About Académie du Vin Founded in Paris in 1973 by Steven Spurrier, the Académie du Vin grew out of a love of wine and a desire to share it with clarity and intelligence. What began as informal wine appreciation courses in 1970s Paris evolved into a publishing house dedicated to the finest wine writing of the past, present, and future. Today, the Académie du Vin Library maintains a deliberately small and carefully curated list, selecting books for their readability, authority and enduring insight into the world’s great wine regions – guided by the belief that fine wine writing, like wine itself, deepens with time. About this article This article presents the introduction to Côte d’Or: The wines and winemakers of the heart of Burgundy (2nd Edition) by Raymond Blake. In it, Blake sets the scene for Burgundy’s most revered stretch of vineyard, exploring the historical, cultural and human forces that shape the Côte d’Or. The introduction offers essential context on place, tradition and the vignerons themselves—laying the groundwork for a deeper understanding of Burgundy’s wines and the people behind them. Introduction The Côte d’Or, the Golden Slope, enjoys a reputation and exerts an influence in the wine world out of all proportion to its size. It possesses none of the grandeur of the Douro Valley, for instance, nor the picture-postcard beauty of South Africa’s winelands. It is not majestic; its beauty is serene, and what strikes the observer time and again is the tiny scale. From north to south it is about 50 kilometres long, is sometimes less than a kilometre wide, and can be driven in little more than an hour. At a push it could be walked in a day. Yet for a thousand or more years this favoured slope has yielded wines that have entranced and delighted wine lovers, with a fair measure of frustration and disappointment thrown in too. Avoiding hyperbole when writing about the Côte d’Or is a problem, for it has held people in thrall for centuries, frequently prompting poetic flights of prose: ‘The Pathetic Fallacy resounds in all our praise of wine … This Burgundy seemed to me, then, serene and triumphant … it whispered faintly, but in the same lapidary phrase, the same words of hope.’ Thus wrote Evelyn Waugh in Brideshead Revisited eighty years ago. Literary critics might cavil at such prolixity, and Waugh himself tamed it severely in later editions, but it was enough to intrigue me decades ago and engender a love for the region and its wines that has never waned. Greater Burgundy is a bigger, more geographically diverse, region than might first be supposed, stretching from Chablis, south-east of Paris, to Beaujolais, north of Lyon. The subject matter of this book, however, is Burgundy’s heart, the Côte d’Or. There is no more celebrated stretch of agricultural land on earth. It has been pored over and analysed, feted and cosseted, obsessed about and sought after for centuries and today, if anything, it exerts a greater pull on wine lovers than ever before. ‘Astronomical’ does not begin to describe the prices now being paid for prized patches of grand and premier cru vineyard, and for the wines produced from them by the top domaines. Such prices hog the headlines and paint a dazzling, though severely one-dimensional, picture of the Côte d’Or today. In the early years of the twenty-first century they are part of the story but they are not the only part. This book aims to get behind the dazzle and flesh out the story, to add some nuance and extra dimension. The Côte d’Or cannot be captured in a sound bite nor, it must be admitted, in a book of this scope – but my hope is that it may add another chapter to the ever-unfolding tale, setting it in the early years of the twenty-first century, a period that may come to be considered by future historians as a golden age for Burgundy but which has brought its own challenges in the shape of those ludicrous prices, the scandal of premature oxidation in the white wines, and the increasing challenge of dealing with extreme weather events such as hail and spring frost. The Côte d’Or has been the subject of forensic scrutiny for centuries, generating a library of books, so why another one now? For the simple reason that it is ever changing. Every year sees new names added to the producers’ roster and old ones slipping away, and thanks to this ongoing evolution the infant domaine of today can be the superstar of tomorrow. The core of the book comprises about a hundred producer profiles. Many fine domaines and négociants whose wines I am happy to purchase and drink have not found a place here. It is important to stress that they have not been included, rather than excluded, simply for reasons of space. The aim was to feature a representative collection of producers, not a top-down selection of the most celebrated names in descending order of renown. As a consequence this book is not, nor was it ever intended to be, a comprehensive A to Z of producers. I write as an amateur du vin, an enthusiast whose admiration for the wines of Burgundy stretches back over four decades, and who has been visiting the region and writing about the wines for some thirty years. I do not trade in wine. I try to see beyond the wine to get something of the backstory, the story of people and place that makes the Côte d’Or so fascinating. To examine the wines in isolation is to dislocate them from that, and not knowing something of the backstory precludes a full understanding of them. A broad lens must be brought to bear on the côte. Too narrow, and the wood will never be seen for the trees. I have learned much by coming across things serendipitously rather than dashing hither and thither, seeing a lot but noticing little. Without time for assimilation and reflection, subtlety and shade are missed. Finally, no gustatory experience can match the thrill of a great Côte d’Or red drunk at its peak. The colour, crimsoned by age; the heavenly scent, perfumed with notes of sweet decay; a sauvage edge, the palate lively and tingling, managing to be so many things at once, oscillating between fruit and spice and meat and game, a merry-go-round of flavour, spiralling on the palate, refusing to be pinned down by anything so prosaic as a tasting note. All the primary components melded by age and yielding up new ones, unsignalled when the wine was young. Everything cohesive and in harmony, like a great orchestra playing at its best. Above all, vital and living, endlessly enchanting and intriguing, engaging the palate and the spirit like no other wine. Learn more about Raymond Blake's Côte d'Or (2nd edition) Shop all books from the Académie du Vin Library Visit the Académie du Vin website Upcoming Event FINE+RARE & Académie du Vin Present: The Impossible Tasting FINE+RARE and Académie du Vin are delighted to present a rare and intimate exploration of the finest wines ever made. Wines of historical legend. Wines that are rarely seen, much less opened. Wines that should be impossible to bring together at one time. Lunch (April 29): River Restaurant, The Savoy Hotel Dinner (April 30): St James’s Room, 67 Pall Mall Club Learn more about the event here

Explore Burgundy with the introduction from Raymond Blake's book: Côte d'Or: The wines and winemakers of the heart of Burgundy. Blake tells the whole story of this hugely influential region, painting a complete picture of life there: the history, landscape, climate, culture and people.

Discover Raymond Blake's Côte d'Or (2nd Edition): a deep dive into Burgundy's wines, winemakers, history, culture and the people behind this iconic region.

Raymond Blake on the Côte d'Or

Cos’è Krug? 
 Krug è una delle più famose Maison di Champagne al mondo. È insolita perché produce solo cuvée di prestigio ed è apprezzata dagli amanti del vino raffinato, considerata da molti come l’apice dello Champagne di alta qualità – in competizione con nomi come Cristal e Dom Pérignon. Quando è stato prodotto per la prima volta Krug? 
 Joseph Krug fondò Krug & Compagnie nel 1843 insieme a un amico commerciante di vini, Hyppolyte de Vivès. Nato a Magonza nel 1800, Johann-Joseph Krug era figlio di un macellaio. Abbandonò il nome Johann, si trasferì a Parigi nel 1834 e lavorò come contabile presso Champagne Jacquesson prima di iniziare a miscelare i suoi primi vini con De Vivès, prove che avrebbero portato al progetto Krug. Krug è ancora di proprietà della famiglia Krug? 
 No – anche se la famiglia è ancora molto coinvolta. 
 Quando Joseph morì nel 1866, suo figlio Paul prese in mano l’attività. Nel 1868 trasferì l’azienda al numero 5 di Rue Coquebert a Reims, indirizzo che ospita ancora oggi Krug e le sue storiche cantine. L’azienda passò al figlio di Paul, Joseph II, nel 1910, ma fu la moglie Jeanne a prendere le redini quando Joseph II fu fatto prigioniero di guerra durante la Prima Guerra Mondiale. Il nipote di Joseph II, Jean Seydoux, divenne co-direttore dopo la guerra, e l’attività passò a Paul Krug II (figlio di Joseph II) nel 1959, poi a Henri e Rémi Krug, che entrarono in azienda negli anni ’60 e la rilevarono nel 1977. 
 I fratelli Henri e Rémi furono fondamentali nello sviluppo della Maison – ampliarono la gamma, ne costruirono la reputazione internazionale e ne supervisionarono la vendita al colosso del lusso LVMH nel 1999. Anche se continuarono a gestire la Maison, il supporto finanziario di LVMH permise a Krug di prosperare. Nel 2009, Olivier Krug – sesta generazione della famiglia – divenne Direttore della Maison e ancora oggi è al suo comando. Qual è lo stile Krug? 
 Spesso di colore dorato intenso, Krug è rinomata per l’uso del legno, scegliendo di fermentare tutti i suoi vini base in vecchie botti di rovere da 205 litri, permettendo la micro-ossigenazione. Questo, unito a un lungo affinamento sui lieviti (minimo sei anni per i non millesimati e dieci per i millesimati), produce uno stile potente, ampio e riccamente autolitico, con strati di pane, biscotto e brioche. L’enorme numero di componenti usati per la Grande Cuvée crea un vino non millesimato – o, come preferiscono chiamarlo, multi-vintage – particolarmente complesso. La Maison tende inoltre a vendemmiare leggermente in anticipo per mantenere freschezza nei vini. Il dosaggio è medio, con i vini etichettati come Brut, e si aggira normalmente sui 5–6 g/l nelle versioni moderne. 
 È interessante notare che Krug considera il Meunier un elemento importante nei propri assemblaggi (talvolta considerato un vitigno minore dalle altre Maison), apprezzandone la generosità di metà palato che dona ai vini. Il Meunier rappresenta spesso il 15–25% dei blend millesimati della Maison. Quali sono i diversi vini Krug? 
 Joseph Krug aveva idee molto chiare su come realizzare il miglior Champagne e le descrisse nel suo famoso taccuino di pelle color bordeaux (oggi esposto nella sede della famiglia Krug). Dichiarò che la Maison avrebbe prodotto solo due cuvée, concepite per essere di pari qualità. La Cuvée n. 1 era un vino non millesimato, pensato come “la più completa espressione dello Champagne ogni anno” (oggi incarnata dalla Grande Cuvée), mentre la Cuvée n. 2 avrebbe espresso ciascuna annata. Credeva anche fermamente nell’importanza del terroir, scrivendo: “Non possiamo ottenere buoni vini senza buoni elementi e buoni terroir.” 
 Per molti anni, la Maison continuò a produrre solo due vini, ma la gamma si è da allora ampliata. Sebbene i vini non millesimati e millesimati fossero concepiti per essere di pari qualità, i vini millesimati oggi raggiungono prezzi più elevati. 
 La gamma Krug comprende sei vini: 
 Krug Grande Cuvée: La Grande Cuvée è il vino di punta non millesimato (o multi-vintage, MV) di Krug, la moderna Cuvée n. 1, precedentemente conosciuta come Private Cuvée (fino al 1978, vedi sotto). Ogni imbottigliamento contiene fino a 200 componenti provenienti da oltre 10 annate (la più giovane di sei anni, la più vecchia oltre 20). Sebbene oggi sia il vino “d’ingresso” della Maison, Krug riserva per esso molti dei suoi migliori vini delle annate top. Affina per almeno sette anni sui lieviti prima della sboccatura, con un ulteriore anno in bottiglia prima della vendita. A differenza di molti non millesimati, l’obiettivo non è la totale coerenza tra le versioni, ma “la più completa espressione dello Champagne”. Dal 2011, ciò è stato ufficializzato con l’introduzione del Krug ID su ogni bottiglia (vedi sotto). Nel 2016, la Maison ha aggiunto anche un numero di Edizione a ogni release, partendo dalla Edizione 163 (base 2007). Alcuni collezionisti ricercano edizioni specifiche della Grande Cuvée, come la 164 (base 2008) o la 168 (base 2012). Le mezze bottiglie non riportano il numero di edizione in etichetta, quindi serve il Krug ID per identificarle. 
 Krug Rosé: L’altro vino non millesimato della Maison, Krug Rosé, fu creato da Henri e Rémi Krug negli anni ’70, con la prima uscita basata sull’annata 1976, rilasciata nel 1983. Il vino è un assemblaggio di vini bianchi con circa l’11% di Pinot Noir rosso fermo, combinando da 20 a 70 componenti di cinque annate, con un affinamento minimo di sei anni sui lieviti. Come per la Grande Cuvée, nel 2016 Krug aggiunse il numero di Edizione anche all’etichetta del Rosé, iniziando con l’Edizione 21 (base 2008). 
 Krug Clos du Mesnil: Clos du Mesnil è uno Champagne Blanc de Blancs millesimato da un unico vigneto, ed è uno dei vini di punta di Krug. L’esperto Richard Juhlin lo descrive come “il miglior vino del mondo”. Henri e Rémi Krug acquistarono sei ettari di Chardonnay a Le Mesnil-sur-Oger nel 1971 e scoprirono un appezzamento murato di 1,84 ettari nel cuore del villaggio. Sul muro si legge: “Nell’anno 1698 questo muro fu costruito da Claude Jannin e Pierre Dehée Metoen e nello stesso anno le viti furono piantate da Gaspard Jannin, figlio di Claude.” Reimpiantarono il sito e inizialmente l’uva fu utilizzata nei blend della Maison, ma il microclima più caldo – circondato da edifici – produceva un vino distintivo, che decisero di imbottigliare separatamente. La prima annata fu il 1979, rilasciata nel 1986 – quando un vino da singolo vitigno e singolo sito era un concetto pionieristico. Affina per almeno dieci anni sui lieviti ed è prodotto solo nelle annate di qualità eccezionale. 
 Ad oggi, le annate di Clos du Mesnil prodotte sono: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008 e 2009. 
 Krug Clos d’Ambonnay: Pinot Noir puro da un appezzamento di 0,68 ettari, Clos d’Ambonnay è l’altro vino millesimato da singolo vigneto di Krug. Henri e Rémi scoprirono il sito ai margini del villaggio di Ambonnay, sul versante sud-orientale della Montagne de Reims, nel 1991, e riuscirono ad acquistarlo nel 1994. Come il Clos du Mesnil, il sito è recintato, con muri risalenti al 1766, anche se le viti furono piantate solo nel XX secolo. La prima annata del Blanc de Noirs fu prodotta nel 1995 e rilasciata nel 2007. Come il Clos du Mesnil, subisce un lungo affinamento sui lieviti (minimo dieci anni) ed è prodotto solo quando le condizioni dell’annata lo consentono. Data la dimensione del vigneto, Clos d’Ambonnay è particolarmente raro. 
 Ad oggi, le annate prodotte di Clos d’Ambonnay sono: 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006 e 2008. 
 Krug Clos d’Ambonnay Rosé: La prima annata del Krug Clos d’Ambonnay Rosé verrà rilasciata nell’autunno 2025, l’annata 2008. È la prima nuova cuvée dalla creazione di Clos d’Ambonnay, un rosé dallo stesso vigneto, con il 15% di vino rosso fermo nel blend. 
 Krug Vintage: L’altro vino concepito dal fondatore Joseph Krug, la Cuvée n. 2, era un millesimato che la Maison produce ancora oggi. È realizzato solo in annate ritenute degne e affina per oltre 10 anni sui lieviti prima della sboccatura. 
 Le annate recenti di Krug Vintage sono: 1988, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008 e 2011. 
 Krug Collection: Negli anni ’80, Krug introdusse la sua Collection – una versione a sboccatura tardiva di vini maturi, generalmente offerta circa 25 anni dopo l’annata. Questi vini sono stati conservati nelle cantine della Maison, in condizioni perfette. Le uscite fino ad oggi includono: 1981, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990 e 1995. Cos’è la Private Cuvée? 
 Private Cuvée era il precedente nome della Grande Cuvée, il vino non millesimato della Maison, etichettato così dal 1862 al 1978. L’esperto di Champagne Richard Juhlin osserva che lo stile cambiò con il cambio di nome: la Grande Cuvée risulta un po’ più leggera, più incentrata sullo Chardonnay e più sfaccettata, mentre la Private Cuvée era più simile a un vino millesimato, con maggiore corpo. “Lo stile dagli anni ’20 agli anni ’60 è sorprendentemente costante e, se trovate una bottiglia in buone condizioni e a un prezzo accessibile, è un’occasione da non perdere”, scrive Juhlin a proposito della Private Cuvée. Quanto Champagne Krug viene prodotto? 
 La produzione della Maison è tenuta strettamente riservata, ma si stima che vengano prodotte circa 425.000 bottiglie all’anno. Cos’è il Krug ID? 
 Questo codice a sei cifre appare sull’etichetta posteriore di ogni bottiglia di Krug e consente di scoprire informazioni specifiche su quella bottiglia, con le prime tre cifre che indicano il trimestre e l’anno della sboccatura. È possibile consultare l’ID sul sito web o sull’app della Maison per scoprire il blend, i vini più giovani e più vecchi, le note di degustazione e i suggerimenti di abbinamento con cibo e musica. Il Krug ID è stato introdotto nel 2011, quindi compare solo sulle bottiglie rilasciate dopo tale data. Krug possiede vigneti? 
 Storicamente, l’esperienza di Krug risiedeva nella vinificazione e nell’assemblaggio, operando sempre come négociant, come era consuetudine per le Grandes Marques in Champagne. Krug acquistava uve da siti accuratamente selezionati per i propri vini, ma Henri e Rémi acquistarono i primi vigneti della Maison nel 1971 – tra cui il celebre Clos du Mesnil. 
 Oggi Krug possiede 21 ettari di vigne, che rappresentano circa il 20% della produzione, integrando il resto con uve acquistate. Krug si approvvigiona di Chardonnay, Pinot Noir e Meunier dai villaggi di Ambonnay, Aÿ, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger e Trépail. Tutti i contratti riguardano parcelle specifiche, spesso basati su relazioni di lunga data, con il contratto più antico risalente al 1876. 
 Krug si è concentrata sempre di più sulla sostenibilità, non utilizzando erbicidi né pesticidi nei propri vigneti, e quelli di proprietà sono certificati biologici a partire dalla vendemmia 2024. Chi produce Krug? 
 Come in ogni azienda vinicola, un ampio team è coinvolto nella produzione di Krug – inclusi i coltivatori che forniscono l’uva e il personale della cantina. Eric Lebel è stato per lungo tempo il chef de cave, dal 1999 al 2019, passando poi il testimone a Julie Cavil, che aveva lavorato al suo fianco per 13 anni prima di assumere la direzione all’inizio del 2020. 
 Per quanto riguarda la decisione sui blend, esiste un comitato di degustazione guidato da Cavil e solitamente con Olivier Krug. Il comitato si riunisce ogni giorno tra la fine della vendemmia e marzo, degustando 15 campioni al giorno (un massimo rigoroso per evitare l’affaticamento del palato). Durante questo periodo, l’obiettivo è degustare tutti i 400 campioni due o tre volte in totale. Ogni degustatore deve descrivere ogni campione con una sola parola, che non può essere duplicata da altri – un metodo che, secondo Cavil, aiuta a ottenere un quadro complessivo più accurato dei vini. Come viene prodotto Krug? 
 Come già menzionato, tutti i vini base di Krug sono fermentati in vecchie botti di rovere. Si utilizzano botti da 205 litri, con un’età media di 20 anni, spesso ritirate dal servizio intorno ai 40 anni. Non si blocca la fermentazione malolattica, ma non la si incoraggia neppure, quindi alcuni vini la svolgono naturalmente. Dopo la fermentazione, i vini vengono trasferiti in serbatoi di acciaio inox (non vengono affinati in legno, come accade ad esempio da Henri Giraud). I blend vengono decisi dal Comitato di Degustazione della Maison (guidato dalla Chef de Cave Julie Cavil) tra la fine della vendemmia e aprile, prima dell’imbottigliamento, e restano almeno sette anni sui lieviti (dieci per i millesimati). Dove viene prodotto Krug? 
 Per quasi due secoli, i vini sono stati prodotti nella storica sede di Krug a Reims, ma dal 2024 la produzione si è spostata nella nuova cantina Joseph, situata proprio accanto al Clos d’Ambonnay. Qual è la storia di Krug e Burning Man? 
 Krug suscitò alcune polemiche quando, nel 2011, girò una campagna pubblicitaria durante il festival Burning Man a Black Rock, in Nevada. Lo shooting e il marchio furono criticati dall’organizzazione del festival per non aver rispettato i suoi principi, commercializzando l’evento e la sua comunità. Perché la bottiglia di Krug ha una forma diversa? 
 La caratteristica bottiglia a collo stretto di Krug fu introdotta nel 1978, contemporaneamente al cambio di nome da Private Cuvée a Grande Cuvée. In precedenza, la Maison utilizzava bottiglie standard di Champagne. Oltre a rendere le bottiglie di Krug più distintive, il collo stretto è pensato per ridurre lo scambio di ossigeno durante l’invecchiamento. Come invecchia Krug? 
 Krug è rinomato per il suo potenziale di invecchiamento – tutti i vini della Maison, comprese le cuvée non millesimate, sono progettati per evolversi in bottiglia. L’esperta di Champagne Essi Avellan MW osserva: “Tutti i Krug beneficiano dell’invecchiamento. Cinque anni dopo la loro uscita, tendono ad aprirsi magnificamente, mostrando maggiore espressione e un carattere armonioso. Le Grand Cuvée sono una vera delizia dopo 10–15 anni dal rilascio, spesso al culmine della loro espressività. I millesimati sono tutti longevi; dopodiché dipende dall’annata (e ovviamente dalla singola bottiglia) come evolveranno. Se conservati correttamente, tutti dovrebbero invecchiare almeno 15 anni dopo la loro uscita, e i migliori per diversi decenni.” Scopri tutte le etichette Krug, incluse le nuove uscite di Grande Cuvée e Rosé, o leggi di più su Champagne e vini spumanti.

Krug è un nome che va ben oltre gli amanti del vino, l'etichetta dorata e la forma iconica della bottiglia sono immediatamente riconoscibili. Con l'uscita delle ultime edizioni di Grande Cuvée e Rosé, abbiamo compilato una guida privilegiata su questa leggendaria casa di champagne e sui suoi vini

Everything you need to know about Krug Champagne – the luxury House and its iconic Grande Cuvee, Rose, Clos du Mesnil, Clos d’Ambonnay and vintage wines

Your essential guide to Krug Champagne 

Tutto quello che devi sapere su Krug

Last year the Chianti Classico governing body of producers (the Consorzio) banned the use of international varieties in wines bearing the top Gran Selezione classification. The decision has caused an outcry among some of the region’s top producers. Many claim that Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were not only instrumental in raising the quality and consistency of the region but have since become an important part of the region’s identity today. Some producers claim that the Consorzio, in the name of authenticity, is limiting the vigneron’s creativity when instead they should be focusing on upholding quality. As far as appellations in Italy go, Chianti is one of the oldest, dating back to the early 1700s. Quality, even back then, was an important factor for the top producers. Castello di Ama discovered records from 1773 which showed their estate was exporting wines to England and producing wines with exclusively red grapes designed for ageing – something that became a rarity in the region during the 20th century.  With few exceptions, Chianti production up until the 1990s was focused on quantity. Vineyards were mixed, typically with three Sangiovese vines for every white vine, either Malvasia or Trebbiano. “The white grapes were part of the culture here”, says Castello di Ama’s Lorenza Sebasti. “The white and red grapes were made together, to make a wine for everyday – it was part of the meal and needed to be as light as possible. It was safer to drink than water. And it gave you energy.” Under the Chianti appellation, the wines had to include white varieties (Malvasia or Trebbiano) alongside Sangiovese.  With a focus on quantity, the quality of the Sangiovese clones planted at this time was generally poor. As such, Sangiovese struggled to reach full maturity, resulting in aggressive tannins – typically mellowed by the blending of white varieties. From a quality perspective, it was impossible to make a 100% Sangiovese wine of any quality. The 1970s marked the beginning of a fascinating creative and experimental winemaking period in Tuscany. Piero Antinori and Giacomo Tachis were instrumental in replanting programs focused on quality. New clones of Sangiovese would eventually help, but international varieties were an essential component in quickly raising the quality of the region’s wines, as well as their ageing potential – another important attribute of fine wine. As well as working in Bolgheri creating the first Super Tuscan with Sassicaia, Tachis and Antinori produced their first vintage of Tignanello from their top vineyard in Chianti Classico in 1971. This first vintage was made only from red grapes (Sangiovese and other local varieties) and matured in oak barriques (the first wine of the region to be made in such a way).  With mixed results, they went back to the drawing board. After much discussion, and no doubt buoyed by their results at Sassicaia, they believed Cabernet Sauvignon was the solution. It wasn’t until 1975 that they produced the next vintage of Tignanello, this time a blend of 80% Sangiovese and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon – a blend that has remained the same ever since. The addition of Cabernet Sauvignon and maturation in barriques meant it broke the appellation rules and had to be declassified to a table wine. But it was the quality of this wine that spurred a new generation of winemakers that was to reshape the Tuscan landscape. More and more quality-led producers in Chianti Classico started experimenting with different varieties. Lorenza Sebasti describes Castello di Ama at this time as a “workshop of experiments”.  “When we started introducing varieties from France, we did many experiments – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc… Our greatest success turned out to be Merlot.” Although the Consorzio eventually caught up with these pioneering producers and allowed up to 20% international varieties to be included in Chianti Classico blends, wine made from 100% Sangiovese was still not permitted. As better, lower-yielding Sangiovese clones started to appear, other Chianti Classico producers such as Fontodi, Montevertine and San Giusto a Rentennano broke the rules and started to produce 100% Sangiovese wines – again forcing them to declassify them. It wasn’t until 1996 that the Consorzio allowed Chianti Classico to be made from 100% Sangiovese. For Stefano Carpaneto, Tignanello’s winemaker since 2002, the presence of Cabernet was absolutely fundamental in Tignanello’s success. In the early days, Sangiovese was still lacking consistency and suffered with aggressive tannins if not blended. “Sangiovese was also difficult to manage in vinification and during the élevage in barrels,” he says. For him, the introduction of Cabernet gave balance to the Sangiovese at vinification and provided a tannin structure that allows the wine to age. It also guaranteed consistency year after year, which was paramount if Tignanello was going to compete with other fine wines around the world. At Castello di Ama, Merlot not only became an essential component in their top single-vineyard Chianti Classico wines but was so good in its own right that they created L’Apparita – a 100% Merlot wine that today competes with the finest Merlots in the world. “Merlot in Tuscany has its own personality,” says Sebasti. “The aim was to make a very good Chianti Classico. But the Merlot stood out with its personality, we took it as a gift. It was part of our research, but it was also a discovery.” Sabasti explains how Tuscan Merlot is totally different to the Californian style, or Pomerol. “Somehow,” she says, “it has depth, but is not with fat and remains very vertical.” Tignanello, L’Apparita, Fontodi’s Flaccianello, Percarlo and Le Pergole Torte are some of the region's very top wines, responsible for raising its profile, yet all were forced at one time or another to declassify their wines. The Consorzio has caught up and now allows barrique ageing, 100% Sangiovese and the use of international varieties in Chianti Classico. But at a time when quality has never been higher, they have again been criticised for their recent decision to ban international varieties from the top Chianti Classico Gran Selezione classification. Castello di Ama’s Sebasti is not happy. She is a big believer in what she calls “renaissance thinking” – where quality-led winemaking should be about creativity and discovery, not rules. After all, it was the rulebreakers in Chianti Classico that brought quality to the region. Sebasti recalls how Robert Mondavi who, despite his position of power in Napa, stood up against imposing rules that would restrict young, up-and-coming winemakers to produce wines in a region where it was becoming too expensive to own land. Many other producers wanted to allow only bricks-and-mortar wineries to become members of Napa Valley Vintners, but Mondavi believed this would stifle creativity in the region. Sebasti echoes Mondavi, “We need the energy, the creativity, the new challenge of young winemakers and rulebreakers to continue to make our wines the best.”  Despite Antinori’s reputation largely being built on the success of international varieties, they are in favour of the banning of international varieties in Gran Selezione and voted for the change. “While the international varieties were absolutely necessary to transition the region from quantity to quality, they can now be put to one side,” says Carpaneto. For Carpaneto, the changing of the rules will help create a clearer identity for the region. He believes being able to taste 100% Sangiovese wines from different villages within Chianti Classico will help the critic and consumer compare the differences. “The international varieties can influence the wine too much,” he says. “A variety like Merlot can go over the terroir, it can cover the terroir.”  Sebasti, on the other hand, is yet to be convinced. She understands the allure of making Chianti Classico from 100% Sangiovese. She regularly tastes her own vats of Sangiovese and, while they can be great, for her, the magic touch for her terroir is a soupçon of Merlot added to the Sangiovese that makes her wine better – she is more interested in that than the classification. “They go for monotony,” claims Sebasti. “They say authenticity is 100% Sangiovese and this is historically incorrect […] It is not a political choice, it should be a vigneron’s choice.” If forced, Castello di Ama will leave the appellation.  While Antinori approved the decision for the ban, they have no intention to change the blend of Tignanello, or Solaia for that matter. “We cannot touch the Super Tuscans,” says Carpaneto. Their reputation is bigger than any classification. Regularly compared to the top wines of the world Carpeneto believes they have earned their place in history.  Among these top producers their wines do not need to rely on the classifications, however it is interesting that the top wines in Antinori’s portfolio, for example, are wines that rely on a blend of both Sangiovese and international varieties. In 2002 (a terrible vintage for Sangiovese), Solaia was made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon. Carpeneto says they would never do this again. “the wine doesn’t taste like Solaia,” he says. “If we had the same vintage conditions again, we just wouldn’t make it.” As at Castello di Ama, it is the special relationship between the international variety and Sangiovese that makes their top wines so special.  Tuscany’s rapid rise in quality could not have happened with Sangiovese alone. It has the international varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, at least in part, to thank for that. They were instrumental in Tuscany’s transition from an industrial-led wine-producing region to a qualitative one. The decision to ban their inclusion in the Gran Selezione classification will cause ruptures in the appellation – though the region is no stranger to controversy. Each vigneron will need to decide for themselves whether it compromises quality. Either way, the mavericks that have helped build Chianti’s reputation are not likely to let rules get in their way. Browse all Italian wine listings or read more Editorial

Despite a long history of growing native Tuscan varieties, Chianti’s reputation is tied to the Bordeaux varieties. We talk to leading producers about their role in the region – and why the Consorzio is trying to ban them from its top wines

Exploring why the Consorzio is trying to ban Bordeaux varieties after they have been so instrumental to Chianti’s success. 

Chianti Gran Selezione classification in crisis

Looking beyond Sangiovese: Chianti

South Africa is one of the most exciting wine-producing nations right now. A new generation – led by the likes of Eben Sadie, the Mullineux, Chris Alheit and many more – has put the Cape firmly on the fine wine agenda. Its pinpoint Chenin Blanc, serious Syrah and laidback winemakers have made it the darling of the industry – yet this modish group of surfer-cum-winemakers seems a world away from the sweet wines of Constantia.  “Constantia Wyn” was South Africa’s original vinous export – savoured by the good and great of the 18th and 19th centuries. Bismarck, Frederick the Great, Louis XVI and George Washington are all noted to have enjoyed it, while Napoleon had vast volumes shipped to him in exile on St Helena (drinking up to a bottle a day) – and it was supposedly the only thing he wished to consume on his deathbed. The wine is mentioned by Dickens, Dumas and Baudelaire, with Jane Austen’s Mrs Jennings in Sense and Sensibility famously recommending it for “its healing powers on a disappointed heart”.  How, then, did such a legendary wine fall from grace? Economic downturn in the second half of the 19th century, followed by the arrival of mildew and phylloxera in the Cape, and the subsequent dominance of the KWV – the state-run cooperative – saw it vanish.  But in 1985, the Klein Constantia property was bought by Duggie Jooste. He replanted the vineyards, built a new winery and worked on overhauling the long-neglected estate. In 1986 he and winemaker Ross Gower produced the first vintage of Vin de Constance – their tribute to “Constantia Wyn” – released in 1990. It was made with Muscat de Frontignan (a particularly thick-skinned clone of Muscat) left to raisin on the vine, producing a luscious sweet wine, with no botrytis influence. It was an instant success – but quality and style was inconsistent, and Vin de Constance was just one wine in the range, rather than a focus.   It was only in 2012 that Klein Constantia embarked on a new chapter. The property had been for sale for a while and, as Vice Chairman Hans Astrom told me, it was “a bit dusty” and severely in need of attention. It changed hands in 2011, with Zdenek Bakala – an American-Czech billionaire – and British banker Charles Harman taking over, merging a year later with the Stellenbosch estate Anwilka, part-owned by Duggie Jooste’s son Lowell Jooste, Hubert de Boüard (of Ch. Angélus) and Bruno Prats (previously of Cos d’Estournel). Matthew Day – who had worked at the property since 2008 – took over as winemaker. While the estate still produces a full range of whites and reds, Vin de Constance is its flagship.  Now, a decade on, the importance of this shift is shining through. Being a “legacy winery” used to be “what got us in the door”, Day explains, but Klein Constantia is no longer trading on its past. The wines made between 1986 and 2012 were experimental, Day notes – with bottlings ranging significantly in sweetness (from 80 to 180g/l residual sugar) – but they were “vital in figuring out where we are going”. His favourites from that era are the 1987, 1991, 1995, 1996 and 2001 (“with 1991 and 1987 being at the top of that list”), but he’s more excited about the wines he’s producing today. “The older Vin de Constances are more in the style of being sweet wines, whereas the newer vintages are just wines,” adds Day.   Since 2012, they have gradually evolved the style, striving for balance and freshness, with increased precision. For Day, the aim is to make “a sweet wine that doesn’t taste sweet”.  The first shifts were in the vineyard, which since the mid-2000s has been farmed sustainably with some organic and biodynamic practices. The team planted more bush vines that ripen and raisin earlier in the season, therefore retaining more acidity. While they used to pick parcels from January to have high-acid components for blending, now – with the bush vines – they can pick a more uniformly ripe crop, yet not sacrifice acidity.  The end goal remains to have as many components as possible for blending, with the harvest team picking in passes and bringing between one and five kilograms of grapes in per day. While the wine used to vary in alcohol and sugar level, they now aim for around 165g/l residual sugar and 14% alcohol – where they think the best balance is found, varying slightly according to vintage.   The 2016 vintage was the first to be made in a new cellar – a practical and hygienic space. As for what actually happens in the cellar, the key changes have been around skin contact and élevage. The must now spends a week on skins, inoculated with a non-saccharomyces yeast to protect them from biological contamination and the development of volatile acidity, extracting all-important flavour compounds, but not phenolics. They then inoculate for alcoholic fermentation, which lasts between one and three months. They also started re-introducing the use of foudre for ageing the wines in 2016. From 2019, the wine will spend its first 1.5 years in new 500-litre barrels (encouraging the evolution of secondary flavours), before being transferred to older foudre for another 1.5 years (giving oak influence but without the ageing effect of micro-oxygenation).   Tasting the 2012 alongside the 2019 highlights the differences. The two vintages were similarly cool, both picked in April, and although the residual sugar is almost identical, the 2019 feels significantly fresher – with a pithy, textured freshness that offsets its sweetness.   This whimsical wine of yore might feel like a counter to the nation’s new wave, but it’s not so, says Day. “For me, Klein Constantia has always been at the forefront of the movement, but in a completely different way. We might not be as trendy as some of the newer producers, but we like to think the work we have done with Vin de Constance over the past decade has shown the world that South Africa has the potential to compete with the best of the best in the world.”   Browse all current listings from Klein Constantia or browse more Editorial

Loved by Dickens, Austen and Napoleon, the sweet wines of Constantia were legendary in the 18th and 19th century. But Klein Constantia – the estate revived in the 1980s – is done with looking back. Sophie Thorpe caught up with winemaker Matthew Day to find out what lies ahead 

Klein Constantia’s winemaker Matthew Day on the evolution of Vin de Constance, South Africa’s most iconic and historic sweet wine

A new era for Klein Constantia’s Vin de Constance

A constant evolution: Vin de Constance

Waterford founder Mark Reynier speaks to Gavin Lucas about his obsession with terroir, traceability and transparency – and how his radical approach is driving unprecedented scientific research into the flavours derived from barley grown on different soil types

Waterford founder, Mark Reynier, discusses his obsession with terroir, traceability and transparency – and how his approach is driving pioneering research 

FONDATA: The Waterford Revolution

The Waterford Revolution

Last year Colgin celebrated its 30th harvest. In a relatively short time, this Napa estate has become one of the most successful wineries in the region, if not the world. Its three single-vineyard wines – Cariad, Tychson Hill and IX Estate – regularly receive 99-100 points scores across the board, establishing it as one of the region’s cult Cabernet estates that has put Napa on the international fine wine map. Despite its international repute, however, Paul Roberts – Master Sommelier and Colgin’s COO – believes the estate, and Napa Valley as a whole, is still only just starting to tell its story. Napa, more than anywhere else, has been massively influenced by wine critics’ scores. While there is much fanfare over being awarded a perfect 100 points, these headline-grabbing scores have distracted from the actual reasons why this hugely heterogeneous region can produce such great wines, and that the wines themselves are distinctly varied, both in style and flavour profile. For some collectors, if a wine from Napa doesn’t have a 99 or 100-point score then they aren’t interested; however more engaged collectors are starting to identify the nuances within the region and are eager to learn more. Roberts has noticed this first-hand. “[People] don’t want to rely only on a score for guidance but instead begin to look for reasons why they really like these wines from Pritchard Hill, for instance… this is an evolution.” It reminds Roberts of a conversation he had with Dominique Lafon (Domaine des Comtes Lafon) when visiting Burgundy. Lafon said to Roberts, “When Domaine Faiveley sued Robert Parker in 1993, it was the best thing that could have happened to Burgundy. Parker left Burgundy and no other critic at the time had the influence like he did.” Lafon felt that it forced the wineries in Burgundy to focus on the story behind their wine – the characteristics of each vineyard – instead of a score. “This has to be the next evolution in understanding the great wines and the great terroirs of Napa,” says Roberts.  While Roberts emphasises that Colgin doesn’t trade on its scores, it is fortunate to have them. “But Napa is about a place – and we need to talk about this more,” he says. “The place is going to outlive you, me, Robert Parker, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Antonio Galloni, all of us will be dead and gone, but the land abides. The place will hopefully begin to take on its own unique story, just in the same way you think Romanée-Saint-Vivant is different to Richebourg.” Tasting Colgin with Roberts, you quickly realise that for him tannins (their shape, intensity and mouthfeel) are an important aspect of understanding Napa’s different terroirs, as well as what really sets Napa apart from other Cabernet-growing regions around the world. Firstly, there’s the sheer volume of tannins. Top Napa Cabernets have higher skin-to-juice ratios than even the First Growths, notes Roberts, and therefore much more “antioxidant” tannins than their Bordeaux counterparts, vital for long ageing and development in bottle. Colgin’s mountainside IX Estate vineyard on Pritchard Hill produces berries that are, on average, 30% smaller than those grown in Pauillac and, to Roberts, have a completely different tannin profile. “While we love and enjoy drinking Bordeaux wines,” says Roberts, “Napa shoots itself in the foot every time we keep comparing our wines to Bordeaux. The climate, the terroir, the soils, they are just completely different.” When asked to describe the differences between the various regions within Napa, Roberts wants the tannins to guide you. While the reality is more nuanced, generally Roberts finds that the further south you are, the more elegant the tannin profile. In the south it is slightly cooler, something further exaggerated by the elevation. The northern part of the valley, however, produces “exotic, fleshy, powerful wines”. He finds that the mountain appellations – Spring Mountain, Howell Mountain and Diamond Mountain – produce powerful, dense, tannic, structured wines.  
Today Napa wines are often divided into those from the valley floor and those from mountain sites. While this binary division is one way to approach the geographical distinctions within Napa, but it is, Roberts feels, overly simplistic. Most importantly, it doesn’t allow for wines that are neither valley floor or mountain – the hillside vineyards, such as Colgin. 
Napa’s climate is influenced heavily by marine fog. Every day during the growing season, a layer of fog forms over the vineyards. Valley floor vineyards sit below the fog line and are protected from the full daytime power of the sun, moderating the climate. Mountain sites are above the fog line and are therefore constantly exposed to the California sunshine, which, according to Roberts, produces “a different berry structure” to the grapes on the valley floor. “The berries are smaller and have much thicker skins, very different tannins and much later picking cycles, since the mountain appellations are cooler due to elevation,” he explains.

“This cloud layer, that determines whether you are in a valley floor appellation, or a mountain appellation, tops off around 1,400 feet,” says Roberts. “ Howell Mountain’s vineyards starts at 1,400 feet; Diamond Mountain – most properties sit between 1,600-2,600 feet; Spring Mountain have some vineyards at 3,000 feet.” These then sit comfortably above the fog line and are rightly classified as mountain appellation wines. But Colgin, along with some others, Roberts believes, are wrongly considered mountain wines.

Colgin’s vineyards sit between 300 and 1,400 feet, and remain in or below the fog line. So, in some ways, they are similar to the valley floor, but, because they are on a hillside, they benefit from what Roberts calls “the devigourating nature of a hillside rocky soil”. These hillside vineyards have their own distinct climatic and geological influence – that doesn’t fit with mountain terroir or valley floor, but shares elements of both. For Roberts, Colgin’s vineyards are better described as a mid-slope hillside appellation, and it finds itself in good company.  
“If you look back at the time when we released our first vintage,” says Roberts, “we were labelled among a number of wineries as one of the cult Cabernet estates. Harlan Estate, Bryant Estate, Eisele Vineyards and ourselves – you look, and all of them are planted on mid-slope hillsides." Screaming Eagle (another cult Cabernet estate), Roberts admits, is strictly valley floor, but it is still on a slope. “A lot of people at the time said you are not going to be able to get Cabernet ripe and it’s too hard to plant in the rocky soils on these mid-slopes,” says Roberts. “But now this is where you see a lot of the great estates are situated.” “Even if you look at a famous vineyard like To Kalon,” says Roberts, “it is roughly the same size as Clos Vougeot. We all know Clos Vougeot is a Grand Cru, but within the vineyard it has some Grand Cru quality terroir, some not so good Premier Cru quality and even some village quality terroir, all within the same delineated boundary. Well, To Kalon is the same. If you get close to the road (Highway 29), it is a totally different style of wine than if you are further back on the toe of the hill where there is deeper gravel. That to me is like the Grand Cru part of To Kalon and that part, like Screaming Eagle, is on a slope, and behaves closer to a mid-slope hillside appellation than valley floor.”  The great advantage of these mid-slope hillside appellations, according to Roberts, is not only better drainage and the natural devigouration of the rocky soils, but a different ripening cycle. Because the soils are that much drier, they warm up quicker at the beginning of the season, pushing the hillside vineyards to bud earlier and to ripen more quickly than those on the valley floor and in the mountain appellations. This helps them avoid the late season rain that can disrupt a vintage. The result, therefore, is much more consistency year to year. Roberts notes that more and more producers are realising the virtues of the Napa hillsides, with the likes of Tim Mondavi now planting on Pritchard Hill. Despite demand for these hillside plots, which have proven their potential, Roberts doesn’t expect to see the “appellation” expand much more. Regulation and restrictions from California’s Land Use Law prevents any new plantings on Napa’s hillsides, preserving key natural habitats. And that might be no bad thing, since the residential properties being developed in the region and their ornamental plantings of lavender and rosemary, Roberts argues, pose a huge fire risk for the region. California faces a tumultuous future. As aquafers dry up and fires rage around the state, California sometimes feels like a perilous place that needs protecting. Colgin know the dangers only too well. On 17th August 2020, a freak storm hit California. The state saw 10,000 lightning strikes in 24 hours. One of the two huge fires that the storm caused started directly opposite Colgin’s vineyards. “Within four hours, we were in an evacuation zone,” says Roberts. “The fire couldn’t be put out by a fire crew because it was on such a steep hillside, they couldn’t get to it. All air assets had been deployed to southern California, since that is where they thought the storm would hit.” Fortunately, vineyards act as firebreaks and Colgin’s vineyards were saved – although they didn’t make any wine in 2020 because of the smoke damage. Such a close call has Roberts and his team doing everything they can to minimise the risks. A massive amount of brush clearing, putting in fire roads as well as bringing in new technology to minimize the risks. At the top of Colgin’s vineyards, Roberts recently approved a heat camera that can sense and detect the emergence of a fire, allowing them to deploy helicopters and put fires out early, before they have a chance to spread.

While these issues have become a day-to-day concern in the region, Roberts is confident Napa is turning a page in its history. If you look beyond the headlines of high scores and wildfires, Napa’s vineyards and varied terroir are starting to find a voice – and that’s where the real story is. Your guide to Colgin’s three single vineyards: IX Estate, Tychson Hill and Cariad While Colgin’s three single vineyards all share mid-slope hillside positioning and the climatic benefits this brings, the sites produce three very different styles of Cabernet, due to their different soils and microclimates. IX Estate IX Estate is an 8.07-hectare vineyard situated on Pritchard Hill overlooking Lake Henessey at an altitude of between 1,100 and 1,400 feet. The IX Estate vineyard’s bedrock is made up of old lava flow, full of iron. The soil looks red, dotted with large volcanic boulders. According to Colgin’s COO Paul Roberts MS, the iron component gives an almost sanguine nature to the tannins. “There are lots of them, but they are very, very fine,” says Roberts. “Then there is an almost bloody note – not as much as in the Northern Rhône – not full blood – not that extreme, but more mouth-watering, not from the acidity but from the flavour/nature of the tannins.” The wines from IX Estate have a distinct red fruit profile on the palate which is a classic element of this part of Napa. The wild flora and fauna around the vineyard, to Roberts, “add an almost herb component, as close as you get to garrigue in the south of France – thyme, rosemary, wild sage.” Tychson Hill Tychson Hill is an historic vineyard site, first planted in the 19th century. The vines were pulled out during prohibition, with the site only replanted by Anne Colgin in the mid-1990s. The vineyard is north of the town of St Helena at an altitude of 300-422 feet. In total 2.42 hectares are planted to vines. The bedrock is also volcanic, but with a very different volcanic origin to IX Estate, with a mix of gravel and obsidian black stone (a black volcanic glass). According to Roberts, the wines from Tchyson Hill has less tannin than IX Estate and they are rounder, without the edges you get in IX Estate. “The tannin quality of the wine begins to emulate the shape of the stones you find in the vineyard,” says Roberts. “Tychson Hill is a much older material – so a finer quality of tannin.” The diurnal shift at Tychson Hill also has a distinct effect on the wines, with a shift of up to 9-10˚C – which provides much more aromatics and more red fruit character. “The climate can fully volatilise and metabolize tannins,” says Roberts, “so they appear much softer.” It is also, he believes, Colgin’s most approachable wine in its youth. Cariad Cariad is a steeper vineyard site, 3.2 hectares in the western hills of St Helena at an altitude of 400-500 feet. The vines are grown on what is an uplifted, old gravel riverbed. The tannins, according to Roberts, are “more spherical because of the rounded stones in the vineyard”. The fruit is more purple in character. Earlier vintages of Cariad were a Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend that typically was the slowest maturing of the three, needing the longest time for the tannins to fully integrate, but today much of the Merlot has been replaced with Cabernet Franc, which Roberts believes brings a much “fleshier beauty” early on in its maturity. Browse all Colgin listings or read more editorial

Napa’s finest wines receive stratospheric scores – but there’s much more to the region’s story. Gavin Smith talks to Master Sommelier and Colgin COO about why it’s time to stop focusing on critical acclaim and let Napa’s vineyards speak for themselves

Exploring how Napa’s vineyards are finding their voice with a spotlight on Colgin’s three single vineyards: IX Estate, Tychson Hill and Cariad

Exploring a new chapter for Napa

A new chapter for Napa

2020 Bourgogne Côte d’Or Chardonnay, Alvina Pernot  The fruit for Alvina Pernot’s entry-level cuvée comes from two parcels – Rue du Bois (around their new winery) and Femelottes (neighbouring Les Reuchaux). The result is a fresh, vibrant and juicy Bourgogne Blanc. The wine is layered with green apple, citrus and a chalky minerality. Pure and concentrated, this is excellent value.   2020 Bourgogne Chardonnay, Les Chataigners, Domaine Hubert Lamy  Between Meursault and Saint-Aubin, this lieu-dit sits at relatively high elevation on limestone – producing a particularly fresh expression of Chardonnay. Vibrant and fresh, there’s a chalk line running through the wine with lemon pith citrus and lime freshness, crisp Granny Smith and crunchy gooseberry. Pinpoint and pure Chardonnay.  2020 Saint-Aubin, Premier Cru, En Remilly, Louis Jadot  Jadot’s En Remilly is once again glorious in 2020. Brilliant wines come out of this south-facing terroir, with mainly rocky clay soils. The nose is vibrant, fresh and mineral, with notes of green apples and lemon. The mix of new (25%) and one-year-old barrels is integrated beautifully on the palate. Creamy and round, the wine is driven by superb acidity and an iodine note. The mid-palate develops continuously with ripe white fruit, remarkable tension and purity. A gentle bitterness makes for a long, mouth-watering, subtly saline finish. While this will be ready to drink early, it will age beautifully. Located just above Montrachet Grand Cru, between the villages of Chassagne and Puligny, this is a Grand Vin at an affordable price.   2020 Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, Louis Auguste, Domaine David Duband  This wine, named in honour of David’s son, Louis Auguste, comes from higher-altitude sites and some of the domaine’s oldest vines (over 55 years old). In 2020 it is ripe and dark-fruited – a red-berried twist to the juicy bramble fruit, and backed by wonderful freshness. It’s crunchy with chalky-textured tannins that beautifully frame the fruit. The finish is long and vibrant with a wash of saline freshness.  2020 Fixin, Premier Cru, Clos de la Perrière, Albert Bichot  At the same altitude as Chambertin (350-380 metres), this Fixin monopole was created by the Cistercian monks in the 12th century. It is instantly complex and gourmand, with discreet oak, beautiful red and dark berry aromas that lead to a medium-bodied palate. The tannins are silky and elegant, with notes of wild strawberry and black cherry. The site is southeast-facing, with calcareous soils that bring minerality, while the altitude adds freshness to the ripe red fruit on the mid-palate. This complex wine finishes long with notes of cherry and raspberry. The tension and texture are a joy. There are no Grands Crus in Fixin, but this deserves a better classification… definitely a wine to look out for.   2020 Marsannay, La Charme aux Prêtres, Domaine Charles Audoin  It is hard to pick a favourite amongst Charles Audoin’s stunning line-up in 2020, however this was one of them. This stony terroir sits just behind the village. It’s layered with vibrant red cherry and blueberry, with cinnamon spice and rose florals, giving perfume and lift. On the palate, there’s a rush of crunchy redcurrants and a slightly chewier structure. With firmer tannins, this wine needs a little time, but it is balanced and framed by a core of beautifully ripe fruit and zingy, almost orange-zest acidity. 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin, Vieilles Vignes, Domaine Fourrier  Fourrier’s village Gevrey, from three hectares of vines, represents a third of the estate’s production. One-third comes from the bottom of the village, with sandy soil, lending fruitiness. Another plot sits below the Grands Crus – with more clay, adding power and structure. The third component is below Premier Cru Les Champeaux and gives balance and finesse. The average age of vines is an impressive 60 years, with none younger than 40. In 2020, the wine is dark-fruited and pure, with bramble and black cherry fruit. It is concentrated, with juicy berry fruit fleshing out the serious yet subtle tannin structure. Fresh acidity drives a long, savoury finish.   2020 Savigny-lès-Beaune, Premier Cru, La Dominode, Domaine Jean-Marc & Hugues Pavelot  La Dominode is one of the most concentrated wines from Pavelot’s impressive array of Savigny Premiers Crus. The moderately structural, strict tannins bring fantastic depth and are beautifully balanced by the natural fleshiness of the mid-palate. There is a distinct saline minerality that nicely complements the ripe strawberry and red cherry fruit. The tannins are sinewy, dynamic and well-integrated with fresh acidity and ripe, red fruit. This is perfectly pitched, top Savigny.  2020 Gevrey-Chambertin, Premier Cru, Lavaux-Saint-Jacques, Domaine Tortochot  From one of the greatest vineyards in the Côte d’Or, Tortochot’s Lavaux-Saint-Jacques is always impressive. The vines’ proximity to the neighbouring Clos Saint-Jacques no doubt helps in this respect. There is a lovely restraint to the nose, a seriousness too, with earthy, blackberry aromas interspersed with lighter, floral perfume, light pepper and white truffle notes. There is great fleshiness to the tannins, which are rounded and elegant in the mouth. This wine has tremendous depth and fantastic fruit concentration on the long finish.  2020 Volnay, Premier Cru, Les Caillerets, Ancienne Cuvée Carnot, Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils  “If you haven’t tasted Caillerets, you haven’t tasted Volnay,” says Bouchard’s Frédéric Weber. It is one of Bouchard’s most important and historic sites, purchased in 1775. Their 3.75 hectares of vines are situated right in the middle of the slope. The vineyard is famous for producing the most elegant style of Volnay thanks to its rich limestone bedrock. The tannins are super fine, supple and perfectly integrated with the rich black plum and blackberry fruit. The wine has a lovely linear structure, beautiful balance and a mouth-watering finish. This is exceptionally fine.  Read more Editorial or explore all current Burgundy listings 

Great Burgundy needn’t cost the world. For those in the know, there’s great value to be found. Here are the 10 wines that we think offer the best value in 2020 

The 10 wines that offer the best value in 2020 Burgundy en primeur incl. Saint-Aubin En Remilly, Louis Jadot, Volnay Les Caillerets Carnot Bouchard

Burgundy 2020 en primeur top-value buys

Burgundy 2020: top-value wine buys

“In more recent times The Glenturret has not been a brand name that is well known in whisky.” While few might refute this, they are not typically the first words you expect to hear from the mouth of the distillery’s Managing Director. “When the new owners took over, it was a unique opportunity to take this old, heritage brand that no one has ever heard of and reposition it without any of the baggage you normally get with repositioning older brands,” John Laurie adds. In 2019, Silvo Denz – owner of Chx Faugères in Saint-Emilion and Lafaurie-Peyraguey in Sauternes – bought a 50% stake in the Highland distillery via his Lalique Group for £15.5m. (Swiss entrepreneur Hansjörg Wyss bought the other 50% for an undisclosed sum.) This marked Denz’s first move into the whisky world and a huge moment for The Glenturret. The deal with The Edrington Group, who own The Macallan and Highland Park, included the distillery, the single malt brand and more than one million litres of maturing stock. In the intervening years, the brand once known as a component in blends and home of The Famous Grouse Experience has been on an oft-used-and-cliched “journey”. The team has grown, acquiring some big names along the way, the core range has been stripped back to basics, and all the fundamentals have been scrutinised. For the first nine months after former The Macallan Whisky Maker Bob Dalgarno joined The Glenturret, he was reportedly nowhere to be seen. After his induction, Dalgarno – chalk in hand and overalls-clad – barricaded himself in the warehouse. The industry legend spent month upon month scrawling on the casks, rolling barrels around and familiarising himself with his new pet project. For the self-professed “farm stock”, the prospect of joining a manually operated distillery after working at The Macallan for 30 years was a real thrill. Dalgarno could experiment and affect change. New contracts with local farmers to run barley trials have been set up and the cask-selection process has been extensively reviewed. He and Distillery Manager Ian Renwick are a formidable team. The duo spent months drilling into the stocks and assessing what worked well and didn’t. After this, two things were taken as read: the quality of the new-make was of utmost importance, and The Glenturret would stay a small, hand-operated distillery. “Other brands will use casks as their dominant flavour profile,” Laurie explains. “We use our new-make spirit. It’s the backbone of The Glenturret. You should be able to nose our new-make spirit and nose it at 30 years old and never lose that character.” The Glenturret new-make spirit is light and quite soft because of the long fermentation and slow distillation methods. In order to preserve this character and avoid railroading it, cask selection is key. This, according to Laurie, has been instrumental in 80% of The Glenturret’s maiden whiskies selling out in the first seven months. “We were really keen not to be the brand that just puts the same liquid in a shiny new bottle and charges a different price point for it,” the Managing Director says. That said, innovation – or, as Laurie prefers it called, experimentation – is high on the agenda at the Highland distillery. “It’s less scientific clean rooms and more overalls and a lot of incredibly long hours and hard work,” Laurie adds. Ostensibly, the culmination of the first stage of this experimentation is the 2020 series of releases, which includes the familiar TripleWood and a scattering of age statements. But look a little harder and the range is an adept exploration of refinement, questioning age, alcohol strength, refill casks and peat. The team has also not shied away from the issue of transparency – something that the whisky world has not always embraced. “We will tell people exactly what’s in our whisky; we won’t hide anything,” Laurie says. “If you want to know how old our non-age statement is then we will tell you. It’s all about the quality of the liquid for us.” In production terms, The Glenturret is considered small batch. As Brand Ambassador Jamie Morrison quaintly puts it, “At roughly 200,000 litres of alcohol per year, that’s a piece of plankton floating in the Pacific in relation to much bigger, more automated distilleries.” For Laurie, balancing genuine scarcity with a territory-by-territory approach will be instrumental to their success. “You want to explain to the consumer that when it sells out, it sells out. There is not going to be another one coming out the back of it. But also managing it to the point where it is not so hard to get that the consumer loses interest,” Laurie says. “We wanted to make sure everywhere we opened up we looked after as we grow. For The Glenturret to really work, it has to be sold in a location where somebody can take the time to tell the customer the story and understand what makes us different. I would rather they didn’t make the sale than make the wrong sale. “This distillery can’t put out any more than 500,000 litres of alcohol unless we started putting on extensions and changing the process completely,” Laurie says. “And there is absolutely no willingness from the ownership all the way down through the team here to do that. So, The Glenturret will reach that 500,000 litres of alcohol production level and stay there.” Morrison picks up the point: “Everything we do is truly small batch and that comes with its own set of challenges in terms of production, but it also makes us quite nimble which means we can afford to do small experimental runs of different barley. We can adjust fermentation times and adjust the run times of the stills quite easily. And that affords us opportunity to effectively have a play round and see what happens.” The words “small batch” and “limited” are often bandied about in the drinks world. In fact, The Glenturret is well-positioned on many fronts when it comes to buzzword bingo, but there is a sincerity in the mission here and a stellar line up of talent which will ultimately let the liquid do the talking. Browse all current Glenturret listings or all Scotch whisky or read more Editorial

When the oldest working distillery in Scotland found a new owner in 2019, many stood back and speculated on how its fortunes might change. Holly Motion speaks to the team about how a new approach has been a barnstorming success


Exploring how Scotland's oldest working distillery, The Glenturret, has gone back to basics and transformed the Highland producer's reputation

Back to basics at The Glenturret

The Glenturret: back to basics

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