Wines made from Valdiguié grapes of Sierra Foothills

Bordeaux’s Château Angélus has withdrawn its candidacy from the next St-Emilion classification, the producer announced today via a press release sent to Decanter. The withdrawal follows that of Château Cheval Blanc and Château Ausone who announced the news in July 2021.  Currently only Château Pavie remains a Premier Grand Cru Classé ‘A’ estate out of the original four having been promoted, alongside Château Angélus, in the 2012 ranking. Angélus said that, while the classification had long been ...

AXA Millésimes has expanded its footprint in California by purchasing Platt Vineyard on the western reaches of Sonoma Coast for an undisclosed sum. The French insurance giant’s wine division made its first foray into the Golden State when it bought Napa Valley winery Outpost back in 2018. Managing director Christian Seely has been on the hunt for a vineyard of similar quality to produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay ever since. AXA Millésimes jumped at the opportunity to snap up the 111-hectare Plat ...

Some Châteauneufs are more reliable than others. When I visit the region to taste the new vintage every year, Domaine de la Janasse’s cuvée Vieilles Vignes regularly features among the best. It’s a particularly dense and concentrated wine when young, and it always strikes me that, even for Châteauneuf, it’s a wine that needs extended ageing to show its best. I was keen to acquire a more complete understanding of how this cuvée develops, so I visited brother-and-sister team Isabelle and Christoph ...