The Massandra Collection Crimean Wine That Screams Place And History. And What A Story It Tells!

/2 Comments/in , /by

Somewhere in the disorganized depths of Ken Gargett’s cellar lies his favorite bottle of wine. It is almost certainly not his best bottle, nor even possibly his most valuable. It is a bottle that screams place and history. It tells a story and it links him to an extraordinary moment in time when three of the planet’s most famous leaders met to determine the fate of the world. That wine is the Massandra Collection White Muscat 1945 and here is its story.

Read more

Soldera Wines: Sensational Super Tuscans With A Hollywood-Worthy Backstory

/0 Comments/in /by

The rise of Brunello has been recent. And, arguably, the single most convincingly 100 percent Brunello example of fine wine is Soldera at Case Basse according to Ken Gargett and other wine experts. But Soldera and the region have a dramatic background, one that might not be common knowledge outside Tuscany. Read on for a Hollywood script-worthy story and mouthwatering descriptions of Super Tuscan wines you may not (yet) be acquainted with.

Read more

Taylors The Visionary: The World’s Best Cabernet Sauvignon Is Australian, And That’s According To The French

/7 Comments/in , /by

For the third time in five years, an Australian Cabernet was crowned the World’s Best Cabernet Sauvignon at the International Competition of Cabernets, held bang smack in the middle of France. And, worse, the French have no one to blame but themselves as the award is decided by a panel of top sommeliers from – you guessed it – France. Ken Gargett lets us in on why this happened.

Read more

Glorious Burgundy Is Experiencing An Unprecedented Golden Age Of Fantastic Wine Vintages

/0 Comments/in /by

“So marvelous, so delicate was the bouquet, it seemed an impertinence to go further and taste this miraculous liquid; and yet, on the palate it almost made one regret the waste of time the moments spent in taking in the perfume.” Ken Gargett didn’t write that, but he feels the same way about the fabulous wines of Burgundy. Find out here why this is the golden age for this region.

Read more

H. Upmann Sir Winston Cigars: Churchill Never Smoked One, But Would Have Loved Them

/2 Comments/in , /by

While H. Upmann usurped the famous British leader’s name for this cigar, Ken Gargett has no doubt Winston Churchill would have loved the tribute. After having smoked two, Ken thinks it a truly glorious cigar (99/100) and one that should be in every serious cigar lover’s rotation.

Read more

Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal 2012: Biodynamic Viticulture At Its Very Best

/0 Comments/in , /by

The release of the thrilling 2012 Cristal heralds the culmination of Louis Roederer’s efforts in biodynamics. The vineyard has released champagnes in the recent past that have been biodynamic, or part thereof, but this is the first time the flagship, the legendary Cristal, is 100 percent biodynamic. And what a vintage for it!

Read more

Monkey 47 Gin: From Failed Watchmaker To Making One Of The Best Gins In The World

/0 Comments/in /by

When Ken Gargett first heard mention of a gin called Monkey 47, he assumed it must fall very much in the novelty category. Then he tried it and it has been his favorite gin ever since. Here Ken shares the story, more than likely a mix of fact and the apocryphal, of how Monkey 47 gin came to be. And it involves a watchmaker!

Read more

To’ak Chocolate: If Not The Best Chocolate In The World, It’s A Worthy Contender (Also For The Most Expensive!)

/10 Comments/in , /by

To’ak makes chocolate, but not as you know it. This is manna from heaven, or perhaps chocolate from angels. Ken Gargett takes a deep dive into what is quite possibly the world’s finest chocolate.

Read more

Pol Roger 2012 Champagnes: Grand Releases For Perhaps The Grandest Vintage

/0 Comments/in , /by

It was the wonderful 1975 Pol Roger that first ignited Ken Gargett’s love of great champagne. Here he looks at (and tastes) the 2012 releases and they do not disappoint: the great vintages of this century have been 2002, 2008, and perhaps now 2012!

Read more

Henschke Hill Of Grace 2015 Shiraz: 99/100, A Brilliant Example Of Just How Great Australian Wines Can Be

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Henschke Hill of Grace 2015 Shiraz is a wonderful wine from a very fine vintage. In Ken Gargett’s opinion, it’s a wine with decades ahead of it. A great Hill of Grace and a brilliant example of just how great Australian wines can be. 99/100.

Read more