Philippe & Vincent Jaboulet Crozes-Hermitage Nouvelière 2007 Northern Rhône, France This is made from what were the bulk of the Thalabert vineyards, which Philippe and Vincent retained when Jaboulet was…
High alcohol: why it is a problem
I’m listening to some of the reports coming out of Bordeaux with alarm. The 2009 vintage has a dark side: high alcohol. The wine of one famous chateau weighs in…
Following Bordeaux 2009 from a distance
As you can gather from reading my blog, I’m not in Bordeaux this week, unlike many of my colleagues. They’re out there for the Primeurs: the annual event when samples…
Cabernet Franc ambassadors tasting
Very enjoyable day’s work today, judging 103 Cabernet Franc-based reds from the Loire. Sam Harrop has been working with InterLoire for a few years on the Cabernet Franc project, which…
Domaine Jean Baptiste Senat Minervois: another stunner from the Languedoc
It seems I’m having a bit of joy in the Languedoc. I may have to make a visit soon to see what’s going on. This is a beautifully pure, fresh,…
Really interesting cool-climate Chilean Syrah
I’ve just written up the wines from Chilean producer Viña Leyda on the main wineanorak site. They’re all brilliant, but I thought I’d draw readers’ attention to one of the…
Sweet wine season, 11: Turkey Flat Pedro Ximenez
I haven’t finished my sweet wine season yet. Not by any measure. Here’s number 11, and we’re off to Australia’s Barossa Valley for a bit of a rarity: an Australian…
The Times to start charging for content
Today, News International announced that The Times and The Sunday Times will be the first of the UK’s popular broadsheet papers to start charging for content. From June, readers will…
Fantastic Languedoc wine: d’Aupilhac Les Cocalieres 2007
Simply a note, on a stunner from Sylvain Fadat in the Languedoc, a region I fell in love with many years ago but have somewhat neglected of late. Domaine d’Aupilhac…