The Festive Champagne Guide 2021
It goes without saying that it's always a pleasure to publish my annual round-up of Champagnes to meet the varied needs of the festive...
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Dec 3, 2021
The Festive Red Wine Guide 2021
Welcome to my annual roundup of red wines. Ranging freely across styles, regions and grape varieties, it's designed to cover all...
Nov 17, 2021
The Lowdown on the World's Most Mysterious Liqueur: Green Chartreuse
It has a centuries’ old history, a cult following and has given its name to a shade of green and so far no one has succeeded in...
Aug 25, 2021
Why the 2008 Rosé Marks A Mini Revolution at Champagne Charles Heidsieck
It's not the ten years on lees – the 2005 rosé had 11 years – or the 2mm smaller diameter bottle neck "to tighten the ageing" that chef...
Aug 18, 2021
Ten Pinots for International Pinot Noir Day
I hadn't planned to do a Pinot Noir post to coincide with International Pinot Noir Day today, but it's a good opportunity to spread the...
Aug 11, 2021
Prime Time for Pink: Summer 2021 Rosé Roundup Part 2
As in part one, there's a cross-section of styles, grape varieties, origins and prices here and I'm going from high to low again, so that...
Jul 15, 2021
Love Island: why Chanel bought Domaine de l'Ile on Porquerolles
Why would the luxury goods giant Chanel buy a wine estate in a remote part of the tiny (car-free) island of Porquerolles? The answer that...
Jul 7, 2021
Prime Time for Pink: Summer 2021 Rosé Roundup Part 1
Now that winemakers all around the world treat rosé with as much respect as red and white wines, there are so many good rosés in such a...
Jun 30, 2021
Acidity – Something to be Celebrated Not Feared: the launch of Luce 2018
Two things came together for Frescobaldi's Luce in 2018, a model vintage without any of the extremes of the previous year and the opening...
Jun 23, 2021
Picks for English Wine Week 2021
Chardonnay vines in The King's Vineyard, Rochester, Kent, recently planted on the site of the vineyard of the medieval priory. Simpsons...
Jun 14, 2021
The Beauty of Burgundy Vintages ending in '9': Famille Carabello-Baum 2019s
Cleverly branded corks – Château de Pommard is worked organically and biodynamically, as are many of the wines under the Famille...
May 11, 2021
Cristal 2013: the Vintage that Outdoes the Cristal of Cristals
If Louis Roederer Cristal 2008 was "the Cristal of Cristals", in the memorable words of chef de cave Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon at the...
Apr 13, 2021
Drilling into Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon with a Viognier guru
Louisa Rose, head of winemaking at Yalumba, where she has worked since graduating as dux from Roseworthy in 1992 Mention the name Louisa...
Mar 30, 2021
Spring Drinking for Under a Tenner: a Dozen from The Wine Society
This is a selection from a tasting of 48 samples in mini bottles, as you can see above, hosted virtually by the eight Wine Society...
Mar 8, 2021
Tales of the Unexpected: Bollinger R.D. 2007
With the 2007 vintage the disgorgement date has returned to the front label If I'm ever asked who from history I would choose as my...
Mar 2, 2021
Riding His Luck in Brunello: Paolo Bianchini and the Rise of Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona
Paolo Bianchini, winemaker and former cycling pro, raising a glass of his Brunello di Montalcino at the tasting lunch in London in 2020...
Jan 5, 2021
Monterosola: Sitting Pretty Between Tuscany's Stars
Monterosola's stylishly labelled wines: two whites on the left, then four of the five reds I haven’t visited Monterosola in Tuscany, but...
Dec 18, 2020
The Festive Sweet, Sticky and Fortified Guide 2020
Sweet wines and fortified wines, dry as well as medium and sweet, are some of the wine world's greatest bargains. They're wonderfully...
Dec 16, 2020
The Festive Champagne Guide 2020
I hardly need say that the past year isn't going to go down in history as very celebratory and that 2021 is looking shaky, but I don't...
Dec 11, 2020
The Festive White & Rosé Wine Guide 2020
I've tasted far and wide to pick white wines and rosés from a dozen countries to fill your glasses with festive cheer during this...
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