The Cork Report Tasting Table for January 31, 2025

With wines from Layton's Chance, Lincoln Peak, Oakencorft, Osmote, and Shelburne,

With this report, I wrap up my 2025 exploration of red hybrid/native wines. It’s probably obvious to anyone who subscribes to this newsletter, but the wines being made from these grapes have come a long way, at least in small pockets. The good stuff is really good now and continues to get better.

Hybrid isn’t a bad word anymore. That’s for sure. People are more interested than ever, and the best growers and winemakers are putting out wines I’d greatly prefer to drink over mediocre vinifera any day.

I start tasting non-cabernet franc BDX varietal wines and blends tomorrow!

As always, these are short, mostly unedited reviews of wines I’ve tasted recently — more or less straight from my notebook.

All wines were tasted over the course of 2-5 days.