Vintages New Release Collection – September 27, 2025

Find your sweet spot Follow one wine over several years.

Wine critics often include prime drinking windows with their reviews (which you’ll see near the end of our product notes in this publication), but individual preference will always dictate when a wine is ready to drink. The best (and most fun) way to determine your inclination with various styles is to purchase several bottles of the same wine and follow its development over the course of a few years. Taste one shortly after you bring them home, make your own notes, and save your initial notes and the critics’ tasting notes, if there are any. Repeat the exercise in two years, then five years, then in as many years as you want. Tasting the wine at different points will help you zero in on your sweet spot. These two wines from this release are good options for trying it out: Cavino Nemea Grande Reserve 2018 and La Spinona Bergera Barolo 2015 (both shown opposite).

Open tonight or save for later?

For an at-a-glance indication of whether a wine will be good with tonight’s dinner or better in a few years, look at the small bottle symbol we include with every wine in this publication.

1 DRINK NOW / Enjoy tonight. There’s no benefit to cellaring. 2 DRINK OR HOLD / Can be enjoyed now, but can be matured further by cellaring. 3 HOLD / This wine can be enjoyed now, but it will further develop favourably if cellared under ideal conditions.