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Vintages and Regions

These tastings focus on vintages and regions although sometimes they do take in the wines of a specific producer. Most concern Bordeaux and the Loire, two regions which pique my interest the most. For the former, tastings here tend to focus on vintage tastings, either upon release or at two or four years of age, or beyond. For the Loire, most of my tastings are updates relating to specific domaines.

The tastings are divided up into four sections as detailed here, although there is also a full chronological list of tastings provided.

• Philippe Delesvaux: 2010 Renaissance (18/3/10) Mostly 2008s.
• A Pontet-Canet Retrospective (16/3/10) A dozen recent vintages.
• Bordeaux 1995 (2/3/10) Nine wines in early maturity.
• Bernard Baudry: 2010 Salon (23/2/10) Wines from 2007, 2008 and 2009.
• Domaine Huet: Sparklers in 2010 (10/2/10) 2005, 2002 and more.
• Caronne Ste Gemme Vertical (9/2/10) From 2007 back to 2000.
• Burgundy at The Ledbury, 2010 (19/1/10) Fourteen wines tasted with Eric LeVine.
• Focus on: Saumur (12/1/10) The town, appellations and wines.
• Pierre-Bise: Layons & Chaumes (5/1/10) Superb sweet wines from 2001 & 2004.

• Ten Years On: The 1999 Vintage Part 1 (22/12/09) The white wines.
• Ten Years On: The 1999 Vintage Part 2 (23/12/09) The red wines.
• Twenty Years On: The 1989 Vintage (24/11/09) Classic Old World styles.
• Bordeaux 2005 (17/11/09) A great vintage revisited.
• A Taste of South Africa with Richard Kelley (10/11/09) Ten wines over lunch.
• Domaine Huet: Demi-Sec in London (3/11/09) Stunning wines, back to 1949.
• Bordeaux 2007 (27/10/09) A weak vintage revisited and reviewed.
• Domaine Huet: 2008 Vintage in London (13/10/09) An excellent demi-sec vintage.
• Bollinger: 2009 Update (7/10/09) A selection of wines presented by Bollinger.
• Southern Rhône & Languedoc 2000 (8/9/09) Fine, fresh and full wines.
• Alphonse Mellot: 2009 Salon (1/9/09) How can red Sancerre be this good?
• Domaine de Bellivière: 2009 Renaissance (23/6/09) Five from 2007.
• Fifty Great Portuguese Wines 2009: Part 1 (9/6/09) Jamie Goode's picks.
• Fifty Great Portuguese Wines 2009: Part 2 (10/6/09) And no Port to be seen!
• Three from Chateau Laulan Ducos (5/6/09) A trio of wines from Frédéric Ducos.
• Albert Bichot 2007 Côte d'Or Reds (4/6/09) From Bourgogne up to the grands crus.
• Albert Bichot 2007 Chablis (3/6/09) Plus other vintages of the grands crus.
• Albert Bichot 2007 Côte d'Or Whites (28/5/09) Very good wines at all levels.
• Pierre Luneau-Papin: 2009 Salon (19/5/09) A broad selection of delicious wines.
• Dinner at Chateau d'Issan (12/5/09) Three wines over dinner with Emmanuel Cruse.
• La Ferme de la Sansonnière: 2009 Renaissance (28/4/09) The 2007 vintage.
• Champagne Information Bureau Tasting 2009 Part 1 (21/4/09) Non-vintage wines.
• Champagne Information Bureau Tasting 2009 Part 2 (23/4/09) The vintage wines.
• Bordeaux 2008 (7/4/09) The sequel to 2007; only much, much better.
• Domaine Huet: 2009 Salon (26/3/09) The brilliant 2008s and 2007s.
• Chateau de Villeneuve: 2009 Salon (25/3/09) Wines from 2008, 2007 and 2006.
• Pierre Bise: 2009 Salon (19/3/09) Wines from 2007 and 2005.
• Charles Sydney Breakfast Tasting 2009 Part 1 (17/3/09)
• Charles Sydney Breakfast Tasting 2009 Part 2 (18/3/09)
• Vintage Port 1985 (6/3/09) The vintage revisited; still mostly good.
• Five from Chateau Lezongars (25/2/09) Speciale Cuvée and L'Enclos.
• Bernard Baudry: 2009 Salon (19/2/09) Wines from 2007 and 2008.
• Philippe Alliet: 2009 Salon (10/2/09) Four wines from the 2007 & 2006 vintages.
• Australia Day Tasting 2009 Part 1 (3/2/09) I start with some white wines.
• Australia Day Tasting 2009 Part 2 (5/2/09) And now the reds.
• Christmas Wine (8/1/09) Festive wine notes from 2008.

• The Wines of Navarra Part 1 (23/12/08) An introduction, with whites and rosados.
• The Wines of Navarra Part 2 (7/1/09) Thoughts and notes on the red wines.
• Bordeaux 2004 (9/12/08) An update to my review, and dozens of wines tasted.
• Ten Years On: The 1998 Vintage (25/11/08) A broad selection from France.
• Loire Extravaganza 2008 (11/10/08) Wines from the length of the Loire.
• Bordeaux 2006 (28/10/08) A recap on the vintage and scores of new tasting notes.
• New Zealand Wine Annual Tasting 2008 Part 1 (21/10/08) White wines.
• New Zealand Wine Annual Tasting 2008 Part 2 (23/10/08) Red wines.
• Project Cabernet Franc Tasting 2008 (14/10/08) More Loire Cabernet Franc.
• Project Cabernet Franc Tasting 2008 (7/10/08) Loire Cabernet Franc.
• Les Tourelles de Longueville 2004: Cork or Screwcap? (24/9/08)
• Twenty Years On: The 1988 Vintage (16/9/08) Five wines from France & Germany.
• Around Beaujolais with 1752 (9/9/08) I taste a selection of Beaujolais crus.
• Bordeaux 1998 (26/8/08) Ten wines from this vintage.
• Four from Jean-Luc Thunevin (24/7/08) Including 1999 Valandraud.
• France Under One Roof 2008 (22/7/08) Loire, Bordeaux, Champagne & more.
• Germany 2007 Part 1 (24/6/08) A review of the vintage, and wines from the Nahe.
• Germany 2007 Part 2 (26/6/08) The wines of the Mosel, Saar and Ruwer.
• Cheval-Blanc and Yquem with Pierre Lurton (10/6/08) Dinner with Pierre.
• Wines of South Africa 2008 Part 1 (3/6/08) White wines.
• Wines of South Africa 2008 Part 2 (5/6/08) Red wines.
• Bordeaux 2006 (27/5/08) Le Pin, Pichon-Baron, Léoville-Las-Cases & more.
• White Graves 2006 (27/5/08) Some great wines here.
• Champagne Information Bureau Tasting 2008 Part 1 (13/5/08) Non-vintage wines.
• Champagne Information Bureau Tasting 2008 Part 2 (15/5/08) Vintage wines.
• Bordeaux 2001 (6/5/08) New Pomerol notes.
• Mouton-Rothschild (22/4/08) A vertical tasting, 1986 - 2005.
• The Styles of Port (29/4/08) Commonly encountered styles, with Dow's & Taylor's.
• Charles Joguet: Chinon in London (15/4/08) Leading Chinon estate.
• Bordeaux 2007 (8/4/08) The Hollywood Vintage.
• Bordeaux 2004 (6/11/06, updated 11/3/08) A return to classicism for Bordeaux.
• Southern Rhône & Languedoc 1998 (19/2/08) Failure or success?
• Vignobles Brunier Tasting 2007 (7/2/08) Vieux Télégraphe and more.
• Christmas Wine (4/1/08) Festive wine notes from 2007.

• Ten Years On: The 1997 Vintage (20/12/07) No claret, but many great wines.
• New Zealand Wine Annual Tasting 2007 Part 1 (4/12/07) Sauvignon, and more.
• New Zealand Wine Annual Tasting 2007 Part 2 (13/12/07) Pinot Noir, mostly.
• Bordeaux 2005 (4/5/06, updated 8/11/07) A superior vintage with many superb wines.
• Bordeaux CIVB Annual Tasting 2007 Part 1 (1/11/07) Left bank wines.
• Bordeaux CIVB Annual Tasting 2007 Part 2 (6/11/07) Right bank & sweet wines.
• Champagne 1996 (10/8/07) An incredible vintage.
• Champagne 1995 (3/8/07) A relief after four disappointing vintages.
• Bordeaux Tasting with Bibendum 2007 (22/6/07) Including Cheval-Blanc & Yquem.
• Bordeaux 1961 (15/6/07) A great vintage, but many wines tasted here were fading.
• Bordeaux 1994 (24/5/07) Another look at this under-rated vintage.
• Bordeaux 2006 (3/5/07) A difficult vintage needing careful assessment.
• Wine Society Syrah and Shiraz (1/5/07) Wines from the 2007 list.
• Champagne Information Bureau Tasting 2007 Part 1 (12/4/07) Non-vintage wines.
• Champagne Information Bureau Tasting 2007 Part 2 (13/4/07) Vintage wines.
• Bordeaux 1996 (7/4/07) A classic left bank vintage.
• Christmas Wine (3/1/07) Festive wine notes from 2006.

• Ten Years On: The 1996 Vintage (28/12/06) Great wines from the Loire and beyond.
• Germany 2005 (14/12/06) A review of a great vintage, with tasting notes.
• Edinburgh Tasting: After the Port (22/11/06) A mixed bag of wines.
• Bordeaux 2004 (6/11/06) A return to classicism for Bordeaux.
• Ancient Port Tasting (27/10/06) Ports from the 20th Century, mostly.
• Sauternes 2001 (21/7/06) A great vintage for the sweet wines of Bordeaux.
• Bordeaux 2005 (4/5/06) A superior vintage with many superb wines.
• Birthday Treats (24/3/06) Nice wines from 2006.
• Champagne Information Bureau Tasting 2006 Part 1 (21/3/06) Vintage wines.
• Champagne Information Bureau Tasting 2006 Part 2 (22/3/06) Rosé and demi-sec.
• Christmas Wine (5/1/06) Festive wine notes from 2005.

• Ten Years On: The 1995 Vintage (28/12/05) A broad spread of wines this year.
• Bordeaux 2003 (25/10/05) The heatwave vintage.
• Loire Extravaganza 2005 (18/10/05) Young Vouvray, Layons, Quarts & more.
• Germany: Sommelier's Choice (9/9/05) Six wines chosen by top sommelier's.
• Great German Riesling (23/6/05) Three wines; part of a series on German wine.
• Vintage Port 2003 (27/5/05) I taste the wines of a great vintage.
• Edinburgh Tasting at La Concha (17/5/05) Old Rioja and more.
• Bordeaux 1983 (24/2/05) Another look at this successful vintage.
• Female Winemakers (12/1/05) Wines from Claire Villars, Vanya Cullen and more.
• Christmas Wine (4/1/05) Festive wine notes from 2004.

• Ten Years On: The 1994 Vintage (30/12/04) A esoteric selection of wines.
• Graves (26/10/04) A small tasting of mature Pessac-Léognan.
• Prestige Cuvée Champagne (28/9/04) A splendid tasting of Champagne's top wines.
• Australian Cabernet (9/9/04) Howard Park, Moss Wood, Petaluma and more.
• Australian Shiraz (8/9/04) Another tasting, with Jasper Hill and Tatachilla.
• Bordeaux 1994 (7/7/04) An under-rated vintage. Wise buying can be very rewarding.
• Liverpool Wine Tasting (23/6/04) Another mixed bag of wines.
• Bordeaux 1998 (17/6/04) I taste twelve top wines from St Emilion.
• Bordeaux 1982 (18/5/04) Another look at this great vintage.
• Bordeaux 1988 (25/3/04) A look at the right bank wines.
• Southern Rhône 1995 (2/3/04) A lovely vintage for Chateauneuf du Pape.
• Vintage Port 1983 (14/2/04) Great value wines, drinking now.

• Ten Years On: The 1993 Vintage (18/12/03) A 1993 blind tasting and dinner.
• Blind Bordeaux Tasting (16/10/03) From 1973 Côtes de Bourg to 2000 Pauillac.
• Liverpool Wine Tasting (10/9/03) An unusual mixed bag of wines.
• Good Value Right Bank Bordeaux (30/7/03) Value for money.
• Bordeaux 1982 (18/6/03) A vintage review and three wines.
• Bordeaux 1990 (14/5/03) A hot and dry year led to a bumper crop of great wines.
• Aged NV Champagne (7/5/03) NV Champagnes demand time in the cellar.
• Twenty Years On: The 1983 Vintage (23/4/03) Another success in Bordeaux.
• Northern Rhône 1995 (19/3/03) Allemand and Jaboulet, among others.
• Southern Rhône & Languedoc 2001 (13/3/03) Fabulous vintage.
• Northern Rhône 2001 (12/3/03) Good but not great.
• Australian Cabernet (26/2/03) Cape Mentelle, Redbank and more.
• Vintage Port 1997 (19/2/03) Two wines from this vintage.
• Bordeaux 1997 (12/2/03) An assessment of one of the weaker vintages of the 1990s.

• Ten Years On: The 1992 Vintage (11/12/02) A vintage for the New World.
• Northern Rhône 1991 (6/11/02) A great vintage in Côte-Rôtie and Cornas.
• Bordeaux 1996 (9/10/02) A classic left bank vintage.
• Bordeaux 1985 (18/9/02) A superb vintage for current drinking.
• Bordeaux 1975 (14/8/02) I find quality to be very patchy.
• Northern Rhône 1988 (31/7/02) Another great vintage in the Rhône.
• Rioja Tasting (11/7/02) From basic Rioja to Gran Reserva.
• Three Tasting Groups Converge (12/6/02) Three tasting groups meet to taste.
• Mature Pomerol 1982 - 1993 (15/5/02) Mostly from the 1982 vintage.
• Cru Bourgeois Tasting (16/4/02) Some great value wines from recent vintages.
• Twenty Years On: The 1982 Vintage (10/4/02) Great in Bordeaux and Rioja.
• Northern Rhône 1994 (12/2/02) Good value and nearing maturity.
• Southern Rhône 1994 (12/2/02) More wonderful wines from the top estates.
• Odd Bottles (7/2/02) Another mixed selection of wines.
• Bordeaux 1989 (23/1/02) A second look, concentrating on St Julien.

• Ten Years On: The 1991 Vintage (13/12/01) Northern Rhône and California excel.
• Blind assessment (18/10/01) A blind tasting of 'off the shelf' wines.
• Older Northern Rhone: 1980 - 1986 (11/10/01) Chave, Jaboulet and more.
• Bordeaux 1981 (20/9/01) Including first growths and 'super-seconds'.
• Northern Rhône 1996 (19/7/01) A vintage often criticised for its acidity.
• Southern Rhône & Languedoc 1996 (19/7/01) Some very good wines.
• Bordeaux 1996 (12/7/01) A vintage that produced classic wines from the left bank.
• Syrah and Shiraz (4/7/01) Syrah from both Old and New Worlds.
• Odd Bottles (24/5/01) A mixed selection of wines.
• Northern Rhône 1990 (9/5/01) Wines both stunning and disappointing.
• Australian Shiraz (6/3/01) Featuring Penfolds Grange and Jim Barry's Armagh.
• Bordeaux 1986 (7/2/01) This vintage has a reputation for tannin.
• New Producers, New Wines (16/1/01) Rhône producers and cuvées new to me.

• Bordeaux 1983 (7/11/00) A classic vintage, great in Margaux.
• Vintage Port 1985 (11/10/00) Wonderful, approachable wines.
• Bordeaux 1964 (10/10/00) Two clarets from a patchy vintage.
• Ten Years On: The 1990 Vintage (7/8/00) Success was almost universal.
• English Sparkling Wine (6/8/00) Featuring Nyetimber & Ridgeview.
• Châteauneuf du Pape 1989 (10/7/00) A great vintage in the Southern Rhone.
• Champagne 1989 (26/6/00) Great wines from an excellent vintage.
• Mature Pomerol 1982 - 1990 (5/6/00) More great wines, again many from 1982.
• Bordeaux 1989 (21/5/00) Another very successful vintage across the board.
• Bordeaux 1988 (21/5/00) The first of a triumvirate of good vintages.
• South African Red (21/5/00) Some of South Africa's top reds.