1990 Château Cheval Blanc, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
There are wines that show age, and there are wines that embody time — the 1990 Cheval Blanc belongs firmly to the latter. A seamless expression of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, it glides from glass to memory in slow motion. The nose alone is hypnotic: sandalwood, truffle, blackcurrant liqueur, cedar, and faint violets drifting into cigar box and graphite. On the palate, everything feels suspended — ripe plum and cassis woven with tobacco, iron, and forest floor. The tannins have melted into silk, yet the wine still hums with quiet vitality, like the lingering vibration of a bell. There is something meditative in its depth, something eternal in its calm. This is Bordeaux not as a drink, but as a dialogue with history.
2014 Tignanello, Toscana IGT, Marchesi Antinori
The 2014 Tignanello is a triumph of restraint and refinement, proof that challenging vintages often reveal the truest expressions of terroir. The blend — mostly Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc — carries its identity with composure. Aromas of sour cherry, dried herbs, graphite, and crushed rose petals rise with subtlety rather than force. The palate is sleek and precise: red fruit edged with balsamic and cedar, acidity taut as silk thread. The oak feels seamlessly absorbed, guiding rather than shaping the texture. It’s a quieter Tignanello, less showy than some years, yet deeply intelligent — the kind of vintage that whispers rather than declares, inviting patience and thought.
2019 Régnié, Domaine Jean-Paul & Julien Sunier, Beaujolais
Julien Sunier’s 2019 Régnié reminds us that Gamay, when treated with tenderness, can express terroir with the emotional range of Pinot Noir. The bouquet is instantly captivating — wild strawberry, raspberry leaf, and crushed stone, underlined by faint spice and peony. The palate dances between delicacy and density, gliding on fine-grained tannins and shimmering acidity. There’s a wonderful transparency to it — fruit and mineral line in perfect sync. Fermented naturally and aged gently in neutral wood, it feels unforced, alive, and utterly pure. This is Beaujolais in its most elegant and soulful form: light on its feet, but resonant at heart.
2020 Flaccianello della Pieve, Fontodi, Toscana IGT
Flaccianello 2020 radiates both strength and serenity — a Sangiovese of structure, power, and deep Tuscan light. The nose is dark and magnetic, layered with black cherry, plum skin, rosemary, and graphite. Beneath the fruit lies a subtle earthy rhythm, the scent of sun-warmed terracotta and dry herbs. On the palate, it expands with confident breadth — muscular tannins wrapped in fine acidity, the oak integrated into the wine’s pulse rather than its frame. Every sip carries a sense of gravity, yet there’s lift and luminosity too, as if the wine breathes through its texture. It’s a modern Tuscan classic — disciplined, vibrant, and quietly monumental.
