Corney & Barrow 

21 August

Summer Rosés

Delamotte Rosé Brut NV
"Great summer weather or not, you shouldn't need an excuse to enjoy rosé fizz of the quality of the Champagne Delamotte Rosé, an elegant, dry salmon pink fizz whose raspberryish mousse leaves you feeling as refreshed as a dip in the Med. " by Anthony Rose, in the Independent
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19 August

The Lane, an Australian Regional Hero

The Lane, Adelaide Hills
"Hill Smith argues that "Australia has now reached a point where it is tailoring its winemaking to suit the region, not the region to the wine", and it's a point picked up by Marty Edwards at The Lane where we manage a four hour lunch come tasting at the superb cellar door restaurant. Marty, and his irrepressible father John, make a fantastic, oyster and seafood-loving Sauvignon (The Gathering, with a splash of Semillon) very much in the style of an ebullient white Bordeaux. Sauvignon is the Wine Australia designated regional touchstone variety for Adelaide Hills.
But Marty is far more inspired by his Chardonnay - "my favourite grape as a vigneron" - and turns out an inspiring spread of wines including a vibrant, spicy Shiraz/Viognier and a cassis and chocolate-laden Cabernet under The Lane label, plus a flagship Shiraz, Reunion. The Lane takes the pragmatic view that each winery, each patch of dirt (as the Aussies fondly refer to their soils), should be free to express itself through the varieties that best suit the terroir."Andrew Catchpole's Regional Heroes blog from Australia on Harpers
To buy wines from The Lane, click here

14 August

The best pink wine producers

Château Léoube, Côtes de Provence
"This beautiful waterfront estate in the sub-zone of La Londe is owned by JCB magnate Sir Anthony Bamford and run with great skill by young Romain Ott. It's one of the few to use wild yeast and the softening malolactic fermentation, and the results are deliciously languid, tongue-caressing and sensual, though impressively complex, too. The "château" wine (based on Grenache and Cinsault with a little Syrah) is, in 2009, full of soft peach and woodland leaf given a teasing iodine edge on the palate, while the more expensive 2009 Le Secret de Léoube (Grenache and Cinsault with a little Cabernet) is more concentrated and bright, with a lick more raspberry." by Andrew Jefford, in the Financial Times
To buy wines from Château Léoube, click here

1 August

Recommended Sancerre 2009

Sancerre, Domaine Tissier 2009 (not yet in stock click here to buy the 2008 vintage)
"Minerally, serious wine, very ripe but not overpowering. " 3*** Recommended. 

Sancerre, Domaine du Nozay 2009
"Sharp, acidic gooseberry nose with a ripe gooseberry fruit palate. Attractive, bright balanced acidity. " 3*** Recommended.

Decanter Magazine, September issue
To buy this wine, please click here