffs on many Canadian goods in…

“Only seven years in the making,” chef Charlie Palmer says as he surveys the lobby and restaurant of Appellation Healdsburg, which opened in September. It’s the flagship property from Appellation Hotels, which Palmer built with partner Christopher Hunsberger, a nearly 30-year Four Seasons veteran. Palmer has a distinguished culinary career; he gained fame at Aureole in Manhattan in the late 1980s and is now best known for his collection of Wine Spectator Restaurant Award–winning Charlie Palmer Steak restaurants and his first Healdsburg restaurant, Dry Creek Kitchen, which opened in 2001. In the years following, he has become more entrepreneurial, building partnerships to create hotels and resorts. Appellation Healdsburg sits at the hub of three appellations: the Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River valleys. Dozens of wineries are a short drive…

Legend has it that Queen Marie Antoinette of France drank Piper-Heidsieck’s first cuvée in 1785, with founder Florens - Louis Heidsieck declaring, “I wanted a cuvée for a queen!” In the 200-plus years since, Piper-Heidsieck has become one of Champagne’s most prominent houses. Even more revered is the house’s Rare Champagne label, produced only in optimal vintages. With the debut of the 1976 vintage in 1985 (the 200th anniversary of that tasting by the queen), Rare Champagne has released only 14 vintages—and four of them were poured in a single seminar at the Wine Experience. With all of the Champagnes having earned classic scores from Wine Spectator, and three of them poured from magnum, it was an exceptional start to the day. The tasting began with the Rare Brut Rosé…

“I don’t like Chardonnay, but I like yours.” That’s how Wine Spectator senior editor Mary - Ann Worobiec described a feeling common among the Chardonnay-skeptical upon finding a producer they love. California Chardonnay is in the midst of a “renaissance,” said Worobiec, with a dramatic gap between cheap bottles and high quality versions as more wineries find a delicious stylistic balance, especially in their use of oak. Leading winemakers Tom Rochioli, Kistler’s Jason Kesner and Mark Aubert each presented one of their singlevineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnays, all made from the same Hyde–Old Wente heritage clone. The seminar was a chance to compare styles and sites from three producers defining the future of Golden State Chardonnay. Rochioli started things off with his J. Rochioli Russian River Valley River Block 2023.…

“Five vintages of Opus One—who’s in?”asked Wine Spectator senior editor James Molesworth. The crowd’s response was enthusiastically affirmative. Molesworth kept the history lesson tight and noted that senior editor Mitch Frank’s Nov. 15, 2025, cover story provides a deeper dive. But he did give a snapshot origin story: “Two rich guys who said ‘let’s blow a shit-ton of money on an idea that may or may not work, but we’ll get some good wine out of it no matter what.’” Those guys were Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Bordeaux first-growth Château Mouton-Rothschild and famed Napa vintner Robert Mondavi. It was an unprecedented collaboration of international leaders. The timing of the tasting was auspicious for two reasons: It’s been 45 years since the joint-venture winery was announced in 1980 and the…

“Americans love Brunello di Montalcino, and for good reason,” said Wine Spectator senior editor Bruce Sanderson, moderating a tasting of vintage 2020 reds from the prestigious Tuscan DOCG. “These pure Sangioveses offer richness, body and, more recently, plenty of juicy fruit flavors,” Sanderson added. “They’re lower in acidity than their cousins from Chianti Classico, with tannins that are less edgy, yet with enough elegance and freshness to pair well with food and age for a few decades or more.” Introducing three members of “the new generation in Montalcino,” who brought their classic-scoring latest releases for the audience, Sanderson said, “The 2020 vintage in Montalcino checks all these boxes for seductive, vibrant fruit and elegance.” First from the bottle was Castello Romitorio’s Brunello di Montalcino Filo di Seta 2020, “very elegant,…

Winegrowing in Willamette Valley got its start in the Dundee Hills. That was back in 1966, when David Lett founded Eyrie Vineyards and began planting Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. A like-minded group of winemakers soon joined him—including Dick Erath, Charles Coury, David Adelsheim and Dick Ponzi—and together they became the true pioneers of Oregon wine. “We relied a lot on each other in those early days,” Ponzi once told me. “We all had the same hardships and shared information with each other freely.” Sixty years later, the once-sleepy farming communities of Willamette Valley have blossomed into one of the foremost wine regions in the U.S., with the Dundee Hills AVA remaining an epicenter of activity. While producers throughout Oregon make wine from Dundee Hills fruit, the region is home…

A lthough many of Italy’s top labels go for hundreds of dollars per bottle, the country is undeniably a great source for bargains, found among its wide array of native grape varieties and wine appellations. In the case of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, both the grape and region are synonymous with value. After Sangiovese, Montepulciano is Italy’s most widely planted red grape, concentrated primarily in Abruzzo, as well as in other areas along the country’s eastern coast. Confusingly, it is unrelated to Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Rosso di Montepulciano, named for the Tuscan town of Montepulciano and made from the local version of Sangiovese. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is the leading example of the grape in terms of volume, ubiquitous on retail shelves and Italian wine lists. In the past, large cooperatives that…

Part of the beauty of wine is its constant mutability. Every year a new vintage arrives with different harvest conditions and winemaking decisions. New regions emerge, as do new styles, while grape varieties are planted in areas they’ve never been before. And then there’s the graceful progression that takes place in the bottle over time. For me, wines from northeastern Spain’s Priorat region display some of the most marked signs of change over the past 20 years—and in the very best way. In his Dec. 15, 2000, tasting report on the wines of Spain, my now-retired colleague Thomas Matthews wrote this of Priorat’s recent releases: “The ’97s and ’98s are powerful wines, with vivid fruit flavors; they are about as close to Vintage Port as table wines can come.” It…

Beneath the cobblestones of Paris’ 5th arrondissement, 12,000 square feet of climate-controlled space houses one of the world’s most storied wine collections. A gastronomic institution and a Wine Spectator Grand Award winner since 1986, La Tour d’Argent is home to nearly 300,000 bottles of wine. The owners recently completed a stylish reimagining of the historic cellars and, for the first time, are offering wine-loving diners the opportunity to experience these hallowed vaults. La Tour d’Argent’s history begins in 1582, when it opened as an inn where King Henry III’s nobility could dine. The restaurant was soon among the most fashionable places to eat in Europe, and it was rebuilt after the French Revolution. The building took the shape it has today in the ’30s, when the owners moved the kitchen…

How do you renovate Napa Valley’s most iconic winery? Carefully. For more than two years, Constellation has been overhauling Robert Mondavi Winery, spending millions of dollars to update the facility Mondavi himself opened in 1966. But changing a winery that has become symbolic of Napa Valley is a treacherous task. The original winery was envisioned by famed designer Clifford May, famous for his California ranch and West Coast midcentury modern homes. When he asked Robert Mondavi what he hoped for, the vintner said a winery that felt like a home, not a factory. The iconic arch and tower are the gateway to that home, channeling a ’60s version of the missions built by the Spanish in the 1800s. The company rapidly expanded over the next three decades, with new buildings…

The 2023 vintage for Port will likely be rued by producers as a great year that almost happened. Lateseason rains nicked what looked to be a stellar crop in the making, leading producers to eschew a general declaration. But there are bright spots. As has been the trend over the past decadeplus, single-quinta bottlings, sourced from individual vineyards and typically made in tiny quantities, provide some excellent wines. In addition, the tawny category is truly electric these days, providing ample opportunities to engage with this historic wine region. As the overall Port category remains relatively small in the United States, I have reviewed only 42 wines in blind tastings since my previous report (“Vintage Port’s Vibrant 2022s,” Jan. 31 - Feb. 28, 2025). About a quarter of them—10 wines in…

Toward the end of the first full day of seminars at the 2025 New York Wine Experience, the audience of more than 1,000 guests tasted a classic example of wine’s beauty—the 2009 vintage of Château Cheval Blanc. Rated 98 points on release, it has only grown more remarkable with age. Cheval Blanc general director Pierre-Olivier Clouet brought close to 10 cases of the wine for the audience to enjoy. But rather than accept their gratitude, he chose to thank them. “You can produce the best wine in the world,” said Clouet. “But if there is nobody to open the bottle to enjoy the wine and to share it with passionate people, we would not exist anymore.” The 44th annual Wine Spectator celebration of wine demonstrated wine’s power to unite people…

Despite Beaune’s status as Burgundy’s wine capital, the red wines of the Côte de Beaune “too often fly under the radar,” according to Wine Spectator senior editor Bruce Sanderson. The vineyards surrounding the city are overlooked compared with the famed Pinot Noirs of the Côte de Nuits. “I hope one thing you take away from this tasting is that premiers crus from Beaune are worthy of your attention as much as any other red from the Côte d’Or,” Sanderson added. He then introduced some of the leading producers in Beaune, with the wines hailing from north to south. One theme to emerge was the diversity of Beaune’s terroirs, spread across 42 different premiers crus, encompassing an array of soils, microclimates, altitudes and exposures. All four presenters highlighted the distinctive character…

Michel Chapoutier, owner and winemaker at M. Chapoutier, was just 25 years old when he took control of the Chapoutier family estate, which dates to 1808. Today, he owns roughly 25% of Hermitage, the Northern Rhône’s most famous appellation, and makes hundreds of cuvées from across the Rhône Valley and beyond. His bottles range from wellmade Côtes du Rhône to some of the “top expressions of Syrah on the planet,” said Wine Spectator senior editor Kristen Bieler. “The modern chapter of the estate has really been written entirely by Michel,” Bieler added. After convincing his grandfather to hand him the reins, Chapoutier introduced then-radical changes. He replaced traditional chestnut barrels with French oak, pushed for greater ripeness and converted to biodynamic farming. He was the first Hermitage producer to make…

For most of its history, California Sauvignon Blanc has been an undiscovered treasure. Originally it was treated as an afterthought to Chardonnay, but over the past decade, the category has gone through a transformation. Instead of playing into its workhorse, high-yield tendencies, producers are farming the grape more carefully and having more fun with it in the cellar, exploring various techniques to coax deeper flavors and greater nuance. Napa vintner Robert Mondavi is a key figure in the history of Sauvignon Blanc in the Golden State. He introduced a barrel-fermented version in the 1960s, naming it Fumé Blanc as a nod to its smoky profile (and invoking France’s Pouilly - Fumé). Many tried to emulate the style, but for the most part the wines were dull and clunky. The current…

With no rigid appellation laws dictating production methods or labelling conventions, Australian vintners have developed a range of white wines defined by their regional character and stylistic diversity. By pairing specific grapes with the varied growing conditions of their 65 different regions spread across the continent, producers have discovered for themselves what fits best. The result is a mix of expressive, high quality wines that reflect both individual terroirs and consumer preferences. The country’s key strength is its versatility across grape varieties, encompassing not only Chardonnay, Riesling and Semillon, but also the growing category of Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris, along with a range of Mediterranean styles. Chardonnay, the most planted grape on the continent, remains the backbone of Australian white wine. Once dominated by bold, heavily oaked versions, modern…

The Maremma DOC is the wild west of Tuscany. Developed over the past three decades by many producers that own estates in Chianti Classico, Montalcino and Montepulciano, this large region is roughly contiguous with the province of Grosseto, extending to the Val di Cornia and Bolgheri to the north. Covering 5,840 acres in total, Maremma encompasses several DOCs and DOCGs within its boundaries, such as Morellino di Scansano, Montecucco and Bianco di Pitigliano. The Tuscan estates that pioneered the region have often used Maremma as a zone for experimentation, planting many different grape varieties to discover which types work best. Although Vermentino has emerged as the significant white grape variety, with 30% of the production in 2020 (followed by 7% for other white grapes), it’s a bit more of a…

For many, Portugal’s wine industry remains best-known for its centuries-old tradition of Port wines (whose production is marked by the addition of spirits during fermentation). But Portugal increasingly stands out for its non-fortified wines as well. And it hasn’t hurt that skyrocketing tourism has helped to put the country on the world wine map in a serious way. Since my last report, “Portugal’s Tipping Point” (Jan. 31–Feb. 28, 2025), I’ve reviewed almost 155 new releases of non-fortified wines from Portugal. This number is significantly lower than for the 2025 report, down by about a third. The difference lies in wine samples stuck in U.S. Customs, victim to both a reduced labor force during the U.S. government shutdown and the newly implemented policy now requiring inspection of packages of less than…

For the 18th consecutive year, Palm Beach was overrun by fine wine and top chefs ready to welcome guests to wine and dine under the sun. The Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival, presented by Wine Spectator, brought more than 20 signature events to Palm Beach County’s elite hotels, restaurants, golf courses and beyond from Dec. 11–14, making the festival one of America’s premier culinary gatherings. An Abundance of Choice Ranging from intimate chef dinners to pulsating parties and walkaround tastings, the festival’s events presented attendees with some difficult decisions. The official opening Friday evening simultaneously featured the poolside Festival Kick-Off Party at The Belgrove Resort, the Chef Welcome Party presented by Cheney Brothers at SeaHawk Prime by David Burke and the more intimate six-course Founder’s Dinner, paired with Terlato…

For a fascinating snapshot of the world of wine, look no further than Wine Spectator’s annual Top 100 list, featuring a diverse mix of strong vintages, regions and trends. In 2024, our editors tasted more than 5,700 wines that scored 90 points or higher; from that quality starting point, they pared down the candidates based on criteria including value and availability. “[But] the most important factor for us is the excitement, energy and story behind the wine,” explained senior editor MaryAnn Worobiec, kicking off the tastings of the Top 10. The stories of the winemakers on stage were as diverse as their wines. California Chardonnay legend David Ramey gave a lesson on the finer points of winemaking science—from fining and filtering to the antioxidant role of tannins in reds vs.…

“You are not a good winemaker because you have “You certain skills; you are a good winemaker because you know the place where you work,” said Pierre-Olivier Clouet, CEO of Bordeaux’s Château Cheval Blanc. “I am currently the best guy for Cheval Blanc because I know Cheval Blanc. But if I had to go to Pétrus, I would be the worst guy for Pétrus.” Just as staff longevity is important, so too is the winery’s history, Wine Spectator senior editor James Molesworth explained. The vineyard dates to at least the 15th century, as part of the Figéac estate. The 1852 vintage was the first labeled Cheval Blanc. In 1998, Belgian businessman Albert Frère and LVMH chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault purchased the château, installing Pierre Lurton as director. Clouet was…

Four delectable dishes, eight glasses of wine, four star chefs and one Wine Spectator senior editor taking them all on—that’s the New York Wine Experience Chefs’ Challenge, a fan favorite for over 20 years. For a fourth year in a row, senior editor Bruce Sanderson was joined onstage by culinary titans José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen and executive chairman of José Andrés Group restaurants; Eric Ripert, chef and partner of Wine Spectator Grand Award winner Le Bernardin in New York; New Orleans legend Emeril Lagasse, television star and owner of Grand Award–winning Emeril’s and of Delmonico Steakhouse; and mega-restaurateur Danny Meyer, executive chairman of Union Square Hospitality Group, whose New York restaurants include Grand Award winner the Modern. For this much awaited competition, each chef prepares a dish—served…

There is no formula for identifying great value when it comes to wine. Growing conditions, vintage variations, winemaking styles and personal tastes can change from year to year, making hard-and-fast rules difficult to pin down. What is clear is that producers around the world are making a range of high quality wines at affordable prices. That’s why, for the fifth year in a row, we’ve enlisted our team of editors to select the top values of the past 12 months. How do wineries keep their costs down and their production figures up? It’s different from region to region, but our selection process focuses on wines that express the distinctive character of an appellation or variety while keeping prices low through innovative methods in the vineyard and cellar. This list is…

Over the past two decades, California Pinot Noir enthusiasts have been happily overwhelmed by a profusion of single-vineyard bottlings from the Sonoma Coast. Some of the vineyard sources for these wines, including Silver Eagle, Hellenthal, Summa and Gap’s Crown, have become the equivalent of Burgundy’s premier cru and grand cru sites. Yet the wines’ smaller production levels make them both harder to find and more expensive. What’s the best way for consumers to navigate this dilemma, without sacrificing quality and distinction? The answer is to hit up the bottlings that blend vineyard sources from within the region. The basic Sonoma Coast AVA was demarcated back in 1987, covering nearly a half-million acres from the Mendocino coastline in the north down to San Pablo Bay. That’s a lot of land. When…

New Zealand may be the land of Sauvignon Blanc, but its Pinot Noirs are the wines that should be garnering more attention from the country. Pinot is now New Zealand’s leading red export and its second most-planted grape. It consistently outperforms many of the country’s whites on our annual list of top-scorers. Yet despite undeniable critical success, the global recognition of Kiwi Pinot remains limited. Producers such as Burn Cottage, Cloudy Bay, Dog Point, Pyramid Valley, Felton Road, Escarpment and Craggy Range consistently turn out world-class versions. But the paradox between quality and visibility defines the current state of the category, with high scores failing to translate into mainstream buzz. On a certain level, this makes sense: Unlike the phenomenon of easily identifiable New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot is not…

With Bourgogne blanc from a top producer costing $50 to $100 or more, village-level whites in the $100 to $300 range and many grands crus exceeding $750 per bottle, it’s more difficult than ever to buy high quality yet reasonably priced white Burgundies. But there are values to be found, if you know where to look. Despite prices increasingly heading on an upward trajectory among both red and white Burgundies, there is one constant for bargain-hunters: The best value whites from this storied region in central France hail from Chablis in the north and Mâcon in the south. There are also a handful of other appellations that have benefited in recent years from warmer vintages. I have been touting these areas for a long time now, and though communes such…

SPOTLIGHT ON CALIFORNIA CHARDONNAY “Many fans of this category haven’t caught up with its recent evolution. The best versions are distinctive, elegant wines that reflect their terroir and age gracefully, with the newly released 2023s generating a lot of buzz as they hit the market.” —MaryAnn Worobiec ABOUT THE BUYING GUIDE The 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). Hundreds of additional reviews appear each month on 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. Bruce Sanderson | Burgundy, Piedmont, Tuscany James Molesworth | California Cabernet Sauvignon and…