Decanter magazine's May issue featured an in-depth panel tasting of red wines from Portugal's Douro. Having declared the results inconsistent in quality and peppered with too many overoaked and overextracted wines we were pleased as port to receive four of their covetted stars for Quinta de Cottas Reserva 2008.

There’s been some pretty notable London International Wine Fair (LIWF) bashing going on over the last few months, some we agree with - it’s a real slog to get to Excel! - and some we don’t (like the Fair having lost its purpose). We travelled to Dussledorf this year and loved exploring the floors of the LIWF’s main rival, the gigantic Prowein, but at a time when interest, wineries and budgets appear to be dwindling in our domestic market we fell it's never been more important to get fully behind the LIWF.

Following last week’s Budget we're pleased to announce the launch of our Spring 2012 Trade Wine List. This year we're trialling the lists release exclusively in electronic format. For our existing customers a copy will be pinging its way to your inbox shortly very shortly. On the off chance you're not already dealing with us or you fear your copy may have got lost in cyber space please send an email to sales@patriarchewines.com and we'll get one sent straight away.

We're knee deep into the Spring tasting season here in London with an intense three weeks showing off our California, Spanish, and French portfolio whilst also travelling to ViniSud in Montpellier and Prowein in Germany to find more gems for our growing portfolio.

But it's Champagne that's currently in the lime light as we show case the wines from Champagne De Castelnau's award winning range at no less than four events in two weeks.

We can't wait until the Wines of California Annual Trade Tastings to tell you about the new Cycles Gladiator labels so here's a sneak peak at the news from Hahn Family Wines and several good reasons to register for the tastings in London or Edinburgh!

In keeping with our pledge to follow the Harpers Merchants Best Practice Guidelines we have just received our first shipment of Mount Riley’s new Limited Release range.

My amazing time in the London wine trade began with a random email I sent from my computer in May 2011. After many attempts and a missed interview at a famous bank in Luxemburg, I had an inspired idea after with one of my friends to try and find work in an industry I’d enjoy. Why not do my six months work experience in the wine trade!

Everyone’s talking about Independent wine retailers, which is music to our ears because it’s an area of the trade that is long overdue some time in the limelight. Harpers Wine & Spirit magazine have paved the way with their Top Merchant initiative which has facilitated the platform for these very important players to voice some of the frustrations and limitations they are faced with by their suppliers.

A year after being awarded 5 stars in Decanter’s Vintage Champagne tasting, De Castelnau’s Vintage 2000 hasn’t left the limelight.

Together with a list of accolades longer than the CRVC’s bottling line the wine has again been recognised by Decanter magazine in their December issue this year who have listed it in their ‘Top 50 best value French wines of 2011’.

In the middle of the renowned Côtes de Nuits, lovingly referred to as the “Champs Elysées” of Burgundy, the Nuits-Saint-Georges vineyards lie on brown limestone soils with varying amounts of clay derived from Jurassic sub-soils. These soils are paradise for Pinot Noir, and with the excellent weather conditions the region experienced in 2009 it was no surprise that the vintage was declared as a great one!