A remarkable white wine, made from centenarian Grenache Gris vines, plus a bit of Macabeu and Carignan Blanc, grown in amazing white quartz and black schist soils in the Roussillon….
Sweet wine season, 7: Chapoutier Hermitage Vin de Paille 1995
This is quite serious. It’s a sweet white wine made from the Marsanne variety, picked ripe, sorted and then dried on straw mats for two months. The must typically has…
Penfolds Koonunga Hill revived – retro delights
Penfolds have revived their Koonunga Hill label by releasing two new wines in retro packaging. Back in 1976, the Koonunga Hill red was first released. It was cheap, but surprisingly…
Sweet wine season, 2: a Canadian Ice Wine
Ice wine, made from crushing frozen grapes, resulting in a must with sugar and acid both hugely concentrated, is an extreme form of sweet wine. The amazing sweetness is usually…
Sweet wine season, 1: Seifried Sweet Agnes Riesling
I’m starting a series on sweet wines. I think they’re neglected. The truth is, as a group they encompass some of the most exciting and complex of all wines. Often,…
It’s Bordeaux time: Chateau Brown 2006
I don’t drink as much Bordeaux as I should. I admit it: as possibly the world’s most important fine wine region, it doesn’t get enough coverage on wineanorak as it…
Good, affordable Gruner Veltliner
I’m a real fan of Grüner Veltliner, one of my favourite white grape varieties. This is a good, affordable example that I bought (yes, shock, horror, wine writer actually buys…
A lovely northern Rhône Syrah from Maxime Graillot
This is a really lovely northern Rhône Syrah, made by Maxime Graillot, son of Alan (the most famous grower in this appellation of Crozes-Hermitage). It’s quite an edgy, polarising sort…