Innehållsförteckning för March 2021 från Decanter

Hugh Johnson ‘Takeaways are becoming almost a new art form’ You need a microscope to find a single bright spot in being locked down. Yes, it’s your chance to reread War and Peace, but any personal satisfaction is clouded, if not cancelled, by the Spectre of Opportunities Lost, and most of all for conversations not conversed, rellies not hugged (and drinks not drunk). I think of the restaurants I most enjoy, think of their ingenious chefs, friendly waiters and hair-tearing proprietors, and see disappointment on every side. So, a ray of light? Takeaways are becoming almost a new art form. Chinese and Indian restaurants are old hands at it, but some of the new recruits have polished their acts to give you as near an in-the-restaurant experience as they can.…

Southeast Spain STARS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN With their passion for local grape varieties and their desire to give expression to the land, a growing number of producers in Spain’s southeast are forging new paths for the wines of the Mediterranean, bringing a variety of methods and sensibilities to their projects. Sarah Jane Evans MW shares her 10 names to know There is so much more to Spain’s red grape varieties than Tempranillo. Mencía, for instance, that crunchy, refreshing variety of the northwest. Garnacha, too, which has been brought back in from the cold winds of disapproval and is turning up all over, but especially in the Sierra de Gredos and the north. Mediterranean Spain also has a cornucopia of reds – and whites. Yet these are still to achieve the…

Producer profile DOMINIO DE PINGUS Its ascent to elite status was a rapid one, but over the course of 25 years, this Ribera del Duero estate has steadily maintained its reputation for excellence, becoming a staple of the collector market. David Williams meets its founder, the Danish don of Spanish wine If you listen to the man responsible for its existence, the success of Spain’s most celebrated cult red wine is almost entirely down to forces beyond his control. Fate, good fortune, the right place at the right time... these are the motifs in Peter Sisseck’s story of how he came to hit the jackpot with his tiny-production Ribera del Duero in the mid-1990s – and how it continues to command some of the highest wine prices in Spain, a…

Cariñena: 20 top buys MY TOP 20: CARIÑENA Characterful wines with true local identity – Sarah Jane Evans MW relished the task of picking 20 of her favourites made with this lesser-known but now resurgent Spanish variety Cariñena appears in a number of guises in Spain, among them traditionally as a minor blending variety in Rioja (where it is known as Mazuelo), and in Catalonia (as Samsó). What has driven it to top rankings in recent times is the appearance of single-varietal bottlings of the Cariñenas of Priorat DOCa. These are from dry-farmed bush vines grown on remarkable slate soils, and some of the vines are more than a century old. Neighbouring Montsant, and Aragón, are also producing spectacular examples. My enthusiasm for the variety and its transformation in Spain…

Somontano: know your vintages 2020 Large (18%) drop in production compared to the average figure due to frost issues in the spring and a historically high quantity of white grapes. The resulting wines are showing a wealth of acidity and aromatic potential with the ability to age. 2019 Classified as Excellent due to having a fine balance of ripening paired with a disease-free harvest that was 11% larger than 2018. White wines are showing exceptionally well currently and the vintage appears to have the markings of a classic year. 2018 A more moderate year classified as Very Good. Wines are currently drinking well, especially the reds, but not showing the length needed for longer ageing. This vintage favours drinking in the near term. 2017 A hotter year classified as Excellent.…

Vintage report A taste of the top northern Rhônes Wines are listed by commune, from north to south, then by score, then alphabetically by producer. Some 2019s are not yet bottled, hence some prices, stockists or alcohol levels are not yet known. Contact specialist merchants for latest en primeur offers Côte-Rôtie 1 NORTHERN RHONE WINE OF THE VINTAGE KEY PRODUCER Jamet, Côte Brune 99 Domaine Jamet’s only single-vineyard bottling, made every year. All-enveloping star anise, incense. So rich and round on the palate, full of rose and frankincense. Exceptionally fine tannins, pinpoint acidity, beautiful lush density to the tannins, supreme opulence. So fresh, so aromatic. Black pepper and dried rose. Sweet, chalky, dark chocolate tannins. Very rich and opulent, amazing cross between the smoky and the floral – a seamless…

TASTING NOTES DECODED Cabbage Written by Laura Seal As you might imagine, wine with pungent cabbage notes is not generally what the winemaker intended. This note can be identified as a tangy flavour or aroma, often calling to mind over-stewed school meals. Stewed or rotten cabbage aromas could be a sign of a problem with reduction in red or white wines, which is caused by a lack of oxygen in production. This can create smelly chemical compounds called mercaptans. If you come across a wine affected in this way, it may be possible to improve it simply by pouring the wine into a decanter or jug to aerate it for 15-20 minutes; also try dropping in an old copper penny (pre-1992 in the UK) and giving it a good swirl…

RIOJA GRAN RESERVA: KNOW YOUR VINTAGES 2015 After several lean years, this is a fine vintage with some excellent early-drinking wines. The gran reservas are still young, released with minimum ageing. 2014 A return to form after the disappointing 2013s, but lacks Rioja’s hoped-for brilliance. 2013A difficult – the best year advice is to follow the producer. 2012 Officially very good, with a number of enjoyable wines. 2011 Uneven, in the shadow of 2010, but has some good wines. 2010 This was a fine vintage to end the first decade of the 2000s and arguably the best in 2010-15. Across the board, there were wines of excellent quality and cellaring potential.…

Panel tasting THE VERDICT Rioja gran reserva can be a confusing category, but it does deliver consistent quality and is an accessible starting point for those who want to learn about aged wines. Julie Sheppard reports Although the gran reserva category has basic parameters (see p105), there is still considerable variation in its wines. Winemakers can choose to age their gran reservas for longer, and wines are also increasingly being made in a variety of styles. In a tasting that encompassed a range of vintages from 2001 to 2015, this diversity was even more pronounced – and it was the first thing that tasters commented on. ‘Gran reserva used to be a small category, but you knew what you were getting. Now I think it’s much more confusing,’ said Sarah…

Panel tasting THE VERDICT Chardonnay unsurprisingly made up the lion’s share of entries, receiving mixed comments from our tasters. And the less-traditional varieties and sparkling wines also impressed, finds Tina Gellie While Chardonnay (in 35 of 56 entries) dominated this tasting, it wasn’t the whole story. As with the less-traditional grape varieties fielded for the reds, our expert panel was excited to see an eclectic mix among the remaining whites. ‘I was quite impressed to see Fiano, Grenache, Grüner Veltliner, Chenin Blanc... I think there were some really nice wines in there,’ said Keith Kirkpatrick. ‘They may struggle to be competitive at their price points in the UK, but they were thoroughly enjoyable wines to drink.’ Romain Bourger agreed: ‘I actually preferred these lesser-known varieties to the Chardonnays. It’s always…

December Phelps sale highlights A bottle of Château Lafite 1865 from the private collection of late Napa pioneer Joseph Phelps has sold for US$31,070 (£22,775; including 19.5% buyer’s premium) at auction in the US. The wine was recorked at Lafite Rothschild in Pauillac in 1953 and by the château team in San Francisco in 1986, said auction host Hart Davis Hart at the 18-19 December sale. Among other top lots, 11 bottles of Château Latour, Pauillac 1959 fetched $77,675 (high estimate: $45,000), six bottles of Heitz Cellar, Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1974 sold for $23,900 (high e: $10,000), and a 12-bottle case of Phelps Insignia 1978 fetched $15,535 (high e: $4,500).…

Letter of the month Covid and wine tasting While fully appreciating that there are many more, very serious consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, I wanted to share my experiences around Covid and wine appreciation. In April last year I completely lost my sense of taste and smell for three weeks, presumably as a result of catching Covid-19. I’m fortunate to say that I recovered quickly, but my sense of smell and taste has still not completely returned to normal, even now. Although some things smell and taste the same, others don’t, and I appear to frequently detect an unpleasant chemical smell. The sad news is that my appreciation of red wine has been badly affected. Although I can still enjoy white wine and Champagne, I have…

Weekday wines Looking to try something different or adventurous, but don’t want to make an expensive mistake? The Decanter team has done the hard work for you, picking out 25 exciting and accessible wines available in the UK, priced at £20 or less Costellore, Prosecco, Veneto, Italy NV 88 £13.99/magnum Aldi Costellore’s Organic Prosecco is a better fizz, but this magnum of the Extra Dry (confusingly, a medium level of sweetness), with its pear drop, peach and floral flavours, has enough acidity to balance, and will lift lockdown spirits. Often on special for just £9.99! TG Alcohol 11% Famille Perrin, Studio Blanc by Miraval, Rhône/Var, France 2019 90 £12 Coop Ripe peach, pear and citrus, plus a hint of white blossom and reductive flint on the nose.…

PINGUS AT A GLANCE Dominio de Pingus Established 1995 Vineyard 4.2ha Grape varieties Tinta Fina (Tempranillo) Annual production 5,000 bottles Region Ribera del Duero Flor de Pingus First commercial vintage 1996 Vineyard 30ha across four sites Grape varieties Tinta Fina and 5% Garnacha Annual production 50,000 bottles Region Ribera del Duero Psi Established 2006; first vintage 2007 Vineyard 200ha Grape varieties A blend from mostly old vines Annual production 350,000 bottles Region Ribera del Duero…

Hudin’s pick: a taste of Somontano For more recommendations of wines from Somontano, go to Decanter.com Aldahara, Rasé Chardonnay 2018 93 N/A UK www.aldahara.es Chardonnay aged for six months in French oak barrels. Fresh orange peel, potpourri, heady orange blossom, green peppercorn and a wealth of perfumed aromatics. Structured on the palate but not overwhelming, with a nice balance of strength as well as crisp acidity and a sweetish profile that gives it real character. Drink 2021-2023 Alcohol 13% 1 Viñas del Vero, La Miranda Secastilla Garnacha Blanca 2018 92 £12.50-£13.99 Amps, Martinez Wines, Songbird Wines, The Oxford Wine Co, Thorne Wines Fermented in stainless steel, then aged for four months in French oak barrels. Light white pear, bitter melon, subtle grapey notes and juicy lime. Very crisp acidity on…

Walls’ 2019 northern Rhône value picks (In addition to those recommended in the following pages) Lionel Faury, Reviniscence, Côte-Rôtie Pierre Gaillard, Côte-Rôtie Stéphane Ogier, Mon Village, Côte-Rôtie Pierre Gaillard, Condrieu Du Monteillet, St-Joseph Blanc Aléofane, St-Joseph Rouge Catherine et Pascal Jamet, Vignoble de la Tour d’Arras, St-Joseph Rouge Jeanne Gaillard, La Relève, St-Joseph Rouge Du Colombier, Hermitage Rouge Laurent Fayolle, Sens, Crozes-Hermitage Blanc Ferraton Père et Fils, Les Grands Mûriers, Cornas Vincent Paris, Granit 30, Cornas De Lorient, St-Péray…

FIVE OF THE BEST Vodkas for a Martini The Martini is one of the best-known cocktails in the world, but should it be made with vodka or gin? The earliest Martinis were made with gin, with the very first recipe – a mix of gin and sweet vermouth – appearing in Harry Johnson’s Bartender’s Manual of 1888. In contrast, the Vodka Martini, or Vodkatini, is a much more modern invention, first appearing in the cocktail guide Bottoms Up, published in 1951 and written by Ted Saucier, publicist for the glamorous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. But fictional British Secret Service agent James Bond really put the drink on the map, with his ‘Vodka Martini, shaken, not stirred’. 1 Belvedere Single Estate Rye Smogóry Forest, Poland £39.89-£52.50 Amazon UK, Drink Supermarket,…

Confused by a label? Unsure how to serve a wine? A burning bottle question on your mind? Ask Decanter… Our expert contributors are here to advise on any aspect of wine. Each month we will print the most interesting queries with a personal reply from a relevant expert. Simply email editor@decanter.com with your question – the more specific, the better – in no more than a single paragraph, and you could see your query, and a reply, in print. Please note we can only respond to those queries selected for publication.…

RIOJA GRAN RESERVA: THE FACTS Total Rioja vineyard 66,240ha Red grapes Tempranillo 87.7%, Garnacha 7.5%, Graciano 2.2%, Mazuelo 2%, Maturana Tinta 0.3%, others 0.2% Volumes In 2019, total sales of red Rioja were about 218.5m litres, of which just 6.2m litres were gran reservas – the largest category, crianza, accounted for 99.1m litres. Exports The UK is the leading market for Rioja exports overall, with 30% market share, followed by Germany, the USA, Switzerland and Russia Barrels The total number of 225-litre oak barrels for use in ageing was 1,356,820 on 31 December 2019, illustrating the importance of barrel ageing in Rioja as a whole Source: www.riojawine.com…

THE JUDGES Susy Atkins Atkins is a widely published and awarded wine writer and presenter, weekly drinks columnist for The Sunday Telegraph and wine editor of Delicious magazine. The author of 11 books on wine and drinks, she has appeared as a wine expert on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen show over 12 years. www.susyatkins.co.uk Romain Bourger Bourger is head sommelier at The Vineyard at Stockcross, owned by Sir Peter Michael and one of the UK’s top specialists in California wine. He studied hospitality and catering in Moselle before starting out in 2008 as a sommelier at Hotel du Vin Winchester. He won the Taittinger UK Sommelier of the Year competition in 2019 Keith Kirkpatrick Kirkpatrick is a buyer for Roberson Wine – winner in the USA Specialist category in the 2020…

Decanter WINE LEGENDS MARQUES DE GRINON, CABERNET SAUVIGNON 1982 Castilla-La Mancha, Spain A legend because… When this wine was launched on international markets in the mid-1980s, it caused a sensation. This was not just because of its quality but because wine lovers were not accustomed to tasting high-quality Cabernet Sauvignons from Spain. Moreover, this was the first vintage of this wine. True, the Torres Black Label wine already had a high reputation, but it came from Penedès in Catalonia. Carlos Falcó, the Marqués de Griñón, established his estate further south, in central Spain, in the town of Malpica de Tajo in the Toledo province of Castilla-La Mancha, which was hardly known as a centre for fine wine. This single estate, the Dominio de Valdepusa, would become the first recognised ‘pago’,…

In brief Stay up to date with the latest wine news on Decanter.com, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @Decanter Screaming Eagle, Harlan Estate, Opus One and Shafer have been named among wineries set to release wines direct from their cellars for sale at the first Napa Valley Library Wine Auction in February. Organiser Napa Valley Vintners said the sale would feature more than 100 lots in total. Hosted by Zachys, online bidding will open on 11 February and close with a ‘live auction’ on 20 February. Priorat producer Celler Vall Llach said it was heartbroken after heavy snow caused a winery roof to collapse on top of wine stocks from the 2018, 2019 and 2020 vintages, plus winery equipment. It shared a video of the scene on Twitter…

Andrew Jefford ‘Great wine needs no help from designers and celebrities’ Roots, soil and wine-stained hands: that’s what counts. The Covid-19 pandemic, with its economic setbacks and personal tragedies, has changed the way we think about wine, and corrected some of the excesses of the last two decades. More on this in a moment – but first let me recap a business drama. Hermès (you may own a scarf or a tie) was founded in 1837 to make high-quality bridles and harnesses for noblemen’s horse-drawn carriages. Its business adapted over 150 years, but not the insistence on craftsmanship and the use of natural materials. The founding Dumas family took the business public in 1993, retaining an 80% stake. It prospered, to the extent that Bernard Arnault of LVMH eyed it…

Weekend wines Wanting to splash out a little bit more to celebrate your weekend in style? As a companion selection to our 25 wines under £20, the Decanter team has selected seven standout bottles that are sure to impress, all available in the UK and priced between £20 and £50 Co-op, Les Pionniers, Champagne, France 2012 93 £26.99 Coop Complex, yeasty nose of wheat crackers and lemons, dried apricots, bruised apples and sourdough. Creamy and intense, with buttered brioche, roasted nuts, yellow apple and tangerine peel on the palate. A backbone of sharp acidity, plus a long, biscuity finish. Excellent quality and value. SW Alc 12% Rainer Wess, Ried Weinzierlberg Ungrafted Reserve Grüner Veltliner, Kremstal, Austria 2017 91 £27 The Wine Society From one of the oldest…

Atkin’s dozen: top single-vineyard white and red wines from Rioja Viñedo Singular 1 Bodegas Valdemar, Conde Valdemar, Finca Alto Cantabria Blanco 2019 95 £14.29-£15.98 All About Wine, Corking Wines, Exel This pure, old-vine Viura from limestone-dominated soils is one of Rioja’s greatest bargains, and among its most ageworthy whites, fully capable of evolving in bottle for a decade or more. Fermented in French oak, it’s still young at the moment, with subtle vanilla spice, pear and citrus-peel flavours and bright, tangy, almost saline freshness. One to tuck away for a few years. Drink 2021-2032 Alcohol 12.5% Juan Carlos Sancha, Cerro la Isa Blanco 2018 95 £55 WoodWinters A brilliant, old-vine field blend from vines planted in 1906 at 700m in cool-climate Baños de Río Tobía. Fermented in new French oak,…

Spanish great: the latest Pingus releases Dominio de Pingus, Pingus, Ribera del Duero 2018 98 £650-£750 (ib) Albany Vintners, Corney & Barrow, Cru, Ditton Wine & Spirits, Nickolls & Perks, Starling Wines, VinQuinn, Wineye Amid all the hype about its price and cult status, it’s easy to forget that Pingus is also a magnificent expression of both Ribera del Duero in general and the estate’s tiny vineyard in particular: a seamless, satiny texture, with not a hair out of place; superb depth of pure mulberry flavour with subtle shadings of spice, but no feeling of excess; contained power – beautifully balanced with a seam of high-plateau freshness; gorgeous young, but years ahead of it. Biodynamic. Drink 2021-2050 Alcohol 14.5% 1 Dominio de Pingus, Flor de Pingus, Ribera del Duero 2018…

Viticulture THE ROOT OF THE MATTER Rootstocks are an integral and influential part of grape vines – so why don’t we hear more about them? Professor Alex Maltman digs into their history and looks at what the future might hold Wine writing is full of discussions about different grapevine varieties, often with mentions of the soils they are growing in. But usually ignored is the thing that links the two together – the vine rootstock. Rootstocks influence how grapes ripen. Hence, they indirectly influence how wine tastes. So why don’t we hear more about them? OK, the rootstock is pretty much out of sight in a vineyard and lacks glamour, but it is the engine of vine growth and is crucial to a vine’s defences against soil predators. The concept…

Gin GINS AROUND EUROPE The British may have started the current ginaissance some years ago, but other countries have eagerly joined in, with distillers across Europe adding their own distinct regional character to their gins. Chris Losh recommends 16 of the best to try ‘It’s glib to call it terroir, but some gin versions do have a strong local accent’ Gin from Europe?’ you might be thinking. ‘Is nothing sacred?’ After all, gin is as proudly British as fish and chips, Tesco and Fray Bentos meat pies. This is correct – but only in so far as none of the above are strictly British inventions, either. The first chippie was set up by a Jewish immigrant, the first Tesco was established by the son of Polish arrivals, and Fray Bentos…

Readers’ questions Notes & Queries Each month our experts answer readers’ wine questions and share their knowledge Airing an idea Can you aerate a wine by lightly blowing air into it using a straw? I would like to ‘open up’ a wine faster than you can by using a conventional decanter or a wine pourer, and my theory is that perhaps by gently blowing into a glass of wine with a straw for a few seconds it would increase the oxygen surface area and open the wine – especially with monsters like Côte-Rôtie, Aglianico, Bolgheri and the like. Tobie Escher, Indianapolis Sally Easton MW replies: Hi Tobie, I’m not sure whether bottle-aeration or single-serve aeration is more efficient, but you certainly have options to…

THE JUDGES Sarah Jane Evans MW Photographs: Mark Greenland; Nic Crilly-Hargrave Evans is an awarded journalist, author and broadcaster in food and wine, with a particular interest in Spain. A Master of Wine since 2006, she is chairman of Spain’s Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino, author of The Wines of Northern Spain, and one of three Co-Chairs overseeing the Decanter World Wine Awards Christine Parkinson Parkinson is co-founder and drinks consultant at Brimful Drinks. Starting out in the kitchen and rising to head chef, she went on to become worldwide group head of wine for the Michelin-starred Hakkasan Group. Having led her team to the WSET Educator of the Year global award in 2016, she left Hakkasan in 2019 Beth Willard After moving to the UK from Australia, Willard…

CHARDONNAY IN CALIFORNIA: THE 20TH CENTURY The Wente Bros winery in Livermore Valley, east of San Francisco, was the great pioneer of 20th-century California Chardonnay. The Wente clones, and those derived from them, were the result of genetic research carried out by Ernest Wente, son of the founder Carl. Ernest began experimenting with the then-obscure variety in 1912, importing his stock from France’s University of Montpellier. Wente was almost the only producer of Chardonnay until the 1950s, when Stony Hill winery in Napa and Hanzell in Sonoma became well-known for their varietal wines. At the Judgement of Paris tasting in 1976, Chateau Montelena’s 1973 Chardonnay from Napa beat the white Burgundies present, ensuring its future as the Golden State’s key white grape.…

Expert’s choice PREMIUM SPANISH FIZZ The Spanish sparkling wine scene has become increasingly fragmented, but overall quality has risen. Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW shares 18 of Spain’s best, from the Cava DO and beyond Until the turn of the century, understanding Spanish sparkling wine was easy. Spain produced a single category, Cava, which was mostly, but not only, from Catalonia. Cava used to be cheap and cheerful, cheaper than Champagne and better quality than Charmat-method wines. Then, confusion set in. First, a number of relatively small producers aimed for the highest quality – and achieved it. Some excelled in understanding old vineyards, others mastered ageing, a few became great at both. In one decade, several very good wines received market acclaim, and icon Cava was born – but only in…