Innehållsförteckning för October 2022 från Decanter

n Ex-mobster Michael Franzese said his eponymous Armenian wine range is ‘expanding into the UK’, amid plans to look beyond the US market. Franzese, a former high-ranking member of the Colombo crime family, has built a new life as a speaker, author and mentor. He partnered with an Armenian winery to produce the wines, which include a Malbec and white wine from indigenous grape Kangoun. ‘Everyone that has tasted the wine so far has enjoyed it,’ Franzese told decanter.com. n Fresh controversy has arisen around wine with labels showing images of Adolf Hitler, reportedly seen for sale in Italy. Vini Lunardelli winery has made Hitler-themed wines as part of a broader ‘historical series’. Holocaust research foundation and Jewish human rights group the Simon Wiesenthal Center has repeatedly criticised the labels.…

CHAMPIONSHIP BOTTLE Based in Amity, winemaker Saul Mutchnick makes a variety of minimal-intervention whites for his Championship label, including an exceptional Pinot Gris. In 2020, Mutchnick abandoned skin contact to make his Out on Love Pinot Gris as a white wine. Its clean, aciddriven beauty has Mutchnick thinking he might just keep his Pinot Gris white in future vintages. championshipbottle.com FAIR MOON WINE Fair Moon is a one-woman natural winemaking operation out of Amity, where Jessica Wilmes believes Pinot Gris’ purpose in life is to be orange. Her debut skin-contact Pinot Gris, the Sunshine Effect 2020, is a worthy homage to two producers who inspire her: Gravner and Radikon. Wilmes added Auxerrois and Tinto Cão to her line-up in 2022, so keep an eye out. fairmoonwine.com MALOOF WINES Bee and…

1 Ignacio Pino Román, Itata 2020 93 £28 The Finest Wines Available to Humanity A País from 150-year-old vines on decomposed granite soil. Aged in steel tank, which gives greater fruit purity and linearity. Impressive concentration, even with its gossamer frame. Sweet, softly spiced, red cherry and blackberry fruits, with a fine mineral core and refreshing acidity. One of the most elegant expressions of País that money can buy. Drink 2022-2027 Alcohol 11.5% 2 Roberto Henríquez, País Franco, Bío Bío/Itata 2020 93 £24.70 161 Food & Drink Beautiful pomegranate colour. Shows the wonderful balsamic herb expression of 200-year-old País on Henríquez’s Santa Juana property in Bío Bío. It has almost Pinot Noir-like fruit, with dried herbs and hints of Negroni spice. Vibrant and juicy, strawberry and cranberry fruit on the…

As the new Chianti Classico and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano vintage release approached this year, both Tuscan regions were abuzz with talk of their new sub-divisions, which provided a backdrop for a deeper-than-ever dive into their multifaceted territories. Chianti Classico’s recently approved new sub-zone classification has been widely reported, and Emily O’Hare’s ‘A guide to Chianti Classico’s new sub-zones’ summary can be found on decanter.com/premium (January 2022); also see page 75 for details on the new Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Pieve sub-zoning project. Chianti Classico With successes in every category and over a string of vintages, Chianti Classico has impressed above all with its commitment to organics. A whopping 52.5% of its vineyards are now certified, according to the regional consorzio’s recent update, with many more currently in conversion. The…

1 Domaine M Boutin, MB 2019 94 US$21-$22 MacArthur Beverages, The Cellar d’Or A savoury, leathery style that’s medium- to full-bodied with great volume but piercing freshness. Rounded, juicy tannins, with remarkable salinity and cut – no sucrosité here. Long finish with tight, chalky tannins. Organic. Drink 2022-2030 Alcohol 14.5% 2 Domaine La Luminaille, Luminaris 2020 93 domainelaluminaille.com Beautifully expressive strawberry, black cherry aromas. Light- to medium-bodied for a Rasteau, great freshness and precision, no heaviness or excess alcohol. Fine tannins. So drinkable. Drink 2022-2026 Alc 14.5% 3 Domaine des Amadieu, La Copado 2020 92 £19.95 Stone Vine & Sun Only medium-bodied but with good concentration; violets, black cherries and blueberries. The tannins are fine and discreet, saturated in juice. A lovely modern Rasteau, more compact than most, that has…

I’m giving scores of above 90 like I’ve never given before!’ exclaimed fellow panel taster Dirceu Vianna Junior MW, as we were getting to the end of a long, but delicious day of tasting. ‘I have been involved with Decanter for more than 10 years and I cannot remember such a success rate.’ Vianna was not alone in his enthusiasm. Together we tasted 75 wines, and 72% of those wines scored 90 points or above. At Decanter, that means it is a wine that has complexity and precision – abenchmark wine. Anything that touches, or even nearly touches, Gold at 95pts is not only exemplary but thrilling. And we tasted some thrilling wines. Chardonnay, the great terroir interpreter, is certainly serving as testimony to the increasing mastery of South America’s…

Severalmarket commentators have backed fine wine to remain resilient to varying degrees going into autumn, amid greater global economic uncertainty. In August, Bordeaux Index reported revenue up by 37% to £80m (US$97m) in the six months to 30 June, versus the same period of 2021. Trading on the merchant’s LiveTrade platform increased by about 55% in value. It cited ongoing rising interest in luxury brands, especially in Burgundy and Champagne, among wealthy consumers and investors. LiveTrade CEO Matthew O’Connell said he expected fine wine prices to keep increasing, or at least for wine to be ‘an excellent store of value’ as an asset class. Some prices may plateau in the next six months after strong gains, said auction house Zachys recently. Its mid-year review stated: ‘We believe that, for most…

TIM ATKIN MW is a Decanter contributing editor and awarded wine journalist, author, broadcaster, judge and photographer. He publishes timatkin.com, where his Argentina 2022 Special Report is available now (£20) AMANDA BARNES is a writer and presenter specialising in South American wine and travel. A DWWA judge, she is author of the award-winning South America Wine Guide (£35 southamerica wineguide.com) KATIE KELLY BELL is a wine, food and travel writer and editor based in Atlanta, Georgia. As well as writing for Condé Nast Traveler, Forbes and Robb Report, she coauthored The Everything Travel Guide to Ireland (Adams Media, 2010) KAREN MACNEIL is the multiple awardwinning author of The Wine Bible (revised third edition due out in October 2022, $39.99 karenmacneil.com), as well as creator and editor of digital newsletter WineSpeed…

In the wake of the second destructive wave of the phylloxera bug in California in the 1980s and 1990s, Cabernet Sauvignon rose to such prominence and dominance (especially in Napa Valley) that I, like most people, assumed it must now be the most expensive grape variety in the state. Wrong. That would be Cabernet Franc. Slowly, steadily and quietly, Cabernet Sauvignon’s father has displaced its son* as the priciest grape to buy and the grape that is generating ripples of excitement – especially in Napa and Sonoma Valleys. (*Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc are the parent grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon.) At this year’s Taste of Oakville culinary celebration (15 February to 10 March), where Harlan, Heitz, Opus One, Screaming Eagle and a score of other stars all pour their wines,…

Ponzi Vineyards, Old Vine, Chehalem Mountains 2018 96 A dazzling wine made with fruit from a section of the original Ponzi estate vineyard planted in 1970. After fermentation with native yeasts and six months of lees stirring, the wine stays in neutral Pinot Noir barrels for almost two years. The wine possesses an otherworldly texture, accompanied by aromas and flavours of butterscotch, papaya, orange blossoms and cardamom spice. Wow! Drink 2022-2032 Alcohol 13.6% 1 The Eyrie Vineyards, Estate, Dundee Hills 2020 95 £28.43 (2017) Christopher Keiller This is the bar by which many Willamette Valley producers measure their own Pinot Gris. Made with certified organic grapes, the wine’s pale moonbeam colour casts its glow on aromas of orange blossom honey, lemon verbena and a trace of vanilla. Flavours of honeycomb,…

Chianti Classico wines are listed by vintage, then by score achieved, then alphabetically by producer; Vino Nobile di Montepulciano by score then alphabetically by producer. UK stockists are shown where known – contact your regular specialist merchants for current availability. See decanter.com/premium for full tasting notes on the 40 wines featured here PLUS more than 100 additional recommendations from these DOCGs in the 2020, 2019 and 2018 vintages. Wines marked with a♥ symbol are the author’s selection of wines she feels offer particularly good value, or are among her favourites from the current vintage release. Chianti Classico 2020 1 TOP VALUE Cigliano di Sopra 92 £23.70 Tannico† Cigliano di Sopra should be on Chianti Classico lovers’ radars, despite a minuscule production of 10,000 bottles a year. Pressed violet…

Rare 1949 Milton whisky released Gordon & MacPhail has released what is believed to be the only remaining cask of Milton single malt Scotch. Milton was the previous incarnation of the Strathisla distillery (in Keith, northeast Scotland), which changed ownership – and its name – back in 1951. The 72-year-old whisky has been released as part of the G&M Private Collection – aseries of extremely rare or long-aged single malts. It has been matured in a first-fill Sherry puncheon cask for its entire life, yielding just 180 bottles, before being bottled at its natural cask strength of 48.6%. This rare whisky is incredibly rich, with earthy aromas, leading into dark chocolate, crystallised ginger, toasted coconut, espresso coffee and a hint of smoke. The palate has charred orange, ripe cherries and…

Ifirst visited Mexico nearly 30 years ago. Like so many I had always thought of Tex-Mex as Mexico’s national cuisine, but as I ate my way through the valleys and uplands of Oaxaca and the rainforests of Veracruz I was astounded by the unexpected diversity of fruit and vegetables. Many years later I learned, thanks to a meeting with a scientist from Kew Gardens, that Mexico, along with just a handful of other countries, is classified as ‘megadiverse’. While the UK has some 2,000 different native plant species, Mexico has 50,000 and it is this enormous range of herbs, greens, corn, chillies, squash plants, fruits and edible flowers that makes it such a special place to cook and eat. A love of good ingredients and cooking seems woven through every…

1982 CLARET: STILL OK? I recently turned 40 and I received a 1982 Château d’Angludet, Margaux. Like me, I’m sure it’s passed its prime drinking window. When would you advise opening it? It’s been cellared for so long, I want to do it justice. Andy Wilson, by email Decanter’s Georgina Hindle replies: ​ Congratulations on your recent birthday. I have had a few 1982s recently and they have been stunning. It’s one of the best vintages ever in Bordeaux and many wines are drinking well now and still have a long life ahead. I haven’t personally tried Angludet 1982, but I reached out to the family who own the property and this is the response: ‘Angludet 1982 is just amazing to drink now. We had it one month ago and…

W henyou have old vines, you have heritage in your hands. With that heritage comes a responsibility to do the absolute best with what you have inherited.’ So said judge Dirceu Vianna Junior MW, adding: ‘Judging by this tasting, they are doing a phenomenal job in South America.’ Old vines are a hot topic in wine circles. One of the most discussed issues (among many) is their potential for resilience in the face of climatic adversity. Old vines appear to be better equipped to deal with climatic extremes such as drought and floods – understandably an extremely relevant issue. For this tasting, the specification of 30 years-plus to qualify as ‘old vine’ led to a considerable amount of entries (see ‘The scores’, below). In the context of South America, and…

87 Oyster Bay, Sparkling Cuvée Brut, Marlborough, New Zealand NV £13 Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco Not the most complex fizz you’ll ever come across, but this alternative to Prosecco is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at casual gatherings. Aromas of ripe yellow peach continue on the gently sparkling palate, which has steely lemon zing. TG Alcohol 12% 92 Astobiza, Txakoli de Alava, Northern Spain 2021 £12.50 The Wine Society Txakoli is usually a coastal wine, often with a slight spritz; this one comes from further inland, near Rioja. Fullerbodied, and without a spritz, it’s still utterly delicious, with a brisk, marine aroma, softening on the palate to give juicy green apple flavours. Fresh and vibrant, drink it in its youth. AW Alc 12.5% 92 Hardys, HRB Riesling, Australia 2017 £20 Harvey…

Someindividual ‘super second’ wines have risen in price by more than 10% so far in 2022 (see chart below). LiveTrade CEO Matthew O’Connell said the examples were in line with top-performing first growth wines year-to-date and showed the Bordeaux market moving ‘quite homogenously this year’. That said, Petrus 1998 jumped in price by 28% on LiveTrade in the six months 30 June. In July, Liv-ex reported a record price on its marketplace for Petrus 2009 in 75cl bottle format, with a trade at £50,152 (for 12x75cl in bond). At auction, ‘there’s a real focus on mature vintages’, said Charles Antin, head of wine auction sales at Zachys. He told Decanter: ‘There was a time when people liked the idea of buying young wine, at auction, for the cellar, and while…

Inside a professional’s everyday life How did you get here? My journey started at INTA [the National Institute of Agricultural Technology in Argentina] in 1996, when it opened a specialised soils department in Luján de Cuyo, and I really got to know about Argentinian viticulture. I met experts, technicians and winery owners around the country, which led to my crossing over to the private sector 22 years ago. I’ve been Catena Zapata’s head of oenology for 18 years. But it’s really about the people: I’ve worked with 80% of the vineyards in Uco Valley, and that’s a real swathe of knowledge. What’s the best thing about your job? I’m always encouraged by walking around a vineyard year round, sensing it and living with it, then expressing it year after year.…

Thestory of País is a classic Cinderella tale. It started life as Listán Prieto, probably in the Gredos mountains of Castilla-La Mancha, central Spain. Via the conquistadores, with their missionary entourages carrying knowledge and tools for viticulture and winemaking, it travelled along the Columbian trade route, first to the Canary Islands, then the Americas. For more than four centuries, País was a secret treasure. In homesteads throughout Chile’s southern countryside it was used to make wines known as pipeños – rustic country wines fermented in rauli pipas (open wooden lagares). As Chile’s wine industry developed further north, País from the south was largely dismissed as a peasant variety unfit for ‘proper’ wine – too light in colour or too ‘rustic’ in character. It took a young Frenchman to set in…

In late June, Tina Gellie (Content Manager & US Regional Editor), Georgina Hindle (Editor of Decanter Premium) and I spent five days in Napa Valley, California’s premier wine region, to visit wineries, talk to local experts and organisations, and take the temperature of what’s going on. The valley is home to one of the world’s classic wine styles – big, punchy, often high-alcohol Cabernet Sauvignon – but is also a place going through a lot of experimentation and change. In some ways it always has done, thanks to its light to non-existent regulations. Compared to most regions in France, it’s a free-for-all yet, due to market demand, there’s a preponderance of Cabernet Sauvignon. But look past the ‘California fruit bombs’ or the hefty, oaky ‘classic Napa Cabs’, and quite a…

95 Clos Bellane, Comme Un Saphir, Côtes du Rhône Villages Valréas, France 2020 O £34.40 Theatre of Wine Wow! Gorgeous Roussanne fruit from limestone-rich soils in the northern part of the southern Rhône. Lifted, peachy fruit, floral perfume, a streak of minerality, and a nutty warmth, too. Incredibly persistent, complex, and a joy to drink. AW Alc 14% 91 Giant Steps, Chardonnay, Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia 2021 £23-£27 Alexander Hadleigh, Hay Wines, Noble Green, NY Wines, Oz Wines, The Fine Wine Co, Vinvm This reliable buy showcases the Yarra’s classic lemon curd combo of piquancy and richness. Well-judged oak adds gentle spice to the zesty candied peel and curd palate, enlivened by green nectarine acidity. TG Alc 12.5% 93 Edi Simčič, Duet, Goriška Brda, Slovenia 2019 £31.49 Bancroft Elegant Merlot-dominant…