By David Porter on 25/04/2014
CHÂTEAU FIGEAC impressed during our week in Bordeaux and it is one of the wines we have been waiting for, with somewhat bated breath, to see how they would price it….
By Charles Lea on 23/04/2014
2013 Grand Puy Lacoste (£340) was voted one of the best value wines in a poll around the wine trade before the campaign began this year, but at around this price there are several mature and drinkable vintages around the market so this seems to have been a bit premature.
By Charles Lea on 11/04/2014
The second week of releases from the 2013 primeur campaign is over, and Lynch Bages has emerged as the first wine to ‘work’ in any real sense. The Château has released 65% less wine than last year, and has dropped its price a little.
By Charles Lea on 07/04/2014
In recent vintages the Bordeaux primeurs campaign has been an unruly affair, stretching out until the beginning of the summer holidays with no one wanting to be the first to jump. This year it seems to be the opposite..
By Ed H-B on 02/04/2014
“I arrived in Bordeaux on Sunday to taste the 2013 wines which are being shown en primeur. I think we knew all the way through last year, right from the beginning, that it was going to be a difficult vintage. “Making wine in 2013 was like sailing through a storm,”
By Charles Lea on 18/03/2014
Now that Latour has withdrawn from the annual en primeur circus, we can expect regular releases of wines the Château deems ready to drink. This year it is the turn of The Forts 2006 and the Grand Vin 2004, which is a wine we liked at the original en primeur tasting in 2005 but sadly not had the opportunity to try since.
By Charles Lea on 12/03/2014
"Baciato dalla grazia" – "kissed by good fortune" – is how Italians refer to those rare, fortunate individuals who always appear to achieve what they want in life with no effort. The Gambero Rosso tasting of Messorio starts "In three words? Baciato dalla grazia. In one? Fantastico" and goes on to note it at 96/100.
By Andrew Hooper on 09/03/2014
Stephen Tanzer is the respected author of the well-followed wine review site International Wine Cellar and his thoughts are widely quoted, not least by LEA & SANDEMAN. Quoted as "exceptionally informative" by none other than Robert Parker and "thoroughly reliable" by our own Jancis Robinson MW, his views on the wines of the 2012 Burgundy vintage are required reading.
By Peter Ogilvy-Wedderburn on 04/03/2014
A recent article by Ferran Centelles, sommelier of Restaurant El Bulli, on Jancis Robinson.com is entitled ‘Montsant – half-price Priorat?’, which is a provocative title, but the article shows just how far this D.O has come in a very short space of time.
By Andrew Hooper on 25/02/2014
Please note this mail refers to a Primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site. I know from speaking to several customers over the last few days that there are more of you out there who have been meaning to order 2012 Burgundy but have just not quite got round to it.
By Andrew Hooper on 20/02/2014
As this year’s Burgundy primeurs season progresses and we add a few remaining delicacies to the website offer, it is worth mentioning that while much of the scrabbling for allocations of 2012 Burgundy has focused on red wines, there are some really great whites.
By Andrew Hooper on 13/02/2014
There are still some spaces left at next week’s South African Tasting. Should you be in the mood for a some crisp and refreshing white (most of which, perhaps counter intuitively, aren't Chenin Blanc); an array of finely textured reds (to the relief of many, not from Pinotage, except one that really is worth trying) and an outstanding sweetie, then advance just £15 to us to secure your place.