At a Decanter Magazine Panel Tasting of the 2004 Médoc Crus Classés which I recently attended, Master of Wine James Lawther noted “For lovers of classic Bordeaux, this is the best-value vintage on the market today.” It is almost always the case that the years which immediately precede and follow a great vintage suffer from living a little in […]

Alun Griffiths MW (Wine Director) and I have just spent a fascinating week in the vineyards of Bordeaux. We were there mainly to re-taste the 2006s and the now bottled 2005s. The former have added a little weight now and are definitely softer than when we tasted them in April; with a few magnificent new […]

That the best wines have proved to be sound investments over the past few years is undeniable: one only need to look at the numbers to see that the fine wine market has been exceptionally buoyant since 2005 (the year, not the vintage) and customers who own top end 1996 & 2000 clarets will have […]

Well, as the Champenois put up their feet, preparing for some late summer sun on the Riviera after an extraordinarily early harvest, there must, for all those rugby and football woes, be a few smiles on their faces. Why? Because once more the stories of demand exceeding supply and global supply shortages are doing the […]