Great lunch today. It was at the new 28-50 in Maddox Street, with Philippe Pacalet, who I have met a couple of times before. Also present were Philippe’s wife, Monica,…
Ceilings for wine quality in Bordeaux
I’ve spent a few days in Bordeaux, during which I’ve had a chance to speak to a few knowledgeable people and also to walk through quite a few vineyards. (And…
Running the Marathon du Medoc
I am exhilarated. Yesterday I ran – and completed – the Marathon du Medoc. To run any marathon for the first time would rank as a great life experience, but…
Term starts again, and a tasting at the Perfect Cellar
Holidays are over, and the wine tasting calendar starts again here in London. I was in town for the first tasting in a long time – a small portfolio tasting…
A big night out at the chief’s!
Feeling a little tired after a wonderful evening at the chief’s last night. The chief is Harpers editor Richard Siddle, who convened a gathering of chums to eat and drink…
Chateau Rahoul, an excellent white Bordeaux
The older I get, the more I like white Bordeaux. It’s such an interesting expression of Sauvignon Blanc (often bolstered with a bit of Semillon, of course), usually barrel fermented….
In Bordeaux for Vinexpo, some highlights
Just on my way home from Bordeaux, and a quick one-night stay for Vinexpo, the huge bi-annual wine trade fair. The scale of Vinexpo, with it’s multitiered stands and kilometre…
Clos de la Coulee de Serrant 2009, a controversial wine
This is a controversial wine. It’s from biodynamic high-priest Nicolas Joly, who in Clos de la Coulee de Serrant possesses what is universally acknowledged as a special terroir. It’s just…
Château Sénéjac 2009
Relatively affordable yet really good Bordeaux is a rare thing. There’s good quality cheap Bordeaux, and high quality expensive Bordeaux, but I don’t encounter much between the two. Is that…