Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2017 i Decanter

In brief Port and table wine producer Symington Family Estates has ventured outside the Douro Valley with the purchase of a vineyard in Portugal’s Alto Alentejo region. The 207-hectare property includes 43ha of mature vineyards on well-drained schist and granite soils, at altitudes of between 490m and 550m. Cockburn’s has declared the 2015 vintage – the year in which the Port house celebrated its bicentenary. The wine is only the second Cockburn’s vintage Port made by new owner Symington Family Estates, which acquired Cockburn’s vineyards and cellars in 2006, and the brand itself in 2010. Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has acquired a villa and vineyard close to the town of Paciano in Umbria, central Italy. Sheeran, whose album Divide has become one of the fastest-selling in UK chart history, told The…

Andrew Jefford ‘Variety is a provisional answer to the question posed by place’ WHY ARE SOME grape varieties more widely planted than others? Easy: famous grapes are best. Chardonnay outclasses Pinot Blanc; Cabernet Sauvignon eclipses Carmenère. That’s just the way it is. The consequences are predictable. Chardonnay and Cabernet slide like lava around the wine world; they’re what most consumers know and prefer. Or is it that simple? Might the truth not be that these leading varieties are considered ‘the best’ because they happen to be ideally suited to the world’s most venerated wine terroirs? Whatever sings in Montrachet or Vosne, on top of the gravel mounds in Pauillac or Pessac, or looking out over the Rhône from the hill of Hermitage is doomed, if you like, to be much…

Sauternes & Barsac SAUTERNES PRODUCERS HAD to be patient in 2016. The dry summer that ensured zero rot across the region was a mixed blessing down here, as rain is needed to kick-start the process of botrytis. It meant many producers were anxious in mid-September, especially in Sauternes as noble rot in Barsac occurred a little earlier, with several producers finished picking by the second week of October; in Sauternes the last grapes came in in early November. Despite the wait, the quantity of the wine made at several estates reached a record high: d’Yquem’s average yield is nine hectolitres per hectare and it hit 20hl/ha in 2016. And Guiraud has made 20% more first wine than last year, with a 23hl/ha yield. There are some wonderful sweet wines in…

Tasting notes Vionta Vionta is named after one of the islands that cluster just off shore. The wine has all the stone fruit typicity of Albariño, but with an additional mineral freshness, and a complex texture indicating the 4-6 months its spends on lees. On the nose there is a waxy aroma with notes of peach conserve and cinnamon. This is a wine that speaks of granite in the vineyard and salt wind from the sea. In 2015, Vionta was voted best wine at Rías Baixas’ annual Albariño festival. Available in Ocado in the UK. Agnus Dei, Val do Salnés Agnus Dei refers to the arrival of the Ferrer family in Rías Baixas, as it was the name of the original bodega where Vionta began. It has a golden cling…

Howard’s picks, from Petit Chablis to Grand Cru (continued) very good given time but also very attractive now. Drink 2017-2025 Alc 13% Domaine Jean-Paul et Benoît Droin, Mont de Milieu Premier Cru 2015 93 POA Domaine Direct Lovely nose – real hints of stone fruit. Benoît Droin says some Mont de Milieu is like Condrieu. Fine acidity with a touch of smokiness. Very elegant. Would be great with food. Drink 2018-2024 Alc 13% Domaine Long-Depaquit, Vaucopin Premier Cru 2014 93 £30 Corkr, H2Vin Floral nose with hints of honey and acacia on the crisp palate (15% oak maturation). Good ripeness of stone fruit, balanced with a long, savoury aftertaste. Drink 2018-2026 Alc 13% Louis Michel, Vaulorent Premier Cru 2015 93 £26.50 OW Loeb Floral notes with powerful, fresh citrus acidity.…

Brook’s top picks from Corsica Clos Alivu, Patrimonio 2015 90 £14.50 The Wine Society Rich, floral, apple-compote nose. The palate is full-bodied, spicy and lively, with fine acidity. This has great complexity for an unoaked Vermentino, and it’s poised and bright, with a tangy aftertaste, good length and a stylish finish. Drink 2017-2020 Alc 13% Saparale, Sartene 2015 89 £14.95 Yapp Bros This pure Vermentino has a bracing saline nose, with intense lime fruit. The attack is crisp and fresh, with lively acidity. It’s not a wine of great depth but it’s firm and invigorating. Quite long, with a dry, moreish finish. Drink 2017-2020 Alc 13% Maestracci, E Prove, Calvi 2015 86 £11 AB Vintners A Vermentino that’s made from a massal selection from old vines. Vivid apple and citrus…

The Spurrier selection Renato Ratti, Marcenasco, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy 2012 92 £39.99 Hailsham Cellars Pietro Ratti has taken his father’s estate to greater heights, yet his elegantly modern Barolos remain financially accessible. Florality and fragrance from the La Morra vineyards with Barolo’s purity and depth. A lovely wine. Drink 2017-2025 Alcohol 14% Murrieta’s Well, The Spur, Livermore Valley, California, USA 2013 92 £27.99 Fells A cult California label now part of the Wente Family portfolio, this is a cellar blend of 40% Petite Sirah, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 8% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 8% Malbec. Excitingly earthy flavours with tannins and acidity for the future. Drink 2017-2023 Alc 14.5% Barbadillo, Obispo Gascon, Palo Cortado, Sanlúcar, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain NV 95 £39.99 Hedonism, Thomas Peatling From…

The judges Jim Budd Budd is the DWWA Regional Chair for Loire and has written for Decanter since 1989. He writes the awarded Jimsloire.blogspot.com, is one of the members of the blog Les5duvin. wordpress.com and was editor of the Circle of Wine Writers’ newsletter from 1991-2015. Chris Kissack Kissack is author of TheWinedoctor.com, which he has published since 2000. He has focused on the Loire for many years, and has made regular trips since 1993, visiting domaines and vineyards, and meeting the winemakers and reporting on their wines throughout the year. Ben Llewelyn Llewelyn has worked in the UK wine trade since 1997, starting at Oddbins, and then at Enotria. He moved his family to France in 2007 and in 2008 set up the wholesale wine agency and importer…

PANEL TASTING Outstanding 95–97pts Bouin, Haut Clos de la Pierre, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine 2003 97 JB 98 CK 95 BL 98 N/A UK www.domaine-de-beaurepaire.com This 2003 from Christine, Jean-Paul and Guillaume Bouin spent an extraordinary 12 years on its lees. The 1ha Haut Clos de la Pierre is on a southwest-facing ridge on gravel, not typical of Mouzillon-Tillières, so this vineyard cannot be classified as a cru. The grapes were machine harvested followed by a three-month slow fermentation and then 12 years’ ageing with occasional lees stirring. JB Opulent, toasty nose mirrors the rich style and evolved character on the palate. Very true to the heatwave vintage, but there is freshness on the finish and no lack of harmony. A compelling wine. CK Intense nose of dried fruits, white peach and…

Highly Recommended (continued) 90–94pts Blanchard, Muscadet Sèvreet-Maine Vallet 2012 93 JB 96 CK 90 BL 94 N/A UK www.gaec-blanchard.over-blog.com/2015/05/le-vallet.html Lightly baked citrus and elegant floral notes, finely textured thanks to the delightful softness of the lees, finishing with a seamless finesse. Drink 2018-2032 Alc 12% Domaine La Haute Févrie, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Monnières St-Fiacre 2010 93 JB 96 CK 90 BL 94 POA Fields Morris & Verdin, Woodwinters Pure, precise, floral and greengage aromas. Robust palate with a chalky-mineral spine, taut but textured and a dazzling fruit and acid interplay. Drink 2017-2029 Alc 12% Domaine Salmon, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Château-Thébaud 2012 93 JB 95 CK 92 BL 93 £15.20 Joie de Vin Toasty, brioche aromas augmented by preserved lemon. Palate of delicacy and finesse – no heavyweight but still with juicy, energetic…

Highly Recommended 90–94pts Christian Pineau, Domaine de la Perrière, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Clisson 2010 90 JB 92 CK 89 BL 89 N/A UK www.domaine-de-la-perriere.net Fresh, bright, smoky nose while the palate reveals more of the same, with an attractive bitterness, pithy substance and cool, mineral depth. Drinking nicely now. Drink 2017-2023 Alc 12% Domaine des Tilleuls, Les Quatre Chanteaux Vieilles Vignes, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine 2013 90 JB 92 CK 89 BL 90 £15 Peter Osborne Classic, mineral nose leads to a balanced palate with just the right amount of pithy citrus fruit and mineral undertow to match pronounced acidity. Drink 2018-2026 Alc 12% Dominique Hardy, Le Rubis de Sanguèze, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Mouzillon-Tillières 2012 90 JB 94 CK 90 BL 87 N/A UK www.dhardy.fr Aromas of dried lemons and berry leaf unveil a…

My top three Jim Budd • Pierre Luneau Papin, Excelsior, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Goulaine 2007 Knowing the Luneau family for nearly 30 years, I have huge respect for them. This is richly textured with great complexity, length and balance. Great value too! 100 Drink 2017-2033 • Poiron Dabin, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Château-Thébaud 2009 My first experience of Jean-Michel Poiron’s long-aged wines was the impressive 2004 Haute Resolution. This powerful 2009 has rich, lightly honeyed fruit showing how very different cru wines can be from ‘normal’ Muscadet. 99 Drink 2017-2029 • Vignoble Drouard, Les Templeries, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Clisson 2012 I met Pascal Drouard in London when I tasted his fine 2008 Granite aged 63 months sur lie. The 2012 is softly textured withrich fruit allied with precise, fresh acidity. A great advert for…

Jim Budd Expert summary: There were no real conclusions to be drawn between crus, vintages, time on lees or established and lesser-known producers – it was just a great line-up of quality wines THE RESOUNDING SUCCESS of many Muscadets in this tasting does not come as a surprise, although the full depth of quality perhaps does. It is encouraging that there are a number of lesser-known producers in our top 11 wines, as well as well-known names like Bernard Chéreau, Haut-Bourg and Luneau-Papin. There was also a range of vintages from 2003 to 2014 with three from 2009 and four from 2012. A number of the 2014s are still quite closed having just been recently bottled. It is clear that these cru wines benefit from further bottle age – this…

PANEL TASTING The results A divisive tasting that praised drinkable, balanced wines but criticised many average, dilute ones that did not try hard enough in this value price bracket. Tina Gellie reports THAT THERE WERE no wines averaging above 94 points from this tasting was irrelevant, said two of our experts, as in this price category you’d not be getting the finest wines in the market that warranted such scores. ‘Australian Shiraz is a premium category – a wine that can scale lofty heights and is appreciated for its quality the world over. And if you want that quality, you have to pay more than the £20 limit set for this tasting,’ said Alex Hunt MW. Anthony Rose agreed, adding that the lack of top scores ‘should not to take…

Recommended 86–89pts Commended 83-85pts • Coriole, Estate, McLaren Vale, South Australia 2013 85, 14.5%, 2017-2021, £18.50 Frontier, Gerrard Seel, Quantock Abbey Cellars, The Vineking, Waples • Hollick, Wrattonbully, South Australia 2013 85, 14.5%, 2017-2021, £17.50 Frontier, Gerrard Seel, Promotion Wine, Waples • Innocent Bystander, Yarra Valley, Victoria 2015 85, 13.8%, 2017-2021, £17.99 Exel Wines, Liberty Wines, Noel Young • Mitolo, Jester, McLaren Vale, South Australia 2014 85, 14.5%, 2017-2022, £14.50-£16.80 Carruthers & Kent, Drinkmonger, Exel Wines, Gapwines, Mill Hill Wines, Noel Young, Oz Wines, Reserve Wines, Selfridges, The Secret Cellar • Primo Estate, Shale Stone, McLaren Vale, South Australia 2015 85, 14.5%, 2017-2022, £20 Australian Wine Centre • Robert Oatley, Signature, McLaren Vale, South Australia 2014 85, 14%, 2017-2022, £13.60 Hailsham Cellars, Oddbins, Wine Rack • St John’s Road, Block…

My top three Roger Jones • Bird in Hand, Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia 2014 A family-owned vineyard from Adelaide Hills, who sources these grapes from the higher slopes of the Mount Lofty Ranges. The purity is superb; cool-climate Shiraz at its best. 95 Drink 2017-2022 • Wakefield, Jaramann, Clare Valley/McLaren Vale, South Australia 2015 Wakefield continues to excel with its range of Shiraz and this cross-regional blend is a luscious silky wine that has a beautiful freshness. Refined elegance. 95 Drink 2017-2022 • Kelly’s Last Wish, Central Victoria 2014 For value for money, this had to be highlighted: a classic Aussie Shiraz that was made in honour of bushranger Ned Kelly, one of Australia’s great folk heroes. 94 Drink 2017-2022…

UK stockists Where to find the wines featured in Decanter this month A&B Vintners, Kent (www.abvintners.co.uk) Abbey Wines, Melrose (01896 823 244) AC Gallie, Jersey (www.acgallie.com) Adnams, Southwold, Suffolk (www.adnams.co.uk) Alexander Wines, Glasgow (www.alexander-wines.co.uk) All About Wine (www.allaboutwine.co.uk) Alliance Wine, Ayrshire (www.alliancewine.co.uk) Amazon UK (www.amazon.co.uk) AP Harvey, Coventry (www.ap-harvey-wines.co.uk) Armit Wines, London W11 (www.armit.co.uk) Asda (www.asda.co.uk) Aske Wine, London (www.askewine.co.uk) Atlantico, Croydon (www.atlantico.co.uk) Auriol Wines, Hampshire (01252 843 190) Australian Wine Centre (www.australianwinecentre.co.uk) Averys, Bristol (www.averys.com) Bablake Wines, Coventry (www.bablakewines.co.uk) Bacchanalia TWS, London (www.bacchanaliatws.co.uk) Bargain Booze, Cheshire (www.bargainbooze.co.uk) Bentleys Wine Merchants, Ludlow (www.bentleyswine.com) Berry Bros & Rudd, London (www.bbr.com) BI Wine, London (www.biwine.com) Bodnant Welsh Food, Conwy (www.bodnant-welshfood.co.uk) Bon Coeur, North Yorks (www.bcfw.co.uk) Bonafide Wines, Dorset (01202 485 965) Bottle Apostle, London (www.bottleapostle.com) Boutinot Wines, Cheshire (www.boutinot.com/index) Bowland Forest Vintners,…

THE DECANTER TRAVEL GUIDE TO Washington State Seattle is the perfect starting point for a tour of Washington State’s wine regions, with Walla Walla a natural draw, says Elaine Brown Maps: Maggie Nelson FACT FILE Planted area 20,500ha Total production 14.8 million cases Main grapes Red Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc White Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc Producers more than 900 wineries More information www. washingtonwine.org SEATTLE, WASHINGTON STATE’S lone metropolitan centre, is known as the Emerald City. Its lush forests and endless parks cover the city in green, and it wraps around two lakes, plus Elliot Bay on its western side. But cross the Cascade Mountains to the east and a whole new setting emerges. There, high-elevation plateaus and rolling hills offer a…

Fine wine price watch Below are the most recent merchant case prices (equivalent 12 x 750ml bottles) for wines that are actively traded among a global network of merchants on Liv-ex, the fine wine market. Liv-ex records transactions between its merchant members in the UK, US, Asia and Europe. All prices are in GBP and exclude sales tax. The numbers in red indicate those prices which have changed since last month. The Liv-ex Fine Wine 100 Index represents the price movement of 100 of the most sought-after fine wines for which there is a strong secondary market and is calculated monthly. The majority of the index consists of Bordeaux wines – a reflection of the overall market – although wines from Burgundy, the Rhône, Champagne and Italy are also…

John Stimpf ig ‘I’d rather drink really good sparkling wine than indifferent Champagne’ ANYONE READING THIS magazine is, by definition, not a typical wine consumer. I’d wager that you’re altogether more discerning, adventurous, inquisitive and broadminded when it comes to what you put in your wine glass. I’d also bet that, like me, you’re probably a hybrid when it comes to what you drink. For instance, we all have our long-standing default, ‘comfort zone’ regions. Conversely, we’re also always on the lookout for something new and exciting. Is that a conflict of interest? Not in my cellar book. Nevertheless, there remains a pervading feeling among certain aficionados that some regions’ wines are innately superior to others. Perhaps the most prevalent is that when it comes to fizz, Champagne is the…

What I’ve been drinking this month Chatus is an old (very old – it was mentioned by Olivier de Serres in the early 17th century) grape variety from the Ardèche. Recently we enjoyed a 2014 Le Temps qui Reste from young wine-growing couple Benoît Salel and Elise Renaud . It’s a Coteaux d’Ardèche wine from sandstone slopes: clear and light in colour, quietly aromatic; then a cascade of bright, bracing flavours evoking walnut and bitter cherry. Its nearest neighbour? St-Joseph, probably – but this was different. And that’s what we wanted.…

Pessac-Léognan & Graves THERE ARE SOME fantastic wines at all price levels in these regions this year, with rich ripe reds and fruity whites – but the reds are the ones that truly shine. The best reds have the essence of Bordeaux quality that the appellation of Pessac-Léognan delivers so brilliantly as a result of its balance between Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, coupled with its structure and powerful ageing ability. At its best, this appellation has perhaps taken the place of St-Emilion in terms of delivering a sexier take on Bordeaux than the Médoc without overdoing it, and in 2016 the wines fully capture this vibrancy of the vintage. The only real question mark is over the 2016 dry whites – something I feel particularly disappointed about as they are…

The Decanter interview Jean-Louis Chave John Livingstone-Learmonth spends time with the meticulous, grounded vigneron behind one of the northern Rhône’s great family domaines to discuss the importance of history, nature, aesthetics and blending in his famed Hermitage and St-Joseph wines Photograph: Jon Wyand ‘Wine should not be stuck in the past, and must move forward without ignoring the past’ J-L Chave at a glance Born 22 August 1968 Education Lyon Ecole de Commerce, University of Hartford CT (MBA Finance), University of Davis CA (Oenology) Interests Skiing, mountains, family after a few years on walkabout, mainly in the US, Chave has striven to refine its top-flight status, but also to amplify its outlook, with a drive to produce high-quality St-Joseph from the rugged granite escarpments of its…

Chablis: know your vintages 2015 High quality but very different stylistically to 2014. Consistent sunshine without excessive heat resulted in a fleshy, approachable character. Hail at the end of August complicated life for growers without affecting quality. Concentrated wines which will age well, with typical Chablis character emerging over time. 2014 Great vintage. Cool weather led to a long growing season, giving dense wines with great purity and powerful acidity. A real expression of true Chablis terroir and character. Drink Petit Chablis and Chablis now; premier/ grand cru need more time to shine. 2013 Overshadowed by surrounding years – an early-drinking vintage from a very small crop. Unusually, most vineyards saw the very rapid onset of botrytis which has imparted wines with more than a hint of tropical fruit. More…

CORKS Recorking – is it worth it? With a cork’s lifespan at anywhere between 15 and 80 years, resealing your blue-chip bottles seems like a worthwhile undertaking. But wine fraud poses as many risks as oxidation, and does recorking guarantee your wine a longer life? Anthony Rose investigates  AS A NATURAL product of the cork oak, the cork has long been the faithful servant of fine wine for the way its sponge-like flexibility allows it to develop complexity in the bottle. ‘As long as the level is good there no need to recork, as reconditioning is traumatising for the wine and there’s always a risk’ Eric Kohler, Château Lafite Considering its importance in the consumption chain, it might come as a surprise to learn that assessing the lifespan of…

The Decanter guarantee Our buying guide is here to provide you with trusted, independent, expert recommendations on what to buy, what to drink and what to 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 eight to 10 wines. Our three experts taste and score their set of 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 typicity in wines, rewarding those which are true to their region. Prices are…

Weekday wines Looking to try something different or adventurous, but don’t want to make an expensive mistake? Decanter’s tastings director Christelle Guibert has done the hard work for you, picking out 25 exciting and accessible wines available in the UK for £25 or less * denotes supermarket and high-street wines Corteaura, Franciacorta Brut, Lombardy Italy NV 90 £17.95 Lea & Sandeman Franciacorta deserves more recognition for its sophisticated sparklings, especially when they cost less than £20, like this. Made from Chardonnay with two years’ ageing on its lees, it’s soft and expressive with green apple and lemon fruit. The palate is light and fresh with an attractive zesty finish. Alc 12.5% Monte delle Vigne, Callas, Emilia Romagna, Italy 2012 92 £25 Lea & Sandeman In 1983 Andrea Ferrari acquired 7ha…

PANEL TASTING The results With 65% of wines scoring 90 points or more, including a perfect score from one of our experts, this tasting confirmed that Muscadet is back. Christelle Guibert reports  THE FACT THAT Decanter’s last Muscadet panel tasting was back in the 1990s says much of the region’s fall from fashion. But this long period in the wilderness may be about to change following this successful panel tasting. ‘Extended lees ageing gives this extra dimension, texture and energy which is unique’ Ben Llewelyn With 63 of the 113 wines rated Highly Recommended, eight Outstanding and three Exceptional – including the first-ever 100-point wine from Decanter’s Loire expert Jim Budd – the wines exceeded all expectations and the judges praised the tasting as their most exciting to date.…

Outstanding (continued) 95–97pts Pierre-Luc Bouchaud, Pont Caffino, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Château-Thébaud 2014 96 JB 96 CK 95 BL 96 N/A UK plbouchaud.free.fr/siteplb/accueil.htm The grapes for Ponte Caffino come from a 1ha parcel on this 20ha domaine where the vines, on the site of an old quarry, are between 70 and 80 years old. Although the 2014 was machine harvested, Bouchaud now harvests this parcel by hand. He uses underground vats with very limited lees stirring – just two or three times immediately after the end of fermentation. JB Attractive citrus aromas lead to a lean, tense palate which unravels and opens out in the glass, hinting at development still to come from further bottle age. CK Golden pear skin and a subtle struck-match aroma, while on the palate this feels alive,…

Highly Recommended 90–94pts Vignoble Drouard, Les Garis, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Château-Thébaud 2012 93 JB 93 CK 90 BL 97 POA Daniel Lambert Intensely smoky, mineral nose. The palate shows real evolution: dried fruit with real richness and creamy weight freshness and purity too. Drink 2017-2029 Alc 12% Domaine de Guérande, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Goulaine 2013 92 JB 92 CK 94 BL 91 N/A UK www.domainedeguerande.com Energetic, appealing nose of zesty citrus fruit, while the palate manifests a corresponding energy with fabulous fresh citrus fruit and white flowers in a tightly-wound frame. A wine of fine quality. Drink 2018-2026 Alc 12% Domaine Henri Poiron, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Monnières St-Fiacre 2012 92 JB 88 CK 94 BL 94 N/A UK +33 2 40 54 60 58 Delicate nose of elderflower and citrus pith. The palate…

Highly Recommended (continued) 90–94pts Vignerons du Pallet, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Le Pallet 2014 90 JB 90 CK 90 BL 89 £11.99 Majestic Expressive nose of white-flower and peach-skin, leading to a full, rich, vinous palate with an energetic edge keeping softness in check and ensuring a vivacious finish. Solid and well made. Drink 2017-2023 Alc 12.5% Vignobles Chéneau, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Mouzillon-Tillières 2012 90 JB 87 CK 89 BL 94 N/A UK www.vignoblescheneau.bzh Bright citrus with a bit of custard cream on the nose, giving way to a relaxed yet lively palate with zesty fruit and a fine-grained mineral seam running through to the compact, creamy-edged finish. Drink 2017-2024 Alc 12% Vincent Rineau, Muscadet Sèvreet-Maine Gorges 2012 90 JB 87 CK 91 BL 93 N/A UK www.domaine-de-la-poiteviniere.fr Stony, citrus aromas with a…

My top three Chris Kissack • Poiron Dabin, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Château Thébaud 2009 I wasn’t surprised to see Jean-Michel Poiron’s wine ranked so highly in our blind tasting. Keep an eye out for his Grande Réserve cuvée too. 99 Drink 2017-2029 • Domaine du Haut Bourg, Origine du Haut Bourg, Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu 2006 The Choblet brothers prove the wisdom of looking beyond Sèvre-et-Maine. Their 2012 Signature is also worth a look – it may be the greater wine, given time. 95 Drink 2017-2029 • Domaine de la Pépière, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Château Thébaud 2012 You can’t go wrong with Marc Ollivier! This is one of the region’s leading domaines, frequently turning out some of the best wines in the Muscadet region. 95 Drink 2017-2029…

PANEL TASTING Australian value Shiraz New plantings in cooler-climate regions and changes in the vineyard and cellar have led to a rise in quality, diversity of styles and varietal expression, says Anthony Rose Map: Maggie Nelson STURDY, DEEP-ROOTED AND able to retain acidity in warm to hot climates and ancient soils, Shiraz was always a natural candidate in Australia for signature variety status. Traditionally, the legacy of a tendency to build opulence in the heat was generous fruit endowed with lashings of American oak and jaw-dropping alcohol. While the lion’s share has come from the hot climates of the inland rivers and in the Swan, Hunter and Barossa Valleys, Shiraz has flourished at premium-quality level in the more moderate climes of McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek and Clare and in the…

Highly Recommended 90–94pts Henry’s Drive Vignerons, Padthaway, South Australia 2012 Decanter average score: 94/100pts Individual judges’ scores: Alex Hunt MW 94 Roger Jones 94 Anthony Rose 93 £17.99 Co-op Refreshing and fabulous for a 2012. Meat and olive aromas, plus sweet coconut and vanilla. Eton mess palate with no harshness to this old-school Shiraz. Drink 2017-2022 Alcohol 14.5% Mount Pleasant, Philip, Hunter Valley, New South Wales 2014 92 AH 92 RJ 95 AR 90 £13.99 Sogrape A youthful, brooding nose that is on the savoury side. Soft leather runs through the gently extracted palate with a touch of lead pencil shavings and an underlying creamy texture. Drink 2018-2023 Alc 14% Domaine Tournon, Mathilda, Victoria 2013 91 AH 93 RJ 90 AR 90 £15 Upton Upon Severn Wines, Whalley Wine Shop…

Expert summary: Anthony Rose A good set of results or not? Whatever your opinion, Australian Shiraz at this price point did show increasing diversity of style and well-handled oak and alcohol levels  TO PUT THIS tasting into a Rhône context, the £7.99-£20 price bracket would include most Crozes-Hermitage or Côtes du Rhône Villages but exclude Cornas, Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage and higher end Châteauneuf-du-Pape. ‘There were no great surprises, as names that would have been expected to do well did so’ Of the 91 wines we tasted, there were no superstars at either the Exceptional or the Outstanding levels, but there were 21 Highly Recommended wines, roughly half of which were under £15. In terms of region, exactly a third of these were, not unexpectedly, from the Barossa Valley, four were from…

My top three Anthony Rose • Logan, Orange, New South Wales 2013 The elegant pepper and spicy notes of this pure, cool-climate Shiraz from the 20-year-old Logan winery are succulently textured thanks to a 12-month polish in French oak puncheons. 92 Drink 2017-2022 • Dandelion Vineyards, Lionheart of the Barossa, Barossa Valley, South Australia 2014 18 months in French oak barrels softens the edges of this youthful, bright Barossa Shiraz from Elena and Zar Brooks, who have sourced some of the region’s best old-vine Shiraz for a well-crafted, excellent value red. 91 Drink 2018-2023 • Kilikanoon, Killerman’s Run, Clare Valley, South Australia 2014 Retasted a week after this panel tasting, I was even more impressed by this vivid Shiraz, finding more cool-climate aromatics, blueberry flavour and textured elegance. 90 Drink…

RESTAURANTS La Dame de Pic London By Fiona Beckett It takes a brave Frenchman, or woman, to open a restaurant in London these days, now that we’re no longer in thrall to haute cuisine. Still I imagine Anne-Sophie Pic has been amply rewarded for setting up shop in the splendiferous Four Seasons Hotel, Ten Trinity Square, a building that looks more like a particularly grandiose embassy than a hotel. The diminutive Pic herself is there, which is impressive, emerging from her kitchen to greet her customers. With her sweet smile she’s hard not to warm to, surrounded by a posse of hovering staff. This is three-star service – which is just as well, as La Dame de Pic is not cheap. Having swiftly spotted that a number of the main…

READERS’ QUERIES Notes & Queries Each month our experts answer readers’ wine queries and share their knowledge Email: ask@decanter.com. Post: The Editor, Decanter , Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SU, UK This month’s experts Stephen Brook has been a Decanter contributing editor since 1996 and is the author of seven books on Bordeaux Karen Douglas is director of global education at the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Joanna Simon is an award-winning wine writer, speaker, author and judge Looking out for Listrac I recently tasted a wine from Château Fourcas-Hosten in Listrac which impressed me for its quality and price. I’ve not seen many Listracs here – is it well respected, and are there other Listrac wines I should seek out? Brian Hill, Atlanta, Georgia Stephen Brook…

Wine Legends Zind-Humbrecht, Clos St-Urbain Pinot Gris SGN 1989 Rangen, Alsace, France A legend because… The Clos St-Urbain has always been one of Zind-Humbrecht’s most prized sites, excelling with Pinot Gris. Even the more basic Pinot Gris bottlings are rich and spicy, while the Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN) wines from here are off the charts in terms of richness and opulence. Léonard Humbrecht was a campaigner for low yields, and this conviction, as well as the quality of the estate vineyards, accounts for the superb quality of his top wines. His son Olivier always seeks maximum ripeness in the vineyards, and prefers not to intervene in the fermentation process. If the yeasts stumble to a halt and leave residual sugar in a wine, he is untroubled so long as…

Letter of the month A broad church YOUR APPRAISAL OF Chilean wine (April 2017 issue) praises its ‘greater freshness, with less extraction, greater fruit and less oak’, a view mirrored almost verbatim by Peter Richards MW on Chilean Carmenere and Tim Atkin MW on South African Chardonnay. This pared-down style is surely a necessary correction after the oak bombs of the 1990s. But has the drive for freshness gone too far? It’s also alluded to by Hugh Johnson, in your Rhône vintage report, the article on Pézenas and it dominates the Argentinian reds piece – all in the same issue. It seems to have moved from welcome antidote to orthodoxy, hegemony and now almost tyranny. Surely there’s room for variety? Sometimes I enjoy extracted, oaky wines. Alfred Nicol, Kent…

Hugh Johnson ‘As appetiser-sharpener and flavour-enhancer, fino has no rivals’ IT’S THE SADDEST vineyard sight I’ve ever seen: swathes of empty country where vines used to grow. The gently rolling landscape, with scarcely more contours than the Médoc, fawn and grey, sometimes startlingly white, treeless but crowned here and there with white farm buildings, is bare. There were 22,000 hectares of Sherry vineyards. Now there are 6,000ha. In this booming wine world only one ancient classic region has definitely gone into reverse and become a commercial catastrophe. You can blame cynical or silly takeovers for some of it, but the real culprit is fashion. Two hundred years ago Sherry and Port slugged it out for supremacy in the northern European market. In the past 30 years or so it has…

Reading the results Wines are marked on the 100-point scale. For full tasting notes of the 600 wines Jane Anson tasted and for the latest pricing news, visit Decanter.com Wines are ordered by commune and then by score, with wines of the same score listed alphabetically. Some also have higher ‘potential’ scores. The value wines are Anson’s predictions of wines likely to punch above their weight when prices are released. Classifications (right and at the bottom of each page) have been added where appropriate. Crus bourgeois châteaux have been denoted according to the Sélection Officielle 2014. For St-Emilion, we have marked wines under the 2014 classification. 1–5CC 1st–5th growth (Médoc) CC cru classé CB/E cru bourgeois/exceptionnel 1GCC 1er grand cru classé (St-Emilion) GCC grand cru classé GC grand cru 2L/3L…

Adolfo Heredia, Winemaker Winemaker Adolfo Heredia joined Vionta with the Ferrer family’s first harvest in 1996. 22 years later he is still fascinated by the variety and its potential: ‘What I find so interesting about working with Albariño is the range of different methods you can use to draw out different profiles. For instance: cold maceration before fermentation; leaving the wine on its lees [which develops richness and texture in the mouth]; malolactic fermentation (or not); different fermentation temperatures, different yeasts and so on. ‘The hardest to achieve is the malolactic fermentation [or conversion], in the years when we can achieve it. The lactic bacteria which convert the crisp malic acid to a mouth feel that is smoother and creamier really struggle to work in the typically high acid, low…

Livingstone-Learmonth’s top picks Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Blanc, Hermitage 2013 94 £95-£147 A&B Vintners, Crump Richmond & Shaw, Fine & Rare, L’Assemblage, The Wine Society Blossom, aniseed and toast on a closed nose. A wine of delicacy, bears supple weight, a fresh line, with meatiness to sustain it. Drink 2019-2045 Alcohol 13.5% Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Cathelin, Ermitage 2009 98 £3,600 A&B Vintners, BI Wine Wonderful wine: combines richness and decisive cut. A heroic, true Hermitage based on Bessards’ smoky, close-knit intensity. Drink 2022-2055 Alc 13.5% Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Hermitage 2001 94 £225 A&B Vintners, Fine & Rare, Great Eastern Fine Wine Sensuous, inky herbes de Provence nose. Serene red fruit palate with sparkle and mineral strength. Bessards crunch to finish. A beauty. Drink 2017-2037 Alc 13.5% Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Hermitage 2012…

Howard’s picks, from Petit Chablis to Grand Cru Domaine Moreau-Naudet, Petit Chablis 2015 92 £17.75 H2Vin, Lea & Sandeman Benchmark Petit Chablis. Crisp and long with notable shellfish and mineral hints. Lemon zest and green apple on the nose, with a fresh, classy finish. Drink 2017-2022 Alcohol 12.5% Domaine Billaud-Simon, Tête d’Or, Chablis 2015 93 £19-£25 Domaine Direct, H2Vin, Harrods, Laytons From a selection of older vines, 20% aged in oak. More complexity than Billaud-Simon’s straight Chablis. Very subtle oak. Some real intensity and class. Drinking well now. Drink 2017-2022 Alc 12.5% Domaine des Hâtes, Chablis 2015 92 £16.50-£17.95 Lea & Sandeman, Uncorked, Stannary St Wine Co From the northern part of the region around Maligny, this is a young producer to watch. Quite a forward style but very Chablis…

Penfolds’ recorking clinic – my story With neck and shoulder in need of attention, it was time for a check-up, so I booked myself in to see the specialist. Penfolds’ recorking clinic in London was my chance to get a clean bill of health – if not for me, at least for some my valuable old bottles. Resembling a cross between an obstetrics ward and an impending inquisition, the impedimenta of Penfolds’ clinic were strewn around a spacious room: massive recorking machine, recapsuling machine, wads of tissue paper and various Teflon-coated corkscrews. While waiting, I chatted with Malcolm Forsythe, a retired physician from Tunbridge Wells, who was the biggest of the day’s 40 collectors attending, with 60 of the 231 bottles up for recorking. ‘I suspect many of these bottles…

Cellar-door tastings Many wineries welcome visitors to taste and buy the wines. Among the best are: Domaine d’Alzipratu, Calenzana, AC Calvi Pierre Acquaviva’s winery is easy to find, and his tasting room is stuffed with changing exhibitions of modern paintings and sculptures. Try Iniziu, a pure, old-vine Niellucciu, aged in concrete eggs. All wines are poured from an Enomatic machine to ensure they are fresh. www.domaine-alzipratu.com Clos Culombu, Lumio, AC Calvi Etienne Suzzoni’s modern winery could double as an aircraft hangar, so there is ample space for art exhibitions, while festivals and other events are held in the grounds. Rich, full-bodied reds. Try the limpid, pure Vermentino. www.closculombu.fr Domaine de Torraccia, Lecci, AC Porto Vecchio Visits to this slightly chaotic but very hospitable winery can be hit or miss, but…

STEVEN SPURRIER’S fine wine world Decanter’s long-standing consultant editor and 2017 Decanter Man of the Year hand-picks fine wines for drinking now and recommends others to lay down, all priced from £25 upwards From the cellar Bonnes Mares The theme for dinner wines after the Southwold on Thames tasting of 2013 Bordeaux (the reds deemed the worst vintage since 1997), was the best wines from Chambolle-Musigny. After several fine premiers crus we focused on the 15.54ha Bonnes-Mares grand cru, of which 13.7ha are in Chambolle. Compared to the velvety finesse of Le Musigny, Bonnes-Mares is almost tannic, certainly masculine, and has a great capacity for ageing. A fine, fragrant 2007 from Clos des Lambrays was succeeded by a superb 2002 Drouhin-Laroze (from my cellar) with wonderful structure and length, still…

PANEL TASTING Highly Recommended 90–94pts Blanchard, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Gorges 2013 94 JB 93 CK 95 BL 93 N/A UK gaec-blanchard.over-blog.com A crunchy, saline nose expanded by a little dried citrus fruit. The palate has real elegance, with a charming layer of peach and lychee leading to a mineral-charged finish. Refreshing and engaging. Drink 2017-2027 Alc 12% Cyrille et Sylvain Paquereau, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Clisson 2013 94 JB 93 CK 92 BL 96 N/A UK www.domainedelepinay.com Broad, classic, mineral nose while the palate exhibits a rich, bold character of grilled lemon and orange with a gentle acid lift persisting to a long finish. A lovely wine true to its origins. Drink 2017-2027 Alc 12.5% Les Frères Couillaud, Château de la Ragotière, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Vallet 2012 94 JB 94 CK 92 BL 96…

Highly Recommended (continued) 90–94pts Chatellier et Fils, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Clisson 2010 91 JB 88 CK 92 BL 92 N/A UK muscadet.claveliere.free.fr Pretty nose of peach and pineapple welcomes a precise palate with a lees evolution allied with a crunchy mineral coolness and an acid freshness that furnishes a long finish. A very good example. Drink 2017-2026 Alc 12.5% Domaine Henri Poiron, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Goulaine 2012 91 JB 89 CK 91 BL 92 N/A UK +33 2 40 54 60 58 Well-defined nose with a strong terroir vein. Then a charmingly reserved palate with fresh mineral poise and just the right amount of lees-aged texture. Delightful, elegant and energetic. Drink 2017-2024 Alc 12% Gilles Luneau, Muscadet Sèvreet-Maine Gorges 2013 91 JB 89 CK 91 BL 94 N/A UK +33 2 40…

My top three Ben Llewelyn • Bouin, Haut Clos de la Pierre, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine 2003 This is a great example of how Melon de Bourgogne can age, either in bottle or tank – and how extraordinarily good value Muscadet is. 98 Drink 2017-2026 • Poiron Dabin, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Château-Thébaud 2009 This was one of a handful Château-Thébaud wines that really impressed. Its typicity and concentration made it stand out just a little from the rest. 97 Drink 2017-2029 • Vignoble Drouard, Les Templeries, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Clisson 2012 Clisson was one of the most expressive crus in this tasting and this wine typified that more than the rest. Buy a few cases and put them away for 10 to 30 years, opening a bottle each year. 97 Drink 2017-2029 NB: the…

The judges Alex Hunt MW Purchasing director at London’s Berkmann Wine Cellars, Hunt became a Master of Wine in 2010, winning a medal for excellence in the tasting exam. He now writes a column on taste and tasting for JancisRobinson.com , and is a judge at the Decanter World Wine Awards as well as at regular Decanter panel tastings. Roger Jones Jones owns the Michelin-starred restaurant The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, and combines his kitchen duties with a love of wine. A consultant chef, he hosts food and matching events in the UK and abroad and is also a writer for UK wine-trade publications. Jones is heavily involved with numerous charities, including founding The Mamba Riedel Decanter Awards. Anthony Rose Rose is DWWA Regional co-Chair for Australia and wine…

AUSTRALIAN VALUE SHIRAZ Highly Recommended (continued) 90–94pts Eldredge, Blue Chip, Clare Valley, South Australia 2013 90 AH 87 RJ 94 AR 88 £18 Australian Wine Centre A strong delivery of sweetly charred American oak with a sweetness that flows through to the palate. It is rich and concentrated, and infused with similarly toasty characteristics backed by chunky tannins and a powerful kick of alcohol. Drink 2017-2023 Alc 15% Pikes, Eastside, Clare Valley, South Australia 2013 90 AH 88 RJ 92 AR 91 £18.35 Abbey Wines, Frontier, Great Grog, Harrogate Fine Wines, Lea & Sandeman, Waples Sage and liquorice aromas are encompassed by sweetly ripe berries and gentle truffle notes. It has quite chunky acidity and tannins, giving it a relatively burly structure that reveals a more fluid texture as it…

My top three Alex Hunt MW • Kelly’s, Last Wish, Central Victoria 2014 An unfamiliar name to me, so a very happy discovery. You can taste real intelligence: it’s not pretending to be a cool-climate wine, but offers a taut, savoury take on the riper style. Stunning value too. 94 Drink 2017-2022 • Water Wheel, Bendigo, Victoria 2014 A great example of how to provide intensity without huge concentration. All the character comes from the vineyard, and then gently taken through the winery, to give a transparent, classy wine still full of flavour. 92 Drink 2018-2024 • Wolf Blass Gold Label, Barossa, South Australia 2012 The instinct is to bash the big brands, and often rightly so, but not in this case. This is a terroir-driven, complex, well-priced wine that’s…

EXPERT’S CHOICE Douro table wines There's a positive evolution in the red and white table wines of the Port region, says Danny Cameron, who finds freshness and elegance to balance the concentration THE (UPPER) DOURO is among the most beautiful of all wine regions. Brooding grey schist interspersed with granite dominate the landscape. It’s not only visually unique, but for generations has produced a remarkable family of fortified wine, whose spiritual head, vintage Port, is as great as anything the wine world has seen. But as long as the Douro has produced fortified wine, unfortified wines have also been present, and indeed pre-date the valley’s most famous export. Dusting down some of the bottles from decades past, it’s easy to see what has been gained – by way of temperature…

Auberge de l’Onde Switzerland By Sue Style Those lucky folks living along the gilded shores of Lake Geneva need little introduction to Auberge de l’Onde. For the rest of us who can only dream of tiny, cobblestoned villages dotted around the famous Lavaux vineyards which plunge down to the shimmering lake, here’s an address to file away. The restaurant – a pastel pink house with faded blue shutters and a classic inn sign hanging outside – has two distinct personalities: at lunchtime it plays bistro in three cosy downstairs rooms. In the evening, the white-beamed first floor Rotisserie comes into its own. Here chef Christophe Mazzieri plays with fire at his massive (perfectly ventilated) wood-fired grill. If you love proper French bistro cooking – the kind you hope to find…

Grape varieties with Julia Harding MW Pinot Noir Précoce This is a mutation of Pinot Noir, not a separate variety. But it is different enough to be labelled by name and is especially appreciated in Germany, under the synonym Frühburgunder, for its ability to ripen about two weeks earlier than Pinot Noir – précoce (French) and früh (German) both mean ‘early’ – making it useful in regions where Pinot struggles to ripen. It’s not a new phenomenon: there is a documented reference to its synonym Morillon Hâtif at the end of the 17th century, although the first reference to the name Frühburgunder dates back to 1824. While it ripens earlier than Pinot Noir, the berries are smaller and the yields generally lower. The wines tend to be soft and the…

Investment analysis Krug’s Clos du Mesnil: the queen of wines Few wine lovers have had the chance to taste the entire collection of Krug’s famous blanc de blancs Clos du Mesnil, but Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Chair for Champagne Richard Juhlin has been lucky enough to have done so on two recent occasions IN 1971, THE Krug family bought and revived a neglected 1.87ha walled vineyard in the village of Le Mesnilsur-Oger. The first eight vintages of its Chardonnay were included in the blend of Grande Cuvée, but in 1979 the wine's sheer class and personality persuaded the family to bottle it separately – and a legend was born. For me, there is nothing more beautiful on the palate than Clos du Mesnil’s velvet smoothness, fragrant nobility and citrus-fresh…