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The Only Way Is Essex: Danbury Ridge
United Kingdom, featured
, Apr 2024
This article focuses on Danbury Ridge, the first English winery to make a serious case for still wine that, by happenstance, is located close to my place of birth. Writing about this Essex-based producer raises issues germane to wineries around the world: the notional exclusivity of terroir, how global warming is moving viticultural boundaries and the importance of maintaining open-mindedness about what constitutes ‘fine wine’.
Cellar Favorite: 2014 M & C Lapierre Morgon Marcel Lapierre Cuvée MMXIV
Cellar Favorites, France: Rhône & Beaujolais, cellar favorite
, Apr 2024
The 2014 Morgon Marcel Lapierre Cuvée MMXIV comes from 2.5 hectares planted in 1907-1910, just after phylloxera. The vines are located in the Le Douby climat, towards Fleurie, which the legendary Marcel Lapierre has intermittently bottled separately since 1999. Authorities refused the maiden vintage since it did not adhere to the typical Morgon style for reasons only known to them. To circumvent demotion into Vin de France, Marcel Lapierre’s son, the then teenage Mathieu, who is recounting this story in the sunny courtyard outside the winery in Villié-Morgon, suggested his father print the vintage in Roman numerals.
Vinous Table: Plénitude, Paris, France
France, Vinous Table
, Mar 2024
Three-star Michelin restaurants are usually not my cup of tea. Let me get that out of the way. I often find the ambiance at these establishments far too formal and structured for my personal taste, while I tend to enjoy simpler, more ingredient-driven cooking most of the time. However, when I asked friends and colleagues whose opinions I respect where to eat in Paris, one name popped up on everyone’s list.
Northern Rhône: Where Diversity Ignites the Senses
France: Rhône & Beaujolais, featured
, Mar 2024
Diversity reigns supreme in the Northern Rhône Valley, with each appellation offering unique expressions. Despite climatic challenges, local vintners exhibit remarkable adaptability, ensuring the sustainability of their vineyards and the quality of their wines. This report unearths the distinct characteristics of the 2021 and 2022 vintages, from a high degree of variability of the former to the promising potential of the latter.
An Exploration of Time: Gruaud Larose 1831-2018
Verticals & Retrospectives, France: Bordeaux, featured
, Mar 2024
Do you want one of the most comprehensive reports on Gruaud Larose ever written? Do you want to know its history and first-hand information from proprietor Jean Merlaut? Do you want 70 tasting notes stretching back in time to 1831? You’ve come to the right place.
Trentino-Alto Adige: Pushing the Limits
Italy: North, featured
, Mar 2024
Over the past two decades, Trentino-Alto Adige was largely unaffected by the negative impact of climate change yet is now dealing with successive warm vintages. While we can still depend on their production of cool, crisp whites and alpine reds, recent years have reshaped the wines and forced producers to begin thinking outside of the box.
Champagne: The 2024 Spring Preview
France: Champagne, featured
, Mar 2024
Our annual Champagne Spring Preview takes a look at the year’s first releases ahead of my more comprehensive coverage later in the year. Readers will find a bevy of gorgeous wines in this report that span the full stylistic breadth of what Champagne has to offer.
Cellar Favorite: 2017 Domaine Samuel Billaud Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru
Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy, cellar favorite
, Mar 2024
I have praised Samuel Billaud’s wines for around a decade now, going so far as to suggest that they rank amongst Chablis’ premier tier of producers, alongside Raveneau and Dauvissat. A recent dinner at the splendid Lorne restaurant, the same that saw the 1973 La Fleur-Pétrus opened, also witnessed a bottle that ‘sizzled’ with potential.
Vinous Table: Le Dôme Montparnasse, Paris France
France, Vinous Table
, Mar 2024
Aside from the obligatory foie gras dish, the menu at Le Dôme is pretty much all fish and seafood. I can’t say if the other options are as good as the seafood tower, but I have made it a point to find out very soon. Paris can be a challenging city for eating, especially on the weekends, when so many places are closed. Le Dôme is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, which makes it a very useful address. Service is incredibly professional and friendly.
Evoe! German and Austrian Sekt Report
Germany, Austria, featured
, Mar 2024
The landscape of Austrian and German sparkling wine, or Sekt, has changed beyond recognition – at long last. What began with the heroic and often lone efforts of a handful of determined individuals in the 1970s and 1980s is finally in full fizz. It took decades of legal changes and challenges to create this new category, but even more so, it took years of cultural re-assessment to rehabilitate the historical term “Sekt”. Traditional method Sekt is now a serious, exciting and growing category in both countries. The ambition is palpable. This inaugural Sekt report covers bottle-fermented Sekts from Styria to the Weinviertel in Austria and Baden to Saxony in Germany. The revival was slow, but today, you can hear corks popping everywhere.