Vintage Reports

Each time we release the wines of a new vintage, we assess the conditions and factors which have shaped the wines of that year. We draw on first hand commentary from leading growers in the region which we gather during our regional visits. Such trips allow us to better understand the merits of a vintage which we then relay to our clients. Drawing on our own tasting experience, we compare to previous vintages and advise on the longevity and quality of the wines produced.

Burgundy 2022

In our visits in Burgundy this November, numerous growers described a season in which temperatures were higher than the longer-term averages and in which drought pressure was not insignificant. They also outlined a summer which was blessed with cool nights, significant rains in June and late August, and heat that was consistent and steady rat...

Bordeaux 2022

To give a little background here, 2022 is a fascinating vintage, which has undoubtedly produced a good number of spectacular wines. It can probably be considered a vintage of ‘the haves and have nots’. It was a very dry vintage, but fortunately the preceding winter provided adequate soil water reserves. Terroir is key in a very dry v...

Barolo 2019

2019 Barolo is a puzzler. Without doubt it is a highly successful vintage – that part isn’t at all puzzling. Tasting widely across the region last October quickly confirmed that impression. What is puzzling is the nature of the wines in the glass relative to climatic conditions – in simple terms, the wines reveal a much more cl...

Burgundy 2021

This time last year I wrote “No doubt we all remember the start of lockdown in March 2020. No doubt we also remember the incredible weather we experienced then and for the months that followed.“ After the near perfect growing season of 2020, the 2021 vintage is a stark contrast. Many of you may similarly remember the news...

Bordeaux 2021

Bordeaux grower, winemaker and writer Gavin Quinney recently commented; ‘As the ‘en primeur’ tastings of young samples by critics, commentators and merchants confirmed, 2021 is a comparatively weaker and uneven vintage for reds.’ Not quite a headline grabbing quote, but this is an ...

Burgundy 2020

It was a great pleasure to be able to visit Burgundy again this autumn. Although tasting the 2019s in the office or at home last year was a successful solution to a particular problem, it could never replicate or replace the insight gained from being in the cellar with the producer, nor the importance of human contact in building and maintaining...

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