Wine of December | 2024

Wines of the Month News, Reviews & Resources

• 9 Best Pinot Noirs to Buy Right Now - "We picked our favorites from each of the world's top regions."
• 12 Of The Best RosÉ Wines You Can Enjoy Way Beyond Summer - Forbes.
• 18 Best Wines, From Krug RosÉ Champagne to Cardinale Cabernet Sauvignon - "Distinct offerings from names like Pahlmeyer to Gérard Bertrand add flavor to your cellar."
• 30 Best Red Wines for 2024 - "Here at VinePair we try mountains of red wine every year and encounter so many different styles from juicy and chillable Gamay to tannic and earthy Bordeaux blends. The following reds represent the cream of the crop - the bottles that stood out above the rest."
• AI Can Tell a Wine's Vineyard With 100% Accuracy - "AI may have just replaced another profession: wine tasters. By applying machine learning tools to chemical data, researchers say they have succeeded in identifying, 'with 100% accuracy', the molecular signature of red wines from seven major estates in the Bordeaux region."
• Bordeaux Wine Snobs Have a Point, According to This Computer Model - "With machine learning, scientists are trying to chemically define the murky concept of terroir. The models might be useful for detecting wine fraud."
• London Wine Competition (LWC) Announces The Top Wines Of 2022 - "The wines are rated across three main criteria: quality, value and packaging. To win a medal, wines must score a top rating in each of the three categories, although the score for quality is given disproportionate weight."
• Merlot Vs Pinot Noir: 8 Key Differences & Similarities - "Merlot wine is soft, medium-bodied, with low tannin and acidity. It has charming plum and pomegranate with red fruit and earthy flavors. Pinot Noir is the smoothest red wine with a velvety texture and raspberry and plum flavors. It also seduces you with strawberry and red cherry aromas."
• The world's best vineyards for 2020 revealed - "Winner at the inaugural 2019 awards and now again in 2020, Zuccardi Valle de Uco is an Argentinian winery in the heart of the Uco Valley, at the foot of the Andes mountains. A family-run business founded in 1963, it delivers what the Best Vineyard Awards calls 'precision-made high-altitude wines' out of a stunning modernist bodega."
• Ukraine winery in area shelled by Russia wins gold at Decanter wine awards - "Beykush winery struggled to get bottles to judges in UK from its site on edge of Russian-occupied territory."
• Why wines taste increasingly similar - "How climate change is tweaking the taste of wine. Warming, wildfires and unpredictable weather threaten to disrupt the delicate processes that underlie treasured wines, putting the fine distinctions between grapes at risk."
• World's Best Bordeaux - "The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful, and since we've no place to go, drink Bordeaux, drink Bordeaux, drink Bordeaux... The heady blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot - the perfect marriage of black forest fruits, cassis and tannin - are surefire wines for all those festive feasts from glazed ham and spiced cranberry to Christmas pudding."
• World’s Best Pinot Noir According To The Decanter World Wine Awards 2024 - "Six Pinot Noir wines won Platinum medals at the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA). The competition is the largest wine competition in the world and is considered among the most prestigious. Over 18,000 wines were entered."
• World's Best Vineyards 2023: Top 50 - "The worlds best vineyards showcases the prestigious list showcases the worlds best and beautiful vineyards."

Wines of the Month

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• Domaine Histoire D’enfer - L’enfer Du Calcaire Pinot Noir 2019, 13.9% ABV, 750 ml. "The World’s Best Pinot Noir, According To The 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA)."
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• Chateau Montelena - since 1882. Chateau Montelena is a Napa Valley winery most famous for winning the white wine section of the historic "Judgment of Paris" wine competition.
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• Domaine Dugat-Py Chambertin Grand Cru - "96/100 from 91 critic reviews. Organic. From 2003 Organic Wine. Depending on the vintage, this wine may be labelled 'Vieilles Vignes'. Vineyard notes: 'Age of the plot over 90 years old. Clay-limestone geology. Treatment of the vine only with organic preparations since 1999.'"
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• Chateau La Berriere Muscadet Cotes de Grandlieu Sur Lie - "Based on aggregated critic scores this is one of the top 10 Muscadet Cotes de Grandlieu wines. Critic tasting note: (2020 vintage). 'From the vineyards of the Grandlieu lake west of Nantes, this wine is young, bright and fresh. Creamed apple and a bright streak of acidity give the wine texture and lift. Drink now. Roger Voss.' - 88/100, Wine Enthusiast."
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• JOH.JOS. PRÜM GRAACHER HIMMELREICH RIESLING SPATLESE - "Founded in 1911 the Joh.Jos. Prüm estate is seen as one of the greatest and most consistent of not only the famed middle Mosel but the entire country. Graacher Himmelreich directly borders the infamous Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard to its south. The Spatlese is cool and reserved and just so brilliantly balanced whilst steadfastly off dry. Cirrus and ripe yellow peach, floral, sweet pastry with a fine line of biding acidity woven seamlessly into every aspect of its journey from attack to exit."
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• 1991 Ridge Vineyards "Monte Bello" Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon - "Mind-blowing. So amazing with delicate spices of cardigan, currants, sweet tobacco. Full body, with very velvety tannins. Ripe and complex fruit character."
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• Buckingham Palace Pauillac - "This spectacular wine is produced from the young vines at Chateau Lafite and the Rothschild-owned neighbouring Chateau Duhart Milon. Made by the legendary wine-making team headed by Charles Chevalier at Chateau Lafite Rothschild, it shows all the classic characteristics of a good Pauillac. A medium bodied red with autumnal hedgerow fruit flavours, particularly blackcurrant, raspberry and some redcurrant coming through on the palate. It also has undertones of pencil shavings, vanilla and cassis. This mixed vintage wine is well balanced and structured with fine tannins. The perfect gift for any special occasion. Available in large quantities for corporate gifting needs."
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• Pol Roger CuvÉe Sir Winston Churchill - since 1975. "Champagne Pol Roger created their Prestige Cuvée in homage to Sir Winston Churchill mindful of the qualities that he sought in his champagne: robustness, a full-bodied character and relative maturity. The exact blend is a closely guarded family secret but it is undeniable that the composition would meet with the approval of the man to whom it is dedicated: 'My tastes are simple, I am easily satisfied with the best'. Pinot Noir predominates, providing structure, breadth and robustness whilst Chardonnay contributes elegance, finesse and subtlety. Composed exclusively of grapes sourced from Grands Crus Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards which were already under vine during Churchill's lifetime. Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is only made in the very best vintages and is always released later than the other vintage dated Champagnes from Pol Roger, marking Churchill's appreciation for older wines."
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• ChÂteau de Cayx CuvÉe MajestÉ - "This cuvée reveals an intense and complex nose offering a refined marriage of black fruits, vanilla and chocolate, stimulated by menthol notes. The palate, at once full-bodied, velvety and suave, reveals a woody finish that is gradually fading in front of the fruit."
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• Zuccardi Finca Piedra Infinita Malbec 2016 - "Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: I was blown away by the 2016 Finca Piedra Infinita, a wine I have been anticipating because I’ve seen the progression of the wine over the last few years. They use almost 40 different components to make this wine from small plots within the vineyard, especially the soils they call 'supercalcáreo' (super limestone). The other type of soil they use is what they call 'gravas calcáreas' (limestone gravels), and they don’t use any of the grapes from the deeper soils that go into the Q range. The wine has reached a stratospheric level of precision, symmetry and elegance in 2016 that is really captivating. Everything seems to be in its place; there is great harmony, the aromatics are clean and pure and the texture is like liquid chalk. There is power and elegance, energy and finesse. This is a really outstanding wine that summarizes the hard work at Zuccardi in the last few years. Bravo! 6,400 bottles were filled in February 2017."
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• CVNE Rioja Imperial Reserva 2015 - "The grapes for Imperial Reserva come from our best and oldest vineyards around Villalba, Briones and Torremontalbo, and which are over 40 years old. Rigorous work in the vineyard followed by hand harvesting into 20kg boxes with exhaustive selection in the field ensured the collection of great quality grapes. Once in the winery, the grapes were held in a refrigerated chamber for 24 hours and then subjected to a second manual selection on a selection table. To ensure gentle handling, the grapes were fed by gravity to French oak vats for the alcoholic fermentation. Once completed, the wine was then aged in French and American oak barrels for 24 months, followed by another 24 months bottle ageing in our century-old cellars until being released to market."
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• Domaine Leroy Bourgogne Blanc 2014 - "MAN is this good. The nose is INCREDIBLE. Pineapple, peaches, chalk and a hint of oak on the nose. The palate is surprisingly rich with really nice acidity. Was expecting more of that chalky note on the palate than what we got, but really this is just fantastic."
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• La TÂche - Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) and Grand Cru vineyard for red wine in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, with Pinot noir as the main grape variety. It is situated within the commune of Vosne-Romanéee and is a monopole of the winery Domaine de la Romanéee-Conti. La Tâche borders on La Grande Rue in the north, and mostly on Vosne-Romanéee Premier Cru vineyards in the east, south and west.
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• Tavel Le Mas Duclaux RosÉ 2016 - Tavel is a wine-growing Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the southern Rhône wine region of France, across the Rhône River from Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC and just north of Avignon. Tavel wines are all rosé wines and must have a minimum alcohol content of 11%.
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• Jean-Marc Roulot 'R' Meursault - "Domaine Roulot is an old family estate based in Meursault since 1820. Jean-Marc Roulot has been in charge since 1989. The vineyards have been farmed organically since 1999, with some experiments in biodynamics.
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• Dominio de Pingus - Spanish winery located in Quintanilla de Onésimo in Valladolid province with vineyards in the La Horra area of the Ribera del Duero region. The wine produced, Pingus, is considered a "cult wine", sold at extremely high prices while remaining very inaccessible.
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• LE PIN - Bordeaux wine from the appellation Pomerol. The unusually small estate is located on the Right Bank of France’s Gironde estuary in the commune of Pomerol in the hamlet of Catusseau, and its wine is frequently one of the world's most expensive red wines.
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• Domaine Tempier: Bandol RosÉ - "The grapes used to make our rosé come from selected parcels where the vines are on average 20 years old. The yields are low, which explains the intense concentration and distinct expression of each varietal in this wine. The presence of Mourvedre gives this wine its strong character, balance and complexity. An intense fruit and floral nose make this an attractive rosé."
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• Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Pinot Noir Romanée-Conti Grand Cru 1994 - €8211. A Pinot Noir wine from Burgundy in France. 1994 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 750ml.
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• MIRAVAL - "Mis en bouteille par Jolie-Pitt & Perrin." Wine château in the village of Correns, just north of Brignoles, a village in the Var départment in the south of France. Partowners: Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt. Château Miraval is best known for its outstanding rose called "Pink Floyd." Internationally applauded for its light, flinty and quite unique flavors, Pink Floyd is much sought after. In 2013, Château Miraval Côtes de Provence Rosé '12 received a 90 from Wine Spectator magazine.
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• ARMAND DE BRIGNAC - "Rated No. 1 Champagne in the World." Non-vintage Champagne brand produced by Champagne Cattier, and sold in opaque metallic bottles. The brand's first bottling, Armand de Brignac Brut Gold, is identifiable by its distinctive gold bottle with pewter Ace of Spades labels. Like much Champagne, the Brut Gold cuvée is a blend of the grape varieties Pinot noir, Pinot meunier and Chardonnay, making use of only Premier Cru and Grand Cru-rated grapes. Two other cuvées, a Rosé and a Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay) were released in 2008. In November 2009, FINE Champagne Magazine published the results of a blind tasting of 1,000 champagne brands, with Armand de Brignac the top finisher.
• LUXOR CHAMPAGNE - by Bellorr.
• HENRI GIRAUD - "This may be the finest Champagne house virtually no one has ever heard of." - Robert Parker.
• Bordeauxthèque - world's largest Bordeaux wine store in Paris flagship luxury department store Galeries Lafayette.
• DOMAINE ETIENNE SAUZET - Burgundy white wines. The le Montarchet is glorious, and the Chevalair Montrachet is also magnificent.
• CHÂTEAU CHEVAL BLANC
• VINA CASA MARIN - Syrah San Antonio Valley Miramar Vinyard 2005: US$68.
• CLOS DE MEZ
• DOM PÉRIGNON ROSÉ, VINTAGE 1998
• MOUTON-ROTHSCHILD, PAUILLAC 1945