Indholdsfortegnelse for December 15, 2025 i Wine Spectator

The Trump administration has filed away a controversial report that argued that alcohol consumption is unsafe at any level and that the U.S. Dietary Guidelines should be adjusted to reflect that. The report was written by a special committee that was organized by the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD) and staffed by researchers with ties to anti-alcohol advocacy groups. The decision to sideline the report came after more than 100 members of Congress demanded to know why ICCPUD, an agency that has never focused on adult drinking, was conducting the review even after Congress had commissioned the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) to conduct its traditional review of alcohol and health issues for the guidelines. The dietary guidelines are published every five…

The 2015 vintage in Montalcino was warm, yielding Brunellos that were broad and dense yet balanced, packed with both fruit and tannins. Rain mid-August and early September before the harvest was beneficial, refreshing the vines and cooling the ambient temperature. Now that the wines are 10 years old, I was curious to see not only how they’re aging, but also how climate change is reshaping the growing season and thus the style and longevity of the wines from Montalcino. Twelve producers joined me during Vinitaly in April to revisit the vintage. I chose the wineries based on the top-rated Brunellos I tasted on release in 2020. The wines are evolving quickly. All 12 were approachable and most will have no problem aging another decade. Some were fresher than others, suggesting…

From Russian tsars to hip-hop headliners, Louis Roederer’s Cristal Champagne has a storied past. And now the legendary Champagne house is using its history—via its deep library of vintages—to reveal another facet of its famous tête du cuvée bottling. In 2018, Roederer launched a new label, Cristal Vinothèque. These bottlings are a re-release of the same Cristal initially available about 15 years earlier, but employing specialized aging techniques and a more recent disgorgement. Yet despite its relatively recent debut, the Cristal Vinothèque program is nearly 30 years in the making, driven by longtime chef de cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon’s desire to show the world the great potential of Cristal Champagne. “In the past, I was very frustrated showing Cristal to the press, because on release, everyone said it was a baby,…

93 Bindi Sergardi Chianti Classico Tenuta I Colli Ser Gardo 2022 $32 ITALY This red is opulent and beautifully balanced, featuring black cherry, blackberry, black currant, violet and mineral flavors. Tightly wound yet lively, this cruises to the long, mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2036. 4,000 cases made, 1,200 cases imported.—B.S. 92 Forge Riesling Seneca Lake Dry Classique 2023 $22 NEW YORK Ripe but nervy, with a distinctive combination of plump peach, apricot and nectarine flavors that are carried by a taut, tangy spine of fennel, quinine and ginger. Shows a bitter orange echo on the finish. Drink now through 2029. 3,784 cases made.—J.M. 91 Kilikanoon Killerman’s Run Clare Valley 2022 $21 AUSTRALIA This red’s juicy core of blackberry, huckleberry and blueberry is generous and plump, showing notes of masala chai, clove and…

ITALY Piedmont / Barbaresco 95 Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Rabajà 2021 $72 See Highly Recommended, page 85. 94 Michele Chiarlo Barbaresco Asili 2022 $101 Offering a mix of cherry, plum, rose and tar flavors, this red is fresh and focused. A line of engaging tannins keeps this firm, while vibrant acidity extends the complex, fruit-, spice- and mineral-tinged aftertaste. Shows excellent equilibrium. Best from 2028 through 2043. 500 cases made, 50 cases imported.—B.S. 94 Vietti Barbaresco Rabajà Riserva 2020 $350 Rose hip, pomegranate, strawberry, hay and eucalyptus aromas and flavors mark this linear, almost tart red. Offset by firm tannins, while the terrific finish leaves layers of flavor and a mouthwatering impression. Approachable now with food but better in a few years. Best from 2027 through 2043. 180 cases made, 35…

Few names in California wine resonate quite like Jackson. When Jess Stonestreet Jackson appeared on the cover of our July 1995 issue, he was already recognized as a visionary who had reshaped California Chardonnay with Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve. In those pages, I described him as a maverick with a “take-no-prisoners approach” to the business, a man whose boldness and relentless drive had grown his operation from a single Lake County vineyard into a statewide empire. Two decades later, in 2017, it was Jackson’s wife, Barbara Banke, who appeared on our cover, having earned our Distinguished Service Award. As Jackson began to step back from day-to-day management in 2000, she had taken the helm of Jackson Family Wines, guiding the company with quiet strength and keen intelligence. After Jackson’s passing in…

Fall is undoubtedly the busiest season for restaurant openings, as chefs stretch their creativity in new directions after summers of research, renovations, tasting and refining. Here, Wine Spectator highlights five restaurants with the buzziest openings and most promising wine cellars. Kwame Onwuachi Raises the Stakes (and Steaks) in Las Vegas Following years of critical success, New York–raised chef Kwame Onwuachi is taking his talents across the country to the Sahara Las Vegas, where he has opened Maroon, an Afro-Caribbean steak house. Onwuachi is best known for Award of Excellence winner Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi, his watershed restaurant at New York City’s Lincoln Center, where he blends the cuisines of different diasporas. Last year, he opened Dōgon in Washington, D.C. The Vegas steak house is named after the Maroon people of…

Italy boasts some of the wine world’s best-known names as well as its quirkiest entries, from Barolo to Zibibbo. But it’s also home to what may be one of the country’s best-kept secrets: the wines of Carmignano. Carmignano is a small-footprint DOCG with fewer than 300 acres under vine, located just to the northwest of Florence, in Tuscany. While it doesn’t get a lot of name recognition today, wine production in the area dates to ancient Rome and notably benefited from great PR during the reign of the Medicis. “The Medicis invited many important families to go hunting [at their Barco Reale estate, in Carmignano]. In that period it became a very famous wine [after guests] had exposure to Carmignano and later had it shipped to them,” says Beatrice Contini…

hen Natalie Winkler left her winemaking role at Napa Cabernet star Salvestrin Winery to start a new project, I was a little surprised. She had a good run there from 2017 through 2023, helping to improve quality alongside Rich Salvestrin and his family, particularly with the Cabernet Sauvignon from Salvestrin’s holdings in the historic Dr. Crane Vineyard. (The 2018 Salvestrin Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet earned a classic rating and a spot among Wine Spectator’s 2021 Top 10 Wines of the Year.) When Winkler told me where she was going, I was even more surprised: Michel-Schlumberger in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley. The Michel-Schlumberger brand was born in 1991, when Alsatian vintner Jacques-Pierre Schlumberger partnered with Swiss native Jean-Jacques Michel, who founded his wine estate in 1979. Located next to Rafanelli, Michel-Schlumberger…

90 Castello Banfi Toscana Centine 2022 $15 ITALY Sleek despite dusty tannins, this red displays blackberry, plum and boysenberry fruit, accented by spices and earth. Bright acidity keeps this focused. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2030. 75,000 cases made, 28,000 cases imported.—B.S. 90 Pine Ridge CheninBlanc-ViognierAmerican 2024 $16 OTHER US Offers a lovely mix of ripe peach, apricot and orange blossom notes that are effusive, juicy and decidedly drinkable on a plump frame. Details of ripe pear, melon and dried ginger linger on the finish effortlessly alongside a hint of white tea. Chenin Blanc and Viognier. Drink now. 180,000 cases made.—M.W. 90 Symington Family Douro Altano 2022 $13 PORTUGAL A lively, well-spiced red, with an appealing mix of brambly boysenberry, cherry, violet and blood orange peel flavors sculpted by…

SOUTH AFRICA 92 Kanonkop Paul Sauer Simonsberg-Stellenbosch 2021 $81 Briary herb and loamy earth notes on the nose are a fragrant, savory-accented thread winding through flavors of crushed red currant, pomegranate puree, vanilla and red licorice. This is fresh with tangy, blood orange peel acidity, and chalky tannins firm the minerally finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2031. 3,350 cases made, 158 cases imported.—A.N. 91 Kanonkop Pinotage Simonsberg-Stellenbosch 2022 $58 A round, focused red, with a toasty edge to its fig cake, raspberry compote, vanilla and singed sage flavors. This is bright with blood orange peel–infused acidity, and light, fine tannins define the savory finish of fragrant spices and tarry smoke. Drink now through 2032. 750 cases imported.—A.N. 88 Tania & Vincent Carême Terre Brûlée…

NEW YORK 92 Forge Riesling Seneca Lake Dry Classique 2023 $22 See Smart Buys, page 86. 92 Forge Riesling Seneca Lake Dry Tango Oaks 2023 $25 A taut and nervy version, with dried lemon peel and bitter orange notes framing a core of white nectarine, star fruit and yuzu fruit. Keeps good tension through the finish. Drink now through 2028. 1,504 cases made.—J.M. 91 Forge Riesling Seneca Lake Dry Wagner Caywood East 2023 $28 Plump and juicy, with upfront appeal, evoking nectarine, clementine and honey-suckle, with a long quinine thread stitching the finish. Drink now through 2028. 101 cases made.—J.M. 91 Forge Riesling Seneca Lake Dry Willow 2023 $25 This is distinctive, with fresh mustard flower infusing a core of almond, Meyer lemon and white nectarine notes, backed by the long,…

Italy Uncorked Congratulations on an outstanding profile of the tastes of Italy in your Sept. 30 issue (cover). I thoroughly enjoyed traveling by armchair through Italy, discovering the signature flavors and wines of each region. Particularly interesting are the lesser-known regions and the tremendous diversity of grapes throughout Italy. Great work! Grazie mille. Stephen Armstrong Tustin Ranch, Calif. Name Game Regarding your news story on To Kalon (Grapevine, Oct. 15 & 31) being a place or a brand, I realized this is one of the consequences of a large corporation’s involvement in the wine business. For Constellation, To Kalon is nothing more than a selling tool. If I understand their argument and the court’s acceptance of same, Constellation can put the “name” To Kalon on any bottle of wine. In…

Taste of Italy Tuscany anchors this group of well-priced reds, with nods to Piedmont and Abbruzzo. Carmignano is a traditional blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, while the Rocca di Castagnoli Riserva adds Pugnitello and Foglia Tonda to the Sangiovese base. G.D. VAJRA Barolo Albe 2021 (94, $42) Supple, elegant, discreet; strawberry, raspberry, cherry, rose, eucalyptus CAPRAIA Chianti Classico Riserva 2021 (93, $35) Cherry, pomegranate, blood orange, iron, Tuscan scrub; linear complex, juicy ROCCA DI CASTAGNOLI Chianti Classico Poggio a’ Frati Riserva 2021 (93, $37) Intense, sinewy; cherry, juniper, tomato leaf, iron ROCCA DI CASTAGNOLI Chianti Classico Riserva 2021 (92, $30) Cherry, blackberry, tomato leaf, juniper, iron; compact, reserved CASTELLO DI RADDA Chianti Classico 2023 (91, $24) Ripe, harmonious; cherry, raspberry, wild herbs, mineral, tobacco ENRICO PIERAZZUOLI Carmignano Le Farnete 2022 (91, $23) Black…

Wine Pairing for the People: The Communion of Wine, Food, and Culture from Africa and Beyond by Cha McCoy Harvest, $35, 272 pages; harpercollins.com Really innovative books are rare in the wine world. Wine Pairing for the People is truly new. It’s a dynamic book combining wine educator and entrepreneur McCoy’s personal journey from Harlem to, well, all over, with her burgeoning knowledge of wine’s place in the world. Each section describes a region with you-are-there detail followed by local wine and culinary culture and history and how it has intersected with other parts of the world through colonization and trade over centuries, and recipes too. She has thrown off the “what grows together goes together” straitjacket in favor of truly inclusive combinations. A Low Country peach cobbler is matched with…

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…

CHILE 94 Viña Errázuriz Pinot Noir Aconcagua Coast Las Pizarras 2023 $79 This elegant and pure version leads with lilac, mulberry and fresh thyme notes that swirl around a brilliant beam of raspberry coulis flavors, adding orange peel and rooibos tea accents. There’s a subtle, saline-mineral edge to the finish around fine tannins, plus a late echo of alpine strawberry. Drink now through 2036. 800 cases made, 100 cases imported.—A.R. 94 Viña Seña Aconcagua Valley 2023 $145 Elegant yet chiseled, this red leads with subtle floral, cocoa bean and tea leaf notes that join the vibrant core of raspberry, Santa Rosa plum and red currant. A wave of mineral freshness lends tension, while hints of cassis and cigar box swirl in alongside a callback to the core fruit. Ends with…

CALIFORNIA Cabernet Sauvignon 92 Caterwaul Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2023 $55 A rock-solid Cabernet, with a steady beam of warmed cassis and cherry reduction notes that are laced with a loamy accent to keep everything grounded. Dark tobacco and a flash of walnut husk add range through the finish, which hasn’t fully unwound just yet. Best from 2026 through 2036. 12,734 cases made.—J.M. 91 Caterwaul Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County 2023 $45 Fresh and pure, with a pretty gilding of violet and iris over a solid core of cassis and cherry puree. Shows a graphite underpinning on the finish. Drink now through 2030. 1,914 cases made.—J.M. 90 Grounded Wine Co. Cabernet Sauvignon California 2023 $18 See Smart Buys, page 87. 89 Gearbox Cabernet Sauvignon California 2023 $17 Cherry and damson plum puree notes…