Wine at auction
Fine Wine Index 50
Advertise Here The Fine Wine Auction Index (FWAI50). Please use the slider on the bottom of the chart to see any relevant period. The Fine Wine index includes auctions from April 2013 most notably The Classic Cellar from a Great American Collector 11. The FWAI50 over the given period is based on approximately 25,000 separate
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Feature articles
Personality and wine
by Miles Thomas
The idea that personality and wine are linked is an attractive one. We might like to think Merlot fans masochistic or Pinot Noir geeks obsessive-compulsive, but there is little empirical evidence to support people fitting such convenient stereotypes. On the contrary, there is a growing acknowledgement that personality is as fluid and mercurial as wine once we get beyond basic traits related to our genetic inheritance.
Take 2: Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2008 Grand cru classé and Château Pichon-Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville 2008 cru classé en 1855, Pauillac
Château Pichon Comtesse and Château Pichon Baron were both once part of a larger estate. We compare these two wines, through their 2008 vintage, examining their common heritage, their taste, history, and evolution.
Bordeaux: a chronicle of conquest, commerce and kings
The beginnings of the Bordeaux wine trade, and its connection to dynasties, politics and wealth in the Middle Ages
by Rod Phillips
by Rod Phillips
Bordeaux’s rise to the status of an iconic wine region was a slow process that began by piggy-backing on the success of neighbouring regions and then employing restrictive commercial practices against the competition. But it was the popularity of Bordeaux wines among the ruling classes of England and other north European states that cemented its position in European markets. This article describes the beginnings of the Bordeaux wine trade, and its connection to dynasties, politics and wealth in the Middle Ages.
The river runs through it
A trip down the Gironde
by Catherine Taverny
by Catherine Taverny
With 60 Appellations (AOC) and more than 100,000 hectares of vines, the region of the Gironde (which includes Bordeaux) is the largest wine region in France. The Gironde estuary dominates the whole region affecting the climate, terroir and therefore its vintages. The author takes a trip on the estuary and considers its future.
Where’s the belief?
Do you have to be an anthroposophist in order to practice biodynamic viticulture?
by Claire Foster-Gilbert
by Claire Foster-Gilbert
Do you believe that people are capable of holding Christian values who aren’t Christians, any more than a bottle of sparkling wine from Australia can be Champagne? Whilst some do not believe God exists, they do think the Ten Commandments offer a pretty decent road map for social harmony. We are all flawed, but we are all capable of redemption by how we behave, not by doing things we think a “creator” might like enough to give us a pass into Paradise.
The value of wine
Exploring the worth in a bottle
by Jarrett Leplin and Michael Zimmerman
by Jarrett Leplin and Michael Zimmerman
Some wines are good, some are bad, and within both groups some are better than others. One may judge inferior a wine that is superior; wines are misjudged. If quality were simply a function of one’s reactions, a fact only about oneself, the ritual would make no more sense than the Latin Mass without belief in God.
wineViator
A Beige Wine for a Beige Meal
Eric Asimov of the NY Times has been discussing pairing wines based on colour… “The crispness and acidity of good chardonnay pairs beautifully with chicken potpie and other rich, creamy foods.” Well, not exactly but perhaps it is a good idea? Just think how easy it would be for restauranteurs who could simply colour code
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News
Eisch Wine glasses competition – result
Results to Fine Wine magazine’s Eisch wine glasses competition with commentary on some of the entries.
Landmarks
The Fools on the hill: the ‘Hermitage antenna’ by Fabian Cobb
In the autumn of 2012 a French construction company plans to install an 18metre high television antenna on the top of the colline de l’Hermitage.
Cycling
Cycling Bordeaux wine country
An independent traveller’s guide to cycling around the Châteaux of Bordeaux
by Tom Kevill-Davies
by Tom Kevill-Davies
This article written by experienced cyclist and gastronome Tom Kevill Davies looks at the logistics, tips, clothing, and planning for such a trip. If you’re about to embark on a holiday near Bordeaux you won’t want to miss this practical guide.
Know-how
The digital grape
Precision Viticulture as a modern tool in vineyard management
by David R Green
by David R Green
A look into the modern technology which shapes the vineyard whilst helping to improve the quality of the wine.
Connoisseur
White Burgundy Grand Cru at auction
by Fabian Cobb
Sales at auction of Burgundian white Grand Cru in 2011 were more than £6million…
Food
Lamprey Bordelaise:
the nine-eyed monster
A macabre but true recipe
This is perhaps the most celebrated dish to come out of Bordeaux – with good reason. All of the major ingredients are sourced locally. This recipe uses the technique of ‘hypovolemia’ a somewhat uncommon culinary practise in a domestic kitchen.
Champagne
Vintage Champagne
We review wines from 2000 – 2009
by Fabian Cobb
by Fabian Cobb
Just why is vintage champagne so good? Why isn’t it produced every year? What are the characteristics of the greatest wines? These are just some of the questions we answer along with tasting notes on some of the best examples recently released on the market.
Profile
The appellation of
Listrac-Médoc
The recent purchases and refurbishment of properties in this small appellation make it one to notice. Often passed over, ironic given it is the highest appellation in the medoc (at a breathtaking 43 metres), the quality of the wines has been consistently improving and offer excellent value for money. In 2011 Listrac has produced some very good wines linked to theire soils which were better suited to withstand some of the climatic conditions prevailing during the year.
Humour
Is ‘small’ really beautiful ?
by Thierry Mantoux
I have a ‘petit vin’ from a domaine, but be careful, not something well-known at all. I know the producer, he refuses to be in any guide, because you have to pay, and he just wants to be known by ‘word of mouth’. His Châteauneuf du Pape 2010 costs just 11euros a bottle. When you think of the price of other Châteauneuf often costing 40 to 100euros, it’s a bargain…
Extreme wine
Wines with altitude
Growing vines and producing wines in extreme environments produces its own set of problems. We look at sparkling wines from the Val d’Aosta with an excursion into the Parco Mont Avic.
