Back in 1984, I sat my ‘O’ level exams at the Royal Grammar School in High Wycombe. I was a quiet, geeky pupil – a classic in-betweener, friends with some…
The amazing Vanguardist Wines, from South Australia
I was really pleased to try these wines (thanks to Christina Rasmussen for getting these samples to me). They’re from a relatively new project, Vanguardist, which is a collaboration between…
New releases from Neudorf, Nelson, New Zealand
Just tried a lovely set of new releases from leading Nelson winery Neudorf. Neudorf Rosie’s Block Chardonnay 2016 Nelson, New Zealand 13.5% alcohol. This has lovely richness, but because it’s…
Is elevated atmospheric CO2 to blame for rising alcohol levels in wine?
Lisa Perrotti-Brown of the Wine Advocate recently published an article that caused quite a stir on the Internets. Lisa begins by saying that that the rise in alcohol levels in…
Tasting the icons and Pizarras wines from Errazuriz with Francisco Baettig
Yesterday I met with Errazuriz winemaker Francisco Baettig, tasting some new releases. He’s the man behind the ‘icon’ wines of Errazuriz owner Eduardo Chadwick, and also the new venture in…
New releases from urban winery Ldn Cru, Gavin’s last
Yesterday afternoon I met with winemaker Gavin Monery, to taste through the new wines from urban winery Ldn Cru, plus the previous vintage. It was Gavin’s last tasting, but he…
Quinta da Romaneira Vintage Port 2015
I’ve been enjoying this wine over the last few evenings. It’s a superb expression of a very fine year in the Douro, the 2015 from Quinta da Romaneira. I have…
Moët et Chandon Grand Vintage 2009 and Grand Vintage Rosé 2009
Tasted the latest vintage releases from Moët, the 2009s. This was a season that starred badly, with lots of rain. But this all cleared by mid-July, and the rest of…
On wine prices: the’ve risen a lot, but this isn’t all bad
The wine world is a lot more interesting now than when I first started drinking wine in earnest back in the mid-1990s. At the same time, the prices for fine…