Website: http://www.legrappin.com/ Lots of people, it seems, have vinous epiphanies. They drink a special bottle of wine, and suddenly they are converted. Wine is no longer just an alcoholic drink…
The stunning 2013 releases from Kutch
These were very smart indeed. Jamie Kutch has a good story, and I reckon his 2013s are his best wines yet. My feeling is that they’re a bit more elegant…
The Portuguese Pinot Noir, Quinta de Sant’Ana
Pinot Noir? From Portugal? With so many of its own grape varieties to focus on, you’d think Portugal has little to gain from trying to make Pinot Noir. But why…
A couple of wines from Jane Eyre, an Aussie in Burgundy
Jane Eyre is an Australian winemaker who first did vintage in Burgundy back in 1998 as a bit of work experience. It’s an interesting story. She was working as a…
New releases from Aussie star Shaw & Smith
I’ve reviewed the wines of Shaw & Smith before, here and here. I got to taste some of the latest releases, and I’m once again pretty impressed. The Sauvignon Blanc…
Burgundy and Rhone, Cathiard and J-L Grippat
Met for pre-dinner drinks with Raj Parr and his cousin Prerna at 28-50 yesterday. Two bottles between three before dinner wasn’t a smart idea, but they were super wines. The…
Lunch with two great South African wines, and a good northern Rhône
Had a lovely long lunch yesterday. It was at Bread Street Kitchen, part of the Gordon Ramsay empire, located next to St Paul’s Cathedral. The dining room is huge. Really…
Some highlights from the Waitrose Press Tasting
We wine journos are in the middle of press tasting season at the moment, with all the major supermarkets showing off their ranges. Buying standards for UK supermarkets are very…
Casa Silva’s Cool Coast Wines
Impressed by these. A Chilean Sauvignon and Pinot from Casa Silva’s Paradones estate in Coastal Colchagua, a new-ish cool climate region of Chile. It’s just six kilometres from the chilly…