Continuing the theme of wines of the year, I’ve picked some of the very best French wines that I tasted in 2016, excluding Champagnes and older wines, which I wrote…
In Provence, getting to grips with rosé
A quick post from the road. For the last few days I have been in Provence, trying to understand more about rosé. The popular conception about rosé is that it’s…
The Bee-Side Grenache from Domaine of the Bee
Justin Howard-Sneyd’s Domaine of the Bee is based on three small plots of old bush vines in Cathar country, deep in the south of France near the village of Maury….
Domaine Clavel Le Mas: excellent value from the Languedoc
Not to be confused with the Côtes du Rhône domaine of the same name, Domaine Clavel has vineyards in four different Languedoc terroirs: Pic St Loup, Grès de Montpellier, La…
A Chenin Blanc seminar at Texsom
Patrick Cappiello and Pascaline Lepeltier presented this Chenin tasting at Texsom. ‘I deeply believe that Chenin is the best white grape in the world,’ says Pascaline, a very highly regarded…
In Beaujolais: Jean-Marc Burgaud, Domaine Rochette, Frédéric Berne
Jean-Marc Burgaud is based in Villié-Morgon, in the heart of the most celebrated of the crus. We had a beautiful early evening visit here that had an energy of its…
In Beaujolais: Chaize, Lapierre and Lapalu
Day one in Beaujolais began at Château de la Chaize in Brouilly, the largest and most diverse of the crus. It’s a proper Château, too. Grand and ornate with beautiful…
A lovely wine lunch at La Colombe, Cape Town, with Coche, Raveneau, Jamet and Montrose
It was great to catch up with Keith Prothero, Ryan Mostert and Sam Suddons on Wednesday for lunch at one of Cape Town’s most celebrated restuarants, La Colombe. It was…
Bordeaux: some reflections
I’ve just spent a very enjoyable couple of days in Bordeaux. The first was a free afternoon (I walked and walked), followed by dinner; the second a big tasting of…