Inside Burgundy – Jasper Morris MW Jasper Morris MW’s upbeat report assures the reader not to panic about the treacherous growing season that Burgundy endured in 2021: “The wines taste much better than the weather conditions might have suggested.” While wary of generalizations, he feels the whites (what little was made) were good to very…
The 2018 vintage in Montalcino is certainly one to get excited about – particularly for those who love fresh, floral vintages packed with tension. Vintages like this are becoming ever rarer in today’s warming climate, and therefore all the more precious. Despite the pleasing results, the growing season was far from easy. A very wet…
Over two separate trips to the region, our team delved into the 2021 vintage – visiting, tasting with and talking to a wide range of producers up and down the Côte d’Or. The vintage was complicated, to say the least – but Burgundy’s vignerons have crafted some exceptional wines. Here we dig into everything you…
Fresh from our team’s initial, whistle-stop tour to the region, we offer our first thoughts on Burgundy 2021 – a year that possibly marks a shift back to the Burgundy of yore The seasons have shifted. Drizzle is once more the order of the day, russet tones spreading across the landscape, the soft tread of…
With the 2022 crop picked and in the winery, we visited a handful of Bordeaux’s leading estates to dig into the year. Sophie Thorpe reports on the vintage and its extraordinary potential. The 2022 vintage may only just have made it into the winery, but it’s already one for the record books. “Unique”, “historic”, “completely…
In a year that became infamous for historical curveballs, it is perhaps only fitting that the 2020 Burgundy harvest surprised us, too. Between pandemic-related predicaments and an exceptionally early harvest, this year’s vintage could easily have been a disaster. However, while the quality of this vintage will be somewhat variable, the grapes remained remarkably healthy, and the wines should impress even the most skeptical connoisseurs.
Some wines seem destined for greatness. Founded in Pauillac—one of the most prolific and praised Left Bank appellations of Bordeaux—by the Governor of the Médoc himself in the early 1700s, Château Pontet-Canet has produced some of the most poignant and intriguing Red Bordeaux blends to date.
If you’re eager to add a few radiant red wines to a well-stocked cellar of Bordeaux, or if you’re interested in starting a new Pauillac or Bordeaux collection, save a place for a few bottles of Château Pontet-Canet’s best vintages.
Shiraz grapes grow bountifully in the Land Down Under, where the climate is warm and the sunlight shines bright—particularly in the McLaren Vale wine region. This appellation is celebrated for consistently producing world-class Australian Shiraz—though Roman Bratasuik, owner of the Clarendon Hills winery, prefers to use this grape’s Old World name, Syrah, for his top-rated wines.
As one of the exceptional five first-growth Bordeaux châteaux, Château Lafite Rothschild has enjoyed over a century’s worth of acclaim for its delicately delectable wines. Today, it remains one of the most distinguished labels in the world—and if you are looking to build a top-quality Bordeaux collection, only the best vintages of Château Lafite Rothschild will do.
As one of the highest-rated vintages of the decade, 2010 Burgundy makes an exceptional investment for collectors and casual fans of Burgundy alike. In this guide to the 2010 Burgundy vintage, we’ll look at what made this year so special, which wines are the best of the vintage, and how to get the most value from your collection.
The hotly anticipated release of 2015 Brunello di Montalcino is finally here, and many critics are already raving about the power and purity of these Tuscan wines. After the difficult 2014 vintage (a year that was plagued by cool, wet weather and under-ripe grapes), winemakers had an excellent 2015 season. Hot, dry weather resulted in quality wines that are lush, but not overly ripe, with plush tannins and relatively low acidity. This is a great vintage for Italian wine enthusiasts, especially those looking for exceptional young wines to drink over the next few years.
The 2019 Bordeaux futures campaign is one for the history books. In the wake of a global pandemic, en primeur week was significantly delayed, as were some futures releases. However, what’s incredible about the 2019 Bordeaux vintage is that, despite these hurdles, the quality of the wine is still capturing the attention and imagination of the world’s most knowledgeable wine enthusiasts. Some top critics have had barrel samples delivered directly to them, and early reviews suggest that this is a vintage worthy of your attention. Many of these wines are pure, elegant, and have fine tannins. Just as enticing are their release prices, which are, on average, 30 percent lower than wines of the equally high-quality 2018 vintage.