JamesSuckling.com Senior Editor Zekun Shuai talks to Santiago Deicas of Bodega Familia Deicas in Uruguay about their recent releases and how winemakers are starting to take albariño more seriously in the country.Deicas goes into depth about the Deicas Albariño Maldonado Cru d’Exception 2020, and tells Zekun about their "cold brew" and "espresso" methods of winemaking – two unique approaches to extraction used in their Bizarra Tannat Sierra de Mahoma Espresso 2021 and Cold Brew 2021.

In this podcast, Ian Hongell, Torbreck Vintners' general manager and chief winemaker, discusses the winery's recent vintages and the notable quality of 2021, which produced red wines that are both flavorful and fresh. James also shares his thoughts on the wines during the discussion, which covers topics such as Torbreck's old vines and more. Listen to the full podcast at JamesSuckling.com or via the link in the profile.  

In this new podcast, James discusses the latest release of Fleur de Miraval Champagne Exclusivement Rosé NV in Hong Kong with Alexis Blondel, who works as assistant winemaker for the partners behind the Fleur de Miraval project: Brad Pitt, Pierre Peters Champagnes and the Perrin family of Rhone. Blondel explained what went into what James called the "unique blend," and said the only goal and purpose in making the wine was to make a high-quality rosé Champagne. Listen to the full podcast to hear more. 

Rare Champagne just launched its 2013 Rare Millésime, which will be on the market in June. In this new podcast, chief winemaker Emilien Boutillat and brand director Maud Rabin talk about the 2013 vintage with Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt. The wine is 70 percent chardonnay with 30 percent pinot noir, mostly from the Montagne de Reims, balanced with some fruit from the Cote de Blancs, and 100 percent vinified in stainless steel to focus on the purity of the fruit. Check out the full podcast to find out more about the vintage and the wine.

James tasted and rated the new release of Champagne Bollinger RD 2008 in March over Zoom with the cellarmaster Denis Brunner who dialed in from Champagne. It’s an acid-driven, super-structured Champagne highlighting the unique character and winemaking of the house. It’s one of the best RDs James has tasted and rated. Listen to the full conversation to hear Brunner talk about their emphasis on ageability, compare the 2008 to other vintages, their aging process and more.

Senior Editor Zekun Shuai tasted Henschke's 2018 wines over Zoom with the family and you can hear the full conversation here. 2018 is a wonderful and classic vintage that shows the singularity of these place-oriented wines with stellar length and svelte tannins.They are fresh, lush, and concentrated in flavors but not hefty in form. Huge complexity, length, and most importantly harmony in Hill of Grace, and elegance and linearity in Mount Edelstone which has a citrus, bergamot-like freshness.Listen to the full discussion and find out their thoughts on the 2018s, their philosophy, what they look for in Hill of Grace and more.

Tuscan producer Bibi Graetz recently unveiled three new single-vineyard, small-production wines from grapes including sangiovese, colorino and canaiolo. James found the wines to be outstanding. In this podcast, James talks to Graetz to find out more about them. Graetz called them “really fun and great.” Listen to find out more about these offerings and hear how the 2020 vintage turned out.

Listen to James Suckling chat with Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta, the owner of Tenuta San Guido, and Carlo Paoli, the general manager, about their 2020 vintage, including their renowned Sassicaia, and how it compares with 2019.

JamesSuckling.com Associate Editor Andrii Stetsiuk talks with the team at Australian winery Seppeltsfield about their 1923 100 Year Old Para Vintage Tawny.Fiona Donald, Seppeltsfield's chief winemaker, and Lauren Mudge, the head of marketing, discuss Seppelstfield's history of making fortified wines and how it has evolved to encompass a broader range of offerings, including classic Barossa varieties like shiraz and grenache, as well as white wines and sherries.Still, they say, the 100 Year Old Para Vintage Tawny is the winery's "jewel in the crown." Check out the full podcast to find out all their thoughts about what makes their winery unique.

We’ve been making our way through hundreds of Bordeaux 2020 samples each week in our office in Hong Kong and have found some spectacular bottles. Famous wine estates both on the Right and Left Banks have stood out and St. Emilion is shining through beautifully with a freshness and finesse to the solid fruit and tannin structures in the wines. In this video, you can watch James talk with Pierre Courdurie of Chateau Croix de Labrie in Bordeaux about the 2020 vintage in bottle and the year's "amazing" upside. “Our 2020 Croix de Labrie is the best of the trilogy,” Pierre Courdurie, who owns his tiny biodynamic estate in St. Emilion with his wife, said. “In 2020, we gained energy in the wine” compared with 2018 and 2019, he said. Courdurie is like many wine producers in Bordeaux who felt that the hot and dry weather during the summer grape-growing season in 2020 was easier to handle because of the two similar vintages before it. Hear the full conversation in this new podcast.  

The JamesSuckling.com tasting team talks with owners and winemakers from Brunello vintners Ciacci Piccolomini D'Aragona, San Polo, Renieri, Casanova di Neri and San Polino to find out their feelings on the 2018 vintage, which will be released on the market in January.Read the full report here: https://www.jamessuckling.com/wine-tasting-reports/can-brunellos-cool-and-classic-2018-vintage-be-considered-great-2022-annual-report/

James chats with Chris Tyrrell, winemaker for his family's Tyrrell's Wines in Australia's Hunter Valley. They discuss the latest vintages and how they compare with previous years."First rule of our vines is just because they're old doesn't make them good," Chris tells James. "I think the old-vine thing ... you shouldn't do it unless the wine is worthy."Read more about his wines and other great bottles from down under in our 2022 Annual Australia Tasting Report.

JamesSuckling.com Senior Editor Zekun Shuai talks with Spanish winemaker Telmo Rodriguez about his latest releases, including some single-vineyard wonders. You can read more about the wines and the latest trends toward wine drinkability and gastronomic harmony in our new Spain report here, by clicking here.

JamesSuckling.com Senior Editor Zekun Shuai discusses Chilean winery Almaviva's 2020 vintage – the 25th-anniversary bottling – with winemaker Michel Friou and managing director Manuel Louzada.

James sits down with Charles and Harry Symington of the eponymous Symington Family Estates in Portugal's Douro Valley to discuss in detail their 2020 vintage Port offerings."How did it go down and how did it compare to the last declared year?" James asks the two.Charles Symington, the head winemaker of the winery, said rain and warm weather in the early part of the year led to bud bursts two to three weeks early and an early flowering, followed by a dry summer with below-average rainfall and a hot stretch from early July to early August. Then, in mid-August, more rains finally came, "which allowed us to get through maturation quite nicely."Have a listen to their entire conversation to learn how the weather in 2020 went into bottle for each of the wines they made from that year, including their Warre's Vintage Port 2020 and Dow’s Vintage Port Quinta do Bomfim 2020.

Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt recently tasted and discussed the latest vintages of Rare Champagne with chief winemaker Emilien Boutillat and brand director Maud Rabin on Zoom from our office in Tuscany and you can listen to the conversation and insights shared here.Rare Champagne 2008 is supple and soft for a cool vintage, with a complex array of tropical fruit and spice notes, having spent 11 years on the lees with almost two years of bottle age. Rare Champagne Rosé 2012, just released on the market, shows fresher fruit and fantastic vibrancy and elegance, made as a blend of 60 percent chardonnay and 40 percent pinot noir, with 8 percent of pinot noir red wine from Les Riceys.Both wines are vinified in 100 percent stainless steel and are blends of chardonnay and pinot noir mainly from the Montagne de Reims.Read about more great Champagnes in our annual Champagne report.

JamesSuckling.com Senior Editor Zekun Shuai interviews Robert Santana of Spain's Envinate about his winemaking philosophies. "We want to taste wines that take you to the place," Robert says. "The second important thing for us is the character," which comes from a deep understanding of how vintages are affected by the weather each year, and the third element is the "soul" of the wine – "that is the people that are around in the vineyard and in the cellar. We think it's very important that these people are happy and understand [our philosophies] and do the work."

Francisco Baettig and JamesSuckling.com Senior Editor Zekun Shuai talk about the differences between the 2020 and 2021 vintages in Chile. Because 2020 was dry and hot, Baettig said, "the challenge was to preserve the freshness of the fruit ... so vineyard management really was key in terms of promoting a little bit of the vigor of the plant."Harvesting was also done earlier than normal in order to preserve the color, "so overall when we try the wines you'll see that the alcohol is pretty moderate," Baettig said. "You won't see overripe flavors but of course, you will see wines with some power and concentration."To read our full 2022 Chile report, click here.

Senior Editor Zekun Shuai sits down with Ricardo Baettig of Chilean winery Morandé to talk carbonic maceration, new varieties in Chile and what the future holds for the country's wine scene.You can read our full 2022 Chile report here: https://www.jamessuckling.com/wine-tasting-reports/chile-annual-report-beyond-carmenere-and-into-an-ocean-of-freshness/

JamesSuckling.com Senior Editor Zekun Shuai chats with Marcelo Papa, the winemaker and technical director of Chilean winery Concha y Toro, about the 2020 and 2021 vintages and how the weather each year affected their wines.

JamesSuckling.com Senior Editor Zekun Shuai talks with Santiago Deicas of Bodega Familia Deicas in Uruguay about the country's wine scene and about Familia Deicas' latest releases.

Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt chats with Argentine winemaker Daniel Pi  on his family "garage wine" project – Tres 14.

James sits down with Tony Soter of Soter Vineyards in Willamette Valley, Oregon, to discuss the state's evolving winemaking scene. James asks Tony about his views on how Soter Vineyards is doing now and what their future – and the state's – look like.Tony says the success of Oregon's pinot noir in recent years is due to the maturing "skill sets" of the state's winemakers, and adds that the increased consistency of the product comes from better viticultural, greater winemaking experience and the climatological change toward warmer temperatures. "It's also about knowing that Oregon is never going to compete on the world stage as anything but a small producer of high-quality wines because we don't get the yields that other sunny climates do…  We've learned probably a hard lesson but one that's serving us well consistently now about cropping the vines conservatively so that they have a chance to ripen in our relatively limited season.”

James visited the vineyards of K Vintners in Walla Walla, Washington, and then spoke with winemaker Brennon Leighton about the importance of vineyards in the state's winemaking aspirations.“It's vital to making authentic wines from the place that they come from,” Brennan says. “If you're not doing the viticulture right, you're not trying to protect the integrity of the place... Everything we do with winemaking is to try to honor the place it comes from.”

James chats with Herve Birnie-Scott and Marcos Fernandez of Argentine winery Terrazas de los Andes about how recent harvests have gone and how their work in the vineyards has translated to a better quality of wine.

JamesSuckling.com Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt tasted some new releases from Trapiche, one of Argentina's largest and oldest wine brands, with Marcelo Belmonte over Zoom. Marcelo is the director of winemaking and viticulture at Trapiche and he called in from Mendoza to discuss the wines. They tasted two chardonnays and malbecs from Trapiche's Terroir Series, a project started in 2003. These are from single vineyards and aim to express specific terroir and microclimates, as well as the history and importance of the individual grape growers. Their 2020 chardonnays from Fina Las Piedras and El Tomillo are intense yet fresh, a result of three separate harvests at different ripeness levels to balance tropical, ripe fruit notes with acidity and elegance. The 2019 malbec from Finca Orellana, made from vines of more than 70 years old, shows beautiful dark fruit and intensity with silky tannins, in contrast to the more structured, firm and focused Finca Ambrosia, a malbec that has promising aging potential. They also tasted the very drinkable 2021 Oak Cask Malbec, a great value red at $10 a bottle.

JamesSuckling.com Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt recently talked and tasted over Zoom with Piero Incisa della Rocchetta of Bodega Chacra in Patagonia, Argentina. They tasted Chacra’s latest vintages of pinot noir, including his Sin Azufre (without sulfur) wines and old vine Cincuenta y Cinco and Treinta y Dos (which was our wine of the year in 2020), from vineyards planted in 1955 and 1932: structured, mineral and incredibly fresh. “It’s so hard to make bad wine here – the protagonist here is nature.” The 2021 chardonnays, made as a collaboration with Burgundy’s Jean-Marc Roulot, are taut, focused and precise. The grapes for Chacra Chardonnay are from vines grafted onto 40+ year old merlot vines. Both the pinots and chardonnays are intellectual and full of tension yet immensely drinkable. 2022 has been slightly more complicated, with sudden rain during the red grape harvest (the whites are so far looking to be the “best since 2017”), so that the grapes were picked later; they are currently maturing in a mix of concrete, clay and used oak barrels.

From Napa, James talks via Zoom with the owner of Tuscany’s Tenuta San Guido, Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta, and her assistant, Elena Brachini, about the recent Sassicaia vintages. James asks Priscilla about the growing season during 2019 and how it was different from 2018.Priscilla says 2019 was "quite cool and fresh in the spring and we also had a couple of hailstorms at a certain point but then … the real summer temperatures arrived after the second half of June.” The heat wasn’t “out of control,” though, and there were very good conditions during the harvest, she says, with very nice temperature differences between night and day.The main difference between the 2018 and 2019 Sassicaia, she says, is the 2018 is “a little bit lighter” than the 2019. “We think it's quite representative of our style – it's so perfumed … with all those nice herbs and flowers you get on the coast during the summer.”

James recently had a tasting over Zoom with winemaker Matt Brain and consulting enologist Andy Erickson of Alpha Omega in St. Helena, California. They discussed the winery’s goal of making more refined and transparent vineyard sourced wines, which shone through particularly in Napa’s superb 2019 vintage.

Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt tastes five consecutive vintages of Bemberg Estate Wines Malbec Gualtallary Valle de Uco El Tomillo Parcela 5 La Linterna and five vintages of Pionero, their malbec-based blend, with winemaker Daniel Pi. Parcela 5 is made with a low-intervention philosophy with wild yeasts, like all their wines, and is only released after four years. Pionero is a vintage-dependent blend of 60 to 65 percent malbec with cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, all from El Tomillo, the same vineyard as Parcela 5.

Daniel Pi, the advisor and winemaker of Bemberg Estate Wines in Mendoza, Argentina, and previous director of winemaking at Grupo Peñaflor, takes Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt through the latest vintages of Bemberg's single-parcel La Linterna series, including chardonnay from El Tomillo; pinot noir from Los Arboles to the south; malbec from Valle de Pedernal just north of Mendoza, in San Juan; and cabernet sauvignon from extreme altitudes in Cafayate, Salta.

Alice Tetienne, the cellar master of Henriot, introduces the inaugural 2016 vintage of L'Inattendue, a 100 percent Grand Cru chardonnay from Avize,, alongside Henriot's main wines: the Brut Souverain, Henriot’s historic cuvee; the Blanc de Blancs, a blend of chardonnay from 12 Crus; and the 2006 Cuvee Hemera, a 50-50 blend of pinot noir and chardonnay from the house’s six historical Grand Crus. Alice explained the decision behind Henriot's first-ever single-vineyard bottling, describing the surprising richness of the chardonnay from Avize in the Cote des Blancs from the 2016 harvest, in contrast to the Grand Cru village's usual laser freshness and precision. After four years on the lees and over another year in bottle, L'Inattendue 2016 will be released in June this year, and will become a permanent cuvee in Henriot's collection. The subsequent specific vineyard bottlings after each harvest remain to be discovered although they will likely from one of the house's historical Crus (Verzy, Verzenay, Mailly, Avize, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Chouilly).

JamesSuckling.com Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt talks with Patrick de Suarez D'Aulan, the president of Alta Vista in Mendoza, Argentina, about the winery's history and their production of single-vineyard wines.

Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt tastes two of Billecart-Salmon's exceptional vintage Champagnes with CEO Mathieu Roland-Billecart: Le Clos St.-Hilaire 2006 and Cuvée Louis Salmon 2008.Le Clos St.-Hilaire is made from a unique, single parcel of old pinot noir vines, vinified in oak casks and aged for 13 years on the lees. 6,750 bottles were made of the 2006 vintage – an incredibly harmonious and seamless Blanc de Noirs, with fascinating spice notes and beautifully fine, integrated bubbles. It's one to enjoy for many years to come.The Cuvée Louis Salmon 2008 is a blend of Grand Cru chardonnay from the Cote des Blancs, which will be launched later this year – a complex, rich yet focused and refined Blanc de Blancs.

James and Paul Hobbs, the renowned California winemaker and founder of Viña Cobos in Mendoza, Argentina, compares Argentina's 2019 vintage with 2018 and 2020."There's been a lot of variability in some of these vintages, James," Paul says. "There's just been a shifting in the weather and so there's been more rainfall, which I think has been beneficial for Mendoza."'19 was a stunning growing season, fairly uniform but kind of a wet January, February that gave way to a beautiful fall – dry, cool ripening period," Paul adds. "So the wines that we see, particularly with '19, are coming out with incredible structure and really picking up through their root system ... each of the different types of terroirs that we work with. So the diversity we're seeing is pretty intense, and it's so beautifully rendered."

JamesSuckling.com Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt sits down with Valentina Abbona, the owner of Marchesi di Barolo, to talk about the 2018 vintage."2018 was quite a challenging vintage in terms of work to be carried out in the vineyards because ... we did have a lot of rain rain already in wintertime in the first months of the year and some rain at the beginning of summer," Valentina says. But, she adds, "this great water supply compensated for the very dry season that we had in 2017" and helped restore the soils, resulting in "really good expressions for all of the sites."

Tod Mostero, the director of Dominus Estate, tells James about the challenges of 2019's "really rainy year," compared with 2018, which was much drier, resulting in an easier harvest. Most of the rain in 2019 came from January through April, Tod said, leaving "really wet soils and a lot of vegetative growth, which meant a lot more work in the vineyard." Tod then made the decision to open up the canopy to let the sun shine in, taking the risk that the exposed vines could be less resistant to the sun and heat. But what he learned, he said, "is that by removing foliage early and letting the sun shine in the canopy, the grapes get accustomed to sunlight and so during a couple of heat spikes ... the vines that had their their canopy opened up resisted perfectly and there was no damage.""When you open up the canopy and you expose grapes early on, the skins developed a thick sort of coating to protect themselves, and so those berries were beautiful and nice," he said, as opposed to vines that had a lot more foliage, which ended up "blanched" after they had been exposed to sun during the heat spikes.

James and Guillaume Boudet, the winemaker for HdV in Napa, California, discuss the differences between the 2018 and 2019 vintages."In the long run we'll see which one is is better than the other one," Guillaume says. "I think '18 might be up there, but also '19 has more of this approachable charm almost from the get-go. But '18 was so easy – it was a very compact vintage but we were able to pick everything when we wanted to pick and still be able to retain a lot of freshness and aromas in the wines... so time will tell but definitely '18 is is one of the top three vintages that we've had in in the past 10-15 years, definitely."They also talk about the 2020 vintage and how the fires affected HdV's operations.

Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt and Santiago Achaval, the founder of Argentine winery Matervini, talks Matervini's 2019 and 2020 malbecs, and why malbec is perfectly suited to Argentine tastes and terroir. "It's our conviction after many years of making wine in Mendoza and in Salta and throughout Argentina that malbec is the only variety that has the adaptability, the plasticity to do well in all of Argentina," Santiago says. "Malbec does well everywhere – it does well from Patagonia to Hui Hui. It does well from 300 meters above sea level to 3,300 meters above sea level. In every single location where I've made wine, malbec is the best wine."

James talks with Carlo Mondavi, the founder of Raen Winery in Sonoma Coast, California, about the role site and microflora play in imbuing Raen wines with their coastal California characteristics."This is very California terroir," Carlo tells James. "Those beautiful trees, flowers, the grasses ... even the dirt that comes up and comes into contact with the vines and the clusters during the final weeks of their evolution on the vine, and then we have this beautiful coast here that creates this incredible environment.""We love the fog, and it really just creates such a combination of great geology site and microflora, which i think for me leads to wines of incredible expression."Have a listen to all Carlo's thoughts on Raen's recent vintages and their varying personalities.

Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt chats with Laura Catena, the managing director of Bodega Catena Zapata and founder of Domaine Zico, and winemaker Alejandro Vigil, about their journey with pinot noir in Argentina and how Domaine Zico came to be."Pinot noir was always the heartbreak grape," Laura says. "Pinot noir was always difficult. We had a few good vintages in the beginning, in the late '90s... Because of that, we planted in Adriana."And then, she said, "we had what I call the 'dark ages,'" marked by overproduction and rot. Following a few discouraging vintages, Laura said she and Alejandro then decided that "we're really going to do something important with pinot noir." It marked a turning point for Domaine Zico.

James chats in person in Napa Valley with Maya Dalla Valle, the winemaker at Dalla Valle Vineyards, and Axel Heinz, winemaker at Ornellaia in Tuscany, about the 2019 vintage for their joint project, DVO, and how it compares with 2018.As to James' question of which vintage she likes better, Maya said: "It's so hard. They're both such high-quality vintages, but I would say six months ago I would have said '18. I've been really loving the '18s and the depth that those wines have, and I feel like they're very philosophical wines that can continue to draw you back and are very intriguing and really make you think."She continued: "But I love the charm of the 19s as well. 'Friendly' is not the right word to use for it, but they have this aromatic intensity that I feel very drawn to between the florality and the fruit. It's very appealing. So it's a tough call between the two, I would say, but today I think the '19's are drawing me in a little more.""That's a nice problem to have," James wryly replies.

Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt discusses the newest releases from Argentine vintner Bodega Catena Zapata with managing director Laura Catena and winemaker Alejandro Vigil.

ames is back in Napa Valley to meet with winery owners, winemakers and others in the region and taste the 2019 vintage. Here, he chats with Continuum Estate's owner, Tim Mondavi, and his daughter Carissa.James tasted Continuum's 2019 bottling with Tim and Carissa, and he called it "another illustration of how 2019 allowed great winemakers to produce precise and curated wines that emphasize their unique provenance and character." Tim said of the progression from the 2018 to 2019 vintages that there was "improved vibrancy, elegance, refinement in our wines all the way across... Everything has to be at the very highest level. And we care for everything, even the young vines, as if they were princes to be kings [old vines] one day.”

James sat down in person in Napa with Scott Becker, the owner of Realm Cellars, and Benoit Touquette, the winemaker, to find out their thoughts on the 2019 vintage in Napa Valley. It was James' first sit-down Zoom interview in two years, after he landed in the United States last week from Hong Kong.

James asks Craig Isbel, the winemaker at Tarrawatta in the Barossa Valley, how the 2018 and 2019 vintages compare.Craig said '18 had classic, cool conditions in the Barossa, "and so we could pick and choose when we picked, so we had the opportunity to be nice and patient. It was a great year." There was more pressure on for the '19, he said. "We had some frost in September; we had some quite cool conditions through winter, but it was quite dry, and then we experienced some really hot, windy conditions through November ... and that knocked the flowering around, so quite low yields in 2019."As a result, the 2019s have "brighter, floral characters, quite a bit riper fruit, so probably more expressive and a little bit more impressive as young wines... I think the '18s have the structure and they've got that sort of darker kind of look to them; a little more subtle and a little more closed up  as young wines and then they'll continue to evolve and probably end up being the better wines down the track."

"I don't know if it's the best Cheval Blanc ever, but I know it is one of the most Cheval Blanc ever," Pierre-Olivier says of the chateau's latest release.But how does it compare with 2018? "At the end, '18 is more round, voluminous, sweet, silky, ripe, intense," Pierre Olivier says. The 2019, he says, "is for sure a high-level, quality vintage and is meant to be a little more academic with a certain power." It also has "a huge density, but more importantly than just the density, a huge depth. The wine has plenty of layers, the length is huge, and the way the wine evolves on the nose is typical of the DNA of Cheval Blanc."

James and winemaker Fabien Teitgen of Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte discuss Bordeaux 2019 and whether there's anything specific to Smith or Pessac-Leognan for the vintage."For me, 2019 was the last easy vintage we did: no frost, no hail, no mildew," Fabien says. "So it was a very good year for the vineyard because it was very easy to do; no big problem to manage."James adds: "Some people try to say it's like '16 but I find it more like '15, because also you taste it and you want to drink it – you can drink it, just like '15!"

Noemie Durantou Reilhac of Chateau L'Eglise Clinet tells James she thinks Bordeaux's 2019 vintage can be considered a "great" one, in part because of the exceptional balance found in the wines."What I was surprised about was the quality of the tannins of the fruit," Noemie says. "When we tried it en primeur it was a very flashy fruit, very seductive. Because of that, I was very really happy with the vintage.. 2019 has gained so much depth so I think it's far better in bottles."Have a listen to find out more from Noemie and James on their thoughts on how the 2018, 2019 and even 2020 vintages compare. 

James talks with Sabine Eichbauer, the owner of Poderi Salicutti in Montalcino, Italy, along with Gianni Fabbri, Salicutti's winermaker, about how they got started in the business and the arc of their operations."We wanted to invest in wine, not necessarily a winery ... but then we kind of fell in love, funny enough, with an Australian [winery] near Melbourne," she said. After failing in their attempt to buy that winery, they soon set their sights on purchasing Salicutti, even though "it was never really on the market," but they soon came away with the property.Since that time, they have been working to elevate the quality of the Brunello they make, and are also experimenting with grapes on an extra hectare of property they purchased.

Antoine Gimbert, the export director of Domaines Delon and Leoville Las Cases, discusses Bordeaux's 2019 vintage with James.The '19s "already have this appeal that is quite surprising, in fact," Antoine tells James. "So far these wines are extremely luscious but still supplying a great tension and freshness, and a structure that is extremely interesting."Antoine also tells James about how the 2019 growing season affected the vintage, and how the Right Bank wines so wonderfully express their specific terroirs.

James discusses Napa's 2019 vintage with Rebekah Wineburg, the winemaker at Quintessa, and Rodrigo Soto, the estate director."'19 is I think one of the most gracious vintages we've ever received," Rebekah tells James. "It had the right amount of rainfall at the beginning of the season," although there was delayed bud break compared with 2018. "But everything caught up with a nice, warm summer, and canopies were balanced, fruit level was balanced, crop load was balanced, and you just flew into another incredible, long, precise, gentle harvest. It's hard not to give too many superlatives to 2019."Adds Rodrigo: "Yields were lower than '18 as well, so that helps with the concentration... Sometimes it's hard to find the points of difference, but clearly the yield was one of them, and of course that brings a different level of concentration to the wine. So out of a very smooth vintage in terms of temperatures, you realize that you have a little extra power, and it makes the wines absolutely fantastic."

James and California winemaker Paul Hobbs discuss how the 2019 vintage turned out in Napa and Sonoma.  James asks Paul what some of the key points of the vintage are and "why it made such beautiful wines.""We had good rains in the winter and particularly late spring [so] the soil profile was pretty well recharged with water after we had years of drought," Paul explains. "We had heat spikes, but they were very minor; very short duration ... so the growing season was really cool overall. And then fall was mild ... and the cropload was naturally balanced so the vines seemed to recalibrate after the immense 2018 vintage. So it was a well-balanced growing season."James said of 2019: "The wines show really nice fruit-forward character, but still many of the wines have some of the reserve of '18." Paul agrees, saying '18 is surprising good, but '19 is a "notch up above '18, but they're different," with 2019 having a "little more meat on the bone ... very good delineation, very nicely faceted and layered and great depth, and the tannins are very refined."

Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt chats with Edouard Vauthier of Chateau Ausone about the 2019 vintage in St. Emilion."The quality of the vintage for me was quite fresh and elegant and it has really, really long length and also the terroir was very well represented," Edouard says. "We didn't really extract that much because the skin was still really pretty thick. After that, the aging process was still the same – 20 months in the barrel."Claire says of the Chapelle d'Ausone St.-Emilion 2019: "It's so aromatic, so beautiful... lots of black fruit and flowers. And it's got this almost slightly sweet fruit, almost like a citrusy orange peel character to it at the end that gives it this freshness, which is really lovely."Edouard says the Chateau Ausone St.-Emilion 2019, meanwhile, represents the "best of the best" of what they have in the cellar.

James and Olivier Gailly, the commercial director of Chateau Pavie in Bordeaux, discuss the 2019 vintage."We were all quite impressed in '19 en primeur with the freshness we could get despite a relatively warm year," Olivier tells James. "The good news is that after bottling, the wine really keeps its freshness, so I think that's one main thing we notice on the whole range."James also asks Olivier his opinion about planting cabernet sauvignon in Bordeaux's Right Bank. "We often talk about it here and we say cabernet sauvignon, when it's planted in the right places, meaning it gets ripe, is a really great addition to the blend – we noticed that. And today in the vineyard of Pavie we have 20 percent planted of cabernet sauvignon."

James talks with Alexander van Beek, the general director of Chateau Giscours, about 2019 in bottle."I think the 19 is a vintage is one of the most precise vintages we've ever made, for different reasons. The first reason is we took a different approach to our work and preparation in the vineyards," he said. "I think we never produced as juicy merlots as we every did ... and one very important element was we started to harvest our vineyards not just by terroir but also by age, meaning that we go through the same parcel in different sequences."Alexander also tells James how the weather affected the vintage, and compares his 2019 releases with the 2018s.

Tor Kenward of Tor Wines in Napa Valley talks with James about the 2019 releases and how they compare to 2018, which according to James was "an excellent year, and they made such beautiful wines.""At this point in time, I think '18 might be the stronger vintage of the two," Tor said. "What I love about the '19s [is] the '19s have a little higher pH. Because of that, they're certainly generous early on... They're wines that I think are enormously pleasing right now where some of the '18s are still slightly hard and need a little more time."

Jean-Charles Cazes, the owner of Lynch-Bages, talks with James about his thoughts on Bordeaux's 2019 vintage."It'a a vintage that is easy to understand and is very pleasing, even young. I think it's not as tight as the 2010 when they were in bottle, for instance. I think it's a more forward vintage; it's one of the great vintages of the past five years," Jean-Charles said. "2019 is the most accessible of those vintages because of the ripe fruit, and the tannins are very ripe and not aggressive at all.""I think it's a vintage a bit like the '09, which will remain accessible at any stage."

Claire talks with Uva Mira winemaker Christiaan Coetzee about the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on South Africa's wine industry."There's a lot of wine farms that will probably never recover from Covid," Christiaan says, adding that on the upside, "Once you're pushed into the corner, you get the opportunity to reflect on how you do things and how you can improve things... We were able to cut a lot of costs in many, many areas of the business, and we worked smarter."Christiaan said that whether the country can come into wine greatness "depends on how much exposure we get in the next five to 10 years," but added that he believes the country produces wines "that are as good as any wines in the world. We can compete with anyone, but we need exposure to change the perception."

James and Omri Ram, the winemaker at Chateau Lafleur, discuss Bordeaux's 2019 vintage."2019 is a very coherent vintage, clearly marked by dry conditions and by sun. These for me are clearly the two markers of the vintage," Omri said. "Almost no rain, winter is mild so not a real winter in our lexicon. Spring was early and the soil warmed up quickly so we had this early bud break – a good indication for something quite promising."Omri said Chateau Lafleur didn't get as much rain as some of the other Bordeaux estates in 2019 because the precipitation in the area was very localized. But he added that when rains did come, they were "very welcome" because of the refreshing effect they had on the vineyards.

James sits down with Mouton Rothschild's Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy to discuss how the weather affected the 2019 vintage in Bordeaux, and how the vintage turned out now that it's in bottle.Jean-Emmnuel said rain at the end of July, at the start of versaison, as well as at the end of September helped bring vines some relief. After the latter rains is when Mouton Rothschild picked the merlot, and they also waited until the first few weeks of October to pick the cabernets in order to allow them to better ripen, giving them finer tannins.Their discussion about the vintage, viticulture and winemaking lasts until the 15:t0 mark, when James and Jean-Emmanuel turn to tasting.

JamesSuckling.com Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt sits down with Chris Mullineux of Mullineux Wines to discuss how the South African wine industry has developed over the last 20 years, where it’s heading and the impact the Covid pandemic has had on it.Chris said that after Nelson Mandela was freed in 1994 and the post-apartheid era began, “South Africans felt we had to kind of imitate the great wines of the world to make an impression, so try to make a great Bordeaux blend – that kind of thing,” he said. But as winemakers’ confidence grew through the years, so did their adaptability and willingness to experiment with different wine styles and varietals, especially when it came to chenin blanc.Now, he said, South African wines have their own authenticity and are “no longer trying to be something else.”

James and Philippe Bascaules, the managing director of Chateau Margaux, talk about the estate's latest releases, including the Chateau Margaux Margaux 2019."'19 from the beginning was an exceptional vintage," Philippe says. "It has the same level of concentration" as the '18, but with a small change: the rain between merlot and cabernet sauvignon that "changed completely the style of the cabernet sauvignon." The result in the '19, he said, is a wine that has a lot of charm and is open: "In '19, I think we have a great expression of Chateau Margaux."James says upon tasting the Margaux Margaux 2019 that it "really has this aroma of crushed stones, like the soil of Margaux." Philippe agrees, saying the minerality is an indication of a fresh and pure wine.Have a listen to their conversation about vintage, vinification and winemaking, which lasts until the 14:31 mark, when they turn their attention to tasting.

James and Eric Kohler, the technical director of Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Chateau Duhart Milon, discuss what went into the making of the 2019 Lafite Rothschild and other Domaines Barons de Rothschild releases, and how Eric feels about the vintage now that it's in bottle."The fruit was delicious before the harvest, [as was] the juice before the vinification," Eric said. "If you remember en primeur, this vintage always had a great harmony, a perfect balance of freshness, an incredible concentration but no aggressivity at all... This vintage will be very easy to drink."Watch them taste the Chateau L'Evangile Pomerol 2019, the Chateau Duhart-Milon Rothschild Pauillac 2019, the Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 2019 and Carruades de Lafite Rotshchild 2019.Have a listen to their conversation about vintage, viticulture and winemaking, which lasts until the 07:22 mark, when James and Eric begin tasting.

James chats with Justin Ennis, the winemaker at Joseph Phelps Vineyards in St. Helena, California, about the 2021 harvest in Sonoma Coast and Napa and about the new Joseph Phelps pinot noir releases from 2018.Justin says the harvest in Sonoma was 14 percent down overall for pinot noir. Despite this, he says, 2021 should yield very high quality. "Believe it or not, summer was fairly mild. We didn't have any significant heat spikes out here, nor did Napa, quite frankly," he said. "It was a breath of fresh air compared to 2020."Tasting the Joseph Phelps Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Freestone Estate Proem No. 1 2018, James says: "This wine's amazing on the palate. It's like really sort of zesty, zingy [with an] electric sort of acidity, and there's so much citrus fruit." The No. 2 is interesting, James says, "because it's a little bit softer, sort of melts in your mouth. It doesn't have that really intense acid character. It's very different."Listen in on their entire Zoom chat to learn more about Justin's winemaking strategies and what the future holds for Joseph Phelps.

JamesSuckling.com Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt sits down with Claire Villars-Lurton, the owner of Chateau Haut-Bages Liberal, and her husband, Gonzague Lurton, the owner of Chateau Durfort-Vivens, to discuss how their 2019 releases differ from 2018."'19 was very different from '18," Gonzague says. "18 was very sunny with a high level of maturity and '19 was brighter, I would say. In Margaux, especially, we have this flowery taste, which we have not that much in the '18, which makes the wine ... probably less heavy than '18, but much more brilliant. I think they have a fantastic energy in the '19."Find out all their thoughts about how the weather has impacted recent vintages, as well as how their biodynamic practices have helped protect their vineyards from the warming climate in Bordeaux.

JamesSuckling.com's Claire Nesbitt chats with Billecart-Salmon CEO Mathieu Roland-Billecart about the Billecart-Salmon Champagne Les Rendez-Vous de Billecart-Salmon No. 2 Extra Brut NV, a single-release Champagne made from 100 percent pinot noir, 78 percent of which is base wine from 2014, with reserve wines from 2012.

James talks with Cain Vineyard & Winery's Kathryn Lazar and Chris Howell about the Napa Valley vintner's latest releases and about the climate-related challenges the winery has faced in the past few years, including devastating fires.Chris says the 2021 harvest in Napa Valley was a "super easy" one, although with few grapes. "For those who were looking for massive ripeness, I think they were able to wait and get that." And even though yields were down, "it should turn out to be a really good year," he added.They also talk about the 2017 vintage, and how the heat spikes from that year effected what went into bottle. "It's showing really great, with really nice firmness and balance, and with a nice sense of austerity," James says.

Associate Editor and Taster Claire Nesbitt sits down with T-Oinos Consulting Enologist Stephane Derenoncourt to find out how he got started at the Greek winery and what style of wine he's trying to achieve there with his current project.Stephane tells Claire his original intention was to make a wine that was "very clean and very different in terms of winemaking." To do this, he stopped the use of oak vats in the making of white wines and also changed the composition of the soil in the vineyards. For the red wines, he chose specific vineyard parcels comprised of clay and schist in order to make "a very good grape with very good ripeness."

JamesSuckling.com Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt and Emiliana’s Alejandro Mitarakis discuss what went into the making of the Valle de Colchagua Gê 2018, our Chilean Wine of the Year 2021.Alejandro says Emilian’s organic and biodyanamic viticultural methods “give us the quality of the wine we want to produce.”As for the Gê, “It has been a long time understanding the farm, understanding the place this wine comes from, and like I told you before, it is quite an honor for us that after some years of producing this wine and believing in it, it gets this kind of recognition.”

JamesSuckling.com Taster Claire Nesbitt talks with Zoltan Kovacs, the winemaker for Hungarian vintner Royal Tokaji, about the winery's latest releases. Find out Zoltan's thoughts on how the weather of 2017 – especially rains in August and early September – affected what went into the bottle that year. The wines Claire tasted are all single-vineyard sweet wines. Claire says the Aszu 5 Puttonyos 2017 Claire is full of earthy botrytis notes and ginseng, while Zoltan touts its freshness and balanced acidity and mouthfeel. The 6 Puttonyos is slightly richer and a blend of Tokaji's single vineyards.

The JamesSuckling.com Wine of the Year 2021 goes to ... the Kumeu River Chardonnay Mate's Vineyard 2020! Here, James and the Tasting Team tell Michael and Paul Brajkovich the good news – that out of about 25,000 wines, their sterling Chardonnay came top."That's amazing!" Michael Brajkovich says on accepting congratulations from James. "We saw there was an announcement coming out and we thought we might be somewhere up there in that high ranking, but not at the top. That's fantastic!"

James and Peter Gago of Penfolds taste the g5, which is made of five vintages blended together and aged – 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018. Only 2,200 bottles were produced (James and Peter opened two of these)."This is another level again" over the g3 and g4, Peter says. "There's not one non-100-point wine [as judged by different people] in this blend," he adds. "It makes quite the statement."

James and Carlton McCoy discuss the 2021 harvest in Napa. Carlton says there were small yields and small berries, although that didn't stop anyone from making some fantastic wines. Carlton also explains how he got involved in the wine business with the Lawrence family – from their purchase of Heitz and how he started a "beautiful new chapter of his life" by becoming the wine director, to their takeover of classical estates like Stony Hill and Burgess Cellars. They also talk about the winemaking and vineyard management processes at Heitz, Stony Hill and Burgess, and what it takes to put greatness in a bottle.

John Schwartz, the proprietor of Napa vintners Amuse Bouche, Au Sommet and Coup de Foudre, talks with James in this Zoom interview about the challenging 2021 harvest and vintage."The drought conditions had an impact," Schwartz said. "Everybody should be down by 40 to 60 percent. ... The quality looks good, it's just that the quantity is way down," he added. "The trade is hoarding'19s now because they're panicking that there's no '20s and now are worried that '21s are going to be probably half of what they should have been."James and John also discuss supply-chain problems, including in procuring glass and having wines shipped. They also give their views on Napa's 2018 versus 2019 vintages.

James Suckling sits down with Lucie Pereyre de Nonancourt and Edouard Cossy of the renowned French Champagne House Laurent-Perrier to taste the Grand Siècle No. 25, which consists of the 2008 (65 percent), 2007 (25 percent) and 2006 (10 percent) vintages. "I think it's interesting because right away when you smell it, you can get the sense of 2008 in it – that real intense aroma," James says. "In the nose you can even smell the skins of the grapes still. Amazing."Compared with the No. 24, the No. 25 "has a lot of freshness and a lot of acidity with still young aromas," Lucie says. James agrees, saying "It just smells so youthful," adding that "it has a lot of structure but it's also elegant at the same time."

Massimo and Cecilia tell James about this year's harvest and how the lack of water and a hailstorm affected Castiglion del Bosco's vineyards, and James looks back on how weather conditions affected the other vintages. James was in Tuscany in the summer of 2017, and he said it was hot and dry. "You must have made some severe selections, because the wine is very fresh," James said of the 2017. Cecilia concurs, saying technical aspects in the winery came into play, such as longer maturation in wood.

James sits down with mother-daughter team of Elisabetta Geppetti and Clara Gentili of Tuscan winery Fattoria Le Pupille to taste the Fattorria Le Pupille Saffredi 2019, which James calls "spectacular," and they compare previous vintages of the wine. "The only thing I'm a little bit annoyed about is it's really a wine that needs about five or six years," James says about it. James suggests a tasting of the 2019, 2016 and 2015 vintages to fully lock in the differences. James compares the 2019 to the '16, although Elisabetta says, "For me, it's more elegant than the '16, even if '16 was so very nice."Fattoria Le Pupille Maremma Toscana Saffredi 2019Fattoria Le Pupille Maremma Toscana Saffredi 2016Fattoria Le Pupille Maremma Toscana Saffredi 2015

James sits down with Chairman and CEO Charles Philipponnat of French Champagne House Champagne Philipponnat, who reflects on the 2021 harvest, effects of the ever-changing weather conditions, and his plans to introduce cuvées and other wines.In this conversation Charles also explains why he decided to sell his Champagnes through La Place de Bordeaux, becoming the first Champagne to take this distribution route, and why they decided to do the disgorgement for the 1996 Clos des Goisses.Philipponnat Champagne Clos des Goisses Extra Brut L.V. 1996Philipponnat Champagne Clos des Goisses Extra Brut 2012

James sits down with Chairman Cyril Chappellet and winemaker Philip Corallo-Titus to talk about the Napa Valley winery’s 2019 vintage. "It's like two great vintages back to back," Philip says in comparing 2019 and 2018. "The '18s were just very forward, big, structural wines and were just heralded as this great vintage, and it is. And then the '19 came along, and my opinion is that ... it's like a 'Do you like John Lennon or Paul McCartney?' kind of thing. And I've always been a little bit of a fan of this '19 vintage because of this real focus that it has, and there's just a depth and concentration and center of gravity, but not on a big scale of tannins."

In this tasting with Justine Tesseron of Pym-Rae (the Napa Valley estate of Bordeaux’s Château Pontet-Canet), James explores the 2016, 2017 and 2018 vintages.  Justine notes that the 2017 (80 percent cabernet sauvignon, 20 percent merlot) is different from the 2016 in terms of the assemblage, as one parcel was left out due to the effects of a hotter climate. However, she prefers the 2018. "I think we gained precision in purity of fruits,” she said of the vintage. James agrees that the 2018 is the signature Pym-Rae. He finds that the wood shows more in this vintage and there is a balanced acidity level.

Will Harlan, the director of Promontory winery in Napa Valley, talks about the terroir of Promontory and how it and the other Harlan properties – Harlan Estate and BOND – came into being, and then goes through a vertical tasting of Promontory's flagship wine with James and his masterclass as part of Great Wines of the World Autumn Edition 3.Promontory is one of the most unique wine-growing endeavors in California’s Napa Valley. The estate lands were first discovered by Bill Harlan in the 1980s, who perceived the potential for something special, and the vineyards were purchased by the family in 2008. Since then, the second generation, led by Will Harlan and director of wine growing, Cory Empting, have been working to understand the wild character of the land, and faithfully translate it through the wine.Promontory Napa Valley 2012Promontory Napa Valley 2013Promontory Napa Valley 2014Promontory Napa Valley 2015Promontory Napa Valley 2016

James talks with Isaac, Eduardo and Manuel Muga, the third generation of La Rioja winery Bodegas Muga, about their latest releases. Muga's flagship wines are reds, including their Reserva and Seleccion Especial."When we think the vintage hasn't been perfect for us in terms of conditions, then we are going to focus all our efforts either on one wine, which is the Reserva or ... on the Seleccion Especial," Eduardo Muga says.They taste several Muga offerings, including the Muga Rioja Reserva 2018, which still has four months to go in bottle before it is released to the market. James calls it "really delicious already," but adds that in four more months, "it'll just be perfect then."

In this tasting of Vega Sicilia's 2017 and 2018 releases, James speaks with Gonzalo Iturriaga, the head winemaker at Macàn and Vega Sicilia, and Pablo Alvarez, the owner and CEO of Vega Sicilia. Gonzalo explains that 2017 was one of the more challenging vintages recently, due to the incredibly hot weather that they experienced in Toro, Spain, but that the 2018 vintage is "more elegantly balanced," which is why he favors the latter vintage.Check out the podcast to hear their opinions on the current winemaking trend in Spain and to learn more about Vega Sicilia's latest releases.

Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga, the owner of Italian winery Tenuta San Leonardo, sits down with James to talk about the history and current winemaking style of San Leonardo. "All our red wines are still only made in concrete vats," Anselmo says. "We do not use any stainless steel. There is no refrigeration, no heating, no [commercial] yeasts, we only use indigenous yeasts."He adds: "I am not against technology, it's just that in this area, the climate is so fine that it's easy to make red wines, and we can do them in a proper way to respect the terroir."

Carlos Lopez de Lacalle, the owner and winemaker at Spanish winery Artadi, says the 2018 vintage came from a warm summer with a slightly cold September. "From that we got all this fresh, elegant, ripe fruit aromas with great balance and a lot of tension."James says the Artadi 2018 wines are good now, but asks Carlos how he thinks they will age. "For us, a wine that ages needs to be drinkable when it's young," Carlos says, adding that he's certain the 2018s will age, given their ripe tannins and higher acidity."Now if you taste your wines, if you want to make comparisons it's like Burgundy now," James said of the taste of the Artadi 2018s compared with 10 years ago. "It's really just fresh, and really fine tannins ... and you can see the differences in all the different crus, and I think that's really exciting."

James recently tasted the Laurent-Perrier Champagne Grand Siècle Grand Cuvée N.23 NV Magnum, which impressed him so much he said to Lucie Pereyre de Nonacourt, who represents the fourth generation at Champagne Laurent-Perrier, and Edouard Cossy, the company's global director: "The aromas were amazing. Honestly, I can't think of a more beautiful Champagne with the aromas... that sort of brioche and tarte au limon." Lucie tells the story of how her grandfather founded the Laurent-Perrier Champagne Grand Siècle Grand Cuvée. When he became director of the house, he realized he had to have a prestige cuvée. He based the creation of his cuvée on a unique blend, which would take the champagne further in terms of quality and thus achieve his goal of recreating the perfect year – "one that nature cannot provide." Check out their conversation now to learn more about the Grand Siècle Grand Cuvée N.23 NV Magnum and when to expect its release.

American Pinot Noir producer Adam Lee wears many hats: he was a co-founder of Siduri Wines (and remains a consultant and winemaker), founded the Clarice Wine Company, and co-founded Beau Marchais Wine with famed vintner Philippe Cambie. In this chat with JamesSuckling.com Associate Editor and Taster Claire Nesbitt, Adam talks about his approach in making pinot through whole-cluster fermentation and why he varied whole-cluster percentages for the 2017-19 vintages.Claire also asks Adam for his thoughts on the uncertainty of the final product and whether whole-cluster fermentation can affect a wine negatively, to which Adam responds: "Yes, there is a risk you could have unripe stems ... [but] one of the things I have found on stem ripeness is it has to do with the length of hang time and does not correlate with sugar maturity."Check out the rest of their conversation for more of Adam's thoughts on pinots and their future on the West Coast.

James sits down with Michel Friou and Manuel Louzada, the winemaker and managing director, respectively, at Viña Almaviva in Chile to discuss the 2019 Epu, which James calls a "beautiful second wine.""One question is, how did you finally decide to do a second wine and why?" James asks Manuel. "It's a very delicious wine.""After 25 years we definitely believed that we already have brand recognition, brand awareness, that Almaviva was already recognized because of the quality of the wine and because of its reputation," Manuel says. "From a business standpoint, the decision was, 'Let's focus on Almaviva ... and then afterward we started again in 2006 [with Epu] ... in basically two markets: Chile and Brazil.'"They also talk about the decision to sell Epu through La Place de Bordeaux, where negociants will redistribute it throughout the world.

Associate Editor and Taster Claire Nesbitt sits down with Domaine Serene Winemaker Michael Fay to ask about the proportion of pinot noir versus chardonnay grapes used at the winery, as well as its plans for making more chardonnay."We're definitely bullish on chardonnay," Michael says. "We really believe in three things for chardonnay that really make this style of chardonnay that we want. We're really only interested in planting chardonnay in high elevations, on Jory soils ... and using Dijon clones, which are early-ripening clones of chardonnay."

James sits down with Napa Valley winemaker Andy Erickson to talk about how the current Napa harvest is going and how it compares with previous years. They also taste the 2018 Favia wines and 2019 Leviathan California.James says of the Leviathan, "It's sort of fruit-forward ... but at the same time remains really agile and fresh," and asks Andy the secret behind it."I just wanted a wine that you could go out to a steakhouse and if I saw it on the menu, I would want it," Andy says. "This is the wine I like to drink. It's rich, it's flavorful, it's very fresh, and it's got the structure of a Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon and sort of that character, but it's made from different varieties – it's cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, syrah and now even a little petite syrah."

In Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt’s discussion with Veronique Boss-Drouhin, they talk about Veronique’s most exciting blend yet, her approach in making the 2019 vintage and why she doesn’t like to add too much yeast to her wines. Check out the Podcast now to learn more about how Veronique will approach winemaking with regards to future vintages, taking into consideration the growth and influence of global warming.

JamesSuckling.com Associate Editor and Taster Claire Nesbitt talks with Chris Hermann of 00 wines about microclimates in Oregon's Willamette Valley and the importance of aspect and elevation in producing pinot noir and chardonnay.Chris talks about the most important factor in the Willamette Valley when it comes to growing chardonnay: "The ultimate, critical factor is its super-cool climate," he said. "The Pacific Ocean is very cold off the coast of Oregon, so every night we're getting very cool breezes coming off, which is maintaining the freshness of the acidity."

Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt speaks with Tom Gerrie, winegrower and second-generation owner of Cristom Vineyards in Willamette Valley, Oregon, on how the state's pinot noirs compare with those from Sonoma County, California. Tom describes Oregon's fruit as "relatively bright. it's relatively high-toned, relatively red-fruited for the most part. I do think we have some differences based on soil... Our [deep] volcanic soils are extremely bright and red-fruited. Very, very high tone and very floral." Check out the podcast to hear Tom's thoughts on why Oregon chardonnays lag pinot noirs in popularity, and on his hopes for riesling.

What changes are on the horizon for Chianti Classicos? James talks with Giovanni Manetti, the owner of Fontodi Winery and president of the Chianti Classico Consortium, to find out how Gran Seleziones are doing in the marketplace. Giovanni takes James through sales of Gran Seleziones, the new subregion classification being applied to Gran Seleziones, and changes in the blend – specifically the minimum amount of sangiovese allowed, among other changes. He also breaks down whether winemakers can buy grapes for Gran Selezione and whether the consortium will still have a tasting panel.

Giovanni Gaja, the fifth generation to work for his family's winery in the Piedmont region of Italy, talks about the effects of rain and global warming on this season's crop. "When we think about climate change, we tend to think only about the heat and warmer temperatures," he said. "Climate change is not only that. It's all the rest. It really stretches all the excesses."Giovanni explains to James what went into the making of Gaja's 2018 Barbaresco, which James says is "long and racy," and compares it with the 2017. They also taste the 2017 Barolo.

James sits down with Jasmine Hirsch, the general manager and winemaker of Hirsch Vineyards in Sonoma Coast, California, and consulting winemaker Michael Cruse to discuss the 2019 vintage. Jasmine says the mild growing season made for an easier vintage with greater specificity. "I think our job really is to figure out what choices can we make in the vineyard and now in the winery that are going to help the vineyard be more itself in the bottle," she said.Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma County Sonoma Coast West Ridge 2019Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma County Sonoma Coast Block 8 2019Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma County Sonoma Coast San Andreas Fault 2019Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma County Sonoma Coast East Ridge 2019Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma County Sonoma Coast Raschen Ridge 2019Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma County Sonoma Coast Reserve 2019Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma County Sonoma Coast The Bohan-Dillon 2019

Chateau Croix de Labrie's owner and winemaker, Pierre Courdurie, tells James about the early spring they experienced and the mildew they encountered in the making of the 2021, which Pierre said reminded him of the conditions they faced when they made the 2011.James asks Pierre for his thoughts on the 2019 vintage, now that the wine has been bottled for a while. Pierre explains that the taste of the wine shows a certain purity, possibly as a result of the biodynamic methods now being used at Chateau Croix de Labrie.

In this Tasting Interview getween James and winemaker Luca Marrone, the two talk about Luca's thoughts on the 2018 and 2019 for Grattamacco, leading to a discussion about seasonal and weather changes, organic farming, and even an unexpected blessing by Mother Nature in September.

James sits down with Bibi Graetz, of the eponymous Tuscan winery, to discuss their 20th anniversary vintage and how their winemaking methods have changed over the years. Bibi says that since the winery was founded in 2020, he has become more “instinctive and aggressive” in meeting the demands of the marketplace, and that in the 20th anniversary vintage, the 2019, “we finally found this elegance we’ve been searching for the last 10 years.”

In this Tasting Interview between James and Scot Bilbro, the winemaker at Marietta Cellars, the two talk about the vineyard, the genre of table wines, how these wines are an homage to Scot’s father, and more. Expressing surprise that California could produce such great-caliber fruit, James says, “I didn’t even know we had vines like that in California."You can find the video interview here.

This Tasting Interview with Eduardo Chadwick, owner of Seña Wines, celebrates the winery's 25th anniversary, and Eduardo talks about his original dream for the winery when he began collaborating on it with Robert Mondavi. They reminisce about Eduardo's very first vintage and the varieties of grapes he planted, which included malbec and more.When asked by James what was the turning point for him, Eduardo says, "Nobody expected that a Chilean wine would age so beautifully." Find out how he put Chile on the world map of premium wines.

In this conversation with Brennon Leighton, vice president of winemaking and viticulture at K Vintners, James tastes and discusses several Washington vintages. Brennon talks about the processes leading up to the final product, and how certain environmental circumstances are reflected in the flavour and tannin maturity of their vintages. With gusto, he claims, "the '20 may be the best vintage I've ever been a part of." K Vintner recognises that Washington's environmental conditions are similar to that of France's Burgundy region, "within 1 degree Fahrenheit during the growing season, and sharing very close soil and drainage conditions. In fact, the 47ºN parallel runs right through both Pommard and the Golden West vineyard." While people usually think of pinot noir in the U.S., Brennon and his team want to change that, believing they have a lot to offer with the synergy of their Old World sensibilities and strong roots in the state.

In this conversation with Caiarossa's managing director, Alexander van Beek, and general manager, Jerome Poisson, James tastes the Caiarossa Toscana Bianco 2019 and Caiarossa Toscana Aria di Caiarossa 2018.Located at 350 meters above sea level, Jerome explains that the windy weather at Caiarossa gives great freshness to their wines, which Alexander notes is present in the 2018. Jerome also compares the 2018 to the 2016 – "a great vintage" – and 2017, which was "a little more complicated due to extreme heat." Alexander adds that the 2018 contains great "precision of the tannins" and there was a lot of focus on having an "aromatic precision with a lot of cleanness."Find out more about Caiarossa and the reason for the shift from biodynamic to organic methods, James' thoughts on the two wines tasted in this interview, and Alexander's comments on demands for Caiarossa in the current global market.

James caught up with Brancaia winemaker Barbara Widmer on Brancaia Toscana Il Blu 2018 and Brancaia Toscana Ilatraia 2018.James was impressed with the 2019 vintages but wanted to know more about the growing seasons in Radda, Chianti. Barbara notes that 2017 was a challenging year, 2018 produced a more balanced wine, while 2019 – the year that Brancaia changed to organic practices – turned out riper.

In this conversation with Gottfried Pollinger, managing director of Nals Magreid, James tastes and discusses the Alto Adige Nama 2016, which was first created in 2010 to embody the character and philosophy of Nals Margreid.This wine was fermented in small oak barrels for 18 months, followed by a 12-month period in still tanks, then aged for one more year in bottles. James finds that there is "very intense fruit and it's quite exotic," perhaps due to the unique blend of chardonnay from the south of Alto Adige, and pinot bianco and sauvignon from the north, near the Alps.The winery is a co-operative of 128 producers, spread over 160 hectares, from which they sourced the best producers of the chardonnay, pinot bianco and sauvignon grapes for the  creation of Nama 2016. A total of 1,800 bottles (plus 50 magnums) were produced from the First Edition, with limited releases to restaurants in the Alto Adige region and also to global markets.Find out more about the Nama 2016 on how its name was derived, goals for this unique white blend, and Gottfried's plans on making a special red blend in the future.

Highlights of James' conversation with winemaker Christophe Baron about Cayuse Vineyards' 2018 vintage. He takes us through why Washington state is so great for syrah, with its variation of valleys and terroir. In his words, the terroir changes so much it's like a chameleon – a comparison James agrees with. "When people think of Washington wine they think of cabernet sauvignon, but I think syrah is gaining momentum," Christophe says.For this year, the winemaker speaks about the effect of foothill-perched stones on the flavor; he stresses how it brings it more umami, an earthy character, and even meatiness. Find out why this Washington vineyard enchanted James in the podcast, or you can watch the Zoom chat here.

James speaks with Helen Keplinger, winemaker at Grace Family Vineyards. This Napa Valley winery is known for producing some of Napa Valley's first cult wines, but the new owner is looking to maintain the property and its operations in the same manner as always.In this Zoom session, James and Helen taste the Grace Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Rutherford Blank 2018, which Helen says "may be the best vintage of Blank." James adds, "It's so delicious ... and then You have this really nice acidity at the end, it's almost like an Italian wine, with a balsamic character to it. That's crazy."Helen notes that the Grace Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2018 is 100% cabernet and that they've refined their pickings for the grapes, resulting in only 150 cases produced for the 2018, and 100 cases for 2019. "I think the '18 is gorgeous, but the '18 is all upper block [of the property]," she says. "The upper block contains rocky, red volcanic soils and the vines there face east. Their struggle against the east produces an intense mineral, well-structured, red-fruit character with an aromatic herbal profile."

James and Emma Swain of St. Supery taste the St. Supery Elu 2018 and RU3 2018 in this  interview.When asked about the difference between the two wines, Emma explains that Elu is "the best wine we make from the vintage from both properties, so it's a combination of Dollarhide: it's got malbec in it and it usually has all five Bordeaux varietals. The RU3 is usually the best that we can make from the [St. Supery] vineyard."After tasting both 2018s, James says: "The 2018s really have this purity of fruit and they're sort of weightless in a way. There's lots of flavor but it's not heavy. I think that's a real sign of '18." Emma agrees, adding:"I think the '17 is like that, too, but I feel like the length of the finish that you get on the '18s is just a little bit plumper and a little bit longer and more seamless." Watch now to hear Emma's thoughts on why Napa's merlots haven't taken off yet, on the lightning strikes at the vineyard, and to find out more about the vineyard's projected releases of cabernets.Tasting notes are available here.

Highlights of James' conversation with Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon on Cristal 2013, which Jean-Baptiste calls "a classic vintage –'13 is the last October harvest in Champagne so it's a long ripening time, which ... makes the champagne more delicate." Overall he says it was a great year for Cristal.When asked for his thoughts on pinot noir versus chardonnay, Jean-Baptiste says, "I really think they are here to compensate each other." James agrees, saying  "I think it's nicely framed with the tannins – just like the '08, but not as intense." Check out their Zoom chat and find out why Jean-Baptiste extracts more phenolics for chardonnay, the differences among the wines tasted in this Zoom session and the notable changes in his wines since switching to a biodynamic process.Watch the Zoom interview here.

James spoke with a number of winemakers from wineries under E. & J. Gallo Winery to learn more about the 2018 and 2019 vintages.Nicole Hitchcock, winemaker at J Vineyards & Winery, said of the 2018s: "The '18s ... especially the pinots took a while to come together and express themselves. But they've really started to shine in the last six to nine months or so, and I'm pleased with how they're unfolding."When asked about the influence of the weather on the 2018 vintage, David Coventry, the winemaker at Talbott Vineyards, comments: "It was an absolutely beautiful year. More and more the coolest years are producing the wines with the great amount of detail and the most finesse, especially for people who make chardonnay and pinot."Learn more about the making of – and each winemaker's perspective on – the 2018s and 2019s. Hear from Gina Gallo, winemaker at Gallo Family Vineyards Sonoma Reserve; Scott Kozel, VP of Coastal Winemaking at E. & J. Gallo Winery; Michael Eddy, director of winemaking at Louis M. Martini Winery; Katie Vogt, winemaker at Pahlmeyer; and Mark Williams, winemaker for William Hill Estate and Mount Peak Winery.The interview video is available here.

In James' recent conversation with winemaker Lorenzo Scavino of Azelia Wines, they talk about the effect of the weather on the 2017 harvest. Despite a 50-day drought, the old vines at Azelia Wines weren't affected much due to their deep roots.Lorenzo notes that the 2017 has a "freshness and acidity that nobody was expecting." When asked if the winery had changed any part of its production process, Lorenzo states that no big changes were made aside from increasing the time of maceration.Of the 2017, James says "Your wines are tannic but they're good tannins." He then adds, "you really have a nice combination of intense tannins, but they're not overly astringent or dry." Lorenzo agrees, saying "Barolos have to have tannins for sure, but it must be a sweet ... and that's due to the phenolic ripening."Here are the tasting notes:Azelia Barolo Bricco Fiasco 2017Azelia Barolo San Rocco 2017Azelia Barolo Margheria 2017Azelia Barolo Cerretta 2017

While tasting the Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Proprietary Red 2018, which has the highest percentage of Stagecoach that Pahlmeyer has ever seen in a Proprietary Red, James notes that there's a presence of fine, silky tannins, compared with coarse tannins from previous wines, which winemaker Katie Vogt puts down to "phenomenal fruit" and  "impeccable farming."She adds: "My perspective on blending is really managing that finish and managing those tannins. I think these wines are big and opulent, but I think it's important to have a little bit of acid and balance in the tannin." James agrees, saying "there's a real transparency and weightlessness to it."Listen to their chat to find out Katie's preference between the 2018 and 2019,  her thoughts on syrah, and both her and James' comments while tasting Pahlmayer's Chardonnay 2019.

On June 15, James tasted with Federica Boffa and Cesare Benvenuto of Pio Cesare the special release of the Pio Cesare Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba 2017 and Barolo Riserva 2000 in time for the winery's 140th anniversary.Federica notes that only 1,881 bottles of di Serralunga 2017 were produced – a nod to the founding year of the cellar. The wine was created from a blend of grapes from four vineyards in Serralunga d'Alba: Bonato, Briccolina, La Serra and Lirano.She also mentions that the 2017 is similar to the 2015 in terms of power and structure. After tasting the wine, James agrees with this, despite the 2016's appeal with its fine tannins and approachability. He also declares the 2015/16/17 the first trilogy since the 88/89/90 Barolos.The tasting interview video is available here.

In April James tasted the Bordeaux 2020 barrel samples with Philippe Sereys de Rothschild (owner of Chateau Mouton Rothschild), Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy (Estates Manager for the three Bordeaux properties – Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Clerc Milon and Chateau d'Armailhac), and Ariane Khaida (Executive Director, Chateaux Wines – Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Clerc Milon, Chateau d'Armailhac and Domaine de Baronarques).James describes the Chateau Mouton (when compared to Le Petit Mouton) as "much tighter-grain tannins... still vertical but many more layers of tannins, it just spreads across your palate." There's a "warm vintage character to it but still cool at the same time." Chateau Clerc Milon came through with plush tannins, which resulted in a flavor that was "more primary," full of pure fruit. Watch the video to hear more on their conversation and to discover their thoughts on the 2020 vintages, plus the compositions of each wine, at https://www.jamessuckling.com/videos/video-tasting-interview-tasting-2020-vintages-chateau-mouton-rothschild/

Over a Zoom in late April, James talked about the Bordeaux 2020 vintages from Chateau Lafite Rothschild with Saskia de Rothschild (chairwoman), Eric Kohler (technical director) and Juliette Couderc (technical manager). Juliette mentioned that they had lowered the amount of oak that the wine received to 50% from the original 70-80% in order to "keep the juiciness and acidity in the wine."James also asks about the making of the Rieussec Sauternes, to which Juliette replied that the grapes were already very mature when it came time to harvest and this influenced their decision to produce a limited bottling. They looked for the "beautiful confit from the noble rot" and a good acidic balance – a challenge that they will face again this year because of frost.In the making of the l'Evangile 2020, Saskia said that the technical managers had divided the plots to refine the selection and provide the best support for the vines. They also faced a real challenge in oaking the wine but not overdoing it in order to keep freshness and balance. James says of the l'Evangile, "I already want to drink it. That's a good sign."Check out this Zoom video for more details on why the alcohol level in Chateau Lafite Rothschild's wines doesn't rise above 13%, about the composition of the wines tasted and Saskia's thoughts on pricing.The Zoom video is available at https://www.jamessuckling.com/videos/video-tasting-interview-tasting-2020-vintages-saskia-de-rothschild-eric-kohler-juliette-couderc-chateau-lafite-rothschild/

James recently spoke with Tim and Carissa Mondavi, a father-daughter duo who run Continuum Estate on Pritchard Hill, which overlooks San Francisco Bay.Carissa reflects on the vintages before 2018: they lost half of their crop to Mother Nature for the 2015, 20% of the crop was lost in 2016, and in 2017 they weren't able to use all the fruit because some of it was still on the vines, which were lost to the fires that year.The 2018, however, seemed to be a gift after these challenging years. August and September were unusually cool, which left an "imprint of finesse and nuance and vibrance that this vintage of Continuum really manifests," Tim said. Carissa added that this was "an abundant vintage for us" due to the surplus of rain that fell in 2018.Watch their Zoom session to see which grape type worked out the best for them despite the ever-changing weather conditions, learn about which vinification process they use at Continuum Estate, and which vintage to date is their favorite.To watch the video interview, please visit https://www.jamessuckling.com/videos/video-tasting-interview-tim-carissa-mondavi-2018-vintage-2018-continuum/

James and Luca Currado, winemaker at Vietti Winery in Castiglione Falletto, discuss the 2017 Vietti vintage.Luca describes the 2017 as "very luxury, opulent [wine with] incredible freshness." The weather for the 2017 was similar to this year's with an early bud break, a short cold winter, and a touch of frost in Piedmont. He adds "[the] acidity never fell down the grape," meaning that despite the weather, the quality and flavors of the grapes weren't affected negatively in any way. In fact, he finds the tannins in the 2017 incredibly silky, and very enjoyable, albeit not as outstanding as the 2015.But does Luca think the 2017 completes a trilogy with the 2015 and 2016 vintages? Watch their conversation to find out.

In January James spoke with the Chateau Palmer CEO Thomas Duroux about the 2018 vintage, and its metamorphosis from a highly concentrated wine when James first tasted the en primeur sample, into a fantastic wine. The 2018 was a challenge for Duroux as they could only retain 11% of the total crop due to mildew pressure. However the transformation in the wine was due to the two stages of elevage that Duroux and his team implemented: 10 months in barrel to strengthen the wine, followed by 10 more months 'en foudre' (a large wooden vat significantly bigger than typical oak barrels). "You're right, the wine was quite strange when we presented en primeur - it was like a beast that had to be educated," said Duroux. "Elevage was crucial to manage the power of this wine."Listen to their conversation for more details on how Duroux tamed and refined his 2018 wine, and read the tasting note below.Château Palmer Margaux 2018Read James' full report on the 2018 Bordeaux vintage here. 

In January this year, James spoke with Bruno Borie and Cecile Dupuis at Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou to talk about the 2018 vintage and taste their wines from the vintage. The 2018 was probably the most concentrated vintage produced at the estate to date, due to the intense weather in the St.-Julien region with little rain. As well as tasting and describing the usual range of wines, Borie also introduces a new wine, the Madame de Beaucaillou, which comes from some newly purchased vineyards outside of the estate's vineyards in St-Julien, and will act as an entry wine with a shelf price of about 20 euros. "It's a friendly wine!" explains Borie. The Ducru-Beaucaillou 2018 was the star of the tasting though. "...a dense, deep palate that goes on and on, but is still shy and reserved ... ultra fine, cashmere-like tannins that are silky, sleek and wonderfully integrated," wrote James in his tasting note. Listen to their discussion about each of the following wines.Château Ducru-Beaucaillou St.-Julien 2018Le Petit Ducru de Ducru-Beaucaillou St.-Julien 2018Madame de Beaucaillou Haut-Médoc 2018La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou St.-Julien 2018Read James' full report on the 2018 Bordeaux vintage here. 

James recently held a Zoom tasting session with Pietro Ratti, the owner of Renato Ratti, to discuss the 2017 vintage. Pietro describes it as "kind of a surprise," and fresh at the end, which he attributes to the vineyard's proximity to the sea. He also explains that the 2017 growing season was 185 days – just long enough to ripen. The average season for Renato Ratti is 200 days, and the shortest recorded was 170 days. The weather during the 2017 growing season was also extremely warm and humid, with only a short period of rain to freshen the vines, Pietro said.He also barrels his wines for 24 months, which is longer than most wineries, to encourage reductive winemaking. As they taste the wines, James finds that this method of winemaking has resulted in fine tannins, with clear, beautiful fruit. Pietro adds that there is also a floral aroma in this warm vintage – a characteristic more normally found in colder vintages. His goal is to produce wines that have less power but more elegance, which he said shows in the 2017 vintages.Listen to the podcast to find out their thoughts on the Conca, Marcenasco and Rocche dell'Annunziata 2017s. Here are the tasting notes:Renato Ratti Barolo Conca 2017Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco 2017Renato Ratti Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata 2017

James speaks with Tod Mostero, director of viticulture and winemaking at Dominus Estate, about the climate conditions encountered during the creation of the 2018 vintage.Tod explains that "California is a dry summer climate, and because of that the soils essentially go dormant. What I mean is that the microbiological activity from June through October essentially ... there's not a lot of microbiological activity. That's totally different than what's happening in Bordeaux  or any other climate where you'd have summer rain. So the way the rain falls and when it falls is really important to the microbiological activity, which is linked to mineralization and the release of minerals for the vines for their growth period." Check out their conversation for more details on an early bud break and the intense harvest at Dominus Estate.

In this Tasting Interview, Paul Jaboulet Aine owner Caroline Frey talks about the company's experience in harvesting grapes and vines for Paul Jaboulet Aine Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert 2019, and the weather challenges they faced – a sudden hailstorm in June followed by a short period of hot and dry weather, which resulted in a dense and concentrated vintage and short picking period. She also talks about the results from annual comparisons conducted between their organic and biodynamic vines, and gives her thoughts on the 2019 vintage in general.Tasting Notes for James' and Caroline's tasting of the Domaine de Thalabert 2018 and 2019 are available in this Weekly Tasting Report. Watch the full conversation now at JamesSuckling.com.

James and Alex Stewart ( Winemaker) discuss the Quilceda Creek 2018 Vintage.Watch their conversation to see why Alex "bleeds the tanks" and to learn more about his thoughts on how the 2019 and 2020 compare. James also mentions that, compared to the 2017, the 2018 is "really subtle and complex." Alex agrees with this saying that it has "more minerality than 2017, a lot more dried fruit and aromatics."Watch the full conversation at JamesSuckling.com. 

James and Champagne de Venoge CEO Gilles Morisson de la Bassetiere recently tasted the 2012 and 2014 vintages over Zoom. Gilles explains his thoughts on the aging of the 2008 Vintage and how the 2012 compares.Gilles also introduces the history of the "decanter"-style bottle of the Grand Vin de Prince, and explains how global warming has influenced their fermentation methods. Have a listen to their conversation in this video.Here are the tasting notes:De Venoge Champagne Louis XV Brut 2012De Venoge Champagne Princes Brut Rose 2014De Venoge Champagne Princes Blanc de Blancs 2014De Venoge Champagne Louis XV Brut Rose 2012This Tasting Interview video is available at https://www.jamessuckling.com/videos/tasting-interview-tasting-2012-2014-champagne-de-venoge-rose-gilles-morisson-de-la-bassetiere/ 

On April 10 James spoke with Croix de Labrie's owner Pierre Courdurie over Zoom to discuss the unusual frost that hit some of the vineyards in Bordeaux, and to taste some of the excellent 2020 wines from the small winery, a vintage that proved to be another winner for the estate. With 3% cabernet sauvignon in the wine, it shows some rethinking in blends due to changes in the weather patterns.The 2020 wines are proving to be the third excellent year in a row for producers from Bordeaux, with balance and tension. These wines are perhaps slightly less flamboyant than the 2018s and more along the lines of the 2019s that had fantastic freshness and linear phenolic character.Here are the tasting notes.Château Croix de Labrie St.-Emilion 2020Croix de Labrie Bordeaux Blanc Stella Solare 2020Les Hauts de Croix de Labrie St.-Emilion 2020The video interview is available now at JamesSuckling.com.

On April 10 James spoke with Croix de Labrie's owner Pierre Courdurie over Zoom to discuss the unusual frost that hit some of the vineyards in Bordeaux, and to taste some of the excellent 2020 wines from the small winery, a vintage that proved to be another winner for the estate. With 3% cabernet sauvignon in the wine, it shows some rethinking in blends due to changes in the weather patterns.The 2020 wines are proving to be the third excellent year in a row for producers from Bordeaux, with balance and tension. These wines are perhaps slightly less flamboyant than the 2018s and more along the lines of the 2019s that had fantastic freshness and linear phenolic character.Take a listen of the full conversation and read the tasting notes below. The video interview is available on JamesSuckling.com.Château Croix de Labrie St.-Emilion 2020Croix de Labrie Bordeaux Blanc Stella Solare 2020Les Hauts de Croix de Labrie St.-Emilion 2020

On April 20 James and consulting enologist Hubert de Bouard (who owns the famous St.-Emilion winery Chateau Angelus and consults for a range of wineries such as Chateaux Chantegrive in the Graves appellation and Fieuzal in Pessac-Leognan) discussed the Bordeaux 2020 and how the weather positively affected the growth of the merlot – much more so than cabernet – before harvest.“I have to say it is a merlot year,” said Hubert de Bouard, “The merlot is great in the Medoc too."The video is available now at JamesSuckling.com.

James spoke with Philippe Bascaules of Chateau Margaux on April 16, about the 2020 Bordeaux vintage, which so far has provided excellent wines, on a par with 2018 and 2019. Bascaules noted that the grapes were slightly smaller than in 2019. “We knew that the yields would be slightly lower in 2020,” he said, adding that the flowering was two weeks early. But the big event in grape growing in 2020 was the very dry summer. “We had intense drought for two months. I don’t think we have ever seen that. For 50 days, we had no rain.”His wine, the 2020 Chateau Margaux, was the best en primeur sample James had tasted at the time of tasting, describing it as a “wonderful combination of refinement and power.”Check out the video on JamesSuckling.com for more details from their conversation and see the wine note below.Château Margaux Margaux 2020

I heard last week about Will Harlan taking over the helm of his family’s wine business which includes such prestigious wineries as Harlan, Bond, and Promontory. I wasn’t surprised with the change as his dynamic dad, Bill, hit 80. He must need a break after all he has achieved in the wine world. I have known Will for some time now and appreciate his energy and connection to what’s going-on in fine wine and the world at large. So I had to ask him a few questions about his thoughts for now and the future of wine world, Napa Valley and the world at large. Here is a video of quick Zoom call on Tuesday April 13 morning at 7 am:  https://www.jamessuckling.com/videos/will-harlans-view-future-harlan-promontory-bond-napa/

On January 21, James conducted a Tasting Interview over Zoom with Eric Kohler of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau l'Evangile and Chateau Duhart-Milon to taste their 2018 wines, the latest to be released. As you can read in James' special report on the Bordeaux 2018 vintage here, it was a great vintage, with much to admire and enjoy in the wines. But as Kohler describes here, the growing season was "unbalanced" with permanent rains from May to mid-July followed by hot and dry conditions later, causing shock in the vineyards. So the challenges were significant."But the great surprise was that during the aging, all the wines went back to a classic style," said Kohler. This was especially the case for the Duhart-Milon 2018, which showed a classic Bordeaux style, despite being a very non-classic vintage. James commented that he thought the Duhart-Milon was probably the best ever made. The Carruades de Lafite 2018 was a 'cooler' wine, which came about through great precision in the vineyard, throughout the year, not only at harvest time, allowing the terroir's style to come through. "It will always be a second wine, but we are finding a great balance between the concentration and precision," said Kohler. The Chateau Lafite 2018 - with a new bottle and label - showed the usual tobacco and blackcurrant notes, but also this year showed graphite and stone notes too, James noted, showing how the vineyards had been fine-tuned in this difficult year especially. And l'Evangile 2018 was a rich wine but very balanced, and despite frost and mildew in the growing season and only half a harvest, came through in a classic style, with plush fruits and fine tannins. Click the wines below for the full tasting notes. (Subscribers only)Carruades de Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 2018Château Duhart-Milon Rothschild Pauillac 2018Château Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 2018Château L'Evangile Pomerol 2018The video is now available at https://www.jamessuckling.com/videos/video-tasting-interview-chateau-lafite-rothschilds/

On March 23 James tasted a new single-plot cabernet sauvignon with Charles de Bournet of Chile’s Lapostolle and Clos Apalta.  de Bournet is exploring this concept from his vineyards that were planted in 1910 and plans to release several hundred cases. The wine is a stunner and highlights the unique terroir of the Apalta vineyard and it’s ungrafted, old vines. Bournet explained that La Parcelle 8 Vieilles Vignes is the original plot of vineyards of the winery that convinced his parents to develop their wine projects in Chile. And the Lapostolle Apalta La Parcelle 8 Vieilles Vignes 2015 is a late release showing beautiful drinkability now but lots of age-worthiness. “2018 was like a Christmas gift from Santa,” said winemaker Andrea Leon of Clos Apalta and Lapostolle who was also present on the Zoom call. “The 2018 was wonderful for us. We had a wet enough winter. Not too much or too little. We had a little bit of rain in the springtime to come along with the growth of the grape…it was really a wonderful harvest along with the 2005. The 2018 was everything that you could wish for to make wines that were fully ripe but have a lot of elegance and freshness.The wine tasting note is below.LAPOSTOLLE APALTA LA PARCELLE 8 VIEILLES VIGNES 2015Take a look at the Tasting Interview at https://www.jamessuckling.com/videos/lapostolle-new-cabernet/

We already know that the 2018 vintage is a winner in Napa Valley and on April 8 James tasted a handful of wines from Dana Estates, one of the cult wine producers of the region, while interviewing winemaker Chris Cooney over Zoom. James found the wines to be some of the best he has rated so far from 2018. And the two single-vineyard wines, Helms Vineyard and Lotus Vineyard, showed incredible depth and intensity with fantastically strong yet polished, fine tannins that gave the wine form and beauty. They didn’t produce a wine from Hershey Vineyard in 2018 due to some concerns of smoke from fires north of Napa that had settled in their highest vineyards in Howell Mountain.“It was a vintage with this combination of almost perfect heat and still being a cooler vintage and the wines expressed that,” said Cooney. “They are wines that have a little more energy and those secondary notes that you don’t see for cabernet sauvignons. They had left layers to the wines … my favorite part about the wines are that they have such bright acidity … they are a touch more approachable than 2016 and 2017.”See the wines notes below.Dana Estates Napa Valley Lotus Vineyard 2018Dana Estates Napa Valley Rutherford Helms Vineyard 2018Dana Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Onda 2018Dana Estates Napa Valley Howell Mountain Hershey Vineyard White 2018The video interview is available at https://www.jamessuckling.com/videos/video-james-suckling-tastes-dana-estates-2018-wines/

James had many productive and insightful tastings and interviews with winemakers from Napa Valley over Zoom in preparation for his Napa report which you can read here. One important one was with Mark Aubert who arguably makes some of the best chardonnay in America now. The Aubert Chardonnay Napa Valley Sugar Shack Estate Vineyard 2017 was the No. 2 wine in our list of Top 100 Wines of the United States 2020 and is on par with some of the top chardonnays in the world, including the most coveted bottles from Burgundy. All his wines are on allocation.During the call, they tasted a range of 2018 wines and James said the Aubert Chardonnay Sonoma County Sonoma Coast Lauren Estate 2018, from the oldest vines of Aubert, is possibly the greatest American chardonnay ever - it is the first white wine from the USA to receive a coveted 100-point rating here at JamesSuckling.com. Aubert Wines produces great chardonnay and pinot noir wines from Napa and Sonoma, and Mark is the owner and winemaker. He grew up in Napa Valley and he started his career in 1989 as an assistant winemaker at Peter Michael. Mark's wines have a focused balance of flavor and purity - the essence of his wine is rooted in his relationship with the land. Watch the video to hear James and Mark discuss the 2018 vintage, the phenomenal quality of Napa chardonnay, and more.You can also watch the video interview at JamesSuckling.com:  https://www.jamessuckling.com/videos/tasting-interview-mark-aubert/

On March 11 James had an incredible Tasting Interview with Vitalie Taittinger, one of the owners of Champagne Taittinger and the producer of the incredible Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2008. James was wowed by the wine, saying it is the best blanc de blanc he has had in a long time - maybe ever.“It’s the expression of chardonnay that is super pure,” agreed Taittinger. “In the beginning you feel the youth of the wine. And you are on the energy of the chardonnay. And you have something that is pure and precise. Then you feel it is a large wine but then very straight … then you wait for the second life of the wine in your glass. And the complexity and the years that are precious to the wine start appearing.”They also tasted the Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2011, which will be released in September, and it was a more linear and mineral young Champagne than the 2008 and had outstanding drive, as well as various other wines.Take a look at the full conversation above and view the tasting notes by clicking the wines below. Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2008Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2011The video interview is available at https://www.jamessuckling.com/videos/video-best-blanc-de-blanc-time-tasting-taittinger-2008-comtes-de-champagne/

On April 8 James spoke with Michel Rolland to discuss the quality of the 2020 vintage in Bordeaux. James is currently tasting hundreds of the 2020 wines, all of which have been flown into Hong Kong from France. This is the second year James has tasted barrel samples from Bordeaux in Hong Kong due to the COVID pandemic instead of being in France. The 2020 vintage is already looking like an excellent one and compares favorably to 2019 and 2018.“We have a reputation in Bordeaux to say the last vintage is the best one,” said Rolland by Zoom from his laboratory in Pomerol. "But we did 2018, 2019 and now 2020 … after we did our tastings in the Spring I can say it is a really great vintage. It is different than 2019 with more freshness, more tension, more balance. It’s a good one. May be a bit less powerful than 2019 but it made really great wine. I think that we can call it a trilogy now [three consecutive high quality vintages: 2018, 2019 and 2020].”Watch the video at https://www.jamessuckling.com/videos/good-bordeaux-2020-michel-rolland-james-suckling-discuss-en-primeurs/ 

The Loss of A Friend in Piedmont (April 18, 2021)Last night I opened a bottle of 1982 Pio Cesare Barolo with my wife Marie in Hong Kong in memory of our dear friend Pio Boffa. His family has owned the outstanding Piedmont producer of Pio Cesare since 1881, but he took the winery in the town of Alba to a whole new level of quality and transformed its reputation globally.Pio died on Saturday from COVID in Italy. He was 66 years old.--------------------------------------------On March 19, James did an interview and tasting with owner Pio Boffa of Pio Cesare to taste some great wines from the 2017 vintage. Pio Boffa is the fourth generation winemaker of Pio Cesare. The family began cultivating grapes in 1881 and has always insisted on making the best-quality wines made from the best quality grapes.Pio said 2017 was a top vintage thanks to a periodically cooler August after the hot and dry weather they experienced during the summer. He added that the vintage was nothing like the 2003s, which were slightly jammy and lacked some freshness. Instead, the 2017 wines are bright and vivid with solid tannins to frame the wines.James rated the Pio Cesare Barolo Ornato 2017 and the Pio Cesare Barolo Mosconi 2017 both 98 points. He described the full-bodied Ornato as "extremely perfumed with dark berries, cherries, strawberries and crushed stones," and the Mosconi as "tight and very tannic with a fine-grained texture and a long, intense finish."Below are the wines tasted during the call. Click the links to see the tasting notes and scores (subscribers only).Pio Cesare Barbaresco 2017Pio Cesare Barolo 2017Pio Cesare Barolo Ornato 2017Pio Cesare Barolo Mosconi 2017Pio Cesare Barbaresco Il Bricco 2017

The 2018 vintage produced some great wines in Bordeaux and one of the perfect wines of the vintage was  the Château Lafleur Pomerol 2018, which James tasted over Zoom earlier this year with Omri Ram, winemaker and viticulturist at Chateau Lafleur.James described the tannins as extremely fine, like silk. "It has a refined tannin structure and finesse that draws you deep and down in the palate," he said. Ram agreed, emphasizing how Lafleur wines are all about "tannin texture and memory".The winery, located  Pomerol, is unclassified, but is one of the great producers of the region. It is a legend. Watch the video to hear the highlights of the conversation and see what they thought of the wines.Below are the wines tasted during the call. Click the link to see the tasting notes and scores (subscribers only).Château Lafleur Pomerol 2018Les Perrières de Lafleur Bordeaux 2018Pensées de Lafleur Pomerol 2018Château Grand Village Bordeaux 2018

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGOn February 23 James did a tasting and Zoom interview with the team at Napa's Colgin Cellars. Located high atop Pritchard Hill in Napa, the spectacular winery is one of the premier wine producers in California and their Napa Valley IX Estate 2016 wine was the No. 8 wine in the JamesSuckling.com Top 100 Wines of USA in 2019. During the interview they tasted a few of the 2018 wines and talked about the vintage. The complexity and intensity of the wines highlight the excellence of the 2018 vintage in Napa, and the nature of the 2018s can be attributed to the relatively long and even grape-growing season. Read James' full Napa report here.“The wines don’t necessarily go towards the absolute full-bodied part of the spectrum,” said Paul Roberts, chief operating officer at Colgin Cellars. “They have density but they also have a little bit of this richness without heaviness. They’re super intellectual but they’re not ponderous. I think that it’s the vintage and also the continued evolution of our [vineyard] sites and how we look at them. I think that 18 is going to be a vintage that’s hard to make a comparison.” One of the four Colgin wines James rated was a perfect 100-point wine, and all the wines showed a great expression of their individual terroirs. They also discussed the 2019 vintage and spoke about how their 2018 wines can be drunk young and old. On the call was Ann Colgin, founder and co-CEO, her husband, Joe Wender, co-CEO, Allison Tauziet, director of winemaking and Paul Roberts, COO and master sommelier.Listen to the podcast for the full conversation and tasting.

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGOn March 9 James interviewed John Olney, head winemaker & COO at Ridge Vineyards, along with David Amadia, president, and tasted a range of their newest releases. The wines highlighted the California winery’s continued success at making intense yet balanced wines. "The power [of Ridge Monte Bello] comes from the concentration and not the alcohol or ripeness,” said Amadia. “It is a different type of power."James said the wines were very drinkable, with the zinfandels showing richness and agility, while the Monte Bellos were some of the longtime best wines produced from the State. They also shared thoughts on the 2018 and 2019 vintages in Napa, with the 2019 being more fruit-forward, reminding John of 1997 which produced friendly, fruity wines.Ridge is one of the few producers that label the ingredients in each wine, which itself puts this winery among a rare breed.

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGOn March 5 James interviewed Renzo Cotarella, general manager and head winemaker at Marchesi Antinori, the iconic Tuscan winery. They tasted a selection of 2018 wines, including the Marchesi Antinori Toscana Solaia 2018. It was the smallest production of Solaia ever, and James was especially impressed with the liveliness and length of this great wine. "In 2018, we probably produced some of our best wine ever," Renzo said. They also tasted the Marchesi Antinori Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso 2018 and the Marchesi Antinori Toscana Tignanello 2018, both of which were also excellent, with James describing the former as "layered with beautiful fruit and density", and the latter as medium-bodied and "aromatic with flowers, such as cherry blossoms and roses."Check out the full podcast to listen to the tastings, and to hear James and Renzo also discuss how the 2018 vintage was for Toscana. "The 2018s have a finesse, with personality and intensity, but not too rich," Renzo said. He also revealed that the vintage was not as good in Brunello di Montalcino and explained why.

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGJames tasted the soon-to-be-released 2017 wine from China’s excellent Ao Yun winery on March 9, 2021, and he says it is the best ever from this LVMH-owned estate. Tasting with the winery’s estate manager and technical director Maxence Dulou, who came to James Suckling Wine Central in Hong Kong, James considered the difference between the 2017 and the excellent 2016. Dulou said the improvement with each new vintage is a good sign. “It shows we are going in a good direction. We want to compete with ourselves, to get the best of this terroir.”Listen to the podcast for the full conversation and tasting. 

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGOn February 5, James interviewed Napa winemaker and consulting enologist Helen Keplinger on her project with Cristie Kerr, the professional golfer and vintner. Kerr Cellars makes a range of wines from well-structured sauvignon blancs and chardonnays to balanced and thoughtful pinot noirs and cabernet sauvignons. They use grapes from both Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Helen also discussed the excellence and complexity of the 2018 vintage as well as 2019 and a lot more. They tasted through a range of the new releases from Kerr. Listen to the podcast for the full conversation and tasting. Read James' full Napa report here.

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGJames interviewed on February 1 Deputy Managing Director Jean Philippe Delmas of Chateau Haut-Brion, Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion and Chateau Quintus, to taste a selection of their 2018 wines, which is a top vintage. The 2018s show excellent balance and have intense ripeness yet maintain their Bordeaux personality with characters reflective of their appellations and terroirs. Delmas in turn described how balance is a key quality for winemakers now, and said the tools winemakers have today allow them to be a lot more precise. They also talked about global warming’s impact on winemaking. “When you have such a challenging year, terroir is stronger than the winemaker,” Delmas said. The wines they tasted were the Chateau Haut-Brion Rouge, Le Clarence de Haut-Brion, Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion rouge, La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion, Chateau Quintus and Le Dragon de Quintus. Listen to the full podcast to hear the highlights of the conversation and see what they thought of the wines.

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGInternational wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling recently tasted with negociant François Thienpont and his son Edward, who distribute the Thienpont family property wines and also represent lesser-known chateaux that produce wines of the same quality as the most illustrious growths. The Bordeaux 2018 wines are proving to be every bit as great as James suspected they would be back when he rated the wines from barrel in Spring 2019.   François described the 2018 vintage as “very powerful and integrated,” while James said wines from the 2018 vintage "have such a full mid-palate that give this beautiful sort of unctuous gourmand character to it." One of the highlights of the tasting was the L’If St.-Emilion 2018, from the same ownership as the legendary Le Pin from Pomerol. James said it is clearly the best wine ever from here, which has only been producing wines since its first official vintage in 2011.Listen to the full podcast for the full conversation and tasting, which included various wines that are listed below. THE WINES TASTED:Château Puygueraud Francs Côtes de Bordeaux Cuvée George 2018Château Puygueraud Francs Côtes de Bordeaux Blanc 2018L’Etoile Lalande-de-Pomerol 2018La Violette du Manoir Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 2018Château Pavie-Macquin St.-Emilion 2018L’If St.-Emilion 2018

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGIn September 2020 James did a tasting with Gaia and Giovanni Gaja, fifth-generation owners of Gaja. They discussed Barolo, Barbaresco and Brunello in 2015, 2016 and 2017, while tasting a selection of their wines. James was impressed with the wines. Two top bottles led the pack, the Gaja Barbaresco Sori San Lorenzo 2017 and the Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello Di Montalcino Rennina 2015. Gaja’s delivery of these top-rated wines from different regions is a convincing reminder of their winemaking credentials. The Gaja Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo 2017 points to the quality of the newly-released 2017 vintage in Barbaresco, with such attractive aromas of fresh rose petals, strawberries and citrus. The Gaja family’s Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino Rennina 2015 joins an esteemed list of great 2015 vintage Brunello wines. This is a powerful and fully articulated Brunello which is “extremely perfumed … full-bodied, extremely tight and refined with superb tannin quality that shows polish, finesse and beauty.” James declared this a landmark, the “best wine ever from here.” They also tasted a string of other highly-rated Barbaresco, Barolo and Brunello wines. The Barbaresco Sorì Tildìn 2017 is a standout and is “extremely perfumed with strawberries, flowers, cherries and hints of ash and tar.” The 2017 Gaja Barbaresco had “glorious aromas of flowers, crushed berries, strawberries and dried herbs” said James, and “a wonderfully curated, polished tannin structure and backbone.”From Barolo, the Gaja Sperss 2016 is “very floral and refined with dried cherry, strawberry, smoke and spice." The intensity and focus of this wine is a hallmark of Barolo 2016. Meanwhile, from Brunello, the Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille 2015 is a “fantastically structured, serious 2015 Brunello," James said.Gaia and Giovanni said they are happy with their current harvest, and they discussed the differences and similarities between the 2015 and 2016 with James. They also talked about their renewed focus on boosting biodiversity and sustainability, and more.Listen to the full podcast to hear more of the conversation and see what they thought of the wines.

We just published our latest Weekly Tasting Report which includes the world launch of California wines and global blends from Australia’s formidable winery, Penfolds. James spoke with the winery's Chief Winemaker Peter Gago while tasting four of the new releases: the Penfolds Quantum Bin 98 and Bin 149, which are global blends of wines from Australia and California, and the Bin 704 and Bin 600, which are pure California wines. You can read more about the tasting in the link above, as well as the nearly 360 other wines tasted in the previous week. Listen to the podcast to hear what James and Peter had to say about these innovative new wines. 

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGA few months ago we announced the best 100 wines of the world in 2020 in our Top 100 Wines of 2020 report, and top of the list was Argentina’s Chacra Pinot Noir Patagonia Treinta y Dos 2018. As well as winning our Wine of the Year award, it was also our Argentine wine of the year. We gave a special nod to this great pinot of Chacra because it is also from biodynamically farmed grapes and from a special place at the end of the world in Patagonia.The man behind this wine is Piero Incisa della Rocchetta, who founded Bodega Chacra in 2004 and is also one of the shareholders of Italy’s famous Tuscan estate of Tenuta San Guido, producers of Sassicaia. He and James had a discussion about this amazing wine and discussed the winery's goal to create wines that express the climate, micro-climate, and terroir of Argentina’s Rio Negro region of Patagonia. Chacra's pinot noir vineyards were originally planted in 1932 ("treinta y dos") and they are now organically certified. Piero's spectacular pinots show there’s more to Argentina’s excellent red wines than bold, bright malbecs.In this podcast, you can hear them taste the Chacra Pinot Noir Patagonia Treinta y Dos 2018 and talk about some of the factors that made the wine so good and how biodynamic practices influenced the wine. "If you work very hard, excellence can be achieved and that lifts everyone up," commented Piero. Listen to the podcast for the full discussion.

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGJames recently tasted and spoke with his old friend Tor Kenward and Jeff Ames, proprietor and winemaker at Tor Kenward Family Wines over Zoom. The quality of the 2018 vintage in Napa Valley was on full show. Particularly at a winery such as Tor, which makes only a few barrels of each wine and pays such close attention to the entire winemaking process from vine to bottle, the 2018s were a beautiful example of how small-production, single-vineyard wines can really shine in a top-quality year. They spend the first part of the interview discussing the harrowing moments of last year’s fires - James finds out his friend was okay and that he lives near James’s house in St. Helena - then they discuss 2018 with its ups and downs but great wines. They also discuss the quality of 2019, which is another winner like 2018. Tor Kenward Family Wines was founded in 2001 by Tor Kenward and his wife Susan who put their efforts into single-vineyard wines from the best lots of the best vineyards. During the call, James, Tor and Jeff tasted a selection of wines that showed great diversity. "2018 is about as good as it gets," Tor said, while James particularly enjoyed the Tor Napa Valley Pure Magic Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard 2018, a new super selection from Vine Hill Ranch, one of James' favorite vineyards in the Oakville AVA with a long history of making great wines. They also talked about the 2019 vintage, the horrendous 2020 fires and more. Listen to the full podcast to hear the highlights of the conversation and see what they thought of the wines.Read James' full Napa report here, and check out our top 10 chardonnays of the Carneros AVA here. 

On February 4, 2021, James did a radio interview on KFBK radio in Sacramento, the capital of California, with Cristina Mendonsa. James dialed in from his home in Hong Kong and talked about his incredible life and ongoing projects. They also talked about his MasterClass and James revealed new trends in the wine industry as well as the surprising wine he's enjoying right now. Pour a glass of your favorite wine and take a listen. 

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGInternational wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling recently released his Napa and Sonoma report focusing on the 2018 vintage. As part of his research, he spoke to two big-name wineries together to find out more about their "secret" project they have been working on together. DVO is a new joint venture between Napa winery Dalla Valle and Tuscan winery Ornellaia, and their first wine will be released in 2021. Tuscany’s Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is a jewel of the Frescobaldi family estates, making wines that are not only among the best of Italy, but also some of the most collectible and sought after in the world. In turn, Dalla Valle Vineyards is one of Napa Valley’s most admired family-run wineries. These two 'first growths' of Tuscany and Napa Valley are now combining their skills to create a new wine, that James described as "a beautiful first release, refined and with a beautiful sensibility". In this exclusive podcast, you can hear James speak to Axel Heinz, winemaker at Ornellaia, and Naoko Dalla Valle and Maya Dalla Valle, founder and director respectively (and mother and daughter) at Dalla Valle. Listen in to hear how this collaboration came about and to hear details of this first wine (tasting note below) and of the 2018 vintage.  DVO Napa Valley Rutherford 2018Read the full Napa report here: NEW NAPA VALLEY WINES HIGHLIGHT HARMONY AND REFINEMENT WITH 2018 VINTAGE (1,093 WINES RATED)

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGInternational wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling recently tasted a selection of Domaine de Chevalier 2018 reds and whites with owner Olivier Bernard and his son Adrien Bernard. Domaine de Chevalier is a jewel of an estate nestled deep in the pine trees of Bordeaux’s Pessac-Léognan with a long history of producing age-worthy reds and whites. Their reds and whites show incredible depth of fruit and unique character from the stony soil of the vineyards that span 45 hectares in Graves. But what truly makes this winery a world-class estate and a fixture on most wine aficionados’ and collectors’ list is invariably its whites.They discussed how 2018 was for both whites and reds and compared it to the 2020 vintage, which Olivier said was the most powerful they have ever made at Domaine de Chevalier. 2018 was a difficult vintage but still produced great wines. “There is a very high level of winemaking in Bordeaux now compared to 10 years ago," James commented. They also talked about how acidity can impact a wine's potential for aging and how Domaine de Chevalier's conversion to organic and biodynamic agriculture will impact its wines in the future.Listen to the full podcast for the full conversation and tasting. Below are the wines that were tasted during the call. Click the link to see the tasting notes and scores (subscribers only).THE WINES TASTED:Domaine de Chevalier Pessac-Léognan 2018Domaine de Chevalier Pessac-Léognan Blanc 2018L'Esprit de Chevalier Pessac-Leognan Blanc 2018L'Esprit de Chevalier Pessac-Léognan 2018Clos des Lunes Bordeaux Blanc Lune d’Or 2018Clos des Lunes Bordeaux Blanc Lune d’argent 2018

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGListen to international wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling chat to Scott Becker and Benoit Touquette, owner and winemaker at Realm Cellars. They tasted a selection of their wines and talked about the 2018s. Despite the challenges of the vintage with large crops, they still made terrific wines.  Scroll down for the list of wines.Benoit said they have a rigorous vineyard management program, which resulted in a solid harvest of excellent quality grapes in 2018. It showed in the wines. James was impressed with all the cabernet sauvignon blends as well as the merlot and cabernet franc. His favorite was the Realm Cellars Napa Valley Stags Leap District Moonracer 2018. It’s a stunning red with superb complexity on both the nose and palate.Listen to the full podcast to hear the conversation and find out what they thought of the wines.Read the full Napa report here: NEW NAPA VALLEY WINES HIGHLIGHT HARMONY AND REFINEMENT WITH 2018 VINTAGE (1,093 WINES RATED)THE WINES TASTED:Realm Cellars Napa Valley Stags Leap District Moonracer 2018Realm Cellars Napa Valley Falstaff 2018Realm Cellars Napa Valley The Tempest 2018Realm Cellars Napa Valley St. Helena Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard 2018Realm Cellars Cabernet Franc Napa Valley Oakville Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard 2018Realm Cellars Napa Valley The Bard 2018Realm Cellars Napa Valley Oakville Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard 2018Realm Cellars Napa Valley Beckstoffer Bourn 2018Realm Cellars Napa Valley Stags Leap District Hartwell Grace 2018Realm Cellars Napa Valley Houyi Vineyard 2018Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Coombsville Farella Vineyard 2018

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGListen to international wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor interview the wife and husband team at Eisele Vineyard in Napa Valley, Antoine Donnedieu de Vabres, general manager, and Helene Mingot, technical director. They made a gorgeous sauvignon blanc in 2019 and some impressive reds in 2018 from their amazing Araujo estate. The vineyard – the Eisele Vineyard – has wonderful pedigree for Napa Valley as it was the source of many great Joseph Phelps cabernet sauvignons in the 1970s and 1980s. It was first planted in the 1880s with Zinfandel and then in the 1960s it went to cab. It’s now tended biodynamically. During their tasting, they discussed the 2019 vintage, which may prove to be even better than the 2018 due to a more balanced grape growing season with precipitation in the winter and nice growing conditions the rest of the year. They also talked about some of the problems they faced in 2020, and you can hear them discuss the evolution of Napa Valley wines. "Now you really see how the wines are made in a way that they tell the story of the vintage,” James said when talking about how far Napa wines have come.Listen to the full podcast to hear the highlights of the conversation and see what they thought of the wines.Read the full Napa report here: NEW NAPA VALLEY WINES HIGHLIGHT HARMONY AND REFINEMENT WITH 2018 VINTAGE (1,093 WINES RATED)THE WINES TASTED:Eisele Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2019Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2018Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Altagracia 2018

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGInternational wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling recently spoke with top Californian winemaker Paul Hobbs and his team from Paul Hobbs Winery and tasted all of their 2018 cabernet sauvignon-based wines from Crossbarn to To Kalon.The wines showed beautiful balance and precision highlighting the late and even growing season of the 2018 vintage. It was a year that required a lot of work in the vineyards to get crop levels right to produce serious wines. But as Paul revealed, they got it very right at the To Kalon Vineyard site, a substantial parcel that sits right in the heart of the Oakville AVA of Napa Valley. And James said it had an aura of vineyard-driven pedigree in the 2018 vintage tastings. “To Kalon has been crushing it,” he said. In fact, he liked the balance and harmony of many of the wines from there this year. Paul Hobbs also gave an optimistic take on the 2019 vintage. Listen to the full podcast to hear the full discussion.Read the full Napa report here: NEW NAPA VALLEY WINES HIGHLIGHT HARMONY AND REFINEMENT WITH 2018 VINTAGE (1,093 WINES RATED)THE WINES TASTED:Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard 2018Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Coombsville Nathan Coombs Estate 2018Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard 2018Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard 2018Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Coombsville 2018Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Crossbarn 2018Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County Crossbarn 2018

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGInternational wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling has been tasting hundreds of wines from the 2018 Bordeaux vintage and so far it is shaping up to be a powerful yet drinkable and aromatic vintage. He recently tasted three amazing 2018 wines with Edouard Moueix, executive vice president at Etablissements Jean-Pierre Moueix, which is the owner and producer of several prestigious crus, including Chateau La Fleur-Petrus, Chateau Trotanoy, and Chateau Hosanna in Pomerol; Chateau Belair-Monange Premier Grand Cru Classe in Saint-Emilion; and, in Napa Valley, California, Dominus Estate and Ulysses.They tasted the Trotanoy, La Fleur Petrus and Belair Monange, and discussed how much sunlight there was in 2018 and how the tannins in the 2018s are very special. Listen to the podcast to find out why. They also had a candid discussion about Bordeaux's newest vintage, the 2020, which was challenging to say the least. THE WINES TASTED:Château Trotanoy Pomerol 2018Château La Fleur-Pétrus Pomerol 2018Château Bélair-Monange St.-Emilion 2018

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGJames had an insightful Zoom tasting with Philippe Bascaules, managing director at Chateau Margaux. They tasted three 2018 wines - Château Margaux 2018, Pavillon Blanc 2018 and Pavillon Rouge 2018. Philippe pointed out that the grapes were so small and thick-skinned in 2018 that he didn’t need to extract much during fermentation and maceration. In fact, he didn’t pump over many vats. This resulted in balanced yet rich young wines. Listen to the full podcast to hear the whole tasting and discussion.THE WINES TASTED:Château Margaux Margaux 2018Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux Bordeaux Blanc 2018Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux Margaux 2018

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGIn 2020 Newton Vineyard lost their entire winery and Spring Mountain vineyards in one of the worst fires in the history of the region. As CEO Jean-Baptiste Rivail reveals in this Zoom conversation with James, this was particularly galling for the team, who had just completed a renovation phase at the site. Thankfully, the team at Newton Vineyard remains positive and have already started to rebuild. James spoke to Rivail and winemaker Alberto Bianchi over Zoom in preparation for his upcoming Napa report. James and JamesSuckling.com Assistant Editor Claire Nesbitt tasted a selection of 2017 and 2018 wines and discussed with Rivail and Bianchi how the 2018 vintage performed for chardonnay and about what makes carneros so special for the grape, among other topics. Listen to the full podcast for highlights of the tasting and discussion.Read the full Napa report here: NEW NAPA VALLEY WINES HIGHLIGHT HARMONY AND REFINEMENT WITH 2018 VINTAGE (1,093 WINES RATED)THE WINES TASTED:Newton Napa Valley Puzzle 2018Newton Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Unfiltered 2018Newton Chardonnay Napa Valley Carneros Beckstoffer Lake Vineyard 2018Newton Chardonnay Napa Valley Unfiltered 2018Newton Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Mt. Veeder 2017Newton Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Spring Mountain District 2017Newton Chardonnay Napa Valley Carneros The Bay Vineyard 2018Newton Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Yountville 2017

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGVeronique Sanders is managing director of Chateau Haut-Bailly, a small jewel of a wine estate located in Bordeaux’s Pessac-Leognan that is ranked among the crus classes for red wine.  James, along with JamesSuckling.com Assistant Editor Claire Nesbitt, tasted with Veronique and tasted three 2018 Haut-Bailly wines. James is impressed with the beauty and relative drinkability of the 2018 Bordeaux so far. The balance of fruit to the powerful tannins in the 2018s is impressive and something he noted when he rated the wines from barrel in Spring 2019. During the tasting, they also talked about how it compares to other vintages.Listen in to the full conversation for more, and read our Weekly Tasting Report to read about more French wines from the 2018 vintage.THE WINES TASTED:CHÂTEAU HAUT-BAILLY PESSAC-LÉOGNAN 2018HAUT-BAILLY.II PESSAC-LÉOGNAN 2018CHÂTEAU LE PAPE PESSAC-LÉOGNAN 2018

International wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling had an interesting conversation and tasting on January 7  with Rebekah Wineburg and biodynamic guru, Rodrigo Soto, respectively winemaker and estate director at Napa's Quintessa. They tasted a vertical of Quintessa wines, including the Quintessa Napa Valley Rutherford 2016, 2017, and the 2018. Quintessa is a 280-acre site with a diversity of geology, biodiversity, exposures, and microclimates. A total of 160 acres are planted with cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, petit verdot and carmenere on 26 vineyard blocks. Each block is farmed organically and biodynamically.During the tasting James, along with JamesSuckling.com Assistant Editor Claire Nesbitt, discussed with Rebekah and Rodrigo the benefits and recent breakthroughs in biodynamic farming and talked about optical sorting, ageability and more. Listen in for the full conversation which includes discussion of the 2018 vintage, which is shaping up to be a very balanced vintage. Below are the wines that were tasted during the call. Click below to see the tasting notes and scores (subscribers only):Quintessa Napa Valley Rutherford 2016Quintessa Napa Valley Rutherford 2017Quintessa Napa Valley Rutherford 2018

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGInternational wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling had a dynamic discussion with Christophe Paubert, winemaker and general manager at Stags’ Leap Winery. He really appreciates his chats over the years with the Frenchman who came to Stags' Leap in 2009. James thinks Paubert’s wines have an impressive balance for Napa which perhaps comes from the winemaker’s history of winemaking in Bordeaux before coming to California. He worked at both Chateau d’Yquem and Gruaud-Larose, among others.Besides tasting a small range of wines together, the two discuss the qualities and character of the 2017 and 2019 vintages. To read more, and see the wine notes and scores (if you are a paid subscriber), click here.

International wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling did a special interview with Didier Séguier, the current director of Domaine William Fèvre in Chablis.Domaine William Fèvre is one of Chablis’ greatest wineries, developed by William Fèvre between 1957 and 1998 and later sold to the Beaune-based winery Bouchard Père. Chablis has so much to offer a wine lover with its unique climate and diverse terroirs. The best are full but linear, with a mineral texture and a nuanced and complex limy, chalky mixture of yellow and green fruit. You can listen to this podcast to hear Didier describe the characteristics of a good Chablis, explain how the four appellations of Chablis differ from one another, and what he thinks of the 2018 vintage and more. If you're a subscriber you can also read our 2018 William Fèvre tasting notes by clicking here. 

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGInternational wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling tasted a range of vintages including the soon to be released Nicola Catena Zapata Mendoza 2017 with the winery’s Managing Director Laura Catena over Zoom on Friday, September 11. Catena Zapata is one of the quality leaders in Argentine wine and James has been visiting and tasting with Laura for years. This latest release of the Nicolas Catena Zapata could be the best they’ve ever made, James said.In this podcast, listen to them taste the 2017, 2016, 2015, 2010, 2004, and 2003 vintages of Nicolas Catena Zapata Mendoza. They discuss the progression of the wines through the years, talk about co-fermentation, and more. The wine is being sold on the Bordeaux market this month, for the first time ever. Listen to the full podcast to hear more of the discussion.To read more, and see the wine notes and scores (if you are a paid subscriber), click here.

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGInternational wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling had a discussion with Eduardo Chadwick, the owner of Seña winery in Chile, while tasting the new release from the winery, the 2018, which James rated a perfect 100 points. They also compared the current release to three other vintages: 2017, 2016, and 2015. The latter is a 100-point wine as well. Listen to their conversation to hear their thoughts about these vintages, the future of Seña and the importance of biodynamic viticulture in this new podcast. To see the scores and watch the video highlights, click here.

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGInternational wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling had a discussion with General Manager and Head Winemaker Renzo Cotarella of one of the most famous wineries in Italy, Antinori. They tasted Antinori’s flagship red and white, Solaia and Cervaro della Sala, respectively. It was an awesome tasting with one 100-point wine.The wines included 2016 Solaia and 2018 and 2017 Cervaro della Sala. Renzo discussed the successes of all four wines as well as the prospect of the 2020 vintage, which appears to be another hot and dry year. Listen to what was said in this new podcast, and check out the notes and scores on JamesSuckling.com.

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGInternational wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling had a conversation and tasting with Elisabetta Geppetti and her daughter Clara Gentili. Usually, every summer to James visits them to taste their latest wines, but for obvious reasons, this was not possible in 2020 so they sent their wines to James instead.  Fattoria Le Pupille is located in the hilly part of Maremma, a coastal area of western central Italy. They produce one of the most popular Super Tuscans, under the label Saffredi. The 100-point Fattoria Le Pupille Saffredi 2012 came ninth in the JamesSuckling.com Top 100 Wines of 2015 and it was included in our 2016 list of Top 10 Super Tuscans. They started with the Fattoria Le Pupille Morellino Di Scansano Riserva 2017, which James found bright, fruity and balanced. They moved onto the pure sangiovese Fattoria Le Pupille Toscana Poggio Valente 2018. “It’s medium-to full-bodied with refined tannins and a clean, fruity finish,” James said, also noting its elegance and drinkability. They finished with the Fattoria Le Pupille Maremma Toscana Saffredi 2018, which reminded James of traditional wines of the 80s and 90s. He said the Saffredi shows a “fantastic nose … with currant, sage, rosemary and rose-petal character.”You can hear more of what they thought of the wines as well as their opinions on the vintages in this podcast.

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGInternational wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling had a tasting and conversation with the team from Tenuta Argentiera. Located in the Bolgheri district on Tuscany’s coastline, the estate of Tenuta Argentiera has vineyards positioned on a hillside overlooking the Mediterranean toward Corsica. It is neighbored by some of Italy’s most famous wineries: Guado al Tasso, Ornellaia and Tenuta San Guido (Sassicaia). The prime location is complemented by a world-class team led by Federico Zileri, CEO, as well as the owner of the estate, Stanislaus Turnauer, winemaker Nicolo Carrara and General Manager Leonardo Raspini. In 2018, their Argentiera Bolgheri Superiore 2015 took the second spot on our list of top 100 Italian wines. On July 13, James tasted with them and tried the Ventaglio 2015 and 2016 wines. These two new single-vineyard reds, based on cabernet franc, represent the best of Tenuta Argentiera’s production in terms of location, pedoclimatic conditions and grape quality. The grapes come from the most beautiful and best of the estate’s vineyards, where the sun’s rays reach unhindered throughout the days, leading to perfect ripening conditions.Both wines had good balance and precision, and James commented that the wines had “superb” tannin quality which was beautifully integrated into the wines. You can hear more of what they thought about the wines in this podcast.

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGOn July 17, international wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling tasted some new releases from Petrolo with owner Luca Sanjust and you can hear their discussion and see what they thought of the wines in this new podcast. James has been tasting wines from Petrolo with Luca for more than 30 years. Back in 1996, a young James convinced Luca to bottle some pure merlot that they had picked late and forgotten about. This is how the pure merlot sensation that we now know as Galatrona came to be. Its namesake is the property’s iconic square tower, which was built as an important fortification in medieval times. Although today Petrolo produces a number of excellent wines (some of which James tasted during this tasting) it’s Galatrona that is sought by collectors around the world. James often likens Galatrona to Le Pin. The wine shares the same immense power but also sublime tannin structure and finesse. The latest Galatrona (Petrolo Valdarno di Sopra Galatrona 2018) did not disappoint either, with James noting its balance, purity and complexity during the Zoom tasting. Luca also revealed that their 2018 is a throwback to the original roots of Galatrona.They also tasted the Petrolo Trebbiano Toscana Bòggina B and the Petrolo Valdarno Di Sopra Torrione from the 2018 vintage. James said there was an overall honesty to the wines. He said the 2018s had "much more purity and gave off a sense of where the wines are from." Listen to the full podcast to hear what they had to say about the wines and hear more of their thoughts on the 2018 vintage in general. 

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGOn July 17, international wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor tasted a trio of important releases from Penfolds with Chief Winemaker Peter Gago and Nick Stock. The annual Penfolds release in Australia is always highly anticipated, and this year it was flowing with quality and had something for everyone. They tasted Bin 389, Grange and G4, the latter of which is a stunning combination of great Grange vintages, and scored a perfect 100 points.You can listen to the tasting on this podcast and hear them discuss how the harvest impacted the quality of the wines, how they differ to other vintages and their thoughts on the wines in general.Full write-up here: 100-POINTS G4 LEADS STRONG PENFOLDS RELEASE

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGOn June 26, 2020, international wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor had a conversation and tasting with Lamberto Frescobaldi, head of the Marchesi Frescobaldi group. They tasted a selection of wines from the 2016, 2017 and 2018 vintages. Starting with the Leonia Brut 2016, which James described as a “beautiful dry sparkling wine with very fine beads”, Lamberto went on to explain how the estate created this to be a “full meal wine” – one you can drink with your main course, just like any other wine. They also tasted the Nipozzano Riserva 2017, which surprised James with its freshness despite coming from a very hot year. And also the Frescobaldi Tenuta Perano Rialzi Gran Selezione 2016, only the second vintage from this wine but which Lamberto described as really showing its identity. They tasted many other wines too including the Luce 2017, the Castello Pomino Bianco Benefizio Riserva 2018, the Frescobaldi Tenuta Di Castiglioni Giramo 2017, and more.You can listen to the tasting session above. 

The Magic of Brunello features interviews from leading winemakers who are dedicated to making Brunello di Montalcino one of the great red wines of the world. The audio is from the JamesSuckling.com production filmed by Hollywood director James Orr which is about the history of one of Italy's best and most coveted wines, and the region it comes from (click here to watch the documentary). The town of Montalcino is a small medieval village located in the province of Siena. The wine district has one of the warmest and driest climates in Tuscany with the grapes in the area ripening up to a week earlier than in nearby Montepulciano. Brunello is a red wine that was first made in the Montalcino area in the early 14th century. The name Brunello evolved into the designation of the wine produced with 100 percent sangiovese grapes.Listen to the podcast to hear the stories from some key Brunello producers. They each tell a story that illustrates the diversity, passion and dedication to the wine world of the region. And it points to the changes in generations of winemakers and the future of the great wine of Brunello di Montalcino.  Featuring interviews with:Enrico Viglierchio from Castello BanfiTancredi Biondi Santi from Biondi SantiGiacomo Neri from Casanova di NeriGianlorenzo Neri from Casanova di NeriGiovanni Neri from Casanova di NeriLamberto Frescobaldi from CastelGiocondoFilippo Marini from FrescobaldiDaniel Fabbro from San PolinoLuigi Fabbro from San Polino Vincenzo Abbruzzese from Valdicava 

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGOn June 5, 2020, international wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor had a conversation and tasting with winemaker Frederic Faye. James has been tasting with Faye for years. Figeac is one of Bordeaux’s oldest wineries, dating back to the second century when a Gallo-Roman villa was built on the estate. The Manoncourt family has owned Figeac for more than 125 years. Its unique soil is quite gravelly (compared to the usual clay), and its blends have more cabernet sauvignon than most others in the region. While Figeac isn’t technically a premier grand cru classe A, its wines are always some of the best of the vintage.Listen to the tasting session on this podcast to hear Faye compare the 2019 and 2018 vintages and reveal that their new cabernet franc is one of the best they have made in 10 years. He says it is a new reference for them.This is part of an extensive en primeur tasting campaign being conducted by James, which has already covered 1,000 wines, with more to come. The reports are listed below:Bordeaux en primeur first report: A potentially challenging vintageBordeaux en primeur second report: 1,000 notes and scoresPricing report: Pontet-Canet’s decision to slash its prices

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGOn June 10, 2020, international wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor had a conversation and tasting with Jean-Philippe Delmas of Chateau Haut-Brion. Like his father before him who was technical director at Haut-Brion for more than 40 years, Delmas is dedicated to precision in his vineyards and winery. He gets the most out of it whenever he can and he nailed it in 2019.James only gave one perfect score after tasting more than 1,000 2019 Bordeaux barrel samples. And it was a dry white. It was the great white of Chateau Haut-Brion. James also enjoyed his reds, notably Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion, which were almost as impressive as the white, with ratings of 99-100. These could also be perfect wines after bottling. You can listen to highlights of the  tasting session and hear Delmas comment on the vintage in this podcast.To see the scores and read more, click here. This is part of an extensive en primeur tasting campaign being conducted by James, which has already covered 1,000 wines, with more to come. The reports are listed below:Bordeaux en primeur first report: A potentially challenging vintageBordeaux en primeur second report: 1,000 notes and scoresPricing report: Pontet-Canet’s decision to slash its prices

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGOn June 2, 2020, international wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor had a conversation and tasting with Christian Seely, who manages the AXA Millesimes group of vineyards, which includes Pichon Baron, Suduiraut, Petit-Village and more. They tasted Pichon Baron 2019 and Suduiraut 2019. The Pichon Baron 2019 has more cabernet than normal and James was impressed with its long, intense finish of fine tannins. James also tasted the Suduiraut 2019 which he found rich and balanced. You can listen to the tasting session here, during which Seely comments on the 2019 and explains how the vintage fared for Sauterne.This is part of an extensive en primeur tasting campaign being conducted by James, which has covered about 1,000 wines. The reports are listed below:Bordeaux en primeur first report: A potentially challenging vintageBordeaux en primeur second report: 850 notes and scoresPricing report: Pontet-Canet’s decision to slash its prices

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGOn Thursday, May 28, 2020, international wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor had a conversation and tasting with Philippe Bascaules of Chateau Margaux. He was sent the samples from Bordeaux and tasted them in his tasting room at James Suckling Wine Central. He was impressed with the structure, balance, and depth of fruit of the Chateau Margaux 2019. Listen to the podcast to hear more of James' thoughts on the wines and find out what Bascaules thought of the 2019 and how it compares to other vintages.This is part of an extensive en primeur tasting campaign being conducted by James, which has already covered 1,000 wines, with more to come. The reports are listed below:Bordeaux en primeur first report: A potentially challenging vintageBordeaux en primeur second report: 1,000 notes and scoresPricing report: Pontet-Canet’s decision to slash its prices

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGOn Thursday, May 15, 2020, international wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor had a conversation and tasting with owner Philippe Sereys de Rothschild and Managing Director Philippe Dhalluin and . The Rothschilds made great wines in 2019. After tasting Lafite 2019 on May 15 in a Zoom tasting, a week later James tasted Mouton Rothschild 2019 barrel samples at James Suckling Wine Central. Listen to highlights of the tasting session to hear James’ first reaction upon tasting the 2019 Mouton and hear Dhalluin comment on the vintage.To see the scores and notes, click here: TASTING CHATEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD 2019 WITH PHILIPPE DHALLUIN AND PHILIPPE SERIES DE ROTHSCHILDThis is part of an extensive en primeur tasting campaign being conducted by James, which has already covered 1,000 wines, with more to come. The reports are listed below:Bordeaux en primeur first report: A potentially challenging vintageBordeaux en primeur second report: 1,000 notes and scoresPricing report: Pontet-Canet’s decision to slash its prices

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGInternational wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor had a conversation and tasting with Chateau Lafite Rothschild's Technical Director Eric Kohler. The five first growths always set the tone for the overall vintage in Bordeaux, so it was with great anticipation that James tasted the 2019 barrel sample from Chateau Lafite Rothschild. James found the quality of the baby Lafite fantastic, with a stealthy character that slightly hides the superb structure. As James wrote in his first report on the 2019 en primeur, many of the 2019 wines are of the same quality as 2018, albeit with less exuberance and plushness in fruit and tannins. Listen to the podcast to hear Kohler's comments on the vintage, and hear James' first thoughts on the Chateau Lafite Rothschild's 2019 barrel sample. To see the scores, notes, and video highlights, click below: TASTING 2019 CHATEAU LAFITE ROTHSCHILD WITH ERIC KOHLER 

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGInternational wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor had a conversation and tasting with rock ‘n’ roll winemaker Brennon Leighton of K Vintners.  He is one of Washington’s most respected winemakers. James felt the wines show real personality and exuberance. Listen to the tasting session here, in which Leighton comments on Washington State wines’ unique appeal, provides a view on syrah and gives his thoughts on own-rooted wines.

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGInternational wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling recently interviewed and tasted with Chris Figgins, head winemaker for Leonetti Cellar and Figgins Family Wine Estates in Washington State. It was an instructive and fun session. Figgins is one of Washington’s most celebrated winemakers. He is impressed with the 2018 vintage, comparing it to the excellent 2012, and has taken to bottling single-varietal wine. He believes single-vineyard designated wines are the way forward. Listen to the podcast to hear Figgins explain why he started making single-vineyard wines, and why he thinks they have been so successful with Sangiovese and Aglianico wines.

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGInternational wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling has tasted numerous Washington wines over the past few weeks, and he had a tasting session and conversation with winemaker Louis Skinner of Betz Family Winery. Skinner is a talented winemaker who trained under legendary winemakers such as Bob Betz and Chris Upchurch. He is convinced, like Bob Betz, that cabernet sauvignon rocks in Washington. Listen to some highlights of the Zoom session below, in which Skinner compares recent vintages and explains why cabernet sauvignon is not as well known as merlot or syrah in Washington State. 

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGInternational wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling recently spoke to one of the smartest winemakers in the French region of Medoc, Emmanuel Cruse. His family have been wine merchants there for more than two centuries and he continues to improve the quality of the wines at Chateau d’Issan, the popular third growth chateau in the appellation of Margaux. He is co-owner of the estate with Jacky Lorenzetti, who also owns Chateau Pedesclaux in Pauillac and Chateau Lilian Ladouys in St.-Estephe.James Suckling had a conversation with Emmanuel and tasted 2019 barrel samples from all three estates. The most interesting comments came when he compared the 2019 to other vintages and explained how they blended the different lots to come to the final wine. Listen to the full podcast here.

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGInternational wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling recently had a conversation with Hubert de Boüard, the famous consulting enologist of Bordeaux whose family also owns St.-Emilion’s Chateau Angelus. James tasted 100 of his wines from the 2019 vintage in his tasting room in Hong Kong. They were jet-freighted from Bordeaux and they showed very well. James was impressed with the freshness of the wines and fine and linear tannins, and the wines seem at the same quality level as the 2018s, which were excellent.Listen to this podcast to hear what they have to say about the vintage. James was most interested in what Boüard had to say about the style of the 2019 wines and his thoughts on pricing on 2019 Bordeaux futures, which he feels may drop from 30 to 10 percent compared to 2018. James thinks it needs to be more if people are going to be interested in buying futures at this moment. James remembers the financial market crisis in 2008 and some chateaux such as first growths cut their prices in half for the vintage as futures in 2009.

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGInternational wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling had samples of Château Croix de Labrie jet-freighted from Bordeaux and tasted them a few days later with owners Axelle and Pierre Courdurié. James was impressed with the precision and focus of the wines, both white and red. Listen to this podcast to hear what they have to say about the vintage, and to hear James's first impressions of the wines. There’s lots of good information on the 2019 vintage in general. James was happy to finally taste some 2019s as he has been tasting barrel samples from Bordeaux every year since the 1982 vintage.Read some of the notes from the tasting here: WHAT WE TASTED LAST WEEK 

In the second part of the James Suckling's Masterclass Office Hours Q&A, the International wine critic discusses more wine topics, answering anything and everything from glassware to decanters, to climate change and more. Have a listen and see if he covered anything you might be curious about.His full Masterclass is also available here: www.masterclass.com/jamessuckling

In this Masterclass Office Hours Q&A, international wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling discusses all things wine. He answers questions on anything and everything from vintages, to glasses, to tasting notes and more. Have a listen and see if he covered anything you might be curious about. His full Masterclass is also available here: www.masterclass.com/jamessuckling

So many wine producers in Montalcino made excellent wines in 2015. Hear from some leading Italian producers and their thoughts about the historic vintage in this new podcast. Winemakers in Montalcino were never better prepared to produce outstanding wines in a year like 2015 with their exactness in their vineyards and cellars from fine-tuned canopy management and crop thinning to optical sorting and soft fermentations. Featuring interviews with:Marchese Lamberto Frescobaldi - Winemaker & President, Frescobaldi groupRoberto Giannelli - Winemaker & Owner, San FilippoGiacomo Neri - Winemaker & Owner, Casanova di Neri Enrico Viglierchio - General Manager, Banfi Marco Bacci - Winemaker & Owner, RenieriTo read the full report, click here.To watch the video version, click here.

Hear from the winery owners and winemakers who made our recent Great Wines of Italy Asia events the most successful ever. There were more than 150 premium Italian producers who poured their Italian wines for wine lovers and trade to taste across Phuket, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Beijing.Featuring interviews with:JULIA WALCH - Elena WalchKETI MAZZI - Valle Reale FRANCESCO CARLETTI - Poliziano IRENE DAL CANTO - FantiPATRICK LACHAPÈLE - OrnellaiaCLARA GENTILI - Fattoria Le Pupille DANIEL FABBRO - San PolinoPAOLO CLEMENTE - SordoGIOIA CRESTI - Carpineta Fontalpino / GiodoANNABELLA PASCALE - Tenuta Di ArtiminoRICCARDO MAZZOTTI - GaglioleILARIA PETITTO - DonnachiaraDONATELLA CINELLI - ColombiniTo see the full report, click here.To watch the video version, click here.

Hear what some of the attending producers as well as James Suckling had to say about wines in Asia at Great Wines of the World Asia. The tour was another roaring success. There were more than 5,000 attendees at the three events in total, and more than 150 wineries participating in the three cities – Seoul, Hong Kong and Beijing.Featuring interviews with:James SucklingElodie Chabot - Los Vascos / Château Duhart-Milon Christian Wylie - Bodega GarzónEduard Moix - Château Bélair-Monange / Château La Fleur-PetrusAshley Bell - Domaine Drouhin OregonPierre Courdurié - Château Croix de LabrieWill Harlan - Promontory Romain Iltis - Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey / Château FaugèresPierFilippo Abbruzzese - Valdicava Eduardo Chadwick - Viñedo Chadwick / SeñaTo see the full report, click here.To watch the video version, click here.

This summer James Suckling and his tasting team went to Spain where they tasted more than 2,100 wines while in Rioja at the Hotel Viura. It was a great experience and the many excellent wines, meetings and tastings with winemakers from around Spain just reaffirmed that the country is making some of the most drinkable and characterful wines in the world at the moment. Hear what they had to say about the trip in this podcast with Editor Nick Stock and James Suckling.To see all the notes and scores, click here.

From Hong Kong to Beijing, this year's Great Wines of the Andes events, presented by JamesSuckling.com, were a standout success. Attendance was double that of last year and attending producers from Argentina, Chile and Uruguay made connections that no other event makes possible. Hear what they had to say in this exclusive podcast.Featuring interviews with:James SucklingJack SucklingPhilippe Rolet - Bodegas CaroCharles de Bournet - Clos ApaltaManuel Louzada Achaval-FerrerPatricia Ortiz - TapizGaston Williams - VikTo watch the video version, click here.