Articles

After 5 months isolating on medical advice and surviving on deliveries, I ventured out for the first time, stopping at 3 hotels, dining in 4 restaurants, and dropping into 2 coffee shops. For many it might have been a more gradual experience, for me it was a bit of a shock: […]

REPRODUCED & ADAPTED FROM MY FACEBOOK PAGE (8 June 2020) Just a thought, not a suggestion (because it needs to be considered within the strict context of each individual producer’s position), but in some instances there could be a good case made for not harvesting Prosecco or Lambrusco this year … Unlike traditional method sparkling wines, which benefit from time on yeast, most Prosecco and Lambrusco are best bottled within months and best enjoyed with [...]

The 2007 vintage is the last Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs to be launched under the auspices of Loïc Dupont, the motorcycle-mad, quiet man of Champagne, as he hands over the keys for Taittinger's magnificent cellars to Alexandre Ponnavoy. Dupont will be a hard act to follow. Not least because he has established a formidable reputation for consistency. It is fair to say that it was his predecessor, Maurice Morlot, who established the style [...]

It was a cosy little tasting in the private cinema of The Soho Hotel with Régis Camus last night. The raison d’être was, of course, the UK launch of Rare Rosé 2007, which proved to be truly something special, but that was not all we were treated to. We tasted five different cuvées, each paired with food … […]

When Lanson released their stylishly presented ‘Pere et Fils’ (effectively the previous release of Black Label, benefitting from an extra year on yeast) exclusively for the on-trade, its invigoratingly fresh, crisp fruit and long, complex finish made it a natural gastronomic Champagne, but there was no magnum … […]

Two months ago it looked as if 2016 could be one of most disastrous vintages in Champagne’s history, but in this northerly, Atlantic-influenced region, vintages are made or broken at harvest time more often than not. Here is the latest vintage news received from one of today’s most talented chefs de caves, Frédéric Panaïotis of Champagne Ruinart … […]

Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Blanc de Noirs Vintage Brut Nature is the most exciting, most innovative Champagne this house has released in my lifetime. There are faults, but thankfully they are confined to its presentation and packaging, not the contents, the sheer quality of which had me spellbound from the start … […]