Innehållsförteckning för October 2024 från Decanter

EDITOR’S LETTER This month’s compelling long read by Andrew Jefford is a piece that has been percolating for some time. While researching the cover story that we asked him to write for last year’s Bordeaux supplement, on the eternal allure of wines from the region, he was taken aback by the many negative comments he received. In this issue’s cover story (see p20), Andrew has applied his usual incisive intelligence to the subject, setting out what he feels are the main challenges that Bordeaux currently faces – and, importantly, suggesting a way forward. He also highlights a selection of the people, groups and initiatives helping to propel the region energetically ahead and broaden its appeal to a younger audience. He’s the perfect author: as well as being a brilliant writer,…

Can Italy show France the way? Elsewhere in this edition of Decanter, I write about the challenges facing Bordeaux (see p20), connected in part to the monolithic nature of its offer. Has there been another globally significant European wine region which, faced with comprehensive consumer disenchantment, managed to diversify its way forward? Maybe there has: Tuscany. The analogy isn’t exact (they rarely are), but Tuscany’s offer, too, was once… well, more monotonous than monolithic. I remember the straw-bottomed fiaschi (flasks) of Chianti from my early drinking days in the 1970s, and the light, dreary wine they tended to contain: uninspired, often careless blends of Sangiovese with other local varieties, red and white. There was, of course, aristocratic Montalcino, based on pure Sangiovese and the high-quality Brunello clone, but (as with…

DECANTER HALL OF FAME AWARD Susana Balbo is not a woman you easily forget. Visionary, pioneering, courageous, perseverant and strong are just a clutch of the adjectives regularly used to describe her. But if you meet Susana, it’s her silent command of a room and her steady, focused gaze that will stop you in your tracks. Although elegant in appearance and petite in stature, Susana has a formidable presence. The tremendous respect she commands today, now in her late 60s, is both hard earned and hard fought. This year’s recipient of our Decanter Hall of Fame Award, the latest in a roll-call of great names in the wine world (see p46), Susana Balbo didn’t just break the glass ceiling for women in South America, she completely shattered it, becoming a…

Ningxia Helan Mountain East Helan Qingxue – Yinchuan Taking its name from the image of the snow-capped Helan Mountains under a clear sky, Helan Qingxue was the Ningxia winery that made history. In 2011, its Grand Reserve Jia Bei Lan 2009 won a top award at the Decanter World Wine Awards – an unprecedented achievement for a Chinese wine, drawing domestic and global attention to Ningxia’s quality potential. Behind the success was a local team. Ningxia-born winemaker Zhang Jing began her journey in wine in her late 20s when she left a career as a civil servant to work alongside Rong Jian and Wang Fengyu. Amid arduous efforts in the vineyards to adjust soil pH and trial suitable varieties, the trio established one of Ningxia’s first boutique wineries, complete with…

Portugal’s Douro valley has long been celebrated for its fortified Port wines, but in recent years, a new contender has emerged – its still red wines. At the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), Douro reds achieved an impressive 12 Gold medals, setting a new record for the region. This milestone marks a significant leap from the fluctuating one to four Gold medals each year seen over the past decade, underscoring Douro’s rapidly growing reputation for producing exceptional-quality still reds. The success of these reds is a testament to the power of indigenous grape varieties and the deep connection between winemakers and their land. By focusing on local grape varieties such as Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca, winemakers in the Douro are capturing the true essence of their…

Peter Ranscombe is a widely published journalist and author, and a regular contributor to Decanter. Formerly drinks columnist for Scottish Field magazine for eight years, he is now its personal finance columnist Dave Broom is one of the world’s foremost writers on spirits and distilling. A contributor to spirits titles internationally, he’s a WSET lecturer, trainer, presenter and Master of the Quaich. His most recent book is A Sense of Place (£40 Mitchell Beazley, 2022) Julie Sheppard is Decanter’s Spirits Editor What do Speyside distilleries Balmenach, Cardhu, Glenlivet, Fettercairn, Miltonduff and The Macallan have in common? All have bicentenaries this year, sharing a rich history that has shaped the way we enjoy Scotch today. Look further afield and 2024 is also a significant year for two other, younger producers that…

This tasting provided a rare opportunity to sample all three styles of Chianti Classico side by side, from two differing vintages: 2021 for the regular ‘annata’ bottlings, and 2020 for Riserva and Gran Selezione. Prior to the creation of the Gran Selezione category (approved by the European Commission in February 2014, the first vintage to which it could be applied was 2010) several estates already produced three styles of Chianti Classico: annata (standard vintage release aged for a minimum of 12 months, but with no requirement for any time in oak), Riserva, and their own special selection or single-vineyard bottling. When the Gran Selezione category became official, some producers used the opportunity to explore the characteristics of Sangiovese by introducing variations in both extraction levels and oak usage, which created…

Lacheteau, Crémant de Loire Brut, France NV £16 Ocado Pale straw in the glass, this blend of Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc, made by the traditional method, dances with zesty lemon and fresh stone fruit flavours. It’s slightly honeyed on the finish, easy drinking and good value. AW Alcohol 12% Klein Constantia, Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Constantia, South Africa 2022 £14.75-£15 Divine Fine Wines, London End Wines, The Fulham Wine Co With a few years in bottle, this is on song. Textured and tangy, it brims with ripe guava and sweet lemon fruit, balanced by quenching acidity and lingering mineral notes. TG Alc 13% Kopke, São Luiz Colheita Branco, Douro, Portugal 2020 £13.15 D’Arcy Wine Balanced and appealing, with volume and weight on the mid-palate balanced by a citrussy, refreshing attack. White…

WORKING WINE TO 5 How did you get here? I studied botany, zoology and chemistry at university, but I made my first wine aged seven, after reading how to do it in Encyclopaedia Britannica. I worked my first harvest when I was 16 and was hooked. After university, I did a master’s in viticulture and oenology, and worked in Bordeaux and Champagne for three years. Following my studies, I started consulting across Europe and then, in 2018, I took up a role at India’s Grover Zampa Vineyards, managing 4,000-plus hectares of vines and producing 19 million cases a year. What’s the best thing about your job? That’s easy: teaching oenology, particularly the interesting concepts in wine chemistry, such as ageing. It’s fascinating, and it is a very active area of…

Etna aiming higher Late last year, Etna DOC entered a bid for DOCG status following a unanimous decision by members of the regional wine consorzio. If approved, it will become Sicily’s second DOCG after Cerasuolo di Vittoria. The process is likely to take about two years, and once ratified in Rome, some of the production regulations are set to change, including allowing spumante sparkling wine from Carricante grapes as well as the already-permitted Nerello Mascalese, and making allowances for a zero-dosage style. Additionally, Etna Rosso labelled with the name of a specific contrada zone (of which there are currently 142) will be subject to lower yields, and it will become possible to indicate the name of one of Etna’s 20 municipalities on the label if the grapes come entirely from…

From 9/11 and Barack Obama to the rise of social media with the birth of YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, the first decade of the new millennium saw the world entering a new, for-better-or-for-worse era. The James Cameron movie Avatar (2009) allegorised numerous themes of the day; Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth (2006) elucidated climate change concerns specifically; and dark-horse film Sideways (2004) had a lasting impact on wine, most notably in the US. In Barolo, northwest Italy, the Noughties represented a coming of age as the region emerged from a sometimes awkward but ultimately beneficial experimental phase in its production characterised by the use of barriques, rotary fermenters and short maceration times. As the decade progressed, the ‘modern versus traditional’ debate became outdated as the divide between the two schools…

Had I been writing 50, even 20 years ago about Nerello Mascalese – the Sicilian grape variety believed to have originated on the plain of Mascali, between Mount Etna’s eastern slope and the coast – this story would have been simple: an unfussy, high-yielding grape that ripens reliably and embraces Sicily’s oppressive heat. Its thin skin makes a bright red wine with good acidity and limited tannins. Grown around Mt Etna, the vast majority of Nerello Mascalese – with its serviceable amount of alcohol and body – is transported as must [the freshly pressed, unfermented juice of grapes with all the accompanying solids] in bulk down the mountain on a dedicated train track that delivers it to the port of Riposto, whereupon it is shipped, mostly to France and the…

Amarone has a clearly established identity as a round, full, soft and deeply coloured red, high in alcohol with a sensation of sweetness. Nonetheless, across the 88 wines on show, the panel found plenty of variables in terms of style and quality. One of the most notable was just how much vintage matters. This tasting covered 10 different years: 2019 and 2018 accounted for almost 40% of the entries, with fewer from 2021 (six wines), 2020 (eight), 2017 (seven), 2016 (10), 2015 (seven), 2013 (three), and one wine each from 2011 and 2007. Both 2019, a promising vintage that combines richness and freshness, and 2018 – more difficult, but with good levels of acidity – fared well, as, on the whole, did the highly touted 2016s and 2015s. However, only…

The dynamism of Lucca’s wineries has exerted an important influence on the region’s gastronomic scene, such that today, Lucca and its renowned ‘sea extension’ – the Versilia sandy-beach coastal stretch of Viareggio up to Forte dei Marmi – are at the forefront of the Italian culinary panorama. There are 10 Michelin-star restaurants in the area, eight of which are located along a short 12km stretch of coast – a brilliant alignment! – while the other two are Butterfly, on the plain of Lucca, and Giglio, within Lucca’s imposing 4km-long Renaissance city walls. Nestled in a fertile plain of northern Tuscany, Lucca appears to the traveller like a mirage. An ancient settlement of Etruscan origins, the city gained importance as a Roman colony due to its strategic position in the north…

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) FIONA BECKETT is a leading expert on food and drink matching and a Decanter contributing editor. She publishes at matchingfoodandwine. com and on Substack Eat This, Drink That, and until recently wrote a column for The Guardian PIPPA DE BRUYN is a travel writer based in Cape Town. She has co-authored guide books on southern and east Africa, is a destination expert for The Telegraph (UK) and head judge for Africa in the new Telegraph Hotel Awards NATALIE EARL is Decanter’s Regional Editor for France. Based in London, she’s a keen advocate for organic, sustainable and natural wines, and particularly…

The Eames chair is an iconic status symbol in today’s modern home. Did you know that its sleek lines were originally a response to a wartime surgeon’s plea for strong, lightweight, affordably mass-produced leg splints? Necessity is the mother and all that. We oenophiles know this well. After all, grapevines that struggle – pushing their roots deep into the subsoil to reach nutrients and groundwater – make wines of character. 2024 has proved to be rough for wine, from plummeting Bordeaux prices to dire health warnings. In the US, per-capita consumption of wine is back at 2011 levels. But as we enter the year’s final stretch, I think of moulded plywood and feel hopeful. Economic and social constraints are forcing the wine industry to pare back and reset. And maybe…

This year’s Decanter Rising Star combines academic diligence of the highest level with a deep sensitivity for nature. One of the world’s best sommeliers, Pascaline Lepeltier has brought a wealth of knowledge and love for wine to her guests over the past two decades. In 2022, she published Mille Vignes, her first wine book written as a sole author. One Thousand Vines, its English translation, comes out this autumn (£45 Mitchell Beazley, late October in the UK). Pensive, philosophical, yet very approachable, it’s without doubt one of this era’s seminal works on wine. Lepeltier grew up in the Loire, but she wasn’t born into wine. With a love for studying, she began learning ancient Greek at school aged 10. Her intensive education was ‘extremely formative’, she says, giving her the…

Ch’ng Poh Tiong has been the Regional Chair for Asia at the Decanter World Wine Awards since its inception in 2004. He also contributes on China and Japan to Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book. A world authority on Chinese wine and Marselan, Ch’ng is also Chairman of the Koshu Expert Committee of Japan. When Helan Qingxue’s 2009 Jia Bei Lan Cabernet Sauvignon from Ningxia won an International Trophy (equivalent to today’s Best in Show) at the 2011 Decanter World Wine Awards, the unprecedented achievement for a Chinese wine shook the grape world to its very tendril. Since then, millions of bottles of Chinese wine have been opened and savoured. No one is surprised anymore when a wine from China strikes gold. That really has been the best news for the…

Beyoncé unveils SirDavis Music icon Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has launched a whiskey. A partnership with Moët Hennessy, a subsidiary of spirits giant LVMH, SirDavis (Alc 44%) was created by Dr Bill Lumsden, known for Glenmorangie and Ardbeg single malts. His brief was to produce a spirit with a similar flavour profile to Japanese whisky, of which Beyoncé is a fan. Lumsden developed a mixed mash-bill American whiskey, with 51% rye and 49% malted barley (the absence of corn means it’s technically not a bourbon). It’s aged in American white oak casks, with a secondary maturation in ex-Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks for six to nine months. ‘We looked to challenge the category norms and offer something new in the space, where the distinctive grain selection and unusual secondary maturation in Sherry casks…

In my new book Romy Gill’s India, I invite you to journey with me back to my roots, travelling through my ancestral kitchens to discover the true essence of home-cooked Indian cuisine. Growing up as the daughter of Punjabis in West Bengal, I was immersed in two vibrant cultures that celebrate food in unique and meaningful ways. India’s diverse cultures influence so many aspects of daily life, in particular the rituals and ceremonies that vary from region to region, and even from village to village. Whether it’s religious festivals, weddings, birthdays or any other traditional gathering, food is always at the heart of every celebration, the unifying factor that binds everybody together. With this book I wanted to evoke the comforting flavours of home and show the beautiful simplicity of…

Riesling casts a large shadow in German vineyards. With some 24,400ha planted (DWI/Statistisches Bundesamt data for 2023), the German flagship variety occupies a quarter of the 103,687ha of vineyards (which are about two-thirds white varieties). Though less recognised, other white grapes do exist – and can certainly produce top-class wines. This was demonstrated in the 40 wines reviewed at this panel tasting. Germany is the world leader in plantings of Silvaner (4,330ha in 2023) and Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder in German, 6,318ha). Although Silvaner originally comes from Austria and Pinot Blanc from France, both varieties seem to be more integrated into German vineyards than in their homelands. Pinot Gris (or Grauburgunder, 8,372ha) and Chardonnay (2,912ha) also make their quality contribution to this selection of German whites, with the latter featuring in…

Henri Giraud, Esprit Nature, Champagne, France NV £48-£60 Caviste, Champagne Direct, Roberts & Speight, The Whisky Exchange, Threshers A rich blend of 80% Pinot Noir with Chardonnay, vinified and aged in small oak casks. Deep redcurrant and red apple flavours meld with crusty bread, creamy salted butter and green strawberry acidity. TG Alcohol 12% Chateau Ste Michelle, Eroica Riesling, Columbia Valley, Washington, USA 2022 £21.49 The Fine Wine Co, Vinvm This joint partnership between Germany’s Erni Loosen and Washington State’s Chateau Ste Michelle is a perenially reliable buy. Its off-dry style, bright acidity and succulent flavours of ripe honeyed pears make it a delicious match for dressed crab. TG Alc 12% The Heretics, Blowhorn Rosé, Essex, England 2023 £29 The Heretics This complex, layered rosé has had its rough edges softened by…

Everything that comes from Tuscany is perceived as more desirable. ‘Even water brand Acqua Panna achieved a boost in sales by starting to showcase the word Toscana on the label,’ observes Stefania Saccardi, head of the region’s agricultural department. Art, culture and marvellous landscapes contribute to the lofty reputation of the region, but the Toscana brand wouldn’t be as powerful if the region weren’t home to some of Italy’s finest wines. Tuscany is where the Italian wine renaissance started, thanks to the so-called SuperTuscans, which began grabbing headlines between the late 1970s and early 1980s. Initially labelled as simple Vino da Tavola wines, they were brought into existence as a reaction to outdated or nonexistent regulations. The pioneers behind these SuperTuscans had a thorough knowledge of French wine – especially…

Gemma Hadley is a freelance journalist and wine consultant. With a focus on wine and sustainability, she is an advocate for low-intervention and organic wines. Formerly in marketing and design, she has worked for English vineyards and wine merchants Prosecco DOC is Italy’s leading wine denomination in terms of both volume and value, producing more than 616 million bottles in 2023, according to annual data from the Prosecco DOC consorzio. And as its popularity continues to soar, quality remains impressively consistent. This year’s Decanter World Wine Awards (see awards.decanter.com) saw a total of 75 Bronze and Silver medals in all awarded to Prosecco DOC & DOC Treviso wines (with one Gold, for the Il Colle, Prosecco Treviso Extra Dry), while the equivalent total at DWWA 2023 was 74. Representing the largest…

Åsa Johansson is a wine, food and travel writer based in Tuscany. An educator at the Swedish school of sommeliers, she visits Italy’s wine regions regularly, writing for prominent titles in Sweden, Norway, Canada and Italy While France is said to lead the world in cheesemaking, for sheer variety Italy is in a league of its own. From the Alps in the north to the central plains and the southern coasts, cheese production is ubiquitous. It’s estimated that 2,500 cheeses are made across the peninsula, with a new variety to be found roughly every 25km. Italian cheeses are predominantly made from sheep’s and goat’s milk, as 75% of Italy’s landscape consists of hills and mountains, leaving few plains suitable for rearing cows. As many as 55 Italian cheeses have been…

Criolla Chica given official ‘quality’ status A renaissance for heritage grape variety Criolla Chica in Argentina has been officially recognised, with authorities approving its use in ‘quality’ red wines. Argentina’s National Viticulture Institute added Criolla Chica – also known by its European name Listán Prieto – to a list of highly regarded red wine varieties that already includes Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Bonarda, among others. Only wines made from these grapes have access to Geographical Indication or Denomination of Origin status. Criolla Chica, known as País in Chile and Mission in California, has been cultivated in Argentina for several centuries and is part of the wider Criolla family of grape varieties. Efforts to revive vineyards containing Criolla-family varieties have been underway for several years, as reported by Argentina-based…

Li Demei is a professor and director of Oenology Engineering at Beijing Agriculture College and the vice-president of the Chinese Viticulture Society. He consults for several vineyards in China and is a widely travelled judge, author and lecturer. Northwestern Wine District XINJIANG This inland region boasts the largest area under vine in China and is the country’s main source of table grapes. With sufficient sunshine and land, Xinjiang saw a rapid increase in wine grape plantings in the past 20 years. The key sub-regions of Xinjiang are: Yili Valley Deep in the West Tianshan Mountains, the Yili Valley is sandwiched between ridges in the north and south. Warm Atlantic air is captured here, bringing annual rainfall of 400mm. It’s Xinjiang’s most humid sub-region, and one that prides itself on the…

The youngest category of Cognac, VS – or Very Special – provides a great introduction to the world of Cognac and also offers good value for money. 1 Courvoisier VS £26-£35/70cl Widely available Perhaps the least famous of the ‘big four’ Cognac houses around the world, Courvoisier more than makes up for this with a consistently harmonious range of Cognacs, starting here: eaux-de-vie from Fins Bois cru for floral fruitiness and Petite Champagne to provide structure. Wellintegrated oak provides a touch of allspice.Alcohol 40% 2 François Voyer VS £36.60-£48/70cl Amathus Drinks, Amazon, Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange A Grande Champagne VS from a producer whose Cognacs are found in many top restaurants in France. There’s more richness here, in the shape of beguiling tropical fruits and a creamy, vanilla-spiked…

The news earlier this year that the legendary Le Gavroche was closing may have sounded like the death knell for old-school French cuisine in London, but in fact it has undergone something of a revival recently. Not only are many new restaurants choosing to give themselves a French name – sometimes without much by way of a typically French offering – but some exciting new restaurants are opening up that wouldn’t be out of place in Paris or Lyon. Leaving aside Hélène Darroze and Joséphine, the new restaurant of chef Claude Bosi (of famed Michelin two-star Bibendum at the top of the Fulham Road, SW3), most are run by English chefs with a longstanding passion for French food and wine, and doing it every bit as well as their colleagues…

DAMASCENE CONVERSION JULIE SHEPPARD Former Boekenhoutskloof head winemaker Jean Smit (below) is now pursuing his own South African projects, in the shape of Moya Meaker – cool-climate Riesling and Pinot from Elgin – and Damascene. The latter’s site-specific range includes Semillon from Franschhoek and Chenin Blancs from Stellenbosch and Swartland, plus Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon from Stellenbosch and a trio of Syrahs from Stellenbosch, Swartland and Ceres Plateau. Each attached to a specific terroir, these are wines that seek to convey a unique sense of place, as I discovered when I tasted the new 2022 releases with Smit in the summer. Highlights were the Damascene, Syrah from Ceres Plateau (94pts, £26.50 in bond via Lea & Sandeman), a wine that speaks of high-altitude freshness and the minerality of shale…

Big-name releases on La Place Opus One and Masseto have been among the famous names launching their new vintages via La Place de Bordeaux in September. Opus One 2021 was released at €250 a bottle on an ex-Bordeaux négociant basis and offered by international merchants at £3,000 (12x75cl in bond), said Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade. No Opus One 2020 was released, due to wildfires affecting that year’s harvest. Masseto 2021 was released at €465 per bottle ex-négociant, flat on the 2020-vintage release price, said Liv-ex. Consultancy group Wine Lister commented: ‘Coming onto the market below [the price of] all recent vintages, this is a well-judged release from Opus One in tricky market conditions.’ Matthew O’Connell, CEO of the LiveTrade online trading platform at international merchant Bordeaux Index,…

PAUL CAPUTO is a writer, judge and entrepreneur. A specialist in Italian wine, he writes for Vinorandum, the digital fine wine resource he founded in 2018, and is an Italian wine ambassador with Vinitaly International Academy JASON MILLAR is a writer, judge, communicator and consultant with a focus on Italy and South Africa. He has a background in buying, importing and sales, and in 2016 was the top WSET Diploma graduate in the world TIZIANO GAIA is a freelance writer, editor and film-maker. He co-directed the 2014 movie Barolo Boys and is co-author of Il Grande Racconto del Vino Italiano (€30 Mondadori Electa, October 2022, published in Italian only) MICHAELA MORRIS is a wine writer, judge, educator and speaker. Based in Vancouver, she teaches about Italian wine across Canada and abroad.…

In 1983, the first French oak barriques arrived in Barolo. Elio, son of Giuseppe Altare, who had founded his estate in La Morra in 1948, had seen first-hand the affluence of winemakers in Burgundy during a visit to the region in the 1970s. The situation there was in stark contrast to that in the Langhe, northwest Italy, where producers were struggling to make ends meet. Returning to the family estate and inspired by what he had seen, in the summer of 1978, Elio began removing unripened bunches of grapes from the vines in the manner of the Burgundian winemakers, much to his father’s horror. This practice, known as ‘green harvesting’, sacrifices one or more bunches in order to achieve more concentration in the fruit of the remaining bunches. But to…

Misunderstood and frequently overlooked, Rosso di Montalcino has long lived in the shadow of its Tuscan big brother, Brunello di Montalcino. But while Brunello enjoys global success and strong sales, Rosso is hiding in plain sight. The Rosso DOC was created in 1983. The most important way in which it differs from Brunello is its shorter ageing period. The requirement for a minimum of two years of cask ageing for Brunello has resulted in some criticism about the wines ‘drying out’, especially in leaner vintages. Rosso, on the other hand, only requires 10 months of ageing in total, and not necessarily in oak. While most of the best Rossos are aged in large barrels for six to 12 months, adding some wood-aged character, primarily it delivers the ripe, expressive character…

During the 1990s, wine travel was not yet recognised in Italy as a distinct tourism market segment. International visitors came for the art and history, for the sea and the mountains, the cuisine and of course the wine; yet at that time very few wineries were organised to welcome wine lovers. Since 1999, when I started to craft wine tours, I’ve been able to observe the huge development of wine tourism in my country. I still remember, aged 26, conducting daily tours in my old Alfa Romeo, roaming around Tuscany accompanied by families following me in their own cars. No Google Maps, few signs directing you to wineries – it was quite the adventure! Little by little, the wine sector started to recognise the potential in tourism and Italy’s wine…