Our wines in the Press

This is the greatest vintage I have ever tasted, more approachable than the almost as impressive 2001s, and just as complex, nuanced and perfumed…If you want to get a real idea of its greatness, invest in… the magisterial, multi-dimensional, once-in-a-lifetime 2004 Barolo Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba, Bruno Giacosa. Such wines will repay your investment, providing you with special days for years to come.

"Pinot Noir: Why you get what you pay for" The Guardian, Victoria Moore, 24^th May 2008

Anne-Claude Leflaive is one of the big names in burgundy; this wine, made by her cousin, Eric de Suremain, who also works to biodynamic principles, capitalises on that name, but not unfairly. A lovely wine that comes at you in gentle layers, with soft, sweetly ripe pinot fruit and a hint of minerals.

Drink it with: perfect for early summer - try it with a ham joint served with peas and other greens

“Wine : Bubble Jeapordy,” The Independent, Anthony Rose, 3^rd May 2008

The bone-dry style is well-adapted to oysters, seafood and Japanese cuisine, as Didier Gimonnet pointed out when I caught up with him and his brilliantly creamy 1999 Gimonnet Extra Brut Oenophile Non-Dosé champagne at this spring's Champagne Bureau tasting.

But ultra-dry champagne can be a little too too austere for many palates. According to the author of the Champagne and Sparkling Wine Guide, Tom Stevenson, after tasting great old champagne vintages disgorged straight from the cellar (and great, mature vintages require little or no dosage), "certain French wine journalists theorised incorrectly that champagne per se did not need any added sugar, so it became macho to want no-dosage champagnes". As Didier Gimonnet cautions, while the style appeals to true champagne lovers looking for a natural wine without embellishment, "It's not easy to do it well and in order to get the right balance, you have to choose the best vintage cuvé otherwise it can too easily become unbalanced." Pure as the new style may be, the blender's art is still prized above all.

“Liquid Gold,” The Observer, Tim Atkin, 20th April 2008

The image of German wines is so bad that the toilet link is damningly apposite. Ask most people to come up with their impressions of German wines, and the responses are immediate: sweet, cheap and naff. You'd get a very different answer if you posed the same question in America, where German wines are considered stylish and chic. Things would also have been different in the UK a century ago, when German wines were highly prized.

But maybe opinions are beginning to change. I think there are three reasons for this. First, Riesling, Germany's best grape, is increasingly recognised as one of the world's greatest (Liebfraumilch and other bargain-basement nasties are nearly always made from other varieties). Second, many German wines, even at the commercial end, are dry and better suited to modern palates. And lastly, the increasing popularity of New World Rieslings has been a boon for the grape's home from home. Following a good to great run of vintages in 2004, 2005 and 2006, many consumers are starting to rediscover the best German wines, which remain comparatively under-priced…

The 2006 Rothenberg Riesling Trocken, Freiherr Heyl zu Hernsheim, Rheinhessen is taut, intense and finely crafted.

The prolific producer of fabulous Italian wine from the renowned Gaja estates, recently came to London for the Worldwide Sommeliers Association to conduct a seminar. Between the Italian trade tasting during the day and the eager crowds gathering to hear him speak in the evening, we were able to fit in an interview.

Please click here to watch the interview hosted by Harpers.co.uk

"Star Buys" The Times, Jane MacQuitty, 23^rd February 2008

Marlborough sauvignon from the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island continues to be a modish New World classic. This soft, floral, yet elegant, zesty, verdant ‘06 gets my vote.

"Star Buys" The Times, Jane MacQuitty, 23^rd February 2008

Bordeaux continues to infuriate and delight in equal measure, so it is a relief to find a humble bordeaux supérieur property that manages to make good wine most years like this soft, velvety, herby claret.

“Wine: Kiwi Fruit” The Independent, Anthony Rose, 16th February 2008

New Zealand's geographical length means it can produce both full, dry rieslings and more delicate, Mosel-like kabinett and spätlese sweet whites. This versatility is reflected in a range of classic dry whites on the one hand, with refreshing lime-zesty characters such as the… aromatic 2006 Paddy Borthwick Riesling.

Seresin, Pinot Gris 2006

“Wine: Kiwi Fruit” The Independent, Anthony Rose, 16th February 2008
The grape that's really caught fire – if that's possible in such a cool, maritime climate – is pinot gris. From next to nothing a decade ago, its popularity is such that it has overtaken riesling to become the country's third most popular white after sauvignon and chardonnay. Even though it's the same grape as pinot grigio, New Zealand is right to call it pinot gris because, as a high quality variety in Alsace, and incidentally Oregon, the name hasn't been devalued like pinot grigio. It can be something of a white paint grape though – neutral, that is – unless cropped at low levels, and some tend to be overpowering or oversweet. Among the handful I find nicely poised, the richly textured 2006 Seresin Pinot Gris, fits the bill nicely, while the best 2007s are on the water, so I'll come back to them once they're in store. In the land of the long white cloud, white wine continues to reach new heights.

“Wine: Top 10 Italian Wines” The Telegraph, Jonathan Ray,
One of the original "Super Tuscans" and, quite simply, one of the great wines of the world. A stunningly crafted blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, marked by voluptuous blackcurrant fruit and soft, silky tannins, it is best savoured with dishes such as prime rib of beef or saddle of lamb.

please call us to order

“Alsatians come to the aid of a one trick pony” Jancis Robinson, The Financial Times, 9th February 2008

Te Mata, Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Hawkes Bay, another North Island wine, really is a one-off with its Semillon and Sauvignon Gris ingredients and some gentle barrel ageing.

“Champagne to brighten up dull days” The Guardian, Victoria Moore, 2nd February 2008

Gimonnet Extra-Brut Oenophile 1999 1er Cru non dosée
Drink it with: The toasty nose of this blanc de blancs gives way to a bone-dry, minerallic champagne that has energising vitality and charge.
Apparently sommeliers have been swarming round this because the dryness, coupled with its distinctive, pristine texture, makes it good with food: try langoustines.

“Over a barrel” The Observer, Tim Atkin, 27^th January 2008
How good is 2006? Having tasted nearly 1,000 wines, my surprised answer is 'very' for whites. In fact, I would say that these are some of the best young Chardonnays I've ever sampled. The region that under-performed, at least in my view, was Chablis, but elsewhere in Burgundy there are some fantastic wines at every price level. The wines are characterised by freshness, directness and considerable poise. They are better than the 2005s, 2004s and 2003s and as good as the 2002s.
Six wines that stood out for me were … and the 2006 Meursault Premier Cru, Les Genevrières, Domaine Daviot Perrin

“Bottles to beat the January blues” The Guardian, Victoria Moore, 2nd February 2008

The Alto Adige, formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, was annexed to Italy at the end of the first world war. Italian and German are official languages, hence this wine's un-Latin-sounding name. Italy isn't exactly known for its sauvignon blanc, but this is minerallic, sculpted, streamlined, herbaceous, and as bracing as the mountain air in which it's grown. Drink with: On its own, or with asparagus, smoked fish or crustaceans.

“It’s a keeper, four bottles to savour later” The Observer, Tim Atkin, 6th January 2007

It's only my opinion, but I've chosen four reds that I think are worth keeping…The second pair are still in their infancy. The 2004 Gaja Barbaresco is a tightly wound, beautifully balanced Nebbiolo with a core of sweet fruit and firm but ripe tannins

Dark ruby-purple in color, with complex aromas of dark chocolate, cola, vanilla, cedar and currant. Full-bodied yet ultrarefined, with dense, seamless, caressing tannins. Everything is in the right proportion. Superb. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best after 2009.

97 points, James Suckling, Wine Spectator’s Insider, 5^th September 2007

Aromas of chocolate, currant and blackberry, with a hint of Spanish cedar. Full-bodied, with firm, velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Racy and very well-structured. Builds on the palate. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best after 2012.

94 points, James Suckling, Wine Spectator’s Insider, 5^th September 2007

"...Armit's summer sale (020-7908 0660) offers almost 200 wines and hefty discounts, including three cases for the price of two, cheapest is free, on a dozen wines. Anyone for the new cult claret Château Monbousquet 2001 at £46 a bottle, or Seresin's sparky superior Marama Sauvignon Blanc for £10.80 a throw should get a move on."

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