Vinous Table: The Silver Birch, London, UK
Vinous Table, United Kingdom
, Jul 2021
Returning to Chiswick after lockdown, I wanted to try something different, and so I booked a table at The Silver Birch, which had the misfortune to open between lockdowns last year.
A Shard of Greek Sunshine
featured, Greece
, Jun 2021
In my obituary for Harry Gill, I mentioned that our last conversation concerned a long-proposed tasting of wines from his beloved homeland, Greece. He was always holding court at the bar of his restaurant, serving and celebrating Greek wines in his own inimitable way. Some did not quite match his enthusiasm, but every now and then I discovered an absolute gem like the Assyrtiko from Hatzidakis Winery that could whisk you away to a sun-kissed Mediterranean island on the rainiest winter afternoon.
Cellar Favorite: 1996 Lynch-Moussas
France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Jun 2021
Much of aristocratic Pauillac has become too expensive for many wine-lovers in recent years. That classification back in 1855 went straight to its head. Yet, there are gems to be discovered…if you know where to look.
Vinous Table: SO|LA, London, UK
Vinous Table, United Kingdom
, Jun 2021
Given that restaurants have only just reopened, it is unsurprising for me to pronounce this the best meal I have eaten so far in 2021. Whether any restaurant will be able to match it is another question. The bar has been set extremely high.
Argentina: New High-Altitude, High-Precision Whites
featured, Argentina
, Jun 2021
Captivating. That’s the word for many of the white wines being produced in Argentina today. A new kind of Chardonnay is being crafted in the mountain vineyards of Argentina based on lively freshness and pure, ripe fruity flavors. The interpretations of these extreme terroirs being developed by an insightful group of producers are raising the bar for the variety in a country best known for its Malbec. Meanwhile, old Sémillon vines are being rediscovered in the more traditional regions and some excellent sparkling wines are popping up all over the country.
Cellar Favorite: 2018 Hospices de Beaune Beaune 1er Cru Cuvée Dames Hospitalières
France: Burgundy, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Jun 2021
The 2018 Beaune 1er Cru Cuvée Dames Hospitalières is a Hospices de Beaune bottling raised by Mounir Saouma of Lucien Le Moine for American importer Vintus.
Atlantic Spain: It’s Always About the Weather…
featured, Spain
, Jun 2021
Stretching from Galicia in the far northwest and along the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of Biscay to the Basque Country, Atlantic Spain is the country’s coolest winegrowing region. Mostly indigenous varieties that are grown virtually nowhere else in Spain are the rule. The almost universally ocean-influenced climate and the intrinsic character of those local grapes define vibrant wines that are increasingly capturing the attention of wine lovers across the globe.
Symington: 2019 Single Quintas New Releases
featured, Portugal
, Jun 2021
The 2019 vintage in the Douro may not have coerced Symingtons into a declaration, but it did lay the foundation for a set of new single Quintas releases.
Cellar Favorite: 1998 Domaine Georges Roumier Morey-Saint-Denis Clos de la Bussière 1er Cru
France: Burgundy, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Jun 2021
There is no point in restating the fact that I, along with countless other Burgundy-lovers, adore the wines of Christophe Roumier. Oops, I did it again!
Beyond Wine: Album Review of Floating Points, Pharoah Saunders, London Symphony Orchestra - Promises
Beyond Wine
, Jun 2021
I cannot write too much about Promises – it is something you really have to listen to and immerse yourself in, preferably late at night with the lights dimmed, preferably on vinyl on a high-end audiophile system.