German Pinot Noir (known locally as Spätburgunder) can be quite wonderful, and of late seems to have been getting better. But Pinot is a tricky grape and it’s sensitive to…
A really good Chinese Pinot Noir: XiGu from Tianshui
Mihalis Boutaris, of Greece’s Kir-Yianni Estates, has been busy in China. He’s currently working on two projects there, one of which has led to this wine. It’s a vineyard in…
Wellington Wine Country (2) Ata Rangi, one of New Zealand’s top wineries
Martinborough pioneer Ata Rangi is one of New Zealand’s most celebrated wineries, and so I was quite excited to be able to catch up with winemaker Helen Masters to taste…
Three lovely Pinot Noirs from Franz Haas, Alto Adige, Italy
Franziskus Haas is the fifth generation to run his family’s winery, and here I got to try three of his Pinot Noirs, a variety he planted in the 1980s. Haas…
Two superb Central Otago Pinot Noirs from Akitu
A relatively new arrival on the Central Otago Pinot circuit is Akitu. Andrew Donaldson planted this vineyard in Wanaka back in 2002 on old schist, and the wines are made at…
Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand (5) Sileni and their Pinot Noirs
It’s all change at Sileni, which has just been bought by New Zealand financial service company Booster. Booster have also recently purchased Waimea Estate (Nelson) and Bannockbrae (Central Otago), and…
Greystone Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir 2016 Waipara Valley, New Zealand
This is the first release of this new wine from Greystone: the vineyard ferment Pinot Noir. They have been talking about their vineyard fermentations for a while: keen to make…
Latest releases from Centre Loire star Pascal Jolivet: Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé
Domaine Pascal Jolivet is one of the most significant producers in the centre Loire, making some impressive wines from the Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé appellations. As a family, the Jolivets entered…
Interesting Marlborough: Clos Henri
Clos Henri is the Marlborough outpost of the Bourgeois family of Sancerre. They first came to New Zealand in 1999 and decided they wanted to make wine here, but rather…