[ad_1] Rather than merely watching the future unfold, Plaimont’s ethos is one of hope and possibility, founded on the belief that the answers to today’s winemaking and viticultural challenges lie in pairing modern technology with previous generations’ ancestral knowledge of the land and its vines. Although the fruits of Plaimont’s efforts are ultimately seen in its wines, this ‘cooperative of …
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Vintage Port 2022: How a hot year delivered nuance and energy
[ad_1] Harvest underway at Quinta do Vesúvio When, in mid-July 2022, the highest temperature ever recorded in Portugal (47ºC) was measured in Pinh?o, in the heart of the Douro Valley, few thought the year would yield wines of note. However, the harvest brought in healthy, small berries, showing remarkable flavour definition and a surprising freshness. After two years in the …
Read More »Decanter’s Dream Destination: Hôtel des Horlogers, Le Brassus, Switzerland
[ad_1] The impressive Brasserie Le Gogant at Hôtel des Horlogers in Le Brassus, in Switzerland’s Canton of Vaud. For time well spent beyond the bustling banks of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman), head to the Vallée de Joux – birthplace of Swiss horology – a pretty 50km drive or two-hour train journey from Lausanne in the canton of Vaud. Numerous luxury …
Read More »SOIL: The World at Your Feet – at the crossroads of art and science
[ad_1] Detail of Fly Agaric, a work by Marshmallow Laser Feast It was an interesting and lively mingling of disparate sorts as the artistic, scientific and activism communities descended upon Somerset House last week for the opening of a new exhibition. Until April 13, the London venue is hosting SOIL: The World at Your Feet (SOIL) – an unusual curatorial …
Read More »Humboldt Coastal Wine Currents
[ad_1] “Humboldt Coastal Wine Currents of Chile” has been further defined by Joaquin Hidalgo, of Vinous. He delivered important insights, flavors to expect, and details about this region in a recent ZOOM presentation. His lecture, and the wines chosen to taste, opened up a delightful new world of lean and succulent flavors. This was all rolled […] The post Humboldt …
Read More »Vinography Unboxed: Week of 1/26/25
[ad_1] Hello and welcome to this week’s dig through the pile of wine samples that show up asking to be tasted. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently. This past week included a number of sparkling wines from here and there. Let’s …
Read More »Château Talbot: St-Julien’s totemic estate
[ad_1] St-Julien is the quintessential expression of red Bordeaux, displaying grace and power without being overbearing. It’s also the smallest of the major communes of Bordeaux and the one with the largest percentage of classified growths, as measured by acreage. Indeed, 90% of the vineyards belong to the classified growths. St-Julien also claims to have the lowest average yield of …
Read More »Vinography Images: Winter Shadows
[ad_1] Gnarled old vines make unusual silhouettes as the afternoon light catches the tips of the grasses that have sprouted with the winter rains in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape region of France. The region has an unusually high proportion of older vines that are still producing wine. INSTRUCTIONS:Download this image by right-clicking on the image and selecting “save link as” or “save …
Read More »Vintage Port 2022: A tale of unexpected freshness
[ad_1] It’s now a worn cliché to say that good winemakers are those able to produce a good wine from a bad vintage. Perhaps it could be added that a superior vineyard is able to withstand severe climatic conditions and still deliver outstanding fruit. Both statements seem validated by the Vintage Ports from the troubled 2022 growing season; few but …
Read More »Furmint February: The versatile grape winning global acclaim
[ad_1] Primarily grown in Hungary, Furmint is the key grape variety for deliciously sweet Tokaji, but has proven itself a versatile variety to watch in Hungary and beyond. As wine expert and Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) Regional Chair for North, Central and Eastern Europe Caroline Gilby MW explains, ‘Furmint is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and versatile grape varieties …
Read More »Exploring Armagnac
[ad_1] Tasting barrel samples of Armagnac at Domaine de Pellehaut The region of Gascony in Southwest France, for many, epitomises the irresistible charm of rural France. Dotted with medieval bastide villages, its gently rolling countryside holds the promise of a slower pace of life, punctuated by long lunches of foie gras and magret de canard, washed down with a glass …
Read More »Brief history of Naples wine auction as new record is set
[ad_1] Auctioneer Lydia Fenet Besting last year’s record, the 2025 Naples auction raised just over $34m. Unique wine experience lots fetched in the range of $500-800,000 and a package with a wine-coloured Bentley netted $1.7m. Top wine lots included a curated trip provided by Napa’s Staglin Family Vineyard. Two couples will join the Staglin family on a tour of Switzerland …
Read More »Facets of Sauvignon: Tasting the Appellation Marlborough Collection
[ad_1] I’ve long said that selecting the top 12 wines made in your region each year using a blind tasting run by a third party and then sending that case of wines to commentators around the world is one of the smartest and most compelling bits of regional wine marketing I’ve ever experienced. I’m thrilled to get my Gimblett Gravels …
Read More »Naples Winter Wine Festival Raises over $34 Million for Children’s Charities
[ad_1] The Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF) celebrated its 25th anniversary by raising over $34 million—a record high, beating last year’s total by $1 million—for children’s charities at its annual event on the last weekend in January. The nation’s top-raising charity wine auction gathered around 650 wine lovers under a big tent outside the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, to bid on …
Read More »Australian Grenache: Panel tasting results
[ad_1] Beth Pearce MW, Sara Muirhead MW and Ben Chan tasted 51 wines, with 7 Outstanding and 25 Highly Recommended Australian Grenache: Panel tasting scores 51 wines tasted Exceptional 0 Outstanding 7 Highly recommended 25 Recommended 15 Commended 4 Entry criteria: Producers and UK agents were invited to submit their 100% Grenache wines from the 2020, 2021 and 2022 vintages …
Read More »Chichic Wine Resort
[ad_1] In the heart of the Quebrada de Humahuaca UNESCO World Heritage Site, Chichic Wine Resort is a visionary project sure to fascinate discerning lovers of fine wine and luxury. Taking its name from the Quechua word for ‘milestone’, the new, exclusive Chichic resort will redefine sophistication in one of Argentina’s most captivating regions. Situated 3,000 metres above sea level, …
Read More »Wine prices to rise in UK ‘double tax slam’, says trade
[ad_1] Changes to duty tax mean UK consumers face the prospect of higher wine prices on some bottles from February 2025, leading trade members have advised. A sliding-scale duty tax system based on alcoholic strength will be extended to many still wines for the first time on 1 February, and alcohol duties will also rise in-line with inflation, said the …
Read More »Great-value white wine: 20 bottles to try
[ad_1] We’ve chosen the wines below based on value and quality and while many may be familiar names, we’ve also thrown in a few more unusual options to explore, all tasted and rated by the Decanter team. Our selection of great-value white wine showcases 20 refreshing pours all priced at under £20. Scroll down to see notes and scores for …
Read More »The Ethical Drinker: Interview with EthicDrinks
[ad_1] There may be answers, however, in young companies such as EthicDrinks. A Bordeaux-based, new-wave négociant that sources organic wines from across France and further afield, it supplies retailers using a transparent, ethical, sustainable, plastic-free, decarbonised supply chain. Too good to be true? It recently launched a wine with UK retailer Laithwaites packaged in the lightest glass bottle on the …
Read More »English wine mogul bankrupted after stock market scandal
[ad_1] In August, the Takeover Appeal Board ordered Balfour-Lynn to compensate investors for the ‘deceit and wrongdoing’ it uncovered at the property investment firm he ran. The tycoon, who co-founded Balfour Winery in Kent, said he did not ‘have the means’ to pay such ‘high levels’ of compensation. He has now been forced to file for bankruptcy. ‘I have never …
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