Scores are in for this year’s Global Tuscan Masters, Global Sauvignon Blanc Masters, Global Chardonnay Masters and Global Riesling Masters. These prestigious competitions run by The Drinks Business draw in entries from across the world. They are judged blind by an expert panel of Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers and senior buyers.

We are delighted to announce that Ciacci Rosso di Montalcino 2015 and Fertuna Pactio 2016 were both awarded silver medals in The Global Tuscan Masters. Klein Constantia won three medals in The Global Sauvignon Blanc Masters; their Metis Sauvignon Blanc 2017 won gold and their Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2019 and Perdeblokke Sauvignon Blanc 2017 both won silver.

Meanwhile in the world of Chardonnay, Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 and AYALA Le Blanc de Blancs 2014 were both awarded gold medals in this year’s Global Chardonnay Masters 2020. AYALA Le Blanc de Blancs 2014 scored an impressive 93 points and Tapanappa Chardonnay 2019 was also listed in The Drinks Business’ 10 best Chardonnays of 2020.

In The Global Riesling Masters 2020, Kilikanoon won four medals: their Mort’s Reserve Riesling 2011 was awarded gold, their Mort’s Reserve Riesling 2017 and Mort’s Block Riesling 2019 won silver and their Mort’s Block Riesling 2018 won bronze.

Stunning results all round!

Wine Spectator has revealed its annual list of Top 100 wines, based on quality, value, availability and ‘excitement’. This prestigious competition has been running since 1988.

We’re thrilled to announce that Bollinger La Grande Année 2012 was included in their top 10, with an astonishing 96 points. It was followed closely by Southern Right Sauvignon Blanc Walker Bay 2019, scoring 90 points.

Bollinger La Grande Année 2012 received the following praise: “This goes from zero to 60 right out of the gate, with an intense spine of acidity driving tightly meshed flavors of crushed black currant, ground coffee, candied grapefruit peel and toasted almond. The profile expands on the palate, carried by the fine, raw silk-like mousse. Richly aromatic and expressive from start to lasting, spiced finish”. – AN

Southern Right Sauvignon Blanc Walker Bay 2019 was described as displaying “intensity and precision, with notes of fleur de sel and sage underscoring grapefruit and white peach flavors. Shows a bit of crunch in texture. Long, inviting and quite balanced.” – AZ

We are delighted to announce a collaboration between the much loved hotel group, The Pig Hotels, Italian winery, Tenuta Fertuna and Mentzendorff.  We have launched a range of exclusive bespoke wines, available to purchase from The Pig’s online gift shop. The range includes an IGT Toscana Rosso, an IGT Toscana Bianco and a DOC Maremma Toscana Rosé, all created in the heart of the Maremma region of Tuscany.

Paolo Rivella, head winemaker and manager of Fertuna winery is the man behind the creation of this unique range. Paolo comes from a very prestigious winemaking heritage, dating back to 1850 in a small village of Piedmont.

The wines are approachable yet with a subtle nod towards the style of the region’s famous “Super Tuscans”. The 2019 white, made using 80% Sangiovese, 10% Vermentino and 10 % Sauvignon Blanc, has a mineral palate with a marked acidity. The refreshing 2019 rosé is 100% Sangiovese, with a bouquet of floral delicate notes of rose hips and wild strawberries. The 70% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 red is aged for 4 months in French oak barrels. On the palate, this is a warm and well-structured wine, with soft tannins and a clean finish.

“We are thrilled to have worked with Tenuta Fertuna to create the new The Pig Cut wines. A real class act made with love, care and attention.” Robin Hutson, CEO of The Pig.

We are very pleased to be able to unveil the Taylor’s Very Old Tawny Port – Kingsman Edition, celebrating 20th Century Studios “The King’s Man”.

The idea for a very Limited Edition Kingsman Port was born between Taylor’s and director Matthew Vaughn; recognising the shared values between Taylor’s and Kingsman: a sense of heritage and tradition, legacy, an obsession with detail and extraordinary product quality. Also, the very British traits of humour, wit, elegance and style.

In the era portrayed in The King’s Man, Port Wine occupied a special place. By the time of the Great War, Port had become firmly established in British society as one of the finest of all wines, surrounded by ritual and a degree of reverence. During the Great War, large quantities of Port, including thousands of cases of Taylor’s, were shipped to the British and French armies stationed at the front. The British government considered Port so essential for soldiers’ morale that it sometimes threatened to commandeer shipments and divert them to the army to avoid shortages.

The Kingsman Edition is a very rare Tawny Port matured for almost nine decades in hand-made seasoned oak casks. This peerless wine has achieved a magical complexity during its long ageing. Some of the wines used were made in the 1930s under the shadow of the Great Depression. Significantly, they were produced from vines replanted after the Phylloxera pest had devastated many of the finest vineyards of the Douro Valley in the 1870s.  Like western civilisation emerging from the devastation of the Great War, this immortal wine symbolises the recovery of the Douro vineyards from the greatest scourge ever to hit the world of wine.

Taylor’s Kingsman Edition Port was created not only for Kingsman devotees but also for connoisseurs and collectors of fine and rare wines around the world. A very limited number of 700 bottles have been produced and the film releases worldwide on February 14^th, 2021.