By Rob Pickard
Last year I sat here and wrote about the stellar vintage of 2009, with the Burgundy growers making their annual pilgrimage to the UK on the back of a fantastic year for all involved. Weather wise it was pretty much perfect, ideal conditions throughout the year had created superb quality drinking across the board, with hugely fruit driven, …
By Rob Pickard
As all eyes turn to the slopes of the Rhone valley and the fruits of the 2010 vintage, Bibendum HQ was awash with some of the Rhone’s finest for Bibendum’s annual Rhone Tasting. So as the crowds descended on Primrose Hill we made a whistle-stop tour of the tasting to see what 2010 was all about.
Following a visit …
By Juel Mahoney
It is not every morning you taste 12 Grand Cru vintages before 9.30am. But by Day 3 in Burgundy our taste buds had become laser sharp to the nuances in the vineyard and we were picking the difference between Clos-de-Beze from Bonnes Mares at twenty paces.
Although the nature of the 2010 vintage made it easier to distinguish vineyards; unlike 2009s …
By Charlotte Grimmett, Bibendum Fine Wine Web Sales
I am a real fan of Condrieu so I have to say: the Northern Rhone wins for me.
Often understated and even little known amongst wine drinkers, no matter what the occasion, full on meal, or an aperitif, there is something on offer for all. One of my favourites is the Condrieu, Les Ravines from Domaine …
By Juel Mahoney
The story of the yields in Burgundy 2010
There were many explanations for the low yields in 2010 in Burgundy. If I had not seen the empty spaces for myself, the cynic in me may have thought this was a neat marketing trick to create demand.
After only two days in Burgundy, this proved to be wishful thinking.
Quantities in Burgundy …
By Juel Mahoney
Could there be anything more beautiful to the wine lover’s heart than to see gold vineyards against gold forests on the way to taste gold wines?
We arrived early for our first appointment at Domaine Robert Denogent in the village of Fuissé. He had expected us a little later, so while we …
By Willie Lebus
I am a Rhone nut!
Not many people you know put on a tasting dinner featuring 17 Condrieu from the 1995 vintage at the Square. Epic! White Rhone is seriously underrated. White Hermitage is so much better value than White Burgundy. And it doesn’t look like the morning after the night before….
Last year I was lucky enough to attend a Chateau de Beaucastel dinner presented by Marc Perrin. We tasted verticals of both Chateau de Beaucastel and Coudoulet de Beaucastel, needless to say I was completely won over.
By Omar Raafat, Bibendum Fine Wine Trade Sales
Until a recent trip to the Rhone I would have said the South with very little hesitation – I’ve always loved the intensity of the fruit, the garrigue character and the complexity from the blend of heady Grenache with the darker and more structured Syrah and Mourvedre. As a region it has always offered great value from …
My top Rhone from the other neck of the woods is Clos des Papes from Chateauneuf-du-Pape – the wine is truly fab if a bit over-eulogised by the great Robert Parker. At a recent BYO dinner, with stellar bottles (Petrus and more), the wine was right up there with the best of them.
