Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2024 i Decanter

My friend was dining the other night at a London restaurant that is part of a very well-respected chef’s stable. I’ll spare their blushes by not naming the venue. Spotting an orange wine on the list and unfamiliar with the style, she asked the waitress to enlighten her. The waitress proceeded to inform her that orange wine is made from oranges, hence the colour (rather than a white wine produced using extended maceration on the grape skins). My friend went on to order the wine anyway, and enjoyed it, despite being puzzled by the absence of any mention of oranges on the back label... Whether it’s orange wine you want to learn more about – did you know it can be almost as good for you as red wine (see…

🟩Scientists exploring why some people get headaches from drinking even a little red wine said a flavanol named quercetin may be key. It’s considered a healthy antioxidant in fruit including grapes and occurs naturally in red wines, but a converted form in the body can block alcohol metabolism, wrote researchers, mostly from University of California, Davis, in Scientific Reports. ‘We think we’re finally on the right track toward explaining this millennia-old mystery,’ said neurology professor Morris Levin, of University of California, San Francisco. 🟩Napa Valley has an exceptional, ageworthy 2023 vintage after the longest growing season in a decade, said trade body Napa Valley Vintners (NVV). ‘I have no doubt that 2023 will go down as one of the most phenomenal vintages ever in Napa Valley,’ said Karen MacNeil, author…

Following the launch of a new rosé Champagne from his brand Porte Noire, internationally renowned actor Idris Elba talks to Natalie Earl about his foray into Champagne, and bringing it back down to earth. ‘It wasn’t a conscious choice to be part of a Champagne brand. Seven years ago, Champagne Sanger invited me to visit its Champagne school. And I thought, what a lovely invite, to go to one of the oldest winemaking schools in Champagne. ‘I said to my wife – whom I was dating at the time – do you want to come to Champagne? It sounded very romantic. We had this incredible, full, rich day of history, skill, sharing, and the students were really happy to see me. I learned how to twist the bottles [riddling], and…

Greece and South Africa were the stars of our two-day Wines of the Year blind tasting, between them taking home the White, Red and Offbeat Wine of the Year gongs (turn the page to find out who they are), and with 14 other wines earning an average of 90 points or more. While Italy had the greatest number of top-scorers last year, it was France’s turn to shine in 2023, with 17 wines rated Highly recommended or better, crowned by Champagne house Louis Roederer taking the Sparkling Wine of the Year for the second year running – this time with the multi-vintage Collection 243 cuvée repeating the success of Cristal 2013. With nine top-scoring entries, Spain followed South Africa (10), and also secured repeat success in the Value Wine of…

No smoke without fire… While some of us may be taking a break from alcohol in the new year (see ‘Five of the best’, opposite), for the rest of us, the first of January is World Bloody Mary Day. This classic vodka-and-tomato-juice cocktail is also a winning hangover cure, according to its disciples. But more importantly it’s one of those recipes that can be tweaked and refined to suit your individual taste perfectly. Step forward Tongue in Peat, the world’s only peat-smoked tomato juice, which makes a deliciously smoky, savoury Mary. Launched by a small Scottish drinks company in 2020, it’s made by cold-smoking fresh tomatoes over a peat fire for 12 hours, which are then blended, infused and bottled. Peat is sourced from Islay, so no surprises the flavour…

Commended 83-85pts nCiabot 1896, Storia Cento, Dogliani Superiore 2020 85, 14.5%, 2023-2027, POA $ Antares Inc nAgnelli Viassone, Bricco Paris, Dolcetto d’Alba 2022 83, 13%, 2023-2025, US$29 Di Lisi Imports, Roger Wilco Our buying guide provides you with trusted, independent, expert recommendations on what to buy, drink and cellar. Each panel tasting is judged by three experienced tasters chosen for their authority in the category of wine being rated. All wines are tasted blind and are pre-poured for judges in flights of 8-10 wines. Our experts taste and score wines individually but then discuss their scores together at the end of each flight. Any wines on which scores are markedly different are retasted; however, judges are under no obligation to amend their scores. Judges are encouraged to look for…

Busi Jacobsohn, Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature, East Sussex, England 2018 £48 Busi Jacobsohn, Hawkins Bros, Kilo Wines, Yapp Bros Refreshing green apple, star fruit and blood orange dominate, with a hint of toast. The autolytic characters are more apparent on the palate, revealing creamy brioche richness, with bruised red apple and red cherry notes. SW Alc 12% Jurtschitsch, Riesling Ried Heiligenstein 1ÖTW, Kamptal, Niederösterreich, Austria 2018 O £31 The Wine Society Characterful Kamptal Riesling with texture and layered complexity. Robust structure balanced by energy and freshness. Long, succulent finish with ripples of grapefruit zest, ripe pear and lemon essential oil. Drinking well now but with cellaring potential. IS Alc 12.5% Piedra Fluida, Los Frontones, Tenerife, Spain 2021 O £32 WoodWinters The Los Frontones vineyard in southwest Tenerife is said…

The performance of Bordeaux as a region has lagged the broader wine market in the last few years. Partly this is due to the outsized performance of regions such as Champagne and Burgundy, but there is no doubt that Bordeaux-specific factors are also at play, including en primeur pricing (in general, with notable exceptions) across the last two vintages failing to drive market engagement. This means that we see a significant relative value opportunity in Bordeaux, and when the market turns upwards again, this should be an interesting segment. That said, there is a question around the potential catalyst for a re-pricing of the region’s wines when that has been slow to happen even amid the positive market environment of 2021 and 2022 – perhaps such a catalyst would be…

ELAINE CHUKAN BROWN is a widely published and internationally awarded wine writer, speaker and educator. Originally from Alaska, they now live in Sonoma, and specialise in climate action and social justice in wine CHARLES CURTIS MW is a widely published journalist, author and fine wine advisor based in New York. Formerly head of wine at Christie’s in the US and Asia, he started out as a chef and travelled to Paris to train at Le Cordon Bleu TINA GELLIE is Decanter’s Content Manager, joining in 2008 and most recently Regional Editor for Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada. Before wine, she worked as anewspaper journalist in London and Australia MATTHEW JUKES is a global authority on Australian wine. An awarded author, journalist, judge and presenter, he publishes annual wine…

Recognition of a wine region outside its own borders often depends on its success with a well-known variety or a singular style. Varietal diversity proves much harder to market. The most famous regions in the world illustrate this model: Napa Valley Cabernet or Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc; Chablis is Chardonnay, and red Burgundy is Pinot. But wine regions are usually slow to identify a signature grape – often wisely. It takes time to know a place – its gifts and its challenges. For an emerging region such as Virginia, in the US east, it’s likely too soon to identify a dominant grape. The first vines at Linden Vineyards were planted in 1985 on the rocky slopes of northern Virginia’s Blue Ridge mountains. Early settlers struggling to grow food in the shallow…

If you’re cutting out or reducing your alcohol intake after festive indulgence, there are plenty of delicious alcohol-free drinks to choose from. Remember to keep your opened bottles in the fridge, as they don’t have the same shelf life as alcoholic spirits. 1 Botivo £24.70-£26.95/50cl Amathus Drinks, Botivo Drinks, Earl of East, Reserve Wines, The Whisky Exchange, Threshers, Wise Bartender Made from a base of British apple cider vinegar, Botivo was my favourite NoLo of 2023. Small batch, with no flavourings or preservatives, it’s infused with fresh botanicals – rosemary, thyme, gentian, wormwood and orange zest – balanced with wildflower honey, for a bittersweet drink with depth and complexity. Mix 25ml with tonic over ice. Alcohol 0.1% 2 Crossip Dandy Smoke £22-£25/50cl Crossip, Drinks Distilled, Mothership, The Alcohol Free Co,…

For a long time, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has been ‘a safe banker’, as judge Cat Lomax said. ‘A wine you could pick up knowing exactly what to expect in the glass.’ The top-line results (see ‘The scores’, below) suggest a solid tasting, but the recentrelease wines came in for some strong criticism from our panel, over 2.5 days of judging. We all agreed, on the basis of this tasting, that there was no longer a guarantee that expectations of ‘pungent aromatics and concentrated flavours’ would be met. Lower-priced examples, particularly from Marlborough, disappointed. We surmised that expanding plantings to the flat plains to increase production had delivered lacklustre, simple wines. In addition, early picking – also for commercial reasons – has necessitated an increased use of residual sugar to…

Burgundy leads Sotheby’s Pierre Chen auctions Auction house Sotheby’s has offered the first wines from major private collector Pierre Chen via a two-day sale in Hong Kong, with buyers swooping for blue-chip rarities. Not all lots found buyers, but Sotheby’s reported total sales still hit HK$131m (£13.3m, US$16.8m). It had estimated sales in excess of $16m. More Sotheby’s auctions of Pierre Chen’s wines are planned in 2024, with total sales expected to be in the order of US$50m. Nick Pegna, global head of Sotheby’s wine and spirits, said established and new collectors came out in force in Hong Kong, ‘their enthusiasm for the offering evident in the strength of their bids’. The top three lots were dominated by Burgundy, and these were: • Henri Jayer, Vosne-Romanée, Cros Parantoux 1999 (10x75cl)…

Château Mouton Rothschild has revealed the label artwork for its 2021-vintage grand vin, the next to be released in bottle. Award-winning Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota created a work named Universe of Mouton for the new label (pictured). The Pauillac first growth has commissioned label artwork for every vintage since 1945. Berlin-based Chiharu Shiota said she was inspired by Mouton Rothschild’s relationship with nature, adding: ‘The four lines connecting the human to the environment represent the four seasons (winter, spring, summer, autumn) and all the emotions linked to them (solitude, hope, achievement).’ Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild co-owner, said: ‘I was fascinated by Chiharu Shiota’s vision, so close to the world of wine, especially in the relationship between humankind and nature, fragile and fertile, generous but unpredictable.’…

LETTER OF THE MONTH As a younger wine aficionado, I simply cannot join Hugh Johnson in shedding a tear for Bordeaux’s decline in popularity (November 2023 issue). Sure, people like me can find a reasonable bottle of claret (let’s just call it Bordeaux) for £8-£20 that I can afford. Yet is affordable Bordeaux the type of wine ‘worth talking about’? Hardly, for they are often generic, boring, lifeless. Those that do stimulate imaginations and conversations are, I suspect, those traded by the case in bond at prices (like with housing) well beyond the reach of many of us younger folk. Bordeaux perhaps never will be a simple matter of ‘personal choice’, as it is no option at all for many of us. Price drives us to other regions where value…

So this no and low-alcohol thing is a bit trendy, isn’t it? It is indeed. The fastest growing part of the drinks world, in fact. Some of the biggest names have given it their blessing. Who? Jancis? Parker? Aubert de Villaine? Kylie Minogue, Lewis Hamilton and Sarah Jessica Parker. And they’ve approved it how, exactly? By launching a sparkling rosé, agave spirit and low-alcohol wine range respectively. Is SJP’s sparkler called Sekt in the City? Very good. But actually it’s a 7% alcohol by volume Prosecco, so no. What? 7% alcohol? I thought the whole point of no-and-low was that they were all booze-free. Come on, this is the drinks world. Of course it’s more complicated than that. Low-alcohol is meant to be for anything at 1.2% abv or below…

Canada might be best recognised internationally as the leading global producer of Icewine, but there’s much more to elicit from this cool-climate wine-producing nation. From elegant Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs to inviting expressions of Syrah and Cabernet Franc, plus bright and toasty traditional-method sparklers, Canada’s dry and sparkling wines are quickly becoming known globally for their quality. ‘Canada has small production of wine, but very exciting wine,’ explained Master Sommelier, Decanter World Wine Awards judge and Quebec native Elyse Lambert, noting the delicious Pinot Noirs tasted during DWWA 2023 judging week. Excitement and quality abound: Canada saw its best Gold (95-96 points) performance to date at the 2023 competition – dry and sparkling wines carrying a mass of the nation’s 19 accolades in the category, with the provinces of Ontario,…

Apopular ingredient, chicken is as much a grocery favourite for midweek, minimal-fuss dinners as it is for more indulgent, celebratory weekend cooking. Its versatility is very much its selling point. Stating the obvious, we should all be buying the best-quality chicken our budget allows for, with free range and/or organic chicken being the ideal. Aresponsibly sourced whole chicken will cost you, and as such I would urge you to be scrupulous in its demolition. After cooking a whole bird and eating your fill, strip the carcass, prising every single morsel from the frame, and use it in a recipe that makes the most of leftovers. If you are buying chicken from a butcher, a good one should be happy to help with any of your butchering requirements – spatchcocking a…

Dolcetto is the third-most important red grape variety in Piedmont, after Nebbiolo and Barbera. Although most closely associated with Piedmont, it is also grown in Lombardy, Liguria and the island of Sardinia, though often under other names (Ormeasco, Nibiò etc). It’s an earlyripening variety – two to three weeks before Nebbiolo – and produces deeply coloured, dry red wines with plenty of gentle tannins and lowish acidity, which emphasise the sweetness of fruit and perhaps explains the meaning of its name: ‘little sweet one’. Dolcetto wines are well suited to modern tastes: typically they are unoaked, mediumbodied, soft, round and fruity, with flavours and aromas of blackberry, black cherry and black pepper or spice notes. This drinkability makes Dolcetto a much-loved variety among the Piemontesi, whereas the Nebbiolo wines of…

Castellore, Asti Spumante, Piedmont, Italy NV £4.25 Aldi Sparklings and wines under 11% alcohol were the only winners in August 2023’s UK duty changes, so there’s double the reason to buy this. Sweet and simple, yes, but the light body and frothy mousse stops the fresh grape, jasmine and peach notes from being cloying. TG Alcohol 7% Antech-Limoux, Jean Lafon Crémant de Limoux Rosé Brut, Languedoc, France NV £17.99 Majestic Crémant is increasingly fashionable, and rosé even more so. This blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc is tangy and juicy with raspberry perfume and a red berry generosity. The winery is undergoing organic conversion. AW Alc 12% Blank Canvas, Holdaway Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand 2023 £18-£19.99 London End Wines, Shelved Wine Classically styled, with a firm…