The marketing departments of many merchants are just bursting into action, building the hype for the 2016 Bordeaux en primeur campaign. You are sure to hear a vast range of superlatives and lines lifted from critics to lend weight to the undoubtedly ‘great’ vintage – dubbed as such even before any wine has finished its period o...
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A friend in the wine trade sent me a few bottles of South African out of interest and while I can’t repeat the words I uttered when I pulled a cork and first tasted the 2015 De Morgenzon Chenin Blanc Reserve, it suffices to say that I wasn’t expecting a wine of this calibre! By way of background, De Morgenzon is based in Stellenbosch...
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2013 is a stunning vintage for Piemonte and more specifically for Barolo. Over the last year, I have tasted widely in the region on two separate occasions and each time, I have been impressed by the precision and purity of the wines. In the main, the 2013 Barolo offer perfumed aromatics, a fine textural impression, dark cores of coolly ripe frui...
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We have commented that the 2013 vintage in Piemonte would be an ongoing topic given the quality of many of the Barolo and Barbaresco we tasted from the leading estates. I want to draw your attention to two new releases from Vietti that highlight clearly the value that Piemonte offers. As Antonio Galloni wrote in February of this year, ‘the...
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Earlier this morning we tasted the 2008 vintage of Pol Roger Brut, a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, drawn from Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards across the Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs respectively. The wine is aged in Pol’s cellars for eight years before disgorgement.Frankly, this is a sure fire sign that aft...
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Without doubt the 2004 Guy Charlemagne, Le Mesnillésime Grand Cru was one of the most popular offers we made in the last two years. This is not simply reflecting the volume sold, but actually the feedback received from clients. Leaving issues of pronunciation aside (Le May-nil-lay-seem), many clients have commented on how much they have e...
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