Top seasonal buys

1 Dönnhoff, Oberhäuser 2 Fabrizio Vella, 3 Kim Crawford, LIGHTER FOR Leistenberg , , Small Parcels Spitfire Kabinett, Nahe, 2018 93 , SUMMER DRINKING Germany 2016 94 £14.99 Alliance , Define Food & Wine, Marlborough, New Valhalla’s Goat £17.17-£19.75 Exel, Justerini & Brooks Zealand 2019 93 This bold, complex and utterly engaging Is there a more perfect summer wine than After tasting more than 280 wines at his Hampshire home, Peter Richards MW white was a real find in this tasting and £16.35-£19.99 (2018) Exel, KWM, has picked out his 78 top reds and whites with 12.5% alcohol or less, and priced this? Its thrilling combination of ethereal went straight to the top of the shopping Luvians, Martinez Wines, Vinvm, WoodWinters grace with steely tension is hard to better at under £20 – perfect choices to enjoy during the warmer days and evenings list. From its golden hue to the engaging Fresh, crunchy, unashamedly summery – a ballet dancer of a wine, underpinned aromas of glazed peach and tangy, dry, Sauvignon Blanc was always going to by vivid green-apple acidity suffused with pithy palate profile, it’s not for the feature prominently here. This is precise fleshy succulence typical of great Kabinett faint-hearted. There’s a touch of gently yet energetic, tangy but with complex wines. Dönnhoff’s emphasis on purity and oxidative marmalade and ginger too, but lime, nettle, curry leaf, gooseberry and hough I’m not in the habit of precision shines through, as does the it’s elegantly done. Brings sunshine into anis notes. It’s dry, linear and long – a reciting poetry to bottles of ‘When it’s warm, you want a Leistenberg ’s minerality and any day – organic, and great value too. food-friendly style ideal for salads or wine, frequently during this elegance. Drink 2020-2030 Alcohol 9% Drink 2020-2024 Alc 11% goat’s cheese. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 12% intriguing tasting I could sense wine to seduce you with its Tthe famous opening lines of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 springing to my lips: ‘Shall I compare bright, vivacious charm… These thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.’ are wines to seize the day!’ Because that’s exactly what I was looking for: wines that were lovely. As I started the tasting, I pondered: what do we really want in a summer wine? Loveliness certainly. But those wines extensively in the magazine and there’s a lot more to it than that. When it’s online recently. Some of the more easily warm, you want a wine to seduce you with its comparable wines I tasted blind, the rest I bright, vivacious charm. This is not the season tasted non-blind. We’d expected to get about for shades of nuance and intricate subtlety. 80 samples but the final tasting numbered not These are wines to seize the day! far off 300 bottles, so the standard of my final In the idealised vision, summer is about selection is high. warmth, holidays and al fresco eating. We These are wines to be relished – perhaps reach for wines to slake our thirst, to refresh tucked into a car boot en route to a staycation and revive our senses. For this, the best wines retreat, or just savoured at home. And while Peter Richards MW is a are fresh and invigorating in style – and those enjoying them, we may let ourselves believe wine writer and author, that show well even when chilled (see box). Shakespeare’s line that ‘eternal summer and the DWWA Wines that aren’t too high in alcohol are shall not fade’. Regional Chair for Chile important in this context. The risk of dehydration, as well as sleeping poorly, means that quaffing high-alcohol wine is a risky Top tips for summer serving game in warm weather. Affordability also counts, so you can properly enjoy yourself n Chill whites in the fridge, but take 1 2 3 4 5 6 without feeling guilty. That’s why we specified them out 10 minutes before serving. a price range of £8-£20 (US$10-$25) and a n Good summer reds should be 4 Plan B! Wines, OD 5 Domaine Chavy- 6 Feudo Disisa, Lu maximum alcohol level of 12.5% on the label served at 10°C-16°C (50°F-60°F). Riesling, Frankland Chouet, Les Petits Bancu, Monreale, Sicily, for this tasting. Did this make it harder for the That’s significantly cooler than many River, Western Australia Poiriers Bourgogne Italy 2018 92 reds to shine? Perhaps – though there’s surely a summer’s day, so don’t be afraid to no shortage these days of easygoing reds pop them in the fridge for 30 minutes 2017 93 Aligoté, Burgundy, £18.95 Jeroboams majoring on lower alcohol and fresh flavours. before serving if the weather’s warm. Give this wine time to work its magic on £14.50 Lanchester Wines 2018 92 What’s more, the food we eat changes in you. Inititally it can come across as slightly n For rapid cooling, submerging a bottle in a mixture of smashed ice and If the Andrex puppy came with a bottle summer: we prioritise simpler, fresher flavours. £17-£18.99 Roberson, The Solent Cellar surly, with its earthy, woolly, anise and water is best. One alternative to ice cubes is to freeze a few whole , rather than loo roll in its mouth, this would The wines that make a cheery partner for A rewarding white that conjours up the yellow fruit aromas. But on the palate it then you can pop those in your without fear of dilution. those foods naturally share the same kind of be the wine. A beautifully upbeat, fresh, sights, sounds and scents of Burgundy’s slowly unfurls, revealing wonderful character: keen, crunchy, forthright. But of n Be wary of dehydration when it’s warm – drink lots of water, and ideally eat pure, engaging Riesling brimming with glorious Côte d’Or. It’s ambitious and structure, grip and tang. Over time in the course summer isn’t all about blazing sun and food with a high water content too. green apple and lime flavours, and a beautifully made, with lemony acidity glass it just gets better and better: a beaches. Sometimes it’s miserable. So there’s n We specified a maximum alcohol level of 12.5% on the label for this tasting. wonderfully well-judged, off-dry palate. offset by gently creamy, yeasty flavours complex and multi-faceted white that’s also a place for wines to warm the cockles and It’s worth noting that the actual alcohol level in the bottle can vary, It got better over time and worked with all and a creamy texture. Subtle hints also of sunny and sumptuous but also refreshing. comfort the soul. depending on tolerances allowed within local legislation. For example, a kinds of food from monkfish curry to lemongrass and warm earth. Even at this Drink 2020-2024 Alc 12% ➢ Our focus is on white and red here; you wine in the EU labelled as 12.5% can be as high as 13%; the same wine in the butternut squash and sage risotto. Utterly price it’s a bargain, and great with fish won’t find any rosé – has covered US can be as high as 13.5%. refreshing. Drink 2020-2025 Alc 10.4% stew to boot. Drink 2020-2023 Alc 11.5%

18 | September 2020 • Decanter Decanter • September 2020 | 19 Top seasonal buys

7 Kelly Washington, 8 Framingham, Classic 9 Schlumberger, Les 13 Casa Silva, Cool 14 Gianni Tessari, 15 Langlois-Chateau, Organic Sauvignon Riesling, Marlborough, Prince Abbés Riesling, Coast Sauvignon Gris, Monte Tenda, Soave Sancerre, Loire, France Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand 2019 91 Alsace, France 2016 91 Paredones, Colchagua, Classico, Veneto, Italy 2018 90 New Zealand 2017 92 £14.35-£16.99 Bottle Apostle, Cork of the £15.19-£17.95 Hedonism, Partridges, The Chile 2018 90 2018 90 £16-£19 Bon Coeur, D’Arcy Wine Merchants, North, Dvine Cellars, Exel, Fine Wines of Mayfield, £19.95 Jeroboams Drink Shop, The Stroud Wines Co, Toscanaccio £12.99-£14.95 Amps, Cheers, DeBurgh, £14.95 Jeroboams Divine Fine Wines, Jaded Palates, RD Wines KWM, Majestic, No2 Pound Street, The NZ House ‘Not your average Marlborough There are some wines that just get you Palmers Wine Store, Penistone Wine Cellars, There’s Soave and there’s Soave. Ditch the Pristine aromas of nettles, fresh lime and of Wine, The Whisky Exchange, Tivoli Wines Sauvignon’, the blurb says. Tasting blind, excited, and this is one of those. Bright, gooseberry emerge in stately fashion Pure, balanced, perfectly summery Roberts & Speight bland, infinitely forgettable stuff and pure aromas range from red apple to from this elegantly rendered Sauvignon. I had this firmly in the upper Loire, given Riesling made by masters of this particular Sauvignon Gris is like a cross between the reach instead for this lemony, peachy, elderflower, honey and even lychee. On Langlois-Chateau is based in Saumur but the woodsmoke, lime, gunflint, wet wool craft. Times are changing at Framingham tangy green flavours of Sauvignon Blanc leesy Soave that’s bursting with character and honey aromas and dry, pithy, complex after head winemaker and Riesling the palate it’s broad, fresh, mineral and and the honeyed richness of Pinot Gris. and charm. Hints of tangerine rind and a makes wines from all across the Loire. This palate profile whose generous texture virtuoso Dr Andrew Hedley left in dry, with a gentle texture and touch of Chile does a fine line in it and this is an serious texture make it very food-friendly Sancerre is serious and dry, with fresh hinted at the use of old . This bottle December, but this wine demonstrates the spice on the finish. Wonderful line and engaging, fresh yet complex style with and engaging. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12% acidity and stony, lime-streaked flavours. divided opinion in our household. But it art of deftly marrying bright (green apple) structure from this historic Alsace notes of roasted peas, honey and anise Drink 2020-2022 Alc 12% was one to keep coming back to, fruit with a gentle honeyed richness and a producer. Drink 2020-2024 Alc 12.5% from the coastal of Paredones. improving over time and pairing well with subtle insistence. Understated but Vibrant. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 12.5% food. Drink 2020-2023 Alc 12.5% winning. Drink 2020-2025 Alc 12%

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 10 Yealands, Sauvignon 11 Zanut, Rebula, 12 Bouchard Père & 16 Mt Difficulty, Target 17 Pascal Jolivet, 18 André & Michel Blanc, Awatere Valley, Goriška Brda, Slovenia Fils, La Vignée Gully Medium Riesling, Attitude Sauvignon Quenard, Les Eboulis de Marlborough, New 2017 91 Bourgogne , Bannockburn, Central Blanc, Loire, France la Savoyarde, Chignin, Zealand 2019 91 £15.95 Stone Vine & Sun Burgundy, France 2016 Otago, New Zealand 2018 90 Savoie, France 2018 89 Father and son Franc and Borut run this 90 90 £9.50 Co-op, Majestic, Sainsbury’s, Spar family in the western Slovenian 2017 £12.99 Waitrose Cellar £15 Roberson Looking for a summer Sauvignon bargain? region that is effectively an extension of £16.75 Penistone Wine Cellars, Rodney £18.99 The Wine Reserve This is pretty decent value for a complex, Could anything be more refreshing than a Look no further. Tasted blind, this is classy, Italy’s Collio region in Friuli. Rebula, or Fletcher, Vinvm An accessible summery Riesling that cultured Loire Sauvignon with notes of crisp white from French alpine country? grassy, mineral Sauvignon that punches Ribolla Gialla, is the star local and Blend an elegant Chablis with a richer marries refreshing appley acidity with roasted citrus, candle wax and fresh Michel Quenard makes characterful well above its weight. Elegant notes of here renders a rugged, intriguing wine full Mâcon, give it a touch of age, and you get generous fruit succulence and sweetness. peas. The generous texture, gentle hints wines from his quality-focused family roasted pepper, gooseberry and of earthy, musky, orange-rind complexity. something like this. Red apple and mealy The result is an off-dry style that is bright of raw butter and spicy finish give it domaine, and this Jacquère has a rare woodsmoke. Restrained but intense, not Rich, full and complex with underlying flavours with refreshing acidity and a and engaging, with flavours of green character and intrigue. A serious, mineral density and weight, a lovely stewed apple at all shouty: grown-up and food friendly. freshness and minerality. Voluminous and creamy texture, a touch of tea leaf and hay pear and toffee apple. Drink 2020-2023 style with plenty of wine for the price. and raw yoghurt character. A lovely food A beautiful expression of the Awatere heart-warming: a white with the soul of a complexity. Classic but accessible white Alc 10.4% Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12.5% wine, ideal with a hunk of comté cheese. region. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 12.5% red. Drink 2020-2023 Alc 12.5% Burgundy. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 12.5% Drink 2020-2022 Alc 11.5% ➢

20 | September 2020 • Decanter Decanter • September 2020 | 21 Top seasonal buys

19 Brancott Estate, 20 Camille & Laurent 21 Casa de Vila Nova, 25 Domaine de la 26 Keith Tulloch, 27 Kilikanoon, Mort’s Flight Sauvignon Blanc, Schaller, Chablis, Alvarinho, Vinho Verde, Bretonnière, Cuvée Latara Semillon, Hunter Block Riesling, Clare Marlborough, New Burgundy, France Portugal 2018 89 Prestige, Muscadet Valley, New South Valley, South Australia Zealand 2019 89 2018 89 £12 Amps, Cork of the North, WoodWinters Sèvre et Maine sur Lie, Wales, Australia 2018 89 2016 89 Vinho Verde is another summer classic £9.50 Asda, Ocado, Sainsbury’s £20 Roberson Loire, France 2019 89 £16.99 D Byrne & Co, Wine Unearthed £18.50 Oz Wines, Salut Wines, Taylor’s Gluggability and value for money are Laurent (father) and Camille (son) Schaller white and, while it’s perhaps not as A young and unbridled expression of Fine Wine important in wine and this one ticks all the are based in the village of Préhy and this is commonly seen on the dining table as it £10-£12 Le Vignoble, Tamar Selections Hunter Semillon from the Latara This bone-dry, brightly flavoured Clare boxes. Flight is Brancott’s lower-alcohol a characterful, elegant Chablis for the once was, the region’s best producers are Whatever happened to Muscadet?! vineyard in Pokolbin, which regularly Riesling grabs you by the lapels and gives range, for which fruit is picked earlier, summer. Inviting aromas of ripe green making brilliant wines. This single- Well, it’s still there, still doing a job, even produces wines of ‘very striking you a vigorous shake. It’s a classic hence the 9% alcohol – it’s made using apple and glazed cream lead into a Alvarinho is juicy, invigorating and if we fickle drinkers wander restlessly personality’, according to its maker. lime-and-green-apple combo with some specific techniques to produce a balanced generously textured, refined palate that uplifting, with lovely pear, mineral and elsewhere with our eyes and glasses. Vivid aromas of green apple rind, fresh petrol hints from age. Flirts with austerity, wine. Tasted blind, this held its own sits elegantly on the tongue positively glazed apple flavours. Drink 2020-2022 This pale, pleasantly frank and refreshing herbs and lemongrass lead into a tangy, but put it with a tuna steak and it mellows. admirably among classic Marlborough inviting food, like a canvas awaiting paint. Alc 12.5% white steals across your palate like the ghost slightly spicy, very dry flavour profile. Drink 2020-2025 Alc 12.5% Sauvignons with its fresh, engaging Delicious with all kinds of seafood. of an apple dipped in salt water. Drink Elegance and expression combined. character of passion fruit and green citrus Drink 2020-2023 Alc 12.5% 2020-2021 Alc 12% Drink 2020-2029 Alc 10.5% fruits. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 9%

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

22 Casa de Vila Nova, 23 Casa Silva, Riesling, 24 Cave de l’Ormarine, 28 La Perrière, La Petite 29 Luis Felipe Edwards, 30 Maison Ventenac, Loureiro, Vinho Verde, Lago Ranco, Patagonia, La Viste, Picpoul de Perrière Sauvignon Macerao, Itata, Chile Les Dissidents Candide, Portugal 2019 89 Chile 2017 89 Pinet, Languedoc, Blanc, Vin de France 2019 89 Vin de France 2019 89 £9.30-£11.99 Cellar Selected, Cork of the £19 Palmers Wine Store France 2018 89 2019 89 £8 Matthew Clark £19.50 James Nicholson North, TJ Wines, Wines of Interest, WoodWinters Chilean Riesling at £19! Ah, but this isn’t An ‘orange’ style Moscatel from Itata, A from the Languedoc A richer style than this producer’s the Chile of old: Casa Silva’s Lago Ranco £9.95 Jeroboams £9.90-£10.95 Red Pebble, Satchells, Chile’s southerly land of historic vineyards, that’s between Loire and South Africa in Alvarinho (see No21) but still with the vineyard is a steep hillside beside a Ah, Picpoul. What would we do without it? Tate Smith this is characterful without being over-the- style. Aromas of glazed peach and apple lively crunch and spritz you’d expect of stunning, icy lake in the country’s deep Such a reliably good-value white, versatile A richly textured but elegant Loire top. Exotic aromas of orange marmalade, then leesy weight and roasted herb good Vinho Verde. Rich apple and pear south. Both vineyard and wine broach new and friendly. This is a slightly richer style Sauvignon that reveals notes of roasted kumquat and ginger biscuit lead into a dry complexity on the palate. Works well: flavours, intense, rounded and fleshy with ground for Chile, and this is a tense, than normal, with some nutty, mealy citrus, gunflint and wet wool. It’s juicy, dry but succulent palate with a touch of clean and dry with a rounded, creamy a touch of dried apricot on the finish. A serious, refined Riesling that’s dry but complexity on top of the usual appley, and food-friendly, but it also has an exotic phenolic grip from the skins (‘Macerao’ texture – easy drinking but classy. Gets delicious aperitif or one for lighter Persian succulent and will benefit from time in the lemony freshness and herbal notes. Glug, note and touch of spice too. Good value. refers to skin ). Summer fun for better the next day and is delicious with style food. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12% bottle. Drink 2020-2026 Alc 11.5% glug, glug. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12.5% Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12% fans of something... completely different. fish stew. It has a silly heavy bottle and Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12.5% is quite pricey, but is nicely done! Drink 2020-2022 Alc 12.5% ➢

22 | September 2020 • Decanter Decanter • September 2020 | 23 Top seasonal buys

31 McPherson Wine 32 Mud House, 33 Mylonas Winery, 37 Tesco, Finest 38 The Crossings, 39 Abadal, Blanc, Pla de Company, Bella Luna Sauvignon Blanc, Malagousia, , Riesling, Marlborough, Gruner Veltliner, Bages, Catalonia, Fiano, Victoria, Marlborough, New Aegean, 2019 89 New Zealand 2019 89 Awatere Valley, 2018 88 Australia 2018 89 Zealand 2019 89 £13.60 Maltby & Greek £8 Tesco Marlborough, New £15.49 Latin Wines Online Greek wine totally deserves a place on Another great-value summery Riesling A summery, juicy blend from Catalonia’s £10.25 Lanchester Wines £9.50 Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Tesco, Zealand 2017 89 What a Fiano! Australia is doing a great Waitrose your summer table and this perfumed, that’s both easygoing and refreshing but majoring on the job with its newly adopted Mediterranean Another big-brand Sauvignon that came exotic Malagousia is a great point of also offers a complexity and charm that £13.45-£14.25 Edencroft, Jaded Palates, local Picapoll (genetically very close to varieties and this Victorian example blew good when tasted blind against wines departure. It has that wonderful Greek belies its price. Made by Indevin, this Oz Wines, Salut Wines, Slurp, Taylor’s Fine Wine Languedoc’s Clairette variety) with the Italian versions out of the water when from all over the world. Elegant flavours of ability to marry striking scents (here, well-rounded white shows flavours of red A wine that dares to be different, and does and Chardonnay. Refreshing tasted blind. Tons of fruit – melon and lime pith, gooseberries and green apple orange pith, rose petal and fresh grapes) apple and cumin spice along with a it in style. Austria’s signature white grape lemony apple flavours with hints of wax, peach, with a touch of honey – and then a rind. Flows discreetly across the palate – with a dry, invigorating, mineral and generous texture and finely balanced has made an excellent debut in New herbs and anis. A nice combination of dry, serious, food-friendly palate with a refreshing, food-friendly, really easygoing food-friendly palate profile. Get that finish. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 11.5% Zealand and this peachy, mineral version freshness and roundness, with a bit of a hint of apricot and wax on the finish. for summer. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12.5% calamari on the barbecue. Drink 2020- with a hint of white pepper is mouthfilling difference. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12.5% Fantastic value. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 12.5% 2023 Alc 12.5% and moreish. Drink 2020-2023 Alc 12.5%

31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

34 Pewsey Vale, 35 René Lequin-Colin, 36 Rouvalis Winery, 40 Cantine Pellegrino, 41 Cave du Haut Pitou, 42 Domaine d’Elise, Riesling, Eden Valley, Back to the Roots Asprolithi, Patras, Kelbi Catarratto, Terre Le Bois de la Tour, Frédéric Prain, Petit South Australia 2018 89 Bourgogne Chardonnay, , Greece Siciliane, Sicily, Italy Haut Pitou, Loire, Chablis, Burgundy, £15-£17 Australian Wines Online, Hennings, Burgundy, France 2019 89 2018 88 France 2018 88 France 2018 88 Specialist Cellars 89 £15 Baythorne Wines, Secret Bottle Shop, £11.95 Morgenrot £17.95 Davy’s A classic name in Australian Riesling and 2017 £12 Maltby & Greek Vinvm, Wine Direct There are frivolous summer wines and Domaine d’Elise owns 13ha of vines just a complex, stylish wine to match. Dry and £19.50 (2018) Stone Vine & Sun A white of freshness and refinement made An elegant, pure and pretty complex serious summer wines – this is one of the outside the town of Chablis, one big plot invigorating but also notably complex. Some Burgundies play it safe, all discretion from the Roditis grape variety in the north expression of Catarratto from an inland latter. A fairly stern line of citric acidity divided evenly into one half Chablis, one Heady aromas of baked red apple, and understatement. This wine is not one of the Peloponnese region. Lemon pith vineyard in Sicily’s western Trapani flows from start to finish, with goosebery, half Petit Chablis. The wines are made in a honeysuckle and clotted cream. One for of those. It’s as if someone challenged the and white peach flavours infuse this dry, province. Fleshy yellow fruit and citrus mineral and herbal hints by way of light traditional style and this Petit Chablis seared scallops or a squash and rosewater winemaker to ‘get as many flavours of mineral white that’s ideal with seafood. flavours come together in a refreshing, relief. Very long, very linear, one to shows classic notes of apple and creamy tagine. Drink 2020-2027 Alc 12% fresh butter, red apple and honey into a Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12% bright package with a hint of exotic accompany grilled prawns. Dare to be lees. One for fresh seafood and shellfish. dry wine’. It positively brims with golden perfume. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12.5% different. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 12% Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12% ➢ flavour and rich texture. There’s a lot of wine here if you like this engagingly sunny style. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12.5%

24 | September 2020 • Decanter Decanter • September 2020 | 25 Top seasonal buys

43 Domaine de la 44 Domaine de la 45 Famille Hugel, 49 Domaine du Vieux 50 Pazo do Mar, 51 Quinta da Calçada, Bretonnière, Muscadet Combe, P-H Gadais Classic Riesling, Alsace, Vauvert, Vouvray, Loire, Nereida, Ribeiro, LB7, Vinho Verde, Sèvre et Maine sur Lie, Vendange Nocturne, France 2017 88 France 2019 87 Galicia, Spain 2019 87 Portugal 2019 87 Loire, France 2019 88 Muscadet, Loire, France £16.40-£19.55 Connolly’s, Eton Vintners, £9.99 Waitrose £10.95 Morgenrot £8.99 Majestic £10 Reserve Wines NV 88 Rannoch Scott, Roberts & Speight, Taurus, Good to get a Chenin on the list, and this The Galician region of Ribeiro is a The vinous version of a spritzer, this fun, The Fine Wine Co, The Oxford Wine Co, Vinvm one’s a medium-dry style with lots of ripe rewarding but underrated source of fresh and easygoing white has a gentle Very pale, with subtle whitecurrant and £10.99 Amps, Define Food & Wine, Kwoff, Dry, steely, summery Riesling that’s as peach, apple and pear flavours. The elegant and often very summery whites. sparkle, baked pear and apple flavours, salty flavours, this is a summer white to NY Wines of Cambridge chill and enjoy as an apertif or with some What’s Muscadet all about, after all? refreshing as a cold shower after a sauna. luscious palate is weighty but balanced This restrained but refreshing, dry, and a touch of residual sugar to balance simple, fresh flavours like oysters or Really, it’s the sea: its cooling climate Despite the freshness, the character is by good freshness. This could work with herb-scented white is an unusual blend of everything out. Easy drinking and prawns. If you’re a Pinot Grigio fan, try this and its presence on the plate. And this relatively subtle, with restrained notes of spicier or sweeter flavours, like barbecue , Treixadura and Torrontés. summery, good value, uplifting and fun. instead. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12% wine sits firmly in that context – a apples and honey. Drink 2020-2023 spicy ribs, or even summer fruit puds. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 11.5% Drink 2020 Alc 10% straightforward expression of freshness in Alc 12% Drink 2020-2021 Alc 11.5% a glass, dry, with a gentle touch of weight and body. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 11%

43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54

46 Gilvesy, Bohém 47 Guerrieri-Rizzardi, 48 Torres, Esmeralda, 52 Rallo, Evrò, Insolia, 53 Ramon Roqueta, 54 Savia Viva, Clásico Cuvée, Balatoni Soave Classico, Veneto, Penedès, Catalonia, Sicily, Italy 2018 87 Garnacha Blanca, Blanco, Penedès, Borrégió, Hungary Italy 2018 88 Spain 2018 88 £14.99 Alliance Wine, Borders Wines, Catalonia, Spain Catalonia, Spain 2018 88 £12.50-£13 Christopher Keiller, Mumbles £8-£9.99 Cambridge Wine Merchants, Iron & Rose, Define Food & Wine 2018 87 2018 87 Fine Wines, Sheldon’s Wine Cellars, T Wright, Fareham , Roberts & Speight, Tesco, Yet another sunny yet serious Sicilian £12.95 Davy’s £12.49 Latin Wines Online £14.50 Davy’s The Whalley Wine Shop Taylors Fine Wine, The Wine Centre number in our summer line-up. Expressive An easygoing, refreshing summer white In direct contrast to the Ramon Roqueta Gilvesy is a wine estate on an ancient A classic Soave with a generosity and And here, ladies and gentlemen, we have aromas include apricot, pear, herbs and that’s not particularly complex but Garnacha Blanca (No53), this organic volcanic outcrop just north of Lake character that’s hard not to warm to. It summer in a glass. This blend of wax. It’s organic, dry and food-friendly perfectly enjoyable all the same. Hints of Catalan white is not shy in the slightest. Its Balaton. This is its summery white – a shows gentle almond and peach flavours Gewurztraminer and Moscatel from but with a rich texture and full body, and white peach with a clean, long finish and upbeat character is reminisent of blend of organic Olaszrizling, Pinot Gris, together with a richness of texture that Catalonia shows exuberant aromas of rose a honeyed mineral finish. One for grilled elegant presence. One for fans of subtler without the bubbles: with notes of Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. Grassy, points to ripe fruit, sensible yields and petal, lychee and lime cordial. Dry but soft swordfish. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 12.5% whites. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12.5% preserved lemon, apple rind, wax and pithy, tangy flavours lead into a mineral, deft . Very pleasant. and succulent, the sensation is like sinking warm earth. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 11.5% ➢ dry palate: ideal acccompaniment for a Drink 2020-2022 Alc 12.5% into a bed of feathers. One for the summery lunch. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12% hedonists and lovers of unabashed exoticism. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 11.5%

26 | September 2020 • Decanter Decanter • September 2020 | 27 Top seasonal buys

55 St Hallett, Riesling, 56 Masseria Surani, 57 Ventisquero, Grey 61 La Giuva, Il Valpo, 62 Benedikt Baltes, 63 Bouchard Père & Eden Valley, South Arthemis Fiano, Puglia, Sauvignon Blanc, Valpolicella, Veneto, Buntsandstein Pinot Fils, La Vignée Australia 2017 87 Italy 2018 87 Loncomilla, Huasco Italy 2018 90 Noir, Franken, Germany Bourgogne , £15.78-£17.99 Matthew Clark, Ministry £9.95-£11.95 ND John, Secret Bottle Shop, Valley, Atacama, Chile £17.17-£19.99 Christopher Keiller, 2015 89 Burgundy, France of Drinks Toscanaccio The Fine Wine Co, Wineye 87 £16.68 Justerini & Brooks 89 A clean, dry Riesling from a reliable This outgoing Puglian Fiano (with a splash 2017 Valpolicella can make a brilliant summer 2018 It’s rare to find a cultured Pinot with Aussie name that’s high on refreshment of Chardonnay) offers a lot of wine for the £15.50-£16.95 Davy’s , Soho Wine Supply red and here’s one with more than its fair £15.80-£19 Noble Green, Penistone Wine value and moderate in alcohol. From cool price. It’s bursting with aromas of ripe Just as the Lago Ranco Riesling (see p22) share of swagger and panache. Smoky notable bottle age under £20, but here’s Cellars, TB Watson, Vinvm, Wine Direct vineyards at 700m altitude, this offers pear, apple blossom, tangerine and honey, speaks of the new Chile, so this Atacaman dark cherry and meaty flavours come one from Germany’s Franken region. In contrast to the Baltes Spätburgunder aromas and flavours of green apple, the flavour following in similar vein: a full vineyard in the country’s far north is together on a juicy, gently bittersweet Benedikt Baltes is a dynamic young (No62), this is an altogether more youthful lemon pith and lime, with a gently creamy white with a hint of bitter orange peel and similarly ground-breaking. Cool oceanic palate. The project is run by sisters Giulia grower who has introduced organic and Pinot Noir, majoring on summer berry fruit texture. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 11.5% a spicy finish. One for the adventurous influence gives freshness and a salty lick and Valentina (hence the name), biodynamic practices to his old vineyards and firm, chalky tannins. It’s fairly serious spirits. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 12.5% to its vibrant, distinctive character of daughters of football manager Alberto on stone terraces. It’s full of forest floor, for the level but works well with food and roasted green pepper, paprika and lime. Malesani, and these grapes are left to dry ferruginous and gamey character – not for can take a light chill. A summer wine for Invigorating. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 12.5% for 15 days before for extra everyone, but manna for Pinot-philes. One red Burgundy lovers. Drink 2020-2022 concentration. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 12.5% for drinking up. Drink 2020 Alc 12.5% Alc 12.5%

55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 58 Waitrose, Viña 59 Yalumba, Y Series 60 Zephyr Wine, 64 Jummare, Organic 65 Molmenti & Celot, 66 Pedro Parra, Valdivieso Blueprint Pinot Grigio, South Riesling, Marlborough, Nero d’Avola, Sicily, , Imaginador Cinsault, Sauvignon Blanc, Australia 2019 87 New Zealand 2019 87 Italy 2019 89 Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Itata, Chile 2018 89 Casablanca, Chile £8.50 Liquorice Wine, Roberts & Speight, £15.99 Alliance Wine, KWM, The Sipster, £12.99 Aitken’s, Christopher Keiller, KWM, Italy 2017 89 £18.08 The Fine Wine Co The New World is starting to do a fine line 2019 87 Vinvm Flagship Wines Thirsty Cambridge, Toscanaccio £12.50 Wanderlust Wine in gluggable, unpretentious summery This is Pinot Grigio 2.0 – bright, engaging, Dry, urgent, bright Riesling made by Ben Sicily doesn’t just do a great line in Oh for more summery Cabernet Franc in £8 Waitrose reds, often from old vines hitherto smartly made and somehow both Glover on the family estate in the highly summery whites but reds too. Nero Easy-drinking summer Sauvignon from the world. It’s a beautiful variety when it scorned for fine wine (at least on the exuberant in feel but restrained in regarded Dillon’s Point sub-region of d’Avola can be made in different styles, Chile’s coastal Casablanca Valley. It has sings, and this tasty number is packed label). This is an excellent example from character. Fresh pear and a hint of apple Marlborough. Flavours of Granny Smith but this one is very much in the upbeat, more lime and lime-pith character than with leaping aromas of red and green renowned Chilean soil-consultant-turned- you might expect, but that works well blossom is as extravagant as it gets. apples along with some mineral vibrant camp, with aromas of cherry pepper, red fruits and earthy notes. The producer Pedro Parra – an old-vine here in combination with the nettle and Dry, crunchy, fresh and easy drinking. characteristics and a supple texture. blossom and ripe red fruits. There’s a palate is juicy and tangy, with elegantly Cinsault from southerly Itata that shows gooseberry hints, and the dry but Pulled pork buns, here we come... Works best with food – try crab linguine or beautifully fresh acidity at the heart of structuring tannins, and that bit of age has aromas of red fruits, ginger and curry leaf, rounded flavour profile. Good value. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12.5% smoked salmon. Drink 2020-2023 Alc 12% a crunchy, lively, invigorating flavour softened things nicely. Makes a wonderful and a juicy, easygoing flavour profile with Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12.5% profile. Very enjoyable, full of the joys of match for barbecue lamb with salsa verde. a nip of tannin that works well with food. summer. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12.5% Good value. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 12.5% Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12.5% ➢

28 | September 2020 • Decanter Decanter • September 2020 | 29 Top seasonal buys

67 Tenuta Sant’Antonio, 68 TerraNoble, Las 69 Cantina di Negrar, Nanfrè, Valpolicella, Dichas Pinot Noir, Corvina, Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy 2018 89 Casablanca, Chile 2018 Veneto, Italy 2018 88 £13.50 Vinissimus 89 £9.50-£10.99 Bin Two Padstow, Guest A classic Valpolicella from the Castagnedi Wines, Hercules Wine Warehouse, Kingsbridge £14.50 Cellars brothers grown in the Colognola ai Colli Wine Room, Whitebridge Wines and Illasi areas in the east of the DOC. Ripe When made in the right style, Pinot Noir It’s good to see summery Valpolicella dark cherry with notes of fresh herbs and can be a summer red par excellence. with modern packaging and a screwcap. woodsmoke. The palate is full of juicy fruit Which is what this bottle is: bright, full of The presentation fits the style of this and elegantly bittersweet on the finish, crunchy fresh berry and cherry fruit, wine, which is light-hearted, easygoing inviting a plate of cold cuts to the table. easygoing and extremely moreish. fare, with juicy cherry and fresh herbal Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12.5% Chill it, glug it, enjoy it. Drink 2020-2022 flavours. Good, clean summery fun. Alc 12.5% Drink 2020-2020 Alc 12.5%

67 68 69 70 71 72

70 Domaine Jean 71 Domaine Quénard 72 Domaine Guiton, Bourgogne Jean-François, Terres Papagiannakos, Pinot Noir, Burgundy, Rouges Mondeuse, Erythros, Attica, France 2017 88 Savoie, France 2018 88 Aegean, Greece 2017 87 £18.95 Stone Vine & Sun £16.69 Vinatis £12.95-£16.30 Fintry Wines, Hedonism, Fruit for this small-scale family domaine’s Jean-François Quénard learned from the ND John, Noble Green, T Wright, Wild & Lees, Bourgogne is grown in Beaune vineyards ‘master’ Jules Chauvet, a négociant and Wineraks near Volnay and then aged in French oak highly reputed taster, and makes this This intriguing blend of 70% for nine months. The nose isn’t particularly Mondeuse from a 1ha plot of 30-year-old and 30% is expressive but the palate is full of tangy red fruit, fine grippy tannins and herbal vines. It’s fairly brooding in style, packed ambitious, oaky and complex. Flavours complexity. One for food, and for drinking with dark fruits and earthy, herbal notes and aromas include bell pepper, red and up soon. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12.5% plus grippy fine tannins. Young, dense and black fruit and woodsmoke. The firm serious – one for the soggy summer days tannins make it one for a meat-fuelled when cockles need warming and food is summer barbecue. Drink 2020-2022 heartier. Drink 2020-2024 Alc 12% Alc 12.5% ➢

Decanter • September 2020 | 31 Top seasonal buys

73 Forrest Wines, The 74 Georges Lignier, 75 Kokotos Estate, Doctors’ Pinot Noir, Bourgogne Three Hills Agiorgitiko, Marlborough, New Passetoutgrain, Peloponnese, Greece Zealand 2019 87 Burgundy, France 2018 87 £11.95-£13.90 Booths, Frontier Fine Wines, 2018 87 £11.30 Maltby & Greek Gerrard Seel £16.50 Christopher Keiller, The Grocery This enticing red immediately conjours Dr John Forrest has been a pioneer in can deliver summer in a glass and, images of cherry orchards laden with ripe developing lower alcohol wines in New while was suprisingly scarce on dark fruit and warm pine forests. The Zealand. It’s particularly hard to make it the ground in this tasting, this classic flavour profile is lighter than the nose work with reds, but his Pinot is fresh and Passetoutgrain is an engaging, ambitious suggests, juicy and cheery. A well-made, engaging, with tons of sappy berry fruit blend of half Gamay, half Pinot Noir. modern, summery Greek red blend of 90% and hints of woodsmoke. Drink 2020-2021 There’s loads of tangy red fruit and a firm Agiorgitiko with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Alc 9.5% tannic profile – very grow-up and Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12.5% food-friendly. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 12%

73 74 75 76 77 78

76 Poderi Colla, Pian 77 Tabalí, Talinay 78 Villa Wolf, Pinot Balbo, Dolcetto d’Alba, Pinot Noir, Limarí, Noir, Pfalz, Germany Piedmont, Italy 2018 87 Chile 2017 87 2017 87 £10.95-£13.40 D Byrne & Co, Kwoff, £18.95 Vin Neuf £12-£13.99 Alexander Wines, Borders ND John, NY Wines of Cambridge, Toscanaccio Another that pushes the Wines, Borough Wines, Caviste, Ex-Cellar, Perhaps not the freshest expression of boundaries – Talinay is a coastal vineyard Jeroboams, JN Wine, Noble Green, Portland Dolcetto, but still full of juicy dark cherry in the northern Limarí region with highly Wines, Pull the Cork, Quaff, The Wine Reserve fruit, fine tannin and an uplifting finish. Very calcareous soils. This Pinot shows a full Tinned strawberries and woodsmoke decent for the price, and one for a hearty body and structure, with grippy tannin, characterise this Pfalz Pinot from the summer pasta dish like duck and peach a touch of candle-wax evolution and fresh Loosen stable. It shows a bit of age but pappardelle. Drink 2020 Alc 12.5% acidity. Complex and ambitious in a retains firmish tannin and a fresh line on generous style. Drink 2020 Alc 12.5% the palate. Decent value. Drink 2020-2021 Alc 12.5% D

32 | September 2020 • Decanter