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Simon Field MW’s tasting notes from the Bordeaux 2021 en primeur tastings concludes with the wines of Sauternes and Barsac. Clos Haut-Peyraguey 1er Cru (60% SM, 40% SB) SF | An attractive, softly honied aromatic, exoticism reined in for the time being, the firm structure promising a lot more; composed and elegant, zesty and rich,… View Article
Simon Field MW’s tasting notes from the Bordeaux 2021 en primeur tastings continue with wines from St-Emilion, Pomerol, Lalande de Pomerol, Côtes de Bourg, and Castillon-Côtes de Bordeaux. Bordeaux 2021: St-Emilion Château Angélus 1er Grand Cru Classé A (60% CF, 40% M) SF | And so to the last Angélus under the label of Class… View Article
Simon Field MW’s tasting notes from the Bordeaux 2021 en primeur tastings continue with wines from the Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Moulis, Graves, and Pessac-Léognan. Bordeaux 2021: Médoc / Haut-Médoc / Moulis Château Belgrave 5ème Cru (65% CS, 30% M, 5% PV) SF | A signature wine from the Dourthe stable, with all of the fruit-forward generosity… View Article
The World of Fine Wine’s Simon Field MW is in Bordeaux for the 2021 vintage en primeur tastings. In the latest of his dispatches from the region, he reports from Pichon Lalande, where the steady conversion to biodynamics is taking effect. The Baron stares silently at the Countess. Pale neutral stone and the secrets of nearly 200 years, now… View Article
In the latest dispatch from his Bordeaux 2021 en primeur tasting trip, Simon Field MW reports from Sauternes, where winemakers are doing their best to transcend a very difficult set of circumstances. Sauternes today is not enjoying the best of times. Nature’s caprice means that some blights are more welcome than others. The somewhat perverse… View Article
The World of Fine Wine‘s Simon Field MW is in Bordeaux for the 2021 vintage en primeur tastings. In the third of a regular series of dispatches from the region, he gives his verdict on St-Emilion’s Châtaeu Pavie. The reconstructed Château Pavie resembles a Spanish hotel. A five-star hotel. Make that five stars deluxe: An… View Article
The World of Fine Wine‘s Simon Field MW is in Bordeaux for the 2021 vintage en primeur tastings. In his latest dispatch from the region, he gives his verdict on Pomerol’s Vieux Château Certan. It seems reprehensible in the extreme that my last visit to Vieux Château Certan was over 20 years ago. Nothing much… View Article
The World of Fine Wine‘s Simon Field MW is in Bordeaux for the 2021 vintage en primeur tastings. In the first of a regular series of dispatches from the region, he gives his verdict on St-Emilion’s Château Figeac. Figeac’s natural atmosphere of calm and classical decorum was never likely to be especially perturbed by something… View Article
Over the past two decades, The World of Fine Wine’s annual reports on the Bordeaux en primeur tastings have become definitive statements on the latest goings on in the region. For the first 17 years of the magazine’s existence, the reports were written by the globally respected author and wine educator, Michael Schuster. As Schuster… View Article
Geographically and culturally closer to Chablis than Épernay, the distinctive Champagnes of the Côte des Bar deserve their new-found respect, says Essi Avellan MW, who introduces a tasting shared with Simon Field MW and Anthony Rose. This is an extract of an article from Issue 75 of The World of Fine Wine. For the full… View Article
The conditions were certainly challenging for the 2017 Barolo vintage. But as Michael Palij MW discovers, in a tasting shared with Bruno Besa and Andrew Jefford, they did not prevent skilled growers from producing some impressive and surprisingly balanced wines. This is an extract from an article first published in Issue 75 of The World… View Article
German wine-lovers don’t always love Alsace Riesling, and vice versa, says Stephan Reinhardt. But a tasting of top single-site wines shared with Andrew Jefford and Anthony Rose illustrated the merits of both places. For full coverage of this tasting, including detailed tasting notes on all 45 wines tasted by the panel, subscribe to The World… View Article
The wines of the 2008 Champagne vintage beat those from 2009 convincingly in a panel tasting hosted by The World of Fine Wine in 2016. But how do the two vintages compare today? Essi Avellan MW introduces a tasting shared with Simon Field MW and Anthony Rose. For full tasting notes on all 32 Vintage… View Article
Terry Theise tastes—and drinks—the wines of Cedric Moussé, a Champagne producer at the forefront of the revolution in Meunier in the Marne Valley. You’ll have noticed, if your life is so drab and wretched that you’ve had time to read my previous reports, that I talk about the distinction between “tasting” and “drinking” wine, how… View Article
The late 2010s saw an unprecedented run of fine harvests in the Douro, each producing exceptional Vintage Port. But which of the four vintages from 2016 to 2019 is the greatest, asks Richard Mayson, who was joined by Simon Field MW and Andrew Jefford for a comprehensive tasting, first published in issue 74 of The… View Article
Sarah Marsh MW concludes her coverage of the 2020 Burgundy vintage with detailed tasting notes on the wines of the Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais, and Beaujolais. More in this series 2020 Burgundy: Classic wines from an extreme season 2020 Burgundy: A guide to the sub-regions and villages 2020 Burgundy: Chablis tasting notes 2020 Burgundy: Côte de… View Article
Sarah Marsh MW continues her coverage of the 2020 Burgundy vintage with detailed tasting notes on the wines of the Côte de Beaune. More in this series 2020 Burgundy: Classic wines from an extreme season 2020 Burgundy: A guide to the sub-regions and villages 2020 Burgundy: Chablis tasting notes 2020 Burgundy: Côte de Nuits tasting… View Article
Sarah Marsh MW continues her coverage of the 2020 Burgundy vintage with detailed tasting notes on the wines of the Côte de Nuits. More in this series 2020 Burgundy: Classic wines from an extreme season 2020 Burgundy: A guide to the sub-regions and villages 2020 Burgundy: Chablis tasting notes 2020 Burgundy: Côte de Beaune tasting… View Article
Sarah Marsh MW continues her coverage of the 2020 Burgundy vintage with detailed tasting notes on the wines of Chablis, a sub-region that enjoyed “a very good year.” More in this series 2020 Burgundy: Classic wines from an extreme season 2020 Burgundy: A guide to the sub-regions and villages 2020 Burgundy: Côte de Nuits tasting… View Article
Terry Theise concludes his immersion in the latest releases from the great Mosel estate Selbach-Oster with a look at the Spätlesen and Auslesen, as well as the wines of Weingut Alfred Merkelbach, where the Selbachs also oversee production. Click here for Theise’s notes on Selbach-Oster’s Spätburgunder and Pinot Blanc. And here for Riesling Trocken and… View Article
In the second part of his immersion in the latest releases from the great Mosel estate Selbach-Oster Terry Theise switches to Riesling (and Gewürztraminer) moving up the sugar gears from dry to Kabinett. Click here for Theise’s notes on Selbach-Oster’s Spätburgunder and Pinot Blanc. Selbach’s marked success with dry Rieslings First a small note that,… View Article
The World of Fine Wine’s Burgundy critic, Sarah Marsh MW, continues her comprehensive coverage of the 2020 Burgundy vintage with an overview of Burgundy’s sub-regions and villages. More in this series 2020 Burgundy: Classic wines from an extreme season 2020 Burgundy: Chablis tasting notes 2020 Burgundy: Côte de Nuits tasting notes 2020 Burgundy: Côte de… View Article
The unshowy, textured, utterly authentic wines of Selbach-Oster are the essence of the Mosel, says Terry Theise as he begins his three-part exploration of the estate’s latest set of releases. They’ll catch on, eventually, and sometimes. I think the moment of arrival was last summer, when the important German newspaper the Frankfurter Allgemein did something… View Article
Despite the hot, dry conditions, 2020 Burgundy is characterized by “joyously” fresh, vibrant, classically styled wines, with consistent quality in the whites and many fine reds, says The World of Fine Wine’s Burgundy critic, Sarah Marsh MW, who introduces WFW’s comprehensive coverage of the vintage based on her extensive tastings in the region in late… View Article
Simon Field MW on a trio of special wines from Lustau, one from each of the towns that make up Sherry’s Golden Triangle, which have been released to mark the house’s 125th anniversary. 1896 was not an especially auspicious year in Spain. Farther afield, the Jameson Raid underlined tensions in the Cape which were to… View Article
Simon Field MW introduces an instructive, heterogenous tasting, shared with Tim Atkin MW and Andrew Jefford, of red single-vineyard Rioja—including examples of the new official Viñedo Singular category. For full coverage of the tasting, including notes on all 67 wines, subscribe to The World of Fine Wine. I have been privileged to participate in many… View Article
Honors were even in an extensive comparative tasting of wines from the world’s two leading Malbec regions featured in Issue 73 of The World of Fine Wine, says Andrew Jefford, who was part of a tasting panel that also included Simon Field MW and Anthony Rose. For full coverage and notes on all 52 wines—26… View Article
The second part of Terry Theise’s virtual pilgrimage to the Mosel’s Schloss Lieser includes a brush with perfection and some miraculous Auslesen. 2018 Niederberg Helden Riesling GG (Full name, Lieserer Niederberg Helden Riesling Trocken) Weinstein! (Tartrates.) You don’t see that much any more, especially in dry wines. Forcefully fragrant. Too much so? We’ll see as… View Article
Terry Theise goes on a virtual pilgrimage to Schloss Lieser, delving deep into the Mosel estate’s latest entrancing releases. The estate came to us—“us” because I was still with Skurnik—in the waning days of Rudi Wiest’s business, and because the estate has such a stellar reputation we broke protocol and began to represent them before… View Article
The tiny Northern Rhône appellation of Saint-Péray is a source of sometimes-outstanding, low-acid dry whites that at their best offer superb value for money. Andrew Jefford reports on a WFW panel tasting shared with Stephen Brook and Simon Field MW, and reveals the top five wines. For full coverage, including scores and in-depth notes on all… View Article
In the second part of his review of the latest Riesling releases from the Mosel producer Carl Loewen, Terry Theise goes “ga-ga with bliss”. 2020 Ritsch GG (Full name Thörnicher Ritsch Riesling Trocken) ++ And once again we rejoice in 12.5% alcohol. Maximum flavor with minimum alcohol is the recipe for the highest satisfaction. Cards on… View Article
No longer an insider secret, Carl Loewen has become one of the Mosel’s flagship producers, with a precise and sensitive take on the traditional “sponti-Fuder” style, says Terry Theise in the first of a two-part report on the family’s latest releases. Reflecting back on my merchant years it strikes me that you never really know… View Article
Each quarter, The World of Fine Wine conducts extensive tastings of the finest wines in a given region or stylistic set. In one of three tastings featured in the most recent issue of our print magazine—WFW72—three members of our internationally respected tasting panel, Stephen Brook, Andrew Jefford, and Michael Palij MW, were profoundly impressed by 2016 Brunello… View Article
Terry Theise concludes his close tasting of the latest releases from Kamptal’s Bründlmayer with an exploration of the estate’s Riesling, and a coda of enchanting Muscat and sweet wines. 2020 Kamptal Riesling “Terassen” Starts out smelling like nettles and woodruff. Then boxwood and white iris. Lupins have this smell too; almost but not quite wisteria…. View Article
In the second part of his in-depth engagement with the latest releases from the great Kamptal estate, Terry Theise is impressed anew by the 2020 and 2019 vintages of Bründlmayer’s diverse portfolio of Grüner Veltliner. 2020 Kamptal “Terassen” Grüner Veltiner + I tasted this before, from an open bottle (mostly still full, opened that day),… View Article
In the latest of his in-depth explorations of the ranges of some of his favorite producers, Terry Theise explores the new releases from Weingut Bründlmayer, an historic, “classic” estate based in Langenlois in Austria’s Kamptal region that has moved forward “inexorably” in recent years under the guidance of Willi Bründlmayer and his team. Theise begins… View Article
Louis Roederer is replacing its much-loved Brut Premier with a new Multi-Vintage cuvée: Louis Roederer Collection 242. Michael Edwards reports from the launch and reviews the first edition. Roederer’s Chef de Cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon opened his virtual presentation on July 22 with his customary focus and clarity. “I am very happy to introduce Collection 242… View Article
Each quarter, The World of Fine Wine conducts extensive tastings of the finest wines in a given region or stylistic set. In one of three tastings featured in issue 71 of our print magazine, three members of our internationally respected tasting panel—Essi Avellan MW, Simon Field MW, and Jancis Robinson MW—set out to assess the… View Article
With Schloss Gobelsburg marking its 850th anniversary this year, Terry Theise spent a week tasting the great Austrian estate’s latest releases. Today, in the final installment of his three-part account of a profoundly impressive and affecting tasting, Theise presents his thoughts on Schloss Gobelsburg’s Rieslings. You can read Theise’s thoughts on Schloss Gobelsburg’s Zweigelt, rosé, and sparkling… View Article
With Schloss Gobelsburg marking its 850th anniversary this year, Terry Theise spent a week tasting the great Austrian estate’s latest releases. Today, in the second installment of his three-part account of a profoundly impressive and affecting tasting, Theise presents his thoughts on Schloss Gobelsburg’s Grüner Veltliners. You can read Theise’s review of Schloss Gobelsburg’s Zweigelt, rosé, and… View Article
With Schloss Gobelsburg marking its 850th anniversary this year, Terry Theise spent a week tasting the great Austrian estate’s latest releases. In this, the first installment of a three-part account of a profoundly impressive and affecting tasting, Theise presents his thoughts on Schloss Gobelsburg’s Zweigelt, rosé, and sparkling wines. In Part II, Theise presents his… View Article
This week, as the 2020 Bordeaux en primeur campaign hots up, The World of Fine Wine is publishing the in-depth analysis and detailed tasting notes of our longstanding Bordeaux critic, Michael Schuster, based on his extensive tastings at the châteaux this Spring. One of the world’s most experienced and respected Bordeaux critics, Schuster has been… View Article
This week, as the 2020 Bordeaux en primeur campaign hots up, The World of Fine Wine is publishing the in-depth analysis and detailed tasting notes of our longstanding Bordeaux critic, Michael Schuster, based on his extensive tastings at the châteaux this Spring. One of the world’s most experienced and respected Bordeaux critics, Schuster has been… View Article
This week, as the 2020 Bordeaux en primeur campaign hots up, The World of Fine Wine is publishing the in-depth analysis and detailed tasting notes of our longstanding Bordeaux critic, Michael Schuster, based on his extensive tastings at the châteaux this Spring. One of the world’s most experienced and respected Bordeaux critics, Schuster has been… View Article
This week, as the 2020 Bordeaux en primeur campaign hots up, The World of Fine Wine is publishing the in-depth analysis and detailed tasting notes of our longstanding Bordeaux critic, Michael Schuster, based on his extensive tastings at the châteaux this Spring. One of the world’s most experienced and respected Bordeaux critics, Schuster has been… View Article
Each quarter, The World of Fine Wine conducts extensive tastings of the finest wines in a given region or stylistic set. In one of three tastings featured in the most recent issue of our print magazine—WFW71—three members of our internationally respected tasting panel, Andrew Jefford, Bruno Besa, and Michael Palij MW, were bowled over by… View Article
There has been no shortage of anticipation trailing this launch, most specifically because 2012 has been pitched in Champagne as a Pinot Noir vintage par excellence, and, notwithstanding the House’s ornate reticence as to the precise blend, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is often perceived to be the nec plus ultra of Pinot-dominated Champagne. We have… View Article
The leading Port house has released the latest in its series of venerable Tawny Ports, perfect for those celebrating a special anniversary or birthday this year, but equally tempting for all wine lovers 1961 was not a “declared” vintage for Port, although the Single Quinta concept had already been born, as those lucky enough to… View Article
The first Chardonnay and Pinot Noir releases from a promising project raises the bar for quality in the rapidly growing Coteaux de Champagne still-wine scene In essence, this is a lab,” says Champagne Louis Roederer’s chef de cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon of the house’s new Coteaux Champenois project. “With these still wines, we seek to express… View Article
Anthony Rose is granted access to the remarkable cache of old Champagnes stored beneath Charles Heidsieck’s Reims headquarters Cette porte doit rester imperativement fermée. As the Fort Knox-like steel door in Charles Heidsieck’s Reims garden snapped shut and the 116 chalk steps down to the subterranean cellars were safely negotiated, the meaning of the stern… View Article
For award-winning content from the world’s most respected and intellectually satisfying wine magazine.
