2006 Burgundy, the first look at the wines from bottle.

This weekend has seen me tasting 2006 Burgundy 1er and Grand Cru (red only) from the top Domaines and Negociants. The tastings have been held in Beaune over 3 days and have seen over 300 wines tasted blind in flights by village. There were ten tasters involved including the most important UK importers and UK journalists.
I started the tasting with high hopes for this vintage. Inevitably it has been over-shadowed by its predecessor and under appreciated in many quarters. First promoted as a top white wine vintage, the pinot noirs showed remarkably favourable qualities at the January tastings in London. The Cotes de Nuits centred on the Nuits vineyards -themselves showing wines of serious quality.

Watch this space as over the coming days as I will be posting my thoughts on the individual appellations.

A Harvest with Elio Altare

This time last year I would have been telling you that harvest is getting closer…now I can say that harvest has arrived much faster than expected and we started picking this morning!!!

For the first time in a long time (you have to go back to 2003 for such an early picking, when we started on the 27th of August, or 1997) we have to start thinking about crazy sticky work!

We had a very wet spring, after a long cold and snowy winter, then a very dry summer, so basically the weather has been “as it's supposed to be”. We have been doing all the vineyard work without any particular problems and a part of the green harvest in July in temperatures of 30°- 35° .

The other day my father Elio and I went through the vineyards for some routine sampling, and found a big surprise: The dolcetto grapes (always the first grape to be picked) already had a quite high sugar level, so we decided to start harvest this morning (the employees weren’t so happy when they found out!)

We will crush the first grapes tonight. They look healthy and juicy and we are looking forward to another great vintage.

I looove harvest, we all get very excited, the work gets hectic, there is a good yeasty smell in the cellar and you dont mind working 20h a day...but luckily is only for 2 months a year!!

More to come…

Silvia

2006 Burgundy: the first look at the wines from bottle.

This weekend has seen me tasting 2006 Burgundy 1er and Grand Cru (red only) from the top Domaines and Negociants.

The tastings have been held in Beaune over 3 days and have seen over 300 wines tasted blind in flights by village. There were ten tasters involved including the most important UK importers and UK journalists.I started the tasting with high hopes for this vintage. Inevitably it has been over-shadowed by its predecessor and under appreciated in many quarters. First promoted as a top white wine vintage, the pinot noirs showed remarkably favourable qualities at the January tastings in London. The Cotes de Nuits centred on the Nuits vineyards -themselves showing wines of serious quality.

Watch this space as over the coming days as I will be posting my thoughts on the individual appellations.

Altare kick-starts the first J&B winemakers blog.

The first of our Winemakers blogs is about to go live. And who better than one of Piedmont's most well respected and trailblazing estates, Elio Altare. Elio's daughter Silvia (second from the left) is very hands-on in the vineyard and has kindly agreed to give us the inside information on a harvest in Piedmont. With Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo all maturing at different paces, a number of Cru's to deal with, and full hand picking in operation this promises to be a fascinating insight into the hectic and exciting time a harvest can be.

2009 looking promising in Priorat

We had a brief conversation with Magi from Mas Martinet this morning and it would seem that 2009 is showing promising signs in Priorat. Whilst of course it is too early to call - the next two weeks are crucial - Magi seems confident that the early ingredients are all in place. A recent spell of hot weather has given a real filip to the grapes' ripeness and natural alcohols are healthy to say the least. A drop of rain or two in the coming weeks are all he is looking for to make this into "a really lovely vintage".

Just Landed

Further arrivals into our warehouse this week include the Domaine Weinbach 2007's, Senorio de San Vicente's 2005 Rioja (recently voted the best wine in spain by Wine Enthusiast Magazine) and the 2006 , Decanter 5* award winner, from the ever popular Chateau Petit-Bocq in St Estèphe.

A Magnificent Collection

As the Bordeaux buyer, I frequently get to drool/ogle over wonderful cellars, which often makes me want to commit numerous deadly sins, however, our latest cellar makes nearly everything before it pale into insignificance. This is vast with a capital V. It's so big that we've had to split it into 13 separate offers; partly for my own sanity and partly to protect our cellar man who is supposed to be recovering from a hernia operation… Everything has been purchased from the domaine and stored with us, so provenance couldn't be better. It's hard to know where to begin really, just about every big name from Bordeaux is in there as well as many more esoteric ones too, there's more Burgundy than you can shake a stick at, Barolo, Port, Champagne and even mature wines from the new world...

J&B Price List

After months of waiting due to budget led Duty and Vat increases, and redesign, our new and improved price list will be hitting doorsteps in a matter of weeks. A lot of thought has gone into the new list. Our aim from the outset was to create a list that would allow us to update as often as possible so that at any given time your current J&B list is as up-to-date as possible. We hope you enjoy the new format.

Elio Altare Signs up to the Justerinis Blog

Very exciting news for a Monday morning. The first of our proposed producers has agreed to be a Justerinis blogger, giving us a blow by blow account of a Piedmontese harvest, direct from the vines. Elio Altare is one of the great domaines in Piedmont, a pioneer who almost single handedly began the revolution in wine making and vine tending techniques so evident in the region today. Their weekly updates will give you the chance to experience the excitement and trepidation of a harvest in one of the worlds great wine regions, from one of the worlds great winemakers. Watch this space.

German Riesling 2008

Recently tasting a line up of 2008 German Rieslings has confirmed the thoughts I first formed on my visit to Germany in May. The Kabinetts and Spatleses from the top growers are delicious - crystal clear, racy but by no means aggressive. Great German vintages are often considered to be the ones that, like 2007, have impressively high oeschle levels particularly when lots of goldcap, ba and tba have been made. However, for my own part, I am not sure I wouldn't rather drink the lower oeschle style 2008 Kabinetts and Spatleses which I find much more refreshing than their 2007 predecessors.

Just Landed: Burgundy 2007

Shipment of our 2007 Burgundies has begun. This weeks shipment includes the wines of Comte Liger-Belair, Remi Rollin, Eric de Suremain, Patrick Javillier, Prieure St. Come, Bonneau de Martray and Morey Blanc. Customers who have purchased wines en primeur from any of these domaines will see them appearing in their cellars shortly.

Justerini & Brooks' Buyers Blog

Welcome to Justerini & Brooks' buyers blog. 260 years in the making! The purpose of this blog is singular - it is a way for you to see behind the doors of a fine wine merchant and to give you the lead on key information about upcoming vintages, our growers and the experiences and tastings we go through to secure the wines you search for. By its nature, our buying team are months ahead of our upcoming releases, very often before any critic has gone to taste - and our intention here is to provide you with the information as we first get it. Many of these blogs will be written by our buyers while they are actually in the vineyards and wineries they have gone to taste at.
Hew Blair Buying Director and Chairman

The final days of the campaign

We have the last few cases of First Growths available at the second tranche price. Lafite - £3350, Margaux - £1950 and Haut Brion - £1895. Please contact your account manager if you would like to secure your allocation.

We are just waiting for the remaining boutique right bank properties to release and then the campaign will be complete. We still have good quantities of firm favourites such as Leoville Barton and Grand Puy Lacoste; two of the best value wines from the vintage, as well as the highly rated Duhart Milon at £295.

Château Ausone, St. Emilion 1er Grand Cru Classé

Chapelle d'Ausone, St. Emilion

Château Margaux, 1er Cru Classé, Margaux

Second Tranche Ausone & Margaux

The first tranche of Chateau Ausone literally leaped out of the doors of our St James's Street office. Hardly a surprise given the potentially perfect score from Robert Parker and the impeccable reputation of this estate, forged by perfectionist proprietor Alain Valthier. Yields were down substantially, so we could only offer the first tranche to those who had purchased the 2007. Since the demand has been sky high, we have been busy sourcing more stock, and are delighted to offer a very limited quantity at the second tranche price of £7500.

We could eulogise for hours about the intensity and complexity of Alain's wines, but we simply wouldn't do them justice. They possess an ethereal quality that is hard to put into words. Ausone has for some time now been right at the very pinnacle of the Bordeaux trade. Unchallenged as the outstanding wine from St Emilion, it also vies for the title of the best wine in Bordeaux, even the world. The 2008 is no exception; quite simply, it is breathtaking.

We have also procured a few more cases of Margaux, also at their second tranche price. This appears to be another wine in high demand. A tiny quantity of the 2008 has been released on to the market, so we were relieved and elated to be offered a few more cases.

Le grand weekend

Our French chums have taken a long weekend, so now we must wait until next Tuesday (after our own public holiday) before we can complete the campaign. We eagerly await the release of Le Pin and Lafleur, two of the greatest wines from Pomerol – then it will be a wrap.

A complete round-up of the 2008 campaign will follow in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, we would bring your attention to the last few cases of:

Haut Brion - £1895
Haut Brion Blanc - £3000
Laville Haut Brion - £2575
Chapelle d`Ausone - £875
La Mission Haut Brion - £1325
Leoville Las Cases - £895
Leoville Barton - £330
Pontet Canet - £540
Figeac - £495
La Conseillante - £495
Le Tertre Roteboeuf - £980
L'Eglise Clinet - £875
L'Evangile - £725
Vieux Chateau Certan - £495

These were amongst our favourite wines from this vintage and are now in limited supply. Please hurry to secure your allocation.

Lafite Rothschild second tranche

Lafite Rothschild has released a tiny second tranche to the market. This fabulous 98-100 point wine was our joint wine of the vintage with Le Pin and Ausone. The second tranche is a full £600 more than our initial release at £3350, but for one of the greatest modern day Lafites, maybe it's worth it... Château Lafite-Rothschild, 1er Cru Classé, Pauillac

The end is nigh (or neigh)

It has been a busy day in Bordeaux and there are now just a handful of releases to come. The last big name from the Medoc, Leoville Las Cases has shocked us all with a very fair price, £895. This wine is clearly of first growth quality and the team unanimously loved it. At under half the price of the First Growths, this is a definite `buy`.

Bringing up the rear is Cheval Blanc. Admittedly, this has been released at a significant discount to the 2007, but it is still stupendously expensive at £3350. It is a magical wine, but at quite a price. The Petit Cheval is a very fine example and at £575 certainly offers those who love this estate a better value option.

Château Léoville-Las Cases, 2ème Cru Classé, St Julien

Clos du Marquis

Château Cheval Blanc, St. Emilion 1er Grand Cru Classé

Le Petit Cheval, St. Emilion

`Power of the Perse`

Gerard Perse’s wines are uncompromising, unashamedly modern and unmissable if you share Mr Parker’s love for tannins and big, extracted wines. Please find a list of Gerard’s wines below, complete with Parker notes.

Château Pavie, St. Emilion 1er Grand Cru Classé

Château Pavie-Decesse, St. Emilion Grand Cru Classé

Château Monbousquet, St Emilion Grand Cru

Ch Bellevue Mondotte, St Emilion

The Moueix family's latest baby...

We are delighted to announce the birth of a new star in St Emilion. JP Moueix acquired the Chateau formally known as Belair in 2008. This property was once one of the most sought after wines in Bordeaux and rivalled the first growths as the most expensive wine from the region. However, many years of mediocre wine-making has ruined their once great reputation. This fabled terroir, next to Ausone on the upper slopes of the limestone terrace to the south of St Emilion can and will again produce superb wines. The 2008 is definitely a great effort. A huge amount of endeavour has gone into this wine. Several tries and miniscule yields have resulted in the finest Belair (-Monange) in decades. Congratulations to the Moueix team for their outstanding 2008 and we look forward to many more great wines from this estate.

`The 2008 is clearly a product of fully ripened fruit and physiologically mature tannins, something the previous administration rarely sought, too frequently harvesting under-ripe fruit with green, astringent tannins. The results were always predictable - reprehensible wines from an extraordinary terroir. That has all changed under Christian and Edouard Moueix's guidance. The dense ruby/purple-tinged 2008 reveals an extraordinary aromatic display of crushed rocks, spring flowers, and abundant kirsch and black raspberry fruit. The wine possesses good acids, unreal minerality, and superb intensity, texture, and length. The harvest was extremely late, between October 14-21, and after the selections were done, the final yield came to 12 hectoliters per hectare - commercial madness. The result is an amazing effort that should evolve for 30 years. Formerly known as Chateau Belair, 2008 is the first vintage in which Christian Moueix, his son, Edouard, and new oenologist, Eric Murisasco, had 100% control at Belair-Monange, and they have admirably demonstrated just what this great terroir is capable of producing. Cropped at an unreal 18 hectoliters per hectare, it appears ready to compete with its near-by neighbor, Ausone`. 93-95+ points. - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, Issue 182

Due to the small production and high demand, Belair-Monange will be allocated. Please express your interest to your account manager.

Bélair-Monange

1st releases of the 3 day week

Since the sale of sister property, Yquem, to LVMH, de Fargues has been the sole jewel in the Luc Saluces crown. This is clearly one of the most successful Sauternes of the vintage, receiving 94-96 points from the Neil Martin, but at £815 per case, perhaps Climens and Rieussec look better buys.

This new week brings the release of yet another massive, full-throttle St Emilion, Clos de Sarpe. With a huge 93-96+ from Robert Parker, this micro cuvee (just 500 cases have been produced) will require considerable patience…

Château de Fargues, Sauternes

Clos de Sarpe