Jacky Blot is a revered producer in the Loire and this is a very special wine made from chenin blanc, picked from 50-80 year old vines, aged in oak. Think of the waxy florality and fragrance of quince, allied to a lively current of acidity. Beautiful. in , 21st Nov 2020
A vibrant and vital Syrah. I’ve placed my order! A world class wine. in YOU Magazine, The Mail on Sunday, , 1st Nov 2020
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A case, selected by Victoria Moore, containing wines from the seven member wine merchants that make up The Bunch. Below is Victoria’s note for our contributions to the case: Haynes, Hanson & Clark, which has branches in London, Stow-on-the-Wold and Whitchurch, also has two reds in the box. One is a brilliant-value claret – Ch […]
I enthusiastically recommended the 2017 release of this wine, but I make no excuse for doing the same thing with the 2018. Schiava, otherwise known as Vernatsch, is the grape variety behind this wonderful, old-vine red from a brilliant co-operative in the Italian Alto Adige. Showing the Alpine freshness of a vineyard at 400 metres, […]
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There’s so much low-rent chianti around, it’s easy to forget how delicious – and brilliant with food – it can be. A youthful, unoaked style, but none the worse for that. Real elegance for the price. in , 16th Oct 2020
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HH&C represent the 120-year-old Cantina Kurtatsch in Alto Adige, and presented their Amos 2017 – a wine that charmed Julia recently but which I did not retaste. The following notes are taken from Jancis Robinson’s Purple Pages, following the annual tasting with The Bunch in September 2020. 2018 Montlouis sec Rémus, Domaine de la […]
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Ranuccio Neri founded his estate among the ancient farm buildings of his family home in Campriano, near Siena, in 1993 before going on to study winemaking in both California and Bordeaux. He knows his stuff and this hits the spot. An un-oaked blend of 80 per cent Sangiovese, 15 per cent Canaiolo Nero and 5 […]
For under £15 Ritou Syrah is flipping brilliant. […] It’s all about crunchy, defined, fragrant fruit. My favourite type of Syrah. in , 10th Oct 2020
If Michael Brajkovich MW were a Burgundian rather than a New Zealander, he would be among the most celebrated white winemakers in the Côte de Beaune, right up there with the likes of Dominique Lafon, Pierre-Vves Colin Morey and Jean-Marc Roulot. The good news for us is that we can buy his amazing Chardonnays at […]
Navarra lies along the northeast flank of Rioja and used to be known for its rosés, but now focuses more on reds and whites. Some are made from the likes of Cabernet and Chardonnay, others from Tempranillo or Garnache. The young and vibrant Pleno is as smooth as it is refreshing, with plum and cherry […]
Just because you can drink the Cabernet Franc red wines of the Loire lightly chilled, it doesn’t mean they should be confined to summer (not that I’m giving up on summer yet, as I said last week). With a floral perfume, succulent raspberryish fruit and Cabernet Franc’s hallmark graphite undertow, Domaine des Sanzay’s Saumur-Champigny is […]
Pristine and fresh as a sunbeam on a mountain meadow, this is next level vino and totally worth splashing out. in YOU Magazine, The Mail on Sunday, , 30th Aug 2020
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Sleek as a puma, finer than silk, this is light vibrant red with a splendid fruity sheen after twenty minutes in the fridge. Irresistibly splendid! in YOU Magazine, The Mail on Sunday, , 23rd Aug 2020
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I was knocked out by a recent tasting of wine samples kindly sent to me for review by Haynes Hanson & Clark and I’m glad to share my findings exclusively with you. This was the first tasting in a very long time where I found every single wine in the line up was good enough […]
Grown on the lower hills above Kurtatsch. They write: ‘Lagrein is Alto Adige’s oldest grape variety. It flourishes best in the deep, warm soils in Bolzano (the suburb of Gries) and the South Tyrolean Lowlands (Kurtatsch) that are made up of clay and sand as well as gravelly deposits from rivers and streams that break […]