MoneyWeek

2019 Ramey, Russian River Valley Chardonnay, Sonoma County, California

A super-scoop this week!  I have quoted retail prices for the wines this week, but they do not arrive in the UK until late October, so contact Berry’s, and you can secure your allocation, ahead of time, ‘in bond’.  There is no doubt that I rate Ramey as one of the world’s pre-eminent Chardonnay producers.  This was evinced by a stunning tasting…
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2022 SPOKE, Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand

This week, I will not kick off with my featured wine. It is simply thrilling quality and mind-boggling value for money, but you will discover why this wine is an unmissable treat as you read on. Kiwi winemaker Ben Glover and English Master of Wine Liam Steevenson have collaborated on a series of incredible wines under the SPOKE label. The vineyard ‘spoke’,…
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2021 Kumeu River, Hunting Hill Chardonnay, Kumeu, New Zealand

Winemaker Michael Brajkovich celebrated his fortieth vintage in 2021, and his brother, Paul, flew over to London to present their suite of brand new 2021 releases.  Renowned for making some of the most exquisite Chardonnays in the Southern Hemisphere, the range of wines from the inexpensive, everyday drinker ‘Village Chardonnay’ to the very-special-occasion,…
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9diDANTE, Purgatorio, Vermouth di Torino Superiore, Italy

No, I have not decided to broaden my repertoire from wine scribe to ‘general drinks connoisseur’.  That will never happen, but for one week only, I have decided to alert you to a spirit that recently blew my mind, and the wine link is immutable.  Allow me to set the scene.  I was dining at an incredible restaurant in Geneva - Le Restaurant du…
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Charles Heidsieck, Champagne Charlie, Cellared 2017, Champagne, France

It might seem rather unfortunate that this epic bottle of super-pricey Champagne is launched while we are in the grip of a global recession, and rumours of 15% inflation are circling ominously. But important wine releases have a tempo of their own, so if you are in the market for a wine of this calibre, then sky-rocketing utilities costs are unlikely…
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2020 Craggy Range, Aroha, Te Muna, Martinborough, New Zealand

Craggy Range owners, Terry and Mary Peabody, have established a 1000-year trust, meaning that this pioneering winery can never be sold.  This deed underlines how seriously this family has taken the evolution of Craggy from its origins in 1998 to the stellar wines it makes today.  The 2020 releases are the finest to date, making this brand not only…
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2021 Lyme Bay Winery, Shoreline, England

I was rather sad when Lyme Bay changed its branding from the wistful, watercolour print-style labels of old to the new, bolder, more strident design.  It only took me a year to recover, though, and I am fully on side now that a trio of newly released wines, all wearing their smart new livery in subtly different hues, is of such high quality that all…
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2021 Quinta da Fonte Souto, Rosé, Serra de São Mamede, Alentejo, Portugal

I find it somewhat frustrating that many of the most noteworthy new wines that make it to our shores each year have so few retail listings, and I imagine it must annoy my reader, too, but hey ho.  Every wine I have written up on this page in the last 16 years can be ordered to your door, so I hope you feel driven to track this week’s thriller down,…
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2021 Domaine de l’Ile Blanc, Porquerolles, Côtes de Provence, France

It is like groundhog day at Jukes Towers this week. Every year, around this time, I taste a vast range of top-end French rosés, and because there are so many, I publish them on my website, free to view for all. Among this pink avalanche of flavours, Domaine de l’Ile stands out - perhaps it is because it hails from a tiny island off the coast of Provence,…
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2018 Niepoort, Vertente, Douro, Portugal

It has been stiflingly hot at times this year, and while many people reach for chilled whites and rosés, we drink as many chilled reds as we do other styles.  The rules are simple when chilling red wine.  Seek out youthful bottles that are fruit-forward in flavour with little noticeable oak or tannin.  That is all you need to know.  I have two…
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2020 Pouilly Sur Loire, Chasselas, Jonathan Didier Pabiot, France

Made from the rare Chasselas grape, this incredible white wine comes from Sauvignon Blanc’s spiritual home in Pouilly Sur Loire.  So, why does Pabiot bother making a Chasselas – a grape that very few have ever heard of?  The short answer is that it is drop-dead gorgeous, but the longer answer is more intriguing. Jonathan’s grandfather, Lucien,…
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2021 Château Galoupet, Nomade Rosé, Côtes de Provence, France

I tasted a huge number of pretty pricy rosés the other day, and none of the wines was particularly earth-shattering. Many had expensive bottles and flashy labels to match their ambitious prices. One bottle stood out from the crowd. Looking more like a child’s plastic cricket bat than an elite pink wine, Nomade is packaged in an eco-friendly, flat…
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