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New Wines from the Tuscan Coast (Jul 2003)

(100% merlot) Intense blackish ruby. Big, brooding nose of superripe plum, sage and other Mediterranean herbs. Extraordinarily plush, with raspberry jam filling the mouth. Big, dusty tannins underscore the intense and very long finish, redolent of roasted espresso beans and vanilla.

Opus One – Past, Present and Future: 1979-2012 (Jun 2013)

The 2000 Opus One comes across as a smaller-scaled version of 1997. It shares much of the exuberance and raciness of that year, but with less structure. Readers who enjoy the riper Opus Ones and are looking for a vintage to drink today should consider the 2000. Today the 2000 is peaking. It is hard…

New Releases from California (Jan 2004)

Deep red-ruby. Somewhat herbaceous aromas of leather and smoke. Lush and silky in the middle palate, with strong game and smoke notes but little sign of primary fruit. Then finishes with an offputtingly dry edge. A disappointing vintage for this wine.

Unrivalled/ Unequalled: Yquem 1921–2019 (Apr 2022)

The 1985 Yquem suffered by there being just a single day of rain between 15 September and 1 November, precluding botrytis formation. Nevertheless, picking started on 5 October and unexpectedly some botrytis did appear. The nose is clean but simple for this estate, dried honey and hazelnut, almond and a subtle petrol-like aroma. The palate…

Unrivalled/ Unequalled: Yquem 1921–2019 (Apr 2022)

The 1997 Yquem comes from a season that witnessed the earliest-ever flowering (5 May) and an early picking that began on 4 September, though botrytis failed to develop, necessitating seven tries through the vineyard over 32 days of picking that lasted until 4 November. One aspect to note is how deep in colour this is…

1999 and 1998 Rhone Valley Wines (Jan 2001)

Full, saturated ruby, by a wide margin the darkest of these ’97s. Spicy, high-pitched aromas of cassis, black cherry, licorice, flint and tar. Densely packed but currently tightly wound and dominated by its structure. Shows a restrained sweetness and complicating hints of leather, flint and tar. More tannic than the Mouline or Turque but here,…