A Story of Redemption: Castello Banfi in Montalcino
The imposing medieval Castello Poggio alle Mura with just below (on the right of the picture) part of the luxury Castello Banfi Il Borgo...
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Sep 6, 2018
WINE OF THE WEEK: Taste the Difference Saint-Chinian Syrah Grenache 2016, Saint-Chinian, France
£9 (or £8 on offer), Sainsbury's This is the new vintage of a generous, warm-hearted red blend that's one of the best wines in...
Aug 23, 2018
WINE OF THE WEEK: Tanners Super Douro Reserva 2015, Douro, Portugal
£14.50, Tanners Wines It was a hard choice: Tanners Côtes du Rhône, an absolute charmer from the very good 2016 vintage, or this Douro...
Aug 22, 2018
Inspiring island wines: reds from Sicily and Sardinia
Update, September 4, 2018: the Etna Rosso and Barbazzale are now out of stock, so the mixed case is no longer available, but the rest of...
Aug 9, 2018
WINE OF THE WEEK: Zalze Shiraz Mourvèdre Viognier 2016, Western Cape, South Africa
£6 on offer, Morrisons and Asda A richly fruity, spicy red that's a good buy even when not on offer but is a bargain at the offer prices...
Jul 19, 2018
WINE OF THE WEEK: La Rioja Alta Viña Ardanza Rioja Reserva 2009, Rioja, Spain
£25–£29, Laithwaites, Swig, Armit Vina Ardanza is one of the true classics of Rioja. It's been around for 76 years and each vintage has...
Jul 5, 2018
WINE OF THE WEEK: Maison Dominique Piron Fleurie 2017, France
£14.49/£12.99, Laithwaites There are other summer reds, but few hit the spot as well as a good Beaujolais and I'm especially pleased to...
Jun 21, 2018
WINE OF THE WEEK: Cambria Benchbreak Pinot Noir 2013, Santa Maria Valley, California
£21.99–£23.99, Ministry of Drinks, Mitchells Wines, Noel Young Wines California wines don't feature here as often as I would like, or as...
May 30, 2018
WINE OF THE WEEK: Paolo Leo Primitivo di Manduria 2016, Puglia, Italy
£8.24 on offer, Waitrose and Ocado I originally chose a new Argentine Malbec for this week, Tabu 2016 made by Luigi Bosca (fragrant,...
May 17, 2018
WINE OF THE WEEK: Campo di Sasso Insoglio del Cinghiale 2016, Toscana, Italy
£21.50, Corney & Barrow I’ve drunk earlier vintages of this opulent, satin-smooth red at the estate with wild boar (the local cinghiale...
May 3, 2018
WINE OF THE WEEK: Taste the Difference CVNE Rioja Gran Reserva 2011, Rioja, Spain
£12 (on offer), Sainsbury's Textbook Gran Reserva from CVNE, one of Rioja's most admired bodegas. Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España...
Apr 19, 2018
WINE OF THE WEEK: Chemin de la Pinède Merlot 2016, Pays d’Oc, France
£7.95/£7.25, Lea & Sandeman There were lots of excellent wines and new finds at Lea & Sandeman’s spring tasting (brilliant Condrieu and...
Apr 5, 2018
WINE OF THE WEEK: Eschaffins Cairanne Côtes du Rhône Villages 2015, Rhône, France
£13.50, Yapp Bros I haven’t seen the label of the follow-on vintage of this generous, warm-hearted southern Rhône, but for the first time...
Mar 23, 2018
12 of the best from Aldi
Aldi's wines are cheap, as you would expect, but they're bought with care. These are a dozen that stood out at a recent press tasting....
Mar 22, 2018
WINE OF THE WEEK: Lot Series Te Haupapa Central Otago Pinot Noir 2017, New Zealand
£8.99, Aldi The Lot Series wines are smaller parcels of more expensive bottles – more expensive by Aldi's standards, but not by Central...
Mar 8, 2018
WINE OF THE WEEK: Fabre Montmayou Reservado Cabernet Franc 2015, Mendoza, Argentina
£15.99, or £12.49 in a mix of 12 or more, Laithwaites Argentina nailed its red wine colours to the Malbec mast years ago, but it’s also...
Mar 6, 2018
Expanding wine drinkers' horizons: The Daily Drinker
As it was so hard choosing between the five Daily Drinker wines for my Wine of the Week, I'm writing up the other four here (and looking...
Feb 1, 2018
WINE OF THE WEEK: Trinity Hill Hawkes Bay Syrah 2016, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
£13.50, The Wine Society According to John Hancock of Trinity Hill winery, the world isn't beating a path to Hawkes Bay Syrah's. door....
Jan 18, 2018
WINE OF THE WEEK: Weingut Ardinger Fellbacher Trollinger Alte Reben 2015, Württemberg, Germany
£14.95, The Wine Society I had a white lined up for this week, but it's been so chilly I’m feeling the need for some red wine comfort,...
Sep 18, 2017
Age shall not wither them: 150-year-old Aglianico vines and a vertical tasting
Antonio Capaldi, president of Feudi di San Gregorio (left) with agronomist and CEO Pierpaolo Sirch; I wasn't the only one to photograph...
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