Edited by David Moore with Neville Blech Wine behind the label Th e award winning guide to the world’s leading wine producers and their wines 7th edition Fully revised and enlarged ‘For me, by far the best of the wine guides’ Steven Spurrier THE HISTORY OF THE GUIDE riginal authors David Moore and Philip Williamson have been involved Owith assessing high quality wine for the past 20 years. Both have travelled widely and been exposed to hands-on winemaking from Bordeaux to Barossa. During the past 10 years both writers contributed to a diverse range of wine information media. They were involved with the London based Vinopolis Wine Experience in its inception, ensuring its authenticity as a major Wine tourist attraction. In 2000-2001 they were the principal wine judges for Wine Today Europe for the New York Times. From 2001 the pair pooled their substantial wine tasting expertise to set about creating a wine guide of unprecedented depth and scope. The result, the critically acclaimed Wine behind the label (first edition 2003) covers all the world's top wine producers, and their wines, in a truly global context, in a way no other wine book has before. They both actively sought out new producers, travelling extensively to visit them at their wineries or meet them at the most important of the world's major wine fairs. The pair gained wide recognition resulting in three major awards for Wine behind the label in 2006 and 2007, the Louis Roederer Wine Guide of the Year, Glenfiddich Drink Book of the Year and the André Simon Drink Book of the Year. Crucially, they have had no commercial links with wine producers in order to maintain their independent stance and unreserved critical analysis. Philip has now left and David has taken the overall role as editor for the whole project. Neville Blech, who has provided assistance since 2005 has been a contributor to this 7th edition. He has written a number of new winery profiles in both California and Liguria in North-West Italy and has upated the sections on Burgundy, Beaujolais, Piedmont and North-West Italy as well as North-East Italy. It is anticipated that David and Neville will be joined by other distinguished wine writers in the future Wine behind the label The ultimate guide to the world’s leading wine producers and their wines 7th edition Edited by David Moore with Neville Blech ‘An incredibly in-depth and addictively readable survey of wines of quality from around the world with intelligent tasting notes and informative background to the producers, plus stockists and UK prices. For me, by far the best of the wine guides’ Steven Spurrier, Decanter Magazine ‘I’m a fan.’ Hugh Johnson ‘This is Robert Parker territory but succinct and cheaper’ Joanna Simon, Sunday Times ‘With its championing of authenticity of origin, gifted winemakers, smaller producers, organic and biodynamic winemaking, as well as its wealth of detail, this could well become the annual guide by which all others are judged.’ Fine Wine Magazine ‘... a guide that’s immediately established itself as more or less indispensable.’ Peter McCombie MW, Restaurant Magazine I heartily recommend this book as a thorough independent overview of the world’s best wine estates’ Tom Cannavan, wine-pages.com ‘As essential to the sommelier as their corkscrew’ Paul Dwyer, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio Scotland ‘If you are passionate about your wine and pay serious attention to sampling the world’s finest bottles then this book should be on your shelf... I would strongly recommend this excellent guide’ Dr Edward Fitzgerald, Oxford University Wine Society ‘...a tremendously useful and comprehensive reference work...(it) is bang up to date. Any wine nut will have a lot of fun with this book’ Jamie Goode, wineanorak.com BTL Publishing Limited www.winebehindthelabel.com First published in 2003 This 7th edition published in 2009 Published by BTL Publishing Ltd 8 Jonathan Court Windmill Road London W4 1SA Tel +44 (0)208 995 3050 E-mail: [email protected] Copyright © 2009 BTL Publishing Limited Text copyright © 2009 PhilipWilliamson, David Moore & Neville Blech All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilised in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission from the publisher. Publisher David C Tennant Designed by Davis Wadicci Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of this guide, the publishers and authors cannot accept responsibility of any kind for consequences arising from reliance upon information contained in it. Contents Introduction 6 NORTH AMERICA Awards 7 California North Coast 585 How to use this guide 9 Napa & Carneros 605 Central Coast & Sierra Foothills 635 Oregon & Washington 663 EUROPE Rest of North America 679 FRANCE 10 Bordeaux 13 SOUTH AMERICA 680 Médoc, Graves & Sauternes 19 ARGENTINA 682 St Emilion, Pomerol & other Bordeaux 37 CHILE 688 Burgundy 59 AUSTRALASIA Chablis & Yonne 60 AUSTRALIA 697 Côte d’Or & Côte Chalonnaise 71 South Australia 698 Mâconnais 119 Victoria & Tasmania 727 Beaujolais 129 New South Wales & Queensland 743 Alsace 135 Western Australia 751 Champagne 149 Loire Valley 159 NEW ZEALAND 763 Jura & Savoie 183 Rhône Valley 189 AFRICA Northern Rhône 194 SOUTH AFRICA 783 Southern Rhône 205 Languedoc & Roussillon 231 Grapes 807 Provence & Corsica 271 Glossary 816 South-West France 283 ITALY 293 Piedmont & North-West Italy 296 North-East Italy 329 Tuscany 355 Central Italy 401 Southern Italy & Islands 423 SPAIN (incl. Sherry) 451 PORTUGAL (incl. Port & Madeira) 505 GERMANY 529 AUSTRIA 557 OTHER EUROPE, N AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST 573 5 Introduction Our concept Really useful stuff Wine behind the label was first conceived as an ambitious attempt to This guide does contain a lot of information about producers and their produce an authoritative single volume guide to producers of quality wines. In this edition over 3,100 producers are covered in depth. wines from around the world. We believe we are succeeding in what we Furthermore over 18,000 wines are rated and price coded. While some of set out to achieve but will always view it as a work in progress, continuing world’s finest wines can be hard to get hold of in many instances there is a first to respond to an ever expanding quality spectrum as well as looking for point of contact that will sell direct by mail-order or over the Internet. In better ways to present our findings. We remain com-mitted to providing addtion there are a number of features that will help you find the both depth and criticism about quality wines whatever their provenance and information you want more quickly. The lists of producers by appellation from as many quality wine producers as possible. It is a guide for enthusiasts or region (at the end of each section’s introduction) is an alternative to or would-be enthusiasts, not for those who can’t detect any differences or using the Index, and an excellent way to find or familiarize yourself with don’t care too yet a reference that is accessible to the novice and learned producers from a favourite area. Where possible there are also single page alike. The 7th edition sees a further significant expansion in our reach, map inserts for quick reference to less well-known regions or appellations. For uncovering many more producers - both from the classic regions but also the many readers who only have time to dip in and out of the book we would reflecting the quality being obtained in places that don’t make the encourage you to use the ‘Author’s Choice’ lists at the end of each section. headlines. As ever, it is still far from exhaustive but hopefully there’s plenty These contain at least one wine from most of a region’s best producers and to sustain your interest. For those new to Wine behind the label we have make a useful alternative starting point to discovering new wines. In particular repeated below what you can expect to find as well as some of our the ‘Value for money’ lists highlight some of the best buys. Given that exciting thoughts about wine and winemaking. new producers are emerging all the time we have included a ‘Work in progress’ Behind the label list covering those we will be assessing for the next edition. Tasting, ratings, and assessing producers The industrial mentality which has given us brilliant cars and computers doesn’t have a place in high quality wine (or food) production. An Our Quality Rating (see How to Use this guide) is intended to give a truer essential difference between a high production brand and one produced on assessment of wine quality than a vintage dependent point score. It is nearly a more human scale is the personal effort and commitment that the family always based on scores from a minimum of two recent vintages. Wine shows or individuals who make it have put into it. We therefore highlight and competitions encourage the production of wines of flattering first individuality and character over more boring standardized production. impressions but don’t always reward those that show at their best with age. We also attempt to bring the producer a little closer to whoever is drinking Nor do they address the implications of the vintage characteristics. Rather their wine so that some inkling of their philosophy and effort might than a snapshot, consensual tasting mentality we believe in tasting wines enrich the enjoyment the wine brings. We lend our support particularly again and again (both blind and non-blind) in order to gain a better to small producers and talented winemakers, and wherever we see honesty understanding of a wine’s style and when it should be drunk.