Bordeaux 2019 -Yves Raymond, Château Saransot Dupré, Listrac, Haut Médoc

What was your biggest challenge in the vineyard?         The challenge is each year the same : we must harvest late enough to pick perfectly ripe fruits (the decision can be difficult in years with a lot of rain before the harvest. We fear that it will rot the fruit and so we might …

Advertisement

The Unlevel Playing Field that is St Emilion today

 A few personal thoughts from a independant bystander on the recent re-classification. For me this photo of hands in soil sums up what wine is; the passing of a inate knowledge built up over time of a family from one generation to another.  The knowledge of a particular soil and how nature interacts in a particular vineyard …

2012 Bordeaux: classic Merlot wines made by the perceptive winemaker

Elegant classic Bordeaux wines with velvety purity were made this year by those winemakers with sensitive insight. The top wines were Merlot dominated (as this variety was able to ripen before the rains) with the top appellations being St Emilion, Pomerol, Pessac-Léognan (red and whites) and some of Margaux. Those in touch with their vines, with nature, who got out of …

Wine Smiles – My Top 50 wine quotes

Wine helps to lubricate not only the palate but also the wit and intellect. Here are some of my favorite wine quotes that make me smile, particularly when I am supping a glass of wine. “The way to drink a cocktail is quickly, while it’s still laughing at you. Wines, of course, merely smile.” — …

Wine Tasting Notes obsolete as soon as they are written? too subjective and transcient to be of value?

Interesting dialogue (tweets) between two wine writers and tasters on Twitter regarding the true value of the Tasting Note between American Howard G Goldberg (New York Times plus) and English Stephen Brook (Decanter). @StephenPBrook: Mine clutter up my computer until summoned forth to do their duty. With age they atrophy, as indeed they should. @howardggoldberg:Exactly. The …

The Wine Writer is a dying breed says wine writer Andrew Jefford

I would go further and say that the wine expert is also on his or her way out. The internet has made wine transparent, debunking the myths that surrounded it (perpetuated by the experts perhaps). What is important with something as subjective as wine is what the individual likes. There is no universal taste. The power of …