Decanter Magazine December 2010

THIS MONTH’S FEATURES

Wines of the Year
Of the thousands wines we tasted in 2010, 568 won a Decanter Award or a four-star rating. We list them all here, along with the 100 best-value bottles

Reading the vintage
Margaret Rand explores different approaches to the somewhat forgotten concept of vintage Champagne –
should it stress house style or the vintage?

German Riesling 2009: long and sweet
2009 looks set to be an excellent vintage for the ‘sweeter’ styles, says Joel Payne

Decanter interview: Donald Hess
Stephen Brook talks to the Swiss-born mogul about his two life passions: wine and art

Eruptions on Etna
Stephen Brook finds time to visit Etna to meet the old-vine wine pioneers reviving volcanic vineyards

The essence of Graves
Domaine de Chevalier owner Olivier Bernard tells Margaret Rand why it is important for him to maintain the real style of the Graves

The grape we love to hate
Today’s crop of the much-maligned Pinotage is worthy of a fresh look, says convert Christian Eedes

Still life
Armagnac marks its 700th birthday this year, but what sets it apart from Cognac? Variety and nuance, finds Richard Woodard