Innehållsförteckning för Jun-2018 från Decanter

In brief ■ EU wine producers, alongside beer and spirits makers, will make more nutritional and ingredients information available to consumers, according to the international trade body CEEV, including how many calories the drinks contain. Calorie information would be presented as ‘E’ denoting ‘energy’ amounts. ■ Château Giscours is facing court, following the French authorities’ accusation that it knowingly chaptalised Merlot for its 2016 vintage, the only grape variety not permitted to undergo the process in the Margaux appellation that year. ‘There was no intention…to do anything against the regulations,’ Alexander Van Beek, director general of Giscours, told Decanter. ■ China’s Ministry of Commerce warned it will impose a tax on US wine, as well as more than 100 other goods, if the US follows through on tariff plans for…

Andrew Jefford ‘There are, increasingly, two worlds of wine: the fine-wine machine... and then the rest’ A FEW MONTHS ago, I stood in a steep vineyard chiselled out of the acid schists of the Cap de Creus. This jagged headland, stabbing the Mediterranean in Spain’s far northwest, forms part of DO Empordà; it’s just a few miles from France’s Banyuls, but still more exposed. The icy Tramontane wind cut through my layers of clothing with dismissive ease. ‘They’re very clever,’ said Didac Soto of Mas Estela. ‘When they hear the first bang, they go.’ He was talking about the wild boar, alert to the crack of a rifle; when the fruit is ripe, he has to climb the mountains to wire the entire vineyard against them, and patrol it every…

EVENTS Spain & Portugal Fine Wine Encounter Held in February at The Landmark London hotel, the latest Decanter Spain & Portugal Fine Wine Encounter offered guests the opportunity to attend masterclasses, meet leading winemakers and taste a range of top wines from exciting regions including Priorat, Rioja and the Douro Photographs: Catharine Lowe (cathlowe.com) 1 Dirceu Vianna Jr MW spoke at the day’s first Discovery Theatre session: ‘Portugal, a journey through authenticity and diversity’ 2 Sarah Jane Evans MW, DWWA Regional co-Chair for Spain & Sherry, hosted ‘A thrilling comparison of classic versus modern Spanish wines’ masterclass with Peter Sisseck of Dominio de Pingus 3 Decanter readers arriving at The Landmark London hotel 4 No small measures for Charlotte Symington as she pours Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port 5…

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE Cork: The Seal of Approval There’s no doubt that natural cork has always been associated with quality wines, but when the market expanded and more artificial closures came onto the scene, some thought this might spell the end for cork’s dominance as the closure of choice. But this couldn’t be further from the truth, with cork remaining king – and it has a lot more to offer than just the perfect pop. It’s easy to understand why 70% of winemakers choose natural cork stoppers in their production process With an average of 92% of wine drinkers across the globe naming cork as their closure of choice, it’s no surprise that over 12 billion bottles of wine are sealed with cork every year. Why this decision is being made…

Colchagua: six names to watch Beso Negro A venture between Kiwi winemaker Grant Phelps (ex-Viu Manent and Casas del Bosque), Princess Tunku Soraya Dakhlah of Malaysia and her husband Sharif Majid (who bought land here a decade ago), plus business partners. Two wines are currently made from differing blends of Carmenère, Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah: El Libertino and El Decadente. They are full-bodied and powerful yet with real elegance. Clos Santa Ana Luiz Allegretti and Roberto Ibarra’s young organic project is already producing stunning wines. The talented duo of Luca Hodgkinson and José Miguel Sotomayor (‘the Wildmakers’) are consultants, with three wines currently produced. Old foudres made of raulí (a type of beech wood) and amphorae are used for fermentation and the wines are unfiltered. The flagship is Aralez,…

NINGXIA Chinese pioneers You may not have heard of it, but Ningxia is being hailed as China’s hottest region for the production of quality wines. Jane Anson travels to the wild stretches of the Great Wall to meet the up-and-coming producers who are leading the way THE GREAT WALL of China passes through Ningxia as it skirts Inner Mongolia and the Gobi Desert. We hiked along a section of it with our guide Kiki on a bright but cold sunny day last October. First built over 2,000 years ago to defend the Qin, Han, Sui and Ming dynasties from Mongolian attacks, some of the oldest remaining sections are seen here, at the Sanguankou pass through the Helan Mountains, where Genghis Khan first entered China in 1209. This is the wild…

Wynns Coonawarra Estate – a timeline 1897 Triple-gabled winery called Chateau Comaum is built by John Riddoch 1951 David Wynn purchases the winery and renames it Wynns Coonawarra Estate 1952 The first wine, S Wynn & Co Coonawarra Estate Claret, is made by Ian Hickinbotham 1954 The first vintage of Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, informally known as Black Label 1982 The first vintage of limited-release John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 1993 Sue Hodder arrives at Wynns and becomes senior winemaker in 1998 2004 The first single-vineyard wine, Harold Cabernet Sauvignon 2001, is released 2008 The first V&A Lane wines are produced 2017 Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon celebrates 60 vintages…

Timeline – wine-growing during and after the Third Reich 30 January 1933 Hitler becomes Chancellor; wine improvement schemes and Jewish boycotts follow 19 October 1935 The German Wine Route officially opens Spring 1938 (or earlier) Jewish wine traders are banned in Germany; many flee 12 August 1942 Schloss Johannisburg is severely damaged; the owners (in exile at the time) had, ironically, been opposed to Hitler Spring 1945 Peter Sichel (below) returns to Mainz and finds his family buildings in ruins 8 May 1945 VE Day; many German vineyards are in wretched disarray by this time Post-war occupation Sporadic plundering of German wine cellars; the American troops prefer schnapps Late 1940s-1950s Massive vineyard and estate restorations 1960s-today The legacy of Nazism is more openly discussed 6 June 2004 Chancellor Gerhard Schröder…

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 Napa treats While in Napa as keynote speaker for the annual Symposium for Professional Wine Writers at Meadowood in February, a highlight was dinner at the Staglin Family Vineyard with marvellous local wines, each presented by their owners. Hostess Shari Staglin presented her elegant Staglin Estate Chardonnay 2015 in magnum, followed by a vibrant sparkling wine from Hugh Davies of Schramsberg: the late-disgorged J Schram 1999. Three Cabernet Sauvignons followed: Quintessa 2004 (Agustin Huneeus Jr), an early vintage from this beautiful estate; Staglin Estate 2003 from magnum, vigorous and ripe but not too rich;…

PANEL TASTING Mâconnais appellations 2016 The Chardonnays from the five key appellations in this underrated Burgundy region offer some of France’s most exciting and great-value wines, says Andy Howard MW Map: Maggie Nelson THE MACONNAIS WINE region, centred around the provincial town of Mâcon, is arguably one of the most exciting and dynamic areas of Burgundy. The wines have a distinctly southern accent – an interesting contrast to the more classically structured (and much more expensive) wines of the Côte d’Or. Chardonnay is dominant (80% of all wines), with a warmer, more generous character than the wines of Chablis. Bordered to the east and west by the valleys of the rivers Saône and Grosne, the Mâconnais wine-growing area sits on complex subsoils formed about 200 million years ago. To the…

EXPERT’S CHOICE Portuguese whites The best of Portugal’s white wines fuse tradition and modernity, says Sarah Ahmed, who recommends her favourite new releases from recent trade tastings IT IS NO coincidence that, bar one (Niepoort Redoma), all my recommended Portuguese white wines were first made this century. As they say, timing is everything. Portugal’s whites were once dull and oxidative but, unlike the country’s reds, they escaped relatively unscathed from the late 20th century’s ‘wood means good’ trend. In consequence, Portuguese white wines have come of age during an era that prizes freshness, restraint and intrinsic personality, emphasising the country’s diverse terroir and native grapes, not winemaking artefact. While a southerly latitude gives rise to hot summers, the Atlantic influence and high elevation in Portugal’s mountainous hinterland preserve the scintillating…

John Stimpfig ‘The 2017s aren’t as good as 2015 or 2016, but not far off’ EN ROUTE TO Bordeaux last month to taste the region’s 2017 vintage, the omens were hardly auspicious. Usually, the Easy Jet flight is full of the UK wine trade. But my flight was noticeably lacking in UK merchants – save one who spent most of the trip bemoaning the poor margins that en primeur now provides. Arriving in Pessac, the skies were leaden. Moreover, the forecast for the week was not much better. Low pressure and rain are neither conducive to tasting, nor mood. And to cap it all, the SNCF train service and Air France were both on strike. Would buyers and press show up for what appeared to be a challenging, frost-reduced vintage…

Letters Enraged or inspired by what you’ve read? Email editor@decanter.com, or write to: The Editor, Decanter, Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SU, UK Glass-cleaning tip RE: YOUR ADVICE to the reader who had cloudy build-up on his stemware (‘Notes & Queries’, March 2018 issue). I’ve invested heavily in Riedel glasses which I treat gently, yet they all go in the dishwasher. In 15 years, I’ve had no breakage, chips, or filmy build-up. The secret (aside from judicious placement on the rack) is the washing powder. Commercial dishwashing powder contains phosphates. These clean even the most stubborn grime off of pots and pans but are devastating to glassware. Switch to a ‘natural’ dishwashing powder (I use a brand called Seventh Generation) and your glassware will come out spotless…

Jane Anson ‘In Europe, religion has played a direct role in the growth of vineyards’ WHAT DRIVES PEOPLE to make wine? I have been thinking about this a lot recently, mainly because I am enjoying a podcast called Food: A Cultural Culinary History, from Professor Ken Albala, Chair of Food Studies at the University of the Pacific in the US. In it he describes how food, and our drive to obtain it, has been a catalyst to pretty much every stage of human development, from our earliest moves towards speech and standing upright, to the growth of modern warfare. Yeast makes an early entry, as you can imagine, with Albala telling us that the recent obsession with bacteria-free households is completely at odds with how we’ve developed. Essentially any complex…

EVENT Decanter Man of the Year 2018 dinner Guests from Asia, Europe, North and South America turned out in force to celebrate with Eduardo Chadwick, the 35th Decanter Man of the Year and the first from Chile, at a gala dinner at The Lanesborough in London, featuring his iconic wines Seña, Viñedo Chadwick and Don Maximiano Photographs: Catharine Lowe (www.cathlowe.com) 1 Among the wines served at London’s The Lanesborough in April were Seña 1996 and Don Maximiano 2014 2 Tim Mondavi of Continuum Estate in Napa, whose father Robert was Eduardo Chadwick’s original partner in Seña3 Matthieu Chadronnier of Bordeaux négociant company CVBG and Decanter contributor Anthony Rose 4 A Who’s Who of the wine trade was invited 5 Magui Chadwick, the eldest of Chadwick’s four daughters 6 Proud wife…

Alistair Cooper MW’s picks from Colchagua Estampa, DelViento Syrah Rosé, Paredones 2017 90 £17 Seckford Agencies Very pale salmon pink, with enticing and subtle red fruit aromas. Firm and racy acidity on the palate, with a beautiful hint of pepper and cinnamon spice over mulberry fruit. This is a very elegant style of rosé. Drink 2018-2021 Alcohol 12% Photograph: Matt Wilson Clos Apalta, Apalta 2015 95 £85-£95 Berkmann Wine Cellars, Laithwaite’s Intense aromas of baked earth, liquorice, spice, cassis and blueberry. Tightly wound, rich palate which is sleek, polished and shows fine-grained tannins. This opulent and dense wine has polished oaking and a focused finish. Drink 2018-2030 Alc 15% Beso Negro, El Decadente, Peralillo 2015 93 N/A UK www.besonegrowines.com A full-throttle blend of 63% Carmenère, 28% Petit Verdot and 9%…

Five leading producers Château Changyu-Moser XV Changyu is China’s oldest wine producer, founded in the Shandong Province, with its origins dating to the late 19th century. It has marked its arrival in Ningxia with a stunning European-style château that cost £49 million and opened in 2012 with an 800-strong barrel cellar and museum to Chinese wine history. It is making some of the best wines of the region, especially since it began working in 2005 with fifth-generation Austrian winemaker Lenz Moser as a consultant. Chateau Helan Qingxue Founded in 2005, this is one of the estates that put Ningxia on the map through its Jia Bei Lan wine. Winemaker Zhang Jing was partly self-taught and partly educated by Professor Li Demei, gaining experience via an exchange programme that took her…

Producer profile Wynns Coonawarra Estate The winery that put Coonawarra on the map for wine drinkers in the 1950s has grown to become one of Australia’s best-known names. Huon Hooke explores its history Huon Hooke is a journalist and wine writer, and the DWWA Regional co-Chair for Australia Photograph: Mick Rock/Cephas WYNNS COONAWARRA ESTATE is the undisputed grandaddy of Coonawarra. The winery is the oldest and longest-continuing producer of wine here, it owns the cream of the region’s vineyards and its fame is second to none. So is the quality of its wines, which under senior winemaker Sue Hodder, has never been better. No wonder Wynns is one of the jewels in the crown of its owner, Treasury Wine Estates, topped only by Penfolds. Yet Wynns hasn’t been content to…

Hooke’s picks from Wynns Wynns Coonawarra Estate, Riesling 2016 90 N/A UK www.wynns.com.au Fresh herbal, nettley aromas to the fore. The palate is juicy and fruit-filled, yet finishes clean and dry. Lively, and full of aromatic varietal fruit flavour. Generous and open-knit. Drink 2018-2024 Alcohol 13% Wynns Coonawarra Estate, Johnson’s Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 98 N/A UK www.wynns.com.au From the oldest Cabernet vines in Coonawarra, planted in 1954. The bouquet initially subdued but ripe, rich and exuding berry and violet notes. It gradually reveals flavours of great intensity, precision and elegance. There’s a subtle touch of fruit sweetness, followed by tannins so supple that it can be enjoyed now. It will be very long-lived, however. Drink 2019-2044 Alc 13% Wynns Coonawarra Estate, John Riddoch Limited Release Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 97…

German wine promotion under the Nazis Shortly after assuming power, the Nazis sought to improve the German wine industry, implementing reforms to increase overall quality and, for purposes of propaganda, to foster a national culture of wine appreciation. Repugnant anti-Semitism aside, the Nazis were largely successful, from updating existing wine laws and tackling the ongoing problem of phylloxera, which still menaced German vineyards in the early-1930s, to the promotion of regional wine festivals that, replete with posters, monuments and traditional costumes, aimed to mobilise the masses and enhance sales. Added to this was the establishment of the German Wine Route: a bucolic stretch of roadway running south-north for 85km through the Pfalz. Opened on 19 October 1935 – and since replicated in other wine-growing regions – it starts just past…

Recommendations White Madrigal Viognier Reserva, Quinta do Monte d’Oiro 2016 Pretty perfumes, soft spice and vanilla with a whiff of honeysuckle; quite dry, but soft and round, with a satisfying textural bite of minerality and salinity Sophisticated. 91 Branco Reserva, Quinta de Chocapalha, 2015 (Chardonnay, Arinto) Subtle use of oak, more evident in mouth, but balanced with subtle fruitiness. In the mouth still youthful, not quite knit yet, textured and dry. Good, but will be better in 12 months. 90 Branco Seleccão, Quinta do Rol, 2012 (Arinto, Alvarinho, Chardonnay) Golden hued, showing waxy, nutty development, reminiscent of Hunter Valley Semillon. Fruit salad, mango & dried peach) favours and quite dry. Very good. No oak. 90 Arinto, Quinta de Chocapalha 2016 Fresh citrus style with the salty tang of oysters shells;…

The Spurrier selection Zind-Humbrecht, Muscat, Goldert Grand Cru, Alsace, France 2015 92 £25-£30 Farr Vintners, Uncorked From this east-facing grand cru near the village of Gueberschwihr, Muscat shows restrained florality over impressively vibrant fruit with linear purity and a mineral finish. It is lovely now but will be much better with age. A Zind-Humbrecht secret! Drink 2018-2030 Alcohol 13.5% La Rioja Alta, Gran Reserva 904, Rioja, Spain 2009 93 £45-£50 Armit, City Wine, Justerini & Brooks, Laithwaite’s, Vino Vero, WoodWinters 90% Tempranillo sourced from 60-year-old vines, with 10% Graciano. Aromas of spices and light fruit are followed by more autumnal, warm red and black fruits on the palate. Still youthful but beautifully harmonious and full of energy. Drink 2018-2030 Alc 13.5% Lutum, Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sta Rita…

PANEL TASTING The results With a trend towards increasing elegance and several stand-out regions, California offers plenty for Pinot Noir lovers prepared to pay the price, says Tina Gellie WITH A THIRD of wines scoring 90 points or more, this was a successful tasting, highlighting the consistency in quality and stylistic variety of Californian Pinot Noir. ‘It was fascinating,’ said James Doidge. ‘I was a bit disappointed that more wines didn’t score above 95 points, but it shows California is doing really exciting things – and especially with the huge diversity of styles.’ Ronan Sayburn MS agreed: ‘They are much improved from 15 years ago when it was all brutish, heavily oaked, high-alcohol styles that were more like Barossa Shiraz.’ The trend towards elegance was a recurring theme. ‘More moderate…

PANEL TASTING The results Finding value in Burgundy is harder than ever, but this tasting confirms Mâcon as a great source, with Pouilly-Fuissé still the leading area. Christelle Guibert reports MACONNAIS MAY BE seen as one of Burgundy’s more humble sub-regions, but with stock shortages and prices creeping up across Chablis and the Côte d’Or, our trio of experts urged savvy consumers to take a closer look. Emma Dawson MW said ‘Burgundy is big challenge for Marks & Spencer, and we’ve been trying harder and harder to keep hold of a decent range under £20, so wines from the Mâconnais are becoming increasingly interesting because they definitely offer that.’ Stephen Brook recalled that ‘a few decades ago, the Mâconnais used to be a sea of dullness. There were some good…

Tasting notes decoded Written by Laura Seal Buttery Buttery characters are normally associated with white wines, particularly Chardonnay, and can be produced during malolactic fermentation or oak barrel-ageing. These aromas and flavours are produced by a chemical compound called diacetyl, which is also added to artificial butter products and margarines. Diacetyl can also change the mouthfeel of wines, giving them a smoother and more rounded texture instead of zippy acidity being more prominent. In winemaking, diaceytl occurs as a natural byproduct of malolactic fermentation, the process by which bacteria converts harsh malic acid into softer lactic acid – the same substance found in dairy products like butter. Alternatively, buttery characters can be produced during barrel-ageing, particularly in new oak. In tasting notes you might also see ‘buttery’ in conjunction with…

Bollinger launches RD 2004 All pricing information from Liv-ex unless otherwise stated Bollinger’s RD 2004, released at a recommended retail price of £180 a bottle, is definitely something for Champagne collectors to keep an eye on. It was aged for more than 13 years on its lees under cork before being disgorged on 20 November 2017 with a dosage of 3g/l. RD is only made in certain years, but the 2004 follows relatively closely after the 2002 vintage release. Decanter’s content director John Stimpfig got a sneak preview of the Champagne in London and praised its intensity, rich texture and flavours of ‘brioche, spice box and candied fruit’.…

Letter of the month Bring back Chardonnay SOME YEARS AGO there was a movement in California called ‘ABC’ – Anything But Chardonnay. People were apparently satiated with Chardonnay to the extent that they didn’t want any more. The effect of that fashion has brought about an alteration in the taste of the wine which many of us still love. Chardonnay should undergo malolactic fermentation to produce a soft, buttery wine, redolent of the familiar vanillin taste, and yes, enhanced by judicious use of oak. Instead, these days, we are offered a sharp, thin wine, often light bodied and in some cases too similar to Sauvignon Blanc for comfort. Could we start a ‘BBC’ movement? Bring Back Chardonnay! Lead on this, Decanter. Dr Rob Caird Greywell, Hampshire…

Hugh Johnson ‘Two very prestigious Burgundies failed to light any fires’ OENOGENIUS LEN EVANS (who kickstarted modern Australian wine) was so convinced of the importance of great wines that he endowed a course for young wine professionals that included tastings of the first growths, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti wines and the ultimate icons in each ‘style’, as Australians call them. The Len Evans Tutorials are still going strong 17 years later. Writers sometimes feel a duty to genuflect in the direction of ‘the greats’. Perhaps Andrew Jefford expresses their achievements best: ‘Wines of outstanding beauty and resonance, leaving the drinker with a sense of wonder.’ These are our aspirational models; or are they? I’m not so sure anymore. The existence of Rembrandt doesn’t devalue less exalted painters, or detract from…

The world’s best Grenache buys Decanter’s experts from around the world nominated the best Grenache or Garnacha in their respective regions. Oz Clarke tasted them all and selected his favourites  THE MARCH OF the Mediterranean varieties is steadily gaining strength. Their numbers swell, their chorus grows. As climate change sinks its talons into region after region, as drought becomes a recurrent nightmare and vineyards annually gasp for water that is more and more difficult to find, these drought plants, these dry-land experts, these hardy old-timers are coming into their own. ‘We should thank Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Priorat for kickstarting Grenache’s current rise to popularity, if not yet eminence’ In different parts of the world Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvedre are stirring and demanding attention. But the leader of the pack is Grenache,…

Colchagua at a glance Area in production Vineyard plantings have grown from 8,000ha in 1997 to over 30,000ha in 2017. The Rapel Valley (Colchagua and Cachapoal) produces over one-quarter of Chile’s total volume Climate Mediterranean, with 600mm of annual rainfall between May and August Capital While San Fernando is the provincial capital, Santa Cruz is the unofficial wine capital and the home of La Ruta del Vino, Chile’s oldest tourist wine route Red grapes Most widely planted are Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Merlot and Syrah White grapes Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc dominate white plantings Best recent vintages 2011, 2013, 2017…

Anson’s pick of wines from Ningxia Legacy Peak, Chardonnay 2015 92 N/A UK No English language website This is a very good quality Chardonnay, which is barrel-aged in 100% French oak for eight months. Rich straw in colour, with a round and silky texture on the palate, citrus notes and a lovely fresh finish. Drink 2018-2023 Alcohol 13.5% Silver Heights , Family Reserve Chardonnay 2015 92 N/A UK www.silverheights.cn Made from grapes grown along the eastern slopes of the Helan Mountains, this 100% Chardonnay is bottled unfiltered and undergoes no malolactic fermentation. I love the colour and richness of this, with tropical fruits and beautiful freshness. Drink 2018-2023 Alc 12.5% Chateau Helan Qingxue, Jia Bei Lan Reserve 2014 92 N/A UK No English language website From different plots than the…

Bordeaux 2015s revisited In late 2017, Decanter's Bordeaux correspondent Jane Anson re-assessed this fêted vintage when she tasted extensively across the region’s recently bottled wines THE FIRST TASTE in bottle of a big Bordeaux vintage is always exciting. And 2015 is no exception. It was one of those years where the buzz started early, as the grapes were coming in, and built through to the en primeur tastings. The wines were acclaimed, especially from the Right Bank and southern Médoc; this was the year where Bordeaux’s oenology school said: ‘All five conditions necessary for a great red wine vintage in Bordeaux were perfectly aligned.’ In fact, the 2015 vintage was a little more complicated than was generally reported at the time, particularly in the northern Médoc appellations of St-Julien, Pauillac…

Wynns Coonawarra Estate in brief Photograph: Robert Harding/Alamy History The winery dates back to 1897 but was bought by David Wynn in 1951. Today it is part of Treasury Wine Estates. Top wines Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon is the best-known wine, with the longest history. A Black Label Shiraz is also produced. Icon wines are John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon and Michael Shiraz. Occasional single-vineyard bottlings include Harold Cabernet Sauvignon and Johnson’s Block Cabernet Sauvignon. Other wines The White Label range includes a Shiraz, Chardonnay and a very good Riesling. The Cabernet-Shiraz-Merlot blend (with a distinctive red stripe label) vies with White Label Shiraz as Coonawarra’s biggest-selling wine. V&A Lane Shiraz and Cabernet-Shiraz are sourced from southern Coonawarra and made in a lighter, more elegant style. Less expensive reds are sold…

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 eight to 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…

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 Harvey Nichols, Premium Sparkling, Conca del Riu Anoia, Spain 2015 91 £22 Harvey Nichols This own-label fizz is made by Raventós i Blanc, which left the DO Cava to have more freedom. From biodynamic native grapes sourced from estate vineyards, it spent 18 months on its lees and has a full-bodied palate of ripe white fruit, lemony acidity and a creamy mouthfeel. Alc 12% Léon Beyer, Crémant d’Alsace, France 91 £17.25 Yapp Brothers Alsace sparkling represents 22% of the region’s wine production, though…

The judges Stephen Brook Brook has been a contributing editor to Decanter since 1996. He is the author of nearly 40 books, including The Complete Bordeaux, now the definitive study of the region, and The Wines of California, which won three awards. His most recent book is The Wines of Austria. Brook also fully revised the last two editions of Hugh Johnson’s Wine Companion. James Doidge Doidge has been involved in the wine trade for his entire career. In 2002 he became managing director and buyer for The Wine Treasury, a London-based importer specialising in New World wineries, especially from the US. An experienced taster who visits California regularly, he is completing the research paper of his Master of Wine qualification. Ronan Sayburn MS Sayburn has worked in the wine…

The judges Stephen Brook Brook has been a contributing editor to Decanter since 1996. He is the author of almost 40 books, including The Complete Bordeaux, now the definitive study of the region, and The Wines of California, which won three awards. His most recent book is The Wines of Austria. Brook also fully revised the last two editions of Hugh Johnson’s Wine Companion. Emma Dawson MW Dawson is a wine buyer for supermarket Marks & Spencer, with Burgundy one of her many specialist regions. She studied wine while working in film and media and then moved into the wine industry working for Sainsbury’s. In 2018 she and her partner launched 52grapes.com , a free online project that challenges consumers to taste 52 grapes over 52 weeks. Mark Wilkin…

Kurtis Kolt My Vancouver For sports enthusiasts, wine lovers and locavores alike, this buzzing Canadian city has it all, says resident Kurtis Kolt PERCHED ON THE west coast of Canada and a mere 30-minute drive north of the US border, Vancouver is the city I call home.It’s an easy city to be attracted to: cradled by mountains, lots of beaches and green spaces, and a moderate climate, which sees our winters rainy, rather than freezing and snowy like most other parts of the country. Snow indeed falls on our local North Shore mountains (www.vancouversnorthshore.com),where snowboarding and other winter sports can be enjoyed a scenic half-hour drive from downtown. Much has been said about the ease of skiing in the morning, being back in the city to sail or kayak in…

Market watch Tips for futures success Colin Hay, a professor of political economy with a special interest in the Place de Bordeaux, offers advice on how to approach en primeur purchasing Photograph: Miguel Lecuona A RELIABLE MECHANISM for identifying what to buy during Bordeaux en primeur does not exist. But there are a number of things one can say about wines that have proven to be good en primeur investments. Five factors stand out from the academic analysis that I and others have conducted: First, they need to be well-backed by the critics – and, ideally (and increasingly) by a range of critics. Second, they will ultimately need to be backed again by the critics once re-tasted in bottle. One-off high-scoring wines en primeur tend to peak in price just…

Wine Legends Château Ausone 2005 St-Emilion 1GCCA, Bordeaux, France A legend because… Ausone was one of the appellation’s top growths, until that exclusive band was expanded in 2012. Its history dates back many centuries; Bordeaux expert David Peppercorn MW recalls a tasting that included 17 vintages from the 19th century. The early 20th century also produced some remarkable wines, but a dull patch after 1945, followed by disputes among the owning families and winemakers, did not result in a golden period for Ausone. Since 1995 quality has soared and remained consistent. Ausone’s superb location, outstanding soil and scrupulous viticulture all contribute to its fabulous quality. Looking back From 1985 Alain Vauthier was co-owner of the estate, but often found himself in conflict with the other co-owner, Heylette Dubois-Challon. By 1995…