So, Sam Harrop’s new wine has just been released. It’s a Chardonnay from Waiheke Island, near Auckland, and it’s superb. As many of you know, Sam is a buddy of…
Cloudburst: the remarkable emergence of a cult Margaret River wine brand
Cloudburst is a really interesting and slightly controversial wine project in Margaret River. Interesting? Because the wines are so good. Controversial? Because of high prices, despite the lack of any…
Three lovely wines: Leflaive Pucelles, Wetzer Kekfrankos and Kopke white port 1935
These three lovely wines were brought round by guests. The best sort of guests. The Leflaive Pucelles was served blind, and in a stroke of lucky intuition, I guessed it…
Catching up with the new releases from Norman Hardie, Prince Edward County, Canada
I visited Norman Hardie in Prince Edward County in 2013, and was blown away by the wines he’s making. So it was great to be able to taste his latest…
Two lovely whites: Vincent Carême Vouvray Sec 2013 and Ganevat Grusse en Billat 2012
I have just been in the Netherlands, presenting a talk and tasting to wine professionals here over two days, with the same 10 wines both days. I met some really…
Andrew Nielsen and Le Grappin, a talented Burgundy micronegoce
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…
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…
Christmas Day highlights (1): Le Moine Saint-Romain 11, Mulderbosch 13, Floridene 12
Some excellent wines yesterday for Christmas Day with family. I’m going to write up the highlights in two posts. The wines deserve it. First, three whites, all of which exceeded expectations….
Port Philip Estate Chardonnay 2012 Mornington Peninsular
Now this is an impressive Australian Chardonnay, from Sandro Mosele at Port Philip Estate. It’s a single site wine, from a 1.64 hectare vineyard block, and it shows massive potential…