The Wine Cru

06/09/2026

This week we're taking a journey through mature wine, with three fascinating Barolos at the heart of the selection.

Guasti Clemente & Figli Barolo 1982, Villa Doria Barolo Riserva 1991 and Scanavino Barolo 1996 offer three different vintages of one of Italy's great age-worthy wines.

Joining them is Edelrood Nederburg 1983, a mature South African red that provides a fascinating contrast to the Piedmont wines.

Four bottles, decades of history and plenty of character in the glass.

Details via the link in our profile.

06/09/2026

Guasti Clemente was founded in 1946 by Clemente Guasti in Nizza Monferrato, in Asti, and is now run by his grandson, Enrico Piantato. The winery has a particularly strong historical connection with Barbera, and Clemente Guasti was an early advocate of identifying the vineyard origin of grapes on the label. The 1982 vintage was outstanding across much on Europe including the wines of Piedmont

04/09/2026

Edelrood Nederburg Vintage 1983

Nederburg is one of South Africa’s largest and most prominent wine producers. It is located beneath the Drakenstein Mountains in Paarl.The estate was established in 1791 by Philippus Wolvaart, who built the manor house and began to cultivate vines in 1800. Phylloxera stalled production in the 19th Century, until Nederburg was acquired by Johann Graue in 1937. Graue was a pioneer of the South African wine industry. The Edelrood was sometimes labeled as The Winemasters Edelrood.

Typical blend Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot. 75cl bottle. Abv% not stated.

Bottle condition capsule good, label good, wine level top shoulder.

02/09/2026

Wine Cru Wednesday - it’s hard to write about Rosé sitting in Glasgow watching the rain, but this article about Chateau d’Esclans makes for an interesting read. Most people will know, but might not realise they do, as they are the folks behind Whispering Angel. This article focuses more on their super premium wine Garrus, which we have been lucky enough to drink, It’s certainly a wonderful wine.

Château d'Esclans has proved with Garrus – its most prestigious gastronomic rosé – that Provence rosé can be a luxury wine.

30/08/2026

This week's selection is all about place.

Château Haut-Bailly 1981, Château de Fieuzal 1987 and Château Rahoul 2005 offer three different perspectives on Pessac-Léognan, each with its own vintage and character.

Joining them is Château Beauséjour 2006 from Saint-Émilion, bringing a taste of Bordeaux's Right Bank to the collection.

Four wines, two appellations and plenty of history in the bottle.

A small but fascinating selection this week.

Details via the link in our profile.

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30/08/2026

Cockburn’s Vintage Port 1967

A vintage only declared by 4 shippers, most preferring 1966. As a result these ports are quite rare.

Typical blend, Touriga National, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cao, Tinta Roriz. 75cl bottle. Abv 20%

Condition, capsule good, label bin soiled, top shoulder

Tasting Note 06/08/2025 - 95 Points

Tasted blind. Very light rose colour. Super expressive. Rose water and Turkish Delight. So ethereal. Bright and pink fruited. Great.

28/08/2026

Oh what fun we had!

28/08/2026

Chateau De Fieuzal Vintage 1987

Château de Fieuzal is located in the Pessac-Leognan appellation of Graves, Bordeaux. It was awarded Graves Grand Cru Classé status for its red wines in 1959 as part of the Graves Classification. 1987 vintage was spoiled by rain at harvest time, but some good wines were made in a lighter style.

Typical blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot. 75cl bottle. Abv 12%

Bottle condition, capsule good, label good, wine level base of neck.

Tasting Note Robert Parker March 1990 86 Points

This domain consistently does fine work in off years, and the 1987 boasts an intense, vanilla scented, toasty oaky bouquet, rice raspberry and black current flavours. medium body, surprising concentration and ample, soft tannins in the finish

26/08/2026

Wine Cru Wednesday - we thought we would share this article on the temperature you should serve wine at. For years I have been telling folk that the term “room temperature” came along before central heating was invented. The recent changes to our summer temperatures has an impact on room temperature also. More and more red wines are being lightly chilled before serving. 🐻‍❄️🍇🍷

Have you chilled a red wine?

Serving wine at the right temperature can make a significant difference to how it tastes, whether you are opening a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, a mature red or a bottle of Sherry. Gabriel Stone explains when to chill, when to warm and why the old rule of white wine cold and red wine at room temperature d...

21/08/2026

Chateau Leoville Barton Vintage 2004

This Saint-Julien estate is well regarded and produces consistently good wines with a reputation for doing well in the lesser years. 2004 was a reasonably good year for Bordeaux and one in which this estate shone.

Typical blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot. 75cl bottle. Abv 13%

Bottle condition, capsule good, label good, wine level base of neck

Tasting Note 17/06/2026

Really great. Good full fruit, dark overall profile with some green pepper and a lot of mineral and iron. Has a nice creamy texture. Round and full flavored with nice herbal notes. I’d call this young to mid maturity. Drinking great with some upside development left to go. I can’t see this dropping off for at least 10 years, probably 20. Really a treat, wonderful Bordeaux in a modern style with a foot solidly in the old school.