Winery Fattoria La StrisciaOcchini Merlot

I started to write my thoughts on the vintage as the dust settled from the annual primeur’s week (or month in my case) and when my teeth and lips had finally lost their purple hue – an unsightly image I documented once on Instagram. This year more than 7,000 eager wine tasters were welcomed onto the red carpets of various historic châteaux buildings, past manicured gardens and into beautifully decorated tasting rooms to taste the new batch of baby wines before tucking into lavish spreads, often ...

The French photographer captured his subject resting against the side of the vat after completing the arduous task. ‘This beautifully lit and framed image encapsulates the dedication, the sheer physical hard work involved in making wine – no glamour here,’ said Caroline Kenyon, the founder of the awards ceremony. ‘There’s so much character in the subject’s face – weary but triumphant, she knows it’s a tough job well done.’ Gaudillère had already won the ‘People’ sub-category of the Errazuriz Win ...

The wines of Cornas fall broadly into two camps this year; soft and juicy wines for early drinking and some tighter, structured, appetising wines with good longevity. My suggestions are broadly taken from the latter camp. Scroll down for tasting notes and scores for the top-scoring Cornas & St-Péray 2020 wines Many 2018s and 2019s in Cornas are overripe and soft; 2020 is a welcome return to a more clear-headed, focused style. {"content":"PHA+UGllcnJlIENsYXBlIHNheXMgJiM4MjE2O2l ...