Feb 2011
Tasty Trio
28 February 2011 Filed in: Cellar Notes Burgundy
Sometimes you hit a winning streak, when a succession of bottles, drunk over the course of a week or two, all deliver complete satisfaction. Such was my luck in recent days and here are three that were particularly memorable. Read More...
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At Liberty
Discovering a new wine, something never encountered before, is always a bit of fun, especially if it has a good ‘back story’. Such was the case at yesterday’s Liberty Wines tasting in Dublin when Gregory Patriat of JC Boisset poured me a sample of his Mâcon-Igé, Château London 2009. Read More...
Classy Bubbles
23 February 2011 Filed in: Profiles News & Views
“Is champagne wine?” I am asked again and again. Of course it is and the good stuff is the result of one of the most painstaking and labour intensive production processes anywhere in the wine world.
Read More...Domaine Leflaive
An offer, received today from Corney & Barrow in London, for a mouthwatering array of white burgundies straight from the cellar of Domaine Leflaive prompted an indulgent bout of wishful thinking and brought back some memories too. Read More...
Volnay Visit
Obtaining an entrée to the cellars of top winemakers in Burgundy is notoriously difficult. Many of them operate on a tiny scale and simply are not set up to receive visitors. Others simply like playing the cussed curmudgeon and, anyway, “We have no wine to sell.” Read More...
A Rare Treat
20 February 2011 Filed in: Blake's Best
Thanks to the generosity of a friend I was delighted to taste two remarkable wines recently: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Richebourg 1969 and Château Margaux 1961, the former made in the year when Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon and the latter when John F Kennedy took office in the White House. Both were excellent. Read More...
Showing Its Age: Part 2 Landmark Australia
18 February 2011 Filed in: Tastings News & Views
The 2010 displayed the off-putting cosmetic character that is the hallmark of very young Riesling and which mercifully fades after a year or so, like an adolescent losing puppy fat. If I were a winemaker I would never present a Riesling for tasting at this stage of its development. Read More...
Gourmet Abu Dhabi: 2nd-17th February
03 February 2011 Filed in: Travel
If the words ‘Gourmet’ and ‘Abu Dhabi’ don’t exactly fit together in your mind then think again. I was the same myself until my first visit late last year. The first evening I dined on a splendid rib eye steak, accompanied by a tasty Erath Pinot Noir 2007 from Oregon, in Marco Pierre White’s recently opened restaurant at the Fairmont Hotel. Not every restaurant is as good, but this Emirate is certainly a place on the move in culinary terms. Beware the wine prices, though, they will bring your credit card to its knees. Read More...
