Question: Wine grapes seem to be ripening earlier every year so has 2025 started in the northern hemisphere?

You might also like:

Commanderie de Bordeaux Vancouver held their Summer event with spouses August 18, 2025 on the patio of Riley’s Fish & Steak Restaurant. We were well looked after by an accommodating service staff and the culinary team led by Executive Chefs Dennis Peckham & Jon Chuy and Sommelier Philip Kim. Impressive diverse hors d’oeuvre of tuna, scallop, plus Wagyu beef carpaccio followed by tasty crab cake (all crab no filler) with bacon jam on corn puree got the dinner off to a rousing start.

BOLLINGER SPECIAL CUVEE BRUT NV is a dependable classy aperitif using over 85% of Grand & Premier Cru vineyards and lots of reserve wines in a richer spicier distinctive style.

CHÂTEAU LATOUR-MARTILLAC BLANC PESSAC-LEOGNAN: A fan of this well priced Bordeaux white produced for a long time by the Kressmann family and only one of six properties classified for both red & white wines. They have increased since the eighties plantings of Sauvignon Blanc complementing the Semillon and have been leaders in sorting, blending and lees aging producing top quality Pessac-Leognan whites. Your scribe likes their extensive website full of valuable information. We compared three consecutive vintages and details clearly set out at latourmartillac.com –

2021: 57% Sauvignon Blanc (picked September 9-21) + 43% Semillon (Sept.15-21) Barrel ferment (25% new) Aged 15 months on lees (10 French oak) 13 abv 29000 bottles 2024-2030 Young light green colour – as all three wines show. Fresh leaner taut good acidity (compared to softer 2022) Will continue to develop showing more of the Semillon side. NIce tension.

2020: 68% Sauvignon Blanc (August 24-September 2) + Semillon (Aug.27-Sept. 3) Barrel ferment (25% new) Aged 15 months on lees (10 French oak) 13 abv 33000 bottles 2023-2029 Early harvest smaller concentrated grapes shows more intense full rich body drinking forwardly with more almond & pear notes. Higher  Sauvignon. Seems slightly more than 13 abv compared to other two vintages.

2019: 58% Sauvignon Blanc (picked September 3-16) + 42% Sémillon (Sept. 4-17) Barrel ferment (25% new) Aged 15 months on lees (10 French oak) 13.5 abv 39000 bottles 2022-2028 Interesting service temperature advice given for colder (10C/50F) under 4 years but warmer after 4-5 years aging (12-14C/53-57F) Wonderful best pear aromatics well balanced developing complexity but still young fresh vibrant. All three wines are fruity showing Sauvignon and IMHO will still improve complexity with more Semillon assertion with a few more years aging. Fun comparison.

Two red Bordeaux vintages that your scribe admires are 2005 and 1986. Nineteen years apart but both in rather a classic structured older times way. Usually show that they need more time. The Vancouver Group of Eight experienced a 1986 horizontal linked here on June 30, 2025. Tonight we compared two properties in both vintages:

2005 CHATEAU L’ARROSEE SAINT EMILION Old time fav property written up several times on this site including the 1962 vintage on April 8, 2024 linked here plus two Ask Sid enquiries on December 6, 2018 here & April 10, 2024 here. This 2005 a result of the Caille Family 2002 purchase from pioneer Francois Rodhain (1957-2013) before Domaine Clarence Dillon acquisition in 2013. Lighter stylish elegant (softer than the typical older vintages were) for lovely current drinking. Highest rating (“best ripe”) 93 points at a 32 vintage vertical back to 1957 held in Copenhagen in 2018.

2005 CHATEAU LA LAGUNE HAUT-MEDOC LUDON Darker than L’A. Full ripe big fruit but a tad jammy. Blend is Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Petit Verdot 60/30/10. Some structure and finishing tannic grip but not an outstanding La Lagune for the outstanding 2005 year. Accessible earlier.

1986 CHATEAU L’ARROSEE SAINT EMILION Rather good but my glass had too much fine sediment spoiling the texture. Other glasses perfect. Showed poorly at Copenhagen vertical 85 points as did some other excellent older vintages that can be very good. Obviously bottle variation of older wines applies. Old style coming around but not in the class of the 1962 or 1961.

1986 CHATEAU LA LAGUNE HAUT-MEDOC LUDON Good depth still rather youthful. There is backbone structure with lush full core of fruit balanced by acid and tannin. Preferred by your scribe and others as WOTN. Just had the 1982 which wasn’t as big and structured as this 1986 but was presently more charming, delicious and complex. 1986 will still improve and round out though drinking well now.

2012 CHATEAU GUIRAUD SAUTERNES This Sauternes always has high 35% Sauvignon Blanc with lower Semillon 65%. Used to be even higher around 50 before 2006 partnership purchase that includes Olivier Bernard (Domaine de Chevalier) & Stephan Von Neipperg (Canon La Gaffeliere, Mondotte) replanted (removing red grapes) with a new drainage system. Difficult vintage with a late harvest so is light easy drinking with the appropriate stone fruit dessert. Not a touch on the exquisite 1986 Guiraud full of rich fruit & botrytis to finish up this June at our Left Bank Bordeaux 1986 horizontal event mentioned earlier.

You might also like:

Question: Is there a change in the different size wine bottles that are allowed to be imported into the USA?

Answer: Yes the TTB (Department of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau) passed a regulation effective January 3, 2025 amending and expanding the container sizes for flexibility of both wine & spirits. Wine can now be in 25 different listed sizes between the range of smallest of 50mm up to 3 litres (and larger). One interesting note is the Vin Jaune (Yellow Wine) of late picked Savagnin grapes from the Jura region in France that traditionally was in the “Clavelin” 620 ml (21 ounces) oddball size is now allowed to be imported as such. Previously it was brought in legally only in 375 ml or 500 ml. Now we are able to enjoy more of that delicious Poulet au Vin Jaune du Jura (Chicken with Jura wine) in the true size container bottle!

You might also like:

This Blog is full of information updating you on the current state of older wine vintages. Educational to learn how different regions and years have developed but of limited practical application for most younger wine consumers. You have to have been a wine collector for some time aging fine wines to get really passionately involved in many of my postings. Still interesting. However, there are lots of you more senior members of the IWFS out there who qualify. Wines used to be more reasonably priced on release to purchase and cellar but now most top wines are very expensive. Nowhere is this price increase more noticeable than with the limited production of Grand Cru & Premier Cru white Burgundy. You have to seek out Villages wines and from regions outside the core. Even then prices may be crazy. Received yesterday an email from Somm Cellars offering at $249.95 US a 2023 Meursault Villages AC Domaine Roulot excitingly using in the blend a good portion of the high elevation “Vireuils” (“lime-scented and intensely mineral nose”) – recommended previously for Benjamin Leroux on September 2, 2024 here. Lately your scribe has focused more on looking for white Burgundy at better values. Successfully found quite a few and list 5 of them for your consideration:

2022 BOURGOGNE HAUTES-CÔTES DE BEAUNE AU BOUT DU MONDE PIERRE-YVES COLIN-MOREY: This highly respected producer (like Roulot) often has better values for their wines from outlying regions. This 100% young replanted vines Chardonnay 12.5 abv from a single steep SW facing slope on limestone-clay at 400+ meters is intriguing. These previously cooler spots are now ripening better with climate change yet retaining more fresh acidity for better structure. Good bets. Waxed capsule.

2021 MONTHÉLIE “CUVÉE MISS ARMANDE” VIEILLES VIGNES DOUHAIRET-PORCHERET: Old fav. First visited this property in 1997 with the late marvellous friend Martine Saunier and still enjoying their elegant red 1995 Volnay 1er Cru En Champans in magnum. Monthelie whites are under the radar but this difficult year still produced a 13 abv bright stony energetic fresh cuvee named after Duhairet proprietor. Also check out the riper more weight 1er cru Les Duresses.

2021 PERNAND-VERGELESSES DOMAINE JEAN-BAPTISTE BOUDIER: Another under appreciated region for whites. This young talented winemaker carefully selects whole clusters from climats of Les Pins, Les Vignes Blanches, Decant les Cloux for this precise fresh reductive 13 abv lovely gem. Waxed capsule. A producer to put on your must watch list.

2020 SAINT-AUBIN 1ER CRU SUR GAMAY MARK HAISMA: Long time big fan for St. Aubin. Check out my August 19, 2024 link here. Just finished my last delicious bottle of 2016 from this same Sur Gamay vineyard by Henri Prudhon. Like the 2020s and this one at 13 abv shows full intensity with underlying balanced acidity. Still fair value for the top quality delivered. Mark Haisma has been popular at the BC LDB with several Burgundy listings.

2022 POUILLY-FUISSÉ 1ER CRU LE CLOS (MONOPOLE) CHÂTEAU-FUISSÉ FAMILLE VINCENT: Smart to seek out some good values in Pouilly-Fuisse now with 22 designated Premier Crus since the 2020 vintage. Hard to find one to top this wax capsuled old vines beauty at 14 abv. Le Clos is a walled enclosed area behind the Chateau on an east facing slope of limestone-clay soils with a unique terroir. Already recognized as outstanding with 97 point Best in Show rating in Decanter. Forwardly yellow look but rich ripe creamy nutty and a long finish but can age well as shown presently by the more evolved still fresh 2018 vintage. Famille Vincent describe 2022 as “complex wine with considerable ageing potential”. This is the new consumer friendly white Burgundy for enjoying and cellaring. Hop on board.

You might also like:

Question: What are your thoughts Sid for this Summer on the best BBQ wines?

Answer: Yes, presently lots of hot weather for outdoor BBQ meals. Always a difficult one to decide on your wine choices but it shouldn’t be a problem. Choose something easy and more reasonably priced that you always enjoy. Also depends somewhat on whether you are cooking smoked meats or fish or vegetables for a better matching. Your scribe answered this question here of “What wines go best with BBQ” on July 2, 2014 over 10 years ago. Lots of choices for a poll then but the popular winner was California Zinfandel. That is unlikely to be the result today. Gamay, Syrah, Malbec, Dolcetto, Rose and even lighter British Columbia Cab Franc are likely to be well supported. However, remember that the current wine fashion is for more white, more Sparkling, lower alcohol, and anything chilled at a cooler temperature – especially for Summer. Sparkling works well but I would consider Albarino. Some good choices include Terravista Vineyards from BC and two from Rias Baixas in Galicia Spain of fresh herbal 2023 Zarate & juicy fuller 2022 Lagar de Cervera. Don’t forget the possibility of exotic white pepper Gruner Veltliner from BC (Culmina “Unicus”, O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars, or Fort Berens) or classic Austrian – look for Brudlmayer or Schloss Gobelsburg. Enjoy.

You might also like: