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Blog, Burgundy, News, Press - Sep 19, 2023

Descombes Family Wines

Descombes Family Wines - a warm welcome by PM Hall-Jones When I first met Sylvain and Delphine Descombes at a wine fair in Dijon last year, I was struck by how good their wine was, and second, by our animated discussion about their forthcoming trip, with their four children, to New Zealand, over the Christmas holidays! So it was that the Descombes came to Domaine Thomson on New Year’s Day 2023 and were treated to a tasting conducted by David. The kids, including the Descombes’ twin daughters, enjoyed meeting the cows. They all had a lovely holiday through the North and South...

Burgundy, News - Sep 4, 2022

Hello from Burgundy

It has been a long hot summer with a few heatwaves and not enough rain. Many days of lovely blue skies and very brown lawns. There has been a lot in the news on forest fires and climate change, all food for thought and of concern. There has been lots of activity in the village in the run up to vendange. In the mornings, the tractors roar past early - as they have been doing for the past months. At the height of the heatwaves, there were tractors working in the vineyard in front of our bedroom windows from 4.30-5.00am in the morning - using the rest of the moonlight and the starlight, plus...

Blog, News - Apr 11, 2022

What a difference a week makes!

A week ago, PM and I had just arrived in Burgundy. The days were sunny and warm, with daily highs reaching 18 to 19°. The vines were waking up from their winter sleep and there were early signs of budding in some vineyards. A week later, a storm system from northern Europe is upon us and temperatures have plummeted. It has snowed all morning and by lunchtime, the temperature had limped its way to a miserly 2 degrees! Pretty chilly for April. I undertook my daily walk in the vineyards above Gevrey-Chambertin in light snow and an Artic wind. A week ago, vintage in New Zealand was barely...

News - Mar 28, 2022

Bourgongne Blanc 2020 is on its way!

Our Bourgonge Blanc 2019 from France is sold out, but good news, the Vintage Bourgonge Blanc 2020 is on its way to New Zealand. We do have a few bottles of the Saint Aubin 2019 left!

Blog, News, Press - Mar 10, 2022

We are looking forward to a very special time – harvest in the Vineyard

Every year, as we come up to “harvest” time, we all have mixed feelings. Harvest is the culmination of the year’s work, it’s what we have looked forward to all year. As the time comes, it’s both exciting and a little tense, we hope we have done all necessary work to set up the vines in the best position for a good vintage 2022. We also look up at the sky and hope for the best as far as the weather is concerned. It never fails to surprise how vignerons around the world feel the same about the run up to harvest, it is the same heady mixture of anticipation, excitement about the vintage and...

Blog, News, Press - Jan 5, 2022

Welcome 2022

We welcome in 2022 with renewed hope and some relief that we can leave 2021 behind. The vineyard looks a picture with flourishing vines – the grapes bunches are now formed and set, with the vines enjoying the stretch of hot weather we are experiencing. It appears we are ahead in our usual seasonal harvest timetable as well. Cromwell is abuzz with holiday makers out on the lake, on the biking trails and taking the opportunity to sample the fine wines available in the region. Our new release Surveyor Thomson Rosé 2021 has been popular not just for its...