It was very interesting to try these two high-end terroir-based Chardonnays from Catena, and then the next day to have a look at the soils that produced them. They both…
Iona Chardonnay 2013, a star from Elgin
My South African wine journalist friends have been raving about Elgin Chardonnay for ages. Do you know what? They may just be right. I’ve some good ones of late, including…
Lalou Bize-Leroy Domaine d’Auvenay Les Folatieres Puligny-Montrachet
This was perhaps the stand-out wine of a wonderful weekend of wine. I tasted it with Raj Parr and some friends just before the salmon bake at the IPNC. We…
Kitten Swish Chardonnay 2012
One of the highlights of judging the Canadian Wine Awards a couple of weeks ago was hanging out with the fellow judges. One of them was sommelier Brad Royale, who…
Ganevat Les Chamois du Paradis 2011, an amazing Jura Chardonnay
Jura wines are becoming increasingly popular, and when you taste bottles like these, it’s not hard to see why. Jean Francois Ganevat is perhaps the most highly regarded producer in…
Some great wines with Professor Scholefield
For my first three days in British Columbia, Canada, I was being shown around by David Scholefield (aka ‘The Prof’, pictured above). He’s a total dude and we shared some…
The remarkable Talinay Vineyard Chardonnay from Tabali, Limari, Chile
A few years ago I visited a remarkable coastal vineyard in Limari, Chile, with active limestone soils. It was Tabali’s Talinay vineyard, and it’s turning out some seriously impressive Chardonnay…
In Canada, day 1, at Pearl Morissette
So I arrived in Canada yesterday afternoon and headed down to Pearl Morissette winery in Jordan, Niagara, where I am staying for a couple of nights. A few friends joined…
Zind 2010, a lovely Chardonnay-based wine from Alsace
I love Zind Humbrecht’s wines, as you can see from this write-up of the 2010s when I visited Olivier Humbrecht at his winery. One of the more unusual of the…