Doug decants: The Wines of Philippe Bornard

by blog on April 27, 2018

Philippe Bornard lives in the village of Pupillin near Arbois. His vineyards were inherited from his father, who previously sold only to co-ops. It was Pierre Overnoy, no less, who eventually convinced Philippe to begin to make his own wine, and now, decades later, he is working with nearly seven-hectares of 30 + year old […]

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Pretty in Pink: Part 2 (The Rest of the World)

by blog on April 27, 2018

And so we continue on our Rosé journey with some utterly delicious pinks… Was it Mariah Carey in We Belong Together (remix) (feat. Jadakiss and Sty) who extolled the great PG: Big cups, Pinot Grigio Take it easy, yo No, we don’t yo to take it easy with Pinot Grigio. We want a wine that […]

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Pretty in Pink: Part 1 (The Frenchies)

April 27, 2018

We’ve probably endured enough whimsical articles about “la vie en rosé” and how we should be “tickled pink” by surprisingly drinkable rosé wines, but that’s not going to stop this miniature pink peroration. Perhaps it’s global warming, perhaps the adoption of an al fresco lifestyle, wherein at the first watery glimmer of the sun, tables […]

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Wine Wabi-Sabi

April 26, 2018

There are two broadly opposed approaches to farming and winemaking that illustrate the personal aesthetic of those people who are involved in the process. One is to see farming and winemaking as cold commercial scientific or technological activities designed to generate consistent outcomes; the other is to view these as part of life, part of […]

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Doug Decants: The Auvergnate Wines of Domaine Maupertuis

April 26, 2018

Too much and too little wine. Give him none, he cannot find truth; give him too much, the same.  —Blaise Pascal (born in Clermont-Ferrand) Jean Maupertuis tends 3.8 hectares of vines in the commune of Saint-Georges-sur-Allier and La Roche Noir in Auvergne. He works principally with a local version of Gamay referred to as “Gamay […]

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How To Be A Buyer

April 17, 2018

Wine buyers fall into various categories. There are the buyers for investment purposes, wherein the wine is already a commodity with a burnished reputation. (The market has already ascribed a value to such a wine.) There are the buyers who work with oenologists and producers to create brands. The buyer for a small company, which […]

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Doug Decants: Momento Mori Staring at the Sun

April 12, 2018

New Zealander Dane Johns (who staged with the great Bill Downie) worked many years as a barista in Melbourne where he learned about roasting and the nuances of blending and flavour infusion. He was also a musician, making electronic music and then moving towards the analogue version (much like his winemaking). He worked several vintages […]

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Women in wine

April 10, 2018

This year we’ve seen some proper celebration of women in wine. There have been pop-up events, a BYO podcast, due acknowledgement on wine lists, and articles in the wine press, recognising that women have always played a significant role in this industry at every level. There are famous women who have reached the top of […]

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How Do You Like Them Appellations?

April 7, 2018

Not a lot! We recently received communication from our friends at Il Paradiso di Manfredi in Montalcino. Another example of appellations falling a long way from the tree of sanity: On this occasion we inform you that this year we will sell the vintage 2011 with the name TRENTENNALE, because it is the 30th year from […]

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The First Wine Cuckoo of Spring

April 4, 2018

The cuckoo in Wordsworth’s poem heralds the coming of spring, and whilst the cuckoo chants her merry song, one may also discern a more discordant vernal sound – that of a winemaker or critic exploding messily into print about natural wine. This is a subject that lies dormant over the winter months, but, as the […]

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