Being ‘the first’, in whichever discipline or achievement, comes with a considerable responsibility. The burden of the future falls upon the shoulders of those willing and able to lead the way and open new possibilities. This could certainly be said of Protos, the producer that forged the identity of the now iconic DO Ribera del Duero.

Founded in 1927 as ‘Bodega Ribera Duero’, the company relinquished its trademark so that the denomination could bear its most meaningful name. This expressed a general belief in the region’s potential to become a leading source of world class wines, with a unique sense of place. The company’s founders easily realised that only by driving the potential of many could they forge their own sense of identity and achievement.

Almost 100 years on, this connection to the land and people that provide context to the wines produced by Protos remains at the core of the company’s ethos. As does a smart awareness to how consumers share and appreciate each bottle, now and in the future.

The line-up presented at Decanter’s LFWE showcased the scope of the Protos project today – one that has built upon tradition while remaining animated by a pioneering spirit, committed to innovation and attuned to consumer needs. Attendees had the opportunity to taste through some of the brand’s most recognisable labels, while also discovering some of Protos’ most recent creations and projects, some of which focus on forgotten and/or underestimated varieties, DOs and styles.

The takes on DO Rueda and DO Cigales are a perfect example of the latter; a refreshing, food friendly Verdejo and a dark-hued pink, with lots of personality, at the forefront of a revival of the traditional Spanish rosés (Claretes), made for the pleasures of the table. Wine as an inevitable companion to food is a common theme across the Protos range. The organic-certified Protos 9 meses – produced exclusively for the on-trade and soon to be released in the UK – embodies this principle, delivering a perfect balance of drinkability and structure at particularly good value.

Elegance, finesse and poise ripple through the Crianza, Reservas and Gran Reserva on show, all of which, once again, underscore Protos’ commitment to producing the most representative styles of Ribera del Duero in a classical and approachable manner.

Fearless and risk-taking yet consistent and recognisable: words that can be used to sum up the identity of Bodegas Protos. And which also justify why LFWE attendees look forward to meeting the producer at the event, year on year, with much anticipation.

Protos wines at the London Fine Wine Encounter 2023

Protos Verdejo DO Rueda 2022
88 points
100% Verdejo; 13% abv
Very fresh and approachable, with a fleshy core of white orchard fruit, melon and pineapple lifted by juicy lemon and lime zest. Herbal nuances of wild fennel and thyme add a very pleasant savoury edge. Three months on the lees have lent it a perceptible texture and weight on the mid-palate, adding to this Verdejo’s gastronomic appeal.

Protos Clarete DO Cigales 2022
89 points
95% Tempranillo, 5% Syrah and Merlot; 13% abv
A good example of the revival of this traditional style of deep-hued rosado, which deserves a place at any table, garden party or barbecue. Peach, cranberry, sour cherry and wild strawberries mingle on the palate, carried by a fine acid line. Very refreshing but also quite generous and textured. Good finish, with a lingering touch of pink grapefruit.

Protos Roble DO Ribera del Duero 2022
89 points
100% Tempranillo; 14% abv
Vibrant and perfumed nose with luscious aromas of violets, blackberry, black cherry and damson. The palate echoes these aromas, with juicy vibrancy and bright acidity. A fine layer of sweet spice adds refreshing energy. Delicious, chocolatey finish. A great everyday drinker.

Protos 9 meses DO Ribera del Duero 2021
90 points
100% Tempranillo; 14% abv
Produced exclusively for the on-trade this is a versatile wine, approachable yet structured, perfect as a by-the-glass listing. The fruit is fleshy and soft, with red and black berries mingling on the lively palate. The tannins are robust and soft, underscoring the savouriness of dried herbs, cocoa nibs and cocoa beans – all of which linger in the every pleasant finish. Organic certified.

Protos 27’ DO Ribera del Duero 2020
92 points
100% Tempranillo; 14% abv
A modern interpretation of traditional Ribera del Duero, very classy, balanced and poised. The depth of the black cherry, blackberry, plum and blueberry fruit is framed by a lovely structure of fine yet firm tannins. A touch of red apple adds a pleasant, refreshing crunch to the palate. This is offset by the savouriness of dried thyme, rosemary and toasted walnuts, sprinkled with cinnamon and cloves.

Protos Crianza DO Ribera del Duero 2019
91 points
100% Tempranillo; 14% abv
Having spent more than one year in bottle prior to release, there’s a distinct softness to this perfumed and alluring Crianza. Seductive aromas of plums, crushed roses and liquorice lead the way, followed by blackberry, cherry and dark chocolate. Elegant tannins, very poised but with an assertive grip. Delicious spicy finish, with lingering vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Protos Reserva 5ºAño DO Ribera del Duero 2018
92 points
100% Tempranillo; 14% abv
Produced with fruit hailing from 70-year-old vines, this is a wine of great expressiveness and concentration. Intense and alluring nose of blackberry, liquorice, Earl Grey-poached plum, vanilla and cedar. Structured palate, with firm, medium-grained tannins. Long finish with lingering black pepper, sage, wild oregano and tobacco box. Outstanding ageing potential.

Protos Gran Reserva DO Ribera del Duero 2015
93 points
100% Tempranillo; 14% abv
The softness and complexity of the nose are the perfect opening for a complex, layered and structured wine, showing elegant development but still with potential for further cellaring. A fleshy layer of black and dried fruit fills the palate, topped by intense dark chocolate, tobacco leaf and charred oak. Tannins are fine but robust, marked by the wood structure. Very long finish, with lingering herbal and balsamic notes.

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This year sees the release of the 2020 vintage of Masi’s Campofiorin, with a bright restyling of its iconic label and a fine-tuning of its vinification. It is the latest stage in an evolutionary journey which began almost 60 years ago, with the ground-breaking 1964 vintage.

The origins of Masi’s innovative ‘Super Venetian’ Campofiorin go back to the traditional practice of ‘ripasso’, the refermenting of new vintage Valpolicella on the fresh, moist pomace of Amarone. The complex transformation that follows produces a wine that acquires structure and aroma from the pressed skins of the Amarone, while retaining the freshness of the younger wine: a rural practice that is, in the words of Masi President Sandro Boscaini, ‘simple but at the same time ingenious.’

That first vintage of Campofiorin came out in 1967 and was met with immediate critical acclaim. Burton Anderson described it as ‘a prototype for a new style of Veronese red’, and so the much emulated Campofiorin proved to be in the years that followed. Fast-forwarding to the 1980s, a period of intensive research at Masi which led to a fundamental change in the vinification of Campofiorion. The challenge was to maintain the wine’s authentic character, but with a more refined profile. The solution? Referment young Valpolicella on partially dried grapes rather than the pommace of Amarone, a technique which became known as ‘Masi’s double fermentation’.

Balance reinterpreted

Jumping forward again, the newly released 2020 sees a further evolution of Masi’s flagship wine. Technically, the 2020 represents an update, rather than a revolution, aimed at meeting modern tastes for ripe fruit flavours and smooth textures. Fine-tuning of the winemaking shifts the balance between the freshness of the young Valpolicella and the richness of the partially dried grape in the direction of the latter. There is a small increase in the percentage of Corvina in the blend, the base wine is harvested a little later for slightly lower acidity and softer tannins and the percentage of partially dried grapes in the refermentation passes from 25% to 30%. The label, designed specifically for the launch of the 2020 vintage, is a sophisticated revisitation of an Italian classic, reframing the charm of the original baroque motifs against a modern graphic background, with ‘Campofiorin’ picked out by a delicate gold outline and printed in an elegant raised lettering.

Campofiorin is currently distributed in 140 countries; Masi is probably the most widely distributed Italian producer in the world today. The secret of its extraordinary global success certainly lies in part with the international appeal of the sophisticated Italian lifestyle that it represents, with all its associations with fashion and design. In the glass, it echoes this same elegance, faithfully communicating its terroir in the middle ground between the fresh, dry flavours of a young Valpolicella and the majestic weight and complexity of an Amarone. This in turn makes it a highly adaptable food wine; a perfect companion to a wide array of flavours, delicate and intense alike. The fact that it generously over-achieves for its price point is not to be overlooked, but possibly the key to its enduring popularity is that it is perennially contemporary, as the new 2020 so ably demonstrates, evolving with the times while always remaining true to its identity.

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The Aszú wines of the Tokaj region are steeped in history and tradition, being the first noble rot-affected wines in history of which we are aware. The habit has generally been for these wonderful wines to be reserved to go with desserts and, as such, they usually find their way to our table only at the end of the dinner.

But to consign Tokaji Aszú only to the pudding course is missing out on so much potential drinking pleasure. These wines possess a fine balance of aromatics, acidity, flavour intensity, sweetness and dry extract, providing a fulfilling mouthfeel. I would urge readers to explore different ways to taste and match Aszú, along with other sweet styles from Tokaj. And we hope this guide will encourage you to do just that, experimenting with food pairing in what could be considered ‘unconventional’ ways.

Great wines, great pairings

A year ago, Wines of Hungary UK set out to demonstrate just how versatile sweet Tokaji can be, at a special wine and food- matching lunch at Michelin one-star Trivet restaurant in London. The aim was to challenge the accepted criteria – the ‘norm’ in food and wine matching – and to showcase the compatibility of these wines with savoury dishes. As it turned out, the younger Aszús were excellent with lighter dishes, while the wines with more bottle age complemented richer dishes such as game; they also worked wonders with cured meats and cheese. Ultimately, great wines tend to work very well with a wide variety of dishes.

In the pages that follow, 10 of the UK’s leading sommeliers and restaurant specialists share their specific insights into pairing Aszú wines with food (some of the wines may only be found on the restaurant’s wine list). But here we start with a few general tips for matching Aszú with food, based on my own experience.

Firstly, foods high in fat, salt, sugar and acidity, as well as ingredients such as saffron, all complement the sweetness and mineral structure of these wines. Also, consider matching the weight and body of the wine to that of the dish. Include elements that are in contrast to, or resemble the properties of the wine, such as salt to pair with sweetness, paprika and saffron-like spices for similar flavours. Charring or caramelisation goes well with the sweetness and minerality of the wine. Punchy, strong flavours are always good, as long as they are matched with similarly punchy, fuller styles of wine.

Contrasting structures and textures are difficult to match, though when they work they can create truly memorable pairing experiences. For instance, a light wine can work with a bold and rich dish. Equally, spiced pigeon can benefit from pairing with a richly complex aged Aszú.

Enjoy the journey here through different styles of cuisine. Our 10 experts have taken the time to play with the acidity, sweetness, mineral content and body of 10 Tokaji sweet wines (Aszú and Szamorodni), to create dishes that provide a perfect match. Why not read through the results of their endeavours with a glass of Aszú in hand? Then put on your apron, ready to recreate some of them for yourself. Egészségedre!

Head sommelier at Ekstedt, Klearhos Kanellakis matches Royal Tokaji, Aszú Blue Label 5 Puttonyos 2017 with juniper-smoked wild duck

Klearhos Kanellakis

Head sommelier, Ekstedt at the Yard, London SW1A

WINE Royal Tokaji, Aszú Blue Label 5 Puttonyos 2017 (£29.50-£33.95/50cl Jeroboams, Majestic, The Wine Society)
DISH Juniper-smoked wild duck

Royal Tokaji was founded in 1990 by a consortium that included world-renowned author and Decanter columnist Hugh Johnson. Its aim was to bring Tokaji wines back to international attention and it soon became one of the most respected producers in the region ‘We’re very familiar with their wines,’ says Kanellakis. ‘We sell several of their cuvées in our restaurant, and we even serve Eszencia in teaspoons (see All about Aszú) at special times of the year, such as Christmas and Valentine’s Day.

The Blue Label 5 Puttonyos is usually served at Ekstedt with a dessert of smoked apple tart with a glaze made from fermented raspberries. Kanellakis feels that the sweet-sour combination of apples and tangy berries marries perfectly with the wine’s kick of acidity.

To ring the changes, Kanellakis worked with head chef Therese Andersson (who competed in the BBC’s 2022 MasterChef: The Professionals) to match the wine with a savoury dish of juniper-smoked duck. ‘The smokiness of the duck is well balanced by the sweet fruitiness of the wine,’ he explains, ‘and there’s a beetroot purée in the dish that has a sweetness that makes it difficult to pair with dry red wines, but which works beautifully with the sweetness of the Tokaji.’ Kanellakis has been so impressed with the results that the pairing is due to become a regular feature of his autumn menu.

Wine director at Iconic Luxury Hotels group (includes Cliveden House in Berkshire, Chewton Glen in Hampshire), Francesco Gabriele matches Szepsy, Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2017 with Chewton Glen twice-baked cheese soufflé with frisée salad, walnuts and apples

Francesco Gabriele

Wine director, Iconic Luxury Hotels group (includes Cliveden House in Berkshire, Chewton Glen in Hampshire)

WINE Szepsy, Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2017 (£164.95-£190/50cl 9 Elms Wines, AG Wines, Hedonism)
DISHES Chewton Glen twice-baked cheese soufflé with frisée salad, walnuts and apples; Roast gilthead bream with Orkney scallops and salad niçoise.

The long-established Szepsy family’s wines have arguably reached their apogee under the guidance of the current generations of István senior and István junior. Gabriele is a huge fan of their ‘beautiful’ wines. He commends the Aszú, in particular, for its versatility, and paired the 2017 Aszú with two dishes.

The first is one of Chewton Glen’s signatures: a twice-baked cheese soufflé with an accompanying salad that features a combination of bitter, tart and sweet flavours. ‘The combination makes me think of that classic pairing of cheese and chutney,’ says Gabriele, ‘as the wine gives you that sweet-sour fruitiness you’d get from the pickle.’ The bitterness of the frisée leaves and the walnuts provide a welcome counterpoint to the sweetness of the wine, he feels, helping to balance the pairing and prevent it from becoming overwhelmingly rich.

The second pairing, which partners the wine with bream, works slightly differently. ‘The fish is fairly oily,’ explains Gabriele, ‘and the acidity of the wine helps to cut through its richness. ‘Further,’ he continues, ‘the outstanding component of this dish is that it contains caramelised black pepper, and the apricot fruit and sweetness of the wine harmonises beautifully with this spicy element.’

Wine & beverage director at Ynyshir, Rory Eaton matches Balassa, Szamorodni 2021 with Duck liver mousse with Bramley apple, puffed spelt and spelt tuile, smoked eel

Rory Eaton

Wine & beverage director, Ynyshir, Mid Wales (Michelin 2*)

WINE Balassa, Szamorodni 2021 (balassabor.hu)
DISH Duck liver mousse with Bramley apple, puffed spelt and spelt tuile, smoked eel

István Balassa is a relative newcomer to Tokaj, having founded his eponymous winery in 2005 with the aim of creating wines that reveal the intricate details of the region’s terroir.

‘What I really like about Balassa’s wines,’ says Eaton, ‘is that they have balance and freshness, while retaining complexity and sweetness. As a result, I find them really versatile when it comes to pairing them with food.’ Eaton has matched the wine to a complex dish that contains elements that are sweet and sour, but which also plays with texture and temperature. ‘The dish offers a take on the classic pairing of Tokaji and duck liver,’ explains Eaton, ‘but the duck mousse is served cold – it’s halfway between an ice cream and a parfait in terms of texture – and the lighter Szamorodni works well with the temperature of this dish.

‘The apple adds both sweetness and acidity to the dish – elements echoed in the wine – while the puffed spelt, with its toasted character, creates another layer that is almost like the seasoning you get from oak ageing,’ he continues, ‘and this too plays well with the flavours in the wine. ‘Finally,’ he adds, ‘there’s a dusting of smoked eel grated over the dish. A big element of our cooking here is done over fire, and the sweetness of the Tokaji wine harmonises really well with the smoky oak flavours of the fish.’

Sommelier at The Olive Tree Restaurant, Aisling Bury matches Füleky, Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2007 with pineapple cooked over coal, tonka bean parfait, fennel and ‘extra-old’ balsamic vinegar

Aisling Bury

Sommelier, The Olive Tree Restaurant, Bath (Michelin 1*)

WINE Füleky, Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2007 (£71/50cl Amathus Drinks)
DISH Pineapple cooked over coal, tonka bean parfait, fennel and ‘extra-old’ balsamic vinegar.

Getting the right marriage between dish and wine often takes a lot of trial and error, with various elements needing to be adjusted to ensure that the final result is truly harmonious. But, says Bury, in this instance, wine and food hit it off from the start.

‘This pineapple dish is the last on a nine-course menu,’ she says, ‘so I was looking for something that had that “wow” factor, without being cloying or heavy. ‘Tokaji brings both rich history and a sense of luxury to what should be the pinnacle of the meal, but it also helps refresh your palate despite the opulence of the mouthfeel.’ Both the flavours of the wine – unusual in that it is made only from the Hárslevelu grape rather than the more usual Furmint – and its structure lent themselves to the match.

‘You want something sweet enough to cope with the sweetness of the dish, but with enough acidity to leave your palate with an overall impression of freshness. This wine does that so well. ‘Also,’ she continues, ‘I wanted to have a wine that harmonised with the flavours of the dessert without replicating them exactly. So here the key flavours are the tonka bean, with its heightened vanilla character, and the pineapple, and the Tokaji brings this wonderful taste of apricots soaked in honey to the match.’

Head sommelier at Trivet, Sofia Crepaz matches Patricius, Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2017 with grilled sweetbreads with smoked maitake mushrooms, pickled lingonberries and wild cumin

Sofia Crepaz

Head sommelier, Trivet, London SE1 (Michelin 1*)

WINE Patricius, Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2017 (£49.95-£56.50/50cl Eton Vintners, Great Wines Direct, NY Wines, The Great Wine Co)
DISH Grilled sweetbreads with smoked maitake mushrooms, pickled lingonberries and wild cumin

Crepaz lists several Tokajis at Trivet, including a lot of dry wines from the region because she believes that they share the minerality and high acidity of a Riesling, with a slightly different flavour profile.

She often pairs a sweet Aszú wine with a complex dessert of Hokkaido potato millefeuille with a sake ganache. ‘It’s not the sweetest of desserts,’ she says, ‘so you need a wine with freshness and minerality like a sweet Tokaji to make it work.’ The wine she selected to pair with a dish of grilled sweetbreads comes from Patricius, whose Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2017 won Platinum in the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards.

‘The sweetbreads are really quite opulent and fatty,’ Crepaz says, ‘and there’s a very concentrated reduced sauce that adds saltiness. That saltiness is beautifully balanced by the sweetness and minerality of the wine, while the Aszú’s high level of acidity helps to clear the palate from the richness of the sweetbreads, leaving it refreshed and wanting another bite of food.’

The presence of the fermented lingonberries adds little bursts of saltiness, which also provides a counterpoint to the heft of the dish, while the flavour of the berries also chimes nicely with the ripe fruit character of the wine. ‘The final element,’ Crepaz notes, ‘is the spice of the cumin, which helps bring out the spiciness of the wine.’

Head sommelier at Piazza Italiana, Fabrizio Di Pasquale matches Chateau Dereszla, Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2019 with slow-cooked pork belly with Piedmont chestnuts, honey-caramelised onions and Italian herbs

Fabrizio Di Pasquale

Head sommelier, Piazza Italiana, London EC2R

WINE Chateau Dereszla, Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2019 (£36.64/50cl Armit Wines)
DISH Slow-cooked pork belly with Piedmont chestnuts, honey-caramelised onions and Italian herbs

Like many clever sommeliers, Di Pasquale uses Tokaji’s characteristically high levels of acidity as a tool to cut through the richness of high-fat dishes in order to refresh the palate.

‘The slow-cooked pork belly gave this dish a luxuriously unctuous character,’ he says, ‘and the Aszú wine alongside it performed its contrasting role of palate-cleansing with an exhilarating burst of brightness.’ But acidity isn’t the only weapon in the arsenal of Chateau Dereszla, a winery which dates back to 1406. ‘Like many Aszú wines from Tokaj, this cuvée has a kind of earthy, truffled note thanks to the botrytis,’ notes Di Pasquale, ‘and this complemented the earthiness you find in the chestnuts, helping the flavours of wine and food to work harmoniously together.

‘The sweetness of the honey-caramelised onions might have been a bit too demanding for a dry wine,’ he continues, ‘but the sweet Tokaji was more than equal to the challenge. I had originally suggested that the chef should add a twist of saffron to the dish, that would pick up on the saffron flavour in the wine, but the end result would have been too rich.’ Instead, he explains, ‘the herbs performed a similar role to a spice, helping the Aszú wine to lift the palate and ensuring that its flavours of candied pineapple and orange felt even fresher’.

Owner of The Red Lion & Sun, Heath Ball matches Sauska, Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2019 with Singapore chilli lobster

Heath Ball

Owner, The Red Lion & Sun, London N6

WINE Sauska, Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2019 (£30.49-£39.50/50cl Hedonism, The Fine Wine Co, The Great Wine Co)
DISH Singapore chilli lobster

‘Although a good few of our customers have heard of Tokaji,’ says Ball, ‘these are wines you need to recommend. Once guests have tasted them, though, they are absolutely sold.’ Most of the time, Ball recommends Sauska’s Aszú 5 Puttonyos – just one of the winery’s extensive range of wines – as a partner for cheese or desserts, but he’s also keen on pairing it with an explosively flavoursome dish inspired by Singapore’s classic chilli crab.

‘The lobster and the sauce are quite sweet, which means that they rhyme perfectly with the sweetness of the Tokaji,’ explains Ball, ‘while the wine’s sweet lemon sherbet notes and naturally high acidity cut through the richness of the lobster meat.

‘The flavours of dried apricot and mango in the wine, along with a bit of herbaceousness, work so well with the ginger and the chilli in the sauce,’ he continues. ‘This is a dish with a lot of bold flavours, but at the same time it’s not too heavy, so it’s a tricky match. We experimented with other sweet wines, but something was always missing until we realised that the Tokaji created the perfect combination.’

Head sommelier at Chef’s Table and Twenty Eight, Urcino Garcia Hernandez matches Béres, Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2011 with the five gourds

Urcino Garcia Hernandez

Head sommelier, Chef’s Table and Twenty Eight, Chester

WINE Béres, Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2011 (£34.99/50cl Baythorne Wines)
DISH The five gourds

‘I was fortunate enough to visit Béres in 2008,’ says Hernandez, ‘and I really appreciated their modern approach to winemaking. The estate was established in 2002 when József Béres and his wife Klára acquired a 90ha site outside the town of Erdőbénye.

‘The dessert wines are always impressive, and I enjoy their fresh, fruit-forward style, which is very different from the richer, more oxidative traditional style.’ It was a desire to highlight the bright, modern style of this wine that led Hernandez and his chef to pair it with a dish that combined five different kinds of squash and pumpkin – ‘a nod to the 5 Puttonyos of the wine,’ says Hernandez – with a garnish of pumpkin seeds toasted with togarashi (a Japanese spice blend of chilli flakes, seaweed and sesame seeds) and candied pecans.

‘Squash has a natural sweetness, ’explains Hernandez, ‘and it complements the sweetness in the wine. The wine’s residual sugar also works well with the heat of the togarashi spice and that hint of Asian flavours, while the candied pecans, which we scatter in with the seeds, bring out the notes of dried fig, date and sweet almonds in the wine.’

The coup de grâce in the dish is an espuma (vegetable-based foam) dressing based on Colston Bassett Stilton. ‘The inspiration here was the French appreciation of “sucré-salé”, in which the salty flavours of the cheese are offset by the sweetness of the wine,’ says Hernandez.

Wine list consultant at L’Oscar, Doug Wregg matches Hétszőlő, Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2010 with torched wagyu picanha, yakiniku sauce, charred corn salsa, avocado and sesame

Doug Wregg

Wine list consultant, L’Oscar, London WC1B

WINE Hétszőlő, Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2010
DISH Torched wagyu picanha, yakiniku sauce, charred corn salsa, avocado and sesame

Hétszőlő is one of Tokaji’s oldest wineries, with a history that stretches back to the early years of the 16th century. Today, it uses only its own grapes, grown across its 55ha of estates, and is one of the few Hungarian wineries whose production is entirely organic – fully certified since 2017.

Of all Hétszőlő’s many cuvées, Wregg has a soft spot for the 5 Puttonyos, which he believes achieves a perfect balance of sweetness, acidity and low alcohol. These elements, along with a good level of extract, which gives the wine a textural quality, help it to stand up to the strong flavours of a complex dish of seared beef, sweet salsa and an Asian-inspired dressing that combines soy sauce, sesame oil and lemon juice.

‘The sweetness in the wine offsets the strong salty and umami elements in the dish – a case of opposites attracting,’ explains Wregg, ‘while the acidity of the wine means that it isn’t overwhelmed by the tangy lemon juice that is part of the dressing.’ Wregg points out that the combination of sweet wine and savoury dish isn’t quite as unexpected as many would believe. ‘Fruit and spices are often paired with meat in European terrines, as well as sweet and sour dishes from Asia, so it’s really not that surprising that the fruit you find in Aszú wines marries well with savoury dishes.’

Chef-owner of The Counter, Kemal Demirasal matches Zsirai, Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2019 with lamb tartare with bulgur wheat, spices and pomegranate molasses

Kemal Demirasal

Chef-owner, The Counter, London W10

WINE Zsirai, Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2019 (£38.95/50cl Slurp)
DISH Lamb tartare with bulgur wheat, spices and pomegranate molasses

The family-owned Zsirai winery is a relative newcomer to an area rich in viticultural history, but it’s already winning awards for its zesty sweet wines. Demirasal admires this cuvée for its ability to match up to a rich dish which combines lamb with subtly warming spices and the sweet-sour tang of pomegranate molasses.

‘Lamb is naturally high in fat,’ Demirasal points out, ‘but it’s cut by the acidity of the Tokaji. It’s almost as if the sweetness of the wine recedes into the background and its spiciness comes to the fore. ‘The other thing about Tokaji,’ he adds, ‘is that it is a wine with one of the highest levels of dry extract, and that’s one of the things that helps to make it an ideal wine to pair with foods that have an inherent richness.

‘The presence of that extract in the wine lends it texture and body, allowing it to stand up to the weight of the dish, while the spicy notes in the wine chime with the gentle warmth of the spices in the tartare.’ The final element that helps to pull the marriage of wine and food together is the pomegranate molasses, whose sugary sharpness echoes the balance of sweet and sour in the wine itself.

Read more about Tojaj:

Welcome to magical Tokaj

Tokaj – the golden aristocrat of wine regions

All about Aszú

The post A perfect match appeared first on Decanter.

More than 450 years have elapsed since the first known written mention of Tokaji Aszú, and this was the first delimited wine region in the world – in 1737, more than a century before the famed first Classification of Bordeaux’s Left Bank estates in 1855.

Tokaj sits on more than 400 extinct volcanoes in the cool northeast of Hungary. Exquisite noble sweet wines are possible every year thanks to the unique terroir which supports the reliable arrival of ‘noble rot’ each autumn. It’s a scenic place to visit, too – Tokaj has just, in mid-October this year, been named one of the world’s Best Tourism Villages by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Great with food

Pairing Tokaji Aszú with dessert or cheese is an obvious approach, but Tokaj’s glorious sweet wines are also well suited to enjoy with many more dishes. Even the richest wines always have a lightness and ethereal quality to them, finely balanced between their natural sweetness and vibrant acidity, which is what makes Tokaji wines so versatile with food.

To help inspire readers, we asked several top UK restaurants to recommend food pairings to go with sweet Tokaji wines. We hope you will be guided by their ideas (see A perfect match) and ask for a glass of Aszú or Szamorodni with your main course, and use this expert insight as inspiration to create a special festive treat for your family. #dinewithaszu

December 10th is the annual International Aszú Day, so open a bottle of delicious Tokaji Aszú and join us in saying ‘cheers’ – Egészségedre!

Zsuzsa Toronyi, Wines of Hungary UK

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Read more about Tojaj:

Tokaj – the golden aristocrat of wine regions

A perfect match – Sommeliers pair Tokaj’s sweet wines with savoury courses

All about Aszú

The post Welcome to magical Tokaj appeared first on Decanter.

For many wine lovers, Veneto is foremost, the home of classic appellations and storied regional brands, yet there are a multitude of surprises waiting to be discovered here. South of Lake Garda, is one of northern Italy’s most exciting and undiscovered wine DOCs: Custoza, an often overlooked appellation that produces some truly delectable white wines.

Undiscovered jewel

A mere 20 minutes from Custoza, you’ll find Verona, the city that is home to Shakepeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and in another direction, Lake Garda, Italy’s biggest lake. Yet, nestled amongst the hills in Verona’s southwestern corner is a quiet, fresh, vineyard-adorned haven, protected from those crowded tourist destinations. Time seems to stop in Custoza’s hills, which have seen centuries of oenological tradition, dating back to the Romans.

Custoza wines are earning international recognition and acclaim, thanks to the efforts of the region’s dedicated vine growers, and the focused communication strategies of the Consorzio Tutela Vino Custoza DOC. The region’s white wines stand out for their saline expressiveness, their unique blend of local varieties and their great food pairing potential, suited for both local and international cuisines.

Custoza itself proves a worthy destination, as visitors can escape the hustle and bustle, to this quiet pocket of Veneto, where the stresses of life fade away in this sleepy village and its scenic hills.

Secrets of excellence

Although white wine has been produced in the region for hundreds of years, the Custoza DOC was officially founded in 1971. The area under vine is compact, flanked by the Morainic hills that define the landscape between Verona and Lake Garda: a bucolic paradise of woodland, rolling hills, lakes and vineyards. Custoza’s vines thrive on the calcareous soils of the zone, interspersed with gravel/sand deposits and silt.

Here, exceptional terroir and cool evening temperatures converge, yielding aromatic whites with racy acidity and freshness. Overall, the region enjoys a continental climate, with relatively cold winters and warm summers, tempered by the proximity of Lake Garda and the undulating nature of the landscape. In a typical vintage, growers will encounter a benign pattern of consistent sunshine, supported by adequate – but not excessive – rainfall. This helps white varieties to achieve good levels of ripeness without sacrificing acidity: aficionados love Custoza wines for their vibrant citrus aromas and food-friendly salinity.

The art of blending

Custoza wine producers are masters of blending. Four native varieties must constitute 70% of any given blend: Bianca Fernanda (a local clone of Cortese), Garganega (an indigenous Veronese grape), Trebbianello (a local phenotype of Tocai Friulano) and Trebbiano, historically cultivated on the hills of the area.

A smattering of other white grapes – such as Riesling and Pinot Blanc – can also be found in these sloping vineyards and can be used to make up the remaining 30%. This considerable flexibility – and therefore diversity – is one of the reasons why critics find Custoza so alluring.

Custoza DOC’s winemakers and growers challenge themselves each vintage, to create distinctive and elegant wines, designed to enchant international palates. Renowned for their powerful aromas, good acidity and rich texture, Custoza wines typically offer flavours of stone fruit, apple, quince and almonds in their youth. Given time to develop, nutty and mineral notes come to the forefront, displaying the typical minerality of the region’s morainic soils.

Authentically Italian

Custoza’s fascinating collection of indigenous white grapes and superlative wines are reason enough to visit the area. But Custoza has more to offer than viticulture alone, not least beautiful scenery, fresh air on tap and delicious local cuisine. Expect breathtaking and unexpected views if you venture out for a walk, hire an e-bike or head out on horseback. After exploring Custoza’s green hills, you can return to the village’s rural idyll for a fresh glass of wine and a wholesome meal.

At the heart of Custoza’s appeal, however, is the rarity and intrigue of its oenological tradition: Garganega, Cortese, and Friulano are rarely found outside of Italy. And yet, grape varieties are seldom referenced on the appellation label. In Veneto, more complex traditions prevail and winegrowers stake their primary reputations on representing the terroir, rather than a particular grape variety. When you select a bottle of Custoza, you’re purchasing a unique and inimitable interpretation of a magic combination of soil, situation and climate. This corner of Italy is for those who seek to find something different, and with the current worldwide interest in indigenous grapes, Custoza’s moment has arrived.

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Entrepreneurial acumen and passion seldom go hand in hand; one attribute tends to take over, ultimately leading a company’s strategy and ethos. The wine sector, however, is an exception. Key stakeholders in wine businesses often create commercial success because of a fundamental love of their country’s land, history and culture working in tandem with a savvy understanding of how to deliver quality and value.

J. García-Carrión is a perfect example of this synergy. It has played a key role in Spain’s ubiquitous presence on wine shelves and lists around the world. With an innovative take on tradition and a profound knowledge of the country’s potential as a leading wine-producer, J. García-Carrión has built some of Spain’s most recognisable brands, while also crafting award-winning limited editions.

130 years as pioneers

J. García-Carrión’s roots go back to 1890, when the company’s founder built a new winery in Jumilla. With extensive experience as a wine trader in Murcia, Cartagena, Lorca and Almería, García-Carrión took this timely and strategic step just as exports to France – where phylloxera had caused a dramatic shortage of wines – were peaking.

This opportune timing allowed J. García-Carrión to consolidate and scale production, paving the way for commercial success and laying the groundwork for future generations to flourish and expand. D. José García- Carrión – the founder’s great grandson – began a revolution both for the direction of the company and Spanish wine when he joined the business in 1968, aged 19.

Rafaela (Fala) Corujo, Vice president, José García-Carrión, President of García-Carrión, and Luciano García-Carrión, Vice President of García-Carrión

A new era begins

José García-Carrión, alongside his wife Fala Corujo took a novel approach, focused on marketing and brand development, that saw the creation of the iconic Don Simón wine in 1980. The brand eventually expanded to cover a broad range of products, including juices, soups and the ubiquitous Don Simón Sangria.

In 1997, José García-Carrión’s son, Luciano García-Carrión, took over the commercial and marketing departments, building on the company’s phenomenal success by expanding international distribution into more than 150 countries. Launching wines from different regions and DOS under a single umbrella brand allied the company to maintain a strong presence in established markets like Europe and the US, whilst also flourishing in emerging regions like Asia and West Africa. Pata Negra’s acclaim in Mexico and the growing popularity of flagship wines in South America stand as the shining examples of the strategy’s success.

From crafting accessible, high- quality wines for a broad international audience to curating flagship wines sourced from selected old vineyards, the company has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to showcasing the distinct terroirs, grape varieties and appellations of Spain. This success cements J. García Carrión’s position as a versatile industry player able to meet the needs of varied international consumer tastes, and also underscores its innovative prowess in navigating the evolving landscape of the global wine market.

International success

The company’s efforts have been consistently recognised by international wine critics and journalists – not least at Decanter’s own World Wine Awards (DWWA). Bodega La Ermita Cepas Viejas Monastrell DO Jumilla 2019 was awarded a Gold Medal by Decanter judges this year. First released 40 years ago, the wine was crafted with care and precision, receiving a 96-point nod from the DWWA judges. They praised the ‘rich, savoury plum, cherry, earthy and liquorice’ notes and were seduced by the ‘big and bold’ limited edition, which hails from ungrafted old Monastrell vines – describing it as ‘an engaging wine with lots going on’.

The Jumilla’s Rioja counterpart – Bodega La Ermita DOCa Rioja 2019 – also stood out, scooping a Silver Medal with 94 points. Produced with fruit from a high-altitude south-facing plot of Tempranillo at the foot of the Sierra Cantabria (one of the highest elevation sites in the DOCa Rioja), the judges loved the ‘restrained vanilla, cedar, red plum nose’. A dash of Graciano certainly contributed to the wine’s overall balance and well-integrated tannins.

Excellence at all levels

2023 has been extraordinary for the wines of J. García-Carrión, which were recognised at all levels across multiple competitions – earning over 800 medals so far – demonstrating the company’s expertise and commitment to delivering quality and character at all price points. Mayor de Castilla Roble DO Ribera del Duero 2022, Pata Negra Roble DO Ribera del Duero 2022, Jaume Serra Brut Nature DO Cava and Mayoral Reservado DO Jumilla all received Silver Medals with a score of 90 points at the DWWA.

An emphasis on sustainability

J. García-Carrión’s sustainable viticultural practices, environmental awareness and consumer-centric approach fortify its firm business ethics. The company addresses climate challenges by employing a 360° sustainability strategy, and leveraging technology and innovation to reduce and neutralise its carbon footprint. It seamlessly blends tradition with innovation, making sustainability integral to its story of success.

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Located south of Lisbon, on the other side of the Tagus estuary, the Setúbal district’s abundance of sunshine, sea and sand make it not only a popular holiday destination but a region where Castelão, a native Portuguese red grape variety thrives. It has famously done so since the middle of the 19th century, when José Maria da Fonseca produced Periquita, Portugal’s first bottled table wine brand. Made predominantly from the eponymous grape, the wine brought newfound recognition to both the variety and the region.

Palmela, the pinnacle

Still called Periquita by locals, Castelão is the Setúbal district’s most planted grape. Hardy and adaptable, it has long been popular with growers. For wine lovers, Castelão’s charm resides in an abundance of sweet-scented, soft, fleshy fruit, which reaches its apogee in Palmela DOC, on the Setúbal peninsula itself. Here, in the variety’s heartland, Palmela’s heat-retentive sandy soils intensify Castelão’s perfumed, emphatically red berried, plummy fruit, with black and blue berry fruit in riper, fuller-bodied examples.

Setúbal’s treasure

Low in tannins, young Castelão is typically supple and approachable. Nonetheless, wines are well-balanced thanks to the grape’s natural acidity, encouraged by the pervasive Atlantic influence which tempers Península de Setúbal’s warm, dry Mediterranean climate. Deliciously mellow with bottle-age, Castelão develops tertiary notes of liquorice spice, dried plums, chocolate and soft leather. The best examples of each vintage can age comfortably for decades.

Palmela DOC’s red wines often comprise 100% Castelão, or thereabouts – however, blends must always include at least 67% of Castelão. Red wines from Península de Setúbal VR can be made from many varieties, and in any proportion, however Castelão remains a firm favourite in this much larger area. It covers the Setúbal peninsula and extends well south, encompassing a long corridor of land, between the Atlantic coastline and Alentejo.

Ample potential

With over forty producers, varied soils and micro-climates (notably the calcareous slopes of the Serra da Arrábida, and continental influence for areas further inland), Península de Setúbal is the place to explore the Castelão’s full range of expression. Expect powerful, top tier examples to hail from older vineyards, planted to traditional clones, with a smattering of other local grapes, notably Tintinha at Pegos Claros. At the other end of the spectrum, Castelão’s smooth, fruity charm makes for excellent entry-point wines.

More recent developments include blending Castelão with leading grapes from elsewhere in Portugal or France, such as Touriga Nacional, Cabernet Sauvignon or Tannat. Earlier-picked, lighter single-varietal Castelãos and Castelão blends with crunchy acidity and lower alcohol are emerging as the region’s young guns reflect current drinking trends. Meanwhile, elegant, perfumed examples are winning Castelão a new moniker, ‘warm climate Pinot Noir,’ highlighting producers’ renewed ambition and regard for Península de Setúbal’s signature red grape variety.

Castelão – eight wines to try:

Herdade Pegos Claros, Grande Escolha , Palmela, Portugal 2017 
Century-old bush vines deep-rooted in sand, produce intense waves of fleshy plum and strawberry, with lingering black tea, saline, coffee and mushroom notes. Ripe tannins and harmonious acidity make for a seamless flow. Foot-trodden with 40% whole bunches in lagares, it is aged in 50% new French oak 500l barrels.
Drink 2023-2037 Alc 13.8%
95 points

José Maria da Fonseca, Periquita Superyor, Peninsula de Setúbal, Portugal 2017
Imported by M Imports (USA)
Well-defined, with concentrated, supple blackcurrant, red and black cherry, berry fruit and smoky chalk/iodine, catering chocolate and black tea nuances. Fine-grained, ripe tannins support the lithe, long palate, with pronounced minerality to the finish. Sourced from 40-year-old vines on clay/lime soils and aged in 100% new French oak.
Drink 2023-2037 Alc 14.4%
95 points

Trois, Castelão, Palmela, Portugal 2018 
An elegant, slow burn Castelão from calcareous and sandy soils, with inky floral, orange peel, nutmeg, cinnamon and black tea riffs to the blood plum and red cherry fruit. Released after lengthy ageing in extra fine grain French oak, mille-feuille-like tannins make for a lingering, gently ruffled finish.
Drink 2023-2030 Alc 14%
94 points

Quinta de Piloto, Coleção de Família Tinto, Palmela, Portugal 2017
Imported by Raymond Reynolds (UK) and Brands of Portugal (USA)
Powerfully concentrated best barrels’ selection from old Castelão vines on sandy soils, peppered with Alfrocheiro, Moreto, Espadeiro and Alicante Bouschet. Well-structured and brooding – built to age – it was fermented in amphora and spent 24 months in French oak, then 12 months in bottle, buffing the tannins and muscular, dark, ripe fruit.
Drink 2024-2034 Alc 15.5%
94 points

Horácio Simões, Tradição Castelão Tinto, Palmela 2021 
Lovely purity and definition of fresh blackberry, mulberry and plum fruit, with ripe but present sooty tannins and a lick of salt. Bright acidity sustains the elegant finish. From a two acre parcel on sandy soil, 4,000 bottles produced.
Drink 2023-2028 Alc 13.5%
93 points

Herdade do Cebolal, Tinto, Peninsula de Setúbal, Portugal 2021 
An early-picked blend with taut black and redcurrant fruit. Fresh, perfumed fig fleshes out the mouth-watering backbone of acidity. Virtually unoaked, 10% of the wine aged in used barrels. Located inland by a small river and forests, regenerative agriculture helps the southerly vineyard’s schist and clay soils conserve moisture.
Drink 2023-2027 Alc 12%
92 points

Adega Fernão Pó, ASF Tinto, Palmela, Portugal 2019
Castelão’s sweet, spicy, chocolate-edged red berry fruits take the lead, Touriga Nacional brings perfume and accentuates richness, whilst Tannat (planted in 2006) lends extra backbone and intensity to this innovative blend from sandy soils. Ripe with good structure and well-balanced acidity, the French oak (100% new) is well-integrated.
Drink 2023-2028 Alc 14.5%
92 points

Casa Ermelinda Freitas, Baía deTróia, Peninsula de Setúbal, Portugal 2021 
Imported by Laithwaites (UK)
A sweet, supple, fruit-forward Castelão with upfront appeal from the sandy soils of Fernando Pó. Matured in French and American oak, and with 12g/l of residual sugar, it reveals jammy red berry fruit, a herbal edge and creamy mocha oak.
Drink 2023-2026 Alc 14.5%
89 points

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Being part of the three Michelin star pantheon is not something many chefs can claim – especially not if they’re self-taught and have no background in hospitality. That’s what makes Viki Geunes engineer-turned-chef so exceptional. Alongside Viviane Plaquet, his wife and business partner, Geunes has trailblazed a unique path within the Belgian (and international) fine-dining sphere over the last three decades.

Born in 1972 in Neerpelt, northeastern Belgium, Geunes opened his first restaurant, called ‘t Zilte, in 1996. The venue, located in Mol – a town one-hour drive east of Antwerp – that his simple yet detail-focused style of cuisine was born. Since then his style has evolved, with more innovative techniques allowing him to interpret ingredients in a refreshing and contemporary way, creating intense flavours and cementing the chef’s trademark playful style.

2004 was a pivotal year for the chef; among numerous accolades, Geunes earned his first Michelin star and was named ‘Young Chef of the Year’ by Gault & Millau. He was then hailed ‘Best Chef of the Year’ in 2009 after receiving his second Michelin star in 2008. A few years later, in 2011, ‘t Zilte relocated to Antwerp’s Museum aan de Stroom (museum by the stream), where Geune’s reputation and signature cuisine was consolidated, as he was able to reach a wider audience.

In 2020, Geune and Plaquet’s daughter, Gitte, joined the team. This new stage was marked by two key events: the restaurant’s rebirth as Zilte and, later in 2021, the award of a third Michelin star. Having joined the prestigious Relais & Châteaux network this year, Zilte is now one of only three restaurants with the top Michelin nod in Belgium. It was during a trip to Rioja in 2008, organised by importer La Buena Vida, that Geunes first came across the Remírez de Ganuza project and Remírez de Ganuza’s wines have featured in Zilte’s wine list ever since.

Carafe (Wild duck, fermented blueberry, red beet, sakura, young pine cone)
The smokey duck meat – roasted whole with a filling of smoked hay – is covered in a malt, syrup, mirin and soy sauce glazing, creating a sophisticated interplay of flavours. The truffle scented gravy and mille-feuille of puffed beetroots with salted sakura leaves add earthy complexity. The tangy fermented blueberries and pine cones (pasteurised in maple syrup, ginger syrup and soy sauce) provide texture and a flavour edge.

Fincas de Ganuza 2016
88% Tempranillo, 9% Graciano, 3% Mazuelo; 14.5% abv
Produced with hand-harvested-and-sorted grapes from selected sites in the foothills of Sierra Cantabria and aged for two years in 225-litre oak barrels (85% French, 15% American). Aaron Moeraert, head sommelier at Zilte, explains that this relatively young wine, because it retains great freshness and a perfect balance between primary and secondary flavours, pairs well with the juiciness of the duck’s pink meat and the complexity of the multiple garnishes.

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Pyramids of brightly coloured iced doughnuts, trays of cupcakes topped with swirled pink, yellow and blue frosting, and piles of shiny fresh fruit – oranges, tomatoes, grapes – bring vibrancy and energy, a panoply of colours. Willy Wonka would feel at home here! A table laid out like this, is certainly not the first thing you would expect to see in a winery but this is something different. As the team behind Campo Viejo explains, this is Casa Pasión.

Casa Pasión marked the official launch of Campo Viejo’s Reserva Pasión Limited Edition, as part of the brand’s new ‘Add Some Pasión’ campaign. The two-day extravaganza was intended to illustrate that ‘things that are simple become extraordinary’, highlighting passion and talent through different creative disciplines like art, gastronomy, music and dance.

It could be said that the success of Campo Viejo lies in consistency and reliability. Which poses the question; how does a brand innovate when its name is synonymous with dependability? By placing it front and centre in life’s special moments and experiences, and by sharing the passion and vibrancy of Spain’s diverse and dynamic culture, believes the winery.

New-fashioned approach

For the launch of the new limited edition, Campo Viejo clearly embraced this philosophy with an energetic and eye-catching aesthetic. Aside from the table laid out with tasty treats, the bodega also became home to a variety of modern art installations, featured a flamenco show and even offered an elaborate and colourful meal created by renowned chef Alejandro Serrano.

Colourful meal created by renowned chef Alejandro Serrano for the Casa Pasión event to launch Campo Viejo’s Reserva Pasión Limited Edition

Serrano, who at just 21 broke the mould by becoming the youngest Spanish chef to receive a Michelin star for his innovative restaurant in Miranda de Ebro, was a perfect choice to partner with for this passion-themed event. Bringing an unusual approach to the region’s cuisine, he creates menus solely from seafood and vegetables, which highlighted the adaptability of the carefully paired Campo Viejo range of wines.

Special Reserva

‘Making something simple special’ is how Federico Leonard, Global Wine Ambassador for Campo Viejo, summarises the winery’s approach to winemaking. With this in mind, the winery commissioned young Spanish artist Misterpiro to design a special label for limited release, which was exclusively showcased at Casa Pasión. A contemporary artist whose paintings exude colour and vitality, Misterpiro worked in collaboration with head winemaker Ignacio López to create a unique design for the most famous wine in the range, Campo Viejo Reserva.

The unique label maintains the classic Campo Viejo orange design at its core but is bordered by Misterpiro’s ‘pasión’ design, based on paintings created during the artist’s various visits to the vineyards. Misterpiro explains that he was inspired by his impressions of the winery and terroir, which looked different on each of his visits to Rioja.

Working with López, the artist tasted individual tanks and barrels to find ‘the nuances within the different varieties’ which enabled him to reflect these in his energetic design. Misterpiro, originally a graffiti artist, has gradually introduced more traditional techniques into his repertoire over time. But his focus very much remains on the outdoors – hence the perfect synergy of his creative label design for Campo Viejo’s special edition.

Artwork on display at Campo Viejo Casa Pasión

Wine as art

López draws a parallel between art and the art of winemaking. ‘What we use as winemakers are the vines, landscape and soils. The intention is to express something that moves you,’ he explains. The winemaker believes that Misterpiro’s unique design represents the landscape in the same way that his wines express the Riojan terroir. ‘Misterpiro’s art speaks for itself, and we feel the same way about our wines – when you drink them, you should know where they come from,’ he expands.

Lopez also feels that Misterpiro’s creative process is comparable to the considered ways of winemaking. Remarking on the similarity between the reflective process of winemaking and blending, he highlighted how the artist painted several pieces along the way, leaving each one for a while before returning to use the colours in a different way.

Campo Viejo Casa Pasión in Logroño, Spain

Long-term inspiration

It is apt that Misterpiro’s colourful new label design was inspired by the vineyard, as this is where Campo Viejo is focusing most of its attention. As the biggest brand in Rioja, the winery understands its responsibility to both its growers and the environment. Several years ago, it stopped using herbicides and since then, has helped growers adapt to more sustainable vineyard management. Regenerative viticulture underpins the winery’s practices across the estate.

Although its commitment to the sustainable practices is long-term, the winery’s innovative approach to its brand is ever-changing, seeking to meet the market’s demands for something ‘dependably new’. The Limited Edition Reserva featuring the Misterpiro-designed label hails from the 2017 vintage and will be available over the festive season. It marks the first release in the ‘Pasión collection’ and exemplifies Campo Viejo’s tagline that ‘with passion, anything can be extraordinary’. And if Casa Pasión is anything to go by, this Limited Edition Reserva off to an extraordinary start.

Flamenco performers at Casa Pasión

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Founded in Fuenmayor by a group of like-minded friends in 1998, Bodegas Altanza has, from its inception, had the single intention of making authentic Rioja wines with a modern twist. Rioja wines that are able to express terroir, grape variety and tradition in a pure and sophisticated way. This philosophy has been applied with particular attention when crafting the winery’s Reservas, whose production sits upon three core premises: the use of estate-grown fruit only, a focus on Tempranillo and the thoughtful use of French oak.

The rule of exception

These are the building blocks for the creation of Bodegas Altanza’s four flagship Reservas: Altanza Reserva, Altanza Familia, Altanza Club and the Spanish Artist Collection. Yet, although the underlying principles are the same, each of them offers a particular expression of Tempranillo, resulting in different and distinctive age-worthy Rioja wines. Together with the Gran Reservas in the winery’s range, the four Reserva wines make up 50% of the winery’s production – a daring quality-focused proposition, that sets it apart from most of its counterparts, where focus is often placed on high volume, young wines.

A narrative with chapters

Because these wines are embedded in the estate’s identity, the story of the Reservas of Bodegas Altanza offers a complete and perfect overview of the producer’s history and evolution. It all began with the eponymous Altanza, the first Reserva the winery produced, first released in 2001. Elegant, with richness of fruit balanced by velvety tannins, and with lovely persistence, the wine encapsulates Altanza’s style in a straightforward and unpretentious way.

Its successor was Altanza Familia, a more modern expression of Reserva with extended ageing, following 18 months in barrels, in foudres and in bottle prior to release. This lends it a particular finesse, underlined by beautiful freshness and velvety tannins, with finely carved black cherry, liquorice, dried fig and tobacco flavours, topped by a layer of pepper and clove.

Carlos Ferreiro, Winemaker

Having received a 96-points nod from Decanter in 2023, the award-winning Altanza Club, started as a limited release wine available to members only. It has been made available to the wider public since 2005, due to popular demand following outstanding reviews from international critics. With production limited to 183 barrels (French new oak), members can buy a whole vessel and have the wine tailor-finished for special events, gifts or landmark dates.

Last but not least, the Spanish Artist Collection is a special series, released in exceptional vintages only, now especially sought after by collectors. Launched in 2001, it quickly turned heads for its masterful marriage of winemaking and artistic excellence, with each vintage depicting the works of renowned Spanish artists. The current edition – Velázquez Reserva 2011 – is the sixth to be released. The product of the excellent 2011 vintage, it features paintings by Diego Velázquez, the leading painter of the Spanish ‘Golden Age’. These truly are Altanza’s masterpieces and long may its harvests yield such works of winemaking art.

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Thanks to its exceptionally diverse terroir, distinctive signature grape varieties and new generation of passionate winemakers – from committed small-scale artisans to distinguished winemaking dynasties – Maremma Toscana DOC is today one of Tuscany’s most innovative and dynamic appellations.

From the hills to the sea, across the entire province of Grosseto in southern Tuscany, this pristine territory – with more than two millennia of winemaking heritage, yet still not completely tamed – is attracting ever-greater attention with an array of wines appealing to a wide range of palates.

Whether it’s for white wines – in particular Vermentino, the region’s calling card – or its increasingly sought-after rosés, varietal reds or red blends, Maremma Toscana’s variegated, coastal-influenced terrain is justly considered unique in the wine world.

Vermentino’s ideal home

‘Since Etruscan times, this has been the ideal habitat for grape vines and, thanks in part to the dazzling sunlight found here, indigenous and international varieties now thrive under the aegis of sustainability and technical innovation,’ explains Francesco Mazzei, president of the Consorzio Tutela Vini della Maremma Toscana.

Right now, Vermentino is the appellation’s crown jewel. Tuscany’s archetypical coastal white has enjoyed considerable success in its fresher, simple styles, but longer-aged versions with more complex vinification are now attracting more attention. From 2023, lovers of fine white wines should look out for Vermentinos carrying the ‘Superiore’ wording on their labels – denoting complex, age-worthy wines that can only be marketed a minimum of 14 months after harvest.

New discoveries

Another one of Maremma Toscana’s success stories has been Ciliegiolo, a recently rediscovered variety now primarily used to make varietal wines that offer its trademark bright cherry flavours and a characteristic lively freshness. To these one might add the more structured wines from the Tufo sub-region and inland Maremma, sheltered by the Colline Metallifere, as well as the region’s increasingly sought-after rosés and red wines – both single-varietal and blends – produced from native or international grapes.

Native varieties Ansonica (a white variety), Alicante Nero (Grenache) and Sangiovese are increasingly being explored by a new generation of winemakers to further carve out Maremma’s regional identity, while international grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah, introduced since the 1990s, are yielding benchmark wines in their categories, thanks to the region’s unrivalled maritime terroir.

The impressive, palate-pleasing characteristics of Maremma wines and the efforts of new generations of winemakers are key elements in the ever-higher levels of quality that the region is achieving. For wine professionals and wine lovers, there has never been a better time to focus on Maremma Toscana DOC.

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Glenelly’s logo is nothing if not striking: a dignified young lady riding a perkily-trotting rhino, while balancing an ornate – and enormous – wine glass. Unusual, certainly, yet it captures the power, elegance and balance Glenelly strives for in its wines, as well as the estate’s three key elements: its aristocratic European ownership, African soul and, of course, wine.

Glenelly is owned by May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, who spent 30 years as managing director and owner of Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in Pauillac and was voted Decanter’s Woman of the Year in 1994. Nine years later, at the age of 78, she headed to Stellenbosch in search of a new project.

Why South Africa? The story goes that de Lencquesaing had sponsored the Bordeaux blends category in a wine competition for many years, and her interest was piqued by handing out the trophy most years to winners from Stellenbosch. She realised there must be something special there and made her move, buying Glenelly Estate.

Not that it was a ready-made wine estate by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, at the time, it was just a fruit farm, with not a single vine. The new owners had to pull up an awful lot of plum trees to replant their 57 hectares.

Bordeaux reds and Chardonnay went in, and a spectacular gravity-flow winery over four floors was sunk into an old quarry. It’s far bigger than currently required, but the team at Glenelly are planning for the future.

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On the foothills of the Simonsberg, Glenelly is one of the closest wineries to the centre of the town of Stellenbosch, its vast floor-to-ceiling window in the fermentation hall looking out over schools, churches and the estate’s after-school care centre for its workers’ children. Knowing that education is key to their future, Glenelly follows and supports the children’s progress very closely.

‘Because of our proximity to the town, we like to say that we are the Haut-Brion of Stellenbosch,’ jokes de Lencquesaing’s grandson, CEO Nicolas Bureau.

Glenelly has embraced regenerative viticulture, striving to nurture the life of the soil as much as the health of the vines. Most of the vineyards are in a natural amphitheatre, facing from south-east through south-west, and after 20 years the team are understanding the nuances of their terroir. Cabernet, for instance, is showing more promise than Merlot, which is more sensitive to the heat and is slowly being replaced. The best red blends are already Cabernet-dominant, and this looks set to increase over time.

There’s a genuine polish and elegance to the wines, which remain remarkably well priced, given their aristocratic heritage.

‘Quality is key, and with time, you start building a following for the style we are pursuing. You don’t create a reputation with [a high] price,’ says Nicolas Bureau. ‘We’d rather start from the bottom up and put our prices up slowly as demand increases.’

On this evidence, it most surely will.

Glenelly Estate – Four wines to try:

Lady May, Stellenbosch, 2017

With 24 months in barrels, most of them new, you’d expect this wine to be an oak bomb. But there’s so much fruit concentration here, it simply absorbs it. 90% Cabernet, it shows a tightly-coiled cassis nose, with a brooding inky liquorice element shadowing in behind. Further flavour elements appear on the palate – Christmas spices, graphite – as it moves with lithe power. Made with sensitivity and precision, it’s undeniably one for the long haul.
96 points
Drink 2023-2050 | Alcohol 14.5%

Estate Reserve Red, Stellenbosch, 2016

This used to be mostly Cabernet and Syrah, but now it’s a Bordeaux blend with a 12% dollop of Syrah – a formula that on this evidence works really well. There’s plenty of shiny blue Cabernet fruit on the nose, but the other varieties take over on the palate, with a gentle undertow of blackberries, a shading of graphite and a dusting of herbs. It’s full-bodied, but classily put together and excellent value, too.
95 points
Drink 2023-2035 | Alcohol 14.5%

Estate Reserve Chardonnay, Stellenbosch, 2021

‘Chardonnay can get fat,’ says winemaker Jerome Likwa, ‘and that’s not what we want.’ Despite 100% barrel-fermentation they’ve achieved their goal. This is a pretty style of Chardonnay – bright and light-footed, with crisp, clean pear and apple compote flavours leading onto a creamy palate with some minerality and tension. Elegantly crafted.
92 points
Drink 2023-2030 | Alcohol 12%

Glass Collection Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch, 2020

Glenelly are acquiring a strong reputation for their Cabernets, and it’s easy to see why; for the price, this, from their affordable ‘Glass Collection’ range, is excellent. Bright, pure blackcurrant fruit, with elegant tannins and a touch of cedary cigar-box, it’s brisk and refined, with perfectly judged oak use.
91 points
Drink 2023-2028 | Alcohol 14.5%

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When people leave their homes in a hurry, they tend to prioritise what they take with them. So it says a lot about the Bruwers’ French Huguenot ancestors that when they embarked on a new life in the Cape in 1688 they left the Loire clutching bundles of vines.

About 60 miles north of the tip of Africa, super-dry Robertson is very different from Rouen; it’s only possible to even grow grapes there thanks to irrigation from the Breede River, and the Bruwers’ first vineyards were on alluvial soil near the river.

This area is no place for the faint-hearted, particularly once you move up into the hills. The soil is extremely rocky, and preparing the land for vines – and looking after them – is hard work.

It takes resilience and creative ingenuity to thrive here. Which perhaps explains the pride that Abrie Bruwer – current joint custodian of the land with his sister, Jeanette – has in his enormous workshop, where intricate machines of all descriptions are created, adapted and repurposed to do battle with the unforgiving terrain.

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In many ways it captures much of what Springfield is all about: no-nonsense common sense, self-reliance and a tendency to take the right, rather than the easy option. The estate’s motto, ‘Made on Honour’, is apt – not least because it is reflected in the wines, too.

The Life From Stone Sauvignon Blanc is practically hewn out of quartz, from the most unforgiving of vineyards; the Work of Time Bordeaux blend and Méthode Ancienne Cabernet each have seven years of age before they are released – more than a Rioja Gran Reserva. These are serious wines, made by people who are serious about what they do.

Well, most of the time anyway. Jeanette Bruwer wryly tells the story of the family’s attempt to see how wines would age at sea.

In 1999 a case of Methode Ancienne Cabernet was duly lowered down off the side of a boat in the Indian Ocean. Unfortunately the experiment hit the buffers when they couldn’t find the wines again. After three years of fruitless searching they gave up.

Then on New Year’s Day 2003, the errant case of wines mysteriously reappeared. Covered in barnacles and somewhat pungent the bottles might have been, but the wine itself was magnificent.

‘I like a wine like a person with lines on its face and no make-up,’ muses Jeanette. ‘It needs life experience and time.’

Springfield Estate – Four wines to try:

The Work of Time, Robertson, 2017

Always mostly Cabernet Franc-dominant, there’s some serious age on this Bordeaux blend, which spends two years in oak and five further years in bottle. Although there’s still plenty of silky dark cassis fruit on this six-year-old wine, its defining factor is perhaps its cool, river-pebble heart. Flavours of cedar, graphite and cherry-lip wrap around it obediently, and it centres the wine beautifully.
94 points
Drink 2023-2040 | Alcohol 14.5%

Life From Stone Sauvignon Blanc, Robertson, 2022

This wine’s name is a reference to the tough, rocky quartz soils where it’s grown. And there’s a definite cold, steely glint to the pale, almost green-flecked wine itself. Tight grass and citrus wrap around sappy green fruit and a smoky minerality. Defiantly itself, it’s as bracing as a salty lungful of ozone on a chilly, spring seafront.
93 points
Drink 2023-2026 | Alcohol 12.5%

Methode Ancienne Chardonnay, Robertson, 2020

How ‘ancienne’ is Springfield Estate’s méthode ancienne? Well, put it this way, they control the fermentation temperature by opening and closing the cellar door! Very hands-off, the wine shows plush yellow peach flavours, with a creamy, slightly cinnamon-spiced mid-palate from the influence of 70% new oak. The succulent palate tapers to a gently salty point on the long finish. One for crayfish.
93 points
Drink 2023-2030 | Alcohol 13.5%

Albarino, Robertson, 2022

‘We had a lot of fun with this,’ says Springfield’s co-custodian, Jeanette Bruwer, and it shows. Fleshy peach flavours are underpinned by a joyful bedrock of tangerine and pink grapefruit and sprinkled with a dusting of ginger. It’s impossible to dislike. Particularly good, given how young the vines are, so we can expect more of this variety in future.
89 points
Drink 2023-2026 | Alcohol 13%

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Creativity, research, innovation and heritage: these are the values that shape the style of Fear No Dark, a new project from the Pasqua family that expresses the most daring reaches of their oenological vision.

Although Pasqua Wines is a respectful custodian of its history, it sees tradition as a motor of innovation and does not remain tied to the rules of the past: the constant drive to innovate has propelled the company beyond the confines of the familiar.

Challenging darkness

Fear No Dark presents a bold metaphorical challenge to the absence of light, the ultimate symbol of the unexplored. With the release of this new project, Pasqua Wines continues its quest for innovation, seeking new oenological horizons without fearing the unknown. The wine bears out the winemakers’ belief in the potential of a shadowy parcel within the extraordinary Mai Dire Mai vineyard in Montevegro, tended by the Pasqua family since 2010; an embracing of darkness as a place of undiscovered possibilities. Pasqua handles the grapes with both ancestral knowledge and state-of-the-art technology, daring to vinify grapes of unapologetic concentration and an assertive and powerful character; mastering a fierce raw material to sculpt an elegant wine.

The Mai Dire Mai vineyard

A Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend with 5% of the indigenous Oseleta, Fear No Dark reveals a different side of a vineyard already praised for the Amarone Mai Dire Mai. The specific parcel Fear No Dark hails from is a northeast-facing plot, covering 5.1 hectares in one the property’s most secluded areas. With limited sun exposure, and kissed by the breezes from Mount Lessini, the plot is notably cool, allowing for a longer maturation cycle. Pergola-trained and with a density of 4,000 vines/ha, it was one of the first plots to be planted at Mai Dire Mai, 40 years ago, delivering small yields of concentrated and very complex fruit. To tame this complexity, Fear No Dark rests for 16 months in new French oak 500-litre tonneaux and 225-litre barriques.

‘We have been working on this project since 2010, the first vintage of Mai Dire Mai Amarone,’ explains CEO Riccardo Pasqua. ‘We have since studied the character of each parcel and, recognising the potential of that specific shadowy plot, have patiently observed its potential. We have waited 10 years to consolidate and position the Mai Dire Mai range, which has since become one of our most successful brands,’ he continues. ‘Today, having refined the knowledge of each micro-parcel and of how to vinify Cabernet Sauvignon – and having been validated by both national and international critics – we are ready to present Fear No Dark. It is testimony of our strength of vision and of the coherence of all our projects.’

Riccardo, Umberto and Alessandro Pasqua

Winemaking as art

The first release of Fear No Dark, the 2020 vintage, of which only 12,000 bottles were produced, was marked by balance and harmony. A mild and dry winter was followed by a rainy and troubled spring, offset by a summer without extreme temperatures and with ideal levels of rainfall. During harvest, in the second half of October, optimal conditions, dry and warm, allowed the best grapes to reach the winery in perfect condition.

The result is a wine positioned between a Valpolicella Classico and an Amarone, in the ultra-premium segment, released to market on the full moon, 29 September 2023, and available on allocation only. The date was intentionally chosen within the framework of the Luna Somnium art project, consolidating the connection between Pasqua’s winemaking legacy and the fine art world. Luna Somnium is a installation unveiled during the latest edition of Vinitaly and exhibited at the Gallerie Mercatali di Verona. Through the symbol of the moon, it evokes a new vision of reality via the emotional power of art, calling on the audience to shed preconceptions and attachments to what is already known, to change perceptions and to remain open to new perspectives.

Embracing the unknown

Luna Somnium therefore becomes an invitation to free interpretation and expression, a dream that combines poetry and technology, envisioned through the power of human imagination. This makes a perfect parallel with the essence of Pasqua Wines, exemplified by Fear No Dark and Mai Dire Mai; a laboratory of constant research, open to dialogue and confrontation, where the new and the unknown are embraced rather than feared.

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Bruwer Raats is a man who makes an impression. ‘It doesn’t matter who’s in a room,’ said one winemaker, ‘when he walks in, everyone notices. It’s hard to put your finger on. He just has… presence.’

The same could be said for his wines, which have gained an impressive reputation since Raats started making them under his own name in 2000. They’re not big or showy; they’re just stand-out good, regularly picking up five-star ratings in South Africa’s influential ‘wine bible’, the Platter Guide.

Raats began without either vines or a winery of his own. Instead, he bought fruit from local farmers he liked and trusted and (like many young start-up winemaker operations) rented space in an existing winery.

Although he has had his own farm since 2003, it’s purely for blending the top red wines. He still rents or shares cellar space in a local winery and has long-term agreements with three local farmers to lease their vineyards and grow the grapes together.

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The vineyards are almost all in the Polkadraai Hills – the smallest sub-region in Stellenbosch at just 1000 hectares. Grapes from these slopes have become among the most sought-after in the region, with the decomposed white dolomite (granitic) soils infusing the wines with a distinctive minerality and chalkiness – particularly Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc.

Winemakers Mzokhona Mvemve, Bruwer Raats and Gavin Bruwer

These are the two varieties which Bruwer decided to focus on when he started out, reasoning that it was better to specialise than generalise. But people were still taken aback at what was then a left-field choice.

‘Starting on those two varieties in 2000 was crazy,’ admits Sam Raats, Bruwer’s son, who is following in his father’s sizable footsteps. ‘Chenin Blanc was for brandy or bulk wine and everyone told my dad that Cabernet Franc was a blending variety.’

To say he’s proved the doubters wrong since would be something of an understatement. Sam is spending the 2023 vintage in the Loire so will doubtless come back enthused with more ideas for both varieties.

If you want to see what Bruwer Raats is capable of with other varieties, it’s worth checking out his MR de Compostella. Made in conjunction with his great friend, Mzokhona Mvemve, the first black graduate from the university of Stellenbosch’s Viticulture and Oenology course, it’s a Bordeaux blend of five varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec – whose proportions change from year to year.

Raats Family Wines – Four wines to try:

Family Cabernet Franc, Stellenbosch, 2020

While the Raats Dolomite Cab Franc is brightly sappy and Loire-like in style, here Bruwer Raats is looking for a more Bordelais style. From the best Cabernet Franc vineyards it has a darker, black-cherry fruit character with herbal cedar and oregano top notes and a beautiful cool river-pebble stoniness at its heart.
95 points
Drink 2023-2032 | Alcohol 13.5%

MR de Compostella, Stellenbosch, 2020

Bruwer Raats’ collaboration with his great friend Mzo Mvemve, this is a powerhouse of a Bordeaux blend made from the best parcels of fruit in the best vineyards. The blend changes every year, but this is Cab Franc dominant, which brings a gentle wisp of coriander leaf to the cassis and cherry-lip fruit flavours. Serious weight, but it’s also refined and pure with the dolomite soils providing energy and drive through the palate.
95 points
Drink 2023-2040 | Alcohol 14.5%

Old Vine Chenin Blanc, Polkadraai Hills, 2022

If the Raats Original is Chenin at its most relaxed, this is what the variety tastes like when it makes a bit of an effort. A bit of concrete egg-fermentation and some time in old oak add extra layers of weight and texture beneath the custard apple, melon and white peach flavours. Superbly well made, it’s beautifully balanced and effortlessly structured.
94 points
Drink 2023-2028 | Alcohol 13%

Original Chenin Blanc, Polkadraai Hills, 2022

When the Wine and Spirit Education Trust wants to show students an example of Cape Chenin, this is the bottle they turn to – and it’s easy to see why. With its green fig, pineapple and mouth-watering citrus flavours it’s an absolutely textbook example of unoaked Stellenbosch Chenin. Brilliant Tuesday night glugger.
90 points
Drink 2023-2025 | Alcohol 13%

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Klein Constantia occupies a special place in the heart of anyone interested in wine from the Cape. Not only because it is the birthplace of what can probably, without hyperbole, be called the New World’s first ever icon wine – the extraordinary Vin de Constance sweet wine, which was wowing European courts in the 18th century – but also because the estate is so indelibly linked with the history of the Cape.

Klein Constantia is part of the original farm owned by Simon van der Stel, the immensely influential governor of the Cape from 1679. And yes, in case you were wondering, the town of Stellenbosch is named after him.

He was given the estate in recognition of the diligence and skill of his service; a thank-you which involved a whopping 763 hectares of prime land behind Table Mountain.

There was, originally, only one ‘Constantia’ estate, but over the years, as owners’ fortunes waxed and waned, it was split into two. Due south of Cape Town, towards Cape Point, Klein Constantia is a truly beautiful spot with spectacular views out towards False Bay and the Cape wine lands.

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Van der Stel knew about wine, and as well as a house, garden and orchards, he also put in 10,000 vines, among them Muscat, Chenin Blanc and Semillon. He was very definitely on the right lines, because even today this breezy spot – around five degrees cooler than Stellenbosch on average – is very much a white wine area.

Of Klein Constantia’s 65 hectares of vineyards, all but seven are white. And if you needed any further proof of how cool it is here, over half of them are Sauvignon Blanc. Winemaker Matthew Day is a huge fan.

‘I love the variety,’ he says unequivocally. ‘It’s my favourite wine to make. It is serious and it is ageworthy.’ He’s worked with Loire legend Pascal Jolivet, and incorporated some of his techniques – wild fermentation, no additives, no settling before fermentation to name but three – to create wines of texture and longevity.

Their best Sauvignon vineyards are a good way up the side of the mountain, at around 250 metres above sea level, before it gets too steep and rocky to plant. The cool east- and south-east-facing slopes are perfect for the variety.

The only problem, in fact, is baboons, who live on Table Mountain and munch their way through an astonishing 27 tonnes of ripe fruit every year!

Klein Constantia – Four wines to try:

Vin de Constance, Constantia, 2020

Enticing bright gold in colour, there’s a regal air to this sticky delight that befits its one-time status as European court wine. An intense explosion of flavours – peaches, sugared grapes, candied lime plus lemon, ginger and vanilla pod. It’s a drink to savour slowly – either on its own or with a plate of blue cheese. Count the finish in minutes…
95 points
Drink 2024-2043 | Alcohol 13.7%

Clara Sauvignon Blanc, Constantia, 2021

A blend of the best Sauvignon Blanc vineyards in the Perdeblokke, 250m up on cool East and South-facing slopes, this combines intriguing elements from its different terroirs. Exuberant tropical fruit flavours – mango and fig are the predominant note, but smokier, more saline flavours lick in around the edges – and the finish has real grip. Quite oily and textural, it’s one for scallops or lobster.
94 points
Drink 2023-2033 | Alcohol 14%

Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Constantia, 2022

Currently only 10% of this well-priced Estate blend is barrel-fermented, but winemaker Mathew Day has hopes of increasing this to nearer 50%. There are plenty of enticing tropical fruit flavours, backed up with zingy, zesty herbal notes to provide lift, and a taut minerality on the finish. If you want the essence of the Klein Constantia estate, this is it.
93 points
Drink 2023-2028 | Alcohol 13.7%

Anwilka, Stellenbosch, 2019

This Stellenbosch estate (co-owned by Klein Constantia) is undergoing a long, slow process of regeneration. There’s no shortage of intensity – dark, ripe fruit, liquorice spice and deep colour – though tannins still squeak in around the edges of the finish. Needs time to settle down but has potential.
89 points
Drink 2023-2038 | Alcohol 14.9%

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Weather extremes are on every winemaker’s mind and Slovenia is no exception. 2022 was the hottest and driest year on record, then 2023 was the wettest in 40 years. Rebula/Ribolla Gialla, the flagship grape of the beautiful, hilly, cross-border regions of Brda and Collio, has sailed through both seasons with grace.

Deep resilience

Due to its ability to root down 12 metres in search of scarce water in hot years, Rebula is a resilient and resourceful grape. Under conditions of water stress, it produces secondary metabolites giving more complex flavours and higher quality wines. In wetter years, on the other hand, the region’s special opoka bedrock becomes the hero. Its page-like layers of marl, calcite and sandstone fracture easily so water drains away quickly, and grapes keep their quality and concentration.

Brda and Collio’s Alpine-meets-Mediterranean climate also offers sunshine to ripen grapes but constant mountain breezes keep the bunches healthy. Rebula is late ripening, so misses the hot summer season nights and always retains vibrant acidity, along with moderate alcohol.

Sustainable by nature

This set of natural conditions, along with the determination of local growers, means that the region is sustainable by nature, with 99% of the grapes grown on short terraces that hug the steep hillsides. This is good for sun exposure but also helps to retain enough moisture (there’s no need for artificial irrigation), while at the same time allowing heavy downpours to drain away without erosion damage. Wildflowers fill the spaces between vine rows and the 20 plant species and five bird nests that researchers seek as a measure of sustainability in vineyards, are easily found here.

Something for everyone

Wine is a drink that truly interprets what the vine does with the land and climate, though Rebula’s versatility allows winemakers to stamp their own stories on the wines too. Whether it’s fine sparkling, fresh mineral whites, layered age-worthy classic examples, skin contact wines or even rare, sweet passito styles, this heroic combination of grape, landscape and people can offer something for everyone. And with Trieste just an hour away and Venice a straightforward 90 minutes’ drive, it’s easy to start your wine journey in this stunning wine region. Welcome to the Brda/Collio hills.

Rebula – twelve wines to try:

Marjan Simcic Domaine, Rebula Opoka Medana Jama Cru, Goriška Brda Slovenia 2020
Available from Orbit Wines (UK), Banville & Jones Wine Merchants (USA)
A complex, expressive wine with aromas and flavours of tropical fruit, mango, sweet spice and dried peach. Hints of tangerine add a zesty edge. It’s intense and generously juicy, with a firm structure of fine-grained tannins and a sapid mineral finish.
Drink 2023-2033 Alc 13%
96 points

Scurek, Rebula Up, Goriška Brda, Slovenia 2020
Available from Cask Cartel (USA)
Glorious aromas of sun-ripened peach, mock orange and dried apricot lead to a rich, velvety palate with juicy flavours of dried peach, apricot and mandarin, completed by a fine, mineral aftertaste with hints of salted lemon.
Drink 2023-2027 Alc 13%
96 points

Erzetič, Orbis Rebula, Goriška Brda, Slovenia 2019
Available from XtraWine (UK)
A bright golden wine with endless layers of bouquet – meadow herbs, toasted nuts and fruity notes of quince, pineapple, bergamot zest and candied peel. The fruit is generously ripe, mouth-filling, and silky with gentle acidity and lovely length.
Drink 2023-2028 Alc 13.5%
95 points

Gradis’ciutta, Sveti Nikolaj Rebula, Slovenia 2021
Available from www.gradisciutta.eu
Beautifully expressive with scents of vine peach, Mirabelle and lemon zest. It’s a sleek, graceful wine, expressing generous yellow plum fruit, juicy acidity and harmonious creamy oak, then a lingering finish.
Drink 2023-2027 Alc 13%
94 points

Edi Simčič, Rebula, Goriška Brda, Slovenia 2021
Available from Bancroft Wines (UK), August Imports (USA)
Refined and elegant with a bouquet of ripe pear, camomile, iris and wild thyme. To taste, flavours of juicy Asian pear, ripe apple and Acacia blossom are enhanced by subtle vanilla, with a persistent, saline finish.
Drink 2023-2030 Alc 13%
94 points

Ferdinand, Rebula Brutus, Goriška Brda, Slovenia 2019
Available from MacArthur Beverages (USA)
Destemmed berries spend 12 months in barrel, giving amazing aromatic complexity with dried apricots, bitter orange zest and wild thyme. It’s surprisingly fruity to taste, with melon, mango and zesty notes, and a robust backbone of savoury umami tannins.
Drink 2023-2030 Alc 12.5%
94 points

Sturm, Ribolla Gialla BIO, Collio Italy 2022
Available from Ester Wines (UK), Sturnik Wines & Spirits (USA)
This organic wine has a delicate bouquet of pear, green melon, honeysuckle and mint. It’s mouth-watering, with pear and melon notes, a touch of mandarin zest, underscored by a vibrant core of bright acidity.
Drink 2023-2025 Alc 13%
93 points

Klet Brda, Bagueri Rebula, Goriška Brda, Slovenia 2020
Available from Berkmann Wine Cellars (UK) and The Thief Fine Wine and Beer (USA)
There’s an inviting nose of white peach, toasted pine nut, meadowsweet and a touch of fresh quince. It’s refined and supple to taste, with lemon oil, nectarine, candied pineapple and lingering citrussy freshness.
Drink 2023-2030 Alc 13.5%
93 points

Medot, Rebula Journey, Goriška Brda, Slovenia 2022
Available from www.medot-wines.com
A light golden wine with aromas of meadowsweet and fresh quince, leading to a generously fruity palate with hints of nectarine, melon and hedgerow blossom with a lasting, mineral finish.
Drink 2023-2028 Alc 13%
91 points

Dolfo, Dolfo Rumena Rebula, Goriška Brda, Slovenia 2022
Available from XtraWine
Crisp, vibrant and linear in style, with inviting aromas of yellow plum, camomile and lemon flower, then gentle ripe apple and golden melon fruit in the mouth, with an appetising saline finish.
Drink 2023-2026 Alc 12.5%
90 points

Jermann, Vinnae Ribolla Gialla, Venezia Giulia, Italy 2022
Available from Berkmann Wine Cellars (UK) and Maze Row Wine Merchant (USA)
A whistle-clean, bright version of Ribolla Gialla, first produced in 1983. It’s light straw gold with subtle notes of green apple, peaches and cream, and a twist of meadow herbs, backed by crisp lively freshness.
Drink 2023-2027 Alc 12.5%
90 points

Klet Brda, Quercus, Goriška Brda, Slovenia 2022
A benchmark example of classic, fresh Rebula. White peach, green apple and touches of meadow herbs on the nose lead onto flavours of peaches, lemon oil and green almond on the finish with a refreshing touch of zesty acidity.
Drink 2023-2027 Alc 13%
89 points

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Bruce Jack, it’s safe to say, is not like most winemakers. As a profession, cellarmasters tend to be reluctant to talk about much outside their sphere of expertise, coming alive when the conversation turns to viticulture or winemaking techniques – often the more arcane the better.

Jack, however, is pretty much the opposite. Time in his presence can cover anything from politics to African history, the correct way to serve tea and the joys of print media. Getting him to talk about wine at all is something of an effort, and even then it comes with frequent high-speed digressions into wineland folklore. These stories can be sad, funny or educational – but never boring.

Jack trained as a winemaker at Australia’s famous Roseworthy college, which produced a generation of top winemakers who transformed the wine world in the 1990s. Like many of them, he’s happy to travel the globe, and makes wine in Spain and Chile and has four different wine ranges in South Africa.

He freely admits that the cheaper, bigger-volume ranges from outside the Cape are what allow him to play, experiment and – you suspect – scratch his creative itch with, for instance, the wines from Drift Estate and his brilliantly labelled Ghost in the Machine range.

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The farm was bought by Jack’s father, who wanted to retire somewhere where he ‘couldn’t see the lights of his neighbours’ farm at night, but which was two hours from an international airport.’ Jack searched all over the world for just such a spot, before settling on this 200-hectare estate in the Overberg Highlands.

About 50km north of Elim, at the southernmost tip of Africa, it’s remote and quiet, the vast spaces filled in the summer by gently whispering wheat. While still close to the Atlantic (which meets the Indian Ocean just a bit further along the coast), it’s also high, at 500m above sea level.

Initial plantings saw a lot of experimentation – everything from Malbec and Tannat to Barbera and Touriga Nacional. ‘But we now know what this farm will excel at,’ beams Jack. ‘Early-ripening varieties like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The only late-ripener that works here is Shiraz. There’s an elegance. You can’t push fruit here.’

The Drift Estate – Four wines to try:

Ghost in the Machine Shiraz, Western Cape, 2021

It’s almost worth buying the Ghost in the Machine wines just for the labels, which are, apparently, all unique. That said, this estate offering has beautiful perfumed red fruit, with white pepper and a drop of Worcestershire sauce spice. Powdery tannins and silky fruit, succulent and yet sapid – it’s proof of the potential of Syrah in this region.
93 points
Drink 2023-2034 | Alcohol 12%

The Drift Estate Moveable Feast, Overberg, 2019

Bruce Jack says this blend of Syrah and Malbec (plus about a fifth Tannat and Touriga Nacional) is about ‘capturing the essence of this part of the universe’. It’s a powerful concentration of damsons, blackberries and red cherries with a dusting of Christmas spices, nuts and violets in a firm structure. Very definitely one for the future – cellar for 10 years if you can.
92 points
Drink 2033-2050 | Alcohol 13.5%

The Berrio Sauvignon Blanc, Elim, 2021

Named after Vasco da Gama’s ship, which sailed around the cape in 1497, the Berrio is one of South Africa’s most famous Sauvignons. And is now (as of this vintage) being made by the original team once more. It’s a taut, pointed expression – all privet, green tea and gunflint, with a scattering of gooseberries on the top. Very ageable.
92 points
Drink 2023-2033 | Alcohol 13%

The Drift Estate Penelope MCC, Overberg, 2019

There is not a lot of the Portuguese red grape Touriga Franca planted in the Cape, and even less of it gets made into MCC (Methode Cap Classique). But perhaps it should. This fizz has already spent four years on lees, but still has plenty of attractive red cherry fruit and rhubarb on the nose, with a light wafery grip and saltiness on the palate.
90 points
Drink 2023-2030 | Alcohol 12.5%

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There are not many good things to have come out of the pandemic, but Radford Dale’s venture into cool-climate Elgin is one of them.

The company already had a winery in coastal Stellenbosch when Covid-19 struck and everything changed practically overnight.

‘The ground was shifting,’ recalls Jaques de Klerk, Radford Dale’s co-owner and head of viticulture and winemaking. ‘There was a ban on wine sales in South Africa and a lot of people wanted to get out. Buying the vineyard in Elgin was an opportunity that might not have existed were it not for the pandemic.’

The Elgin estate is a small one – just 20 hectares, of which only six were under vine at the time of purchase. Radford Dale have since increased this to 11 hectares, having planted more Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as the first Gamay in the region’s history. But, unusually, the estate has been farmed organically since it was first planted in 2007, meaning that the soil is teeming with life. ‘Chemicals nuke everything, the good and the bad,’ says de Klerk. ‘With organic vineyards there’s a balance. And there’s a natural vivacity to the vines. It’s like they are supercharged!’

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As well as being hands-off in the winery and minimum intervention in the vineyard for a decade, Radford Dale are also champions of unusual varieties. Grenache is one. Most of this variety’s plantings are currently in Swartland, but the team at Radford Dale feel it has real potential in Stellenbosch, too, and is better suited to the climate than, say, Merlot.

Gamay is another. They were the first to plant it in the Cape for 20 years, in Stellenbosch, and own or manage 3.5 of the approximately 8ha currently in existence, so it’s clearly something they believe in. The combination of granite soils (as in Beaujolais) and Gamay’s ability to withstand heat make it able to produce good mid-weight or chillable wines even in higher temperatures.

But their championing of the underdog is perhaps most clearly seen in their Frankenstein Pinotage – a tongue-in-cheek reference to the not always stellar reputation that the variety has enjoyed. The team at Radford Dale, however, believe Pinotage is a grape more sinned against than sinning.

‘The creature [in Frankenstein] was ostracised and beaten, so it became a monster,’ says de Klerk. ‘When treated with compassion, its softer side reveals itself.’

They have learned from the mistakes of the way that the variety used to be treated – picked too ripe, extracted for a long time and heavily oaked to try to create big, powerful, Cabernet-like wines, to which it was exceptionally ill-suited. Or as de Klerk pithily puts it, ‘If its mother was Pinot and its father was Cinsault, why would you make it try and do Cabernet work? We like to appeal to Pinotage’s wonderful innate qualities and try to avoid provoking its mean side!’

Radford Dale – Four wines to try:

Radford Dale Organic Estate, Touchstone Chardonnay, Elgin, 2022

If you like a sweeter, riper style of Chardonnay, this isn’t for you. It’s taut, linear and restrained; not introverted exactly – it’s drinking nicely now – but certainly self-possessed. The fruit is white and edgy for the Cape – think cool pears and apples, not peaches – with a gleaming, pure needle-point of acidity shining through its flinty heart.
95 points
Drink 2023-2033 | Alcohol 13.5%

Renaissance Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, 2020

The RD team are big fans of Chenin on granite, and this wine – from 50-year-old vines on the dolomitic Polkadraai Hills – shows why. It’s a multi-layered offering of fresh Mirabelle plums, quince and apple compote, beautifully balanced by Chenin’s natural broad-mouth acidity. Texturally, it’s oily and waxy, with a taut saltiness – almost smokiness – in behind.
94 points
Drink 2023-2033 | Alcohol 13%

The Antidote Gamay Noir, Stellenbosch, 2021

This wine is so-called because it’s the antithesis of big, heavily-fruited wines. Certainly, there’s an attractive brambly mid-weight fruit character to this – baskets of red fruit with gentle tannins and a natural salivating acidity. If Gamay loves granite in Beaujolais, then why not in the Cape, too? On this evidence we’ll see more of it.
92 points
Drink 2023-2025 | Alcohol 12.5%

Frankenstein Pinotage, Stellenbosch, 2020

Winemaker Jacques de Klerk says that to get good Pinotage you need to treat it gently. This is whole-berry fermented at cooler temperatures and barely oaked in old 500-litre barrels. The result is a joyful, pure, juicy explosion of summer: black strawberries and currant bushes with zest and vibrancy. Bright, crunchy and chillable for late summer or early autumn.
90 points
Drink 2023-2026 | Alcohol 12%

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With a rich history, a unique terroir and a precious stock of old vines, Tenuta Villa Bellini is a project like no other, especially in the context of Valpolicella, where in 2007 it became the first organic-certified producer. A small château-like estate, with vineyards, orchards and olive groves surrounding a breathtaking stately home whose origins date back to the 1400s, Tenuta Villa Bellini produces a limited range of organic wines marked by a trademark elegance. It offers a unique, filigreed expression of Valpolicella, that allows the vines and terroir to shine.

Reviving a precious heritage

Allowing the viticultural heritage of Tenuta Villa Bellini to come to the forefront has been the project’s goal since the beginning of its modern history, in 1989, when the estate pioneered wild-yeast fermentation in Valpolicella at a time when the practice was rather frowned upon. The team has thus been able to sublimate the intrinsic value of the alberello-trained vineyards, not least the ungrafted, pre-phylloxera plots planted by Count Bellini over a hundred years ago, to create a range that stands out for its purity and expressiveness.

The philosophy of Tenuta Villa Bellini rests upon three core values: respect for tradition, attunement to nature and viticultural excellence. Growing on natural, southeast-facing terraces, the vines, aged between 35 and 200 years, are farmed according to organic and biodynamic principles and provide the raw material for a very limited production of elegant, sophisticated and age-worthy wines. Yields are kept low for maximum concentration and aromatic depth, and only the best fruit reaches the cellar, where it is fermented with a pied de cuve produced with fruit from the estate’s oldest vines.

With its architectural jewel, incredible stock of old vines (unique in Valpolicella) and dry stone walls, Tenuta Villa Bellini tells the story of a place where beauty, heritage and craftsmanship have long evolved together. A small paradise where art and technique work alongside to express the excellence of nature.

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