This is a new wine from Champagne Veuve Clicquot, called Extra Brut Extra Old. With a dosage of 3 g/l this is the first release of an extra brut from…
Is wine art?
The response of most people to the question, ‘is wine art?’ will be, ‘who cares?’ But I think it’s an interesting question, and it’s one that floated around in my…
Video: pruning a grape vine
A quick video of a grape vine being pruned a couple of weeks ago in the Coteaux du Giennois, in the centre Loire. It was late to be pruning: the…
The new releases from Château d’Esclans, star Provence winery
Tasted through the new releases from Sasha Lichine’s Château d’Esclans in Provence. This winery has been a remarkable success story because of its very smart strategy. High quality wines, with…
Half way in the International Wine Challenge
Week one of this second tranche of the 2017 International Wine Challenge is over. Except for the crew, that is: they have to stay the weekend doing the immense job…
Eight decades of Kopke Colheita ports
After judging at the IWC on Thursday there was a chance to try some more wine. Normally after a busy day tasting hungreds of wines, the last thing I feel…
The fab 2015s and 2016s from Alheit, one of South Africa’s star producers
Chris and Suzaan Alheit’s story is one of discovering great vineyards, and then making wine from them, very simply (see my article from a visit three years ago, when they…
Alexandre Jouveaux Combarnier (2010) NV Vin de France
This is quite a wine. It’s seven years old, made in a very natural way, and it’s still incredibly reductive, with a strong matchstick/mineral character. There are some subtle oxidative…
Beginning two weeks judging at the International Wine Challenge
I’m on my way to day 2 of the second tranche of the International Wine Challenge judging at the Oval. For two weeks we will be sifting through an unspecified…