Since it was created in 2018, Domaine Belargus has become a name to watch. Sophie Thorpe sat down with Ivan Massonnat, the man behind the project, to find out more about the Anjou estate and his vision for the region I was hesitant about meeting Ivan Massonnat. The man who created Domaine Belargus seemed to fill easy…
Kistler’s Chardonnays are the stuff of legend – but now Steve Kistler has a new project, Occidental, crafting Pinot Noir on the outer reaches of the Sonoma Coast. Vinfolio’s Sophie Thorpe explores the winemaker’s legacy and these two very special estates Unlike many wine-lovers, I came across Occidental before Kistler. I worked for a company that imported some…
Top Napa estate Schrader Cellars has championed the use of individual clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, often in the same vineyard, in its quest for quality. Tasting through the range with the property’s own Master Sommelier Jason Smith, we explore how these pioneering wines have won the hearts of oenophiles around the world Schrader Cellars is one…
Maligned by many, adored by more, Sauvignon Blanc divides wine-drinkers – and no more so than the wine-drinking elite. But why? Vinfolio’s Sophie Thorpe talks to the people behind some of the world’s best examples to explore the grape’s status today It’s easy to sneer at Sauvignon Blanc. Its success has been its downfall. It’s…
Alvina Pernot – grand-daughter of Puligny-Montrachet-based producer Paul Pernot – established her own label in 2018, with her husband Philippe Abadie. About the Producer They currently use the facilities at Domaine Paul Pernot to produce the wines, but are in the process of building their own winery in Puligny-Montrachet. Alvina largely purchases grapes from the…
In amongst the 18th century buildings and vineyards at Castello di Ama, you’ll discover striking modern sculpture. Disruptive and disarming, the art and wine of this Chianti Classico estate is at the cutting edge. Vinfolio’s Sophie Thorpe spoke to CEO Lorenza Sebasti and winemaker Marco Pallanti to find out more The constant tension in wine is…
The 2019 vintage in Napa produced a brace of fantastic wines that are classical expressions of California’s heartland. We talk to top producers about the year and the style of wines it produced Following on from the cooler, elegant 2018 vintage, 2019 is another excellent year for Napa – together forming an impressive duo that will…
No one is likely to forget the 2020 vintage – least of all Californians who saw their state swept by wildfires. We caught up with some of Napa’s leading producers to talk about the rest of the growing season, the implications of the fires and the style of the wines that were produced The 2020…
Château Lafite Rothschild is rightfully revered. The Pauillac First Growth crafts some of the most refined wines in Bordeaux. At a recent dinner hosted by our sister company FINE+RARE, we had the chance to explore the fingerprint of this special estate and its extraordinary ability to age Few wine estates have the history or pedigree…
Georgie Hindle had big shoes to fill when she took over from Jane Anson as Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent in 2021. Here she talks about how she fell for the region and what it’s really like working as a wine critic I’ve written this having just finished my second en primeur report for Decanter magazine. Four weeks of…
Under Saskia de Rothschild, things are changing at Domaines Barons de Rothschild. One of the newest members of the team is Juliette Couderc – who took over as Chief Operating Officer at Château l’Evangile in 2020, aged just 29. Sophie Thorpe sat down with the vigneron to talk about Lafite’s Pomerol sibling and the evolution…
While the 1855 classification is the most famous and influential classification on the Left Bank, there are several other classifications in operation today. Here’s everything you need to know about Bordeaux’s Graves classification, the Crus Bourgeois and Crus Artisans Bordeaux has several different classification systems. While the Right Bank has only Saint-Emilion’s system (one that…
