Do « volcanic wines » make any sense?

No they don't, because there is no such thing as a "volcanic" wine. Such simplistic catch phrases should always be avoided like the plague. But there are wines whose grapes have been produced on volcanic soils, as the recent Vinora international salon held in Clermont Ferrand, in France's major volcanic region, showed recently. So what …

Likes and dislikes: never easy to be sure except at the moment

I am often surprised by the difference in opinions that we can have, even between experienced professionals, about the same wine. We had a good example last week on this site when my eminent colleague, Marie-Louise Banyols, lauded a Pomerol (Château de Sales 2017) that I had tasted separately two days before with another colleague …

Johan Degroef nous parle du Chasselas, ce méconnu

Notre confrère et ami néerlandophone Johan De Groef (je passerai son texte original dans la langue de Vondel demain samedi), nous a envoyé ses impressions sur la dégustation de Chasselas organisée il y a quelques semaines à Bruxelles. en voici la traduction dans la langue de Molière. C'est presque une confession…  Marco Le Chasselas, jusqu’à présent, c’était …

Looking at Crozes Hermitage 2017

Whichever way one looks at it, the wines of Northern Rhône occupy a place in the world of wine that far exceeds what could be considered as their fair share in terms of the volume of wine produced in France. To put this sub-region into a wider French perspective, Northern Rhône produces around 6% of …

Deux blancs des Côtes du Rhône, plaisir garanti

Picorés durant Découvertes en Vallée du Rhône… Mais quelques jours ne suffisent pas pour explorer toute l’étendue des blancs qui fleurissent le long du fleuve. Frais, complexes, structurés, fruités, bien élevés, c’est fou comme ils nous accompagnent avec grâce. Ils nous étonnent par leur variété presque illimitée (qui peut dérouter les coutumiers des mono-cépages). Ici, …

Cabernet Franc, sometimes ripe at Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil

  I must admit to often being disappointed by the wines made from Cabernet Franc grown in the Loire. Green and harsh/bitter tanins, lack of fruit flavours and depth are my usual complaints. It is true that this cool climate region is not, every year, ideally suited to ripening a variety that comes from much …

Apprendre sur le vin chez soi

Firstly I apologize to my English-speaking readers, as this article will be in French since the theme, or at least the example that illustrates it, are specific to the French market. La dégustation est certainement la meilleure approche pour quiconque cherche à découvrir l'univers fascinant du vin. Mais cela se traduit généralement par des cours …