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March 23, 2010
Franchetti – 2 estates, 1 evening
Last Wednesday evening was the first event we have ever done with the wines from both of Andrea Franchetti’s properties - Tuscany & Sicily. The event was a tasting & dinner with Dr Elena Capobianco & Alex Burge (Andrea’s export managers) @ Shoreditch House.
A bit of background for those who...
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March 17, 2010
Travels to Etna, Sicily – the challenges and the triumph
Fact: Until recently, Sicily produced more wine than the whole of Australia and New Zealand combined – this was mostly shipped as bulk and sold to the domestic market
Fact: In order to gain recognition for quality over quantity, the first fine winemakers on Sicily resorted to producing and promoting wines...
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March 3, 2010
Barolo 1971….
Last night was Barolo night at the Maltings Cafe http://www.maltingscafe.co.uk/ run by Sam Harris, Fraser and I met up with a whole collection (what is the collective adjective for wine merchants?) of guys from the trade to taste a selection of Barolo 1971's (& 3 Barbarescos) the tasting was hosted and organised by Eric...
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March 2, 2010
Champagne Salon in muddy wellies – just how it should be…
The ridiculously glitzy ‘celebratory’ status enjoyed by certain champagne brands pre-crunch made it easy to forget that champagne is in fact a hugely delicate living substance, created and wholly dependent on, ostensibly, ‘farmers.’ A wintery trip down to the prestigious Champagne village of Le Mesnil sur Oger to visit our...
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February 26, 2010
Singapore Delights
Well, well, well. Apart from the stresses of the first 24 hours with no wine, no e-mail and therefore, no sense of humour, The Laurel & Hartley show has got off to a very good start.
A decent flight over via Dubai with Emirates to Singapore and...
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February 25, 2010
Clos de Tart 2008….
Having last tasted the Clos de Tart 2008 wines on Day 5 in Burgundy back in November it was great to get the chance this morning to taste the final assemblage, albeit not in final bottle as it will not be bottled unitl April/May. The release of the 2008 will...
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February 16, 2010
DRC 2007…..not bad for a Monday!
For the first time I can remember (and amazingly this was my 11th vintage) the DRC Press Tasting was on a Monday. As is traditional now the wines are shown to the press just after bottling, which was done in the last two months. The Domaine de la...
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February 3, 2010
two 2006′s in bottle
With the big tasting of 2006 Bordeaux in Southwold recently (it has been variously written up by Jancis Robinson and more) I thought it would be a good idea to serve - blind - two Bordeaux 2006's from two of our strong Bordeaux connections, there was another reason for one...
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January 15, 2010
The 2008 Burgundy Tasting…with Alsace, Germany and older vintages!
Last Thursday saw the 2008 Burgundy release tasting at the Tower of London, a venue we are making our “tasting home” for the time being. The format was a pretty tried and trusted one with a press and trade preview from 3pm till 5.30pm and then from 6pm till 8.30pm...
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