Three special spirits

All in the finish: Geoffrey Dean on three special spirits

The Christmas spirit is what you drink, argues Geoffrey Dean, as he picks out three that caught his palate in the run-up to the festive period. Two sell themselves on their special finishes: it’s a first for St-Rémy with its eau de vie finished in Calvados casks for the first time, and a one-off as master blender doesn’t like repeating these aged releases; then there’s Colección Visionaria Edición 01, which is an 18 year-old Brugal rum that has been finished in barrels toasted with cacao beans; and with budget thrown to the wind keep your eye out for the Highland Park Single Cask #4627 18-Year-Old London Edition which was finished in sherry-seasoned oak.

By Geoffrey Dean December 22, 2023

St-Rémy, the Loire-based company which exports all of its annual production of 600,000 8-litre cases, has released a limited edition XO brandy in its Cask Finish Collection that has been aged in Calvados casks for the first time. Master blender, the highly experienced Cécile Roudaut, who gets a mention on the back of the eye-catching Lucas Beaufort-designed packaging, told The Buyer about the philosophy behind this limited edition, of which just 12,850 bottles were made. She revealed how this is the first St-Rémy ‘eau de vie’ that has been finished (for 12 months) in Calvados casks, which came from Château du Breuil, the Normandy producer.

St-Rémy master blender, Cécile Roudaut

“For this XO, part of our collection with different finishes, there is no particularity on the liquid, but in the past I have used rum, sherry, port, Sauternes and others,” Roudaut said. “For this last edition, I wanted to work with a French product which is why I picked Calvados. I wanted to work with a house that shared the same ideas of transparency, care with the terroir and collecting very carefully the raw materials. We share exactly the same philosophy with Château du Breuil, which is why we exchanged casks. It’s a great expression for us – it gave apple, cinnamon, apple pie and candied fruit notes but also a lot of freshness. I tasted every three months to monitor the maturation to have sufficient notes of apple but not too much as I wanted to keep the St-Rémy DNA. This is the first time I have used Calvados casks, but it will be the last as I have a lot of trials in my cellar and do not want to do the same thing two times.”

A rum deal 

Meanwhile, rum lovers should be aware of the superlative new release of a Brugal 18-year old, named Colección Visionaria Edición 01, the first edition in a multi-part series, that also has a special finish. Its point of difference is its finishing in new French oak casks toasted with cacao beans from the producer’s home country, the Dominican Republic.

“We took a double aged reserve that had been aged in Bourbon and Oloroso vessels, and then finished this liquid in virgin French oak casks, toasted with cacao beans,” a Brugal spokesperson said. “The rum is crafted using the world’s first aromatic cask-toasting technique developed by Brugal family member and fifth generation rum master, Jassil Villanueva Quintana.” When appointed in 2011 aged 24, Quintana was the youngest ever female rum master.

The result is a magnificent rum of extraordinary complexity and length, and well worth its RRP of £80 (available at The Whisky Exchange, Master of Malt and Berry Bros & Rudd). A cornucopia of gloriously diverse, rich notes flood the palate – dark chocolate and coffee, caramel, toffee, almonds, toasted nuts, vanilla, dried fruits and orange peel.

Highland games

Whisky drinkers wanting a truly special tipple over Christmas might want to consider a new single cask release from Highland Park. The Orkney distillery’s Highland Park Single Cask #4627 18-Year-Old London Edition (58.8% abv) has an RRP of £390, with 642 bottles having been originally made available through Edrington UK.

 The cask, from one of Highland Park’s 23 stone warehouses, was hand selected by master whisky maker, Gordon Motion. The whisky, distilled in 2002 and bottled in 2021, was matured in a refill sherry-seasoned European oak cask. Light golden in colour, it exudes earthy, smoky tones with a deep, rounded nose of vanilla sponge, oak and nutmeg. Flavours of pears, aniseed and rich cedar wood filter across the palate, along with a gentle peaty note and sweet spice.

 “Some of our most outstanding single-cask bottlings come from refill casks, as they have often previously held whisky for only a short period of time, so have much to give in subsequent maturation,” Motion said. “I’m looking for the exceptional – a unique aroma, an outstanding character or simply a superb example of Highland Park’s uniquely complex balance of flavours. This cask was marked out by its particular marriage of diverse yet harmonious flavours. When it comes to whisky that’s matured for 18 years and more, I have fewer casks to choose from, so those in our single cask series are, quite simply, the most exceptional Highland Park casks available. By bottling at cask strength, we encourage whisky enthusiasts to experiment with adding water or ice to reach their preferred drinking strength and flavour.”

Visit to the Loire Oct 2023

All change in the Loire! And how this wine region is ‘upping the ante’

Loire Valley Wines is on course to have 100% of winemakers organic or HVE in just six years’ time; it has invested heavily in an agroclimatic atlas to help; wants to up exports by 10% and has rolled out a new marketing campaign to drive it. And this on top of Anjou AOC which looks set to get cru status imminently and seven of the nominated 10 Muscadet crus communaux having been approved with the lees-aged quality of the wines going through the roof. The Buyer’s Geoffrey Dean hotfooted it on the Shuttle to get the lowdown on what’s going on in the region.

By Geoffrey Dean December 20, 2023..

“Adaptability and sustainability remain the Loire Valley’s twin watchwords in the battle against climate change,” writes Dean.

Aiming high: Loire Valley Wines’ ad for the US and UK – its two largest export markets

“Go On! Bloom Big” is the motto of the new Loire Valley Wines advert that consumers in the UK and USA will be seeing, or may already have seen. A pair of smiling, glamorous women are embracing two happy-looking men with four Val de Loire bottles in the foreground – a red, a white, a rosé and a Crémant. The rationale is all about winning market share and increasing volume in the two countries.

Another ad, with a younger mixed quintet of twenty-somethings quietly picnicking with the same wines, carries a less exuberant motto of “The Blooming Notes.” This more ‘gentle’ treatment, as Vins du Val de Loire describes it, fits in with a strategy for its next three biggest markets – Canada, Belgium and Australia – aimed at consolidating sales there.

The two ads are part of an imaginatively creative marketing concept called ‘Bloom Up!’ – created in conjunction with Sopexa – that will run until 2026. “It’s a concept,” we are told, “that uses gentleness, generosity and authenticity to express the distinctive accessible personality of Loire Valley wines: fresh, fruity, floral and fair.”

If some might find that a bit waffly, the alliteration in the form of the 4 Fs is catchy. The first three adjectives speak for themselves in the Loire’s wines, while the fourth – ‘fair’ – could be interpreted to refer to the very high number of the region’s wineries that farm organically and biodynamically, or are HVE certified. Indeed, the Loire leads the way in that respect in France’s classic regions, with 2030 targeted as the year by which 100% of the valley’s vineyards will be either HVE (Haute Valeur Environmentale), or organically, certified.

Already, 29% of estates and 23% of vineyard surface areas (11,000 hectares) are being organically farmed in the Loire Valley with 1,100 of those hectares certified biodynamic. Add in HVE-environmentally certified vineyards, and you have as much as 80% of the valley holding HVE or AB (organic) status. By contrast, under the National Wine Sector Plan for France as a whole, the target is 50% by 2025 for organic/environmental certification.

In 2022, 42,000 hectares of vines yielded more than 54 million bottles, with exports finding their way to as many as 150 countries. Most of the 53,000 hl that British drinkers bought in 2022 was white wine (69%) with the balance split equally between Crémants (15.7%) and reds/rosés (15.3%). Touraine Blanc, Muscadet and Crémant in that order were the biggest sellers in the UK.

Julienne Fournier, winemaker for Domaine FL

Muscadet’s reputation pushing higher

Half of all Muscadet exported goes to the UK, mostly to supermarkets, but on a trip to the Loire in October, an eye-opening tasting of wines from Muscadet’s new cru system underlined the potential high quality of extended lees-aged Melon de Bourgogne (or Melon B as Burgundians have had it re-christened). Seven of the nominated 10 Muscadet crus communaux have been approved by INAO – Clisson, Gorges and Le Pallet (in 2011) and Monnières-Saint Fiacre, Château Thébaud, Goulaine and Mouzillon-Tillières (in 2019). The trio awaiting recognition – La Haye Fouassière, Vallet and Champtoceaux – hope to receive it by 2025.

Effectively qualifying for premier cru status in Muscadet, the ten growths are raising the bar. Yields must not exceed 45 hl/ha, vines must be 10-years old and wines must be aged much longer on the lees than other Muscadets (a minimum of two years with no maximum). The Château Thébaud cru wines must do at least three years, and frequently see 48 months ageing.

Different soils in the crus lead to differences in style. Clisson, the most southerly and perhaps the best-known cru, sits on sandy and pebbly free-draining terrain with granitic subsoil; by contrast, Gorges lies on clay over gabbro. The former’s grapes ripen more and typically lead to flamboyant, fuller-bodied and higher alcohol (13% abv) wines than the latter’s, whose wines (nearer 12%) are steelier with a shrill line of acidity. An analogy might be ‘Meursault meets Chablis’. Château Thébaud, meanwhile, whose soils are stony and sandy on granite and gneiss, produces wines with tension, elegance and a slightly saline finish.

Jérome Houssin, a fifth generation winemaker whose family have owned Domaine des Tilleuls in the Vallet cru since 1905, exports his wines to Wine & Earth in Guildford, and to York Wines.

“The UK is a key market where I want to increase sales,” he said. “It’s about pushing the reputation of Muscadet higher and the prices as well. The value for money is great – my vines are up to 80 years old. Long ago some Muscadet was not planted in perfect terroir but the grape can really reflect terroir if you take good care of it. Before, too much chemical products were used. Now it’s all about producing in a more eco friendly way.”

“We are now ready to get cru status,” Vincent Denis, president of the Anjou AOC

Changing fortunes of Chenin Blanc

Some 60km north-east of Vallet lies the beautiful rolling terrain of the Savennières appellation, and prime Chenin Blanc territory. Its president, and owner of Domaine du Closel, Evelyne de Pontbriand, explained how the landscape there encouraged organic farming.

“All around Savennières we have 17 chateaux and 17 parks, and only a population of 1400,” she said. “This belt of parks is a very important reservoir for biodiversity, especially as some parks are not well-maintained. We also have little valleys called ‘coulées’ with a lot of bush, and hedges and trees in the vineyards. Bats love it and eat the moths. This has encouraged a lot of winemakers to become organic as there is no need for insecticides.”

Organic farming also predominates next door in the celebrated sweet wine-producing appellations of Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru AOC and Coteaux du Layon 1er Cru Chaume. Ivan Massonat, president of the former appellation and owner of Domaine Belargus, nevertheless has a love-hate relationship with Chenin Blanc. “Chenin Blanc is a difficult grape like Pinot Noir – it can be a pain in the backside to grow and vinify,” he sighed.

“But on the schist we have here and in Savennières, Chenin has some bitterness, which brings a lot of balance to sweet wines. Cabernet Franc used to be all that was planted here, although now it’s 60%. It was only at the end of the 20th century that a generation of growers said ‘Hang on we have a great variety in Chenin Blanc.’ So they went organic and prolonged the ageing. It’s a revolution, a renaissance.”

Whereas Cabernet Franc hates hydric stress, Chenin Blanc copes well with it. This was a problem in the very hot year of 2022 in the Loire (but not 2023) and can lead to unwanted green bell pepper notes in Cabernet Franc. In view of global warming, Chenin Blanc is well placed to take advantage, and Vincent Denis, president of the Anjou AOC, says demand for it is rapidly rising.

“Many customers are asking more and more for it,” revealed Denis, whose Domaine du Petit Clocher wines are imported by the Oxford Wine Company. “Our project is to create a cru, to increase the knowledge of Anjou Blanc in general. We have 14 crus in Anjou, such as Quarts de Chaume and Bonnezeaux, but we need one for Anjou Blanc in our quest for quality. INAO has visited us twice to check progress, and we are now ready to get cru status although we must still present to the commission.”

Built on dinosaur soil: Amandine Brunet, co-owner of Domaine de L’Enchantoir

Cabernet Franc and investment in research 

Saumur Puy-Notre-Dame AOC received its official recognition back in 2008, and is a notable appellation for high quality Cabernet Franc. “We have amazing soil in Puy-Notre-Dame,” says Amandine Brunet, co-owner of Domaine de L’Enchantoir. “It is mostly ancient soil from the Jurassic period – we call it our dinosaur soil. A blend of red and yellow clay with flint and iron. It gives lightness to the wine.”

The neighbouring appellation of Saumur Champigny is likewise home to a plethora of outstanding Cabernet Franc producers. Particularly impressive were the wines of Château de Villeneuve, made from 45-50 year old organically-farmed vines. Owner Jean-Pierre Chevallier’s daughter, Caroline, who honed her skills for three years at Bordeaux’s Pichon Baron, makes the wines while sister Cecile heads up sales.

Jean-Pierre Chevallier & daughters Cecile (l) and Caroline

Currently, the Loire Valley exports just over 20% of production. “By 2030, we will gladly share 30% throughout the world,” declared Lionel Gosseaume, president of InterLoire, the trade organisation representing the wine region. “We owe this international recognition of the quality of our wines to the continual innovation carried out by an entire wine-growing region and a growing generation of producers.”

InterLoire is playing its part by investing in an innovative new tool the body calls the ‘agroclimatic atlas.’ Designed in partnership with a regional research team, its app shows the projected changes in climatic and agroclimatic indicators. It allows producers to identify vulnerabilities within their vines and adapt viticulture accordingly. Indeed, adaptability and sustainability remain the Loire Valley’s twin watchwords in the battle against climate change.

10 wines that impressed on my tour

Damien & Vincent Papin, Cru Clisson 2018, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine AOC

From an outstanding vintage in Muscadet. Shows how well its cru communal wines can age. Full-bodied with rich tropical fruit expressions; taut acidity balances 13% abv. Long finish (seeking UK distribution).

Domaine des Tilleuls, Cru Vallet 2018, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine AOC

Rich yet elegant with a highly expressive floral nose and intense citrus fruit (Wine & Earth/York Wines).

Domaine du Closel, Clos du Papillon 2021, Savennières AOC 2021

From 45-year old biodynamically-farmed vines on schist and volcanic rocks, yielding 25hl/ha; elevage in 420l oak vessels (25% new); cordite minerality with roundness from 100% malolactic fermentation (Ideal Wine Company).

Domaine FL [Fournier & Longchamps] 2015, Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru AOC

100% botrytised fruit; 5 tris; 190g/l residual sugar balanced by vibrant adidity; 11.2%; gloriously rich and remarkably long (Vinatis).

Château de Plaisance, Chenin Sec 2021, Cru Ronceray, Anjou Blanc AOC

Freshness, intensity and length. Superb (Lea & Sandeman).

Château Soucherie, Blanc Ivoire 2021, Anjou Blanc AOC

Aged in older 500l vessels, the fruit really sings with notes of apples and honey as well as a touch of straw. Bright acidity (Vinatis).

Château de Villeneuve, Le Grand Clos 2019, Saumur Champigny AOC

From low-yielding vines (25hl/ha) on clay limestone soils. Fragrant with raspberry aromas, medium-bodied and silky tannins (Thorman Hunt).

Domaine des Sanzay, Domaine 2022, Saumur Champigny AOC

A cracking mid-market Cab Franc from organically-farmed 40-year old vines on clay/limestone; round and fruit-forward with soft tannins; for early drinking (Haynes, Hanson & Clark).

Domaine de la Renière, Moulin Repenti 2021, Saumur Puy-Notre-Dame AOC

Winemaker Thibault Masse has crafted a stunning Cab Franc from old vines yielding 30hl/ha in 2021. Dusty tannins and glorious red fruit. (seeking UK representation).

Domaine de l’Enchantoir, Le Pied à l’Etrier 2019, Saumur Puy-Notre-Dame AOC

From organically-farmed vines on Jurassic soil, matured in concrete vats; elegant spice and black pepper aromas with enticing black fruit notes; silky tannins (seeking UK distribution).

Sweet Tokaj more than dessert wine

Sweet Tokaj wines are the best known in Hungary but they are not where they need to be in the international market where an overall decline in consumption of sweet wines has offset massive, sporadic growth in some areas of the US. The Buyer’s Geoffrey Dean visited Michelin-starred Trivet restaurant in London, speaks to the key movers and shakers in the Hungarian wine scene and picks 10 wines that every wine buyer should have on their radar.

By Geoffrey Dean December 3, 2023

The ‘Sweet Tokaj Campaign United Kingdom 2023,’ which was launched this autumn, was formulated jointly by Wines of Hungary UK and the Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency. Some heavyweight ballast was provided by the Hungarian ambassador in London, Dr Ferenc Kumin, who spoke at a promotional lunch for the region at Michelin-starred London Bridge restaurant, Trivet, in early November.

Although no winemakers were present, the sweet wines of ten of Tokaj’s top producers were on parade along with the Royal Tokaji Wine Company’s managing director, Charlie Mount. The engaging Old Etonian revealed the 2023 vintage was a very good one, and addressed the issue of sweet wine demand with positivity despite its gradual decline in sales over recent years.

“Yes sweet wine sales as a whole are shrinking in the US, the UK and markets everywhere, but we don’t look at it too much as we’re such a tiny part of that market,” Mount told The Buyer. “If we were 80% of the fine sweet wine market, and it was shrinking by 20%, we’d be terrified. But, in the UK and elsewhere, we have consistently been able to grow our sales in a shrinking market because we offer something so unique.”

Mount was referring, in particular, to his winery’s legendary Tokaji Eszencia, the 2016 version of which was recently released. Notwithstanding a price tag of £490 per bottle in-bond at Farr Vintners, he revealed “it has been flying out the door, leading to a spike in fine wine sales.”

If that is a niche product with superstar status, Mount pointed to some encouraging general trends.

“If you look at what is termed ‘sweet wine consumption’ in most market research,” he continued, “it is growing massively in the US, and it’s starting to grow in the UK, although it’s driven by low level wines – a lot of Moscato for example. But the thought is that potentially those consumers with an undeniably sweet tooth may trade up in the future. So there are reasons to be positive.

“The category as a whole in the US is growing faster than Rosé – at the $10 level rather than $55 a bottle though. The US is very much a state-by-state picture – certainly in Florida, Texas and New York, sales have boomed. Overall, we’re very positive in the US, and here in the UK, off-trade sales have been very resilient, going well at Waitrose and Majestic for instance.”

Royal Tokaji exports to as many as 41 countries, with the once fastest-growing markets of China, South Korea and Taiwan now relegated to slowest growth status. It is to the UK, however, that Wines of Hungary UK’s head, Zsuzsa Toronyi, is looking for sweet wine growth even though Britain is already the number one market for all Hungarian fine wine.

“Sweet Tokaji wines are the best known wines from Hungary, but they’re not yet in the place they should be in the international market,” she declared. “We’d like every consumer to have a bottle of it in their wine fridge. You can open a bottle of Tokaj and it will keep for months. It goes well with all food – ham, fish, meat, cheese and desserts. It can be a special dining experience with your family. So we are targeting the on and off-trade equally, and need sommeliers to be our ambassadors.”

The message was eloquently reinforced by Dr Péter Molnár, owner of the Patricius estate and president of the wine council of Tokaj.

“Tokaji Aszú is much more than a sweet wine,” he said. “It is a global reference for elegant balance, drinkability and living acidity. It needs to come out of its hiding place in the box marked ‘dessert wine’ and show that it’s a joy with other cuisines, including spicy Asian flavours.”

So how were the wines tasting?

There were 30 different examples at the lunch of the two most important sweet styles, namely Tokaji Aszú and Szamorodni:

Aszú (minimum 120g/l residual sugar for 5 puttonyos; 150g/l for 6 puttonyos) is made from botrytised fruit and aged oxidatively in barrel for between 18-36 months in barrel. It must have 35g/l of dry extract, and a kilo of Aszú berries can produce no more than 2.2 litres of wine.

Szamorodni (minimum RS 45g/l but generally 80-120g/l) is also botrytised but barrel-aged for at least six months and is not necessarily aged oxidatively. Dry Szamorodni (max 9g/l RS) is also made.

Apart from the residual sugar levels, the two sweet styles have subtle differences. Szamorodni is characterised by its fullness, richness of flavour, fine tannins and complex, ripe fruit. Aszú wines represent perfect harmony between natural sweetness, freshness and medium to low alcohol. Their wealth of dried fruit, spiciness, oily texture and complexity derived from the long ageing process ensure they stand out from other sweet wines. Above all, they have extraordinary length.

Interestingly, though, the first of half a dozen Szamorodnis tasted, a sumptuous 2021 made from 100% Furmint by Istvan Balassa, came in with a whopping 253g/l of residual sugar (the fermentation having been stopped with the wine only 9% abv). Contrast this with Chateau Dereszla’s 2018 Szamorodni (70% Furmint; 30% Hárslevelű,) which has 130g/l RS and 10.5% abv.

Making up a triumvirate of beguiling Szamorodnis was the Szepsy 2016 (60% Furmint, 20% Hárslevelű, 20% Yellow Muscat; 12% abv, 177 g/l RS). Of all Tokaj’s producers, none is more revered than Istvan Szepsy, who has handed over to his son Istvan junior. Eighteen generations of the family have been making wine since 1631 when Laczkó Máté Szepsy was the first to write down how to make Tokaji Aszú. Their 50-hectare holding of vines, planted on steep slopes on rocky volcanic soils just outside the town of Mád, is considered in some quarters to be the world’s single most complex soil composition. The Szepsy Aszú 2017 (a great vintage in Tokaj) exhibited almost insane concentration and length (260g/l RS, 10% abv), being balanced by 8.5 g/l of total acidity.

The Patricius 6 Puttonyos Aszú 2017 was another magestic wine, being half a degree higher in alcohol but with 48g/l less residual sugar and very similar levels of acidity. Sauska’s very classy Aszú 6 Puttonyos from the same year was higher in both RS (228g/l) and alcohol (11.5%) was very long indeed with massive concentration and intensity.

The Royal Tokaji Wine Company is one of the few producers in Tokaj which focuses mainly on Aszú wines.

“The first thing we focus on at harvest is the availability of the Aszú berries,” Mount said. “This year,initially, was quite slow as it was taking a long time to dry out. We were spending a lot of time in our vineyards and hoping to spread the botrytis around. We also buy in about two thirds of our grapes, and it was quite challenging this year to persuade smaller growers to delay harvesting in the hope of getting Aszú berries. So we took the decision very early on to raise what we pay growers by 30%, and luckily that generated their patience to wait and dry the grapes on the vine.”

“There’s a risk you may lose everything but, at the end, we were able to have a very successful harvest: we had the Aszú berries we wanted. We bought in more than everyone else in the region put together, and it’ll be a very good vintage that will come to the market in seven years time.”

The Füleky estate, founded in 1998, shares a similar single vineyard philosophy to Royal Tokaji with 25 hectares under vine in some of the region’s best sites. Its 2007 Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos (203g/l RS, 11% abv) was as beautifully balanced as it was elegant and underlined how well Aszú ages.

Also hugely impressive were the wines of the Zsirai family, which owns 18 hectares of vines in some of the most renowned first growth vineyards, including Betsek, Középhegy, Szt. Tamás and Úrágya. Kata Zsirai, who was Hungary’s young winemaker of the year in 2018, and her sister Petra have run the estate since the death of their father Csaba in 2011. Their Szamorodni 2019, made from 100% Furmint, was elegant and complex with notable concentration and length (103g/l RS, 13.5% above). By contrast, their Aszú 2019 had 235g/l of residual sugar and 9% abv.

Another extremely capable winemaker, Vivien Ujvari, crafts superb sweet wines for Barta, a 13-hectare estate that is farmed organically. It was founded by Karoly Barta, who started replanting Furmint vines in 2003 in one of Tokaj’s most historic sites, the Öreg Király Dűlő (Old King Vineyard ), that had been abandoned after World War II and ignored through the communist regime. Situated on a steep hillside outside Mád between 320-345 metres on rhyolite and zeolit red clay, the vines produce wines of startling concentration, minerality and freshness.

Founded a year earlier than Barta in 2002 was the Béres winery in Erdőbénye. Its rise has been no less meteoric, with award after award coming its way. In 2015 it was voted Hungary’s most beautiful winery, and in 2020 its 2016 6-puttonyos Aszú was selected as ‘Wine of the Hungarian Parliament.’ That wine featured a dramatic level of total acidity (13.07 g/l) to counter-balance 216 g/l of residual sugar. Super-high TA is a common theme of Béres’ sweet wines, as is formidable concentration. Its 2008 6-puttonyos Aszú (171 g/l RS, TA11.1 g/l, 10.5% abv) was also supremely rich thanks to intensive botrytis in what was a very warm autumn in a 5-star vintage.

While Béres is one of Tokaj’s youngest wineries, Tokaj-Hétszőlő is quite possibly the region’s oldest. In 1502, the Garai family selected the seven best parcels on the south side of Mount Tokaj. ‘Het-Szolo’ means ‘seven parcels of vineyard’ in Hungarian. They were classed as Tokaj premier cru as early as 1772 when the estate still belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A special microclimate and the loess and volcanic soils, which are farmed organically, yield Furmint grapes that produce wines of great harmony and complexity. The Tokaj Aszú 5 Puttonyos Hétszőlő 1er Cru 2010, from what was an outstanding vintage, was a superb wine to end a memorable tasting.

The wineries and their UK importers

Balassa (Best of Hungary), Barta (Corney & Barrow), Béres Tokaj (Mephisto Wine Merchants), Chateau Dereszla (Armit Wines), Füleky Tokaj (Amathus), Patricius (Enotria), Royal Tokaji (Bibendum), Sauska (Enotria), Szepsy (Top Selection), Tokaj-Hétszőlő (Les Caves), Zsirai (Jascots)

Visit to Vargellas in the Douro

UK duty hike a new hurdle in running of Fladgate Partnership

Juggling a number of balls simultaneously comes naturally to Adrian Bridge, managing director of the Fladgate Partnership – responsible for Taylor’s, Fonseca and Croft – Portugal’s third largest port producer. His military training has helped him run Fladgate as well as mastermind the building of the Yeatman hotel and the World of Wine museum in Porto, projects which have helped oil the cogs of the Douro’s all-important tourism industry, as well as earn him the city’s highest civic honour. Now a hike in UK import duties, which adversely affects fortified wines, is another hurdle in an already complex trading environment that Bridge must overcome. Geoffrey Dean travelled to the Douro, met up with Bridge and David Guimaraes, head technical director, to get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of one of the world’s most respected producers.

By Geoffrey Dean November 8, 2023

Adrian Bridge, the Fladgate Partnership’s managing director, seems to relish problem-solving. After all, plenty of hurdles would have been put in his way at Sandhurst, the royal military academy where he won the sword of honour before joining his cavalry regiment. Under the former army officer’s meticulous auspices, the company, which consists of the port houses of Taylor’s, Fonseca and Croft, keeps going from strength to strength, with sales up 50% since 2018, thanks in no small part to the boom year of 2021. But as we drive from Porto to Vargellas, the magnificent Taylor’s estate in the Douro Valley, Bridge is musing over how to respond to the big duty increase on fortified wines that the UK government introduced a few weeks earlier on August 1.

Adrian Bridge, with Vargellas behind him, Sept 2023

This has put an extra £1.30 + VAT on a bottle of port of 20% abv, which may not affect uptake of vintage port but could impact on sales of mid-market versions, notably Late Bottled Vintage (LBV). “What we can do is cut the alcohol level in LBV to 19% as there’s a smaller duty increase for wines under 20%,” Bridge chuckled, referencing the duty hike of £0.97 + VAT for wines above 15% but under 20%.

LBV’s price point is important as the full new duty rise potentially lifts it from around the £16 mark to nearer £18. Although Bridge believes many UK retailers have enough stock that was duty-paid before August 1 to satisfy the surge in demand that always accompanies the run up to Christmas, the days of Taylor’s LBV being £16 RRP (sometimes promoted down to £10) are effectively over. But any means of keeping duty rises as low as possible are desirable for what is one of Fladgate’s cash cows.

For very large quantities of Taylor’s LBV are made by Fladgate, for whom it is their premium commercial wine. And demand for it, and other special category ports, is on the up, as Bridge is very much aware. “The interesting thing about this year is that we may get to the point where 25% of port sales in volume is special category but over 50% of the value is special category,” Bridge declared.

“That’s where the future of the industry is….before it was 80% standard ports and 20% special category. We just do that top bit, but what it tells you is that top bit is the bit that’s in growth, and that is likely to continue. Globally in most regions, the market for purely cheap alcohol is declining. People are looking for something that’s a bit more sophisticated. They’ll drink less but better quality. It doesn’t mean everyone is spending 50-60 quid on a bottle, but many between the £10-20 level. You can expect to see Taylor’s LBV retailing at £18 in the UK, sometimes promoted down to £13-14.”

Special category port is anything with a date on it – vintage, single quinta, LBV, Colheita, aged tawnies (10-40 year old) and crusted as well as dry white port and reserve ruby (such as Fonseca bin 27, which is hugely popular in the USA). Not qualifying for special category port status are white, standard ruby and three-year old tawny. This trio represent big volume sales.

Two main wineries

Fladgate has two main wineries in the Douro Valley: Roeda in Pinhao, and Nogueira which is 25km further east, near Sao Joao de Pesquiera. Nogueira, which was bought in 1997 and completely refurbished, is dedicated to making special category ports.

David Guimaraes, technical director of the Fladgate Partrnership, in the vines at Quinta da Roeda

“It’s really designed at Nogueita to be the top end…so we limit the quantity to about 120 tons per day that we take in. At Roeda, we’ve effectively got four wineries in one – traditional treading; cold fermenting and vinification of white or pink ports; some tanks making LBVs; and some big pumpover fermenters that will end up making ruby. They’re the buffer you need for those peak days when you’ve suddenly got too much coming in. They can take up to 200 tons per day at Roeda.”

Although Nogueira is only a working winery for about seven weeks of the year in autumn, it serves another very useful purpose. Its large surface area allows Fladgate to use it as a storage and maturation facility for its ports, particularly its tawnies. Bridge estimates that 20 million litres of stock is at Nogueira, with a similar amount elsewhere, including in the traditional maturation location of Vila Nova de Gaia in Porto.

“All these buildings here at Nogueira cover 5,000 square metres,” Bridge revealed during a tour of its many warehouses that house tens of thousands of barrels and scores of foudres. “We have some beautiful foudres, including a 14,000-litre ten-year old one. It’s pretty good temperature control here as its relatively cool being at 700 metres on top of a hill. So storing here is better than on city centre land as it’s not a good use of it. We still have some storage in Gaia at the visitor centre – mainly 20-year or older Tawny which you don’t move very often by definition – and also where our bottling operation is, on a 35-acre site close to the Yeatman [the 5-star Fladgate-owned hotel]. When ‘World of Wine’ was built, we moved a lot of stock to Nogueira.”

The wonderful World of Wine

World of Wine: opened in 2020 and was masterminded by Adrian Bridge

World of Wine, aka WOW, which opened in 2020, is surely the globe’s most comprehensive wine museum. Built by Fladgate at a cost of €105 million over 55,000 square metres where old port cellars were situated, it is nevertheless much more than that. Hailed as a cultural district, it has not just seven immersive museum experiences but also twelve restaurants and bars, shops, a wine school, a gallery for temporary exhibitions and even a chocolate factory. Bridge was the driving force behind WOW, as he was for the Yeatman, for whose completion he was awarded  the ‘gold medal of the City,’ Porto’s highest civic honour.

“We liberated all that land to make World of Wine,” Bridge continued. “The climate difference here at Nogueira has not had a big effect. To simulate the conditions at Gaia, we have controlled humidity thanks to water jets that pump a small amount of water at very high pressure through a very, very tiny hole, and essentially create a cloud which is way more humid. Our re-use of barriques and smaller vessels is an experiment – you get higher rates of evaporation with 225, 470 and 600-litre vessels.  We’re doing another experiment with the whisky people, buying their 470-litre waste casks, and cleaning out the whisky residue with Croft brandy, which we make about 100,000 cases of per year. We get them for just €100 – a new one costs €1500.”

The Yeatman and WOW embody Bridge’s belief in the importance of diversification for the Fladgate Partnership, which owns a top hotel in Pinhao and has plans for another in the valley. Although the company recently acquired another 200 hectares under vine, taking their total to around 750ha of vineyards, Bridge still pointed to the fact they are not in the top two of port producers.

“We are not that big – around 16.5% of value and about 13% of volume,” he said. “The biggest player, Porto Cruz, would be 30% volume, and Symington about 20%. We’re number three, then Sogrape is next one down on about 10%. We’re different in that Cruz and Symington would have about 2,500 farmers or more. We buy from 76 or 77 growers. All ours are professional farmers – that’s all they do. We don’t buy from the weekend farmers with half a hectare or a hectare who are the ones feeding the co-ops. It’s just not what we do. Either you’re going to buy from a co-op, or do it yourself and make better wine than you’ll get from the co-op. The better quality port we make from farmers, the more we pay them.”

The importance of foot-treading

Foot-treaders at Vargellas, September 2023: making a crucial 1% difference

Fladgate’s other key point of difference is its continued embrace of foot-treading. “We still feel foot-treading for us makes the difference,” Bridge declared. “Others have 100% mechanised lagars. We probably do 60% of the foot-treading in the valley – we think it adds to complexity, gives better structure and makes better wine, even if it’s just 1% better.

“We’re one company – the reason we call ourself the Fladgate Partnership is that we’re not trying to say one company is more prominent than then other. Each port house has its own property, brand and stock. Essentially they have got the same quality ethic, and the way we approach the business is the same. I’m the CEO of all of them; David Guimaraes is the head technical director of all of them; but our tasting panels will have three people involved in each house’s blending – the head blender, the winemaker and the person for the house style. Some of our LBV will have had foot-treading.”

Guimaraes elaborated on the technical benefits of foot-treading during a rendezvous at Croft’s celebrated estate, Quinta da Roêda.

Guimaraes: “The thermal dynamics of concrete give more structure and more depth of nose.”

“Treading is very effective due to first treading after filling lagares,” he said. “The initial cut to open up the berry is so important to release the pip. Pre-Covid, we had treading all day as well in the evening, but I ventured into the first mechanical plungers in closed fermenters as a half-way house between mechanical and foot-treading. We didn’t want to change the style of our vintage port, and the alternative to treading was a big drop in quality. That’s when I introduced the first mechanical plungers in concrete rather than stainless steel. The thermal dynamics of concrete give more structure and more depth of nose.”

The harvest and foot-treading at Vargellas, where a large team of local Portuguese of varying ages pick by day and then tread for three hours in the evening, lasts around three weeks. Housed and fed at Vargellas for that period, it is hard physical endurance but a good arrangement for both parties. The pickers effectively get double pay and do not have the problem of having nothing to do in the evening in a remote location.

“We hire an entire community and provide good accommodation and food, so we don’t have the common problem of finding pickers,” Bridge explained. Treading with some of them for half an hour one evening, it was clear how well-motivated and happy they were in their work. They perform with the same military precision and commitment that the indefatigable Bridge runs the Fladgate Partnership.

Tasting a selection of Fladgate Partnership ports

Fonseca Bin 27

2,000 cases per year sold in UK (where RRP was £14.50 but now £16); biggest SKU seller in USA (closely followed by Taylor’s LBV), where it is sold in 16,000 shops; full-bodied reserve blend, also very popular in travel retail. 104 g/l residual sugar, TA 4.3 g/l

Fonseca Vintage Port 2003

Silky tannins with high quality brandy spirit; hugely complex, very long. 92 g/l RS, TA 4.45 g/l

Taylor’s 50-year old tawny

Stunningly complex (light colour no different to 30-year old). 158 g/l RS, TA 5.86 g/l; RRP £180

Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas 2015

Beautifully integrated tannins; remarkable complexity and concentration from old vines that date back to 1908. 99g/l RS, TA4.36 g/l; RRP £35

Croft Vintage Port 2003

David Guimaraes’ favourite from the estate; the first to be made from foot-trodden fruit since 1963 (following Fladgate’s acquisition of Roeda in 2001). Very expressive, intense fruit; supremely elegant and so long. 92 g/l RS; TA 4.45 g/l

Croft LBV 2017

Very fresh with sweet fruit and peppermint notes. 101 g/l RS, TA 4.6 g/l; RRP £16

The wines of the Fladgate Partnership and imported and sold in the UK through Mentzendorff which is a commercial partner of The Buyer.

Francois Lurton: ahead of his time

How Chacayes shows Francois Lurton as a winemaker ahead of his time

When Bordeaux’s François Lurton planted vines in the semi-desert foothills of the Andes Cordillera, at an altitude of 1100m there were many people questioning his wisdom. But when people tried his red blend Chacayes, a wine that came from five year-old vines there, many followed his example, even establishing a new Geographical Indication of Los Chacayes – named after the wine. Over a lengthy dinner in London Lurton regales tale after tale about being born into Bordeaux ‘royalty’ and, through his Bodega Piedra Negra, putting ‘inhospitable’ areas of Argentina onto the map.

By Geoffrey Dean

October 20, 2023

François Lurton still remembers his and his twin brother Jacques’ reaction when they tasted their very first vintage of Chacayes, made in a semi-desert sub-region of Argentina near Mendoza, where they were the first to plant vines. “In 150 years in Bordeaux, we never produced a wine so intense like the one we have made in this area,” he recalled.

“We said, ‘Shit we’ve got an impressive terroir. How have we made a wine of such concentration, quality and elegance, and with vines of only five years of age…and in a place not producing wine before?’ We were born at Château Bonnet in Entre-Deux-Mers, and so we decided to give the wine the name of the place we had registered a few years before and not used.”

That was back in 2002, since then the Chacayes label has achieved something approaching cult status. Los Chacayes later became an IG (Indicación Geográfica) within the Uco Valley when new neighbouring planters, who had followed the Lurtons’ lead, requested the name’s use for a new sub-appellation. By then, Francois had bought out his brother’s share in the winery, Piedra Negra, in 2007.

Francois Lurton

The Lurton family has long been steeped in wine, owning several Bordeaux châteaux, including La Louvière in Pessac-Leognan. Their late father André, who died in 2019, was a notable figure in the region, having been active in establishing the Entre-Deux-Mers appellation.

Chacayes has been produced almost every year since that revelatory first vintage, a couple having been lost to hail. Lurton considers 2007 amongst the very best but the 2008 which we tasted over dinner with him in London in late September was outstanding.

“2007 was fabulous but we don’t have any more,” he declared. “2008 was quite warm without being very hot, but is well-balanced and has aged very well thanks to the acidity.” At 1100 metres, the vineyard’s wide diurnal range means that acid retention is seldom an issue.

“You can have some serious variation of vintages in Argentina, but there is not so much variation in Chile, where every year you produce similar wines,” Lurton continued.  “The notion of vintages is interesting to follow in Argentina. They don’t have the habit to age the wines but I have forced them to keep the wines. This 2008 Chacayes has an incredible ability to age thanks to this density of tannins and its controlled acidity.”

Some of the Malbec vine material for the wine (85% Malbec and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon) came from Argentina and some Côt from southwest France. It was fermented in barrels, which were sealed and then later rolled to obtain very light extraction. Freshness and brightness are its hallmarks along with impressive weight and structure from firm tannins. The black cherry and damson fruit is very expressive, being well complemented by herbal and floral notes. A well-balanced, rich but very polished wine whose abv of 15.5% is not out of kilter.

A pioneering viticulturist in Argentina, Lurton was also ahead of his time in Bordeaux with his employment of screw caps there more than 30 years ago. He likes to joke how he is known as ‘Mr Screwcap’ in France. “I was the first to introduce it at Château Bonnet in 1992,” he recalled. “It was an error as they had some cork inside – only in 1996 did they use an aluminium cap. I have plenty of this 2008 Chacayes under screwcap, although now we work a lot with Diams.”

In 2000, after lengthy research in several regions of Chile, Lurton also bought 200 hectares in the Lolol Valley, an offshoot of the Colchagua Valley. A pioneer in what was virgin terroir, he planted vines on poor granite schist soil, farming some extremely steep vineyards under a strict biodynamic and organic regime. He explained his philosophy behind his alluring Hacienda Araucano Clos de Lolol White 2022, which is predominantly drawn from the best Sauvignon Blanc plots, with a splash of Chardonnay.

“I harvest the Sauvignon riper to get peach and white, not green, fruit. I like to avoid the typical style of the grape you will find in other parts of Chile or in South Africa or New Zealand. I ferment all my whites in some oak, and I like to use some skins too. ‘Orange’ wine is part of my vinification secrets.”

Fermented in a third new oak, a third second fill and a third third fill, the wine is matured on fine lees for eight to nine months. Very rounded and generous on the palate, with tropical fruit aromas and some soft spice, it is well balanced thanks to vibrant acidity. Its finish is fresh, complex and long.

Lurton still believes that too many South American producers think wine is made in the cellar and not the vineyard. “In France, everyone knows you make the wine in the vineyard but in South America, they don’t believe that,” he said.

“It is changing little by little thanks to the influence of people like me and foreign consultants like Michel Rolland, who explain to them. The oenologists there do things that we try to stop as they think they can improve the wine in the cellar. I am so organic and so bio as I want the vine to be happy. If you have a happy vine, you have a good wine at the end.” Under Lurton’s devoted auspices, it is hard to see any of his many wines failing to be good.

Francois Lurton’s Argentinian and Chilean wines are imported into the UK by Condor Wines 

The current vintage of Piedra Negra Chacayes Single Vineyard is 2017 (RRP £72.49). The current vintage of Araucano Clos de Lolol Red is 2020, the White is 2017 (both RRP £22.99 each).

Green credentials at Hatch Mansfield

How green credentials shone at Hatch Mansfield portfolio tasting

The legacy of Hatch Mansfield co-founder Philip Tuck MW was everywhere to be seen at this autumn’s portfolio tasting, not only in the diversity and quality of the portfolio but also in its focus on the winemakers’ ‘green approach’ to their craft. The Buyer’s Geoffrey Dean gets a feel of the key issues in the room and picks 10 wines that he would recommend for on-trade from the likes of Esporão, Cherubino, Kleine Zalze and Esk Valley.

 By Geoffrey Dean

October 17, 2023

Now in its 30th year of existence, Hatch Mansfield staged a memorable autumn tasting in late September at the Institute of Directors in London but in the sad absence of one of its nine co-founders. The tragic death in July at the age of 59 of Philip Tuck MW, the importer’s wine director, will long be felt.

Hatch’s CEO, Patrick McGrath, his fellow MW and co-founder, paid tribute: “Philip played a huge role in the growth of Hatch, working tirelessly to develop the sales and distribution of our wines across the many varied sectors of the trade. He was an immensely kind, loyal and considerate man with that rare ability to laugh at himself. His mischievous grin will forever remain etched in our memories.”

The late Philip Tuck MW

Tuck has left a large hole to fill but his legacy lives on in the form of a formidable stable of brands from around the world. Topically, given the increasingly pressing issue of climate change, every one of them embrace a ‘green approach’ and, in the tasting booklet, each producer detailed it ahead of their listed wines. This ranges from biodynamic and organic farming to HVE and other environmental practices.

Among the frontrunners are the Rhône house M.CHAPOUTIER, with 266 hectares out of 467 certified biodynamic – the balance being farmed organically. In the Loire, Joseph Mellot (which holds both the HVE level 3 and BRC certifications) was the first French vineyard to join the 10:10 climate change campaign (to cut carbon emissions by 10% in 2010); in Burgundy, all Louis Jadot vineyards have been HVE3 certified since 2019. Meanwhile, Taittinger has been accredited with the ‘Viticulture Durable en Champagne’ sustainability badge.

Away from France, C.V.N.E was the first wine company in Spain to achieve the double environmental footprint certification (carbon and water); Esporão has the biggest ownership of organically-farmed vineyards in Portugal (18% of the national total); in Chile, Caliterra, Errazuriz and Viñedos Familia Chadwick were among the first wineries there to obtain the national sustainability certification. Across the Pacific, Esk Valley has been an active member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) since its inception, while Villa Maria has achieved Certified Emissions Measurement and Reduction Scheme (CEMARS) certification.

As Gaia Gaja puts it so succinctly: “More life in the vineyard, more life in the wine.”

What of the wines on show though?

As far as value for money is concerned, it remains hard to beat Beaujolais, particularly in the face of Burgundy’s inexorable price rises.

“The region of Beaujolais is experiencing a great rebirth these days,” David Stephan, export director for Louis Jadot, declared. “It is worth noting that in the early stages of the 20th century, the crus of Beaujolais were as highly considered, and priced, as premier cru Côte de Nuits. Our Château des Jacques Moulin-à-Vent is a great testimony of what the region has to offer.” Indeed it was, with their Clos du Grand Carquelin 2015 label (RRP £31.30) showing especially well.

David Stephan

Also making a strong impression were the wines of ‘Terroirs et Talents,’ an association of Beaujolais and Maconnais family-owned estates. “Basically, we are all friends together,” said Gregory Barbet, a ninth generation member of a family making wine in Beaujolais since the 18th century. “We are all HVE3 certified and are all trying to replant our vineyards as almost all of the vines were planted between the two World Wars.” Barbet revealed that at his family’s estate, Domaine de la Pirolette in the Saint-Amour cru, they are replanting a hectare every three years.

“Fleurie is the most important cru,” Barbet continued, “but with Hatch, we are pushing other crus like Saint Amour, Julienas and Brouilly to bring a little bit more diversity than Fleurie. There are three styles in Beaujolais: fruity and floral, like in Brouilly, Fleurie and Chiroubles; fruity and spicy in Chenas, Saint-Amour and Julienas; full-bodied in Morgon and Moulin-a-Vent. Why the difference? It depends on the soil and terroir. Generally, the red fruit and floral crus have pink soil granite; the fuller style have blue volcanic soil…more black fruit.”

Gregory Barbet

Breezing charismatically into the tasting was Clovis Taittinger, the Grande Marque Champagne House’s head of exports and international development. Taittinger’s partnership with Hatch Mansfield is, of course, a longstanding one, with the duo being partners in the Domaine Evremond sparkling wine project in Kent where Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier vines were ceremoniously planted in May 2017. While revealing that the first release from there will be autumn next year, Clovis gave his thoughts on the UK market, which receives a bigger allocation of Taittinger than any other.

“We’re very happy with export levels here,” he proclaimed. “Sales are stable. We aim to keep focus on the quality, and don’t want to create any new cuvées. We don’t want to grow – the point is to keep doing the same thing better. Keep being better from the soil to the winemaking and to keep producing one of the top Champagnes in the world that is enjoyable, simple, super elegant. I’m super happy with the wines on show here. The Brut Reserve NV is wonderful… and the key cornerstone of the house.”

“I genuinely believe that the wines we are making are in superb shape, both technically speaking and pleasure-wise speaking. They are in their majesty right now, which comes from their simplicity, their consistency, the light elegant mineral style. As a drinker, I have an immense pleasure to drink them from the bottom to the top and vice versa.”

Pedro Vieira, sales director of Esporao

In contrast to Taittinger, Esporão is in only its second year with Hatch but has already seen sales to the UK soar as a result. The company, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, has 645 hectares of organically-farmed vineyards across three key regions – Alentejo, the Douro and Vino Verde. “We’ve been in the UK twenty years but could never find a solid partner that could really represent our wines in a sustainable way,” Pedro Vieira, sales director, said. “Finally, we were lucky to find Hatch, and already have had our best year in the UK, with sales 35% up on our previous highest-selling year – mostly on-premise. We have no listing in supermarkets.”

Supermarkets, though, remain Hatch Mansfield’s biggest customers thanks to brands like Villa Maria and Errazuriz, but off-trade indies are important to the importer, stretching to well over 300. The strategy remains not to represent too many producers, with 19 still the number.

10 Hatch Mansfield wines that caught the eye

C.V.N.E. Virgen del Galir Val do Galir Godello, Valdeorras 2021 (£19.85)

A very appealing Godello from the village of Entoma on poor salty soils at 500m. Six months on the lees gives good structure and full body. Floral notes of herbs and citrus with a hint of minerality and a saline finish. Freshness and length.

Taittinger Brut Reserve NV (RRP £52.95)

A seductive blend of 40% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 25% Pinot Meunier from over 35 different vineyards. Three years on the lees and dosage of 9 g/l. Fine mousse with fragrant aromas of peach, white flowers and brioche. Autolytic and biscuity notes with a touch of honey. Complex and long. Fully deserving of Clovis Taittinger’s description of it as ‘wonderful.’

Louis Jadot Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Ursules 2017 (magnum £165)

The flagship wine of Louis Jadot, sole owners of this 1.26 ha site since 1826 when bought from the Ursuline order of nuns. From low-yielding vines (30 hl/ha) aged between 50 and 60 years old on particularly stony soils. These aid in the production of one of Beaune’s most accomplished wines – generous and full-bodied with complex rich fruit and depth. Beautifully integrated structure from a third new oak, a third second fill and a third third fill.

Domaine de la Pirolette, Saint-Amour 2020 (£20.45)

From the second smallest cru in Beaujolais, the estate, which dates back to 1600, takes its name from a pretty white flower, the Pirole. Located on south-facing pebbly soils of sandstone, clay and pink granite, the vines produce a full-bodied wine with juicy red and blueberry fruit as well as white pepper notes. Cracking value.

M.CHAMPOUTIER Domaine de Bila-Haut Blanc 2021, AOP Côtes du Roussillon (£13.75)

While one of the oldest companies in the Rhône valley, dating back to 1808, Chapoutier makes wine from several French regions. This enticing blend of Grenache Blanc, Macabeu, Marsanne and Roussanne is superb value at this price point. Salty hints with fresh sea-shell notes, it comes in at 13% abv but is well-balanced by vibrant acidity (and a low pH of 3.12).

Esporão, Torre de Esporão 2017, DOC Alentejo (£216)

Only made in exceptional vintages, this being the fourth instance. A blend of Aragones (40%), Touriga Franca (30%), Alicante Bouschet (25%) and Touriga Nacional (5%). Grapes harvested separately between 21 Aug and 29 Sept. Elevage in 100% new French oak. Just 300 bottles produced. Complex blackberry fruit with dark chocolate and minty notes. Full-bodied structure, fine tannins and great length. A stunner with a long life.

Pepa Chadwick and the new vintage of Rocas

Seña, Rocas de Seña 2021, Aconcagua Valley (£64.95)

Six varietals go into this alluring blend, being made for only the second time. Pepa Chadwick says her father wanted a Mediterranean blend, and does not consider it a second wine of the flagship label. Malbec is the predominant grape (35%) followed by Syrah (21%), Cabernet Sauvignon (19%), Grenache (10%), Petit Verdot (9%) and Mourvèdre (6%). Elevage in concrete eggs (50%) and wood (50%).

Cherubino, Frankland River Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Western Australia (£42.65)

Dark in colour but medium-bodied with very well-integrated high quality tannins. Complex, earthy notes with intense red and black fruit. Terrific concentration and length. Winemaker Larry Cherubino is a master of his art.

Kleine Zalze, Project Z Chenin Blanc Skin Contact 2019, Stellenbosch (£48.55)

Seven days of skin maceration and 9 months on the lees in amphorae. Spicy texture with some complex creaminess. Apple and citrus notes with hints of almonds. Zesty acidity balances 13.5% abv.

Esk Valley, The Terraces 2016, Heipipi, Hawkes Bay (£90.50)

One of New Zealand’s great wines, from very low-yielding, terraced vines planted in 1989 on seashell, limestone and clay soils. Malbec (40%), Merlot (33%) and Cabernet Franc (27%) all picked on the same day and co-fermented with wild yeasts. 50% new oak effortlessly absorbed with silkily soft tannins. Glorious black cherry and blackberry fruit with purity and complexity.

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.