Is Italy’s mountainous Aosta Valley region the answer to the scorching summer heat sweeping across Europe? James asked himself that very question while visiting the region and tasting through its wines.

As California wineries have been rolling out their 2022 vintage cabernet sauvignon wines, Executive Editor Jim Gordon and Staff Writer & Taster Courtney Humiston have discovered that despite a challenging heat dome that sent temperatures soaring for nearly a week in early September, the vintage yielded many perfectly drinkable wines and some great ones, too.

Our latest Weekly Tasting Report highlights the new wave of precision in McLaren Vale, the heroic alpine wines of Valtellina, the rise of high-altitude Chinese chardonnay and the savory, mineral-driven sparkling wines of Oregon.

Our latest tasting sessions in Italy have centered on the Super Tuscans – an abstract, loosely defined category of wines that once emerged as a bold departure from Tuscany’s traditional DOCG regulations.

Three powerhouse wines from Napa’s Pahlmeyer winery topped our ratings this week, with plenty of company from Germany’s Eva Fricke winery, Australia’s Yarra Yering as well as some terrific offerings from Sardinia.