It may be a little-known Larkin fact, but I am very partial to top quality Valpolicella in all its guises, and notably Amarone della Valpolicella. That said, my preference is for the more elegant styles than those that can come across as a bit too heady. This example from Speri, which I tasted just yesterday begged to be offered as it has all th...
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The 2019 Curly Flat Chardonnay compellingly delivers in the glass, giving Chardonnay from anywhere in the world a run for its money. When we originally bought the 2019, so impressed were we that we took an additional parcel to hold back to allow the wine to evolve until ready to drink. That moment is now.
I know...
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Finding value in ready-drinking white Burgundy is an ongoing challenge. In recent years, the appetite for good quality white Burgundy has shown no signs of abating as almost anyone in the industry will tell you. Stocks sell quickly and are seemingly consumed earlier than might previously have been the case. I am uncertain if this relates to conc...
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The 2020 Barolo vintage is likely to be overlooked. Not only is it sandwiched between the 2019 and 2021 vintages, both of which are more uniform in terms of success, but the wines are being released onto a market at low ebb.
Some will quickly assume that 2019 or 2021 are superior vintages to 2020, but, as ever, gross generalis...
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The 2021 vintage is said to be really something on the Tuscan coast and one of which to take serious note, and the 2021 Ornellaia exemplifies this. As Antonio Galloni writes in his 2024 Tuscan review, it isn’t just due to the vintage conditions, but an evolving approach to winemaking:
‘Readers will want to pay ...
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The 1982 Bordeaux vintage is considered to be one of the all-time greats and many of the best examples from this vintage are still going strong at 42 years of age. It is worth remembering that this is the vintage that made Robert Parker’s name, when he proclaimed it was a legendary vintage at a very early stage when some critics were not s...
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