I’m in South Africa, again. No great hardship: I love this country. I arrived on Saturday, and as usual, I’ve found little time to write blog posts, so this will…
The stunning Envínate Táganan Parcela wines
Had these at Mr Primack’s place. He’s a big fan of these wines, and I am too, now. Envínate is a collaboration between four winemakers who are exploring distinctive terroirs…
Bergström Old Stones Chardonnay 2012, class from Oregon
I recently reviewed the wines from Josh Bergström, an Oregon producer who’s made a shift in style over the years from big to balanced. It’s a transition that many producers are…
Clayver: a new ceramic vessel for elevage
I have just written up the wines of Candialle, a Chianti producer run by ex-pat Finnish winegrower Jarkko Peränen. He has been experimenting with a new vessel for fermenting and ageing…
Pewsey Vale Riesling 2014 Eden Valley, Australia
Enjoyed this new vintage of Pewsey Vale Riesling. From memory, I think it’s the best vintage I’ve had of it. I have also always loved the label. At around £12…
The new Las Pizarras wines from Errazuriz: high end, terroir-driven Pinot and Chardonnay from coastal Aconcagua
Francisco Baettig, of Errazuriz, is a thoughtful, insightful winemaker. Like many Chilean winemakers, he has been thinking quite a bit about how to make his wines fresher and more interesting,…
Video: harvesting and pressing Chardonnay in the Napa Valley, California
Here’s a video from last week’s trip to Napa. We got to take part in vintage, and this short clip shows harvesting and pressing Chardonnay grapes at Truchard Vineyards, Carneros….
Some nice wines at The Remedy – Don Chisciotte Fiano, Salvaje Blanco, Vin Nu, Oliveras Verdelho 12
Popped into The Remedy a few days ago for a drink with Mr Primack. We had some interesting things, as you’d expect. Here are my notes. Barranco Oscuro Salvaje Blanco…
Young wine writers: be as brilliant as you can be
Earlier today I wrote a deeply ironic blog post encouraging young wine writers not to be too smart, because this would upset potentially helpful established writers. Some people have interpreted…