Innehållsförteckning för January 2022 från Decanter

RIOJA GUIDE WHITE WINES THE WHITE RIOJA RENAISSANCE These 20 top barrel-matured whites show clearly how Rioja’s winemakers are placing an increased emphasis on rediscovering the capacity of their grapes to produce wines of impressive character and excellent value STORY SARAH JANE EVANS MW When you look at the numbers, white Rioja really has very little going for it. White varieties don’t even make up 10% of the total Rioja vineyard, while the leading variety, Viura, has acquired a depressing reputation for dullness and unappealing flab. Surely there is little chance of these wines holding their own among the great whites of the world? To be frank, it all depends. Rioja’s whites fall into three distinct categories. First there are the youthful, ‘made last year, drink this year’ wines, coolfermented…

OLDVINTAGES THE TASTE OF TWO DECADES: 12 TOP RIOJAS FROM THE 2001 VINTAGE See p70 for details of the members of our tasting panel in Rioja 1 Izadi, Selección 2001 97 £29.99 (1997) Wine Dancer Restrained and very elegant, with complex macerated fruit, spice and tertiary aromas. In the mouth it is spectacular and multilayered, with finely grained tannins and perfect balance. Slow and complex finish. Drink 2021-2030 Alcohol 13.7% Bodegas Santalba, Viña Hermosa Gran Reserva 2001 96 santalba.com Benchmark aromas of good old Rioja: vanilla, cinnamon, dried fruits, truffles. Great on the palate, in the style of the 1950s – suave, delicate but persistent, and a very slow finish. Excellent, and ready to drink. Drink 2021-2025 Alc 13.5% Bodegas Valdemar, Conde Valdemar Edición Limitada 2001 96 valdemar.es Amazing nose, with…

THE JUDGES Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW is a widely published wine journalist, educator and judge, and a regular contributor to Decanter on Spanish wines Amaya Cervera is the founder of website Spanish Wine Lover, and a freelance wine writer and journalist based in Madrid Sarah Jane Evans MW is a Decanter World Wine Awards Co-Chair, and a widely published and awarded journalist, author and broadcaster who specialises in Spanish wines Alvaro Ribalta Millán MW works as Spanish wine buyer for UK specialist importer Indigo Wine, and is based in Barcelona…

RIOJA GUIDE INVESTMENT HOW TO INVEST IN TOP RIOJA Are fine wines from Rioja a good investment? Decanter assesses the state of the market, with tips on the wineries and vintages to look out for STORY JOCHEN DE VYLDER Does investing in Rioja wine make sense? Yes, but it is still very much a name game. While pre-1970s Riojas have had a solid fan base for decades among vintage wine lovers in Germany, Scandinavian countries, the UK and the US in particular, until very recently no wine investment fund in its right mind would have considered buying newly released Rioja wines. But the times they are a-changing… MATURE RIOJAS Rioja has a long history of making amazing wines. Mature bottles such as the Marqués de Murrieta, Castillo Ygay Reserva Especial 1925…

Meet the Decanter experts JANE ANSON is a widely published and awarded wine writer, educator and judge. Resident in Bordeaux, she was Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent for over 20 years, and has recently launched her own website janeanson.com ÅSA JOHANSSON is a writer on wine, food and travel, and an educator at the Swedish school of sommeliers. Born in Stockholm but based in Tuscany, she writes for prominent titles in Sweden, Norway, Canada and Italy FIONA BECKETT is a contributing editor to Decanter. Publishing at matchingfoodandwine.com, she is a leading expert on food and drink matching, writes a column for The Guardian and is author of 25 books on food, wine and beer PETER RANSCOMBE is a widely published journalist, author, copywriter and drinks columnist-blogger for Scottish Field magazine. A regular…

APERITIFS Start it right APERITIFS Nothing wrong with kicking off your meal with a simple glass of fizz – but there are many more creative options to consider. We explore the art of the aperitif with inspired ideas for your next gathering, whether a low-key lunch or an indulgent celebration STORY KATE HAWKINGS Simply put, an aperitif is something lovely to drink before we eat. It may be a G&T at a bar after work, Champagne before a glitzy lunch, a killer pre-dinner Martini, or just a humble glass of wine with a packet of salted nuts at home. Aperitifs take many forms but all provide a very pleasing moment in a drinker’s day. As with so many things, we have the ancient Romans to thank for the concept of the…

CHABLIS VINTAGE PREVIEW January releases: Howard’s 33 of the best Chablis 2020s NB: many retailers’ allocations are as yet unconfirmed – prices and stockists are given where available, and similarly for alcohols 1 WINE OF THE VINTAGE & TOP QUALITY PRODUCER Domaine François Raveneau, Grand Cru Les Clos 98 From 40-to 50-year-old vines. A forceful nose displaying intriguing smoky notes. A wall of concentration on the palate, with vibrant tree fruit, white flowers, great acidity, intense focus and a long, mineral aftertaste. Despite the power it’s not showy, but is terroir-driven with total purity, and for the long haul. Drink 2024-2040 Alcohol 13% 2 TOP QUALITY PRODUCER Albert Bichot, Domaine Long-Depaquit, Moutonne, Grand Cru Monopole 97 As hoped for, another fantastic example of Moutonne, with intensity of pear and apple…

Ringing endorsement: Anson’s pick of Angélus vintages Château Angélus 1GCC 2001 98 £306 (ib)-£370 Crump Richmond Shaw, iDealwine, In Vino Veritas, Vintage Wine Gifts Easily one of the most impressive Bordeaux 2001s you can find. Full of liquorice, lashings of textured chocolate shavings, smoked earth and black truffle – powerful, fragrant and intense. Grilled almond smoke on the nose as it opens, a wine that keeps on delivering. Very few bottles of this left at the estate, and it is worth savouring. 100% new oak. Drink 2021-2040 Alcohol 13% Château Angélus GCC 1989 98 £360 (ib)-£610 Cru, Crump Richmond Shaw, Delivery Wine Co, Farr Vintners, JF Tobias, Morgan Classic Even at 32 years old, the tannins are dense, even chewy, still with so much power. Here you get pure black…

SWEET WINES TOP SWEET WINES from around the world There is something magical about the wine world’s sweetest creations. From grapes left out on mats to dry in the sun through to the ‘noble rot’ of botrytis, explore the versatility of these unctuous treats – and you really don’t have to wait ’til Christmas every year!… FEATURE PETER RANSCOMBE With its long lunches and decadent dinners, Christmas is undoubtedly a time for indulgence. And few bottles scream ‘indulgent’ like a sweet wine. Whether it’s a golden Sauternes from Bordeaux or a Hungarian Tokaji to accompany dessert, or a richer Italian appassimento or New World sticky to sip by the fireside, sweet wines are part of many families’ Christmas routines. Yet those traditional niches are just the tip of this sugary iceberg.…

DECANTER WORLD WINE AWARDS Australian Shiraz: regional discovery DWWA top-scoring Shiraz wines to try from across the nation 0fren refened to asAustralia’s flagship grape variety, Shiraz is grown in most ofAustralia’s wine regions. Wdl-lmown regions suchas BarossaValley and McLaren Vale are commonlymentioned for quintessential expressions ofShiraz, bm as resulrs from the Decanter World Wine Awards attest, Shiraz across the nae.ionshows stylistic diversitywith strnctured, agewonhy and powerfolly aromatic wines to be found from Frankland River in Western Australia to the Pyrenees in Victoria and Canbena in New South Wales. 'The Decanter World Wine Awards really helps producers to raise theirprofile imemationally,' comments DWWA Co-Chair AndrewJefford. 'It can do the same for wine-producing regions and nations, too.' In the context of Australian Shiraz, chis can be seen in the top results from…

WHISKY Whisky Christmas buying guide The world of whiskies has exploded in recent years. Here’s our pick of the latest and best, with recommendations for those who want to give gifts (or drop hints) that go beyond the mainstream STORY RICHARD WOODARD Whisky fans can be a grumpy bunch at times, often far too fond of luxuriating in a kind of moany nostalgia – the idea that whisky was ever-so-slightly better in the past, and that anything touted as ‘innovative’ should be viewed with suspicion or outright hostility. Which is a shame, because the world of whisky has arguably never been as exciting as it is today. When you find you’re tasting new whisky from Wales (Aber Falls) and Mexico (Abasolo) on the same day, you know there’s something afoot.…

FOOD & WINE MATCHING The wines to match 1 Smith & Sheth, Cru Heretaunga Chardonnay, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand 2018 95 £22-£28 NZ House of Wine, Waitrose Cellar, WoodWinters New Zealand may be better known for Sauvignon Blanc, but it produces some absolutely cracking Chardonnays, too, including this one – from the less fashionable North Island. From 20-year-old Clone 15 and 95 vines, for the geeks among you, and aged in new and aged French barriques, this is fabulously opulent and creamy; powerful enough to stand up to the bird. Could easily be taken for a Meursault. Drink 2021-2023 Alcohol 13% 2 Domaine Saint Gayan, L’Oratory, Sablet Côtes du Rhône Villages, Rhône, France 2020 92 £14.50 Yapp Bros If you have a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape palate but not a Châteauneuf budget,…

Editors’ picks Each month our editorial team tastes a lot of wine but not all of it manages to make it onto the page. So here’s our in-house pick of other great wines we’ve tried A FRESH TAKE ON FOOD & WINE PAIRING NATALIE EARL Among the many virtual tasting experiences on offer, a memorable one recently undertaken was an at-home food and wine pairing created by Jamie Patterson of Ramekins & Wine (ramekinsandwine.co.uk). Sending out six wines and six food-filled ramekins, Patterson and wife Thea delve into the technical details – acidity, residual sugar, tannins – of both the wine and food, building dishes specifically to enhance how each wine tastes. Jamie says this scientific approach evolved from trying to understand the fundamental features of a wine and dish…

PANEL TASTING Australian Cabernet Sauvignon Focusing on Margaret River and Limestone Coast, there was plenty to show the two really are first port of call for top-value New World Cab REPORT SARAH AHMED First Coonawarra, then Margaret River put Australia on the map for world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. Despite opening this tasting up to South Australia’s wider Limestone Coast region (which includes the GIs of Mount Benson, Mount Gambier, Padthaway, Robe and Wrattonbully as well as Coonawarra), disappointingly only three producers outside Coonawarra sent a wine. Cabernet Sauvignon is undoubtedly planted in the right place in both Coonawarra and Margaret River and is expressed with nuance and flair across the price spectrum. Praising their distinct identity, Justin Knock MW said: ‘The great surprise remains that the top Margaret River and Coonawarra…

Highly recommended 90-94pts Domaine Naturaliste, Morus, Margaret River, WA 2018 SA 93 JK 95 JS 93 £44.95 The Vinorium Perfumed nose showing violet, plum, vanilla, cedar and a touch of rose and wet earth. Well-executed, fuller-bodied style, with attractive juice and flesh. Some charry oak that’s just poking up on the finish. Drink 2021-2030 Alc 14% Katnook Estate, Coonawarra, SA 2018 SA 93 JK 95 JS 93 £24.95-£28.49 (2016) Australian Wines Online, GP Brands, Hic Intense berry and cassis notes, dried rose, coffee and sumptuous oak, The palate is mid-weight but lovely, with opulent, cocoa-powdered fruit and fine-grained, rounded tannins. Drink 2021-2025 Alc 14% Capel Vale, Regional Series, Margaret River, WA 2019 SA 95 JK 90 JS 95 £18.50-£21.99 Abbey Wines, Frontier Fine Wines, Richardsons of Whitehaven, Taurus Wines This…

WEEKDAY WINES SEASONAL BUYS Looking to branch out from your usual selections for the festive table? The Decanter in-house tasting team has done the hard work for you, picking out 34 exciting and accessible wines that are perfect for drinking over the holidays, all available in the UK and priced at £20 or less RECOMMENDED BY JAMES BUTTON, NATALIE EARL, TINA GELLIE, GEORGINA HINDLE, JULIE SHEPPARD, AMY WISLOCKI & SYLVIA WU Dominio de la Vega, Expression Cava Brut, Utiel-Requena, Spain 2018 £16.50 Jeroboams A great festive fizz, fresh and zesty on the nose with a lovely dry palate comprising rich citrus fruits, apricot and just the right amount of bitter orange peel. Complex, with a liveliness that makes it perfect for aperitifs as well as with food. GH Alcohol 11.5% Sainsbury’s,…

Sponsored by BORDEAUX INDEX Fine & Spirits Marketwatch News from the world of investments and auctions COMPILED BY CHRIS MERCER Chanel estates break records at auction S otheby’s has claimed new world record prices for Château Rauzan-Ségla and Château Canon at auction after a sale featuring bottles direct from the Bordeaux estates’ cellars. Intense bidding saw the auction total reach £1.4m ($2m), beating its pre-sale high estimate of £1.1m, said Sotheby’s. More than 50% of lots sold surpassed pre-sale high estimates. Margaux-based Rauzan-Ségla and St-Emilion Canon are owned by luxury group Chanel and have been tipped in recent years as classified Bordeaux estates on the up. Sotheby’s said the 900-lot, London-based sale created new world records for any bottle of Rauzan-Ségla or Canon at auction. These were set by a…

RIOJA GUIDE CERVERA’S PICK: 10 RIOJA GARNACHA WINES TO SEEK OUT Ojuel, Fuente León Garnacha Blanca 2019 91 N/A UK ojuelwine.com After reviving supurao, a traditional sweet wine made from dehydrated grapes, Miguel Martínez continues to explore the highaltitude vineyards of Sierra de Moncalvillo. This limited release (a little more than 600 bottles) was fermented with 30% skins. There is something wild about the wine, with dried herbs, white fruit and a nice tension on the palate. Drink 2021-2024 Alcohol 13% 1 Cornelio Dinastía, Vega Vella Garnacha Blanca Fermentada en Huevo de Hormigón 2020 90 N/A UK bodegascornelio.com An organic wine sourced from vineyards grown on lime/clay soils in Rioja Oriental. The style is opulent and fruit-driven (pear, peach), probably due to the fact that the wine has been aged…

RIOJA GUIDE OLD VINES PRESERVING OLD VINE HERITAGE New legislation in Rioja is aimed at protecting the region’s old vines. But how effective will the new measures be? And does vine age make a real difference to quality in Rioja? STORY PEDRO BALLESTEROS TORRES MW Early in 2021, the Rioja DOCa authorities approved a number of measures aimed at preserving the old vines of the region – a strategy focusing on the vineyard rather than on the wines or their distribution. Although this initiative won’t be immediately reflected on the shelves of wine shops, it will have a real effect in the vineyards of Rioja. Across the EU, the wine sector is highly regulated. Unfortunately, many existing policies, based on concerns about productivity, have led to vineyard replacement rather than…

RIOJA GUIDE VIÑEDO SINGULAR This was the first Decanter tasting of this newest Rioja category. Made according to strict rules, these top-quality, terroir-specific reds and whites performed very well, indicating a promising future REPORT YOLANDA ORTIZ DE ARRI IZARRA With 19 wines scoring at least 93 points – a huge proportion – Decanter’s first full blind tasting of Viñedo Singular wines was nothing short of impressive. The rest of the field received 90pts or above, with the exception of one wine that was unfortunately corked. To put the results in context, of the 50 wines eligible at the time, producers entered 30 into this category tasting. Most of the reds are from 2017, the year that Rioja’s new Viñedo Singular designation was launched. It was an early vintage marked by…

RIOJA GUIDE Highly recommended 90-94pts Bodegas Tobelos, Los Quiñones 2019 YOA 93 SJE 93 PBT 95 £55 Burridges of Arlington St A restrained nose, with citrus and stone fruit. Round and plump on the palate, with refreshing acidity and a lot of extract. This is made for the long run – about 10-15 years. Drink 2023-2036 Alc 13% Bodegas Amaren, El Cristo de Samaniego 2017 YOA 93 SJE 95 PBT 94 £39.99 Alliance Wine, Baythorne Hall, Curious Liquids Cedar, eucalyptus, toast and dark fruit lift; sumptuous palate and a long finish with a saline edge. Drink 2023-2027 Alc 15% Bodegas Luis Cañas, Camino Leza 2017 YOA 93 SJE 92 PBT 97 £64.99 Curious Liquids A juicy, deep wine with an array of herbal and fruit flavours, and fine-grained tannins. Concentrated,…

RIOJA GUIDE DRINK NOW OR WAIT? Vintage guide: the lowdown on how long to keep your reservas and gran reservas from the last 20 years COMPILED BY AMAYA CERVERA Rioja can proudly claim that its wines, both red and white, have the ability to age. For more than a century, the region has mastered the art of long ageing, releasing wines when they are ready to drink, the tannins tamed, the aromas displaying a wide array of nuances. Legendary 20th-century vintages include 1948, 1952, 1955, 1964, 1982, 1994 and 1995. The crianza, reserva and gran reserva indications refer to increasing length of time spent ageing in oak barrels. While crianza is the friendly, affordable choice to drink straight away, reserva and gran reserva are more likely to age – but…

UNCORKED Andrew Jefford ‘2021 has been the year of all the miseries’ ILLUSTRATION SAM KERR/DEBUT ARTH How’s the weather been this year? Awful. ‘La nature m’écoeure’, one of my wine-growing friends posted on Facebook on 8 April, having been out to look at the frost-crippled shoots on his vines that morning: ‘Nature disgusts me’. It takes a lot to make a wine-grower feel that. He wasn’t alone. Jeremiads echo around the northern hemisphere as 2021 closes. It’s been the year of all the miseries. None suffered more horribly than the growers of Germany’s Ahr valley, where floodwaters caused by the four-day stalling of Storm Bernd from 12 July over eastern Belgium and western Germany damaged or destroyed 65 wine estates and four cooperatives, costing 133 lives and pulverising homes, bridges…

Chablis 2020 Favourable conditions meant the pressure was off for grateful producers, with an abundance of good to excellent wines. The many Chablis admirers of the world should make hay while the sun shines… REPORT ANDY HOWARD MW Chablis 2020 continues a run of very fine vintages in this key Burgundy appellation. The word most heard during my recent visit to Chablis was ‘classic’. While 2020 may not quite have the linear acidity of 2014, there are a lot of similarities with 2017, another classic year. Although 2020 was a very early vintage, it was not a particularly hot one and managed to avoid the dramatic heat spikes of 2018 and 2019. My high tasting scores suggested that this is a vintage which can be rated at least four stars,…

WHICH VINTAGE? A vintage celebration Bordeaux and Burgundy are so often the instinctive first choice for the festive season main event. But which are the prime vintages (and appellations) you should be pulling from the rack this year to maximise your enjoyment on the big day? STORY PANOS KAKAVIATOS & CHARLES CURTIS MW Bordeaux: the festive table classic With some 650 million bottles produced on average each year, from 57 appellations and vineyards stretching 100km along its rivers, the vast Bordeaux wine region is not easy to pigeonhole when choosing vintages for best current drinking. Consumer taste for young or older vintages, budgets (modest or prestige brands) and appellation variation all need to be considered. A fine vintage in St-Emilion on the Right Bank, for example, may not be as exciting…

Distilled Your guide to the latest trends in spirits and cocktails EDITED BY JULIE SHEPPARD Raise a glass If you want your Christmas party to sparkle, it helps to serve drinks in suitably stylish glassware. The modernist metallic Luca range from LSA fits the bill. Designs feature generous spherical bowls and tubular stems, with a thick gold band hand-painted around the rims or feet of each glass for a festive feel. Part of LSA’s autumn/winter 2021 designs, the range of mouth-blown drinkware includes tumblers, gin cocktail balloons, coupes and an ice bucket. Ideal for home cocktail creations that look as good as they taste… Prices start from £28 for a set of two 330ml tumblers, from Amara, Dotmaison, Home Colours, John Lewis, LSA International HOW TO… understand mezcal Like tequila,…

WHISKY Whiskies to buy this Christmas SELECTED BY RICHARD WOODARD 1 Abasolo, Mexico £38.95-£43/70cl Widely available For the drinker who’s tried everything (or thinks they have). The use of Cacahuazintle corn and a cooking technique called nixtamalisation makes for a fat, smooth spirit with an earthy note of burnt biscuits. Anyone for a Whisky Paloma? Alcohol 43% 2 Bushmills The Causeway Collection 2000 Port Cask, Ireland £259.90/70cl House of Malt, The Whisky World Bags of Christmas comfort in this rich, rounded whiskey that amplifies Bushmills’ lightly supple character with treacle, tangy marmalade and black cherries – and an anis lift to stop it becoming too flabby. Alc 54.1% 3 Compass Box Orchard House, Scotland £41.45-£48/70cl Widely available From the consistently excellent and versatile makers of The Spice Tree and The…

PANEL TASTING Vintage Champagne In a rare jaunt through the ‘regular’ vintage category, our judges found excellent quality from a range of years, at prices truly to suit all pockets REPORT SIMON FIELD MW The words vintage and Champagne make for a felicitous and evocative juxtaposition. One would have been very surprised if James Bond had offered one of his many inamoratas a glass of non-vintage Champagne. Yet tradition and glamour belie the hard facts of the market. Non-vintage (NV) Champagne has long dominated proceedings, built out of an aspiration for a consistent style, year in year out – something achieved only by blending different grapes across different villages and different vintages. But now ripening grapes is becoming less of a problem, and more and more Champagne houses are declaring…

PANEL TASTING VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE Highly recommended 90-94pts Barfontarc, Cuvée Sainte-Germaine Brut 2013 SF 94 AB 93 TH 95 £65 champagne-barfontarc.com Nose of plums, spring flowers, berry fruit, zesty citrus and a hint of verbena. Poised palate, harmonious and balanced. Terrific aperitif style. Drink 2021-2028 Alc 12% Nicolas Feuillatte, Palmes d’Or Brut 2008 SF 94 AB 95 TH 94 N/A UK world.nicolas-feuillatte.com Supremely attractive nose of citrus, dried stone fruits, Christmas cake, nutmeg, vanilla and almond. Delicately textured palate with a long finish. Drink 2021-2028 Alc 12.5% Taittinger, Brut 2014 SF 94 AB 95 TH 93 £60.55 Champagne Direct, Fortnum & Mason, Ocado, The Champagne Co Sweet tobacco leaf nose with seductive honeysuckle undertones, lemongrass and fallen apples. Approachable with a firm pull of acidity. Drink 2021-2026 Alc 12.5% Bruno Paillard, Assemblage…

THE JUDGES Sarah Ahmed is an awarded wine writer, educator and judge who specialises in Portugal and Australia. Publishing her own website thewinedetective.co.uk, she regularly judges in Australia and in 2017 was named Honorary Australian Woman in Wine Justin Knock MW is director of wine for luxury wine company Oenogroup, providing his extensive experience in wine production, distribution and marketing. He is the Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Chair for Australia Julia Sewell is a wine consultant and educator offering services via juliasewellwine.com. A DWWA judge, she began her career in restaurants in Melbourne, Australia before moving to the UK and working at The Fat Duck in Bray, Hide Restaurant Mayfair and Davy’s Wine Merchants…

RIOJA GUIDE PEOPLE WHO’S WHO IN RIOJA From winemakers to academics, restaurateurs and innovators, the region of Rioja continues to be shaped by the people who live and work there. Here we profile some of the key influencers you need to know STORY PEDRO BALLESTEROS TORRES MW, SARAH JANE EVANS MW, AMAYA CERVERA, YOLANDA ORTIZ DE ARRI IZARRA, PILAR CAVERO ABEL MENDOZA MONGE Abel Mendoza Monge epitomises free-thinking and a long-term vision for Rioja Alavesa. His approach is to observe his vineyards, research their history, and interpret them in ways that, although new, are also deeply respectful of the land and culture. Mendoza’s family were vine-growers, but he showed an early interest in making wine, too. Later, he teamed up with his wife Maite and launched a wine project that,…

DIVERSITY THE DIVERSITY OF RIOJA IN SIX WINES Say the word Rioja and most wine drinkers think of a mellow, traditional red. But update that image: Rioja is now increasingly varied and innovative, with new techniques, terroirs and wine styles making their mark STORY DAVID WILLIAMS All wine regions tend to be stereotyped to a certain degree – and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If a region has managed to get its name associated with, say, aromatic whites or sparkling wines or powerful spicy reds, that can give it a head start at the local supermarket or restaurant. As customers, we feel as though we know what we’re getting from Rías Baixas, or Champagne or the Barossa Valley, almost to the point where the producer’s name becomes secondary, a…

RIOJA GUIDE Meet the Decanter experts SARAH JANE EVANS MW is an awarded journalist, author and broadcaster, and a DWWA Co-Chair. Author of The Wines of Northern Spain (Infinite Ideas, 2018), she is also the current chair of Spain’s Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino PEDRO BALLESTEROS TORRES MW is a widely published wine journalist, educator and judge. He is a member of the Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino, and is on the governing board of the Spanish Tasters’ Union PILAR CAVERO won Best Sommelier of Spain in 2013 while at three-star Michelin El Celler de Can Roca. She writes a wine review for Spanish newspaper ABC and is director of its La Guía de los Mejores Vinos de España AMAYA CERVERA is a freelance wine writer and journalist…

THE JUDGES Yolanda Ortiz de Arri Izarra writes for online magazine Spanish Wine Lover, taking care of its English edition. She previously worked as a news journalist for a range of publications including the Financial Times Sarah Jane Evans MW is a Decanter World Wine Awards Co-Chair, and a widely published and awarded journalist, author and broadcaster, who specialises in Spanish wines PHOTOGRAPH ABEL VALDENEBRO Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW is a widely published wine journalist, educator and judge. He is a DWWA joint Regional Chair for Spain, and a regular contributor to Decanter on Spanish wines…

RIOJA GUIDE THE WINES THAT MADE RIOJA FAMOUS Historically, the production of consistent blends put Rioja’s producers on the global wine map – and they continue to deliver for today’s drinkers. This tasting highlights the brands that built Rioja REPORT PEDRO BALLESTEROS TORRES MW Rioja is Bordeaux’s intellectual heiress, on two counts. First, its wines could only achieve greatness when Bordelais winemaking knowhow – the ‘Médoc method’, as it was called – was imported into the region. Careful viticulture, fruit selection, destemming, long maceration and oak ageing are the necessary conditions to reveal Rioja’s true potential. Second, the business model for the best traditional Rioja wineries was inspired by the French one: building prestige via the use of brands. While producers had the expertise around where the best wines could…

Highly recommended 90-94pts Bodegas Franco-Españolas, Bordón Gran Reserva 2011 PBT 94 SJE 95 Alvaro Ribalta MW 93 £17.95 A&A Wines Rich style, with elegance and intense ripe, concentrated fruit. Promising potential for development. Drink 2021-2031 Alc 13.5% Marqués de Murrieta, Reserva 2017 PBT 94 SJE 94 AR 93 £14.50 Fine Wines Direct UK Unique Rioja character, bursting with red fruits. Reconciling power and finesse, pleasure and style. Leaves a vibrant memory. Drink 2021-2037 Alc 14.5% Bodegas Ontañón, Vetiver 2014 PBT 94 SJE 94 AR 95 £10.50-£10.99 (2018) Boutinot, Latitude Wine, Tivoli Wines, WoodWinters Rich pineapple and apricot with a dose of lemon. Balanced, long, subtle. Good Viura, a refined classic. Drink 2021-2024 Alc 12.5% Roda, Roda I Reserva 2016 PBT 95 SJE 93 AC 93 £38 (ib) Goedhuis & Co,…

EDITOR’S LETTER A very merry whatever UK-based readers of a certain vintage may remember an Irish comedian called Dave Allen, whose end-of-show line was the nicely nuanced ‘may your god go with you’. And just as we choose our own deities (Bacchus, anyone?), so we choose what we celebrate, when, how, and who with. So whether your chosen feast day is Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, Thanksgiving, Diwali, Lunar New Year, Hanukkah, Cinco de Mayo, or all of the above and more – which sounds a little tiring – you’ll have your very own special set of traditions and treats. And that’s exactly as it should be. However, sometimes we all need a little help in deciding on the details – which is where we hope we can…

1,770 million THE NUMBER OF BOTTLES OF WINE CONSUMED IN THE UK DURING 2020 SOURCE: THE WORLD OF WINE REPORT DECANTER LOVES… PINO 3000 Pino 3000 takes extreme viticulture to the next level. This joint venture wine was conceived by the team at ice Q, Europe’s highest gourmet restaurant, 3,048m up, in Sölden in the Austrian Tyrol. Three leading winemakers from Austria, Germany and Italy were inspired to produce a blend of top Pinot Noir grapes from each of their wineries, matured in oak at the summit of the Gaislachkogl mountain. Taste the 2019 vintage at ice Q – or €1,260 buys you a case of wine and a night at Das Central hotel for the next Pino 3000 Collection launch in late 2022. iceq.at…

It’s a wrap Stuck for inspiration this Christmas? Decanter’s editorial team come to the rescue with 20 great gift ideas for the wine lover in your life…

Chablis: know your vintages 2020 Early but high-quality vintage with typical Chablis drive and freshness. Along with 2017, the best since 2014. A vintage to buy, and to keep the top wines carefully for drinking over 5-10 years. 2019 Some spikes of heat, but the grapes were very concentrated giving Chablis wines with weight and the acidity to support the ripe fruit. Best sites will keep many years. 2018 Big harvest with a dry, hot summer leading to ripe grapes which lacked a bit of concentration but had plenty of fruit purity. Stone fruit characters more evident, less classic, relatively early drinking. 2017 A fine vintage, plenty of acidity, floral and mineral notes, and a lot more drive and intensity than in either 2016 or 2018. Vintage to keep. 2016…

Château Angélus: a timeline 1782 Jean de Boüard de Laforest buys a plot of vines in St-Martin-de-Mazerat 1795 Jean’s daughter Catherine Sophie de Boüard de Laforest marries Charles Souffrain de Lavergne, settling in St-Martin-de-Mazerat, where both families have land 1815 The two families’ land is joined together 1910 Maurice de Boüard inherits the Mazerat property from his aunt Eugénie Souffrain de Lavergne 1922 Maurice buys Clos de l’Angélus from his neighbour 1945 All bottles from the 12ha estate are bottled under the Angélus name for the first time 1955 Angélus is named a GCC in the first St-Emilion classification 1972 Angélus 1959 is served at the Elysée Palace during a visit from HM Queen Elizabeth II 1985 Hubert de Boüard, aged 29, takes over the estate 1996 Promoted to 1GCC…

Wine ghosts of Christmas Past At dinner in Pomerol earlier this year, I brought a Château Figeac, St-Emilion 1998, which was terrific, but thoroughly overshadowed by a Château Lafleur-Pétrus, Pomerol 1970, generously shared by Jean-Claude Berrouet, former director of winemaking at Château Petrus. The refinement and elegance of the wine – sous bois, tealeaf, truffle, violet florals, fine chocolate – proved spellbinding. If you can find a great old vintage with proper provenance, go for it. Such years as 1959, 1961, 1962 and 1964, for example, from well-stored bottles and top estates are expensive but can still be found. Contact a merchant and ask about conditions and provenance: is the fill level appropriate for its age; how much has the bottle been moved; has it been stored on its side…

RHONE Brézème: Walls’ wines to look out for Seyssuel: a taste of the future – Walls’ selection of six Domaine des Quatre Cerises, Côtes du Rhône Brézème 2019 92 N/A UK ymengin@hotmail.fr Still very young, this Marsanne-Roussanne-Viognier blend is more about texture and structure than exuberant flavour for now. It has a pleasing freshness and is lightbodied for a Rhône white. A touch of creaminess on the finish and a hint of almond; well balanced, but needs a little time to unwind. Good sense of tension, precise and very drinkable. Might score even higher with time. Drink 2022-2026 Alcohol 12.5% 1 Domaine de Bréseyme, Côtes du Rhône Brézème 2018 91 £27.99 (2019) Blanco & Gomez, Liberty Wines, Nicholson’s Wines, Theatre of Wine A domaine recently purchased by Maison & Domaines Les…

FOOD & WINE MATCHING CHRISTMAS TURKEY 10 perfect pairings The beauty of our favourite festive fowl is that it pairs well with a wide variety of wines. So do you opt for your usual choice this year, or try something different? Here’s some advice from our pairing expert, plus 10 great wine matches RECOMMENDED BY FIONA BECKETT If you’ve cooked – and written about – Christmas turkey as often as I have (which is a lot), you may think there’s nothing more to be said on the subject of what you should drink with it. But can I gently suggest that you might be wrong. It’s not that there are likely to be options out there that you’ve never thought of – it’s more that it may be possible to…

New Nordic: at the heart of Scandinavian food The Swedish travel and food writer Anna Norström describes the new Nordic cuisine in the following way: ‘The New Nordic cuisine is perhaps not so new anymore. Today it’s referred to as just “Nordic”. ‘Behind it all is a food manifesto initiated by restaurateur, author and Noma co-founder Claus Meyer in 2004 and signed by many Nordic chefs, including René Redzepi of Noma (see p89) and Mathias Dahlgren from Sweden. ‘It changed the way we look upon food in the Nordics. Instead of looking to French cuisine as the only authentic fine dining, we started acknowledging our own surroundings – and what we have here. ‘Currently at the top of the World’s 50 Best list for the fifth time, Noma has been the…

Ask Decanter Each month our experts answer your burning wine questions. Email your questions to editor@decanter.com HOW LONG WILL IT LAST? Is it always true that red wine stays fresh longer than white wine once opened? If so, why? Lucy Myers, London Caroline Gilby MW, Decanter contributor and DWWA Regional Chair, replies: Oxygen is the enemy of wine once it’s opened, but predicting whether red will then last longer than white is not an exact science. White wines often depend on fruity, floral aromas and flavours for their enjoyability. Compounds such as terpenes (floral, lemon notes in Muscat and Riesling, for instance) or thiols (tropical fruit and citrus notes in Sauvignon and Chenin Blanc) oxidise very easily. So these styles of wine can lose their varietal expression, and may seem ‘flat’.…

THE JUDGES Simon Field MW is the DWWA Regional Chair for Champagne. A Berry Bros & Rudd buyer for more than 20 years, he now consults on areas which particularly interested him in that time, with Champagne topping the list in France Alan Bednarski is a wine consultant, a Court of Master Sommeliers advanced sommelier, and a DWWA judge. He moved to London in 2015 and has held positions at prominent venues including head sommelier at Texture. In 2019, he came third in the UK Sommelier of the Year competition Tim Hall is director of Scala Wine, importing single-estate Champagnes to the UK and running guided trips to Champagne and Bordeaux. He won CIVC’s Champagne Ambassador UK award in 2013, and is a Chambellan of the Ordre des Coteaux de…

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 8-10 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 and over £30 – with the…

WEEKEND WINES FESTIVE TREATS Wanting to splash out a little bit more to celebrate the festive season in style? As a companion selection to our 34 wines under £20, the Decanter team has selected 16 standout bottles sure to impress guests and hosts alike, all available in the UK and priced from £20-£50 RECOMMENDED BY JAMES BUTTON, NATALIE EARL, TINA GELLIE, GEORGINA HINDLE, JULIE SHEPPARD, AMY WISLOCKI & SYLVIA WU Georges Vesselle, Grand Cru Brut, Champagne, France £35.95 Jeroboams A light but racy Champagne, made with 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay, this has a gorgeous soft rose-gold colour plus freshness and minerality. Delicate with fine bubbles, perfect for parties and aperitifs. Crowd-pleasing, eminently quaffable fizz with finesse. GH Alc 12% New Chapter, Grüner Veltliner, Niederösterreich, Austria 2020 £25.50 Vinvm Marked…

LOOKING AHEAD BURGUNDY EN PRIMEUR Merchants are preparing to offer Burgundy 2020 wines en primeur in January, as per tradition, but offer dates vary. Look for Decanter’s verdict on wines: will knowledge of low yields in the subsequent Burgundy vintage, 2021, affect demand for 2020 wines? PERRIER-JOUET VINTAGE AUCTION Christie’s will auction rare vintage Perrier-Jouët Champagnes on 2 & 3 December, including a bottle of 'Brut Millésimé 1874’, with a high estimate of £15,000. Several Belle Epoque vintages will also be auctioned – an interesting watch, given Champagne’s strong market momentum. SALES WATCH Look out for January offers as the festive season subsides. ‘Last year we had 600-plus lines, with discounts of up to 50%,’ said Farr Vintners’ Joss Fowler. Farr normally splits out ‘perfect stock’ and ‘minor imperfections’, the…

Sponsored by BORDEAUX INDEX Spotlight: Italy Market on the move Merchants are pleased to report investor activity spreading beyond the familiar cast of big names, yet there is a note of wait-and-see caution as to the long term Good momentum for SuperTuscans and a debut Barolo en primeur auction suggest Italy’s fine wine market presence has continued to expand in 2021, even if opinion varies on the number of investment-grade names. Bordeaux Index said Italian wine trading volumes have continued growing strongly and consistently on its LiveTrade platform this year, driven by Tuscany, even as French wine royalty has also performed well. In terms of prices, LiveTrade’s Italy index was up by 22% over the 18 months to 30 September 2021. The rise slows to 12% for the first nine months…

Sponsored by BORDEAUX INDEX Fine Wines & Spirits Monitor: the latest sales activity Tuscany selling high Several top SuperTuscans have beaten pre-sale high estimates at recent auctions. A 12-bottle haul of Solaia 2006 was the best-selling Italian lot at a Christie’s auction in Geneva in November, fetching CHF3,430 (£2,772) against a pre-sale high estimate of CHF,3000. Other highlights included two 12-bottle lots of Tignanello 2006, each fetching CHF1,838 (pre-sale high e: CHF1,500), and a two-bottle lot of Masseto’s lauded 2015 vintage, which sold for CHF2,205, about CHF1,000 above its pre-sale high estimate. Several vintages of Masseto stretching back 25 years appeared to generate strong demand at a recent Zachys auction in New York. Six bottles of Masseto 2001 sold for $7,470 (£5,511), including buyer’s premium, against a pre-sale high estimate of…

WORKING WINE TO 5 Stéphane Derenoncourt Winemaking consultant PHOTOGRAPH CHRISTOPHE GOUSSARD You arrived in Bordeaux aged 18, by hitchhiking – that’s pretty unusual… I grew up in northern France and I decided very early on to change my life. I had no idea what I wanted to do but the job centre said I could go to Bordeaux to pick grapes, so I thought ‘why not?’ – I sold everything I had, went to start the harvest, and ended up staying. How did you find your first job? I didn’t have a diploma, so my only option was to work in the vineyards. Then a government initiative to find young people work by reducing the tax employers had to pay gave me a chance. Paul Barre in Fronsac became my…