My favourite Burgundies, by Clive Coates MW
From almost anyone else, a title such as this looks to suggest a personal ramble through some nice bottles of Burgundy. But Clive Coates has huge professional experience of Burgundy, and indeed is based in the region. And it is a structured stroll through his tasting notes. But there is some new information here too, updated domaine profiles for 27 producers, and some brief observations on subjects such as premature oxidation and climate change in the region.
Foraging for fungus in the New Forest – don’t try this at home
A heavily humid, though not rainy, October morning saw a group of (not very) intrepid sommeliers and journalists stomp through the sodden New Forest in search of mushrooms, thankfully in the encyclopaedic company of John Wright, forager extraordinaire.
French paradox – climats and lieux-dits
French semantics are to the fore as we delve into the fog-bound world of attempting to differentiate between Burgundian ‘clos’, ‘climat’, ‘lieu-dit’, ‘cru’ and ‘appellation’. Some are easier; others require increasing magnitudes of microscopy, combined, perhaps, with a small gallic shrug for the inevitable French paradoxes.
Sustainable viticulture in Burgundy
With pioneering icons such as Domaine Leflaive and Domaine Pierre Morey who live and breathe biodynamics, Burgundy has long been at the forefront of green viticulture. But in a perfect marketing storm where almost everyone says they’re doing sustainable viticulture, even if they don’t really, how do you separate marketing myth from substantive sustainability?
Grand Cru, Remington Norman
Norman explores, by appellation, each of the grand crus in the Côte d’Or.
An interview with … Philippe Drouhin of Joseph Drouhin
An interview with … Philippe Drouhin of Maison Joseph Drouhin, July 2010.
The Great Domaines of Burgundy, Remington Norman and Charles Taylor MW
This long-time, must-have reference book for the major properties in Burgundy has been wholly updated. The third edition has drawn on the expertise of Charles Taylor MW, an acknowledged expert on, and merchant of, domaine wines from Burgundy.
Austrian reds
As well as sublime rieslings and gruner veltliner, Austria produces some increasingly well regarded reds, notably from blaufränkisch and zweigelt.
