Fabulous Fabrizio

In this month's Decanter, an expert's choice of wines from Piemonte includes Fabrizio Battaglino's 2011 Roero Sergentin:

"Smooth and juicy. Hints of oaky spices and vanilla complement rich and cherry, tarry tannins and fresh herbal nuances. A serious wine that's still young." 90/100 (Ian d'Agata, Decanter)

The only issue I would take is that I have enjoyed a few bottles of this already so what does that say about me?

Since the review came out, I have undertaken a thorough review of my own, tasting the three vintages of Fabrizio's Roero Sergentin I have in stock. For me, this is a wine that has got better with every passing vintage: the 2011 is young but approachable and has all the hallmarks of a fine Nebbiolo. More in tune with Barolo than earlier vintages with some oak in support but the lovely Nebbiolo fruit dominant. Moderately tannic, this will be better still in another couple of years or so.

The 2010 is an altogether different wine with a fuller palate of blacker fruit. Less classic than 2011 but still a fabulous wine. Again, moderately tannic but the ripeness of the fruit helps to get past this. More please.

The 2009 is going through a difficult phase just now. Slightly sour notes are coming through; not as enjoyable as previous bottles have been. Inevitably the bottle was shelved so I will take another look today.

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Funny goings on at Domaine des Anges

Some irreverent answers given by Domaine des Anges ' owner, Gay McGuinness to questions asked by a South African publication: (A) Your full address ? postal address: Domaine des Anges, 84570 Mormoiron, France; physical address: Domaine des Anges, Quartier ND des Anges, 84570 Mormoiron, France (B) History of the winery. Domaine des Anges is a beautiful, small, hillside estate in the Ventoux in the Southern Rhone region of France. It looks out across a large valley towards Mont Ventoux – the Giant of Provence – with spectacular views on all sides. The estate covers 40 hectares and is overlooked by the chapel of Notre Dame des Anges and a 12 th century Moorish tower, living together happily in the sunshine of timeless, historic, rural France. The total area of the vineyard is 18 ha. There have been vineyards here since Roman times. We do not know the name of the original owner, but it is believed that he was stabbed to death by a group of Roman p

Juvenal strikes a home run again

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A great value alternative to Côte Rôtie

From Matt Wall's forthcoming article on great value alternatives to Côte Rôtie, Pierre Gaillard's 2016 St Joseph 'Clos du Cuminaile' is a lovely wine to drink now ( there 2015 is still building). Matt scored it 92 points and reviewed it as follows: 'From a 40-year-old vineyard in Chavanay, grapes were fully destemmed. It’s showing blackberry, bonfire ashes and blackcurrant leaf aromas. 2016 was not the most concentrated vintage, so it’s medium-bodied but very smooth in the mouth. The finish is lifted and fresh, with bright berry acidity. Quite lean and transparent, this is mostly based around fresh acidity, with fine, slight tannins and a granitic spine.' (Not the most contemporary looking label but the wine is extremely drinkable!) We have, of course, tasted it ourselves a couple of times recently and found it to be on the lighter side of Syrah - St Joseph can range from red to black fruit character and be light and pretty or dense and demanding (for the latte

James Bercovici - The Big Red Wine Company

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