James Bercovici - The Big Red Wine Company

Recently returned from our annual trip hopping across the Alps (we managed the journey over the top of the Colle Madelene/Col d'Arche which affords stunning views and around 22 hairpin bends on the Italian side - not good if you get stuck behind a camper van) having visited lots of wineries both in Piedmont and the Rhone. As every enthusiast knows, 2015 was an exceptional year throughout Europe (certainly all the major wine-growing regions of France and northern Italy where we work) with wines that often need a bit of cellaring but have the capacity to age magnificently. In the main, these are the wines we offered 'en primeur' this time last year. Now it is the turn of the 2016s. In Piedmont, I was struck by the explosion of fruit in the Langhe Nebbiolo wines I tasted from 2016. Actually, it was probably more the acidity levels in these wines which kept the fruit very much alive on the palate. Fantastic food wines. Of course, it is only the basic Nebbs that are currentl...

They've never been regarded as a bad thing in Champagne but multi-vintage blends (MVBs) have rarely been taken seriously in still, unfortified wines. Ant Rose, in an article for Decanter, has attempted to point out that this is not always justified. I think it's fair to say that the vast majority of non-vintage wines are of low quality, the emerging MVB category is trying to do something rather more exciting. What's the difference between NV and MVB, you may ask? Legally, nothing as far as I can see. They are simply designations conjured up by winemakers and wine critics (and, of course, wine merchants) but, as a rule of thumb, NV wines are probably going to look cheap - thin bottles, dull labels etc - and taste it. MVBs are prestige bottling with price tags to match. If nothing else, that's one way to measure the pretensions of the winemaker. Xavier Vignon , with whom we have been working for about 15 years, is a pioneer of the style. His 'Debut' cuvee, ...

Pound for pound (or should that be euro for euro), I doubt there is an estate in Burgundy producing higher quality wines at such (comparatively) low prices as Givry's Domaine Joblot . Year after year, this is a producer that makes wines that are better than many in the more illustrious Cote d'Or but, at around £25 or so a bottle, there is little - beyond basic Bourgogne Rouge - that can match these wines for price. Now, don't get me wrong, Bourgogne Rouge can be very good indeed when it comes from some of the better producers' stables but they are always north of £20 these days and don't often match the most basic wine in the Joblot range which, from 2016, bears the moniker ' Preface ' . This is their village Givry and its youthful, pretty nose offers good fruit weight and perfume. The length is good for this level and there is no reason to doubt that this wine will develop extremely nicely. Definite notions of stewed plums here and a hint of cinnamon perh...

Oseleta is a grape variety.  That's straightforward then. Go to Jancis Robinson's website to find out more. After all, she and her colleague Julia Harding MW, wrote what must be the definitive guide to grape varieties.  It's not there. Never mind, a good search comes to the rescue. Oseleta has a 'more  tannic structure, minerality and dark berry notes and is very different to the light, more gentle, low tannin of most Valpolicella grapes' according to thedrinksbusiness.com in an online article entitled 'Rare variety adds backbone to Valpolicella'. So now you have a clue as to my interest. I have been keeping quiet about a new range I have just brought into the UK from a rather interesting outfit called ' i Campi ' (which my 'O' Level Latin translates as The Fields). I came across them following a discussion about Soave wines in which I became convinced that there were some seriously good ones out there somewhere (in the Soave zone, ...

The southernmost appellation of the northern Rhone is not a name that many wine enthusiasts know or a wine that is commonly seen on the shelves. There are some decent sparklers bubbling out, and have been since the 1820s, but now the still whites are making a name for themselves in this tiny appellation - different sizes abound on this font of all knowledge, the internet, but it seems that it is between 55 and 90 hectares (by way of contrast, Chateau Lafite claims 112 hectares). Earlier this year, I visited Pierre Gaillard , one of the northern Rhone's great risk-takers, who was clearly very pleased with his St-Peray (indeed, he has reason to be pleased with the whole range but the St-Peray seemed to be one he was especially proud of) and it was easy to see why. It is a wine grown just south of Cornas on clay and chalk, giving acidity and tension to the wine. The Marsanne/Roussanne blend give the wine delicate floral characters, complexity and balance. Yesterday, I was flicking...

It's been a while since my last post as the arrival of the British summer saw me de-camp to the continent for several weeks where wines were enjoyed but rarely intellectualised. I found that I still don't get on with Loire reds but I did find a Beaujolais I really liked, albeit one given a traditional, whole cluster fermentation followed by ageing in barriques (so, nothing like BoJo). Other wines came and went: a Ruche impressed me at lunch in Alba but, generally, I drank either wines which I import or, otherwise, wines of little consequence. Summer wines. Arriving back in the UK, it was time to start the post-arrival tastings of 2015s that have been sitting quietly in the warehouse since late June. Several wines from the northern Rhone's  Pierre Gaillard and Domaine Ste-Anne  in the south have been opened in the last week and, youthfulness aside, all have impressed greatly. From the latter estate, the St-Gervais 'Les Rouvieres' is surprisingly approachable altho...

Today sees the release of Decanter's August edition with the publication of the results of its Southern Rhone Whites tasting. We have a whopping seven wines in the line-up! As the notes show, Viognier is very much back in vogue. Chateau Juvenal, Ventoux 2015 'Ribes de Vallat' Another scoop for Juvenal, following its recent Wine of the Week (for the 2016) on jancisrobinson.com, now recognition for the 2015 - there's very little left but at least the follow-on comes highly recommended! The Juvenal Blanc is a blend of Clairette and Viognier. 'Calls to mind summer Mediterranean meadows and freshly mown grass. Peach, apricot and mango fruits dominate the palate, complemented by a rich, oily texture' (90/100, 13.5% ABV) Domaine Brusset, Cairanne 2015 'Esprit de Papet' One of two whites from Laurent Brusset and, if that's not enough, his 2015 Cairanne 'Chabriles' also scooped a Platinum Trophy for Best Value Rhone Red in the Decanter World W...