The two prestige cuvées from Black Chalk have undergone ageing on lees for 26 months. Though, this duration is seemingly short for wines of such high aspirations. Nevertheless, the major focus lies on fruit quality which in turn determines the base wine quality. In conversation with winemakers Jacob Leadley and Zoe Driver, they unveiled their… Read More »
It’s not uncommon to pause before using the term natural wine without quotation marks, due to the complexity of defining this type of wine. Putting literal definitions aside, there is a broad consensus that natural wine should be produced from organically grown grapes, with little to no additives. Furthermore, it should undergo natural fermentation and… Read More »
Professor Michael Summerfield makes the case for the great English evolutionary biologist’s profound influence on wine. By Michael Summerfield For Charles Darwin, the grapevine was exceptional in illustrating so powerfully his theory of the modification of species. But did his work, in turn, play a crucial role in overcoming the phylloxera crisis and saving viticulture… Read More »
Website: https://zuccardiwines.com/en/ Sebastian Zuccardi was in town, showing off his exciting wines. It was delightful to have a reunion and sample the current releases of what is, undeniably, one of Argentina’s top wineries. Sebastian, a product of the 1980 vintage, started his work at the family-owned establishment in 1999. He explained how his father gave… Read More »
Qi Moudao was also fined 250,000 yuan (£27,500) after he admitted to illegally bottling fake wines from prestigious Bordeaux châteaux. During the raid, police confiscated hundreds of bottles of branded wine, along with empty bottles, aluminium caps and bottling machines. Officers found that 33 of the counterfeit bottles were labelled as either Petrus, Château Lafite… Read More »
Website: https://barmes-buecher.com/en/ Wettolsheim-based Barmès-Buecher (pronounced Barm-es Booshay) is one of the most fascinating producers in Alsace. Our visit included Sophie, Maxime, and a scenic tour of the vineyards in their Citroen 2CV. Maxime was just 21 when his father passed away in 2011. From as young as 15, Maxime often accompanied his father to the… Read More »
By Simon Field MW In his latest dispatch from the Bordeaux 2023 en primeur tastings, Simon Field MW reflects on the evolving challenges and enduring rewards of Sauternes. François Amirault has supervised 40 harvests at Château de Fargues. All have been different, with the past, he affirms, providing few signals to the future, at least… Read More »
Château Lafite Rothschild 2023 has been released en primeur at €396 per bottle ex-négociant, down 31.7% on the opening price of the first growth’s 2022 vintage last year, according to Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade. UK-based merchants offered the wine at £4,920 per 12-bottle case in bond (IB), as Lafite helped to set… Read More »
Sarah Marsh MW reports on a vertical tasting in the heartland of Domaine Louis Latour that exceeded her expectations. By Sarah Marsh MW According to Jean-Charles Thomas, Head Winemaker for Louis Latour, “Corton-Charlemagne is one of the real beneficiaries of climate change. While we see stress in Montrachet, in these recent dry vintages the Corton… Read More »
Over the past thirty years, South Africa‘s wine industry has seen a significant resurgence, with a focus on modernisation and expansion. From being previously known for mass production of grapes and brandy, South African white wines now rival the best the world has to offer. Chenin Blanc, a leading variety in The Cape, is a… Read More »