Chris Kissack

Touraine: Beyond Chenonceaux | Winedoctor I conclude this two-stage report on the wines of Touraine with a look at four more super-Touraine zones, namely Amboise, Mesland, Azay-le-Rideau and Oisly, alongside a smorgasbord of other Touraine…

Beyond Chenonceaux, a report on wines from the super-Touraine zones of Amboise, Mesland, Azay-le-Rideau and Oisly (and more besides).
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#touraine #touraineamboise #touraineazaylerideau #tourainemesland #touraineoisly #amboise #azaylerideau #mesland #oisly #loire #wine

Welcome to The Jungle: Touraine Chenonceaux | Winedoctor In this, the first of two reports on the wines of the Touraine appellation and its 'super-Touraine' zones, I take a look at the history of Touraine, and take a deep dive into Touraine Chenonceaux,…

Read today's tasting report, Welcome to The Jungle, the first of a two-stage report from Touraine, with more than 40 wines from Touraine Chenonceaux tasted.
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#touraine #chenonceaux #tourainechenonceaux #sauvignon #sauvignonblanc #cot #malbec #cabernetfranc #loire #wine

For Whom the Bell Tolls: Clos du Clocher, 1976 - 2020 | Winedoctor I stop off at Clos du Clocher to look back at one hundred years of the Audy-Bourotte family, as I taste the wines of Clos du Clocher back to 1976, with proprietor Jean-Baptiste Bourotte and technical…

Read my report, For Whom the Bell Tolls, on the history of Clos du Clocher, and vintages from 2020 back to 1976.
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#clocduclocher #pomerol #jeanbaptistebourotte #wine #merlot #bordeaux #hemingway #forwhomthebelltolls

Domaine Banchereau Coteaux du Layon Chaume Cuvée Privilege 1997 | Winedoctor Weekend Wine: I turn archivist this week, as I delve into the history of the Layon river, and one of its long-lost domaines, with the 1997 Coteaux du Layon Chaume Cuvée Privilege from Domaine…

Layon history and wine combined; my report on the 1997 Coteaux du Layon Chaume Cuvée Privilege from Domaine Banchereau.
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#domainebanchereau #banchereau #coteauxdulayon #chaume #coteauxdulayonchaume #chaumepremiercru #cheninblanc #loire #layon #wine

Château Sénéjac 2010 | Winedoctor Weekend Wine: I add another note on a good-value Bordeaux to the site, as I check in on the 2010 from Château Sénéjac, an estate in the Haut-Médoc appellation under the same management as Château…

Read this week's Weekend Wine report, in which I check in on a good-value Bordeaux, the 2010 Sénéjac.
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#senejac #chateausenejac #hautmedoc #bordeaux #wine

Nice dinner at Dean Banks’ 1925 restaurant in Edinburgh’s Caledonian hotel this week. Good food, friendly if occasionally hapless service, decent NZ Sauvignon, and plenty of fascinating memorabilia on the walls including old menus, staff photos and framed letters. One to write up. #deanbanks

Checking out another 2005 this evening - only the third vintage of Pierre de Tuf from Domaine de la Noblaie - tasting superb at 20 years. What a vintage! #noblaie #domainedelanoblaie #chinon #cabernetfranc #wine #loire

True’

The return of #moelleuxmonday? I dunno. What I do know is that this 2005 Moelleux Réserve from Philippe Foreau is stunning. On a Monday. #vouvray #philippeforeau #cheninblanc #moelleux #wine

Just four amazing dishes from a dinner at Lyla in Edinburgh earlier this week. Remarkable 14-course tasting menu, and a wine from the late Jacky Blot at La Taille aux Loups One to write up for The Wine Independent soon! #lyla #dining #edinburgh #latailleauxloups #wine

Every Thursday deserves a special wine. #richardleroy #vindefrance #noelsdemontbenault #cheninblanc #anjou #loire #loirewine

La Petite Maison, Sancerre | Winedoctor I trek uphill in Sancerre, and find myself seated at the table of Morgane Prieur, at La Petite Maison. And then I go back the next day. And again two days after that. A restaurant review from June…

Read my latest dining report, after a visit to La Petite Maison in Sancerre... then another visit... and then another.
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#lapetitemaison #morganeprieur #restaurants #dining #sancerre #francoiscrochet #silex #wine #loire #loirewine

Loving my ongoing dive into 2005 at 20 years of age. Philippe Alliet’s Vieilles Vignes cuvée on top form this evening. #chinon #philippealliet #cabernetfranc #loire #wine

Château Pontet-Canet 2004 | Winedoctor Weekend Wine: In the second instalment of my Weekend Wine Pontet-Canet double bill, I check in on the 2004 Château Pontet-Canet, from a time when Alfred Tesseron and Jean-Michel Comme were just…

Read my Weekend Wine report, the second part of a Pontet-Canet double-bill, this week taking a look at the 2004 vintage.
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#pontetcanet #chateaupontetcanet #pauillac #bordeaux #bdx04 #bdx2004 #alfredtesseron #wine

Sunday evening, slow-roast lamb and 2005 Les Quartiers from Yannick Amirault - perfection! #bourgueil #yannickamirault #cabernetfranc #loire #loirewine #wine

A welcome pint of Jump Ship 0.5% lager to rehydrate after the very wet and thundery Musselburgh 10K. Downed this one while sheltering from the rain (although I was soaked through anyway), hoping the lightning wouldn’t hit. #musselburgh #musselburghfestival #jumpship #jumpshipbeer #running #10k

Sure will!

Phélan-Ségur as far as the eye can see; the last 20 vintages revisited in a superb retrospective at the château; to be written up for The Wine Independent pronto! 😀🍷 #phelansegur #stestephe #bordeaux #bordeauxwine #wine

"Honey, I've Just Bought Bauduc": Château Bauduc, 2018 - 2023 | Winedoctor I return to Château Bauduc to taste recent vintages of Gavin Quinney's various white, sparkling and red cuvées, from 2018 through to the 2023 vintage. Wines tasted April 2025.

Read "Honey, I Just Bought Bauduc!", a report on a tasting of white, sparkling and red releases from Château Bauduc, from 2023 back to 2018.
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#bauduc #chateaubauduc #bordeaux #bordeauxwine #wine

Agreed!

Quite possibly the best 2005 tasted so far this year; simply gorgeous. #jackyblot #labutte #domainedelabutte #bourgueil #cabernetfranc #loire #loirewine #loire2005 #wine

Very fine tasting of Château du Retout, with 2009 through to 2023, and the latest bottling of the white. Loving 2009 & 2010! To write up for TWI as soon as! #retout #duretout #chateauduretout #hautmedoc #bordeaux #wine

It is! 😃

Very hard. Had to eat lunch here as well.

An absolute beauty at 20 years. You can sense the future potential here though. Come back in 20-40 years! #huet #domainehuet #vouvray #closdubourg #cheninblanc #loire #loirewine #wine

A very nice vertical tasting of recent and older vintages of Cantemerle. Will write up for TWI! #cantemerle #chateaucantemerle #hautmedoc #bordeaux #bordeauxwine #wine

Time for another 2005 at 20 years this evening; the Roche-aux-Moines from Pierre-Bise. #savennieres #rocheauxmoines #cheninblanc #loire #wine #loirewine #loire2005

Super Laroque retrospective, looking at every vintage from 2000 through to 2022. To be written up for The Wine Independent soon! #laroque #chateaularoque #bordeaux #stemilion #wine #bordeauxwine #davidsuire

Who, me? 😆

Great visit to Larcis Ducasse; 1. Multiple old vintages back to 1959, 2. David Suire in a limestone cave at the top of the côte, 3. Blue clay from beneath the limestone, 4. Extensive tasting up to recent vintages. To be written up for TWI ASAP. #larcisducasse #stemilion