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.

Ten Covenant wines tasted

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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

Best English wines for Christmas

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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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At Angeleno Wine Company on the outskirts of LA’s Chinatown, co-owner Jasper Dickson pours one of the most exciting wines of the year. Angelica is a wine made from the oldest producing vine in the US – the Ramona vine – believed to have been planted in the 1770s in the courtyard of Mission San Gabriel. The Spanish Franciscan community was established in 1771, 10 years before the founding of Los Angeles.

It has just been released after ageing in French oak for three years and each 375ml-bottle is one of only 336 in total. The bottle features artwork of the Ramona vine by Xochi Maberry-Gaulke. The pale cherry-coloured fortified wine has notes of caramel and winter spices rounded by moderate tannins and refreshing natural acidity.

History in the bottle

‘We are making history in the glass,’ says Amy Luftig, one of the owners of Angeleno Wine Company.

‘For me, this project encapsulates the entire reason why we started this winery,’ Luftig adds. ‘We wanted to integrate into our wines the lost history of Los Angeles. We always wanted to remind people that California wine started here. This is a bonafide wine region. To be working with some of the fruit that was brought over by the friars to start winemaking is amazing, and that’s why we are doing it.’

The project of recreating Angelica started in the spring of 2020. Terri Huerta, director of development and communications at Mission San Gabriel, reached out to the Los Angeles Vintners Association. The initiative was founded by three local wine operations: Byron Blatty Wines, Angeleno Wine Company and Cavaletti Vineyards.

The project stemmed from a dedication to reviving and revitalising the rich history of winemaking traditions in Los Angeles. Huerta asked the winemakers to take cuttings of the Ramona vine, a hybrid of the native Vitis Girdiana and the Mission grapes brought from Spain.

From vine to glass

When the LA winemakers saw the giant tree with fruit hanging from the long pergola, they decided not just to tend it, but to attempt to make a wine from it, harvesting the Mission grapes and making wine as the friars did centuries ago. ‘We all agreed on making Angelica, the first wine made in California and named after Los Angeles,’ says Dickson.

The pruning conducted by Patrick Kelley from Cavaletti Vineyards helped with growth over the last three years, as well as affecting the berry size.

The winemakers began to search for the documentation of past production and found excerpts in the archives of Mission San Gabriel and Mission San Fernando, indicating what the wine might have tasted like.

‘There are no examples of the original wine that we can compare to this one,’ says Dickson.

The winemakers decide to use the Solera system, which is generally used in Sherry production to blend wines across vintages. Older wines add depth and complexity, and younger wines add acidity and freshness. For the Angelica, juice from the 2021, 2022 and 2023 vintages were combined with the initial wine from 2020.

Angelica can be found at all three wineries in Los Angeles.

One of the limited bottles of Angelica. Credit: Ani Duzdabanyan

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Many high-end producers along Napa Valley’s storied wine routes took on wine as a second (or third) career after securing their fortunes in other lucrative fields. None of them have quite the same story as Darioush Khaledi.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 10 current releases from Napa’s Darioush

Today, Khaledi is famous for being the proprietor of Darioush, an eye-popping merger of a winery and hospitality centre he and his wife Shahpar designed.

Darioush: Tasting notes and scores for 10 current releases

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Caroline Frey, owner of Paul Jaboulet Aîné, has decided to uncouple La Chapelle (and its white counterpart, Le Chevalier de Sterimberg) from the Paul Jaboulet Aîné brand by creating a separate entity, Domaine de la Chapelle, which will be the new home for these two wines.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the 2022 Domaine de la Chapelle red and white wines

Tasting notes and scores for the 2022 Domaine de la Chapelle red and white wines:

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The vineyards in the northern part of the Champagne region are often sliced into three distinct areas: the Côte des Blancs for Chardonnay, the Marne Valley for Meunier and the Montagne de Reims for Pinot Noir.

Scroll down to see tasting ntoes and scores for Tom Hewson’s top picks of Montagne de Reims Champagnes

The first two can be neatly surmised: the Côte des Blancs is a single, chalky cuesta – a hill with a steep face on one side and a gentle slope on the other – that can be driven north to south in 20 minutes. The Marne Valley is a winding valley planted with an overwhelming majority of one grape variety and with hardly a grain of chalk to play with. The Montagne de Reims, though, is different.

Tom Hewson’s picks of the best Champagnes from the Montagne de Reims

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It was not hard for Sebastián Labbé to capture the attention of an audience drawn to a tasting of multiple vintages of Viña Santa Rita Casa Real, the wine that inscribed Chile in the fine wine firmament, worthy of a place among Decanter’s Wine Legends.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for three vintages of Santa Rita Casa Real Reserva Especial

Born in Chile and trained in New Zealand and Australia, Labbé returned to his home country in 2005, aged 25, to join Viña Carmen as Chief Winemaker. In early 2017, he was given the outstanding opportunity of leading the Ultra-Premium Sector at sister estate Viña Santa Rita (both Viña Carmen and Viña Santa Rita are part of Santa Rita Estates, under the umbrella of the Claro Group). With such privilege came the big responsibility of becoming the custodian of some of Chile’s most recognised and highly-regarded labels, not least the flagship Casa Real Reserva Especial.

Before him, only two other winemakers – Ignacio Recabarren and Cecilia Torres – had held the Casa Real helm. Alongside owner Ricardo Claro (the mastermind behind the creation of Casa Real) they defined a recognisable and consistent style that quickly turned heads both in Chile and abroad. First released in 1989, Casa Real revealed the potential of an overlooked terroir and its ability to yield a very specific expression of premium Cabernet Sauvignon.

See all Decanter tasting notes and scores for Santa Rita’s premium wines

In 2021, to celebrate the release of the 30th vintage of Casa Real, Viña Santa Rita made the wine available, for the first time, through La Place de Bordeaux. The announcement represented yet another pivotal moment in the wine’s history, consolidating its status as an iconic and pioneering Chilean label.

So far, Labbé’s tenure has been shaped by this prestigious legacy but also, and increasingly, by viticultural challenges and ambitious expansion plans. His own personal journey served as the perfect narrative thread for the insightful masterclass at the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter.

Credit: Ellen Richardson

A very Chilean Cabernet

Key to Casa Real’s enduring success are its consistency and classic yet characterful style, both reliant on the particular expression of Cabernet Sauvignon delivered by the terroirs of Alto Jahuel. Labbé delved into the three key variables that define this idiosyncrasy: geology, climate and viticultural choices.

A complex accumulation of alluvial sediments deposited strata in different ways across the slopes of Alto Jahuel, with distinct textures dynamically layered at variable depths. This creates a great deal of diversity within each vineyard, producing interesting if minute variations in fruit character. The heavier soils of the Carneros Viejos block, planted in the 1970s, are responsible for the wine’s more structural components, while the more gravely Población, a block planted in the 1980s, adds finesse and aromatic nuance. All blocks benefit from the long dry growing season, with cooling night winds from the Andes causing a wide temperature diurnal range. Cool nights help to preserve a fine acidity, keep alcohol levels in check and, says Labbé, shape the distinct aromatic profile of Cabernet Sauvignon that has become synonymous with Alto Jahuel and Casa Real.

Combined, Carneros Viejos, Población and recently planted, smaller sites – all ungrafted – make up the nearly 20 hectares that supply fruit for Casa Real. Plans to plant another 20 are underway. These will use plant material from massal selections from the existing plots. Labbé is not sure, however, if all of them will be on their own rootstock.

Grafted experiments delivered promising results, questioning the need for orthodoxy. Although he does recognise that much of Casa Real’s aromatic definition and purity of fruit might be a byproduct of own-root systems, other considerations – such as ever diminishing water resources – might need to come into play.

Viña Santa Rita Casa Real discovery tasting at the DFWE 2023. Credit: Ellen Richardson

Blending to perfection

If the different plots within the Casa Real vineyards deliver such nuanced aspects of Cabernet Sauvignon, carving – and remaining faithful – to a defined style requires mindful and masterful blending. For the masterclass, Labbé brought with him barrel samples from the 2023 vintage to illustrate the wide palette of components, from separately vinified plots, at his disposal. These also offered a glimpse of the ‘epic blending sessions’ held each year, in Bordeaux, alongside consultant Eric Boissenot.

The filigreed aromatics of the Población sites and the more robust structure of the Carneros Viejos sections became apparent in the barrel samples tasted. It’s not hard to see how, upon blending, these create a balanced matrix, in which the tannic framework of Carneros holds the vibrant and perfumed details of the Población fruit. Interestingly, a sample from a more recently-planted plot (Carneros Sur, 2015) had a particular balance of its own, promising great things from new and future plantings.

The tasting closed with a selection of three vintages: 2020, 2012 and 1994 (see tasting notes below). The latter showcased the somewhat overlooked longevity of Casa Real. While ready to drink, it still displays bags of finesse, freshness and the lingering herbal savouriness which is so characteristic of Alto Jahuel Cabernet Sauvignon.

Looking ahead

Winemaking at Santa Rita has so far been, first and foremost, a way of harnessing the quality of the Cabernet fruit that goes into Casa Real. Hand-harvested grapes are gently basket pressed and vinified in more than 25 small batches (some through spontaneous fermentation). The wine is bottled without filtration and clarification.

Is this purist approach – and the recognisable style it facilitates – being questioned by climate change? Labbé explained that, to preserve balance and character, the focus will be on strategic viticultural decisions, such as harvesting earlier and increasing the use of cover crops.

He is already making minor tweaks in the cellar though: the use of new oak has been toned down (75%, down from 100%) and there’s a chance future vintages might go through gentle clarification, which Labbé believes might help the Cabernet Sauvignon fruit to shine even more.  ‘I want to remain respectful to the heritage and style I had the privilege of inheriting,’ he concludes. ‘All changes are done to preserve the character that has made Casa Real such an iconic wine.’

Casa Real’s label has remained largely unchanged since its first release, in 1989

DFWE 2023: Three vintages of Santa Rita Casa Real Reserva Especial

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As the two smallest communal appellations in the Médoc region, after the big four of St-Estéphe, St-Julien, Pauillac and Margaux, Moulis and Listrac may not carry the same name recognition or prestige as their more famous neighbours on Bordeaux’s Left Bank, but these are the places to look for happy, characterful and food-friendly wines at accessible prices (often under or around £20 per bottle).

Scroll down for Georgie Hindle’s pick of 18 wines to try from Moulis & Listrac

See Georgie Hindle’s pick of 18 wines to try from Moulis and Listrac

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Côte-Rôtie

Young Côte-Rôties are normally fairly easy to read, but that wasn’t the case with the 2022s. Many of them appeared very fruity, with soft structures, lacking energy and aromatic detail. There were some excellent exceptions however, often from those originating from old vines grown on schist and fermented with a proportion of whole bunch.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2022 wines

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Matt Walls’ top-scoring Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2022 wines:

The wines below all scored 95 points or above, and are listed Condrieu then Côte-Rôtie in score order.

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It felt like I was tasting two different vintages while working my way through more than 100 St-Josephs this year. Some of the reds were diminutive but fresh and well-balanced; others were soft, luxurious and liqueur-fruited.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring St-Joseph 2022 wines

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Matt Walls’ top-scoring St-Joseph 2022 wines:

The wines below all scored 92 points or above, and are listed white then red in score order.

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