A humdinger of a pocket book with masses of inside track and purest nitty-gritty from a bevy of regional specialists. Essentially, it’s a hard-hitting ‘state-of-the-wine nation’ report, into which top producers, greatest wines, investment possibilites, etc are twined. A must for the aficionado. Wine Report 2004 By Tom Stevenson Dorling Kindersley GB£9.99
Books & EquipmentSTOP PRESS: 23 WINES TASTED AND TESTED AND NOT EVEN THROUGH THE “B”s!!! Stopped quite a few wines from going bad on our trip, and sniffed, slurped, spat many more. Here are a few random musings on a country where the quality’s getting better year by year. Agusta Chardonnay 2001. Franschhoek. Smart, quite classy Chard ...
Tasting NotesI make no apologies for singing the praises of this wine, one of the top five reds I’ve driunk this year so far. Mas Igneus 2000 comes from Priorat in NE Spain – from a local cooperative lent a hand by stylish producers Albet y Noya. The wine is a joyous, singing, complex red – ...
Tasting NotesAnother martyr to Dublin dining economics! I had a phone call from Karl Purdy yesterday to tell me that Bond, his innovative restaurant with low mark-ups on wine has closed. A shame, for I thought Karl and his colleagues deserved to succeed. I reviewed Bon for F&W last year. The food was enjoyable and, helped ...
Wine & DrinkHow do you define ‘style’ and ‘class’? Hard to say, except by giving examples. An artefact, a watch, say, or a handbag may be deemed “stylish” at a given time in its life cycle. But sometimes “modish” is a more accurate word – last year’s megabuck platform heels are all too often this years church ...
Restaurant ReviewsDomaine de Champ-Brulee, Vincent, Macon Villages 2001 A really together wine. Chardonnay with manners! Beautifully crafted with distinctive mineral tints that talk of terroir rather than the crushed fruit factory. Don’t say pineapples, melons or mangoes, say “wine” – this is complex and enjoyable and superb value for money. e13.95 O’Briens RATING: EXCELLENT Hamilton Russell ...
Tasting Notes