James Bercovici - The Big Red Wine Company

With our oldest son just turning ten, the weekend was the perfect opportunity to re-taste some of his vintage in wines. First up was Beaucastel - one person thought it slightly corked and threw it away in disgust. Everyone else thought it was brett and enjoyed everything else that was going on in the glass. When I suggested to the dissenter it had, perhaps, more of a farmyard smell than he was accustomed to (he is a dedicated New Zealand Pinot Noir drinker), he agreed it could be that (he still threw it away - will I ever get over that?). Perhaps I should have decanted it! In any case, I found it to have lovely deep black cherry fruit, quite brambly, big without being overdone. De Vallouit 's Cote Rotie 1999 "La Voniere" on Sunday was the perfect partner for roast beef. I had been asked to try it by someone who had opened a badly shaken up bottle. This was in perfect condition, very clear and bright. It looked like it had plenty of life ahead. The nose was sublime, ...

On this blustery day in Suffolk I have sold the last of my Domaine des Anges Rosé. A good time to run out, you may think, given that the summer seems to have ended so abruptly. Not so - rosé is more popular now as a year round drink than ever before it seems and we have it listed in a few restaurants who are never too happy having to make changes to their lists. So, the obvious thing is to call Ciaran and arrange for some more to be shipped. Already tried it - he's sold out and is only now thinking about harvesting the 2009 crop so that won't be available until next Easter. The problem is that 2008 was a smaller vintage than usual - around 25% down on an average year (more for some wines) - and the summer of 2009 has (until today) been a hot one both home and abroad so rosé sales have been phenomenal. We have some Mourchon and Pezat left but that's all. Oh well, the weather will, no doubt, continue to worsen so those heavy Cahors and Madirans we have coming in will hit t...