Winemag Buying Guide Instant

"You're looking for the 'soul' in the glass," Henri finally whispered, his voice like dry leaves. "But you will only write down a digit."

Julian swirled the wine. He didn't just smell fruit; he smelled the specific, scorching heat of the July drought. He smelled the frost that had almost taken the vines in April. He smelled the desperate, late-night decisions Henri had made to save the crop. winemag buying guide

Julian, a veteran critic for the Wine Enthusiast Buying Guide, held his tasting glass by the base. He looked at the liquid—a deep, garnet-hued Cabernet Franc—and then at the man across the table. "You're looking for the 'soul' in the glass,"

Three months later, the Guide was published. Under the "Best of France" section, there was a new name at the top. The roof of the Château was fixed by winter. He smelled the frost that had almost taken

In the world of the Buying Guide, a number was a death or a resurrection. A score meant the Château could fix the leaking roof and pay the pickers; an 88 meant the bank would finally foreclose on the three-hundred-year-old estate.