JancisRobinson.com

Today Jancis covers a fascinating and revealing tasting organised in London recently of wines from a supposedly off vintage. https://lnkd.in/g4UgscPY

Whether or not it's fall or spring in your part of the world, this unusually fine apricot-coloured, organic, foot-trodden Aspropotamisi is just the thing. ⁠ Julia's note is as follows, 'Golden apricot colour, very slightly cloudy, and smells deeply of non-sweet apricots, light spice and bitter orange. But there is also something stony, with a touch of hay, giving a kind of dusty, mineral impression that is impossibly hard to pin down in words. Even though this is not a high-acid variety, the wine is immensely fresh, even (especially) at room temperature. The moderate tannins contribute as much to the freshness as does the acidity. There’s also a savoury quality to the fruit, which, owner/winemaker Jérôme Binda says, is deeply appreciated in Japan, where they refer to his wines as ‘umami wines’. I’m often sceptical about the claims of ‘natural’ wines but here is one that is fault-free and intensely alive in the way it changes in the glass and seems to adapt itself to the food you drink it with – from seafood to chicken pie to grilled sardines to fatty meat. Although the wine is bone dry, there is an inexplicable sweetness on the finish. Drink at room temperature or just very very slightly cool. Definitely not chilled.' ⁠ You can read Julia's article about Domaine de Kalathas, 10+12 Vieilles Vignes free below. https://lnkd.in/gnAJ7DUf

A pumping bass and mic-drops at the Château du Clos de Vougeot mark changing times in the heart of Burgundy. Above, Jermaine Stone, president and CEO of Cru Luv Wine and host of the Wine and Hip Hop podcast (credit: Head Make Book). https://lnkd.in/gcWaDiMh

'A breath of fresh air. That’s how I’d describe South African reds and South African winemakers. Over a few days of chatting with them (it seems like half of South Africa flew out to the UK in September), it was a slight shock and then almost a relief to encounter the total honesty and lack of bull or marketing speak that so often goes along with these winemaker-attending tastings.' https://lnkd.in/ewzkg6eJ

Sauvignon Blanc for the ages – or at least the cellar. The final report in our five-part series on the ÖTW’s annual tasting marathon was published today. Above, Katharina Tinnacher's Welles vineyard, source of one of the most impressive wines in the tasting. https://lnkd.in/gR5KBFdc

South Africa should be the role model for any region challenged by heat and drought, Tam says, as it has become so good at producing exceptionally fine, elegant wine – like the 130 wines reviewed in this article. https://lnkd.in/gNs8Nf_6

In this penultimate part of our report on the 2024 Single Vineyard Summit at Schloss Grafenegg in Austria, Julia and Tara review the wines submitted to the tasting by producers in the Wachau. Come back later this week for part 5, on Styria. https://lnkd.in/giFiCiBW

A round-up of the current wares of one of London's oldest wine merchants. Above, Domaine de la Taille aux Loups in Montlouis-sur-Loire, producers of two of the favourite wines in this collection. https://lnkd.in/gSxd3sgZ

Is this hidden region the best location for Pinot Noir in California? Aerial photo of Anderson Valley vineyards by Fabian Jauregui. https://lnkd.in/gbYsPC9b

Sherry no longer has to be fortified. Out goes fino aged in Sanlúcar (pictured above). In comes Fino Viejo. https://lnkd.in/gpxcn66Y