I read and enjoy reviews of what I might call bread and butter wines, so, reading the Tesco review, bought a couple of the GV’s recommended by JR.
Blithely serving it to guests while drinking a red myself, I had given the Amandla Future Sauvignon blanc to friends knowing, based on the tasting notes, it was closer to a Sancerre than a Marlborough, and therefore just what I intended. Two days later I thought to see what this GV wine tasted like.
Initially surprised I checked the tasting note, then the wine again and then……the date!
The wine recommended by JR is 2025, and I am sure all her notes would be echoed had I tasted that. The delivered wine was 2024 and not at all what I hoped. The moral of the story- be careful and trust no-one, apart from JR of course.
Oh dear. Matching vintages is a constant battle for us - and presumably for the retailers admittedly,
At their press tastings they understandably show us the latest vintage of each wine, but I suppose it is a logistical headache to ensure all stocks of the previous vintage have been run down beforehand. I suppose this is why they are often so coy about vintages on their websites.
Both the FT fact checker and Julia, who kindly checks my FT articles before they are published on this website, do their utmost to check vintages but of course they can’t know exactly which vintages are in which stores. A perennial problem, I’m afraid - and a year in bottle can make a particular difference with a Sauvignon Blanc. Sorry!
I have followed and bought wine based on your reviews for many years, mainly in the lower echelons I admit, so to have tripped so obviously with such experience is most certainly not your fault or responsibility.
Thank you though for offering but the continued pleasure I have from your GV’s more than balances the odd dud.
As you’ve probably noticed, most big retailers’ websites do not specify which vintage you are ordering (for all the reasons given above), making it impossible to check. The Wine Society is an honourable exception, as it is in so many ways.