Category Archives: Champagne
Recent Wines (August 2018) #theglouthatbindsus
It seems a long time ago, August, days of thirty-degree plus temperatures, three meals a day taken out in the garden, and hardly a serious red wine drunk. Nothing here will be anything more than light red, although the Blank … Continue reading
Recent Wines (June/July 2018) #theglouthatbindsus
Philippe Alliet is a mercurial vigneron who makes Chinon east of the town, in the back streets of Cravant-les-Côteaux. He is best known for his single vineyard Côteau de Noiré, but Chinon Vieilles Vignes 2008 comes from Cabernet Franc vines over fifty … Continue reading
Paris (What We Drank In…)
I’ve just been over to Paris for a long weekend, my first trip there since November 2016. The city was bathed in early summer warmth and sunshine, which can rather make it seem like the best city on earth at … Continue reading
Bursting Bubbles – Robert Walters, and Some Thoughts on the Grower Champagne Philosophy
You will recall that I made Champagne by Peter Liem my wine book of last year. That expertly written book which puts terroir at its heart was the outstanding work on wine, in my view, in the whole of 2017. Bursting Bubbles by Australian author Robert Walters follows a similar … Continue reading
Great Exhibition 2018 – with the emphasis on Great
Yesterday was the Winter 2018 Great Exhibition Tasting in the arches under Holborn Viaduct, this time featuring Winemakers Club and Carte Blanche Wines. These Tastings are always good, but there must have been something in the air yesterday, because there … Continue reading
Our House (Taittinger)
Many of you will know that I have something of a thing for Grower Champagne. It comes from an interest in wines which express “place”, terroir wines, I suppose. But that doesn’t mean I ignore the so-called Grandes Marques. For … Continue reading
Liem and Larmat – A Perfect Combination
Like most people, I imagine, I came to appreciate Champagne first as a celebratory drink. Most often it was the non-vintage wine of a well known Grande Marque, or occasionally a vintage wine, consumed several years too soon. But in … Continue reading
Eastern France Part 5 – Bérêche, Champagne
I can tell you two things about my relationship with Bérêche which will inform your reading of the rest of this article. First of all I will name you my favourite four Champagnes. They are Péters Chétillons, Philipponnat Clos des … Continue reading
Growing Reputation
One of my regular readers asked a while back for some recommendations for Grower Champagnes in advance of a forthcoming visit, and I’ve been meaning to oblige. This month’s Decanter Magazine has a Tasting of Grower wines, but as always, … Continue reading
