The Wine Conversation The Wine Conversation

News and views aplenty in this month’s Omnibus, good, bad and damn frightening. Elin McCoy finds there is great wine, food and art at Château La Coste in Provence (currently showing 85 of Damien Hirst’s works), reviews the new releases from Champagne Bollinger, and discusses the new Mouton Cadet range designed for Gen Z with Philippe Sereys de Rothschild. Over in Macau Jane Anson judges the new Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards and reveals the winner. It’s April so inevitably John Stimpfig and Sarah Kemp are talking about the Bordeaux En Primeur campaign, with the perennial question, what price will the châteaux release at. The good news is that the tariffs have been lifted on Australian wine into China and the Old Vine Conference has announced their Hero awards. The frightening news is that a report has come out predicting 29% of vineyards will not be able to produce premium wine by the end of the century. Great news for charity though, John Stimpfig is back on his bike to raise money for the Hospitality Industry, a 200km bike ride across Burgundy, but before then there is a Gala Dinner in London. Listen in to hear all about it. This Omnibus is brought to you by our Founder Sponsor, Santa Rita Wine Estates.

The first report on the 2023 Bordeaux vintage from Jane Anson and Sarah Kemp. Sarah joined Jane for her second week of tasting, and found much to love “I felt a lot of these wines, not all, were what made me fall in love with Bordeaux. It’s the vintage I will buy my son to remind him why I loved Bordeaux and was away so often”. They discuss the factors which shaped the wines, with mildew and the question of whether to strip the leaves and risk burning the grapes a major decision. Yields, economic conditions, appellation success – a full discussion after a week of long days travelling round Bordeaux putting together the jigsaw puzzle of understanding the latest vintage. Jane will produce her full report for subscribers on May 2nd. For listeners who are not subscribers, there is a Flash sale, to be taken up by April 25! Please use the following discount code on a yearly subscription to start your 7-day free trial, at www.janeanson.com/subscribe: TRYJAIB24

Jasper Morris MW, today’s leading Burgundy expert and author of the award-winning book “Inside Burgundy”, conducts a 10-Minute Masterclass on St-Aubin, the fourth great white Burgundy village. Jasper discusses its terroir, the best vintages to look out for, its renowned names and the one producer that is up and coming. For wine lovers, there is the added bonus that it still offers value for money.

7 minutes on the weather conditions that have formed the 2023 vintage from Bordeaux expert Jane Anson. As the En Primeur tastings get into full swing Jane looks at the difference in yields, the problem mildew caused for some producers “Just 5 % of mildew in a tank can make the difference to the taste”. Listen in to the first of our En Primeur podcasts and get up-to-date with Bordeaux’s 2023 vintage.

Drunk by hedonists, made by masochists, Sauternes is one of the world’s greatest fine wines. Join Jane Anson and Sarah Kemp for a 10-minute masterclass as they discuss this renowned appellation. Find out the difference between Sauternes and Barsac, why it is in decline after being one of the most-sought after wines in the world. Discover the new dry styles being produced, the new upcoming producers and why there is a new demand for Sauternes barrels from spirit producers.

Listen in to Omnibus XXVIII for all the latest wine news and views. John Stimpfig looks at a mysterious sabotage at the Pepa 21 winery in Ribera del Duero, and recounts that winery sabotage is not unknown. The latest court case in Bordeaux is causing shock waves, Ginestet and Cordier have been ordered to pay a Medoc grower under the relatively new Egalim Law for offering abusively low prices, as a result there is complete paralysis on the Bordeaux bulk market. Weather watch makes grim listening with hail in Argentina, wild fires in Chile and a deep frost in British Columbia, which has wiped out the harvest. Happier news from Elin who reports on the DRC 2021 tasting in New York, and discusses the new Millesima wine store, a destination for wine lovers. More good news for wine lovers as the Premiere Napa Valley auction lots, which were bought by the trade, are now listed on their site, allowing collectors to track down rare parcels. George and Amal Clooney are about to release their first wines, watch this space….