The Chronicle
Latest dispatches
111 results across all types
videoThe Secret Wine Sitting Just Outside a Classified Growth
Le Haut Médoc de Lagrange Haut-Médoc 2012 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/le-haut-medoc-de-lagrange-haut-medoc-2012.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 One of our favorite wine stories starts with a map. Not a critic score. Not a fancy label. A map. Because sometimes the difference between a wine that sells for serious money and a wine that sells for a fraction of the price is nothing more than an invisible line drawn through a vineyard. That's exactly what's happening here. The 2012 L de Lagrange Haut-Médoc comes from vineyard parcels owned and farmed by Château Lagrange, the renowned Third Growth estate in Saint-Julien. The catch? These particular vines sit just outside the official Saint-Julien boundary. Same ownership. Same farming. Same attention to detail. Different appellation. And that creates opportunity. The wine is sourced from mature vineyards av
videoThe Burgundy Insider Secret We Couldn't Ignore
David Duband Vosne Romanée 2023 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/david-duband-vosne-romanee-2023.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 At first glance, the 2023 David Duband Vosne-Romanée looks fairly straightforward. A respected producer. A prestigious village. A beautiful bottle of Pinot Noir. Then you start digging. And things get very interesting. David Duband is one of Burgundy's most respected growers, having transformed his family domaine since taking over in 1991 and later expanding his holdings through the acquisition of vineyard parcels from the legendary Jacky Truchot. Today, he farms organically and is widely regarded as one of the benchmark producers in the Côte de Nuits. But what makes this particular bottling special is where the fruit comes from. Approximately 90% of the wine is sourced from the vineyard known as Les Barreaux, one of the most fascinating sites in al
videoRobert Parker Called This a Hidden Gem. He Was Right.
Haut Bergey Pessac Leognan Rouge 2006 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/haut-bergey-pessac-leognan-2006.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 One of the greatest values in wine isn't young Bordeaux. It's mature Bordeaux that somebody else patiently cellared for nearly two decades. That's exactly what makes this offer so compelling. The 2006 Château Haut-Bergey comes from Pessac-Léognan, one of Bordeaux's most prestigious appellations and home to legendary estates like Domaine de Chevalier, Smith Haut Lafitte, and Haut-Bailly. Yet somehow, Haut-Bergey continues to fly under the radar. That disconnect creates opportunities. When the Garcin family acquired the property in the late 1990s, they invested heavily in revitalizing both the vineyards and winery, transforming Haut-Bergey into one of the hidden gems of the appellation. Robert Parker took notice early, repeatedly highlighting the château as one
videoWhy White Rioja Is Suddenly Exploding
Artadi Viñas de Gaín (Rioja) Blanco 2020 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/artadi-vinas-de-gain-rioja-blanco-2020.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Artadi built its reputation on red wine. For decades, the López de Lacalle family has been one of the defining names in modern Rioja, producing some of Spain’s most sought-after Tempranillo-based wines while largely ignoring the traditional rules that governed Rioja classification. They focused on vineyards instead. Site. Farming. Precision. Terroir. And over time, Artadi became one of the great modern classicist estates in Spain. What most people don’t realize is that they also make white wine. And honestly? This may be one of the biggest surprises we’ve tasted all year. The 2020 Artadi Viñas de Gain Blanco is sourced entirely from old vine Viura planted around Laguardia in Rioja Alavesa. But unlike traditional oxidative wh
videoA 100 Point Pinot Noir Under $100? That Basically Never Happens.
The Hilt Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills 2023 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/the-hilt-pinot-noir-radian-vineyard-sta-rita-hills-2023.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Pinot Noir almost never gets 100 points. Not because great Pinot Noir doesn’t exist. Because Pinot Noir doesn’t behave like Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s lighter. More delicate. More transparent. And in a scoring system that often rewards sheer power and concentration, Pinot Noir almost always loses a few points somewhere along the way. Which is exactly what makes this wine so remarkable. The 2023 The Hilt Radian Vineyard Pinot Noir didn’t just score highly. It earned a perfect 100-point score from Jonathan Cristaldi, alongside 98 points from James Suckling and 97 points from Wine Advocate. That almost never happens for domestic Pinot Noir. In fact, over the last five vintages, only a tiny handful
videoOne of California’s Best Winemakers Made THIS for $25?
The Paring Red Wine Blend 2021 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/the-paring-red-wine-blend-2021.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 The 2021 Pairing Red Wine is crafted by Matt Dees, one of the most respected winemakers in California and the talent behind the legendary wines of Jonata in Ballard Canyon. That’s important. Because Jonata is not just another winery. We’re talking about one of the elite properties in the Central Coast, producing wines that routinely score in the high 90s and sell for serious money. And somehow, this exists alongside it. The idea behind Pairing is deceptively simple. Take the same obsessive farming, the same elite barrel selections, the same blending expertise, and funnel it into a wine designed to massively overdeliver for the price. And it absolutely does. The blend is classic luxury California Bordeaux-style red: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10%
videoThis Is What Northern Rhône Syrah Should Taste Like
Alain Graillot Crozes Hermitage 2023 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/alain-graillot-crozes-hermitage-2023.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Some wines become reference points. Not because they’re flashy. Not because they chase scores. Because they define a category so completely that everything else gets measured against them. That’s Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage. For decades, Graillot has been one of the benchmark producers of Northern Rhône Syrah, crafting wines that perfectly capture what great Crozes-Hermitage is supposed to be. And now, with Maxime Graillot carrying the torch forward, the wines remain every bit as compelling as they were when Alain first launched the domaine in the 1980s. This is classic Northern Rhône. Whole cluster fermentation. Minimal new oak. Transparency over power. The vineyards sit in the southern sector of Crozes-Hermitage, on stony,
videoThis Bordeaux Drinks WAY Above $40...but it ain't!
Corbin Saint-Emilion 2016 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/corbin-saint-emilion-2016.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 One of the hardest parts about buying great Bordeaux is the waiting. You buy the wine young. You cellar it. And then you hope you’re patient enough to leave it alone for a decade. This time, somebody else already did the hard part. The 2016 Château Corbin is a fully mature Saint-Émilion Grand Cru from one of Bordeaux’s greatest modern vintages, and it’s entering exactly the stage where great Bordeaux starts becoming truly compelling. And the timing here matters. The 2016 vintage was the first under the fully modernized vision of Anabelle Cruse-Bardinet, who completely renovated the château and rebuilt the winemaking facilities before this vintage came in. Combined with the structure and precision of the 2016 growing season, the result was a major leap forward f
videoForget Malbec… Argentina Is Crushing Chardonnay Now
Catena Alta Chardonnay Mendoza Historic Rows 2023 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/catena-alta-chardonnay-mendoza-historic-rows-2023.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Argentina changed the wine world with Malbec. Now it’s happening with Chardonnay. And Catena is leading the charge. The 2023 Catena Alta Historic Rows Chardonnay comes primarily from the legendary Adrianna Vineyard, one of the most important vineyard sites in South America and the source behind Catena’s iconic White Bones and White Stones Chardonnays. Planted at nearly 5,000 feet elevation in Mendoza back in the early 1990s, Adrianna was considered almost absurdly high-altitude at the time. But decades later, the vision looks brilliant. The combination of intense mountain sunlight, dramatic temperature swings, and rocky, shell-limestone soils creates Chardonnay with remarkable tension, texture, and precision. A
videoSame Vineyard as $125 Pinot… for $29.98
Metzker Pinot Noir Terra de Promissio Sonoma Coast 2019 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/metzker-pinot-noir-terra-de-promissio-sonoma-coast-2019.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 There’s a strange dynamic happening in California wine right now. Over the last twenty years, a massive number of tiny direct-to-consumer wineries emerged across Napa and Sonoma. Small-production projects. Luxury pricing. Mailing list business models. Some worked. Some didn’t. And occasionally, incredible wines fall through the cracks. That’s exactly what happened here. The Metzker Family Estates Terra de Promissio Pinot Noir 2019 comes from one of the most respected vineyard sites in the Petaluma Gap, a cool-climate region famous for producing structured, elegant Pinot Noir. Originally planted in 2002, Terra de Promissio quickly became one of the most sought-after vineyard sources in Sonoma Coun
videoOld Vine California Zin the Way It Used to Be
Stirm Zinfandel Wirz Vineyard Zinfandel Cienega Valley Old Vines 2022 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/stirm-zinfandel-wirz-vineyard-zinfandel-cienega-valley-old-vines-2022.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Zinfandel has a branding problem. Too many people think it means overripe, heavy, high-alcohol wine with too much oak and not enough balance. This wine destroys that stereotype. The Stirm Wine Company Old Vine Zinfandel comes from the historic Cienega Valley, one of California’s oldest and most important heritage vineyard regions, located along the San Andreas Fault east of Monterey. This area has been producing exceptional old vine fruit for generations, but only recently have small producers started bottling these vineyards seriously. And that’s where Ryan Stirm comes in. After working with producers like Tyler Winery and gaining experience abroad in places like Margare
videoMuscadet Isn’t What You Think… Not Even Close
Henri Poiron Muscadet Goulaine 2018 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/henri-poiron-muscadet-goulaine-2018.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Muscadet has a reputation. Light. Simple. Easy. And for the most part, that’s been true. But something changed. Quietly, over the last decade, the Loire Valley introduced a classification system called Cru Communal, allowing top producers in Muscadet to focus on specific villages and terroirs, much like the cru system in Beaujolais. And the results have been incredible. This bottling from Domaine André Perret comes from the Goulaine cru, one of the warmest and most complete terroirs in the region, where 40+ year old vines of Melon de Bourgogne reach full ripeness while still maintaining the freshness that defines great Muscadet. The winemaking takes things even further. Native yeast fermentation, followed by an extended 32 months ag
videoAn Inisider Cabernet Steal From One of the Greatest Terroirs in California
La Cienega Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley Helle’s Harvest 2018 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/la-cienega-cabernet-sauvignon-alexander-valley-helle-s-harvest-2018.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 There are still hidden vineyards in California. Places that quietly supply fruit to top producers for years without ever putting their own name on a label. This is one of them. The La Cienega Cabernet Sauvignon
videoWhat Grows Above One of the World’s Greatest Vineyards?
Gros Frere et Soeur Chemin des Moines de Vergy 2023 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/gros-frere-et-soeur-chemin-des-moines-de-vergy-2023.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 This wine shouldn’t exist. At least not the way Burgundy defines itself. The Gros Frère et Sœur “Chemin de Vergy” Pinot Noir 2023 is grown just above Vosne-Romanée, within walking distance of some of the most expensive vineyards in the world,
videoThis French Winemaker Solved Natural Wine’s Biggest Problem
The Wines of Le Vent Des Jours Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/le-vent-des-jours.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Natural wine has a reputation. And not always a good one. Too often, it means flawed, unstable, or overly funky wines that lean more experimental than enjoyable. That’s exactly what makes this discovery from Cahors so compelling. These wines from Laurent Marre represent a completely different appr
videoThis Is the Backdoor Into a Legendary 100pt Estate
Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac Léognan 2022 Link to the wine:https://www.winex.com/le-petit-smith-haut-lafitte-pessac-leognan-2022.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 The Le Petit Haut Lafitte Rouge 2022 is the second wine of Château Smith Haut Lafitte, a property that has achieved 100-point perfection at the highest level of Bordeaux. That matters. Because this is not just any second wine. This is your entry point
videoThis Limited, Iconic Rioja is only Made When the Conditions are Perfect
Muga Rioja Gran Reserva Prado Enea 2019 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/muga-rioja-gran-reserva-prado-enea-2019.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Some wines are made every year. This isn’t one of them. The Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva 2019 is only produced in great vintages, when everything aligns in the vineyard. If the year doesn’t meet the standard, they simply don’t make it. That tells you everything. This
videoCalifornia Pinot That Feels Like Vosne-Romanée
Mail Road Pinot Noir Mount Carmel Vineyard 2018 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/mail-road-pinot-noir-mount-carmel-vineyard-2018.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Every once in a while, something shows up that just doesn’t make sense. This is one of those wines. The Mail Road Mount Carmel Pinot Noir 2018 comes from one of the most important vineyard sites in the Santa Rita Hills, a region known for producing so
videoWhy Every Top Restaurant in Paris Has This White Burgundy
Domaine Henri & Gilles Buisson Saint-Romain Sous le Château 2023 Link to the wine:https://www.winex.com/domaine-henri-gilles-buisson-saint-romain-sous-le-chateau-2023.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Burgundy is changing. And some of the most exciting wines are no longer coming from the places you expect. The Domaine Buisson-Charles Saint-Romain “Sous le Château” 2023 is a perfect example. Saint-Romain sits just abov
videoPossibly the Best White Rhône Deal in the Market Right Now
M. Chapoutier Crozes Hermitage Blanc Les Meysonniers 2022 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/m-chapoutier-crozes-hermitage-blanc-les-meysonniers-2022.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Chapoutier is one of the greatest producers in the Rhône Valley. We’re talking about wines from Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie that rank among the best in the world. But for years, there was a gap. The top wines were legendary. The entry-
videoWe Shouldn’t Be Telling You About This Wine
Socré Barbaresco Roncaglie 2021 https://www.winex.com/socre-barbaresco-roncaglie-2021.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Some wines are great because of the producer. Others are great because of where they come from. This one has both. The Socré Barbaresco Roncaglie 2021 comes from one of the most prestigious Nebbiolo vineyards in all of Piedmont. Roncaglie sits right next to the famed sites used by Gaja, where bottles
videoReinvented! This Second Growth Bordeaux Overdelivers Without the $200+ Price Tag
Lascombes Margaux 2022 Link to Wine: https://www.winex.com/lascombes-margaux-2022.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Some wines improve over time. Others get completely redefined. The Château Lascombes 2022 is not just another vintage. It’s the beginning of a new era. Lascombes is a Second Growth estate in Margaux, meaning it sits among some of the most prestigious names in Bordeaux. But for years, the wines never quit
videoIf You Hate Oaky Chardonnay… Watch This
Frog's Leap Chardonnay Carneros Shale and Stone 2023 Link to Wine: https://www.winex.com/frog-s-leap-chardonnay-carneros-shale-and-stone-2023.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Most California Chardonnay follows a formula. Oak. Butter. Weight. Power. This wine does the opposite. The Frog’s Leap “Shale & Stone” Chardonnay 2023 is one of the purest expressions of Chardonnay coming out of California right now. No oak. No
videoThis Iconic Wine Brand Got a Second Chance… and Delivered
Ravenswood Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley 2024 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/ravenswood-zinfandel-dry-creek-valley-2024.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Ravenswood is back. And this time, it’s serious. After years off the radar, one of California’s most iconic Zinfandel brands has been revived, with the blessing of founder Joel Peterson and the backing of Gallo, a company that knows exactly how to bring legacy