October 22, 2010

Harvest Reports

Bordeaux 2010 tipped to rival 2009

Bordeaux harvest is tipped for an exceptional vintage this year. The lack of rain has led to high concentration of colour and tannins in the key red grapes. This with the good levels of acidity should give a vintage at least as good as 2009

Great Burgundy wine possible despite difficult harvest

A low yielding and variable harvest in Burgundy this year is favouring reds from northern parts of the Côte d’Or.
Dry summer and harvest time storms have dramatically reduced yields in burgundy this year.

Lebanon hails stunning 2010 vintage

A freak heatwave this summer has left Lebanon’s winemakers great quality but low volumes. Many wineries reported harvest dates a month or more earlier than usual as temperatures soared. Overall production could be little more than half the usual volume.

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October 15, 2010

Highland distillery has produced the worlds most expensive whisky £100,000 a bottle.

Yes indeed the newly launched Dalmore Trinitas 64 sells for£100,000 a bottle!!!!
As the name implies. only 3 bottles have been produced and 2 have already been sold to private collectors in the US and UK.

The third bottle will be sold at at The Whisky Show in London at the end of October, so start counting out the pennies..

Industry experts claim that if the bottle was sold by the glass in exclusive restaurants and clubs, it could fetch up to £20,000 for a typical 50ml dram.


He said: "The hand of time has been generous and rewarding with the malts I chose to use. They allowed me to create a taste sensation which will never be repeated again and will only ever be available to those that own these bottles. You cannot put a price on that."


richard paterson and dalmore trinitasWhy so expensive?
The Dalmore Trinitas 64 contains some of the rarest and oldest single malt whiskies in the world and some of them have been maturing in the Dalmore distillery warehouses for over 140 years! The youngest whisky included is 64 years of age and was distilled in the mid 1940s, hence the reference to that age in the name. Richard Paterson, the world renowned Master Blender for Whyte & Mackay, has used his expertise to fuse together a range of these exclusive malts and produce the Trinitas. They have been placed in one boutique, hand crafted American white oak cask for the last two years to create a unique spirit which will never or can ever be replicated.
Richard describes the Trinitas as "the pinnacle of my career - it's the best whisky that I have ever created".
He added: "The hand of time has been generous and rewarding with the malts I chose to use. They allowed me to create a taste sensation which will never be repeated again and will only ever be available to those that own these bottles. You cannot put a price on that."

Stunning packaging to hold this marvel.
The Dalmore Trinitas 64 is presented in bespoke hand crafted and hand blown crystal decanters and feature the distillery's iconic stag's head, an engraved neck foil and Richard Paterson's signature, both of which were hand made in silver by award winning jewellers. Each bottle comes with a hand made English oak and ebony veneer casket and each one took over 100 man hours to manufacture. Features include a hidden drawer which holds the certificate of authenticity signed by Richard Paterson and a unique lock and key created by Brahma, London's oldest locksmiths.

Tasting notes
As no-one has gotten to sample it yet, here are Richard Paterson's own tasting notes.

"The initial bouquet is highly complex. Powerful notes of sweet raisins, rich Colombian coffee, crushed walnuts and bitter orange casts its magical spell over you. Another glorious fusion of grapefruit, sandalwood, white musk and Indonesian patchouli completes this bouquet of exuberance. The spirit must be nurtured and cherished long in the mouth to tease out every hidden flavour. Sweet sultanas, figs, and a caramelised topping of Seville oranges, apples, mangos and dates roll over the tongue. This is quickly followed by a wave of lingering sensations of vino dulce muscatel, marzipan, treacle toffee, soft liquorice and roasted coffee. A soft caress of truffles, walnuts and muscovado sugar on your palate brings this unforgettable fanfare to a flawless finish".

The  Dalmore 64 Trinitas                  Dalmore Trinitas

The ideal Christmas gift, if you are a billionaire, or scooped the £113million on the lottery.

Otherwise we can offer you a very nice personalised whisky and personalised malt whisky at a fraction of the price.


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October 5, 2010

'Bugs Bunny Gang' Leaves French Wine Producers Hopping Mad












Grape munching bunnies


The worst plague of rabbits in recent memory blighted the Bordeaux grape  harvest this year.





Harvest began last week in the celebrated Medoc region of Bordeaux, and wine makers are reporting massive losses in their grape crops.


"More than 15 percent of our harvest has been swallowed up by the Bugs Bunny gang," Bruno Von der Heyden of the 500 year old Chateau de Malleret estate wrote in a blog. A neighbour of Von der Heyden said she caught 500 of the long-eared munchers on her land alone.


And the bunnies have an extra sting in the cottontail - they are eating the best the vineyards have to offer.


"In some places, there's nothing left because they started eating the vines in May. Elsewhere, they've been eating the grapes, and not any old grapes either. They get the mature ones," said Merlot grape grower Martine Cazeneuve.


It seems conditions over the past year have been ideal for bunnies. A dry summer stopped the spread of a disease that usually thins the rabbit population while at the same time proving too hot for some of the plants the bunnies usually eat and forcing them to take to the grapes.


Local growers have called for culling measures to be taken, including bringing in marksmen or ferrets to dine on them.


Looks like a lot of rabbit on the menu for the next few months.

We offer a range of Bordeaux wines with personalised label, all from rabbit free vintages!

Personalised Bordeaux Claret
Personalised Bordeaux Blanc
Personalised Bordeaux Sauvignon
Personalised Château Bouteilley

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