By Panos Kakaviatos As I finalize this post, I have just returned from Vinexpo in Bordeaux where I attended the annual Fete de la Fleur, a big party meant to celebrate the flowering cycle of the vineyard. But the French word for shattering is coulure and, given the constant rainfall in this crucial flowering period, […]

Over 40 years ago, when Jacques Lardiere was just in his second year with the venerable domain of Louis Jadot in Burgundy, he proved his skills in a vintage that challenged everyone. In some years, France encounters an extreme heat wave known as la canicule and so it was in 1971. “It was even hotter […]

Bordeaux 2011: a mixed bag where one can find some red wine gold nuggets – Calon Segur, anyone? VCC? – but the whites are your best bet.

Plus: Enjoying Bordeaux without losing your savings And detailed tasting notes on Pessac-Léognan and Graves 2008, 2009 and 2010 A return to Bordeaux late September, and as the harvest was coming to an end, I discovered a rollercoaster season, as written in my report for decanter.com. Botrytis-affected grapes left behind on the vineyard like so […]