By David Porter on 23/12/2019
It’s the busiest moment of the year for our team as we try to help everyone get the right wines into their glasses as well as the perfect presents into people's stockings for Christmas.
By Angus Barcroft on 25/05/2018
Mondays can be tough however when a work trip to Portugal beckons, to say that we were all excited was an understatement. Working for L&S, we have been told many great things about this estate. Yes, we all know the wines are wonderful and pictures can only go so far.
By David Porter on 24/05/2018
The last full 'declaration' by the leading Port houses was for the very fine 2011 Vintage. 2015 came painfully close, and we were hugely impressed by the 'Single Quinta' releases last year. How good must 2016 be to have trumped those superb 2015s? 2016: The Wines There has therefore been a palpable sense of excitement in anticipation of this new Vintage.
By David Porter on 29/06/2017
Brilliant Vintage Wines At harvest time in 2015, the shippers were all talking about ‘Vintage quality’ and fairly sure that there would be a general 'declaration' - but then came the impressive 2016 in the cellars too, and a decision had to be made about which to declare. Both really are very good indeed.
By Beth Thomas on 03/08/2016
'Our challenge has been, and remains, to find ways to vinify unfortified wines from the Douro that can take their rightful placeamong the great wines of the world, alongside the other great classic regions such as Bordeaux, Burgundy or the Rhone Valley' Christian Seely, Quinta da Romaneira It was during a stay at Château Pichon Baron in 2015 that Charles became reacquainted with its MD Christian Seely, and it is through this reintroduction that we came across the wines of Quinta da Romaneira.
By David Porter on 23/06/2014
Our Wednesday afternoon a couple of weeks ago was cheered up enormously by a flying visit from Paul Symington. A more charming man it is hard to imagine, but not in a laid back, calm sort of way. ‘Ne Oublie’ – a very rare and very old release of a tawny port from barrels at the family’s Lodge in Porto.
By Andrew Hooper on 04/06/2014
50th Anniversary? – or just great Port. Taylor’s, aided somewhat by the purchase in 2013 of Wiese & Krohn who had been specialists in tawny Port, hold larger stocks of old wood aged Port than any other producer.
By Charles Lea on 23/12/2013
Closing the shop on Christmas Eve (we are open until five tomorrow) is always a challenge and I may have to see if I can sneak off a bit early to get to my favourite carol service. The charm is worth it - the tiny thirteenth century St Philip's church of Little Rollright has no electricity, and so the rare services here are entirely candle-lit.
By Andrew Hooper on 10/12/2013
The theme, such as you need a theme beyond ‘Christmas’, was to put a few less likely wines in front of people, to test and tantalize the taste-buds. With that in mind, we left out the traditional option of Champagne, and kicked off with the very splendid Gusbourne 2008 Brut Reserve from the Garden of England, a zippy but textured fizz that works really well as an aperitif.
By Charles Lea on 01/12/2013
Victoria Moore’s Christmas recommendations in THE TELEGRAPH….
By Andrew Hooper on 27/09/2013
On a pleasant Wednesday evening in late September, 30 eager tasters gathered in the LEA & SANDEMAN shop in Chiswick to taste Portuguese wine and to drink in words of wisdom from a very special guest speaker. We were honoured, thrilled and really rather excited to have secured, courtesy of Wines of Portugal, the services of the great Charles Metcalfe for the evening.