The Rauzan Segla 2018 has been met with rave reviews. At what point did you feel you had made a special wine?  It is a long process in a technician's mind as the picture of the vintage is getting clearer and clearer from the picking to the “dégustations d’assemblage” (blending tastings).  Each vintage gives me a particular emotion, the ...

Interview with Nicolas Audebert – Chief Winemaker at Chateau Rauzan Segla, Chateau Canon and Chateau Berliquet

Just prior to the Coronavirus hitting Europe, Château Latour was preparing to release their 2012 vintage direct from the Château for the first time, but following the lock-down across Europe the release was postponed. We had news from the Château this week that the release is now due out on Wednesday. As we await the release, we explore what makes this ...

As we await the big release from Chateau Latour, we explore some of the key factors that makes this First Growth from Pauillac so unique.

Chateau Latour: The 2012 Release

From one of the most prestigious and world-renowned wine estates, Chateau Lafite Rothschild, we spoke with Technical Director Eric Kohler and Commercial Director Jean-Sebastien Philippe of Domaines Barons de Rothschild about Bordeaux’s continued relevance in an ever-expanding and competitive global fine wine market. We discuss the unique elements that define Chateau Lafite as well as their personal insight into the ...

From one of the most prestigious and world-renowned wine estates, Chateau Lafite Rothschild, we spoke with Technical Director Eric Kohler and Commercial Director Jean-Sebastien Philippe of Domaines Barons de Rothschild

Chateau Lafite Rothschild Interview

Blending is an art form and remains rarely understood amongst us normal wine enthusiasts. The more one thinks about the process and the many variables the more difficult it seems to contemplate. The choices seem endless and the more one tastes the more confusing it seems to get! How can you tell that a certain combination is better than another? ...

Blending Masterclass at Chateau Pichon Lalande

Me: “Paul, are you sure that sample is Merlot, it tastes a lot like Cabernet?” Paul Pontallier: “Yes absolutely it’s a Merlot, amazing eh?” Me: “Paul, are you really sure this isn’t a Cabernet?” Paul Pontallier: “Hmmm, no, not any more. Let me check…” It had started as a simple question in late Nov 2011 when I was at Ch ...

Assessing the blend: 2011 Chateau Margaux

2013 has been a challenging vintage for most of France. Much of Bordeaux has been affected by storms earlier in the year, resulting in considerably lower yields for many. Luckily, at Rauzan Segla not too much of the crop was lost. This has helped the chateau overcome what was looking to be another major concern for the vintage: rot. The ...

Harvesting at Chateau Rauzan Segla 2013

This week in our series of producer profiles, we examine Château Latour: a first-growth synonymous with excellence, class and the illustrious heritage of Bordeaux.  Château Latour: The Gold-Standard of First Growths Château Latour, situated at the southern edge of Pauillac on the border with St Julien and just a quickstep from the sloping banks of the Gironde, is one ...

Chateau Latour - the Archetypal First Growth?

After profiling the three Pauillac first-growths, we turn our attention to the last of Médoc, the heavenly, ethereal Chateau Margaux.   Chateau Margaux – A Beautiful Chateau Home to Gorgeous Wines  While all of the first-growths have helped shape the history of Bordeaux winemaking, none perhaps has left a legacy quite like that Chateau Margaux. Its stately pavilion is ...

Chateau Margaux - Ethereal Elegance and Grace

Chateau Brane Cantenac has been a consistent performer in Margaux since Henri Lurton took over the property in 1992. But in the last decade the quality has taken another sharp upswing. Even in a mixed vintage like 2014, Brane produced a beautiful wine. 2015 and 2016 were both outstanding and arguably some of the best wines ever made at the ...

Chateau Brane Cantenac - Behind the Bottle

Chateau Margaux is one of the world’s most iconic and historic wineries, producing some of the finest wine in the region for over 600 years. Despite its historical roots it has never rested on its laurels, remaining at the forefront of top Bordeaux wine production. More than ever, the owners and team are committed to retaining its reputation, investing huge ...

Chateau Margaux - Talking Terroir with Aurelien Valance

Chateau Angelus is today one of the four “First Growths” of Saint Emilion that are classified as Premier Grand Cru Classé ‘A’. It sits alongside Chateau Ausone, Chateau Cheval Blanc and Chateau Pavie as the highest rated estates in the appellation. Chateau Angelus and Chateau Pavie are the newest additions to this top rank, having both been promoted in latest ...

Chateau Angelus - Premier Grand Cru Classe A 

Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion is one of the greatest estates in all of Bordeaux, arguably the King of the Left Bank. Robert Parker has awarded it more 100 point scores than any other wine in the Medoc, equalling Petrus in achieving 12 perfect 100 point scores. Of course, the reputation and quality of the wines from this estate long predate ...

Chateau La Mission Haut Brion is one of the greatest estates in all of Bordeaux, arguably the King of the Left Bank. Robert Parker has awarded it more 100 point scores than any other wine in the Medoc, equaling Petrus in achieving 11 perfect 100 point scores. 

Your Guide to Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion

Clos de Sarpe is a rather unassuming place to visit, nestled in a little enclave north east of the village of Saint Emilion. It is in fact a tiny property in Bordeaux terms, made up of just 3.7 hectares and producing a maximum of 14,000 bottles a year, but more often than not, closer to just 10,000. In 2018 they ...

Chateau Clos de Sarpe: Tasting through the Ages

Making Wine Under Conflict “You talk of war, and of civil war. There is nothing civil about war. What happened in Lebanon is that  people fought their wars on our land.”  - Serge Hochar 
Between 1975 and 1990, Lebanon was a mosaic of wars caused by complex shifting
political, geographical, and demographical factors. When 16 years of Civil War
were finally ...

Civil War + Chateau Musar's Fight for Survival

A Timeline of Vintages Many factors come into play when tasting Chateau Musar vintages. Was it a warmer Cabernet year (1999, 2000, 2005)? Was it cooler, making Cinsault more influential in the blend as in 1998? Or was it a Carignan year like 2003? Or will grape prominence be less relevant than the dodging of bullets across the Beka’a in ...

Chateau Musar Tasting Notes Year By Year

Chateau Palmer was the highest rated wine from the Margaux appellation in James Suckling’s round-up of Bordeaux 2017s and was highlighted as possibly one of the wines of the vintage. Scoring the same as Chateau Margaux, Suckling describes 2017 Palmer as  "sexy and well-formed… with very velvety and suave tannins... full-bodied, soft and round. Extremely long and last for minutes". ...

Chateau Palmer 2017 - First Major En Primeur Release

Last weekend FINE+RARE hosted a very special wine tasting dinner alongside Alexandra Petit-Mentzelopoulos of Chateau Margaux. An introduction to the history and unique philosophy of this legendary estate was presented alongside a specially curated tasting menu from top chef Matt Abé - Chef de Cuisine at the three Michelin star flagship restaurant in Chelsea.
 
A cold, rainy Saturday evening in December; Christmas around ...

A legendary flight of the finest vintages from Chateau Margaux paired with a specially curated menu by Matt Abé.

The Glory Years of Chateau Margaux at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

The 2018 Bordeaux En Primeur campaign reached new heights this week with the surprise release of one of Saint-Emilion’s top estates - Chateau Angelus. As well as offering a pleasing reduction in price versus their last two vintages, this welcome surprise set the tone for potentially one of the most exciting En Primeur campaigns ever. Last week our first releases ...

2018 En Primeur Release of Pomerol's Chateau Belle-Brise

Last week we had the pleasure of hosting Stephanie Libreau from Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion at our London HQ, for a vertical tasting dating from 2016 back to 2012. These wines are brilliantly made, unique in so many ways and represent the cutting-edge of vinification techniques in Bordeaux. The rise in quality at the Chateau, along with the estate's reputation ...

Bordeaux Radicals: Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion


Last week we were fortunate to have a one-to-one tasting with Jean-Charles Cazes, the managing director of Chateau Lynch Bages, as well as Chateau Haut-Batailley and Chateau Ormes de Pez. Not only did we have the opportunity to taste the fantastic range of 2019 wines from the estates, but we were also given the opportunity to dig a little deeper ...

FINE+RARE with Jean-Charles Cazes dig a little deeper into what makes Chateau Lynch Bages such a special and unique wine in Pauillac.

Interview with Jean-Charles Cazes of Chateau Lynch Bages

It was a great pleasure to spend some time over the last few weeks with Omri Ram, the winemaker and viticulturalist at the helm of Chateau Lafleur - first tasting the new 2018 releases with him at Chateau Lafleur and then again on his recent visit to London. Following the tasting it was no surprise to see the spectacular scores ...

Chateau Lafleur - Exploring the iconic estate's unique DNA with Omri Ram

“Beaujolais is on a roll, not to mention the just-coming-out superb 2018s”  The 2018s “may be even better than 2015….Great vintages like these can age.” 
 - James Suckling   An ageworthy Moulin-à-Vent from a fantastic Beaujolais vintage  We are hearing great things about the 2018 vintage in Burgundy: the hot weather, for those who picked at ...

Behind the Bottle: Chateau des Jacques 2018 Moulin-à-Vent Clos de Rochegrès

Over the last two decades, Emmanuel Cruse has transformed Château d’Issan. We caught up with Cruse to taste through key vintages from the Margaux Classed Growth, tracing its evolution  Château d’Issan might not be one of Bordeaux’s most famous addresses – but the Margaux Third Growth has seen huge investment since Emmanuel Cruse arrived in 1998, and it’s a name on the rise. Jane Anson – Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent and ...

Tracing the Margaux Classed Growth’s evolution

Château d’Issan vertical

Stéphane Usseglio is the man at the helm of Domaine Raymond Usseglio in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Understandably he has gained an unrivalled insight into the area surrounding the historic village at the heart of the southern Rhône. Speaking with FINE+RARE, he shares his interpretation of the nuances of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, an appellation so often considered a place of homogeneity, when it is in ...

Rhône 2017: Inside Châteauneuf-du-Pape with Stéphane Usseglio

Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s Château de Beaucastel dates back to the 16th century, but it was only after the Perrin family took control of the estate in the early 1900s that it became one of the most iconic and well-respected wine producers in the Southern Rhône. It was the vision of
Jacques Perrin in particular – who farmed the property organically from 1950 onwards ...

Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s Château de Beaucastel dates back to the 16th century, but it was only after the Perrin family took control of the estate in the early 1900s that it became one of the most iconic and well-respected wine producers in the Southern Rhône.

Château de Beaucastel: beyond tradition

Cheval Blanc is one of the finest Châteaux in Bordeaux, famed for producing what is arguably the greatest wine of all time: 1947 Château Cheval Blanc. Opportunities to taste back vintages from this famous estate alongside the winemaking team are few and far between, so when the possibility arose, we leapt at the chance. The result was a unique tasting at ...

A Masterclass from Château Cheval Blanc

Last week we took a look at Mouton-Rothschild; this week we profile its fellow Bordeaux first growth, the iconic Château Lafite-Rothschild, one of the most famous estates in Bordeaux, if not the world. “The quintessential wine of elegance” Château Lafite-Rothschild is characterised by sophistication and finesse. Neal Martin of the Wine Advocate describes it as the “quintessential wine of elegance”, ...

Château Lafite-Rothschild - Bottled Finesse

Over his 16-year career as CEO of the estate, Thomas Duroux has come to know Château Palmer’s identity, its nuances and its ability to evolve better than anyone. He has an intimate knowledge of the last 70 vintages of Château Palmer and admits he has already tasted the 2010 vintage more than 100 times during its evolution over the last 10 years. But the decision to ...

We caught up with Thomas Duroux the day before he was due to start harvesting the 2020 vintage to find out the reasoning behind the late 2010 release, what is set to become an annual event for the château.  

Thomas Duroux: Château Palmer Interview

The Right Bank First Growth Château Cheval Blanc is an icon of Bordeaux, considered to have created some of the region’s greatest ever wines. Robert Parker has called it “one of the most elegant and noble wines in all of Bordeaux”, and many consider it to enjoy the honorary status of the Right Bank First Growth. However in many ways, there ...

Château Cheval Blanc Masterclass at FINE+RARE

We profile the glamorous wild-child of Bordeaux wine-making in the first of our series of posts on iconic producers...  Neighbour to fellow first-growth Lafite-Rothschild, Ch. Mouton-Rothschild is one of the icons of Bordeaux and one of three first growths to be found in Pauillac, home to the most regal and aristocratic of Bordeaux reds.  For any collector of fine wine, it is often ...

Château Mouton-Rothschild – Bordeaux Wine Royalty

For the last of our profiles on the Bordeaux first-growths we move away from Medoc to Pessac, to examine Chateau Haut-Brion – a first-growth of incredibly quality boasting no fewer than six 100 point Robert Parker scores. The connoisseur’s grand vin The only first growth of Pessac, this estate is set apart from its rivals in both geography and style ...

Château Haut-Brion – The Insider’s First-Growth

Visiting Chateau Ausone during En Primeur Week, we were fortunate enough to spend some time with owner Alain Vauthier and his son Edouard (who has grown up working at the Chateau) to discuss the changes afoot at Saint-Emilion’s most prestigious address. Chateau Ausone has, without question, been producing some of the finest wines in the world for many decades, but ...

Château Ausone: The Ethereal Estate of Saint-Émilion

Ahead of next week's 2018 En Primeur release, we explore what makes St. Estèphe's Cos d’Estournel such an extraordinary estate...  The last three vintages of Cos d’Estournel (2018, 2017, 2016) have shot the lights out in terms of critics’ scores. A hat-trick of potentially perfect wines, as judged by the Wine Advocate, is a rare accolade - even more ...

Château Cos d'Estournel: The singular gem of St. Estèphe

On Wednesday 6th March 2013, our Sales Director, Jamie Graham, and I, accompanied twelve of FINE+RARE's customers for our exclusive annual Bordeaux First Growth trip. Scheduled visits to some of the top Chateaux in the world proved to us that the magic in this grand region is still very much alive. The wine and food weren't bad either. Day One ...

Bordeaux First Growth Trip - Day One

It’s like waiting for buses. None show up and then they all come at once. This has been the concertina effect that has come to epitomise the 2017 EP campaign in which most of the top Chateaux have ended up releasing their wines at the same time potentially each sabotaging the other in terms of maximising their exposure on release. ...

Bordeaux 2017: EP Round-Up Week VIII

We report from a visit by Pomerol Séduction, an organisation promoting eight top wines from the iconic Right Bank appellation in Bordeaux. On the tasting table were Bordeaux 2012s and 2015s - two very different vintages that both have stories to tell. As the scramble for this year’s En Primeur offerings from Bordeaux reached its climax last week, the FINE+RARE Team saw ...

Pomerol: A Tale of Two Vintages

The spiritual home of fine wine, packed full of household names that have become bywords for luxury and quality, Bordeaux is where many begin their collections. Below is a brief snapshot of the appellations of the region, the big names, some under-the-radar gems and what it is that makes them all so special. Pauillac – Classic, Quintessential Claret  Home ...

A Whistlestop Tour of Bordeaux

The Bordeaux châteaux – and the world’s wine lovers – are waiting for the critics to give their verdict on the 2020 vintage. We’ll be adding to this page as their reports are released – offering a summary of what each of these prestigious palates are saying about the vintage and the wines they rated most highly James Suckling First ...

Our round-up of what the world’s top tasters are saying about the vintage

Bordeaux 2020: what the critics are saying

With the Duclot collection case released on Friday, featuring one bottle of all the First Growths (apart from Chateau Latour), along with a bottle of Petrus, Ausone, Cheval Blanc and Yquem all from the 2019 vintage, we mark the end of what has been arguably the most memorable en primeur campaign for many years and for so many reasons. The quality ...

With the Duclot collection case released on Friday, featuring one bottle of all the
First Growths (apart from Chateau Latour), along with a bottle of Petrus, Ausone, Cheval Blanc and Yquem all from the 2019 vintage, we mark the end of what has been arguably the most memorable en primeur campaigns for many years and for so many reasons. 

2019 Bordeaux En Primeur - Week 5 Update

In early March 2012, FINE+RARE's Sales Director Jamie Graham, Events Manager Amanda Baxter and a small group of our customers embarked on our annual tour of Bordeaux. Amanda Baxter updates us on their trip below. Day 1 Less than half our small group of customers boarded the (luxury) minibus to Saint Emilion last Wednesday as the temptation of an extra ...

Bordeaux Wine Tour Report March 2012 (Day 1)

The reviews are in. The overall top scorers for the 2018 vintage are Chateau Ausone and Petrus, both sharing an aggregate score of 99.5, with Chateau Lafleur just behind with 99.3. These aggregate scores are compiled from the top Bordeaux expert critics: James Suckling, Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate), Jeb Dunnuck, Jane Anson (Decanter) and Antonio Galloni (Vinous). Out of the ...

2018 Bordeaux En Primeur 2018: Critics' Scores Round-Up

The FINE+RARE annual Bordeaux First Growths Tour is always an exciting addition to the calendar. This year saw Sales Director, Jamie Graham and Private Client Sales Manager, Craig Norton, leave a cold, grey London behind to enjoy a whirlwind tour in sunny Bordeaux: the perfect backdrop for what is always a truly memorable, highly decadent trip visiting Bordeaux's finest properties. ...

The FINE+RARE First Growths Tour 2014

View the Top 10 red En Primeur releases with remaining case availability... With only a handful of big releases to come availability of those that have been released is dwindling... Top 10 En Primeur Reds Still Available During this En Primeur campaign, the top scoring Bordeaux 2015 wines have been selling out rapidly on release. Below is a list of ...

Bordeaux 2015 En Primeur: Remaining Availability & Still To Come

We have been fans of this tiny Pomerol estate for a few years now.  Jeremy Chasseuil produces very small quantities of quite brilliant wines, very much in a Burgundian style, yet remains under the radar for many despite the unquestionable quality.  This year Feytit-Clinet was our last visit of the week, and was preceded by tastings at Lafleur, Le Pin ...

2014: THE F+R PICKS. FEYTIT-CLINET

As we sing in the New Year, it seems like the opportune moment to reflect on the highlights of 2018. Last year saw some wonderful wine releases from around the world, aptly showcased in the critics' Top Wines of 2018 round-ups. We are living in an age where preserving tradition, embracing technology and sharing knowledge have never been greater. Couple ...

The Top Wines of 2018 - According to the Critics



 Eating cheese and drinking fine wine is really one of life’s little pleasures. The skills in matching the right cheese with the right wines is no easy task and something taken very seriously amongst the world's finest wine and cheese makers. One name that kept cropping up when speaking to winemakers about wine and cheese pairing was Bernard Antony, a ...

Eating cheese and drinking fine wine are really one of life’s little pleasures. The skills in matching the right cheese with the right wines is an art in itself and something taken very seriously amongst the world's finest wine and cheese makers.

The Alchemy of Affinage With Cheese Guru Bernard Antony 

Find out what the critics are saying about Bordeaux 2015 En Primeur and start setting alerts for the wines you want… Bordeaux 2015 Vintage Hopes have been high for the Bordeaux 2015 vintage ever since the harvest. Early opinions from critics, industry experts and winemakers suggest this is an excellent vintage; the best since 2010 and potentially surpassing it in ...

Bordeaux 2015 En Primeur: Early Opinions

Our 2019 Bordeaux Discovery Collection Case, features top value picks from across the region. While the top Chateaux and their Grand Vins often steal the limelight, there are a plethora of wines that offer staggering value in this mecca for Cabernet and Merlot based wines. Many of these wines are in fact the lesser-known projects from some of the finest viticultural ...

FINE+RARE 2019 Bordeaux Discovery Case

Early critic scores and the buzz in the marketplace suggest that the Bordeaux 2016 En Primeur campaign could be one of the biggest yet. Read on to find out about the vintage, critic opinions, scores and all the major appellations… While at En Primeur week Jancis Robinson has suggested that her readers “start saving” as she is “much enjoying tasting ...

Bordeaux 2016 En Primeur: Vintage Report

Bordeaux 2015 En Primeur has begun. Find out more about the vintage, critic opinions and the major appellations… Bordeaux 2015 Vintage Bordeaux 2015 appears to be a strong vintage. It is neither a left or right bank vintage, a Merlot or Cabernet vintage, a red or white vintage. There is outstanding quality in all areas, but it is not across ...

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