Mouchão: Steven Spurrier Column
Mooching around Mouchão
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Value Reds - The world's best
Even we don’t drink crus classés evey night of the week. So which are the best everyday drinking wines for consistently delivering character, reliability, and value? Six of our leading experts, led by STEVEN SPURRIER, each pick 10 wines at £5–£15 that do just that��
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Bordeaux 2005 - Vintage Guide
A very successful commune, with most châteaux going to the maximum to preserve the marvellously ripe Cabernet fruit. The 2005 vintage is definitely a Pauillac year. Steven Spurrier
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Summer Whites
In the hope of a hot summer, we asked five of our contributors from around the world to recommend five easy-drinking summer whites for the garden – plus one special occasion white – with a twist: no Chardonnay allowed. STEVEN SPURRIER (UK), RICHARD BAUDAINS (Italy), HUON HOOKE (Australia), NORM ROBY (US) and CH’NG POH TIONG (Singapore) select 30 wines ready to drink now, for those lazy afternoons.
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Bordeaux 2004 - Vintage Guide
The 2004 vintage in Pomerol is clearly better than 2003. There was little or no heat stress and the harvest, although later, took place in ideal conditions towards the end of September/beginning of October before the rain. As in the rest of Bordeaux, work in the vineyards to curb yields was obligatory, otherwise dilution and lack of ripeness were the pitfalls for less successful producers. The best wines have deep colour, a racy fruit character, lively acidity and solid tannic frame. They lack the intensity and complexity of great years (1998, 2000) but appear to be in the good/classic mould of a vintage like 1996. If the price is right they’ll provide sound medium-term drinking. James Lawther MW
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Bordeaux Bankers- no cru classés allowed!
Bordeaux is often labelled exclusive and expensive. But when we asked six experts to let us in on their best value châteaux (no crus classés allowed), we were spoilt for choice. Here we profile the top 50 names for great, affordable drinking. Additional research by Melissa Zehnder.
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Bordeaux 2003 - Left Bank
From the first taste of the lowly appellation Bordeaux Rouge at Le Cercle Rive Droite’s presentation at Chateau Laroque on March 28th, to the last sip of Chateau Smith–Haut–Lafitte 1961 – purchased at Christie’s by the the Cathiards – at lunch on April 1st, I don’t think I have had a more interesting en primeur experience. Even on the Right Bank, where the drought conditons had burnt out many parcels of Merlot, producers were raving about the quality of their Cabernet Franc. In the Graves, the white wines were fabulusly ripe, Sauternes had notched up another great vintage and in the Medoc, the further north one went, the better the wines. 2003 was an exceptional vintage in weather terms and will be one of the most interesting vintages for the Bordeaux lover. SS
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Médoc’s crus bourgeois: A Class of Their Own
The first official classification of the Médoc’s crus bourgeois has been unveiled, amid much controversy. STEVEN SPURRIER explains why the classification came about, who supports it, and why some are questioning the fairness of the results
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Under £10: 100 Wines
STEVEN SPURRIER, PETER MCCOMBIE MW and CHRISTELLE GUIBERT tasted a huge selection of wines, all widely asailable across the UK, and selected their top 50 reds and top 50 whites - all costing less than £10 and with £26 at less than £6
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Partying at Vinexpo 2003
Decanter's consultant editor Steven Spurrier reports on a hectic week of tasting and dinner parties during Vinexpo 2003.
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Chateau-Latour has emerged from renovation
A little under nine years since its purchase by François Pinault from Allied Lyons, returning the château to French ownership after a hiatus of 31 years, Château Latour has emerged from a period of quiet renovation. This was highlighted by a magnificently successful sale at Christie's London in May, to be followed by similar sales in the US later in the year.
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Chateau-Latour - an auction profile
A little under nine years since its purchase by François Pinault from Allied Lyons, returning the château to French ownership after a hiatus of 31 years, Château Latour has emerged from a period of quiet renovation. This was highlighted by a magnificently successful sale at Christie's London in May (2003), to be followed by similar sales in the US later in the year.
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vintage 2001 taste odyssey
Bordeaux 2001 shouldn't be overlooked in the stampede for 2000s, says STEVEN SPURRIER. He tastes wines from the Left Bank, while JAMES LAWTHER MW takes the Right
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Meeting an Italian master, Ferrini
Carlo Ferrini, one of Tuscany's top consultants, is adamant that the key to great wine lies in the vineyard. STEVEN SPURRIER meets him
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The other Graves
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Ever en Vogüé
Burgundy's de Vogüé estate has a long-established reputation for outstanding wines. STEVEN SPURRIER tastes some recent vintages
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Fighting its corner: Cornas
Ardent supporters of the northern Rhône set up a vertical Cornas tasting in response to negative press. STEVEN SPURRIER took part and here shares his thoughts on the wines. As far as I know, nobody has bothered to come up with collective nouns for wines, so perhaps Decanter could request ideas from their readers and contributors. A Dance of Champagnes and An Inflation of Pomerols come to mind, but so does A Concentration of Cornas, for not only would this aptly describe the wine, but also the phalanx of bottles presented at Maceo, Mark Williamson's elegant restaurant in Paris, at a vertical Cornas tasting.
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Chablis Cru 1998
Premier cru and grand cru Chablis have the potential to age longer than any other white burgundy. STEVEN SPURRIER introduces the 1998 vintage
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Tales of the unexpected: Coteaux Varois
The hitherto little-known Coteaux Varois has lived in the shadow of Côtes de Provence. STEVEN SPURRIER tells the tale of the Cinderella region
