The flavor of roasted plum in wine of French Polynesia

Wine lovers with a valid passport can apply for the Majestic ‘vintern’ scheme, launched this week and dubbed by the retailer as ‘the best summer job ever’. A three-day placement will include a visit to Quinta da Boavista vineyards in Portugal’s picturesque Douro region. Majestic said the vintern will also taste wines from its Wine Club’s Spain & Portugal Summer Case ‘in situ’, before trying the same wines back at home for comparison. It is offering £600 remuneration for three days, which it ...

In brief: Rhône 2020 En Primeur Northern Rhône 2020: 4.5/5 A reliably fresh, balanced and approachable vintage – a return to classicism after a series of powerful years. Excellent white wines. Southern Rhône: 4/5 Fresh, juicy and immediate reds with lower alcohol than recent years, though some lack concentration. Beautiful white wines. ‘These are wines that will provide huge amounts of pleasure, straight out of the gate. It is that rare thing – an excellent vintage for early drinking.̵ ...

In the UK wine calendar, wine merchants concentrate on selling certain regions at the same time every year. For Burgundy, it’s January; Bordeaux starts in April. Others, like the Rhône, aren’t quite so specific, but merchants do seem to agree that autumn is the right time to turn their attention to this part of France. Following a number of Rhône-focused tastings, and with my full report on the 2021s coming out soon, I have tasted and rated wines that are available to buy in the UK now and my re ...