So impressed by this wine! I tried it a while back, then bought a bottle and recently cracked it, and it was amazing. Tracked it over three days: it progressively developed to be a bit more like a biologically aged sherry. Very fine. Ag.Hora Loureiro Gio Chezade x Soalheiro 2020 Vinho Verde, Portugal12.5% alcohol. Ag.Hora… Read More »
Simon Field MW’s 2023 Bordeaux tasting notes continue with wines from the Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Moulis, Graves, and Pessac-Léognan. By Simon Field MW 2023 Bordeaux: Enigma decoded 2023 Bordeaux tasting notes: Left Bank Part I MÉDOC / HAUT-MÉDOC / MOULIS Château Charmail (40% M, 35% CS, 25% CF) SF | Dense purple. A lovely nose of… Read More »
With 23 harvests at Kanonkop Estate under his belt, winemaker Abrie Beeslar has become synonymous with the Stellenbosch estate. So it was no surprise that his decision to leave, announced in January this year, made the headlines. ‘It was, and still is, very difficult,’ Beeslaar told Decanter at the time, about his decision. Six months… Read More »
Website: https://www.tatomerwines.com/ Graham Tatomer is from Santa Barbara, where Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling were the three main varieties. ‘Riesling was difficult to sell in the USA,’ he says, ‘so it lost out to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and a lot was grafted over.’ Graham got to taste some surviving Rieslings, and he thought they… Read More »
Simon Field MW’s tasting notes from the 2023 Bordeaux en primeur tastings begin with wines from St-Estèphe, Pauillac, St-Julien, and Margaux. By Simon Field MW 2023 Bordeaux: Enigma decoded ST-ESTÈPHE Château Le Boscq Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel (47% CS, 46% M, 6% PV, 1% CF) SF | Exhibiting a deeply pigmented, almost opaque core accompanied by… Read More »
Spanning seven hours and situated 60 stories high, the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter (DFWE) in New York City was unanimously lauded by both patrons and winemakers as the premier international wine event in Manhattan. Now in its third installment, the DFWE NYC 2024 greeted over 500 enthusiasts from across New York and as distant as… Read More »
Simon Field MW starts his comprehensive analysis of the 2023 Bordeaux vintage by discussing the climatic conditions of the year and the overall quality and profiles of the wines. By Simon Field MW Despite facing several challenges, the 2023 Bordeaux vintage does not reach the peaks of the previous year but still presents several refined,… Read More »
Website: https://www.williamdownie.com.au/ William Downie, a prominent and insightful Australian winegrower, first welcomed me for a visit in December 2015. I had the pleasure of meeting him again at a technical conference in Adelaide in 2017. Recently, I tasted his wines once more during his first UK visit in 8 years, where he presented his Pin… Read More »
This morning’s (10 June) release of Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2023 (97-points, Decanter) continued the recent pattern of price reductions compared to last year’s en primeur campaign for the 2022 vintage. However, despite these cuts, the wine’s cost remains higher than some older vintages from the Pessac-Léognan estate, as reported by Liv-ex, a major trade… Read More »
In between still and spumante wine styles, frizzante was commonly found in osterie and traditional trattorie across various Italian regions. In Campania, the effervescence helped mellow the intense acidity of Asprinio; in the Oltrè Po, it balanced the strong tannins of the Croatina grape; in Emilia, it served as the perfect complement to the region’s… Read More »