Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2017 i Decanter

In brief Dom Pérignon has launched a luxurious click-and-buy service. The Champagne has teamed up with alcohol delivery app Thirstie, promising to deliver a chilled bottle of bubbly within an hour. The service currently operates in New York, Miami, San Francisco, Chicago, Austin, Houston and Toronto. A bottle of Penfolds Grange 1951 has been sold for £31,387 to a private collector at an auction held at MW Wines in Melbourne, 19 July. MW Wines believes it to be ‘a record price’ for this wine in Australia. Monday 7 August saw the start of the 2017 wine harvest in California’s Napa Valley, following a relatively untroubled growing season. Pickers at Mumm Napa started on the Pinot Noir, and harvesting also began at Domaine Carneros, the California estates of Champagne houses Mumm…

Andrew Jefford ‘Even musical sound has a terroir dimension’ WHERE DO THE limits of terroir lie? Decanter readers will be familiar with the wine world’s definition: that Pauillac and Pommard smell and taste as they do in part because of inherent singularities in the physical environment in which their grapes came into being. Terroir can, though, play a role in other comestibles – such as tea, cheese, or those vegetables which have an appellation protégée in France. Indeed I’d suggest it goes well beyond that, towards finely crafted goods of all sorts. Wherever the search for quality is imperative and a crafted product is fashioned with natural materials, terroir plays a role. Here’s an intriguing example. It involves an intoxicating experience – and without wine: you’re listening to a violin…

DECANTER PROMOTION Viña Perez Cruz A family of noble red wines, already a rising star in Chile “Producing high quality wines…. for the world’s fine-wine consumer markets” It seems incredible that the first wines were made less than twenty years ago, but the Pérez Cruz involvement with their now famous boutique winery actually began in 1963 when Pablo Pérez acquired the Liguai Estate in Chile’s Maipo Andes Valley. In 1994 his wife, Mariana Cruz, and their eleven sons and daughters embarked on a project to create their own winery, Viña Pérez Cruz, on the property. They planted the first vines in 1994, built the cellar in 2001, and made their first Pérez Cruz wine in 2002. The site the family chose for their estate is located 28 miles southeast of…

Sustainability and WiSe Sustainability is key in every part of the winemaking process, from the vineyards to distribution. Which means there is a fully integrated environmental and commercial sustainability programme in place for the ‘120’ range. Proof of this programme are the awards: ‘2015 Ethical Company of the Year’ from Drinks Business and the 2016 ‘Corporate Sustainability Award’ from the SOFOFA Federation of Chilean Industry. Community values and workers’ welfare are equally as important to Santa Rita, who run concerts and events for children in the local area, and provide medical facilities with free care for workers’ families; as well as a Welfare fund and Catastrophe Insurance and educational scholarships for both employees and their children. The ‘WiSe’ (Wine Seed) project in the Maipo Valley is a revolutionary approach by…

IIVO Research Centre – open to all wine and olive oil producers The IIVO (Incubadora de Innovación para el Vino y la Oliva / Innovation Incubator for Wine and Olives) recently opened its doors in Marchigüe. The centre is available to the whole community and dedicated to research and innovation in wine and olive oil, thanks to joint cooperation between Vinotec and Estampa vineyards. “Our mission is to offer a unique and exclusive service that is passionate about research, with support in all phases of production and high expectations for quality,” says Innovation Manager Tibisay Baesler. The IIVO’s state-of-the-art equipment includes a micro-vinification winery (5 Italian cocciopesto amphorae, 4 Italian cement tanks, 35 small stainless steel tanks, and full-scale equipment from France), an aging cellar, and an oil mill. It…

Tapia’s pick from Patagonia, old and new Bodegas Noemía, J Alberto, Río Negro 2015 96 £39.99 Museum Wines, The Wine Treasury Sourced from vineyards planted in 1955 in Mainqué in the heart of Río Negro Valley, this is a Malbec that unfolds subtly in the mouth, offering flavours of red fruits and violets enveloped in a mattress of tannins so soft they seem ethereal. It is delicious now, but will be much more so with a few years in the cellar. Drink 2017-2025 Alcohol 13.5% Bodegas Noemía, Noemía, Río Negro 2014 94 £90 (2013) Lay & Wheeler This Malbec comes from a 1.5-hectare vineyard planted in 1932. The first thing that captures your attention is its lifted, fruity and floral aromas, but also the depth of its flavours. The texture…

Vineyards at the extremes The highest 3,111m The world’s highest commercial vineyard: Colomé’s Altura Máxima in Calchaquí, Argentina. (Nearby El Esteco’s Chañar Punco is at 2,400m.) 2,450m Chile’s highest vineyard is Ayllu, located in the Salar de Atacama. Ayllu (see p72) is a fascinating social aid project, formed by the Chilean NW government in conjunction with W chemical company SQM. SW S In Toconao, the heart of the Atacama desert, 20 extremely small-scale producers produce individual wines under the shared brand name Ayllu. In 2015, just 7,251 bottles were made across all the producers. The driest Chile’s Atacama desert is the driest place on earth. Some weather stations in the Atacama have never recorded any rainfall. Meanwhile, Argentina’s Matías Michelini has recently started producing wines in Ica, Peru. Here annual…

The Decanter guarantee Our buying guide is here to provide you with trusted, independent, expert recommendations on what to buy, what to drink and what to cellar. Each panel tasting is judged by three experienced tasters chosen for their authority in the category of wine being rated. All wines are tasted blind and are pre-poured for judges in flights of eight to 10 wines. Our three experts taste and score their set of wines individually but then discuss their scores together at the end of each flight. Any wines on which scores are markedly different are retasted; however, judges are under no obligation to amend their scores. Judges are encouraged to look for typicity in wines, rewarding those which are true to their region. Prices are…

25 UNDER £25 Weekday wines Looking to try something different or adventurous, but don’t want to make an expensive mistake? Decanter’s tastings director Christelle Guibert has done the hard work for you, picking out 25 exciting and accessible wines available in the UK for £25 or less Leckford Estate, Brut, Hampshire, England, UK 2013 92 £24.99 Waitrose 49% Chardonnay, 36% Pinot Noir and 15% Pinot Meunier, sourced from Waitrose’s farm and fermented and aged at Ridgeview. Matured on its lees for 24 months, this has good depth and richness, with floral, green apple character and refreshing acidity. A serious fizz, yet youthful. Alcohol 12% Mas des Dames, Languedoc, France 2016 92 £16 Roberson Owner Lidewij van Wilgen gave up her advertising career to make wine. The whole range is stunning…

PANEL TASTING The results Both Altamira and Gualtallary came up trumps in this tasting, Altamira showing its pedigree and Gualtallary an exciting sense of experimentation. Amy Wislocki reports THE RATIONALE FOR grouping these two micro-regions of the Uco Valley together for this panel tasting was that both are producing some of Argentina’s most exciting Malbecs and other reds. That fact is confirmed by a fantastic set of results – no fewer than 12 wines rated Outstanding, and a further 37 Highly Recommended. Both regions won their fair share of the accolades (with Gualtallary having the edge at Highly Recommended level), but in the post-tasting discussion our experts emphasised the differences between them. Altamira is a long-established wine region with older vines, and a distinguished pedigree, while Gualtallary is an emerging…

PANEL TASTING Highly Recommended 90–94pts Catena Zapata, Adrianna Vineyard, Gualtallary 2014 94 PC 95 PL 93 PT 95 N/A UK www.catenawines.com Sweet black fruit accompanied by leathery notes on the nose and palate, with a very moreish texture – a fantastic expression here, a feast! Drink 2017-2022 Alc 13.5% SuperUco, Calcáreo Granito de Gualta Malbec, Gualtallary 2015 94 PC 95 PL 93 PT 94 £35 Ake & Humphris, The Sampler, WoodWinters Tons of perfumed, cassis-edged black fruit capture the attention right from the beginning in a wine that marries power with finesse. This is bright, refreshing and vibrant. Drink 2017-2024 Alc 14% Altos Las Hormigas, Appellation Malbec, Altamira 2014 93 PC 93 PL 94 PT 92 £31.88-£39.99 Exel, Noel Young, The Vineking, The Wine Reserve Classic nose of leather and…

My top three Phil Crozier • Gen del Alma, Crua Chan Gualta Malbec, Gualtallary 2016 I’m a big fan of the Michelini brothers. This wine sets the benchmark for the purity of fruit and potential of this place. These guys clearly go straight to the core of what Gualtallary means. Brilliant wine. 97 Drink 2017-2024 • Susana Balbo, Signature Malbec, Altamira 2015 From a difficult vintage. Susana has been moving much of her fantastic portfolio to the Uco Valley in recent years. And once again, she uses her delicate hand to tease out those elements that define Altamira. Minty fresh, with a distinct medicinal character. Pure red fruits with a mineral and chalky mouthfeel. 97 Drink 2017-2025 • Zuccardi, Polígonos, Altamira 2015 I love this series of wines. Created to…

My top three Peter Richards MW • William Fèvre Chile, La Misión Gran Reserva, Maipo Valley 2013 Grown at altitude and made with real restraint, Fèvre’s Carmeneres tend to be elegant and food-friendly. This one’s super classy: savoury and linear, with delicious maturity. 97 Drink 2017-2021 • Las Niñas, Reserva, Apalta, Colchagua Valley 2016 This elegant, insistent style defies the stereotypes. Apalta is usually all about big, rich wines, but this is a study in delicacy, inviting contemplation of the earth, such is its mineral power. 94 Drink 2017-2019 • Echeverria, Gran Reserva, Curicó Valley 2014 My fellow tasters didn’t rate this edgy, tangy, smoky style as much as me – but I couldn’t bear to see it lost in the mix. 93 Drink 2017-2018…

Restó SCA Buenos Aires By Sorrel Moseley-Williams Tucked inside the Central Architects Society, Restó SCA has built a solid reputation for creating contemporary Argentinian cuisine; it’s one of Buenos Aires’ best-kept dining secrets. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in October, there’s been a change of regime after sous chef María Magdalena Piaggio stepped up to helm the kitchen in May – and she’s keen to shine. Chandon’s Blanc de Noir Brut Nature kicks off dinner. It’s followed by a huge basket of sourdough, ciabatta, wholegrain and black olive breads. Slapping on noisette butter topped with peanut praline ensures a direct line to your hips. Restó wears its heart on its sleeve when it comes to Argentina, showing love for ingredients sourced from all corners of the country. Going large with the…

Casonas in Chilean wine country Traditionally the home of the owner, most historic wineries have a casona (house) offering a cosy stay with wine-paired evening meals. In the middle of Santa Rita’s Maipo estate is its handsome Casa Real Hotel (www.santarita.com/international/casa-real-hotel), with 16 rooms in a well-preserved 18th century mansion. Further south in Colchagua, Casa Silva’s century-old family home in the vineyard also moonlights as a boutique hotel (www.casasilva.cl/hotel.html). And on the road between Casablanca and San Antonio lies the 160ha biodynamic estate of Matetic (www.matetic.com), where you can spend the night in one of eight well-appointed rooms in the colonial-style casona surrounded by handsome gardens, with a sleek swimming pool.…

Grape varieties with Julia Harding MW Vinhão Photograph: Vasco Croft of Aphros Wine This remarkable dark-skinned variety from the Minho region of northwest Portugal produces such deeply coloured wines it is often mistakenly described as a teinturier variety (one of the few that have coloured flesh). There’s so much colour in the skins that as soon as they are broken in any way it seeps into the flesh. Although Vinhão is best known in its home region as red Vinho Verde, it is also planted under the name Sousão in the Douro Valley, often in old-vine field blends made into Port. Quinta do Vallado and Quinta do Vale da Raposa are unusual in making an unfortified 100% Sousão. The variety has a reputation for producing rustic wines high in tannin…

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

John Stimpfig ‘Rather like whistling, the art of spitting has eluded me’ CURIOUSLY, JUDY RODGERS’ question (see Notes & Queries, p134) about wine-tasting etiquette and how to spit isn’t the only enquiry I've received on the subject in recent weeks. Last month, someone asked me almost exactly the same question. And most recently, the topic cropped up at the start of Bianca Bosker’s illuminating and entertaining book Cork Dork, which lifts the lid on the secret world of sommeliers in New York. In truth, I am not an expert spitter. Despite 20 years of attending tastings and expelling thousands of mouthfuls of wine, all I can say is that I am still only moderately competent. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not someone who hunkers over the spittoon and emits…

What I’ve been drinking this month My nephew Charlie was staying recently – he’s studying French, Spanish and History at university, and was lucky enough to help out for a short spell down in the cellars at Château Pichon Baron during his post-school year off in 2014. To celebrate, we drank a bottle of Pichon Baron 2013 – the very wine he would have helped rack. Considering the weakness of the vintage, the wine acquitted itself well: pungent, bright, acidity certainly to the fore, but with enough draping flesh to keep everything in balance. Those harvest efforts were not in vain.…

Brand values: best at £8-£13 The quality offered by its big brands has long been a strength of South America’s wine industry – great for wine lovers, since it means a good choice of widely available, well-priced wines. We asked two of our experts to taste through 74 wines from the big-name producers in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay in order to pick out the best buys for everyday drinking. Sarah Jane Evans MW reports on the tasting CONFIDENT, CONSISTENT, CONVINCING – congratulations to the winemakers! This tasting showed just why South America’s brands are so successful on the UK high street. They have an undeserved reputation for anonymity, yet the best wines tasted here provide character as well as value. Two-thirds of our selection scored 90 points or more…

MALBEC Iglesias’ picks: 15 top Malbecs from Argentina and Chile Estancia Uspallata, Mendoza, Argentina 2015 95 N/A UK www.estanciauspallata.com Uspallata is a new viticultural area in Mendoza. At 2,000m, it offers a complex and original Malbec with pronounced black fruit and herbal character, earthy aromas, high acidity, fine tannins and a long finish. Drink 2017-2023 Alc 14% Rogue Vine, Macho Anciano, Itata Valley, Chile 2013 94 £28 (2015) Indigo Wine Leo Erazo, winemaker for Altos Las Hormigas in both Mendoza and Cahors, obtains this original Malbec from a centennial vineyard he recovered in Bío Bío. Black fruit, wet stones, floral rounded palate. Drink 2017-2020 Alc 14% Viñedos de Alcohuaz, La Era de Alcohuaz Malbec, Elqui Valley, Chile 2013 94 N/A UK www.vdalcohuaz.cl Organic Malbec from the Elqui Valley planted on…

DECANTER PROMOTION Crazy and Creative, from Chile It shouldn’t work, but it does: the secrets of the prestigious Caballo Loco range most important wineries in Chile, Srah has become the symbol of “Spontaneity, freedom and courage are the motivations behind the wine” Caballo Loco (“Crazy Horse”) is the product of an original combination of elements: an intuitive and creative winemaking team, a bold commercial team and an irreverent executive management. Spontaneity, freedom and courage are the motivations behind the wine that has the maverick Jorge Coderch – a real “Crazy Horse” in person - behind it. Caballo Loco, the wine, is an idea that would never have got off the drawing board. The concept was unusual to say the least: the creation of a blend that would express the best…

Cooper’s pick: 10 wines pushing the boundaries Ventisquero, Tara 1 Chardonnay, Huasco, Atacama, Chile 2014 93 £38 Museum Wines, The Wine Treasury Cloudy in the glass. Beguiling nose, with real minerality and notes of baked green apples. Beautifully textured mouthfeel – chalky and weighty with distinct salinity and poise. A gastronomic wine par excellence. Drink 2017-2022 Alcohol 13% Passionate Wine, Via Revolucionaria, Piel Sauvignon Blanc, Gualtallary, Tupungato, Argentina 2016 92 £28 Abasto, Seven Cellars Matías Michelini’s skin-contact Sauvignon Blanc. Intense dried herbs and orange rind. Early harvesting means this is extremely racy on the palate, bone dry with a herbal mid-palate and long finish. Drink 2017-2020 Alc 10.5% Casa Silva, Lago Ranco Sauvignon Blanc, Austral, Chile 2016 90 £20 Jackson Nugent Citrus peel and green pear aromas. A lovely glassy…

STEVEN SPURRIER’S fine wine world Decanter’s long-standing consultant editor and 2017 Decanter Man of the Year hand-picks fine wines for drinking now and recommends others to lay down, all priced from £25 upwards From the cellar Wines from a Canadian connoisseur Marc Nadeau, an old friend, opened a branch of my Académie du Vin in Toronto in the 1980s. A dinner he gave at 67 Pall Mall in May offered his guests some extraordinary gems. After a beautifully classy, creamy magnum of Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne 2004, we had three matched pairs: a perfectly balanced Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Meursault-Perrières 1er Cru 2001 and a more golden, yet more grippy Maison Leroy, Meursault-Charmes 1er Cru 1999; a floral and warm Lucien Lemoine, Bonnes-Mares 2003, with still some way to go,…

The judges Phil Crozier Crozier is wine director for the Gaucho restaurant group, responsible for the wine list, including its 200 Argentinian wines. He also runs the Gaucho-owned Malbec vineyard in Lulunta in Mendoza, which produces Viña Patricia. Crozier is also involved with the production of the Corte G range of wines. Paz Levinson Levinson works between Argentina and France as a consultant and educator and is currently head sommelier at Virtus in Paris. In 2015 she was named Best Sommelier of the Americas and placed fourth in the Best Sommelier in the World competition held in Mendoza in 2016. Patricio Tapia Tapia is the DWWA Regional Chair for South America (excluding Chile). He is the South American wine critic for Wine & Spirits, and also writes the annual Descorchados…

My top three Paz Levinson • Gen del Alma, Crua Chan Gualta Malbec, Gualtallary 2016 The nose instantly seduces with a mixture of fresh and crunchy dark cassis and blueberries. On the palate, it’s an impressive wine, dry with a nervy acidity, bright with pristine fruit, just like on the nose. It’s one of the best Malbecs there is. 97 Drink 2017-2024 • Susana Balbo, Signature Malbec, Altamira 2015 This is about dark fruit complexity, lifted by spice notes of cloves and nutmeg. The tannins are stunning, fine-grained, giving a beautiful texture. A lesson in elegance. 97 Drink 2017-2025 • Finca Sophenia, Malbec, Gualtallary 2016 What a wine for the price! The palate is energetic with an electric acidity combined with chalky texture. Austere and elegant, it’s a model of…

DECANTER PROMOTION DECANTER RECOMMENDED GUALTALLARY & ALTAMIRA MALBEC Allamand Altamira Malbec, 2014 www.luminis.com.ar/en/ T: +54 9261 300 9862 Imported to the UK by: Gourvid Limited www.gourvid.com Ruta 40 Wine www.ruta40.com Escorihuela Gascon Organic Vineyard 2016 www.escorihuelagascon.com.ar UK importer : Walker & Wodehouse Wine Merchants T: 0207 449 1665 www.walkerwodehousewines.com Finca La Escuela Finca La Escuela La Grava Malbec 2015 Winery contact: Jorge Crotta E: jcrotta@tintonegras.com.ar UK importer: Armit Wines Manos Negras Manos Negras Artesano Malbec 2015 Contact: Jorge Crotta E: jcrotta@tintonegras.com.ar UK importer : OW Loeb Viña Las Perdices S.A. www.lasperdices.com Looking for UK importer International Trade Manager: Lic.Pablo Silvestre E: pablo@lasperdices.com T: +54-9-261-6656245 www.lasperdices.com Finca Ferrer Acordeón Malbec 2015 Contact: Cecilia Canaro Tel: +54 (0)911 3206 8080 UK Importer : Freixenet UK, Crowthorne, Berks, RG456LS T: +44 (0)1344 758500 Distributor (On Trade):…

PANEL TASTING The results Disappointed with the quality on show from Carmenere’s Colchagua heartland, our panel found plenty of promise and much to discuss in other regions, says Tina Gellie THE TWO SIDES of the Carmenere coin certainly showed themselves in this tasting. Our experts were at once excited about its potential in Chile, but disappointed by the mediocrity of many examples – particularly from the variety’s heartland. ‘Carmenere was once Chile’s flagship in the same way that Malbec is for Argentina,’ said Patricio Tapia. ‘But about 10 years ago Wines of Chile decided that diversity was the key and Carmenere was sort of forgotten. Meanwhile, in Argentina, they continued to experiment with Malbec: planting it at higher altitudes; in the north; in the south… So Chilean producers are still…

My top three Alistair Cooper • William Fèvre Chile, La Misión Reserva Especial, Maipo Valley 2015 What stood out here was the brilliant addition of Cabernet Franc, which helps to give an elegant and floral expression of Carmenere. Brightness, fine-grained tannins: fantastic! 95 Drink 2017-2020 • Cremaschi Furlotti, Loncomilla, Maule Valley 2015 A winery that continues to impress. Muscular style with firm, beautifully structured tannins, and it has the signature Maule freshness and vibrancy. 95 Drink 2017-2021 • Casa Donoso, Bicentenario, Maule Valley 2015 Superb, refreshing, subtle style with delicate aromatics. The key is the acidity, freshness and tension which can be hard to get right with Carmenere. Bang on. 94 Drink 2017-2019…

EXPERT’S CHOICE Argentinian whites Its reliably good reds are a default choice for many, but these days Argentina’s white wines also offer great quality across an intriguing range of styles, says Patricio Tapia  IT IS NOT difficult to understand that Argentina is considered a producer of reds rather than whites. Firstly, because Malbec is obviously its star and the main reason why Argentinian wines have become known in the world. And secondly because the heat of the places where the grapes have been cultivated (Mendoza, Salta, Río Negro) is better suited to those robust reds that are so enjoyed by the locals with their asado cooking. ‘As the results with Chardonnay and Sauvignon improved, Chenin and Semillon slowly disappeared’ Let’s look at the figures. There are about 40,000ha (hectares) of…

READERS’ QUERIES Notes & Queries Each month our experts answer readers’ wine queries and share their knowledge This month’s experts Sarah Jane Evans MW is a DWWA co-Chair and an expert in Spanish wine Jim Budd exposes the dangers of drinks investment on Investdrinks.org John Stimpfig is Decanter’s content director Rioja rosado I’m not a big rosé drinker but I really got a taste for Rioja rosado while on holiday. Only two of the 30 wines in your recent rosé tasting (August issue) were from Rioja and one was very expensive, so can you give me more recommendations, or suggest other wines that might taste similar? C Crossland, Lincoln Sarah Jane Evans MW replies: Rioja rosado, like the rosés of so many other global regions, is undergoing a transformation. That’s…

Market watch Asia fine wine demand sends BI first-half 2017 sales soaring An air of optimism pervades, after a ‘phenomenal’ 2016 Bordeaux en primeur campaign accompanied by a leap in export-led demand across the board Compiled by Laura Seal Photograph: Blue Jean Images/Alamy Stock Photo All figures from Liv-Ex, 9 May 2017, unless otherwise stated. ASIAN FINE WINE buyers and the ‘most successful Bordeaux en primeur campaign in seven years’ have helped wine trader BI to a healthy rise in sales in the first half of 2017. A jump in Asian demand has reportedly boosted BI’s sales to £50 million in the first six months of 2017, an increase of 43% compared to the same period in 2016. BI, formerly known as Bordeaux Index, attributed the surge to clients in…

Decanter Wine Legends Viñedo Chadwick 2000 Alto Maipo, Chile A legend because… Although the Chadwick vineyard close to the Maipo River was only planted in 1992, the wine was an immediate success from its first vintage (1999) onwards. Subsequent vintages received Robert Parker’s highest scores for a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon for a number of years, ensuring international recognition. In 2004, Eduardo Chadwick, the sixth generation of his family to run Viña Errazuriz, staged a blind tasting in Berlin of 16 Bordeaux and Bordeaux-style wines, including 2000 vintage Château Lafite and other top-scoring first growths – but it was this wine that received the highest average score. Since then Viñedo Chadwick’s reputation has been assured. Looking back Eduardo Chadwick wanted to honour his father Alfonso with a top-quality wine originating on…

Letter of the month An ode to Greece HOW DELIGHTFUL TO come across several pages devoted to the wonderful Assyrtiko grape in your August issue. I have long felt that this grape is completely under the radar and the Greek wine industry should be doing more to champion this grape in the way that Spain has done with Albariño and New Zealand has done with Sauvignon Blanc. It was only on a recent visit to Santorini that I realised the potential that Assyrtiko has to be very successful in the UK market. I have always been staggered, given its long winemaking heritage, that Greece does not play a more prominent role on the world wine stage. However, after speaking to several young people (several of whom own small vineyards), I…

Hugh Johnson ‘I don’t drink well-known wines when I’m driving around France’ IT IS THE constant stimulus of new wines, vintages (of course), producers, rediscoveries of old vineyards or crusty appellations reborn that saves my summer jaunt in France from increasing gloom. Provincial France has been dying for years; this year things are worse than ever. Globalisation is doing it in. Commerce, in the old sense of busy high street shops, has been killed by supermarkets – and the skills that made it a pleasure to cross the Channel are becoming extinct. The charcuterie/traiteur, the patisserie, the tabac, the boucherie, the clattering quincaillerie… even the boulangerie has closed. Traffic still filters down the old grey street, but life has passed to the supermarket in its huge car park. With the…

ICON WINES Icon wines: setting the bar A select band of producers in Chile and Argentina offer wines acknowledged as the pinnacle of what’s possible in their locations. Yet cult status still has to be earned, says Anthony Rose Photograph: Mike Prior WHAT’S A SOUTH American icon? Easy: a wine that comes wrapped in pretty tissue paper. Yes, such a superficial view is, of course, nonsense, yet the i-word is bandied about so freely that overuse can all too easily lead to a devaluation of the coinage. Almost by definition, any wine that has icon status conferred on it by its own producer is not an icon. As Achaval Ferrer’s Julio Lasmartres puts it, the status of icon is ‘not something that you can name by your own judgement, but…

The Spurrier selection Poggio al Tesoro, W Dedicato a Walter, Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy 2012 95 £66.99 Cambridge Wine Merchants, Harrods, Liberty Dedicated to the late Walter Allegrini, brother to Marilisa and Franco, this 100% Cabernet Franc comes from the Bolgheri estate next door to Ornellaia that the family bought in 2001 to make an absolute classic: Tuscany’s finest Cabernet Franc. Drink 2017-2025 Alc 14% De Loach, Olivet Bench Estate Vineyard, Russian River Valley, California 2012 93 £59.99 Liberty, South Downs Cellars From a fine, slow-ripening vintage. This 6.7ha vineyard is the pride of De Loach, which has been revitalised by Jean-Charles Boisset, who knows about Pinot Noir: robust yet elegant, wonderful depth. Drink 2017-2022 Alc 14.5% Cullen, Diana Madeline, Margaret River, Western Australia 2015 95 £85.99 Hedonism, Liberty Named after…

GUALTALLARY & ALTAMIRA REDS Outstanding 95–97pts Gen del Alma, Crua Chan Gualta Malbec, Gualtallary 2016 Decanter average score: 97/100pts Individual judges’ scores: Phil Crozier 97 Paz Levinson 97 Patricio Tapia 97 £42 Bottle Apostle, Dunells, Drinkmonger Gen del Alma is the project of Gerardo Michelini and his wife (and fellow winemaker) Andrea Muffato. Set up in 2012, the 7ha estate is relatively small by Argentinian standards, yet the wines retain the Michelini hallmarks of purity, minerality and freshness. The grapes for this cuvée are from younger Malbec vines grown on chalky soils, fermented in cement amphorae with around 30% whole clusters, before being moved to 500-litre barriques for malolactic conversion. Phil Crozier Deep, lush, powerful, yet beautifully balanced. Fantastic! Paz Levinson Violet-infused blueberries, lavender and cassis leap from the glass.…

My top three Patricio Tapia • Gen del Alma, Crua Chan Gualta Malbec, Gualtallary 2016 From young vineyards planted on chalk-rich soils, in the heart of Gualtallary, this is a clear expression of Andean Malbec. Floral, refreshing, crisp, and so easy to drink. 97 Drink 2017-2024 • Passionate Wine, Micheliniwine @ Parcela 84, Gualtallary 2014 Matías Michelini is the master of Gualtallary. This is his newest approach to the area: ample and friendly, it fills the palate with their Andean flavours. 96 Drink 2017-2023 • Zuccardi, Aluvional, Altamira 2014 This traditional winery has been revolutionised by Sebastián Zuccardi, and he has done it with a sense of place. From river soils, it shows all the vigour, fruit and tension of the best of its kind. A breath of Andean air.…

The judges Alistair Cooper Cooper moved back to the UK in 2006 after years working for wineries in Chile and Argentina. A wine writer and consultant, he has contributed to various publications including Decanter, is resident wine expert for BBC Radio Oxford, and is now also writing his MW research paper. Peter Richards MW Richards is the DWWA Regional Chair for Chile and has published The Wines of Chile and his own Chile Wine Brief. He is a guest presenter on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen and, together with his wife Susie Barrie MW, runs a wine school and wine festival in Winchester. Patricio Tapia Tapia is the DWWA Regional Chair for Argentina. He is the South American wine critic for Wine & Spirits magazine in the US, and also writes the…

My top three Patricio Tapia • Cremaschi Furlotti, Loncomilla, Maule Valley 2015 With its granite soils and generous sun, Loncomilla is one of Chile’s best sources for Carmenere. A good example, this has flavours and aromas of black fruits and delicious notes of herbs and spices. 96 Drink 2017-2021 • Casa Donoso, Sucesor, Maule Valley 2013 From a dry-farmed vineyard in Loncomilla, this is blended with 15% Malbec. Voluptuous flavours of ripe fruits, and enough nervy acidity to give balance. 96 Drink 2017-2019 • Ventisquero, Queulat, Maipo Valley 2015 Towards the coastal zone of the Maipo, in Trinidad vineyard, the influence of the Pacific produces reds that are fresh and alive. This is a good example: strong, firm acidity, notes of vibrant red fruits and a medium but tight and…

RESTAURANTS Jamavar London By Fiona Beckett Ask a wine lover about their favourite Indian restaurant and chances are it’ll be some small town in Surrey with a dreary wine list where they always end up drinking Kingfisher. The myth still persists – despite the efforts of London’s best Indian restaurants – that you can’t combine curry and wine. Until recently, restaurants that have tried have tended to go down the fine-dining route, producing small, exquisite, jewel-like creations with a hint rather than a thwack of spice. It’s almost as if they don’t believe it either. But now along comes Jamavar in Mayfair’s pricey Mount Street where, despite an ambitious wine list (in terms of range and price), there’s no toning down of the flavour intensity. Maybe that’s because it’s the…

Top 10 winery hotels in South America Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay offer plenty of options for wine lovers in search of a getaway. Amanda Barnes recommends the best places to stay SOUTH AMERICA USED to be the domain of gap year backpackers and shoestring tourism. That isn’t the case any more. There’s been a boom in luxury adventure tourism across the Southern Cone, with five-star hotels nestled into the desert plains of the Atacama and down to the waterfalls and glacier lakes of Patagonia. In the wine regions too you can experience the wilderness of the landscapes and the soul of the local culture while sleeping on high-threadcount cotton sheets and sipping the finest wines. BEST FOR HONEYMOONERS 1 Cavas Wine Lodge Luj‡n de Cuyo, Argentina The first luxury…