Wine Review Online

4 days ago | winereviewonline.com | Rich Cook

Hooray for serious Merlot! Winemaker Kimberlee Nicholls shows why there needs to be more serious producers of this noble grape in California with a ripe red fruit profile that is still folding in its oak load. Not to fear – it will do so easily in a few years. But don’t let me dissuade you from jumping right in if you like a bit of youthful wood influence showing. Pair this with red meats of all kinds, or drink as a high-end cocktail. 93 Rich Cook

1 week ago | winereviewonline.com | Michael Franz

I love Pinot Noir and have long loved renditions of it from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. I had not been there for far too long until earlier this month, but every visit I’ve made to the region during the past three decades has left me more impressed with the wines than the previous one. Also, during every previous trip, I’ve been impressed by how the winegrowing and winemaking community has managed to get bigger and better—without getting more ostentatious.

1 week ago | winereviewonline.com | Jessica Dupuy

Each spring in Mainz, Germany, the soaring halls of the Rheingoldhalle echo with clinking glasses and murmurs of discovery. The halls provide the setting for the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter’s (VDP) annual Weinbörse, a gathering of wine professionals, journalists, and buyers from around the world who come to preview the newest vintage from Germany’s most esteemed wine estates. For those invested in the future of German wine, it’s one of the clearest windows into what lies ahead.

1 week ago | winereviewonline.com | Michael Franz

This is one of two new renditions of “Paixar,” one of the top wines of Bierzo, and all of Spain, for that matter, stretching back to the inaugural vintage of 2001. I have tasted almost every vintage (probably all of them, but leaving room for error). Both of them—this bottling and the “A Sierra”—are sleeker in profile than most vintages of their predecessor, which could be quite concentrated and loaded with flavor impact.

1 week ago | winereviewonline.com | Wayne Belding

In a market awash with Chardonnay wines, Chablis continues to stand out as the world’s most distinctive version of this widely planted grape. Domaine Bègue-Mathiot’s excellent 2022 Chablis reflects the best characteristics of the appellation. Founded in 1985, the small, family-owned domaine vinifies in stainless steel and defines a classic Chablisienne style.