Indholdsfortegnelse for August 31, 2025 i Wine Spectator

Visit WineSpectator.com/083125 to find links to all of the following resources. NEW YORK WINE EXPERIENCE Don’t miss your chance to taste top-scoring bottlings and rare older vintages from the world’s best vintners. This year’s event will take place Oct. 16–18 at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. Weekend packages, which include VIP Grand Tasting access plus wine seminars and the Champagne reception, are available for purchase now. FREE RESOURCES FOR ALL WINESPECTATOR.COM READERS WORLD’S BEST WINE LISTS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Wine Spectator’s Restaurant Awards app lets you search through more than 3,800 winners to find the ultimate wine experience. Every dining destination in this app—spanning the globe—has earned a Wine Spectator award for its commitment to wine.  RESTAURANTS.WINESPECTATOR.COM Our free Restaurant Search allows you to browse all our winners to…

Snooping Dogs As I was reading the April 30 issue featuring the great interview with Piero Antinori and Marvin R. Shanken (cover story), I became intrigued by the very last article of the magazine, “Combating Vineyard Pests Goes to the Dogs” (Unfiltered) by Chris Cardoso. In the article, Chris mentioned that five dogs were purchased for the pesticide regulation study but only four completed the training. (I have to say I love the names chosen for the four dogs.) The question plaguing me for days after I read the article is, what happened to the fifth dog? Did it drop out, was it not up to snuff? Courtney Foster New York Chris Cardoso replies: According to study leader Stephanie Bolton, the grant budget allowed for five dogs. The fifth dog’s…

Asking vintners how they’re doing today can be a fraught question. U.S. wines sales have declined for four straight years, according to my colleagues at Impact Databank. The 2024 harvest was California’s smallest in 20 years, as growers left 100,000 tons of fruit unpicked, rotting on the vine. Tens of thousands of acres of vineyards are being pulled out. Industry analyst Rob McMillan calls it the biggest correction in 30 years in his latest annual “State of the Wine Industry” report for Silicon Valley Bank. But let’s all take a deep breath. The next few years will not be easy for those who make their living growing grapes, making wine and bringing it to consumers. Still, there is plenty to be hopeful about, as well as plenty of work to…

There’s an undeniable neighborhood charm to events, the planning often starts with the wine selections before tailoring the menu to fit. “It translates to us being more Soby’s restaurant. It’s the kind of place you go on a weeknight when you don’t feel like cooking as readily as you do to celebrate your anni-Swarzendruber. aware of the customers and to give them what they want,” says versary. It’s an effortless blend of folksy comfort with a world-class wine list and a creative Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence for its list within its first Wine has always been at the fore at Soby’s, which garnered menu of elevated new Southern cuisine. The restaurant comes by its local appeal honestly. Owner Carl Sobocinski’s opening in 1997, after an exten sive renovation of…

The best California Zinfandels have one thing in common: They’re made from old vines. These vineyards are living history, with disfigured vines that twist up from the ground and have bark that looks crusty and wounded. These vineyards survived Prohibition and the Great Depression for one reason—they always produced great wines, and old farmers could not bear to rip them out. Here are brief profiles of 10 of those classic vineyards, each of them at least 100 years old. HARTFORD VINEYARD Location: Russian River Valley | First planted: Circa 1910 | Acres: 7 | Producer: Hartford Don Hartford was looking for a house, not a vineyard, but he fell in love with the old vines on the property when he bought it in 1991. Hartford’s is one of several old…

ARGENTINA 92 Finca Sophenia Malbec Gualtallary Estate Reserva 2023 $20 Silky and refined in feel, with concentrated floral and wild berry flavors backed by a minerally spine, evoking chicory and dried herbs on the firming finish. Needs more time to unwind. Best after 2026. 12,000 cases made, 2,000 cases imported.—A.R. 92 Lamadrid Malbec Agrelo Matilde Single Vineyard 2021 $80 A full-bodied version, with dried violet, mountain herb, olive and leather notes up front that give way to a dense core of chocolate-covered berries. A subtle, minerally thread of acidity runs through to keep things fresh and drive the flavors onto the finish around well-formed tannins and licorice details. Could use some time to unwind. Best from 2026 through 2032. 672 cases made, 336 cases imported.—A.R. 92 Tapiz Malbec Uco Valley…

93 pts THE ESTATES CABERNET SAUVIGNON OAKVILLE 2021 Vibrant and extroverted, with mint and boysenberry leading into plum and black currant preserves. Graphite adds structure beneath the fruit, while a final licorice note brings length and lift to the finish. 92 pts THE ESTATES FUMÉ BLANC OAKVILLE 2021 Aromatic and succulent, with notes of honeycomb and lanolin up front, showing subtle details of lemon basil. A complex, vibrant and refreshing wine complemented by generous peach and nectarine flavors and dashes of lemon curd. Highlighting Napa’s sub-AVAs, The Estates blends vineyards and varieties for wines that can be enjoyed young, yet with a richness that makes them ageworthy. Composed almost entirely of its namesake fruit from To Kalon, Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon is blended with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec…

When Charlie Trotter opened his namesake restaurant in Chicago in 1987, fine dining in America was due for a shakeup. Trotter’s emerged as a restaurant with eye-opening ideas: that American chefs could lead the conversation on creativity, that vegetables could command a spotlight, and that wine was not a sidebar but a co-author of the dining experience. Wine Spectator recognized Trotter’s with our highest honor, the Grand Award, beginning in 1993, and for nearly two decades, before the chef’s death in 2013, his cellar stood among the finest in the world. A profile beginning on page 52 recounts Trotter’s work and his lasting legacy. In that spirit of excellence and evolution, we proudly present the 2025 Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards. This year, 3,811 restaurants from more than 80 countries and…

Carl Doumani Napa Valley vintner Carl Doumani, who led Stags’ Leap and Quixote, died April 22 in his home. He was 92 and had been battling Alzheimer’s disease. Dropping out of UCLA to operate a bar near campus launched Doumani’s career as a restaurateur and real estate developer. In 1970 he and his then-wife Joanne visited an abandoned 400-acre property in Napa Valley called Stags’ Leap, which he restored while moonlighting as vice president and general manager of Las Vegas’ Tropicana Hotel. Soon after Doumani started selling wine, a legal battle began with Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars over the words “Stags Leap.” The California Supreme Court ruled that Stags Leap was a geographical area—each winery could use the name, with a distinction in the apostrophe. Doumani sold Stags’ Leap to…

From Chicago to Washington, D.C., to Las Vegas, the more than 3,000 guests at the 2025 Wine Spectator Grand Tour could count on two things when they walked into the event no matter which city they chose. First, that 234 wineries would be pouring some of the greatest wines in the world. Second, that the warm, friendly smile of California winemaker Greg Brewer would be there to welcome them. “Once the tasting starts, I never leave my post. It’s respect for your guests,” said Brewer, pouring his Diatom Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2023 (93 points). “Everyone is very kind, very engaged.” That’s the appeal of the Grand Tour. It brings together America’s most devoted wine consumers with elite wines, all rated 90 points or higher by Wine Spectator editors. The annual…

Roger Scommegna was working a lot and flying often. The Chicago native had founded a website. It was the ’90s and the Internet was booming. Business was good. “I always took a copy of Wine Spectator with me to read on the plane,” says Scommegna. “Whatever city I visited, I would use the magazine to [find] all the wine restaurants highlighted in that town. “Then I sold my website and suddenly had monopoly money. So I decided to go to Napa and try and live the Wine Spectator dream.” Scommegna tried to buy a vineyard. And that was the start of a 20-plus-year adventure. “Even with monopoly money, I couldn’t buy a spot in Napa,” says Scommegna, now 63. “So I headed over to Sonoma. But compared to Napa, Sonoma…

Zest for Zin This group is for all the California Zinfandel lovers out there. It includes some of the stars of the category, along with a few examples that might fly under the radar yet still offer great quality for the price. RIDGE Zinfandel Sonoma Valley Pagani Ranch 2023 (95, $46) Blackberry, dark chocolate, licorice, fruitcake, spices; potent, polished CARLISLE Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley 2022 (94, $42) Generous, sleek, precise; raspberry, roasted anise, black pepper TURLEY Zinfandel Napa Valley Turley Estate 2023 (94, $42) Structured, detailed; blackberry, tart cherry, briar patch, white pepper, anise COVENANT Zinfandel Lodi Mensch 2024 (93, $24) Cherry, cranberry, rose petal, spices; graceful, expressive KOKOMO Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley 2023 (93, $34) Dynamic, elegant; raspberry, cherry, white pepper, savory sage BEDROCK Zinfandel California Old Vine 2023…

CHARLIE TROTTER WAS ONCE ASKED WHAT his perfect final meal would be. He focused not just on the food, but the place, the people and the wine. The venue would be a cliff above the sea. “I want to take in the sweeping views of this gorgeous planet before I leave it,” he said. “I would eat many courses of raw, tiny and delicate seafood. China plates would be full of wonderful oysters, crustaceans, sardines and anchovies.” Miles Davis would play with Bob Dylan. Trotter would sit at a table with Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Ernest Hemingway, Charles Bukowski, Henry Miller, Tom Wolfe, Hunter S. Thompson and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. They would drink Château Margaux 1900. Trotter’s life story is almost as fantastic as his imagined meal, whose intricate details…

In the pages that follow, you’ll find listings for all of the restaurants that earned a Wine Spectator award for their wine program in 2025. We hope you’ll give them a try. Details for all winners are searchable at WineSpectator.com/Restaurants. ABOUT THE AWARD LEVELS To qualify for an award, a wine list must present complete, accurate information, including vintages and appellations for all selections. Complete producer names and correct spellings are mandatory, and the overall presentation of the list is also considered. Lists that meet these requirements are judged for one of our three awards. AWARD OF EXCELLENCE 2,010 winners These wine lists, which typically offer at least 90 selections, feature a well-chosen assortment of quality producers along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style.…

ALICE WATERS  “Chez Panisse opened in 1971 with three wines. One was a Sauternes; two were Robert Mondavi’s. I was a Francophile, and they tasted like French wines. Robert and Margrit came in all the time. They confirmed that what we were trying to do was something special. Wine and food go together, and he was always thinking of that.” MARCHESE PIERO ANTINORI “Mondavi’s philosophy can be summarized in words he used to repeat: ‘In winemaking we are always at the beginning.’ Each time we met was a reason for me to learn something new technically and a source of enthusiasm to find new paths to improve our wines. He was a visionary protagonist far beyond the boundaries of the time in which he lived.” WOLFGANG PUCK  “Robert Mondavi was…

All the new equipment in Robert Mondavi Winery would be just bells and whistles without the key element: the talent. Arriving with stellar educational backgrounds and years of perfecting their skills at other Napa standouts, each member of the winemaking team was carefully chosen for their experience and commitment to the innovation that is Robert Mondavi’s legacy. With the support of a new cutting-edge cellar, wine director Kurtis Ogasawara and his team are stewarding production to next-level excellence. It starts with a consistent question: What can we do better? “It’s so important for our team to do research and development, because if you think you know everything, you definitely don’t,” says Ogasawara. “That’s in the DNA of this winery.” Winemaker Lauren Oliver, for example, has been executing advanced wine quality…

World’s Greatest Restaurant Wine Lists Wine Spectator’s Grand Award, founded in 1981, recognizes outstanding restaurants with extraordinary wine programs. We honor 97 restaurants with our Grand Award this year; listed here, they represent 17 countries and 15 states plus the District of Columbia. For more information about these distinguished restaurants, turn to the Restaurant Awards listings beginning on page 81; comprehensive coverage is also available at WineSpectator.com/Restaurants. UNITED STATES CALIFORNIA Acquerello Grand Award since 2012 Addison Grand Award since 2009 Capo Grand Award since 2015 The French Laundry Grand Award since 2007 Grasing’s Grand Award since 2024 La Toque Grand Award since 2014 Lazy Bear Grand Award since 2024 The Plumed Horse Grand Award since 2015 Press Restaurant Grand Award since 2022 Restaurant Gary Danko Grand Award since 2001 Restaurant…

Provence is correctly famous for rosé. Approximately nine out of 10 bottles from this sun-drenched Mediterranean region sport some shade of pink (although some are so pale it can be hard to tell). But Provence’s rosé reputation obscures the reality that some of its best wines are white. While many rosé-focused estates produce a small amount of white wine (and some of them are great), in general the finest examples come from white-wine specialists. These are small producers handcrafting wines with white grape varieties historically tied to their place of origin, often employing Burgundian techniques like barrel fermentation and extended lees aging. Anyone who loves complex, mineral-driven white wines with savory density and the ability to age should be seeking these out. “White is the second color of Provence, and…

Irecently wrapped up a two-week visit to Bordeaux during its annual en primeur season. My final stop was in Sauternes, at Château de Malle. You can be forgiven for not being familiar with the estate—it went dark after the 2018 vintage, its then-owners leaving the vineyards and château essentially abandoned. Enter Clémence and Luc Planty. Luc is the son of Xavier Planty, former owner of Château Guiraud in Sauternes. Guiraud was sold in 2021, leaving the younger Plantys looking for something to do as Xavier retired. When the de Malle estate came up for sale in 2024, they jumped. “Luc wanted a big challenge,” says Clémence, as Luc flashes a sheepish grin. A big challenge indeed, as the couple has had a lengthy to-do list. When they purchased the property,…

In the early years, Trotter offered 12-course menus, but later trimmed that to six or eight. In reality, though, the written menu was incomplete, as the chef would often send out a few surprise dishes as well. Below are examples of what guests could expect in July 1997. Omnivore Tasting Menu • Smoked Atlantic Salmon with Osetra Caviar Cream, Japanese Yellow Tail with Asian Spices & Lobster with Soba Noodles • Alaskan Halibut & Ahi Tuna with Olive Oil Poached Tomato & Fennel Infused Vegetable Broth • Illinois Rabbit Loin & Seared Foie Gras with Morel Mushrooms, Swiss Chard & Cumin Scented Sweet Corn Emulsion • Millbrook Venison Saddle with Braised Apricots & Candied Plums • Vanilla-Yogurt Sorbet with Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote • Macadamia Nut Phyllo Beggar’s Purse with Honey Crisp…

The contrast between the 2022 and 2023 California Zinfandels is extreme. The 2022 vintage ended with blazing heat, while in 2023, winemakers feared that grapes would never get ripe. “They’re almost the exact opposite,” says Bedrock winemaker Morgan Twain-Peterson. Katie Madigan, winemaker at St. Francis, has a similar view: “These two vintages could not be more different, but they each have just such great redeeming qualities in my book.” That’s what makes Zinfandel so fascinating to review. I’ve covered 20 vintages of Zin for Wine Spectator and I’ve been drinking it a lot longer than that. Italian immigrants grew and vinified Zinfandel during the mid-19th century because it reminded them of the hearty reds of home. It is one of California’s most underappreciated wines, and from my perspective it has…

This Buying Guide contains ratings of new releases from around the world. Complete tasting notes are provided for new releases scoring 85 or more points (on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale, explained below). Hundreds of additional reviews appear each month on our website, www.winespectator.com. Each review carries the initials of the Wine Spectator editor who blind-tasted and scored the wine and wrote the review, based on the regional specializations indicated below. Bruce Sanderson Burgundy, Piedmont, Tuscany James Molesworth California Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, Bordeaux, Port MaryAnn Worobiec California Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, Australia, New Zealand Alison Napjus Spain, Italy, Champagne, South Africa Tim Fish California Zinfandel and Merlot, Oregon, Washington, U.S. sparkling wines Aaron Romano Argentina, Chile, California Rhônes Rhône Kristen Bieler Valley and other France, Germany, Austria How…

95 pts THE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON TO KALON VINEYARD 2021 Lush and seductive, with boysenberry and blackberry compote layered with mocha, licorice and Christmas pudding. A grounding flash of warm stone emerges on the finish, with purity and depth unfolding as the wine opens. 94 pts THE RESERVE FUMÉ BLANC TO KALON VINEYARD 2021 Elegant, fragrant and generous, with flavors of grilled pineapple, apricot, and mango, plus details of honeysuckle, marmalade and candied ginger. Packs vivid mouthwatering acidity that brings the flavors into bright focus. Incredible finish. Crafted from the vineyard’s finest blocks, these wines are the highest expression of To Kalon and its vintages. The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is matured 20 months and built for longevity in the cellar. Powerful and dense, yet elegant, it unfolds in waves. From…

91 pts CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPA VALLEY 2021 A polished, fruit-driven style, but with nice focus, as singed alder and savory notes provide a gentle nudge along the edges of the plum and cassis core. Ends with a subtle loam echo on the finish. SAUVIGNON BLANC NAPA VALLEY 2021 Aromatic and bright, with lime, yellow peach and citrus blossom layered over subtle salinity. Estate-grown Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon from Oakville and Stags Leap yield texture, freshness and a vivid mineral core. Harmonious wines that speak of the region as a whole, the Napa Valley tier blends younger plots of estate fruit with those of trusted growers whose relationships with Robert Mondavi Winery stretch back as early as its founding. The brand’s global flagships, these bottlings balance freshness, depth and ageability with…