Indholdsfortegnelse for September 30, 2025 i Wine Spectator

Visit WineSpectator.com/093025 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 LABOR DAY CELEBRATIONS Leading chefs and cookbook authors share their favorite end-of-summer recipes. Plus, Wine Spectator editors pick well-priced, highly rated wines to enjoy over the long weekend. PRIVATE GUIDE TO DINING Our free, twice-monthly email newsletter spotlights the best restaurants for wine lovers, from bucket-list destinations to perfect pizza places. Sign up! DAILY WINE PICKS Every day of the…

Siblings Greg and Jaime Araujo have sold their family’s Accendo brand to a partnership formed by vintner Jack Bittner and the Bettinelli family. The sale includes the brand and current inventory but no vineyards. The purchase price was not disclosed. “Accendo has always been about the growers,” said Jaime Araujo, who will focus on her Trois Noix brand and also chairs the Napa Valley Vintners board. “For me it’s a logical progression for the brand to put it in the hands of the best growers in the valley.” Accendo was created after Greg and Jaime’s father, Bart Araujo, sold the Araujo brand and Eisele vineyard in 2013. Shifting from a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon grown in Calistoga, Bart envisioned Accendo as an homage to the classic, age-worthy, blended Cabernets of the…

Barbera is one of the most historic grape varieties of Piedmont. According to Giuseppe Caviola, proprietor of Ca’ Viola and consulting enologist, Barbera was already mentioned in the 16th century in the Asti and Turin areas, and from there it spread to the Langhe. “It has always been considered a grape variety that adapts easily to all kinds of soils and microclimates,” he says. Though it reaches its zenith in the Asti and Alba regions of Piedmont, Barbera is found all around Italy. In Emilia-Romagna it is often blended with Bonarda (Gutturnio); in the Oltrepò Pavese denomination of Lombardy, varietal Barberas must contain at least 85% of the grape, while the rosso contains from 25% to 65% Barbera and Croatina, plus small percentages of Pinot Nero, Uva Rara and/or Vespolina.…

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 95 TENUTA DI ARCENO Chianti Classico Strada al Sasso Gran Selezione 2021 $75 ITALY Packed with black cherry, blackberry and black currant fruit, this red is smooth and enticing. Mineral, eucalyptus and tobacco elements add complexity, while the lively acidity drives the long finish. A compelling version, with terrific balance. COLLECTIBLE 97 AUBERT Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast CIX 2023 $125 CALIFORNIA This features an admirable amount of bright fruit in the form of raspberry, cherry and mulberry notes, while sparkles of anise, sassafras and even rosemary peek in, giving savory, juicy lift and cut. There’s energy and fruit to burn on the finish. SMART BUY 90 LLOPART Brut Rosé Vino Espumoso Corpinnat Reserva 2022 $22 SPAIN This lovely, creamy sparkling rosé has mouthwatering acidity, with a well-meshed mix…

America’s love affair with Italian wine and food is long and enduring. But steaming bowls of spaghetti and meatballs served with Chianti from a straw-trimmed bottle are a thing of the past. Today that image is replaced with elevated offerings—both on the plate and in the glass—that reflect the regional diversity and specificity of Italian gastronomy. Unification of the separate states located on the Italian peninsula began in the mid-19th century, and modern Italy’s 20 regions still retain much of their individual focus. Time-honored dishes from local ingredients are paired with each region’s wines, providing a beautifully detailed tapestry of flavors to taste and explore.…

CAMPANIA Centered on the city of Naples, on the southwestern coast of Italy, Campania’s fame extends as much to the luxury of the Amalfi Coast and the islands of Capri and Ischia as it does to the history and archeology of Mount Vesuvius, Pompeii and Herculaneum. Its interior includes fertile plains for wheat, fruit, olives and vegetables—ingredients for the production of another of Campania’s claims to fame: Naples is the birthplace of pizza. IMPEPATA DI COZZE MUSSELS WITH BLACK PEPPER Though you will sometimes see this dish made with white wine or olive oil, in its traditional form it is just mussels steamed in their own liquid then tossed with a healthy amount of black pepper and Italian parsley, and sometimes lemon. MAKING IMPEPATA DI COZZE Grill a few pieces…

AUSTRALIA Cabernet Sauvignon & Blends 92 Leeuwin Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Art Series 2021 $65 An elegant red, with incredible length and detail to the flavors of fresh currant, wild strawberry and spiced plum. Shows notes of cardamom, bay leaf, white pepper and cedar, backed by additional details of spices and oolong tea that emerge on the finish, with fine-grained tannins that firm up slightly. Drink now through 2036. 250 cases imported.—M.W. 92 Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon-Malbec Margaret River Tom Cullity 2021 $165 Rich and succulent, with bittersweet chocolate, espresso and dried cherry flavors that mingle with rosemary and wild sage aromatics on a dense but polished frame. Details of fresh loam, cigar box and star anise linger, with incredible length and focus. Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Drink now through 2035.…

For many wine lovers, Italy is more than a place to vacation—it’s a dream destination. Millions of Americans journey there each year, drawn by the country’s rich cultural history, jaw-dropping landscapes and, of course, its mouthwatering regional cuisines and world-class wines. In 2023 alone, more than 3.3 million Americans visited Italy, making it one of the most popular international destinations for U.S. travelers. In this issue, we present a wide-reaching and detailed celebration of Italy’s delicious wine-and-food tapestry. The story is led by senior editor Alison Napjus, whose passion for the country and its wines has long guided our coverage. With help from features editor and Italy aficionado Owen Dugan, Napjus has assembled a portrait of Italy that touches on each of its 20 regions and their unique identities. Beginning…

California-based winemaker Joe Wagner—most famous for starting Meiomi and selling it for $315 million—will depart the Oregon wine scene. His company Copper Cane Wines & Provisions announced June 12 it had sold Elouan to Stoller Wine Group for an undisclosed sum. The deal includes the brand, current inventory and bulk wine but no vineyards or winemaking facilities. Wagner launched Elouan in 2013, relying on purchased fruit from southern Oregon to produce mass-marketed, fruit-forward Pinot Noir and Chardonnay under an Oregon designation. The brand has been making about 130,000 cases annually at facilities in California, not Oregon. “Elouan is the No. 3 selling Pinot Noir from Oregon across the country,” said Gary Mortensen, president of Stoller Wine Group, adding that the acquisition expands Stoller’s distribution footprint at retail stores and restaurants…

Often, it’s the less elite wines that provide the truest assessment of a vintage’s quality. For Bernhard Ott, one of Austria’s finest Grüner Veltliner specialists, that would be the Fass 4, his entry-level wine named for the fass (barrel) selected each year by a customer of his father’s. It’s Ott’s benchmark: a blend of two estate vineyards in Kamptal and Wagram which therefore carries the wider Niederösterreich designation. “I believe the 2023 Fass 4 is the best we’ve ever made,” he says. “For the style of wine we strive to make, 2023 was perfect—and you see it clearly in the Fass 4.” It’s hard to argue with Ott’s appraisal of this ripe, spicy, salty Grüner (91 points, $33), which is showing beautifully out of the gate. (His range of elite…

Five years ago I wrote about the resurgence of Timorasso (“The Return of a Piedmont Original, columns, Nov. 30, 2020), a traditional Piedmont white grape variety from the hills of the Colli Tortonesi. Thanks to the efforts of local vintner Walter Massa, along with Elisa Semino of La Colombera and others, Timorasso is not only thriving; it has attracted a number of investors from nearby Langhe. This was clearly evident in a workshop I conducted at Vinitaly 2025, where I invited a number of producers to explore the grape, where it is grown and the styles of wines made from it. Only two of the 10 were from the Colli Tortonesi (one other declined my invitation because they were not attending Vinitaly); the rest were from Barolo and Barbaresco. In…

LIGURIA Liguria is probably most famous for its rugged coastline and sparkling waters, home to both the Italian Riviera and the charming series of fishing villages known as Cinque Terre. Yet most of the region is mountainous, dominated by the Ligurian Alps and Apennines. And at the region’s center, the historic port city of Genoa has infused the area with international flavors for centuries. TROFIE AL PESTO GENOVESE LOCAL PASTA WITH PESTO Likely Italy’s second best-known culinary export, pesto exemplifies the country’s emphasis on peak fresh ingredients combined in perfect balance. MAKING PESTO ALLA GENOVESE Proportions are key: Some people like real garlic punch while others prefer mild flavors. Toss ½ cup pine nuts over high heat until warmed, not browned. Put them in a food processor with a garlic…

On the label of a Senses bottle, the second “e” in Senses is rendered with a “3” as an homage to its three founding partners: Christopher Strieter, Max Thieriot and Myles Lawrence-Briggs. It’s also probably no coincidence that if you drew a radius on a map that encircled the three Northern California towns of Occidental, Freestone and Bodega, all of Senses’ vineyard sources would fall within it. The area around these towns is now the epicenter for the qualitative surge of Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir—and three is the magic number. This surge has drawn in plenty of outside interest and investment, including with the purchase of Platt Vineyard by AXA Millésimes in 2022. But this project from a trio of childhood friends is a decidedly local story. They were all…

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 Kristen Bieler Rhône Valley and other France, Germany, Austria How We…

West Coast These varietal bottlings from California and Washington offer a range of styles, yet all deliver plenty of charm and character. With both fruit and savory flavors, they are ideal for late-summer entertaining. RIVERS-MARIE Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2023 (94, $40) Racy, sappy; linzer torte, kirsch, boysenberry compote, wood spice, black tea, bramble RESULT OF A CRUSH Syrah Walla Walla Valley Christmas Cuvée 2022 (93, $32) Cherry, blueberry, grilled anise, river stone, licorice; energetic RESULT OF A CRUSH Syrah Walla Walla Valley The Unnamed Series 2021 (93, $32) Spirited; blueberry, raspberry, black olive, river stone ROCOCO Chenin Blanc Central Coast Own Rooted 2024 (92, $28) White peach, apricot, mango, orange blossoms, honeysuckle; intense SEAN MINOR Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Signature Series 2023 (92, $28) Elegant; strawberry puree, cherry preserves, red licorice, rose…

Napa Valley was the first place Lamberto Frescobaldi considered when his family’s wine company, Italy’s Marchesi Frescobaldi, went winery shopping in the United States. Frescobaldi studied viticulture and enology at University of California, Davis, in the 1980s, just as Napa was booming. It was an exciting time in California wine and Frescobaldi wanted to be part of it. That aspiration never came to fruition, but more than 30 years later, Frescobaldi found what he was looking for: Oregon and Pinot Noir. “There is something magic about this place and Pinot Noir,” Frescobaldi said as he stood on the deck at Domaine Roy & Fils and looked out on a brilliant green landscape of the Dundee Hills in Willamette Valley. Founded in 2012, Domaine Roy was acquired by Frescobaldi in 2023,…

EMILIA-ROMAGNA The rolling hills of Emilia-Romagna are punctuated by the historic, architecturally stunning cities of Bologna and Parma as well as the sparkling Adriatic Sea along its eastern coastline. Known as the “Food Valley” of Italy, it shines for its cheeses and salumi and boasts the most PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) products of any Italian region. GNOCCO FRITTO CON SALUMI LOCALI SAVORY FRIED DOUGH WITH LOCAL SALUMI A regular snack or appetizer at bars and restaurants throughout the region, gnocco fritto are rectangular pastries fried and served warm, accompanied by local salumi such as Prosciutto di Parma, Culatello di Zibello, Mortadella di Bologna and more. SALUMI | The big three are Prosciutto di Parma, Culatello di Zibello and Mortadella di Bologna. A few of…