Random ruminations…
October 2003 The last report for this year and I’ve just a little time available for reflection. I started the year with the intention of doing a quarterly report, but halfway between issue 1 & 2 a sense of realism set in and I went for 3… Read More
The Heat of 2003
Looking across La Tâche 25.07.2003 Already two months of close to 40°C and another month of the same still to endure – praying for a little rain? Still it’s a little cooler as we start September, but most vineyards are already cleared. It seems that some vineyards have… Read More
The Négociants – Part II
In part one, we looked at some of the reasons why your bottle of Clos de Vougeot can be so variable, not just because there are 80+ proprietors, but also the numerous and sometimes tortuous routes the wine has taken to get into the bottle. We also looked at… Read More
Round-up of all wines
No slurping and spitting; these wines were drunk at home with food and friends between July and November 2004. I picked up a few regional 2002’s and whilst they weren’t bad, I had expected a little more given the vintage. Corkwatch: 2 from 78 = 2.6% REGIONAL WINES 2000… Read More
Profile: Maison Nicolas Potel (Nuits St.Georges)
UPDATE: Spring 2006 – The 2004s UPDATE: Spring 2007 – The 2005s UPDATE: Spring 2008 – The 2006s UPDATE: Summer 2009 – The 2007s and the end? Maison Nicolas Potel started life with the 1997 vintage. Much has already been said about the… Read More
Profile: Maison Alex Gambal (Beaune)
UPDATE: July 2004 – bottom of page UPDATE: Spring 2008 – The 2006s UPDATE: Autumn 2008 – The 2007s The négociant house of Alex Gambal first saw the light of day in July 1997. Alex Gambal, a native of Boston originally came to live in… Read More
1997 Red Burgundy
This vintage followed hot on the heels of the (almost) universally praised 1996 and the excellent in parts 1995 vintage. Then followed another excellent in parts vintage in the form of 1998 which was surmounted by the ‘once in a generation’ – or so we were led to believe –… Read More
A Vintage Update
Lets start with 2001 And let’s also start with the whites: Certainly I’ve tasted fewer whites than reds, so I’ve also listened to the winemakers. Personally I love the aromatics, but I think they are variable once you start to swallow. There’s not the consistent balance of the 1999… Read More
Saints or Sinners? – the 1993 red wines
The 1993 reds seem to be the focal point of much debate, indeed it seems to be an evermore polarised debate. For a number of years I’ve been a little agnostic over this ‘issue’, or even favouring the doubters: My first foray into the cellars of the Côte were in… Read More