Winery Poggio Rubino Rubius Cuvée Prestige

Last week, Basque National Party (PNV) spokesperson Aitor Esteban announced the withdrawal of a bill that, if passed, would have granted Basque winemakers of the Rioja Alavesa region greater autonomy. A proposal to establish a breakout Viñedos de Álava DO for Rioja’s Basque enclave was originally launched in 2016 by the Association of Rioja Alavesa Producers (ABRA), which represents over 100 local wineries. While a number of Basque producers continue to battle for the creation of an entirely sep ...

Whenever I visit Domaine Richaud, just outside the village of Cairanne, the winemaking team remind me of friends I made at free parties in the 1990s in fields and disused warehouses. I’m not talking dreadlocks and dogs on strings, but there’s always an anarchic frisson in the air. You get the impression they know how to enjoy themselves. Perhaps it’s to be expected, given the radical furrow Marcel Richaud has ploughed. He’s approaching 70 now, but still thrums with pent-up energy, his ice-blue e ...

‘All good quality years have hydric stress,’ says Jacky Bernard, President of AOC Vacqueyras, ‘otherwise you don’t get the necessary concentration… But extreme stress is counterproductive.’ Scroll down for tasting notes and scores for the top-scoring Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2020 wines {"content":"PHA+VmFjcXVleXJhcywgcGVyaGFwcyB0aGFua3MgdG8gaXRzIHByb3BvcnRpb24gb2Ygb2xkIHZpbmVzICg0MiUgYXJlIG92ZXIgNDAgeWVhcnMgb2xkKSByb2RlIG91dCB0aGUgZHJvdW ...