Val de Loire is a regional PGI title, covering wines produced in an area that roughly corresponds to the Val de Loire wine region in northern France. The PGI catchment area covers 14 departments and is one of the largest in France in terms of area. The Terroir is extremely varied throughout the Loire Valley region. Wines produced under the PGI title have as much style as the AOC appellations of the Loire.
Loire Valley PGI wines have a familiar range of Grape varieties to draw from - the classic Loire varieties of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Melon de Bourgogne are often used, as are Gamay and Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are also present in the vineyards, but in smaller quantities. The majority of wines produced under the PGI are made from a single grape variety. The geographical area of the PGI follows the Loire River for about 550 kilometers (350 miles).
A methuselah of Romanée-Conti 1976 from Burgundy’s vaunted Domaine de la Romanée-Conti was among the highlights in a two-day series of Sotheby’s wine and spirits auctions in Hong Kong last weekend. The six-litre bottle sold for HK$1.25m (US$159,350), against a pre-sale estimate range of HK$1m to HK$1.4m. In a separate spirits auction, a single bottle of Yamazaki 35 Year Old Japanese whisky fetched HK$1m (US$127,440). Rare white Burgundy was also in-demand during the weekend event. Top lot in a f ...
China was previously Australia’s leading export market, with sales worth $1.2 billion in the year to September 2020. However, Beijing then imposed a 212% tariff on imported wine from Australia as a retaliatory measure after Canberra called for an international investigation into China’s handling of the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan. Trade minister Simon Birmingham called it ‘a very distressing time for many hundreds of Australian wine producers, who have built in good faith a sound market in China’ ...
Some Rasteau 2020s lack substance this year, but it’s a vintage that has played into the hands of those estates who favour elegance over power. Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top-scoring Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2020 wines {"content":"PHA+JiM4MjE2O0lmIHlvdSB3YW50IHRvIG1ha2Ugd2luZXMgd2l0aCBmaW5lc3NlLCBpdCB3YXMgYSBnb29kIHllYXIsJiM4MjE3OyBzYXlzIE1pa2FlbCBCb3V0aW4uPC9wPgo8cD48ZGl2IGNsYXNzPSJhZC1jb250YWluZXIgYWQtY29udGFpbmVyLS1tb2JpbGUiPjxkaXYgaWQ9InBvc3Qt ...
