Reviews: Gambero Rosso 2022 and Decanter (January 2022)

A quick perusal shows that Fabrizio Battaglino has some well-deserved awards in the 2022 edition including for his 2019 Nebbiolo d'Alba 'Paradi', a wine which is coming into its own well now (Due Bicchieri) and the 2020 Roero Arneis 'Bastia', a lovely Arneis with a little more richness than the younger vine 'San Michele' (both also Due Bicchieri, the latter in the 2019 edition).

Lots of entries too for I Campi, our Veneto superstar estate. This year it has yet another Tre Bicchieri but, for the first time (I think) for the regular Valpolicella Superiore in a vintage I have yet to try. If Covid restrictions are eased in time, it will be on my list of addresses to visit while stocks last! Only (a maximum of) one Tre Bicchieri is awarded per estate each year so the red Due Bicchieri for the Soave Classico "Vulcano' should be regarded as every bit as worthy of the top prize.

Elsewhere, in Decanter last month, Matt Walls' focus on "other" Northern Rhône areas including Seyssuel (which surely must merit full appellation status putting it on a par with Côte Rôtie), gives Pierre Gaillard's 2019 'Asiaticus' a whopping 94 points describing it as 'All destemmed, aged 18 months in 50% new oak barrels. Displays the roasted spices on the nose that are so characteristic of this cuvée: cardamom, cumin, hot sand. Medium-to-full-bodied, it has presence and concentration on the palate with furry tannins. The oak is present but well integrated - extracted but not overly thick. It's a big style and will age with interest. 13%'. Always good to read such positive reviews of particular favourite wines!

Comments

The roaring twenties - Joblot's reds from the bottle

Tasting young wines can be tricky but, perhaps, the hardest to assess are red Burgundies. One grape (Pinot Noir, of course) and subtly but importantly different terroirs yielding surprisingly different wines, even when from the same clones of more or less the same age. Enter Domaine Joblot's 2020s. Givry is at the southernmost point of the Côte Chalonnaise, about half an hour south of Beaune. It is not one of the prettiest villages in the region but it is widely regarded as producing the finest reds in this (relatively) good value sector of Burgundy. Domaine Joblot is 'a leader in Givry' (Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy) or, simply, 'Givry's best estate' (Clive Coates MW, The Wines of Burgundy). It lies on the D981 with most if the vineyards (and all the premier cru wines) on the west side of the road. In Domaine Joblot's portfolio, only the village (ie. non-premier cru) 'Pied de Chaume ' is on the east side of the road, north of the village itse

Funny goings on at Domaine des Anges

Some irreverent answers given by Domaine des Anges ' owner, Gay McGuinness to questions asked by a South African publication: (A) Your full address ? postal address: Domaine des Anges, 84570 Mormoiron, France; physical address: Domaine des Anges, Quartier ND des Anges, 84570 Mormoiron, France (B) History of the winery. Domaine des Anges is a beautiful, small, hillside estate in the Ventoux in the Southern Rhone region of France. It looks out across a large valley towards Mont Ventoux – the Giant of Provence – with spectacular views on all sides. The estate covers 40 hectares and is overlooked by the chapel of Notre Dame des Anges and a 12 th century Moorish tower, living together happily in the sunshine of timeless, historic, rural France. The total area of the vineyard is 18 ha. There have been vineyards here since Roman times. We do not know the name of the original owner, but it is believed that he was stabbed to death by a group of Roman p

A great value alternative to Côte Rôtie

From Matt Wall's forthcoming article on great value alternatives to Côte Rôtie, Pierre Gaillard's 2016 St Joseph 'Clos du Cuminaile' is a lovely wine to drink now ( there 2015 is still building). Matt scored it 92 points and reviewed it as follows: 'From a 40-year-old vineyard in Chavanay, grapes were fully destemmed. It’s showing blackberry, bonfire ashes and blackcurrant leaf aromas. 2016 was not the most concentrated vintage, so it’s medium-bodied but very smooth in the mouth. The finish is lifted and fresh, with bright berry acidity. Quite lean and transparent, this is mostly based around fresh acidity, with fine, slight tannins and a granitic spine.' (Not the most contemporary looking label but the wine is extremely drinkable!) We have, of course, tasted it ourselves a couple of times recently and found it to be on the lighter side of Syrah - St Joseph can range from red to black fruit character and be light and pretty or dense and demanding (for the latte

James Bercovici - The Big Red Wine Company

Search This Blog