James Bercovici - The Big Red Wine Company

At almost ten years' old, it was to be hoped that, at last, this classic Barolo would be fit to drink. I can't remember how long ago the last bottle was opened but that certainly wasn't ready with tannins effectively masking the fruit. That's all to be expected, of course. This is Barolo, of course, but not just any Barolo. It's from the classic, backward, ultra long-lived 2006 vintage and wines from parts of La Morra (Roggeri is another sub-zone to be included in this generalisation) were fantastically tannic. Abrasion in youth can, of course, mellow if the upbringing is handled well. Now the wine tells a different story. From the outset, the nose is more revealing. Classic Nebbiolo aromas but, finally, rich and giving. This all follows through to the palate where the tannins are undeniable but no longer bullying the fruit into submission. A review from 2012 reads: "This elegant Barolo delivers both intensity and complexity thanks to its pure berry aroma...

Bordeaux 2015 Don't let anyone tell you anything different: 2015 was a fabulous vintage in Bordeaux (also, the Rhone, Burgundy, Piedmont…). Indeed, unlike these other regions, it was realistically the only great vintage for red wines since 2010 which is why we haven't offered anything since then. Of course, plenty of good wines have been made in the interim but with the market how it is these days, there has been little incentive to buy and no reason to offer these wines. Not so 2015; if you like Bordeaux then this is a vintage to buy, subject to personal preferences and prices. The Maltus empire We have been working with Jonathan Maltus since 1998 and have some experience of his earlier vintages so it has been fascinating to watch this workaholic develop one of the most stunning portfolios of the right bank. Many will know that I am not a big lover of Bordea...

Italy - mostly Piedmont Our recent trip to Piedmont was highly successful. The new wines from Nada Giuseppe and Fabrizio Battaglino were, as expected, wines we wanted to buy by the car load (there was little room for air in the car coming back!) but we also visited Filippo Broccardo whose 2012s are extremely drinkable and, new to us, Andrea Bosco of Bosco Agostino . Fabrizio BATTAGLINO Following his trip to the UK last year, there was an understandable surge of interest in Fabrizio's wines and some vintages are now sold out or have just a few bottles remaining. Fortunately, the next vintage to come along is 2013 which is fabulous (we already have some stocks of the 2013 Nebbiolo d'Alba which has been very well received). However, for Fabrizio, 2012 was also a great year, so much so that he decided to make a Roero Riserva which is a richer, fuller wine than the fr...

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