The Winery Honker Hill of Illinois

On the 25th March there was a frost in the Southern Rhône. ‘It’s normal to have frosts then – it’s practically still winter,’ says Rodolphe des Pins of Château de Montfaucon. Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top-scoring Lirac & Tavel 2020 wines {"content":"PHA+QnV0IHdoZW4gdGhlIHZpbmVzIGhhdmUgd29rZW4gZWFybHksIGFzIHRoZXkgZGlkIGluIDIwMjAsIGl0IGNhbiBkZWNpbWF0ZSB0aGUgeW91bmcgYnVkcy48L3A+CjxwPjxkaXYgY2xhc3M9ImFkLWNvbnRhaW5lciBhZC1jb250YWluZXItLW1vYmlsZ ...

Pale salmon in colour, a basket full of freshly-picked summer berries backed by the tell-tale, mouth-watering English acidity – these pink delights are wines made for summer and glorious celebrations. In fact, rosé is likely to become ‘one of the most important styles made in Britain over the next 10 to 20 years,’ as Oz Clark put it in his 2020 book on English wines*. The top examples of English sparkling rosés tend to be made mainly from the red Champagne grapes using the traditional method, wi ...

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 ...