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




Showing posts with label Michael Schuster. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michael Schuster. Show all posts

Wednesday, 9 January 2013

2011 Burgundy tastings – some photos from the marathon

 Ghislaine Barthod pouring her Chambolle-Musigny

A few photos from the stream of 2011 Burgundy tasting underway in London over the next few days. Pics of a few of the producers plus some of the press. 

At the five Burgundy tastings I attended I concentrated mainly on the 2011 reds finding a number of charming, attractive wines. Whether they have the complexity and depth to justify some of the prices is another matter. The 2011 Grand Crus Chablis, with the exception of Le Clos which tended to be closed up, were often already very approachable, flattering and open with considerable concentration without the great austerity of 2010.    

Pierre Vincent and Sylvie Poillot, Domaine de la Vougeraie

Bruno Pepin, commercial director for Louis Latour


Lorraine Carrigan: PR for L'Union des Grands Crus de Chablis 

Mark Bingley MW, md of Maisons Marques & Domaines 


 Michael Schuster@Berry Bros – an almost monastic existence as he tastes, contemplates and writes up another three wines – how many of the 27 tasting events to go?


 The loneliness of the long distance Burgundian taster: 
Michael Schuster@Corney & Barrow – another day, more wines 


 The Wall Street Journal's distinguished columnist Will Lyons, comfortably seated, 
takes a different more sybaritic approach

 The lesser spotted Bettane: Michel Bettane – one of France's most eminent wine critics and journalists over in London for a couple of days to assess the 2011 Burgundies (above and below)


Taster silhouetted: 








Wednesday, 25 April 2012

2012 Decanter World Wine Awards: some pics from Day 2


One of the tasting rooms@The Worx – early morning already to go

The workers' breakfast

Christabel Lemke

Danny Casely: logistics supremo

Christelle Guibert: organiser of the DWWA


John Radford: Señor Spain  

John Switzer and Tony Aspler

John Switzer 

 Michael Schuster: Burgundy

Emily O'Hare: wine buyer for The River Café

Michael Hill-Smith MW: Australia

Now that John Livingstone-Learmonth's Rhône panel has started to award a few Gold medals, John has obviously decided he ought to carry a gold sticker around with him just in case ...  

 Panos Kakaviatos and something German

 Allan Cheesman in sombre mood!

Ian d'Agata: Italy



 Viewing Giles MacDonogh with his German group 





Thursday, 12 January 2012

Photos from 2010 Burgundy tasting - Corney & Barrow 12.1.2012

Brick Tower, Tower of London

For the UK wine trade this has been the annual Burgundy week with the 2010 vintage being shown by a number of merchants at various venues around town. In contrast to the Bordelais, the Burgundians show admirable restraint and only start to try to sell their wines when they are nearly ready to be bottled. This afternoon it was the turn of Corney & Barrow, who tend to choose the Tower of London for their tastings – presumably as it allows them the opportunity of locking up negative critics in the Bloody Tower.

Having tasted the 2010 reds – seems an attractive vintage with bright red fruits, some structure especially in the upper echelons with good balancing acidity giving wines with charm and delicacy – I had time to snap a few leading/well known critics tasting.

Tim Atkin MW

Stephen Brook (above and below)


Robert Giorgione (Roving Sommelier)

Margaret Rand

Michael Schuster

Natasha Hughes