These are two lovely Kiwi Sauvignons from the 2012 vintage. Both are from the Wine Society, and while they are priced above the entry level, the fact that the entry…
Riesling focus, 2: Ostertag Vignoble d’E
Over the last year, I have fallen in love with Alsace. Along with the Mosel and Austria, it is one of the world’s top destinations for Riesling. Here’s a cracking…
Two superb beers from Thornbridge
Good wine is, unfortunately, rarely cheap. Great beer is more often than not quite affordable. Of course, most beer is boring. Increasingly, though, exciting beers are becoming easier to find….
Dinner at Comptoir Cuisine, Bordeaux, with 1953 La Mission
I had a free evening in Bordeaux last night, and Matthieu and Anne-Laurence Chadronnier (pictured above) kindly offered to take me to dinner. I am so glad I accepted their…
Three New Zealand Syrahs from the Gimblett Gravels
There isn’t a lot of Syrah in New Zealand. But it’s a grape that does very well here, when it is grown. I’ve had great examples from Waiheke Island, Martinborough,…
Burgundy 2011 – some impressions
This week is Burgundy en primeurs, in London. Unlike the Bordelais, the Burgundians wait a bit longer before showing cask samples (15 months after vintage, versus 6), and travel to…
Lunch at 28-50 – a dream restaurant for a wine lover
Had lunch with wine trade buddy Daniel Primack (of www.aroundwine.co.uk) at the brilliant 28-50 in Marylebone today (www.2850.co.uk/marylebone). I’ve visited the other 28-50 in Fetter Lane a couple of times, and…
A brilliant Tuscan Cabernet Franc
Regular readers will know that I’m not really a super-Tuscan kind of guy. But here’s one that enticed, despite its ripeness and richness. It’s a varietal Cabernet Franc, and it’s…
Riesling focus, 1: Neudorf Brightwater Riesling 2007 Nelson, New Zealand
It’s the grape variety that wine trade peeps and wine geeks love, but which is (apparently) impossible to sell. So it’s just my sort of thing. I’m going to focus on…