Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2021 i Decanter

Jane Anson ‘Cyber attacks against drinks companies have been gathering steam’ Photograph: John O’Brien On the morning of 1 November 2020, employees of Campari turned on their company computers and found the following note: ‘Hello Campari Group! If you are reading this message, it means your network was PENETRATED and all your files and data have been ENCRYPTED.’ The Italian beverage company had become the latest victim in a string of ransomware attacks targeting the food and wine world, with a group called Ragnar Locker demanding an eye-watering $15m (£11.3m) to unlock the files. It was technically a double-extortion ransomware attack, in which sensitive files and financial information are stolen and locked, with the threat that the data will be made public if the hackers aren’t paid. In August 2020,…

Wines of the Year WINES OF THE YEAR 2020: white, rosé, sweet & fortified We asked our experts from around the world, and the Decanter team, to nominate the classic, offbeat and value wines that impressed them most in 2020. Our trio of judges blind-tasted and ranked them, and here we reveal the second half of the results, as Tina Gellie reports Following on from last month’s look at the 64 sparkling and red wines that our experts most enjoyed over the past 12 months, here we present their 33 whites, four sweets, three rosés, two fortifieds and one orange wine. (For the full Wines of the Year coverage, visit www. decanter.com/top-wines-of-the-year) Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Chairs, key contributors and staff nominated them in the categories of Classic (a…

PIC ST-LOUP AT A GLANCE Map: Maggie Nelson Appellation established As Languedoc, 1985; Languedoc-Pic St-Loup, 1994; Pic St-Loup, 2017 Area under vine 1,300ha out of 4,000ha Elevation Vineyards 100m-300m (summit of Pic St-Loup 658m) Soil type Hard and soft limestones; marls; glacial limestone gravels Microclimate Cool and wet (up to 1,000mm per year) for Languedoc; marked diurnal temperature differences; exposed to both Mistral and Tramontane winds Producers 59 wineries; 72 growers; 80% organic cultivation Grape varieties Red Syrah (at least 50%), Grenache, Mourvèdre as main varieties; Carignan, Cinsault, Counoise and Morrastel as minor varieties; must be a blend of at least two varieties. Rosé Syrah must be 30%, minor varieties can include Grenache Gris…

Vintage preview A taste of the top 2019 Burgundies Wines are listed by commune, from north to south, then by score, then alphabetically by producer. The 2019s are bottled in January 2021, hence prices and stockists are not yet set. Contact specialist merchants for allocations, or to enquire about en primeur tastings Gevrey-Chambertin 1 TOP QUALITY Domaine Armand Rousseau, Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru 100 Rousseau Clos de Bèze is from three plots that total 1.42ha. Cyrielle believes the wine shows better in its youth than Chambertin, though both are vinified in the same way: destemmed, long maceration, gentle extraction, ageing in new François Frères barrels. The result is sublime: charming in its youth, with accessible notes of red and black fruits, spice, mineral and game and a velvety,…

Clare Valley classics: Sly’s Grosset Riesling vertical 1 Grosset, Polish Hill Riesling, Clare Valley, South Australia 2020 98 £33.85-£42 Exel, Liberty Wines, The Good Wine Shop The clean, fresh aromas of just-picked citrus fruits belie the enormous power of lime juice and rich lemon pith that immediately fills the front palate on this latest vintage. There’s poise in addition to the power though, with multiple layers of rounded citrus and mineral flavours enjoying a luxurious textural roll through the mid-palate. Perfect integration of fresh citric acid carries the pure fruit qualities through extraordinary length to a crisp, lip-smacking finish. Drink 2021-2050 Alcohol 12.9% 2 Grosset, Springvale Riesling, Clare Valley, South Australia 2020 96 £26.75-£29.99 Exel, Liberty Wines From the first gentle whiff of pretty citrus blossoms, this exhibits a fragile,…

Terminology: sulphur, sulphur dioxide, sulphites and sulphides It is easy to confuse the numerous similar-sounding, but chemically distinct terms relating to sulphur in wine. Sulphur is sprayed on vines as a fungicide to prevent powdery mildew. In the past, it was also burnt in winery buildings and casks to destroy unhelpful bacteria and yeasts, a practice that seems to be on the rise again. Sulphur dioxide (SO2) or sulphites – in liquid, gas or powder form – may be added to grapes or wine during winemaking, from harvesting to fermentation and bottling; yeasts also produce natural SO2 during fermentation. Sulphites are present, to a greater or lesser degree, in all wine. Sulphides are volatile sulphur compounds (hydrogen sulphide, mercaptans and disulphides) that, when present at high levels in wine, are…

TASTING NOTES DECODED Honey The defining characteristics of honey are its sweetness and its viscosity. That’s why it’s often used as a tasting note for dessert wines, which are typically syrupy sweet. What’s more, since honey is made from floral nectar, it has rich, heady aromatics that make it a suitable descriptor for late-harvest wines – those made from grapes left to dry out on the vine or affected by noble rot (botrytis). The resulting wines have more concentrated sugars and aromas. Sartarelli’s Balciana 2017 is an excellent example of a late-harvest Verdicchio with notes of honey (see ‘Wines of the Year’, p23). Honey is often found alongside notes of stone fruit and dried fruit, notably in sweet wines from Sauternes in Bordeaux, Tokaji from Hungary and some German Rieslings.…

Panel tasting THE VERDICT Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir dominated as expected, our judges finding this a solid, consistent tasting, if lacking the elegance or complexity they had hoped for. There may have been no fireworks, but our expert trio were encouraged by improved levels of quality in this competitive price bracket, if slightly disappointed by an overarching fruit-forward simplicity. ‘I was pleasantly surprised,’ said Susy Atkins. ‘It’s been a long time since I’ve tasted so many Californian wines in such a concentrated period of time and I do think the quality has gone up. ‘There’s a lot of good wine – even very good wine – for the price point, but I was disappointed that there were few really stellar wines, which we know California can deliver.’ Keith…

Letter of the month Selfless sacrifice After reading the expert discussion that accompanied the NV Champagne panel tasting (January 2021 issue), I have fixed on my New Year’s resolution for the coming year. The Champagne industry is suffering as never before from a slump in sales due to Covid-19, and Champagne houses are sitting on years of stock that they need to shift. In order to help them, I have resolved to buy and drink more Champagne in 2021. Why not join me in this selfless sacrifice? Don’t hold bottles back for a special occasion – after all, it’s important that we all do our bit to help the industry through this crisis. Let’s show our support and get those corks popping. David Collishaw, London, UK…

Weekday wines Looking to try something different or adventurous, but don’t want to make an expensive mistake? The Decanter team has done the hard work for you, picking out 25 exciting and accessible wines available in the UK priced at £20 or less Recommended by: James Button, Tina Gellie, Georgie Hindle, Julie Sheppard, Amy Wislocki and Sylvia Wu The Wine Society, The Society’s Cava Reserva Brut, Penedès, Spain NV 89 £8.95 The Wine Society Excellent-value Cava, this spends 30 months in bottle. It’s crisp, with good purity of appley fruit and more depth than many Cavas at this price due to extended lees ageing. Voted a Wine Champion in 2020 by the Society’s buyers. AW Alcohol 12% Lenton Brae, Southside Chardonnay, Margaret River, Western Australia 2019 92…

Pick of the Pic: Jefford’s dozen to try 1 Bergerie du Capucin, Dame Jeanne 2018 94 £15.95-£17.65 Christopher Piper, Exel The much-awarded Dame Jeanne – a zero-oak prestige cuvée – is always a great buy and a genuinely ageworthy wine from the Pic. The 2010 is drinking superbly. The 2018 is dazzlingly aromatic with classic Pic citrus-grove Syrah notes; the palate is dense and rich yet fresh and aromatic, too. Drink 2021-2028 Alcohol 14% 2 Château de Lancyre, Grande Cuvée 2017 93 N/A UK www.chateaudelancyre.com This classy mid-weight wine, based on old-vine parcels in pure limestone, stands out in the Lancyre range. It has all the aromatic wealth you might want – fine-sewn and multi-layered on the palate. Look out for the sumptuous, Syrah-rich ‘Madame’ cuvée, too. Drink 2021-2026 Alc…

Viognier MY TOP 20: VIOGNIER BEYOND THE RHONE Have you discovered it yet? Its peachy, food-friendly versatility has made Viognier something of a cult-favourite among the Anything-But-Chardonnay circles, but what are the best-value options? Fiona Beckett picks her favourites from beyond its home region For many of us, Viognier is inextricably associated with the Rhône – and especially, perhaps, the iconic wines of Condrieu and Château-Grillet. But it is of course produced elsewhere, so we thought it would be intriguing to explore what other countries have to offer. Records show that Viognier was planted and harvested in the Rhône region back in the late 18th century, though it wasn’t until the 1980s – when it became widely planted in areas that suited Rhône varieties, including the neighbouring Languedoc – that…

Joy’s pick: top low/no-SO ² wines to try 1 Clos Lapeyre, Evidéncia, Southwest France 2017 92 £19.95-£21.99 Exel, Forest Wines, Les Caves de Pyrene, Pull the Cork, Ten Green Bottles, The Wine Scouts Delicious organic blend of three typical Jurançon grape varieties: Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng and Courbu. Golden-yellow with a caramel-liquorice nose and bright acidity. Full of ripe quince fruit and tangy marmalade, finishing with honeyed notes. An attractive, complex food wine – great with cheese. Drink 2021-2022 Alcohol 13.5% Loveblock, Tee Sauvignon Blanc, Awatere Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand 2019 91 £20-£23 (2020) Eynsham Cellars, Last Drop Wines, Red Squirrel, Selected Grapes, Specialist Cellars, Vinarius, Vino Wines Refreshing, innovative wine made with green tea powder (hence the name) as an antioxidant in place of SO2. Appealing zesty tangerine and…

HOW TO… understand vodka styles Several factors affect a vodka’s style. First is the raw material the spirit is made from. This can be any starch- or sugar-rich fermentable crop, including wheat, rye, rice, sugar beet and potato. Each imparts a different character to the final spirit; grains give a peppery aroma and flavour, for example. Second is the filtration process, which removes the impurities left behind after distillation. Vodkas can be filtered four or more times, through a variety of materials. Charcoal is most common, but stone, quartz and even diamonds are used. Some distillers choose not to filter, saying that distillation alone creates a pure spirit; others closely guard their charcoal recipes. For more on vodka, visit Decanter.com/Spirits…

Travel Plan your wine weekend: 4 GREAT EUROPEAN SHORT BREAKS A romantic escape, a weekend away with friends… Fiona Sims provides some much-needed inspiration for 2021 after the cancellation of so many travel plans last year, picking four vibrant European destinations that wine lovers will love Photograph: Manfred Gottschalk/Alamy Stock Photo Along weekend spent in a wine region is about so much more than discovering a few new wines. You really get a sense of the place, its people and their traditions. But don’t think you can just hop on a plane and rock up to the wineries you’ve earmarked for a visit unannounced (if you want to taste the good stuff, at least). Indeed, many of the world’s most exciting wines are made in small, family-run wineries that just…

Panel tasting AFFORDABLE CALIFORNIA REDS Is there a middle-ground in California? Our three expert judges assessed how the state’s producers perform up to the £30/$30 level, aiming to find where the best value lies. Susy Atkins sets the scene Map: Maggie NelsonSource: Wine Institute California dominates US wine production, delivering 81% of the country’s output. Pitted against whole nations, the Golden State emerges as the world’s fourth largest wine producer, yielding $43.6 billion in retail value and $1.36 billion in exports. According to California’s Wine Institute, there are 5,900 wine grape growers in 49 of its 58 counties, and across 139 AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), with some 110 varieties grown. This is big wine country. So, one would expect a huge diversity of wine styles at different price points to…

THE JUDGES Susy Atkins Atkins is a widely published and awarded wine writer and presenter, weekly drinks columnist for The Sunday Telegraph and wine editor of Delicious magazine. The author of 11 books on wine and drinks, she is known for appearing as a wine expert on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen show over 12 years. www.susyatkins.co.uk Romain Bourger Bourger is head sommelier at The Vineyard at Stockcross, owned by Sir Peter Michael and one of the UK’s top specialists in Californian wine. He studied hospitality and catering in Moselle before starting out in 2008 as a sommelier at Hotel du Vin Winchester. He won the Taittinger UK Sommelier of the Year competition in 2019 Keith Kirkpatrick Kirkpatrick is a buyer for Roberson Wine – winner in the USA Specialist category in…

Market watch Burgundy prices topping out? All the important fine wine investment news, compiled by Chris Mercer Debate about the sustainability of Burgundy prices has remained a hot topic ahead of the 2019 vintage en primeur season. While some analysis suggests Burgundy price growth has cooled in the last couple of years, several merchants highlight good demand. ‘For us the Burgundy market is very strong at the moment,’ said Matthew O’Connell, head of investment at Bordeaux Index Fine Wine & Spirits*. He cited demand for ‘blue chip’ wines, such as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Armand Rousseau, particularly in Asia. All figures based on Liv-ex data in sterling currency (£) up to 4 December 2020 unless otherwise stated. Yet he said some second- and third-tier wines ‘look…

In brief Stay up to date with the latest wine news on Decanter.com, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @Decanter • A rapid approach to detecting wine fraud using ‘fluorescence spectroscopy’ has great potential, according to a study in Food Chemistry. ‘This method provides a “fingerprint” of the samples according to the presence of fluorophoric or light-emitting compounds,’ said Ruchira Ranaweera, PhD student at the University of Adelaide’s Waite Research Institute, who conducted the research. • Looking for a steady supply of Port? Churchill’s Port has launched a ‘digital-first’ club, with members receiving bottle packs and ‘access to unique travel and Port education experiences both in Portugal and online’. Zoe Graham, co-founder of Port.Club, said: ‘Different Ports will be delivered direct to your door each [calendar] quarter.’ Annual membership…

Andrew Jefford ‘How did a couple from county Mayo in Ireland pull this off?’ Life brims with surprises, and so does wine. I didn’t expect one of my most exciting autumn discoveries to be a Laški Rizling, nor that it would be crafted by a thoughtful couple from Ireland’s west coast, Liam and Sinead Cabot, setting to work in obscure eastern Slovenia. I got to know this amiable variety 50 years ago, in litre bottles, served at the Christmas parties my parents would organise in their vicarage in rural Norfolk. Laški Riesling, as it was called back then, came from Yugoslavia, an entity which ceased to exist in the early 1990s; this was the first wine I ever remember my Dad (the vicar) buying by name. ‘A nice crisp glass…

Weekend wines Wanting to splash out a little bit more to celebrate your weekend in style? As a companion selection to our 25 wines under £20, the Decanter team has selected seven standout bottles that are sure to impress, all available in the UK and priced between £20 and £50 Recommended by: James Button, Tina Gellie, Georgie Hindle, Julie Sheppard, Amy Wislocki and Sylvia Wu Chapel Down, Kit’s Coty Blanc de Blancs, Kent, England 2015 94 £40 Chapel Down On the nose, wheat crackers, fresh citrus, green apple and a touch of sourdough. Crisp ripe apple and tangerine fruits on the palate, savoury and yeasty from partial barrel ageing and four years of lees ageing. Smooth texture, great depth and a moreish, buttery finish. SW Alc 12%…

Pic St-Loup: 10 names to know BERGERIE DU CAPUCIN Guilhem Viau is one of Pic St-Loup’s most talented winemakers, working with 15ha of vines in Lauret and Valflaunès, the heartland of the zone. He quickly grasped, as many of the Pic’s avant-garde have since done, that too much small-oak ageing can suffocate the magnificently scented Syrah notes that are possible here; all of his cuvées marry aromatic finesse with fine textures and sumptuous fruit. CHATEAU DE CAZENEUVE Nestled in the pretty village of Lauret underneath the grand limestone escarpment that swings north from Hortus, Château de Cazeneuve (and the neighbouring Auberge du Cèdre, a great base from which to explore the Pic) occupies another of the appellation’s sweet spots. André Leenhardt and his son Quentin produce a nuanced range, including…

GROSSET WINES: A TIMELINE 1981 26- -old year Jeffrey Grosset buys a former Auburn dairy and uses Clare Valley fruit to make his first wines: dry Watervale and Polish Hill Rieslings, a late-harvest Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon 1986 Grosset buys land and plants his Gaia vineyard with 2ha of Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc. At 560m, it’s the highest vineyard in the Clare Valley 1996 He plants the 8ha Polish Hill vineyard to Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 Grosset is voted International Riesling Winemaker of the Year at the Riesling Summit II held in Hamburg, Germany 2000 He plants the new 6ha Springvale vineyard to Riesling 2000 Grosset drives the Clare Valley screwcap initiative 2012 He releases the first vintage of Alea Riesling from Rockwood vineyard 2014 All of Grosset’s vineyards…

Sulphites in wine SULPHUR DIOXIDE IN WINE: the great debate The use of sulphur dioxide as a preservative in winemaking is a contentious topic, and it elicits strong opinions from producers and wine lovers alike. Rupert Joy gives an overview of the issue, weighing the pros and cons of an SO₂-free approach There was a time, not so long ago, when making quality wines without adding sulphur dioxide (SO ² ) was widely considered close to impossible, largely the preserve of mavericks. Inspired by the philosophies of natural wine guru Jules Chauvet, a small group of independent-minded producers such as Pierre Overnoy in Jura, Marcel Lapierre in Beaujolais, Gramenon in the Rhône and Frank Cornelissen in Sicily sought to relearn ways of making wine without the need to add SO…

Spirits Distilled by Decanter A new guide to the latest trends in spirits and cocktails. Edited by Julie Sheppard WHAT TO DRINK NOW... The Sidecar A classic mix of Cognac, lemon juice and triple sec, the exact origins of the Sidecar are unknown. It first appeared in the book Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails by bartender Harry MacElhone, published in 1919. MacElhone credited the recipe to Pat McGarry of the Buck’s Club in London. But in later editions of the book, MacElhone, who ran Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, seems to take credit for the drink himself. To add to the confusion, there are two schools of thought on the best balance of ingredients in a Sidecar. The ‘French school’ prefers the drink to be made…

FIVE OF THE BEST Single malt whiskies Recommended by Richard Woodard The simple definition of a single malt whisky – the product of one distillery in a specified location – disguises the rich diversity and complexity of a drink that now spans the world. Most people hear ‘single malt’ and think ‘Scotland’, where the multiplicity of distilleries and production techniques has taken the simple legal recipe of water, malted barley and yeast (nothing else can be added), and elevated into, at its best, an art form. But, for all its scale, Scotland doesn’t have a monopoly on the creation of single malt whiskies, and distillers all over the planet are now examining and deconstructing single malt to come up with a new world of flavour that’s also a hugely rewarding…

Readers’ queries Notes & Queries Each month our experts answer readers’ wine queries and share their knowledge Email: editor@decanter.com. Post: The Editor, Decanter, 161 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9AP, UK Mystery Rioja vintage I recently acquired from a UK dealer a bottle of Rioja Olarra Reserva 1970, photo attached. In the recent Decanter Spain 2020 supplement, a promotional feature on Bodegas Olarra stated that the winery was established in 1973. So how could a 1970 vintage be available and do you have any idea what was in my bottle? I tasted with friends – it had a disintegrating cork, it was very cloudy and well past it. After a few minutes, there was a brief hint of berry fruit and smoothness. Keith Cooper, by…

CALIFORNIA’S BIG THREE: DID YOU KNOW? Cabernet Sauvignon The second most widely planted wine grape in the state (after Chardonnay) at 37,200ha. Average price per US ton: $1,553. Many of the best-known plantings are concentrated north and south of San Francisco in warm wine regions with significant temperature fluctuations between hot days and cooler nights. The first vineyard-designated Californian wine was Heitz, Martha’s Vineyard 1966 from what would become Oakville AVA in Napa Valley. It cost $7 a bottle (the winery’s regular bottling was $1.63). Pinot Noir The third most widely planted grape in the state at 18,300ha. Average price per ton: $1,688. Pinot didn’t become popular in California until after Prohibition ended as it was considered difficult to grow. By the 1970s and ’80s it was planted widely, generally…

Expert’s choice OREGON PINOT NOIR The Willamette Valley, with its distinctive soils and generally mild climate, has found great success with this temperamental, traditionally Burgundian variety. Charles Curtis MW shares his top selections The received wisdom is that Pinot Noir is a capricious grape to grow. Despite the difficulties, however, it has settled in quite comfortably in Oregon. There are stunning wines being produced in this corner of the Pacific Northwest. As Véronique Drouhin puts it: ‘There aren’t many places on earth where Pinot Noir grows well. Oregon is absolutely one of the few where the delicate grape variety expresses itself in such a refined way.’ Given its somewhat temperamental nature, site is everything. The success of recent bottlings from many producers shows that, while this is true, limestone and…

Bordeaux turning the corner Photograph: Ian Shaw/Alamy Stock Photo; Baghera Wines There have been signs of an uptick in Bordeaux trading in recent months. Liv-ex said in December that demand for Bordeaux had ‘steadily increased’ on its global marketplace since March 2020. But it noted in October that several Bordeaux 2018s were still below their London release prices. Bordeaux Index also recently reported better momentum for young Bordeaux and said its outlook for the region was positive. But it added: ‘Prices for prime vintages of first growths (and equivalents) are sitting – as a generalisation – 10%-15% below the highs of the last three years.’…

CAPE MENTELLE, CABERNET SAUVIGNON 1983 Margaret River, Western Australia A legend because… David Hohnen was the winemaking wizard behind Cape Mentelle from 1976 and founded Cloudy Bay in New Zealand. Cape Mentelle was to become quite a large estate, with vineyards in different areas of Margaret River, but the Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced primarily from its 16ha vineyard in Wallcliffe, which was planted in 1970. The most prestigious award in the Australian wine show circuit is the Jimmy Watson Trophy, which Cape Mentelle won not only for this 1983 Cabernet but also for the preceding vintage. Looking back Cape Mentelle was founded in Margaret River in 1970, making it one of the first estates to be established in the region. Its wines, Hohnen admitted, were initially seen as too expensive,…