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Wine of the moment

Golden yellow

So when is a white wine golden yellow in colour? Three possible reasons: Oh, and a fourth reason – the wine could be oxidised, dead, no longer drinkable. I had feared the latter, but in fact with this Inama Soave Classico Vigneto du Lot, it was a bit of a combination of 1) and 3). …

Wine of the moment

Matching jumper

When tasting one of the most famous wines in the world, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, it is important to make sure your jumper matches the label. By the way, the artist was Georg Baselitz, appropriately a German, as 1989 was of course the year in which the wall fell between East and West Germany. This was …

Wine of the moment

Volcanic wines rock

From one dormant volcano and one active one, both these wines show that typical saltiness and minerality associated with wines grown on volcanic soils. The Anydrous Assrytiko from Santorini comes from old ungrafted vines (woven into a basket shape, a bit like a bird’s nest to give protection from the strong winds and allow dew …

Wine of the moment

Reasons to be cheerful

(if your name is Axel Neiss): 1) wind – plenty of it, ideal for dring the grapes after a bout of rain to avoid those pesky cryptogammic diseases; 2) elevation – height brings slopes and cooler temperatures – just the ticket when temperatures rise; 3) stoney soil rich in limestone – great for water retention …

Wine of the moment

The new rising star in Piemont

As if Italy did not have enough indigenous grapes, there is now a new white wine star, rising from the ashes like Phoenix. Timorasso. From small beginnings, Walter Massa re-energised this fascinating grape variety so that today 300 hectares are planted in the Colli Tortonesi (which is, rather strangely, called Derthona on many wines labels, …

Wine of the moment

Austrian delights

That unmistakable label. An icon. And Schütt, an extraordinary site in Austria’s Wachau, for both Riesling and Grüner Veltliner, with cooling winds from the north giving herbal notes of dill despite the warmth of the 2018 vintage. A mix of apricot and marzipan with some white pepper intermingled with acacia honey. Complex, concentrated and poised, …

Wine of the moment

„House champagne“

Everyone needs one: a house Champagne that is. Ours comes from brother and sister team, Nicolas and Clotilde Chuavet who are masters of the vineyards and cellar respectively, in Rilly en Champagne in the Montagne de Reims. Their Champagnes do not undergo malo and hence have citrus-fresh structure and longevity, yet without losing out on …

Wine of the moment

Stand to attention please!

The Feldmarschall has been a cult wine for several decades. Just goes to show what a 1000 metre high, south-facing single vineyard mountain site, Fenner, in Kurtatsch, South Tirol (and a lot of TLC) can do for that once maligned grape variety, Müller Thurgau. Originally believed to be a crossing from 1882 of Riesling and …

Wine of the moment

Celebration

When you have things to celebrate, then only top class sparkling will do. And this is where Germany is giving France a run for its money, especially when said sparkling comes from Volker Raumland, the bubble guru here in Riesling-land. Oops, sorry for being confusing, of course this Chardonnay Reserve is made from 100% Chardonnay …

Wine of the moment

Going French in Spain

Instead of the impenetrable tangle of indigenous varieties, this small 6 ha family winery (Son Prim) on the Pla de Mallorca plain in the middle of the island of Palma, has gone French. Who would expect to find a Blanc de Merlot (with an extraordinary 15.5% abv!) made by a winemaker from Uruguay on the …