Sometimes the hierarchy of Burgundy vineyards can be a bit of a problem. It magnifies the label effect: when critics see the name Grand Cru on a label, it usually…
Tasting the 2009s from the northern and southern Rhone
Yves Cuilleron Great tasting of Rhone 2009 put on by Berry Bros and Rudd in the grand but rather dimly lit surrounds of One Great George Street, in Westminster (this…
Champagne: vintage versus non-vintage at the Harpers Champagne summit
Today’s Harpers Champagne Summit was really good. I was there to present a ‘masterclass’: my theme, the difference between non-vintage and vintage Champagnes. I compared the NV and vintage wines…
Two natural-tasting, affordable French wines
Always good to find decent, natural tasting French wines that I can afford. Here are a couple imported directly by London merchant Roberson. Both are organic. Julien Sunier Beaujolais-Villages 2008…
Chateau Brown 2007: good, affordable Bordeaux
Back in September 2007 I visited Chateau Brown in Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux, just before the harvest was about to begin (see my photo gallery here). This week, I’ve finally had a…
Serious Bergerac Blanc from Luc de Conti
Really like this wine. It’s a serious Bergerac Blanc from Luc de Conti. Two thirds Semillon, a third Sauvignon, aged in barrels (half of which are new). Chateau Tour des…
DRC 2008
Domaine de la Romanee-Conti is one of the world’s greatest wine domains. It’s thrilling wines are scarily expensive – but even if you can afford them, the real issue is…
Batailley vertical at The Sampler
Just on my way back from a brilliant vertical tasting of Château Batailley, the fourth-growth Pauillac producer with a reputation for making elegant, typical wines. It was held at The…
Two nice supermarket Northern Rhone Syrahs
It’s not often I recommend French wines stocked by UK supermarkets, because the buying is rarely that inspired. Most decent French stuff simply doesn’t fit with the requirements of the…