Wednesday Wines

Wednesday Wines – Episode 153 – An unmissable, rosé-drenched mixed bag!

First four delicious 2022 Rosés 2022 Mirabeau, Classic Rosé, Côtes de Provence, France (£12.99, Waitrose). I tasted a trio of Mirabeau’s newly released 2022s over the weekend (they should be on the shelves very soon), and they are all worthy of comment. It is interesting to note that after I tasted the wines, some neighbours popped around,…
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Wednesday Wines – Episode 152 – An idyllic pair from Domaine de l’Ile

I was thrilled to be invited to Chanel HQ in Bond Street last week to taste the new releases from their idyllic property on the Île de Porquerolles, off the south coast of Hyères, a couple of kilometres southeast of Toulon, in the gorgeous Mediterranean Sea. Winemaker Pierre Etcheberry was on hand to add some details to proceedings in what was…
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Wednesday Wines – Episode 151 – A Grand Launch for Black Chalk

What a busy week, with launches left, right, and centre.  Today, I have brought you four wines from the tremendous Black Chalk Winery in Hampshire.  I am told that perhaps four more wines will come from the 2020 harvest, including a pair of Blanc de Blancs, a Blanc de Noirs, and even a single vineyard creation, so Jacob and Zoë were undoubtedly busy…
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Wednesday Wines – Episode 150 – Three extraordinary Aussie wines

I recently returned from a whirlwind five-day trip Down Under, where I tasted a couple of important preview portfolios, conducted my annual The Great Australian Red competition with Tyson Stelzer, and attended a magnificent 60-year celebration of Henschke’s Hill of Grace.  I will elaborate on these extraordinary events in due course, but today I…
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Wednesday Wines – Episode 149 – A preview of 2005 Billecart-Salmon, Le Clos Saint-Hilaire

2005 Billecart-Salmon, Le Clos Saint-Hilaire, Champagne, France (the 2006 vintage is £450 at www.thewhiskyexchange.com   This is a preview note as this wine is not yet released for sale, but Goedhuis & Co. (www.goedhuis.com), Berry Bros & Rudd (www.bbr.com), Hedonism (www.hedonism.co.uk) and Whisky Exchange (above) have all taken…
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Wednesday Wines – Episode 148 – A preview of 2019 Quinta da Leda, Casa Ferreirinha, Douro, Portugal

Some 51 episodes ago, in Wednesday Wines, I wrote a fairly comprehensive overview of the top-flight wines from Casa Ferreirinha.  You can click here to read this article.   The other day, the brand new vintage of Quinta da Leda was dropped off for me to look at, and I must say that it completely captivated my senses. Made from a blend…
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Wednesday Wines – Episode 147 – A preview of 2018 The Eye of Rã by Ben Glaetzer

2018 The Eye of Rã by Ben Glaetzer, Unfiltered Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia - The UK price for the 2016 vintage of The Eye of Rã is £1000 for 3 bottles in bond.   The 2018 is soon to be released. I was privileged to be the first person in the UK to taste the 2016 vintage of The Eye of Rã and a preview of the 2018 vintage of Ben…
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Wednesday Wines – Episode 146 – A Preview of 2020 Ornellaia

2020 Ornellaia, Bolgheri Rosso Superiore DOC, Tuscany, Italy Released for sale on 1st April 2023 I was honoured to be invited to join the world online launch of 2020 Ornellaia yesterday. This was the first time that the 2020 vintage was tasted, and it was also the moment when the art collaboration for this vintage was announced. First, here is some…
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Wednesday Wines – Episode 145 – Three Sensational Italian Whites

2023 has kicked off in style, and the big showcase wine importer tastings have so far received record attendees.  Yesterday’s Hallgarten & Novum Wines event showed no fewer than 765 wines, and a good number will find their way into my columns over the next few months. I have three of the finest Italian white wines to kick off this collection.…
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Wednesday Wines – Episode 144 – 2021s from Edouard Delaunay

As a post scriptum to my Members-only 2021 Burgundy En Primeur notes, which you can read on this website under the Taste banner, the kind folks at Edouard Delaunay sent me a collection of their wines, and here are my favourites, including one coveted QP wine. The pricing stated is a guesstimate from France, including duty and VAT – in effect,…
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Wednesday Wines – Episode 143 – 2020s from the Dourthe Portfolio

After tasting a large number of very youthful wines of late, it was nice to jump into a flight of juicy 2020s from the Dourthe portfolio, augmented by a couple of impressively structured 2015s. 2020 Château Belgrave, 5ème Cru Classé, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France (£28.33, www.millesima.co.uk).   Belgrave has always been one of the trade…
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Wednesday Wines – Episode 142 – First Taste of 2022 Whispering Angel Rosé

2022 Whispering Angel Rosé, Caves d’Esclans, Sacha Lichine, Côtes de Provence, France  (approx. £20.00, on sale from February)   There are precious few annual wine ‘moments’ left in our beautiful business.  Beaujolais Nouveau day is an actual annual event with its very own date.  The third Thursday of November has always been…
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