In a world filled with big brands, Clase Azul is a tequila producer looking to do things differently. Holly Motion finds out why the artisan brand is determined for tradition to trump trends It is little wonder there has been a veritable tequila gold rush, after celebrity-backed brands have sold in excess of $1bn, and the category continued to report double-digit growth during a global pandemic. This growth wasn’t just ...

The tequila producer that’s standing up for the region’s traditions

Authentic agave: Clase Azul

There is such domestic demand for the wines of Domaine Donatsch that they are rarely seen outside Switzerland. Tucked in amongst the Alps, this property makes world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that gives Burgundy a run for its money. Gavin Smith spoke to winemaker and owner Martin Donatsch about the extraordinary site and life on the slopes  Few people have ...

The man making great Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Swiss Alps

The high life: Martin Donatsch

With the release of the 2017 Barolos fast approaching, Gavin Smith spoke to some of the region’s leading producers – Giovanni Angeli from Massolino, Giuseppe Vaira from Vajra, Emanuele Baldi from Prunotto and Ferruccio Grimaldi – about the vintage, its extreme conditions and the surprising results The world’s fine wine regions famously exist where the climate is just warm enough ...

Beyond all expectation – a year that defies logic

Barolo 2017: vintage report

Master distillers have been maturing whisky in oak barrels for centuries. While it is generally accepted that “the cask is king” and “the wood makes the whisky”, cask finishing – or second maturation – is a relatively new fashion. Here we look at what it is and why it matters  Maturation, distillation and the base grain combine to give whisky its character. But – while it only takes a week from ...

Digging into the double maturation of whisky

What is cask finishing?

Prunotto was one of the first Barolo estates to produce a single-vineyard “Cru” wine – kickstarting a trend that has transformed the region. We spoke to Emanuele Baldi to find out what inspired the estate Prunotto’s Emanuele Baldi has an encyclopedic knowledge of Barolo. Listening to his stories about the last century in the region is fascinating, providing context to how and why Barolo and the surrounding Piedmontese regions have developed as they have. Perhaps one of ...

The trend that transformed Barolo

The birth of Barolo’s Crus

A varied palette of releases in February will satisfy even the most esoteric of collectors. From some of the biggest releases of the year from Leroy and Domaine d’Auvenay to lesser-known beauties from Switzerland, these are wines and spirits you won’t want to miss Valpolicella from maestro Romano dal Forno   February sees the annual release from Valpolicella’s pioneering Dal Forno estate. The sad news is there will be no new Amarone ...

The wines and spirits to have on your radar this month

What to look out for this February

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

There’s been a buzz about the cult Montalcino estate Cerbaiona since it changed hands in 2015. Ahead of the release of the 2016 Brunello – the first under Matthew Fioretti’s ownership – Gavin Smith caught up with Fioretti to find out more about how and why he’s transforming the property Cerbaiona is widely recognised as one of the top estates ...

We talk to the man determined to modernise this cult Montalcino property

Cerbaiona: a new era

The world’s leading wine critics have spoken, and their verdict on Burgundy 2019 is in. No one was short of something to say about the fascinating year. Here, we round-up what they said about the vintage Wine Advocate – William Kelley 
There was such demand for Kelley’s official report on the vintage that the Wine Advocate site momentarily crashed under ...

What the leading wine critics are saying about the vintage

Burgundy 2019: the critics' verdict

Each month, we ask a handful of our team to pick a wine or spirit they’ve tasted recently – a bottle that surprised, delighted or merely lived up to high expectations. Here’s what they chose 2005 Charmes-Chambertin, Grand Cru, Dennis Bachelet “Denis Bachelet’s wines are part of our family history, and we have always followed the domaine. My family has ...

What our team is drinking

In the glass

The spirits market has seen a decade of astounding performance – but what is happening, and what should you be looking to buy?  The spirits market is booming. In October 2019, a bottle of 1926 Macallan FINE+RARE 60-Year-Old became the most expensive bottle (of either wine or spirits) ever sold at auction in the world, going for £1.5 million ...

We take a closer look at the spirits market

In high spirits

Richard “the Nose” Paterson – the Master Blender behind Dalmore – has been crafting fine single malt Scotch for Whyte & Mackay for half a century. But now he’s launching a new project, Wolfcraig – a Highland distillery that has the industry awhirl. We caught up with the larger-than-life character to find out more “Right, Richard, what do you think ...

We talk to Dalmore’s Master Blender about his new project

On the nose: Richard Paterson

The 2019 vintage has produced some stunning wines across France. As with Bordeaux and Burgundy, it has proven to be an excellent year for the Rhône – one in a series of stunning “nines” (joining the ranks of 1979, ’89, ’99 and 2009). We talk to some of the region’s leading producers to find out more about the vintage The ...

An excellent year that produced wines of concentration and balance


Rhône 2019: vintage report

Premature oxidation has plagued the modern era of white Burgundy – but could it be a thing of the past? Recent research by Olivier Lamy – the experimental winemaker at the helm of Domaine Hubert Lamy – could hold the key to solving the problem. We caught up with him to find out more  When visiting the cellars of Domaine ...

Could premature oxidation be a thing of the past?

Solving the premox problem: Olivier Lamy

Burgundy continues to dominate as we kick off the New Year, but this month will also see a host of new releases from the Rhône, Tuscany, Spain and a special cask offering: here’s our pick of the bunch Burgundy  January tends to be dominated by the major new releases from Burgundy. With rave reviews from the critics, combined with the reduction in volumes, demand for the 2019s is set to be high. This month will see major releases from the likes ...

What to look out for this January

In our quest to source the finest wines and spirits from around the world, we sample some astonishing bottles. We asked a handful of our team to highlight the best thing they tasted this year – from 1926 Leroy to a special 60-year-old Glenfarclas 
 2012 Barolo, Vigna Rocchette, Cavalier Lorenzo Accomasso  “Lorenzo Accomasso is a true ’cavalier’, capable of carrying ...

The finest wines and spirits we tasted in 2020

The year’s best bottles


 This year saw us publish over 120 articles. From producer interviews and region guides to vintage reports, here are the five pieces that proved most popular Musar: a year-by-year vintage guide This summer we delved into the history of Chateau Musar – the iconic winery that has long proven the potential of Lebanese terroir. As well as offering a ...

The most popular articles we published

The five most read features in 2020

Rich, complex and deeply rewarding, at its best Port is one of the most age-worthy styles of wine produced today. Here’s a quick guide to the fortified wine – from the various styles made to the best vintages to buy What is Port? Port is a fortified wine made in the Douro Valley in Portugal. Traditionally the wines were shipped ...

Your essential guide

Everything you need to know about Port

There’s no better time than Christmas to open a treasured bottle or two. Ahead of the big day, we asked a handful of our favourite winemakers – from Saskia de Rothschild to Klaus-Peter Keller – to tell us what they’ll be uncorking For the aperitif For Domaine Long-Depaquit’s Matthieu Mangenot it is the energy and power of Champagne Brut Nature ...

From Saskia de Rothschild to Klaus-Peter Keller

What winemakers are drinking this Christmas

As Steven Spurrier publishes his memoirs, we talk to the wine merchant turned writer about a life dedicated to wine and why he can’t stop buying art  Steven Spurrier might be approaching 80, but his wit, quill and tongue are as sharp as ever. While – as is now the norm – we spoke on the phone, there is ...

The famous writer on wine, art and the Judgement of Paris

Steven Spurrier: a life in wine

Ahead of the publication of his full report in January 2021, the Wine Advocate’s Burgundy critic William Kelley offers his initial thoughts on the 2019 vintage The red wines are simply brilliant: most of what I’ve tasted so far has been beautifully balanced, combining a seductive depth of fruit with very classical levels of acidity; and nor is there any ...

“Simply brilliant,” says the Wine Advocate critic

William Kelley on Burgundy 2019

Each month, we ask a handful of our team to pick a wine or spirit they’ve tasted recently – a bottle that surprised, delighted or merely lived up to high expectations. Here’s what they chose 2001 Château la Mission Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux “A couple of weeks ago, in an attempt to try and cheer up ‘Lockdown 2.0’, I decided to ...

Stand-out bottles gracing the FINE+RARE team's tables

In the glass: what our team is drinking

The 2016 vintage in Montalcino is one of the best we’ve tasted – and the critics have now had their say. Here’s an overview of what the Wine Advocate, Vinous and James Suckling are saying, as well as the wines they rate most highly This week saw the release of the Wine Advocate’s first report on 2016 Brunello di Montalcino, ...

Our round-up of the reports from Vinous, Wine Advocate and James Suckling

Brunello 2016: what the critics are saying

From the latest Brunello and Burgundy releases to a Canadian rye whiskey, there’s no shortage of exciting wines and spirits coming out this month – but here’s our pick of the best BRILLIANT BRUNELLO With all the excitement surrounding the releases of the straight Brunellos from 2016, December will see the 2015 Riservas share some of the limelight. Riservas are ...

What to look out for this December

Looking out across the Côte d’Or, the astute might notice a few more gaps amongst the rows of vines than normal. Dig a little deeper, listening to nervous murmurs in cellars around the region, and you’ll hear that there’s trouble below the surface – with a once-favoured rootstock the culprit. Jasper Morris MW – leading Burgundy expert and Inside Burgundy ...

Jasper Morris MW investigates a rootstock causing trouble in Burgundy

The root of the matter

The 2019 vintage was the second in a trio of hot years for Burgundy, the region’s producers fast becoming used to what is the new norm. Here Sophie Thorpe looks at how global warming is impacting the Côte d ’Or and what the region’s vignerons are doing to cope with their shifting climate “C’est quoi, traditionnel, aujourd’hui?” Marion Raphet half-jokes ...

How producers are managing global warming

Adapt or die: dealing with climate change in Burgundy

As the Brunello 2016s are released, Gavin Smith examines the varied terroir of Montalcino, as one way to decipher the different styles of this beautifully varied landscape. Brunello di Montalcino is so well established in today’s world of fine wine; it is hard to believe how relatively young its international reputation is. While it all began with Clemente Santi in ...

Exploring the region's varied terroir

Your guide to Montalcino

Each of these wines stood out in our tastings this year – coming with an unusual back story, or from an appellation you wouldn’t expect for the producer. All of them have somehow managed to stay out of the limelight, but are, in our view, more than worthy of your attention  2019 VOUGEOT, PREMIER CRU, LES PETITS VOUGEOTS,  ...

Wines that should be on your wish-list

Burgundy 2019: under-the-radar gems

This week we caught up with some of Brunello di Montalcino’s top producers for their insight into this exceptional vintage  Coming off the back of an extremely successful 2015 vintage, 2016 is a fascinating comparison. Both are exceptional but with distinctly different personalities. 2015 is exuberant, rich and decadent; 2016 is arguably more precise, detailed and elegant. No doubt these vintages will ...

This week we caught up with some of Brunello di Montalcino’s top producers for their insight into this exceptional vintage 

Brunello 2016: a magical year in Montalcino

Of all the 2019s we tasted, these are the ones that we think offer the best bang-for-buck this year – from Bourgogne Rouge to Grand Cru Chablis 2019 BOURGOGNE BLANC, DOMAINE DE MONTILLE The specific clones of Chardonnay used in De Montille’s Bourgogne Blanc make it particularly special. Most Bourgogne Blanc is made with higher-yielding clones which have a tendency ...

The wines that really overperformed in 2019

Burgundy 2019: top-value buys

Each year we focus on the new vintages released from Burgundy, Bordeaux and elsewhere. In an era when truly bad vintages are a thing of the past, Gavin Smith wonders whether in fact it's the hand of the winemaker that reigns supreme At the time of the latest vintage release from Burgundy, it is always the year’s conditions that dominate ...

Or does the hand of the winemaker reign supreme?

Does vintage matter?

In the first of a new monthly series, we ask a handful of our team to pick a wine or spirit they’ve tasted recently – a bottle that surprised, delighted or merely lived up to high expectations. Here’s what they chose 1959 Glenfarclas, 60-Year-Old, Single Cask, Single Malt Scotch Whisky (40.9%) “Few distilleries have the foresight, nor luxury, of laying ...

Stand-out bottles from our team

What we're drinking

There was no shortage of brilliant wine in 2019 – and narrowing down a list of favourites from the many superb wines we tasted wasn’t easy. These 10, however, stood out in the year's enviable line-up 2019 Meursault, Premier Cru, Gouttes d’Or, Louis Jadot Gouttes d’Or is one of the cooler Premier Cru sites in Meursault and therefore excels in ...

Our pick of the year's crop

Burgundy 2019: our favourites

Napa’s top names are starting to release their 2018s. We talk to some of the valley’s top names to find out more about the vintage, a year that shows great promise While critics are mostly yet to publish their reports on Napa’s 2018, the early reviews are outstanding. Alder Yarrow describes it as “a complete knockout, with phenomenal potential” and ...

A vintage tipped for greatness

Napa 2018: vintage report

From parcels of back-vintages to new releases and special casks, here’s our pick of the five most exciting wines and spirits coming your way in November Burgundy 2019 The 2019s from Burgundy are starting to trickle out; expect the flood-gates to really open this month. Keep an eye out for releases from Henri Boillot, Charles van Canneyt, Remoissenet, Jadot, Mischief ...

What to look out for this November

As last week’s look at 2019 white Burgundy revealed, the vintage is rapidly proving to be one of the most exciting in recent memory. Here Sophie Thorpe reports on the reds – wines of outstanding balance that have a long future ahead of them As we’ve already discussed in our pieces on Chablis and the whites of the Côte de ...

Ripe yet balanced, these are wines for the long-haul

Burgundy 2019: the reds

As we focus on all-things Burgundy with the release of the 2019 vintage, we talk to the Wine Advocate’s Burgundy critic William Kelley about the region, why it is still so exciting and where to find value William Kelley has rapidly risen up the wine-writing ranks. He started writing for Decanter in 2015, covering the 2015 and 2016 Burgundy vintages, ...

We talk to the Wine Advocate critic about Burgundy today

Sitting down with William Kelley

Burgundy producers are just starting to release their 2019s – a vintage that offers amazing consistency and balance. After a week tasting in the Côte d’Or, Gavin Smith delves deeper into the whites of the Côte de Beaune, putting the vintage in context “Good maturity, a nice freshness and lots of energy” Olivier Lamy, Domaine Hubert Lamy “Microscopic grapes each ...

A vintage of amazing consistency and balance

Burgundy 2019: the whites 

As Domaine Zind Hubrecht’s 2018s are released, we explore Alsace’s terroir –
comparing and contrasting two of its finest vineyards, Clos Windsbuhl and Clos-Saint-Urbain with Olivier Humbrecht MW The Grand Cru wines of Alsace and in particular the wines of Zind-Humbrecht are some of the most transparent and detailed aromatic whites out there. The wines from the single-vineyard sites in particular ...

Exploring Alsace’s terroir: Clos Windsbuhl versus Clos-Saint-Urbain

As our team touches down after a week in Burgundy getting to grips with the 2019 vintage, Sophie Thorpe discusses why getting into the cellars, wineries and vineyards is so important – especially in Burgundy  Four days, 28 producers and over 300 wines tasted (with a few additional bottles enjoyed over dinner): it’s been a busy few days, travelling ...

Why getting into the cellars, vineyards and wineries matters

On the ground: digging into Burgundy's 2019s

Burgundy’s 2019s are unlike any other vintage – as Louis Jadot Head Winemaker Frédéric Barnier explained at a recent tasting Frédéric Barnier – or a rather pixelated version of him – patiently looks down the camera at us, a group gathered to taste a selection of the 2019s from Louis Jadot. Of course, there are technical issues (when does a ...

The joys of Jadot: tasting the 2019 vintage

The Pernot family has been making wine in Puligny-Montrachet since the 1950s – but today Alvina Pernot is striking out to forge a reputation of her own. We talked to her about the decision to break away from the family domaine, and how her wines differ from those of her father   Domaine Paul Pernot is synonymous with the ...

Alvina Pernot talks us through the traditions they share and the differences that define them

The Pernots of Puligny: a family divided by tradition and modernity

October is always a busy month in fine wine and 2020 is no different with some eagerly awaited releases from around the world. Here we identify the releases you won’t want to miss – from 2019 Burgundy and prestige Champagne to the latest vintage of Grange Burgundy  At the top of the shopping list for many collectors in October is the latest vintage of Burgundy to hit the market. We have already started ...

From parcels of back-vintages to new releases and special casks, here’s our pick of the five most exciting wines and spirits coming your way this month

Wines to watch: October

Since he started writing about wine in the 1960s, Hugh Johnson has sold 20 million books. As a new edition of The Story of Wine is published by Académie du Vin Library, Sophie Thorpe talks to the best-selling author about a lifetime spent telling – and selling – the stories behind every bottle
 “Turbot,” Hugh Johnson says, the sense of ...

The best-selling author on a lifetime spent telling – and selling – the stories behind every bottle

Hugh Johnson: the wine whisperer

As we launch a rare first-fill Sherry cask Macallan, we trace how Sherry casks came to be used for ageing Scotch whisky, and why they’re increasingly rare and sought-after  There’s something unlikely about the pairing of Scotland and Andalusia – the fine single malts of Scotland’s craggy landscape being matured in barrels shipped from the warmth of Jerez, where ...

How Sherry casks came to be used for ageing Scotch whisky, and why they’re increasingly sought-after 

Cask secrets: why Sherry butts are rarer than ever 

As the first Chablis 2019s are released, we talk to top producers in the region – including Samuel Billaud, Matthieu Mangenot from Domaine Long-Depaquit and Olivier Bailly from Domaine Billaud-Simon – about the vintage
 The growing season in 2019, as is becoming the norm these days, started with a warm February and March, leading to an early budbreak at the ...

Chablis 2019: a first look at the vintage

Ahead of the 2008 vintage’s release, Taittinger’s Chef de Cave Alexandre Ponnavoy talks us through what defines the house’s much-loved prestige Blanc de Blancs, Comtes de Champagne “First of all, you have to resonate 100% Chardonnay,” declares Alexandre Ponnavoy, Taittinger’s Chef de Cave. “Chardonnay that produces precise, mineral, chiseled, complex wines with a lace-like finish and an ability to age ...

Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2008: the wait is over

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

“Two generations ago everyone made Chablis like this. Now I am the only one left,” says Daniel-Etienne Defaix proudly. It is amazing to think that production methods could completely reverse in such a short time, no doubt fuelled by the “Chardonnay boom” of the mid-70s onwards. This insatiable global demand for crisp, clean, saline-tinged Chardonnay has shown no sign of abating ever since. The ...

We explore the traditional methods behind Daniel-Étienne Defaix's wines and how the global thirst for Chablis threatened its existence.

Daniel-Étienne Defaix: Chablis Built to Age

Despite being only 136 hectares in size, the hill of Hermitage is one of the most globally reputed, historical and iconic appellations of the fine wine world. Next week will see us offer a special parcel of Chave back-vintages. Ahead of their release, we examine the last 20 vintages of the red and white wines of Hermitage  The official Hermitage appellation ...

Despite being only 136 hectares in size, the hill of Hermitage is one of the most globally reputed, historical and iconic appellations of the fine wine world. 

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