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You’re Unbelievable: Bordeaux 2022
featured, France: Bordeaux
, May 2023
This year’s en primeur report examines the anatomy of 2022 in Bordeaux, highlighting the vintage’s strengths and the potential future legends, yet not ignoring the caveats. This is a complex and intellectually-rewarding vintage that could rewrite the rules of the growing season and what wines to expect.
2022 Bordeaux En Primeur: Balance Imbalance
featured, France: Bordeaux
, May 2023
The 2022s are some of the most memorable young wines I have ever tasted in Bordeaux. The best 2022s are magnificent, viscerally thrilling wines that show what is possible with thoughtful approaches to viticulture and winemaking. A number of properties at all levels made their best wines ever. But 2022 is not consistently great from top to bottom, so some selection is warranted.
Book Excerpt: The Complete Bordeaux Vintage Guide 1870-2020
featured, France: Bordeaux, General Interest
, Apr 2023
My new book, The Complete Bordeaux Vintage Guide 1870-2020, was published recently. Here are just a few words to inform readers how it came about and what to expect. The book does what it says on the tin. However, only when you delve inside will you see that it is much more than an ordinary vintage guide.
Lower Your Sails (Or Breeches): Beychevelle 1929-2019
Verticals & Retrospectives, featured, France: Bordeaux
, Mar 2023
Apart from interesting backstories, Beychevelle has passed between some of the most powerful families in France over nearly a millennium. This article stems from a vertical tasting of 25 vintages marking the quarter-century of Philippe Blanc’s tenure, plus a handful of notes for wines back to 1929.
Not Classed, but Classy: Haut-Bergeron 1961-2019
Verticals & Retrospectives, featured, France: Bordeaux
, Mar 2023
Sauternes articles tend to focus on major châteaux. But in this piece, I shine the spotlight on a less familiar name, one whose wines punch above their weight: Haut-Bergeron.
Cellar Favorite: Château Latour: 2023 Releases
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Mar 2023
Since 2012, Château Latour has released their three wines onto the market according to when vintages are deemed ready instead of the orthodox spring following harvest. I visited the estate in late January to assess the trio due to see the light of day. where I tasted with technical director Hélène Genin.
Bordeaux 2019: The Southwold Tasting
featured, France: Bordeaux
, Feb 2023
The 2019 Bordeaux vintage has rightly been hailed as one of the best in recent years. But after assessing the wines in bottle a year ago, it is time to examine them again, this time, blindfolds on!
Bordeaux 2020: Saving the Best for Last
featured, France: Bordeaux
, Feb 2023
Two thousand-twenty is an incredibly exciting vintage for Bordeaux. After having tasted more than 800 wines for this report, my conclusion is that 2020 is by far the most consistent of the three vintages in Bordeaux’s so-called trilogy spanning 2018 through 2020. It is a year brimming with phenomenal wines at all levels, from the big names down to bottles the average consumer can still afford to purchase by the case.
Thrice Is Nice: Bordeaux 2020 in Bottle
featured, France: Bordeaux
, Feb 2023
The Bordeaux 2020 vintage made it three in a row. Revisiting the finished wines in bottle, I wanted to find out how the wines compared to 2018 and 2019. So, with 20/20 vision, I set about tasting almost 900 wines, embracing not just the elite but dozens of less well-known châteaux that can represent outstanding value.
Cellar Favorite: 1986 Pape Clément
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Feb 2023
I don’t drink enough mature Pessac-Léognan. I’m not alone there. It’s one of Bordeaux’s overlooked genres of wine. You do not see bottles as often as their Pauillac or Saint-Julien counterparts, as Pessac-Léognan wines do not garner the same reverence, for whatever reason. Meeting up with a friend, newly liberated from Hong Kong, we tasted this little gem.