The great issue with Bordeaux is basing qualitative judgements on young barrel samples. To put this into context, most professionals taste Burgundy more than twelve months after harvest, but for Bordeaux it isn’t far off six months. Simon's offer, below, on the 2015 Château Prieuré-Lichine, a Bordeaux vintage which we have bee...
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We have been great fans of the Champagnes of De Sousa for some time now, ever since Simon and Richard first encountered a bottle of Caudalies in an outstanding Japanese restaurant in the Burgundian town of Beaune. Simon was always intrigued by a comment from respected Champagne critic, Peter Liem of champagneguide.net, who once wrote ‘It&r...
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Simon first became aware of this estate when the 2009 was released and we subsequently offered it in June 2013. A recent chance to revisit the impressive 2009 (which if you happen to have any in your reserve, is drinking superbly) compelled us to taste the most recent release from Tuscany’s outstanding 2013 vintage. We are offering t...
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For Atlas to regularly offer a particular wine, year in, year out, it really has to be noteworthy for both its quality and consistency. Well, the 2014 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Curly Flat certainly tick that box. Simon's offer, below.
As I have commented before, there is an uncommon precision and poise to the wines of Cur...
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This extensive estate, which has been in the hands of the Martini di Cigala family for nearly a century, lies at the southern end of the Chianti Classico region. The location has so much going for it; near ideal exposure overlooking the Arbia river, soils rich in mineral components and a very significant switch between day and night time tempera...
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The vineyards of Fontodi are based in the fabled ‘Conco d’Oro’ (meaning golden shell) below Panzano in Chianti Classico. It is fair to say that some of the finest vineyards in Tuscany can be found in this sweeping south facing basin. The first vintage of Flaccianello was the 1981 and the wine was initially produced exclusively ...
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