Archive for 2018

Burgundy is all about limestone. Ask a vigneron about the soils in so-and-so vineyard and the common response is argilo-calcaire i.e. clay-limestone. It's a large part of what makes the wines of Burgundy the glorious things they are.Go to Chablis and this phenomenon intensifies. Here we see the effe…

The Hill of Corton with the village of Aloxe on the rightand Pernand just visible on the leftMuch has been said of the 2016 red wine vintage in Burgundy. Wax has been thoroughly lyricked, thus:"2016 is a seriously delicious vintage." Jancis Robinson"...it is at times extraordinarily great, with a cl…

THE VINTAGEFrost and mildew made up the story of the 2016 growing season in Burgundy. Together they ravaged the Côte and led to a sharp diminution in volume. Fruit was thin on the ground.That's the bad news: little fruit; little wine. Yet so often little fruit also means lots of quality a…

Victoria and I were at lunch at Vintners Hall yesterday and with the beef main course were served 2002 Château Léoville Poyferré. It was utterly delicious and all the more fascinating since I knew that a case of it was among a tranche of worthies to be made live today on Gra…

I was in Scotland, thus missed the tasting of the newly released wines from the mighty Vega Sicilia. And yet how can one turn down an allocation of what are among the finest red wines of a country celebrated for its red wines? Equally, how could one pass up on the new releases from what is,…