Black Friday 2024

60% Pinot, 40% Chardonnay from vines averaging 60 years. This spends 6 years on lees.
Vilmart's 2014 Brut Rosé Emotion is laced with sweet dried cherry, dried herbs, blood orange and mint. It offers terrific breadth for the year, with the Pinot more in evidence than in the 2015 tasted alongside it (the blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay for both). Eight grams of dosage feels expertly judged. Disgorged: February 2022. ANTONIO GALLONI

JEROME COURSODON

Pear, apple, a white flower perfume, something a little like hay, and almonds. It’s a glossy wine but has a balanced attack of acidity, a slight lemon zest and almond bitterness, a pleasant and appropriate level of chalky grip, with a juicy finish of good length. Good. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front

Small tweaks and incremental changes in vinification and winemaking have seen the wines improve every year. The quality across the board has always been top of their class and further cements this outstanding estate as one of the pre-eminent producers in the region. It would certainly be no stretch to call them a leading light in the heart and hearts of Roero.

This is another great rendition. A hint of tropical fruit that lends an almost riesling like element to the wine, along with a floral hint. There is a some lovely depth to the fruit and that bit of extra flesh show so nicely on this wine. Still fresh and zippy on the finish with a little phenolic grip that carries the orchard fruits into a long, gentle close. Yum!

Damien Pinon is the third generation of his family to naturally farm Chenin Blanc in the chalky soils of Vernou-sur-Brenne in the appellation of Vouvray. His vines are old, creating lush, expressive white wines.

Ah Tuffo! This wine seems to never fail us. Not only is it a wonderful example of classic Vouvray it always delivers that little x-factor and bit of pizzaz we like. That lovely clay/waxed citrus and quince fruit comes at you straight off-the-bat with that slaty chalky thin that chenin does in the Loire so well. Some apple and pear drop generosity on the palate is cut by crunchy acidity and a little hit of phenolic grip that stick all those beautiful flavours to your mouth. There is a little floral flourish in the middle and spritz of mixed sweet spice on the finish. A cracker!

An intense and animal nose with dark cherries, smoke, grilled meat, game, wet earth, bark and loads of cloves. The palate is medium-bodied with silky texture and fine tannins. It’s restrained and juicy with control and elegance that contrasts with the intense nose. Crunchy finish with bright acidity. From organically grown grapes. Drink now. JAMES SUCKLING

Tasted blind. Youthful and primary with a delicate sweet violet and crushed blackberry nose. A soft palate with moderate fruit concentration – spice, violet, zesty acid and attractive fruit. Lightweight and easy early drinking. JANCISROBINSON.COM

Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes are destemmed, crushed, and fermented in small lots in open top fermenters. Next the firm cap of skins and seeds that bubble up and form on the surface during red fermentation is gently "punched down" several times a day. Punching down is a traditional method that gives the skins as much contact with the fermenting wine as possible, allowing the color and the phenols from the skins to be transferred to the wine. After a 10-day fermentation in stainless tanks, the wine is aged with a combination of French and American oak to round out and soften the rich, black fruit flavors.