The Domaine La Réze of Aude of Vin de Pays

Château Climens owner Lurton has sold a majority stake in the prestigious, Barsac-based estate to Jean-Hubert Moitry and his family, via the family’s Patrimonia Développement group, it was announced this week. It marks the Moitry family’s first investment in the wine sector, and represents a major deal in the Bordeaux wine world. Financial details weren’t disclosed. Nicknamed ‘Lord of Barsac’, Climens is one of the Premier Grand Cru Classé estates of Sauternes and Barsac listed in Bordeaux ...

By 1965, the vineyards of Condrieu had largely been abandoned – phylloxera and two world wars had decimated the place and its people. There were just 8ha of vines remaining on these granite slopes. If it weren’t for the hard work of a few steadfast vignerons, the appellation might have disappeared entirely, reclaimed by the forest. Thankfully, Condrieu survived and has since flourished – but great appellations have been lost before. We know this because some have recently been rediscovered. In f ...

There’s a reason why heavily-applied perfume ranks highly on most wine lovers’ list of pet peeves. It overpowers your senses, conceals aromas and distorts your perception of a wine. In professional tastings and wine exams the wearing of perfume is banned, if not thoroughly frowned upon. You just don’t do it. What then, if we applied the same logic to music, controlling the sounds we hear, or don’t hear, while tasting wine? There’s no doubt that a chaotic environment can clog your synapses, makin ...