[VIGNOBLE / VINEYARDS] Travail des sol dans les vignes du "Lieu-dit Saint-Joseph". Soil plow work in the vineyards of "Saint-Joseph Lieu-dit". 📷 Stéphane Chalaye Photographie #guigal #domaineguigal #saintjoseph #rhonevalleywines

This was an exceptional Barbaresco. No surprise when it’s from a great vintage, and one of the finest vineyards in the entire region. Castello di Verduno Barbaresco Rabajà 2011. I last drunk this almost a decade ago, and it has gained even more weight & richness.

It’s probably 20 yrs since I touched a tennis racket! We made a pretty good team, I think the Bollinger helped. Feeling a tad stiff this morning though…

Such a great lineup, and a real pleasure to present. A lot of people have never had a top Grüner, the Hiedler Maximum is seriously impressive. Love all the Rieslings, so hard to pick a favourite there!

I really like what Ch. Rieussec did with modernising their Sauternes. Incredibly bold & it looks great. The Vin Blanc Sec is another story… They should have stuck with the Sauternes bottle & branding, but just made the crown green. This is bad. The wine however is top notch.

Rabajà fest on Saturday night! We did a little vertical from one of the single greatest vineyards in Barbaresco. Rabajà Riserva 2009, 2010 & 2011 from Castello di Verduno. All excellent, but the Bruno Rocca Rabajà 2011 eclipsed them all for me. Cant wait to visit next month!

Prestige Cuvée from Champagne Boizel JOYAU Chardonnay 2007. Disgorged May 2023 after 15 years on lees! First time I’ve tried since they renamed & expanded the JOYAU range. All Cotes de Blancs fruit, 5g/l. Still very fresh with good intensity. Many years ahead.

Dinner with friends requires Chablis! 2016 Domaine William Fevre 1er Cru Vaulorent. One of the finest in the region, the only Premier Cru that directly connects to the Grand Crus. Drinking superbly, with a mix of secondary characters & freshness. Open anytime but no rush.

Gorgeous Burgundy! 2010 Gros Frère et Sœur Echézeaux Grand Cru. Always felt this Domaine was severely underrated. Great excuse to bring out the Maximilian Riedel Grand Cru Burgundy glass. First designed in 1958, it’s in the New York Museum of modern art! This was a joy to drink.

This has always been one of Domaine Guigal greatest wines, but it’s not well known. 2010 Saint-Joseph “Lieu-dit”. 100% Syrah from 75yr old vines. 50% new oak. Loved this on release, now at 15yrs is stunning mid life drinking. Also one of the best labels there is. Happy Easter!

A cheeky 2007 Chateau Climens 1er Cru Barsac to finish. Many view this as the Sauternes of the vintage. Slightly unusually for the region this is 100% Semillion. Glad I opened this now, as in half bottle this is fully mature. The colour is always a good indicator. Château Climens

This was gorgeous. We sell it in store but I’d never tried it. 2016 Cyrene from Marlborough’s Riverby Estate. Dead ringer in style & quality to Sauternes. 75% Semillon, 25% Sauvignon Blanc. 12 mths in oak, 50% new. I highly recommend you grab some from Caro’s Wine Merchants before it goes.

Very cool rare wine. G.B Burlotto Verduno Pelaverga 2023. Variety almost exclusively grown around Verduno in Piedmonte (one of the northern villages of Barolo). Almost extinct until the 1980s. Very light, floral aromatics, elegant & slightly spicy. One of the best examples.

For those in New Zealand (or Australia) here’s our latest pre arrival offer. Some killer wines in here.

30+ hours of straight travel from Auckland to Milan! Enjoyed the Pietradolce Etna 2022 in Brera. Drank all the spritz at the canals of Navigli. And finished off with an incredible last supper. Next stop Lake Como!

Met up with a friend in Menaggio! 🇮🇹 Alessio Errighi is head sommelier at the incredible Grand Hotel Victoria. Even had the 🇳🇿 flag flying! Really enjoyed the Champagne Lallier Réflection R.020 Brut. Sandrofay Valgella 2022 also superb & a very different expression of Nebbiolo.

Quite the article by Neal Martin today on Vinous “Bordeaux: The crisis laid bare”. The long building issues with En Primeur have finally come to a head… not a surprise. “worst en primeur campaign for over 25 years”.

For some reason Vigna Paganelli Riserva is still somehow underrated, despite the massive scores every vintage. I think it’s because Il Poggione is still so cheap! Awesome Brunello.