News

Bordeaux prices have dropped in the past 24 months amid a wider fine wine market malaise, according to data in the Market Watch section of Decanter magazine’s newly published March 2025 issue. Market Watch, which is also published on Decanter Premium, is sponsored by international merchant Bordeaux Index and its LiveTrade online trading platform. ‘Bordeaux currently occupies an unusual position in …

Michaela Morris interviews Lamberto Frescobaldi. Launched in 1997 with the simultaneous release of 1993 and 1994, this Super Tuscan was born as a collaboration between two formidable wine families: Robert Mondavi brought California’s modern sheen to Frescobaldi’s rustic Tuscan charms. Over the years, Luce has garnered high praise for its opulence and power. To chart its history, I sat down …

Peter SisseckDominio de Pingus, Pingus, Ribera del Duero First vintage: 1995 ‘It’s almost a damnation to produce a wine that becomes an icon from day one,’ says Peter Sisseck when describing the attention and pressure that fell upon him with the release of Pingus’ first vintage. It all started with few expectations and a lot of wonder; the Danish winemaker …

Church leaders were asked to consider allowing alcohol-free wine and gluten-free bread alternatives during the Eucharist ritual. However, they ruled that using alcohol-free wine would break Church law, as the process of fermentation would be ‘nullified’. They also decided that wheat alternatives such as rice flour, potato flour or tapioca flour cannot be used to make the bread or wafers …

French wine exports by value fell for a second year in 2024, as foreign buyers preferred less expensive sparkling wines to Champagne and favoured more affordable bottles from the Loire Valley and Provence over Bordeaux wines. The value of wine exports fell 3% to €10.9bn last year, French wine and spirits export agency FEVS said. That remains the third-highest on …

Pink wine and sunshine? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. But there are still plenty of reasons to enjoy a glass of great-value rosé this time of year. Whether you’re looking for a bottle for Valentine’s Day, something to pair with a particular dish or simply something to put you in mind of warmer climes, the selection below offers plenty …

Florent Lançon of Domaine de la Solitude is renowned for his excellent Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In his spare time, he collects orchids. ‘It started when I was young – 12 or 13 years old,’ says Lançon. ‘I went to England on holiday. We were visiting a lot of castles and I was so bored! But I did enjoy the Victorian greenhouses.’ It …

In 1990, on a sleepy corner of Lower Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood, chef and restaurateur Drew Neiporent (the force behind fine dining venues Montrachet and Nobu) and Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro caused a stir with the opening of Tribeca Grill. In the decades that followed, the Wine Spectator Grand Award winner’s dining room would be filled with Hollywood stars, …

Whether you are planning a party, restocking your cellar or looking for a hassle-free way to enjoy your favourite bottle, there’s no shortage of options for wine delivery in New York. This guide highlights five standout options to help you navigate the sea of services and spells out why each is unique. Marketview Liquor If you’re wondering where to buy …

Grange La Chapelle South Australian winery Penfolds and Domaine de la Chapelle in France’s Rhône Valley have teamed up to release a groundbreaking blend of French Syrah and Australian Shiraz. Grange La Chapelle was created by Peter Gago, chief winemaker at Penfolds, and Caroline Frey, chief winemaker and vigneron of Domaine de la Chapelle. The wine, from the 2021 vintage, …

California’s red and white wine grape crush from the 2024 harvest was 2.844 million tonnes, excluding raisin and table grapes, said a preliminary report from the US Department of Agriculture published 10 February.  That is down on 3.685 million tonnes in 2023, albeit yields vary between producers and areas. Winemakers in several parts of California have praised the expected quality …

Taking effect from the 2025 vintage, there are now 170 estates that made it into the 2025 classification down from 249 in 2020 – a decrease of 37.7%. They include 14 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, 36 Cru Bourgeois Supérieur and 120 Cru Bourgeois. More demanding selection criteria The decrease in overall numbers could be accounted for by the difficult market conditions …

Muga, Prado Enea Gran Reserva, Rioja First vintage: 1969 Only produced in exceptional vintages, Prado Enea uses a selection of the best and later-harvested grapes from Muga’s plots on the northwestern edge of Rioja Alta, at around 500m-600m. Its ageworthiness and laidback classicism have made it – vintage variation notwithstanding – one of the safest and best-valued options among investment-worthy …

As many of you may have gathered, I have wanderlust. My favorite subjects in school were Geography first, followed by History. Although, I did have one history teacher whose voice was so melodic, I slept through her classes. Perhaps it was because she personally knew my mother, so she let it happen. I’m thinking that […] The post Armenia Debut at Wine Paris …

Domaine de la Mordorée La Plume du Peintre. Like all insufferable dads, the other day I was lecturing my son about the music I grew up with, so I played him some early jungle over breakfast. In retrospect, some of it sounds like a drum kit falling down the stairs, but a few tracks, despite their radical style, have stood …

Following on from the exceptional 2021, Sassicaia 2022 has big shoes to fill. ‘The perception [of 2022] is of a really hot year giving masculine, powerful wines, but that’s not actually the case,’ said UK importer Armit’s MD, Brett Fleming. Bolgheri’s microclimate, close to the sea and cooled by the woodland, helps to mitigate temperature extremes, but despite this, 2022 …

Marqués de Murrieta, Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Blanco, Rioja First vintage: 1917 It’s difficult to capture in words the experience of tasting Marqués de Murrieta’s Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Blanco. Not only does it offer a singular, complex combination of aromas and flavours, but it also brings the essence of wine to the forefront: a product of human …

Hello and welcome to my weekly roundup of the wine stories that I find of interest on the web. I post them to my magazine on Flipboard, but for those of you who aren’t Flipboard-inclined, here’s everything I’ve strained out of the wine-related muck for the week. In Memoriam: Martine Saunier, Founder of Martine’s WinesRIP. One of a kind. Lightest Crush …

Bottles sparkling wine resting sur pointe, with the lees concentrated in the neck of the bottle Ageing ‘sur lie’ (the french for ‘on the lees’) is an important tool at the disposal of winemakers. It’s integral to the character of multiple wines, and even to the core identity of certain appellations and styles. But what are lees and what’s the …

Martine Saunier, who brought the wines of Burgundy’s Henri Jayer and Domaine Leroy and Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s Château Rayas to America as a trailblazing importer, died Feb. 9 from lung cancer. She was 91. Saunier had an exceptional palate for wine, a clear vision and a fierce determination to follow her own path. For more than 30 years, she imported some of …