Innehållsförteckning för Christmas 2022 från Decanter

■ Margaux second growth Château Lascombes has been acquired by the owner of Napa Valley estates Heitz Cellar and Stony Hill. It marks the first acquisition in Europe for Lawrence Wine Estates – founded by the Lawrence family, of US entrepreneur Gaylon Lawrence, and Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy Jr. ‘Château Lascombes is a special place – we will spare no expense to ensure we bring it to its full potential,’ said McCoy Jr. ■ Severe frost in Argentina may have affected about 10,000ha of vineyards in Mendoza, according to a local official, but winemakers were still assessing vines. Temperatures plunged to -4°C in early November. Juanfa Suarez, producer and owner of Finca Suarez in Paraje Altamira, Uco Valley, reported ‘100% damage to our Finca Las Piedras vineyard and 80% damage…

Traditional glass bottles clearly impact the environment (see ‘Thinking inside the box’, November 2022 issue). However, an easier item to eliminate would be the capsules over the corks. Wine is no longer stored in the cobwebbed, vermin-ridden cellars classically portrayed in movies, and shipping is now more orderly. Capsules have to be manufactured and applied using special machinery and add to costs. I work in a tasting room at a small winery (Fields Family Wines) in Lodi, California. The capsules we use are thick; cutting and removing them sometimes requires more effort than cork removal! I am sure there are environmental impacts associated with capsules. Our winemaker is seriously considering not using them. Fred Danielson, California The fact that capsules still exist suggests that they’re necessary, or at least desirable:…

Festive. What does that word mean to you? For some, it elicits a buzz of intense excitement. For others, it sends a chill down the spine – the thought of hosting all those relatives, and all that washing up… The majority will be somewhere in between – or both at the same time. And that includes us. So here’s what we do to navigate the season. We raise a glass. It’s a good time to be kind to ourselves – especially after the year we’ve all had. That treat you’ve been coveting? Now’s your chance. And, in these pages, we have plenty of inspiration. We’ve tasted hundreds of wines to come up with this spectacular line-up. Life is too short for tired classics at Christmas. Better to have one startling…

We thought it would be easy after 10 years,’ François-Xavier Maroteaux remarks with a soft smile while walking through Branaire-Ducru’s vines on a warm, sunny September morning, stopping every few metres to taste the concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon berries awaiting harvest after a long and very dry summer. ‘But the reality is that after 35 years we’re still learning and improving. It takes time.’ While Maroteaux is perhaps being a little too self-deprecating about what he and his late father Patrick have achieved since the fourth-growth classified estate was purchased in 1988 – giving Branaire a reputation for flawless regularity, good-value prices and as a ‘safe bet’ – it’s indeed only a small portion of Branaire’s history. The estate includes ancient vineyards that once formed part of the Beychevelle holdings next…

THE ELEGANCE OF TROTHE CLIVE PURSEHOUSE Along a dusty farm road in Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills AVA, I eventually found the Andrews Family Vineyards. Proprietor Jeff Andrews is his family’s fourth generation to farm this land. Where his great-grandfather once broke the ground from sagebrush to grow wheat, there are now acres of vines. For years the fruit has gone into some of Washington’s highest-scoring wines from names like Januik, Passing Time and Quilceda Creek. Now Andrews and veteran Washington winemaker Ray McKee have launched a new brand, Trothe, built (and building) on the reputation and quality of blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon within the Andrews property. I was fortunate to taste the second release of their Cabernet Sauvignon, of which only nine barrels were made. The direction this partnership has…

A new report on fine wine trading in Asia has highlighted the emergence of more markets alongside Hong Kong and China. The report from Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade, explored the recent history, buyer trends and current state of fine wine trading in the Asia-Pacific region. While it said China’s size and long-term potential can’t be ignored, Liv-ex chairman and CEO James Miles noted a ‘recent shift in emphasis from China to other Asian markets’. Liv-ex highlighted South Korea’s fast-developing, tech-savvy market. It also pointed to Singapore, noting it was previously ‘a little overshadowed’ by Hong Kong but is ‘a key hub for the growing base of collectors in southeast Asia’. Hong Kong remains a major market, though. Sotheby’s data shows Hong Kong buyers accounted for US$38m of…

SUSIE BARRIE & PETER RICHARDS are married Masters of Wine and regular Decanter contributors. Well known for their writing, broadcasting and live events, Susie & Peter co-host the award-winning Wine Blast podcast FIONA BECKETT is a contributing editor to Decanter. Publishing at matchingfoodandwine. com, she is a leading expert on food and drink matching. She writes a column for The Guardian and a Substack newsletter Eat This, Drink That CHARLES CURTIS MW is a widely published journalist, author and fine wine advisor based in New York. Formerly head of wine at Christie’s in the US and Asia, he started out as a chef and travelled to Paris to train at Le Cordon Bleu PIPPA DE BRUYN is the South Africa destination expert for The Telegraph in the UK. Based in…

Champagne Simon Field MW 2012 A decade on, and earning more and more praise, 2012 is a Pinot-strong vintage which combines structure and charm, therefore the possibility to age and the possibility to drink now... who could ask for more! 2008 Cooler than 2002, a celebrated vintage which has yielded pure, crystalline Champagnes with tension and freshness, power and vigour – abit of everything, in other words. This is well worth a preliminary look now. 2002 A ripe and generous year with sugar and acidity both high and working so well together down the years. Perfectly à point now. Burgundy white Charles Curtis MW 2019 Although the season was hot and dry, a difficult flowering reduced yields and concentrated the grapes. Despite shutting down mid-season due to drought stress, the…

Château Branaire-Ducru, St-Julien 4CC 2019 96 £35 (ib)-£70 Christopher Keiller, Four Walls, Hedonism, Lay & Wheeler, Millésima, Montrachet, The Solent Cellar Tempting aromas of black fruit, perfume, liquorice, salty stones. Juicy, controlled, but bright and energetic, with concentration in the chalky just-spiced edges on the tongue giving a piquance. A beautiful, rounded expression; the precise detail is covered slightly by the ripe cherry and strawberry fruit, but there is such charm and joy to this. Drink 2026-2050 Alcohol 13.5% Château Branaire-Ducru, St-Julien 4CC 2016 95 £59.50-£82.50 Millésima, Montrachet, Mumbles Fine Wines, Our Sommelier, Quaff, Rodney Fletcher Florality and black fruits on the nose, very aromatic and expressive. Open and expansive, yet still with massive structure, concentration and a mouthful of plush tannins, but it’s so wide and enveloping without being…

Fromtraditional and iconic regions to new classics and lesser known treasures, the quality and diversity of sparkling wines across the globe is something to celebrate, made clear at the Decanter World Wine Awards. More than 1,500 sparkling wines entered the competition in 2022 and of these, just four were awarded Best in Show and 16 a Platinum medal, with five countries represented. But making up a mere 2.9% of medal-winning sparklers, the cohort of Gold medal winners is not to be forgotten. ‘To win a Gold is really something,’ says DWWA Co-Chair Andrew Jefford. ‘Believe me, we try hard to find Golds, and on some panels in particular, on hugely competitive panels, it’s very difficult to get a Gold.’ Co-Chair Michael Hill Smith MW adds: ‘The DWWA is one of…

1. Fleur de Chèvre ‘The bright acidity of goat’s cheese refreshes and neutralises the palate, building up your taste buds for the cheeses to follow,’ says Michelson. This unpasteurised cheese from the Poitou-Charentes area is wrapped in a vine leaf and salted with Fleur de Sel from the Ile de Ré, which gives it a fresh, light, lemony flavour – not too aggressively ‘goaty’ for those who are goat’s-cheese averse. It would be delicious with a fresh crunchy apple. Individual wine match The obvious choice would be a Loire Sauvignon – Sauvignon de Haut-Poitou at the budget end, Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé if you want to splash out, though a Quincy, Reuilly or Menetou-Salon would also work well, as would Cabernet Franc-based Loire reds. 2. Sparkenhoe Red Leicester This deep orange-coloured…

I nmy early days working as a sommelier in Greece, I came across a glass of Oremus, Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2000. The taste was unreal, and I made it my mission to learn more about Furmint, the main grape behind it. Moving to London, and working at members club 67 Pall Mall, a Hungarian colleague, Eniko, introduced me to the unctuous Essencia and dry Szamorodni styles from the region. More excitement built up. A few years later, I had the opportunity to tour the main wine regions of Hungary, visiting Somló and Tokaj, and tasting many different versions of Furmint. Now I visit Hungary whenever I can, as I’m addicted to discovering more and more styles, and vintages of the grape. Furmint for me is all about freshness, texture,…

R oséChampagne is a difficult category to generalise about, and vintage rosé perhaps even more so. Most in this tasting were of excellent quality, showing that there are multiple ways to achieve success. One conspicuous element was a relatively restrained dosage, even for those wines not labelled as extra brut or non-dosé. Historically there has been a tendency to dose rosés slightly higher than their blanc counterparts, often due to an archaic stereotype about rosé being sweeter to suit the female palate – but some winemakers also believe that the tannins of red wine need more sugar to balance. Today, the trend is to reduce dosage in rosés. There is greater sophistication in production techniques, too. Many rosés that we tasted felt notably ripe in fruit flavour, whether from warmer…

Veuve Monsigny, Premier Cru Brut, Champagne, 90 87 France NV £19.99 Aldi If your budget can stretch beyond Veuve Monsigny’s reliable generic fizz (£14.99), then this new Pinot Noirdominant blend is a classy buy for the festive season. Crisp lemon sherbet acidity, toasty digestive biscuit notes and creamy strawberry length. TG Alcohol 12.5% 89 Arestel, Cava Rosado Brut, Penedès, Spain £5.75 Lidl Great value at below £6 – a juicy traditional-method rosé with soft red berry fruit flavours. Drier than most of the newly fashionable rosé Proseccos – Cava invariably is – and a perfect, straightforward aperitif style. This would be a good Christmas party option. AW Alc 11.5% 92 Mount Pleasant, Elizabeth Cellar Aged Semillon, Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia 2017 £19.99 Brigitte Bordeaux From 1946-planted vines and…

BURGUNDY 2021 January is Burgundy en primeur season, although dates vary. Corney & Barrow plans to offer Domaine Leflaive 2021 wines in December. Climatic challenges in the 2021 growing season may mean notably low release volumes on some wines. Look out for Charles Curtis MW’s full report on Decanter Premium, with highlights in the next issue. DOMAINE HUBERT LIGNIER 2021 Crurated, a members’ community to link collectors with top producers, said an auction starting 12 December would offer the chance to buy fractions of barrels of Hubert Lignier 2021 Burgundy wines. It said its blockchain-backed, ‘fractional barrel auctions’ enable buyers to customise bottle formats and labels. SOTHEBY’S & EVA FRICKE Sotheby’s is again partnering with highly regarded Rheingau winemaker Eva Fricke, as part of its ‘finest and rarest wines’ auction…

G ooddemand for 2019-vintage releases has reinforced a sense of top SuperTuscans driving Italy’s market performance this year, as observers also highlight the relative value still offered by many prized Italian wines. UK merchant Goedhuis & Co recently reported ongoing strong demand for SuperTuscans in the third quarter of 2022. ‘New allocated releases of Tignanello, Masseto and Solaia 2019 were snapped up,’ it said. Decanter’s Aldo Fiordelli recently gave strong ratings of 99, 98 and 97 points to Masseto, Sassicaia and Ornellaia respectively in his Bolgheri vintage report for Decanter Premium. Matthew O’Connell, CEO of the LiveTrade digital trading platform at Bordeaux Index, also said that the 2019-vintage releases had gone down well with collectors. Price growth in a hardcore SuperTuscan group of Sassicaia, Tignanello, Solaia and Ornellaia has been…

The rewards of research To follow up on William Pask’s letter about vintage variation (December 2022 issue), occasionally it works to one’s benefit. A few years ago Kanonkop’s Bordeaux blend Paul Sauer was recommended to me as a great South African wine to lay down. I promptly ordered the 2016 vintage, paying about £30 per bottle. My London-based son, a new collector with a nice cold, damp cellar, recently decided to follow my lead. Coincidentally, Decanter published an article by Tim Atkin at the same time, in which he awarded the 2015 vintage 100 points. My son couldn’t believe his luck to find nine bottles of this vintage in assorted local Majestic stores, paying the same price as myself. Lay & Wheeler currently has this wine on sale at £290…

Christmas time is when things get crazy – we all know this from our own experience of shopping in December. It brings out all sorts of behaviour in people. I help manage the Jeroboams store in leafy Holland Park, and I can tell you that a smile and a good sense of humour are absolutely necessary in making it through what is our busiest and most pressurised time of year – the festive season. I joined Jeroboams eight years ago, and have worked in our stores all over London. And while business really ramps up in every location throughout November and December, Holland Park is far and away our busiest branch. What makes my store different is that it is a delicatessen as well as a wine shop (hence the…

A masterful rum One for rum connoisseurs and collectors, Andrés Brugal (Alc 41.5%) is an ultra-premium release from Dominican Republic distiller Brugal, which has been producing rums since 1888. Named after the distillery’s founder and blended by the Caribbean country’s first-ever female rum master, Jassil Villanueva Quintana, only 460 bottles have been produced. ‘Andrés Brugal combines special single cask family reserves and our signature double ageing technique to tell a dual story of my family’s legacy of rum-making, as well as my own as maestra ronera,’ said Quintana. She described the sipping rum as: ‘A true celebration of the distinctive flavours of Puerto Plata.’ Andrés Brugal is presented in crystal decanter and bespoke diamond-patterned oak case. £2,200 Selfridges WHAT IS… infusion? A finished spirit can be infused with an additional…

Sparea thought for Santa this Christmas Eve. As if it wasn’t tough enough flying around the world from rooftop to rooftop delivering about a zillion presents, what does he find at the bottom of the average chimney? A carrot for Rudolph, a solitary mince pie and a small glass of dubious Sherry. Terrific. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a little imagination, it’s not too hard to put a smile on the poor old chap’s face. Over the past few years, he’s found an array of warming spirits waiting for him in our family fireplace, from Taiwanese single malt to vintage Armagnac, from an English take on Irish pot still whiskey to añejo tequila. Not that you have to go crazy. The traditional options of whisky or…

A sarule of thumb, 21 years marks the coming of age for both an adult and for a vintage Port. So it was with great interest that we revisited two millennial vintages potentially on the cusp of adulthood and maturity. At the outset, 2000 and 2003 were very different years in the Douro. Cool and wet weather early in the 2000 growing season led to a low-yielding vintage, especially in the leading A-grade vineyards that are the basis for vintage Port. The summer was hot and dry – though not unduly so – and picking took place in perfect sunshine. Yields of little more than 0.5kg per vine produced musts of great richness and concentration. For Graham’s, it was a landmark vintage as it was the first in which about…

93 Hambledon, Classic Cuvée Rosé Brut, Hampshire, England £35 Hambledon Vineyard A great showcase of the evolution of Hambledon’s Classic Cuvée rosé. A lifted nose, with cranberry, pink grapefruit and cherry pie. The enveloping palate has crunchy red apple, pear and red cherry, with umami nuances of cured cheese and salted nuts. IS Alc 12% 92 Künstler, Assmannshauser Rosé Brut Nature, Rheingau, Germany 2018 £24.50 The Wine Society A fantastic discovery, this wine exudes elegance and expressiveness with its crunchy red fruit, creamy, persistent mousse and acid drive. With its firm mineral backbone, spicy lining and tannic bite, this is a moreish, robust fizz that deserves to be enjoyed with food. IS Alc 13% 94 Nals Margreid, Sirmian Pinot Bianco, Alto Adige, Italy 2020 £27.40 Noble Grape A standout single-vineyard…

Rare Domaine Ponsot auction is 100% sold Arare auction of Domaine Ponsot wines sourced from the famed Burgundy producer’s cellars to mark its 150th anniversary has seen strong bidding and sales of more than £1m. Auctioneer Christie’s said the Genevabased sale, which included more than 400 bottles of Domaine Ponsot wines split into 261 lots, achieved a total of about CHF1.345m (almost £1.2m). All lots found buyers. Its results again highlight top Burgundy’s allure. The appeal of wines sourced direct from the domaine may also have inspired strong bidding. Prior to the sale, Edwin Vos, head of Christie’s international wine and spirits department, described ‘a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire wines from the [domaine’s] library collection, as well as never before released large formats of the famous Clos…

THE BORDEAUX INDEX VIEW Fine wine & spirits specialist Bordeaux Index kindly sponsors this section of Decanter, and provides its view on the market here every issue. It can be found at bordeauxindex.com The key focus for Italy in a fine wine market context remains SuperTuscans; Piedmont continues broadly not to build on the surge of interest registered around the 2016 vintage. The final quarter of 2021 was noteworthy for a breakout performance in particular for Tignanello and Sassicaia. In 2022 this has balanced, and gains have been fairly even across the four big names (see chart top right), but on a 1yr or 3yr basis the former two have clearly significantly outperformed. Solaia has achieved higher gains than Ornellaia, although perhaps not as much as one might imagine given…

Inside a professional’s everyday life How did you get here? I spent the first part of my career working for large companies, in sales and marketing roles. However I always wanted to expand my knowledge and experience in business and have long had a personal interest in wine, so when the opportunity came up to combine both I took it, purchasing Sorrells Wineracks in 2003 and then setting up Traditional Wine Rack Company. What’s the best thing about your job? So much, to be honest, from meeting such a diverse mixture of clients, and chatting with them about their love of wine, to working out how we can create something to add to their passion. Then seeing the team turn the ideas into reality, from design to manufacture and then…