A history of “en primeur”: fable and fortune

Our Wine Director Mark Pardoe MW explains how we came to buy unfinished wine, and examines the mechanics, myths and future of wine futures The first Bordeaux vintage I bought en primeur as a wine merchant was 1982. I only bought two wines – 25 cases each of Chx Batailley and Haut-Batailley – and I […]

What makes a great vintage?

The 2015 vintage has been praised far and wide – producing remarkable wines from Germany to Burgundy, but what has made it a good year? What makes any vintage better than another? In an extract from our introductory book, Exploring & Tasting Wine, Mark Pardoe MW explains Sometimes Bordeaux is even busier than usual for […]

Battle of the bottles: do spirits have a place at the Christmas table? Nay

Following on from yesterday’s post, Mark Pardoe MW – our Wine Buying Director – steps into the ring, appealing to the head and heart as he claims wine’s worth at Christmas. It always seems to me that complex spirits – by which I mostly mean Cognac, Armagnac and Scotch whisky – are meditative drinks, savoured […]

On the range

Our Wine Buying Director, Mark Pardoe MW explains the thinking behind our restructured Own Selection, highlighting just a few of the changes to the range. After a gestation even longer than an elephant’s, our new Own Selection range finally emerged on Wednesday 2nd September, blinking in the lights of our new Sussex Cellar, and under […]