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Vinous Table: FYN, Cape Town, South Africa
Vinous Table, South Africa
, Sep 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed FYN. I appreciated the buzz about the place. There were a couple of dishes where, with background knowledge of Japanese cuisine, I might tweak a couple of things. Still, overall, this kaiseki-Cape fusion is imaginative and, most importantly, delicious.
Margaux Focus 3: Château Margaux
France: Bordeaux, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured
, Sep 2023
Château Margaux is blessed with one of the most iconic facades in Bordeaux, one befitting a First Growth. After spending a day with the team earlier this year, this article examines the estate from vine to wine and revisits vintages throughout the years.
Cellar Favorite: 2005 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet Les Vergers 1er Cru
France: Burgundy, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Sep 2023
At an evening meal in Tokyo, I had the pleasure of tasting the excellent 2005 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Vergers 1er Cru from Jean-Marc Pillot. This was poured from magnum.
Vinous Table: Mountain, London, UK
Vinous Table, United Kingdom
, Sep 2023
When I caught wind that Anglesey-born chef Tomos Parry planned to open a new restaurant called “Mountain”, well, I could not quell my excitement.
Where Art Thou Chablis? - Chablis 2021 & 2022
France: Burgundy, featured
, Sep 2023
Chablis is wrestling with an identity crisis as it confronts warmer growing seasons. Today, what do you expect from a glass of Chablis? This report delves into the 2021 and 2022 vintages that could both claim to represent contemporary Chablis.
Cellar Favorite: 2011 Domaine d'Auvenay Bourgogne Aligoté Sous Chatelet
France: Burgundy, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Sep 2023
Let’s get the elephant out of the room. The secondary market price for this “humble” Aligoté is around £3,000 per bottle. That is absurd. That is unbelievable. But that is reality. Someone out there is prepared to pay that amount of money for this wine, motivated by the fact that it was crafted by Lalou Bize-Leroy or perhaps motivated by pecuniary gains.
Vinous Table: 64 Goodge Street, London, UK
Vinous Table, United Kingdom
, Sep 2023
Overall, 64 Goodge Street is a welcome addition to the capital’s dynamic dining scene. Prices are reasonable, and the décor is tasteful and classy. I always like an open kitchen, and the service is absolutely top-notch. A central location and tempting wine list mean that oenophiles venturing to London will enjoy its take on Gallic cuisine. Plus, of course, no need to look up the address.
Cellar Favorite: 1997 Boekenhoutskloof Syrah
South Africa, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Sep 2023
Rewind to the mid-nineties, South Africa is basking in the afterglow of the dissolution of apartheid dissolution and Nelson Mandela’s election as President. After decades of selling wine domestically, South Africa’s wine industry is suddenly exposed to a competitive, global market, often under governmental control. Among a vast ocean of turbo-charged Bordeaux blends, the 1997 Syrah from Boekenhoutskloof is sui generis and becomes one of the Cape’s most iconic, mythical wines.
Cellar Favorite: 2016 Royal Tokaji Essencia
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Hungary
, Aug 2023
Royal Tokaji has released only eight vintages of Essencia in the last three decades: 1993, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2008 and 2009. A fallow period ensued until the imminent release of the 2016 in September/October, limited to 2,300 half-bottles in individual red lacquer boxes with hand-crafted crystal spoons.
Margaux Focus 2: Château Palmer
France: Bordeaux, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured
, Aug 2023
Palmer is one of Bordeaux’s leading estates. It is a fulcrum of innovation that perhaps it is not given due credit for. This in-depth article unearths its storied history, vineyard and winemaking minutiae gleaned from spending a day with CEO Thomas Duroux, plus the obligatory slew of tasting notes from both illustrious and esoteric vintages.