Wine Words & Video Tape

Wine, Words and Videotape

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Posts Tagged ‘Pinot Noir’

London Wine Fair: Napa Valley

Written by JW. Posted in California

Napa’s close to my heart, where my wine bug began after visiting in the late 1980s, so it was good to see the Napa Valley Vintners Association back at the London Wine Fair last week. Heitz’s Trailside Cabernet ’05 immediately reminded me what’s exciting about the valley and of the fact that the old ones are often still the best. In this respect too there were good benchmark Napa Cabs from Grgich Hills, Chateau Montelena [actually tasted courtesy of Bancroft Wines], Silverado Vineyards, Cain and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars.

London Wine Fair: Giant Steps in 2010

Written by JW. Posted in Australia

Caught up with Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander winemaker Steve Flamsteed at the London Wine Fair last week. He was showing their Giant Steps 2010 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir single vineyard wines among others. Great stuff – early days though and you’d expect these to develop well over the medium term. Overall I’m a great admirer of Giant Steps. Production is tiny, the pinnacle of a triangle supported by the Innocent Bystander brand. What’s not to like in their vivacious, bright Pinot Noirs and their classy Chardonnays?

London Wine Fair 2011: Austria

Written by JW. Posted in Austria

Wonderful range of fresh and lively Austrian reds and whites at the Fair last week, and some pretty serious efforts too. As good as the international varieties grown here are the real excitement is surely in the local varieties, obviously Grüner Veltliner and Riesling amongst the whites and Zwiegelt and  Blaufränkisch amongst the reds.

Australian terroir: character and personality

Written by JW. Posted in Australia

Noses to the grindstone at London’s Saatchi Gallery

January is certainly antipodean month on the London tasting calendar. Just ahead of Australia Day, Wine Australia put on their annual trade tasting, christened A+ Australian Wine at the Saatchi Gallery in London’s Chelsea [above]. Much has been made of how Oz wine has lost its way in recent years, at least in marketing terms and certainly in the battle of the brands, but as the big conglomerates have lost ground, or at least looked uncertain, the real excitement in Australia is the bevy of superb wines being made both by established names and relative newcomers at the smaller and medium sized end of the business.  

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