Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2021 i Decanter

EDITOR’S LETTER b2b or not b2b? Decanter is not a business-to-business publication (or b2b, as publishing folk call it). Decanter is for normal people who love excellent wines. However, we wouldn’t get many of those excellent wines without the people who make them, market them, ship them and sell them. The trade, in other words. So in this issue we’ve tried to recognise that. Our annual Decanter Hall of Fame winner this year is a winemaker – and marketer – of great talent and renown. Our inaugural Rising Star award recipient is one of those behind-the-scenes genii who shun the spotlight but make a huge difference to wines. And we’ve also highlighted the greatest of the UK’s retailers – those people who advise you, guide you, help you explore new…

TREND WATCH: MEUNIER CHAMPAGNES Pinot Meunier accounts for one-third of the vineyard area in Champagne, yet it enjoys a far lower profile than the other Champagne varieties Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and is rarely planted outside the region. But a new generation of Champagne producers is singing the praises of Meunier – so named because the leaves of the vine appear to have been sprinkled with flour (Meunier means ‘miller’ in French). Part of its appeal became very evident this year when frost swept through Champagne on the nights of 6-7 April: Chardonnay suffered, while Meunier, which had not yet budded out, did not. The growing season is also shorter at both ends than Pinot Noir. Blanc de noirs by definition, Meunier Champagnes lack the vinous nature of many blanc…

UNCORKED Andrew Jefford ‘Stories should cling to wine like mussels to rope’ Imagination, working life has taught me, is an undervalued professional quality. Perhaps, you might counter, we are better off without imaginative accountants, air-traffic controllers or brain surgeons. Operationally speaking, you’re right, of course; but improvements to any system can only come by imagining and then trialling alternatives, and no system is ever perfect – or perfected. In an endeavour, meanwhile, where you’re appealing directly to the curiosity, the emotions and the aspirations of the consumer, imagination is of paramount importance. It’s the electrical charge which fires engagement. Wine is such a field. It’s a strange, mysterious substance which comes from a distant place and is made by magicians in stained t-shirts. It smells good and tastes great. It…

Oz Clarke: 8 New World wines that mean the most to me 1 GALLO’S HEARTY BURGUNDY Student wine was filthy stuff, scraped from the dregs of whatever tank was cheapest. And here I was as a student actor, in a vast dorm in Madison, Wisconsin, the air so thick with ‘smoke’ I didn’t know if it was more dangerous to inhale or asphyxiate. And I was downing this mug of juicy, fruity, riotously drinkable red wine. Gallo’s Hearty Burgundy. How could cheap wine be this good? Well, the Gallos wanted to get America drinking table wine. Good grapes were so cheap they even used Rochioli’s Russian River Pinot Noir, Barbera, Petite Sirah and other taste bombs for the Hearty Burgundy. It worked. It seemed to me that if America was…

Dr Axel Marchal For the first time, we’re complementing our Hall of Fame award with a brand new category recognising an up-and-coming talent who will make a real difference to the future of wine INTERVIEW GEORGINA HINDLE Over its 37-year history, the Decanter Hall of Fame award has recognised many legendary figures in the world of wine, often marking the pinnacle of a long and impressive career. But where are future Hall of Fame recipients going to come from? This year, for the first time, we try to answer that question, highlighting an up-and-coming talent. So welcome to this year’s Rising Star award, and congratulations to its first recipient, Dr Axel Marchal. He may well be unfamiliar even to many who love the wines of Bordeaux, where he is based.…

Eight producers to know CASTELLO NIPOZZANO Overlooking the Arno river, this is one of the well-regarded estates belonging to the Frescobaldi family, which has 700-plus years of wine-growing behind it. Live-wire Lamberto Frescobaldi has made Nipozzano more biodiverse, its vineyard now more of a mixed farm. The wines reflect this in more evident balance and style. There is a real juiciness and rigour here now, especially in the Rùfina wines, Montesodi being the flagship. COLOGNOLE The Colognole estate in Pontassieve commune was once a military tower built during the Florentine Republic (1115-1532). Such lookout points often make great vineyard sites and Colognole’s vineyards are no exception. Rocky schistous clay soils give Colognole’s Rùfina reds their smoothness and staying power. The estate has belonged to the Spalletti family since 1892. Gabriella…

TRAVEL Cho Lee’s top Hong Kong wine retail spots A unique aspect of Hong Kong’s wine scene is its strong BYOB culture, with many restaurants and hotels offering a one-for-one: buy one wine from the list and bring one bottle with no corkage. It would therefore be remiss not to mention the best retail shops where you can buy a great bottle of wine to bring to your favourite restaurant. Watson’s Wine (watsonswine.com) is the largest retailer, with 28 stores throughout the city – its Central and Pacific Place shops have the greatest Bordeaux selection with 450 lines each, and nearly as many Burgundy options. Enoteca (enoteca.com.hk), originally from Japan, has eight stores in Hong Kong and its largest selection can be found in the Tsim Sha Tsui store. Ponti…

Editors’ picks Each month our editorial team tastes a lot of wine but not all of it manages to make it to the page. So here’s our in-house pick of other great wines we’ve tried CHAMPAGNES TO SEE OUT THE SUMMER AMY WISLOCKI Billecart-Salmon’s summer party had a back-to-school air about it, postponed as it was from July until early September. In the glamorous setting of social hotspot Louie, a stone’s throw from London’s Covent Garden, wine trade and media toasted being together in person with the Champagne house’s Brut Nature NV, its Brut Rosé and – the star of the proceedings– the recently released prestige cuvée Elisabeth Salmon Rosé 2008. Wow, nothing remotely frivolous about this rosé; it’s youthful but still so enjoyable, quite deeply coloured, bursting with primary…

TUSCAN IGT Outstanding 95-97pts Cafaggio, Basilica del Cortaccio, Firenze, 2016 Susan Hulme MW 95 Andrea Briccarello 96 Annette Scarfe MW 96 £47.50 Swig Cafaggio is first mentioned in 1408, noted at the end of that century as a property of the Benedictine monks of Siena. Nowadays, the winery produces several labels in classical Tuscan appellations, as well as IGT wines. Basilica del Cortaccio is produced from 4.2ha planted with five different clones of Cabernet Sauvignon at 355m altitude, and is farmed organically. Fermented in stainless steel then aged for 18 months in second-use French oak barriques. Susan Hulme MW Lovely complex nose cedar, spice and blackberry, very smooth and harmonious palate. Andrea Briccarello Clean, coffee notes, roasted and intense notes of juicy fruits, charming spices and jam. Annette Scarfe MW…

PANEL TASTING Alsace Riesling Showcasing the many and varied grands crus of this most complex of wine regions, this tasting reinforced the value of Alsace’s classification system REPORT REBECCA PALMER Riesling is not merely the ‘the King among grape varieties’. It is also the terroir wine par excellence. Alsace has a vast mosaic of sites, each with its unique combination of aspect, altitude and soils. And this tasting demonstrated the extraordinary diversity, and quality, of Riesling in Alsace, from legendary estates as well as lesser-known names. It also provided a fascinating test-case of Alsace’s classification system as it stands today. The tasting featured 33 of Alsace’s 55 designated grands crus, including the largest, Schlossberg (80.3ha), which fielded several stellar wines, and the smallest, Kanzlerberg (3.23ha), whose single contender was one…

Outstanding 95-97pts Josmeyer, Grand Cru Hengst 2015 RP 96 MOW 96 EZ 93 £41.16 The Drink Shop Five generations of the Meyer family have run the business, with Céline and Isabelle Meyer now in charge of the management and vinification respectively. Hengst means stallion, and this grand cru terroir lies on a mixture of limestone, chalky marl and red, brown, green and beige sediments. It produces rich, full-bodied wines with an untamed character, matching the vineyard’s name. Whole bunches are pressed very slowly to produce the wine from a clean must with gentle skin contact. RP Ripe peach laced with powdered ginger; rich and weighty, but retains balance. Classic stucture, long and perfumed. MOW Complete. EZ Rich, yellow apple, pear, candied apricot. Very rich. Drink 2021-2028 Alc 13.5% Kirrenbourg, Grand…

WEEKDAY WINES Looking to try something different or adventurous, but don’t want to make an expensive mistake? The Decanter team has done all the hard work for you, picking out 25 exciting and accessible wines which are available in the UK and priced at £20 or less RECOMMENDED BY JAMES BUTTON, NATALIE EARL, TINA GELLIE, GEORGINA HINDLE, JULIE SHEPPARD, AMY WISLOCKI & SYLVIA WU 89 Codorníu, Cuvée Barcelona 1872 Cava Brut, Penedès, Spain NV £12 Ocado Brilliant value, this light and fresh Cava blends Macabeu, Xarel.lo and Parellada. Appealing aromatics: apricot pastries, lemon tart and a creamy yeastiness. Lifted citrus on the palate, with nutty notes that linger. Lovely aperitif style. JS Alcohol 11.5% Pietradolce, Etna Bianco, Sicily, Italy 2020 £19.50 The Wine Society From 100% Carricante, and long a personal…

Marketwatch News from the world of investments and auctions COMPILED BY CHRIS MERCER California wines climb in new Classification California fine wines have made strong gains in the new Liv-ex Classification for 2021. There are 22 US wines, all from California, in the recently published 2021 Liv-ex Classification, compared to 10 in the previous edition of the ranking in 2019. Several California wines made their debut in the top tier of this year’s ranking, which places wines into five price bands. While Liv-ex is a global marketplace for the trade, its Classification offers insight for collectors on the direction of the market. To qualify in the 2021 ranking, a wine label must have been traded at least 15 times on Liv-ex in the year to 30 June. Trading must also…

Monitor: the latest sales activity Pinot setting the pace One of the first auctions in the autumn season generated more eye-catching sales figures for blue-chip Burgundy. A 12-bottle case of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s (DRC) fabled Romanée-Conti from the 2002 vintage was top lot at the Acker-hosted auction, fetching US$298,000 (£215,500). Wines from DRC, Domaine Coche-Dury and Domaine Armand Rousseau represented nine of the 10 most expensive lots sold at the auction, held in Delaware over 9-10 September. Other highlights included 12 bottles of DRC La Tâche 2001 selling for $80,925. From the 1999 vintage, six bottles of DRC La Tâche fetched $62,250 and four magnums of Rousseau Chambertin sold for $68,475. Six bottles of Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne 2010 sold for $59,760, while 10 bottles of the wine’s 2008 vintage fetched…

WORKING WINE TO 5 Mags Janjo Importer, educator and consultant How did you end up here? I’ve always loved speaking, sharing my experiences and nurturing talent, so the wine education evolved from that. I set up MJ Wine Cellars in 2019 as a wholesale business, building brands for high-street retailers. But we quickly realised, in the early days of Covid, that consumers were staying home and ordering wine online. It was obvious that we had to adapt and evolve, so we opened a retail side of the business too. What’s the best thing about your job? Once upon a time I would have said it was having the opportunity to travel, but I haven’t left the UK in more than two years now. But this difficult period has revealed that…

Meet the Decanter experts JEANNIE CHO LEE MW is a wine writer, author and professor. Made a Chevalier in France’s Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur in 2021, her third book The 100 Burgundy (Assouline, 2019) won a Gourmand Award in 2020 ANDY HOWARD MW is a Decanter contributing editor and a DWWA Regional Chair. A former wine buyer, he now runs his own wine consultancy, Vinetrades, focusing on wine education and sourcing OZ CLARKE OBE is a world-renowned wine writer, awarded author and broadcaster. Once a professional singer, he is still performing concerts around Britain with Armonico Consort. Find his work at ozclarke.com ANDREW JEFFORD is a contributing editor to Decanter magazine, and a Co-Chair overseeing all judging at the DWWA. His journalism and books have won many awards, and…

A drink with… Marc Kent, winemaker INTERVIEW SARAH AHMED Marc Kent trained to be a winemaker at Elsenburg Agricultural College in South Africa’s Western Cape. He graduated in 1994, the dawn of the post-apartheid era, and joined Boekenhoutskloof in Franschhoek. Driving its transformation from neglected farm to Cape superstar, he is now managing partner and technical director at the winery. Since 2017 he has also been making wine in Portugal with Rita Marques of Conceito. They launched Companhia de Vinhos Invencível in Casais do Douro in 2020 ‘South Africa has an Old Vine Project, but the Douro has much more old vine material. It’s wonderful stumbling across these utterly neglected old vineyards with tiny yields. You can make stunning wines. ‘Post-apartheid, my generation could work abroad. I missed out, but…

Affordable Burgundy: top 30 buys The headlines may be full of rarified names with stratospheric auction price tags, but don’t despair – it’s still possible to get highly enjoyable Burgundy whites and reds at realistic prices. Here we pick 30 of the best available right now at £25 or less STORY ANDY HOWARD MW Prices for the alluring, hypnotic wines of the Côte d’Or continue to rocket. So, what are the options for lovers of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from this region, who wish to keep their spending below £25 a bottle? A look on wine-searcher.com reveals that the starting point for village-level Puligny-Montrachet in the UK is in the order of £35 retail. Specify premier cru and, for the most recent vintages, you will normally be looking at between…

Brilliant Brunello Drawing on both the superb 2015 (Riserva) and 2016 vintages, Tuscany's Brunelle di Montalcino saw exceptional results at the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards Showing extraordinary balance, precision and depth, a total of 76 wines from Bnmello di Momakino were awarded a medal at the Decamn-World Wine Awards 2021 - more than any other year in the competition's history. All from the latest vintage releases, the top 25% received 95+ points, securing a Gold, Platinum or Best in show medal. As the expert DWWA judges· tasting note attest, the exceptional 2016 vintage offer refined agewonhy, full-bodied Brunellos while the Riservas from 2015 showcase plentiful fruit, ripe tannins, opulent textures and drinkability now, wi ch structure to age. Of particular note, Riservas were up 63% on their medal count,…

The wines to match VERDICCHIO One of Italy’s most versatile food wines, thanks to its acidity and rounded body, Verdicchio is a structured wine – some even call it a red dressing up as a white. Here, the wine’s subtle almond and citrus-herbal flavours play against the flavour of the beans while standing up to the radicchio. Try: Sartarelli, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico, Marche 2020 91 £11.50 C&C Wines, JN Wine A fresh, stainless steel-fermented Verdicchio in all its textbook glory: apple and honey aromas and juicy peach and apple flavours are given definition by a distinct stoniness and a subtle floral streak with honey and lemon rind highlights. An elegant, food-friendly wine, this has a long finish that shows a typical note of bitter almond. Drink 2021-2023…

PANEL TASTING Tuscan IGT Given the range of vintages on display, our judges were delighted with the quality they found across the board in wines based on both Sangiovese and international varieties, praising their character and good balance REPORT SUSAN HULME MW There is a great heritage to live up to for Tuscany’s IGT wines. The classification (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) was established in 1992 as a solution to a particular problem: in the early 1980s, the rules for Chianti Classico enshrined some of the worst aspects of post-war traditions. White grapes were compulsory in the blend, diluting the quality, while international grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were not permitted. Those who wanted to create wines outside these restrictions had to label their wines as ‘vino da tavola’,…

PANEL TASTING TUSCAN IGT Highly recommended 90-94pts Falchini, Campora, Siena 2013 SH 95 AB 93 AS 95 £40 Raeburn Fine Wines Very attractive nose of blackberry and bramble fruit over a delicate vanilla and cedar frame. Rich and juicy on the palate, this is big and intense yet vibrant in style. Drink 2021-2030 Alc 13.5% Podere Le Ripi, Amoree Follia, Siena 2019 SH 93 AB 96 AS 92 £24.95 Jeroboams Complex and intense aromas of dark forest fruits, sweet cherries and tea leaves. Elegant, with a firm, slightly grainy tannic structure and leathery finish. Drink 2021-2028 Alc 14% Bonacchi, Badesco, Pistoia 2018 SH 92 AB 93 AS 95 £16.49 Hallgarten Wines Expressive aromas of ripe red fruits, blackberry, bramble, sweet tobacco and leather. Plummy on the palate with soft, charming tannins,…

THE JUDGES Rebecca Palmer is associate director and buyer for London-based merchant Corney & Barrow, heading up a team that covers all world regions except Bordeaux. A DWWA judge, she previously worked at Bibendum and for Laithwaites as a buyer Marcel Orford-Williams is the DWWA Regional Chair for Alsace. Having joined The Wine Society’s buying department in 1986, he is currently buyer for its Rhône, southern and regional French wines as well as Germany Eric Zwiebel MS is executive head sommelier at Summer Lodge Hotel in Dorset and for the Red Carnation hotel group. Born in Alsace, he moved to London and achieved his Master Sommelier qualification in 2001, and was named Best Sommelier in the UK in 2004…

PANEL TASTING Highly recommended 90-94pts Gustave Lorentz, Grand Cru Kanzlerberg 2017 RP 94 MOW 95 EZ 92 £28 Inverarity Morton Complex aromas of dried flowers, manuka honey, lemon, pineapple and plump stone fruit. Very juicy on the palate with tangy acidity and very persistent on the finish. Drink 2021-2027 Alc 13.5% Gresser, Grand Cru Wiebelsberg, Andlau 2017 RP 93 MOW 93 EZ 92 £42 (2013) St John Wines Generous nose of stone fruit, rose, anise, ginger and green asparagus. Quite spicy and fresh in the mouth, vibrant acidity and savoury length. Drink 2021-2028 Alc 13% Kuentz-Bas, Trois Chateaux, Grand Cru Pfersigberg 2018 RP 93 MOW 94 EZ 95 N/A UK kuentz-bas.fr Smoky nose with expressive notes of rose, citrus, crackly minerals and bruised apple. Nice concentration ending in a saline…

WEEKEND WINES Planning 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, NATALIE EARL, TINA GELLIE, JULIE SHEPPARD, AMY WISLOCKI & SYLVIA WU Ashling Park, Cuvée Brut, West Sussex, England NV £29.49 Grape Britannia With red apple, toasted stone fruits and elderflower on the nose, Ashling Park’s classy NV has a textured palate of citrus and yellow fruits, with some savoury complexity of bruised apple. The mineral acidity provides a lift to the creamy mousse and refreshes the long finish. SW Alc 12% Pio Cesare, Piodilei, Langhe, Piedmont, Italy…

Spotlight: Burgundy Search on for next stars With a lot of buzz around Burgundy of late, prices appear to be defying the doubters, though demand may outstrip supply for the biggest names Prices for top-tier Burgundy wines have been rising again in 2021, apparently defying earlier suggestions that they might have peaked. More demand from wealthy buyers and a finite supply of bottles have combined to drive ‘a significant uptick in prices’ for Burgundy’s superstar wines, said Matthew O’Connell, head of investment at merchant Bordeaux Index. Talk of blue-chip Burgundy hitting a peak in 2018 and 2019 looks to have been premature. Prices on several wines did plateau in 2018 following a strong period of growth, according to Olivier Staub of Cult Wines, a fine wine investment and collection management…

THE BORDEAUX INDEX VIEW Fine wine & spirits specialists Bordeaux Index kindly sponsor this section of Decanter, and provide their view on the market here. They can be found at bordeauxindex.com During the 2017-2018 sharp price-rise phase of the Burgundy market, Bordeaux Index was confident that the move did not represent a ‘Burgundy Bubble’, but rather rises which would over time be supplemented with further sustainable upwards momentum. So it has come to pass: in 2021 so far, Bordeaux Index trading has seen record prices in a number of blue-chip names, some very significantly above those 2018 high levels. The key difference is where the demand (therefore further price rise potential) is now concentrated. In 2017-2018, there was really a price step change, and strong buying across producers, often without…

Uncorked Fine wine boost as UK drinkers spend more on home buys A snapshot of what’s happening in the world of wine COMPILED BY CHRIS MERCER & JULIE SHEPPARD More people in the UK have turned to fine wine as an ‘affordable luxury’ in the past 18 months and the trend may be here to stay, new research has suggested. Nearly three-quarters of UK adults questioned by researchers said they had been spending more money on wine since the beginning of the first Covid-19 lockdown, in March 2020. About half of the 500 respondents started buying fine wine to enjoy a little luxury at home, found the survey, commissioned by merchant Bordeaux Index and conducted by market research group 3Gem in August 2021. While there is also evidence of diners…

IN BRIEF Stay up to date with the latest wine news on decanter.com, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @Decanter • A fuel partially made from French wine ‘residue’ could power cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race next year. TotalEnergies said its bioethanol fuel made using wine industry leftovers, such as lees and grape pomace, would be offered to teams during next season’s FIA World Endurance Championship. ‘This fuel should allow an immediate reduction of at least 65% of the cars’ CO2 emissions,’ TotalEnergies said. • US wine lovers have a new American Viticultural Area (AVA) to explore after Virginia Peninsula’s AVA status was approved by federal officials in August. About 80km long and 8-24km in width, the new area is in the southeast of…

DECANTER HALL OF FAME AWARD TAKE FIVE: IMPORTANT BOTTLES IN THE LIFE OF PETER GAGO The young Gago first became entranced by wine while a student at Melbourne University. ‘I started collecting right from the start. A lot of early 1970s Penfolds, including Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon – I paid $19.95 at High Y Cellars in Ashburton. That was a lot of money then. I recently opened one of those for a friend’s 50th birthday. It was 1969, from a very wet year, but it drank remarkably well.’ Gago also invested in 1950s Seppelt Great Western reds, Henri Jayer Burgundies including Echézeaux and Cros Parantoux by the case, and Wynns Coonawarras from the 1950s when Wynns had a clearing sale. ‘While my mates were buying cars, I was buying great…

THE JUDGES Susan Hulme MW is a wine writer specialising in Italian wines. A DWWA judge, she travels regularly to Italian wine regions and runs her own wine education and consultancy company, Vintuition, providing training and courses for both wine trade and public Andrea Briccarello is business development manager at Jascots, the specialist on-trade wine merchant. Formerly head sommelier and wine buyer at Galvin restaurant group, he also worked previously as a brand manager for Bisol Prosecco, and judges regularly for the DWWA Annette Scarfe MW is a wine consultant with a focus on the on-trade, and a WSET and Bordeaux educator. Based in Singapore, she is part of Moët Hennessy Wine Division’s Estates & Wines team, and also judges for numerous publications and competitions around the world, including the…

The Decanter guarantee 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 typicity in wines, rewarding those that are true to their region. When judging, experts are aware of wine price bands – under £15, £15-£30 and over £30 – with the…

ALSACE GRAND CRU RIESLING Exceptional 98-100pts Weinbach, Grand Cru Schlossberg, Kaysersberg 2019 Rebecca Palmer 99 Marcel Orford-Williams 96 Eric Zwiebel MS 95 £48.68-£50.50 Exel, Justerini & Brooks Established as a winery in 1612 by Capuchin friars, Domaine Weinbach takes its name from the little stream that runs along the foot of the grand cru hill Schlossberg, whose slope demands terraced viticulture on its sandy soils, with altitudes ranging from 230m-400m. This wine is sourced on the upper part of the hill, where the soil is very shallow. Rebecca Palmer Expressive, perfumed fruit, incredible purity and finesse. Everything in beautiful proportion – just ripe enough, just rounded enough, perfumed and mineral. Acids are fresh and crystalline. Refreshing with a long, perfumed finish. Marcel Orford-Williams Gorgeous, such charm. Eric Zwiebel MS Aromatic,…