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

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 ...

The wines and spirits to have on your radar this month

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 ...

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

Pont des Arts is a collaboration between artists and winemakers to promote the intricacies of fine wine production through the lens of an artist. We talk to Thibault Pontallier – son of the late Paul Pontallier – about the inspiration behind the project.  The Pont des Arts project was created by Thibault Pontallier (son of Paul Pontallier, the celebrated ...

Pont des Arts: winemaking as an artform 

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. 

Hermitage: Vintage Guide 1999-2018 

Sassicaia, Tignanello, Ornellaia: these fabled Super Tuscans are some of the world’s most desirable wines – kickstarting Italy’s fine wine renaissance, re-defining its reputation and proving what was possible. But how did these lowly table wines rise to the top of the fine wine ranks? For a long time, Tuscany was known merely for its squat jugs of rustic Chianti, ...

Sassicaia, Tignanello, Ornellaia: these fabled Super Tuscans are some of the world’s most desirable wines – kickstarting Italy’s fine wine renaissance, re-defining its reputation and proving what was possible. But how did these lowly table wines rise to the top of the fine wine ranks?

The Super Tuscans: everything you need to know

Chile’s most iconic wines have come on a long way in the last decade. With producers increasingly focusing on expressing site rather than creating a particular style, a handful of areas are emerging as the country’s Grands Crus – as Amanda Barnes reveals. When a red blend from Chile became the first wine from outside Bordeaux to be offered on La Place in 1998, it no ...

Chile’s most iconic wines have come on a long way in the last decade. With producers increasingly focusing on expressing site rather than creating a particular style, a handful of areas are emerging as the country’s Grands Crus – as Amanda Barnes reveals.

Chile's Grand Crus

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

Formed of layers of négociants, courtiers and châteaux, La Place de Bordeaux is not a place at all, but the complex distribution system for the region’s wines – and increasingly the top wines from around the world. Here’s everything you need to know about how it works 
In Bordeaux, you can’t buy wine directly from producers. Instead wines are sold ...

La Place de Bordeaux explained: what it is and how it works

As we launch the September Series – the latest fine wines to be released via La Place de Bordeaux – we look at how these famous names from South America, California, Italy and beyond found their way into Bordeaux’s distribution network For a long time, La Place de Bordeaux – as you might guess from its name – only distributed ...

The rise of the September releases: how La Place went global

The list of fine wines released via La Place de Bordeaux each September grows each year. Here, we introduce three of the most exciting wines joining the line-up in 2020: Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour Private Reserve, Jim Barry The Armagh Shiraz and Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 
Each September, the new vintages of an exclusive group of fine wines ...

New to La Place this year: Beaulieu Vineyards, Jim Barry + Wynns

Merlot today remains the most planted variety in Bordeaux but its dominance is waning somewhat in an ever warming climate. With “freshness” and “structure” often the buzz words defining the best Bordeaux wines of recent warm vintages – the plush richness and suppleness brought by the merlot variety often seems undersold compared to the role of the Cabernets in the ...

Christian Moueix, Director at Petrus (1970-2008), Trotanoy and La Fleur-Petrus;
John Kolasa of Chateau Rauzan Segla and Chateau Canon (1997-2015); Maylis Marcenat of Chateau Clos de Sarpe; as well as Pascal Baratie of Chateau Haut-Brion - the
First Growth with the highest proportion of merlot in its blend - identify how
global warming is affecting merlot and what this means for its long term future
in the region

Merlot: Part of the Bordeaux Psyche

The De Montille estate of Volnay is one of the most historic in the Cote d’Or, founded in 1730 and family run and owned ever since. Today Etienne de Montille is the ninth generation at the helm. The De Montille story through the ages is a familiar one in Burgundy in which for a long period there was a dwindling ...

Etienne talks us through the De Montille’s bumpy history, it huge growth in vineyard acquisition in recent years, how he learnt to make white wine from his
brother-in-law, who just happened to be Jean Marc Roulot, as well as the mapping out of the different flavour profiles of his most favoured sites at the heart of the domaine in Volnay and neighbouring Pommard.

Domaine de Montille: The Genealogy of the Estate

Marco Simonit has been at the forefront of modern viticulture techniques aimed at protecting old vines from disease and decay ever since vineyards worldwide became crippled by ever-escalating levels of vine disease in the last decade. Since the ban of chemical preventions came into practice across Europe in the early 2000s, vine disease has grown to epidemic proportions, including in ...

In an interview conducted just weeks before lockdown began, Marco outlines the philosophy behind the L’Età Più Bella (With Age Comes Beauty) range of wines

Marco Simonit on Why Old Vines Matter


With the upcoming release of L’Età Più Bella (With Age comes Beauty) – the first collection of wines made exclusively from old vines managed by Marco Simonit – we thought who better to extrapolate the important elements behind Marco’s philosophy than celebrated wine writer and self-confessed 'wine anorak': Jamie Goode. Jamie explores Marco's rise to fame - from his formative ...

Self-confessed 'wine anorak' Jamie Goode explores Marco Simonit’s rise to fame - from his formative years with his grandparents in Friuli, to the establishment of his successful pruning consultancy Simonit&Sirch - and the ideologies that have influenced his first wines made from old vines in Collio

'Wine Anorak' Jamie Goode Meets Marco Simonit

Since 1984 Markus Molitor has been managing his estate in Wehlener at the heart of the the Middle Mosel. Over the last 35 years he has been buying up some of the finest Grand Cru sites in the region. Markus provides a fascinating insight into these widely differing vineyards and how these steep, slate slopes have such a profound effect ...

What Markus Molitor has achieved in Mosel over the last 35 years is nothing short of staggering. Working in the vineyards since the age of ten, inheriting his father’s passion for Mosel’s glory days of the 1880s and 1890s he has taken his inherited 1.5 hectare family estate and expanded it to 120 hectares of some of the finest single vineyards of Mosel. 

Markus Molitor Interview

Markus Molitor shares the fascinating history of Mosel outlining the reasons behind the region's meteoric rise to glory at the end of the nineteenth century, its demise during the two World Wars and then its economic devastation in the 1980s.

 Mosel and the Kingdom of Prussia At the Congress of Vienna in 1815 the Mosel region was assigned to the kingdom ...

Markus Molitor shares the fascinating history of Mosel outlining the reasons behind the region's meteoric rise to glory at the end of the nineteenth century, its demise during the two World Wars and then its economic devastation in the 1980s.

The History of Mosel 1815-2020

Markus Molitor talks us through the terroir profile and characteristics of his top single vineyard cuvees, plotting the wines on the map as we taste the latest vintages from each site. 
Tasting through 24 cuvees from Markus Molitor is a wonderful journey through the Middle Mosel (with four additional cuvees from the Saar region), identifying the nuances of each site ...

We explore the terroir and characteristics of Markus Molitor's top Grand Cru cuvees throughout the Mosel region

Mapping Mosel - Markus Molitor

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

Our 2019 Quintessential Bordeaux Collection Case features the creme de la creme of the vintage; wines that have captured both the energy and freshness, as well as the fruit purity, synonymous with 2019 Bordeaux. This case includes a handful of wines that sold out immediately on release, including Chateau Pontet-Canet (Pauillac), Chateau Leoville Poyferre (Saint-Julien) and Chateau Moulin Saint-Georges (Saint-Emilion), the fantastic single vineyard site from Chateau Ausone. We have compiled ...

FINE+RARE 2019 Quintessential Bordeaux Collection Case

Klaus Peter Keller is one of the great viticultural success stories of the modern era of fine wine. Just 25 years ago he saw the potential to make world-class wine in a region more famous for making mass produced off dry Riesling. His range of Grand Cru Rieslings, including the cult cuvee “G-Max” are now some of the most expensive ...

Klaus Peter Keller is one of the great viticultural success stories of the modern era of fine wine. Just 25 years ago he saw the potential to make world-class wine in a region more famous for making mass produced off dry Riesling. His range of Grand Cru Rieslings, including the cult cuvee “G-Max” are now some of the most expensive and sought out white wines in the world. His passion for Burgundy have also seen his talents in winemaking go beyond Riesling leading Germany’s renaissance in Pinot Noir production.

Klaus Peter Keller Interview

Head winemaker Jessica Servet has certainly been busy since our last visit to this enchanting vineyard in the hills of Minervois. Following the success of the winery over the last few years, their reputation for producing some of the finest wines in Southern France after adopting biodynamic farming has become infectious in the surrounding area. Jessica has since been elected ...

In anticipation of the latest release of Black Knight – an extraordinary cuvee from Hegarty Chamans, produced only in top vintages and made from their finest sites - we caught up with Jessica to find out more about the 2016 vintage and what makes this secluded vineyard in the hills of Minervois so special.

Behind The Bottle: Black Knight 2016

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

Earlier this year, one of Napa’s starriest names put on a vertical tasting of its entire 27 vintages for luxury wine, spirits and lifestyle magazine Club Oenologique. Adam Lechmere reflects on the wines, and hears from Bill Harlan himself as he prepares to hand over the reins to his children. Words by Adam Lechmere. Photography by Alexander Rubin. As perhaps ...

Earlier this year, one of Napa’s starriest names put on a vertical tasting of its entire 27 vintages for luxury wine, spirits and lifestyle magazine, Club Oenologique. Adam Lechmere reflects on the wines, and hears from Bill Harlan himself as he prepares to hand over the reins to his children

Three Decades of Napa's Harlan Estate

In the latter part of this week we finally saw the vintage reports and reviews published from the leading critics, including Lisa Perrotti-Brown’s report for The Wine Advocate, two separate reports for Vinous from Antonio Galloni and Neal Martin and Part 1 of Jeb Dunnuck's report also published online. James Suckling and Jane Anson have also continued to release their ...

They are unanimous in declaring the vintage either "outstanding" or "excellent" and wines have performed remarkably consistently across all price points.  More than anything the campaign will be remembered for the price reductions across the board and with plenty of wines now garnering high scores, we look at some noteworthy buys that are still available and some top value-picks from the vintage.

The Critics are Out!

Promotional Book Offer from the Academie du Vin Library To celebrate the 90th anniversary of Chateau Musar, our friends at the Académie du Vin Library have offered FINE+RARE clients an exclusive £5 off ‘Chateau Musar: The Story of a Wine Icon’. To redeem the discount, click here to visit the Académie du Vin website and enter our unique promotional code ...

Chateau Musar: The Story of a Wine Icon

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

Lebanon's Lost Legacy: Viticulture Most of Chateau Musar’s wine is grown in Lebanon’s Beka'a Valley, a fertile plain about 30km east of Beirut, situated between Mount Lebanon on the west and the Anti Lebanon mountains to the east. Despite being more southerly than the great wine regions of Europe, the Beka'a’s elevated altitude of on average around 1000m above sea ...

The Wines of Lebanon: A Phoenician Phenomenon

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


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

Wow what a week! We said this campaign was going to be fast and the pace only picked up
more in this third week of the campaign with some enormous releases, fantastically priced and very warmly received by those critics who have managed to get reviews out in time. This is as good as En Primeur gets! Flash reviews from top ...

We review all the releases so far and all the highlights you may have missed. Whilst some of the wines have sold out there are still some fantastic buys available. 

2019 Bordeaux En Primeur - Week 3 Update

Francisco Baettig – the man behind Errázuriz, Seña and Viñedo Chadwick – is without doubt Chile’s most celebrated winemaker. But 25 years into his career, he’s striking out to make wines under his own name. As the first wines are released, we caught up with him to find out about the exciting project 

While at the top end, Chile has ...

Francisco Baettig, the winemaker behind Seña and Viñedo Chadwick, has a new project, working with vines in the southern reaches of Traiguén: we caught up with him to find out more

Looking south: Francisco Baettig’s cool-climate quest

A huge week of releases from Bordeaux, so much so that the campaign is looking like its going to be a quick one - blink and you might miss it! With so many releases this week including some of the biggest names in any campaign - Chateau Palmer on Monday, Chateau Cos d’Estournel on Wednesday and Chateau Lafite on Friday - we thought ...

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