Category Archives: Blog

Major Bordeaux 2023 en primeur releases today (21 May) have included Domaine de Chevalier and St-Julien fourth growth Château Beychevelle, following from Ets. Jean-Pierre Moueix wines yesterday, including highly rated Bélair-Monange 2023. Prices have continued to drop year-on-year for a Bordeaux 2023 vintage that is emerging onto a challenging fine wine market. Some 2022-vintage releases… Read More »

(Updated May 2024 with notes on new release wines) In 2020, Anna Jørgensen assumed control of Cortes de Cima, a grand Alentejo winery encompassing over 200 hectares of vineyards not only in Vidiguera but also along the Alentejo coast. The winery was brought to life by Anna’s parents, a Danish and an American. It gained… Read More »

Is it worth opening a bottle of sparkling wine a few hours, or days, before drinking it? By Tom Stevenson Tom Stevenson asks if we should let sparkling wines breathe. The benefit of allowing a wine to breathe is inevitably discussed in the context of a still wine and almost always it will be a… Read More »

The Decanter 360 Academy Trainee Programme is returning for a second placement at Decanter. Aimed at individuals with real enthusiasm for wine, who are looking to take their first steps in a wine industry career. The programme is dedicated to increasing diversity and inclusivity within the wine sector by providing chances for underrepresented communities. We… Read More »

Website: https://www.emidiopepe.com/en/ Emidio Pepe is 60! This well-known winery from the Abruzzo region in Italy has embarked on a celebratory tour to give more insight into their operations to customers and journalists. Pioneering this tour is the industrious Chiara Pepe, who at just 29 is currently in charge of the family enterprise. Chiara states, ‘we… Read More »

The long and noble history of Florence’s “wine windows”. By Stuart Walton Stuart Walton celebrates Florence’s buchette del vino, the tiny “wine windows” that have helped supply the city’s wine drinkers since the 1500s. First-time visitors to Florence who have not yet glanced at their guidebooks will already have noticed, as they glide about the… Read More »

St-Estèphe second growth, Château Cos d’Estournel was the highlight of today’s releases, albeit the feedback to the offers appears quite subdued. The chateau decreased its 2023 release price by a significant 38.7% in comparison to its 2022 proposal. In spite of the considerable reduction, various critics have identified promising investment possibilities within its back vintages,… Read More »

Yes it does, says Benjamin Lewin MW—even if we cannot yet demonstrate it by objective means. By Benjamin Lewin MW Before I get myself into trouble with the title of this column, let me say straightaway that I absolutely believe in terroir based on my experience of tasting wine, but I have never been convinced… Read More »

Château Ausone in St-Emilion and Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, the second growth in St-Julien, have both adhered to the campaign trend of offering significant reductions on the price of the previous year for their 2022 vintage. Both the estates have also received accolades for their 2023 wines. Georgie Hindle, the Bordeaux correspondent for Decanter, gave 97-points to… Read More »

Roederer is a necessity for all Champagne lovers. Currently making quite a splash in the Champagne industry, Roederer is a grower for all products beyond the non-vintage level – the company farms a robust 135 hectares in an organic and biodynamic approach. Taking a page from Krug’s and Lanson’s books, Roederer chose to number each… Read More »