I almost feel as though 2021 is the year when Marlborough re-discovered its soul. Too many recent vintages, particularly of Sauvignon Blanc, have yielded too many rather aimless wines that seemed unsure of what they were trying to achieve, or wines that seemed almost perversely determined to deny the fabulously enticing fruit quality that wine lovers […]
“I haven’t got out there to visit yet, but let me tell you what I like from the tasting, Dan. I like the structure. I like the concentration. I like the tension of fruit and acidity in all of them. They all feel like really elegant, pretty classically styled wines but with a bit of […]
Oz recently hosted a fantastic virtual Tuscan tasting with Jgor Marini from Castello Banfi to taste three of their delicious wines. You can read Oz’ tasting notes below.
It’s one of the three questions we wine writers get asked on a regular basis: “how long will this wine keep?” The other two, just in case you were wondering, are “what should I serve it with?” and “what’s it worth?”, especially if it’s an old bottle that someone has found under the stairs or […]
One of the things I like most about Castilla y León is its ability to surprise me. It may be best known for Verdejo and Tempranillo, the two grapes that dominate its 70,000 hectares under vine, but it’s home to dozens of other varieties too, some of which are far from household names, even around […]
The writer Michael Jacobs once described the central Spanish plateau, known as the meseta, as a ‘land scorched by the sun, blown by the wind, framed by distant glimpses of gaunt mountains’. His words give you some idea of what large parts of Castilla y León feel like, especially at the height of summer when […]
Cava is in the throes of reinventing itself. And about time. Spanish food has transformed itself this century into being one of the most dynamic and exciting cuisines in all of Europe. Spanish table wines are now unrecognisable from those of 20 years ago. Spain produces some of Europe’s tastiest and freshest whites and pinks; many […]
Anyone that’s spent a bit of time with me tasting (or drinking) wine will be aware of my love for Albariño. We’re all objective professionals when assessing wine, but I’m an enjoyer first and foremost. I was lucky enough to visit Rías Baixas in Galicia – the home of Albariño, in many ways – a […]
I sometimes think I’m an endangered species. I love the wines that Cabernet Sauvignon produces. Right now we are living through a period of Pinot-mania, of Syrah-mania, of Nebbiolo- or Sangiovese-, Cinsault-, Carignan- or Pais-mania – ‘anything-but-Cabernet’-mania. Hey – I love all those others too. And I do understand, I suppose, that Cabernet has been too successful, and […]
New York is both familiar and unfamiliar territory to me. The city itself is the setting for some of my favourite movies, from The Apartment to Manhattan, Midnight Cowboy to The French Connection. It’s the same with music. Chelsea Hotel, New York State of Mind and Fairytale of New York are part of the soundtrack […]
