Month: May, 2012

Barolo 2008 update; excessive green-harvesting, the other contagion; and London’s finest, Brooks’s Club, visits the Langhe…

Evviva! Vintage 2008 should be gathered up with open arms by (true) Nebbiolo appassionati around the globe. For 2008 is a classic vintage, that enjoyed a cold winter, a long growing season and a normal October harvest, a month after the much touted 2007. Generally it has yielded more (refreshing) acidity, a marginally lower pH […]

Tio Pepe En Rama – the ultimate Fino?

Last week the Berrys offices were abuzz with excitement over the arrival of the newest release of Tio Pepe En Rama. This is the third year that Tio Pepe have produced their pure and powerful Fino sherry, and as it was the 200th anniversary of the founder of Gonzalez Byass’ birth, the wine has been […]

Lunch at Rauzan Segla

Wednesday 11th April brought Berrys’ Fine Wine team to Rauzan Segla. Rated as a second Growth in the 1855 classification and listed in 6th place just after Ch. Mouton Rothschild, this property sits on some terrific terroir. Having changed hands a number of times during its history, the building and its wines fell into disrepair and lost […]

Austria: news of the 2011 vintage. And Blaufränkisch: the country’s next ‘Red Bull’?!

It was only my second visit to Austria but my inaugural, and most satisfactory, encounter with the fine estates of Knoll, Nikolaihof, Ehmoser, Bründlmayer and Pichler-Krutzler; along with Prager, Schloss Gobelsburg, Moric and Wachter-Wiesler. I sense a most exciting offer beckons this autumn! Austria’s 2011 vintage, echoed across much of Europe, was characterised by a […]