In 2013, in Bordeaux, I convinced the recently named general manager Laurent Dufau of Chateau Calon Segur to come to Washington D.C. to present the wines of this famous estate – apparently the oldest in the Medoc. Long considered a hidden jewel, this 3rd Growth from the famous 1855 Classification of the Medoc and Sauternes […]

By Panos Kakaviatos A somewhat under-the-radar estate, Château Calon Ségur counts among my favorites from Bordeaux’s acclaimed Left Bank appellation Saint Estèphe. Although many people appreciate the quality of wines from this estate, opinions vary as to its consistency. French wine writer Bernard Burtschy for example has told me that he thinks the estate went through […]

As we approach the end of another year, I am once again very fortunate indeed to have fellow Washington D.C. winos at the ready, willing to bring some lovely “claret” (just love that word 😉 ) from fine vintages. The ever generous and serious wine lover Randy McFarlane called us together for a dinner to taste […]

By Panos Kakaviatos Several years ago, I published an article in Decanter on competition among various fifth growths in Pauillac. For at least 30 years already, Lynch Bages has been called the “Poor Man’s Mouton” – although chateau owners sometimes refer to Mouton as the “Rich Man’s Lynch Bages.” Well, since then, many other fifths […]

By Panos Kakaviatos in Merano, Italy  When friend and wine critic Ian d’Agata – also project manager for the prestigious Merano Wine Festival – asked me to co-moderate a comprehensive vertical of white vintages reaching back to 1970 from the celebrated Domaine de Chevalier, I was thrilled. Domaine de Chevalier owner Olivier Bernard – who […]

Every picture tells a story, thanks to Jean-Pierre Meslier of Château Raymond Lafon… Will Sauternes turn out to be the tail that wag’s Bordeaux’s dog in 2013? According to THIS ARTICLE in SudOuest, published on 3 October, the late harvest pickings in Sauternes and Barsac look pretty good “as the stress is building for the […]

By Panos Kakaviatos in Bordeaux “June was awful,” said Tristan Kressmann, owner of Chateau Latour Martillac just ahead of a massive 1,000 person invite only celebration at nearby Domaine de Chevalier to commemorate the start of this year’s harvest.  The food and music and ambiance was superb, and I will post detailed notes on such wines as […]

After having reported on two massive storms that brought hail, rain and flooding to Burgundy’s famed Côte de Beaune region, now we hear about hail storms hitting Entre-Deux-Mers in Bordeaux. Here a report from friend and fellow wine writer Sophie Kevany in Bordeaux: Also, friend and winemaker Gavin Quinney posted a video on Youtube, below, of hail […]

How is Bordeaux 2010? Darn good, across the board. Far too expensive for most mere mortals on the high end (and the higher end), but you can find excellent price/quality ratios from the low to mid range, which is where my wallet is situated… I tasted the wines at Germany’s largest internatiponal wine fair ProWein […]

When I heard that Michel Rolland was hired as a consultant for Château Figeac, I thought, like others, that it was a premature April Fool’s Day joke. Eric d’Aramon has not exactly been a great fan of the Rolland style. And yet, here we are, as you can read in my news brief published today […]