Ch. Montrose started our tasting today and the Grand Vin showed good weight and acidity. The blend for 2012 is 37% Merlot, 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. It accounts for 52% of the estates production. Picking took place as late as 13th October for the Cabernet Sauvignon as they sought to find as […]

The dark and gloomy weather which welcomed us on Wednesday morning certainly didn’t dampen our mood, especially as we heard that the forecast for the day was much improved. Pauillac was our destination as we boarded the minibus and, as usual, Ch. Pichon-Lalande was our first appointment. An estate that has improved impressively during recent […]

Day two began with a tasting at a négociant found on the outskirts of Bordeaux. Trying wines in this environment is quite unlike any other you can imagine. Clever use of lighting, walls which are decorated in contemporary art and tables set amongst a seemingly endless row of racking in the state-of-the-art cellars (it’s really […]

We asked our Wine Club Manager Katie Cooper to explain exactly what ‘en primeur’ is, how the system came about and what it means for buying wine. What is the en primeur system? In a nutshell, en primeur (or wine futures) refers to the system by which Châteaux sell their wine from the barrel; that […]