Two completely different faces of Cotes Du Rhone. I love one but not so much the other. You guessed right, ripeness level has a lot to do with that. Continue reading
Some Wendouree reds from 2023
The likelihood of being able to taste wines from legendary producer Wendouree outside Australia is close to zero. But I’m fortunate enough to have a Hungarian-born friend in Sydney who visits Budapest (where I live) every year and as he is a Wendouree-fan, he always brings a few bottles each time. Continue reading
Supermarket wines: Tesco Finest Garnacha 2023, Campo de Borja
Quite a reliable wine, the 2023 vintage of Tesco’s Campo de Borja Garnacha is just as solid as the 2021 was. A good quaffer if you are looking for something cheap.
The very unique Kék Bajor 2024 from 1B3 Winery
I’m a fan of the old Hungarian varieties and the work of bringing them back, started by József Szentesi two decades ago. No coincidence that you can find many of these wines covered on this blog (see this link for the posts), and let me introduce you a new wine: the kék bajor from the 1B3 Winery.
A great, affordable cabernet franc: Bertrand & Vincent Marchesseau “Ampoule” Chinon 2024
One of my favourite wines in 2025 is this Chinon called Ampoule from Bertrand & Vincent Marchesseau – and because their Poids Plume 2024 impressed me just as much, I’m gonna name them as one of my favourite producers of 2025 as well. All their wines are organic and well made in a lovely, pure style showing typicity and freshness. They are a pure joy to drink.
Jadot Couvent des Jacobins Bourgogne 2022
I did not expect such a good wine. For just under 20€, this is still affordable in the Burgundy context, and it’s very, very good – dare I say it’s good value, too.Oliván-Ruiz Custero Rioja 2023
What a beautiful label. I hoped that the wine itself will be just as amazing, but that wasn’t the case. I should have checked the ABV before buying: it’s alarmingly high at 15%. That explains a lot.Domaine du Mont Verrier Beaujolais-Villages 2023
I loved the previous, 2022 vintage of this Beaujolais last year so I wanted to try the next release. The current 2023 is also a well-made, enjoyable wine, although I have the impression that simply 2022 is a greater vintage…
Retrospective – a lineup of 2014 Bordeaux reds
My friend András collected a bunch of 2014 reds from Bordeaux many years ago, when they were on the market. It was now time to open them he thought a few weeks ago, so we asked our little wine club if anyone was interested, and let me tell you that I rarely seen such interest from people – we were a bit too many at the end. I cannot understand why Bordeaux is unfashionable on the market as it’s still a favourite of real wine lovers. Me included. And these 2014s were really superb, I loved most of them. My favourites were the Ch. Phelan-Segur, the Ch. Gloria, the Ch. Figeac and the Ch. Chasse-Spleen, all rather medium-bodied and elegant. Continue reading
