Indholdsfortegnelse for May 2022 i Decanter

It’s odd but inspiring that wine is so closely tied to its place of origin and yet so international. Geography and geology, regional typicity, the secrets of ‘terroir’ – all make wine uniquely local. And yet wine lovers themselves appreciate a worldwide spectrum of styles. We’ve focused on Italy in this issue, which produces some spectacular wines, but ask any lover of Brunello, Barolo, Pinot Grigio or Greco di Tufo to taste something from Bordeaux, Napa or Rioja and they’re very unlikely to refuse. Great wines cross borders and act as ambassadors of their cultures and countries. Something we could definitely do with a bit more of in today’s fractious, fractured world. So next time you’re drinking something pleasant from a far-flung vineyard, raise a glass to the wide, wonderful…

It’s no easy task to establish a super-premium wine in an entirely new region, particularly when inviting potential retail partners or distributors to the vineyard involves journeying to a distant corner of the Himalayas in the outer reaches of the Yunnan province, southwestern China. For my journey, after four flights from Bordeaux to Shanghai, Chengdu then Shangri-La, it was a four-hour drive up through stunning mountain passes to the foothills (here, that means 2,200m above sea level) of the Meili mountains. It’s hard to imagine a vineyard as breathtaking as Ao Yun, the LVMH (Moët Hennessy) project set in this improbably remote region. The name (which means ‘flying above the clouds’) takes on a whole new meaning when you realise that oxygen is packed into the back of the car…

Today, the wine landscape of Italy is reaping the benefits of change. A new generation of winemakers are bringing energy and innovation to complement the knowledge and experience of their forebears. So we thought it was time to highlight this reinvigorated Italy. Loosely inspired by the SuperTuscans – those wines that side-stepped Tuscan traditions and regulations five decades ago to forge a new path for quality-minded producers – our concept of the ‘new Super-Italian’ is to group together wines from across Italy that merit attention for their forwardlooking, even groundbreaking philosophies. These new Super-Italians are not only excellent wines in their own right, they represent the best that the future of Italian winemaking has to offer. We asked four of our Italy experts to nominate three wines each from their…

Brunello di Montalcino 2017 When I visited Montalcino in late August of 2017, the heat was stifling and the landscape parched. Banfi’s sizable artificial lake used for emergency irrigation was almost depleted. Harvest was already underway for Merlot and there were whispers that some estates had started picking Sangiovese as well. ‘From June until the end of August, there were almost 20 days above 35°C,’ says Francesco Ripaccioli at Canalicchio di Sopra. More than the torrid heat, however, it is drought that characterises the 2017 vintage. Producers let out a collective sigh of relief when it finally rained at the beginning of September. Significantly, precipitation was accompanied by a drop in temperatures, particularly at night, which served to slow down ripening. ‘This allowed us to arrive at harvest with good…

HOW TO… Taste young wines As odd as it may sound, tasting wines that are still in their adolescence should not be about enjoyment. It’s about gauging potential and when the wine is likely to be in optimum condition for drinking, releasing that latent pleasure in full. Here’s how to go about it. 1Look for harmony above anything else – the sum of the parts. The best Bordeaux vintages will have lots of everything: fruit, colour, tannins, acidity and oak, but this will reflect the style of the year. Lighter vintages will have less of everything, but the whole should be in balance. Imbalance of any kind will not lead to a good wine. 2 Pedigree – as with horse racing, where assessment of a foal can be based on…

FAIRWEATHER FRIEND LAMB It’s hard to think of a way of cooking lamb that isn’t wine-friendly. It’s more a question of fine-tuning the pairing depending on the age of the animal and the way it’s cooked. If it’s a rack of young lamb encrusted with herbs or served rosy pink, for example, a delicate Pinot Noir would be perfect. Cook those cutlets over fire as they do in Spain and I’m thinking Rioja instead. A classic roast leg of lamb from a more mature animal would suggest the best Bordeaux you can lay your hands on; but make it shoulder and cook it slowly overnight and you’d be better off with a GSM (Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre). A navarin with spring vegetables? Try a Cabernet Franc-based Loire red. Lamb on a spit with…

Bentu Luna is a new project that aims to preserve old vineyards in Sardinia (bentuluna.it). It’s the brainchild of the Moratti family, who also own Castello di Cigognola in Lombardy. CEO Gian Matteo Baldi says they rent the vineyards from the current owners and involve the younger generation in the management of their own sites. The families thus receive a dual income both from the land rent and from a portion of the wine sales –a good incentive for them to maintain vineyards for future generations. Viticulture is described by Baldi as ‘extreme organic farming’, with all machinery banned. In the winery in Neoneli, each plot is fermented separately in concrete tanks, oak barrels and amphorae, using a pied de cuve (yeast starter) cultivated in each individual vineyard. First vintage…

How encouraging to find ‘life beyond appassimento’! While nearly all Valpolicella DOC wine is produced from freshly picked grapes, much Valpolicella Superiore on the market these days includes at least a proportion of semi-dried fruit, blurring the stylistic lines that separate it from the other, richer-style Valpolicella denominations: Ripasso, Amarone and Recioto. A good number of the higher-scoring wines from this panel tasting not only rely on freshly harvested grapes, but also include examples from the basic DOC category (such as the Valpolicella Classico 2020 from Montecariano). Two of the six Outstanding wines – Tommasi’s delicious Rafaèl 2020 (p122) and Flavio Prà’s elegant Flavs 2018 (right) – are also, crucially, made from dedicated Valpolicella vineyards where the best of the crop is not creamed off for Amarone or Recioto: a…

Away from the dazzling Amalfi coast, the archaeological hotspots of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Paestum, and the bright lights of Naples, visitors can find a quieter Campania. Truffles, chestnut and olive trees and, of course, vines grow in a spectacular landscape of hills and mountains which contrasts with the coastal plain. The most important among an assortment of largely indigenous white grape varieties are undeniably Fiano and Greco. Found in wines throughout the region, as well as beyond Campania’s borders, these reach their apogee in the DOCGs of Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo, widely considered to be two of Italy’s finest white wine denominations. Established as DOCs in 1978 and 1970 respectively, they were both recognised as DOCGs in 2003. Located in Irpinia in the province of Avellino, about…

If in the past it was international white varieties that occupied the foreground in the general perception of top-quality Italian whites – explosive Sauvignons from Alto Adige and Friuli, or big creamy Chardonnays from Tuscany and Umbria – today’s success stories are the rediscovered native white varieties: Pecorino in Marche and Abruzzo, Vermentino on the Tuscan coast and Ribolla Gialla in Friuli, where plantings of which have quadrupled in recent years. In Lombardy in the north, could Lugana be the next big thing? The Lugana DOC covers an area of about 2,500ha, according to the Lugana consorzio, to the south of Lake Garda (see map, p59), stretching inland from its shores for some 10km, and east to west at its widest point for about 12km. The largest part of the…

Coming in various forms, barrels can play a crucial role in a wine’s conditioning, adding not only texture and body but also the widely cherished seasoning characters of vanilla, cedar and tobacco. They have been in use since at least the third millennium BC in ancient Egypt, where tubs with wooden staves were used during harvest. There is also evidence of barrels being used for storing wine in ancient Babylon, Iron Age Britain, Gaul and ancient Rome. A barrel is constructed from several components: the head (the round ends which form the top and bottom of the barrel), staves (the shaped lengths of wood that form the sides of the barrel), and hoops (the metal parts that hold the staves together). Not all barrels are created equal, however, with the…

Nyetimber’s Tillington Single Vineyard 2014 (£100, released March 2022) is the fourth release since the inaugural 2009. Again driven by Pinot Noir, I prefer the passionate 2014 to the more reserved 2013 (widely available). It has a bouquet of acacia blossom and red fruits, followed by honeyed fruits and textured salinity at its core – a ‘generous site met with a generous year’, according to winemaker Brad Greatrix. On its website, the producer is making it possible to track key dates in the winemaking process, including riddling, as it believes this reduces the contact area of lees with the wine, therefore marking the turning point of lees ageing and its influence on the wine. Equally intriguing was a tasting of eight sparkling Furmint wines from Tokaj, organised by Wines of…

Castello di Radda, Vigna Il Corno 2016 Susan Hulme MW 95 Federico Moccia 95 Michaela Morris 95 castellodiradda.com Vigna Il Corno (‘the horn’) is made with grapes from a plot at 400m on a calcareous clay soil. Fermentation is in 50hl stainless steel tanks, malolactic in new 5hl oak tonneaux, then 24 months in the same casks and an additional 12 months of bottle ageing. Susan Hulme MW Dark, brooding, flinty style on nose, cherries and woodland notes. Refined, slick and smooth, lively with good concentration. Federico Moccia Red fruit and violet aromas, rose floral notes. Racy, juicy palate with herbal notes, tannins well integrated, cherry and redcurrant juice. Refreshing, with great purity. Michaela Morris Classic spiced cherry with forest cedar. Still quite sweet-wood driven, but admirable fruit purity on…

PHOTOGRAPH THOMAS PROFUNSER An ocean of Pinot Grigio is produced at the ‘price-fighting’ end of the market, but this Italian staple grape, which is a mutation of Pinot Noir, reveals its true worth higher up the scale. Premium Pinot Grigio sets absolute quality as its main objective. This means using the best fruit, harvested at low yields, and giving it maximum attention in the cellar – features that are reflected in the wines’ prices. For the purposes of this tasting, the bar was set at a minimum of £12 per bottle. Premium Italian Pinot Grigio is a far cry from the easy-drinking wines that make a virtue of their neutrality. Pinot Grigio is typically a low-acid variety that, at its best, produces voluptuous wines of medium to high alcohol: they…

Aproject to explore how global warming could affect Bordeaux grand cru classé wines in 2050 has been launched by multiple estate owner Bernard Magrez. The Oracle 2050 study at Château La Tour Carnet in Haut-Médoc aims to ‘simulate’ some conditions producers may face when creating ‘the Bordeaux wine of tomorrow’, said Maison Bernard Magrez. It’s the latest example of research to understand how well key regions can adapt to climate change. In an experimental vineyard that has been planted with both Bordeaux and non-Bordeaux grape varieties, La Tour Carnet will employ warming cables normally used in aeroplanes. ‘By heating the sap flow and accelerating the growth of vines, we are in effect mimicking warmer temperatures,’ said Julien Lecourt, head of research and development at Maison Bernard Magrez, owner of four…

As you sit down with this edition of Decanter, the French presidential campaign will be reaching its climax: the first round of voting is on 10 April. Most countries struggle for consensus as the toxins of social media erode perspective and unbalance vulnerable minds – and France is no exception, so an absolute majority in the first round is unlikely. The election will then be decided by a run-off between the two candidates with the most first-round votes, on 24 April. Politics is uncertain. The list of candidates and campaigns as I write (at winter’s end) is long, colourful, occasionally sinister, occasionally farcical. There is, though, a fair chance that one of the two candidates in the final sprint down the Champs-Elysées will be a politician who likes to drink…

For years, Sicily was known for its production of sun-driven, jammy reds and creamy, round, robust whites. On my most recent trip to Sicily in October last year, however, I was blown away by the quality of the wines I encountered. The sheer complexity of the island’s terroir (see p43) means that an article about Sicily should really begin by focusing on the wines from the ‘different Sicilies’. There’s a dizzying array of climatic, geological and cultural features that translates into the kaleidoscope of colours, scents and flavours we can enjoy in our glass. REVIVING A HERITAGE You’ll encounter the same diversity in the palette of grape varieties that winemakers draw from. In the past, old varieties were abandoned to give space to clones, and production processes led to extractive…

CHAMPAGNE CODE What is récoltant manipulant (RM) Champagne? Luca Bocca, by email Simon Field MW, acting Regional Chair for Champagne at DWWA 2021, replies: If you look on a Champagne label, normally right at the bottom, you will find two letters and a registration number. This reveals, in essence, whether the Champagne has been made by a standalone grower or by a larger organisation which buys in fruit or even finished wine. The latter producer is known as a Négociant Manipulant – beneath most of the famous names (even Krug!) one finds the NM letters. RM, on the other hand, is the calling card of the individual grower; the Récoltant Manipulant does not negotiate with others, but individually sees through the process from grape to bottle. The RM ‘manipulates’ its…

Négociants have been central to the French wine trade for centuries, particularly in Bordeaux and Burgundy, although their roles vary slightly. At one end of the spectrum, négociants buy grapes or juice (must) from growers and make it into wine, which they also sell. At the other extreme, négociants purchase wine already bottled, in order to market and then release it. These can range from supermarket wines through to the grands crus classés of the Médoc, and this model applies more to Bordeaux than Burgundy. Burgundy négociants can offer more affordable access to the region’s wines where the prohibitive cost of vineyards means few growers or smaller properties can expand, so their volume is low. Négociants are able to pool their grapes, must or even bottled wine, scaling up to…

The wines of Lalomba, the singlevineyard range developed by Ramón Bilbao (bodegasramonbilbao. com), have played a crucial role in redefining Rioja’s modern identity. A recent tasting, led by winemaker Rosana Lisa and project manager Alberto Saldón (above), gave an outstanding overview of the project’s philosophy and evolution. The line-up included iconic releases, namely the first ever Lalomba wine, the beautiful Finca Valhonta 2016 (£110 The Great Wine Co), showing classical elegance and refined precision. But the event’s true gems were barrel samples of experiments Lisa and Saldón are keeping themselves busy with in Lalomba’s beautiful cellar. These show how, through research, experimentation and passion, the two are steering Lalomba towards greater elegance and terroir expressiveness. The barrel-aged Rosado 2020 and a Garnacha 2017 fermented and aged in concrete were among the…

Michael Garner is co-owner of Italian specialist Tria Wines, author of Amarone and The Fine Wines of Verona (£35 Infinite Ideas), and a DWWA Regional Chair for northern Italy Michelle Cherutti-Kowal MW is a wine consultant, writer, judge and WSET educator. She consults to restaurants and wineries, acts as an ambassador for wine trade bodies, and was Regional Chair for Veneto at DWWA 2021 Michaela Morris is a wine consultant, lecturer, writer, judge and a WSET educator. A Regional Chair at DWWA 2021, she consults to restaurants and wineries, as well as acting as an ambassador for wine trade bodies…