Rasteau, Lirac & Costieres de Nimes

Buyer on the Road: finding value and balance in the wines of the Rhône

Following this year’s education campaign to bring wine buyers up to speed about the quality and value to be found in the Rhône valley, Rhône wine body Inter Rhône invited The Buyer’s Geoffrey Dean to discover first-hand what winemakers are achieving in the region. In an extensive tour of the lesser known appellations of Rasteau, Lirac, Costières de Nîmes and Saint-Joseph, plus tasting wines from Côtes du Rhône, Dean met a large number of winemakers who are matching the diversity of soils with a wide range of grape varieties, many of them from old vines that are producing wines of both power and elegance.

By Geoffrey Dean September 1, 2023

Jon Larum gazed out from his vineyards towards the Dentelles de Montmirail and Mt Ventoux, and sighed, “You’ll do well to find a better view from a winery in France, or one in California for that matter.” Who was I to disagree on a perfect early summer morning, as I took in the magnificent south-facing panorama from his Domaine des Girasols estate on the edge of Rasteau.

Jon Larum

This enchanting little village in the Vaucluse department of the southern Rhône, with its castle ruins and 12th century Romanesque church where Larum, an American, and his French wife, Françoise Joyet, were married in the early 1990s, lies in one of those secluded little corners of France that are such a delight when you chance upon them.

Not that we were there by chance, of course, for Rhône wine body Inter Rhône had asked a small group of us over from the UK to visit what are sometimes termed the three ‘environs’ of Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Rasteau, Lirac and Costières de Nîmes as well as Saint-Joseph in the Northern Rhône. That does them a disservice for they are a special group of appellations. Their scenic beauty is matched by the congeniality of their winemakers and the quality, not to mention superb value, of their wines.

RASTEAU – luminosity and generosity

Rasteau is one of those appellations that flies beneath the radar of most British drinkers. It received Cru recognition for its Vins Doux Naturels as far back as 1944, while its dry red wines finally got promotion from Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC to Cru status in 2010. The dry reds make up 97% of production, with VDNs the balance. Around 43% is exported, with the UK in fourth spot behind Canada, Switzerland and Belgium.

Julien Larum with his father Jon

Larum, who made wine in California before moving to France, and Françoise, along with their son Julien, make up an all-hands-to-the-pump family viticultural and winemaking team at Domaine des Girasols. Her parents planted the vines, around 15 hectares of them, in the 1970s and named the estate after the milky white variety of quartz called girasol. Used for gemstones, it comes mainly from Madagascar and South Africa but the Joyets took the name from an agricultural 18th century dictionary. For, much of their land is covered by the same ‘galets’ or large pebbles that were carried down from the Alps by the Ouvèze river when the glaciers melted some 18 million years ago.

The Larums took us on a drive around, or rather up into, his vineyards, whose steepness required a four-wheel drive. “Rasteau’s soils are quite diverse even if we are covered by these galets,” he told me. “The higher proportion of clay, both blue and yellow, gives the red wines their distinctive richness and body. As you go up to the highest plots in Rasteau at 320 metres, you get all shades of marl as well as sandstone. Poor soils, then, but they sure produce high quality wines, and the Mistral is a big plus as it dries vines out after any rainy spells and keeps diseases away.”

Indeed, Rasteau’s altitude and south-facing aspect are the key in the view of Julie Paolucci, owner-winemaker at Domaine La Luminaille.

“Luminosity and generosity are the two words I associate with Rasteau,” she said, referencing the prolonged light exposure the vines benefit from. Her ‘Garance’ 2020 label, an alluring blend of Carignan, Grenache and Syrah, was rich and ripe, with juicy freshness and a plethora of spices (UK importers: Seckford Wines). At around £15 RRP, it offers great value, as do all of the Rasteau wines we tasted. These included Domaine Combe Julière, Domaine La Soumade and Rhonéa (a co-operative for nearly 400 growers). For the record, a minimum 50% Grenache component is required in AOC Rasteau wines, with yields restricted to 38 hl/ha for the reds and 30 hl/ha for the VDNs.

LIRAC – gentleness and unique refinement

On a mission: Le Clos du Jas’ Grégory Sergent

While Rasteau sits to the north-east of Avignon, Lirac lies to the north-west of the city in the Gard department, on the opposite banks of the Rhône to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. There, a winemaker with an interesting past took us to the family’s holdings on the Plateau de Vallongue, where his oldest Grenache vines are 101-years old and the oldest Carignan 104. Grégory Sergent, 41, is a seventh generation vigneron, who spent 15 years in the French Army’s special forces before becoming a winemaker for Le Clos du Jas. Still looking fit enough to be on operations in Afghanistan where he did several tours, he says his new mission “is to show we can make great wine in Lirac.” It was endearing to hear such passion from a hardened military veteran.

“The wines are like my children: I feel a lot of emotion with my wines,” he mused. “The finest soils for me are a combination of sand and the big stones. Acidity and freshness is so important, and the pH is lower on this side of the river due to the sand and the forest, which helps influence evaporation.”

Sergent was referring to the neighbouring 600-hectare Bois de Clary. Farming biodynamically, Sergent also plants herbs among his vines to avoid a monoculture. His Clos du Jas 2020 showed really well, being a co-fermented blend of Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Clairette, Bourbulenc and Picpoul. High quality silky tannins, rich fruit and notable freshness with bite on the finish were its hallmarks.

Rodolphe de Pins

Nearby Château Montfaucon has some even older vines, with a parcel of Clairette dating back over 150 years. Owner-winemaker Rodolphe de Pins worked at Vieux Télégraphe in Châteauneuf, and Henschke in South Australia, before returning in 1995 to the family estate that was bought by his great, great uncle in the late 19th century, after whom his flagship Baron Louis label is named. This is a 6-grape red blend, a GSM plus Cinsault and Carignan with one outlier in Counoise (£15.50 RRP at Lay & Wheeler).

“The Counoise is from a 2.5 hectare plot planted 85 years ago that yields 30 hl/ha,” de Pins said. “I like it as it’s late ripening and is floral as well as being high in acid.” When I asked why the other five varietals were mentioned on the label but not the Counoise, he smiled: “I can’t tell you – it’s an agreement with my wife!”

Benefiting from nature: Bernard Callet

Another wine that showed brilliantly, and was ridiculously good value at €20 (RRP in France) was the Domaine Coudoulis Cuvée Hommage 2020. I liked winemaker Bernard Callet’s apt comment that “we benefit from a sensational gift of nature: our vines are bathed by the rising sun, which gives our wines a gentleness and unique refinement.”

The Hommage (two thirds Grenache, aged in cement vats, and a third Syrah, aged in second and third fill oak) comes from 50-year old vines yielding 25 hl/ha. Perfumed with expressive red and black fruit, as well as spicy and cigar box notes, this elegant wine has finely honed tannins and decent length on the finish.

COSTIERES DE NIMES – “Force et Elégance”

Collard at Mourgues du Gres: soils more in common with the Rhône than the Languedoc

The Costières de Nîmes AOC, the southernmost appellation of the Rhône Valley, lies between Montpellier and Arles. It was long regarded as part of the eastern Languedoc, being given the status of Costières du Gard VDQS (Vins Délimités de Qualité Supérieure) in 1951. This was upgraded to Costières du Gard AOC in 1986 before becoming Costières de Nîmes AOC three years later.

It was a fitting transfer of allegiance as the climate, soil and topography, not to mention the wines themselves, had more in common with southern Rhône vineyards. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre must make up 65% of red wines, which are the majority produced although both whites and rosés are also made.

Once again, value for money, or ‘bon rapport qualité prix’ as the French call it, is a striking feature of the appellation’s wines. We tasted samples from a dozen different producers, with mid-market labels starting at €9 retail and premium examples typically at €21. “Force et Elégance” is our motto, declared the president of the AOC, Cyril Marès, whose own wine, Mas des Bressades Tradition 2022, exhibited both. The Wine Society imports it.

Quest for precision: Francois Collard

Château Mourgues du Grès, a stunning 16th century former convent where we had lunch, has an extensive range that is imported into the UK by Les Caves de Pyrene. Owner-winemaker, Francois Collard talked of his quest for “precision and purity of fruit, combining richness and minerality.” His wines showed all four attributes.

Other producers that impressed but have no UK importer were Domaine de Poulvarel, Château Font Barrièle and Pazac. The latter, a leading co-operative, is chaired by Nicolas Seydoux, whose niece Léa Seydoux, a well-known French actress, starred in two recent James Bond films.

Alexis Cornut: winemaker for Château Guiot

At an afternoon tasting at the picturesque Château d’Or et de Gueules, a couple of wineries with UK distribution stood out. The splendidly-named Alexis Cornut, winemaker for Château Guiot, showed his princely Paulinette 2018 label (available through Majestic). Made from 95-year old Grenache vines yielding only 20 hl/ha, as well as a dash (5%) of Syrah, this had fabulously concentrated fruit as well as firm tannins to give it structure. With lots of energy and an abv of 14%, it was also beautifully balanced.

Old bush vines: Mathieu Chataine

Even older and lower-yielding Mourvèdre bush vines (10 hl/ha), planted in the early 1920s, made up 90% of the Château d’Or et de Gueules ‘La Bolida’ 2020 label. Imported into the UK by Gauntley Wine in Notts, this refined, complex wine is made by Mathieu Chataine and his wife Diane De Puymorin. The winery’s name derives from her family’s coat of arms, which dates back to the twelfth century.

The story surrounding another venerable Costières de Nimes label is worth telling. In 2014, an archaeological dig under Château Nages’ prime parcel of vines unearthed the remains of a Gallo-Roman vineyard. In the words of owner Michel Gassier, “our family couldn’t resist giving our vines free rein to express their legacy. So we called this bottle ‘Vox’ as it is their voice. Through it, their Roman ancestors whisper.” A GSM blend, it is imported into the UK by The Wine Beagle. All of Château Nages’ vineyards are organically farmed, as are those of Chateau d’Or et de Gueules, where Diane, Matthieu and their daughters all work and live on the estate.

SAINT-JOSEPH: the rising star

Syrah planted on granite terraces: Joel Durand

Another pair of siblings, brothers Eric and Joel Durand, in the Saint-Joseph AOC, were our final port of call on the journey north to Lyon airport. Renowned Rhône Valley producer, Philippe Guigal, recently declared that Saint-Joseph “is decidedly the rising appellation in the northern Rhône, and will gain in fame and note as time goes on.” The Durand brothers are symptomatic of that. Their specialty is Syrah planted on granite terraced vineyards, and they make beautifully balanced examples of the varietal with seductive blueberry and cassis notes.

The Domaine Durand ‘Les Coteaux’ 2021, a sumptuous Syrah, was noteworthy for its 13% abv. “2021 was very unusual as alcohol levels were back to what they were twelve years ago,” Joel Durand said. “Alcohol is not very important for us – you can have less maturity at 14 degrees than at 12. What really matters is the balance between acid, maturity and sugar.”

That was also very much the impression I had taken from the winemakers we met in Rasteau, Lirac, Costières de Nîmes, Saint-Joseph and Côtes du Rhône. Value and balance: wine drinkers have cause for celebration.

A QUICK RECAP ON THOSE APPELLATIONS

AOC Côtes du Rhône: the biggest production appellation of the Rhône Valley as a whole (48% of total harvest in 2022). It has 1592 independent wineries as well as 90 co-operatives, and is the most widely distributed, being found in 91% of French wine merchants. Wines tasted: Domaine Rabasse Charavin & Clos des Saumanes

AOC Rasteau: 60 producers and 3 co-operatives, with 1170 hectares under vine. Average production p.a is 30,000 hl of dry red and 1,000 hl of VDNs (Grenat, Rosé, Blanc, Tuilé, Ambré & Rancio). Main Varietals: Grenache Noir & Blanc, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cinsault. Elevation to Cru status: November 2010.

AOC Lirac: obtained Cru status in 1945, with appellation confirmed two years later by government decree. Named after the village of Lirac, it borders the neighbouring Cru of Tavel, a Rosé-only AOC. 85% production is red wines, 12% white, 3% Rosé. 854 hectares under vine with a very low yield in 2022 of 23 hl/ha.

AOC Costières de Nîmes:  awarded Costières du Gard VDQS status in 1951 before becoming Costières de Nîmes AOC in 1989. Very close association with the town of Nîmes, with both town and appellation sharing same coat of arms: crocodile and palm tree. 2,859 h under vine (Rosé formed 47% production in 2022, and reds 44%).

AOC Saint-Joseph: second biggest producer of the northern Crus after Crozes-Hermitage. 1,352 hectares under vine, with red wines forming 87% production and whites 13%. Reds in 2022 were 100% Syrah, with whites two thirds Marsanne and a third Roussanne. Wines tasted: M Chapoutier, Domaines Coursodon, Verzier and Durand.

Journey's End in South Africa

How South Africa’s Journey’s End is now almost 100% ‘off grid’

Journey’s End is now operating under full solar power. This estate on South Africa’s Western Cape made the decision and investment based on the increasing problem of ‘power outages’ and is one step towards becoming fully ‘off grid’. Geoffrey Dean talks to Mike Dawson about how this affects a winemaker, along with the other initiatives Journey’s End is undertaking in its drive to become fully sustainable – then runs through the estate’s latest wines.

By Geoffrey DeanAugust 23, 2023

“Forward thinking”: Journey’s End winemaker Mike Dawson

When it comes to sustainability, few western Cape wineries embrace the concept more keenly than Journey’s End. The Somerset West producer, a founding member of the Sustainable Wine Roundtable, a global coalition of the value chain developing a sustainability reference standard, has just completed infrastructure investment that enables the cellar to operate under full solar power. With power outages, or ‘load-shedding’ as it is known in South Africa, becoming worse every year, it is a huge relief for the winery’s talented winemaker Mike Dawson and his team.

“The whole cellar’s become solar powered,” Dawson revealed. “We were using solar panels, but they’re no good at night and we’ve now installed a whole new inverter system. Load-shedding has become completely ridiculous, and we’ve also had some very windy conditions which blew down a lot of the power lines. So the solar installation has really been a godsend for us. We’ve revamped our cooling system, using more energy-efficient and lower carbon print refrigeration for tank cooling and cellar air conditioning.

“So we’re trying to go off grid as far as humanly possible. Otherwise, power outages are going to become a real issue. We do have a backup generator, but the cost of fuel is ridiculous. We were the second winery to install solar power, back in 2012, when we started the process. It was good forward thinking by the Gabb family [the British owners]. The whole cellar’s now under LED lights  – they last 20 times longer.”

Solar panels were installed in 2012: the second winery on the Cape to do so

 Part of the winery’s sustainability drive is both to reduce waste and nullify its impact.

“All waste is getting recycled or put back on the vineyard,” continued Dawson, who visited England in mid-summer to promote his wines and visit its distributors, Bibendum. The UK is comfortably the number one market for Journey’s End, which exports 95% of production to Europe, Asia and North America.

“We’re trying to reduce the amount of waste by using flotation wine-settling rather than cold settling. We sparge juice with nitrogen gas which floats all your sediment to the top of the tank. It’s more effective between 16-18°C, so that’s reduced carbon footprint and produces 10% better juice-recovery in our whites. That’s cut our waste in terms of lees and sediment by 10% at least. All waste is getting put back on vineyards or recycled, so we’re really trying to do everything as sustainably as possible. That’s part of the ethos of Journey’s End – to have a lot of fun while you’re working here but to look after the community as well as agricultural sustainability.”

All waste is getting put back on vineyards or recycled

The estate’s laudable community care involves providing over 20,000 meals per week for several thousand members of the local population in the Helderberg.

“We started this in 2020 during Covid when we did 1.2 million meals in the first year back,” Dawson added, “and we’re now quite close to four million meals. It’s two meals a day per person for three days a week. You’ve got to look after your people. We’ve also established a ‘Beat the Bully’ foundation, which protects pupils from gangsterism and bullying at school.”

The Journey’s End wines

SBS blend 2022 87% Sauvignon Blanc, 13% Semillon

The new blend will not be commercially available until November. Expected to retail at around £25, it is as yet unnamed, but a super-premium white for which Dawson has high hopes. Fermented and matured for 12 months in a 2,000-litre cylindrical egg-shaped foudre made by Vicard, the fruit comes from a 280m block, just below the manor house. “We already produce two Sauvignon Blancs, and wanted to make a blend with minimal intervention,” Dawson explained. “Everyone who’s tasted it in the UK loved it. It’s from beautiful quality grapes on decomposed granite derivative soil, and we want to keep production of it quite light as it’s a very special wine. The vessel is quite a sight to behold.” Known as an ‘Ovonum’, it encourages natural circulation of yeasts and gives the wine a strong textural element.

Destination Chardonnay 2021

100% barrel-fermented with wild yeasts, this is the top Journey’s End Chardonnay. Spending 10 months in 15% new French oak (medium toast) and 85% second fill, it is quite Meursault in style, having seen 15% partial malolactic fermentation. More stonefruit than citrus, with apricot and peach notes. With a creamy texture from lees stirring, it is an ideal food wine.

V1 Chardonnay 2021

Single vineyard, with elevage in 80% oak (of which 10% is new), 10% in concrete eggs and 10% in claypots. Lovely aromatic freshness, with zesty limey notes as well as mineral salinity and a granite edge, which are, Dawson says, ‘quite synonymous with our Chardonnays.’

V5 Cabernet Franc 2021

Cool climate, coastal fruit that was formerly used for blending only but now makes a superb single varietal expression. Delightful ripe cherry notes, with hints of olive, fynbos and cinnamon spice, as well as soft but lengthy tannins, make this a seductive wine. Freshness from low pH of 3.4, and abv of 14%, ensure excellent balance.

The Griffin Syrah 2018

Top quality Syrah from a stunning vintage. Unusual in that it went through completely carbonic fermentation. Fruit picked at around 10am, and left in the sun till late afternoon. Carbon dioxide applied over it with the tank closed off and left for 15 days. Elevage for 18 months  in 60% new American oak, and 40% second fill (a combination of French and American oak). Marked intensity and concentration, with smoky spice, white pepper and violet notes, as well as multiple layers of red and black fruit. A really complex, intricate wine. 14.5% abv.

The Cape Doctor 2018 55.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28 Merlot, 5.5 Malbec, 5.5 Cabernet Franc, 5.5 Petit Verdot. 14.5% abv. “I’m very proud of this vintage – it’s my favourite for reds in my time at Journey’s End,” professed Dawson, who arrived there in late 2015. 85% new French oak effortlessly absorbed after 22 months in it (15% second fill). 48 hours cold soak pre-fermentation, with only free run juice taken. Refined but concentrated cassis and plum notes with silky tannins and a very long finish. One of the western Cape’s finest and most complex Bordeaux blends with a long life ahead of it.

The wines of Journey’s End are imported and sold in the UK by Bibendum, which is a part of the C&C Group PLC which is commercial partner of The Buyer.

Barbara Banke's Tenuta di Arceno

Behind the Jackson Family Wines strategy at Tenuta di Arceno

Bought 30 years by Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke, Tenuta di Arceno is one of the jewels in the crown of Jackson Family Wines. Nestled in 1,000 hectares of glorious Tuscan countryside, the estate produces a range of premium wines that include Campo di Lupi Gran Selezione, Valadorna and Arcanum. Visiting the estate in June, The Buyer’s Geoffrey Dean discovered from winemaker Lawrence Cronin how Tenuta di Arceno’s massive expansion this summer will facilitate a doubling of production from 4-800,000 bottles across its three ranges. Dean also tastes a wide range of the wines including the super-premium wines which have also changed from being blends to 100% varietal and uncovers how and why the team decided to go down this route.

By Geoffrey Dean August 7, 2023

Man with a plan: Lawrence Cronin, Tenuta di Arceno, June 2023

When none other than Jancis Robinson MW OBE described Barbara Banke recently as ‘the most significant woman in wine,’ it is difficult not to take notice. For Banke, a former land lawyer, it is perhaps even more difficult not to shout it from the rooftops, but that is most certainly not her style. While delighted to receive such a compliment from the doyenne of wine critics, Banke just keeps on presiding shrewdly over her company Jackson Family Wines (JFW)’s 5,600 hectares of prime vineyards dotted around the world in eight countries, and letting her highly able vineyard managers and winemakers get on with producing dozens of top-class wines.

Banke (pronounced ‘Bankey’ on account of some Danish ancestry) turns 70 in August but takes a keen interest in all her 50-plus wine brands from her California home, while granting them the autonomy to manage themselves without undue interference. This is particularly the case with her Tuscan estate, Tenuta di Arceno, which she visits at least once a year, spending a week there after Royal Ascot where her own horses are frequently racing. Acquired in 1994 by her and her late husband, Jess Jackson, the winery has had the same viticulturist, Michele Pezzicoli, since the outset and the same winemaker, Lawrence Cronin, since the early millennium. Cronin works in conjunction with Pierre Seillan, the highly regarded French vigneron who is based at JFW’s Vérité estate in California but whose links with Tenuta di Arceno go back to its very establishment.

“People before profit,” is Banke’s mantra according to the CEO of JFW, Rick Tigner. This inspires loyalty in her staff. “She loves to walk around her estates,” Pepe Schib, the Tenuta di Arceno global brand ambassador, told me on a visit there in June. “She always goes walking early in the morning, and is not flashy, just totally down-to-earth. She pops up here, which is super nice. While casual on the outside, she gives you an exact idea how she wants things done. She wants the business run the right way but gives us the freedom to perform the right way.”

For Cronin, an American with some Sicilian ancestry and an Italian wife, a big expansion of the winery facility over the course of this summer is a welcome investment.

“We can currently produce up to 400,000 bottles per annum, but with the expansion, we’ll be able to double that if production warrants it,” he said. “We can potentially sell on some bulk wine from the bleed and press, and bottle 500,000 for our own labels comfortably without compromising quality. We’ll get a beautiful new barrel room, with more puncheons and some 27hl casks. We’ll have less moving of the wines, which we can leave in oak longer. Some space constrictions will go away.”

Tenuta di Arceno’s vineyards above San Gusme

Changes at the estate

The stunning 1,000-hectare estate, in the commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga, is an ancient one, situated between 300 and 500 metres above sea level in rolling hills some 20km from Siena. Native vegetation predominates along with 50 hectares of olive trees. Cronin vinifies grapes from about 105 hectares of vines, of which 18 are leased. Density is a uniform 5,000 vines per hectare. There are 92 hectares on the estate, with several being replanted each year.

About three-quarters of production is formed by three labels – Il Fauno, Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Riserva. The former, the biggest-selling at around 130,000 bottles, is a Bordeaux blend. Then there are the super-premium wines: Strada al Sasso Gran Selezione, Campo di Lupi Gran Selezione (both 95-100% Sangiovese), Valadorna (100% Merlot) and Arcanum (100% Cabernet Franc).

The decision to switch the latter pair from blends to single varietals was a carefully considered one. The 2018 Valadorna was the first vintage to be 100% Merlot (the 2017 having been 42% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, and 4% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot). Similarly, the 2017 Arcanum was the first to be 100% Cabernet Franc, having previously been 60-70% Cab Franc with the balance Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

“We decided to go to 100% single varietals to keep the purity and expression of the three main grapes here,” Cronin said. “It was a desire to express the terroir and the soul of the estate through the different plots. What better way to express that than with a single varietal?”

From the 2017 vintage Arcanum is made with 100% Cabernet Franc

The Valadorna is one of Banke’s favourite wines according to Cronin. Indeed, she named one of her horses after the label – a filly that won five races.

“The fruit comes from two blocks called the Valadorna vineyard and also from three other blocks in the Capraia vineyard higher up. So it’s a blend of micro-crus, which makes for real complexity. They ripen at different times, so I pick on at least four different days.”

As for the Cabernet Franc, Cronin has 12 blocks spread over 17 hectares to select from.

“When I first came here, we had only 1.2 hectares of Cab Franc,” Cronin recalled, “but with the increase, I can choose the best fruit. Annoyingly, we lose some to the wild boars and the deer, who both only eat the ripe grapes. The good thing with the Cab Franc is that it gets ripe not too early and not too late. Every year it’s probably the most consistent grape we have in terms of its relation to weather and harvesting, so it’s the highest quality every year because of when it gets ripe here.  We keep the fruit and canopy in balance to avoid greenness, and ferment at a slightly lower temperature, 26°C, than the other reds as any green flavours can get greener at a higher temperature.”

The racing connection with the wines extends to the ‘Strada al Strasso’ label. It is the Italian translation of Stonestreet, the name of the Jackson family’s horse farm in Kentucky. When Jess Jackson died in 2010, the old label was changed to Strada at Strasso as a tribute to him, for Stonestreet was also his middle name. The wine is made from the best 35 to 40 barrels of ten clones of Sangiovese that come from the Strada al Sasso vineyard (formerly known as ‘La Porta’) just below the charming village of San Gusme, where Tenuta di Arceno owns a small hotel.

Viticultural concerns

Cronin’s winemaking philosophy marries well with Banke’s embrace of sustainability. Lowering carbon emissions in the wine industry is one of her laudable aims, and the driver for her and the Spanish Torres family’s joint creation of the International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) initiative in 2019. Daughter Julia is heavily involved in the sustainability movement, and is part of the JFW business along with fellow siblings, Christopher, whose wedding took place at Tenuta di Arceno, and Katie. Banke said in 2020 that she had “another five to ten years in me, and then I’ll leave it to the kids.”

While there are no plans to go for organic certification, Cronin professes he is a non-interventionist at heart. “I only try to intervene if there’s a big problem,” he mused. “It is what it is.  I always have this fear of ruining the wine. The wine was where it was – the soul was there – I don’t want to mess with it.”

Quercetin is one issue Cronin sometimes has to deal with.  “A problem with Sangiovese in this area is quercetin, a component of the skin that can cause precipitation later in the bottle. In 2014-15 in Brunello, they had a load of sediment from precipitation in the bottle even though it had been filtered. The more sun on the grapes the higher proportion of quercetin, which the sugar converts into a precipitate. Now people add PVPP to take it away. I have done but not every year.”

That apart, Cronin interferes as little as possible. He does no fining, and only light filtration with a pad filter (although the more expensive crossflow filtration is in the budget for next year). He aims for low free sulphur dioxide levels of 22 to 25 mg/l.

Even green harvesting is only performed in the event of ‘massive clusters’ as Cronin puts it.

“In the beginning, we were always green-harvesting, but now it’s just the end rows for sure. For most of our Merlot, we have irrigation. For a couple of years, we haven’t had to irrigate but for sandy soil vineyards we do. Our soils are made up predominantly of sand, with clay and loam too. People have this negative thing about irrigating but we’re just trying to keep the plant alive. In super hot years, our wells dry out – we have our little pond but no lakes.”

As far as oak is concerned, Cronin opts largely for a medium-light toast.

“Our company owns an estate in France where we choose our forests and bring the wood to a barrel-maker in Bordeaux,” he revealed. “We get 200-250 new barrels each year with toasting we choose. We can see what tree a barrel came from, so we have very good traceability. I use no new oak for any of our Sangiovese as it covers too much fruit; and one-year old exclusively for the Gran Selezione. Then 60-70% new oak for the top premium labels.”

Thanks to a wide diurnal range and favourable soil pH, acidity is not a problem.

“I have never ever added any acid,” Cronin declared. “One year, I even de-acidified – in 2014. I don’t even look at the acid during harvest any more, but pH is a big indicator for me where we are. Sangiovese can be 3.25-3.35 at harvest. After fermentation last year, Strada al Sasso finished at 3.3 (TA 6.4g/l) while Campolupi, which actually has a higher elevation, had a higher pH of 3.4 and lower TA of 6g/l. It doesn’t make any sense but it’s to do with pH of the soil – 7.2 for Campolupi and 6.8 for Strada al Sasso. The diurnal range is from 10°C at night, although usually 12-13°C, up to 35 or 40 degrees by day. But sometimes we get cooling breezes, especially if it’s a north wind.”

An elevated site at 650 metres near the estate was identified and leased when Cronin and Banke decided they wanted to produce some Chardonnay, which will be classified as Toscana. 1.3 hectares of vines were planted this spring, with Pezzicoli selecting the clone. “It should give us about 600 cases a year – basically between my wife and Barbara to drink,” Cronin quipped. “No, we’ll sell some in four years time, but Barbara wants 20 cases in the cellar for when she comes here.” A suitable holding for the most significant woman in wine.

So how were the Tenuta di Arceno wines tasting?

Tenuta di Arceno, Chianti Classico DOCG, 2021, 14.5% abv

85% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot. Enticing aromas of violet, blue flowers, forest floor and black pepper. Morello cherry notes with well-integrated tannins and fresh acidity. Begging to be drunk now.

Tenuta di Arceno, Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, 2020, 14.5% abv

90% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Herbal notes on nose with cranberry and a touch of orange peel.  Racy acidity (pH3.35) with very attractive cherry fruit and strong tannins. A top-notch Chianti Classico Riserva from a classic year.

Tenuta di Arceno, Strada al Sasso Gran Selezione, 2020, 14.5% abv

100% Sangiovese. Just released (1 July, ’23). Powerful tannin structure with vibrant acidity. Low-yielding with fabulous concentration and length.

Tenuta di Arceno, Campolupi Gran Selezione 2021, 14.5% abv

95% Sangiovese & 5% Colorino (adding power and colour). Vibrant acidity (pH 3.4) with high quality if overt tannins. Generous red cherry fruit with earthy notes. Elevage in second-fill French oak. Only bottled in May ‘23, so needs time but will reward patience.

Tenuta di Arceno, Il Fauno, Toscana IGT 2020, 14.5% abv

41 % Merlot, 34 Cab Franc, 20 Cab Sauvignon, 5 Petit Verdot; 30% new oak. The faun statue on the estate inspired the label for this Bordeaux blend. Raspberry and strawberry aromas, with complex, concentrated black fruit on the palate. Chewy tannins with liquorice and tobacco on a long finish.

Tenuta di Arceno, Valadorna 2018, Toscana IGT, 14.5%

100% Merlot. A blend of different micro-crus helps give real complexity to this voluptuous wine, with its silky tannins. Structure from two-thirds new French oak, with glorious, intense plummy red fruit. Very long.

Tenuta di Arceno, Arcanum, Toscana IGT 2017, 14.5% abv

100% Cabernet Franc, 70% new French oak for 12 months. Aromas of oregano and mint, with a core of blueberries, dark chocolate and caramel. Dusty tannins and fresh acidity with richness and multiple layers of complexity. A magnificent wine with a lengthy life ahead of it.

The wines of Tenuta di Arceno are imported into the UK by Fells and OenoFuture

Ch Sainte Marguerite (Provence)

Life at Sainte Marguerite after that Pernod Ricard takeover

Château Sainte Marguerite was bought by Jean-Pierre Fayard 46 years ago, the same year that the Provence-based winery was granted Côtes de Provence Cru Classé status. Following the estate’s subsequent acquisition by drinks giant Pernod Ricard last year, Geoffrey Dean travelled to Toulon to meet up with Jean-Pierre’s sons Olivier and Enzo Fayard who are set to expand production and boost exports, all the while maintaining the estate’s 20 year-old Organic status and eye for quality. Dean tastes the new red, white and rosé wines Fantastique and Symphonie and gets a steer on the Fayard’s future.

By Geoffrey Dean June 21, 2023.

When Pernod Ricard bought a majority share in Château Sainte Marguerite last December, it confirmed the Provence winery’s place on the top table of French Rosé producers – one of only 18 cru classés in Côtes de Provence. Pernod Ricard, the world’s second biggest wines and spirits company, is notably selective with its acquisitions and the purchase was all about building its premium wine offering. Moreover, the French drinks giant’s extensive global distribution network will enable Château Sainte Marguerite to increase its current export levels of 20%.

With 200 organically-farmed hectares under vine in the Côtes de Provence appellation, Sainte Marguerite, which is a few kilometres outside the town of Hyères near Toulon, has some select parcels situated in the prestigious coastal terroir of La Londe. The soils there are predominantly schist, which is perfect for Rosé, with 3% clay and a bit of silex lower down at two metres depth.

These parcels overlook the four islands known as ‘Les Iles D’Or,’ one of which is the stunning tourist destination of Porquerolles, where vines are grown (although not by Château Sainte Marguerite). Given the high number of visitors that flock to the region every summer, the potential for wine tourism has not been lost on the Fayard brothers, co-owners of Château Sainte Marguerite, who have built a state-of-the-art visitor centre and cellar door.

Enzo and Olivier Fayard (l-r) – dividing their priorities

It is the wines and their quality, though, that are the principal consideration for Olivier Fayard, the head winemaker and chief executive. Enzo Fayard, his younger sibling, is also involved with vinification but concentrates his energies on viticulture and vineyard management. They form a dynamic duo.

If increased demand requires Olivier to buy fruit in from other growers in the future, he will do so but only if it is organically-farmed and of requisite quality.

“I try to transform the attitude to organic farming in the region,” he said. “We have been certified organic since 2003. If I cannot find the quality, I will not buy. The first goal is the quality – every time quality. We have a deal with Pernod Ricard – continue to make this type of wine with passion: the very, very high quality wine. Quality first.”

It helps, no doubt, that Olivier is a good friend of Alexandre Ricard, the chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard.

Sealing the deal: Alexandre Ricard, Olivier Fayard, Enzo Fayard, Cesar Giron (l-r) December 2022.

“I was with Alexandre and his wife and my wife last week at a party in Paris – just for fun because he’s my friend,” Olivier said, adding that he went on holiday with both Alexandre and his cousin, Cesar Giron, the CEO of Pernod Ricard’s two Champagne brands, Mumm and Perrier-Jouet. “It’s a family company, and a very good company, a humane company. For me, it’s easier because it’s a south French family like me. It’s easier to speak.”

Château Sainte Marguerite already exports to 35 countries, but Pernod Ricard clearly believe they can develop that reach.

“It’s a pleasure to share my passion,” Olivier mused. “But I don’t want to sell in a supermarket for example – it is not my goal. It’s to be in a very good restaurant like this one. We live with passion, we make the wine with passion and we share this moment with you with passion.” (We spoke at Restaurant L’Estagnol, by the beautiful beach of the same name opposite Porquerolles, near Bormes-Les-Mimosas.)

Keeping the wine styles

Organic since 2003 – Enzo Fayard in one of the Château Sainte Marguerite vineyards

Enzo Fayard, who is no less charismatic than his brother, talks with the same enthusiasm.

“We try to keep very fruity wine – that’s our first motivation as it’s very important to our family,” he said. “My father had 45 years experience, and we have had 25.”

His father, Jean-Pierre, who Olivier jokes has moved on from the vineyards to the local golf course, bought the estate in 1977. That same year the winery was granted Côtes de Provence Cru Classé status, one of only 18 today. Some of the vines were actually planted as far back as 1936. The varietals grown are Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rolle and Semillon.

Both Rosé labels are majority Grenache, with the Symphonie 2022 containing a third Cinsault and the Fantastique 2022 around 20% of the white grape Rolle (aka Vermentino). While the former wine is a creamy pale pink, the latter is markedly pale with only a hint of pink. “It’s the future style of Rosé,” Olivier declared of the Fantastique. “We aim for this ‘peau de pêche’ colour each time,” Enzo added. That translates as ‘peach skin.’

Gratifyingly, both Rosés appear light on thiols, the chemicals that in excess give off aromas of grapefruit, grassiness or boxwood. Entry level Provencal Rosés can be either camouflaged or overpowered by these smells. Judicious amounts of thiols can add lemon freshness and some fruitiness – qualities that both Château Sainte Marguerite Rosés possess. Neither need any acid addition, like all the estate’s wines.

While both Roses saw no oak, the white Symphonie 2022, composed of 100% Rolle, was fermented in barrel and then received 50% new oak for élevage, with 50% second fill. “Rolle likes oak so much it could absorb 100%,” Enzo mused. If 50% sounds unusually high, the white coped with it comfortably, helped by very light toasting. In no way did it taste over-oaked.

Climate, harvest dates and mechanisation

On the subject of global warming, Enzo was unfazed, stating that it would not persuade him to consider changing varietals planted.

“Just change the rootstock,” was his verdict. “If the alcohol levels get too high, just change the date of harvest. We start harvest for the Rolle around 15 August – that has not changed in the last 10 years. The Grenache we pick by the end of August, and the Syrah at the beginning or middle of September. The Mistral which blows every day of every month apart from three or four days, even in July and August, is very beneficial, and especially important for organic farming.”

The vines are harvested mechanically. “We can pick in the night when it is cool, and the machine doesn’t forget any grapes,” Enzo said. “We have our own machine and our own driver, which is important.” He added that finding pickers has become increasingly difficult, with only foreigners willing to do it. Not that that has hampered the redoubtable Fayards in their ceaseless quest for quality.

So how were the latest Château Sainte Marguerite wines tasting?

The three Château Sainte Marguerite Fantastique 2022 labels - pink, red and white

Blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Rolle with estate fruit only. Pale pink. Aromas of white peach, raspberry and plum with hints of guava and papaya. On the palate, delicate citrus fruit and rose petal notes with pear from the Rolle. Elegance and very good length.

Château Sainte Marguerite Fantastique 2022, Cru Classé AOP Côtes de Provence Blanc, 13.5% abv

100% Rolle from parcels in La Londe; barrel-fermented to give more complexity. Generosity and structure from élevage in 50% new oak and 50% second fill. Citrus, apricot and pear on the nose, with lemon notes on the palate with hints of honey, toast and vanilla.

Château Sainte Marguerite Fantastique 2021, Cru Classé AOP Côtes de Provence Rouge, 13.5% abv

Shiraz (60%) and Grenache (40%) from La Londe sites. 18 months élevage in 50% new oak and 50% second fill. Garnet/purple colour with deeply-scented black fruit, pepper and herbs. Silky tannins with notes of chocolate, morello cherry and juicy cassis.

Château Sainte Marguerite Symphonie 2022, Cru Classé AOP Côtes de Provence Rosé, 12.5% abv

Blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Rolle and Syrah. Some fruit bought from growers. As pale as a Rosé can get. Creamy peach and apricot aromas preserved by three-week fermentation at 14-15°C. Notes of peach, orange peel and exotic fruits. Freshness and finesse. Vegan-certified like all the wines.

The wines of Château Sainte Marguerite are imported and sold in the UK by Enotria&Coe.

Mayfield Vineyard, Orange, NSW

How Australia’s Mayfield Vineyard is scaling new heights

Mayfield Vineyard is starting to make waves both in its New South Wales hometown of Orange and here in the UK – impressive given that it’s only been in its current operation for two years. In a flying visit to London, Mayfield’s general manager and partner, Charles Simons explains the strategy of being a young estate in a crowded market, what he learned under the tutelage of Oz winemaking legend Philip Shaw, and how a new device in the vineyards called BioScout gives his team all the information it needs to keep passes amongst the vines to near zero. Geoffrey Dean met up with him and tasted the three Mayfield wines currently available in this country.

By Geoffrey DeanJune 15, 2023

“We want people to drink it and say, ‘Wow.’ If I can put a wine next to Philip Shaw’s, and people can see the similarity, I’ll be happy,” says Mayfield viticulturist Charles Simons.

Mayfield Vineyard’s Charles Simons showing the new vintages

Charles Simons is one of those viticulturists whose experience working around the world seems to have been boundless. After studying oenology in Stellenbosch at the end of the last millennium, he has applied his viticultural skills in the United States, New Zealand, Germany and Australia, working for some renowned producers. It is in the latter country that this flying vineyard manager has finally settled, becoming a co-owner of a winery named Mayfield Vineyard in a wine region of enormous potential in Orange.

The New South Wales market town, which nestles a three-hour drive west of Sydney, is home to the highest vineyards in Australia and the widest diurnal range in that vast country. Most are between 700 and 1,000 metres above sea level, and it is this altitude that underpins the region’s cool climate status.

Orange is increasingly being seen as a prime site for growing Sauvignon Blanc 

Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir excel, retaining their acidity in the fresh nights of the growing season to produce wines – both still and sparkling – of shrill acidity. That is a hallmark of Mayfield Vineyard labels, three of which are imported into the UK by Enotria&Coe – the ‘Backyard’ Riesling 2022, ‘Sophie’s Godmother’ Sauvignon Blanc 2022 and ‘Eighteen Fifteen’ Chardonnay 2022.

That is some achievement given that the Mayfield Vineyard brand was only started two years ago when the estate’s new owner, John Eastham, asked Simons to come on board as a shareholder and general manager. Simons jumped at the opportunity, knowing the potential of the region by dint of his time working there as a viticulturist for one of Australia’s most celebrated winemakers, Philip Shaw.

“Philip is the godfather of Australian wine,” Simons declared during a visit to London. “He put Aussie Chardonnay on the world map, and for me to have worked for, and learnt from, him is special.”

Shaw’s legendary attention to detail is shared by Simons.

“I continue to strive every vintage to grow better grapes from our sites,” Simons added. “Crop load is kept low to increase flavour profile. Canopy management is very important to me, and therefore shoot thinning is done pre-flowering to allow greater air movement during this critical stage. Leaf plucking is done after to help with disease control.”

The appliance of science 

The revolutionary kit that is helping Simons do “the right thing once… at the right time.”

The desire to limit disease led Simons to help develop a practice known as BioScout, a device the size of ‘a suitcase’ that sits in the vineyards, taking air samples every 30 minutes.

“These are analysed through a microscopic lens, and sent to a computer in Sydney, giving me an idea of what downy mildew, powdery mildew and botrytis spores are in the air,” he said. “So I get a ten-day warning before initial infection, and can base my spraying regime and canopy management on real-time data. This info is geo-tagged, and weather data is also collected – temperature, humidity, moisture, wind speed and direction – to locate the disease hotspot area and determine if it’s a serious threat or not. This has changed the way I look at vineyards… completely.”

BioScout ties in with Simons’ embrace of sustainability, and his aim to minimise tractor passes and, with it, soil compaction.

“The ethos of the viticulturist is that the more footsteps, as opposed to tractor tracks, in the vineyard, the better,” he continued. “Some of our premium vines will be touched by a human five to six times a year. We aim to do the right thing once, at the right time. Technology helps us achieve this but, ultimately, it’s about the pairing of it with an experienced viticulturist.”

Cutting the cloth to fit

Mayfield has 30 of its 91 hectares under vine, of which a third are Chardonnay and a third Pinot Noir, with the balance split between Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Cabernet Franc. Around two thirds of the grapes are sold to producers locally.

“If we vinified them all, I’d have a warehouse full of wine and no market. It gives us good cash flow, but we can make more if Enotria say that they want more of whichever varietal next year. We’re looking to go to the US with a new market push, but the UK will always be the number one export market for me.”

The vines were planted in 1999 by the property’s previous owners. Simons planted some more in 2022, including four new clones of Pinot Noir to supplement the original 777. The wines from 2022 were made at the nearby Printhie winery by their winemaker, Drew Tucknell, as Mayfield does not have any vinification facilities.

Simons, who previously worked as Printhie’s viticulturist, is keen to give Mayfield a potential point of difference while accepting the importance of Orange as a wine region of growing repute.

“We don’t want to be mainstream Orange – we want to be unique with our side of town and make wines that start a discussion,” he mused. “We want people to drink it and say, ‘Wow.’ If I can put a wine next to Philip Shaw’s, and people can see the similarity, I’ll be happy but we can’t make better wines than him. Our vineyards are unique as our rich loam and basalt soils are older than Philip’s as they didn’t get the last volcanic eruption there. We add our bit of nuance and flavour but I need to champion the region – I am nothing without the other winemakers, a lot of whom have been there for many years.”

So how were the new vintage wines tasting?

Mayfield Vineyard Estate ‘Sophie’s Godmother’ Sauvignon Blanc, 2022: appealing herbal aromas, and very pretty fruit with passion fruit and pineapple notes, as well as lemon pith and asparagus. Zesty acidity with real freshness and purity.

Mayfield Vineyard Estate ‘Backyard’ Riesling, 2022: Simons, who worked in Pfalz in Germany, says he loves that style of Riesling and has tried to create something similar here. Fermented with wild yeasts in stainless steel, it spent a month on the lees, softening texture. 5g/l of residual sugar is well-judged, balancing racy acidity (TA 7.5g/l) of grapes grown at 924 metres. Limey citrus notes on the palate with lemon-sherbet aromas.

Mayfield Vineyard Estate ‘Eighteen Fifteen’ Chardonnay, 2022: named after the year the Mayfield property was given to an explorer named William Wentworth, this is clone 95. Melon, peach and grapefruit notes with a smidge of citrus. Edgy acidity and minerality, with complexity coming from the use of wild yeasts and a creamy texture from 75% malolactic fermentation. Spice and biscuity hints from 27% new oak.

Mayfield Vineyard Premier ‘Block 14’ Chardonnay, 2022: two-acre single vineyard site on quartz soil. Barrel-fermented, and aged in new and older French puncheons, hogsheads and barriques. 50% malolactic fermentation. Pale lemon hue with vivid acidity and flinty minerality. Notes of  stone fruit and pink grapefruit as well as hints of roasted cashews and almonds. Good concentration and a long finish. A ripper of an Aussie Chardy.

Mayfield Vineyard Premier ‘William’ Pinot Noir, 2022: a reserve release from the best 13 rows of block 10 (900m). Named, in the words of principal owner, John Eastham, “in gratitude to three Williams who had a profound impact on our region, Mayfield and me.” The first was Wentworth, who was granted the land in 1815 for being among the first Europeans to cross the Blue Mountains; the second was William Tom, a subsequent owner who planted the first vines on the property in the 1850s; the third was William Quick, Eastham’s father-in-law. Light in colour and body (13.5% abv), with an alluring floral fragrance and crisp acidity. Raspberry, cherry and blueberry notes, with hints of spice. Chalky tannins and some structure from 25% new oak for 11 months.  A very appealing Pinot with the capacity to age.

The wines of Mayfield Vineyard are imported and sold in the UK by Enotria&Coe, which is a commercial partner of The Buyer.

Bibendum Premium Tasting May 2023

10 of the best fine wines from Bibendum’s premium expansion

Two new Barolos from Vietti are just some of the highlights of Bibendum’s re-vamped premium portfolio that includes the likes of Rioja pioneers Remirez de Ganuza, Rhône’s La Nerthe and an ‘all new’ Asian portfolio that features one of China’s priciest wines, Ao Yun. Geoffrey Dean discovers how premium on-trade is a key part of Bibendum’s expansion plans and picks out 10 wines that would fit well into any fine wine list.

By Geoffrey Dean June 13, 2023

 “We can’t be certain it was a red port. It might have been white, for when a port is this old, the colour of red and white ports can be the same,” says Vallado’s export manager about his 1888 port.

Export manager Pedro San Martin with White Bones – one of Dean’s picks from the Bibendum tasting

When you put on a premium wines-only tasting, as Bibendum did on a glorious late spring day at Lincoln’s Inn, a massive turnout is near inevitable. More than 80 wines from all over the world were uncorked at ‘The Cellar Tasting: A World of Fine Wine’ but, although few venues are more elegant than the Old Hall, it was packed. Tasting all the wines was consequently not possible, unless you had all day, but the Primrose Hill-based importer laid on a treat even if you only got round half of them.

More on some of the wines tasted later, including a magnificently venerable 1888 Port, but first a word or two from Andy Craig, Bibendum’s fine wine buyer for Europe and Asia.

“We’re doing a lot with our Asian customers, many of which were pre-existing, but a lot of new Asian restaurants are coming into the market as well, mainly in London,” he told The Buyer.

There was no Bordeaux available at the tasting from Bibendum’s Bordeaux Collection as Bibendum wanted to showcase other classic wines, but Craig revealed the company is working closely with some pre-eminent Medoc classed growths.

“We’re trying to get personal wines from the likes of Château Lafite that they haven’t released for the rest of the UK,” he said. “It’ll be very small quantities. We’ve been trying to raid the cellars of some of these owners with the promise we can get their wines into a really high-end account. And Bibendum is moving more in that direction – towards the premium end of the market.”

Bibendum’s Asian portfolio is “all quite new” in Craig’s words. It includes one of China’s priciest wines, Ao Yun’s flagship red blend from 2019 (67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cab Franc, 10% Syrah, 6% Petit Verdot; £230). Made by French winemaker, Maxence Dulou, it has been marked highly by critics. With a low yield of 16hl/ha, it was aged in 35% new oak, 35% older oak and 30% Chinese stoneware jars. Herbal and cigar box aromas give way to intensely concentrated black truffle and chocolate notes. Soft, sinewy tannins, fresh acidity and a long finish help to make this an impressive wine. Also included from China are the Ningxia wine region producer, Chateau Changyu- Moser XV’s Purple Air Comes from the East Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (£142). “Both are selling really well,” Craig revealed.

Indeed, business at all levels has been good, he declared. “Year on year since Covid, we’ve grown our sales. Supermarkets demand has been growing consistently, and we’re having another record year with them. Some smaller higher-end pubs seem to be doing well, and maybe it was the ones that were struggling beforehand that closed. The premium pub chains we’re dealing with seem to be doing well – they’re the ones that have good wine lists.”

Joao Roquette Alvares Ribeiro with Vallado 1888 Port

Flying in for the tasting was Joao Roquette Alvares Ribeiro the export manager of Quinta do Vallado, whose 19th century Port it was a privilege to taste. It was named ABF after his sixth great grandfather, Antonio Bernardo Ferreira.

“He lived around the time this Port was made in 1888,” Ribeiro said. “It had been in a 600-litre barrel until 2016 when we bottled it to celebrate our 200th anniversary. We produced 950 bottles and are now down to between 60 and 70. Bibendum has four or five in stock, and we have another 10-15 allocated to them. Hedonism has got some, as well as some restaurants who sell by the glass. Although you probably won’t convince people to pay the retail price [£2,576], it appeals to those who only drink at this price level. The places who sell Johnnie Walker Green label by the glass for £200 will take it. It has a good amount of volatile acidity, which normally you wouldn’t look for in a wine, but here it works perfectly as the residual sugar and alcohol are both at a very high level.” For the record, they came in at just over 200g/l and 22% ABV respectively.

CEO Charlie Mount with Mezes Maly Great 1st growth dry Furmint 2018

Also present was Royal Tokaji CEO Charlie Mount, who showcased their Nyulaszo 1st growth Aszu 6 puttonyos 2017 as well as their dry Furmint from the Mézes Mály Great 1st growth 2018. The latter, retailing at £19, was arguably the best-value wine on display. “The dry Furmint and late harvest we are able to produce every year,” Mount said, “but our Aszu and Essencia require such precise conditions in the vineyards that only a few vintages are ever released.”

One young winery that stood out was Viña Vik in Chile, which has all the makings of reaching iconic status after multi-million dollar backing from the uber-wealthy Norwegian family of the same name “Maybe Chile was lacking figurehead producers in the past compared to Argentina, but Vik, which is a relatively new one for our portfolio, is doing really well,” Craig declared. “The Chilean wines really stand up, but you do get some high alcohols although they’ve changed the winemaking styles in the last three or four years to bring freshness back. For the on-trade, that’s so important. Wine is a refreshment at the end of the day.”

10 wines that caught the eye at the Bibendum tasting 

International brand manager Pauline Guiset with Clos d’Ora ’18

Gérard Bertrand, Clos d’Ora 2018 (RRP £183): a seductive blend of Syrah (50%), Grenache, old-vine Carignan and Mourvèdre from eight biodynamically-farmed parcels in Languedoc. Glorious fruit, plenty of structure, high-quality tannins and fresh acidity balance high alcohol of 15.5% abv.

Vietti, Barolo ‘Ravera’ Piemonte 2018 (£181): a refined and elegant Barolo with notable finesse from what was a cool vintage. A princely Nebbiolo with delightfully silky, soft tannins. The sister Vietti Lazzarito vineyard produced a wine of comparably dazzling quality.

Remirez de Ganuza, Blanco Reserva Rioja DOC 2014 (£67): a blend of Viura and Malvasia from vines planted at 600m that is barrel-fermented in French oak, where it is aged for a further 8 months. Complexity and richness from batonnage. Honey and lemon notes with purity and freshness.

Quinta do Vallado, ABF Vintage Port 1888 (£2,576): unusually for a Port, this was aged inland in the Douro not Vila Nova de Gaia on the coast. “We can’t be certain it was a red port,” the winery’s export manager said. “It might have been white, for when a port is this old, the colour of red and white ports can be the same.” No matter the grapes used, this venerable relic has aged beautifully to become a great old fortified (22% abv).

Markus Huber, Gruner Veltliner ‘Berg’ Erste Lage, Traisental DAC Reserve 2021 (£32): from a biodynamically-farmed, steep, east-facing vineyard with a gradient of over 25%. Fermented and aged in acacia barrels with batonnage for 8 months. Fresh acidity counter-balanced by 4.8g/l residual sugar. Ripe pear notes with white pepper on the nose.

Royal Tokaji, Mezes Maly Great 1st growth Dry Furmint 2018 (£19): fermented and matured for six months in 300-litre old Hungarian oak casks, this is an elegant dry white with minerality and vibrant acidity. White peach and apricot notes with hints of spice and a long finish.

Catena Zapata, ‘White Bones’ Chardonnay 2020 (£32): one of not just Argentina’s but also the New World’s best Chardonnays. From very low-yielding rows in the Adrianna Vineyard at 1450m feet in the Gualtallary sub-district of the Tupungato region. The name comes from soil which contains calcareous deposits and fossilised animal bones. Earthy minerality is a feature of this concentrated wine with racy acidity (pH3.2). Battonage and partial malolactic fermentation softens TA of 8.1g/l, with spice from 14 months in second, third and fourth-fill French demi-muids.

Viña Vik, Millahue, Colchagua 2015 (£109): regal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (67%), Cabernet Franc, Carménère and Merlot. The vines, planted in 2006-7 in the Cachapoal Valley to a density of 8,100 per hectare (60% higher than Chile’s average), get a cooling afternoon sea breeze blowing in from 40 miles away. This is crucial for the freshness of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Toned structure from 100% new French oak for 23 months. Cristian Vallejo, with Vik since the very start, is a passionate winemaker who crafts some eye-catching wines of poise, structure and balance.

Neudorf, Moutere Chardonnay, Nelson, New Zealand 2019 (£56). Another top New World Chardonnay – from the northern tip of the South Island. Complex and long and with terrific concentration and refreshing acidity. Lemon curd and yellow peach notes with a hint of spice from 20% new French oak.

Mount Langi Ghiran, Langi Shiraz 2017, Grampians, Victoria (£73): one of Australia’s greatest examples of Shiraz. From vines planted in 1969 at 1,000 metres that yield only 1.5 tons per acre, this is magnificently spicy, peppery and complex with tremendous length. Effortlessly absorbing 60% new oak, it has the structure to last well into the next decade.

English Harbour rum, Antigua

Discovering Antigua: English Harbour Rum & small batch gins

A limited edition 19 year-old English Harbour rum and boutique gin distiller are two major discoveries when Geoffrey Dean visits the Caribbean island of Antigua. The rum is to mark the 90th anniversary of Antigua Distillery, whose Calbert Francis gives the back story to this very special spirit. By contrast Dean also visits the much smaller distiller on the island, Antilles Stillhouse, where David Murphy is producing two gins using local, unique botanicals, a ‘fevergrass’ spirit as well as an Antiguan pastis.

By Geoffrey DeanJune 1, 2023

‘I like to chuckle that the Antigua distillery is the only place in the world where you get the French and the English working together to produce anything of value!” says Antigua Distillery’s Calbert Francis.

Last of a kind: Quin Farara rum shop, St John’s, Antigua

Rum lovers are in for a treat when Antigua Distillery Ltd, one of the oldest companies on the island, makes a special release on June 3 to celebrate its 90th anniversary. This will be an ‘English Harbour’ rum that has been matured for 19 years in Bourbon casks (44% abv). The asking price? A cool US$333 (or £269 at the time of writing). Around 1200 bottles will be available for sale, with the UK likely to get an allocation of around 60.

“We’ve been planning this for a couple of years and wanted something very, very special for the anniversary celebration in June,” Calbert Francis, the company’s sales and marketing VP, told me during a visit to the distillery’s head office in Antigua. “We wanted the number 9 inside all the figures: 90th anniversary, 19 years, selling for 900 Eastern Caribbean dollars*. Our founders, who set the company up, came from Madeira as indentured servants in the early 1900s. They started blending their own rums and opening up their own shops in St John’s. Then eight of them pooled their resources to set up the distillery, which cost £2,500 to build.”

Antigua Distillery was incorporated in 1933, having officially opened its doors in 1932. Fourth generation members of four of the founding families are still involved in the running of the business – namely Farara, DeFreitas, Diaz and Fernandez. “Paul Farara is chairman of the board – he’s second generation and in his nineties,” Francis said. “His father was one of the founders, and his niece Lisa runs the Quin Farara rum shop in St John’s, the last functioning one that our founders started.”

English Harbour’s new lease of life 

With premium rum one of the fastest growing sectors globally, Francis is hoping exports to the UK of the company’s flagship brand, the 5-year old English Harbour, can pick up again after the Covid pandemic and a change of British importer. “Our distribution in the UK has not been the best,” Francis professed. “We were with Spirits Elite there but changed last year to the Spirit Cartel, who have a better distribution network, covering the entire UK, and also a more robust sales team, near Paddington.

Calbert Francis: “Whenever there’s a party in heaven, the angels choose Antigua.”

“We would really like to increase exports to the UK. For me, it’s a shame that English Harbour is not a household name there, simply because of the name and what it represents. There’s history around the name: the British naval fleet had its HQ in Nelson’s Dockyard at the southern tip of the island in English Harbour, so the rum culture in Antigua is very strong.

“I’d say that 40% of our total rum sales is consumed in English Harbour alone in a 6-month period – by Antiguans and visitors. There are a lot of bars and restaurants there, as well as a couple of hotels, and you have the ships coming in. That whole sailing culture is really a rum culture – sailors used to get their tot of rum. When you look at the spirits consumed in English Harbour, rum is miles ahead of everything else. I think any bar in England would be proud to serve rum that has ‘English’ on the label. So it is quite disappointing that over the years we haven’t had that uptake. I think it’s just because of the distribution issue and not having enough resources in that distribution team. But going forward, I do see all that changing.”

UK imports of English Harbour rum in 2022 were actually zero. “That’s because we made the change of distributor then,” Francis revealed. “In 2021, it was maybe 200 nine-litre cases, the same figure pre-Covid. Germany, our number one market, takes two containers a year – that’s 2200 cases, all sent to our warehouse in Rotterdam. The USA is down the pecking order – we were in 30 states, but are now down to 16 but New York and California are the only tier one states we have to conquer. Canada’s another big market for us.”

Unique flavours 

Every Caribbean island’s rum is different in character, and Francis is a convincing salesman when it comes to pushing his own.

“What makes our English Harbour rum unique is a couple of things. First, we do open-top fermentation to get the benefit from bakers’ yeasts which have such consistency of flavour. Secondly, in terms of our still, I’ll go out on a limb and say we have the only continuous column hybrid copper still in the world. Our still is 100% copper, a Coffey-design one with two columns. The patent of the Coffey still was bought out by a UK company, John Dore. The two columns were modified into four columns to fit the height of the distillery. Our fifth column is from a previous French Savalle still we had, installed in 1964 but de-commissioned in 1991 when we put in the Dore still. But we kept the rectification column from the Savalle still and fused it with the Dore still. I like to chuckle that the Antigua distillery is the only place in the world where you get the French and the English working together to produce anything of value!”

The Antiguan climate, together with its exceptionally low rainfall, is another key influence on the character of English Harbour rum.

“Because our still is copper from start to finish, it tends to create a distillate that is very clean,” Francis continued. “But because Antigua is so hot, and historically the driest island in the Caribbean, we age rums quicker than any other rums in the region. Ours normally taste a bit more mature than what they say on the label. We used to age barrels lying down, and the angel’s share was ridiculous – up to 11%. I joke that whenever there’s a party in heaven, the angels choose Antigua. But after we started ageing standing up, we saw our loss came down to about 7-8%.”

The company’s cask-finished English Harbour rums are generally aged for five years in Bourbon barrels before spending 3-12 months in Port, Sherry or Madeira casks. Master distiller Sheldon Tucker and master blender Mario Wade then add around 10% of 10-year old rum into the final blend, bottling at an abv of 46% rather than 40%. No caramel is added. “All the rums are very different and each has its unique personality,” Francis mused.

“The port finish is the most subtle of the range. We get the barrels from Royal Porto Company that were used for their tawny port. So those casks are extremely old. The rum stays in the cask for around 9-12 months because it takes longer for those tawny flavours to integrate. The sherry butt finish is by far the most expressive – it’s the showpiece in the range, being very flamboyant and flashy. We use Oloroso sherry casks that are fairly new – four to five years old – so the rum only stays in those for three to four months. Then there’s the four different Madeira casks where the rum ages for five to six months – Sercial, Verdelho, Bual and Malmsey. They produce rums that are very nutty and marzipany – really unique. We don’t do a 15-year old, but we released a 25-year old in 2016 to celebrate a special anniversary of Antigua’s independence in 1981, and now there’s the 19-year old for our 90th anniversary.”

David Murphy: making small batch gin at Antilles Stillhouse

Antilles Stillhouse: Antiguan spirits on a different scale 

By delightful contrast is the newly-established Antilles Stillhouse. Here, in his family’s house overlooking English Harbour, David Murphy has set up a garagiste operation making two gin labels as well as a ‘fevergrass’ spirit and a pastis. After growing up on Antigua, where his father was the island’s archaeologist, Murphy became an assistant winemaker in Canada for 10 years before returning to Antigua in 2016 to become a distiller.

“I’d got into distillation in Canada, and realised you can do it anywhere,” he said. “It was something we could bring here where nothing but rum and beer was produced. Here there’s no juniper, which I import from eastern Europe, but I’m more about the other botanicals. I use star anise, Caribbean bitter orange, Christmas bush leaf, cinnamon from Dominica which is amazing, nutmeg from Grenada, black pepper, acacia blossom and cardamom. And I make my own neutral alcoholic spirit from brown sugar. I’ve got a pot still – a hybrid with a column on top – and have to triple distil.”

Murphy’s annual production is 400-500 bottles, of which the majority is his ‘Big Wood Gin’, although his ‘Pink Gin’ makes up a third. The fun Caribbean-style labels are designed by his wife. Retailing at US$37 per bottle, he says he can’t keep up with demand, with nearly all his stock sold at local liquor stores, restaurants and hotels.

“All the labels speak of sense of place,” he declared. “The Pink gets its colour from sorrel, a variety of hibiscus which gives it tart acidity, while the fevergrass’ only botanical is lemon grass. I aim for lots of flavour.” The Big Wood was a personal favourite, with its strong citrus nose and full body with lingering bitterness on the finish. A cracking gin to go with the island’s  great English Harbour rums.

*(2.7 EC$: 1US$)

Geoffrey Dean was a guest of The Great House, Antigua

Rum in Barbados

Barbados’ Foursquare distillery on making good affordable rums

After almost three decades producing rum in Barbados, Foursqure is still considered a newcomer, but with Mount Gay no longer producing 1703 Master Select, this most enterprising distiller senses a gap in the market, says Geoffrey Dean. Reporting from the Caribbean, Dean tours the plant and tastes through Foursquare’s range whose premium rums have a distinctive second maturation in a variety of used casks.

By Geoffrey Dean May 3, 2023

Rum drinkers around the world have been coming to terms with the recent announcement that Barbados’s most famous rum, Mount Gay’s 1703 Master Select, is no longer being produced. The odd bottle of it may still be found in a couple of stores on the island, but its scarcity value has more than doubled its retail price to around US$300. Not even the Whisky Exchange in London has a bottle of it.

Lack of old stock at Mount Gay is the reason – the 1703 requiring rum that is aged between ten and thirty years in cask – but the good news from Barbados, as I discovered on a recent visit there, is that the island’s other main distillery, Foursquare, is filling the void. Whereas Mount Gay is the oldest rum distillery in the world, being now over 300 years old, Foursquare is one of the youngest. It was built in 1996 after the Seales, a Bajan family, bought it as an abandoned property the year before. From 1720 to 1989 it had been a sugar factory.

Established in 1926 R.L. Seale & Co. Ltd. is the original trading company and parent company of Foursquare Rum Distillery

In less than three decades, Richard Seale, the master blender, has turned Foursquare into one of the most enterprising and successful distilleries in the Caribbean. It makes a variety of rums of all quality levels, from everyday drinking Cavalier to the premium Doorly’s brand and its own super-premium Foursquare labels. The latter are aged in a variety of different casks for 10 to 19 years, although the oldest don’t always fetch the highest prices. The 10-year old Criterion, for example, is amongst the Whisky Exchange’s priciest rums at £850 per bottle (70cl), being aged first in ex-Bourbon barrels and then former Madeira casks.

It is this second maturation in casks after an initial period in Bourbon ones that makes the Foursquare labels so intriguing. The Indelible (11-year old, 48% abv) saw secondary maturation in ex-Zinfandel barriques; the Detente (10-year old, 51% abv) in ex-Port casks; the Redoutable (19-year old, 61% abv) in ex-Madeira casks; the Touchstone (14-year old, 61% abv) in ex-Cognac barrels; the Sovereignty (19-year old, 62% abv) in ex-Sherry butts. For variety, the Isonomy (17-year old, 58% abv) was aged solely in former Bourbon casks.

Dario Folkes, the Foursquare tours manager who has been involved in the production process, gave an interesting insight. “The majority of what we produce are blended rums from a combination of pot and column stills,” he said. “Richard Seale has employed at least 10 different types of casks in the last 10 years for second maturation, with Sauternes and Marsala being other examples. One 6,000-bottle label called Sassafras that we produced for an Italian client saw three years in Bourbon casks before 11 years in Cognac ones.”

Dario Folkes

Seale is determined that Foursquare prices are not too high on release. “Richard wants good rums at affordable prices,” Folkes continued. “I think our rums – and the value you’re getting – do have the best price points for any rum. For me, consumers buy into stories – whether true or fake. They just want something they believe in – we try to focus on the education and go with the true story.”

Caldric Morgan monitors maturation in open-sided barrel warehouses to allow climate and surroundings to impact the process.

Although English-speaking islands have traditionally made rum from molasses, and the French-speaking ones from sugar cane juice, Seale has partially bucked that trend. The French Caribbean islands such as Martinique and Guadeloupe refer to their production process as ‘rhum agricole’ and the English-speaking islands’ as ‘rhum industriel’. Seale has added in a proportion of rum made by the ‘agricole’ method, giving his blends more elegance and florality. Folkes would not reveal exactly what percentage, however.

“We do a combination of molasses and cane juice,” he said. “From 2016, we added cane juice to some of the blends, based on Richard’s preference. Mount Gay don’t currently do it but are looking to. The other thing we are doing differently is higher alcohol levels in our rums – up from the usual 40% or so to 60% or more. Why? It relates to flavour and character. If any distiller had the ability to produce their product at the higher range they would. By law, they used to be restricted. Mount Gay did one recently for their 300th anniversary that was pretty high.” Incidentally, Mount Gay’s new master blender, Trudiann Branker, who took over from the legendary Allen Smith, is the first woman to be given the role.

Richard Seale is the fourth generation of the family which started as a blended and then expanded into distillation during the mid-late 1990’s.⁠

No discourse on Barbadian rum would be complete without mention of the island’s boutique producer, St. Nicholas Abbey. It is the only one that makes its rum from sugar cane syrup rather than molasses. The quality of their rums is high, but so too are their prices with their 15-year old selling in the Whisky Exchange for £247.

Geoffrey Dean was a guest of Santosha Hotel, Saint Andrew, Barbados 

Mentzendorff Tasting, London March 2023

The Mentzendorff annual tasting is a crucial date in the diary for all serious wine buyers – and so it proved once again as the importer laid out its wares in Whitehall’s palatial One Great George Street for what’s on offer during 2023. Geoffrey Dean found that the portfolio has all bases covered with a fine mix of classic wines and spirits plus new lines and picks out his highlights from the tasting.

By Geoffrey Dean March 21, 2023

“To finish with some of the world’s great brandies – a quintet of Delamain Cognacs – was a fitting conclusion to what was a special Mentzendorff annual tasting,” writes Dean.

Mentzendorff portfolio tasting, March 2, 2023

Few places in the world for a trade tasting can be grander than the Great Hall in Westminster’s One Great George Street, with its marble columned walls, ornate gold leaf and stunning 13-metre high ceiling. The latter features Charles Sims’ masterful painting commemorating the First World War, while two giant chandeliers hang off it to give a theatrical feel. The magnificence of the venue was matched by the splendour of wines and spirits that was offered for tasting by Mentzendorff, with all manner of new releases and ‘first looks’ at old classics.

Where better to start than a top English sparkling wine from the oldest commercial vineyard in England. That is, of course, Hambledon, where Felix Gabillet, a native of the Loire, has been winemaker since 2015. On show was the soon-to-be-launched Premiere Cuvée Rosé NV (RRP £75), a beguiling blend of 88% Pinot Meunier, 5% Pinot Noir and 7% Chardonnay. This spent five years on the lees and had 5g/l dosage. “I am so pleased with it,” Gabillet purred. “It is vivacious, intense and seductive with a marine undertone. The Meunier gives it a heady note.”

Gabillet’s compatriot, Vincent Avenel, managing director of Domaine Chanson, was also in the Great Hall with an impressive range of the Burgundy negociant’s wines from four vintages between 2017 and 2020. The Beaune Bastion Blanc 1er Cru 2018 (RRP £36) was a highlight. “It was a very warm year, and this is my favourite,” Avenel declared. “It is super with a perfect balance between freshness and maturity, with minerality and length.”

Half a dozen other French producers showed their wares, with three organically-farmed Cornas single vineyard Jean-Luc Colombo wines from the 2018 vintage catching the eye. These were Les Ruchets (RRP £69.50), La Louvée (£76) and the majestic Le Vallon de l’Aigle (£240). At the the other end of Vins Colombo’s price range, its Picpoul de Pinet Les Girelles 2021 offered value with its flinty minerality and fresh florality (£12.50).

Another southern French producer providing excellent value for its quintet of mid-market Solas labels (all £12.50) was Laurent Miquel.  Laurent was absent but his Irish wife, Neasa, was on hand to reveal they have the biggest planting of Viognier in the Languedoc. Their Viognier 2021, from vines dating back to the mid-90s, was both elegant and fresh, with ABV kept to 13% for a grape naturally high in alcohol. Its Albariño 2021 was particularly drinkable, while the Syrah 2020 was garriguey with very fresh acidity. ‘Solas’ means ‘light’ in Gaelic, and all five wines – the others being Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – were reflective of their name.

The Loire estate, Langlois-Château, also gave a reminder of what good value old vine Cabernet Franc can represent with their Saumur-Champigny Vieilles Vignes 2018 (£24.50). Its Coteaux de Saumur Les Beaugrands 2020, from a tiny, low-yielding, organically-farmed plot was a sumptuous sticky (with 50g/l residual sugar) that was well-priced at £28 (37.5cl).

Newly released by Mentzendorff was the delectable Vin de Constance 2019, one of the world’s great sweet wines – made by Klein Constantia in the western Cape. The winery’s marketing manager, Jacqueline Harris, whose husband is the viticulturist, had flown in from South Africa to showcase the 2019, which she declared one of the best vintages of recent years. She revealed that as many as 26 different passes were made through the Muscat de Frontignan vines to pick the grapes. “Each pass was vinified separately initially and then blended together during the latter part of fermentation to balance out the sugar, alcohol and acidity,” she said. For the record, the RS was 166g/l, the ABV 14%, the pH3.71 and TA 6.1g/l.

Another leading South African estate, Hamilton Russell, was represented by co-owner Olive Hamilton Russell, although not her husband Anthony who was resting at home in Hermanus after breaking a leg skiing. “We think our Pinot Noir 2022 is perhaps our best yet with its pure fruit, spicy structure and savoury notes,” she opined. “Our Chardonnay 2022, which was bottled only in November, we’re also very pleased with.” Both showed really well, retailing at £41 and £38 respectively.

Back in Europe,  leading Piemonte producer Ceretto was showing a couple of Barbarescos from 2018 and four Barolos from 2017. Nearly all of its vineyards have been organically farmed since 2015, including their Nebbiolo d’Alba Bernardina DOC 2018, a good early drinker. “2018 is more juicy and fruity than 2017, a challenging year with very strong tannins,” Edoardo Vacca, Ceretto’s export manager, said. The Barolos from 2017 certainly reflected this, notably the Brunate DOCG and the Prapo DOCG (both £125). By contrast, the Barbarescos from 2018 had much more approachable tannins, with the Bernadot DOCG already a pleasure to drink.

Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona in Tuscany have long produced outstanding Brunello di Montalcino. Four labels from 2017 and 2018 were on show, with the Pianrosso 2018, a new release, the pick (£65). Its Rosso di Montalcino DOCG 2020 is drinking well now, and offers value at £20. Its Extra Virgin Olive Oil Biologico (organic), priced the same, is some of Italy’s best, being highly complex with fruitiness, bitterness and notes of artichoke.

Another Tuscan estate, Tenuta Fertuna, was the first Italian winery to make white wine from Sangiovese grapes. Its Droppello Alto Bio IGT Costa Toscana Bianco 2020 (£17.50), of which 30,000 bottles were produced, sells well in both Italy and the USA. Hopes are high it will succeed in the UK market. With a low pH, it possessed vibrant acidity. A super-premium new wine, the Celeo 2018, a 50:50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot aged in 100% new oak, is set to retail at £35-40.

Super-premium Spanish wines were likewise on show with Bodegas Roda’s ultra low-yielding Cirsion 2019 justifying its £135 price tag. An appealing new wine from the Rioja Alta estate was unfurled – the Blanco 2020 (98% Viura, 1% Garnacha Blanca, 1% Malvasia), which was partly aged oxidatively.  Further west in Ribera del Duero, Bodegas La Horra’s Corimbo I 2016, from Tempranillo vines aged between 45 and 96 years old, had fine-grained tannins with remarkable concentration and exceptional length.

Across the Portuguese border, in Evora, Cartuxa’s two top-of-the-range whites (both £45) made an interesting comparison. Each were made from a field blend of Malvasia, Arinto, Roupeiro, Fernão Pires and Trincadeira, but whereas the Vinho de Curtimento 2016 was fermented and aged in stainless steel, the Vinho da Tavola 2018 was aged in clay amphorae.

Finally, to the fortified and spirits. The Fladgate trio of Fonseca, Taylor’s and Croft each showed their 2003 vintage ports, all now ready for drinking even though they will reward further cellaring. Taylor’s Golden Age 50-year old Tawny was sensational, its aromas of raisins, clove, prunes and black pepper giving way to notes on the palate of passion fruit, coconut, toasted almonds and butterscotch. At an altogether lower price point (£16.50), Henriques & Henriques’ newly released 5-year old Verdelho Single Vineyard underlined the exceptional value of Madeira of this age. The same could be said for Hidalgo’s La Gitana’s En Rama 2023, bottled straight from its sherry butt especially for the tasting.

To finish with some of the world’s great brandies – a quintet of Delamain Cognacs – was a fitting conclusion to what was a special Mentzendorff annual tasting. The new release of Pleiade La Rambaudie, Cognac Grande Champagne (RRP£180) was accompanied by the first showing of a new organic French gin named Anae (£42). Launched last year, it is a collaboration between creator Pauline Raffaitin, Group Bollinger and Delamain. Its eight botanicals, all sourced in France, are juniper, chamomile, cornflower, lemon thyme, lemon verbena, coriander, fenugreek and maceron seeds (aka marsh pepper).

Louis Latour Agencies tasting, London

Louis-Fabrice celebrated at first class Louis Latour Agencies tasting

The annual portfolio tasting for Louis Latour Agencies last week was an impressive affair, particularly given that it was the first since the tragic passing of Louis-Fabrice Latour last September. With his brother Florent Latour attending as well as MD Will Oatley, Geoffrey Dean got the lowdown on the company’s succession plans and the priorities for the coming year. New agencies Château Sainte Roseline from Côtes de Provence and Champagne’s Cobalte Vodka were unveiled along with all the new vintages and cuvées from the company’s tidy stable of international, family-owned estates. Dean also highlights nine wines (and a brandy) that caught his eye.

By Geoffrey Dean

All of the old Louis Latour Agencies’ favourites from around the world were available for tasting, as well as two new additions,” writes Dean.

Sadly missed: Louis-Fabrice Latour, London, November 2019

If there was sadness for many who attended the Louis Latour Agencies annual tasting in London following the tragic death of Louis-Fabrice Latour last September at the age of 58, they could at least console themselves in the truly outstanding quality of wines – and spirits – that were on show. His brother, Florent, who succeeded him as chairman of Maison Louis-Latour, was present, as was Will Oatley, the managing-director of the importer, who paid tribute while trying to look ahead.

“Louis-Fabrice was my boss for nine years, while Richard Nunn, my co-director, had known him since they were in their twenties,” Oatley said. “It is very sad, and a big challenge for Florent to keep coming over from his home in Washington. He’s been over every other week or so, but there will have to be some sort of a compromise.”

“Florent has kindly come in for stewardship for the next five years until Eléonore takes over from him. She is Louis-Fabrice’s oldest child and is just finishing her law degree, and will come into the business for a fairly intensive induction programme for five years before hopefully taking over by the age of 30. She will be the first female CEO at Louis Latour in 226 years as they have always gone for the oldest son. Finally, the women will get the recognition they deserve as the 12th generation.”

The focus for 2023

Will Oatley

What were the importer’s priorities for this year, I asked?

“Definitely more fine wine,” Oatley mused. “Availability is the critical issue we face because of the 2021 vintage’s lean yield, but there is undoubtedly still demand for fine wine in the upper echelons of wealth in this country. The Burgundy shortfall is a big issue, but there seems to be a crazy scenario where however high the price goes, people don’t care: there’s still demand for top-end Burgundy.”

“We had a bountiful ’22 vintage but we probably need another bountiful ’23 for things to start catching up with the deficit. There’s not as much stock of older vintages as we’d like. We’ve still got good quantities of our main grands crus – Corton-Charlemagne & Château Corton Grancey – but demand globally has been insane. So we’re just trying to keep up with it, but in general I think the business is very robust.”

Bruno Pepin, export director for Maison Louis Latour, revealed just how low the yield had been in the frost-hit 2021 vintage.

“In Corton-Charlemagne, we own 10.5 hectares, which means we would normally produce around 400 hl, but in 2021 it was just 60 hl, or 16% of a normal year,” he said. “For the reds, we produced around 20%. Vineyards never used to get exposed to frost before the month of May, but with warmer winters, the vines start growing earlier and now get exposed from late March to early April. Fans are not enough – we put candles in or spray water or use electrical cables but those are very expensive.”

Pepin revealed that the company’s premium 2022 Burgundies would not be released till the second half of the year. “But the entry level wines are likely to be released six months before the normal date – in March or April as the market is asking for it,” he added. “The ’22 vintage is going to be absorbed extremely quickly, so we are hoping that ’23 will be as good in quality and quantity as ’22, because if not, there’s going to be a problem again.”

Given the shortage of stock, consumers might like to consider Simonnet-Febvre’s well-priced Irancy Paradis 2020 from Grand Auxerrois. Supple tannins and generous fruit were its hallmarks. The company’s managing director, Paul Espitalié, declared:  “We’re trying to push the Irancy here as we have plenty of stock, although not to supermarkets.”

Other Pinot Noirs that showed well were Pyramid Valley’s North Canterbury 2019 from the South Island of New Zealand and Wakefield Wines’ Estate 2021, with grapes being sourced  from various regions of South Australia. Wakefield’s top-of-the-range St. Andrews Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 label underlined how good the varietal can be in the Clare Valley. Fine, suave tannins and glorious fruit that saw a long hang-time were features.

Oatley spoke of his determination to balance the portfolio and to get an equilibrium between Old and New World. This he has achieved nicely. The former is powerfully represented by Louis Latour’s own Burgundies, Simonnet-Febvre’s Chablis holdings, Vidal-Fleurie’s Rhône labels, Domaine Michel Redde in the Loire, Gosset in Champagne and Castello Banfi in Piemonte and Tuscany.

New World devotees, meanwhile, can choose between not just Wakefield and Pyramid Valley but fellow top Australasian wineries in McHenry Hohnen (Margaret River) and Smith & Sheth (Hawkes Bay). Americas representation comes from Viu Manent in Chile’s Colchagua Valley, while Morgenhof flies the flag for South Africa. It is an impressive range of styles and price-points from around the world that should satisfy any wine-drinker.

Provence Rosé and vodka from Champagne: new additions

Iconic Nectars’ Victoria Bourguignon: vodka made from Champagne grapes

All of the old Louis Latour Agencies’ favourites from around the world were available for tasting, as well as two new additions to the stable: Château Sainte Roseline, Côtes de Provence Cru Classé and Cobalte Vodka, Ay-Champagne.

“Provence Rosé has been having an exponential increase in the last five years, especially in the UK,  and shows no sign of slowing down, so we thought we’d ride the crest of a wave,” Oatley reasoned.  “Spirits is another priority for us. We took on Frapin in 2015, and it has sold incredibly well since then. We thought there was an opportunity for an additional spirit, namely Cobalte vodka.”

Coming in a blingy, cylindrical-shaped bottle, this super-premium vodka enjoys the unusual distinction of being made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes from the Montagne de Reims. Fusing minerality, roundness of fruit and freshness, it was distilled with its lees five times, creating an end product of purity and elegance.

Aurélie Bertin: a foothold in the UK for the premium cuvées

Château Sainte Roseline is one of the 18 remaining Cru Classé estates in Provence, and the only one in Les Arcs-sur-Argens, some 35 km from St Tropez. It has three appealing Rosés – a mid-market, a lower-premium and a super-premium as well as a premium white made from Rolle, and a flagship red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The lower-premium Rosé, labelled ‘Lampe de Meduse’ 2022 comes in a curiously-shaped bottle with a bulbous bottom, and is a blend of seven varietals: Grenache (the main one at 40%), Cinsault, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Rolle and Tibouren.

A sister estate named Château des Demoiselles lies only seven kilometres away, and produces a trio of good mid-market labels: a red, a white and a Rosé. The sartorially elegant Aurélie Bertin, who owns both, declared her aim is to gain a foothold in the UK. “We currently export 28% of our production, but we would like to develop that and especially the UK market,” she said. “We have exported a little bit here before but not the top cuvées. We are very happy to work with Louis Latour as they know how to sell premium wine.”

Oatley revealed more additions might be made this year. “We’re always looking but it has to fit in with the company’s ethos, being all family-owned and family-run by quality people,” he said. “California has obvious voids to fill – but they’ve got to fulfil the criteria. So yes we’re in the market but it’s a very slow and measured expansion.”

9 wines (and a brandy) that caught the eye 

Louis Latour Ardèche Viognier 2021: winemaker Marion Bosquet says she likes to pick early and ensure the ABV never goes above 13.5% for this naturally high-in-alcohol grape. Freshness and attractive fruit mark this well-balanced, seductive Viognier.

Louis Latour Château Corton Grancey Grand Cru 2019: herbal, floral aromas, seductive redcurrant and red cherry notes along with notable freshness and firm tannins are the hallmarks of this graceful Pinot. Wonderful concentration and a very persistent finish.

Vidal-Fleury Vacqueyras 2020: Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre make up a blend that is already drinking well. Intensely floral with garriguey, herbal and spicy notes. Marked intensity of flavour with glorious red fruit and approachable tannins.

Côtes de Provence La Chapelle de Sainte Roseline Rosé 2022 (cask sample): 80% Mourvèdre which spent three months in old oak, with Grenache and Rolle making up the balance. A food wine which has freshness, structure and complexity.

Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Poggio alle Mura 2018: no new oak for this classy, full-bodied  Brunello with velvety tannins. Glorious red fruit (100% Sangiovese) with great concentration and a very long finish.

McHenry Hohnen Marsanne-Roussanne 2020: fruit for this enticing Margaret River Rhône-style blend came from the biodynamically-farmed Hazel’s Vineyard. Winemaker Jacopo Dalli Cani eschews technology in the vinification process, and has made a really expressive premium wine.

Smith & Sheth Cru Heretaunga Albariño, Hawkes Bay, NZ 2021: Steve Smith MW and Brian Sheth, a wealthy wildlife conservationist, got together to source fruit from exceptional sites – this being loam over gravel soils. Partial malolactic fermentation; bright lime and ripe peach fruit.

Viu Manent Loma Blanca Single Vineyard Carmenère 2019: high quality Chilean Carmenère from a Colchagua Valley estate celebrating its 88th year after being founded by Catalan emigrés, the Viu family. Medium-bodied with ripe red fruit and dried herb, spicy notes.

Gosset Grande Reserve NV: Five years on the lees for this top-class Champagne with elegance, purity and precision. Pinot Noir (45%), Chardonnay (45%) & Pinot Meunier (10%) from premier and grand cru vineyards surrounding Ay and Epernay, with 8g/l dosage.

Cognac Frapin Château Fontpinot XO: a magnificent rich, complex brandy to celebrate the 100th anniversary of production. Still in original family ownership, the company’s head, Jean-Pierre Cointreau, is a direct descendant of the founder. Frapin’s 240 hectares of Ugni Blanc vines that surround Château Fontpinot are all in the Grande Champagne area.