The latest on the 2012 harvest

..... from New Zealand. Our friends at Foxes Island in Awatere, Marlborough, reported recently:

"We are fully into vintage. Fortunately the Indian summer has saved the day and the quality is looking good. Vintage is short and furious this year – it started about 2.5 weeks late however the end game hasn’t changed as the vines are done and this morning it was a cool 3 degrees. Riesling looks fantastic – with the really cool vintage, Kelly Brown and John Belsham feel like they are back in Germany again. Foxes Riesling comes in this week.

Marlborough Pinot Noir volumes will be down. Too early to tell exactly by how much overall but producers initially reporting as high as 35-40% decline in volume. Quality however looks very good and as always those on top of their viticulture should stand out."

Owner and winemaker John Belsham also added " Its been rather fabulous, the fruit is beautiful and clean and yields are down. It's been the easiest vintage in many, many years."

Can't wait to taste!!

IN THE PRESS: Bordeaux 2011 – “What works for Lafite may not work for others”

"With the 2011 en primeur campaign poised to begin in earnest, Justerini & Brooks’ Bordeaux Buyer Tom Jenkins told the drinks business that “what works for Lafite may not work for others”.

Jenkins said that for customers to buy this vintage, it was essential that the wines were “correctly priced”.

With a cut of 30% to €420 p/b, Lafite still released over 200% above its 2008 release price but Jenkins noted that Lafite was able to operate on a very different level to its neighbours.

He thought that the château’s price was “sensible” and was glad that prices had come down but warned that other growths would have to be looking at below €300 a bottle to find buyers.

He said: “I applaud Lafite for its price but it is almost unfortunate that it has come out first. Hopefully ego will not get in the way of common sense. If other châteaux release at that price it could put a stop to the campaign.

“The other classed growths shouldn’t feel that they can price against Lafite. If Mouton comes out at over €400 a bottle for example I can’t see people buying it. “Customers will buy this vintage if it’s priced correctly. The châteaux need to slash their prices. There are lots of very good wines from 2011 but for us to recommend them to our clients they have to offer good value.”

Article Source: The Drinks Business, by Rupert Millar

A sumptuous R Voerzio Rocche Torriglione 07 Barolo

I had a bottle of this at home on the weekend, despite it seeming young, on paper, it was actually drinking beautifully well. A really intense, fragrant but suave wine with an incredibly long echoing finish. A very enjoyable drop already but it has the intensity to age well. It has 96 RP points and see below my tasting note from the original offer. We have 120 bottles in stock, retail price is £1400 per case 12 ib

"Even fruitier and more perfumed than the Cerequio, if less structured. A total charmer, a Barolo for hedonists, sweet perfumed red fruit flavours of Alpine strawberry, fresh violet and rose notes with touches of kirsch. Simply wonderful. A blend of 50- to 60-year-old vines from Torriglione and 30-year-old vines from Rocche; both have very similar soils and southern exposures. Voerzio’s parcels in both are very small and, as the style of wine is very similar, they blend them together"