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Bordeaux En Primeur Spotlight: Sauternes

Sauternes is home to some of the finest, most unctuous, gourmand, and previously most sought-after wines in the world. In recent times, these wines have been somewhat overshadowed by the red wines of the region. The good news is that it has made them all the more affordable.

Georgia on my mind: Discovering the cradle of wine

When it comes to wine, I love discovering new frontiers. And when it comes to going ‘off-road’ in the world of wine, few places offer so many exciting new adventures as Georgia.

En Primeur report: Bordeaux 2021 and Burgundy 2020

It is, of course, too early to give a definitive evaluation of the 2021 vintage in Bordeaux. We have yet to taste the wines En Primeur; however, read on for a review of the vintage conditions that producers encountered in both Bordeaux and Burgundy and an assessment of what we might expect. Would it be a good idea to have the line here “We’ll be sending several emails in the near future once we have tested the wines to give you the inside word on what they ...

Autumn is here – time to swap over your ‘wine wardrobe’

As autumn sets in, the air gets crisper, and the nights cooler, it’s a good time to swap over your ‘wine wardrobe’. At the same time you start donning an extra layer in the evenings and trading your thongs for sneakers, it also makes sense to start replacing some of your lighter, fresher summer wines with a new selection of autumn favourites.

The Importance of Wine Scores

Wine scores have become an institution, and yes, they can serve as excellent guides when you’re trying and buying wine. However, they represent just one piece of the wine-selection puzzle. It’s important to go beyond the numbers and the medals when you’re choosing wine – to consider opinions from fellow wine consumers, the stories behind the wines, and, most important, your personal preferences. Here, we look not only at the benefits of and issues with ...

The En-Primeur Insider: Eighth Edition, with Alistair Cooper MW

Cotes de Castillon is another one of those Right Bank appellations (along with Fronsac) that does well in very hot vintages such as 2020. This is largely due to its limestone soils as well as the huge amount of biodynamic estates in the area. Unsurprisingly for me the standout performer was Clos Puy Arnaud in this year’s Castillon offerings.

The En-Primeur Insider: Seventh Edition, with Alistair Cooper MW

The largest of the communal appellations in The Médoc, Margaux is also the only one to boast 1855 classified estates at all rankings from first to fifth. Generalisations abound with regards style and regional typicity in Bordeaux, but there is certainly some truth to these stereotypes. Margaux is often touted as the most feminine, aromatic and perfumed of the top appellations on the Left Bank. There is certainly truth in this statement and the wines can be ext...

The En-Primeur Insider: Sixth Edition, with Alistair Cooper MW

The Left Bank of Bordeaux is littered with famous names, both villages as well as estates. However, it’s widely accepted that the most famous village and home to three of the five lauded First Growths (Lafite, Latour and Mouton-Rothschild) is Pauillac. Here Cabernet is king and is famed for producing powerful, concentrated and intensely cassis laden wines with cigar box, pencil shavings and graphite characteristics. These are the most long-lived of the wines ...

The En-Primeur Insider: Fifth Edition, with Alistair Cooper MW

Today our Bordeaux En Primeur Team will be introducing you to one of the hidden gems of one of the smallest but mightiest Appellations in Bordeaux; Chateau Taillefer from Pomerol.

The En-Primeur Insider: Fourth Edition, with Alistair Cooper MW

This is a winery dedicated to progression, and with a keen eye on the future and climate change. They have committed to doubling their Malbec plantings and increasing their Cabernet Franc to 12% in the next five years. Alongside this they have employed the services of renowned consultant Eric Boissenot from the 2020 vintage. Boissenot is famed for his work at Lafite, Mouton-Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, Leoville Las Cases and many others. A pretty impressive hau...

The En-Primeur Insider: Third Edition, with Alistair Cooper MW

I have a plethora of St Emilion samples to wade through in the coming fortnight, and having already sampled a few I am really confident that even in this heterogeneous vintage, there will be some sublime wines to be found.

The En-Primeur Insider: Second Edition, with Alistair Cooper MW

This is Alistair here and, as you already know, the 2020 Bordeaux En Primeur season has well and truly begun. Excitement is building, and we’ll soon see the first En Primeur releases in the coming days.

The En-Primeur Insider: First Edition, with Alistair Cooper MW

The arrival of Bordeaux En Primeur is a rare moment in the fine wine calendar. This year to make the process an intimate and unique experience, we have as your guide, Alistair Cooper, a Jancis Robinson wine critic and Master of Wine, who has been invited to taste the 2020 Bordeaux releases from barrel. There is no better resource to getting an exclusive perspective, first-heard insights and what you can expect from this new vintage.

What are Organic & Biodynamic Wines?

No doubt you’ve come across your fair share of organic products over the years, they’re now well and truly commonplace and a staple option for many consumers. It’s great to see organic products become so readily available around the world, providing consumers with a broader range of options to choose from. The wine industry is no stranger to this growth in product variety and there’s a surprisingly large amount of organic wines already on offer - a lot ...

United Cellars Whisky Tasters Packs

Have you ever browsed the Whisky section and seen a great looking bottle that ignites a fire of curiosity inside you but then hesitate, knowing that you may not love it, only to just grab the same bottle you always do? Well, now it’s time to give in to curiosity and explore every interesting-looking dram you set your eyes upon. Sure they say that curiosity kills the cat, but we’ve got a cure that’ll protect even the most daring of cats.

A Great New Benefit to Drink a Glass of Wine a Day!

I’m fairly certain that you’ve heard the saying “A glass of red wine a day is good for you!”. And if we’re being perfectly honest with ourselves, we’ve all wished that wine was genuinely good for us. Fortunately for us all, there’s now an answer to that wish, and it’s a delicious answer at that!

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