FFW 2021 Wine Catalogue

WELCOME

Likemany of us I’msure, I’ve found this year has been one onwhich to reflect on life a little. I’ve reflected on how any of us can be indiscriminately singled out and have the rug pulled fromunder us. I’ve been stirred by the call to arms by communities; that ubiquitous phrase ‘keep calmand carry on’ hasn’t been so poignant formany a decade. One thinks about family, elderly parents in self-imposed exile fromsociety, howhaving the children at home is actually quite nice, and occasionally opening a bottle of wine at lunchtime on a weekday is a rather good idea! And it makesme reflect on the power of Nature as she unleashes her infinite powers. Even the vineyards of La Romanee Conti can be basking in the glorious sunshine in themorning and yet be shredded by hailstones the size of fists that afternoon. The hallowed vines of LeMontrachet can be pushing up their delicate shoots to create the next vintage, only for Jack Frost to stop them in his tracks and say, ‘sorrymessieurs, not this year’. And it makes us reflect that we’re simply being told, ‘you lot have been over-working the soil I gave you, there’s no vintage this year’ – perhaps we should go and stand in the corner and think about what we’ve done! It’s with this inmind that we count our blessingsmore than ever. We thank every one of youwho buy our wines. In June, we collectively stumbled through an unexpected and chaotic Bordeaux En Primeur campaign, and evenwith the confusingly alluring prices, we all escaped with our dignities aloft. The Châteaux offered the keys to their cellars andwe graciously obliged – the 1904 Entente Cordiale alive oncemore! As I write this, we are planning how to safely taste 300wines from35 Burgundian estates – usually done Welcome

in the confines of a small cellar. We’re yet to work out howbut work it out we will…. it’s far too important not to! On the home front, we are delighted towelcome two newmembers to the Farthinghoe Family. Lucy Riley joins us primarily to helpmanage our own increasing volumes of stocks and your cellars. We are also thrilled towelcome Charles Newman, whose search for new opportunities as head of SeckfordWines’ private client teambrought him to our door. He spent his previous years cutting his teeth and honing his tasting (and selling!) skills with another prestigiousmerchant in their Asia-based division. And the brief glimpse of cleaner air and bluer skies has nudged us to do our bit by deciding not to bundle all of us onto cheap Ryanair flights, but to enjoy watching the continental countryside fly by from trains. Andwe’ve chosen not to encumber you automatically with 500 grams of printed paper to spread ourmessage, though for those of youwho enjoy flicking through a hard copy, we of course have copies available. So, perhaps like you, our Farthinghoe Family faces these next fewmonths with maybe a sniff of trepidation. However, our spirits are up andwe aremore enthusiastic than ever to continue to offer you, our clients, themost professional level of service our trade has to offer, themost candid and straightforward advice we can and, of course, asWithnail once said, some of the finest wines known to humanity! In themeantime, stay sanguine, keep well and drink even better! Alex Alex Cox, Managing Director

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