Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Wednesday 1 February 2012

Alexander Barclay Wines Ltd: one to avoid

Lafite: cases of 2004 and 2005 ordered from Beaumont but have not been delivered

Beaumont Vintners disappears – Alexander Barclay Wines Ltd rises
A client of Beaumont Vintners thought he was making a smart investment buying a series of Lafite from 2004 through to 2007. Unfortunately the cases of the 2004 and 2005 never arrived at Lancashire EWGA bonded warehouse used by Beaumont Vintners Ltd.

It is now impossible to contact Beaumont Vintners Ltd, a wine investment company set up in June 2010 with a registered office in Fulham. EWGA Ltd has received a number of calls from concerned Beaumont clients, who have not received their wines.

30 year-old Samuel Philips is the sole director of Beaumont Vintners with an address in London SE18. Philips is also the sole director of another wine investment company – Alexander Barclay Wines Ltd. Alexander Barclay Wines Ltd was formed in August 2011 and its registered office is in London’s Knightsbridge. Alexander Barclay is used on its website, so this may be its trading name.


Alexander Barclay is formed by a group of ...



Its website – http://alexanderbarclay.com – bears a startling resemblance to that of Beaumont Vintners. The introduction is identical:  ‘Alexander Barclay is formed by a group of experienced and successful businessmen and traders, Alexander Barclay’s are providing an opportunity for our clients to gain a foothold in the thriving and prosperous finer wine market.’

So similar are the two sites that Beaumont Vintners Ltd appears on the Alexander Barclay site: ‘Beaumont Vintners uses relative pricing, industry supplied information,…’ 


Alexander Barclay Wines Ltd webpage with mention of Beaumont Vintners Ltd – detail below 



Alexander Barclay claim to store wine at EWGA Ltd. However, EWGA Ltd told Jim’s Loire that they have no account for Alexander Barclay Ltd, will not be opening one and have made a complaint to The Trading Standards Authority.         

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