Indholdsfortegnelse for Oct-2018 i Decanter

Amonth in wine Around the wine world UNESCO proposes wine industry climate change role Climate change is the biggest risk to UNESCO World Heritage sites, and the wine industry can help the United Nations body to research and measure its impact through a recently proposed Climate Vulnerability Index. So said Irina Bokova, UNESCO director-general from 2009 to 2017, at a climate change summit held in Porto and co-hosted by wine trade members including Taylor’s Port. Wine regions feature prominently on the UNESCO World Heritage list, with Alto Douro, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and Piedmont all enjoying protected status. Bokova said that the proposed climate index would help to prioritise ideas for making areas more resilient to climate change. ‘The Douro Valley can be a very good example of how this new…

Letter of the month Protect Champagne growers I AM WRITING out of frustration at Tyson Stelzer’s article on grower Champagne (August 2018 issue). How sad that these producers, many of them passionate, are dying out in favour of selling out to the large maisons. We should be trying to protect the smaller growers, encouraging them in their art, not forcing them to give up and sell to the big houses. I do not want to see a world where I can only buy Moët, Veuve and Pommery. Their off-the-shelf juice has no soul, no passion and nothing that makes them special. When I read that large maisons are paying a 7% premium on grapes, this infuriates me even more. A system was once put in place to ensure fair prices…

EVENTS Italy Fine Wine Encounter Producers from 58 wineries in 11 regions across north and central Italy, Sicily and Sardinia came together at London’s Landmark Hotel in early June to present a fantastic selection of top-quality wines to 700 eager guests Photographs: Nina Assam (www.ninaassam.com) Saturday & Sunday 3-4 November 2018 – don’t miss Decanter’s flagship Fine Wine Encounter at The Landmark, London NW1. More than 100 of the world’s best wine producers will be in attendance. See p22 for more information.…

DECANTER PROMOTION Andeluna: profile Andeluna is an 80ha. wine estate at 1,300m altitude in sub region of Gualtallary in Tupungato, Uco Valley Andeluna is a family owned business founded in 2003, with the vision of being recognized as one of the top producers of high quality wines of Argentina. The winery is located in the rocky terroir of Gualtallary, in Tupungato, Mendoza, at an elevation of 1,300 mts; a perfect environment for producing complex quality wines. Andeluna follows principles of responsibility and sustainability of resources, and its wines are faithful representations of their homelands of origin. The winery is certified with GMP and ISO 22000. Andeluna wines are exported to more than 30 countries in the world and its winemaking is in charge of Manuel González, with the advice of…

WINEMAKERS The new generation Tim Atkin MW meets 10 young men and women who are changing the face of the wine industry across Chile and Argentina – and finds out how fresh ideas, global experience and local mentors have influenced their individual winemaking styles Tim Atkin MW is an award-winning wine writer and photographer and regular contributor to Decanter. His 2018 Special Reports on Chile and Argentina are available at www.timatkin.com ‘You learn from each vintage, both as a winemaker and as a person’ Agustín Lombroni (left) Agustín Lombroni Bodega del Río Elorza, Argentina You know a winemaker is serious about his job when he turns up for a tasting with his own decanters as well as his own glasses! Agustín Lombroni is one focused hombre, determined to make…

CHILE VINTAGES Variations on a theme Previously known for its consistency, Chile is experiencing increasingly varied vintage patterns as winemaking styles evolve and extreme weather makes an impact. Peter Richards MW offers a snapshot of recent vintages Photograph: Matt Wilson/Cephas BEING PLUNGED INTO darkness was a fairly common occurrence in Chile in the late 1990s. Drought and mismanagement meant less power than expected was generated by Chile’s hydroelectric plants, hence rolling blackouts. It cost the country millions and was yet another reminder, in a nation prone to natural calamities from earthquakes to volcanic eruptions, of the humbling power of nature. ‘We must never forget, we depend on nature and it is not under our control.’ So says Marcelo Papa, who oversees the greatest wine output in the country as Concha…

Highlights from the 2016 vintage Casa Silva, Lago Ranco Riesling, Austral 2016 93 £20 Jackson Nugent From one of Chile’s most southerly fine wine vineyards, this cultured, succulent Riesling stops you in your tracks. Vibrant and invigorating, with green apple and toasty aromatics leading into a dry, tense yet well rounded flavour profile. Very exciting. Drink 2018-2025 Alc 11.5% Volcanes de Chile, Tectonia Chardonnay, Malleco 2016 92 £12.99 Majestic The best Malleco Chardonnays marry steely acidity with generous red apple fruit and a rounded, buttery character. You can feel the sun and the earth here; it’s revitalising, helped along by a touch of spice, making it ideal to go with a fish pie. Drink 2018-2021 Alc 13% Errazuriz, Las Pizarras Pinot Noir, Aconcagua Costa, Aconcagua 2016 98 £80 Atlas, BI,…

Barnes’ pick: top South American Criolla wines to try Miguel Torres Chile, Estelado Organic Sparkling Wine Extra Brut, Secano Interior, Chile 2015 90 £14.99 Auriol, Latitude, Lewis & Cooper, Taylor’s Fine Wine This golden blanc de noirs País is Torres Chile’s latest innovation following on from its bestseller brut rosé. It’s crisp and linear in character, with fresh strawberry and blossom notes. Drink 2018-2020 Alcohol 12% Roberto Henríquez, Rivera del Notro Blanco, Itata Valley, Chile 2017 94 £21.40 Wines Under the Bonnet Wonderfully aromatic, honey-coloured old-vine blend: Criolla varieties Moscatel and Corinto with a touch of Semillon. Dried flowers, hay and peach aromas, full but fresh. Drink 2018-2022 Alc 12.2% Bouchon Family Wines, País Salvaje Blanco, Maule Valley, Chile 2017 91 £16 Condor Wines This artisanal white País is sourced…

Barnes’ top picks from Daniel Pi Trapiche, Terroir Series, Finca El Tomillo Chardonnay, Gualtallary, Mendoza, Uco Valley 2017 94 £23 Carruthers & Kent, Enotria&Coe Daniel Pi’s talent for white winemaking reaches his acclaimed Terroir Series. Flint, wet stones and lavender floral notes tease the nose, but the power is on the palate, which shows great tension, volume and length. A class-act Chardonnay. Drink 2018-2025 Alcohol 14% Trapiche, Costa y Pampa Albariño, Chapadmalal, Buenos Aires 2017 90 £16 Carruthers & Kent, Enotria&Coe The newest addition – and first vintage of Albariño – from Trapiche’s pioneering coastal vineyard is perhaps the most exciting wine to emerge from it yet. Bright citrus and stone fruit notes are framed by a mouthwatering, sea-salt finish. Drink 2018-2020 Alc 11% Tres14, Imperfecto, Gualtallary, Mendoza, Uco Valley…

Sparkling style: Iglesias picks his top fizz buys Rosell Boher, Grande Cuveé Millésimée, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina 2014 94 N/A UK www.rosellboher.com The eighth release of Alejandro Martínez Rosell’s prestige cuveé, first produced in 1999. This blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay spends 40 months on lees. A pale gold colour in the glass, with lively bubbles. Biscuit complexity, fragrant with a creamy texture, yet refreshing and dry on the finish. Drink 2018-2025 Alcohol 12.5% Azur, Brut, Limarí Valley, Chile NV 93 N/A UK www.azur.cl A traditional-method sparkler from the Limarí Valley. It spends 36 months on lees until it reaches a bright lemon colour, with persistent bubbles and aromas of bread crust, yeast and dry stone fruits. A creamy palate but delicate with a dry finish. This…

Tapia’s pick: five to try from Uruguay’s Maldonado region Bodega Bouza, Pan der Azúcar Riesling 2016 92 £21.50 (2015) Vin Cognito From vines planted on the granitic soils of the slopes of the Pan de Azúcar hill, to the east of Montevideo. This Riesling offers notes of citrus and herbs, on a palate with a creamy texture and keen acidity. Drink 2018-2020 Alcohol 13.5% Bodega Garzón, Reserva Albariño, Garzón 2017 91 £13.75-£15.99 (2016) Borders Wines, Exel, GP Brands, Kwoff, Slurp, Twelve Green Bottles, Vinum Encapsulates the 35ha of Albariño planted by Garzón on the granitic hills of Maldonado Bay. An intense perfume of flowers, light and refreshing body and creamy smooth texture. Drink 2018-2020 Alc 14% Familia Deicas, Valle de los Manantiales Tannat, Garzón 2016 95 £18.99 The Good Wine…

The judges Paz Levinson Levinson was the first Argentinian to pass the Court of Master Sommeliers’ advanced sommelier certificate and won the ASI and APAS Best Sommelier of the Americas in 2015. she ranked fourth in the ASI Best Sommelier of the World in 2016. She is currently head sommelier at Virtus in Paris and works between France and Argentina as a consultant and educator. My top three • Fabre Montmayou, Reservado, Mendoza, Argentina 2015 Blueberry and cassis aromas mingle with mint, eucalyptus and lavender. Great tension and freshness. Perfect balance; tannins are ripe but firm, with a great potential. 97 Drink 2020-2026 • Trapiche, Gran Medalla, Mendoza, Argentina 2014 What a lovely wine! Elegant and energetic, with nervy acidity, good concentration and layers of flavour. Powerful and muscular but…

The judges Peter Richards MW Richards is the Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Chair for Chile and has thus far authored three books including The Wines of Chile and his own Chile Wine Brief. Married to Susie Barrie MW, together they run a wine school and wine festival in Winchester. My top three • Morandé, Gran Reserva, Casablanca 2016 Ricardo Baettig has long made serious, cultured Sauvignon in the top echelons of Morandé’s range – styles that major on texture as much as aromatics. This is a great-value, elegantly oaked example. 94 Drink 2018-2020 • Ventolera, Leyda 2016 While it seems as if the aromas have been slightly flattened by a touch of botrytis, this wine is all about the palate: intense, layered, balanced, packed with revitalising citrus freshness but…

EXPERT’S CHOICE Calchaquí Valley reds Follow the development of one of the wine world’s most extreme territories, as Patricio Tapia picks his favourite bottles from Argentina’s rugged far north IT LOOKS LIKE the moon. A rocky surface, intersected by mountains of sharp peaks and lands of all shades of grey. There is almost no life here, beyond whatever manages to grow next to the rivers that wend their way down the mountains. Although a desert region, like Mendoza, the Calchaquí Valleys in Argentina’s far northwest are a world of their own, a land with 300 days of sun, higher than 2,000m, with condors soaring up above – huge birds with a three-metre wingspan, the colossi of the Andes, observing from great height some of the most extreme vineyards in the…

READERS’ QUERIES Notes & Queries Each month our experts answer readers’ wine queries and share their knowledge Protecting against hail There’s been more bad news about severe hail damage in French vineyards. Is it feasible for producers to erect physical barriers against it? If so, what would be the cost implications? Thomas Boorman, Brussels Christophe Coupez responds: Indeed, statistics show that weather damage is becoming more frequent, and the consequences worse. Yes, physical barriers such as nets have proved their efficiency against hail, and yet until very recently it was not permitted to use nets to protect a vineyard producing AP wines. However, a surprise INAO announcement in mid-July means that, following three years of experimentation in Burgundy, hail nets can now be used – although there are still some…

Significant rise in rare Scotch whisky auction sales Rare Scotch whisky worth more than £16m was sold at auction in the UK during the first half of 2018, according to figures released by analyst and broker Rare Whisky 101. That represents a 46% surge compared to the same period in 2017, with the volume of bottles changing hands rising 27% to almost 50,000 – evidence of an increasingly significant role for rare whisky at auction. Single malt Macallan remains the dominant force in the secondary market, representing 34.4% of whisky auction receipts, despite only accounting for 12.7% of volumes. In value terms, the next nine brands combined had a market share of only 31.3%.…

John Stimpfig ‘There are even more South American players waiting in the wings’ THIS MONTH WE focus on the vinous delights of South America. Only very recently, this effectively meant Chile and Argentina. But as you’ll have no doubt noticed in this and recent issues, the rapidly improving wines of Brazil, Uruguay and Bolivia are also gaining greater distribution, traction and relevance in international markets. Deservedly so: it should come as no great surprise. In the last few years, investment, expertise, experimentation and quality have increased in all three countries. Following on from that, so too have the number of medal-winning wines being entered in the Decanter World Wine Awards from all three nations. Last year, Brazil excelled by bagging three Golds for the first time. But in 2018, Uruguay…

In brief ■ The English summer heatwave has raised winemakers’ hopes of a bumper crop to follow. ‘There has been very little rain and no wind during this crucial flowering period, which is as near to perfect as it gets,’ said Charles and Ruth Simpson from Simpsons Wine Estate in Kent. Simon Bladon, owner of Jenkyn Place predicted the harvest could be ‘three times the size of 2017’. ■ A blue-coloured wine, Vindigo, has gone on sale in France. Made by Bodegas Perfer in Spain’s Almería region, the wine is said to be made from Chardonnay grapes that have undergone skin maceration. The company’s Facebook page states: ‘Vindigo owes its elegant blue colour to a natural pigment found in the grape skin.’ ■ The owner of Château Pichon Baron, AXA…

Andrew Jefford ‘I came home with the memory of that delicious Chablis tension’ THE HILLS ROLL in from every direction, like waves in a mid-Atlantic swell, breaking greenly down into little valleys where momentary streams come and go with the seasons. Some of the hilltops sport forest, but vines seem more often to cap the summits, even where the bare limestone breaks out in a stony white froth. The little town of Chablis squats in the middle of all, its citizens quietly going about their winemaking business, dabbling trout out of the river, watering geraniums. The big roads are miles away; the cities further. This may be France’s most peaceful vineyard landscape. Then... you take a sip of the latest vintage’s Petit Chablis. It seems to leap like a trout…

LETTER FROM CHILE Peter Richards MW ‘The irony is, the south is the true heartland of Chilean wine’ MY FRIEND STEVE Anderson died earlier this year. Car crash, southern Chile. A journalist, campaigner and all-round cranky man, he gave me my first proper job. His main role in life was to be a pain in the backside. Mainly to those in positions of power, in a country that sorely needed champions for the dispossessed, disappeared and disenfranchised. He also fought to protect the countryside, especially that of Chile’s glorious yet imperilled south. Why imperilled? The great poet Neruda described southern Chile as ‘a vertical world: a nation of birds, a plenitude of leaves’. Yet those leaves weren’t the needles of the vast, industrial pine forests that now smother the hills…

SIGNATURE GRAPES Proof of identity Malbec, Tannat and Carmenère have each found a signature style in South America. Alistair Cooper MW assesses their importance and asks what the future holds for these varieties ONE MIGHT EXPECT South America’s rich wine culture and heritage to be firmly Hispanic. Yet it is the Gallic trio of Malbec, Tannat and (arguably) Carmenère that have established themselves as the key signature grapes on the opposite side of the Atlantic. Historically each variety has played an important role in the evolution of the French wine industry, yet they have since been relegated to little more than bit-part players in their homeland. How did these grapes become so firmly ensconced in the vineyards of South America, and what does their future hold? For several hundred years,…

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE Trivento A wind-driven Argentinian torchbearer Trivento, meaning ‘three winds’, operates more than 1,600ha of vines spanning 10 separate vineyards in some of Mendoza’s most prestigious sub-regions, such as Luján de Cuyo and Uco Valley. Founded in 1996, it hit the ground running and is now the UK’s best-selling Argentinian wine brand, with its Reserve line at the vanguard of such success. ‘Trivento Reserve is our most successful wine in the UK market in terms of both volume and quality,’ says chief winemaker Germán Di Césare (pictured), who has been at Trivento since 2002. ‘The range is easy to enjoy and discover, exhibiting clear varietal character from Mendoza, with our Malbec being the most popular.’ The Reserve wines – along with the rest of Trivento’s portfolio – hit new…

Highlights from the 2014 vintage Sierras de Bellavista, Veranada Riesling, Colchagua 2014 93 NA/UK https://vinasierrasdebellavista.com A beautiful vineyard high in the Andes making stunningly elegant, distinctive Pinot Noir and Riesling. Talking of tough vintages, the winery lost all of its crop in 2017 due to a heavy spring snowfall. This is a captivating, quirky Riesling aged under flor, with notes of fresh baked bread and ripe red apple compote. One for anchovies, or truffle chicken. Drink 2018-2026 Alcohol 11.5% Garage Wine Co, Vigno, Empedrado, Maule 2014 92 £23 Bibendum, The Bishop’s Cave Very young and somewhat inscrutable but there’s a lightness and lift to this otherwise nervy, intense and complex Carignan that bodes well. This team does great work in the south of Chile and this wine bears testament to…

Highlights from the 2017 vintage Lapostolle, Collection Semillon Torontel, Apalta, Colchagua 2017 94 NA/UK www.lapostollewines.com Lapostolle’s Andrea Leon is a winemaker on fire and her Collection line is consistently delightful. This is a new one, a quirky white blend with skin contact, ageing under flor (and a touch of solera). Richly aromatic (yeast and orange marmalade), complex, layered and utterly beguiling. Drink 2018-2020 Alc 13% Ventisquero, Grey Sauvignon Blanc, Atacama 2017 92 £14.25-16.95 Corking Wines, Davy’s, TJ Wines The Ventisquero team is refining its craft in these pioneering Atacama vineyards. Nuanced and structured, this was aged in oak foudres for more texture and complexity. Smoky, subtle, piercing. Cries out for fresh shellfish. Drink 2018-2021 Alc 12.5% Longaví, ¡Glup! Cinsault, Itata 2017 93 £18 Gourvid Pure joy, as expressed through red…

The Decanter interview Daniel Pi Never more comfortable than when breaking the winemaking mould, the Peñaflor veteran is a central figure in the story of Argentina’s wine industry, as Amanda Barnes reveals OVERSEEING THE PRODUCTION of more than 200 million litres of wine each year, Daniel Pi doesn’t have time for much else. ‘I’m lucky I love what I do!’ he says sincerely, and you get the impression that he really does love his job. Pi may be softly spoken but, as director of winemaking for Grupo Peñaflor, he is at the helm of one of the biggest wine producers in the world and has been instrumental in building its success. His own success is down to decades of hard graft and determination – but Pi…

300th column STEVEN SPURRIER’S fine wine world A landmark for our long-standing consultant editor and 2017 Decanter Man of the Year, this is Steven’s 300th column for the magazine. ‘It is fitting,’ he says, ‘that it features two iconic wines’ From the cellar Opus One 1980 The first vintage of Opus One, the legendary joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Robert Mondavi, was the 1979 from Mondavi’s Oakville vineyards in California’s Napa Valley. The Estate Vineyards now cover 69ha across four separate parcels, comprising 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. Head winemaker since 2001 has been Michael Silacci. Over dinner in the elegant Opus One dining room in Rue Foy in Bordeaux we were served three seamlessly textured vintages and…

South American Cabernet Franc: know your vintages Argentina 2017 a long, hot summer, yet a vintage of well-balanced reds. 2016 The coldest vintage in a decade. Fresh, light wines. 2015 a fresh vintage for those who harvested early. riper reds if not. 2014 Low yields, but high acidity. Keep top wines in your cellar. 2013 The first of a series of cold vintages. Wines high in acidity. 2012 Frost caused low yields, but heat created very ripe reds. Chile 2017 Hell in Chile. The hot weather caused severe wildfires and the wines show that heat. 2016 very refined reds if harvested early. 2015 another warm vintage. succulent and concentrated reds. 2014 after initial frost, this vintage was moderate to hot. 2013 one of the coolest vintages of the decade. refined…

Outstanding 95–97pts Fabre Montmayou, Reservado, Mendoza, Argentina 2015 Decanter average score: 95/100pts Individual judges’ scores: Paz Levinson 97 Patricio Tapia 97 Dirceu Vianna Junior MW 92 £15.99 Vinothentic Fabre Montmayou was founded in the early 1990s by winemaker Hervé Joyaux Fabre, after he moved to Argentina from his native Bordeaux. Having built his winery in Vistalba (Luján de Cuyo), Fabre set about buying exclusively old-vine vineyards in Mendoza, as well as in Patagonia’s Rio Negro Valley. As the estate’s only bottling of 100% Cabernet Franc, the source of fruit for this wine is Luján de Cuyo in the upper Mendoza Valley. Meticulous sorting is done by hand prior to vinification, in order to select only the very best grapes, with 60% of the wine spending 12 months in French oak.…

Chilean Sauvignon Blanc: the facts National vineyard area 137,375ha Sauvignon Blanc plantings (2016) 14,999ha As % of Chilean vineyard (2006/2016) 7%/11% 10-year change in plantings (2006-2016) +72% Five-year change in plantings (2011-2016) +8% Key regions (planted area) Curicó, Maule, Casablanca, Colchagua Key regions (quality) San Antonio, Limarí, Aconcagua Costa, elqui, Casablanca Production (2017) 123m litres As % of total Chilean fine wine production 15% Rank in Chilean fine wine production 2nd (behind Cabernet Sauvignon) Sources: SAG production report 2017; SAG vineyard register 2016…

Highly Recommended 90–94pts Morandé, Gran Reserva, Casablanca 2016 Decanter average score: 93/100pts Individual judges’ scores: Peter Richards MW 94 Patricio Tapia 93 Dirceu Vianna Junior MW 93 £13.19 Berkmann, The Drink Shop Fragrant aromas of fresh basil, citrus and hints of tropical fruit – smells cultured, classy. Lots of character here, reminiscent of a Pessac-Léognan in style. At this level, it’s really smart stuff. Drink 2018-2020 Alcohol 12.5% Montes, Outer Limits, Zapallar 2017 91 PR 90 PT 91 DVJ 92 £15-£17.99 Amazon UK, Co-op, Direct Wines, Exel, Hailsham Cellars, Kwoff, Liberty Wines, Majestic, Vinum Seductive, profound and invigorating, with aromas of nettles, pear and gooseberry ushering in tropical flavours of guava, mango and passion fruit, supplemented by asparagus and herbal notes. Drink 2018-2020 Alc 13.5% Ventisquero, Grey, Atacama 2017 92…

Alistair Cooper MW My Santiago It’s a city buzzing with energy, offering stunning vistas, easy access to winter sports, and a huge diversity of cuisine to enjoy with Chile’s variety of wines. Alistair Cooper MW takes us on a tour EACH AND EVERY time I fly into Santiago, my stomach flutters with excitement as I gaze upon the beauty of the majestic snowcapped Andes. My stomach also starts to rumble in anticipation of the delicious culinary treats that will soon be heading its way. Santiago is fast becoming a foodie hotspot, with a diverse and tantalising array of restaurants and bars. When I first moved to Santiago in 2003, to say I was underwhelmed with the local food scene would be an understatement. Back then, the hottest event of the…

Tasting notes decoded Jasmine The fragrant white jasmine flower has been prized by perfumers for centuries. It’s also used to make scented jasmine tea, commonly served in China to welcome guests into the home. As a wine tasting note, it belongs to the ‘white flower’ cluster, alongside honeysuckle, elderflower, orange blossom and camomile. White flower notes are generally sweetly aromatic, with a faint edge of floral acridity. With this in mind, aromatic white wines are the best place to look for hints of jasmine –for example, Albariño made in Galicia’s Rías Baixas region. Pinot Gris and Riesling wines also commonly display delicate jasmine notes, particularly those made in cool-climate regions such as Ontario in Canada, Mosel in Germany and, more recently, Sussex in England. Fuller-bodied whites, such as Viognier, Chenin…

What I’ve been drinking this month I loved the Chateau Dereszla, Amethyst Tokaji Furmint 2016 served by friends recently: fresh, tender, delicate. They gleefully told me they’d bought it at £4.99 from Lidl: clearly below cost price. A little research, though, revealed that Dereszla’s former owner Patrick d’Aulan had sold the 54ha estate to Lőrinc Mészáros, a close associate, ally and supporter of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán – a politician whose ideals are the polar opposite of my own. Suddenly this Furmint didn’t taste so good. A glass of wine is not a wholly autonomous object.…

What I’ve been drinking this month A reminder that wine is compelling because it is diverse. First off, a blind showdown saw the very fine Cullen, Diana Madeline 2004 (exuberant and powerful) and Te Mata, Coleraine 2005 (refined and cleansing) bested by a complex, poised and stunning Château Haut-Brion 1995, drinking beautifully now. Then to the London Wine Fair, where a motley band of small producers from Itata were making hay – two captivating wines were the funky, flor-aged field-blend rosé Terroir Sonoro, Reptiliano 2016 and the scented, elegantly textured orange wine Tierra del Itata 2016.…

Cooper’s pick: wines from signature grapes Altos Las Hormigas, Appellation Paraje Altamira Malbec, Uco Valley, Argentina 2015 94 POA (2014) Exel, Liberty Wines Another superb offering from the Appellation series by this excellent Malbec specialist. From the high altitude of Altamira, this is tightly wound, with gorgeous dark fruits, graphite and a tantalising saline, mineral finish. Drink 2019-2030 Alcohol 14% Viña Progreso, Reserva Barrel-less, Progreso, Uruguay 2018 93 N/A UK www.vinaprogreso.com Unoaked Tannat. Incredibly floral and perfumed nose, with blackcurrant and violets. Such a lovely balance and depth of fruit, yet with a real lightness of touch and freshness. Really long finish. This is a lovely unoaked style. Drink 2019-2023 Alc 13% Familia Deicas, Domaine Castelar Vineyard Tannat, Uruguay 2015 92 £18.99 The Good Wine Shop, Vinos Latinos Beautiful, lifted…

VALUE MALBEC Great value Malbec from Argentina With an increasingly diverse range of styles now available to buy, Malbec offers wine lovers both plenty of choice and excellent value for money. Patricio Tapia assesses the stylistic differences and recommends 27 wallet-friendly wines to try ‘The sweet spot for Malbec is between £8 and £20 – we saw that at this year’s DWWA and it was reaffirmed in this tasting’ THERE WAS A time when Argentinian Malbec seemed to have only one voice. Taking advantage of the variety’s characteristic softness and its fruity nature, the style that winemakers chose to promote emphasised the ripeness and sweetness of grapes that were harvested very late, so that they acquired a jammy, unctuous character. And when the price allowed it, there was also a…

Tapia’s pick: top terroir-focused Malbecs from Uco Valley Zuccardi, Piedra Infinita Gravascal, Altamira 2015 98 N/A UK www.zuccardiwines.com Gravascal is Zuccardi’s new single plot and is a selection from sectors of gravel covered with chalk. The depth is the first thing that impresses here – dense flavours of violets, red fruits and herbs in a long, refreshing wine. One year in used oak. Drink 2018-2028 Alcohol 13.5% Zuccardi, Piedra Infinita, Altamira 2015 97 £62.45-£97.35 Carruthers & Kent, Voyageurs du Vin UK, Z&B Vintners A selection of plants on soils rich in chalk, and a snapshot of Altamira with its firm, austere tannins, generous background of ripe red fruits and notes of violets. Deep and intense, with a pungent and fresh acidity. 30% aged in used 500-litre barrels. Drink 2018-2028 Alc…

Appassimento travels from the Veneto to Argentina The home of appassimento is the Veneto. Masi has also experimented successfully with partially-dried Refosco grapes at its property in Friuli. But its most original application came when Masi exported the technique much further afield, to the Masi Tupungato Estate in the Mendoza province of Argentina, where production is also certified organic. Located on a gently sloping plateau at an altitude of around 1000 metres, backed by the snow-capped Andean Cordillera range, the Tupungato vineyards have been planted with Corvina and Pinot Grigio, to blend with the Argentinean Malbec and Torrontés. In their new home, the Corvina grapes achieve a higher concentration of sugars than they do in the Valpolicella, with deeper colour and naturally soft tannins. Because the atmosphere is extremely dry,…

Highlights from the 2015 vintage Photographs: Emma Wood/Alamy, Matt Wilson/Cephas Viñedo Chadwick, Puente Alto, Maipo 2015 97 £ 223.33 (ib) Berry Bros & Rudd, Corney & Barrow, Crump Richmond Shaw, Farr Vintners, Fine & Rare, Goedhuis & Co Stunning new-wave Alto Maipo Cabernet, pioneering in the way that it marries super-fine yet dense, abundant and immensely cultured tannins with an elegant and complex scent. Displays a wonderfully lifted freshness and admirable finesse. Young, epic and exciting – with a price-tag to match. Drink 2018-2036 Alc 13.5% Garcés Silva, Amayna Syrah, Leyda, San Antonio 2015 95 £25 Buckingham Schenk Vivid aromas of violets, black pepper and wild dark berries on the nose. Juicy, lifted, fine and spicy. It’s a big wine but holds itself with poise and verve. Life-affirming stuff. Drink…

How 2018 is shaping up After the upheavals of recent years, everyone in Chile was hoping for a calm, generous vintage in 2018. It wasn’t quite to be, though the consensus is cautiously positive. A coolish, late season (especially in the south) gave variable results with some long-season varieties such as Cabernet and Carmenere struggling to fully ripen. The flipside is fresh fruit, low alcohols and lighter styles. ‘One of the best vintages in many years,’ enthuses Undurraga’s Rafael Urrejola, who touts it as a red vintage for ‘fresher’ styles. Marcelo Papa from Concha y Toro cautions fellow producers to keep stocks back, ‘since we don’t know what the climate has in store’.…

Daniel Pi at a glance Born 1960 in Mendoza City Training Juan Agustin Maza University: graduated as a winemaker in 1983. Don Bosco oenology college: started white wine research in 1984 Career 1985 head winemaker at Quirós winery; 1992 hired by Grupo Peñaflor; 1998 becomes head winemaker at El Esteco; 2003 becomes head winemaker of Trapiche; 2009 first vintage of his family label Tres14; 2010 becomes winemaking director for Grupo Peñaflor Family Wife Cecilia (a radiologist), children Daniela (28, studying to be a winemaker) and Gonzalo (26, a programmer) Hobbies Cooking; sharing meals, wine and music with friends; hiking; architecture…

SPARKLING WINES Success bubbles up in South America The sparkling wine scene in South America is currently booming. Alejandro Iglesias finds out what’s driving it and recommends bottles from the leading names in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay ‘Argentinian extra brut and brut styles make slightly drier alternatives to Prosecco’ AROUND THE WORLD, the consumption of sparkling wines is rising like bubbles in a glass, driven by the luxury goods market, new drinking habits and emerging economies. According to research by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), sales increased by 30% between 2003 and 2013, while production was up 40% – that’s six times more than the growth for still wines. What’s more, Champagne is no longer the default sparkling choice for many wine lovers. Since Cava and…

25 UNDER £25 Weekday wines Looking to try something different or adventurous, but don’t want to make an expensive mistake? Decanter’s associate editor Tina Gellie has done the hard work for you, picking out 25 exciting and accessible wines available in the UK for £25 or less Joseph Chromy, Pepik Sekt, Tasmania, Australia NV 91 £19.99-£24.99 GP Brands, Ministry of Drinks, Oz Wine, The Fine Wine Co, Vinum The judges’ best-value winner at the recent Mamba Riedel Decanter Awards. This bottle-fermented Riesling is off-dry, but the juicy peach and orchard fruit flavours are balanced by a firm mousse and limey acidity. Alc 12% Mullineux, Old Vines White, Swartland, South Africa 2017 92 £23.25 Berry Bros & Rudd Another brilliant wine from one of the Cape’s leading producers. It’s a 65%…

PANEL TASTING The summary With quality high, the tasters found notable stylistic differences – although the regional character of Cabernet Franc is yet to fully emerge, says Patricio Tapia In 2015 dECAnTEr arranged its first-ever panel tasting of South American Cabernet Franc, focusing on bottles from Argentina. The results were amazing. Although the variety was scarce in terms of planted area (around 700ha at that time), the quality and the character of the samples left the tasters very enthusiastic. Three years later, we revisited Cabernet Franc, this time expanding the tasting to cover Chile as well. Although lacking the wow-factor of that pioneering inaugural tasting, the results were very encouraging. Of the 44 samples tasted, 32 came from Argentina – proof that the country’s winemakers are embracing the variety enthusiastically.…

Highly Recommended 90–94pts Andeluna, Pasionado, Gualtallary, Argentina 2014 93 PL 94 PT 91 DVJ 94 £29.60-£37.04 Corking Wines, Exel, Hallgarten, Strictly Wine, Wineman, Wine Poole Great typicity here, with intense red fruit amid hints of leafiness and sweet spice; ripe and juicy with a sophisticated structure and a persistent finish. Drink 2018-2023 Alc 14.5% Antucura, Single Vineyard Tani, Vista Flores, Argentina 2016 93 PL 92 PT 92 DVJ 95 N/A UK www.antucura.com Exotic and lively, with absorbing aromas of black pepper and spice leading to abundant flavours of dark fruit, cardamom and cedar. Persistent, complex and world class. Drink 2018-2023 Alc 13.5% Finca Decero, Mini Ediciones Remolinos Vineyard, Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, Argentina 2016 93 PL 94 PT 94 DVJ 92 £24.99-£25.99 Abasto Wine, Berkmann Wine Cellars, New Street Wine…

PANEL TASTING The summary A run of poor vintages has contributed to a disappointing tasting, with few high points. Tread carefully, advises Peter Richards MW, especially with the 2017 vintage WAS THIS THE most underwhelmingDecanter panel tasting ever? Quite possibly. Certainly, in the judges’ view, this was one of, if not the worst Chilean panel tasting in recent memory. As one commented: ‘Rather than giving a drinking window, for many of these wines i was tempted to write: “Never!”’ Sauvignon Blanc is usually a strong point for Chile. As one of the country’s most widely planted varieties, it is produced in a range of styles across price brackets, with some world-class examples at the top end. This tasting sought samples from all over the country in the £8-£30 price bracket.…

EXPERT’S CHOICE Brazil Getting your hands on them can be a challenge, but the best wines offer some fascinating alternative styles. Dirceu Vianna Junior MW picks out the top drops VINES WERE INTRODUCED to Brazil’s São Paulo in 1532 by Portuguese explorer Brás Cubas, but conditions were not judged ideal and the experiment was abandoned. Subsequent Portuguese settlers tried to cultivate vines in several different areas, but the place which responded best to viticulture was rio Grande do Sul, the country’s southernmost state, bordering Argentina and Uruguay. this area is responsible for about 90% of production today. In the green hills around Bento Gonçalves it is possible to find excellent sparkling wines, the best crafted with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Still white wines can be good but are generally less…

MY SANTIAGO 1 Boragó Rodolfo Guzmán can take credit for the reinvigoration of Chilean cuisine. Foraging from the Atacama down to Tierra del Fuego, expect surprises galore in the 20-dish tasting menu. www.borago.cl 2 Bocanáriz Santiago’s most famous wine bar is located in the heart of Lastarria, and offers more than 250 wines, including a huge selection by the glass and wine flights. The food selection is varied and excellent, and the daily lunch menu is great value. www.bocanariz.cl 3 Salvador Cocina y Café A gem in downtown Santiago, open weekdays only. Rustic yet funky, with a simple wine selection, and a menu of market-fresh food. Daily changing set menus often feature unique takes on Chilean classics. Exceptional value. +56 2 2673 0619 4 99 Located in the heart of…

Market watch BI buoyant despite en primeur dip Good news for producers beyond Bordeaux as investors and collectors turn their gaze away from en primeur to California, Burgundy and distilled spirits Compiled by Richard Woodard Based on Liv-ex pricing at 31 July 2018. A case is 12x75cl bottles unless otherwise stated. COMPANY RESULTS TYPICALLY make for pretty dry reading, but the latest batch of figures from wine and spirits merchant BI (Bordeaux Index, as it used to be known) provide a few interesting insights into the current state of the market for collectable wine and spirits. They also suggest that the decision by the company to shorten its name was a wise one: an uninspiring en primeur campaign for the 2017 Bordeaux vintage led to a decline in overall Bordeaux…

Wine Legends Nicolás Catena Zapata 1997 Mendoza, Argentina A legend because… It was Nicolás Catena, whose grandfather had left Italy to settle in Argentina in 1902, who thrust Argentinian wine into the modern era. A widely travelled academic economist, he learned from his exposure in the 1970s both to great Bordeaux and the huge promise of Napa wines. In the early 1980s, Catena and his consultants, including Paul Hobbs and Jacques Lurton, agreed the key was to plant the right varieties in the right location, specifically cooler, higher sites where jamminess would not be an issue. Catena had also worked at the family winery and was able to supervise the selection of high-quality plant material. The Nicolás Catena Zapata demonstrated the fruition of his aspiration and hunches. Looking back By…