There is such domestic demand for the wines of Domaine Donatsch that they are rarely seen outside Switzerland. Tucked in amongst the Alps, this property makes world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that gives Burgundy a run for its money. We spoke to winemaker and owner Martin Donatsch about the extraordinary site and life on the…
The 2022 vintage in Burgundy is a year of the modern era – one born of today’s shifting climate. As the first of his wines from the year are released, Sophie Thorpe spoke to Jean-Marie Fourrier about how he’s managing global warming in the cellar – and what he thinks of 2022 Go into any…
Porseleinberg has become one of South Africa’s most collectable wines. As the estate releases its 12th vintage, Sophie Thorpe tastes through a full vertical and talks to winemaker Callie Louw about what makes the site, and wine, so special “People seem to like it,” says Callie Louw in his thick Afrikaans accent. The winemaker behind…
Fresh from our first trip to Burgundy to taste the 2022s, we offer some early thoughts on the vintage – a year that is showing great promise Touching down in Burgundy last week was a shock. Coming from London’s autumnal hues, the hit of hot air as the plane doors opened was surprising – indeed,…
We’ve been following Alvina Pernot – granddaughter of Paul Pernot – since she first struck out on her own. On the eve of the release of the fifth vintage, Sophie Thorpe sat down with Alvina and her husband Philippe Abadie to talk about the wines, their philosophy and the future I vividly remember the first…
Founded by the original “Champagne Charlie”, Champagne Charles Heidsieck is one of the region’s smaller Houses but also one of its most quality-focused. From its Brut Réserve to its prestige cuvée, Blanc des Millénaires, the wines are rich, vinous and complex. There are three Champagne Houses that bear the Heidsieck name: Piper-Heidsieck, Heidsieck & Co…
Earlier this year, Champagne Charles Heidsieck announced that Elise Losfelt would be replacing Cyril Brun as Chef de Cave. We sat down with her to talk about her journey and why patience is most certainly a virtue when it comes to crafting fine Champagne Making Champagne is different. More than any other wine, it’s a…
At first glance, Clos Manou might seem run-of-the-mill. But this small estate in the Médoc is far from it. We sat down with Stéphane Dief to talk about how a hobby became his life, the freedom of a fresh start, and why his family’s wines are worth seeking out “It’s difficult when you don’t have…
Loved by Dickens, Austen and Napoleon, the sweet wines of Constantia were legendary in the 18th and 19th century. But Klein Constantia – the estate revived in the 1980s – is done with looking back. Ahead of the release of the 2019 vintage, Sophie Thorpe caught up with winemaker Matthew Day to find out what…
We caught up with Ch. Belle-Brise’s owner and winemaker Henri-Bruno de Coincy to find out the secret behind this idiosyncratic Pomerol estate Ch. Belle-Brise is a rather inconspicuous Bordeaux property with a “garden” vineyard of just two hectares and an annual production of just 800 cases. With such small quantities produced and a legion of…
When it comes to wine, little has changed in Bordeaux for centuries – but in the 1990s a group of outsiders shook things up: the garagistes. Vinfolio’s Sophie Thorpe talks to three of the movement’s leading figures about its legacy – and what it means for Bordeaux today In 1991, Jean-Luc Thunevin made the first…
Ad Vivum is a boutique Napa project from Chris Phelps. Vinfolio’s Sophie Thorpe spoke to him about how twists of fate saw him go from aspiring doctor to star winemaker at the likes of Dominus, Caymus – and now his own label Chris Phelps never really meant to start his own winery. But fate had…
