Speaking to The Times , distinguished UK Wine Writer, Hugh Johnson, recently remarked that innovations created by wine growers to protect their crops from the elements have reduced vintage variations, making any year a good year for wine aficionados. Johnson also noted that vintage-specific demand & wine snobbery were intrinsically linked, sparking a debate within the wine world – are […]

I recently joined our Rhône Buyer, Simon Field MW, to taste the Rhône 2006s and fermenting examples of the freshly-harvested 2007s. Years in the trade have taught me that it is unwise to be dogmatic about the quality of a vintage when the fermentations are still to be completed, but it was revealing to see […]

 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 […]