Corney & Barrow 

15 March

Wine: For value and flavour, search out underrated white Burgundy

"Want an inexpensive white Burgundy? The first place to look is amidst the hilly rural pastureland of Maconnais. Hidden among fields devoted to Charolais cattle and mixed farmland, there are some very exciting wine villages – some of which have only recently been realising their potential.
Vineyards in Maconnais, between Tournus and Macon, west of the river Saone, are very spread out. So, they are difficult to hunt down. There is hidden limestone, the best soil for chardonnay, so it is possible to get amazing quality at a much better price than anything you would find in Côte de Beaune. It is warmer here than in the Côte de Beaune, too, so unoaked chardonnays have fatter fleshier fruits and less minerality on the palate, than you would get in Puligny Montrachet further north.
The appellation system pyramid starts at the bottom with simple Macon, but to be honest, quality really only begins with "Macon Villages". Forty three different villages are allowed to append their name with a hyphen after Macon (so you see Macon-Lugny, Macon-Verze, Macon-Uchizy) or just call themselves Macon-Villages.
Forty three villages are a lot to remember, so just concentrate on the best. Two I would highly recommend are Milly-Lamartine and Verze, both near (and sharing similar soils to) the famous Pouilly Fuisse appellation.
In the last decade some very serious winemakers such as [...] Anne-Claude Leflaive from the Côte de Beaune have invested in these Macon villages. [...]
All the villages actually aspire to get their own appellation. Two of Macon's best villages in the heart of the region, Vire and Clesse, managed that in 1999. So snap up these exciting chardonnays before they become better known."

Mâcon-Verzé, Domaines Leflaive 2007 

"Magical blending of six different parcels to create a fruity, zesty, superb chardonnay."
Rose Murray Brown, The Scotsman

To buy this wine, please click here

1 March

The Lane

The Lane, Adelaide Hills
"The most beautiful 'domaine' in the country with one of the finest restaurants in South Australia. To top that, John Edwards is assisted by son Marty (in the vineyard) and ex-Henschke winemaker Michael Schreurs (in the winery) to make some of the most beguiling and mystical wines from Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot Gris, Shiraz and Cabernet. A must-visit estate for the gourmand.
Star wine: The Lane, Gathering Sauvignon-Semillon 2007 (18.5 points). Now - 2014"
Matthew Jukes, Decanter's South Australia 2010 Guide

To buy this wine, please click here