Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2021 i Decanter

EDITOR’S LETTER You’re all extremely nice An issue or so ago, I asked for comments and suggestions on what you’d like to see in Decanter. I was, I must admit, a little nervous about what we’d receive. Streams of abuse? Demands for a column on lacrosse, beat poetry or the correct way to wear a cravat? Nothing at all? Thankfully, I was proved wrong on all counts. Your responses have been thoughtful and polite, and have reinforced my opinion that Decanter readers are exactly the sort of people who would be very pleasant company over a glass of something good. We had some very astute advice on French wines from a gentleman in Brazil, and a superb suggestion for a feature on aperitifs, which we will be commissioning before lunch.…

UNCORKED Hugh Johnson ‘A half-bottle sends us to bed happy’ ILLUSTRATION SAM KERR/DEBUT ART It’s a shame half-bottles have such a reputation as under-achievers, as if they’re half-baked, if not quite half-witted. Magnums are grand. They look generous, make you look far-sighted for having bought them, and keep wine in better condition (all other things being equal) for longer. ‘Too much for one, but not enough for two’ is the sort of lofty remark they seem to engender. (Legend has it Queen Anne said the same on first acquaintance with turkey, then still a novelty). Bottles are just bottles, divinely ordained, just right for one or two, depending on many things. But halves? They can’t break out of the substitute, or even stingy, category. Look for them on the high…

Tomates Provençales Sometimes the simplest combinations of ingredients and flavours are the most effective – as with this easy-to-prepare and delicious Mediterranean classic, a perfect match for the local wines STORY CAROLINE RIMBERT CRAIG, FOOD WRITER & AUTHOR PHOTOGRAPH SUSAN BELL Many French recipe books exist, but outside France few are imbued with the whole cultural context around living and eating, and even fewer are authored by local people. My family have been fruit farmers in Provence for hundreds of years, but as times change, I could sense an intangible, precious part of Provençal culture slipping away, as the older generation passed. My book Provence: The Cookbook was a way of providing a snapshot of how farming families truly live and eat in Provence: moving with the rhythms of the…

Ancient bedrock, modern history Agulhas is ancient. Along with the wind, the other major player in this region’s story is the primordial soils, said to date back 300million years. The resulting diversity includes layers of laterite, sandstone and broken shale, with pockets of quartz and limestone. A cross-hatching done in ochre on a stone fragment dating from more than 70,000 years ago – believed to be the earliest-known drawing by a human – was found in Blombos Cave, along the coast from David Trafford’s Sijnn estate. In more recent history, Moravian missionaries in Elim made the area’s first wines about 150 years ago for their Holy Communion. Elim is defined by its fishermen’s cottages, most of which date back to the 19th century, made of mud-brick and plastered with lime…

The region at a glance Established Union des Producteurs des Grands Vins Blancs de Pouilly-Fuissé formed 1929; the appellation officially recognised in September 1936. Planted area Pouilly-Fuissé is 751ha out of 6,241ha in the greater Mâconnais region (and 30,738ha in Burgundy overall) Elevation Vineyards at 200m-300m (summit of the Roche du Solutré: 493m) Soils Limestone, clay and sandy soils based on granite and schist Climate Warm and damp (up to 1,000mm per year) compared to the rest of Burgundy, with roughly 10% more precipitation and temperatures 10% higher Producers 250 producers with an average annual production of 41,000hl Grapes 100% Chardonnay SOURCES: BIVB; POUILLY-FUISSE.NET…

SPIRITS Distilled Your guide to the latest trends in spirits and cocktails EDITED BY JULIE SHEPPARD Oldest bottled: 80-year single malt Scotch The oldest single malt Scotch ever bottled, an 80-year-old whisky from Speyside’s Glenlivet distillery, will be released by independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail later this year, writes Richard Woodard. The spirit that would become Gordon & MacPhail Generations 80 Year Old from Glenlivet Distillery was filled into cask on 3 February 1940. The whisky was finally bottled from Cask 340 on 5 February 2020 at an abv of 44.9%, and 250 decanters will be offered for sale in September, when the price will be announced. Gordon & MacPhail has worked with architect and designer Sir David Adjaye OBE to create a unique decanter and oak case for the…

Mexican Dry Spritz Offer anyone abstaining from alcohol a seriously mixed, non-sweet drink, and they will think you’re the best host since sliced bread. Because why should those who drink alcohol have all the fun? After resignedly asking for a herbal tea on a recent visit, my friend’s eyes lit up when I offered her a grown-up and complex non-alcoholic cocktail instead, served in a wine glass with a big slice of orange. She described it as a ‘proper treat’. The Aecorn range is a trio of grape-based non-alcoholic aperitifs, with the Bitter being a great non-alcoholic alternative to bitter aperitifs such as Campari or Aperol; Aromatic a decent substitute for sweet vermouth; and Dry a stand-in for… well, dry vermouth. They all boast decent mouthfeel and complexity, a remarkable…

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, GEORGIE HINDLE, JULIE SHEPPARD, AMY WISLOCKI & SYLVIA WU Vilarnau, Reserva Brut Cava, Catalonia Spain NV O £10 Ocado, Tesco A blend of Macabeo, Parellada and Chardonnay, vinified separately before blending to produce a fresh, citrussy fizz with exuberant bubbles. Creamy almond notes, a touch of salinity and a honeyed finish add interest. Simple but well made – and great value. JS Alc 11.5% Boschendal, Rosé Brut, Western Cape, South Africa NV £14.49 The…

Meet the Decanter experts FIONA BECKETT is a Decanter contributing editor. Publishing at matchingfoodandwine. com, she is a leading expert on food and drink matching, wine columnist for The Guardian and author of 25 books on food, wine and beer CHARLES CURTIS MW is a widely published journalist, author and fine-wine advisor based in New York. Formerly head of wine for Christie’s in the US and Asia, he started out as a chef and trained at Le Cordon Bleu Paris LAURA FOSTER is a widely published freelance journalist and writer with a particular focus on spirits and cocktails. She was formerly deputy editor of UK on-trade drinks title Imbibe and bar & drinks editor for Square Meal ELIZABETH GABAY MW is a specialist in rosé and the wines of Provence.…

LETTER OF THE MONTH Has St-Emilion hit the alcohol too hard? I went straight to James Lawther’s article about St-Emilion in the June 2021 issue, my eagerness growing as I read ‘fruit, freshness and drinkability is the new mantra’ and ‘radical and wholesale change’. At last, I thought, St-Emilion has really moved with the times, producing a fresh, elegant vintage in 2018 in spite of the growing conditions. Too impatient to read the rest of the article, I skipped to the descriptions of the 10 wines. Then my heart sank as I noticed the notes and alcohol levels: Château Troplong Mondot, one of the supposed ‘radicals’, is ‘dense and profound’ with 15% alcohol; six other wines contain 14.5%. In fact, only one out of the 10 manages 13.5%, and it’s…

The wines to match PROVENCE ROSE It would seem perverse not to drink a Provençal rosé with this classic dish, but as the tomatoes are cooked I’d make it a more weighty example such as a Bandol rosé, rather than one of the lighter, more gluggable ‘swimming pool’ styles. A Provençal white such as Cassis would be delicious too. Try: Domaine Bunan, Mas de la Rouvière, Bandol, France 2020 92 £21.25 Yapp Bros All the red berry flavours that you’d expect to find in a Provence rosé, but framed in a more serious style. It’s an attractive shade of coral – paler than some from Bandol – and offers a beguiling mix of redcurrant fruit, with a vinous, savoury, structured aspect. Good concentration but it also has freshness and great…

SOUTH AFRICA Lambert’s pick: 10 top Agulhas Wine Triangle wines to discover PHOTOGRAPH ART WOLFE/MINT IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES. MAP MAGGIE NELSON 1 Trizanne Signature Wines, Reserve Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc, Elim 2018 95 £25 Alliance Wine, Carruthers & Kent Top notes of stormy petrichor and lime layer into white peach, green apple, pear and melon, the brightness lashed to a skeleton of saline acidity like a billowing sail. The different parcels were whole-bunch pressed and fermented in old French oak barrels. Luminous and light-footed, this equal-parts blend has a real sense of grace persisting through the long, dry and savoury finish. Drink 2021-2028 Alcohol 13.1% 2 Sijnn, White, Malgas 2019 94 £17.50 (ib) Cru Unfiltered and unfined, this Chenin-led blend (with 14% Viognier, 2% Roussanne) takes you to its rocky vineyard home. Abundant…

TUSCANY VINTAGE REPORT A taste of Tuscany’s new-release reds Wines are listed within their DOCG regions, then by score achieved, then alphabetically by producer. UK stockists are shown where available, as UK allocations for some wines may not yet be finalised – please contact your regular specialist merchants for current availability. Brunello di Montalcino 1 Fuligni 2016 99 £50 (ib)-£93.50 Christopher Keiller, Cru, Delivery Wine Co, Lea & Sandeman, Starling Wines, Vinum, Wineye This historic property has released one of the most exquisite wines of 2016. Revealing its complexities gradually, it unfolds with a smoky flintiness, balsamic nuances and Mediterranean herbs. Seemingly endless in layers and depth, there is generosity but it never weighs the palate down. Powerful, finely powdered tannins, piercing acidity that radiates throughout. Hints of liquorice, violet,…

FIVE OF THE BEST FLAVOURED VODKAS RECOMMENDED BY JULIE SHEPPARD PHOTOGRAPH ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS; IMAGEBROKER/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO, POPOUT/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO 1 Absolut Citron, Sweden £18-£25/70cl Widely available Launched in 1988, Citron was the second flavoured vodka from iconic Swedish label Absolut and has since become its biggest seller. Its fame was assured when it became the vodka of choice for the Cosmopolitan cocktail, which flew off bars in London and New York in the 1990s thanks to TV show Sex and the City. With a base of Swedish winter wheat, the palate is smooth and creamy with ripe Amalfi lemon and lemon zest flavours and a spicy, lemon tart finish. Clean and crisp, it obviously tastes great in a Cosmo, but fans of citrus drinks should try it in a…

London’s Soho for wine lovers The busy streets of Soho form the beating heart of London’s West End and are home to wine-focused venues that, like the area, do things a little differently STORY FIONA BECKETT A lot of city centres have ended up looking rather too similar these days, so when you travel it’s nice to end up in places that are a bit different. In London, there are few places as distinctive as Soho. Bounded by Oxford Street, Shaftesbury Avenue and Regent Street, it’s the epicentre of London’s theatreland, restaurant industry and nightlife, and yet it still remains a lively residential neighbourhood, which adds to its particular character. Wine has always been part of the scene here – ‘Old Soho used to mean drunks, basically,’ says restaurateur Andrew…

THE JUDGES Sarah Jane Evans MW is an awarded journalist, author and broadcaster, and a DWWA Co-Chair. Author of The Wines of Northern Spain (Infinite Ideas, 2018), she is also the current chair of Spain’s Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino Sarah Ahmed is an awarded wine writer, educator and judge who specialises in Portugal and Australia. A Cavaliero of the Confraria do Vinho do Porto, she is the DWWA Regional Chair for Portugal and publishes her own website at thewinedetective.co.uk Beth Willard is buying director for independent merchant Winetraders, introducing new wines from Spain and Eastern Europe to the UK. Formerly buying manager at Direct Wines, she is a member of Spain’s Gran Orden de Caballeros de Vino and of the Confrérie de Tokaj in Hungary…

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, TINA GELLIE, GEORGINA HINDLE, JULIE SHEPPARD & SYLVIA WU Ayala, Brut Nature, Champagne, France NV £30-£42 Champagne Direct, Champagne One, Edencroft, Harvey Nichols, Millésima, ND John, The Champagne Co, The Whisky Exchange Zero dosage. Complex nose of citrus and stone fruit, fresh pastry and a stony undertow. Silky on the palate; crisp with a mineral-citrus character, subtle notes of peach and pear fruit. JS Alc 12% Philippe et Sylvain Ravier, La Peyse, Chignin-Bergeron, Savoie, France 2016…

Tasted & rated for Decanter Premium Château Marquis de Terme, Margaux 4CC, Bordeaux 2019 94pts This could be a property to watch for savvy collectors and fans of the Médoc, according to Jane Anson, who recently reviewed all Marquis de Terme vintages back to 2009 for Decanter Premium and found the Margaux fourth growth to be showing a ‘renewed sense of energy’. She described the 2019 grand vin as ‘a brilliant Marquis de Terme’ with ‘great depth’, which ‘combines tannic hold with great freshness’. Still available en primeur, Millésima UK was selling 12 bottles in bond for £360. Liv-ex quoted an initial en primeur release price of £356 (12x75cl in bond). Collectors and investors will find a wealth of useful information on decanter.com/premium, including expert assessments of the latest vintage…

UNCORKED Andrew Jefford ‘Appellations need maintenance to work well’ Appellations (and their various European equivalents) have a problem. Not existential: they’re a brilliant idea, since they help small producers go to market with a meaningful name. They’re also necessary: value in the wine world is principally based on origin, and appellations guarantee origin. The problem is the same as you have with your car or your house: appellations need maintenance to work well. And they’re not getting it. Many French appellations were created in the 1930s. It was a decade of execrable weather, economic depression and political foreboding: life couldn’t have been tougher for growers. Another flurry of appellations arrived in the 1950s: a happier time, but economically difficult. There were more in the 1980s, as former VDQS (Vin Délimité…

Provence rosé vintage guide 2020 A difficult vintage, with a particularly hot, dry summer. Pale and delicate. Volume was down. Most will not age well, but expect a few surprises. 2019 A good vintage, in terms of both size and quality, with a robust, fruit-forward style. Good to age, some showing better with a year in bottle. 2018 A small, weaker vintage where négociant wines saved the day with strategic blending. Particularly pale colour. Mostly to drink up, but some surprises and a few ageing well. 2017 A small vintage due to spring frosts and a hot, dry summer. Good quality and fruit. Ageing well.…

POUILLY-FUISSE: KNOW YOUR VINTAGES 2020 A warm winter, and the season started almost three weeks in advance of 2019. Frost damage was avoided. In a hot and dry growing season, there was mostly enough rain to avoid blockage of ripening. Harvest began on 25 August, earlier even than (the extremely hot) 2003. 2019 Mild winter, abundant rain. The night of 4 April saw frost that reduced potential crops by 60%-80% in low-lying vineyards. Hot and dry conditions caused vines to shut down, impeding ripening, but a bit of rain in late August and early September allowed vines to finish. Harvest began on 9 September. 2018 A wet winter served to replenish reserves in general, yet flowering was thorough and a large crop of grapes was set. Some vines suffered in…

Mas de Daumas Gassac: at a glance Founded Land purchased 1971; first red vintage 1978, first white vintage 1986 Owned by The Guibert brothers: Samuel, Gaël, Roman, Basile and Amelien Production 86,000 bottles (red 44,000; white 35,000) Key wines Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge; Cuvée Emile Peynaud (pure, single-vineyard Cabernet, in the best years only, including 2015, 2020); Blanc; Vin de Laurence (sweet wine based on early-picked Sercial refermented with late-picked Muscat à Petits Grains Blancs, best years only); Rosé Frizant sparkling…

My Siena This Tuscan city is within easy reach of some of Italy’s most famous wine regions and an ideal base for visitors to the area. Let our expert’s guide give you the inside info on where to eat, drink and shop STORY SARAH LANE Siena’s perfectly preserved medieval centre is a tangle of sloping streets that curve around the contours of its hills. The major sights, including the intricately decorated cathedral and grand Palazzo Pubblico (city hall) with its lofty Torre del Mangia, were built during the 13th and 14th centuries, when Siena flourished as a cultural centre and key stop on the Via Francigena pilgrimage route to Rome. The city’s beating heart is its lovely shell-shaped piazza, Il Campo, where the famous Palio bareback horse race takes place…

Summer cocktails to make at home Add a special touch to your gathering by starting with a seasonal cocktail. These creations (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) are deliciously simple to prepare STORY LAURA FOSTER After what has felt like the longest winter and spring, summer is finally here. Add to this the fact that we’re able to socialise with friends and family once more, and you can practically feel the carnival atmosphere in the air. Hold onto your sun hats, because this year’s summer season might be one of the most exuberant yet. Seasonal drinking is most exciting in the summer. From afternoon ice-cold thirst quenchers to sundowners during golden sunsets and boozy refreshers on heady summer nights, the world is your bibulous oyster. So what should the perfect host in…

WHERE TO DRINK AND EAT WELL AROUND SOHO Andrew Edmunds 46 Lexington Street, W1F 0LP andrewedmunds.com The French House 49 Dean Street, W1D 5BG frenchhousesoho.com Noble Rot Soho 2 Greek Street, W1D 4NB noblerot.co.uk/soho-restaurant 10 Greek Street 10 Greek Street, W1D 4DH 10greekstreet.com The Black Book 23 Frith Street, W1D 4RR blackbooksoho.co.uk Bob Bob Ricard 1 Upper James Street, W1F 9DF bobbobricard.com/soho Maison Francois and Frank’s 34 Duke Street, SW1Y 6DF maisonfrancois.london Fiona Beckett is a contributing editor to Decanter. Find her work on matchingfoodandwine.com…

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…

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 There have been significant changes in the fine wine market over recent years, mainly linked to more active trading of many regions among trade, collectors and investors alike. Exchanges such as Bordeaux Index’s LiveTrade platform will no doubt see greater activity as all market participants search for lower costs of trading, plus the ability to sell wine faster – LiveTrade has constant bids on many of the most actively traded wines, for example. Among merchants, it is likely that much more trading will be automated via APIs (Application Programming Interface) given efficiency and other benefits. There is also a…

WORKING WINE TO 5 Shane Jones Wine and sake educator PHOTOGRAPH NIC CRILLY-HARGRAVE What’s the best thing about your job? It brings me immeasurable happiness. After a day or an evening of teaching I feel as though I haven’t been at work, and I consider myself rather lucky that my journey has brought me to this specialist area. Sharing my knowledge with others is an absolute delight and I’m constantly challenged to deliver what can sometimes be highly technical detail to students with varying learning abilities. Did I say how rewarding this is? It is! We’re all challenged and all the better for it. And the worst? When students try their hardest, yet cave under exam pressure by failing to make a passing grade. My advice to them is to…