By Jack Chapman on 06/06/2020
There have been a fair number of ‘ifs’ about the 2019 Bordeaux En Primeur. The first and perhaps biggest was the ‘if it would happen’. With most of the world in various states of lockdown, Primeur week cancelled and critics unable to taste, the situation in April looked pretty bleak.
By David Porter on 04/06/2020
Wednesday was quite a day as we headed to the Rothschild family’s English home, Waddesdon Manor, for an impressive Rothschild double header – the 5 wines from the Lafite Rothschilds and 5 wines from the Mouton Rothschilds. It was a strange feeling – very reminiscent of our usual primeur pilgrimage to the great Châeaux of Bordeaux.
By Jack Chapman on 03/06/2020
Although a hotly anticipated release, Cos d’Estournel, with its position next to Lafite, is arguably St Estèphe’s answer to a first growth. The 2019 was offered to us this morning with a score of 97-99 points from The Wine Advocate and sitting at £684 per 6 bottles IB.
By Phil Weeks on 03/06/2020
With the weather due to return to something more normal for the time of year tomorrow, it is the perfect moment for the next instalment of our Chef’s Recipe Blog. This one is from Dave Wall at the award-winning Unruly Pig in Woodbridge, here Dave extols the virtues of Hogget and implores you to give it a try.
By Charles Lea on 29/05/2020
Vintage good to outstanding. Timing poor to appalling. Pricing might be interesting We have already expressed our sympathy with the view that the interruption of the primeur tastings in Bordeaux should really have resulted in a radical rethink of the whole en primeur circus, which, in the last ten years, has become a selling opportunity for the Chateaux rather than a buying opportunity for the consumer.
By Charles Lea on 27/05/2020
Château Latour 2012 is released today – for the first time, as this was the first vintage in which Latour was not offered en primeur.
By Charles Lea on 26/05/2020
We’ve already said that the UK trade is not terribly enthusiastic about the prospect of a primeur campaign over this summer, and we are not the only ones. “This horrible virus could have been the excuse that the region needed to kick this outdated and increasingly irrelevant ‘buying opportunity’ into the long grass, once and for all.” (Matthew Jukes)
By Eve-Marie Letondel on 26/05/2020
Our latest press mentions in May: The Times, Jancisrobinson.com, Life Spectator, Money Week, The Independent, The Drinks Business, Daily Mail, winepages.com and the Scottish Field. Benefit from our case price discount in red by buying any 12 bottles from this selection - in a mixed case of your design or simply by the dozen.
By Charles Lea on 21/05/2020
I am still reeling from the news of the death last week of Denis Durantou, owner and winemaker of Chateau l'Église Clinet, La Petite Église (its second wine) Cruzelles, Montlandrie, La Chenade and Saintayme. He was only 62. I've been so disengaged (delegation) from the last two Bordeaux primeur campaigns, that I didn't even know he was ill.
By Phil Weeks on 20/05/2020
For this instalment of the recipe blog we are heading down to the beautiful South West and the supremely gifted team of Angus Bell and Katy Mulheir at Restaurant Mine in Falmouth. Angus has a recipe for mushrooms on toast, which with the addition of kimchi, focaccia and wild mushrooms raises it to another level.
By Charles Lea on 12/05/2020
Word has been seeping out that the 2019 vintage in Bordeaux is a good one. Not ‘the vintage of the century’ again, but better than 2018, and continuing the long run of successful vintage that Bordeaux has enjoyed, both in terms of quantity and quality.
By Phil Weeks on 07/05/2020
Next up for our Recipes blog is the super talented Matt Whitfield, Head Chef at The Montagu Arms and the no less talented Sergio dos Santos Head Sommelier, with their flavour packed Chicken curry recipe and mouth-watering wines they would suggest to drink with it. Click here for the recipe.