Best served with yachts and caviar – Cristal 2007
Hannah wins a bottle of Roederer Cristal 2007. She and her friends put together a unique tasting note for the iconic wine.
Are nuances an endangered species?
Ever felt fatigued and deflated after reading an article about the current state of the wine world? I did after reading Are Great Sommeliers an Endangered Species?, a conversation between two highly-respected American sommeliers, Jordan Salcito (the interviewer, who notably Read more
Macerated highlights from the Brda 2nd International Rebula Masterclass
Despite the ever-increasing interest in its output, Slovenia still lacks a nationwide promotional body that is purely focused on wine – the task currently falls to the Slovenian Tourist Board, which tends to focus more on gastronomy. There’s no equivalent Read more
Cosi Casè – a capricious Malvasia di Candia
Every week, Simon selects an orange wine (a white wine made with extended skin contact) that grabbed his attention. View the whole series here. When I first discovered the macerated monolith that is La Stoppa’s Ageno, I made the assumption that it was Read more
Book review: Kevin Begos – Tasting the Past
Simon reviews Kevin Begos’s new book “Tasting the Past – The science of flavor and the search for the origins of wine”
Cellar hygiene über alles
The latest instalment of Hannah’s adventures in the Ardeche finds her developing a strange relationship with a pneumatic press. And realising that the hardest work at harvest was not in the vineyard, after all.
Jurtschitsch – Grüner Veltliner Lamm 2017
An exciting, unusual expression of Grüner Veltliner – kumquat, mango, racy acidity, almost buttery, but completely avoids being overbearing or fat. Nose has some lightly aromatic notes (lychee, but nothing like as O.T.T. as Gewürztraminer). Still a baby but beautiful, Read more
Salomon Undhof – Riesling Kögl Steiner Kögl 2017
Superb concentration and balance. This is a big wine for Riesling but it’s beautifully carried by the racy acidity and the minerals. Spiced apple and mandarin fruit on the palate, quite aromatic nose. In the first flushes of youth but Read more
Nigl – Riesling Hochäcker Privat 2017
Exotic, perfumed nose of angelica root and passion flower, similarly exotic fruits on the palate, dancing acidity, superbly elegant and poised. Such a delicate pretty wine, but so focused and multi-dimensional too. Excellent.
Schmid – Riesling Sunogeln 2017
Green apple and citrus fruit, nervy acids, concentrated but reined in and bone dry. Almost a dead ringer for Gruner with its ripe appley fruit. A very satisfying drop.