“The 2010 vintage IS an exceptional year for red, and harks back to such great years as 2000, 1990, 1986, 1961, and may be even 1929, but the wines are made with much more precision in the vineyard and cellar giving them a more polished character than historic vintages. The young wines have such beauty in a toned and muscular way. The reds’ tannins are layered and caressing. Their acidities are strong and creamy. These are wines built for aging, but they also impress you when they are young. I really enjoyed tasting almost 700 samples from barrel in late March in Bordeaux.”
James Suckling,20 April 2010

"As always we spent a full week in Bordeaux this April and have tasted in the region of 400 wines. 2010 follows the superb 2009 vintage and there can be no doubt it has the potential to join the top three vintages of the last two decades. It is always difficult to generalise about any vintage as there are micro climate variations and different performing wine makers but the wines show great purity and a long ageing potential, they are likely to outlast most of the 2009s. One thing that we can be sure of it is another great vintage."

Bordeaux 2010 Good Value - Early Drinking
Bordeaux 2010 Drink 2016 +
Bordeaux 2010 Drink 2018 +
Bordeaux 2010 Drink 2020 +
Bordeaux 2010 And the rest

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Pinot Grigio is a classic Italian white wine. It's delicate, light and dry and doesn't have a strong flavour so it's easy to like. So if you feel like trying something new what about one of these...?

Safe Options:

Soave E.g. Soave Classico Pra, Gavi E.g. Mauro Sebaste Gavi, Pinot Gris E.g. Forrest Pinot Gris or Bott Geyl Pinot D'Alsace Metiss.

Why...

Another light dry and delicate wine.

Goes With...

Salads, fish, lemon pasta or ofcourse on their own.

Domaine Bott Geyl, Beblenheim

Or for something more adventurous...

Chenin Blanc E.g. Secateurs Blanc - It's still light and fresh but with more texture and a little more floral or honeyed flavours. Goes with salads, shellfish, chicken.

Vioginer E.g. Cline Viognier or Condrieu - Still light and fresh but much more aromatic. Wines often have peachy or floral character. Goes with Chicken, roast pork, SE Asian food.

Gewurztraminer E.g Zind Humbrecht  Again the wine is unoaked and fresh but this one has the volume turned up. Really exotic nose of Turkish delight and lychees. Goes with Curries and spicy foods. Brilliant with Thai dishes.

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Château Boutisse 2008, St Émilion Grand Cru

The Milhade family acquired Château Boutisse in 1996 but for consumers 2005 is a more important date to remember. This was the year the quality of the wine began distinctly to improve. It was also the year Xavier Milhade took on sole ownership and his son, Marc, the management.

The 25 hectare property is located in the eastern sector of the appellation at St-Christophe-des-Bardes. About half the vineyard is located on the clay-limestone soils of the plateau, the rest on deeper clay and sand. Much work has gone into renovating and improving the vineyard but from 2005 yields were reduced and the selection became more severe.Other changes included investment in sorting tables, smaller vinification tanks and air-conditioning for the cellars.

The wine is made principally from Merlot (85–90%) with Cabernet Sauvignon the other blending component. There is also a tiny percentage of Cabernet Franc and recently planted Carmenère which may be integrated in future years. In 2008 15 percent of the production was vinified in 500 litre oak barrels (half new, half one-year), a technique that has since been continued. “It gives greater concentration and volume to the wine as well as adding an extra touch of aromatic complexity,” explains Marc Milhade.

Dark in colour, the wines now show a modern expression of St-Emilion. The fruit is pronounced, the tannins rounded and there’s the extra concentration and gras that Marc Milhade has been striving to obtain. They are best drunk from six to seven years.

Chardonnay encompasses such a wide variety of styles and flavours that it’s hard to pin down a quintessential ‘Chardonnay-ness’ that you may want to emulate in other wines. The wine speaks of where it was grown – Chardonnay from Chablis is a world away from its Californian cousins but whether it’s the leaner more mineral style that you love or the warm, toasty side of the spectrum read on…

Safe Options:

White Burgundy, choose from

Lean and mineral:
Javillier Cuvée des Forgets, Vincent Girardin Puligny Montrachet, or Meursault Vieilles Vignes. Château Beauregard St Veran.

Toasty:
Javillier Cuvée Oligocène, Vincent Girardin Chassagne Montrachet or Meursault, Château Beauregard Pouilly Fuissé. Excellent introduction: Ch Beauregard Macon Vergisson.

Excellent Introduction:
Château Beauregard Macon Vergisson

Why:

Burgundy is Chardonnay’s home and this region sets the benchmark for Chardonnay the world over. There are so many options to choose from you will never be bored.  It may seem like a sweeping generalisation but most people prefer either the leaner and more mineral styles or wines with that toasty richness. 

Goes With...

Superb food wines that will go with almost anything from seafood to roast meats. If you've splashed out on a gorgeous bottle of burgundy let it be the star of the show and don't complicate the food with too many ingredients and flavours. Match the weight of the wine with the weight of the food.

Meursault Burgundy

Safe Options:

California,New Zealand, Western Australia and South African Chardonnays. Examples Ridge Santa Cruz,Cape Mentelle, Dog Point, Cloudy Bay, Rustenberg.

Why:

These regions are all capable of making great Chardonnays but it pays to know your producers. The suggestions above are all great quality. They may not be delicate but they have bags of flavour.

Goes With...

There is a warming character to these wines that makes them ideal with roast chicken and fowl. If your dish is warm and comforting, these are the white wines that will compliment it beautifully.

Cloudy Bay Vines, New Zealand

Safe Options:

Chardonnay from Limoux example - Rives Blanques Odyssée

Why:

Not such a well known region but makes great quality Chardonnay - a poor man's Burgundy?

Goes With...

Another versatile wine match with fish, chicken, pork, salads or drink on its own.

Caryl and Jan Panman, Rives Blanques

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