The Winery Optimbules of Haspengouwse Wijn of Flandre

Despite the lowest number of barrels going under the hammer in 15 years, the 2021 Hospices de Beaune charity auction broke per-barrel price records, reaching an impressive total sales figure of €12.5m (£10.48m/$14.09m), excluding buyer premiums. The total was not too far behind last year’s high tally – close to €13.44 million – where almost double the number of barrels were sold. This year’s sale, with 362 lots, including seven barrels of spirits, reached an average price per lot of €34,980 (£29 ...

This is a remarkably classic vintage for Hermitage given the hot, dry conditions. The reds have impressive tannic weight and texture, balanced acidity and a good sense of freshness. Scroll down for tasting notes and scores for the top-scoring Hermitage 2020 wines {"content":"PHA+VGhlIHdoaXRlcyBhcmUgYSBmbG9yYWwsIG1pbmVyYWwgZXhwcmVzc2lvbiBvZiBIZXJtaXRhZ2UsIHdpdGggbGVzcyBvZiB0aGUgcmljaG5lc3MgYW5kIG9wdWxlbmNlIG9mIHJlY2VudCB2aW50YWdlcy48L3A+CjxwPiYjODIxNjtJdOKAmXMgbGlrZSB0aGUgdmluZXMgY ...

The liqueur – famed for its use in making Crêpes Suzettes, but also a classic cocktail ingredient – has created a new Exceptional Range, beginning with the launch of Grand Marnier Quintessence. Quintessence combines rare old hors d’âge Cognacs from the Grande Champagne sub-region with the essence of bitter Citrus bigaradia (Seville orange) peels, double-distilled to intensify their flavour. The blend was taken from an old recipe found in the Marnier Lapostolle family archives by Grand Marnier ma ...