By Xavier Auerbach On 6 March 2017, I attended the evening session of the Amsterdam UGCB tasting, which featured wines from the 2014 vintage. Below you will find my notes on the wines I tasted. Just like last year, there was too little time, there were many friends and we were very busy exchanging opinions. By consequence, I have only 40 notes and they are relatively brief. The overall pict...

By Xavier Auerbach "To those of us gazing in from the outside in wide-eyed wonder, Krug is to Champagne as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is to Burgundy and Pétrus is to Bordeaux. It possesses a grandeur, an otherwordliness, an amplitude that is as lofty as its mesospheric price. Krug's grand hierarchy of prestige begins at a higher price than any other in Champagne and ...

On 4 May 2011 Bibendum Wines Ltd. held its sixth annual Bordeaux "En Primeur" tasting in the Nursery Pavillion at Lord's Cricket Ground in London. Not having been to the "En Primeur" tastings in Bordeaux in April, I was very glad that I happened to be in London at the time and I seized upon the opportunity to attend.    If I have counted correctly, s...

I started collecting and drinking wine more than 25 years ago. My journey into the world of fine wine has taken me to many countries and conversely bottles have found their way to my cellar and table from all over the world. Among all these regions and bottles, Burgundy for me long remained the most impenetrable of all. In my experience occasional revelations have been alter...

In July 2010, the great Burgundy connoisseur Allen Meadows (also known as Burghound) published his excellent book "The Pearl of the Côte" about the wines of Vosne-Romanée. His encyclopedic knowledge of these vineyards and wines is awe-inspiring. His tasting experience inspires equal awe and just the slightest bit of envy - imagine a three-day tasting of La Roman...

Chablis is a long-standing favourite of mine, A stand-by also in many ways. I love it and there was a time when Chardonnays from all over the world called themselves Chablis to gain popular acclaim. In recent times however, Chablis seems to have been experiencing an identity crisis. In this post I will try to extol its glories, discuss its difficulties and give you some tips for choosing C...

Good quality sparkling wine is not only made in France these days, but all over the world. From New Zealand and Australia, via California to Italy and Spain. Champagne however is easily the most expensive of the lot. So why would you want to buy Champagne? Obviously, it all depends on the occasion. If a large group of friends have come to visit, the temperature...