Is there anyone left who doubts that—in sheer quality—Napa Valley’s top whites are Sauvignon Blancs? Maybe it sounds a little severe to say, but over the past five years, while Napa’s Chardonnays have largely stood in place, the valley’s Sauvignon Blancs have soared. These aren’t just good Sauvignon Blancs; these are ravishingly complex white wines that have a kinship with the greatest white Bordeaux. Napa’s “Super Sauvignons” would be right at home in a blind tasting with, say, Domaine de Chevalier and Château Haut-Brion Blanc—two of the most treasured white wines in the world. Here’s what th ..read more

Most wine drinkers have probably never heard of Marco Simonit. But if you were a vine, you very well might know him. Simonit—a rangy Italian with a shock of white rumpled hair—showed up in our offices a few weeks back. His mission, he said, was to help vines live better. It was a simple, but revolutionary, thing to say. But, the more he talked, the more we came to see that he’s done exactly that. He’s done it by completely upending the way vines have been pruned for centuries. For Simonit, the ugly deep scars of pruning wounds tell the ..read more

Like everyone else, I’m enchanted by the very idea of Provence rosé.  Too bad that, too often, the wine doesn’t live up to the hype. Of course, all of us can imagine ourselves there—the charming cafés strung along the turquoise coast; the white villas perched on rocky cliffs; the aromas of garlicky bouillabaisse wafting in the breeze; and all the beautiful people—tanned, sunglassed, and sipping pale pink rosé—everywhere. But buying a bottle of Provence rosé because it’s, well, Provence rosé, is no guarantee of quality or deliciousness. I’ll explain why in a moment. But first some qui ..read more

When the renowned Calera winemaker Josh Jensen passed away in 2022, I thought it would be the end of an era and that we’d seen the last of Calera’s elegant Pinot Noirs. But stunningly, the wines may be even better now, and if you love Pinot Noir, you have to keep reading. Jensen—who I knew from my early days as a journalist in New York—was a Yale- and Oxford-educated intellectual. As a young man, he’d been maniacal about his love for fine red Burgundy and was determined to find, in California, a site comparable to a Burgundian Grand Cru. That ..read more

Right now, there’s a lot of sex in the vineyards. Strictly between the vines of course. Cultivated vines are hermaphroditic (the reproductive organs of both sexes are simultaneously present). Thus, come spring, grapevines pollinate themselves. But only if the moment is right. Grapes, as it turns out, are rather particular. Too much wind? Forget it. A chill in the air? The grapes get a headache. Rain? May as well take a cold shower. Only when it’s calm, peaceful, and warm will grapes procreate. The tender process is called “flowering,” and indeed, if all goes well, tiny white flowers will resul ..read more

I live in Napa Valley and have come to know the rhythm of its seasons and the evolving styles of its winemakers. Here are ten fantastic Cabernets from my recent tastings. They’re all on the market now, but I’m sure they’ll be snapped up soon, so move fast. What makes these Cabs so special? Beauty over weight. Precision over power. A lit-from-within aliveness. Plus freshness. Napa Cabernet without freshness has all the charm of flat Coke. (Wines below are listed in random order.) QUINTESSA 2019 (Rutherford, Napa Valley, CA) $230 A wine of great beauty and richness. Long waves of ..read more

Right now, there’s a lot of sex in the vineyards. Strictly between the vines of course. Cultivated vines are hermaphroditic (the reproductive organs of both sexes are simultaneously present). Thus, come spring, grapevines pollinate themselves. But only if the moment is right. Grapes, as it turns out, are rather particular. Too much wind? Forget it. A chill in the air? The grapes get a headache. Rain? May as well take a cold shower. Only when it’s calm, peaceful, and warm will grapes procreate. The tender process is called “flowering,” and indeed, if all goes well, tiny white flowers will resul ..read more

Delicious white wine. Australia? I know; I know. Lots of people don’t equate the two. But maybe they should. In a recent office tasting, we were knocked out by the quality of Australian white wines—and they were all under $25 to boot. These are wines to stock up on. Spring and summer are coming—and frankly, we’d drink any of these any time. The wines that made our top list ranged from Chardonnays and Rieslings to Semillons, Viogniers, and Rhône-style blends. All of these grape varieties thrive in Australia’s cooler regions (of which there are many). The wines we loved best ..read more

While First Growth Bordeaux is stratospherically priced, there are scores of stellar 2020 vintage Bordeaux (red and white) now coming onto the market that—though not exactly steals—are pretty affordable given their track records. Here are my Eight Top Bordeaux wines from last week’s jam-packed Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux tasting in San Francisco where more than 100 châteaux poured. I scored each of these eight wines 95 points or higher. All of the wines can be bought on pre-arrival now. Most will start coming to retail and online stores between May and September. To see our video of the ..read more

Champagne is a wine, a place, and a state of mind. Which is one of the reasons it’s perfect in the lead up to Valentine’s Day. Some people might think they want a box of chocolates, but as romantic indulgences go, a bottle of rosé Champagne is infinitely better. Over the last week, we did a series of double-blind tastings to see which rosé Champagnes we felt were the most refined, complex, and delicious. We found there’s a big swing in quality…not all rosés are created equal. Our eight fantastic winning rosés are below. You can scroll down to them ..read more