Archive for March, 2010

Mar
31

Bordeaux 2009: All right on the night

By Gareth Groves

VCC

We have tasted some superb wines today – but also less than stellar numbers. After a near perfect hit rate amongst the big guns of the left bank yesterday, we have found a bit more inconsistency in St Emilion and Pomerol. The highs on the right bank are still very high indeed, but further down the scale you have …

Mar
30

Bordeaux 2009: Cos d’Estournel vs Montrose

Bordeaux 2009 Cos d'Estornel

Bordeaux 2009 Cos d'Estornel

You will probably have gathered by now that Bordeaux made some good wines last year. Some very good wines indeed. Today was our first day of proper tasting and after 60 or so wines we have tasted only a handful of duffers. The general quality is excellent. At the top level …

Mar
30

The flying sommelier part 6

By Olivier Gasselin,

View of Robertson with Johann de Wet from De Wetshof

View of Robertson with Johann de Wet from De Wetshof

We’re excited to publish a series of extracts from Olivier’s wine rambling in South Africa. This time he visits Hermanus. Olivier is  the Head Sommelier at the Bluebird in Chelsea.

On the third day we planned to leave early, as we were meant …

Mar
29

Bordeaux 2009: A Special Vintage

Cheval Blanc Sign 1

If you are sitting comfortably, then I’ll begin.

Although you will probably have heard this story before: a new vintage from Bordeaux is about to be released and everyone from the chateaux owners to us, the merchants, claim it is the greatest thing since grapes were first grown. The hype machine is wheeled out, oiled down and cranked up, and the …

Mar
29

A guide to Argentina’s wine regions: Salta

By Tom Bruce-Gardyne

Salta-Cactus

Salta-Cactus

Over the next few weeks we will publish Argento’s guide to Argentinian wine. We hope it will help you learn more about Argentina’s unique viticultural qualities, its key vineyard regions, and distinctive style of wines. Enjoy!

If you have made it all the way to Argentina, you really should try and find time to visit Salta – home of the highest and …

Mar
29

Bordeaux 2009: Dinner at Pichon Baron

Bordeaux 2009 Chateaux Pichon Baron

After all the hype we are actually here. The official kick off is tomorrow morning but we have had a sneak preview of a few wines at Pichon Baron, in the company of the Chateau’s legendary winemaker Jean Rene Matignon and our favourite pastel-pink-pullover-wearing negociant Edouard Andre.

Four wines is no basis on which to judge a vintage but …

Mar
26

Another day of pruning in the vineyard

By Vinos Ambiz, http://vinosambiz.blogspot.com/

Octavio (3.5) helps his Dad (me) with the pruning

Octavio (3.5) helps his Dad (me) with the pruning

Spring is Springing in the Vineyard, but General …

Mar
25

Let’s stop the Pinot Gris snobbery

By Rebecca Gibb, http://www.rebeccagibb.com/

Pinot Gris clusters

Pinot Gris clusters

Winemakers generally dislike Pinot Gris: it’s not that aromatic, normally has low acidity and let’s face it, it doesn’t set anyone’s world on fire in the same way as Riesling or Pinot Noir.

But it sells. And that means it’s a money spinner which keeps the wine business in business. Last week I …

Mar
24

How many episodes of Prisoner Cell Block H were made?

It’s a bloody good question – and was the tiebreaker at a recent quiz organised by Bibendum’s Marathon runner to be James Scott in order to raise some cash for Bibendum’s chosen charity, the MS Society.

Here’s James having a good soak after a long run:

Team Bibendum was out in force but I decided to rebel and put together an alternative team made up …

Mar
24

A guide to Argentina’s wine regions: Mendoza

by Tom Bruce-Gardyne

Mendoza Vineyards, Argentina

Over the next few weeks we will publish Argento’s guide to Argentinian wine. We hope it will help you learn more about Argentina’s unique viticultural qualities, its key vineyard regions, and distinctive style of wines. Enjoy!

Mendoza is the great throbbing heart of Argentine wine. The province is home to some 1200 wineries and produces over a billion litres a year – almost …

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