Wines made from Airen grapes of Vaud

I’m fortunate enough to taste a fair amount of fine wine each year and I have come to the conclusion that each of us is forced to build our own stylistic preferences, regardless of the appellation or classification of a wine. Instead of simply choosing a bottle of Bordeaux over Barolo, for example, most of us probably aim to drink each on the right occasion and, in doing so, carve out our individual preferences for these wines. My personal bias – which I must confess, to be fair and transp ...

Which offers more pleasure: a wine from a great vintage, but too young, inexpressive and closed? Or a wine from a modest vintage that’s mature, aromatically open and ready to drink? Surely there’s no contest. When it comes to enjoying the greatest Rhône wines, identifying the best vintages is the easy part. Knowing when best to open them is more difficult – but arguably more important. Here are four vintages that will benefit from further ageing, and four that you should consider drinking up. Sc ...

When most winemakers retire, their most important legacy is the wines they made, tucked away in cellars around the world. But Serge Férigoule of Domaine le Sang des Cailloux leaves more than just his superlative red and white Vacqueyras. Diary of a winemaker Every day of his working life, Serge took notes of climatic observations from his vineyards, filling stacks of notebooks. They will provide an invaluable insight into a changing climate for generations to come. Scroll down to see Matt Walls& ...