We all know the story of Super Tuscan wines, how in the 1970's the likes of Antinori broke the rules and introduced French grape varieties to Italy. Hold on. Re-wind. Quite far, in fact, back to the 1500's when Henry II of France married Catherine de Medici. The French gifted the Medici family some Cabernet vines, which they planted in their vineyards in Carmignano. Carmignano is a tiny 110 hectare appellation in Tuscany, protected from the cold of the north by the Apennines, and from the vagaries of coastal weather by the Montalbano hills, with soils rich in clay and schist. It already had a great reputation for growing local varieties like Sangiovese - by the 1700's it had already been given a protected classification - and it has been blending these with Cabernet varieties for hundreds of years. Roll forward to the 1970's, and Maur...
Welcome to GVWM UK's wine blog, where we share news and opinions from our dedicated team. Pour yourself a glass and have a read.
Hello Simon! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the upcoming en premieur tasting week! Curious: With Lafite and Latour garnering such massive attention in Asia, have you seen a reduction in demand for such notable Right Bank producers as: Petrus, Cheval Blanc, Ausone, etc.? Especially given the early reports that the 2010 vintage may very well favor Right Bank wines?
ReplyDeleteGreat overview. Look forward to good advice for buying 2010 wines...
ReplyDeleteHi Blake, Thanks for your comments. We've not noticed any reduction in demand for the top Right Bank wines. Our traditional home market for these still can't get enough... As to whether 2010 favours the Right Bank... we'll just have to wait and see. I can't wait to find out, next week!
ReplyDelete