Sarah Marsh MW

London

Wine Critic and Writer at Freelance

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Articles

Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes: Going up in the world

3 weeks ago | worldoffinewine.com | Sarah Marsh MW

With climate change making the area increasingly attractive for Côte d’Or growers, but with wine prices still keen, Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes has never been more popular. These days, nobody scoffs at wine from Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes. On the contrary, over the past decade or so, its popularity and profile have risen higher than anyone could have foreseen, albeit that many astute producers in the Côte d’Or took a punt and bought land there when it was dirt-cheap in the 1990s.
La Paulée de Mauritius: Tropical “la la” land

1 month ago | worldoffinewine.com | Sarah Marsh MW

A paulée in Mauritius. Yes, that’s Mauritius, not Meursault. Would I like to go? A swift airport turnaround from “Sicily En Primeur.” No problem. I could write about Carricante while dipping my toes in the Indian Ocean. A warm welcome at the airport included a box of macarons, should I feel peckish during the transfer to the Constance Prince Maurice where a week of “exquisite wine dinners with world-renowned winemakers” awaited me.
Kumeu River 80th Anniversary: 2002-2020 Chardonnay

1 month ago | worldoffinewine.com | Sarah Marsh MW

To mark the 80th anniversary of Kumeu River estate, Paul Brajkovich was in London in Spetember 2024 to host a tasting of their estate and single-vineyard Chardonnays. The Brajkovich family are pioneers of the wine trade in New Zealand. The origin of this estate goes back to 1944 when Mick and Katé Brajkovich, having emigrated from Croatia a few years earlier, were able to purchase a small plot of land in Kumeu near Auckland and settled there with their son Maté.
Seeking closure once and for all? Cork versus screwcap versus Diam

2 months ago | worldoffinewine.com | Sarah Marsh MW

A sunny winter’s day found me striding alongside the River Thames to Farr Vintners in London for a tasting of cork versus screw cap, largely from Guffens-Heynen, in a vertical that stretched back to 2003. You might suppose this face-off would be a forgone conclusion, particularly for wines many years in bottle, but on the contrary, the exercise was full of surprises. The first small surprise was the presence of Diam.
2022 Ornellaia “La Determinazione”: Increasingly finely honed

Mar 28, 2025 | worldoffinewine.com | Sarah Marsh MW

Sarah Marsh MW reports from the launch of 2022 Ornellaia. La Determinazione was the one-word description chosen to represent the spirit of the 2022 vintage. “We had a clear vision of what we wanted to do,” explained Lamberto Frescobaldi, presenting the new vintage of Ornellaia at the winery in Bolgheri. “Determinazione has a double meaning. It represents the determination of our technical team to bring home this wine, which is so expressive, and the determination of the Ornellaia vineyards.
Two great Swartland winemakers

Mar 28, 2025 | worldoffinewine.com | Sarah Marsh MW

“You’re in the milking shed,” I was told on arriving at Badenhorst Family Wines. “Drop your things … we’re opening wines now!” Yikes, but no cause for alarm. Cornelia Badenhorst used to write for the South African design magazine VISI and the accommodation is rustic-chic—un-showy, while showing attention to detail. The same might be said of Adi Badenhorst’s wines, although he would like you to believe they’re tossed together by accident. Making wine “naturally” requires careful management.
Two great Swartland winemakers

Mar 21, 2025 | worldoffinewine.com | Sarah Marsh MW

“You’re in the milking shed,” I was told on arriving at Badenhorst Family Wines. “Drop your things … we’re opening wines now!” Yikes, but no cause for alarm. Cornelia Badenhorst used to write for the South African design magazine VISI and the accommodation is rustic-chic—un-showy, while showing attention to detail. The same might be said of Adi Badenhorst’s wines, although he would like you to believe they’re tossed together by accident. Making wine “naturally” requires careful management.
Foxcroft and Wingfield: A tale of two vineyards

Mar 4, 2025 | worldoffinewine.com | Sarah Marsh MW

This is a tale of two vineyards on Twenty Mile Bench on the Niagara Peninsula—Foxcroft and Wingfield. When I made my first visit to Canada in 2022 I was surprised to discover an unfolding story of terroir as I tasted my way across the Niagara Peninsula, but nowhere more so than on the bench. The limestone slopes are somewhat similar to Burgundy’s, albeit this hillside faces north and the vast expanse of Lake Ontario moderates the climate.
Bocca di Lupo Arso 2020: The dawn of the Super-Puglian

Feb 21, 2025 | worldoffinewine.com | Sarah Marsh MW

Bocca di Lupo Arso challenges prejudices about the southern Italian region, says Sarah Marsh MW. Puglia has a reputation for overripe and jammy wines, and we want to show we can make a wine of freshness and balance,” says Vito Palumbo. “Fighting the prejudice of heavy-cooked wine” was a recurrent refrain as Palumbo presented Arso 2020, the first vintage of a varietal Cabernet Franc from Tenuta Bocca di Lupo, Antinori’s estate in the DOC of Castel del Monte.
2023 Burgundy tasting notes: Beaujolais

Feb 11, 2025 | worldoffinewine.com | Sarah Marsh MW

BEAUJOLAISMOULIN-À-VENTCHATEAU DES JACQUESMoulin-à-Vent Clos du Grand Carquelin Related Tasting Notes Tasting Notes Tasting Notes A coffee note on both nose and palate, which may be the oak. Plenty of red-plum fruit and spiciness combine with robust tannins, which add freshness and sappiness, but they are little rustic. Quite tart to finish. It’s certainly hearty. Stereotypical Moulin-à-Vent. 2026–29.