This is an interesting pair of wines from newcomer Flint Vineyard. England is best known for sparkling wines, and rightly so. Could there also be a future for still wines?…
Gamay focus 28: Domaine Verdier-Logel Poycelan 2016 Côtes du Forez, France
Popped into Terroirs for an early evening bite, and along with beautiful rilletes, pork terrine and Kernel table beer, we had this lovely Gamay. It’s from the Côtes du Forez,…
Top wines from ProWein 2017
[This is a post in collaboration with my Canadian colleague Treve Ring.] There are wine trade shows the world over, but there is only one that covers all bases from…
Self versus non-self: on wine becoming part of us
One of the questions that has interested brain scientists and philosophers alike is that of self versus non-self. How do we distinguish what is part of us, versus what is…
Marqués de Murrieta Dalmau 2009 Rioja, Spain
This is a single vineyard wine from leading Rioja producer Marques de Murrieta. It’s a selection from the 60 year-old Canajas vineyard, which is part of the 300 hectare Ygay…
Discussing sweet wines, with notes on 18 interesting bottles
Sweet wines aren’t all that fashionable, but they are delicious. The best sweet wines are among the most complex and concentrated expressions of the vine possible, and in past times…
Why the International Wine Challenge judging process is so rigorous: the co-chairs explain
So the two-week judging process of the International Wine Challenge (IWC) has finished. It has been hard work, but great fun, with a real sense of joint enterprise and community…
Chapel Down Kit’s Coty wines, including the £100 Coeur de Cuvée
These are some new releases from Chapel Down, one of the UK’s largest wineries. Chapel Down make very good sparkling and still wines, and they fulfil an important function: they…
Three interesting whites: Luis Pato, Cape Point and De Wetshof
Grabbed these three interesting whites from the rack for a bit of comparative tasting. The Luis Pato is amazingly fresh at 8 years of age, and will be good for…