France
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Cru Bourgeois du Médoc
In mid-November 2024, I attended a Cru Bourgeois du Médoc tasting event in London, featuring a selection of 64 wines from the 2022 vintage. Roughly 60% of the wines presented were seeking representation, making it an interesting event for industry professionals and wine merchants on the lookout for new additions. I’ve put together a short…
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Understanding Cru Bourgeois du Médoc
Building upon the my previous article on Understanding Bordeaux Wines, this piece looks into the world of Cru Bourgeois du Médoc, a classification that offers high-quality yet accessible wines from Bordeaux’s Left Bank. The term Cru Bourgeois has historical roots that trace back to the Middle Ages. During this period, the term “bourgeois” referred to…
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Champagne Bruno Paillard Première Cuvée
Maison Bruno Paillard is one of Champagne’s few remaining independent, family-owned Houses. They take pride in their ‘Perpetual Reserve’, an impressive collection of reserve wines dating back to 1985, blended with the latest vintage to produce their signature Multi Vintage Champagnes. This blend features 45% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay, and 22% Pinot Meunier, all from…
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Bel Air Parcellaire Merlot
I couldn’t resist trying this new Bordeaux from the Coop. Made from 100% Merlot, the Bel Air Parcellaire Merlot 2023, from Maison Sichel, is made from their select vineyard plots renowned for producing high-quality wines with a distinctive terroir expression, particularly benefiting from clay soils typical of Bordeaux’s right bank. On the nose, it offers…
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Taittinger Prestige Rosé
This Champagne, primarily from the 2019 vintage, is a blend of 45% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, and 25% Meunier, with an ABV of 12.5%. This wine has gained high praise, winning accolades from critics such as James Suckling, Wine Spectator, Decanter and Robert Parker. It has also earned a Gold Medal at the Concours des…
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Global Chenin Blanc Masters 2024
The Global Chenin Blanc Masters competition recently highlighted the remarkable versatility of Chenin Blanc, which produces some of the finest sweet and dry white wines, both with and without oak, as well as sparkling wines. The Loire Valley is its historic home, producing notable sparkling and sweet wines, such as Crémant de Loire, sparkling Vouvray,…
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Jas des Vignes Rosé Méditerranée
This Provence-style rosé from Ravoire & Fils, a family-owned producer in the IGP Méditerranée region, is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault. The main label sits proudly at the top of the bottle, drawing attention to its shapely bottle, a hallmark of Provence-style rosé bottles. The grapes are picked at night to preserve their…
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Mouton Cadet Bordeaux Reds
Mouton Cadet owes its reputation to the passion and enthusiasm of the Rothschild family. They have cultivated a legacy of winemaking over three generations. This review is a side-by-side tasting of two Mouton Cadet wines: the Mouton Cadet Classic Rouge 2021 and the Mouton Cadet Cuvée Heritage 2019. The Mouton Cadet Classic Rouge 2021, made…
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French Rosé Market Slows After Boom
Meininger’s is reporting that French rosé sales, which had seen significant growth, are now slowing down. The decline in sales is attributed to reduced purchasing power and adverse weather conditions in early summer 2023. Despite a drop in domestic sales and exports, regions like Provence and Pays d’Oc are focusing on premium segments and innovative…
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Cabalié
If you spend any time on Instagram browsing wine-related posts, in the UK, you’ll almost certainly come across this wine, often advertised by Laithwaites with an enticing offer to lure you into making your first purchase. But is it any good? This Languedoc-Roussillon red has a respectable 4.1 rating on Vivino and ranks #2 in…
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The Bordeaux Experience
On 1st May 2024, the inaugural event of Vins de Bordeaux’s new global campaign, ‘The Bordeaux Crew’ came to London, designed collaboratively by the region’s winemaking community. This initiative was supported by the Bordeaux Wine Council (CVIB) and aimed to engage both the wine industry and enthusiasts. The event showcased a curated selection of over…
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Understanding Bordeaux Wines
Located in the southwest of France, Bordeaux is renowned for its vast vineyards and historically significant châteaux. As the largest French region for quality wine production, Bordeaux’s influence stretches across centuries, shaping the taste and expectations of wine enthusiasts around the world. The Bordeaux wine industry is comprised of approximately 5,000 winemakers and 29 cooperative…
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Affordable and Lesser-Known Bordeaux Wines to Try
David Williams, writing for The Guardian newspaper, highlights a range of lesser-known and more affordable Bordeaux wines as the famous wine region prepares to showcase its 2023 vintage. Here are the wines he mentions, along with their prices and suppliers: Château des Antonins Bordeaux Blanc 2022 – This white wine offers a blend of tangy…
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Co-op Irresistible Provence Rosé
Produced by Les Maîtres Vignerons de Vidauban wine cooperative in the Côtes de Provence, this winery has been crafting wines for over a century. The 2022 vintage has 13% alcohol by volume and is vegan-friendly. This wine is distinguished by its delicate pale pink colour. The aroma is of small red fruits complemented by subtle…
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Roche Lacour Crémant de Limoux
This sparkling wine captures the essence of the South of France, specifically from beneath the hills of Limoux. It is made from a blend of 60% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir and 20% Chenin Blanc and is 12.5% ABV. This 2020 vintage heralds the return of Laurent Mingaud, its original winemaker, who brings his expertise back…
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Red Bordeaux Wine From Supermarkets Under £20
The Scotsman has an article on Best red Bordeaux wine from supermarkets for under £20. The article discusses the author’s evolving appreciation for wine, particularly Bordeaux wines. Initially viewing Bordeaux as exclusive and expensive, the author, Rosalind Erskine, has discovered affordable and quality options available in supermarkets. The journey has highlighted both the traditional appeal…
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Champagne Industry 2023 Retrospective
Recent data has highlighted a notable shift in the Champagne market for the year 2023. Following three years of exceptional performance, Champagne shipments have reverted to pre-pandemic levels, with a total of 299 million bottles shipped, marking an 8.2% decrease from the previous year. The industry witnessed a significant slump in 2020 with an 18%…
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Le Zeitgeist Trident
Le Zeitgeist Trident 2022, created by winemaker Eric Lanxade, is a representation of the terroir found in the French Pyrenees. Rated 3.7 on Vivino, this wine benefits from the alluvial river plains that contribute to its minerally rich soils. These conditions, coupled with the cooling influence of the Pyrenees, create an ideal environment for the…
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Sparkling Wines From Three Continents
The 2023 holiday season gave me the opportunity to try a few affordable Champagne and sparkling wines from three different continents: Les Pionniers Non Vintage Champagne Les Pionniers Non Vintage Champagne is a great example of how quality and affordability can come together. Despite the Co-op’s discretion about its origins, it’s an open secret that…
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French Winemakers Destroy Spanish Wine
The Telegraph newspaper has reported that, in a striking move against what they see as unfair competition, around 500 French wine makers from Narbonne and Perpignan stopped lorries importing Spanish wines at the border town of Boulou. They emptied thousands of gallons of rosé and smashed 10,000 bottles of Spanish sparkling wine on the roads….
