Wines in the press this week – 2 great value Autumn Reds
By David Porter on 18/09/2014
Over the last few days we have been delighted to read some glowing reviews for a couple of our favourite wines:
How to drink it…
Ne Oublie – An unforgettable tasting of this rare old tawny port from Graham’s.
By David Porter on 23/06/2014
Our Wednesday afternoon a couple of weeks ago was cheered up enormously by a flying visit from Paul Symington. A more charming man it is hard to imagine, but not in a laid back, calm sort of way. ‘Ne Oublie’ – a very rare and very old release of a tawny port from barrels at the family’s Lodge in Porto.
’98 point’ Brunate among Andrea Oberto’s great 2010 Barolos
By Charles Lea on 19/06/2014
‘The 2010 vintage in Barolo is shaping up to be a modern-day classic. The cool growing season produced transparent, vibrant Barolos that pulsate with tension, crystalline purity and site-specific nuance.’ (Antonio Galloni, vinousmedia.com)
2013 Bordeaux 29/4 – some fun on the final straight – Chenade, Cruzelles, Léoville Las Cases, Clos Du Marquis, Clos Manou, Beauregard
By David Porter on 29/04/2014
We really really liked Clos du Marquis this year, and Léoville Las Cases was pretty stunning but not really looking a great primeur buy at this level. Beauregard, which showed really well, seems to us a better Pomerol buy than Nénin.
Christmas near Cornwell … New Year In Cornwall
By Charles Lea on 23/12/2013
Closing the shop on Christmas Eve (we are open until five tomorrow) is always a challenge and I may have to see if I can sneak off a bit early to get to my favourite carol service. The charm is worth it - the tiny thirteenth century St Philip's church of Little Rollright has no electricity, and so the rare services here are entirely candle-lit.
Will Lyons on Calvados in the Wall Street Journal.
By Charles Lea on 14/09/2013
Lea & Sandeman ‘old boy’ Will Lyons, now writing for the Wall Street Journal, has devoted this week’s column to the autumnal joys of Calvados – and brought out the worst in the WSJ headline punners –
Calvados’s Warm Charm
Release of Pol Roger 2004 – a new classic
By Charles Lea on 02/09/2013
Unlike some Champagne houses who rattle out the vintages one to the next – Pol have the strength of mind and the integrity to hang on to theirs until they are really sure that it is at the perfect point to release, allowing for early drinking for the impatient, but always with the class and depth needed for longer-term ageing.
2012 Bordeaux – a last honk of the horn – real value buys
By Charles Lea on 02/06/2013
The 2012 Bordeaux campaign will go down as one with a lot of sound and (especially) fury, signifying very little. The shame is that it obscures the real hard work being done all over this vast region which still makes a lot of the best value wines in the world.
Wine of the Week: 2011 Gruner Veltliner – Wachtberg DAC – Erste Lage – Salomon Undhof
By Ed H-B on 20/02/2013
Why L&S 'Wine of the Week'? This wine was a unanimous favorite by all four Lea & Sandeman shops and just reviewed by Ben from our Barnes shop: ‘We re-tasted this terrific Gruner at the last generic Austrian Wine event a few weeks ago. A scintillating effort from a top-tier vineyard and producer.