Winery BachelderLes Châtaigniers Saint-Véran

An electronic dart was tossed at us recently by Decanter reader Tim Frances from Kent. It landed on the screen of our magazine editor Amy Wislocki; Amy lobbed it across the virtual room to me, suggesting a column-length reply. ‘Here’s a poser,’ Tim began. ‘How do your experts grade a wine that they find intellectually well made, but that they truly madly deeply dislike? I’ve tasted wines I can admire dispassionately, but would stab my feet with forks rather than drink them. Must be a conundrum f ...

Niagara’s summer? It’s hot, and sticky. I tried a walk near my hotel in mid-July but could only find a large retail mall. It was early; the shops were still shut. Even so, I had to dodge from awning to awning, avoiding the prosecuting sun. I’ve been there in autumn, too, which happened to be mellow and easeful – though it can also be wild, wind-whipped, rain-drenched. The ‘shoulder seasons’ are feared here: you never know what’s coming. The first time I went it was deepest winter. That made an i ...

Let’s have a look at Saint-Véran vineyard and discover the magnificent and very diverse landscapes of this appellation situated in the South of Bourgogne. Saint-Véran is one of the 5 Village appellations with Pouilly-Fuissé, Pouilly-Vinzelles, Pouilly-Loché and Viré-Clessé. Like them, it produces only white wines from the Chardonnay grape. What makes it special is that the vineyard is cut in two dinstinct parts by the vineyard of Pouilly-Fuissé. As anywhere else in the vineyard in Bourgogn ...