Bordeaux 2019 en primeur

The COVID19 vintage by Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com 29 May 2020 As we slowly open things up and muddle through “mask on, mask off”, it is important to take into consideration the common courtesy to wear a mask for shop owners who have to deal all day with customers whom they do not know. While […]

Read More

Wine snapshot: Château Sociando Mallet 2003

By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com  11 May 2020 Welcome readers to my first wine snapshot: a weekly feature. Each Monday, I will do a profile of a single wine that I like. And we start things off on Monday 11 May with the fine Château Sociando Mallet. With impeccable gravel over clay and clay limestone […]

Read More

Ode to France, Les Accabailles and Les Crus Classés de Graves

Tasting dinner of top Pessac-Léognan wines at Château Carbonnieux By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com 21 November 2019 A round-trip on the high-speed train TGV traversing France from Strasbourg to Bordeaux and back took less than 6 hours. No stop in Paris. Comfy, first class seat at €170: Convenient, efficient and greener than flying or driving. […]

Read More

Hedonism and hard work

By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com  30 May 2019 I started reflecting on these two words while in Bordeaux during the famous Vinexpo event earlier this month. Every two years, this massive wine and spirits trade fair for professionals includes many fine lunches and dinners. I usually stay for the entire gig, but I was only […]

Read More

For hedonists and intellectuals: Bordeaux 2018

By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com  7 May 2019 My top barrel samples from 2018 Full tasting notes by appellation and area: Pessac-Léognan+Graves (reds) / Médoc-Haut-Médoc-Listrac-Moulis / Margaux / Saint Julien / Pauillac / Saint Estèphe / Saint Emilion / Pomerol / Fronsac and other bargains / Dry whites including Graves / Sauternes & Barsac NOTE […]

Read More

Fine Fronsac and more 2018

By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com  7 May 2019 In a very good vintage, you can find economically priced wines, and 2018 is no exception. Once again, many Fronsacs assessed at the always well organized Grand Cercle tastings – this year at the lovely Château La Dauphine – proved yet again the quality of this appellation. […]

Read More

Graves and Pessac-Léognan 2018 (reds)

Noteworthy vintage By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com  26 April 2019 The hotter gravely soils of this famous appellation may have been too … gravelly and hot for the vintage. Here is a case where the question of 2016 is quite relevant. In some cases, I do think that 2016 may be a better vintage than […]

Read More

Médoc/Haut-Médoc/Moulis/Listrac: 2018 from barrel

by Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com 26 April 2019 Some lovely wines from the northern Médoc in 2018. A huge pity for the absence of the great Château La Lagune, as hail devastated the vineyards in 2018. I was able to taste the others that made wine in 2018, with oenologist Christophe Coupez in Pauillac (we […]

Read More

Wild n’ Crazy Saint Estèphe 2018?

By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com  26 April 2019 Saint Estèphe is an appellation that tends to thrive in hot and arid summers. Take for examples the torrid heat of the 2003 vintage. The cooler soils underneath gravel in Saint Estèphe seemed to counter the extreme weather better than any other Bordeaux appellation of note. Many tasters […]

Read More

Premium Pomerol 2018

The gorgeous Château Evangile

Quite consistent, too. by Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com 26 April 2019 Pomerol was excellent in 2018. Akin in consistency to Saint Julien. Especially cooler terroirs, with more clay and less sun, or at least those wines made with especially careful winemaking, succeeded best. And where it did succeed, it counts among the very best that […]

Read More

Categories