Fine-wine trading opened September with a meaningful increase in activity. Liv-ex reported that total trade value rose 53.6% week-on-week, driven principally by greater purchasing from buyers in the United States and Europe. American buyers accounted for 41% of total traded value, maintaining their position as the market’s most important buying group for the week.

Napa Valley’s reputation is often tied to single-estate Cabernet Sauvignon, but Decanter’s September 2026 panel tasting puts the focus on the region’s red blends—and the results are notably strong.

France’s 2026 harvest has begun in August in many regions, far earlier than the traditional September rhythm. The reason is straightforward: prolonged heat and drought have accelerated ripening while reducing acidity, forcing growers to make picking decisions earlier than they would prefer.

The major July fires in Gironde are now reported to be under control, but the consequences for Bordeaux’s 2026 growing season are still being assessed. The fire came within approximately 15 kilometers (9 miles) of Bordeaux and prompted the evacuation of 224,000 people across 23 communes, including 55,000 people in a single night.

Christophe Roumier today makes some of the most monumental wines in terms of structure, a structure that favours long development. At the same time, they drink beautifully in their youth. The 2022 and 2021 are currently in a super open, juicy phase, but with age they slip into a kind of liturgical sleep. Ruchottes 2014 is right in that state now; despite all its complexity, you can feel its potential in every sip.

The legendary Domaine Ramonet, founded by Pierre Ramonet in the 1920s, remains outstanding to this day. Its wines were the first white wines from Burgundy to be bottled at the domaine and exported to the USA – a fact William Kelley mentions in his essay.

Vertical tastings of Petrus, Lafleur and Le Pin have convinced me that these are wines that leave an incredible impression through their architectural expression and varietal clarity. They are terroir wines pushed to the absolute limit, and I very much wanted to see how they perform within a single outstanding Pomerol vintage, and in comparison with other top examples from this tiny appellation.

There are bottles that ask to be admired, and bottles that ask to be listened to. Domaine de la Grand’Cour Fleurie “Le Clos” 2014 belongs firmly in the second category: a Cru Beaujolais that has moved beyond simple charm and into something more layered, more resonant, and much more interesting to drink with time in the glass. This is the kind of wine that reminds you why Fleurie, at its best, can sit comfortably at a table with far more famous names.

It is one of the pleasures of serious Beaujolais that the answer is rarely as simple as “it is all Gamay.” At Domaine de la Grand’Cour, Jean‑Louis Dutraive makes Fleurie from old vines, granite soils and a deliberately restrained cellar philosophy. Yet the wines from Champagne and Le Clos are never interchangeable. They share a producer, a grape and an appellation, but they are shaped by different positions, soils, vine material and élevage choices—and the differences become very clear once the bottles are side by side.

For anyone who thinks Fleurie is merely floral, light and easygoing, this is exactly the kind of comparison that changes the conversation.

Domaine David Duband is one of Burgundy’s most convincing modern success stories: a producer who began with family vineyards in the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits and built a portfolio that now stretches from fresh, site-driven Chardonnay to Grand Cru Pinot Noir in Charmes-Chambertin and Clos de Vougeot. The wines currently available at Symbolic Wines offer a particularly clear view of that progression—from the deceptively serious 2023 Coteaux Bourguignons Blanc to 2023 Grand Crus that show just how far Duband’s precise, whole-cluster style can travel.

Fleurie has a reputation for perfume, delicacy and charm—qualities that can sometimes lead people to underestimate it. Jean‑Louis Dutraive’s Domaine de la Grand’Cour is the antidote to that lazy assumption. His wines are unmistakably Fleurie in their floral character and drinkability, but they also have old-vine concentration, granite-driven structure and the kind of quiet authority that makes great Beaujolais feel far more consequential than its price or label might imply.

Bouchard Père & Fils is one of those names that carries Burgundy history in the same breath as Burgundy authority. Founded in 1731 and now reshaped under Artémis Domaines, the house remains a major reference point for grand cru Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with holdings that still matter not just because of scale, but because of the clarity of the wines themselves.

Bordeaux 2025 En Primeur is quickly turning into a vintage where selectivity matters more than ever, and our decision at Symbolic Wines to focus on a concise set of blue‑chip releases reflects that reality. The wines below all combine serious critical support, strong terroir credentials, and profiles that look built for long‑term performance in what is a small, high‑quality year.

At first glance, some Bordeaux 2025 En Primeur release prices will feel punchy in a cautious market—but when you pair the data on vintage quality, scarcity and historical pricing behavior, it becomes clear why carefully chosen 2025 futures could look underpriced in hindsight once the wines are bottled and mature.

En Primeur—often called “wine futures”—is the system that lets you reserve fine wines like top Bordeaux long before they are bottled, securing allocations early and often at the most compelling moment in their life cycle.

The 2025 vintage is being hailed by the Union des Grands Crus (UGCB) as "brilliant," but for collectors, it is a year of historic scarcity and radical classification shifts. 2025 Bordeaux En Primeur watchlist focusing on historic yield lows, Château Lafleur's move to Vin de France, and new Médoc Blanc AOC status.

Boost your wine knowledge with interactive Sommelier basics flashcards designed for students, wine enthusiasts, and hospitality professionals. Practice key concepts anytime, sharpen tasting vocabulary, and build confidence for exams or service on the floor in minutes a day.

A sommelier is far more than a "wine steward." The role is multifaceted, demanding expertise as a beverage specialist, a floor manager, a salesperson, an inventory controller, and an educator. Take the quiz and find out how well you know fine wines! 

Or practice key concepts anytime, sharpen tasting vocabulary, and build confidence for exams or service on the floor in minutes a day with our Flashcards.

Frédéric Cossard is one of Burgundy’s defining independent voices: a producer who came to wine from outside the usual family-domaine system, learned the region vineyard by vineyard as a broker, and then built a reputation on uncompromising farming, native-yeast fermentations, whole clusters, and wines bottled without added sulfur. The bottles now available at Symbolic Wines show the full reach of his work—from Volnay, Chambolle-Musigny, and Morey-Saint-Denis to Morgon, the southern Rhône, and Jura—without losing the unmistakable thread of his style: purity of fruit, tactile detail, and a willingness to let a wine retain its edges.

“Laisse Tomber” literally means “let it fall” in French, but for Bastian Wolber it became a manifesto: accept the accident, follow the fruit, and make the most honest, transparent wines you can from whatever great terroir life puts in front of you.

Michel Rolland, the globetrotting Bordeaux oenologist whose consulting reshaped premium wines worldwide, died on March 20, 2026, from a sudden heart attack at age 78. Born on December 24, 1947, in Libourne, France, he grew up on his family's Château Le Bon Pasteur estate in Pomerol, immersing himself in Right Bank Merlot culture.

Daniel Cathiard, the visionary owner of Château Smith Haut Lafitte and a gentle giant of the Bordeaux wine world, passed away in the night from Wednesday to Thursday, at the age of 81.

Tasting Bordeaux 2025 en primeur means tasting unfinished wines, yet the juices in the glass already carry a clear promise: the signature of their vintage and their terroir, shaped by a year that was early, small in volume and surprisingly balanced.

A truly collectible wine is not just about origin or score — it’s about how well you preserve it. Below are five facts every collector should remember before storing another bottle.

For collectors of premium European and American wines, understanding how retail release prices differ from auction results can determine whether your cellar appreciates in value or quietly loses potential. Here are five essential facts to guide your strategy.

Whether punched from ancient bark or spun in a lab, the cork is more than a plug—it’s part of the wine’s identity.

Jura is one of the most singular wine regions in France: small in scale, but unusually large in personality. It sits between Burgundy and Switzerland, and that borderland position has produced a wine culture that is both classically French and completely its own, with grapes, styles and traditions that reward anyone willing to look beyond the obvious.

A comprehensive guide to the differences between Bordeaux's Left Bank and Right Bank. Explore the unique terroir, dominant grape varieties, and wine styles that define these two iconic regions. Learn why these distinctions matter to wine collectors and discover your next favorite bottle.

The northern and southern Rhône are like twin sisters—similar yet completely different. It would take long to understand them both, but we've created a clear guide so you'll never confuse them again. 

This history of winemaking is probably one of the youngest but also it’s the most exciting one. From the first missionaries and gold miners to Robert Parker and TikTok bloggers – this article features all the key moments of California wine history. 

While many white grapes are defined by a single, predictable character, Chenin Blanc is the ultimate chameleon of the wine world, a variety capable of expressing every vinous emotion from bone-dry tension to honeyed decadence. In the cool, northern fringes of the Loire Valley, this grape finds its most radical and luminous expression through a winemaking process that prioritizes elemental purity and the agonizingly slow passage of time.

The Pineau d'Aunis grape is enjoying a dramatic resurgence, championed by pioneering natural winemakers like Jean-Pierre Robinot. Once a dominant red grape in the Loire Valley, Pineau d'Aunis faded into obscurity but is now celebrated by sommeliers and collectors for its unique structural profile, signature white pepper notes, and vibrant acidity.

Merlot has earned its place in the pantheon of great grapes. The most famous Merlots hail from Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, such as the legendary Château Pétrus.

Sauvignon Blanc is the most prominent and famous aromatic white variety. It’s origin is in Loire and Bordeaux but it found a new home all across the world, showing many kinds of aromatic profiles depending on the terroir and the winemaker’s techniques.

Why do some wines have a creamy texture and buttery taste, while others are sharp? The secret lies in malolactic fermentation – the conversion of sharp malic acid into soft lactic acid. It smooths out the profile of the wine and gives it a creamy, buttery flavor. Here’s what you need to know about malolactic.

Rose wine may be very different – from deep-coloured and full-bodied, to light and pale. It all depends on the winemaking process. Let’s look at rose from a winemaker’s point of view.