

 With all the wines now released and practically every major critic's review published, we reflect on some of the real gems in the vintage from the Cote de Beaune. Perhaps the biggest surprise about tasting the wines now in bottle was just how well the whites performed. Whilst there was plenty of hype and expectation for the reds long ...

We explore some of our favourite whites from Paul Pernot, Henri Boillot as well as some fantastic inaugural vintages from Alvina Pernot and rising star Jospeh Colin who, if their 2018s are anything to go by, are some of the Cote's most exciting producers.

Burgundy 2018 EP Round-Up - F+R's Top 2018 White Wines



 Philipponnat’s single vineyard Clos des Goisses is 
one of Champagne’s most famous vineyards. It is the steepest, directly
south-facing vineyard in the whole of Champagne (between 30- 45% gradient), and
the hottest site in the region. It is a 5.5 hectare narrow strip (800 metres
long and 100 metres wide) perfectly positioned to push the natural ripeness of
the grapes to a level ...

We caught up with winemaker and proprietor Charles Philipponnat to discover the history of this landmark site, its rise to prominence and the specifics of the site that makes it so special.



Behind the Bottle: Clos des Goisses Champagne



 F+R’s George Koutsakis was one of just eight guests invited to visit Dalmore’s refurbished distillery to witness the
launch of a one-of-a-kind 60 Year Old bottling to commemorate the distillery’s
180th anniversary. 

 Alongside Macallan, Dalmore is leading the luxury end of
the Scotch whisky revival, with its top designated aged whiskies now reaching
astronomical prices. We explore this historic distillery following its
refurbishment ...

F+R’s George Koutsakis was one of just eight guests lucky enough to be invited to visit Dalmore’s refurbished distillery to witness the launch of a one-of-a-kind 60 Year Old bottling to commemorate the distillery’s 180th anniversary.

Experience The Dalmore: F+R Visits the Historic Highland Distillery 



 Christian Papat is one of
Italy’s busiest and most successful vignerons working with his wife at top 
Friuli estate, Ronco del Gnemiz, as well as working with Enzo
Pontoni, vigneron extraordinaire at the legendary Miani estate. He also works as
a consultant winemaker for many properties producing wines from all over Italy.
Most recently he has been involved in the “Old Vines Project” ...

We caught up with Christian to talk more about the Old Vines Project – “L’Eta Piu Bella”, which is set to release its first collection of wines from top sites in Friuli this Spring. 

Christian Patat Interview 



 Last week F+R was back in Burgundy for our annual visit to Domaine Leroy, making our selection from the new Maison Leroy 2020 Collection, due out in the next few weeks. This year we were also able to taste some of the latest Domaine d’Auvenay releases as well as a rather special bottle of 1926 Auxey Duresses from Maison Leroy. ...

*text in italic*Last week F+R was back in Burgundy for our annual visit to Domaine Leroy to select what we will offer from the new Maison Leroy 2020 Collection, due out in the next few weeks. This year we also got to taste some of the latest Domaine d’Auvenay releases as well as a rather special bottle of 1926 Auxey Duresses.

FINE+RARE Visits Leroy

F+R Hosts La Mission Haut-Brion at Davies and Brook Restaurant



 Macallan is one of Scotland's most popular whisky
distilleries and its rare aged bottlings have become some of the world’s most
collected and expensive whiskies on the planet. Founded back in 1824 it has been
a stalwart of Highland Whisky ever since. More recently it has been at the
forefront of the Scottish whisky revival and its 1926 release hit the headlines
all over ...

We explore the history of the distillery and chart its incredible commercial success in the recent Scottish whisky revival and what today remain the best buys from the distillery.  

Macallan Whisky - Producer Portrait



 Giacomo Conterno’s Monfortino is the most celebrated and famous Barolo in the world. It is also said to be the first ever producer-named Barolo made in the Riserva style, the first vintage being made in the 1920s. At this time Barolo was typically sold either by cask and blended by Alba merchants or in demi-john glass containers. 
 On ...

Giacomo Conterno’s Monfortino is the most celebrated and famous Barolo in the world. It is also said to be the first ever producer-named Barolo made in the Riserva style, the first vintage being made in the 1920s. 

Behind the Bottle - Monfortino



 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 



 Last week the release of the Yamazaki 55-year-old made
global headlines and shook the whisky industry. Set to be released in June
2020, the new bottle by Suntory's most famous distillery will retail for
US$27,500, excluding tax. We look at how the 100 bottles are to be
distributed in Japan and the potential knock-on effect this release will have on other Yamazaki releases and ...

Last week the release of the Yamazaki 55-year-old made global headlines and shook the whisky industry. Set to be released in June 2020, the new bottle by Suntory's most famous distillery will retail for US$27,500, excluding tax. 

Whisky Watch - Will The New Yamazaki 55YO Surpass The Legendary 50-Year-Old?



 F+R have sourced a parcel of some of the finest Pinot Noirs coming out of Germany, a diverse region that is today arguably producing the most exciting Pinot Noirs in Europe, outside of Burgundy. Top examples are world class and offer both similarities and important differences to the Cote d’Or. 
 We arranged a tasting of some of the ...

F+R have sourced a parcel of some of the finest Pinot Noirs coming out of Germany, a diverse region that is today arguably producing the most exciting Pinot Noirs in Europe, outside of Burgundy. Top examples are world class and offer both similarities and important differences to the Cote d’Or. 

Beyond Burgundy: Europe's Other Fine Wine Region for Pinot Noir


We have unearthed an absolute gem in the guise of Rosso della Centa. A 100% Merlot wine grown on just one hectare of a distinct marl clay hillside in Friuli, Italy. The wine is the creation of one of Italy’s top winemakers Nicola Manferrari who first produced the wine in 1985 and has gone on to release it only in ...

Whilst more famous for their white wines, one of Friuli's top growers, Nicola Manferrari, has a very special one-hectare plot dedicated to red wine. A world-class Merlot called Rosso della Centa.

Rosso Della Centa - The First Great Friuli Red

Dal Forno's flagship Amarone and Valpolicella from the much celebrated 2013 vintage are due for release in the first part of the month, as is the annual Maison Leroy release. Domaine Leroy and Domaine d’Auvenay are due out nearer the end of the month or early March. We will also be focusing on regions outside of Italy and France that ...

Dal Forno's flagship Amarone and Valpolicella from the much celebrated 2013 vintage are due for release in the first part of the month, as is the annual Maison Leroy release. Domaine Leroy and Domaine d’Auvenay are due out nearer the end of the month or early March.

Wines Not to Miss in February 2020

It is a
rare chance to taste all the single vineyards side by side and the best
opportunity to really try and understand the nuances and terroirs of each of
the separate sites. What is immediately clear is however variable in their
tannin profiles, aromatics and fruit flavours, they are all incredibly
consistent in quality. There isn’t a bad wine in the line-up, more than ...

Aldo Vacca gives us his take on the vintage, a breakdown of each of the individual single vineyards and their distinct flavor profiles, as well as full tasting notes of the 2015s.

Produttori del Barbaresco - The Single Vineyard Riservas

Last night was Burns night. An evening of poetry
and drinking, celebrating the life and works of Scottish poet Robert Burns. We
look back at the life and work of Scotland’s most famous poet and his love of
whisky. To mark the occasion, we have also curated a Whisky Sale that started this Saturday made up of
some of our favourite bottles of Scotch. ...

An evening of poetry and drinking, celebrating the life and works of Scottish poet Robert Burns. We look back at the life and work of Scotland’s most famous poet and his love of whisky. 

Burns Night - A Tale of Whisky & Freedom

The history of Piedmont as a fine wine region and the
establishment of Nebbiolo as a single varietal wine predates the unification of
Italy. Yet the region’s rise to international fame as Italy’s finest wine was
intrinsically linked to the political role that the Piedmont Kingdom played in
the unification of Italy. 
We look back at the rise of Barolo as the “King of ...


We look back at the rise of Barolo as the “King of Wines” as its neighbouring sibling Barbaresco had a less fortunate and rocky road to fortune.


The Historic Rise of Nebbiolo - Italy's "King of Wines"


 
 The Burgundy
buzz has reached fever pitch this weekend with all of the leading critics
publishing their thoughts and scores on the vintage, followed by the majority
of Burgundy’s top producers showcasing the vintage in both London and Hong Kong.
 

 Amongst
all the chatter we spoke to winemaker and proprietor Chantal Tortochot whose
wines in 2018 offer fantastic value for the quality. ...

Top-Value Pick from Gevrey Chambertin in 2018 - we look at how the domaine has adapted as the climate in Burgundy has changed.

Domaine Tortochot Producer Portrait

Japanese whisky shortages have made the headlines once
again and these days, it no longer comes as a shock to see another iconic
Japanese whisky discontinued.  Over the past twenty years a fanatic, ever-growing fan
base has risen around Japanese whisky. While the category deserves nothing less,
this increased popularity continues to deplete the remaining stock from Japan's
largest and most popular producers. 
 ...

Our new resident Spirits reporter George Koutsakis looks at the ever increasing supply and demand issues currently plaguing Japanese whisky producers. 

The Japanese Whisky Shortage Grows: Taketsuru Range Discontinued


 
 It was about this time last year we bumped into Giovanni Angeli, winemaker of one of Barolo’s top producers – Massolino. He was over in London to promote his latest 2015 releases. Despite the positivity surrounding the ‘15s, Giovanni just couldn’t contain his excitement about the vintage that was to follow. At this time, the wines were still ...

We speak to Giovanni Angeli, winemaker of one of Barolo's top producers - Massolino -  on just how good the Barolo 2016 vintage is.

Barolo 2016 -Early Vintage Insight

This is no ordinary Chardonnay from the Maconnias, the Domaine de la Bongran Vire Clesse has its own particular style thanks to some rather unique terroir and an uncompromising approach to its winemaking. The vines are organically-farmed on a 15 hectare estate planted on white marl in the hamlet of Quintaine, just north of Clessé. Jean Thevenet and his son
Gautier ...

Behind the Bottle - Vire Clesse by Domaine de la Bongran

Domaine Georges Lignier has some of the most enviable Grand Cru sites in Burgundy with
significant holdings in Clos de la Roche, Clos St Denis and Bonnes Mares. Based
in the village of Morey St Denis, the domaine is today run by the ever-thoughtful
Benoit Stehly, the great grandson of Georges Lignier, who has been in charge of
the property since 2007.  It ...

Domaine Georges Lignier - 2018 Vintage Update

At this time of the year the leading wine critics reflect on their wine highlights of the year. We look at some of the top picks from Antonio Galloni, James Suckling, James Halliday and Jeb Dunnuck whose range and variety only highlight the current health of the world of fine wine today. We identify some of their top picks for ...

Critics Round-Up - Top Wines of 2019

January is the month in which our Burgundy 2018 En Primeur campaign really hits top gear with the majority of domaines releasing their wines to market for the first time. Stay tuned for releases from Groffier, Lamarche, Gros Frère et Sœur and many more, including our top picks from Domaine Hudelot Noellat and Domaine Tortochot.
 Outside of the En Primeur ...

Top wine releases due out this month

Wines To Watch in January 2020

One of our most memorable visits and tastings this year was in Monthelie at the historic cellars of Domaine Potinet Ampeau. Ever since trying a collection of their aged whites a couple of years ago I’ve been captivated by the pristine quality and structure of their very mature white wines. This autumn we were finally able to discover the cellars ...

Specialists in vin de garde, these wines are built to age

Producer Portrait: Domaine Potinet-Ampeau

As we look ahead into the New Year, our heads are full of ideas of things to see and do in 2020. For any true epicurean, a list of top restaurants to visit in the next twelve months requires serious deliberation. To help inspire you, we asked some of our favourite winemakers from around the world to give their local ...

Top picks according to Oilvier Humbrecht, Christophe Roumier, Gianlorenzo Neri and more…

Where Winemakers Eat: Part 1

We found a moment to quiz Matt Abé award-winning Chef de Cuisine at Gordon Ramsay about the inspiration behind the unique menu curated for the recent Chateau Margaux event, the importance wine plays at the restaurant and his close working partnership with Head Sommelier James Lloyd. 


 What is particular about Bordeaux wines that most affects pairing food with them?  ...

We speak to the Chef de Cuisine at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay about curating the perfect menu to pair with Chateau Margaux

Q+A with Matt Abé - Chef de Cuisine, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

This year the team at FINE+RARE encountered some astonishing bottles on our quest to source the finest wines and spirits from around the world. We asked our colleagues to highlight some of their favourites from 2019... Corentin Margier – Head of Buying Unicorn Wine/Spirit of the Year (something you are unlikely to taste/ experience
again): Clos Vougeot 1937, Maison Leroy The ...

We reveal our most memorable bottles of the year

Top Wines + Spirits of 2019: FINE+RARE Staff Picks

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

Following our F+R event last Saturday we caught up with Head Sommelier at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay – James Lloyd. We talk to him about the challenges and rewards associated with working as Head Sommelier in one of the world’s most acclaimed dining venues.

 What is the preferred part of your role as Head Sommelier at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay? James Lloyd: There ...

We speak to the Head Sommelier at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay about managing one of the world's top wine lists

Q+A with James Lloyd - Head Sommelier, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

It is that time of year again when it is time to plan which wines you are drinking over the festive period. We thought we would ask some of our favourite winemakers and estates what they are planning to drink, to help give you some inspiration. Special thanks to Charles Philipponnat for his detailed response, he will certainly be enjoying an ...

We speak to Champagne Philipponnat, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Angelus, Roberto Voerzio, Dal Forno + more

What winemakers are drinking this Christmas

With the Burgundy 2018 En Primeur sales in full swing we thought it topical to offer our top tips for visiting the region. With two native Burgundians in our buying team, who better than them to outline the local delicacies not to miss, the top wine lists and the best restaurants in the region. 
Top Special Occasion Restaurant – Lameloise (3* ...

With two native Burgundians in our Buying team, who better to outline the best restaurants and top wine lists in the region and the local delicacies not to be missed.

24 Hours in... Burgundy

For all of us Burgundy obsessives the individual plots conjure up a magical sense of variety in Burgundy. The Grand Crus and even the top Premier Cru wines provide such unique personalities, aficionados can’t help but get attached to particular sites whose terroir speaks directly to them. Whilst there are many great single vineyard sites throughout the Cote d’Or we ...

We identify some plots that might not have the cachet of the top sites but have real personality and offer fantastic value for the shrewd Burgundy buyer.

Top Under-the-Radar Single Plots in Burgundy

The Rhone Valley has been enjoying a consecutive set of remarkable vintages since 2015. According to Michel Chapoutier, 2018 has continued in the same vein and he describes it as “a terrific year”. Indeed, the Rhone Valley followed a similar path to the rest of France in 2018. A very wet start to the year helped provide plenty of water ...

RHONE VALLEY 2018 VINTAGE INSIGHT

Our visit to Domaine Hudelot Noellat during our autumn stint in Burgundy was easily one of the highlights of the trip. Expectations were already high since Charles Van Canneyt (winemaker at the domaine) has been on a roll, producing fantastic wines at this property since taking over from his uncle in 2008. Whilst Charles prefers the cooler vintages in Burgundy, ...

One of the most impressive line up of wines we tasted in 2018 came from Domaine Hudelot-Noellat. We spoke to winemaker Charles Van Canneyt about the vintage and each of his specific terroirs. 

Domaine Hudelot Noellat - Top picks of 2018

F+R: As a wine lover and epicurean how would you best spend 24 hours in Montpellier and surrounding area? Andrew Jefford: This slightly depends if you are here in summer or winter.  If you’re here in the summer when it’s very hot, you might want to be near the sea and go swimming: sandy, super-safe and very child-friendly hereabouts.  There ...

24 HOURS IN… MONTPELLIER WITH ANDREW JEFFORD

The Birth of the Cult Wine in Napa Valley The story of Maya is a fascinating one. Widely seen as Napa’s first cult wine, it was catapulted to stardom following the 1992 vintage becoming the second ever wine from the US to be awarded 100 points from Robert Parker. This was a big deal since Parker at that time was ...

Maya Returns Home to Dalla Valle Vineyards

The evening started with Piero Antinori explaining how Solaia first came about, how it was effectively the result of a very lucky accident, much in the same way as Champagne. In 1978, the vines used to make Antinori’s Tignanello produced an unusually high yield of Cabernet Sauvignon. Rather than waste this, or blend it into the other wines, they decided ...

Solaia Vertical with Antonio Galloni, Piero Antinori and Renzo Cotarell

Simonit & Sirch Launch New Pruning Course

Undoubtedly one of our most memorable stops during our Autumn visit to Burgundy this year was the magnificent cellar of Olivier Bernstein in the heart of the old district of Beaune. Olivier Bernstein’s property is breathtaking, even before trying the wines in the cellar below.  Olivier had the property completely renovated between 2005 and 2010, with the help of ...

Undoubtedly one of our most memorable stops during our Autumn visit to Burgundy this year was the magnificent cellar of Olivier Bernstein in the heart of the old district of Beaune. Olivier Bernstein’s property is breathtaking, even before trying the wines in the cellar below. 

Olivier Bernstein's Bespoke Burgundy

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

Gianlorenzo Neri from top Brunello producer Casanova di Neri reveals his hidden gems in and around the region of Montalcino. Famed for its pinci pasta, wild boar and of course world class wines this is a thriving region for the travelling epicurean. Gianlorenzo provides us with his top restaurant tips, favourite wine lists and the best times in the year ...

24 Hours in... Brunello di Montalcino

The 2018 vintage is undoubtedly a hedonistic vintage  – with a rich, opulent, ripe fruit profile and a wonderful concentration that will provide huge amounts of drinking pleasure. But it is also a heterogeneous vintage. This was already apparent during the harvest, with some pickers starting as early as mid-August and others waiting until mid-September. Given how warm it was ...

With its rich, opulent fruit profile and wonderful concentration, we investigate what makes 2018 such a hedonistic vintage in Burgundy

2018 Red Burgundy Review

The precariousness of Venice's future in the face of rising water levels has never felt more immediate than this week, with record water levels and resulting damage leading to a state of emergency being declared. Whilst flooding is a fact of nature for Venissa's vineyards, this week's events underscore how fragile this winemaking endeavour really is.  With the newest ...

Venissa: the unique terroir of Venice's flooded vineyards

Last month saw Bordeaux descend on London for the latest Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux tasting and it was a great opportunity to get an update on how the latest vintage is shaping up. Marielle Cazaux from Chateau Conseillante showed me her blackened hands after coming straight to the tasting in London from the pressing of her 2019s. She ...

Last month's Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux tasting provided the perfect opportunity to quiz winemakers on how the latest vintage is shaping up

Early Insight on Bordeaux 2019

This week we were fortunate enough to delve into the mind of Andrew Jefford, a man who has been writing professionally about wine for over thirty years. A wine writer as opposed to a critic, his thought-provoking approach has been providing insight into a world of wine that has completely transformed over this time... The Language of Wine F+R: On your own ...


A thought-provoking Q+A with the revered wine writer

An Interview with Andrew Jefford

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 

The 2016 Vintage 2016 was undoubtedly a sensational vintage in Napa. Whilst it was the 5th warm vintage in a row, the season had a very wet start, so it was the first vintage in Napa since 2011 not classified as a drought vintage. For many, this brought more finesse to the tannins, more minerality and more balance to the ...

Napa Valley 2016 & 2017 Vintage Insights

Nicolas has lived and breathed Cote Rotie since he was a boy, working alongside his uncle in the vineyards and winery, and in the summers with his father at Guigal. Following his uncle's passing, Nicolas inherited one of the most prime vineyards in the highly revered lieu-dit of “Les Grandes Places” in the Cote Brune of Cote Rotie. Previously these ...

Nicolas Champagneux - Producer Portrait

Last weekend F+R were one of the proud sponsors of the Venice Hospitality Challenge, a yacht race that takes place around the island of Venice. It is an incredible spectacle in which racing yachts, with a minimum length of 60 feet, take part in an around the city boat race. It has been dubbed the Grand Prix of Venice and ...

F+R Sponsor's Venice Hospitality Challenge

F+R: After tasting in Burgundy and Champagne consistently over the last couple of years, what do you feel has been the most important developments in each of the regions in that time? William Kelley: I think that Burgundians are getting used to handling warm fruit. If you're not used to making wine from warm grapes, it's easy for things to go ...

The Wine Advocate's William Kelley shares his Burgundy 2018 Early Insight

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