After working as Master Blender for some of the biggest names in the industry, Andrew Rankin knows a thing or two about good whisky – and good casks. He tells Holly Motion why strong relationships and traditional values are far more important to him than being a whisky personality  The name Andrew Rankin might not mean much to the average whisky drinker. But mention him to the whisky world – the ...

The ex-Bowmore Master Blender Andrew Rankin on the highs, lows and changes he’s witnessed during his 47-year career

The great Scotsman

Louis XIII is one of those spirits that almost transcends its own category – and rightly so. It has everything: the history, the provenance and exceptional quality. Holly Motion explores the fascinating history of the "king of Cognacs" Louis XIII has been adored by dignitaries, royalty and the glitterati throughout its near 150-year history. Everything about it, from the grapes ...

Looking into what makes Louis XIII the "king of Cognacs"

Louis XIII: the making of an icon

Vermouth has fallen in and out of vogue many times throughout its history. Buoyed by a new geographical classification and ever-growing classic cocktail appreciation, the future looks brighter than ever. Holly Motion reports There is a lyricism to the way Roberto Bava speaks. Beyond his unmistakeable Italian accent, his sentences rise and fall. Every word is a piece of music ...

Roberto Bava on the history of Turin’s now-protected drink and its buoyant future

Vermouth: the Italian job

Our team spent a week tasting their way around Burgundy, getting a handle on the 2020 vintage. Here we dig into a unique year and the stunning wines it produced Reports coming in last summer of the long drought that hit Burgundy had many writing off the vintage before it had even been picked. What then turned out to be ...

A unique year that has produced stunning wines of both colours

Burgundy 2020: an exceptional year

Last month, our team spent a whistle-stop week in Burgundy sampling the 2020 vintage. Here we break down the vintage by producer, from north to south, with a summary of how each fared and our favourite wine from the tasting table Domaine Charles Audoin (Marsannay) Cyril Audoin was very happy when we visited him, the cellar busy with the hum ...

A breakdown of the vintage by individual producer

Burgundy 2020: by producer

No two growing seasons are alike – but the 2020 vintage in Burgundy was particularly unusual (and also remarkably easy for its vignerons). We delve into the conditions that shaped the year’s wines The 2020 vintage is exceptional. Not only was it the earliest harvest on record, but the entire growing season – from start to finish – took place ...

We find out what made the 2020 vintage so unique

Burgundy 2020: the growing season

Great Burgundy needn’t cost the world. For those in the know, there’s great value to be found. Here are the 10 that we think offer the best value in 2020  2020 Bourgogne Côte d’Or Chardonnay, Alvina Pernot  The fruit for Alvina Pernot’s entry-level cuvée comes from two parcels – Rue du Bois (around their new winery) and Femelottes (neighbouring Les Reuchaux). The result is a fresh, vibrant and juicy Bourgogne Blanc. The ...

Wines that really over-deliver

Burgundy 2020: top-value buys

The 2020 vintage produced some exceptional wines in Burgundy. Of the wines our team has tasted so far, these are the 10 that pulled at our heartstrings most  2020 Puligny-Montrachet, Premier Cru, Clos de la Mouchère, Domaine Henri Boillot  Boillot’s four-hectare monopole Clos de la Mouchère is always a favourite, and it’s no different in 2020. This sub-section of Perrières produces a particularly honeyed expression of the site. After Pucelles, it is instantly ...

The top 10 wines from our tastings

Burgundy 2020: our favourites

Love them or loathe them, truffles are undoubtedly some of the most majestic ingredients on the planet. But, with a changing climate and an ageing cohort of specialist truffle hunters, the future of this rare delicacy is uncertain. Sophie Thorpe explores Truffles: small, gnarly things. Equally ugly and alluring. Pungently intoxicating. Deliciously rare – and undeniably expensive. Alexandre Dumas described ...

The quest to capture their elusive scent – and why the tuber’s future is in doubt

Chasing truffles

There’s no shortage of brilliant Bordeaux – but there’s a skill to drinking the right bottle at the right moment, chasing that sweetspot in a wine’s maturity. We spoke to some of the region’s leading names – from the likes of Chx Canon , Ducru-Beaucaillou , Lafite-Rothschild , Lafleur and Margaux – to find out which vintages they think are at their best right now It’s never easy to pick ...

The region’s leading winemakers on the best years to uncork now

Bordeaux vintages to drink now

The fine tea world is a treasure trove of discovery. As beguiling and complex as any wine or spirit, this enchanting liquid steeped in history can be incredibly confusing to master. Holly Motion talks to a handful of fine tea aficionados about why it's well worth investing the time After speaking with some of the foremost fine tea experts in ...

Exploring the world of fine tea

The time for tea: next-level brews

Ahead of the long-awaited release of Grand Siècle Itération No 23 in magnum, we speak to Champagne Laurent-Perrier’s Lucie Pereyre de Nonancourt to find out what’s so special about their prestige cuvée  
Champagne’s climate can be fickle. Of all the fine wine regions around the world it has to be the most unpredictable. Lucie Pereyre de Nonancourt chuckles as ...

The secret behind Champagne Laurent-Perrier’s prestige cuvée

Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle: recreating the perfect year

There are a lot of impressive people in the drinks industry, but you’d be hard pushed to find somebody quite as accomplished and personable as Master Distiller William Lowe MW. Holly Motion asks the man with the golden touch about his incredible career to date William Lowe has achieved a great many things in his life. At the time of ...

The world’s first gin tailor on turning the smallest distillery in the UK into the golden goose

William Lowe MW: the man with the Midas touch

Agriculture is in crisis. Wine producers are at the forefront of the challenges facing farmers around the world – but what can they do? We talk to Olivier Humbrecht MW, Bruno Schloegel, Michel Chapoutier and Gaia Gaja about rewilding, regenerative farming and the vine’s long-term viability In a report published in 2014 by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, under ...

How viticulture can help save the planet

A return to the wild: beyond organics

Jean-Marie Fourrier is already one of Burgundy’s leading names, but the winemaker is restless. We caught up with him to hear about his new venture in Australia – and why he’s always got one eye on the horizon  When Jean-Marie Fourrier bought legendary Australian estate Bass Phillip in early 2020, he envisaged being there a lot – even being there for the 2020 harvest. “But ‘a small virus’ can make ...

Why the Burgundian is looking further afield

Jean-Marie Fourrier: from Burgundy to Oz

After a year off, the 2021 edition of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants has been announced. Here’s a run-down of the year’s biggest winners – and the establishments that should be on any post-pandemic dining hit list  The glitterati of the food world gathered in Antwerp last night to celebrate the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. It’s perhaps no surprise that Copenhagen’s Noma came out on top yet ...

The top 50 places to dine around the globe in 2021 

The best restaurants in the world right now

Producing a wine free of affectation is the goal for many winemakers. We explore the different approaches vignerons are experimenting with in a bid to produce wines of greater purity Purity is often pretty high up on the list of desirable attributes when it comes to fine wine. But this intent is sometimes at odds with the process of winemaking. ...

How the latest innovations in winemaking could bring greater purity to wine

In search of purity

Saint-Emilion’s classification is in crisis – embroiled in court cases and controversy. But why? And does it matter? Sophie Thorpe investigates Saint-Emilion has been hitting the headlines. And not in the way it would like to. In July, just after the region’s châteaux submitted applications for the 2022 classification, two of the region’s four Premier Cru Classé A estates – ...

Investigating rifts and rivalry in the region’s classification system

Class act: Saint-Emilion

When the oldest working distillery in Scotland found a new owner in 2019, many stood back and speculated on how its fortunes might change. Holly Motion speaks to the team about how a new approach has been a barnstorming success “In more recent times The Glenturret has not been a brand name that is well known in whisky.” While few might refute ...

How questioning the fundamentals has spelled success for this Highland distillery

The Glenturret: back to basics

After countless headlines prophesying the end of the gin boom, the category's growth has finally slowed. Holly Motion talks to two innovators who, through reimagining the distillation process, have produced gins that should stand the test of time The Gin Renaissance, which kickstarted in 1999, showed the world that gin could be more than something that’s mixed with an insipid ...

The two mavericks rectifying gin's biggest problem

After the craze: reinventing gin

Few wine producers are as lauded as Ch. Latour. Ahead of the release of their 2005, Sophie Thorpe attempts to look behind the curtain at the legendary First Growth estate Ch. Latour doesn’t need PR. The Pauillac estate, one of Bordeaux’s five hallowed First Growths, is rightfully revered. But browse Google and there’s an almost eerie absence of stories about ...

Why the Pauillac First Growth doesn’t need PR

Ch. Latour: the power of silence

September sees the latest vintages from some of the world’s top estates released via La Place de Bordeaux. Ahead of the 2021 releases, we run through the vintages and properties that you’ll want on your radar South America’s finest Argentina and Chile have rapidly become hotspots for fine wine. Offering high-altitude sites with glorious sunshine, and varied soils, it’s no ...

The releases you’ll want on your radar

The September Series: the 2021 edition unpacked

Hot and dry, 2020’s conditions don’t seem to lay the ground for classical, pinpoint Chablis – yet somehow the wines are just that. We spoke to some of the region’s top producers about the vintage’s unexpected outcome With the recent fruitful set of vintages from practically all the classic French regions, you would be forgiven for thinking one is spoilt ...

Chablis’s top producers on the unexpected classicism of 2020

Chablis 2020: a mineral, saline sucker punch of a vintage

Since it stormed onto the whiskey scene in 2015, WhistlePig has rarely been out of the headlines. Success, tragedy and villainy have all befallen the zero-generation distillery in its short history. Holly Motion talks to the bright new light at the Vermont-based innovator The smallest event can set us on our path. A chance encounter, a favourite book narrated to ...

How the team is writing its own story while honouring Dave Pickerell’s legacy

WhistlePig: behind the headlines

Producing Sauternes is a noble venture – one that often brings more risks than rewards. Gavin Smith talks to three of the region’s leading producers about the perils of crafting the world’s most sought-after sweet wines – and why it’s worth it Sauternes might be the most distinctive wine on the planet. Its combination of power, unctuosity and aromatic complexity ...

The perils of crafting the world’s most sought-after sweet wine

Sauternes: the great sacrifice

Climate change poses a serious threat to wine-growers around the world. Bordeaux has just allowed the use of new grape varieties to help its producers cope with the increasingly hot, dry conditions – but what does this mean for the region’s identity? We talk to the region’s top winemakers about the future of the Bordeaux blend From January 2021, the ...

We ask Cheval Blanc, Margaux, Lafleur, Lafite, Ducru-Beaucaillou and more

Is climate change threatening the Bordeaux blend?

Rum is one of the most misunderstood spirits categories. Burdened with less-than-premium associations of pirates and insipid cocktails, it’s taken a long time for the authentic, remarkable liquid to break through the malaise Rum has been positioned as the next big thing. The one to watch. The spirits category to steal market share from Scotch whisky and the sure-bet to ...

How the often misunderstood spirit has become a serious threat

The evolution of rum

Rum isn’t regulated. Rum is either dark or white. It all comes from the Caribbean. It’s nowhere near as high quality as Scotch. These are just some of the misconceptions that hang around the category like a millstone. Holly Motion speaks to some of the loudest voices in the fight to be heard amongst all the mistruths Of all the ...

How sugarcane spirits mistruths are finally coming unstuck

Rum: the sticky issues

The concept of terroir in spirits is a comparatively new one. And, in the case of rum, takes on a very different meaning to wine. Holly Motion explores In the conversation about terroir in spirits, rum arguably has a stronger position than most. There are numerous cane-to-bottle rums and many more with a credible claim to the dictionary definition of ...

Exploring what terroir means in the rum world

The raw deal

Bodegas Roda has always done things a bit differently in Rioja. Their prestige cuvée Cirsion is a perfect example, proving the top wines of the region don’t have to be dominated by oak Bodegas Roda has always strived to be a modern force in Rioja – not dictated by tradition and the region’s strict requirements when it comes to ageing. ...

How Bodegas Roda’s Cirsion has changed the Rioja recipe

Finding Tempranillo’s true potential

After years of painstaking renovation and restoration, the £30 million Ardross project is about to take off. Founder Barthélémy Brosseau tells Holly Motion all about the contrarian Northern Highlands distillery’s transformation and why this team is proud to be different Ardross is a new Scotch whisky distillery. You’d be forgiven for rolling your eyes about now. Over the past few years ...

The effervescent founder on why his distillery is proud to be different

Ardross: the butterfly effect

Having taken over from her late father, Denis Durantou, Noëmie Durantou Reilhac of Ch. l’Eglise-Clinet tells Sophie Thorpe how the vines were a constant in an emotionally wrought year – and what lies ahead for the vigneron family  The 2020 vintage was challenging for most vignerons. But for the Durantou family, it was a year that demanded everything of them. Denis Durantou – patriarch and leading light of Pomerol – passed away on 12th May. For many people, their day-job would be ...

How the vines have got her through a challenging year at Ch. l’Eglise Clinet

The constant farmer: Noëmie Durantou Reilhac

Meursault-based Domaine Roulot is one of the finest estates in the Côte de Beaune, with a long and storied tradition of winemaking. But it’s not just grapes that cross the threshold at this domaine. Owner and winemaker Jean-Marc tells us about the family’s fruit-based spirits – and how they’ve influenced his winemaking When Jean-Marc Roulot wandered through the family estate’s ...

The famous Meursault vigneron on his family’s other project

A secret still: Domaine Roulot

David Stewart MBE is the longest-serving Malt Master. Kelsey McKechnie is the youngest female Malt Master Apprentice. Holly Motion speaks to the two Balvenie record-breakers about passing the baton, the weight of a legacy, and what it really means to lay down stocks for the next generation It is hard to imagine The Balvenie without David Stewart MBE and vice ...

The current and future Malt Master on upholding tradition while driving innovation

The Balvenie: the making of a master

Neal Martin – now of Vinous, previously the Wine Advocate – is one of the world’s leading wine writers. Sophie Thorpe talks to the determinedly off-beat critic about his path into wine and why there’s much more to life than brilliant bottles Quiet, even subdued, cautious, the Neal Martin on my screen is quite different to the garrulous character I’d imagined from his writing. On the page (or more often these days, the screen), Martin pokes ...

The leading wine critic on why his offbeat style is key to his success

Neal Martin: striking a chord

Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite)’s Jean-Sébastien Philippe speaks to Gavin Smith
about the benefits of collaboration amongst its châteaux – Lafite, L’Evangile, Rieussec and Duhart-Milon For many, the past 12 months meant working in isolation and big plans were shelved. At
Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), it was an extremely proactive year of change. These changes have resulted in the strongest line ...

The dynamism, tenacity and collaboration required to make wines of the utmost precision

Domaines Barons de Rothschild: a year of innovation

A region where producers were once known for using 200% new oak, Bordeaux has long championed the barrique. But at a time when winemakers around the world are looking to alternatives for ageing wine, we talk to a handful of Bordeaux’s leading names, asking whether their love affair with the barrique is over  In some parts of the wine industry, oak ...

We talk to Bordeaux’s leading producers about whether the barrique has fallen from favour

Is Bordeaux over oak?

As he approaches his 50th year in the industry, Colin Scott tells Holly Motion about the allure of well-aged whisky and plundering The Last Drop’s remarkable spirits inventory  Colin Scott should be one year into his retirement. After 47 years at Chivas Brothers, 31 of which were spent as the Master Blender, he should be enjoying a well-earned rest. Instead, the ebullient Scott is lighting up the screens of the FINE+RARE team as he talks ...

How a well-aged whisky lured Colin Scott out of retirement

The bewitching blend

You don’t need us to tell you that the First Growths made good wine in 2020 – but there’s plenty of brilliant value to be found beyond the grandest names. Here we’ve picked 10 of the more modest wines from our tastings so far that are firmly on our wish-list  2020 Ch. Tour Saint-Christophe, Saint-Emilion  There is lovely restraint to Tour Saint-Christophe this year, ...

Ten of the best-value wines of the vintage en primeur

Bordeaux 2020: top-value buys

Bordeaux produced some stunning wines in 2020. While we haven’t yet tasted everything – notably Chx Mouton and Lafite Rothschild – here’s our pick of our 10 favourites so far, wines that have really shone in this remarkable vintage 2020 Calon Ségur, Saint-Estèphe This has a lovely interplay of earthy, mineral notes with a touch of smokiness, fresh leather and ...

The top 10 wines from our team’s tastings so far

Bordeaux 2020: our favourites

Bordeaux 2020 was a vigneron’s vintage, a year in which strategic choices were key to success. Here we delve into how each of the main appellations on both the Left and Right Banks fared in this remarkable year. Talking to the Bordelais vignerons, there’s a recurring sense of relief and elation about the 2020 vintage. These fantastic wines don’t speak of the challenges that tested ...

A commune-by-commune guide to the vintage 

Bordeaux 2020: breaking it down

The 2020 vintage in Bordeaux was not easy – but the resulting wines are undeniably very good. After several weeks’ tasting and talking extensively, we give an overview of the eventful year and the impressive wines it produced  Talking to producers about the 2020 vintage in Bordeaux, their excitement is palpable. Dramatic gesticulation and unabashed grins made for little modesty, but there is also a certain amount of relief. This was not an easy season for the region’s vignerons – ...

Your one-stop guide to the vintage

Bordeaux 2020: vintage overview

After three decades in the whisky industry Tomatin’s Graham Eunson is more energised than ever. He tells Holly Motion why his latest role is the best yet There’s little Graham Eunson hasn’t seen in his 30 years in the Scotch whisky industry. From pushing barrels at Scapa straight out of school to managing one of the biggest names, the Orcadian ...

Tomatin’s Distillery Operations Director on the pace, and people, that keep him in the industry

Graham Eunson: a life in whisky

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

It’s 20 years since Bibi Graetz created Colore, one of Italy’s top wines. To mark the occasion, Gavin Smith tasted through 14 vintages – exploring the evolution of this rare Tuscan red, and its maker  Getting to taste a vertical of any one wine is undoubtedly the best way to understand it. It provides that rare opportunity to see how well ...

Tracing the evolution of this rare Tuscan red – and its maker

A story in Sangiovese: two decades of Colore

Since David Suire’s arrival in 2015, Château Laroque has become one of Saint-Emilion’s most talked-about estates. We caught up with the man behind the modest property’s soaring reputation (and scores) to find out more The skyline of the medieval village of Saint-Emilion is dominated by the spire of its 12th century monolithic church. Hewn from the limestone rock that imbues its wines with their shape and sinew, the 68-metre high ...

How David Suire is transforming this Saint-Emilion estate

Carving a new future at Laroque

For many, the words “American whiskey” conjure up images of Kentucky, Bourbon and Rye. Two equally innovative and candid producers tell Holly Motion why the Pacific Northwest is perfectly primed to create sensational American single malts The Pacific Northwest is the birthplace of some of the greatest innovations of the past 40 years. Microsoft, Amazon and Starbucks are just some of the multi-billion-dollar enterprises to come from the region with its spectacular mountainous ...

Two Pacific Northwest producers on the limitless potential of American single malts

A new flavour frontier

Oak has played a vital role in the changing history of fine wine. Gavin Smith spoke to Max Gigandet – Managing Director of leading Burgundy cooper François Frères – to explore the power of a good barrel and why oak isn’t going anywhere Oak barrels have been used in winemaking for thousands of years. While initially their purpose was simply ...

Exploring the power of a good barrel

Finding the balance: the art of the cooper

As Château Langoa Barton marks its 200th anniversary, Sophie Thorpe caught up with Damien Barton-Sartorius – the 10th generation of the Barton family to run the estate – about tradition, terroir and why Bordeaux remains the most exciting wine region in the world  Think of Bordeaux, and you probably don’t think of skateboarding and denim shirts. Damien Barton-Sartorius, however – Director of Château Langoa and Léoville Barton – manages ...

Talking terroir and tradition with Damien Barton-Sartorius, Director of Langoa and Léoville Barton

Keeping up with the Bartons

From traditional single malt Scotch to the weird-and-wonderful and everything in between, there’s every chance an independent bottler had a hand in bringing this liquid to your lips. Holly Motion spoke to four bottlers about the category’s rich history and the important role they play in the spirits world Dalmore, Mortlach and Macallan fetch tens of thousands of pounds at auction today – but they likely wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for an independent bottler. In times of great economic hardship, Gordon ...

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