Fifty Percent Classics

PREVIOUS TASTING ARCHIVE – MAY 2024

Do good things come in small sizes? We’ll take the opportunity to find out when we taste a selection of wines from classic regions like Bordeaux, Burgundy and Rioja, all in half-bottle sizes.

This tasting features six wines that would normally be out of our target range. Six full bottles would cost around £115, but by choosing the smaller format we can enjoy Chablis, Cru Bourgeois from Bordeaux and Hautes Côtes de Beaune from Burgundy for £66.95.

What makes these regions “classic?” For centuries, they’ve consistently produced some of the world’s most acclaimed wines, setting the standard for others to follow.

The Wines

Cool, distinctive and far to the north of the Côte d’Or, Chablis is the ultimate crisp white. We’ll taste an old vine example from the fifth generation Gautheron family. Moving further south, a Chardonnay from the ever-reliable Mâcon-Villages, and one of Burgundy’s most important producers, Louis Jadot. Completing our tour of Burgundy, a Pinot Noir from the elevated slopes of the Hautes Côtes de Beaune. It’s crafted in open vats and matured in barrels for 18 months.

A white Bordeauxis next, from Château Haut-Rian. This blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc represents a dying breed as producers rip out Sémillon to cash-in on the world’s thirst for ‘Sav Blanc’. Our red Haut-Médoc is a Cru Bourgeois Supérieur from Château du Moulin Rouge (praised by Robert Parker among others). To complete our line-up we move to Rioja and a wine from Spanish superstar Compañía Vinícola del Norte del España, more commonly known as CVNE.

Our supplier has reduced the price of this selection from £70.25 to £66.95 exclusively for our tasting, and delivery to any UK address including NI and islands, costs just £8.

How does it work?

  • Three wines tasted each night (enjoy the rest over the weekend)
  • Live sessions with Q&A, or catch up at your own pace with recordings
  • Ticket price is per household, and covers both sessions
  • After you purchase your ticket you’ll see a link to buy the wines
  • You may attend without buying the wines.

You will receive a link to buy once you purchase your tasting ticket.

£66.95 plus £8.00 UK-wide delivery.

  • Château Haut-Rian, Bordeaux Blanc 2022
  • Château du Moulin Rouge, Haut-Médoc Supérieur 2020
  • CVNE, Cune Rioja Crianza 2020
  • Domaine Gautheron, Chablis 2022
  • Louis Jadot, Mâcon-Villages 2022
  • Domaine du Prieuré, Hautes-Côtes de Beaune 2022
We look forward to welcoming you to this online tasting.