A couple of new year reds: Lynch Bages and Robert Arnoux

Happy new year, dear readers! I feel quite bemused by the fact that it is now 2011.

Two reds from last night, as well as a lot of Champagnes that will be written up separately. One underwhelming Burgundy, and a really nice Bordeaux.

Domaine Robert Arnoux Nuits Saint Georges 1999 Burgundy
Pale colour. Light, cherryish and quite fresh. [...]

Wines with Christmas lunch

Just the four of us for Christmas lunch this year. It was delayed: poor behaviour (don’t even ask!) meant that both boys were sent to their rooms, but then they got the message and, after this delay, we managed to eat together. Just two drinking, so it restricted the number of wines. Still, I’m curious, [...]

Video: tasting three Pinot Noirs from the 2008 vintage

A short video of me tasting two Burgundies (shouldn’t really call them Pinot Noirs, should I?) and an Aussie Pinot (Mornington Peninsula) in my incredibly untidy study.

Rousseau tasting: what a treat!

Just back from a tasting of Rousseau Burgundys at Roberson, one of London’s most interesting merchants. They run a really interesting series of tastings for consumers: events like these give people who haven’t got a gazillion pound wine budget a chance to drink a range of wines like these.

The tasting covered a range of vintages, [...]

David Clark: innovation in Burgundy

David Clark’s previous life was as part of the Williams Formula One racing team, but he changed pace by moving to Burgundy in 2003, where he now has a small winery in Morey-St-Denis and a couple of hectares of vineyards spread over a number of communes.  There’s a nice profile of him over at Bill [...]

Video: tasting Burgundy, with a hint of reduction

Three wines from Burgundy tasted, with some comments on ‘good’ reduction.

Book review: The Great Domaines of Burgundy

The Great Domaines of Burgundy, by Remington Norman and Charles Taylor.

This is a revision of Remington Norman’s classic work on Burgundy, first published in 1992, and then revised in 1996, with Charles Taylor added as an author. It’s a brilliant book, and pretty much a compulsory purchase for any Burgundy nut. The bulk of [...]

A stylish Rully from Devevey

Really like this wine. It’s a complex, rich white Burgundy from a relatively lowly appellation. Jean-Yves Devevey is clearly a talented winegrower – you just wonder what might happen if people like him were given custody of much smarter terroirs, currently in the hands of underacheivers. Also worth checking out is his slightly cheaper Hautes-Cotes-de-Beaune [...]