The SOMM question and a wine named Bum
Year 12, No. 04
Greetings,
Spring passed in the blink of an eye as here in Spain it feels like the middle of July already with days of 35C+ for the last month. It's too early to be concerned about what that means for the wine, but, while being able to swim in the Mediterranean in mid-May is appealing for tourists, it's more than a bit terrifying on all other fronts!
The season has also blazed by as I've been in the midst of what spring used to be like back in 2019 with a great many visits and tastings. I now present you the full reports on: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Bordeaux En Premier 2021, and DO Penedès. All very different and very much worth a look.
Then we move into a lengthy breakdown of the first SOMM film (*). It's been a decade since it was released and many things have come to pass in the wine community.
Also, I interviewed Roots UA who are a wine importer in Ukraine that's been working to find temporary housing at wineries in Europe for the wine people of Ukraine (*) during this grinding war Russia keeps fueling.
And then we have a more curious adventure in both English wine and Spanish bureaucracy as I worked to get my hands on the rare and kooky, Fizzy Bum Bum 3 (*).
Lastly, there's the start of a new series where I review restaurants and take a hard look at their wine selection in Food Through Wine. First on the chopping block is, La Chameau Ivre in Béziers, France.
Need more? I've been updating the Definitive Wine Publication List (*) and of course, there are the Cul de Cuvée (*) roundups for a bit more fun.
Drink well, be well.
-Miquel
* articles are free to read
FEATURED ARTICLES
SOMM, a decade on *
This year marks an entire decade since the original SOMM film was released and MUCH has come to pass since then so it's important to take a look at what this film has and hasn't done to the wine community at large.
How the bum was won *
The overly complicated story about how a small-production, English sparkling wine found its way to Spain, eventually.
REGIONAL REPORTS
Tasting Châteauneuf
A large and overdue tasting that looks at the current state of wines in the Rhône Valley's famed Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Bordeaux en Primeur 2021
This pre-sale system from one of France's most famous regions is 'different' to say the least. Here, I take a look at the latest offer, which happens to be one of the most difficult vintages in recent memory.
The latest on DO Penedès
There's been a tremendous amount of movement in this region as they work to refine and raise the bar of their wines. New classification systems are coming into play as well as using more traditional varieties,
AND NOW THIS
Ukrainian wine homes *
A "drunken camel"
IN THE GLASS
Artemis Karamolegos – Santorini 34 2019
Santorini, Greece
Languedoc, France
