Château Thivin Beaujolais: Burgundy’s ‘Little Sibling’ Offers Serious Wine With Joyous Exuberance

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The always perceptive and entertaining American importer Kermit Lynch has described Château Thivin wines as resembling “a country squire who is not afraid to get his boots muddy. Handsome, virile, earthy, and an aristocrat.” And Ken Gargett agrees. The Beaujolais 2018 vintage is already being talked about as legendary, heroic, special, brilliant . . . roll out whichever superlative you like and give it a go.

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Beluga Gold Line Vodka: James Bond Should Drink It Neat Rather Than Shaken, Not Stirred

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Beluga vodka hails from Siberia, from the Marlinsk Distillery, which was founded in 1900. The water used is from Siberian artesian wells. Ken Gargett thinks that if James Bond was drinking Beluga’s Gold Line, he would sip it straight rather than tip it into martinis, whether shaken or stirred.

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French Champagne House Ruinart Collaborates With British Artist David Shrigley For Its Annual Carte Blanche Art Commission

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David Shrigley is not your conventional artist. He says what’s on his mind without beating around the bush. Not taking himself seriously while opening our eyes to the bigger picture is why French champagne house Ruinart commissioned the 51-year-old artist to present the champagne house in a new light as its 2020 carte blanche artist,

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Bollinger 2012 Champagne: One Of The Very Best Wines And Vintages Of The Century

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The Bollinger 2012 is fast gaining a reputation as one of the very best vintages of this century. Ken Gargett thinks it’s fantastic champagne, and while truly wonderful now it has a great future. 98/100. Just wow! A couple of cases of this and we would feel a lot better about an extended period of isolation!

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Montecristo No. 3 Cuban Cigars: The Count Would Be Pleased

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The Montecristo No. 3 Cuban cigar is most certainly a good corona. That said, Ken Gargett confesses that it had been a few years since he had tried one. But when a friend offered him one recently, he quickly remembered why they should be in everyone’s rotation and what he had been missing.

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Main Ridge Estate: Great Value In Small Quantities From Australia’s Mornington Peninsula

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Main Ridge Estate has been considered as producing not only some of the Mornington Peninsula’s best Pinot and Chardonnay, but some of the best anywhere in Australia, pretty much from day one. Small quantities of its wines do manage to make their way to international markets, but you’ll need to search for them. Ken Gargett explains why you might want to do just that.

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Yalumba The Caley 2014: An Aussie Classic From The Barossa Valley

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It seems a bit ironic to Ken Gargett that, as the world goes into an unprecedented lockdown to deal with the novel coronavirus pandemic, he reviews a wine, the Yalumba The Caley Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2014, which celebrates one of the most peripatetic members of the wine industry. Yet here we are.

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Smith & Sheth Cru: Rich, Exciting Wines From New Zealand With Alluring Aromas

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New Zealand native Steve Smith has partnered with Brian Sheth to create a new operation: Smith & Sheth Cru. Ken Gargett believes this young winery co-founded by Smith, a highly decorated and experienced winemaker, could well take its place among the world’s exciting emerging wineries.

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Hoyo de Monterrey Escogido Cuban Cigars: The ‘Chosen’ Few

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Ken Gargett thoroughly reviews the rare Hoyo de Monterrey Escogido Cuban cigars right here. They may be very hard to find at the moment, but when they do hit the shelves everywhere they are definitely worth your interest. See what else he says.

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Krug Grande Cuvée #164

Krug Champagne: A Story Of Krugists Earning Five Cases Per Year Every Year For The Rest Of One’s Life And Wine Tasting Like “. . . Angels Have Descended From Heaven” – Reprise

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Anyone who expresses even so much as a fleeting interest in great wine will soon come across Krug, for many the greatest champagne of all. And there are champagne lovers and then there are devotees of Krug: Krugists. Ken Gargett doubts that any other champagne, any wine, has a word to designate their adoring fans. Here he explains why.

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