The Winery Pierre Luquet of Burgundy

Some people have already braved wintry conditions to queue outside Vinmonopolet’s main store at Aker Brygge in Oslo ahead of the next release of top Burgundy wines on 9 February, the retailer said. The first two people arrived on Thursday 12 January, ‘so they will spend four weeks outside the store’, said Arnt Egil Nordlien, senior product manager for fine wine and auctions at the Norwegian state-owned alcohol retailer. ‘Today there are six people in the queue.’ Nordlien told Decante ...

There’s no doubt that 2021 was a challenging vintage. Most explanatory statements or technical sheets handed out over the past few weeks have mentioned the unfavourable, oft disastrous weather conditions, the sometimes very low and disheartening yields and the slightly varied or unusual blends on offer in 2021. Difficulties faced by vignerons both inside and outside of the cellar have been explained in detail as has the raft of highly important decisions needed be made throughout the year, ...

The voice drops a little; the tone grows more reverential. Everyone knows; everyone understands. There will be wry allusions to a quest, perhaps even the grail. Sacrifice is expected en route; failure (always forgiven: a badge of honour) beckons on every side. Kitted up, your hopes armour-plated? I might be talking about planting vines on a cleared slope, or simply about taking the corkscrew to a ridiculously expensive bottle of wine, but you all know by now what’s meant. Pinot Noir. ‘Pinotism’ ...