Cornas-based winegrower and negociant Jean-Luc Colombo divides opinion. To some, he’s too modern – and I have had mixed experiences with his wines, finding some a little oak influenced, and…
Cricket at Hampton Wick
So, the hottest day of the year so far. A muggy 30 degrees, under a blue sky with just a hint of haze. And time for some wine trade cricket,…
Te Tera Pinot Noir from Martinborough
Kiwi Pinot Noir rocks. And this is one of my favourite inexpensive examples. It’s made by Martinborough Vineyard, and comes from the wonderful Martinborough/Wairarapa region, not far from the capital…
Curious Brew, a remarkable lager
A beautiful evening. In the mid-20s, with a gentle breeze. Time for some beer. It’s Curious Brew, a lager from UK winery Chapel Down. (See www.curiousbrew.com.) Made with East Anglian…
Northern Rhone series 25, Pierre Gaillard St Joseph 2010
2010 is an incredible vintage in the Northern Rhone, and this is a lovely, balanced wine that displays the best of cool climate Syrah. I love this sort of wine….
High-end Chianti a hit with teenagers?
So it’s 1 am in the morning, and I’m stone cold sober. We’ve just had a teenage party for younger son’s friends. At one stage there were around 100 kids…
Two lovely, affordable French reds from the Sampler
Two lovely southern French red wines from The Sampler. They’re some of the exclusive imports that they bring in. First, Domaine Rimbert Cousin Oscar 2011 Vin de France. 11.5% alcohol,…
The South Africa Wine and Spirits Board reject Craig Hawkins Cortez Chenin Blanc 2011 for a second time!
I have written before about how export approval systems in New World wine-producing countries can hinder producers who operate outside the commercial norms (here: http://www.wineanorak.com/exportapproval.htm) It’s a big problem for natural…
A lovely Brouilly from Romain Jambon
Romain Jambon is a new discovery for me. He’s a fourth generation, 23 year old winegrower in Beaujolais, with 7 hectares in Brouilly to play with. This wine is really…