Petit Chablis 2022

Top-scoring Petit Chablis 2022

The wines below all scored 90 points or above. 

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There is a Port for all seasons if you know where to look. Often thought of as an after-dinner, fireside drink, Port can be enjoyed in multiple ways depending on the character of the wine.

There is a pyramid of different Port styles, from vibrant youthful ruby to venerable aged-tawny and vintage. Port is often thought of as a heavy winter drink, but aged tawnies, colheitas and mature vintage Ports can be supremely elegant and refined.

White Port and tonic (also known as Portonic) and tawnies (served slightly chilled) are just as well-suited for warm summer days as a ruby or a full-bodied LBV is for the winter months. Such wines have never been more in demand.

This style guide climbs the Port pyramid, surveying the latest trends. It will point you to the right Port for any occasion, winter or summer.

Decanter Premium is the perfect last-minute gift for wine lovers!

Ruby

Named after its youthful colour, a ruby Port will be a blend of wines from more than one year. It is aged in bulk for up to three years and bottled young to capture its strong, fiery personality.

Reserve

A blend of premium-quality wines often aged for slightly longer than a basic ruby before bottling: giving a rich, satisfying Port. A reserve tawny is a blended wine that has spent about seven years in wood. It can be excellent value compared to wines bottled with an indication of age.

Crusted

So-called because of the deposit (or ‘crust’) that the wine throws in bottle. Crusted Ports are a blend of wines from two or three harvests aged in large oak vats for two to four years (though surprisingly there is nothing in the regulations on this). Like a vintage Port, they are bottled without any fining or filtration. The only significant date on the label is the year of bottling. Most crusted Ports are ready to drink with five or six years of bottle age and will last for another decade. The British houses make a speciality of this style. Excellent value: crusted is poor man’s vintage Port!

White

Made from white grapes. Most are bottled young but some whites are capable of wood age. Those wines may now be bottled with the same age indications as tawny Ports or as a colheita (see below). White Port and tonic is a revitalsing summer drink, served with a twist of lemon and a sprig of mint. If you use an older wood-aged wine, your Portonic takes on the bitter-sweet character of a Negroni.

Pink

This style of Port was pioneered by Croft and has been adopted, not without controversy, by most shippers. It is made by cooling fermenting grape must, which has had minimal skin contact. Serve pink Port over ice or use as a mixer.

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Late Bottled Vintage (LBV)

Late Bottled Vintage means just what it says on the label: wwine from a single year that’s bottled between four and six years after the vintage. It’s produced in much larger volumes than either classic vintage or single-quinta vintage (see below). Two different styles of LBV Port have emerged.

The modern style of LBV was founded by Taylor’s in the mid-1960s and quickly became a commercial success. These wines are aged in large vats and are subject to fining and filtration prior to bottling. This prevents the formation of a crust or sediment in bottle, which removes the need to decant.

During the 1990s there was a counter-trend towards so-called ‘traditional’ or unfiltered LBV. These wines are aged in the same way but bottled without any filtration. Unfiltered wines are more structured and full-bodied than LBVs that have been filtered. They have the capacity to age for five to 10 years in bottle. They are bottled with a driven cork – as opposed to the stopper cork for LBVs that are bottled for immediate drinking.

An LBV may also be sold as ‘bottle matured’: aged in bottle for a minimum of three years before their release. Warre’s and Smith Woodhouse have made a specialty of this style. The wines share something of the depth and character and maturity of a true vintage Port at a fraction of the price.

Bottles at Graham’s Port Lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.

Vintage Port

Seen by many as the pinnacle of the Port pyramid. Many shippers have built (and occasionally destroyed) their international reputation on the back of vintage Port. The skill in making a great vintage Port comes from the strict selection of small lotes (parcels) of wine from the very finest locations made from grapes picked at optimum ripeness after an outstanding growing season. These grapes need to be very well worked during vinification, either foot-trodden in traditional stone lagares or increasingly subject to careful piston extraction or robotic treading. Graham’s 2000 was the first classic vintage Port to be partially made by robotic feet.

After the harvest these wines are monitored for a potential vintage. The decision to ‘declare’ a vintage is made independently by the shipper and it is not one that is taken lightly. There is no law about the regularity of Port vintages but there are usually three or four a decade. However, over the past decade there has been a string of fully or partially declared years including 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Port vintage guide: 2000-2022

Port vintage guide: 1960-1999

Quantities are limited and a major shipper may declare anything from a few hundred cases to 15,000 cases depending on the year and circumstances. Sometimes the quantity declared is much less.

There is a recent trend towards declaring super-premium wines from a site-specific plot in a particular vineyard (often alongside a classic declaration). Quinta do Noval Nacional, from a tiny plot of ungrafted vines, is the historic prototype for this sub-category of wines. It now includes Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha, Graham’s Stone Terraces and Quinta de la Rosa’s Vale do Inferno. The total quantity declared of each wine is usually no more than 250 cases, and prices are commensurate. These are the ultimate collector’s wines!

Quinta do Noval

Before a Port can be bottled as a vintage it must be submitted to the IVDP (Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto) for approval. This can happen anytime between 1 January and 30 September in the second year after the harvest. Once the wine has been bottled it continues to evolve slowly over a period of at least 15 to 20 years or more, before it is considered ready to drink.

Rather like the seven ages of man, vintage Port enjoys a short, fragrant bloom of youth before it shuts down and goes through 10 to 20 years of surly adolescence. Then it slowly emerges as an adult gaining in gravitas until it reaches its peak, often between 20 and 40 years of age.

For the finest wines the peak becomes a long plateau and old age may not be reached for 80 years or more. Anyone born in one of the great post-war vintages of 1945, 1955, 1963, 1966 and 1970 has a wine to accompany them for life!

Since the early 2000s, a dramatic improvement in the quality of the fortifying spirit (which, it is easy to forget, makes up 20% of the wine) has altered the flavour profile of vintage Port. The spirit being used to fortify vintage and single-quinta vintage Port has a much more vinous character than in the past.

This means that it interferes much less with the fruit in a young wine than the coarse, rather oily spirit used previously. Certainly recent declared vintages such as 2007 and 2011 are notable for the purity and clear expression of fruit, even at this early stage. David Guimaraens, head winemaker for The Fladgate Partnership, maintains that the transition from youth to maturity will be much smoother in future, with less of that awkward adolescent stage. This should make vintage Port easier to broach at an earlier stage but the best wines should still age for a lifetime.

Vintage port 2000 and 2003: panel tasting results

Single-Quinta Vintage Port

With huge improvements in winemaking from the 1980s onwards, the production of a good vintage Port is much less of a hit-and-miss affair. Unless the year is a total washout (eg 1993 and 2002), wines of potential vintage quality can be made every year. Consequently wines from good years (in between declared vintages) are bottled by the major shippers as single-quinta vintage Port (SQVP). The same rules apply as to vintage Ports, the only difference being that the wines come from a single quinta or estate with the recommendation that they may be drunk earlier, after 10 rather than 20 years.

Without the collector’s cachet of a vintage Port, these wines are excellent value and by building up a vertical collection you can follow a specific Douro terroir. A handful of independent quintas are now producing their own SQVP nearly every year, along the lines of a Bordeaux château. Although this is a relatively new category, look out for properties that already have a good track record: Quinta do Vesúvio, Quinta de la Rosa, Quinta de Roriz, Quinta do Crasto, Quinta do Passadouro and Quinta do Vale Meão.

Touriga Nacional vines at Quinta de Roriz

Aged Tawny

Sharing the pinnacle with vintage Port, it has been said that whereas vintage is the ‘king’ of Ports, tawny is the ‘queen’. The ageing process is of vital importance. While a vintage Port will mature for a short time in large wooden vats and then in bottle; tawnies will age for much longer in small casks before bottling. These casks, known as lodge pipes, have 600- to 640-litre capacity.

The wines undergo a steady process of controlled oxidation and esterification as the colour fades from deep, opaque ruby to orange-amber-tawny. The tasting and blending of an aged tawny is a continual process. Wines set aside initially are often marked with the year of the harvest (‘colheita’). But as the shipper makes up new blends followed by blends of blends, the characteristics of individual wines gradually meld into the house style.

Tawnies may be bottled with an indication of age: 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 years old. Even older wines may be designated ‘Very Very Old Tawny’. The age designations are obviously approximations and all wines have to be submitted for tasting by the IVDP for approval.

I adore the intricacy and delicacy of a well-aged tawny. A 20 Year Old is my preference, for its complexity offset by freshness. But there are some increasingly good 30, 40 and 50 year old wines as well, that don’t seem to have sacrificed their balance with age.

Port shippers often opt to drink a gently chilled tawny after lunch in the heat of the Douro. Think of aged tawny as a summer alternative to a fireside glass of vintage or LBV.

The Kopke cellars have large reserves of old Ports

Colheita

Meaning ‘harvest’ in Portuguese, colheita is a wine from a single year, aged in wood for a minimum of seven years before bottling. By this time the wine begins to take on the characteristics of a tawny. Most colheitas are aged for much longer and, with careful nurture, may be bottled after 50 or 100 years.

Two dates appear on the label: the year of harvest and the year of bottling. The latter is significant as the wine won’t generally improve in bottle – although after prolonged ageing in wood it won’t deteriorate quickly either.

Once the preserve of a select group of so called ‘Portuguese shippers’ (Barros, Burmester Cálem, Kopke, Krohn) colheitas have been taken up enthusiastically by the British shippers, sometimes bottled under the name ‘single harvest’. Serve colheitas cellar-cool, like a tawny.

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Social media posts and some French media reports suggested hip-hop star and producer Jay-Z enjoyed a trip to Bordeaux wine country earlier this month, even if the precise itinerary of the tour remained open to speculation.

The trip coincided with Jay-Z’s 54th birthday on 4 December, and was also held to celebrate the 50th birthday of Jay Brown –  co-founder of Roc Nation with Jay-Z in 2008, and the label’s current vice chairman.

Although details of the trip remained somewhat mysterious, it’s believed Brown temporarily ‘privatised’ exclusive spa hotel Les Sources de Caudalie for guests.

Beyoncé, married to Jay-Z since 2008, and Rihanna were among the other high-profile guests visiting the region, according to Le Figaro newspaper, citing Instagram posts by celebrity news agency Backgrid. 

One photo posted to Instagram by @KodakLens appeared to show Jay-Z with a glass of red wine at famous Pomerol estate Petrus, along with the message ‘Brooklyn to Bordeaux’. The account is run by senior Roc Nation executive Lenny Santiago.

Jay-Z visits Bordeaux wine country…Photo published on Instagram by @kodaklens.

There were also unconfirmed reports of a visit to Châteaux d’Yquem, with media outlet France 3  citing Instagram updates from Santiago. One photo appeared to show bottles of Yquem 1969 and 1973, the birth years of Brown and Carter, noted Le Figaro.

Other social media footage purportedly from the trip showed several guests in-front of large-format bottles of Petrus.

Château d’Yquem, owned by LVMH, said it had no information about the journey of Jay-Z and friends in Bordeaux.

Alice Tourbier, owner of Les Sources de Caudalie, said that she couldn’t comment on reports about the venue’s latest high-profile guests. 

Les Sources de Caudalie, which lies within the grounds of Château Smith Haut Lafitte, is one of the most luxurious hotels in the greater Bordeaux area – it recently welcomed King Charles III and Queen Camilla during their state visit to France. 

Local newspaper Sud-Ouest also speculated last week about the arrival of a rarely spotted luxury train, the Venice Simplon Orient Express (VSOE), at Bordeaux’s St-Jean station in the same period.

It is operated by the Belmond group, which is part of LVMH’s portfolio, but it wasn’t clear who would be getting onboard. 

Jay-Z is no stranger to the wine world, and in 2021 LVMH acquired 50% of the star’s Armand de Brignac Champagne, also known as ‘Ace of Spades’.

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AOP Chablis 2022

Top-scoring AOP Chablis 2022

The below wines all scored 92 points or above. 

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It started with a small handful of friends, who set out to rediscover the art of skin-contact white wine in the heart of Friuli. But the popularity of these characterful wines has seen this grow to a real movement, comprising dozens of strong-minded producers.

Thanks to pioneers such as Joško Gravner and the late Stanko Radikon, there is now a core of educated winemakers spread all around Italy, each making macerated whites with a distinct history and regional typicity.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for Magnani’s six Friuli skin-contact wines to try

Friuli skin-contact new wave: Magnani’s six to try

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Blazing a trail up South Africa’s west coast, viticulturist Jaco Engelbrecht is on his way to Skerpioen, the sprawling old bush-vine vineyard rooted on white sand-limestone soils that produces the namesake Chenin Blanc-Palomino blend made by Eben Sadie for his Sadie Family Wines label. And right next to Skerpioen, in this arid coastal desert, Engelbrecht says he’s recently planted five rows of bush-vine Cinsault for Sadie.

Scroll down for tasting notes and scores of 30 South Africa Cinsault wines to try

South Africa Cinsault: 30 to try

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Grand Cru Chablis 2022

Top-scoring Grand Cru Chablis 2022

The wines below all scored 94 points and above.

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Premier Cru Chablis 2022

Top-scoring Premier Cru Chablis 2022

The wines below all scored 93 points and above.

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Covenant founding winemaker Jeff Morgan, 70, is both driven and eccentric. He favours the underdog. Take rosé, for instance. Morgan played an outsized role in jump-starting the rosé renaissance in America more than 20 years ago – long before it was fashionable.

Not only did Morgan co-found SoloRosa, the first American winery dedicated solely to dry rosé, but in 2005, he penned the first English language book on the subject as well (Rosé, A Guide to the World’s Most Versatile Wine, Chronicle Books).

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for ten Covenant wines tasted

In 2003, high-end kosher wine seemed like a long shot. But Covenant was among the first wineries to demonstrate that fine wine made with native yeast and organic grapes and without fining or filtration can also be kosher. It was a novel concept at the time.

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‘It was a very good vintage with extremely healthy grapes’ – Vincent Dauvissat

After a week spent in Chablis tasting 375 wines, it is clear that 2022 is a very good year – and potentially an excellent one. Although a warm and very dry vintage, yields were not excessive and, crucially, acidity is high. The resulting wines are very well balanced with a lovely combination of the freshness and minerality which typifies Chablis, combined with fleshy, ripe, stone- and tree-fruit flavours.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for a selection of top-scoring and top-value Chablis 2022 wines

Coming after the very challenging growing season in 2021 (severe frosts, cold weather and rainfall leading to disease pressure), Chablis 2022 has a different style and one which will appeal both to ‘classic’ Chablis lovers as well as those looking for more generous fruit character.

Top producer Vincent Dauvissat commented that in 2022 ‘the vines were recovering from 2021, and were compensating with lots of vegetative growth’. Dauvissat notes: ‘It was a very good vintage with extremely healthy grapes.’

See the Chablis 2022 top wines score table for all wines scoring 93 points or above

Howard’s pick: 30 great buys

The following wines are Andy Howard MW’s pick of the top-scoring and best-value Chablis 2022 wines, according to his own extensive tastings, as well as including wines from ‘producers to look out for’.

NB: many retailers’ allocations for these wines are as yet unconfirmed – prices and stockists are given where available, and alcohol levels are shown where known at the time of writing. If we have awarded ‘Top value’ to an as-yet unpriced wine, it is based on our predicted pricing.

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Light up your Christmas with the vivacious bubbles and bright acidity of English sparkling and still wines, hand-picked by the Decanter team. Be spoiled for choice from premium bubbles, festive rosés and gift options in magnum format. All wines are above 88 points.

Our highlights

From the premium end, the 2010 vintage of Nyetimber’s 1086 is the latest release of the estate’s Prestige Cuvée. A truly special treat that stands testament to the ageing potential of English sparkling wines. Hambledon Vineyard’s Première Cuvée Rosé 2016, driven by Pinot Meunier, offers a punchy, memorable flavour profile that sets to change your perception of an English sparkling rosé.

For Christmas gift ideas, Exton Park has released a twin-pack of its 2014 Blanc de Blancs, one cellar-aged and one sea-aged, each showing intriguingly distinctive characters. From Simpsons Wine Estate, the Q Class Chardonnay, in magnum, is only made in exceptional years. The 2020 vintage was especially impressive with its depth and richness. Ridgeview’s late disgorged edition of its NV Oak Reserve sparkling wine, with its laminated cherry wood label, will certainly inspire some curious conversations at the dinner table.

For fizzes that offer both value and quality, Greyfriars’ Blanc de Blancs 2015, at £27 per bottle, is our top recommendation. The NV Brut from Louis Pommery, at £30 via Ocado, and Quob Park Extra Brut at £31.50, are also value finds that won’t disappoint.

If you are in the mood for Burgundian-style still whites, opt for Balfour Winery’s tank-aged Skye’s Chardonnay 2022 or Gusbourne’s barrel-fermented Guinevere Chardonnay 2021 and savour the subtle differences. For a serious taste of the English ‘signature grape’ – Bacchus – Chapel Down’s Kit’s Coty Bacchus 2020 will surprise you with its complex perfume and palate.

For a splash of colour, some of our favourite festive pinks include Rathfinny’s sparkling Rosé 2019, Black Chalk’s Wild Rose 2020 and Railway Hill Rosé 2022 from Simpsons.

A growing industry

In 2022, 12.2 million bottles of wine were produced in Great Britain, a 130% increase from 2017, according to the most recent survey conducted by industry body WineGB.

Britain has 3,928ha of land under vine – excluding an estimated further 400ha planted in 2023 – and 943 vineyards and 209 wineries.

Chardonnay (1228ha), Pinot Noir (1,141ha) and Pinot Meunier (343) remain the favourites of wine growers in England and Wales, while cool-climate varieties such as Bacchus (298ha), Seyval Blanc (122ha) and Solaris (95ha) are increasingly valued for their ability to produce quality still wines.

Sparkling wines still account for 68% of Britain’s total wine production, with the majority (93%) made using the traditional method. The remaining 32% of production comprises a wide range of still wines, among which 62% are white and 21% are rosé.

Data from WineGB / Wine Standards

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Marlborough’s problem is one of transition: for people visiting New Zealand, even for many nationals, it is a place you go past if you’re going somewhere else. Its location – a 30-minute drive south of Picton (the main port of entry to the South Island via the Cook Strait car ferry from Wellington) – means people are either trying to make it north to the ferry or continuing south to Christchurch, Otago or even west to Nelson and the West Coast region.

That’s a shame because Marlborough has everything to offer if you just stop and take a bit more time. Its main centre Blenheim is a functional town but set in beautiful part of New Zealand. And the mountains and hills feel close, especially the dramatic Richmond Range to the north.

Indeed, as Auntsfield winemaker Luc Cowley pointed out, you can always orient yourself in the Wairau Valley, Marlborough’s main wine-growing area: the blue mountains (the Richmond Ranges) lie to the north and the green mountains lie to the south. These latter are more a shade of brown in summer, hence their name: the Wither Hills.

The Marlborough Sounds, too – a collection of ancient valleys flooded with Pacific ocean waters along a 1,500km stretch of coastline – is a stone’s throw away. While many patrons of the car ferry admire its beauty as they pass through the parade of pristine, almost uninhabited bays and coves before hopping in their vehicle and driving on, it is a very good reason to hang around.

Diversity in abundance

There is much else on offer in Marlborough – and that is true of the wines, too. The region has considerably more to recommend it than the Sauvignon Blanc upon which it made its reputation. What’s more, most cellar doors are focused in a relatively small and easily navigable area around Blenheim and Renwick 8km to its west, with the region’s airport lying in between.

In this road trip, we’ve allocated two days to the Wairau Valley so visitors can really get an idea of how diverse the sub-region and its wines can be. Further information can be found on the wine tourism map at marlboroughwinenz.com, while the more energetic traveller can take advantage of local bicycle routes.

We’ve grouped our three-day itinerary so it can easily be rearranged. For instance, those travelling down from North Island could arrive in Picton and head straight to the Marlborough Sounds before returning to Picton the next morning and heading south to Blenheim. Both days 1 and 2 finish around Renwick, which allows travellers to take the 1.5-hour drive along State Highway 6 (SH6) further west to Nelson.

If you only have two days available, start with the day 2 itinerary then do day 1’s suggested trip in reverse (ie, drive out to Renwick and head up SH6 before turning east onto Rapaura Road). Fit in the wineries you want before continuing on Rapaura Road to meet SH1 and continue your journey south.

Day one: Wairau Valley from Blenheim

Nautilus Estate’s main entrance and cellar door on Rapaura Road, Renwick

Grab a breakfast coffee and toastie from Sammies on Scott Street. A Kimcheese (kimchi and cheese – add a pork and fennel sausage pattie if you want) is a monumental start to anyone’s day. From there, it’s a short drive just out of town to Lawson’s Dry Hills – a pioneer of sustainable practices in Marlborough and producer of fine aromatic white wines. From here, a variation on our itinerary would be a 15-minute drive down State Highway One (SH1) to Seddon and the Awatere Valley. This sub-region is slightly cooler than the main Wairau Valley and contains many newer – and sizeable – vineyard plantings, which deliver some truly exciting wines. One of the few cellar doors here is Yealands.

But our main route heads north on SH1 for 15 minutes, crossing the Wairau river to stop off the roundabout at Tuamarina to visit the memorial to the Wairau Affray of 1843 and a glimpse of the country’s often violent colonial past.

From Tuamarina, head back the way you came and turn right onto Rapaura Road at Spring Creek where a number of wineries have their cellar doors. We suggest the pan-regional Saint Clair and idiosyncratic Rock Ferry on the way to a tasting and lunch at Cloudy Bay on Jacksons Road. One of Marlborough’s flagship brands, owned by French luxury goods giant LVMH, its cellar door will impress even the most corporate-cynical.

From Cloudy Bay, get back onto Rapaura Road and head west (and then south) to Renwick. There are many wineries on this stretch, so how many you have time for will depend on how long that lunch was.

The proudly organic Te Whare Ra is one of Marlborough’s must-visit wineries and Framingham has a well-deserved reputation for its Rieslings. Hans Herzog produces a range of unexpected varieties and wines, while Huia is an unsung gem. Bubbles fans can stop in at No1 Family Estate, while Nautilus provides a glimpse into day 2 as some of its fruit (in particular its Pinot Noir) is sourced from the Southern Valleys sub-region. And the excellent Fromm is near the airport on your 11-minute drive back to Blenheim.

Day two: Southern Valleys from Blenheim

Winemaker Jules Taylor under bird netting at The Wrekin vineyard in Brancott Valley. Credit: Lisa Duncan Photography

Fuel up for the day at Burleigh Gourmet Pies, a Marlborough landmark on the southwestern edge of Blenheim town – try the signature pork belly pie. Then, just a few hundred metres west along New Renwick Road is the turn-off for the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre (see ‘address book’, below), which includes Sir Peter Jackson’s impressive collection of World War I aircraft.

Back on New Renwick Road and the turn-off south to Auntsfield marks the first stop on our Southern Valleys wine tour where wind-blown loess has settled in the valleys and provided the clay so essential to its Pinot Noir.

Brancott Valley is the next one along and, although there are no major cellar doors, a number of producers source fruit from here, and Dog Point sits at the base of the ridge that separates Brancott Valley from Omaka Valley. At the head of the Brancott Valley lie two vineyards with stellar reputations: Clayvin, now part of Giesen, and The Wrekin. The latter’s excellent organic fruit is used by numerous brands and highlighted on their wine labels, from one-man-band outfits to the more established Jules Taylor Wines.

Back onto the New Renwick Road again and continuing onto Dog Point Road, Omaka Valley is the next one along, and here you’ll find the must-visit Greywacke – make sure you book an appointment-only, no-charge tasting in advance (weekdays 11am or 2pm) by emailing through the website.

Drive back up towards Renwick to take the SH63 west a short distance before ducking down to the more expansive Waihopai Valley. Once home to the New Zealand government’s not-so-secret satellite listening facility (the huge white domes have since been dismantled, although the facility is still in operation), it also houses Spy Valley Wines and Churton – both well worth a visit, although Churton is by appointment only.

Finally, call in at nearby Clos Henri, which is owned by the Bourgeois family from Sancerre in the Loire, before heading back to Blenheim.

Day three: Picton, Nelson, Marlborough Sounds

Bay of Many Coves Resort

Time to head into the locals’ playground: the stunning Marlborough Sounds. Drive up to Picton with a quick stop at Johanneshof cellar door on the way. Once in town, park the car, check the ferry timetable and stop in at Toastie for a snack while you wait. There is a range of truly breathtaking resorts and lodges throughout the Sounds, each of which offers a variety of activities, but Punga Cove, Bay of Many Coves Resort and Furneaux Lodge are among those recommended.

The more adventurous early-riser might want to combine this leg with a spot of guided kayaking or a stint on the Queen Charlotte Track, a 71km-long walking and biking track running from Anakiwa, at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound in the south (about 30 minutes’ drive from Picton) to Meretoto/Ship Cove in the north of the Sounds. A local operator such as Wilderness Guides should steer you in the right direction.

Once you’ve chosen your activity, board the ferry, or bike, walk or paddle your way to your chosen destination. Then, whether you’ve hiked, paddled, snorkeled, sailed or cycled – or merely strolled the jetty – it’s time to sit back and relax with a glass of Marlborough wine.

Credit: Maggie Nelson

Your Marlborough address book

Marlborough Wine & Food Festival. Credit: Richard Briggs

Accommodation

14th Lane
Ideally located in central Blenheim. Formerly The Builder’s Arms, the views aren’t great and it boasts no restaurant or bar, but the rooms more than compensate.

Furneaux Lodge
Tucked all the way up in the stunning Marlborough Sounds, just over the hill from Captain Cook’s favourite NZ anchorage, this place is as magical in the rain as it is in the sun.

Hotel d’Urville
Full of character, both inside and out, the rear bar flows into an outside area which doesn’t quite match the inside vibe but is surprisingly comfortable on summer evenings.

Restaurants & cafés

Arbour
The fine-dining Marlborough experience on everyone’s lips, winemakers included. Named NZ’s Best Regional Restaurant in 2022 by Cuisine, it also has a coveted ‘two hats’ rating from the food and drink lifestyle publication.

Frank’s Oyster Bar and Eatery
Another restaurant that comes recommended by local winemakers, you’ll find this one in central Blenheim.

The Store
In Kekerengu, a 50-minute drive south of Blenheim on SH1, its sweeping vistas across a wild coastline make it well worth the stop on the way to Christchurch.

Things to do

Festivals
The summer months of January, February and March respectively feature the Picton Maritime Festival, the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival and the Havelock Mussel and Seafood Festival.

Marlborough Farmers Market
Held on Sundays at Blenheim’s A&P showgrounds, this is a great way to enjoy a range of regional produce with a minimum of travel.

Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre
A must-visit for historic aircraft enthusiasts, or for an extra-special occasion, this renowned aviation museum at Blenheim offers the chance to book a flight on a fully restored World War II-era Avro Anson – a package starting at NZ$990 (£475) per person including a 25-minute flight. Or a 20-minute flight in a Boeing Stearman biplane, costing NZ$395 (£189) for one or two people.

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Abruzzo is often described as a ‘miniature Italy’: in just a few square kilometres it encapsulates a world of bucolic landscapes, nature, parks, pristine villages, waterfalls, castles and historic cities, offering a blend of tradition and modernity, and is still largely undiscovered by international tourists. The region boasts 130km of coastline; to the north, the beaches are flat and sandy, while the southern area known as the Costa dei Trabocchi (trabocchi are traditional fishing platforms) has long stretches of rocky cliffs.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 10 Abruzzo wines in a range of styles

Geographically, this is central Italy. The regional capital, L’Aquila, is an hour and a half by car from Rome (120km) and one hour (100km) from Pescara’s international airport on the Adriatic coast. It’s a region of incredible variety and contrasts, with a vast range of soil composition and climate conditions, and striking biodiversity.

The natural landscape is mostly untouched and, with three national parks, one regional park and numerous other protected nature reserves, Abruzzo has earned itself a well-deserved reputation as ‘the green region of Europe’.

Pick and mix: Piubello’s 10 Abruzzo wines to showcase the region’s styles

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Franciacorta, a small DOCG wine region in Lombardy, 70km east of Milan, is uniquely positioned at the foothills of the Italian Alps. Its vineyards benefit from a warm continental climate, moderated by nearby lake Iseo and sheltered by the mountains. The gentle, southwest-facing slopes of Monte Orfano further provide an ideal environment for grapes to ripen while maintaining acidity, contributing to the distinctive and complex character of Franciacorta’s wines.

Scroll down for Federico Moccia’s pick of 18 Franciacorta wines to try

Federico Moccia’s pick of the best 18 Franciacorta wines

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Beth Willard, Sarah Jane Evans MW and Pierre Mansour tasted 59 wines, with 1 Outstanding and 26 Highly recommended.

Galician whites: Panel tasting results

59 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 1

Highly recommended 26

Recommended 31

Commended 0

Fair 1

Poor 0

Entry criteria: Producers and UK agents were invited to submit their current-vintage white wines – single varietals or blends of any authorised white grapes except Albariño – from any of the five DOs in Galicia: Monterrei, Rías Baixas, Ribeira Sacra, Ribeiro, Valdeorras.

From Godello to Treixadura, Loureiro to Caiño Blanco, this tasting offered some exceptional examples of Galicia’s white wines, as well as some new discoveries and a few surprises.

Here we focused on Galicia’s treasure trove of white varieties excluding Albariño, which has already earned itself plenty of attention and been well explored in other tastings. Spanish agriculture ministry data for 2022 shows that production of white wines across the four provinces of Galicia constitutes a significant 69%, bucking the trend of the majority of regions in Spain where red varieties are more widely planted.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores from the Galician whites panel tasting

Galician whites: Panel tasting scores

The judges

Beth Willard is involved in sourcing wines for both the on- and off-trade in the UK, with a particular focus on Eastern Europe and Spain. Formerly buying manager at Direct Wines, she is a member of Spain’s Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino, and a DWWA joint Regional Chair for Spain.

Sarah Jane Evans MW is a Decanter contributing editor and Co-Chair of the Decanter World Wine Awards. Her latest book The Wines of Central and Southern Spain (£35 Infinite Ideas) is set for release in early 2024.

Pierre Mansour is director of wine at The Wine Society, and has been buying The Society’s Spanish wines since 2008. He is a member of Spain’s Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino, and a DWWA joint Regional Chair for Spain.

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The heel of Italy’s boot, Puglia stretches between the Ionian and Adriatic seas, its easternmost point at Otranto almost touching Albania. With its long coastline (commonly measured at 865km) covering approximately 12% of Italy’s as a whole, this region is a prime tourist destination: according to Regione Puglia, in the summer months more than 10 million visitors flock to its awe-inspiring beaches and rocky bays, picturesque white towns and charming masserie (fortified rural houses).

Gastronomy is another source of attraction: with a warm Mediterranean climate and a flat or gently sloping terrain, Puglia’s vast culinary tradition has its roots in the region’s historical focus on agriculture. Popular dishes range from vegetarian recipes such as orecchiette con cime di rapa (ear-shaped pasta with turnip greens) and ciceri e tria (pasta with chickpeas and fried pasta crumbs) to hearty meat dishes such as cheese-stuffed bombette (pork rolls) and some of Italy’s best seafood.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for Mosca’s 12 excellent Puglian wines

Viticulture in Puglia dates back to before the Phoenician period (20th to 15th centuries BC) and has been prospering ever since. Claiming 91,740ha under vine, which produced 10.8 million hl in 2022 (ISTAT), Puglia ranks third among the Italian regions by planted surface area, and second by total volume produced. Quality, however, has long been uneven: hoards of notoriously ‘jammy’ reds – often used for blending – have always shaped the perception of the region’s wines.

A quality revolution has been slowly taking place over the past 60 years, yet roughly 60% of the production continues to be table wine, while DOC wines often enjoy success in the lower segment of the market, their alcohol-derived heartiness pleasing the crowds.

Mosca’s mixed dozen excellent Puglian wines to try

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Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota has created a work named ‘Universe of Mouton’ to illustrate the Château Mouton Rothschild 2021 label, the Bordeaux first growth estate said today (1 December).

Mouton Rothschild 2021 is the latest vintage of the estate’s grand vin to be bottled, around 18 months on from an initial release during the Bordeaux en primeur campaign.

Pauillac-based Mouton has commissioned artwork for every vintage label since 1945.

Alongside the Mouton Rothschild 2021 label release, the estate has partnered with Christie’s to offer a one-off lot of the wine in various bottle formats, including a 15-litre ‘nebuchadnezzar’ bottle.

The online auction runs until 8 December and proceeds from the sale will benefit the Association Antoine Alléno, a charity that supports grieving families. 

Concept of the Mouton Rothschild 2021 label

Chiharu Shiota. Photo credit: Sunhi Mang / courtesy of Château Mouton Rothschild.

Mouton described how the label design depicts a ‘fragile silhouette of a human figure [facing] gorgeous, generous nature’, at the same time as reflecting a delicate interconnectedness between the two. 

Berlin-based Chiharu Shiota said, ‘When I visited Château Mouton Rothschild, I was very inspired by their relationship with nature. They depend on the weather and do not interfere with mother nature. They accept the conditions in which the grapes grow. I think Mouton is holding on to the balance of human and nature.’ 

The award-winning artist added, ‘The four lines connecting the human to the environment represent the four seasons (winter, spring, summer, autumn) and all the emotions linked to them (solitude, hope, achievement).

‘It is like preserving the memory of the year in the wine. I find this very fascinating because I also believe that the objects that surround us accumulate our memories and existence.’

Mouton Rothschild co-owner Julien de Beaumarchais with Chiharu Shiota. Photo credit: Atelier Chiharu Shiota.

Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild, co-owner of Château Mouton Rothschild and responsible for artistic and cultural matters at the estate – including relations with the chosen label artist – said, ‘I was fascinated by Chiharu Shiota’s vision, so close to the world of wine, especially in the relationship between humankind and nature, fragile and fertile, generous but unpredictable. 

‘And then there is that bright red colour, one of her trademarks, so reminiscent of new wine running out of the vats. For me the label embodies what I would call metaphorical realism: I see in it a vinegrower firmly grasping a fabulous cluster of grapes.’

Chiharu Shiota was born in Osaka in 1972 and has seen her work displayed at art institutions and galleries worldwide. In 2008 in Japan, she was awarded the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s ‘Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists’.

Mouton Rothschild 2021 charity lot at Christie’s

Château Mouton Rothschild 2021 (specimen bottle). Credit: Courtesy of Mouton Rothschild.

Bordeaux’s 2021 vintage was particularly challenging from a weather perspective, although excellent wines were still made at many châteaux.

Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent, Georgie Hindle, rated Mouton Rothschild 2021 at 96 points after tasting it en primeur.  

Christie’s said it was offering the one-off charity lot of Mouton Rothschild 2021 online until Friday 8 December at 17:00 (GMT+1). It said the lot includes:

• Six 75cl bottles
• Three magnums
• One double magnum
• One imperial (six litres)
• One nebuchadnezzar (15 litres) – the only one so far bottled in this vintage

The buyer and three guests will also be invited to tour Château Mouton Rothschild, and attend the unveiling of the 2022 vintage label at the estate next year. 

On top of that, chef Yannick Alléno, who holds 15 Michelin stars, will offer the buyer and three guests an immersive dining experience at Le Pavillon Ledoyen, his three-Michelin-star restaurant in Paris. 

The guests will be able to help prepare a service with the chef and his team, before dining with Alléno and a member of the family that owns Mouton Rothschild – during which dishes will be paired with vintages from the estate.

Alléno founded the charity Association Antoine Alléno following the tragic death of his son, Antoine, to help support families of young people who have suffered violence at the hands of a third party. 

Mouton Rothschild artist label series

The estate first commissioned artwork around its 1924 vintage, but it wasn’t until after the Second World War that this became an annual event – beginning with the now-legendary Mouton Rothschild 1945 vintage.

Artists who have previously designed vintage labels for Mouton Rothschild include Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon, Annette Messager and David Hockney.

Peter Doig created the artwork for the Mouton Rothschild 2020 label, revealed last year.

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A region as vast and geographically complicated as Languedoc is difficult, if not impossible, to generalise about. With so many appellations, topographies, microclimates, grape varieties and terroirs, it’s more than just the sum of its parts. Languedoc has moved into a new era, extending beyond the tropes of ‘great value’ and ‘rustic, hearty reds’.

Now is the time to discover the cutting edge of what’s happening in this region. Run, don’t walk, to snap up the exciting wines of Languedoc.

Scroll down to see notes and scores for 10 Languedoc wines worth seeking out

Rediscover Languedoc: 10 wines to tempt

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Why Corton?

The hill of Corton is an arrestingly beautiful place to even the most casual passer-by. As one arrives from Beaune, it rises suddenly to dominate the landscape.

In geological terms, the hill is an outlier, freed from the main slope of the Côte d’Or by erosion. Vines wrap almost completely around the hill, facing every direction from northeast to almost due west, making this the only grand cru in Burgundy with a western exposure.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for all 12 wines in the Corton Grand Cru masterclass

Corton Grand Cru masterclass: All 12 wines rated

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The east coast port of Catania is Sicily’s second-largest city after Palermo. Its central position means it is perfectly placed for trips south to Syracuse, Noto and Ragusa and north to Taormina and Mount Etna. As such it offers a gateway to the most interesting wine areas of eastern Sicily: to the south, Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG and Noto DOC for Nero d’Avola; and north for the exceptional Etna DOC wines of Carricante and Nerello Mascalese that have exploded onto the market in the past 20 years. It’s worth allowing a day or two to explore UNESCO World Heritage Catania before setting off on your wine tours.

Like so much of southeastern Sicily, Catania was decimated in 1693 by an earthquake, the destruction having been likened to London after the Great Fire of 1666. Gone were the layers of culture accumulated through centuries of Greek, Byzantine, Arab and Norman domination.

The buildings that rose from the rubble in these cities – including hundreds of churches and countless palazzi – were fortuitously built in the Baroque style, the fashion of the day. In Catania, the decorative drama is accentuated by the contrast of local black volcanic stone and white plaster and marble. The historic centre has benefited from investment in recent years and is handsomely laid out around an easy grid.

Where to stay

Treat yourself to a colourful stay in Hotel Asmundo di Gisira, a handsome palazzo with themed rooms, art collections and buyable antiques. It’s an eclectic venue with a rooftop terrace offering stunning views of the city and Etna. Hotel Bastiò Suites contrasts modern decor with an ancient building in the heart of the city.

Where to eat

Catanian traditional food is saporito (‘full of flavour’), based on seasonal vegetables grown on Etna’s mineral-rich soils, accented with salt-cured capers from Salina, local citrus and Bronte pistachios. Breakfast in summer is a fruit-driven frozen granita eaten with a pillowy brioche. Lunch in town at Antica Marina, one of the restaurants built within the walls of the central fish market. It features seafood raw and cooked, pasta with squid ink or the day’s catch and a decent local wine list. A more staid dinner can be had at La Siciliana, where traditional dishes shine in a wood-panelled interior. My favourite is pasta alla Norma, named for native son Vincenzo Bellini’s courageous opera heroine. It features tomato sauce, fried aubergines and ricotta salata cheese.

Where to drink

The most complete collection of Sicilian wines and speciality foods can be found at Nelson. Two locations in the same street offer an inspiring shop and wine bar. The shop is a dream: hundreds of Sicilian wines from every corner of its islands, along with oils pressed from native olives including Tonda Iblea and Nocellara del Belice, lemon honey, pistachio creams, cheeses, legumes and much more. Its website is great and the best thing is that it will ship, so you can have a weight-free spree. Under the archway is Nelson’s newly opened wine bar where almost all these wines are offered by the glass accompanied by local cheeses and other snacks in a relaxed interior. If you’re after informal food, wine and cocktails, try Uzeta Bistro Siciliano and enjoy the city’s best arancini or a plate of pasta on a lively outside terrace.

Places to visit

My favourite place to stay is about 25 minutes’ drive north from Catania, at Maugeri winery, where architect Carla Maugeri’s family makes wine on Etna’s eastern slopes. Zash is its spectacular boutique hotel, set in citrus groves. She has designed the villa’s 10 stylish rooms and spa and created an unforgettable one-star Michelin restaurant in what was the estate’s palmento: the vast stone vinification barn that once produced the family’s wine. It’s complete with vaulted ceilings and the original press, crafted from a centuries-old chestnut trunk – a perfect mix of old and new with elegant food and wines.

Credit: Tom McLeish

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