Chateau Desmirail, Margaux, 2004Chateau Desmirail produces smooth, elegant wines in the classid Margaux style. The 2004 vintage is full of exceptionally ripe fruit and silky, mouth filling tannins. The vineyards are situated on poor soil comprising a mixture of siliceous pebbles (gravel), sand and clay. This soil provides natural drainage and the vine roots can go deep into the ground to look for the nutrients and cool tempratures they need for development. The gravel also absorbs

The bottled wine is even better - see here

When modern techniques benefit the winegrowing process

wine merchants based in Libourne replanted much of the vineyard area in modern-day Fronsac

13% mazuelo

In the gravity-fed winery

one white—fight in the sky

Mourvèdre

the conversion of the property to a full-scale wine estate took place in the 1700s

Austria's version of a great Pinot Noir

Sir Norman Foster and Partners designed a state-of-the-art winery

They are in marked contrast to the sweet Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise wines from the southern Rhone and the heavier Viognier-based wines of Condrieu and Chateau-Grillet

that special birthday or just to drink something superb