The Winery Ouvrard Fils of Bordeaux

The world of fine wine was saddened this weekend at the news of the passing of the widely loved wine authority Clive Coates MW. Few, if any, Masters of Wine exhibited the spontaneous generosity and amiable disposition that Clive Coates displayed throughout his long and illustrious career. His generosity with his time was remarkable given the breadth of his activities. Personally, I will always be grateful for his encouragement while I was preparing for the MW exam and again when publishing my fi ...

Described by Courvoisier as ‘daring’, ‘visionary’ and ‘a first-of-its-kind collaboration’, Courvoisier Mizunara was created by the house’s recently-retired maître de chai, Patrice Pinet, and Shinji Fukuyo, chief blender of Japanese whisky maker Suntory. The project dates back to 2015, when the president of Suntory visited Courvoisier at Jarnac shortly after Suntory took over Beam Global, the Cognac house’s then owner, in a deal worth US$16bn. Pinet expressed an interest in experimenting with miz ...

Christie’s said the bottle of Perrier-Jouët ‘Brut Millesimé’ from the ‘outstanding’ 1874 Champagne vintage sold for £42,875 ($56,981, €50,292), far outstripping its pre-sale high estimate of £15,000. The winning bidder will also get a VIP experience at Perrier-Jouët. It was part of a collection of rare vintages sourced directly from Maison Perrier-Jouët and 100% sold by Christie’s at a wider wine and spirits auction held in London on 2 and 3 December. While the 1874 bottle’s ap ...