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WINE OF THE WEEK: L'Arpenty Chinon 2018, Loire, France
£14.75, Yapp Brothers I've enjoyed a lot of vintages of the Desbourdes family's l'Arpenty Chinon over the years, so I'm surprised that it...
Mar 12, 2020


WINE OF THE WEEK: Domaine Paul Ginglinger Alsace Gewurztraminer Wahlenbourg 2017, France
£14.50, The Wine Society This is another wine, like last week's, that would be a good choice for a Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, but...
Jan 23, 2020


WINE OF THE WEEK: Les Nivières Saumur 2017, Saumur, France
£7.49 on offer, Waitrose A red wine that's all about blackcurrant and currant-leaf fruit and freshness and soft-textured graphitey...
Jan 2, 2020


WINE OF THE WEEK: Cap Royal Bordeaux Supérieur 2016, France
£8 (on offer), Tesco I'm posting this week's wine three days ahead of schedule because it seems a lot more useful to highlight it when...
Dec 23, 2019


WINE OF THE WEEK: Château Puygueraud 2011, Francs Côtes de Bordeaux, France
£20.95 / £19.25, Lea & Sandeman The 2011 vintage in Bordeaux tends to be dismissed with faint praise – if that. Certainly, it was uneven...
Nov 28, 2019


WINE OF THE WEEK: Réthoré Davy Parcelles Chardonnay 2018, Val de Loire, France
£10.35/£9.20, Haynes Hanson & Clark This is beautifully expressive, unoaked cool-climate Chardonnay – both vibrant and generous, with...
Nov 21, 2019


WINE OF THE WEEK: Dominique Piron Morgon La Chanaise 2017, France
Waitrose, £14.99 Good Beaujolais can be so enjoyable on its own that even lifelong devotees don't always realise just how versatile the...
Nov 14, 2019


Down in a deep, dark sea... Drappier Champagnes
Encrusted sea-aged Grande Sendrée 2008 and a pristine bottle conventionally matured in Drappier's Champagne cellars in the Aube Why age...
Oct 25, 2019


WINE OF THE WEEK: Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut Champagne, France
£34/£27, Tanners Wines I wasn't planning to do Champagne this week, but now is the time to stock up on this Joseph Perrier. The current...
Oct 17, 2019


WINE OF THE WEEK: Along Came Jones Lledoner Pelut Hairy Grenache 2018, Vin de France
£13.50–£16.99, The Wine Society, Flagship Wines, Fareham Wine Cellar, The Oxford Wine Company Domaine Jones is no stranger to my wine...
Oct 3, 2019


WINE OF THE WEEK: Domaine de la Grosse Pierre Chiroubles 2018, France
£14.45, Haynes, Hanson & Clark Chiroubles is one of my favourite Beaujolais Crus (the 10 jewels in the Beaujolais crown that go under...
Aug 29, 2019


WINE OF THE WEEK: Domaine de la Cendrillon Nuance 2018, Vin de France
£12.80/£10.60, Tanners Wines This wonderfully original and delicious dry white is from a family-owned and run organic estate in Corbières...
Aug 15, 2019


WINE OF THE WEEK: Domaine Bassac Pink Chôt 2018, Côtes de Thongue, France
£12/£10.80, The Daily Drinker Who can resist a wine this colour? The prettiest of orangey salmon-pinks, and a mouthwatering taste to...
Jul 18, 2019


WINE OF THE WEEK: Domaine Yannick Amirault Bourgueil La Coudraye 2017, Bourgueil, France
£16.95/£14.95 Lea & Sandeman Bourgueil is made from a grape variety that, until recently, the rest of the world regarded as little more...
Jul 11, 2019


WINE OF THE WEEK: Le Domaine d'Henri Chablis Saint Pierre 2016, Chablis, France
£24.50, Berry Bros & Rudd Considering that Chablis is one of my desert-island wines (on my increasingly chocca island) I’m astonished to...
Jul 4, 2019


Bruno Paillard's zero-dosage Champagne comes of age
D : Z is one of two new launches for Champagne Bruno Paillard. The other is the 2009 Assemblage, a vintage that Alice Paillard admits...
Jul 3, 2019


WINE OF THE WEEK: Finest Saint-Chinian 2017, Saint-Chinian, Languedoc, France
£7.50, Tesco I’ve got a soft spot for Saint-Chinian, Minervois’ less well-known northeast neighbour, and always look for it on restaurant...
Jun 26, 2019


WINE OF THE WEEK: Louis Latour Pinot Noir Les Pierres Dorées 2017, Coteaux Bourguignons, France
£17.89, TheDrinkShop.com This Burgundian Pinot Noir is both unusual and classic. Classic because it has the sweet, delicately spicy,...
Jun 6, 2019


WINE OF THE WEEK: Plaimont Les Vignes Retrouvées 2016, Saint Mont, France
£8.95, The Wine Society Mouthwatering, juicy quince, apricot and citrus fruit, supple texture and zingy acidity – the latest vintage to...
May 30, 2019


WINE OF THE WEEK: Domaine de Fa Fleurie 2016, Fleurie, France
£22, Yapp Brothers Aside from its pretty and easy-to-pronounce name, it's not always obvious why Fleurie should be so much more popular...
Apr 17, 2019
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