Richard Mayson, writing in Decanter Magazine, has awarded Ramos Pinto 20 Year Old Tawny Port an incredible 98 points this December.
“From a single estate where a quarter of the vines are more than 80 years old; soft and seamless, boasting waves of dates, dried figs, brazil nuts and toasted almonds. Suave silky texture and wonderful savoury-sweet length. Supremely good.”
The perfect port for Christmas!
In Jefford on Monday, Andrew Jefford highlights Chardonnay as a grape that has travelled well since the 1970s.
In the article he talks specifically about South African Chardonnay’s commenting, “Chardonnay, often now vinified without acid adjustment, sings in many of these places, producing balanced and drinkable wines which have completed their phenolic journey in evident serenity”.
He goes on to award 90 points to the Meerlust Chardonnay 2013 and writes,
“Grown at low altitude (70-85 metres) and close to the sea yet in a much warmer site than the Cape Point Chardonnay, this is certainly the softest, gentlest and most languid of the wines cited here, but I love its Meursault-like generosity and the wealth and width of its mid-palate”.
For the full article, please click here
We are pleased to announce that the Marqués de Murrieta Castillo Ygay 2005 and Tommasi Poggio al Tufo ‘Rompicollo’ 2011 both feature in this year’s Wine Spectator´ Top 100 – a great achievement for these wines.
The Rompicollo, from the Tommasi family estate in the Maremma, Tuscany, is ranked 31st, higher than many prestigious and more expensive wines from Italy and other countries and scores 92 points.
For the full list, please click here and below to download a Tommasi press page.
His Royal Majesty Don Juan Carlos inaugurated the newly rebuilt Castillo Ygay last month.
Taking a tour of the 19th Century cellars, the new Castillo includes new tasting and function rooms, a museum – including a historic labels collection – and its restaurant which is overseen by chef Mariano Pascual.
On his visit, Don Juan Carlos toasted the renovation with a glass of Castillo Ygay 1938, the year of his birth!
Held in high esteem, Serralunga Barolos have at the same time earned a reputation as fierce tannic beasts. Yet today’s wines are more approachable than ever, finds Stephen Brook.
Included in Brook’s selection of Barolos from Serralunga is the single vineyard Pio Cesare Barolo ‘Ornato’ 2008, which he awards 93 points and describes as,
“Spicy, stylish, red fruits nose. Svelte and concentrated, not too tannic, lively and well balanced, with integrated oak and fine length”.
For the full article please click below.
Once again Marques de Murrieta received over 90 points for all of their wines, with Castillo YGay 2005 and Damlau 2009 being awarded 95 points!
Castillo Ygay 2005 TGR
95 Points
Cherry colour with a garnet rim. Balanced aromas, complex, mature fruit, spicy and mineral. Structured palate, mature tannins.
Dalmau 2009 TR
95 Points
Cherry colour with a garnet rim. Aromas of mature fruit, spices, creamy oak, toast, chocolate and earthy. Powerful palate, tasty, toasted and mature tannins.
For full details and tasting notes please download the pdf.
Louis Roederer Brut Premier wins Master at 2014 The Drinks Business Champagne Masters
We are delighted to announce that the Louis Roederer Brut Premier has been awarded a ‘Master’ at the 2014 drinks business Champagne Masters competition.
The competition pitted some of the top names in the region against each other in a blind tasting with a high-profile line up of judges, including Simon Field MW, buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd; Jamie Hutchinson, owner, The Sampler; Sue Daniels, wine buyer, Marks & Spencer; Rebecca Palmer, associate director & buyer, Corney & Barrow; Michael Edwards, journalist, author, Champagne expert; Anthony Foster MW, director/buyer, Bonhote Foster; Marcel Orford-Williams, buyer, The Wine Society and Patrick Schmitt, editor-in-chief, the drinks business (all pictured).
Our Brut Premier was one of only two Masters in the Non-Vintage section, despite a large number of entries.
Simon Field MW was particularly complementary about the house and Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon’s skills; “Hats off to Roederer’s Brut, demonstrating [chef de caves] Monsieur Lécaillon is primus inter pares when we are discussing Champagne masters!”
To read the full story click here.
Below is an excerpt of a book written in 1931 by the famous historian and wine critic of that time Mr. Paul Ramain.
His book, titled “Les Grands Vins de France”, mentions :
“In the course of last century, Napoleon Bonaparte was particularly fond of the Chambertin and the Kitterlé, the calf breaker”.
His taste for Chambertin among all red wines is well known. For the Kitterlé, we are interested to learn that he had a preference, among all whites, for Domaines Schlumberger’s best Grand Cru.
HARVEST REPORT 2014
“It was a challenging harvest, but a combination of hard work in the vineyards and in the cellar made the difference. Despite the bizarre climate, we are confident that good quality wines will be produced from the 2014 vintage, with some exceptionally good parcels harvested”, comments Pierangelo Tommasi.
Please find below a link to a detailed harvest report for the Tommasi estate in Valpolicella and Poggio al Tufo in the Maremma.
At Domaine Faiveley the 2014 harvest lasted 12 days from 11th to 22nd September. Yields were slightly lower than the previous year, except for white grapes and some Côte de Beaune appellations which suffered a 15% loss because of the hail storms in early summer. Domaine Faiveley harvested grapes of average size with thick skins. With their fantastic colour, the reds are promising rich, concentrated and well-balanced wines. Quality is also clearly evident in their Chardonnay plots and given the perfectly healthy grapes. Jérôme Flous, technical director of the Domaine, compared the 2014 vintage to 2005: rich and aromatic for whites and excellent balance of sugar and acidity for reds. The oenologists are already predicting a fabulous vintage!
Vinification of the 2014 vintage finished in mid-October. The wines have been casked and are now maturing in the century-old cellar in Nuits-Saint-Georges. The barrels were carefully and rigorously selected by the Domaine Faiveley cellar master.
Bottling of the 2013 vintage will begin in December with the Villages wines and will finish in March with the Grands Crus.
