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...
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Apr 1, 2021
WINE OF THE WEEK: Bolney Estate Pinot Noir 2019, Sussex, England
£17.99, Waitrose I scheduled this lovely Pinot for the Easter weekend when I tasted it back in January and it now coincides neatly with...
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...
Jan 21, 2021
WINE OF THE WEEK: Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune du Château Premier Cru 2017, Beaune, France
£32.95, Waitrose In the absence of the assault course of Burgundy En Primeur tastings that I would have done by this point in a normal...
Dec 30, 2020
WINE OF THE WEEK: Balfour Winemaker Collection Saignée Brut, Kent, England
£29.99 (mix six), Majestic; £35, hushheath.com I'm posting early again this week to give you extra time to get this celebration-ready...
Dec 17, 2020
WINE OF THE WEEK: Maison Louis Latour Bellevue Domaine de Valmoissine Pinot Noir 2017, Var, France
£18.50–£23.50, Bakers & Larners, Flagship Wines, Harvey Nichols, North & South Wines As an affordable alternative to red Burgundy, Maison...
Dec 4, 2020
The Festive Red Wine Guide 2020
However different this Christmas turns out to be, wine is going to be at least as vital as usual. Here then is my round-up of red wines...
Nov 18, 2020
Festive Fizz 2020: Anything But Champagne
It may be a festive season unlike any other, but we'll still need wine of all sorts –perhaps more than ever. The first of my 2020...
Aug 18, 2020
The Phoenix Rises: Château de Pommard chez Carabello-Baum
Cork talk: is it an instruction? The strikingly branded corks used for all Château de Pommard and Carabello-Baum Burgundies However...
Jul 2, 2020
Wine from the Edge: New Zealand and Oregon Pinot Noir
Ready for the off – sample bottles of New Zealand and Oregon Pinot Noir lined up in order for the tasting This tasting, which replaced...
Jun 16, 2020
Heavenly Champagne from a Hellish Year: Charles Heidsieck Brut Millésimé 2012
The 2012 vintage in Champagne was expected to be a disaster – as bad as 1984, and that's saying something. There was winter frost, spring...
Feb 27, 2020
WINE OF THE WEEK: De Bortoli Regional Reserve Pinot Noir 2018, Yarra Valley, Australia
£11.95–£12.99, Saxtys Wines, Quantock Abbey Wine, Adnams This is not a wine that's going to stand out on the shelf, but it deserves to....
Dec 2, 2019
The Festive Red Wine Guide 2019
My round up of red wines to take you through all kinds of festivities - major, minor and in some cases festivities for years to come....
Mar 14, 2019
WINE OF THE WEEK: Léon Beyer Réserve Personnelle Pinot Noir 2015, Alsace, France
£17.25, Yapp Brothers Alsace is renowned for aromatic whites and sparkling wines, but its Pinot Noir reds are also worth keeping tabs on....
Mar 1, 2019
4 top Italian reds – from Tuscany, Trentino and Lombardy
Tasting notes on another four impressive Italian recent releases, following on from my Caiarossa blog The four wines – San Leonardo from...
Jan 17, 2019
WINE OF THE WEEK: Marimar Estate La Masía Pinot Noir Don Miguel Vineyard 2014, Russian River Valley,
£20 on offer, Roberts & Speight In the spirit of the belt-tightening month, I was going to recommend a cheerfully cheap wine again this...
Dec 27, 2018
WINE OF THE WEEK: Graham Beck Brut Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, Western Cape, South Africa
£10.99 (offer price), Waitrose Crowd-pleasingly approachable fizz with generous nutty, toasty, yeasty, fresh bread flavours wrapped...
Nov 21, 2018
Cristal Vinothèque: the quest for eternal youth
The tasting of the first two vintages, 1995 and 1996, of Roederer's ultrarare Cristal Vinothèque When Louis Roederer released the first...
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 24, 2018
WINE OF THE WEEK: Bluebell Vineyard Hindleap Rosé Brut 2014, England
£29.95, Bluebell Vineyard Estates English Wine Week starts on Saturday. There's no guarantee of good weather, especially as there's a...
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