Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2024 i Decanter

EDITOR’S LETTER A couple of months ago, I invited you to email us at editor@decanter.com to share reflections on your relationship with the wines of Bordeaux. And you did. We had a greater response to Andrew Jefford’s October issue cover story (‘The problem with Bordeaux, and how to fix it’) than we’ve had to any article for some time. Thanks to all those who took the time to write – and turn to p18 for a selection of those responses. We’d love to run more stories that generate a similar sized ‘post bag’, and already have some ideas. But we’d welcome your thoughts, too, so don’t hesitate to email in to suggest topics that you’d like us to explore in depth – wine-related subjects that you feel passionately about and…

Jonathan Cristaldi WINE HIGHLIGHTS 2024 One of my first tastings in 2024 was with Donelan Family Wines at their tasting room in Santa Rosa, California, with founder Joe Donelan, son Cushing and winemaker David Milner. Their Judge Vineyard Syrah 2021 (US$80 donelanwines.com) from Bennett Valley is a wine I can’t get out of my mind – it’s one of the most complex Syrahs from California I have ever tasted. A few months later, I was in Italy being hosted by Natale Simonetta and his family at Cascina Baricchi in the Langhe. Natale opened a Barbaresco Riserva 2004 and as I prepared to take notes, he stopped me. ‘No work today, just drink and enjoy this,’ he said. It was such a gorgeous wine, supremely elegant and layered. Much later, back…

Starting one’s journey in the world of Port can be as daunting as it quickly becomes captivating. The variety of styles across producers and categories, as well as the identity of each vintage and estate – reflecting the nuances of the Douro river meanders and valley slopes – places it among the world’s most fascinating wine appellations. But it can be difficult to decide where to start one’s discovery – or how to properly explore the diversity of producers without breaking the bank. It’s often recommended that Port neophytes and explorers seek out the 20 Year Old Tawny category. Blended from different lots aged in cask for an average of two decades, 20 Year Olds capture the quality of the underlying fruit and the ageing conditions in a particular cellar,…

There have been plenty of new rum releases ahead of Christmas. Here are five favourites… 1 Black Tot Historic Solera £62.50-£66.95/70cl Drink Finder, Harris & Co, Independent Spirit of Bath, Spirited Bristol, The Whisky Exchange, Tyndrum Whisky A new permanent addition to the Black Tot range, this is a solera-aged blend of rums from Guyana, Barbados and Jamaica. The blend begins with Black Tot Finest Caribbean rum, which is aged for up to two years in first-fill oloroso and Pedro Ximénez casks before entering the three-tier solera system. With lush, Sherried richness to the palate, this has notes of black treacle, figs, Christmas pudding, baking spices and marzipan, with a decadently long, spicy finish. Delicious. Alcohol 46.2% 2 Brugal Colección Visionaria Edición 02 £72-£80/70cl Berry Bros & Rudd, Loch Fyne,…

If you asked the vignerons of Bordeaux to predict the quality of the 2015 vintage before a single bud had even burst, many of them would have stated that greatness was inevitable. It is, of course, purely chance that 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010 were all contenders for the finest vintage in their respective decades. Nevertheless, in 2015, the universe acquiesced and gave the Bordelais a tricky but incredibly favourable growing season. After tasting 111 wines blind from both St-Emilion and Pomerol in this warm vintage, the quality was evident. Vincenzo Arnese commented that, at 10 years old, you see ‘all their purity and integration’. From top to bottom, there was certainly a coherence and commonality between the wines that I would, if pushed, summarise as ‘ripeness’. The…

AMANDA BARNES is a writer and presenter specialising in South American wine and travel. A DWWA judge, she is author of the award-winning South America Wine Guide (£35 southamericawineguide.com) 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 GEORGIE HINDLE is Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent, tasting and writing about the wines of the region where she lives. As editor of Decanter Premium, she oversees Decanter’s global fine wine content for online subscribers PANOS KAKAVIATOS is a widely published journalist, wine writer, judge and educator based in Strasbourg. Publishing at wine-chronicles.com and @PanosKakaviatos, he also organises wine…

I’ve let you down: more than 250 columns for Decanter, and not one on Christmas wine. There is an urgent topic to address; it’s not, though, so urgent that it can’t wait until January. I’ve also got an undiscovered jewel among Big Reds to describe: provocative and challenging, but rich with excitement… and still affordable. That will do nicely for February’s chilly nights. Now, though, it’s Noël. In the northern hemisphere mid-latitudes where many Decanter readers live, late December means damp cold and blanketing darkness. The Christian narrative lends this moment a spiritual charge for believers – but the winter solstice was of signal significance in pre-Christian times, too, as light drained and ‘The world’s whole sap is sunk’ (John Donne’s phrase from his magnificent Nocturnal upon St Lucy’s Day).…

At just 30 years of age, Alexis Leven-Mentzelopoulos stepped into a role that most could only dream of: CEO of a Bordeaux first growth estate – the family-owned, centuries-old Château Margaux no less. It would be easy to assume that he was guaranteed this role, groomed to take over and freely ‘given the keys’, as it were, by his mother Corinne Mentzelopoulos (pictured p39), who was at the helm of the property for 43 years before retiring in 2023. But that’s not how the story goes, and he exhibits no sense of ego or flippancy when it comes to his task. ‘Château Margaux has been part of my life since I can remember,’ Alexis says when we catch up with him, a year on from his promotion. ‘But I wasn’t…

Uncork the spirit of the season with a selection of world-class sparkling wines, perfect for festive gatherings and gift-giving alike. Featuring 15 standout choices, each rated highly by Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) experts in 2024, this guide offers recommendations you can trust, ranging from the timeless elegance of Champagne to vibrant surprise expressions from lesser-known regions. DWWA Co-Chair and Master of Wine Sarah Jane Evans captures the thrill of discovery that takes place during the judging process: ‘You get the classics – and there are some really great wines from famous regions – but also, there are the surprises… It’s this mixture of the classics and exciting new finds that keeps the results so interesting.’ From Castelnau’s 2006 Champagne to Tasmania’s acclaimed House of Arras Grand Vintage 2015 and…

TASTED NON-BLINDSEASONAL WHISKIES Single malt is far from being the sole passion of Glenmorangie Master Distiller Dr Bill Lumsden. The arch experimenter (sometimes jarringly dubbed the Willy Wonka of whisky) also has a penchant for high fashion, early Alan Partridge – and fine wine. He’s equally at home discussing Sassicaia as he is Speyside. So when Glenmorangie launched its Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection earlier this year – a £7,740 trio of long-aged single malts part-matured in Margaux, Corton-Charlemagne and Barbaresco wine casks – the name was a good deal more than mere marketing spin. Furthermore, Lumsden was perpetuating the long, proud connection between the worlds of wine and whisky. Historical coincidence and sheer practicality play a role here. As Scotch whisky’s appeal grew during the 19th century, the…

Ask Decanter Each month our experts answer your burning wine questions. Email your queries to editor@decanter.com THE COST OF SUSTAINABILITY Is organic wine more expensive? Peter Mason, Southampton, UK Anne Jones, wine sustainability consultant, replies: Consumers pay 38% more for organic than for non-organic wine, according to drinks data and analytics provider IWSR. But is it that simple? As for any good question, the answer is that ‘it depends’. Research shows a generational mindset shift, with younger consumers viewing ‘organic’ produce as high quality with reassuringly high environmental values, for which they are prepared to pay a premium. However, older generations may still view organic wine as a bit ‘agricultural’ and this can perpetuate the idea that the high price has little benefit in quality. Of course, Decanter readers know…

This tasting represented a significant cross-section of the 122 producers affiliated with the Franciacorta consorzio in northern Italy’s Lombardy region. More than a third of the wines tasted were awarded the equivalent of gold or silver medals, with two scoring 95 points (see opposite). The average across all wines tasted topped 89 points, demonstrating the consistency of this relatively young DOCG. Although it has been a wine-producing region for many years, the area around lake Iseo was historically dominated by red wines. The first traditional-method sparkling wine was produced in 1961 and it was recognised as a DOC in 1967, followed by elevation to DOCG in 1995. Franciacorta was the first Italian sparkling wine to attain DOCG status, yet the regional consorzio was only created in 1990. Sometimes referred to…

92 Juvé & Camps, Reserva de la Familia Cava Gran Reserva Brut Nature, Catalonia, Spain 2019 £13.50-£19.99 Taurus Wines, The Wine Society An elegant fizz of unfussy complexity and balance, with fleshy fruit, nutty depth and assertive acid. Yellow apple, white peach, fennel seed and rosemary. Almond croissant and candied lemon add texture. IS Alcohol 12% 90 Corney & Barrow, Blanc de Blancs Extra Dry, France NV £29.95/magnum Corney & Barrow A multi-region blend, usually about 15g/L dosage. The cocktail of varieties (Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Jacquère) brings soft, ripe pear aromas and flavours, and a creamy, crémant-like finish. AW Alc 11% 90 Prince Alexandre, Crémant de Loire Brut, France NV £14.99 Waitrose Well-woven acidity and persistent bubbles drive this Chenin Blanc-based sparkler, with white orchard fruit and fleshy almonds…

Wines from the 1800s shine in Hong Kong Rare 19th-century Château Latour and Burgundy have lit up the auction scene in Hong Kong in recent weeks, with Château La Mission Haut-Brion starring in London. A Christie’s auction of wines sourced from estates owned by Artémis Domaines – controlled by French billionaire François Pinault – saw a bottle of Château Latour 1865 sell for HK$812,500 (£80,500), including buyer’s premium. That outpaced a pre-sale high estimate of HK$220,000. Produced when Napoleon III was emperor of France and reconditioned in 1990, the wine was joint-top lot in the sale, alongside a five-litre jeroboam of Latour 1961 (sold for HK$812,500; high e: HK$650,000). From Burgundy, a bottle of Chambertin 1865 from Bouchard Père & Fils sold for HK$625,000 (high e: HK$300,000), and a bottle…

Trump victory raises fears of new wine import tariffs Donald Trump’s US presidential election victory has heightened concerns about new tariffs on imported wines, which could potentially hit US consumers’ wallets, but a prominent trade group was hopeful they could be avoided. Trump indicated that his forthcoming second term as US president could herald tariffs on many imported goods, although it remains to be seen how campaign rhetoric will translate into concrete economic policies. Trump’s first term saw additional import tariffs on some European wines, from Bordeaux to Rioja, related to a trade spat with the European Union (EU) over aerospace industry subsidies. Fresh tariffs on imported wines in the US would hurt domestic businesses and lead to higher prices for consumers, according to advocacy group the US Wine Trade…

Of all the questions to ask a sparkling winemaker, there’s one which always tends to draw out the most reluctant answer: ‘What’s the dosage?’ Dosage is a small addition of sugar (in the form of cane, beet or grape sugar) and wine that forms the liqueur d’expédition added to a sparkling wine after disgorgement (removal of the yeast lees following second fermentation in the bottle). The vast majority of sparkling wines made in the traditional method (Champagne, Cava, Franciacorta, Trentodoc, English sparkling wine and most quality global sparkling wines) are either labelled as extra brut – between zero and 6g/L of sugar; or brut – between zero and 12g/L. Champagne used to be sweet. Not just a little sweet, either, but properly cloying by today’s standards: 19th-century French chemist Edme-Jules…

The story of Syrah in the southern hemisphere is believed to have started with the Scottish viticulturist and ‘father of Australian wine’ James Busby, who brought Syrah vines with him to the continent in 1832. Since then, Australia has become one of the world leaders in Syrah, and still has some of the original, ungrafted vines, planted in the mid-1800s. Second only to France in area under vine (see box, p45), Australia has made Syrah its own – not only in plantings, but also in name. The nation’s adoption of ‘Shiraz’ as a synonym for Syrah had two notable impacts on the broader wine industry. First, it added to the confusion over the variety’s origins, providing support for the belief that it’s somehow related to the Persian city of Shiraz:…

In the world of white wines, it has few comparisons. In a sea of lesser bottles, Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc is a shark among fish, a Great White, a wine of power and drama with the capacity to age and develop for decades. But despite all of this, the region’s white wines remain stubbornly in the shadow of the reds. Production and plantings, however, are on the up, as demand increases and more of us discover – or rediscover – this majestic Mediterranean classic. VARIETAL MIX ‘What do you think of when you hear “Châteauneuf-du-Pape”?’ asks Victor Coulon of producer Domaine de Beaurenard. ‘The reds,’ he says. ‘But the history of its whites is just as old.’ Red wines have always been in the majority in this part of the southern Rhône…

Sylvia Wu Editor Decanter China, and Regional Editor for Asia, Northern & Eastern Europe As Decanter’s ‘rest of world’ Regional Editor, this year I had the pleasure of visiting some unusual yet fascinating wine regions and discovering the unexpected. In China, during my first return to Ningxia since 2019, my top discovery was Hongsipu, the cool, southernmost sub-region. Winemaker Li Cai’s Qianhongyu Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, from Huida Sunshine Ecological Winery, features bright fruits with an ethereal freshness rarely found in sun-blazed, continental Ningxia. Sadly, Hongsipu is prone to severe spring frosts, and some of Li’s top plots, used for making this wine, have already been wiped out. Back in Europe, a short trip to the Istria peninsula in the Adriatic brought me to legendary Croatian producer Kozlović. Here we learned…

TASTED NON-BLINDEXPERT’S CHOICE I once attended a festival in Mád in the heart of Tokaj in northern Hungary. It was dark, the streets empty, the houses shuttered. But if you happened upon the right address, you were suddenly thrust into a disco-themed cheese tasting or a lively pop concert in one of the village’s wineries. It was, dare I say it, wonderfully mad. Tokaj: we all know the region’s name, its history and the superlative quality of its wines, but how many of us have recently explored its lesser-known paths and hidden corners? Yes, there’s a limited market for sweet wines, and Tokaji wines aren’t cheap (quite rightly, due to the heavy manual labour involved). And there has been a strong marketing focus on dry wines since they made their debut…

93 Gusbourne, Exclusive Release, Kent, England 2020 £41.99 Waitrose Lively and moreish, this would make a stylish and delicious present. Spent at least 24 months on the lees. Peach, pear and pineapple fruit rest on frangipane and candied lemon. Persistent, creamy bubbles. A candidate to accompany to your Christmas turkey. IS Alc 12% 90 Charles Dauteuil, Vintage Brut, Champagne, France 2015 £28 Sainsbury’s Made by Tribaut-Schloesser, this Pinot Noir-Chardonnay blend spends eight years on lees. Creamy brioche and biscuit aromas and nutty, toasty evolution. Bright citrus, savoury toastiness and hints of candied peel and roasted nuts. JS Alc 12% 93 Roux, Albus Hautes Côtes de Beaune, Burgundy, France 2022 £29.99 Majestic Snap up this Majestic exclusive while you can. An expressive, great-value white Burgundy that has an open, breezy style, with white…

WORKING WINE TO 5 How did you get here? I used to manage stores for Majestic, before moving into the trading team at Sainsbury’s, working on drinks and fresh counters. Having looked after marketing and purchasing as a director at Jascots wine merchants, I became a freelance consultant and stay-at-home dad before joining Harrods. What’s the balance between being on the shop floor and behind the scenes? Weeks when I’m not on the shop floor are rare, but if so, I miss the energy and vibrancy of Knightsbridge – it’s always worth getting out from behind from my desk and going for a wander. What’s the most common misconception about your job? That we are only concerned with the most premium wines and spirits. We sell bottles priced from £11…