The week in pictures

Perrier-Jouët’s chef de cave Hervé Deschamps was in London this week to launch two new prestige cuvées from the Champagne house – the Belle Epoque 2008 and Belle Epoque Rosé 2007 in magnum. The event took place at the Perrier-Jouët room at Searcey’s at the Gherkin, with the charismatic Deschamps describing the 2008, made from a blend of 50% Chardonnay sourced from the grand crus of Cramant and Avize, 45% Pinot Noir and 5% of Pinot Meunier from Dizy, as “elegant with a hint of perfume” with notes of elderberry and primroses on the nose and poached fruit, yellow citrus and grapefruit on the palate.

Deschamps also confirmed a string of vintage releases for the coming years, with 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 all confirmed as vintage years, the latter seemingly bucking a trend in a year widely considered a challenging vintage in Champagne.

The IWSC has launched its 2017 competition, its 49th, welcoming Chris Blandy, CEO of the Madeira Wine Company, as its 2017 President. Along with its usual line-up of award categories, the IWSC will this year also be adding new Whisky & Ginger, Rum & Cola and Rum & Ginger categories to its plethora of awards. The competition is offering a 10% discount off entries throughout January. For more information, visit www.iwsc.net.

Burgundy en primeur tastings took over the UK drinks trade’s calendar this week, with Flint Wines among the many producers to host an en primeur tastings to show off the 2015 vintage. Held at One Whitehall Place, Flint marked this tasting as its most successful en primeur tasting yet, with more than 500 customers and more than 40 growers taking part.

Étienne Julien (above), from Comblanchien, was among the producers introduced to Flint’s portfolio for the first time, alongside Vincent Charton. Other producers in its Burgundian portfolio include Pierre Duroché, of Le Domaine Duroché, and Amélie Berthaut of Domaine Berthaut.

Tim Atkin MW was among the guests invited by Flint to celebrate the 2015 vintage in proper Burgundian style at the Cabotte Restaurant in London.

Michelin Star Chef and wine explorer Roger Jones hosted the South African leg of his annual Tri Nations Challenge this past week. The Tri Nations Challenge sees the adventurous chef travel to South Africa, New Zealand and Australia between now and July to host wine competitions and cook some stunning wine pairing dinners, with the UK legs of the challenge taking place at his restaurant, The Harrow, in Little Bedwyn, Wiltshire.

Pictured (left) here with Peter ‘Bubbles’ Ferreira, Jones hosted his first challenge, a ‘Battle of the Bubbles’, at the luxury Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town. The event pitting eight nations against each other in a blind tasting of 37 sparkling wines from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and England and was judged by a panel of 25 judges made up of both British and South Africans. These included some of Cape Town’s top sommeliers, the head of wines at Woolworths, Allan Mullins; WOSA’s CEO Siobhan Thompson and international wine judges Dr Winnie Bowman, Angela Lloyd, Lynne Sherriff MW & Fiona McDonald.

Jones reported that Cuvée Clive from Graham Beck won by half a point against Charles Heidsieck, though Tasmania and New Zealand dominated overall, with England only reaching twelfth position. 

One Tuesday Jones hosted a comparative sparkling tasting between England and Wales’s finest fizz – including Nyetimber, Hattingley Valley, Hambledon, Ancre Hill and Wiston – and South Africa’s top Methode Cap Classiques. All the wines will be paired in twos and matched with five courses including cured salmon with cauliflower cous cous and apricot chutney.

Jones has now moved continents and is in New Zealand for the next leg of the Tri Nations Challenge, which is being hosted at Craggy Range estate in Hawke’s Bay.

Judging commences at the drinks business Global Masters Sauvignon Blanc 2017, held at Bumpkin, South Kensington on Friday 13 January. The judges are Jonathan Pedley MW, Adrian Garforth MW, Clement Robert MS, Roberto Della Pietra, Clive Barlow MW, Dee Blackstock MW, Patrick Schmitt MW, Nick Tatham MW, Patricia Stefanowicz MS, Anne McHale MW, David Round MW and Sarah Jane Evans MW.