The Chronicle
Latest dispatches
111 results across all types
videoStop Saving This Wine for Dessert
Coutet Barsac 2023 375ml Half Bottle Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/coutet-2023-barsac-375ml-half-bottles.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Ask most wine lovers when they drink Sauternes or Barsac, and you'll probably hear the same answer. "With dessert." That might be the biggest misconception in all of Bordeaux. The finest Barsac wines aren't simply dessert wines. They're extraordinary food wines, pairing beautifully with foie gras, spicy Asian cuisine, blue cheeses, roast turkey, shellfish, and countless dishes where their vibrant acidity balances their remarkable richness. Once you discover that, everything changes. No estate demonstrates that better than Château Coutet. A First Growth in the original 1855 Classification, Château Coutet has long been recognized as one of the benchmark producers of Barsac. Under the leadership of Aline Baly, the château has become not only
videoThe Pinot Noir Region That Never Stops Evolving
10 Ninths Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Estate Radius 2021 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/10-ninths-pinot-noir-sta-rita-hills-estate-radius-2021.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 It's one thing to buy a struggling winery. It's something entirely different to buy a winery that's already producing outstanding wines... and believe you can make it even better. That's exactly the story behind 109th Street. The estate is the former Hilliard Bruce Vineyard, a property long respected by Santa Rita Hills insiders for producing beautifully structured, age-worthy Pinot Noir. When entrepreneur Michael Mente, founder of Revolve, purchased the property, he wasn't looking for a turnaround project. He was looking for refinement. Instead of tearing everything down and starting over, he assembled an elite winemaking team to fine-tune an already exceptional site. Leading that effort is Frédéric Emile
videoWhy the Rhône Still Makes Amazing Cheap Wine
Chateau de L'Estagnol Cotes du Rhone Rouge Cuvée Sainte Marie 2023 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/chateau-de-l-estagnol-cotes-du-rhone-rouge-cuvee-sainte-marie-2023.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Every wine region has its strengths. Burgundy gives us some of the world's greatest Pinot Noir. Bordeaux produces legendary Cabernet blends. But when it comes to honest, everyday value, it's hard to beat the Rhône Valley. That's because the Rhône is enormous. Stretching across one of France's most diverse winegrowing landscapes, it offers thousands of acres of vineyards rooted in limestone, clay, rounded galets, and gravelly soils, all shaped by the cooling Mistral winds. Unlike many of the world's most famous regions, there's simply enough great vineyard land to keep outstanding wines remarkably affordable. That's exactly why we taste so many Côtes du Rhône wines every year. M
videoThe Cabernet Region Nobody Saw Coming
Star Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Happy Canyon Vineyard 2021 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/star-lane-cabernet-sauvignon-happy-canyon-vineyard-2021.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Ask most wine lovers to name America's greatest Cabernet Sauvignon regions and you'll hear the same answers. Napa Valley. Maybe Sonoma. Rarely does anyone mention Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara. That's beginning to change. Long before the critics started paying attention, some of California's smartest vineyard owners and winemakers quietly recognized something extraordinary about this rugged corner of eastern Santa Barbara County. Warm sunny days, cool evenings, dramatic diurnal swings, and well-drained soils created an environment almost perfectly suited for world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. Investors poured millions into the region, convinced they had discovered California's next great Cabernet appellat
videoSome of South Africa's greatest vineyards were almost lost forever.
Mullineux Swartland Old Vines White 2024 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/mullineux-swartland-old-vines-white-2024.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Some of the world's greatest vineyards survive because someone recognized their potential just before it was too late. That's the story behind the 2024 Mullineux Old Vines White. Not long ago, many of these remarkable old vineyards in South Africa's Swartland were destined for a very different future. Their fruit was routinely harvested for bulk wine and brandy production, despite being planted to extraordinary old-vine Chenin Blanc and a handful of historic Rhône varieties. Fortunately, a new generation of visionary winemakers, including Chris and Andrea Mullineux, saw something entirely different. They saw one of the world's great white wine regions waiting to be rediscovered. Today, Swartland stands among the most exciting fine wine r
videoOne of Bordeaux's Hardest Values to Find - But Totally Worth it!
Domaine de la Solitude Pessac-Leognan Rouge 2022 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/domaine-de-la-solitude-pessac-leognan-rouge-2022.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Some of Bordeaux's greatest values come from producers whose names you already know. You just may not know all the wines they make. Domaine de la Solitude is one of those hidden gems. While most collectors know Olivier Bernard as the owner of the legendary Domaine de Chevalier, few realize he's spent more than three decades quietly transforming Domaine de la Solitude into one of the most compelling values in all of Pessac-Léognan. Bernard has always believed that great wine begins with understanding the vineyard. His philosophy has never been to force a style onto the wine, but to patiently learn each parcel, refine the farming, adjust planting densities, and allow the terroir to reveal itself over time. It's the same pat
videoThey've Only Made This Rioja Twice in 52 Years
La Rioja Alta Rioja Reserva Viña Alberdi Séleccion Especial 2021 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/la-rioja-alta-rioja-reserva-vina-alberdi-seleccion-especial-2021.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Every now and then, a wine creates genuine anticipation long before it ever reaches the market. That's exactly what happened with the 2021 Viña Alberdi Reserva from La Rioja Alta. Among Rioja collectors, this release has been one of the year's most talked-about wines, and for good reason. La Rioja Alta rarely makes bold declarations about its own wines. In fact, since Viña Alberdi first entered production in the 1970s, the estate has designated it as a "Selección Especial" only twice: first with the legendary 2001 vintage, and now again with 2021. This isn't a marketing campaign or a new label. It's an internal recognition reserved for vintages the winery believes are truly exceptional.
videoThe Rosé That Captures the South of France
Chateau de Berne Cotes de Provence Rosé Inspiration 2025 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/chateau-de-berne-cotes-de-provence-rose-inspiration-2025.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Years ago, while visiting our daughter during her ballet training at the Princess Grace Academy in Monaco, we discovered a small neighborhood restaurant where this was one of the house rosés. Over simple meals of fresh mussels, pizza, and fries, we shared bottle after bottle while celebrating an unforgettable chapter in our family's life. Every visit back to Monaco meant another meal, another bottle, and another memory. That's what great everyday wine is supposed to do. It becomes part of the moment. When Château de Berne finally became available in the United States, it felt like reconnecting with an old friend. And after recently visiting the estate itself in Provence, it became even clearer why these wi
videoHow to Drink Real Burgundy Without Spending a Fortune
Domaine Michel Goubard Bourgogne Blanc Mont Avril 2022 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/domaine-michel-goubard-bourgogne-blanc-mont-avril-2022.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 For years, wine lovers have heard the same thing. "You can't find affordable Burgundy anymore." While prices in famous villages like Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet have soared, that doesn't mean great Burgundy has disappeared. It simply means you have to know where to look. That's exactly why wines like this continue to excite us. Domaine Michel Goubard has quietly built a reputation for producing some of the Côte Chalonnaise's finest values. A multi-generational family estate, the domaine farms vineyards that sit just beyond Burgundy's most famous addresses, allowing them to focus on exceptional farming rather than famous zip codes. Today, Michel's sons oversee much of the day-to-d
videoHow Passion Transformed This Historic Estate
Tour Saint-Christophe Saint Emilion 2022 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/tour-saint-christophe-saint-emilion-2022.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Over the past decade, owner Peter Kwok and estate director Jean-Christophe Meyrou have transformed this historic Saint-Émilion property into one of the Right Bank's most exciting success stories. Their work went far beyond updating the winery. They painstakingly restored the estate's historic limestone terraces, rebuilding centuries-old stone walls by hand and reviving one of the region's most distinctive vineyard sites. Those terraces aren't just beautiful. They sit atop Saint-Émilion's prized combination of limestone and blue clay, soils capable of producing wines with both richness and remarkable freshness. Every parcel is farmed and vinified individually, allowing the estate to preserve the unique personality of each section of the vine
videoA Châteauneuf You Were Never Supposed to Find
Domaine de la Charbonniere Chateauneuf Du Pape L'Envol 2009 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/domaine-de-la-charbonniere-chateauneuf-du-pape-l-envol-2009.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Every once in a while, you discover a wine you didn't even know existed. That's exactly what happened when we sat down with the Maret family at Wine Paris, one of the world's premier wine exhibitions. Every year we look forward to tasting through Domaine de la Charbonnière's library wines because the family has something almost impossible to find today: perfectly stored, mature Châteauneuf-du-Pape direct from the estate's own cellars. This year, they poured something completely unexpected. A bottle labeled Lambour 2009. Even longtime Rhône collectors rarely recognize the name, and for good reason. This special cuvée was produced only twice, in 2009 and 2010, before quietly disappearing from the li
videoForget Everything You Know About Beaujolais
Pascal Aufranc Chénas En Rémont Vignes de 1939 2020 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/pascal-aufranc-chenas-en-remont-vignes-de-1939-2020.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Ask most wine drinkers what they think of Beaujolais and you'll probably hear the same answer. Beaujolais Nouveau. Simple, fruity, bubblegum aromas. That's unfortunate. Because the wines that made Beaujolais famous among serious collectors have almost nothing in common with Nouveau. In fact, there's a fascinating irony here. The commercial success of Beaujolais Nouveau helped preserve many of the region's greatest vineyards during a difficult period, giving growers the financial stability to keep farming extraordinary old-vine sites that today produce some of France's most compelling values. Without Nouveau, there's a good chance many of these historic vineyards would have disappeared altogether. One of tho
videoHow Burn Cottage Became a Pinot Noir Legend
Burn Cottage Pinot Noir Central Otago Sauvage Vineyard 2021 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/burn-cottage-pinot-noir-central-otago-sauvage-2021.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Great Pinot Noir rarely happens by accident. It begins with an obsession. For Marcus Burnett, that obsession started long before Burn Cottage existed. A passionate collector with a deep appreciation for the world's finest Burgundy, he dreamed of creating a Pinot Noir estate capable of standing alongside the great wines he had spent decades admiring. When he discovered the extraordinary terroir of Bannockburn in Central Otago, that dream finally had a home. But Burnett didn't stop there. Knowing he wanted to build something truly special, he called Ted Lemon, founder of California's legendary Littorai Wines and one of the world's foremost authorities on Pinot Noir. Together they established Burn Cottage usi
videoThe Wine Bordeaux Insiders Couldn't Stop Talking About
Sénéjac Haut Medoc 2022 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/senejac-haut-medoc-2022.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Every vintage seems to have one wine that keeps coming up in conversation. Not from critics. Not from marketing. From the people who actually make wine. While tasting our way through Bordeaux, we kept hearing the same question from winemakers, négociants, and longtime friends in the trade: "Have you tasted the 2022 Château Sénéjac yet?" When enough palates you trust keep pointing to the same bottle, you pay attention. And after tasting it ourselves, we completely understood the excitement. Château Sénéjac has always been one of the Médoc's great values, but in recent years the estate has reached another level under Jean-Michel Laporte, one of Bordeaux's most respected winemakers. Best known for his work at Château Talbot, Laporte has quietly elevated Sénéjac
videoFrance's Biggest Red Wine You've Never Heard Of
Vignobles Marie Maria Madiran Novel 2020 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/vignobles-marie-maria-madiran-novel-2020.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Every great wine country has that one grape almost nobody talks about. For Southwest France, it's Tannat. If you've never had it before, you're in for a surprise. Tannat produces some of the darkest, most powerful, and longest-lived red wines in all of France. In its youth, it can be almost intimidating. But with a little bottle age, it transforms into something remarkably polished while never losing its incredible depth and character. That's exactly why we get excited when we find a Madiran like this. Produced by Vignerons du Madiran, a cooperative of more than 130 growers dedicated to showcasing the region's best vineyards, this bottling comes from their premium Noblesse range and is crafted from 100% Tannat. Rather than burying the
videoIf California Had Grand Crus... This Would Be One.
Turley Zinfandel Pesenti Vineyard 2023 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/turley-zinfandel-pesenti-vineyard-2023.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Some vineyards become famous because of the wineries that bottle them. Others become famous because they're simply extraordinary pieces of land. Dusi Vineyard is one of those places. Planted in the 1920s, these gnarly, head-trained vines have helped define Paso Robles Zinfandel for generations. Long before Paso became one of California's premier wine regions, Dusi was already proving what this terroir could accomplish. It's no surprise that Turley recognized its potential early, securing the vineyard more than two decades ago and making it one of the cornerstone sites in their legendary lineup. If California had a Grand Cru classification system, Dusi would deserve serious consideration. The vineyard sits on Paso Robles' famed west sid
videoOne of Bordeaux's Great Modern Success Stories
Haut Brisson Saint Emilion 2022 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/haut-brisson-saint-emilion-2022.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Some of Bordeaux's greatest values aren't found at famous classified growths. They're found at estates that quietly transformed themselves while everyone else was looking somewhere else. That's exactly the story of Château Haut-Brisson. When Peter Kwok began assembling his remarkable collection of Right Bank estates in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Haut-Brisson quickly became one of the jewels of the portfolio. Working alongside renowned Bordeaux consultant Jean-Christophe Meyrou, the estate underwent a complete transformation, shifting its focus toward producing a single flagship wine with dramatically higher standards in both the vineyard and the cellar. The results speak for themselves. Today, Haut-Brisson is one of Saint-Émilion's most consist
videoThis Is Why Great Rioja Ages for Decades
Solar de Becquer Rioja Gran Reserva 2004 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/solar-de-becquer-rioja-gran-reserva-2004.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Some wines are made to impress when they're young. Great Rioja isn't one of them. The finest traditional Riojas are built for patience, slowly evolving over decades into wines of extraordinary complexity, grace, and freshness. That's exactly what makes the 2004 Soler Rioja Reserva such a remarkable find. This wine wasn't something we went looking for. Instead, an importer simply walked into our tasting room with a bag of wines, introduced us to the Escudero family, and poured a bottle of the 2004. Within minutes, we knew we had found something special. The Escudero family has earned tremendous respect in Rioja through their Bodegas Viña Salceda and Valsacro projects, but the Soler wines represent their more traditional side. Unlike
videoThe Rosé Every Cool Wine Bar in Europe Is Pouring
Thibaud Boudignon Rosé de Loire 2025 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/thibaud-boudignon-rose-de-loire-2025.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Every summer has that one bottle. The one that disappears from patios, restaurant tables, beach houses, and dinner parties because everyone who tastes it wants another glass. This could be that bottle. Thibaud Boudignon has quietly become one of the most sought-after producers in the Loire Valley. While his name is still flying under the radar in much of the United States, spend a week eating your way through the best wine bars in Paris, Copenhagen, Stockholm, or London, and you'll quickly realize that sommeliers already know exactly who he is. There's a reason for that. After training in Bordeaux and working at the iconic Château Soucherie in the Loire, Boudignon launched his own domaine with a relentless focus on organic farming, native
videoThe Crazy Bordeaux Border That Saves You $50
Moulin d'Issan Bordeaux 2022 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/moulin-d-issan-bordeaux-2022-pre-arrival.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Some of the greatest values in Bordeaux exist because of nothing more than a line on a map. Or in this case... A road. The 2022 Moulin d'Issan is produced by the same team behind Château d'Issan, the historic Third Growth estate in Margaux whose wines routinely sell for three to four times the price. The difference? These vineyards sit just across the road, outside the official Margaux appellation, and are therefore labeled simply as Bordeaux Supérieur. Think about that for a second. The farming is the same. The philosophy is the same. The winemaking is the same. Only the address changed. That's exactly why wines like this exist. Owned by the Cruse family, Château d'Issan is one of Bordeaux's oldest estates, with a history stret
videoThis Is the Brunello Vintage We've Been Waiting For
Altesino Brunello di Montalcino 2021 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/altesino-brunello-di-montalcino-2021.html# Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Every great wine region has those vintages that collectors remember forever. For Brunello di Montalcino, 2021 is shaping up to be one of them. We've been waiting years for these wines to arrive. Long before the bottles were released, barrel samples and Rosso di Montalcino hinted that something extraordinary was happening. Now that the wines are finally here, the best producers are proving that the anticipation was justified. Among the standouts, Altesino was one of the stars of our tastings. For decades, Altesino has been one of Brunello's benchmark estates, farming exceptional vineyard holdings across Montalcino, including the legendary Montosoli vineyard. Their estate Brunello has long been considered one of Italy's great values, while Montosoli continu
videoCould This White Bordeaux Fool Burgundy Lovers?
Château La Fleur de Boüard Chardonnay Vin de Pays de l’Atlantique 2021 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/chateau-la-fleur-de-bouard-chardonnay-vin-de-pays-de-l-atlantique-2021.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 When you think of Bordeaux, Chardonnay is probably the last grape that comes to mind. That may be about to change. After decades of building Château Angélus into one of Bordeaux's most iconic estates, Hubert de Boüard decided to pursue a personal passion project. Inspired by his love of White Burgundy, he identified a small limestone-rich parcel at Château La Fleur de Boüard in Lalande-de-Pomerol and planted just two hectares of Chardonnay. It was an unconventional decision for Bordeaux, but one that made perfect sense once you understood the site. The soils are rich in limestone, clay, and sand, offering surprising similarities to some of Burgundy's great Chardonnay terroirs. E
videoOur Private Label Reserve Wine is Back and You're Going to Want Some
Architect Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2016 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/architect-napa-valley-cabernet-sauvignon-reserve-2016.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Not every wine makes it into Architect Reserve. In fact, most don't. Over the years we've tasted countless opportunities that looked promising on paper but ultimately didn't deliver the combination of quality, value, and style that Architect customers have come to expect. That's especially true when it comes to Architect Reserve. The bar is high for a reason. This wine cleared it easily. When one of our longtime suppliers arrived with an unlabeled bottle and asked us to taste it, we knew almost immediately we had something special. The wine came from three highly regarded Napa Valley vineyards and had benefited from the vineyard sourcing and consulting expertise of Steve Matthiasson, one of Napa's most respec
videoThe Angélus Family's Secret Bordeaux Bargain!
Château La Fleur de Boüard 2018 Link to Purchase: https://www.winex.com/chateau-la-fleur-de-bouard-2018.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Some wineries have a flagship wine. Others have a passion project. For Hubert de Boüard, the legendary co-owner and winemaker behind Château Angélus, Château La Fleur de Boüard became both. After helping elevate Angélus into one of the most celebrated estates in Saint-Émilion, de Boüard saw something special just across the border in Lalande-de-Pomerol and decided to put his name, reputation, and energy behind it. It was a bet that paid off. For decades now, La Fleur de Boüard has been one of the Right Bank's most consistent overachievers, producing wines that routinely outperform their appellation and compete with bottles costing significantly more. The terroir is a big part of the story. Located just a short distance from Pomerol, the estate benefits from many o