Website: https://raimes.co.uk/ Raimes Blanc de Blancs 2018 Hampshire, England12% alcohol. 100% Chardonnay from the South Downs, produced by Hattingley. Matured 46 months on lees, disgorged in January 2023 with a dosage of 5g/l. Offers sweetly aromatic scents with hints of honey and toast coupled with bright tones of pear and peach. The palate presents a… Read More »
A unique Hungarian grape variety is experiencing a revival, albeit small yet delightful. By Sarah Marsh MW Sarah Marsh MW explores the efforts of growers and researchers who are revitalizing the Kéknyelű grape from the brink of disappearance in the Hungarian PDO of Badacsony on Lake Balaton, leading to the production of intriguing, age-worthy white… Read More »
Website: https://www.rameywine.com/ Ramey stands out as a premier winery in Sonoma, with David Ramey earning a reputation for his Chardonnay craftsmanship. Yet, Ramey offers more varieties beyond just Chardonnay. The winery initially had no vineyards of its own from its foundation in 1996 until 2012, instead leasing vine space and purchasing grapes. In 2012, they… Read More »
My friend Michael Broadbent, a trailblazer in wine auctions, often filled his Decanter magazine column, which he wrote for over four decades, with stories of his dining adventures and the wines they enjoyed. While I’m not sure if tales of the Johnson family’s wine choices would captivate you similarly, there are times when I must… Read More »
The Tapanappa wine grower on the past, present, and future of Australian fine wine. By David Williams In the latest of our series of extended interviews with leading wine growers marking 20 years of The World of Fine Wine, Brian Croser of Tapanappa in South Australia reflects on viticulture, climate, and the rise of Australian… Read More »
‘The first pick of 2024 for us at Chandon came from our home vineyard in Yountville, which is our warmest estate vineyard and we believe Napa’s northern limit for growing exceptional sparkling wine grapes,’ said winemaker Pauline Lhote. ‘We picked about 57 tons (52 metric tonnes) of Chardonnay on Wednesday from two different blocks in… Read More »
Yuki Bar instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yukibar.london/?hl=en Tucked away in a surprising location in London Fields is one of London’s newest and most interesting natural wine bars. Yuki Bar is named after its owner, Yukiyasu Kaneko, who has experience working in natural wine hot spots Noma and P Franco. It’s a beautiful space, with around 20 covers. Food… Read More »
A fascinating dual perspective on two decades of wine growing in Burgundy and California. By David Williams In the latest of our series of extended interviews with leading wine growers marking 20 years of The World of Fine Wine, Diana Snowden Seysses of Domaine Dujac in Burgundy and Snowden Vineyards in Napa Valley reflects on… Read More »
These Chardonnays were selected by Cameron Douglas, MS, as the Hawke’s Bay Annual Chardonnay Collection Vintage 2022. 42 wines submitted, and these were the ones Cam chose. This is the fourth time this exercise has been undertaken, and my notes on the 2021 selection are here. Askerne Chardonnay 2022 Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand13.5% alcohol. This… Read More »
Let’s face it – we wine fans don’t do ourselves any favours. With our long-winded descriptions of aromas and flavours, cult-like obsessions with individual producers, and complicated explanations of weird words like ‘tannin’ and ‘terroir’, it’s little wonder that phrases like ‘wine bore’ are hissed at dinner parties. It gets even worse in parts of… Read More »