{"id":36271,"date":"2025-02-10T16:45:21","date_gmt":"2025-02-10T16:45:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leaandsandeman.co.uk\/blog\/?p=36271"},"modified":"2025-02-14T16:13:52","modified_gmt":"2025-02-14T16:13:52","slug":"the-golden-rule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.leaandsandeman.co.uk\/blog\/2025\/02\/the-golden-rule\/","title":{"rendered":"The Golden Rule"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TheI so often get asked if there is a strategy, or an axiom which can be applied to wine in order to guarantee something delicious. There is, of course, not \u2013 or at least I hope no one comes up with one, else we will all rapidly be out of jobs, but it has set me to wondering and I think I may have found a passable solution.<\/p>\n

When something is as complicated and subtly nuanced as wine, there is inevitable misdirection, or even a mythology built up around some things. A bit like that \u2018buy the second bottle of wine down on a restaurant list, it has the lowest margin\u2019 rumour which circulated lord knows how many years ago \u2013 then I think quickly replaced by \u2018don\u2019t buy the second bottle of wine down on a list, it\u2019s a trick and has the highest margin\u2019. Advice which can be thrown on the scrap heap with silly epigrams like \u2018the older a bottle of wine is, the better it is\u2019 or \u2018it has a lot of legs, so it must be good\u2019.<\/p>\n

It’s all utter tosh.<\/p>\n

\"GoldenThe one thing I think you can really rely on (and I look forward to someone finding a wine which breaks my golden rule, but I have cycled through my Rolodex and I don\u2019t think one exists) is this: single vineyard wine, is good wine.<\/p>\n

It seems so simple to the point of being ludicrous, but if a producer has gone to the lengths to identify a specific plot of earth, plant vines upon it, and produce something so outstanding that they not only bottle the fruit from just this place, but stick the name of that specific place on that bottle for the world to see, you\u2019ve got to assume it\u2019s pretty bloody good.<\/p>\n

This is not to say that there aren\u2019t incredible wines made from blending many, many vineyards \u2013 I think Lafite, Dom Perignon, Sassicaia and many more would be able to confirm this, but it\u2019s the one rule which I think can be universally applied with success.<\/p>\n

The one downside is that these single vineyards wine are never cheap. They\u2019re simply too good to be, but in fine wine terms, they can still be relatively inexpensive.<\/p>\n

I have put a list below of some of our favourite, and more affordable examples of where this rings true. I hope it\u2019s something you are able to apply, and drink all the better for it!<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\"2020
\n2020 LA QUINTA Podere Giodo di Carlo Ferrini<\/a>
\n\u00a345.95 | \u00a341.25<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

A tiny vineyard of young, 8 year old vines, contiguous with Giodo\u2019s Brunello vineyards. A top Brunello in all but name.<\/p>\n

\"2022
\n2022 R\u00c9GNI\u00c9 Cuv\u00e9e des Braves Domaine Rochette<\/a>
\n\u00a319.50 | \u00a317.50<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

A southwest facing small vineyard on solid granite, with some ancient 70 to 80 year old vines, proving how affordable great single vineyard wine can be.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"2018 ESCONDITE DEL ARDACHO Las Guillermas Tentenublo<\/a>
\n\u00a340.50 | \u00a335.95<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

A parcel of 70 year old vines, 400 metres above sea level which create a wine which could be called Rioja\u2019s answer to Burgundy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"20162016 LES BELLES VOYES Blanc de Blancs Brut Grand Cru Oger Champagne Franck Bonville<\/a>
\n\u00a385.95 | \u00a377.50<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Certainly not an every day bottle, but for single vineyard Champagne, downright affordable. Belle Voyes, \u2018beautiful path\u2019, is a .8 hectare vineyard high up in the hills overlooking the village of Oger, making exceptional Chardonnay from 60+ year old vines.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Case Price Discount: <\/strong><\/span>Enjoy our case price discount<\/span>\u00a0by buying any 12 bottles from this selection – in a mixed case of your design or simply by the dozen.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
What to discuss these wines further?<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Please drop a line to our Private Client Team<\/a>.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I so often get asked if there is a strategy, or an axiom which can be applied to wine in order to guarantee something delicious. There is, of course, not \u2013 or at least I hope no one comes up with one, else we will all rapidly be out of jobs, but it has set […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":36274,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1551,1549,1550,1519],"class_list":["post-36271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ls-post","tag-affordable-fine-wine","tag-tip","tag-wine-advice","tag-wine-buying"],"contentshake_article_id":"","yoast_head":"\nThe Golden Rule<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I so often get asked if there is a strategy, or an axiom which can be applied to wine in order to guarantee something delicious. 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