Our weekly newsletters with current thoughts on the world of wine as well as our wine pick of the week.
When new wines are released we find revisiting previous vintages and the predictions made at the time a valuable exercise. Particularly in vintages that were awkward or inconsistent. 2013 was a year most have chosen to forget, in part because it was such a difficult year for the majority of French wine regions. But there were […]
The birth of the ‘Super Tuscan’ is a heavily debated subject and one that is not nearly as interesting as the wines themselves. The wines were given the nickname as they fell outside the Italian classification system – made using non-indigenous grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot they were experiments that gave
Good, old-fashioned claret is sometimes overlooked. In our haste to get to know all regions of the wine world we sometimes forget the beauty and simplicity of Bordeaux. The large, elaborate Chateaux with the vineyards spread out around them provide an area that is easy to get to grips with, and a myriad of wines
We have put together a selection of bottles to complement the weather and mood. Our Autumn Mixed Case includes six wines that provide a gentle transition from the fresh, summer wines we’ve been enjoying over the last few months to the richer, winter offerings. All are from well-regarded producers from a variety of regions that suit
Buying by the bottle is a much easier way of getting to know Burgundy especially given the abundance of producers and vineyards and the myriad of differences they create. 2011 Domaine Taupenot-Merme Morey Saint Denis La Riotte Premier Cru £55 per bottle This is a delicate Morey Saint Denis that is light in weight with plenty of
We always champion mature vintages and try to sell as many as we can by the bottle. Buying older vintages by the case load to garner a better understanding of a particular producer or region can become an expensive task. But the odd bottle here and there can offer a wealth of knowledge and enjoyment.
Over the years we have become fairly experienced in the art of holidaying in the UK: we have rented cottages in Scotland, pitched tents in Wales and fought hornets in a treehouse in Devon. And one thing we’ve learnt is to always pack the car with the essentials – good wine and a decent corkscrew.
Chablis has always offered the best value for white wines in Burgundy but finding the quality and style desired is a little harder. Traditionally Chablis has been seen as a specific style of Chardonnay that is recognisable thanks to the notes of flint, seashell and green apple it produces. This is mostly attributed to the cooler
2015 is hailed as an exceptional vintage across Europe but there are a few pitfalls to watch out for. The summer was dry and hot with plenty of sunny days which for some was wonderful but for others a little trickier as it followed difficult spring weather or created droughts that put stress on the
It’s good to drink wine that challenges us and makes us think. But sometimes you just want something simple, easy going, and relaxing. Simplicity shouldn’t mean forgoing quality which makes these wines harder to find than you’d expect. We have put together a list of red wines that offer the level of quality we appreciate whilst
Non-Vintage champagne, which makes up the highest proportion of Champagne produced and sold, is made from a blend of the year’s harvest as well as a number of reserve wines. The most prestigious houses take great care in their non-vintage blend and use the finest reserves from a variety of vintages to produce a unique
Although Syrah is native to the Rhone valley in France it is equally, if not more, famous as Shiraz in Australia. The greater recognition of the word ‘Shiraz’ than ‘Syrah’ has been brushed aside because the French use appellation names, such as Hermitage, Côte Rôtie and Cornas, on their labels rather than the word ‘Syrah’
We do not have an abundance of everyday white wines. Our penchant for the more mature vintage tends to steer us in the direction of white Burgundy, Sauternes, and late harvest German whites. That’s not to say we don’t enjoy the more quaffable dry white wines but we are very selective when it comes to those we
2009 was the year French vineyards could do no wrong. The climate was spectacular and nearly all wine producing regions enjoyed a bumper year that was met with raptures by the critics and consumers. But with 12 years gone and the dust settled, where in France have the wines stood the test of time? And
Tastes and fashions have changed considerably since the 19th century. Our penchant for sweet wines that were so revered 150 years ago has waned as has as our desire for the rich, heavy dishes that accompanied them. Gone are the days of foie gras and a glass of Yquem to start off your evening meal. When
We like magnums. We could argue this is because wines age better in larger bottles and therefore offer longer drinking windows. But ultimately it’s because magnums are just more fun. The bigger the bottle, the more it adds to the event. 2014 Produttori Del Barbaresco Barbaresco DOCG £69 per magnum Simple yet endlessly enjoyable. Arguably one
Getting to know Barolo is akin to getting to grips with Burgundy these days. Every inch of land in this small area in Piedmont seems to have been given up to the vine and the talk of soil composition, aspect, altitude, modern vs. traditional dominates any conversation on the region. The myriad of single vineyards
Grapes are grown and wine is produced across the globe. Many regions share the same climatic conditions but the climate experienced and the subsequent quality of the wine produced each year will vary from one area to another, possibly even close neighbours. This may seem a simple and obvious point to make but there is
South Africa was never top of my list of wine regions: over exposure to cheap, average white wines in my early drinking days and several experiences with poorly made Pinotage that tasted vaguely like old, rubber tyres cemented my feelings on the region for a while. A chance encounter with a Hamilton Russell Chardonnay made
In honour of the late Steven Spurrier we have put together a list of Californian wines: some that featured in his famous 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting where they outperformed their French counterparts, and some that didn’t but certainly benefited from the event. Spurrier played a key role in the development of New World wines and particularly those
Small vineyards with small productions are commonplace in Burgundy and with the price of land increasing rapidly over the last few decades the cost of production is high. This goes some way to explaining the difficulties in finding a decent bottle of Burgundy that doesn’t cost a fortune. But this increase in land value has
Sicily is hot, almost desert-like, with rainfall only making an appearance for a short time in winter. Despite this harsh climate it is a surprisingly rich and diverse island when it comes to agriculture. Citrus fruits, nuts, and grains flourish under the hot sun and the influence of its many occupiers has provided for a
Although Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a household name, the wines are not always given the respect they deserve. In recent years, since wine prices have inflated because it has become an investment product, there has been much talk (and Hollywood films) about wine fraud but this is not a completely new phenomenon. Fraud was a serious problem for
Tokaji has long been a family drinking favourite at Nemo but, despite our efforts we have rarely had any really good stock available for sale (perhaps we should drink less of it!). Hopefully this is now changing with a parcel of aged Tokaji and, we hope, a more regular supply of younger vintages from Tokaji’s premier producer. István Szepsy probably makes
