Innehållsförteckning för Novemeber 30, 2025 från Wine Spectator

Visit WineSpectator.com/113025 to find links to all of the following resources. TOP 100 WINES OF THE YEAR On Nov. 10, we begin unveiling the Top 10 Wines of 2025—with videos, tasting notes and more—culminating with the Wine of the Year announcement on Nov. 14 and the complete Top 100 list on Nov. 17. Don’t miss the year’s most exciting wines! FREE RESOURCES FOR ALL WINESPECTATOR.COM READERS WINE & HEALTH Keep on top of the latest research with our regular Health News reports, get your questions answered in our Wine & Health Q&A, and sign up for Wine & Healthy Living, our twice-monthly email newsletter. DAILY WINE PICKS Every day of the week, get a recently reviewed wine handpicked by our editors for its value, collectability or other wow-factor that makes it worthy of…

The ribbon for the Wine Spectator Wine Education Center on the campus of Napa Valley College (NVC) was cut Sept. 4, but the space had already been in use, as students started classes a week earlier. The college hopes the new center will train the next generation of leaders in the wine industry. Guests sipped wine made by students and nibbled on snacks as they explored the nearly 10,000-square-foot center, which more than doubles the previous classroom and training space for the college’s Viticulture and Winery Technology program. Previously, classes were in danger of becoming standing room only, and the buildings were woefully dated. Now there are two sensory classrooms that seat up to 80 students, with an additional classroom featuring 28 state-of-the-art lab stations. “This new education center is…

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 95 CRISTOM Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills Mt. Jefferson Cuvée 2023 $50 OREGON This impressive Pinot is polished and detailed, offering dynamic flavors of raspberry and blueberry, along with hints of mineral and brown baking spices that build richness toward fine-grained tannins. COLLECTIBLE 98 LUCIANO SANDRONE Barolo Aleste 2021 $160 Italy Evoking notes of cherry, black currant, violet, mineral and wild herbs, this Barolo’s flavors are perfectly in balance with its bright acidity and refined tannins. Leaves a long, detailed after-taste of fruit, mineral and savory elements, showing superb intensity. SMART BUY 92 ST. SUPÉRY Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2024 $30 CALIFORNIA This white offers a vibrant, mouthwatering mix of pineapple, tangerine and fresh lemon sorbet flavors, with details of lemon verbena, ripe pear and Key lime pie. There’s…

Few chefs have left as indelible a mark on dining in New York City—and around the world—as Jean-Georges Vongerichten. I first met the France-born chef nearly 50 years ago through my friend Phil Suarez, his original investor in JoJo, Vongerichten’s first independent restaurant in New York. Phil remains his partner, and I’ve been fortunate to call them both friends. Jean-Georges, Vongerichten’s flagship restaurant, is just a short walk from my home. Even after dining there countless times over the decades, it remains a favorite for me and my family. Each meal is a revelation: refined yet approachable, rooted in French tradition yet endlessly inventive. The chef has that rare gift of making even a simple plate of vegetables sing with brilliance. For our cover story, senior editor Kristen Bieler explores…

“Everybody loves an underdog,” Tablas Creek partner and general manager Jason Haas says with a smile. Is there any bigger underdog in the world of wine than boxed wine? The format was first introduced in the 1970s and drew criticism almost immediately for the poor quality of the wines inside. Subsequent years didn’t do it any favors, because the boxes almost always contained mass-production wine lacking personality; thus, boxed wine became a synonym for cheap wine sans sophistication. Today, the boxed wine category is showing promising signs of growth, and brands focused on putting high quality wine inside those boxes are leading the charge. They’re pitching the wines as a welcome way to reduce wine’s carbon footprint. According to Nielsen, retail sales of boxed wine increased by more than 4%…

St. Supéry Merlot winemaker Michael Scholz has the variety all figured out. So does Renée Ary of Duckhorn. Neither really believes that, but just taste their Merlots year after year, like I do, and you realize that they understand how to make outstanding Merlot in Napa Valley. Napa traditionally has been the leader in California Merlot—not that Sonoma and other regions aren’t capable of producing excellent examples, but they rarely reach the heights that Napa does. Why is that so? Cabernet Sauvignon thrives in Napa, and since Merlot is a close cousin, perhaps it comes down to terroir, but there’s arguably another factor at play. Most California wineries see Merlot as just one of several varietals in their portfolio, but for the top Merlot houses in Napa, it is a…

I’ve covered Jackson Family Wines for 30 years, and it doesn’t do anything on a whim. The Sonomabased company didn’t rush into Willamette Valley when Oregon Pinot Noir became the rage. It researched and moved strategically, particularly with the purchase of Zena Crown Vineyard in 2013, which proved to be a big success. More recently, Jackson Family Wines (JFW) turned to Washington state in its search for new, distinctive sources of Cabernet Sauvignon. “Given our success in Oregon, as far as the quality of the wines and the quality of the vineyards that we have up there, Washington was the next step,” says JFW’s Napa Cabernet pro, Chris Carpenter, who concedes that concerns about climate change spurred their interest in diversifying where they grow Cabernet. “The real trigger for us…

Highly Recommended The issue’s most impressive wines. Includes top-scorers and wines that represent optimal purchases based on their combination of score, price and availability. 97 Elvio Cogno Barolo Ravera 2021 $135 ITALY tar notes mark this lean, sinewy red, which is compact despite starting out with an open feel, featuring a core of sweet, ripe fruit midpalate. The assertive tannins require patience, while the aftertaste indicates this wine’s future potential. Best from 2028 through 2050. 625 cases made, 300 cases imported.—B.S. 97 J. Rochioli Chardonnay Russian River $80 CALIFORNIA An exquisite version, showcasing power and elegance, with flavors of grilled peach, lemon blossoms, marmalade, crunchy star fruit and orange studded with cloves. Buttery shortbread and glazed pineapple notes linger on the finish, along with a hint of black cardamom and an…

ARGENTINA Cabernet Sauvignon & Blends 94 Cheval des Andes Mendoza 2022 $100 Supremely structured and rather muscular in style, this offers a loam and iron base, juxtaposed against subtle floral and dried thyme notes that mix with a dense, compact core of cherry and Santa Rosa plum. For all this muscle, there’s finesse on the finish, with mace and floral red currant details lingering around well-formed tannins. Built to cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot. Best from 2036 through 2040. 8,333 cases made, 1,600 cases imported.—A.R. 93 Bodega Catena Zapata Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza Angelica Zapata Birth Of Cabernet 2021 $125 This red opens with subtle floral notes, along with tobacco leaf and black truffle, while the palate shows purity, centered on plum and wild berry flavors. Offers mineral vibrancy on the…

Molto Malbec Argentina continues to be a reliable source of value-priced reds with its flagship Malbec grape. For another specialty of the country, try the Torrontés. BODEGA EL ESTECO Malbec Cafayate Valley 2023 (92, $25) Concentrated, fresh; violet, plum, berry, kirsch, chicory BODEGA CATENA ZAPATA Malbec Lunlunta Old Vines 2023 (91, $27) Raspberry, Santa Rosa plum, smoky spices, flowers; rich, well-integrated BODEGA CATENA ZAPATA Sémillon-Chenin Luján de Cuyo White Clay 2024 (91, $25) Rich, vibrant; yellow apple, apricot, honey, chamomile, stone, mineral, herbs BODEGA EL ESTECO Torrontés Cafayate Valley Blend De Extremos 2024 (90, $15) Meyer lemon, nectarine, heliotrope, ginger; restrained, subtle TRAPICHE Chardonnay Uco Valley Tesoro 2024 (90, $15) Energetic, long; sweet pea, tangelo, flint, Asian pear, citrus, spices TRAPICHE Malbec Mendoza Medalla 2023 (90, $20) Plum, blackberry, rosemary, loam, licorice, cassis, sandalwood;…

In the early morning of Monday, June 2, Sicily’s Mount Etna erupted. Even for Europe’s most active volcano, it was a spectacular display of ash plumes, jets of lava and pyroclastic material. Less than 36 hours earlier, my husband and I had been enjoying lunch at a restaurant in the town of Linguaglossa, on Etna’s northern rim. We were wrapping up a few days on Etna as part of a larger vacation to Sicily. A narrow escape, you might ask? Not really. “The event was not a new thing,” says Planeta winemaker Patricia Tóth, non-chalantly. “It was pyroclastic material coming out, just as in the last eruption, [which was earlier] in 2025.” Etna’s volcanic activity dates back to 1500 BC, and it erupts regularly each year. “It was more intense…

Crab Crostini With Garlic Aioli Created for ABC Kitchen in New York, this dish transports Vongerichten straight to the south of France in the summer, he explains, with the classic combo of bread, seafood and aioli. FOR THE MAYONNAISE 1 egg yolk1 teaspoon Dijon mustard½ teaspoon lemon juice, strained2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar1 ½ teaspoons salt2 ½ cups grapeseed oil 1. Combine the first five ingredients in a food processor and blend. 2. Slowly add the oil while blending to emulsify. FOR THE AIOLI 1 ½ cups housemade mayonnaise (recipe above)½ teaspoon minced garlic½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice½ lemon, zested Combine everything in a bowl and whisk until smooth. FOR THE CRAB MIXTURE ½ pound peekytoe crab meat, picked through1 ½ teaspoons very finely chopped serrano peppers, seeds and ribs removed;…

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…