The Good, Bad and Ugly: Burgundy 2010, 2003 & 2004
France: Burgundy, featured
, Jun 2020
Three snapshot tastings of mature Burgundy vintages, 2003 and 2004 reds and 2010 whites, served as a reminder that whilst some vintages repay cellaring, others can remain “ugly ducklings”.
Cellar Favorite: 1947 Château Trotanoy
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Jun 2020
There is something magical about bottles of postwar Pomerol. I have been fortunate to taste a fair number, given their rarity, and always with a sense of understanding that you might never encounter it again. That is the case with the 1947 Trotanoy.
Hopes and Dreams: Canon Chaigneau 1998-2019
France: Bordeaux, featured, Verticals & Retrospectives
, May 2020
The impact of COVID-19 is not evenly spread across society, nor across wine estates. Imagine you were on the cusp of buying a small Bordeaux château when suddenly the world is in lockdown. What happens then? This is the story of Canon Chaigneau.
Denis Durantou 1957-2020
featured, Vinous Remembers
, May 2020
Vines never mourn the passing of a winemaker. They stay rooted to the ground, oblivious to the loss. Without a moment’s pause they burst into life for another year, another vintage. L’Eglise-Clinet is no exception. However this year those vines will bear fruit without the man to whom they are indebted, Denis Durantou. After months of illness, Durantou finally succumbed last Friday - a winemaker gone far too soon. Pomerol will never quite be the same again.
Cellar Favorite: 1957 Penfolds St. Henri Claret
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Australia
, May 2020
Though Grange is Penfolds’ most famous label, that has not always been the case. Back in the late Fifties and early Sixties, their St. Henri was more popular, probably due to its being more approachable and elegant, while Max Schubert’s Grange demanded cellaring.
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Beyond Wine: Album Review of Song For Our Daughter - Laura Marling
United Kingdom, Beyond Wine
, May 2020
“Song About Our Daughter” is a triumph for an artist who has quietly gone about building a considerable profile. Deftly splicing Americana with English folk, “Songs For Our Daughter” might well be the high point on what is turning into one of the finest careers in recent years.
Remember, Remember: 1945 Bordeaux
France: Bordeaux, featured
, May 2020
Today is the 75th anniversary of V-E Day. Plans for mass celebrations have been cancelled as the world faces its biggest challenge since World War II, denying us the opportunity to publicly honor and thank the veterans who fought for our freedom. None of this diminishes the importance of the day. This article was written to coincide with V-E Day and the momentous year of 1945. It is more than a list of wines and scores. It endeavors to present an objective analysis of the vintage and its wines, explaining why it turned out more successful than others. Most importantly, it provides historical context, not only as a region under the control of the occupying German army, but also from the viewpoint of individual châteaux.
Cellar Favorite: 1985 Domaine Christophe Roumier Vosne-Romanée Les Beaumonts 1er Cru
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy
, May 2020
Our Cellar Favorite column is meant to bring readers’ attention towards either mature bottles currently drinking well or recent vintages worthy of laying down. This entry fits neither of those criteria.
No Relation: Clos Saint-Martin 1964-2017
France: Bordeaux, featured, Verticals & Retrospectives
, Apr 2020
If small is beautiful, then Clos Saint-Martin is the fairest of them all. Twenty years after first visiting this ideally located estate on the Saint-Émilion, I return to visit proprietor Sophie Fourcade and re-taste recent vintages.
Squares & Circles: Bordeaux ‘10 At Ten
France: Bordeaux, featured
, Apr 2020
Each February I taste the relevant Bordeaux vintage at 10 years of age, both sighted and blind. This year it is the turn of 2010, a fascinating and highly revered vintage, albeit one not beyond criticism. How have the wines evolved? How does 2010 compare to 2009? Where is its place in these tumultuous times?