It’s not every day that you get to taste wines made over half a century ago – but earlier this month I got to trace CVNE’s flagship Imperial Gran Reserva all the way back to the 1947 vintage. Victor Urrutia, the fifth generation of his family to take the helm of this legendary Rioja producer, put together a tasting of what he called “the dirty dozen” – lining up 12 vintages of Imperial. The wines were chosen to show how the wine speaks across a range of vintages – not just the most famous, but the hot, the cold, the mighty and the mediocre.  CVNE has been making wine in Rioja Alta since 1879, so – even going back to 1947 – this tasting offered just a snapshot of its history. Imperial was created in the early 20th century (1917 is the earliest vintage Urrutia himself has tasted), conceived as “super Rioja”, Urrutia explained. The idea was to make the best wine possible, regardless of its commercial potential, at a time when Rioja didn’t have the prestige of today. Around 50,000 bottles are produced, but – importantly – Imperial isn’t made in every vintage, with the quality of the fruit in some years not meeting CVNE’s stringent standards (there was no 2003, 2006 or 2013, for example, and there won’t be a 2023 either).  For Urrutia, the goal with Imperial now is to reflect each vintage, and fine-tune the wine rather than look for revolution. The early vintages are their benchmark and inspiration. Across the vintages, however, Urrutia points to a “churchy” nose – something he finds is distinctly Imperial and reminiscent of the winery.  It’s easy, perhaps, to forget how well Rioja ages – and not just over a decade or two, but over half a century. The oldest vintage in this tasting, the 1947, was undoubtedly the star – a wine that has retained its freshness, with delicate aromatics and a beautifully long, pure, resolved palate. The entire flight impressed – with the quality of Imperial shining through. Some of Rioja’s legendary vintages featured (the 1970 and 1959, which sit alongside the likes of 1982 and 1964 in the history books), but my personal favourites were the aforementioned 1947, the still compact 2004 (named Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year in 2013), the brooding 2011 and pretty, elegant 2018.   The Imperial vineyards  The fruit for Imperial Gran Reserva comes from CVNE’s best vineyards, all over 40 years in age and almost all bush vines, yielding around 4,000kg/ha (equivalent to circa 25hl/ha or less than 1.5 tons/acre). The parcels all sit close to the Cantabrian mountains, at around 500-600 metres’ altitude, and on poor but cool soils (clay and limestone) – lending the wines great freshness, even in hot and dry years, explains longtime Technical Director María Larrea.  The village of Villalba de Rioja has been the backbone of the wine since its conception. This village was where the Real de Asúa brothers (who founded CVNE) first bought vineyards, four kilometres from Haro. The vineyards are steep and south-facing, exposed to the winds and some of the vines therefore have to be trellised (cordón Royat), but it brings acidity and freshness to the wine – something that is essential for its ageing potential. Parcels in the villages of Briones and Torremontalbo were added later, in the 1960s. Briones has richer soils, gentle slopes and a warmer climate, giving structure and body to the wine, while Torremontalbo has steep, stony slopes with calcareous soils and a significant diurnal shift, adding minerality and finesse to the blend.  The Imperial blend  The blend has shifted over the years, with the wine originally around 40% Garnacha and 40% Tempranillo, with the remaining 20% Graciano and Mazuelo. The old vineyards were field blends, with the varieties interplanted and harvested together, meaning mixed ripeness levels – something that arguably brought balance and complexity to the wines, even if some of the fruit wouldn’t have been ripe. Nowadays, each variety is planted separately at CVNE – allowing them more control and precision, harvesting each grape at the perfect moment and crafting a blend in the winery.  There was a move away from Garnacha in the 1970s, with more and more Tempranillo planted instead. Garnacha was less appreciated, seen as a workhorse, an impression that was only reenforced when lesser, high-yielding clones were planted in the 1980s and 1990s. As Larrea also noted, Garnacha is much more prone to coulure and millerandage (poor flowering and fruit-set), which may have been another factor in its decline. There was also a time, Urrutia explained, when Bordeaux was the reference point for fine wine, and they looked to imitate the region, favouring Tempranillo for its darker colour versus the more thin-skinned and therefore pale Grenache. Today, the blend is dominated by Tempranillo (with the 2017 and 2018 Imperial both 85% Tempranillo), but Grenache is undergoing a revival across Rioja and – provided they can have the right clonal material and/or older vineyards – it may contribute more to the blend in time.  The proportion of Graciano and Mazuelo has been reduced slightly, but Larrea emphasises how important the two grapes are in the face of climate change. Mazuelo (aka Carignan/Cariñena) provides structure and colour, while Graciano contributes acidity and aromatic complexity.  The winemaking  Although she joined CVNE in 1991, María Larrea took over the winemaking for Imperial with the 2005 vintage, following on from Basilio Izquierdo, who had been running things for over 30 years (since 1973). Before Izquierdo came Ezequiel García, known as “El Brujo” (“The Wizard”), winemaker for CVNE for over three decades (he returned briefly in 2014 to recreate their legendary white, Monopole).  Across the three winemakers and almost 70 years, surprisingly little has changed. The winemaking here remains extremely traditional, although technology has allowed the team to monitor the wines more closely, and for better winery hygiene, as in most regions. Fermentation remains indigenous, although it’s no longer spontaneous – the wines have been inoculated with a selected strain of their indigenous yeast since the early 2010s (with some experiments in the 1990s). Traditionally fermentation was in concrete tank, however this moved to oak in the 1990s, with one lone vintage (1994) fermented in stainless steel when the vats hadn’t arrived in time.  The wines used to be stored in barrel and only bottled when they were sold, so some older vintages of Imperial spent over a decade in barrel, while today the wine normally stays in barrel for between two and three years. (The bottling dates for each of the vintages is included below – the 1947 wasn’t bottled until 1960!) Originally the oak was all American, simply because that is what they had access to via their historic trade routes, and the barrels were kept for decades (Larrea remembers using 40-year-old barrels when she arrived in the 1990s). CVNE gradually started introducing French oak in the 1980s, with around 30% French oak used in the 1990s and around 60-70% today, with the remainder American.   The wines: tasting eight decades of CVNE Imperial  A note on the bottles themselves: older vintages are in green glass, however they moved to brown glass around 10-15 years ago.  2018 Imperial Gran Reserva: This was a real highlight of the vertical. It is very youthful still, fruit-forward, yet with amazing finesse and delicacy. The nose is precise with dainty aromatics of spice, graphite and florals alongside the crystalline fruit. The palate is juicy and lithe, pure, silken and fresh with savoury tobacco and dried red berries filling the mouth-watering finish. Beautiful and very open, even now. Fermented in oak, 14% alcohol and bottled July 2021.  2017 Imperial Gran Reserva: Frosts swept across much of Europe in late April in 2017, although the rest of the season was relatively warm, producing a tiny crop of concentrated fruit. It’s a drastically different wine to the 2018, yet still with great freshness and a floral lift alongside ripe, sweet red fruit. The palate is tight, much less approachable than the 2018, with compact tannins, a bite of crunchy acidity and a grip of firm tannins, while smoky tones that fill the finish. Decant to enjoy now, but this will be even better with a couple more years in bottle. Fermented in oak, 14% alcohol and bottled July 2020.  2015 Imperial Gran Reserva: The 2015 Imperial is dark and intense, layered with rich bramble fruit, cedar, tobacco, spice and something meaty – a hint of biltong, perhaps. The palate echoes the concentration of the nose, with chewy tannins and a line of acidity that cuts through its intensity. Powerful, almost stern, with more dried fruit coming out with air, the finish is long and savoury, with a touch of red miso. Fermented in oak, 14.5% alcohol and bottled June 2018.  2011 Imperial Gran Reserva: Another standout in the vertical, the 2011 Imperial offers a dark and pure nose, still surprisingly primary with black cherry and cassis fruit, lifted by sweet spicy perfume. The palate is silken and pure, still so youthful, flowing across the tongue, framed by firm but integrated tannins. It’s concentrated and long, with floral aromatics dancing on the juicy finish. Hard to resist with great balance. Fermented in oak, 13.5% alcohol and bottled July 2014.  2009 Imperial Gran Reserva: This is a very serious Imperial now at a lovely stage of maturity – with savoury undergrowth and spicy notes sitting alongside the vibrant dark berry fruit. The palate is intense yet with a softness to it, despite the chewy framework of tannins. It’s juicy and expressive, with smoky, spicy, tobacco notes playing on the finish, and just the slightest hint of leather starting to appear. Fermented in oak, 13.8% alcohol and bottled January 2013.  2004 Imperial Gran Reserva: From “a textbook vintage” in CVNE CEO Victor Urrutia’s words, the 2004 is shining. Pencil shavings and bacon complement ripe, dark fruit. The palate is tight and compact, yet with a juiciness that elongates the whole thing, with acidity that drives through to the long finish. The tannins are supple and soft, integrated with the fruit, but still offer a grip on the finish. Bright and effortlessly balanced. Fermented in oak, 13.8% alcohol and bottled October 2008.  1994 Imperial Gran Reserva: This is an intriguing vintage of Imperial, the only one ever to have been fermented in stainless steel as they were switching from cement to wood, but the new vats didn’t arrive in time for the vintage. It was also served at the wedding of Spain’s Crown Prince, who later became King Felipe VI. After the 2004, this marks a shift towards wines dominated by tertiary notes, although there’s still plenty of fruit here. The nose is spicy with mushroom and undergrowth alongside incense and leathery tones. The palate is laden with umami – with fresh leather and dried berry fruit – as well as dried strawberries, supple tannins and refreshing acidity. Fermented in stainless steel, 13.16% alcohol and bottled June 1998.  1980 Imperial Gran Reserva: As CEO Victor Urrutia said, 1980 was “a shit vintage” – and has always been in the shadow of 1981 and 1982. Tasting the wine today, that’s probably fair – however it’s still an impressive wine. The nose has a distinctly herbal, menthol edge to the sweet fruit – macerated strawberries, with a balsamic hint. The tannins still offer bite, while the fruit shifts to darker, more bramble tones towards the finish. Fermented in concrete, 13.4% alcohol and bottled May 1985.  1970 Imperial Gran Reserva: The 1970 vintage was hot and produced powerful wines – earning it a reputation as one of Rioja’s finest vintages. After over 50 years, the wine is intensely savoury – combining soy, marmite and barnyard tones with intense, dark fruit. With air, the wine offers layers of spice (almost reminiscent of paprika), bacon frazzles and smoked almonds, complementing the concentrated core of fruit. It’s intense yet balanced, with bright acidity that keeps everything fresh and fills the long finish. Fermented in concrete, 12.97% alcohol and bottled March 1975.  1968 Imperial Gran Reserva: From a more difficult vintage, the 1968 Imperial has a charming nose that seamlessly combines savoury and sweet – with earthy richness that sits alongside incense-inflected berry fruit and a pleasing herbal note. The palate is elegant and vibrant, with plenty of fruit still driving through its core, while more savoury, smoky notes dominate the finish. Fermented in concrete, 12.7% alcohol and bottled April 1974.  1959 Imperial Gran Reserva: The 1959 vintage is another of Rioja’s most lauded, although I suspect this bottle was not showing its best. There’s a plushness and intensity to the palate, with a sharp drive of acidity, while the nose is dominated by leather, black liquorice and barnyard. Fermented in concrete, 13% alcohol and bottled February 1968.  1947 Imperial Gran Reserva: An amazing wine to tasted, the 1947 CVNE Imperial has a reputation – one that this bottle more than lived up to. Coffee and tobacco notes with bright fruit – ripe red cherry and raspberry, as well as florals, incense, black tea and sage, alongside smoky perfume. It’s long and fresh on the palate, seamless and fully resolved but pure and persistent, with a Bovril edge to the finish which is vibrant and long. Gorgeous now – drink it while you have the chance. Fermented in concrete, 12.4% alcohol and bottled August 1960.  Explore all CVNE listings, including a range of back-vintages of Imperial Gran Reserva, or read more Editorial 

Earlier this month, CVNE hosted a once-in-a-lifetime tasting of their Imperial Gran Reserva. Sophie Thorpe explores what makes the wine so special and how it has evolved over eight decades 

Exploring CVNE’s flagship Gran Reserva Rioja, Imperial, back to 1947 at a once-in-a-lifetime tasting with CEO Victor Urrutia 

Tasting CVNE’s Imperial Gran Reserva Rioja 2018-1947 

An icon through the ages: CVNE’s Imperial Gran Reserva 

Sitting plum in the middle of the Côte d’Or, the hill of Corton is hard to miss. Its wines, especially the whites, however, are all too often overlooked. We sat down with some of the region’s leading producers to explore the pedigree and potential of this site and its powerful, long-lasting wines

Discover the pedigree and potential of the hill of Corton’s whites – the fine Chardonnay from Corton-Charlemagne, Charlemagne and Corton Blanc 

Exploring Corton-Charlemagne, Charlemagne and Corton Blanc 

Corton-Charlemagne: the Grand Cru of the future?  

Bordeaux is changing. The Left Bank, in particular, has long been a region of labels – of grandiose estates, polished winemakers and the bottles they produce – the vineyards a backdrop to their impressive châteaux and new state-of-the-art wineries. Of course, vineyards have mattered, as much as they’re the source of their grapes, but they’ve rarely been the focus for conversations with trade or consumers. But now, perhaps influenced by the meteoric rise of Burgundy – and an approach to wine echoed around the world, terroir is stepping into the spotlight. Behind the scenes, the Bordelais may always have been looking underfoot, but now they are talking about it too.  Nowhere is this more true than at Ch. Montrose – a property that announced a significant change when releasing its 2023 vintage. The property has always made some of Bordeaux’s finest wines, but over the past 15 years (under the Bouygues’ ownership) quality at this Saint-Estèphe estate has reached new heights. Long known for its austere age-worthiness, there’s now a modern polish that softens its stern style – without sacrificing its classicism and longevity. Each vintage seems to reveal a new level of precision and finesse. From 2023, Montrose announced that its Grand Vin would only come from Terrace 4 (T4). If that doesn’t mean much to you, I’m not surprised.  The Médoc and Graves’s six gravel terraces were uncovered by Pierre Becheler in a series of studies in the 1980s and ’90s. Each terrace dates from a different period and has its own distinct soils, with Terrace 1 (T1) the oldest and Terrace 6 (T6) the youngest – and argued to be a defining factor in the Left Bank’s terroir. T3 and T4 are widely regarded as the best for wine-growing, and Becheler found that, at the time of their classification in 1855, over 80% of the Classed Growths sat on these two distinct geological strata.  In the last decade, these gravel mounds have become a key part of Bordeaux’s story, explaining the estates’ terroir. Despite widespread understanding that the terraces are integral to the quality of wine, there still isn’t a comprehensive map of the Left Bank’s terroir – showing which vineyards sit on which soils (the best are those created by Jane Anson and Kees van Leeuwen for Anson’s book Inside Bordeaux). Most studies have been undertaken by individual estates, as at Montrose – who engaged Becheler himself to uncover the specifics of their site.  It's remarkable that, without knowing anything about the region’s subsoils, Montrose was so fortuitously placed – although it has of course survived thanks to its prestigious site. The property’s first vines were planted – all on the fabled T4 – in 1815, by Etienne Théodore Dumoulin, who had purchased the land from Nicolas Alexandre de Ségur (of Calon Ségur). The land had been covered in heather, its pink blossom covering the gentle slope come autumn, and sailors passing along the Gironde estuary used to call it the pink hill – or “mont rose”, giving the property its name.  It was only 40 years after the first vines went in the ground that the estate earned its place as a Second Growth in the 1855 Classification. By 1861, when Dumoulin passed away, the estate comprised 95 hectares – but its borders have shifted over the years. It was later purchased by an Alsace factory owner, Mathieu Dolfus, who invested heavily in the property. He was a visionary – offering free healthcare, profit sharing and accommodation on the estate for his workers. He even used a wind turbine to flood the vineyards, staving off the impact of phylloxera as long as he could.  Montrose was managed by the Charmolüe family between 1896 and 2006, with Jean-Louis – who ran the estate from 1960 – key in building its modern reputation. It was under him, in the 1970s, that vines were planted on lower-lying land close to the estuary, which sits on T5. These humid, sandy parcels are now used for La Dame de Montrose, the château’s second wine.  It was in 2006 that brothers Olivier and Martin Bouygues (of the eponymous telecoms company) acquired the property. In 2010 they bought an additional 22 hectares from Phélan Ségur, land which had historically been part of Montrose. These vineyards, wooded on either side, sit on the sandier T3, but importantly also brought the total vineyard area back to 95 hectares – as under Dumoulin – and all sitting in one block (something which is relatively rare in Bordeaux).  The Bouygues brothers hired Vincent Decup as the estate’s Technical Director in 2014. Decup instantly set about getting to grips with the estate and its soils. When he arrived, they had a map detailing 16 different soil types across the vineyards – but he soon commissioned further studies, uncovering an additional 10 soil types. This gave them, Decup tells me, “the possibility to explore and separate” parcels, diving into the detail of the site with a Burgundian, rather than Bordelais, vision. From 2017, the team started delineating the parcels – vinifying plots in 93 separate tanks (over twice the 40 that had been used just three years prior), adapting the winemaking to each. Looking at the Cabernet Sauvignon on T3 and T4, he explains how they gained a “new level of precision and comprehension of Cabernet on each terrace”.  “The Cabernet Sauvignon of Montrose naturally gets lots of power,” Decup tells me. “We have to be careful with the extraction.” Especially for fruit from T3, he explains, it can easily become overly austere. T4 has always represented the majority of the blend for the Grand Vin at Montrose – and in Decup’s mind it is not just the property’s historic DNA, but what gives the wine its identity. He tells me how there is something magical about the way Cabernet ripens on these parcels, developing technical (sugar), aromatic and phenolic ripeness all at once. It produces wine that is “powerful, voluminous, demonstrative – a lion in a cage”.  In 2022, the same year that Charlotte Bouygues took over as President and Pierre Graffeuille became CEO, the team started focusing more on T4, and from 2023 the Grand Vin comes exclusively from this prized terrace. Coming from the Delon estates, Graffeuille knew the potential of these soils, shared by Léoville Las Cases. The 2022 vintage was pivotal – earning four potential 100-point scores, with four firm 100-point scores in bottle – and the 2023 followed in its footsteps, with three potential perfect scores to its name.  The gravel terraces rise and fall through the region. T4 surfaces in Saint-Estèphe, running under Meyney and Montrose, disappearing until the southern edge of Pauillac, reappearing around Latour, then running through much of Saint-Julien (including the three Léovilles – Las Cases, Barton and Poyferré – and Ducru-Beaucaillou), rising again throughout Margaux and then again under Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion, with small pockets further south.  The defining factor of T4 is an iron pan beneath its sandy gravels. The sandy gravel topsoil allows young vines to develop roots easily, before they hit the compact iron layer – forcing the vines to spread horizontally rather than vertically. That compact layer is cool and retains water, feeding the vines in hot years. Decup explains how in July the topsoil might be hot, but if you dig down you can feel the chill of the iron layer – something that is perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon. At Montrose, T4 sits between 12 and 16 metres’ altitude, while elsewhere it reaches a maximum 22 metres. T4 tends to run close to the Gironde, which provides a moderating influence – especially so at Montrose, where the estuary is 4.5km wide (notably protecting the estate from frosts, such as in the brutal 1991 season – a year when Montrose produced the wine of the vintage).  As with T4, T3 runs beneath many Classed Growths – notably Cos d’Estournel, Mouton and Lafite. With sandier gravel topsoil, the key difference is that T3 doesn’t have the iron pan of T4 – the topsoil instead sitting directly on clay-limestone subsoil. Slightly higher in altitude (15-18 metres at Montrose, but generally 20-26 across the Médoc), the soils are very deep and the vines’ roots drive straight down, up to three metres or so at Montrose, Decup tells me. With less clay in the topsoil, the soils are particularly free-draining, and the vines reach down in search of water. “In terms of expression, it is not the same at all,” says Decup. He explains that while it also produces bold Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s got particular energy and length, an austerity – but “positive austerity”. Vines on T3 particularly thrive in hot, dry years, he tells me.  Montrose has an impressive 45 hectares of vines on T4, 12 on T3, a swathe on what the team describes as an “intermediate soil” – somewhere between the two terraces, and a small portion on T5. So what now of the property’s vines on T3? While the château isn’t openly confirming it, a separate bottling of T3 is set to be released – likely hitting the market in 2026, if rumours are to be believed. The rest of the fruit goes into La Dame de Montrose, and a small portion into a third wine, Tertio de Montrose (previously known as Saint-Estèphe de Montrose), which is exclusively for those working at the estate. All in all, the Grand Vin now represents circa 36% of production at Montrose – down from closer to 45%.   “T3 and T4 are, in our opinion, the terraces that produce the best viticultural results,” says Pierre Becheler, when it comes to the Médoc and Haut-Médoc. Interestingly he explains that in the Graves it’s very different, and T2, which is almost non-existent in the Médoc, produces some stunning results. He can’t fully explain why one terrace works better for wine than another, but one reason the terraces are so important is their influence on water availability. With varying proportions of clay and sizes of gravel, it’s a key element in viticulture and, eventually, wine quality. Although he has spent much of his career diving into these gravel beds, however, he’s very clear that the terraces are one very important piece of the puzzle – but will never provide the entire picture. Some terraces are the best in certain appellations, he says, “but we don’t really know why or how”.  The complexities of Bordeaux’s terroir are manifold – and some argue that the bedrock, from richer clays to hard limestones, are more influential than the gravel terraces that lie over them. On top of this, slope exposition, proximity to the Gironde, and many other elements influencing microclimate, not to mention the human influence, all contribute to the concept of “terroir”. It’s exciting to see site pushed to the fore, especially alongside an increased focus on sustainability in the vineyard. The conversation is evolving – and, if Montrose’s 2023 is anything to go by, it’s only going to push quality in the region higher than ever before.  Explore all current Montrose listing (including a special selection of ex-château stock) or read more about Bordeaux 

While long a leading estate, recent vintages of Ch. Montrose have earned sky-high scores. We sat down with the property’s Technical Director Vincent Decup to find out how the team is taking the Saint-Estèphe titan to new heights – all by looking underfoot  

Sitting down with Ch. Montrose’s Technical Director Vincent Decup to talk about its terroir, terraces and perfect-scoring vintages of the Saint-Estephe wine 

FINE+RARE: Talking terraces and terroir with Ch. Montrose 

What lies beneath: talking terraces and terroir with Ch. Montrose  

The Left Bank The gravel soils of the Left Bank are beautifully free-draining – something that has long been key to the fine wines despite the wet, maritime climate of the Médoc. In 2022, however, producers were desperate to retain what little water fell from the skies – and the berries harvested were tiny, with thick skins and containing surprisingly little juice.  The size of the grapes, combined with localised hail in Saint-Estèphe, resulted in generally low yields in 2022 – often lower than 2021, although it does vary by estate. Any addresses working organically and biodynamically last year had catastrophic yields, and this year therefore seemed generous (and joyous) for them, with its dry conditions meaning minimal disease pressure. What little fruit was harvested, however, was ripe and concentrated – producing rich and structured wines, with the best also having amazing freshness.   Saint-Estèphe This northern commune tends to thrive in hot vintages, with the heavier, clay-rich soils retaining more water and cooler temperatures, limiting the vines’ stress – and it was just so in 2022, a vintage in which it seems to be one of the more consistent appellations. Unfortunately the northern reaches of the region were struck by a corridor of hail on 20th June – it was very localised, but some estates lost significant volumes (with reports of up to 80%). At Ch. Beau-Site, the combined effects of this hail and April frost led to a loss of around half their crop, while Phélan-Ségur lost 30%.   Picking dates here varied – with Montrose (that has produced one of the stars of the year) starting on 2nd September, Calon Ségur on 6th and Cos d’Estournel on 7th – the earliest harvest for the latter since 1989. Even without any hail damage, Cos only managed to crop 33hl/ha, compared to a normal 40hl/ha. It’s also the first release of Cos Labory under Michel Reybier – reuniting the land that was originally owned by Louis Gaspard d’Estournel – and many more changes are set to come here. As they just acquired the estate, they were only responsible for the blending and élevage – but it’s already showing a touch of the classic Cos polish.   At Montrose, they felt there was a need to “civilise” the tannins, with gentle extraction. At Calon Ségur, Vincent Millet chose a longer, cooler fermentation at 24˚C ; for him, it’s the low yields that give the vintage such power, while the freshness remains a mystery. The wines that we tasted showed none of the rusticity that was once the trademark of Saint-Estèphe, with the best combining a depth of dark fruit and charming freshness.  Our highlights: Montrose – and especially La Dame de Montrose, Calon Ségur, Phélan-Ségur Pauillac “None,” Mathieu Bessonet – Technical Director at Pontet-Canet – said firmly when I asked if he could compare 2022 to another year. Pauillac escaped the hail and almost no one reported any significant damage from the frost, however yields were still low here. As Jean-Sébastien Philippe at Ch. Lafite-Rothschild highlighted, although the tonnage of grapes wasn’t too bad, it was the volume of liquid that they released which was notable – with the berries so small and the skin-to-juice ratio so high that yields were reduced by up to a third at most estates.  Some of Lafite’s younger vines started to struggle in the heat towards the end of August and were picked early, but the fruit wasn’t deemed good enough to be used. Neighbouring First Growth Mouton Rothschild picked in earnest from 1st September, finishing on 26th September – with almost no producers still picking by October’s arrival.  At Ch. Latour, the team recorded the lowest annual rainfall in their history – with just 615mm between October 2021 and September 2022. But there were significant storms in June, indeed the lightning in a thunderstorm on 2nd June destroyed Pontet-Canet’s office, with another following on 24th. Almost everyone we spoke to in Pauillac emphasised the higher percentage of press wine used. As vignerons tended to employ gentler extraction, the press wine was more delicate and more could be used to bring depth to the wines.   Technical Director at Ch. Pichon Baron Pierre Montégut compared the purity of Cabernet Sauvignon this year to 2019, with the richness reminding him of 2020. Bessonet feels that 2022 Pontet-Canet is more Pauillac than Pontet-Canet, but in general it seems that the extreme vintage amplified each estate’s character – as Charles Fournier at Mouton Rothschild highlighted. Taking the First Growths, Mouton is flamboyant, Lafite restrained and precise (with everything in this prestigious stable showing particularly well), Latour more stern and serious. Pauillac has produced some stunning wines at the top end this year, but there’s definitely a little more variation that needs to be considered.  This year’s Ch. Batailley – another classic expression of this stalwart estate – bears a commemorative label to the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who served 1947 Ch. Batailley (a year with similar climatic conditions) at her Silver wedding anniversary in 1972.   Our highlights: Lafite-Rothschild, but also Carruades de Lafite-Rothschild, Pichon Comtesse, Batailley, Grand-Puy-Lacoste  Saint-Julien  “You’ve got to be really humble when a plant teaches you that much,” said Claire Ridley at Ch. Léoville Poyferré – referencing the vines’ resilience in the face of 2022’s extreme conditions. Despite the year’s challenges, Saint-Julien seems to have thrived, with some really impressive wines, with the Barton stable a particular standout. Damien Barton-Sartorius noted that some producers were afraid to wait for phenolic ripeness because of the rising sugar levels in the warm September conditions, but sufficiently ripe skins were key to success.   At Léoville Las Cases, the team feel the year’s climatic conditions hark back over 150 years, to 1870 – although we can’t personally vouch for the comparison, they’ve crafted a muscular, firm wine that will need serious time to reveal its full potential. (Indeed, five potential 100-point scores attest to the quality here.) Ducru-Beaucaillou highlighted the influence of oceanic mists in August, while Ridley pointed to the June storms for essential drought relief.  Harvest dates were similar to Pauillac, often starting in the second week of September and running to the end of the month. The acidity levels vary on paper from 3.6 to 3.85, yet the wines have good freshness and alcohols are generally on the more modest side for the year, with most sitting closer to 14, rather than 15. For Barton-Sartorius, the year sits happily alongside 2016 and 2019 – and possibly 1945. The appellation’s best wines are classically built, with both finesse and flesh, as well as the requisite structure for the cellar.  Our highlights: the entire Barton stable – including a stunning Mauvesin Barton (although sadly Langoa and Léoville sold out on release), Beychevelle, Léoville Las Cases, Lagrange  Margaux “They had to find a way to survive,” Aurélien Valance at Ch. Margaux said of the vines. For him 2022 was a year that gives him hope: “2022 was very extreme – but the wines are not. For the future, it’s very promising.” They have a plot of old-vine Petit Verdot that is always used in the Grand Vin, but the wine was already so dense that it didn’t need it. The fruit from this prime site has instead been used for Pavillon Rouge, contributing to a particularly serious, firm and swarthy rendition of this second wine. Valance explained how they used the vintage as an opportunity to trial two alternatives for managing the heat: removing leaves in early June to allow the grapes to adjust to the hot sun early in the season while they had thick skins, and using kaolin – a type of clay that can be used as a sort of “sunscreen”. While they had higher yields on both these trial plots, they have bottled them separately to see how these practices impact quality over time. Their ongoing work re-orienting their vines (from north-south to east-west) will also help long term, but will take half a century or more.   At Marquis d’Alesme and Labegorce, the early April frost reduced yields, especially for the Merlot – meaning they cropped just 22hl/ha. Harvest started in the first two weeks of September, finishing by the end of the month, the earliest on record for estates like Rauzan-Ségla. Yields generally seemed lower in Margaux – dipping to around half the normal volume at several estates, often less than in 2021. At Brane-Cantenac, Henri Lurton pointed to the deep roots of the 60-year-old Cabernet planted by his late father as key to their success this year, with a thicker canopy and cool nights all contributing to the wines’ surprising freshness. While most estates opted for a lighter touch with extraction, Palmer was a notable exception – choosing instead to lean into the year’s bold structure, something that has paid off (with another five potential 100-point scores here to prove it).  As Lurton said, “It wasn’t an easy vintage to make – but in the end it’s a great one.” Indeed, he feels it’s the best wine he’s ever made. That’s certainly the case at some estates, although the appellation was definitely more variable in quality. The best wines, however, fulfil Margaux’s sensual stereotype – combining perfume with the concentration of the year, and voluptuous tannins.  Our highlights: Rauzan-Ségla, Ségla, Marquis d’Alesme, Brane-Cantenac, Pavillon Rouge du Ch. Margaux  Pessac-Léognan  For Daniel Cathiard at Ch. Smith Haut Lafitte, the vintage was “more about dryness than warmth” – indeed, having recently started working in Napa Valley (with the family’s Cathiard Vineyard), he dared to say that the conditions were “a little Californian”.  Picking in this southern commune seems most uniform, with almost everyone starting in the first week of September. Guillaume Pouthier – who has created one of the wines of the vintage at Les Carmes Haut-Brion – managed to reduce the alcohol with his use of whole-bunch and native yeast, reducing it to a modest 13.5%. Although the tannin levels are very high (with an IPT of almost 100), the wine is amazingly accessible now – with a purity and delicacy that made it tempting to steal the sample for dinner. As he said, “What is very important to me is an empty bottle.”  The style of the wines here varies, from the ultra-elegance of Carmes to a bold, ripe offering from Haut-Bailly – but, from our tastings at least, there’s good uniformity in quality, with powerful wines that are set to age well.     Our highlights: La Mission Haut-Brion, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Domaine de Chevalier  The dry whites Having read about the conditions of the year, you’d be forgiven thinking that the whites might be a write-off – but they’re far from it. It certainly required skill in the vineyard and winery to maintain freshness in the warm, dry year, with some that are on the more tropical side, but there are also some gorgeously taut, vibrant whites that are well worth paying attention to. The best of these are pithy, with impressive tension and an energy that reverberates through the wine. Yields at several addresses were particularly low for the whites, with frost having more of an impact on the Sauvignon Blanc, as well as the hot wind concentrating fruit further.   Although not being released en primeur, 2022 will be the first commercial vintage of a new white wine from Ch. Margaux, a junior sibling to Pavillon Blanc – one that we’re particularly excited to taste. Domaine de Chevalier Blanc is, as Adrien Bernard said, "very special this year” – and we wholeheartedly agree. While the reds often steal the limelight at Lafleur, we were particularly impressed by Champs Libres – another pure Sauvignon Blanc that sings this year.  As Olivier Bernard’s (Adrien’s father’s) 40th vintage, both the Grands Vins bear a special label, with a 1941 illustration by Xu Bei Hong of a galloping horse, one that captures the energy of the year at this address. At Ch. Haut-Brion, the team was particularly impressed by the quality of the Semillon – and it ended up representing a significantly higher portion (51.4%) of the blend, and the result is impressive.   Our highlights: Pavillon Blanc du Ch. Margaux, Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, Lune d’Or, Fieuzal Blanc, Clos Floridène, Les Champs Libres, Cos d’Estournel Blanc  The sweet whites of Sauternes and Barsac Because it was so dry, botrytis took time to develop in 2022, and it was only after the rain in early October that the noble rot took hold. A hot, dry wind over the following week resulted in rapid concentration, Pierre Montégut explained at Suduiraut, which is one reason for the purity of fruit in the wines. With this sudden concentration, the fruit needed to be picked more quickly than normal – indeed Montégut didn’t have enough pickers to bring it in as quickly as he’d have liked. The resulting wines are particularly rich and hedonistic, with notably high sugar levels at some addresses – Lafaurie-Peyraguey has a whopping 260g/l residual sugar (with 130-140g/l the number for a typical year). Yields are tiny in both Sauternes and Barsac – averaging 4hl/ha and 1.5hl/ha, respectively. Montégut explained that he would be using more new oak to help balance the richness of the fruit, which effortlessly absorbs the wood (the sample of Suduiraut we tasted was 100% new oak, but it will likely end up around 70% versus the normal 50%). He compares it to 1959, a vintage that had particularly high sugar levels for the era.   Our highlights: Suduiraut, Guiraud, Coutet The Right Bank There are some stunning wines from the Right Bank this year, with the wines generally more consistent (especially in Saint-Emilion), and the yields (again, mainly in Saint-Emilion) more generous versus the Left Bank.   Unusually, irrigation was permitted in both Saint-Emilion and Pomerol, however few producers have the infrastructure to water vines (beyond doing so manually) – and if they don’t have a water source themselves, it would also add significant costs. As such, few addresses that we visited took advantage of the option – and some argued that the permission to do so arrived too late in the season to be of real use. Although we only dive into the detail of Saint-Emilion and Pomerol on the Right Bank, it’s worth noting that the satellite wines from the Lafleur stable were particularly good this year, with both Les Perrières and Ch. Grand Village really impressing, and Montlandrie was a standout from the Durantous. Although we didn’t taste L’Hêtre, Jacques Thienpont (Le Pin) told us that it was “fabulous” this year – and may well be one to look out for given its pedigree.  Saint-Emilion Saint-Emilion’s pronounced limestone soils were a godsend in 2022 – bringing incredible freshness that balances the generosity of the year beautifully, producing some of the very best wines in the vintage. Of course, the proportion of limestone in soils isn’t universal, and it’s not quite as simple as saying only those on the plateau thrived, but it certainly helped. The general trend towards restraint undoubtedly helps as well, meaning that many producers have contained and tamed the opulence of 2022, rather than exaggerating it.  It was Joséphine Duffau-Lagarrosse’s second vintage at the helm of her family estate, and she’s been working particularly hard on pruning – something she feels is the most important part of any year, looking to balance each vine rather than leave a set number of buds, which also avoids the need for a green harvest. For the Ausone stable, Edouard Vauthier feels it is a Merlot vintage, with the berries “absolutely gorgeous”. The only vines of theirs that struggled in the heat were those at Ch. de Fonbel, where they have gravel soils rather than clay/limestone.  At Ch. Canon, the team even sacrificed certain plots on particularly thin, rocky soils totally – not vinifying the fruit as the vines didn’t have sufficient water reserves to handle the dry conditions. The team at Figeac highlighted how their rootstock (Gravesac) was particularly useful this year. The seeds were already brown in August – showing just how advanced the phenolic development was.   While most estates on the Left Bank and Pomerol sit at 3.6 to 3.9pH, here some wines were as low as 3.3 (bear in mind that whites will often be around 3.2), and most sit under 3.6. There’s a noticeable exception with Cheval Blanc, however the wine has an incredible sense of freshness despite its 3.86pH, and is clearly one of the highlights of the year. As with elsewhere, old vines and deep roots were also a support – and this was particularly true at Clos de Sarpe, Laroque and Angélus. The best wines here offer enticing perfume with aromatic finesse, backed up by concentrated yet crunchy fruit, seamless tannins and mouth-watering acidity, often with a saline finish. They are spellbinding.  Our highlights: Laroque, Carillon d’Angélus, Berliquet, Beauséjour Duffau Lagarrosse, Clos de Sarpe, Cheval Blanc, Bellefont-Belcier  Pomerol Those fortunate to have some of this appellation’s deepest and most prized clay soils produced some stunning wines, but it was definitely trickier on those with more sand and/or gravel. There were proclamations from many producers that this is Merlot’s “comeback” – but Edouard Moueix disagrees, this was just an easy year to farm the variety: “Merlot thrives here, but it is fragile, and you must be more precise – it’s not as tough as Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc.”  Diana Berrouet Garcia at Le Pin noted how hot it was early in the season, recalling it was already 30˚C over the Easter weekend, but the rain that arrived after every heatwave allowed the vines to recover before they were challenged once more. Ch. Clinet was one of the few properties to use irrigation when permitted, something that helped avoid the vines shutting down, along with the cool nights and their mature vines (between 35 and 40 years old on average). By contrast, at Evangile – where the team is in the middle of a replanting program and the vines average just 15 years old – Juliette Couderc was worried about them even in June, however the naturally smaller leaves reduced transpiration and allowed them to survive until harvest at the end of August.   Alexandre Thienpont (Vieux Château Certan) chose to leave more bunches than normal on the vines – eight or nine, rather than the normal five or six – eventually harvesting tiny berries that weighed less than 1g. Noëmie Durantou Reilhac (of Ch. l’Eglise-Clinet) explained how important it was to manage the extraction carefully to maintain freshness, extracting early while the musts were cool and taking it off the skins after just two to five days after fermentation was finished (when some producers choose to leave the wine macerating for up to 40 days).   The warm winds in September concentrated the berries, and are the reason that yields are generally lower, often around 20-30% less than in 2021 for those that harvested later in the month. The start of harvest ranges from the very end of August through to 16th September, and almost everyone finished before the 23rd September. Merlot from the vintage is undoubtedly opulent and we found the best wines were often – but not always – those where its exuberant personality was tamed with Cabernet, bringing a firmer, more linear structure.   Our highlights: Belle-Brise, Vieux Château Certan, L’Eglise Clinet, Blason d’Evangile, Bourgneuf, Clinet, La Conseillante, L’If    Read more about Bordeaux 2022 

There are exceptions to almost every rule in 2022 – and, as ever, it’s essential to asses wines individually. Here, however, we break down the region by commune to offer an overview of how each subregion fared in this fascinating vintage

Bordeaux 2022: a breakdown of the vintage by region, with top picks from Saint-Estephe, Pauillac, Margaux, Saint-Julien, Saint-Emilion and Pomerol

Bordeaux 2022 – breaking the year down by commune

Bordeaux 2022: the vintage by commune

Ch. Latour doesn’t need PR. The Pauillac estate, one of Bordeaux’s five hallowed First Growths, is rightfully revered. But browse Google and there’s an almost eerie absence of stories about what you’d imagine is one of the world’s most storied estates. It can, and does, let its wines do the talking. Sure, when it broke ranks and walked away from en primeur in 2012, there was a flurry of activity – as the wine world rushed to record Latour’s momentous decision. But even then, the news came via a letter to négociants, none of whom were particularly willing to comment on record. There’s been little noise from the estate itself. Even the release of its first vintages since it left en primeur (2012 and 2013, for the Grand Vin, in 2020 and 2021, respectively) didn’t come with the patter of press interviews. It’s hard not to draw comparisons between the style of its wines – powerful, precise and stern – and the team here. Their quiet breeds confidence. The estate has some of the Médoc’s finest terroir. Right next to (just 300m from) the Gironde, the temperature is moderated; this combined with the natural airflow shields them from extreme weather (even in severe frost years such as 2017 or 2021, the damage at Latour has been negligible). But it is the soils – the free-draining gravel layered over sticky blue clay (the latter the same sort as found at Pétrus) – that makes the place truly special. While the property’s reputation stretches back to the 14th century, many pinpoint the moment it was bought by François Pinault in 1993 as pivotal. The billionaire – who currently sits at number 32 on the Forbes list – invested heavily and hired CEO Frédéric Engerer, the man who has in turn led Latour firmly to the front of the pack. Of the 10 most recent vintages of Latour reviewed by the Wine Advocate, four received perfect scores, another two got 98 points. This is a property at the very top of its game. So why the silence? “We are all focused on what we do. When François Pinault bought the estate, when Frédéric Engerer joined as CEO, the aim is to make the best wine possible. That’s the priority,” Jean Garandeau, the property’s Sales and Marketing Director, tells me. “We are not sending tons of press releases,” he says. “We like to communicate with our clients one-to-one.” The face of Latour amongst the trade, Garandeau seems equally mysterious when looking at his digital footprint. He grew up around wine – guaranteed with a Burgundian mother and Bordelais father (“We were used to having good wines and good food at our table,” he tells me). But it was the commercial side that officially drew him, heading off to business school in Paris, before a stint at Moët Hennessy managing the marketing for Krug. He arrived in Bordeaux in 2010, working across Pinault’s straight flush of wine estates (under the Artémis group) – now including Eisele Vineyard, Ch. Grillet, Domaine d’Eugénie, Clos de Tart and, of course, Latour. Unsurprisingly, given the places, the people and bottles involved – it’s a gig he’s happy to keep. The challenge with such pedigree, of course, is how one manages to stay on top. Asking Garandeau, he says: “Never get satisfied by what you are doing.” And it seems there’s no risk of complacency at Latour. Despite the limited drip-feed of information, it is clear that the First Growth is more than happy forging its own path. The property started experimenting with organics in 2007 – “to understand the impact of these methods in a oceanic climate”, Garandeau explains. They picked the most sensitive plots to test the limits of organic viticulture. Almost a decade later, they converted the entire estate, becoming officially certified in 2018. The historic heart of the estate, L’Enclos, is now farmed entirely biodynamically – although they don’t plan to shift the entire 95 hectares to biodynamics. While Garandeau won’t offer any details, there are “lots of experiments – but nothing we are communicating about”. The aim, however, is “to make this place in harmony with its environment”. Since the winery was renovated in 2001, the team has been able to vinify plots individually, allowing a broader palette when it comes to blending. Today, they’re also looking to reduce sulphur – in particular when the grapes first arrive at the winery, feeling it is something that results in fruit of greater purity and complexity. What’s next? “Constantly looking at what could be the solutions of tomorrow to fight against climate change, to introduce even more biodiversity at the estate,” Garandeau says. To find out exactly what those solutions are, we’ll need to wait and see. There’s a clear reluctance to reveal too much. Perhaps of course, it’s because – inevitably – people continue to ask about the shift away from en primeur, the reasons behind it, and whether they feel they made the right choice. So, did they? With only two vintages released under the new system, it’s too soon to say. But, there’s no doubt that demand for Latour remains strong. While Bordeaux properties are holding back and increasing proportion of stock for mature ex-château releases with perfect provenance (and an associated premium), no one – yet – has been bold enough to follow in the First Growth’s footsteps. This month sees the release, or re-release, of a parcel of 2005 Latour – a star-studded vintage that has left critics suitably impressed (Antonio Galloni described the wine as “life-affirming”). It was, in Garandeau’s words, an “easy” growing season – dry and warm but with doses of rain at the appropriate junctures – that produced stunning wine, only on the cusp of its extensive drinking window. “It combines a lot of very top elements. It’s a vintage that has naturally a great backbone, great tannin structure, magic of ripe and quite juicy fruit at the same time… but keeps that wonderful balance,” he says. “It’s definitely in the league of the great vintages we produced in the 20th/21st centuries.” It’s hard to imagine the lure of this fabled stalwart of the fine wine scene fading. Approachability is over-rated – this is a property in it for the long-term. And as anyone lucky enough to have tasted any number of legendary vintages from this estate knows, it’s well worth the wait. Browse all current available listings of Ch. Latour or read more Editorial

Few wine producers are as lauded as Ch. Latour. Ahead of the release of their 2005, Sophie Thorpe attempts to look behind the curtain at the legendary First Growth estate

Looking behind the curtain at legendary First Growth estate Ch. Latour ahead of the release of their 2005 vintage.

Behind the curtain at First Growth Ch. Latour 

Ch. Latour: the power of silence

Percarlo and La Ricolma are two of Italy’s finest wines – both crafted by Luca Martini di Cigala at San Giusto a Rentennano. Percarlo is the Tuscan estate’s top Sangiovese bottling, made with the most concentrated and best fruit, picked in a third and final pass through their vines (with the previous passes used for the estate’s Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Riserva). When Martini di Cigala first made the wine in 1983, however, it was illegal for Chianti Classico to be 100% Sangiovese, so he had no choice but to declassify the wine to an IGT. Although the rules have since changed, Percarlo’s reputation precedes that of the Chianti Classico denomination and remains an IGT.  La Ricolma is 100% Merlot – a variety with a very different temperament to Sangiovese. The fruit for this wine is picked all in one go; the secret to finding balance in Merlot, the Martini di Cigala says, is to slow its ripening – a challenge that must be tackled throughout the season.   The result is two completely different wines from two different varieties grown on the same estate in Gaiole – Chianti Classico’s southernmost district.  Last Thursday, we hosted a special dinner pitting these two legendary wines against each other. Luca Martini di Cigala returned to London for the first time in over 30 years, with his wife Bettina, to present some of the estate’s finest bottlings, with vintages back to 1998. Tasting these wines at full maturity was a privilege, made all the more special by the fact they were all served from magnum – and came from Martini di Cigala’s personal cellar. With so few magnums produced, many of the wines on show had never been commercially available – the large formats reserved for the family’s private consumption.   Martini di Cigala selected a range of vintages that he felt were in their sweet-spot and included the 2007, 2006, 2005 and 2004 of both Percarlo and La Ricolma – followed by a rare 1998 Percarlo. The wines were extraordinary.   Having been fortunate enough to have tasted the 2018 La Ricoma and Percarlo earlier in the day – which were stunning in their youth – it is mind-blowing to see how these wines develop with 15 years or more in bottle. With age, the purity of fruit found in the younger vintages takes on hedonistic, richer aromas that set the drinker’s pulse racing.   The aromatic appeal of La Ricolma is about as beguiling as wine gets and the 2007 (in what Cigala describes as a hot vintage) was arguably the wine of the night. It just shows how resilient Merlot is in San Giusto’s vineyards. A grape often seen as too alcoholic and overpowering in hot vintages, in the right place it produces a wine of outstanding purity. While having all the opulence the finest Merlots can muster (which is not dissimilar to Pétrus), the balance is impeccable. Tasting 2007 Percarlo alongside 2007 La Ricolma was a fascinating comparison – something that rang true throughout the vertical we tasted. Where the Ricolma was more exuberant, Percarlo was more austere, although this seems too stern a word, such is the wine’s finesse. The Percarlo certainly seems more vertical – yet it is one of the smoothest and most rounded Sangioveses you are ever likely to taste.   Martini di Cigala notes that the San Giusto vineyards are not that high in altitude compared to his neighbours at Castello di Ama. This means that during the day his vineyards are as hot as those in the more southerly, warmer Montalcino; the difference is that San Giusto has much cooler temperatures at night, allowing the fruit to retain vibrancy and cooler fruit tones – something that shone through in all the wines tasted.  Martini di Cigala is one of the most modest winemakers I have ever met. Asked what his secret is, he says he has none. But, as he talks about his wines, the terroir – and his amazing memory of weather episodes decades ago –  he clearly has an exhaustive understanding of his craft. It was a delight therefore to see him become so animated when the 2006 Percarlo was poured. Tasting the wine, he professed to the guests, with a big smile on his face, that this was one of the finest Percarlos he has ever made – this was the wine he always wanted to make. He recalls the harvest and said, “These were the best grapes I had seen in my life.” It was a joy to taste this wine 16 years on with its deservedly proud maker.  The 2005 vintage, noted Martini di Cigala, was a vintage full of expectation. Vignerons were very excited about the wines’ prospects, but then the vineyards were hit by wet weather during harvest. Despite this, the 2005 Percarlo and La Ricoma are magical. While they don’t have the concentration of the 2007 and 2006, they still capture the San Giusto magic. In my 2005 La Ricolma tasting note, it says “otherworldly” – so it must have been pretty special.  The 2004 La Ricolma is particularly elegant. The nose is again extraordinary – the palate texturally sublime and the wine has impeccable balance. The 2004 Percarlo is, as Martini di Cigala noted, “a particularly elegant vintage for Sangiovese”.  The wine has fantastic clarity to the fruit, mouthwateringly juicy but with amazing structure too. The tannins are just so fine – it is incredible. Just 18 magnums of the 2005 and 2004 La Ricolma were ever made – so it was a real privilege to have them at the tasting and for them to be showing so well.  After comparing the four vintages Martini di Cigala felt the 2005 and 2004 have reached optimum maturity, having fully opened and reached their peak. The 2006 and 2007 on the other hand, “still have a certain amount of coiled spring energy to the wine – they still have more to give”.  We begged Martini di Cigala to bring a very rare 1998 Percarlo from his cellar – providing a particularly grand finale. At nearly 25 years of age, the wine was magnificent. It captures all the character that runs through the previous vintages of Percarlo – with incredibly refined tannins, vibrant acidity and classic Sangiovese structure, while also being so smooth and rounded. Even with age, the structure was solid and had matured beautifully.  Looking back at the wines, it is the Tuscan terroir that clearly defines these two wines. La Ricolma has the opulence and complexity of Pomerol but with that austere edge, that vibrancy and verticality that you only get from Tuscan soils. In comparison, the Percarlo has the vibrancy and Tuscan verticality, but there is no astringent edge – such is the finesse of the tannins. Some preferred Percarlo’s more classic Italian acerbity, while others loved the uniqueness and profundity of La Ricolma. Tasting them side by side was such a joy, the wines offering two very different varietal expressions while also sharing a similarity of place. These wines – even the Merlot – just couldn’t be from anywhere but Tuscany.  It's fitting that Alessandro Masnaghetti – the man who created the groundbreaking viticultural maps of Barolo and Barbaresco – has just published his new book, mapping the terroirs of Chianti Classico. It’s a book Luca Martini di Cigala is immensely proud of, having championed the differences in sub-zones for decades; now he has the proof – and he brought a copy for both us and the River Café’s Ruth Rogers. Her late business partner and co-founder of the London institution, Rose Gray visited San Giusto many years ago – it was fitting for Martini di Cigala to be able to repay the favour for this special evening.  While the tasting might have been billed as Percarlo versus La Ricolma, it was a friendly battle. It was great to see them both showing so well and how complementary they were tasted side by side. One of the most notable takeaways from the evening was the outstanding consistency. Every wine on the table sang. Every wine was impeccably balanced. Every wine was full of character and complexity. It was a special, rare opportunity that will live long in the memory. I just hope we don’t have to wait another 30 years before convincing Martini di Cigala to come back.    Explore all listings from San Giusto a Rentennano or register interest in future events 

San Giusto a Rentennano is one of Chianti, Tuscany and Italy’s finest producers –best known for its iconic Percarlo and La Ricolma. After an incredible dinner tasting a vertical of these wines back to 1998, we report on what defines these special Super Tuscans 

Digging into San Giusto a Rentennano’s La Ricolma and Percarlo – with a vertical of the Super Tuscan icons with Luca Martini di Cigala

La Ricolma vs Percarlo vertical wine tasting

Tasting La Ricolma versus Percarlo: a special Super Tuscan vertical

“People seem to like it,” says Callie Louw in his thick Afrikaans accent. The winemaker behind Porseleinberg shrugs, casual about his wine’s success. Since its first vintage in 2010, this Swartland Syrah has rapidly become one of South Africa’s best and most sought-after, much to his bemusement, it seems.  The 173-hectare estate is rugged and wild, sitting atop the Porcelain Mountain (Porseleinberg in Afrikaans) in the Swartland. The first vines had been planted here in 1997, with wines previously marketed under the Schonenberg label. Louw first came across the site while at Rustenberg, who sourced fruit from there – the bunches and individual berries were so tiny that Louw thought at first that the owners weren’t giving them the best fruit (although he may not have put it so politely). But those miniscule bunches were all these rocky schist soils, with almost no topsoil, could muster. However small the yields, the quality and concentration was enough to convince Marc Kent (Managing Partner and Technical Director at Boekenhoutskloof) to buy the farm in 2009 – and he approached Louw, who was then working at Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards (now Fable Mountain Vineyards), to develop the property.  The team instantly set about a massive planting program and there are around 90 hectares under vine today. Most of the fruit was destined for Boekenhoutskloof’s flagship wine, The Chocolate Block, but with 4.5 hectares of older plots and a ramshackle shed-cum-winery, Louw – with Kent’s blessing – decided to do something different, and Porseleinberg was born.  “It’s a really special site,” Louw says, explaining how the vines sit on almost pure bedrock with just a skin of topsoil over the blue schist. “We’re effectively farming little bonsais here.” It tells you just how challenging this site is that only half the vines they planted in 2009 survived; but the results are clearly worth the effort. And they weren’t the first to recognise the site’s potential – as well as Rustenberg (where Adi Badenhorst was then winemaker), Eben Sadie had sourced fruit from the property for Columella in 2000 and 2001. While the wine came originally from just 4.5 hectares, today there are 14 dedicated to Porseleinberg, with the first of the younger vines coming on stream from 2013. When Louw arrived in 2009, the vines were dry-farmed – and he managed to get 3.5 tons/hectare of fruit in 2010. But the yield was a tiny two tons the following year; it was clear that dry-farming just wasn’t an option for this site, the soils too poor to hold onto the water – if the skies even gave any. “Schist is actually spelt wrong, it’s supposed to be s**t,” Louw says, laughing. Despite the need to irrigate, he’s well aware of the costs involved – particularly given any water they use needs to be pumped seven kilometres and up the mountain. During the drought between 2016 and 2018, the river they use for irrigation dried up, Louw’s house water ran out in May – and police were patrolling water sources. There’s no avoiding how precious a resource water is here.  The site had been farmed organically and Louw continued this, however in 2016, when they looked to plant another 45 hectares, he wanted to make sure that he gave these new plantings the best chance – and be able to farm organically in the long term. As of 2023, the property is once more certified organic, having been able to return to the process in 2020. And it is firmly in the vineyard that Louw focuses, feeling not just that quality comes from the vine – but from the soil, as he gradually looks to build the level of organic matter. “The only thing that I can do better is farm better,” he says.  The winemaking is relatively simple and hands-off (as Louw says, “I’m quite proudly lazy in the winery.”) – but has evolved over the years. Louw uses 100% whole-bunch, although the fruit is crushed lightly (previously by foot, now by being run through a pump) to avoid carbonic fermentation and its more confected aromas. The fermentations are all native, with alcohols generally sitting between 13.5 and 14%. Maturation is in a combination of foudre and concrete, and varied more over the first four vintages as Louw figured out what worked (with the 2010 and 2011 vintages aged in concrete only). While some of the early vintages spent up to two years in concrete and oak, he has reduced this to 12 months (from 2014), favouring more time in bottle prior to release instead.   Although the wines are decidedly fresh and balanced, the pHs are naturally high – between 3.7 and 4.1, with most vintages sitting at the higher end of that spectrum. Given the risks of bacterial spoilage that this brings, SO2 levels are relatively high (around 100ppm total) – something Louw feels is essential for wines that are absolutely built to age. And that’s something that has long set Porseleinberg apart.   “I’m still wearing the pants I bought in 2004 – I know nothing about style,” Louw jokes. There’s no shortage of brilliant new-wave South African wine, however most are built to be open and approachable in their youth – not necessarily glou-glou, but leaning into the lighter style of reds that has become fashionable. Porseleinberg was, at least at first, decidedly not. The earlier vintages are stern and serious, and need(ed) significant time to resolve and soften – it’s that style (whether Louw would describe it as such or not) that has earned the wine the moniker “Cape Cornas”, a style that is both thanks to the natural intensity of the low-yielding site and Louw’s love of old wine.  But the 2018 vintage brought a significant shift – one that has taken Porseleinberg to new heights. Louw visited a friend who was working at Domaine Jamet, and saw how rather than using punch-downs or pump-overs, they submerged the cap throughout the fermentation and maceration, allowing them to extract more gently. Most winemakers might have trialled the technique on a parcel, but not Louw – who says, frankly, “I put my chips all in.” He returned to the Swartland and set to work, making his own plates to hold the cap in place during fermentation. Fortunately for him, the gamble paid off.  The more recent vintages display more perfume, precision and finesse, without sacrificing the almost fearsome structure that makes them so age-worthy – and, as Louw says, it means he does even less work in the winery (“I fit about one more beer in a day,” he says, smiling). While earlier vintages were more about their tannic framework, the fruit, Louw suggests, is more present now – covering the tannins in the wines’ youth.  When I ask Louw if he wishes he’d used the submerged-cap technique from the start, his answer is no. “It’s amazing to grow up with the wine,” he says. And somehow that makes sense, for this is clearly a very personal project. Although Boekenhoutskloof might own Porseleinberg, it is run and managed totally separately. During our conversation and as we taste through a complete vertical, back to 2010 (the first time Louw has ever had the chance to do so), it is clear that this is not just a wine from this specific place, but also from this specific wine-grower. Over 12 vintages, the style evolves, the variation between years shining through, but the mineral backbone and structural imprint of this site remains. It’s a remarkable wine, and one that is only set to get even better as the vines age and Louw builds on his experience. Ignore it at your peril.  Tasting every vintage of Porseleinberg: 2010 to 2021 2010 Porseleinberg: From the original 4.5 hectares, the first vintage of Porseleinberg offers a savoury, bloody, iron-rich nose, with an edge of herbal, menthol notes and dried red fruit. The immense structure is still present, although the tannins have softened with over a decade in bottle. That structure is complemented by a bite of fresher, dark fruit and juicy acidity. Aged for 16 months in 65% foudre and 35% concrete.  2011 Porseleinberg: This wine still feels young, the nose brooding with dark fruit, leather and liquorice, the palate tightly packed with intense, black-berried fruit and a chalky grip of tannins. With the year’s conditions only two tons per hectare were harvested, the smallest crop ever from the site – and given the small volumes this was never released, with only 800 bottles made. Aged for 24 months in concrete egg.  2012 Porseleinberg: This is more supple and soft than the 2012, with a savoury and saline profile. There’s more elegance than the first two vintages, with dark, intense fruit yet with an appealing purity, complemented by notes of tobacco spice and liquorice allsorts. Only 2,760 bottles were made. Aged for 12 months in concrete egg.  2013 Porseleinberg: The fruit here is distinctly different – sweeter strawberry with a touch of herbal eucalyptus alongside savoury hints that point to the beginnings of tertiary development. It’s incredibly concentrated, structured and compact – a wine that is built for the long-haul. Aged for 24 months in 60% foudre and 40% concrete.  2014 Porseleinberg: The 2014 was one of the more open vintages in the line-up, from a particularly wet year and late harvest. The nose entices with an earthiness, a dusting of cocoa, deep red cherry and chocolate-covered strawberries. There’s a juicy purity to the palate with a chalky grip and savoury, smoky edge to the long finish. Aged for 12 months in 100% foudre.  2015 Porseleinberg: This is still a little reductive, and will benefit from additional time in bottle. As this reduction blows off, it reveals a fynbos-accented nose of dark fruit. From a cool vintage, the palate is a tight ball still – intensely mineral and chalky, with impressive purity, but it’s not yet revealing its potential. One to watch. Aged for 12 months in 90% foudre and 10% concrete egg.  2016 Porseleinberg: The 2016 vintage brought the driest winter in decades and another tiny crop. The wine is full of sweet red fruit, but there’s a firm, stony minerality to the nose, as well as floral and spicy tones that give it lift. There’s a fine-boned framework here and gorgeous freshness. Aged for 12 months in 70% foudre and 30% concrete egg.  2017 Porseleinberg: The 2017 vintage is sweet and concentrated; offering both a swarthy dark profile and a sweet, red-fruited intensity. It’s tight and bold, with an iron backbone, firm tannic structure and a powerful finish defined by its dark fruit and minerality. Aged for 12 months in 70% foudre and 30% concrete egg.  2018 Porseleinberg: The 2018 vintage is the first in which Louw used the submerged-cap technique – and there’s an instant shift in the style of the wine. It’s brighter, more aromatic with more intense herbal and spicy notes, while the palate is layered with juicier, crunchy red fruit that masks the tannins. The finish is long, spicy and mineral. Superb. Aged for 12 months in 90% foudre and 10% concrete egg.  2019 Porseleinberg: This vintage saw a break in the drought for South Africa, with rainfall around average and a relatively cool growing season. The nose here is dominated by herbs and spice – green peppercorn, dried rosemary and sage; leading on to a palate that offers pure red-berried fruit. There’s a mineral, chalky, furry grip of velvet tannins that frames the generous cherry fruit, with a saline mineral finish. Delicious. Aged for 12 months in 90% foudre and 10% concrete egg.  2020 Porseleinberg:  The 2020 vintage was warmer and the wine speaks to that – with richer and darker fruit character that dominates its profile. The warmer conditions have added a polish to the wine, with more open feel, despite the trademark structure that sits behind the fruit. The wine is a little reductive at this stage, and needs more time to unfurl. Aged for 12 months in 90% foudre and 10% concrete egg.  2021 Porseleinberg: The latest release of Porseleinberg is unsurprisingly impressive, but with a finesse that suggests it could be Callie Louw’s best vintage to date. A long, cool growing season with sufficient rainfall resulted in a leisurely harvest in 2021, allowing the team to take their time to pick. Since the shift to submerged cap in 2018, quality here has leapt ahead. The 2021 shows a spicy, mineral intensity – with the fruit more subdued, taking a backseat to the stony structure and texture of the wine. It’s supple, flowing across the palate like silk, yet with a super-fine grip of mineral tannins and the shy fruit that points to its immense age-worthiness. Savoury herbal tones mingle with the red fruit, while there’s a saline freshness and spicy pepper tones that linger on the long finish. Amazingly approachable now, it will only improve with a couple of years in bottle and continue to evolve over the next 15 years or so. Aged for 12 months in 95% foudre and 5% concrete.   Browse all current listings of Porseleinberg 

Porseleinberg has become one of South Africa’s most collectable wines. As the estate releases its 12th vintage, Sophie Thorpe tastes through a full vertical and talks to winemaker Callie Louw about what makes the site, and wine, so special

Porseleinberg is one of South Africa’s most collectable wines. We taste through a full vertical of the Swartland Syrah and talk to winemaker Callie Louw

An icon in the making – Porseleinberg

Porseleinberg: an icon in the making

Stein

Germany

Accounts

Your access is restricted because of your age.

Access forbidden

You must be over the legal age to view this page. Please verify your age to enter.

Are you over the legal age to purchase alcohol?

As a result of the quantity requested for delivery, we recommend using Third Party Shipping. If you proceed with our Shipping, there may be a delay to the selected ship date.

As a result of the quantity requested for delivery, we recommend using Third Party Shipping. If you proceed with our Shipping, you will not be able to define a ship date, and we will get in touch with you to arrange delivery.

Your order request will be cancelled. Are you sure you want to proceed?

Due to the quantity requested for collection, there may be a delay in meeting your requested collection date.

Due to the quantity requested for collection, it is not possible to define a collection date at this stage. Our team will liaise with the warehouse and contact you directly to confirm a suitable pick-up date.

This item has been listed by a collector and is available for storage or immediate delivery

For orders with a high value, we recommend shipping with a third party carrier. Items shipped with third parties will remain in banded OWCs.

Due to the quantity requested, you won’t be able to select a collection date. Please submit your request, and we will liaise with our warehouse and confirm the collection date with you directly.

Due to the quantity requested, you won’t be able to continue the purchase. Please select third party, or change the quantity (maximum 48 is allowed).

Due to the quantity requested, you won’t be able to select a shipping date at checkout. Please submit your request, and we will liaise with our warehouse and confirm the delivery date with you directly.

For up to 499 bottles in storage, the rate is 39¢/bottle per month or a $50 minimum monthly charge (this covers up to 142 bottles). For over 500 bottles, the storage rate is 35¢/bottle per month.

Storage is charged at HKD 40 per 12-bottle case per month. A minimum monthly storage fee of HKD 80 applies, covering up to 24 bottles.

Standard storage rate

By selecting third-party shipping, you will take full responsibility for all aspects of legal compliance and authorize Vinfolio to transfer the items to the party specified in your instructions. Items shipped via third parties will remain in their original packaging.

Collection times are between 8:30am - 12pm & 1:30pm - 4:30pm, Monday to Friday. Wines at Will Call, that are not picked up within 10 business days, will be transferred to storage and subject to a $1.50 per bottle stocking fee.

Items to be sourced and shipped to our state-of-the-art fine wine storage facility for the best possible safe-keeping where you can arrange collection from our warehouse address in Napa.

Will Call (Napa)

You entered the incorrect password too many times. Your account has been temporarily locked. Please wait five minutes before trying again.

It seems you are visiting from {country}, we invite you to experience our {nationality} website.

Are you browsing from {country}?

We’re unable to process your order with both event tickets and a wine or spirit product in the same transaction. To proceed, please remove either the event tickets or the item from your basket. You’ll then be able to complete your purchase.

Please review your basket

Forgot Password

We're in the final stages of upgrading to our brand-new trading platform. As part of this transition, we're currently migrating all customer-owned inventory to ensure a smooth and seamless experience.

Our new and improved platform will be ready for you on Friday, April 4.

Thank you for your patience - we can't wait to show you what's next.

Oops, something went wrong

We couldn't find any results to show here.

Please note: tax will be calculated at the next step

Our website is currently down for maintenance.

Maintenance Mode

Pre-authorizing a Payment Method enables your Account Manager to make payments on your behalf, without payment verification.

Pre-authorize

This transaction has been blocked by authentication failure.

Authentication failure

Your payment card has expired. Please check your details and try again.

Expired card

Insufficient funds to pay your balance. Please check your details and try again.

Insufficient funds

This transaction has been blocked by the payment provider due to possible fraudulent behaviour.

Transaction blocked

Please choose a different payment method and try again.

Unknown error

About description for demonstration purposes

shows all the items you currently store with us. These items can be sold, delivered or transferred.

At {shortName}

Your allocation will be cancelled. Are you sure you want to continue?

Your pre-order item will be deleted. Are you sure you want to continue?

Your delivery request will be cancelled. Are you sure you want to proceed?

represents all the wines that are in your possession and have been consumed.

This is the price you paid for this item.

Cost price

After adding your new address, you'll be redirected back to this page.

Create a new address

Your notification will be deleted. Are you sure you want to continue?

The lowest price you're willing to sell at.

shows all the items that you have pre-ordered, including en primeur wines, and all the items on your watchlist.

Futures

You can set a sell price on items you're selling based on a % of current unit net value.

You can set a market price on items you're selling based on a % of current unit net value.

shows all the actions that you have taken on items in your Portfolio.

groups every action by type - Purchase, Sale, Delivery, and Inbound Transfer - so it's clear at a glance what happened to each item.

History

shows all the items that are currently in transit to or from {shortName}.

In transit

Local delivery is free for orders over HK$1,800 (to a single location). For orders below this value, delivery is HK$150 for up to four cases and HK$50 per case thereafter.

Shipping starts from €15 within Italy and €45 to Switzerland and the rest of Europe for up to 48 bottles (75cl). Costs vary by destination. Larger shipments can be quoted on request.

The date shown below is when your order will ship from our local warehouse. Your final delivery date, along with full tracking details, will be provided once our team has processed your request.

You can arrange collection from our Retail store on 22nd Floor, 8 Wyndham Street, Central Hong Kong.
Collection times are between 9:30am-13:00 and 14:00-18:00pm, Monday to Friday. We are closed on public holidays.

You can arranged collection from our warehouse STI INTERNAZIONALE SPA, on Viale del Lavoro, 57, 37051 Bovolone, Verona.
Pick-up hours are between 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM, Monday to Friday. We are closed on public holidays.

This is the current estimated market value for this item.

Manually set prices will be overwritten. Already listed wines are not affected.

Updates all unlisted wines to current market price.

Set all at market

represents all the wines you currently have in your Portfolio that aren't stored with us. Press the

My cellar

Name

Net price

New portfolio available

New portfolio

You do not have any invoices at this time.

shows all the items from your Portfolio that are currently on the market.

On sale

shows all the items you currently have in your Portfolio. You can perform individual actions on them from this page.

Overview

shows any items that are currently awaiting user action.

Pending

This is the dynamic estimated value of the item with trading margin removed.

This is the amount of profit you will receive if your listing sells.

Pre-authorised payments enable automatic transactions on your behalf, ensuring seamless and hassle-free payments. This allows recurring charges, subscriptions, or scheduled payments to be processed without manual approval each time.

The number of cases you wish to place on sale

Your catalogue item will be archived. Are you sure you want to continue?

Your catalogue items will be archived. Are you sure you want to continue?

Before you request delivery, you can adjust the quantity for each item in your selection below.

* At time of sale a 15% trading fee will be deducted from the final sale price.

Total estimated value*'

The fixed custom price you wish to sell each item for.

Split into {caseSize} individual {bottleSize}cl bottles.

Title

shows all the items you currently store with us. These items can be sold.

Available for sale — items stored with {name} eligible to be listed on the marketplace.

Profile

This item is at Vinfolio, available for storage or shipping. For more information on shipping and handling visit vinfolio.com/shipping

This item is at FINE+RARE HOME Hong Kong, available for delivery or local pickup. Most Hong Kong deliveries can be made within 3 working days, an exact date will be available when arranging delivery. International deliveries have longer lead-times, please contact us for details.

Wines sold en primeur will be released from the producer after bottling, typically 18 months after the so-called campaign ends. Upon arrival your wine will be stored at Vinfolio in our temperature-controlled warehouse until you decide to take delivery.

We will source this item at the guaranteed price from our network of suppliers and arrange expedited shipment to FINE+RARE.
 The lead-time depends on many variables, but 2-4 weeks is typical for expedited sourcing.
 Once your order is confirmed, we'll keep you updated on its ETA.
 Every item is checked on arrival by our expert team, with photographs available on request (please note that charges may apply).

When a wine is on "pre-arrival", it means that we have a confirmed order on the bottles from our supplier and we are simply waiting for the winery or distributor to ship the wine to us. The delivery timeframe for pre-arrival wines varies significantly, depending on where the wine is coming from. We will notify you once they arrive at our warehouse and, at that point, you can decide to arrange shipping or list them for sale.

Stein

Filter

Please wait

Related articles