Wine lovers and investors now have the unique opportunity to acquire some of the world’s most sought-after wines, part of a singular collection of over 5,400 bottles. It’s not often that such a comprehensive and expertly curated collection is made available.

A product of knowledge and passion, the collection was assembled over four decades by a true connoisseur who traveled and tasted widely. Each bottle was acquired following tastings and vineyard visits, for a first-hand experience of quality, character and origin. As such, the traceability, authenticity and completeness of this selection is second to none.

The post Unique Wine Collection appeared first on Decanter.

After a stretch of warm years from 2014 to 2018, the 2019 vintage was cool and wet in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Many winemakers welcomed a return of conditions more common a decade ago, emblematic of the elegant wines that have buoyed the region’s global reputation.

Scroll down for tasting notes and scores of 30 Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs from the 2019 vintage

Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2019: 30 top wines to try

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The post Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2019: vintage report and 30 wines appeared first on Decanter.

Once used as mere support for Tempranillo, the red varieties Graciano, Mazuelo and Maturana now have a voice of their own. They may be a little more challenging than the versatile, charming Garnacha, but changing conditions resulting from climate change, coupled with the thirst for something different, are driving a new breed of varietal reds in Rioja.

Scroll down for a selection of 18 Graciano, Mazuelo & Maturana wines to try

Tasting notes and scores for 18 Graciano, Mazuelo & Maturana wines to try

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The post Expert’s choice: Graciano, Mazuelo & Maturana appeared first on Decanter.

Foundational to the notion of terroir is the story of Burgundy. It is a relationship between Pinot Noir and the monks’ investment in defining place, identifying growing conditions in a complex tapestry of climat and cru that has inspired winemakers worldwide.

Countless vintners have sought to replicate its magic elsewhere, planting Pinot around the globe. With it has developed an assertion almost unquestioned – Pinot Noir is the grape most expressive of terroir. But in wines grown outside the Côte d’Or, we rarely find the magic of eastern France. If we can learn a lesson from Burgundy, it’s that the world’s great wines cannot be replicated by relocating their vines. The newer region must build its own defining relationship between the grapes best suited to its conditions and those who invest in them. Burgundy’s climate cannot be found in California; nor limestone with year-round rain.

In California, history has demonstrated no grape is better suited to the varied conditions of the state than Zinfandel. Its ability to adapt exceeds that of Pinot even. It matures successfully in every growing region, with vineyards dotting the landscape from its southern border to north of Mendocino, from the Pacific coast to the eastern foothills, the lower elevation river valleys to its mountain peaks.

Tasting through three examples from Turley’s 2019 vintage illustrates the variety’s diversity. DuPratt vineyard grows mere miles from the ocean at 450m on Mendocino Ridge, surrounded by redwoods. The wine smells of wildflowers and bramble with resinous forest and stony undertones. The tannin is corded but refined, like the texture of shantung silk, the acidity mouthwatering.

From the desert slopes of Howell Mountain at 790m on the eastern side of Napa Valley, the wine of Rattlesnake Ridge is inky and brooding with earthy notes of graphite, the tannin melting across the palate into a long, savoury finish.

From Amador County in the Sierra Foothills, home to the oldest vineyards in the state, Judge Bell grows around 450m in a rolling plateau near the Gold Rush town of Plymouth. The wine brings notes of orange zest, dried rose, crushed berries and a mix of fresh herbs. The tannin is fine-boned while abundant, the wine’s character more reminiscent of classic Barolo than the stereotype of high-octane Zin.

Classic wineries such as Turley, Ridge, Robert Biale, Frog’s Leap, Carlisle and Bedrock, as well as winemaker Joel Peterson, first through Ravenswood and now Once & Future, have invested decades in demonstrating the site-expressive power of Zinfandel. And the best can age. A quality Zin readily lasts 10 years. Exceptional sites can develop in bottle for decades, assisted by the elevated acidity natural to the variety.

The grape does have a troubled history. Producers who indulged in its potential for opulence created a perception of jammy fruit and alcohol, reaching as much as 16%. It was a style that peaked in the late 1990s and early 2000s but generated a stereotype the variety still struggles with today.

Zinfandel and Pinot Noir have one thing in common. Picked overripe, they lose their terroir expression in favour of excess fruit mistaken as California sunshine. It is a fault of winemaking rather than variety or place. The grape most readily finds its balance at alcohol levels out of fashion in post-Parker wine culture. Even so, celebrated Zinfandels from Ridge, an icon of well-balanced wines, tend to be between 13.5%-15%.

Over the last 10 years, Zinfandel has gone through a market correction. Its least interesting vines have been pulled in favour of more lucrative varieties. Farming costs have driven out lower-end price points. Sites with a track record of quality remain. Classic producers have been joined by newer brands looking to capture the energy of California’s oldest vineyards with fresh enthusiasm.

The changes have driven an increase in quality single-vineyard wines. But unlike Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir, prices for the best Zinfandels remain accessible. The result is a category of wine that, compared with other red varieties, delivers on quality while offering the opportunity to taste California terroir. Let’s celebrate a future of Zinfandel as fine wine.

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The post Elaine Chukan Brown: In defence of Zinfandel appeared first on Decanter.

Vignobles Cruse-Lorenzetti may not immediately spring to mind as a significant player in the world of Bordeaux wines. Yet this newly formed company, officially launched in 2022, includes names which will be very familiar to lovers of wines from the Left Bank.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 12 Vignobles Cruse-Lorenzetti wines

The new company brings together four estates; St-Estèphe is represented by Château Lilian Ladouys, Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, and fourth growth Château Lafon-Rochet. The fifth growth Château Pedesclaux ticks the Pauillac box with Margaux covered by the addition of third growth Château d’Issan.

See Andy Howard MW’s notes and scores for 12 Vignobles Cruse-Lorenzetti wines:

Wines are listed in score order per estate

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The post Vignobles Cruse-Lorenzetti: producer profile & 12 wines tasted appeared first on Decanter.

Chicago has always been on the shortlist of America’s great food cities, and this reputation has become stronger than ever. Much of this has to do with Chicago being
a city made up of many small neighbourhoods. In addition to the local staples of steakhouses and Italian and French restaurants, some of the most innovative dining spots are based on the cuisine of countries such as Mexico, Thailand, Argentina, Vietnam and Nigeria.

That innovation has led to many new smaller restaurants and more imaginative approaches to the dining experience, resulting in far more exciting wine programmes, not only in the trendier dining spots but even with more established restaurants. Wine lists at steakhouses are still dominated by powerful reds from Napa Valley and Bordeaux. Still, a few creative wine directors at these dining rooms now feature lesser-known reds and whites, be they from France, Italian regions like Abruzzo or Campania, or places such as Greece and Georgia.

Another factor in a more diverse wine scene in Chicago today is the emergence of BYOB restaurants – there are more than 150. The largest assortment of these offer sushi and Thai cuisine – perfect for pairing with sparkling wine, aromatic whites or lighter-bodied reds, which are also starting to appear on wine lists by the glass and bottle, as consumers are more comfortable today with these wines.

More wines by the glass are available at a variety of restaurants; Langhe Nebbiolo and Pinot Noir are popular choices, while pizzerie, for too long a haven for cheap wines, now offer complex Italian reds such as Pallagrello Nero and Aglianico as well as premium Italian rosés.

The wine scene in Chicago, once dominated by the usual selections, has become quite happily unpredictable.

Credit: Maggie Nelson

Maple & Ash

Credit: Maple & Ash

8 W Maple Street IL 60610
Dinner only, plus Sunday brunch
Reservations required

When Amy Mundwiler took over as wine director at Maple & Ash, she was challenged to create the best wine list in Chicago. Having assembled more than 2,000 selections, I’d say she met her goal. At this visually stunning steakhouse just off N State Street, you will find the usual Napa Valley Cabernets and classified Bordeaux, but that’s only part of this impressive list. ‘We don’t follow the steakhouse status quo,’ Mundwiler remarks. To that end, there are numerous red and white Burgundies (including several verticals), along with several Alsatian, German and California whites and even nine rosés from around the world, listed by the principal variety – a nice touch.

Italian Village

71 W Monroe Street, IL 60603
Open for lunch and dinner
Reservations are strongly recommended

Owned and managed by the Capitanini family since 1927, Italian Village is a Chicago dining institution that is home to one of the country’s most exhaustive Italian wine lists. Current wine director Jared Gelband inherited an impressive wine programme in 2016 and has since expanded the overall selection to include lesser- known Italian regions, as well as beefing up the French and California categories; there are currently 1,500 labels and more than 13,000 bottles in stock. He loves vertical collections and has amassed multiple entries, including nine vintages of Solaia and 18 different years of Sassicaia; there are also 19 Gaja wines, including five vintages of Sorì Tildìn. Service is impeccable and, overall, pricing is extremely fair.

avec river north

Credit: Brian Willette

141 W Erie Street IL 60654
Dinner from 5pm every evening
Reservations recommended

As many restaurants turn to small plates for their dining selections, wine directors at these locales love to create eclectic lists, some of which are a bit of a mish-mash. That’s undoubtedly not the case at avec river north, where Bret Heiar has assembled a first-class, distinctive wine list with more than 75 selections by the bottle and another 20 by the glass. The selections represent a wine insider’s dream, including lesser-known gems from Jura, Chinon, Portugal, Slovakia and Georgia (a personal favourite of Heiar’s). There are seven orange wines by the bottle, four rosés, and several other wines that pair well with foods such as the mortadella pizza with pickled sweet peppers or roasted salmon with sumac.

Coco Pazzo

Credit: Tom Hyland

300 W Hubbard Street, IL 60654
Dinner only
Reservations strongly recommended

An essential Italian restaurant that opened in 1992, Coco Pazzo offers a 300-bottle list with a clear emphasis on Tuscan wines, and especially Brunello di Montalcino. Wine director Tamra Presley Weiss, who is also the proprietor along with her husband Jack Weiss, has an excellent feel for the robust Tuscan reds favoured by her loyal customers; prices for the Brunellos on her list range from $125 to $900 per bottle. She also has several Barolos listed, along with reds from other Italian regions, while her selection of whites features such gems as Andrea Felici’s Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi. Large parties of 12 or more are routine here, so Weiss offers 17 magnums and even four double magnums that sell quite well.

Testaccio

Credit: Clayton Hauck

2456 N California Avenue, IL 60647
Dinner only
Reservations required

In 2014 Aldo Zaninotto opened Osteria Langhe, a faithful tribute to the food and wine of Piedmont, and received instant acclaim. Today, this osteria in the Logan Square neighbourhood of Chicago is praised as one of the country’s finest and most authentic Italian restaurants.

Zaninotto continues his love of Italian cuisine with Testaccio, his version of a Roman trattoria. Here the wine list takes in a wider geographical area, with reasonably priced selections from Italian regions including Lazio, Campania, Puglia and Marche. The list also includes a small section called Ancestrale, which features amphora-aged wines from Lazio, Calabria and Sicily, each displaying a distinctive structure and priced at less than $70 per bottle.

Pops for Champagne

601 N State Street, IL 60654
Open mid-afternoon until midnight
Reservations are recommended, but walk-ins welcome

When it comes to Champagne bars in America, Pops for Champagne stands alone. Opened at another location in Chicago by previous owners in 1982, Pops is the oldest wine bar in the US dedicated to Champagne. Wine director Michael Seward, who has been with Pops for 25 years, is as knowledgeable about Champagne as anyone I’ve ever met. They have 170 bottles on the list, with 10 by the glass. If you’re a lover of artisan Champagne, you have multiple options, including such difficult-to-find producers as Suenen and Pertois-Lebrun. There are also cuvées from Jacques Selosse, and even six offerings of Coteaux Champenois.

Oriole

Credit: Oriole

661 W Walnut Street, IL 60661
Dinner only
Reservations are a must and are released on a 90-day rolling calendar

At Oriole, a Michelin two-star located in the West Loop, Emily Rosenfeld has constructed a thorough selection to accompany the tasting menus with an Asian influence. There are more than 25 Champagnes, many priced at $115-$200, while the selection of French whites, including a number from Alsace, Loire and Rhône – and several dozen from Burgundy – is well organised. Italy, Austria and Germany are also well represented with distinctive whites, while the red wine selection covers Bordeaux, Italy, Spain, the US and even Germany, Argentina and Australia; the offerings of Rhône valley reds, in particular, are especially impressive. Finally, the after-dinner wine list, ranging from Brachetto d’Acqui to Boal Madeira, is one of the best you’ll ever encounter.

Pompette

Credit: Reilly Crew

1620 North Damen Avenue, IL 60647
Brunch from 10am-3pm
Dinner from 4pm-9pm
No reservations

Described by the owners as an ‘all day café’, Pompette is one of Chicago’s finest wine bars, open only a few months. It is known for its wine selection and food. Located in the trendy Bucktown neighbourhood on the city’s north side, there are three partners, one of whom worked in the kitchen of the nearby Michelin three-star restaurant Alinea. Small plates are a speciality (the salumi assortment is outstanding), while black sea bass is an excellent main course. As for the wine selection, there are 15 offerings by the glass, divided among wines from France, Italy, Spain and Greece, while there are 50 bottle choices, including several Chenin Blancs from the Loire, along with multiple offerings of Beaujolais. The space itself is attractive, functional and comfortable.

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The post Chicago: a travel guide appeared first on Decanter.

The 55th edition of Vinitaly will take place this 2-5 April in Verona, and bringing together the world’s largest wine exhibition with the world’s leading wine competition, Decanter will host a special Decanter World Wine Awards masterclass at the trade fair on Tuesday 4th April.

Led by DWWA Regional Chair and Italian wine expert Richard Baudains, 10 standout Italian wines from the 2022 competition have been selected to showcase some of the best-rated wines across Italy, and the entire competition.

An an international benchmark for wine quality, involving hundreds of leading wine experts and the broadest sample of wines from across the globe, results from DWWA are significant — highlighting the most representative and best wines to a global audience.

Tasted and rated across three stages of judging, and with a focus on regionality, Vinitaly attendees are invited to try exemplary classics from Alto Adige to Sicily while learning about what the experts look for when awarding top scores, from one of the competition’s longest-standing judges.

See below to discover the line-up of 95- to 97-point wines which will be presented…

Book tickets now

Masterclass wine list

Masottina, R.D.O. Rive di Ogliano Levante Extra Dry, Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore Rive, Veneto 2021

Platinum, 97 points
The wine shows complex and creamy aromatics with notes of elderflower, lemongrass, and golden apple skin. The palate opens with a fi ne mousse that wraps the nectarine and tangerine flavours. The finish is bright, with mouth-watering acidity.

Mandrarossa, Fiano, Terre Siciliane, Sicily 2021

Best in Show, 97 points
Drunk as long ago as the thirteenth century (by Emperor Frederic II) yet abandoned and almost extinct by the 1970s, the Campanian variety Fiano’s story prefigures that of the Northern Rhone’s Viognier. There’s a similarity in profile, too, notably the variety’s captivating scent, which is much in evidence in the irresistibly floral aromas of this Value Best in Show from Sicily. In the mouth, though, Fiano often has an acidic poise and freshness all of its own, combined with haunting flavours of citrus, nougat and grenadine – and more of those fresh aromatic flowers. All of those notes are packed exuberantly into this energetic young wine. Submissive and shy it isn’t – but there’s Italian class here too.

Tiefenbrunner, Feldmarschall von Fenner, Alto Adige/Südtirol 2020

Gold, 95 points
This is a really immaculately tailored wine with a savoury, chewy, nutty, stone fruit and apple nose. It’s full-bodied, just dry, and rich, with vibrant acidity, elevated concentration, floral-toned green fruit flavours and juicy acidity. The overall impression is of polish and class. Poised and very fine with sizzling length.

Muzic, Stare Brajde, Collio, Friuli-Venezia Giulia 2020

Platinum, 97 points
Lovely youthful freshness of floral-toned and fragrant green and yellow fruits. Highly nuanced flavours of citrus and stone fruits, balanced by precise acidity and decent concentration. There are accents of liquorice, fennel, and Mediterranean herbs on a long and aromatic finish.

Oinoe, 4.0 Rea Malvasia, Colli di Parma, Emilia-Romagna 2020

Platinum, 97 points
An evolved, honeyed, oxidative nutty wine with plenty of character. The palate is still so fresh, with an enticing mineral component throughout. Fulsome, polished, almost oil-textured stone fruits with a dry chewy finish. An intriguing wine with plenty of interest and distinctive varietal character.

Chessa, Cagnulari, Isola dei Nuraghi, Sardinia 2020

Platinum, 97 points
The varietal overlap between Sardinia and Spain is a fascinating story in its own right, and too complicated a matter to discuss here. What we have got the space to say, though, is that this Cagnulari (the same variety as Spain’s Graciano) manages to achieve an aromatic poise and lively complexity on the palate which many in Spain would envy. It’s dark black-red in colour, and the scents may remind you of forest resins and oily Mediterranean scrub leaves, with a quiet, beefy undertow of dense black fruits. As in Spain, the wine is vital and bright on the palate, and there are more of those resins and scrub plants lending a haunting, perfumed austerity to the bright fruits. Clearly a wonderful variety to use here for the warmer years to come.

Riecine, Vigna Gittori, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, Tuscany 2019

Best in Show, 97 points
For all the grumblings, Gran Selezione has been a resounding success for Chianti: a straightforward and recognizable way for estate owners to offer the world their “best wines”. Often lovely wines: here’s a great example. When Chianti sings, nothing could be more civilised, more refined, more elegant: one sniff of the settled fruits, the cypress and bay leaf, the oak copse and dried cep that your nose can intuit in this glass makes the case. It’s fresh, sustained and intricate in the mouth, weighty yet almost weightless thanks to its impeccable balance. Hard not to think of Old Master paintings – or the eye-soothing landscapes of Tuscany itself – once you have this beautifully vinified Sangiovese waiting patiently in your glass.

Ciabot Berton, Roggeri, Barolo, Piedmont 2017

Best in Show, 97 points
The fiercely warm 2017 vintage was not an easy challenge to surmount, but this articulate Barolo has done just that with a wine which is not merely beautiful and characterful in its own right, but which also conveys the style of the vintage without travesty or falsehood. It is relatively dark in colour, and the aromas are rich, earthy and generous, using oak sagely to lend equilibrium to the boisterous fruits. On the palate, it is intense and deep, structured and detaining, and once again the oak here serves to give the fruit a charm, lift and fragrance it might not otherwise have. It is a wine which will be better in four or five years, but there is still much to enjoy here now on a winter’s night with a fine meal.

Zenato, Sergio Zenato, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva, Veneto 2016

Best in Show, 97 points
This remarkable Amarone won the very highest acclaim from its original judging panel and then sailed through every subsequent judging stage, to the extent that its appearance in our Best In Show collection was never seriously in doubt. It’s already over five years old, but is still very dark in the glass — and it’s a wine of remarkable aromatic complexity, too. Amarone-lovers will know just how many allusions these wines are capable of evoking, and it’s not hard to make out mushrooms, forest underbrush, truffle, Havana leaf and even woodland violets as well as the more usual confit cherries and plums in this wine’s aromatic profile. In the mouth, the wine is remarkably concentrated yet elegant, carrying that bundle of allusions effortlessly and seamlessly through the palate. Fine-beaded tannins lend support, and the concentration of fruit is such that any overt acidity is almost an afterthought.

Tenuta di Capezzana, Riserva, Vin Santo di Carmignano, Tuscany 2014

Platinum, 97 points

Very dense, but with pinpoint freshness and cohesion. Extremely rich layers of apricot jam, dried apricots, and honey with a lovely texture and intensity on the refreshing finish.

Register to attend

The post Vinitaly 2023 masterclass - Indigenous Italy: Showstoppers from Decanter World Wine Awards appeared first on Decanter.

We are delighted to be returning to New York for the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter on Saturday 10 June 2023, to bring visitors an array of outstanding wines to discover and taste with the unrivalled Grand Tasting and a series of exceptional Masterclasses.

One of the most hotly anticipated masterclasses features Napa’s highly regarded Harlan Estate, one with true cult status. Just tiny amounts of the Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated Bordeaux blend from the Oakville hills are made each year, and the wines are notoriously difficult for wine lovers to get hold of – which makes this tasting of six vintages of Harlan Estate, Domain H. William Harlan’s flagship wine, such an auspicious event.

Harlan Estate was established by the legendary Bill Harlan, a southern Californian who came to Napa Valley as a student at Berkeley in the early 1960s and, struck by the wild beauty of the land and attuned to its winemaking potential, soon began to dream about one day owning a winery – not just any winery, but a winery that could stand could stand shoulder to shoulder with Bordeaux’s very best – a Napa ‘first growth’. That desire has been Harlan Estate’s “philosophical heartbeat” ever since.

The first 40 acres of raw land in the hills above Oakville were acquired in 1984, the first vines planted in 1985 and, over subsequent years, further land was bought and planted with Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon (about 70%), Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. The 1990 vintage was the first Harlan Estate wine to be released, in 1996. In 1997, Bill founded Napa winemaking project BOND, made from five select Napa sites, followed by the Cabernet-dominant Promontory, first made in 2009, and The Mascot in 2013. Harlan’s winemaker is Cory Empting.

During this masterclass, expertly led by Will Harlan – who has been managing director since taking the reins from his father in 2021 – tasters will experience first-hand how Bill Harlan’s ambition has come to life by comparing six vintages of the flagship Harlan Estate across three decades, from the mid-1990s, including 1994, which ranks among California’s greatest vintages of the modern era, alongside more recent releases. A glimpse into the past and present of one of Napa’s truly great wines.

Wines

• Harlan Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA 1994
• Harlan Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA 1997
• Harlan Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA 2001
• Harlan Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA 2005
• Harlan Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA 2013
• Harlan Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA 2018

Tickets for the Three Decades of Harlan Estate Masterclass cost $545 (+ sales tax) and are selling fast. Masterclasses are also available for Château Léoville Las Cases, Gaja and Louis Roederer so we recommend booking today to avoid disappointment.

Grand Tasting
As well as attending masterclasses, guests can purchase tickets for the walk-around grand tasting, trying highly acclaimed vintages and mingle with top wine producers from all over the world whilst enjoying panoramic views of New York. With over 200 wines to be presented, the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter NYC is set to be a truly unforgettable day of fine wine tasting.

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The post Last tickets remaining: Decanter’s Harlan Estate masterclass in New York appeared first on Decanter.

The greatest lesson Félix Martínez Roda learnt from his father, Francisco Martínez Bermell, was that ‘there are no secrets, there’s simply the need to love wine.’ This remains the main principle guiding him at the helm of the family’s estate, as the guardian of a unique legacy: an unfailing commitment to the region of Utiel-Requena and to Bobal. Vera de Estena’s library cellar has some of the oldest examples of the region’s flagship variety, proving its potential to produce age-worthy wines, with staying power and enduring finesse. The legacy continues.

A winery – and a family – is born

With Europe in deep social, economic and political turmoil, plunged deep in World War II, Francisco Martínez Bermell settled in Utiel to take the helm of his family’s production winery, Hijos de Pons Hermanos. With him he brought a strong connection with his family’s wine lineage and a deep hope in better days to come. And so they did.

Soon after establishing himself in Requena, Francisco met his wife-to-be; together they started their own project. Having developed a close friendship with Don Pascual Carrión, then the director of the progressive Oenologic Station of Requena, the couple delved deeper into the history and terroir of the region, gaining invaluable technical knowledge and an understanding of how this land could, worked properly, yield the best grapes to produce world-class wines. The culmination of this process would be the release of Vera de Estenas’ first bottled wines in the 1980s, when the family was already settled at Casa Don Ángel – still the company’s operational and spiritual headquarters today.

By then, Francisco was already being helped by his older sons in the stewardship of the family’s winery. It would be the youngest, however, to fully take over from his father and lead Vera de Estenas into the 21st century. Today, Félix Martínez Roda – alongside his nephew Eduardo – is the guardian of this incredible entrepreneurial, viticulture and winemaking legacy.

Félix Martínez Roda

Clean cellar, healthy grapes, wood…

‘Clean cellar, healthy grapes, wood…’ – the elements that shape the philosophy of Vera de Estenas, as defined by Francisco, are the fundamental, simple components that draw a direct connection between the vineyard and the glass. This explains the strong, yet elegant, character of the estate’s wines, imbued with an unpretentious classicism – these are wines that transcend fashions and the test of time. They are authentic, age-worthy expressions of the terroir, the varieties and of the people whose lives have been intertwined with them from birth.

The story of Vera de Estenas, as the character of its wines, is a thread of memories and emotions – a narrative of a personal connection to the land of Utiel-Requena. Each bottle still evokes the afternoon when its founder was taken by his grandmother Filomena to the family winery in El Grao, the small seaside village where his great grandfather Don Pedro Pons had strategically built it close to the port. Then a small boy, Francisco was overwhelmed with wonder at the sight of the big vats, spiralling staircases and imposing oak vessels. He would never forget the complex aroma that filled the winery – cleanliness, healthy graped, seasoned wood,.. – a memory that accompanied and inspired him until his last days. The same memory that guides Félix and Eduardo today.

‘There are no secrets, there’s simply the need to love wine.’

Three Vera de Estenas wines to know:

Tasted and reviewed by the Decanter team

La Tardana de Estenas, 2022
Alc 11.5%; 100% Tardana
Aged in amphorae, this is a lively wine with green apple, pear peel and lime zest flavours lifted by a bright acidity. A subtle salinity adds a savoury undertone. There’s a delicious tail of stone fruit – peach, nectarine and apricot – with a refreshing zesty grip.

El Bobal de Estenas, 2021
Alc 13%; 100% Bobal
Bright yet earthy, this wine balances ripe red fruit with savoury intensity. A great value, and great quality everyday wine. with purity, freshness, and a robust but elegant structure. The tannins are pleasantly rustic, with an affirmative grip, with cranberry and cognac-infused cherries balancing with sweetness and softness.

Casa Don Ángel – Estenas Bobal, 2019
Alc 15%; 100% Bobal
Having aged for 15 months in old French oak barriques, there’s an elegant, savoury complexity to this wine. Underpinned by fresh, fine-grained tannins, lifted by good acidity. Sophisticated, fragrant lining with floral and herbal nuances. The alcohol is extremely well integrated, as is the oak. Already showing a beautiful, elegant development but also a great potential ahead.

Discover more about Vera de Estenas

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The post Vera de Estenas – a story of memory and emotion appeared first on Decanter.

Collectors contemplating the dizzying spiral of prices often decide that the time is ripe for profit-taking. Some may decide that they will never drink their way through their cellar, while others feel they could not in good conscience enjoy wines that, in many cases, have appreciated tenfold since their purchase. Many, or most, collectors begin with wine enjoyment rather than investment as their primary goal. Still, as prices continue to climb, it becomes harder and harder to ignore insistent pleas to consign their wines to auction.

Although the wine market has cooled somewhat in the first quarter of 2023, sales remain brisk. New York-based wine auction specialist Zachys notes that the top lot in its upcoming Hong Kong auction is a 12-bottle case of 1988 Romanée-Conti.

The auction does not take place until 1 April, yet absentee bids are already up to HK$2,600,000 (£269,620 – more than £335,000 with buyer’s premium), setting a world record for this highly-traded wine well before the auction has taken place.

Part of the secret to this success is the provenance of the wine, which comes from a single-owner cellar rather than an assortment of various vendors. Provenance is one of the critical drivers of the price at auction, along with quality, condition, and rarity. Sales that maximise all of these factors can be wildly successful.

Billed as ‘The All Star Collection’, attendance at the Zachys sale is already at capacity. Nor is Zachys alone – the next day, Sotheby’s will offer (also in Hong Kong) ‘The Ethereal Cellar’, a single-owner sale that features more than 3,600 bottles in 583 lots with a combined estimate of HK$28,000,000 (£2,900,000). As George Lacey, Sotheby’s head of wine for Asia, explained: ‘[Single owner sales] ignite the most excitement and demand throughout the global wine community.’

Among its many treasures, the sale offers a six-bottle case of 2005 La Tâche grand cru, estimated at HK$300,000 – 400,000 (roughly £31,000 – 41,000).

Single-owner sales have long been a staple of the auction trade. Christie’s has specialised for many years in bringing famous cellars to auction. Michael Broadbent MW sold the legendary collection from Glamis Castle to auction in 1971 with its multiple magnums of 1870 Lafite. More than 25 years later, he set a record of more than £9,000,000 for the sale of wines from the collection of Norwegian collector Christen Sveaas, who sold with them again in 2007, and again last week where he earned over HK$30m –  approximately 50% above the high presale estimate.

Beginning next week, Christie’s will offer the cellar of Irwin Kotovsky in its sale ‘The Two Continents Collection’ that will be sold in online sales in the US (6-18 April) and in the UK (8-22 June), beginning with lot #1, a bottle of the exquisite 1959 Champagne Salon Le Mesnil, estimated at US$3,000-$5,000. As long as rarities like this lurk in private cellars, interest in single-owner sales should continue to grow.

Auction details

The Ethereal Cellar
Sothebys Hong Kong
2 April 12:00
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

The All Star Collection
Zachys Wine Auctions
1 April 11:00
Island Shangri-La Hotel

The Two Continents Collection
Part 1: 6-18 April
(Los Angeles, conducted online)
Part 2: 8-22 June
(London, conducted online)

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Rioja was distinctive because of its sweet vanilla scents, medium body and smooth finish. Today, most wine drinkers will order a glass of Rioja expecting something similar, albeit at much higher quality levels.

However, many wine lovers aren’t yet aware of the new wave of wines in Rioja. These are the wines driving change in the region – and creating a turning point for Rioja on the world’s premium wine scene.

There are many reasons for this lack of awareness. First and foremost, every year Rioja produces more than 200 million litres of very decent and affordable red wine, in a style that delivers what many drinkers want – and what they are willing to pay for.

Secondly, the EU legal framework for appellations of origin can be quite confusing. For the best-known appellations in France or Italy, the geographical indication refers to a very particular style of wine. For instance, AP Margaux is a red wine; Château Margaux’s white wine cannot bear the name Margaux but is called Bordeaux. Brunello di Montalcino is an oak-aged red wine made of Sangiovese, while Chablis is always Chardonnay, white and dry.

Complexity and diversity

In Spain, a ‘Denominación de Origen’ often means a territory in which a wide array of wine styles is made. In this respect, Spain is closer to the New World than classic Europe.

Rioja is an excellent case in point. Within the appellation of Rioja, you can find red, white, rosé, sparkling and even sweet wines. Any of those wines can be young or aged, using the legal definitions of crianza, reserva or gran reserva, which determine minimum ageing periods.

In terms of geographical origin, these wines can be just Rioja, or come from one of the three sub-regions: Rioja Alta, Alavesa and Oriental. Within each sub-region, they can be made in a particular municipality, or even be made with grapes from a single vineyard (viñedo singular). Not so simple, then…

Such complexity is not capricious red tape, but the legal reflection of Rioja’s reality. Rioja is not –and cannot be–a type of wine. It is a whole wine country. Its territory gives ground to produce an impressive diversity of wines, which is bound to increase.

The Rioja region spreads across 100km in length, covering a huge variety of soils, exposures and climates, in four ‘autonomous regions’ (a bit like counties). It is also home to nine valleys, featuring markedly different macro-terroirs. In addition, three different climate patterns converge in Rioja: continental, Mediterranean and Atlantic. The appellation rules embed these complexities.

Pushing boundaries

Nowadays, Rioja is a hotspot for quest and innovation. A new generation of vine-growers and winemakers is rethinking the region, trying to understand its thousands of terroirs from a different perspective. They’re making wines that could not even be imagined previously.

For red and white wines, site specificity is the key driver. More than 120 single vineyards have been approved to date by the appellation’s council. A creative – and, in consequence, somewhat chaotic – movement towards a Burgundy model is taking place. Once it is proven that the wines are worth the effort, I think that a simpler terroir classification will be developed.

White wines, mostly those fermented and aged in oak, are a particular focus. The wine trade and drinkers alike are talking enthusiastically about these wines, which develop a lot of complexity after years in bottle. On top of that, grape varieties that were authorised a few years ago are now demonstrating their contribution to Rioja’s quality panoply. Maturana Blanca, Tempranillo and various clones of Malvasía are behind some of the great new Rioja whites.

Sparkling wine is the most recent category in Rioja’s catalogue. It was approved with a high ambition: méthode champenoise, minimum 15 months on lees, limited yields. The first vintage in this new sparkling wine category was 2017, with just a handful of wineries producing examples, including Bodegas Vivanco.

There is a sound rationale for this new category. Firstly, a century-old experience of producing sparkling wines in Rioja. Secondly, the excellent adaptation of some particular terroirs, and of Viura and Malvasía grape varieties, to this type of wine. Finally, the experience gained from the early days when Bilbao’s citizens drank a brand of Rioja sparkling popularly known as ‘Bilbao water’.

Hidden gems

I finish with the two less well-known types of wine in Rioja. The first is supurao – a traditional, very particular style, made with desiccated red grapes. Production is minimal and the wines are difficult to find – but trust me, it’s worth the effort.

Second, the current array of amazingly distinctive rosé wines in Rioja is impressive. One area, Cordovin, would merit an appellation on its own, just for its Grenache-based rosé wines, so distinctive are they. The gran reserva rosés, whose flagship is Viña Tondonia, are the subject of speculation for avid collectors. Meanwhile, other styles of rosé, such as the Carignan-based example from Murrieta and many others, are adding complexity and fun to a category of Rioja wines that is set to be prominent in the future.

As I’ve said, Rioja is not a wine, it is a whole wine country that is now in a period of effervescent creativity, based on sound knowledge and love for the land. Be ready to be surprised by Rioja.

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Founded in 1885, Rutini is one of Argentina’s historic wineries – but also one of the most visionary. In recent years, Rutini has cemented its reputation as a fine wine leader, most especially with the emerging quality and expressiveness of Cabernet Franc.

A modern pioneer of Gualtallary

Under the hand of long-standing winemaker Mariano Di Paola, Rutini has transformed in the last two decades, moving from making everyday wines in Maipú to pioneering premium wines in the Uco Valley. Although the state-of-the-art winery is still glistening in its new sheen, it was actually a thread from the past that first brought Di Paola here.

‘The Rutini family was actually one of the first families to plant in Uco. They planted Chardonnay and Merlot in Tupungato in 1925,’ explains Di Paola, who started making wines from those very same plants when he joined Rutini in 1994. ‘I fell in love with the quality coming from these vines, following which, in 1996, we planted 20 hectares in nearby Gualtallary.’

At that time, with just a few experimental vineyards, Gualtallary was still uncharted territory. With a visionary conviction, Rutini continued planting, amassing 100 hectares in the following 12 months. Di Paola found that this new high-altitude mountain terrain was a paradise for both white and red varieties, making notable Chardonnay and Merlot — as he had suspected — but also stellar Malbec and Gewürztraminer.

What took longer to emerge, though, was the potential for world class Cabernet Franc.

Unveiling a unique terroir for Cabernet Franc

‘We first planted Cabernet Franc in 1998, although the quality was suited more to a supporting role for Malbec,’ admits Di Paola. ‘It wasn’t until we planted the new sector of the vineyard in 2002 that we really started to see a unique quality come through.’

The new sector is 100 metres higher in altitude and has much poorer, rocky soils. ‘It gives us a totally different profile of Cabernet Franc — one with not only fruit, but also with a savoury, ashy, minty profile and smooth tannins.’

Following several vintages honing their winemaking, Di Paola and his team now make some of the most elegant Cabernet Franc expressions in Mendoza today, filled with dark spice and poise.

The Single Vineyard wine is the epitome of Rutini’s increasingly sophisticated style: with nuanced layers of spearmint, raspberries, coffee beans and black pepper, and a long, fragrant finish. It has quite rightly taken home a clutch of awards and excellent scores, shining a light on the great potential of this variety in the unique terroir of Gualtallary.

Although Rutini counts on a history of 138 years, it is still very much leading the way into the future.

Discover more about Rutini Wines

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Sommelier’s often say that serving Japanese food with wine is both one of the most difficult and interesting pairing exercises. The fine flavours and textures of nipponic cuisine, alongside the vibrant intensity of some of the condiments and sauces, proves a challenge when it comes to finding beverage companions.

And yet, the answer can be awfully simple. Seek wines that have: balanced acidity, bringing freshness to the different textures without obscuring them; an elegant aromatic profile, serving as counterpoint to intense sauces while bringing to life the more subtle flavours;  a subtle mineral backbone to run alongside the trademark umami components of Japanese cuisine. All these characteristics are some of the fundamental characteristics of the much-loved Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC.

We headed to Mio Yatai in East London, to understand a bit more about the essence of Japan’s everyday flavours and how to enjoy them with a good glass of Pinot Grigio.

Aldin Karaali, sommelier and manager at Mio Yatai, served as our guide. The venue has long been a favourite among locals and visitors alike, providing guaranteed satisfaction to those seeking authentic Japanese fare. Located above Regent’s Canal, on the bridge that opens to the bustling and iconic Broadway Market, Mio Yatai’s light-filled room is always full of creative types seeking the famous ramen and poke bowls.

But when it comes to drinks, customers can get a bit conservative. Which is why Karaali is rethinking the whole beverage programme. As he prepares a major overhaul of his wine list, and experiments different pairings, this was a perfect moment to discuss the many affinities of Japanese cuisine with Italy’s most famous wine. ‘Customers come in and are ready to experiment with all the food flavours but can easily stick to cocktails or beer – or even tea – when ordering drinks. I really want to introduce more wines and sakes.’ Karaali agrees that not exploring pairing possibilities with wine – not least Pinot Grigio –  customers are missing an opportunity.

The very opening of a meal is an invitation for a perfect aperitif: the salty, crunchy deliciousness of edamame beans could not be better enjoyed than with a glass of softly fragrant Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC. Simple and perfect. The spiciness of a chicken katsu bao bun, on the other hand, is perfectly offset by the wine’s mineral freshness and fruit generosity. Spice is also a territory where the Ramato styles thrive – a degree of skin contact adds red fruit nuances and a gentle grip, which respond particularly well to spicy prickle.

Ramatos can also, however, serve as supporting cast to the subtlety of raw fish. ‘And we can’t forget the character of the rice,’ says Karaali. Indeed, the rice that supports many of Japanese (or Japanese-inspired) dishes, from sushi to shirashi or poke bowls, is in itself special. A masterpiece of sourness, measured stickiness and a touch of sweetness, it enters in easy dialogue with the characterful Ramatos.

How about ramen? Can Japan’s most loved street food, now elevated to hipster favourite, be paired with wine? One would be a fool not to. The umami intensity of the 18-hour broth and mushrooms, the crunchiness of bean sprouts and bamboo shoots, and the earthiness of tea-pickled eggs call for nothing else than a fresh and soft glass of Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC. Dinner is served.

Discover more about Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC

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With the Easter holidays just around the corner, thoughts will be turning to entertaining, and planning the food and wine for the long weekend break. There are always supermarket wine offers to be had, but Waitrose’s 10 Fine Wines at £10 is a particularly strong promotion, with 10 fine wines across different styles marked down to just a tenner each. This represents a significant discount on the retail price for most of the wines featured – all of these wines will set you back at least £14.99 when not discounted, and the most expensive included in the offer (the Escarpment Pinot Noir) has a price-tag of £17.99, so a great saving if you’re a fan of that style.

Waitrose famously runs this promotion in the run-up to Christmas, but last year started giving shoppers a second opportunity to take advantage, offering the deal before Easter too. Jamie Matthewson, beer, wine & spirits trading manager at Waitrose, said: ‘Easter is our second biggest trading highlight of the year after Christmas, and our customers love to come together with friends and family to enjoy great food with the perfect drink pairing. We’ve tried to make that choice as easy as possible with our £10 fine wine offer running over the Easter period. They’ll be able to pick up top quality wines at a great price that will complement their Easter dishes perfectly.’

Treat someone to a Decanter Premium subscription this Easter

The line-up this Easter covers many of the same bases as the last Christmas offer, with a fizz, a Piedmont white, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, a Beaujolais, a Rhône red, a Rioja and a Malbec all featuring in both promotions. Unsurprising really as they’re all popular styles. The overall verdict among the Decanter tasting team was that there have been more exciting line-ups in previous incarnations of this offer – but without a doubt these wines are great value at this price.

There are many strong names in the line-up, including respected South African producer of traditional-method sparkling wines Graham Beck, here with a non-vintage rosé. Saint Clair, which has won many awards including at our very own Decanter World Wine Awards, fields the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc this time round, while French family-owned Domaine Bousquet is behind the well-crafted Argentinian Malbec – the perfect match for your Easter lamb. Prefer something Old World instead? You can choose from a Crozes-Hermitage made by northern Rhône cooperative Cave de Tain, a 2017 Rioja Reserva from Bodegas Beronia, or – for a less full-bodied option – a Fleurie from Beaujolais estate Henry Fessy. Or if you’re a Zinfandel fan, why not try the Puglian Primitivo? The two grapes are related, and you’ll find the same deep colour and intense, sweet black fruit here that the Californian Zin style often displays. Meanwhile, the Gavi di Gavi from Piedmont would be a good match for fish or seafood dishes, while The Beach by Whispering Angel will keep the Provence rosé fans happy.

This year’s promotion runs for a fortnight, from 29 March to 11 April, in most stores and online – at Waitrose.com and Waitrose Cellar. Stocks are limited, however, and some of these may sell out fast.

Waitrose’s 10 Fine Wines at £10

All wines tasted 22 March 2023. Prices do not reflect this or other offers.
Some wines might only be available in selected stores.
Wines grouped by style and ordered by score, in descending order. 

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Henschke is releasing the new vintage of its five single-site Eden Valley wines together for the first time on 3 May, in celebration of a series of anniversaries.

Scroll down for tasting notes and scores of the Henschke 2018 releases

Henschke 2018 single-vineyard wines plus other new releases

The 2018 vintages of Hill of Grace, Hill of Roses, Mount Edelstone, The Wheelwright and Cyril Henschke are available from the Henschke cellar door and website (henschke.com.au) and in the UK via importer Liberty Wines from Wednesday 3 May 2023.

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Boela Gerber is heading to the United States for a new adventure in the heart of the Monticello AVA in Charlottesville, Virginia.

He will be taking over as the winemaker at Southwest Mountains Vineyards, a new winery located in the Keswick area of Albemarle County.

Chardonnay, Petit Verdot, Viognier, Petit Manseng, Grüner Veltliner, Merlot and Cabernet Franc are among the varietals being produced there.

It marks an exciting new chapter for Gerber, who took over as winemaker at Groot Constantia in January 2001, six years after graduating from Stellenbosch University with a degree in oenology and viticulture.

He emerged as one of the most tireless and passionate champions of high-end South African wine, and he also spent two years chairing the Cape Winemakers Guild.

Gerber said it had been an honour and a privilege to work at Groot Constantia – the oldest wine estate in South Africa – for more than two decades.

The winery is famed for its high-quality reds, including Shiraz, Merlot, Pinotage and the Gouverneurs Reserve blend.

‘It has been career-defining to be a part of the winemaking team that played a leading role in establishing Groot Constantia as a producer of fine wines among local and international consumers and in being an ambassador for South Africa’s oldest wine-producing farm, with its rich heritage and history,’ said Gerber.

‘Leaving was not an easy decision to make, but I am very excited about this new adventure in the heart of the scenic Monticello AVA in central Virginia.

‘Groot Constantia and the team will always have a special place in my heart, and I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved. I know that the team – under the guidance of Floricius Beukes, Groot Constantia’s viticulturist, Jean Naudé, and the new winemaker – will continue to excel in the years ahead.’

Gerber will now head to Virginia to start work at Southwest Mountains Vineyards, which plans to open this summer.

There are more than 350 wineries in Old Dominion, and it is the eighth-largest wine producing state in America.

The Monticello AVA was established in 1984 after six growers petitioned the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to designate a Monticello viticultural area, which is named after the estate of former US president Thomas Jefferson.

It spans five counties and 320,000 hectares, straddling the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains. There are 40 wineries in the AVA.

‘We are happy for him as he takes on this new role and flies the South African flag proudly on the global stage,’ said Groot Constantia chief executive Jean Naudé.

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Julien and Nadia d’Abrigeon stood before me like new parents: proud, exhausted, thrilled. Tasting with them in their rented cellar space, I shared their excitement for their new arrivals. It’s not often you get to taste the first vintage of a new domaine, especially not one so promising.

We’d just returned from visiting their vineyards in the village of Buisson. Not so long ago, this was an undesirable location. Cairanne and Rasteau inhabit the sun-warmed southern face of the Ventabren massif, whereas Buisson is located on its chilly northern slope. But today, cooler spots like this are beginning to come into their own.

Scroll down for tasting notes and scores for five Domaine d’Abrigeon wines

Matt Walls’ tasting notes and scores for five Domaine d’Abrigeon wines:

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One of my very favourite times to be at Borough Market, on the south side of London Bridge, is first thing on a Saturday morning. That’s when the locals come to do their food shopping, armed with empty shopping bags that will be full to bursting when they finally leave the Market gates. It’s a scene replicated at food markets across the country and around the world: shoppers making the choice to swap the relentless beeps of a supermarket checkout for a trader’s big smile and perhaps a bit of banter, too.

At a (Borough) Market stall you can pick up and squeeze or smell the fruits and vegetables; ask the fishmonger what is best that day; seek the butcher’s advice on the different cuts of meat you can see right there in front of you… They’re the conversations where discoveries are made about seasonality, provenance, production and heritage. All things that matter for sustainability, for preserving food traditions, and simply for their sheer deliciousness.

Those values lie at the heart of Borough Market and also the pages of Borough Market: The Knowledge. Its chapters are like every conversation you might have at a market stall: packed with trader knowledge, skills and tips. There’s everything from filleting a fish, to varieties of honey, fixing Martinis and so much more; plus 80-odd recipes that spring out of the knowledge and the glorious seasonal produce with which the market abounds. Because fundamentally our book – like our Market, and like all good markets – is about finding the joy in food.

Loaf-baked whole cheese with girolles recipe

Camembert is just one of many soft cheeses that would work well for this – I’d be just as happy with a Vacherin Mont d’Or or Epoisses. Whatever cheese you choose nestles within a whole loaf and is then baked for tearing and sharing, its flavours layered up with garlic, mushrooms, honey and wine.

Serves 3-4 as a main or 6 as part of a feast

Preparation time 20 minutes

Cooking time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 round baking cheese such as Camembert (about 250g-300g)
• 1 round sourdough or cob loaf
• 1 garlic clove
• 30g butter
• 25g small girolle mushrooms
• 1⁄2 tsp herbes de Provence
• 2 tsp honey
• 50ml white wine or vermouth

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
2. Cut the top rind off the cheese. Then cut the top off the loaf and pull out enough of the crumb inside that the cheese can sit comfortably in the loaf.
3. Peel the garlic and cut into slivers. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low-medium heat. Cook the mushrooms until just softening, then add the garlic slivers and stir in the herbes de Provence. Take off the heat and stir in the honey and the wine. Mix well and season lightly.
4. Sit the loaf on a large piece of foil on a baking tray. Spoon the mushroom mix over the top of the cheese, then spoon the rest of the juices over, allowing some to go over the outside of the bread too. Push at the garlic pieces so they sink into the cheese a little. Wrap loosely in the foil and bake for 20 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 190°C, open the parcel up just enough to reveal the cheese, and return to the oven for another five minutes to finish off.
5. Cut or tear the loaf into wedges and serve while the cheese is still meltingly hot.

Angela Clutton is a cook, presenter and awarded food writer. Her first book The Vinegar Cupboard (Bloomsbury Absolute, 2019) won several awards, including ‘Debut Cookery Book’ at the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards 2020. Angela has written for a range of national publications, and broadcasting includes the Channel 5 Inside… series. She presents Borough Market’s Borough Talks podcast series, and is host of the Borough Market Cookbook Club (boroughmarket.org.uk).

Borough Market: The Knowledge by Angela Clutton was published in October 2022 and is available through Amazon UK

The wines to drink with loaf-baked whole cheese with girolles

There will definitely be two views on what to drink with this dish – the white wine with cheese camp, and those who always prefer a red. The fact that the dish has white wine in it might incline you toward the former, and given that the dish contains honey it will have an added touch of sweetness, so I’m tempted by the idea of a Vouvray or Montlouis from the Loire, or an old-vine South African Chenin Blanc. A Chablis with a bit of bottle age would work pretty well, too.

The mushrooms would go with either white or red, but might incline you towards a Pinot Noir; nothing too rarefied, I’d suggest – this is a hearty dish. Maybe something from the Auvergne rather than Burgundy, although I can imagine it being pretty delicious with an Oregon Pinot Noir. The other option would be a cru Beaujolais, maybe from the warmer 2020 vintage than the cooler, lighter, 2021 – and a Côte de Brouilly or Juliénas rather than a Fleurie. Think the rustic rather than the floral side of Beaujolais.

By Fiona Beckett

Wines selected by our Decanter experts

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Corriedale sheep snack on weeds among rows of vines; along the way, they fertilise the soil, adding nitrogen, phosphorus, and calcium. Owls and bats swoop from vineyard boxes from dusk ’til dawn, eliminating vine-root-eating gophers and grapevine moths.

Native flowering plants create sanctuaries for beneficial insects. Such a menagerie of wildlife would have been unlikely decades ago. Still, the commitment to organic and biodynamic viticulture has pushed some California wine producers to look to nature to enhance vineyard health, the environment, and their wines.

Situated on the ridges of volcanic soil at higher elevations in Northern California’s Lake County wine region, Clay Shannon of Shannon Family of Wines operates over 1,000 organic acres of vineyards and is passionate about the environment.

The good shepherd

Although he is in his fifth year of farming organically, the lifelong vineyard manager and wine producer is bringing significant changes to this under-the-radar wine region with ‘woolly feeders.’

‘We have to put some footprints in the vineyards, an old term people have forgotten about,’ said Shannon, who grew up on his grandparent’s sheep farm in Sonoma County. He is also referring to the impact of humans on the earth’s ecosystem.

His sheep are at the heart of the winery’s regenerative agriculture approach and also of his appropriately named ‘Ovis’ label.

‘These are smart animals; they are delicate on the land, and they do a good job keeping the grass down and the understory of the oak forest clean,’ said Shannon. His flock of 1,700 sheep graze the vineyard rows thrice yearly to control the weeds that fight for the vines’ water and nutrients. Employing sheep also promotes carbon sequestration in vineyards and provides natural regulation of disease and pests.

‘Sheep add fertility to the land,’ added Shannon. ‘Five pounds (2.2 Kg) per day, per animal.’

Reintegrating farm animals into crop production yields considerable benefits. Tractor usage is reduced as sheep hooves integrate manure into the soil. Shannon explains that the sheep control the weeds by eating grass and vine leaves, providing 20% protein. Ewes produce milk for lambs, and the pasture-raised meat is sold.

‘This is what we call sustainability,’ he said.

Sustainable pest management roadmap for California

While environmentally-conscious wine producers like Shannon are making a difference in California, so is the state which recently announced its long-range commitment to promoting ecosystem resilience.

The sustainable pest management roadmap for California was released by the Department of Pesticide Regulation, the California Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture. It charts a course for California’s elimination of high-risk pesticides by 2050.

Yet, wine producers like Sam Coturri of Enterprise Vineyards in Sonoma County, whose family oversees 35 estate vineyards, and produces their own label, Winery Sixteen 600, have been farming organically since 1979.

Vineyards at Winery Sixteen 600

Old school sustainability in Sonoma

‘If there is one thing that is absolute, the most important is that we grow grapes for half the year, and the other half of the year, we grow soil,’ said Coturri. ‘It starts in the vineyard – intensive, regenerative, certified organic farming is the key to capturing a sense of terroir, the key to longevity, farming, and ethically conducting business.’

Their support of the environment, too, has ‘organic’ roots.

‘It was a natural progression,’ said Coturri. ‘My father [Phil Coturri] was a child of San Francisco in the 1960s with a hippie-back-to-the-land-ethos combined with family history in the wine business. A lot of credit goes to one of his vineyard clients. The tenant didn’t want their children playing where chemicals were sprayed.’

Located on Sonoma Mountain, this became their first organic vineyard – the beginning of their commitment to land stewardship – from which today they produce their Dos Limones Syrah.

The Coturris farm organically. They are enhancing the environment in and around the vineyards to retain natural balance while keeping pest populations in check. This is accomplished through cover crops and insectaries, birdhouses, owl boxes, and raptor perches, managing wildlands, and hands-on farming to keep vines at their optimum health to remain resilient against pests.

‘We believe that is not only the right thing to do for the vineyard and people but also the right thing to do for making great wines,’ said Coturri.

With this long-standing philosophy, it’s not surprising that the Coturris are supporters of ‘Slow Wine’ the offshoot of the Slow Food movement originated in Italy by Carlo Petrini in 1989 in response to the growth of industrialised foods.

‘It’s the antidote to the fast food world, and to carry that analogy to the wine world means taking time to care and to know what we are putting into our bodies. It’s so important and intuitive,’ said Coturri.

Similarly, intuition came to Brandon Sparks-Gillis of Santa Barbara County’s Dragonette Cellars through food. Sparks-Gills was an artisan bread baker before he entered the wine business. Today, he and his partners, brothers John and Steve Dragonette, focus on small lot wines that express the diversity of soils and climate in their many single vineyards, such as the Duvarita Vineyard, which has been farmed biodynamically for over a decade.

‘It was my growing interest in food and wine, particularly travels in Italy, that made me realise that the food we eat and the wine we drink create the landscape that surrounds us,’ said Sparks-Gillis. ‘First food, then later via wine. Protecting our beautiful landscapes is a strong priority at Dragonette, and we are thrilled that Slow Wine is expanding its reach.’

Cover Crop at Winery Sixteen 600

A SLOW beginning

The US Slow Wine Guide creates this awareness and is the key to matching eco-conscious wine producers with like-minded wine drinkers. The guide is available in digital and print form. It showcases wineries in California, Oregon, Washington, and New York. The guide considers wine quality, adherence to terroir, value, and environmental sensitivity, such as eliminating synthetic herbicides.

‘The guide had mostly been marketing to the trade, but the tipping point is it’s a guide for consumers who prioritise land stewardship,’ said Slow Wine Guide US editor Deborah Parker Wong. ‘We have become advocates for producers that want to farm transparently. And we list many organic and biodynamic farms that are not necessarily certified. We are inclusive. Consumers deserve to know about them as well.’

Wineries featured in the guide range from tiny one-person outfits to large producers. For consumers who are attentive to environmental sustainability issues, the resource opens the opportunity to support the movement. And make thoughtful wine choices, and discover new wines.

Sparks-Gillis agrees that awareness will help to communicate the efforts of wine producers that are working to make a difference.

‘A lot of it is awareness,’ said Sparks-Gillis. ‘We need to be more proactive than reactive. We want the land to remain in agriculture and escape development. I’m optimistic that we’ll ban glyphosate herbicides within our lifetime. This is our farming philosophy, but also our personal philosophy.’

Wine producers focus on rebuilding organic matter and biodiversity in soil. Ridding it of all synthetic inputs, thereby increasing the quality of fruit year after year. This growing urgency to enhance wine quality while doing the least harm to the environment is adding positive contributions to the local landscape. As ‘footprints’ are being put into the soil – step by step – in the golden state.

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We are thrilled to be hosting a masterclass featuring the wines of Bordeaux ‘Super Second’ Château Léoville Las Cases, at the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter NYC on Saturday 10 June. The wines of the esteemed St-Julien estate are noted for their elegance, power, charm – and their longevity.

During this tasting, export director Antoine Gimbert will lead guests through eight vintages of the château’s two top estate wines, the Grand Vin and Clos du Marquis, going all the way back to 1988 and as recent as 2019. Under Gimbert’s expert guidance, tasters will come to understand the similarities and differences between these two wines, and how their terroirs give them their unique personalities.

Léoville-Las Cases is one of the oldest classified growths in the Médoc, tracing its roots back to the 17th century, and has been managed by the same family since the late 19th century. Listed as a Second Growth in Bordeaux’s classification of 1855, Las Cases regularly punches above its weight and is considered an elite among the ‘Super Seconds,’ with a reputation for wines that are powerful and age-worthy.

With Gimbert’s guidance, tasters will have the opportunity to discover how eight exceptional and age-worthy wines have evolve and developed, and how they can be enjoyed all along the continuum, from relative youth to full maturity.

Wines:

• Clos du Marquis, St-Julien, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 2008
• Clos du Marquis, St-Julien 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 2010
• Grand Vin de Léoville du Marquis de Las Cases, St-Julien 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 2019
• Grand Vin de Léoville du Marquis de Las Cases, St-Julien 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 2015
• Grand Vin de Léoville du Marquis de Las Cases, St-Julien 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 2009
• Grand Vin de Léoville du Marquis de Las Cases, St-Julien 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 2007
• Grand Vin de Léoville du Marquis de Las Cases, St-Julien 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 1999
• Grand Vin de Léoville du Marquis de Las Cases, St-Julien 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 1988

Château Léoville Las Cases from Youth to Maturity Masterclass costs $245 (+ sales tax) per ticket and are strictly limited.

In addition,  there are masterclasses from Gaja, Harlan Estate and Louis Roederer Champagne. Tickets are selling fast so we recommend booking today to avoid disappointment.

About Decanter Fine Wine Encounter NYC
Decanter Fine Wine Encounter NYC is a prestigious one day wine tasting event held at the Manhatta restaurant in Manhattan on Saturday 10 June. Meet some of the world’s most famous wine producers and taste their top vintages during an unrivalled Grand Tasting and learn from an exceptional line-up of 75-minute masterclasses, held throughout the day. Please note: masterclass tickets are sold separately and not included as part of the Grand Tasting ticket.

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The post Join Decanter’s Château Léoville Las Cases Masterclass in New York appeared first on Decanter.