A look back on 2023. It was a busy one! Busy in the best possible way. Here is a round up of some of my most memorable wines and experiences from this year.

I have discovered that when a person chooses to grow and/or work with Cabernet Franc in regions where it is not necessarily the obvious choice, it is often because of a deep love of Loire Valley Cabernet Franc. And one family’s passion for Cabernet Franc, led me to discover a bottle from a rather unlikely place - Germany!

When an exceptional vigneron is working with a high quality site/vineyard for Cabernet Franc, vintage is not something I concern myself with as it relates to the inherent quality of the finished wine. In my opinion, a wine of very good quality will be produced from these top sites in the hands of a top vigneron in ANY vintage.

In May I was invited to lead a wine dinner for the Commanderie de Bordeaux chapter in Mexico City. Naturally the theme of the dinner was Cabernet Franc, and I had the pleasure to present and showcase some of the top examples from Bordeaux and the Loire.

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Chambers in Manhattan - the post-pandemic reincarnation of Racines NY, which existed in the same space. The food, hospitality and vibe exceeded my expectations. But let’s be serious here. I went to Chambers for the wine list.

A look back on the incredible year that 2022. I tasted A LOT of wines, and not nearly as many as I had hoped. But there is a lot more to come in 2023! Here is a round up of some of my most memorable wines I tried this year.

Cabernet Franc and Brazil may not be a grape-place combination that immediately leaps to mind, but for the latter part of the 19th century, and for the better part of the 20th century, Cabernet Franc was an important variety in the early years of the Brazilian wine industry.

Lenoir Chinon is somewhat of a unicorn in wine circles. Produced in miniscule quantities, and released periodically to the market, and only then after a very long elevage, these wines are very hard to find.

This past Sunday I made the trek to Washington DC to attend a wine dinner featuring the wines of none other than Oregon’s Cabernet Franc queen Leah Jørgensen.

After first committing to curating a list of my most memorable wines of the year, I looked back with a moment of pause and a regretful "UGH" at the thought of having to "choose" some of my favourite wines of the year. I mean, these wines are like my children, I love them all so dearly, how can I pick my favourites? Then upon further reflection, and reviewing my photos, videos and notes from 2021, I did realize that there were indeed some standout Cabernet Francs that I enjoyed this year, although perhaps not for the most obvious reasons.