The Luberon is a little-known gem hiding in plain sight.

Rising to more than 1,200m from the lowlands of Provence, the Luberon massif is a huge lump of rock that has been split down the middle by the Aiguebrun river.

Here, narrow, winding roads – bordered on one side by craggy limestone cliffs and on the other by groves of cherry trees laden with plump, scarlet fruit, gnarled olive trees, rows of unruly grape vines and fields of lavender – lead to some of the prettiest (officially) medieval hilltop and hillside villages in France.

Over the years, the region has drawn creative minds ranging from existentialist writer Albert Camus to film director Sir Ridley Scott; Peter Mayle wrote A Year in Provence about his time in the village of Lourmarin.

Nestled within Luberon Regional Nature Park, the region boasts colourful, fragrant markets, rugged gorges, Roman bridges, technicolour ochre deposits, peaceful forests and wonderfully fresh, characterful wines.

Here are six suggestions for making the most of your time there.

Walk around a winery

Vines have been grown in the Luberon since Roman times and today there are some 3,500ha of vineyards, located on both sides of the Luberon massif at an altitude of 200m-450m.

While it sits between Provence (AP Côteaux d’Aix-en-Provence) and the Rhône (AP Ventoux), the Luberon’s wines are distinctly different to those of both, the cooler climate, and particularly the broader spread of temperatures between night and day, imbuing the wines with remarkable freshness.

The obvious must-visit is Mas des Infermières, which is owned by Sir Ridley Scott.

The purpose-built winery features a shop where you can buy wine and a range of local products and view a ‘permanent exhibition’ of props and other memorabilia from Scott’s films, including space suits from Alien, Prometheus and The Martian.

Also worth checking out are: Château de Mille in Apt, the region’s oldest winery, dating back to the 13th century, and once used as the summer residence of the popes; Château la Canorgue in Bonnieux, another vineyard with a Ridley Scott connection – it was the location for his movie A Good Year.

Domaine de la Citadelle, just outside the village of Ménerbes, boasts a corkscrew museum exhibiting more than 1,200 devices dating back to the 1600s; and Châteaux Fontvert and Constantin in Lourmarin.

There are also several good cooperatives, which showcase numerous local wineries’ output in one place. Cave de Sylla in Apt and Cave de Bonnieux in Bonnieux are two of the oldest, both dating back more than a century and offering hundreds of local wines.

Visit a village (or five)

The Luberon boasts five villages officially designated as Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (the Prettiest Villages of France) – Ansouis, Gordes, Lourmarin, Ménerbes and Roussillon – and all are worth a visit, but a place in the pantheon of pretty villages pretty much guarantees popularity with tourists, so take some time to go beyond this ‘famous five’ and explore some of the smaller, lesser-known villages.

Perhaps Goult, home to the Moulin de Jérusalem, a beautifully restored 1750 windmill situated at the village’s peak and offering stunning views of the valley.

Or wander around the remarkably well-preserved Lacoste, once home to the Marquis de Sade, whose castle was restored by fashion designer Pierre Cardin in the early 2000s.

If it’s views you’re after, another option is Saignon, which was born as a lookout post for the town of Apt, thanks to its peerless vantage point down the Luberon valley to the west, as far as the Rhône valley.

If, like me, you have a thing for old doorways, then St-Saturnin-lès-Apt is for you – three of the doorways in the central Rue de la Republique are so special that they’ve been listed as historical monuments.

And finally, for something a bit different, check out the Village des Bories, an open-air museum of 20 or so dry stone huts located a few minutes from Gordes.

Make your way to a market

One of the best times to visit the Luberon’s villages is on market day, when traders come from far and wide to sell their wares and the streets and squares buzz and bustle with shoppers and browsers.

And regardless of the day of the week, there will be more than one village market taking place somewhere in the Luberon.

The largest, with up to 300 stalls – and a history that dates back nine centuries – is held on Saturday mornings in Apt.

The markets in Lourmarin, Gordes and Roussillon are also popular or, for a more relaxed experience, try Cucuron’s very authentic village market, situated under the shade of towering plane trees.

While all of these markets will feature a mixture of food, flowers, homewares and clothing, some have a particular point of difference.

Coustellet’s is a dedicated farmers’ market (marché paysan), where vendors sell only what they grow or produce themselves.

The Sunday market in L’Islesur-la-Sorgue – known as the Venice of Provence for its network of canals and other waterways – is known for antiques and its annual floating market.

On the first Sunday of August, traders in traditional flat-bottomed boats (négos-chins) adorned with fresh flowers slip from bank to bank of the Sorgue river to serve customers.

As the market draws to a close, the négos-chins line up in the river and sing the Coupo Santo – the official regional anthem of Provence.

Rock out

The Luberon is home to several geological marvels, the most spectacular of which is the world’s largest ochre deposit, which stretches 25km from west to east between the villages of Goult and Gignac.

The ochre, a mix of sand and clay naturally pigmented by iron oxides, comes in a remarkable array of hues, and has been mined since the late 18th century.

It has been sculpted by water, wind and people into a range of fascinating forms, from towering technicolour pillars to deep canyons.

There are a number of ways to experience it: the Sentier des Ocres, a pair of short loop trails that set out from Roussillon village (where the ochre has been used to colour the facades of many of the houses); the Colorado Provençal near Rustrel, an expansive former open-cast mine; and Bruoux Mines in Gargas, which features more than 40km of hand-carved, cathedral-like underground galleries.

Roussillon is also home to Okhra, an ochre museum housed in a former ochre factory.

Indulge in a long lunch

Unsurprisingly, the Luberon is blessed with a plethora of excellent dining options, from simple rustic cafes to Michelin-starred gastronomic temples, but to really soak up the Luberon vibe, stop for lunch on a terrace – preferably with a view.

The terrace at Café de France (+33 [0]4 90 75 82 25) in Lacoste enjoys a remarkable view of the valley and the picturesque village of Bonnieux on the opposite hillside.

You can look back the other way from Michelin one-star La Bastide de Capelongue in Bonnieux.

La Bastide de Marie in Ménerbes offers tranquil dining on a terrace set amid beautiful gardens and vineyards, with views of the surrounding landscape.

If you’ve had your fill of views, Insitio in the charming village of Vaugines (where Peter Mayle spent his final years), has a terrace in the main square beside a pretty ‘living’ fountain.

And finally there’s Le Fournil (@lefournil_ bonnieux_) in Bonnieux, which is set in a former bakery in a natural cave in the hillside but also boasts an intimate outdoor terrace on the shaded Place Carnot.

Look for some lavender

The Luberon has long been a centre for lavender growing and each year from mid-June to mid-July, when the harvest typically starts, large parts of the region turn purple.

One of the most picturesque sites is the 12th-century (but still inhabited) Notre-Dame de Sénanque Abbey, set in a secluded valley near Gordes.

The lavender grown by the monks is harvested by a local distiller, who transforms it into essential oil and handmade products sold at the abbey.

Or head to the Claparèdes plateau, between Bonnieux and Saignon, where an 8km loop trail weaves among landscapes in which rows of lavender stretch as far as the eye can see.

Many of the region’s lavender farms welcome visitors, as do the distilleries that transform the flowers into lavender oil.

The Aroma’Plantes distillery in Sault offers tours and workshops, and has a shop with more than 600 farm products.

There’s even a lavender museum in Coustellet with a collection of copper stills, some of which date back to the 16th century.

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The path of documenting London’s top wine lists is well-trodden but here my recommendations focus on value, the food offerings alongside, a few regional specialities and a wholly positive and personal attitude to wine selection and service.

There are, of course, treasures to be found amongst 200-page tomes in Michelin starred dining rooms, but you will not find them documented here, instead lists compiled, and often served, by the restaurant owners themselves.

Best London restaurant wine lists

Blandford Comptoir

Part of a larger restaurant group owned by two Master Sommeliers, Gearoid Devaney and Xavier Rousset, Blandford Comptoir was chosen above the others for its particular focus on the Rhône Valley. A quick glance through the list would lead you to believe this is the finest Rhône list in London, and you wouldn’t be wrong. A whole page devoted each to Côte Rotie, Hermitage, Cornas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape with references over forty years of age, even in Crozes-Hermitage. With more Condrieu and Saint-Péray than you could drink in a year, there is something for every Rhône lover to accompany the short but perfectly formed food menu. An absolute treasure trove.

Cloth

New to the scene in 2024, Cloth is a restaurant by wine lovers, for wine lovers. The food here is classic and exceptional, but the wine list is the real point of difference. It is incredibly rare for such a young restaurant to have such an extensive, broad and mature wine offering. Each subsection of the list has not only value picks but something to offer the drinker craving serious bottle age and the prices are more than fair.

Dorian

The myth and legend that surrounds ‘local bistro’ Dorian in Notting Hill is palpable. It goes without saying that not only is this the hottest ticket in town, but chef Max Coen is turning out some of the finest dishes in London. In addition to that, owner Chris D’Sylva is making more than a concerted effort across the whole group to make the wine offering as good as anywhere in the capital. For those looking for the upper echelons of classic fine wine you can find them here with cash margins applied, but it will also more than quench the thirst of those seeking anything from entry level wines from the coolest Burgundy growers to the uber trendy La Bota Florpower.

Don’t miss the ultimate wine experience – book your tickets now for the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter London 2026

High Timber

High Timber is unquestionably one of the finest places to drink South African wine outside the Cape. Owned by Gary and Kathy Jordan of Jordan Wine Estate alongside the wonderful Neleen Strauss, there is a limited wine offering on the surface. That is, I have come to believe, only because there is too much to catalogue including gems that, truthfully, Neleen would rather not sell. A dive down through the two private dining rooms to the cellar will reveal hundreds of Cape Winemakers Guild Auction bottlings, mature vintages and some of the rarest wines South Africa has produced. You will find old world classics at great prices here too, but it’s not the primary focus for most of the clientele. If you are looking for an extensive steak offering with mature examples of Sadie, Alheit and dozens more then this is for you.

Hunan

Opened in 1982 on the Pimlico Road by ‘Mr Peng’, Hunan has been one of London’s finest Chinese restaurants for over four decades. Now run by his son, Michael, this iconic establishment has one of the very best wine lists in the capital. If you think the food only pairs well with off-dry whites then think again, there is as much fine Burgundy imbibed here than as anywhere else. Michael’s cataloguing is occasional haphazard which only adds to the charm. A scrap of paper with new arrivals yet to hit the list often circulates and before the ink dries there is occasionally a deal to be done. This is truly one of London’s great wine hotspots.

Noble Rot

It would be impossible to compile a list of this nature without the inclusion of Noble Rot which, started by Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew, has become a global icon for wine. The food is overseen by Stephen Harris of The Sportsman in Kent, which is reason enough to go, but the wine lists at all three venues are legendary. For the purposes of nostalgia, I would recommend the original Lambs Conduit Street site, but you will not be disappointed by Mayfair or Soho either. The list here caters for all tastes and all budgets and is surely the most iconic restaurant in the capital for wine lovers.

Quality Wines

Under the guise of the Woodhead Group, Will Lander has furnished the capital with five phenomenal restaurants all worthy of this list. However, given that only one could make the cut, it must be Quality Wines in uber trendy Farringdon. The food is more simple than Michelin star Portland or 64 Goodge Street, but the wine list is as eclectic as it is deep, with mature by-the-glass offerings changing daily. There are big names at fair prices alongside undiscovered gems from the Loire to Lebanon and everything in between.

The Arches

Once a regular wine trade haunt, owned by the late, great Harry Gill, the reputation of Arches was legendary in the pre-social media and influencer era. Harry built one of the finest wine collections in the UK and would be regularly found walking the dining room sharing anonymous bottles with his regulars, taking huge pleasure in realising they had, once again, misidentified Henri Jayer for something far less impressive.

The restaurant is adorned with thousands of trophies in the form of bottles long since departed and every inch of the walls is dedicated to the good life. Now run by his partner, Ivana, this vinous treasure flies under the radar and has more than a few classics at astonishing prices to pair with your perfectly cooked sirloin.

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Not all Prosecco is created equal. The category ranges from inexpensive, easy-drinking fizz to wines with much greater complexity, individuality and sense of place.

So how can consumers navigate the different DOCs, DOCGs, sub-zones and styles?

A useful rule of thumb is that the more specific the information on the label, the more precise the wine’s origin and often its style and quality.

Here are the essential details on how to make sense of it all, and make choosing your next bottle less of a gamble.

Prosecco’s broad base

Let’s start with Prosecco DOC – short for denominazione di origine controllata (‘controlled designation of origin’).

It’s the largest and most successful of not just the Prosecco categories, but of all Italian sparkling wine categories, with more than 667 million bottles produced in 2025, according to data from the Prosecco DOC consorzio.

The Prosecco DOC planted area spans about 28,000 hectares across nine provinces within northern Italy’s two regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Prosecco DOC wines are made by fermenting the wine twice in stainless steel tanks.

The Italians call this ‘metodo Martinotti’ (otherwise known as the Charmat method), after the Italian oenologist who developed it in Asti, Piedmont, in 1895...

Grapes

Minimum 85% Glera; up to 15% other authorised grapes (including Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir).

Styles

Although it’s possible to find still (tranquillo) and semi-sparkling (frizzante) Prosecco, the vast majority is twice-fermented, fully sparkling (spumante).

Expect these wines to be relatively straightforward in style, with a floral bouquet of white flowers and flavours of apple, pear and citrus. They’re crowd-pleasing, versatile all-rounders.

Sweetness

There is some confusion caused by the labelling.

Because sparkling wine sugar classifications differ from those for still wines, brut is the drier style (up to 12 grams per litre of residual sugar); extra dry (12-17g/L) is actually what UK consumers would consider ‘off-dry’, and it will taste noticeably rounder and sweeter.

In the UK, most Prosecco DOC is either extra dry or brut.

You may recall seeing Treviso on some labels when searching for a Prosecco to buy.

This is a special geographical mention (see chart), which means the grapes must be grown only within the province of Treviso, north of Venice in the central-east of the Veneto region, where the wine will also be made and bottled.

It’s essentially a more specific area within the wider DOC: a geographical specificity which also carries an implication of higher quality in the bottle.

The pink revolution

Prosecco DOC Rosé has been an increasingly popular category since its introduction in 2020, outperforming expectations with more than 60 million bottles produced last year.

It’s made under tighter regulations compared to its non-rosé stablemate...

Grapes

Glera needs to account for between 85%-90% of the blend, with 10%-15% Pinot Noir.

Vintage only

Prosecco Rosé must be a single-vintage product (at least 85% of the grapes from the specified year’s harvest), which must be clearly stated on the label.

Style

Available in spumante form only, it offers a drier profile filled with wild strawberry, red cherry and bright citrus notes.

Into the hills

To find Prosecco wines with genuine terroir definition, we must leave the flat plains of the DOC and climb the hillsides.

Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG

Take a breath before you try to say it: Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG.

The ‘G’ (garantita) is all-important, guaranteeing stricter production regulations, including reduced yields and mandatory hand-harvesting.

The stunning terraced, clay-and-limestone vineyards of Conegliano Valdobbiadene – a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2019 – are often too steep for modern machinery.

The manual work that goes into caring for these vineyards and the grapes they produce are the primary reason the price is often steeper (no pun intended), resulting in superior flavour intensity, complexity and structural elegance.

Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG

Located on the south side of a stretch of the Piave river, Asolo is a smaller, lesser-known DOCG nestled in the hills of Asolo and Montello in Treviso, and offers a different expression of Prosecco Superiore: a less perfumed, beautifully structured and mineral-driven alternative to Conegliano Valdobbiadene.

Asolo is growing in popularity and shoppers are likely to see these bottles on the shelves more often in the future...

Grapes

Wines made in these DOCG zones must be a minimum of 85% Glera and can use up to 15% of local varieties such as Glera Lunga, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Verdiso and Perera, as well as international varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Noir.

Prosecco’s ‘grands crus’

For those looking to explore the peak of the region’s quality pyramid, Prosecco offers two highly specific designations...

Rive

This term denotes wine from one of 43 recognised steep hillside communes or hamlets within the Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG zone.

Rive wines are always single-vintage, hand-harvested, and are even more strictly regulated. They offer a precise snapshot of a specific village microclimate.

Cartizze

This 107ha amphitheatre of steep hillside vineyards in Valdobbiadene traditionally produces the finest Prosecco.

Historically, Cartizze was made in a sweeter ‘dry’ style (17-32g/L residual sugar) to pair with cakes and pastries, but today, forward-thinking wineries are crafting drier versions in line with changing consumer tastes and to showcase the site’s potential for complexity.

With so much to discover beyond supermarket brands, a little knowledge can go a long way.

Armed with these core facts, you’re now equipped to explore the great variety that Prosecco has to offer!

Prosecco: The ultimate buyer's guide tasting notes

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As Pablo Picasso famously said: ‘Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.’

This idea of persistence and labour being at the core of creativity is useful when it comes to explaining what makes the best wines of Ribera del Duero stand out – especially when climate change keeps presenting the region’s producers with new challenges.

During the compilation of this year’s annual report – for which María José Huertas and I blind tasted 342 wines released between July 2025 and July 2026 – the friction between the different schools of thought on how to approach these challenges was palpable.

It’s a difficult but interesting moment for the region as a whole, forced to wrestle with tradition and wedged between different, often competing, premises and demands – environmental as well as commercial.

However, the common denominator across the wines we tasted and producers we visited is the amount of passion and work invested in and by each of them.

One question, many answers

If tensions in Ribera del Duero were once primarily stylistic (power versus elegance, approachability versus ageworthiness), the differences are now more fundamental, going right to the core of the region’s identity.

What makes a wine from Ribera a Ribera del Duero?

The issue lies, perhaps, in the question itself. Our tasting supported our long-standing belief that Ribera needs to embrace a stylistic and philosophical plurality, reflecting a diversity of approaches in the cellar but also – and increasingly – differences in the vineyard.

Decisions on vineyard management and picking times are more decisive and difficult than ever; finding balance is elusive and often a delicate game of compromise.

Producers are unanimous in their concern about alcohol levels creeping upwards, but also increasingly aware that the problem derives not only from climate change but from a loss of ancestral viticultural knowledge and of genetic diversity in the region’s vineyards.

Producers such as Francisco Barona and Alonso del Yerro are among those championing research on old vineyards and genetic heritage, preserving pruning techniques and cataloguing as well as propagating different clonal expressions of Tinto Fino (the name for the Tempranillo grape in the region).

I believe it’s no coincidence that their wines reflect a distinct balance, juggling muscularity and finesse, leveraging fruit complexity to integrate wood and alcohol – and vice versa.

Freedom for precision

This ever more complex quest for balance has led many Ribera producers, as in other regions around the world, to eschew ageing classifications in favour of winemaking freedom.

The range of vintages (and prices) of wines released under the once-considered ‘basic’ Genérico category is testament to that.

This does showcase, with refreshing vividness, the plurality that we think is worth championing.

The few unoaked examples we tasted this year revealed a mineral fluidity and purity of fruit that put the idiosyncrasy of the Ribera del Duero grapes to the fore.

Purity of fruit aside, time in wood allows the wines to lean into Ribera’s inherent earthiness and hone the concentration of the raw material.

Wines showed best where the purity, juiciness and intensity of the fruit (and, so often, black olive and liquorice notes) are allowed to shine freely and/or through the lens of minerality, supported by a wood framework for definition.

The deft use of wood in fact highlights that the character of the local Tinto Fino is distinct and worth preserving.

I invite you to read both our Rioja and Ribera reports – there’s no doubt that there’s an inherent structural difference between the quality and character of the former’s Tempranillo and the latter’s Tinto Fino.

With an extraordinarily high baseline level of quality, the Genérico releases are a showcase of successful diversity but, most of all, of winemaking – or as suggested above, viticultural – ability.

The 2024 and 2023 vintages were notoriously challenging, with heatwaves and drought pushing the Ribera del Duero vines to scary extremes. Yet we found wines with beautiful energy – and in the best examples, gliding juiciness.

On the other hand, the 2021 vintage continues to stand out for its fresh, enduring vividness, marked by bright fruit and a firm acid line. This is a vintage that will keep on giving and is well worth investing in – and drinking.

The ghost of Gran Reservas past

So what of the classical, ageing-based categories?

We found Crianza to be where the best value could be found – with all but two wines at under £30, all showed character and expressiveness, in many cases outscoring pricier counterparts in other categories.

The Reservas, on the other hand, showed more variability but also the most potential.

This is where, in our view, Ribera del Duero truly comes into its own, allowing enough time in wood and in bottle to achieve a more defined (well, mature) sense of itself.

The magic of Ribera is its ability to make wines whose depth, complexity and energy live on and keep evolving.

Here, again, the 2021s showed their bright, elegant appeal; the 2019s showed remarkable, enduring energy, as did some of the 2020s – from an underestimated vintage.

Overall, the standout Reservas share elegant structure and ageing potential perfectly balanced by approachable drinkability.

But if Ribera is a DO for marathons, not sprints, one might be shocked to learn that only seven Gran Reservas were submitted to our annual report’s tasting.

Is this a symptom of increasing cost pressure, making producers reluctant to keep stock sequestered in the cellar, or of consumers being sceptical about longer-aged, traditional styles?

It’s probably a bit of both, married to a certain lack of confidence from producers, compounded by unstable markets and tough trading conditions.

‘We need to give future generations the privilege of drinking Gran Reservas,’ says Fernando Ortiz, winemaker and co-owner at Territorio Luthier. ‘We need to recover the tradition of elegant, long-aged wines.’

He sees them as an invitation to discover ‘the subtle, beyond the evident’. María José and I echo this feeling and hope to see a return – cashflow notwithstanding – to Gran Reservas as an important part of Ribera del Duero winemakers’ expression.

See all notes and scored from our Ribera del Duero vintage report

Different shades of Ribera

All of these questions and dilemmas are arguably best captured when one looks at production of white and rosé wines in Ribera.

Because these categories are only now being brought to Ribera’s canonical fold, the debate over which direction to follow is open and, again, evolving along very different paths.

It’s clear that some producers are using the opportunity – as they have with the region’s reds – to explore Ribera’s heritage, traditional (pre-modern) styles and overlooked viticultural resources.

This translates into wines of deeper hues and textural expressiveness that stand in stark contrast with the more international-leaning examples.

Although there were very well-made examples in both camps, we believe that the way forward lies clearly in the former.

Last year, we pointed out that Ribera’s whites are a hidden gem that deserves more attention. In order for them – along with the rosados – to carve out their deserved place, they need to be wines both from and of Ribera.

Oaked, old-vine Albillos stand out, leveraging fruit concentration and the grape’s affinity with wood.

There’s something refreshing and authentic about them, combining poise and rusticity with ease.

Herein lies the essence of Ribera del Duero: an inescapable ferocity – where detail and power, sophistication and rusticity coexist harmoniously – and on whose side time is.

Ribera del Duero vintage report: 24 of the best recent releases

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If you want to deepen your understanding of a region or appellation nothing beats visiting in person.

But certain vineyards are more stubbornly inscrutable than others. I’ve been visiting Côte-Rôtie for years, yet every time I go there I learn something new.

On paper, it’s a southeast-facing hillside. In reality, it’s a succession of crumpled, corrugated slopes that are so mangled that vineyards can face in almost any direction.

What’s more, the appellation extends across three villages – it takes two hours to walk from one end to the other.

With 343ha of vines divided into 73 lieux-dits, there’s one thing that would make the vineyards of Côte-Rôtie much easier to understand – a classification or ‘cru’ system.

If it exists in Burgundy, then why not here?

Missed opportunities

It’s not a new idea. Marcel Guigal says some producers were using the term ‘premier cru’ in Côte-Rôtie until well after phylloxera. But the term was used liberally throughout France until the appellation d'origine contrôlée system instilled some order.

In the early 1980s, the idea of an official vineyard classification started to gain traction once more.

In 1983, Guigal says that growers voted on the measure – but with three quarters against the motion, it didn’t pass.

‘It was a big mistake,’ says Guigal. Back then, bottle prices were much lower, despite the same high cost of production, and validating vineyards via a cru system could have helped producers increase their prices.

But the idea refused to die. Stéphane Ogier says that not long after he joined the family estate in 1997, ‘the idea was on the table,’ and growers were talking about a possible classification once again. But they failed to achieve a consensus.

One sticking point was this: who has the knowledge and authority to draw up the plans? Finding someone with the necessary level of expertise – but with no skin in the game – proved intractable.

Possible grands crus

I asked Ogier if he could hypothetically draw up such a map. He said he would focus on the original heart of the appellation above the village of Ampuis: from (lieux-dits) Le Combard to Côte Blonde, then from Côte Brune to La Landonne and Côte Rozier, with the middle of the slope designated grand cru and the top of the slope premier cru.

I don’t think many local vignerons would find this suggestion overly controversial.

Then, further north, La Viallière, Les Grands Places and Montmain ‘could be very good premiers crus,’ says Ogier. I’ve no doubt there are others that would class the first two as grand cru.

Looking further south, Maison Rouge and Coteau de Tupin would have their advocates too, at least to premier cru level.

Ogier adds that this preliminary suggestion amounts to broad brush strokes, and that any final classification might end up more like a mosaic of premier and grand cru sites.

Patrick Jasmin has a more poetic suggestion: ‘When it snows, the first places for it to melt, those are the best sites.’

For him, these include lieux-dits Le Mollard, Côte Blonde, Fongeant, Côte Brune, Côte Bodin, Les Moutonnes, Rochains, La Landonne, La Viallière and Les Grands Places.

Sticking points

The further Ogier develops his idea, the more detailed the hypothetical map becomes.

Cognet, for example, would be designated a premier cru on the slope, but not at the foot of the hill where the soil is deeper.

Similarly, Lancement would be a premier cru at the top of the slope, then grand cru towards the middle.

This is where the problem lies. The climats of Burgundy were established around subtle differences in terroir and resulting wine style; whereas the lieu-dit boundaries of Côte-Rôtie follow roads, old estate boundaries and other geographical features.

In the words of Pierre Burgaud, in Côte-Rôtie ‘a lieu-dit does not necessarily correspond to a homogenous unit of terroir,’ as it can contain various soil types, soil depths and exposures.

For a reliable, consistent cru system, an entirely original map would need to be created. And this would create endless arguments among growers and a lot of bad feeling.

‘It would be war!’ says David Duclaux.

But what about renowned vineyards such as La Landonne – surely this would be a grand cru?

Jean-Paul Jamet vinifies his parcel of this vineyard by itself every year but only bottles it separately very rarely, as it can be simply too austere if unblended.

If the greatest grands crus don’t always produce balanced and complete wines by themselves, surely this undermines the idea to some extent?

Maintaining course

Single-vineyard wines are nonetheless increasingly common. But some producers, such as Burgaud, intentionally produce just one Côte-Rôtie, blending together all their parcels.

‘Historically, Côte-Rôtie is an appellation based on blending,’ he says, ‘blending allows me to achieve greater consistency, preserve the wine's complexity and maintain a high level of quality regardless of vintage conditions’.

And a classification system could lead to a proliferation of single-vineyard micro-cuvées, which in reality could make the situation more complex, not clearer.

So it’s perhaps no surprise that Duclaux and Guigal, the appellation’s current co-presidents, state there is currently no intention to establish a cru system in Côte-Rôtie.

I’m actually quite pleased. Without this shortcut to understanding the vineyards, I’ll have to keep going back to this beautiful place.

And a lack of a cru system forces us to focus on the estate, rather than the vineyard – which tends to be a better guide, no matter the region.

In the meantime, if you see any of the lieux-dits named above on your bottle, you can take that as a very good sign.

Six Côte-Rôtie wines worth looking out for

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Matt Walls, Heather Dougherty and Alexandre Freguin tasted 105 wines, with 14 Outstanding and 34 Highly recommended

Southern Rhône cru whites: Panel tasting scores

105 wines tasted

Outstanding 14

Highly recommended 34

Recommended 41

Commended 16

Learn more about Decanter's blind-tasting process and scoring system.

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their latest release white wines from any of the southern Rhône crus (Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Vacqueyras, Cairanne, Lirac, Gigondas and Laudun)

‘A clear increase of precision and consistency’

These southern Rhône cru whites perfectly encapsulate why the style is growing both in popularity and availability, backed up by increasing quality.

This tasting comes at a transformative time for southern Rhône whites.

Production has never been higher, demand is growing year on year and winemakers are raising their game.

The number of crus producing white wine is also ticking up; Gigondas introduced them from the 2023 vintage, and from 2026, Vinsobres will, too.

It came as no surprise that Châteauneuf- du-Pape fielded the highest number of Outstanding wines and the three highest scorers.

But all appellations managed at least one Outstanding wine – apart from Laudun that is, which ‘needs to show some more ambition’, according to Heather Dougherty.

Outside Châteauneuf is where the best value is to be found.

It pays to spread your net widely; we found excellent wines from all over the region, particularly from Gigondas and Vacqueyras.

Alexandre Freguin noted ‘a clear increase of precision and consistency from all the appellations’.

Vintage breakdown

Most of the wines were from recent vintages: 2023, 2024 and 2025.

The 2023s were ripe, concentrated and drinking well; these are broadly wines to drink young.

The 2024 vintage was even better – it’s an outstanding year for whites, ‘smooth and silky across the board… very consistent and harmonious’, said Freguin. The best will age beautifully.

‘Producers have been excited about 2025 from the word go and we saw the beginnings of why,’ said Dougherty.

Though not quite the equal of 2024, they’re already showing their class, with little in the way of excess alcohol or heaviness, despite the heat.

But Freguin pointed out that these are often wines that benefit from long lees ageing, so it’s likely that the best wines of 2025 are yet to be bottled. An exciting prospect.

It’s not just the crus that are developing their whites.

The 11 Côtes du Rhône named villages, which aren’t currently permitted to produce white wines, have made a group appeal to the appellation authorities to relax this regulation and it’s looking likely to be accepted.

Lovers of textural, food-friendly whites have plenty more good things coming their way.

See all notes and scores from the southern Rhône cru whites tasting

The judges

Southern Rhône cru whites panel tasting results

Wines were tasted blind

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The Germans are world champions in consumption of sparkling wine (or Sekt in German), even though the level has fallen in recent years – down to around 4.8 bottles (or 36 glasses) per person aged 16 and over in 2024.

Ten years earlier, that figure was 6.1 bottles. Consumers are drinking better, however; the quality of German Sekt has improved enormously and the best are now on par with their international peers.

The trend has been similar in neighbouring Austria, even though the reputation of its sparklers has so far scarcely spread beyond the country’s borders.

The focus in this selection is solely on the top end of the quality spectrum – featuring German and Austrian Sekt wines, from specific growing regions, that have undergone a second fermentation in bottle and prolonged lees ageing.

The Sekt revival

Sparkling wine has a special tradition in Germany. In the well-known houses of Champagne, German employees were favoured for roles in bookkeeping, sales and administration, but some also worked their way into production – and subsequently set up their own businesses.

Among the top examples of houses with German-born founders are Bollinger and Krug. Others returned to their homeland and began producing Sekt in Germany using the so-called Champagne or traditional method.

However, in 1902, Emperor Wilhelm II imposed a tax on Sekt to finance the Imperial German fleet, pushing wineries to cut costs and replace the traditional method with the cheaper and faster tank fermentation.

Pioneers such as Volker Raumland and Mathieu Kauffmann played an instrumental role in reviving quality Sekt-making in Germany.

Today, many producers have followed their lead in using Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for their traditional-method sparkling wines.

Some of the others specialise in single-vineyard sparkling wines made from Riesling, the national grape, which is treasured for its acidity yet never loses its fruitiness, even after prolonged lees ageing.

In Austria, Grüner Veltliner plays a greater role than Riesling. On both sides of the border, origin and the length of lees ageing are also key quality indicators.

In 2015, Austria introduced a three-tier quality system for Sekt with protected designation of origin. The top-tier Grosse Reserve must come from a single wine-growing municipality and the wine must mature on the lees for at least 36 months.

In Germany, beyond the Sekt bA (‘Sekt from specified growing regions’) system, another classification was introduced by the private organisation Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP) in 2020.

It distinguishes between VDP.Sekt and VDP.Sekt.Prestige, with minimum lees-ageing periods of 15 months and 36 months respectively.

German and Austrian traditional method fizz

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Reach age 35 and you’re out. Time to quit. You’re past it; too old. This is Germany’s Generation Riesling – a group for young growers, founded in 2006 (initially to challenge outdated perceptions of Germany in the UK market).

In early summer 2026, I visited six Generation Riesling domains. Young, I discovered, is simultaneously old: the newest domain was run by the third generation of the same family, the oldest by the 13th generation. Not only that, but a toddler was on hand to lend anarchic fun to the welcome at four of the wineries, and at least one of the winemakers was visibly pregnant (with her second child) – the following generation is on the way. It all felt very fecund – and consequently joyful.

By self-selection, of course: any domain with no new faces at the helm wouldn’t qualify. Germany has succession issues, too. The nation lost 1,300ha of vines in 2025, and wine sales in supermarkets (where Germans buy most of their wines) dropped by 7% during the same 12 months.

The price of bulk Rheinhessen Riesling, said Pauline Baumberger of the eponymous Nahe domain (which only sells bottled wine, all natural, under the Glow Glow label) was 80 cents/litre, well below cost price. ‘It’s really tough. For many older farmers, vines were supposed to provide their retirement income.’

In Mandel, the Baumbergers’ village, they say there were once 500ha of vines; only 110ha remain.

What struck me was the creativity of Germany’s younger winemakers. While it’s true that most of the country’s finest wines are still made with Riesling, this is more often Generation Try Anything: 15 different varieties are grown at Bastianshauser Hof in the Rheinhessen; 18 at Victoria Bretz’s winery in the same region; while Laura Weber in the Nahe grows 17.

Every winery I visited offered sparkling wine, whites, reds (blends included) and pink wines; many had natural wines, orange wines and wines made from new disease-resistant (Piwi) varieties, too.

The creativity went into overdrive for the non-alcoholic alternatives: in the Nahe, Forster produces a grape-based kombucha with carrot, tea and lemon mint, while the Baumberger family makes a blend of grape juice and verjus with lemon-balm and wormwood tea and lacto-fermented raspberry juice. (Crafted originals of this sort don’t suffer from the ‘hollow middle’ that makes so many dealcoholised wines a disappointment.)

I’d expected diversity in the Rheinhessen, Germany’s largest wine region, where rolling hills, low-stress loess and clay soils and mixed agriculture predispose growers to ingenuity; it was, though, a surprise in the Nahe, where the slopes are steeper, yields are lower and the climate is still cool.

A talented newcomer such as Laura Weber produces polished classics (notably Rieslings from the Monziger Halenberg and Frühlingplätzchen vineyards), but her 44-strong list also includes Sauvignon Gris, Bacchus and a ‘Surprise’ blend of Sauvignon and Scheurebe (see below), as well as Dornfelder, Frühburgunder and Spätburgunder (the estate’s oldest vines are now Pinot Noir). Not everything the youngsters attempt is successful, but you’ll never be bored in the New Germany.

It’s hard not to draw comparisons with France. Germany may have lost 1,300ha in 2025, but France has almost 28,000ha earmarked for grubbing up this year.

Yes, you can be creative with grape varieties, blends and wine styles in France – but only at the expense of losing your right to appellation status, and often with it origin and identity. Creativity means ‘demotion’ to IGP or Vin de France status.

I don’t know a single Languedoc domain with 86 different wines on offer, as the Bretz family in Rheinhessen’s Bechtolsheim has – nor one that could manage to make quite such a good living from wines which sell at less than €10 a bottle.

The Generation Riesling lessons: don’t throttle your youngsters with rules, or poison them with tradition. Imagination tastes good, too.

In my glass this month

I loved Laura Weber’s Nahe Riesling classics, but since we’re saluting imagination let me describe her Duo Surprise No1 Trocken 2025.

There’s no point in making a blend unless each variety plays a role and the result is unique. Here, Scheurebe brings haunting grapefruit and rose aromas; Sauvignon Blanc then brings its lively vegetal wealth to a poised 12.5% palate, which is in turn lifted further by the Scheurebe perfumes. Perfect late-summer drinking.

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If the Champagne region, navigating a testing period of slowing sales and financial pressures, needed a reminder of just how resilient its top producers can be, the house of Louis Roederer would fit the bill.

The company is celebrating its 250th anniversary, and the 150th anniversary of its emblematic cuvée Cristal.

Cristal was created for Tsar Alexander II, emperor of Russia, in 1876. Its clear bottle with a flat base was supposedly designed to ensure it could harbour no hidden poisons, or weapons, when brought to the table.

The secret to the house’s success?

Independence, according to CEO Frédéric Rouzaud.

‘Independence is a state of mind,’ he says, ‘it enables us to take a long-term view’.

Roederer’s success today, which includes owning vineyards not only in Champagne but also in California, Provence, Bordeaux and most recently Burgundy, was hard-won.

‘When my grandmother inherited the house in 1932 it was nearly bankrupt,’ he says.

Yet the ability to rebound remained, thanks to the ultimate long-term play: the acquisition by the founder himself of much of what is known as the ‘Cristal Estate’ of formidable vineyards in today’s grand cru villages of the north of the Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs and Grande Vallée.

This vine-to-glass mentality has stuck, with the house enjoying more ownership of its grape supply than any other major Champagne house.

The visionary cellar master

The protagonist in the success story of this house over the last 30 years has been Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon.

A mercurial figure, he is responsible for everything from viticultural renewal, climate change resilience, organics and biodynamics, the preservation and study of historic variants of Champagne’s Pinot and Chardonnay, to the house’s precise, forward-thinking cellar work itself.

The newest release: Cristal 2018

All the single-vintage wines at Roederer are essentially ‘grower Champagnes’ made entirely from the house’s own vineyards.

The latest release of 2018 shows off the exceptional Pinot Noir resources in the northern Montagne de Reims villages of Verzenay and Verzy in particular.

The harvest began in August in 2018, and the vintage is remembered for its bountiful generosity.

This will likely be reflected in the coming years in a bountiful supply of vintage and prestige cuvées.

The generous yields presented a challenge for a wine usually built on intensity and longevity, though.

‘We had to look for freshness…there were plots lacking salinity, a bit diluted, and we needed more depth and concentration,’ says Lécaillon.

The solution was to forgo making the house’s fine Blanc de Blancs, and instead use that Chardonnay – alongside younger vines of Pinot Noir from the fresh, chalky village of Verzy – to ‘go for a cooler, more mineral’ expression, says Lécaillon.

Has this flexibility paid off? With Roederer’s whole estate worked under either organic or biodynamic viticulture, yields in 2018 were not as excessive as elsewhere in Champagne.

The resulting wines – not only Cristal, but also the vintage and the Brut Nature – all show a notable step up in depth and drive from many wines of the year that relied on fruit more susceptible to dilution.

There’s no doubt this is quite a different Cristal to the tighter, more inward 2016 or the more classical 2013.

Unlike some 2018s, though, Cristal holds enough substance and tension to set it on a path that will last as long – indeed decades – as its top vintages.

How does Roederer celebrate 250 years?

Befitting a celebration of this importance, Roederer is offering a series of rarer, long-aged releases of Cristal from the exquisite 2008 and 2002 vintages.

Both the white and rose Late Release bottlings from 2008 feature an unusual technique: ‘poignettage’.

By shaking the bottles as they age on their lees every three months, the wines receive a boost to all the savoury depth and texture that comes from this stage of ageing.

It’s like adding Marmite to Cristal, Lécaillon jokes (although any fans, or otherwise, of Marmite should take the comparison figuratively).

With 2008’s natural acidity, tension and energy, the end results are dramatic.

Finally, the house’s other programme of limited-edition Cristal releases offers the majestic 2002 Cristal Rosé Vinothèque.

It is what Lécaillon terms an ‘essentia’ of Cristal, made with a programme of shaking that lasts longer than the Late Release – four to five years – followed by 11 years on lees and seven on cork.

An ode to Pinot Noir, Cristal Rosé relies heavily on grapes from the grand cru village of Aÿ, extracting colour and aroma through a gentle infusion technique rather than via the more standard addition of a red wine to the blend.

Despite the allure of such rarities, though, the qualities of the straight, unadorned 2018 Cristal tell just as strong a story about the advances already revealing themselves by this time – and those which remain, tantalisingly, to be discovered in vintages to come.

Roederer releases: 2018 Cristal and more

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Collectors competed for a piece of Bordeaux history at a Sotheby’s auction in Paris on 1 October, as Château Haut-Brion released wines from its cellars spanning 90 years – celebrating stewardship by the Dillon family since American financier Clarence Dillon bought the property in 1935.

Sotheby's said total sales reached €3.4m (US$3.9m; estimate range €2.5m to €3.5m) in a further sign that buyers remain very much alert to opportunities despite an uncertain economic backdrop.

Several lots soared above high estimates. A magnum of Haut-Brion 1935 fetched €8,750, including the buyer’s premium, almost double its pre-sale high estimate of €4,500.

A five-litre Jeroboam of Haut-Brion 1989, considered one of Bordeaux’s 20th century benchmarks, sold for €62,500 (high e: €22,000). That’s a new auction price record for the wine in this format, said Sotheby’s, which also claimed several other records in the sale.

Charles Curtis MW described Haut-Brion Rouge 1989 as a ‘masterpiece’ after tasting it for Decanter in 2023, although it’s the white wine – Haut-Brion Blanc – from this vintage that is part of Decanter’s Wine Legend series.

Twelve bottles of Haut-Brion Blanc 1989 sold for €43,750 (high e: €32,000) in the Sotheby’s auction.

Bordeaux’s lauded vintages of 1982 and 1961 were also represented.

Three bottles of Haut-Brion 1961 sold for €62,500 (high e: €38,000), while a double magnum of Haut-Brion 1982 sold for €16,250 (high e: €5,000).

Several headline lots in the sale featured a mixture of wines and one-off experiences.

A whole barrel (barrique) of Haut-Brion 2025 was offered alongside a behind-the-scenes experience at the estate for six guests – including a private lunch and dinner, plus overnight stay at La Mission Haut-Brion. It sold for €162,500 (e: €100,000 – €200,000).

Another lot featured a limited-edition ‘Linley Console’, previously created to mark 75 years of Dillon family ownership, alongside a visit to the property and exclusive look at the new chais – plus eight Haut-Brion wines spanning 1935 to 2009 and including the lauded 1959 vintage.

This lot sold for €125,000, slightly below its estimate range of €130,000 – €260,000.

Nick Pegna, global head of wines and spirits at Sotheby’s, said, ‘This auction offered collectors a truly exceptional opportunity to acquire wines and experiences that could only come directly from Château Haut-Brion.

'The strength of the results reflects the enduring global appeal of this historic estate and collectors’ enduring appreciation for wines of impeccable provenance and extraordinary rarity.’

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The heart on the label may be Château Calon Ségur’s most famous symbol. But after 20 years at the Saint-Estèphe Third Growth, technical director Vincent Millet is increasingly preoccupied by the less romantic issue of water shortages.

More precisely, he is interested in the clay beneath Calon’s gravel and its ability to retain water as Bordeaux faces hotter, drier growing seasons.

Millet arrived in July 2006 and, by 2008, had begun paying closer attention to variations within Calon’s 55-hectare vineyard.

Today he points to Terrace 3, towards the southern part of the estate near its historic wall, where the estate’s geologist has identified more argile lacustre, or lacustrine clay.

The prized geological gravel layer of Terrace 4 running close to the Gironde estuary receives more attention historically in the Médoc, but ask Millet which matters more in our era of climate change, and he compares the debate to something that would keep lawyers or economists arguing indefinitely.

More important is what the clay can do. ‘It is our hydric reserve,’ he says.

Put to the test

The 2026 growing season provided a test. After a wet winter replenished reserves, spring and early summer turned hot and dry.

Just 22mm of rain fell in June and 26mm in July. As in 2025, Millet says, the lack of water contributed to very small grapes.

August brought relief: 42mm fell during the first 25 days, followed by another 49mm in the final six.

The rain came too late to increase berry size, but he says: ‘It certainly helped unblock ripening.’

More revealing was where the vines coped better. Despite temperatures well above seasonal norms compounded by water deficit, Millet observed no significant differences in yield between Calon’s various soil types ‘but as long as we have clay’.

On sandy soils, by contrast, ‘the vine suffers’.

For Millet, adapting to climate change is not yet primarily about planting different authorised grape varieties.

Water management is the immediate concern. If irrigation were required – subject to authorisation and depending on the age of the vines – Calon has a potential resource: a natural reserve collecting winter rainwater on the estate.

As Calon considers how it needs to adapt for the future, change is not new for an estate where continuity and evolution have long gone hand in hand.

Heart of the matter

Calon’s origins have been associated with the Gallo-Roman period, its name thought to derive from calones, small craft that once navigated the Gironde.

Its modern identity owes much to the 18^th-century Marquis de Ségur, the celebrated ‘Prince of Vines’, who also owned Lafite and Latour and is credited with declaring: ‘I make wine at Lafite and Latour, but my heart is at Calon.’

The heart eventually appeared on the château and, later, its labels. The vineyard itself offers another continuity: its footprint has remained largely unchanged since 1855, with a mere 0.4 hectares acquired from Château Domeyne in 2026 representing what Millet calls a ‘logical extension’ of Calon’s terroir.

The vineyard may have changed little in extent, but much has changed in how it is managed.

Since Millet’s arrival, the vineyard has increasingly emphasised Cabernet Sauvignon. Currently representing around 56–57% of plantings, it is intended to reach ‘roughly 70% by 2032’, he says, as the château continues a long-term programme of replanting, increased vine density, and massal and clonal selection.

‘I prefer the finesse of the Cabernet to the Merlot,’ Millet says, particularly Cabernet grown on Calon’s clay-gravel soils.

Of equal importance is precision. From 2008, Millet developed more detailed parcel and intra-parcel selection, allowing an increasing proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon into the grand vin.

That philosophy received a technological boost after Suravenir, a subsidiary of Crédit Mutuel Arkéa, acquired Calon-Ségur and neighbouring Château Capbern from the Gasqueton family in 2012.

Extensive investment followed.

Finding balance

In 2016, a new gravity-fed vat room and renovated ageing cellar came into service. Production did not increase, but the number of vats doubled.

Today 75 stainless-steel vats, ranging from five to 120 hectolitres, permit grapes from individual plots, massal selections and even sections within a parcel to be vinified separately.

Grapes are destemmed, hand-sorted and cooled before descending by gravity into the vats, minimising the use of pumps and helping preserve intact berries.

The grand vin is subsequently aged for around 18 to 20 months.

The result, Millet says, is greater precision, but without losing the identity that has made Calon distinctive.

That balance between change and continuity defines the estate today. Climate has introduced a new variable, yet Cabernet is gaining ground and increasingly sophisticated tools allow Millet and his team to divide the vineyard more precisely.

The heart is Calon’s enduring symbol but, as it turns out, the real heart of the estate has indeed been its terroir all along.

Six older vintages of Château Calon Ségur

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Some vintages are lauded for their outstanding quality, while others represent a pivotal moment; the last two vintages ending in ‘6’ fit firmly into the latter category, marking the opposite ends of a decade of profound transformation for Italian wine.

The 2006 vintage fell within a transitional phase. Established appellations were beginning to drift from the heady, modernist trends of the 1990s and early 2000s towards a quest for greater transparency.

Meanwhile, then-unsung regions, such as Etna and Colli Tortonesi, were laying the groundwork for their own subsequent rise.

By contrast, 2016 embodies the fruits of that decade-long refinement – a period that involved a systemic rethinking of viticultural methodology and greater commitment to sustainability.

Looking back 20 and 10 years on, respectively, both vintages offer outstanding wines that highlight this stylistic evolution while sharing a similarly compelling combination of depth and energy.

2006: A pivotal year

Although less celebrated upon release than 2001 or 2004, 2006 still sparked considerable enthusiasm, with several leading critics of the day defining it as a benchmark vintage.

Still, it fell short of a ‘classic’ season. A cold winter delayed bud break, then a warmer than average spring accelerated vegetative growth.

A hot, dry midsummer raised concerns over hydric stress, while an erratic August brought frequent showers – particularly in northern Italy – and a temperature drop that temporarily slowed ripening.

A mixed September followed, with some areas of Italy experiencing a prolonged ‘Indian summer’. These weather patterns anticipated the climatic challenges that would become increasingly common in the decade to follow.

Success in 2006 relied on proactive choices. The lessons learned during the scorching 2003 vintage proved valuable, as wineries applied a stricter grape selection than they would have done in the past.

‘That was essential to avoid both greenness and overripeness in 2006 – which stemmed less from peak temperatures than from elevated nighttime lows,’ explains Carlo Paoli, technical director at Tenuta San Guido in Tuscany.

Sassicaia in particular is an outlier in this vintage, characterised by vibrancy while other notable Bordeaux blends – including Frescobaldi-owned Ornellaia – sport a fleshier profile, though often with surprising balance.

As for Sangiovese-based wines, Montalcino wineries returned to a more classical style following the infamous so-called ‘Brunellopoli’ scandal that came to light in 2008, in which several wineries were found to have illicitly blended international varieties into their Brunello di Montalcino (required by regulation to be 100% Sangiovese).

Contemporary reports noted that the wines would require time to shed some of their tannic grip, but today those tannins have softened while the fruit and acidity remain intact.

2006 Brunello from the northern sector – cooler and less celebrated then than it is now – particularly shines. In the rest of central Italy, bold, inky wines still enjoyed considerable momentum.

Montefalco Sagrantino benefited from optimal late-season weather, yielding impressive, ageworthy expressions such as Arnaldo Caprai’s 25 Anni.

In the south, Aglianico fared particularly well, as evidenced by benchmark producers such as Perillo, who released a special 2006 Riserva Taurasi.

A mixed message up north

Further north, in Piedmont, the 2006s are a little more uneven – and also quite elusive.

‘Not only due to the growing season but also because many producers declassified part of the production to cope with the 2008 [economic] crisis’, explains Andrea Marchetti, co-owner of Marcarini.

Opinions of the 2006 vintage and its wines varied considerably: Roberto Conterno deemed it outstanding, releasing a highly coveted Barolo Monfortino Riserva, while Bruno Giacosa skipped it entirely, unconvinced by the results.

As in Montalcino, cooler or clay-rich sites generally performed better, giving fully integrated expressions of Nebbiolo that are still far from full maturity even now.

The same holds true for Alto Piemonte: ‘It was a rather warm vintage in Gattinara and a milder one with copious rainfall in Ghemme,’ says Mattia Donna (pictured, opposite), head winemaker at Torraccia del Piantavigna.

‘While everyone preferred the wines from Gattinara early on, Ghemme performed better in the long run.’

In Valpolicella, in the Veneto region, mild temperatures and moderate rainfall through November and December favoured flawless appassimento – the process of partially drying grapes after harvest over a period of months, in order to concentrate the flavours.

At a time when many wineries were still pushing ripeness to the extreme, the best examples resist that temptation, such as Tedeschi’s gently mature entry-level Amarone, and a surprising La Fabriseria Valpolicella Classico Superiore, which demonstrates that appassimento isn’t obligatory to achieve longevity.

Even the remaining bottles of white wine from this era surprise today. La Colombera’s stunning Timorasso is testament to the variety’s potential even before its recent surge in popularity.

2016: Reaching the pinnacle

The 2016 vintage possesses a superior pedigree to 2006. It stands as the pinnacle of its decade, outshining the warmer and much-loved 2015 and rivalling the legendary 2010.

Crucially, where 2010 relied on individual achievement, 2016 impresses for its remarkable overall consistency.

A textbook season began with a relatively cold winter, followed in most areas by a mild spring with significant but not excessive rain showers.

Summer brought above-average temperatures and dry conditions, but without extreme heat spikes as seen in more recent years. Most importantly, noteworthy day-night temperature swings in September favoured an extended ripening period yielding perfectly balanced fruit.

Ultimately, 2016 turned out to be one of the last classic seasons before a full decade defined by climatic extremes.

Tuscany’s 2016 reds are highly coveted. In Bolgheri, Sassicaia stood out in a homogenous lineup, earning unanimous critical acclaim.

Now starting to open up after a silent phase it still demands time, while Ornellaia from the same vintage proves more accessible.

For Sangiovese, 2016 emphasised the grape’s inherent vibrancy, with less austerity than in past top vintages.

Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino from the latter appellation’s northern sector remain more backward than wines from warmer areas; excellent tannin integration is the common thread across Tuscan Sangiovese in this vintage.

Most wines are approachable now, yet lifted acidity ensures a long trajectory ahead. In Piedmont, low pH levels resulted in protracted fermentations [higher acidity levels can inhibit yeast activity and lead to ‘stuck fermentation’], risking high levels of volatile acidity but also yielding uncanny complexity where well managed.

The wines jump out of the glass but vary significantly in texture: Barolo and Barbaresco from sandier and warmer, earlier-ripening sites are already seamless, while examples from areas with higher proportions of clay – most notably Serralunga d’Alba – require additional time in the bottle to soften.

Personal favourites in this vintage include GB Burlotto’s Barolo Monvigliero and Giovanni Rosso’s Vigna Rionda Barolo Ester Canale Rosso, yet 2016 also offers several lower-key options, including a gorgeous La Serra by Marcarini, blending immediacy and long-running tension.

Set for the challenge

When tasting beyond the most coveted appellations, the evolutionary shift from 2006 to 2016 becomes even more evident.

‘What really improved over the last 10 years is producers’ capability of managing macerations to achieve more polished tannins,’ suggests Donna, while pouring a pure, silky Vigna Pellizzane Ghemme 2016.

This greater finesse is also demonstrated in Arnaldo Caprai’s 25 Anni Montefalco Sagrantino 2016 – assisted from 2015 by the late winemaking consultant Michel Rolland.

And what about southern Italian reds? For those appreciating classically structured wines, 2016 Aglianico and Primitivo prove solid, but they were outperformed by Etna Rosso, which had gained the edge in terms of prestige by this point.

Etna 2016s were highly praised upon release, although the wines are currently in an awkward phase, the fruit slightly dulled while the acidity and tannins remain mighty. Only more time will tell if they’ll return to balance.

There are also many compelling white wines in 2016 that reflect these remarkable qualitative improvements, shining for their mineral complexity and even a touch of kerosene in their development: Cortese, Nascetta, Verdicchio, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Fiano and Carricante all show these hallmark features.

Some of the biggest surprises in 2016 come from cooler, off-the-radar sites. For instance, Valle Reale’s Popoli vineyard, at about 350m among the mountains of Abruzzo, yielded a stunning Montepulciano showing a modest 12.5% alcohol but with enough complexity for long-term performance.

Looking ahead, it is precisely these cooler microclimates in Italy – along with a restrained approach to winemaking – that will be required to defy heat-related challenges.

2006 and 2016 compared, north to south

Wines are listed 2006 first, then 2016

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The long days in Biarritz followed the same perfect rhythm: a morning surf, lunch and a siesta, then an evening surf followed by dinner.

Salty and sunkissed, we would slide into the local bars for pintxos and the catch of the day. Surfing leaves one hollowed out in a good way, and nothing filled that hollow like the local fare paired with the local white wines – sharp, saline, electric things that tasted like a perfect synthesis between the Atlantic out front and the Pyrenees behind.

These wines of Earthsea, I learned, were from Irouléguy, a hidden appellation east of Biarritz. With mysterious names, grapes and scripts, they open yet another dimension of French wine.

Irouléguy is the only AP within the Pays Basque – the French Basque Country, in that vast, undifferentiated region known as Southwest France.

A sliver of vines covering just 270ha or so, scattered across 15 villages in the foothills of the western Pyrenees, around St-Etienne-de-Baïgorry and St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the latter a storied pilgrim town that marks the start of the Camino Francés, the most popular route of the Camino de Santiago.

It’s French on the map and not far from Spain, but it’s Basque through and through: the bottles carry wording in Euskara, the Basque language, the villages are whitewashed and red-shuttered, the people, wine and cuisine speak their own vernacular.

Decline & rebirth

Vines have grown here since monks from the Abbey of Roncesvalles, on the Spanish side, planted them to refresh pilgrims on the route to Santiago de Compostela around the 11th century.

When the Treaty of the Pyrenees redrew the border in 1659, the vineyards ended up on the French side and passed to local farmers. Yet phylloxera and two world wars reduced the already small appellation to a mere 30ha of vines by 1950.

Almost forgotten, a handful of growers rallied to found a cooperative in 1952 and an AOC (now AP) was granted in 1970.

Independent domaines have since multiplied – from a dozen a decade ago to more than 20 today – in one of the more striking grassroots revivals in contemporary French wine.

The renowned geologist Yves Hérody, who spent seven years mapping Irouléguy’s soils, refers to the Basque Country as ‘a giant accordion that has been playing music for nearly a billion years’.

Red sandstone dominates, with pockets of ophite, a dark volcanic rock, and schist and limestone.

Most of the vines cling to hand-carved terraces on slopes that can almost be called cliffs. This is heroic viticulture in the most literal sense, every harvest done on foot, by hand, often on a rope.

Eight in 10 vignerons farm these bright green hills organically, a remarkable commitment given the relentless rain.

The Atlantic sends about 1,500mm of rain a year on average, far more than Bordeaux (roughly 900mm), yet the Pyrenees send back a warm, drying autumn wind known as the haize hegoa (‘south wind’).

Elemental wines

That elemental balance is palpable in these wines, shaped equally by mountain and sea. Rustic yet increasingly refined reds built mostly on Tannat and Cabernet Franc – dark, structured, slow to soften – account for the majority of production.

But it’s the electric white blends of Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng and Petit Courbu that have driven the appellation’s resurgence over the past decade.

Domaine Arretxea, organic since the early 1990s, when the banks and local restaurants alike doubted them, remains one of Irouléguy’s key reference points, along with a new generation of proudly Basque producers – Bordaxuria, Goienetxea, Apelxenia, Etxondoa – who are finding their way into top restaurants across France and beyond.

But perhaps the best place to taste them is in a small restaurant in Biarritz, with some pintxos and calamari, saltwater drying on your skin.

Mountain-born, ocean-rinsed, these are elemental wines in every sense.

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Introducing the Decanter Rising Star 2026 award winners

Decanter's Rising Star Award for 2026 goes to Jerez mavericks Ramiro Ibáñez and Willy Pérez, whose scholarly exploration of the region’s history and identity has turned them into the charismatic faces of a quiet revolution that serves as a blueprint for winemakers the world over.

Along with the Decanter Hall of Fame celebration of a lifetime’s achievements, our Rising Star award recognises talents whose impact on the wine world is in full bloom.

In Sanlúcar de Barrameda in southern Spain, Ramiro Ibáñez tells me, the best growers are known as aficionados, a word usually used to refer to a subject’s fervent lovers. ‘The geniuses, the gifted ones that come once in a generation, are called buen aficionados.’

He offers the explanation to outline how viticultural expertise in the Marco de Jerez (the demarcated area within which Jerez Sherry and brandy are produced) is so inextricably linked to emotions and identity.

It’s the same afición with which Ibáñez and his friend and business partner Luis ‘Willy’ Pérez are invested in their shared quest, made material in the maverick rebirth of the De la Riva brand.

The pair are arguably the buen aficionados of their own generation, having – through painstaking research work, relentless digging into archives and informed dissent – inspired a new generation of producers and opened a discussion about Jerez’s history, identity and future.

Ibáñez and Pérez’s work is fuelled by equal amounts of passion and intellectual inquisitiveness; according to both, one is inseparable from the other.

Rebels with a cause

Pérez (born 1982) and Ibáñez (born 1980) grew up in relative proximity, in Jerez de La Frontera and Sanlúcar de Barrameda respectively, but their paths didn’t cross until they both went to the same university in the 2000s, part of a small group of oenology students.

‘It was a time when there was this fascination with international varieties, intensity, wood... Jerez was not really on trend,’ says Ibáñez.

Perhaps that played a part in fostering their deep interest in their own region, ‘especially for its historical weight,’ says Ibáñez.

Having finished their studies, Pérez returned to the family winery (Bodegas Luis Pérez) and Ibáñez started working at a local cooperative before starting his own project, Cota 45.

Meanwhile, the pair embarked on a shared journey of research and exploration. ‘We had many questions that the modern version of the Marco de Jerez didn’t provide answers to,’ says Pérez.

‘We started studying – history, soils, wines, people – seeking an old knowledge that predated a modern understanding of the wines [from Jerez] exclusively from the point of view of the winery.’

The pair systematically tasted, visited vineyards, engaged with producers and growers, went through historical archives and rummaged through old cellars. ‘At some point we felt the need to put all this knowledge into practice.’ In 2015, De la Riva was thus born.

‘We were very clear that we wanted to work with a historical brand,’ Pérez explains.

M Ant de la Riva (Manuel Antonio de la Riva) had been owned by historic Jerez wine and brandy house Pedro Domecq – for whom Pérez’s father, the renowned enologist and professor Luis Pérez, worked before starting his eponymous winery in 2002.

As part of the dismemberment of Domecq in 2005, the brand was acquired by multinational Beam Global and left dormant.

Luis had judiciously kept De la Riva’s records, saving them from ending up in a skip, giving Pérez and Ibáñez a remarkable source of practical, first-hand knowledge.

‘Recovering a historical, once highly regarded brand was in itself a declaration of intent,’ Pérez continues, pulling one of the historical ledgers, from the mid-19th century, from the shelf and opening it to reveal daily field and winery annotations.

‘This is just an example of the information we’ve been lucky enough to have access to. We’ve gone through the archives of so many wineries. It’s pure gold.’

Nuance as a manifesto

Beyond the stricter parameters they’re bound by in their ‘day jobs’, De la Riva has given Ibáñez and Pérez liberty to explore different vineyards, styles and techniques – a laboratory of their ongoing scholarly quest.

‘It’s a universe where we have fun and don’t set ourselves any limits,’ says Ibáñez. ‘And it allows us to interpret all the historical data.’

Their philosophy, they say, primarily involves the refusal of a winemaking of ‘immediacy and obviousness’ in favour of one of ‘nuance, understood through the lives and knowledge of those that touched the parcels before us’, as Pérez explains. ‘The real work is to produce a historical, cultural web of the Marco de Jerez.’

This means pursuing wines led by the history and profile of the vineyard rather than a particular style or ageing category. Chief among their explorations has been the rebirth of the unfortified wines known as vinos de pasto.

Their efforts started against a backdrop of crisis, in Jerez as elsewhere, as the world economy contracted, demand for fortified wines declined and production costs increased significantly.

‘For the last 20 to 30 years, the vineyard didn’t seem to matter and the answer [to increased pressure] seemed to be formulaic work in the winery,’ Ibáñez says.

‘We had to go back to the books, the elderly growers and the old bottles to find what we were looking for – those nuances of the wines [that were] made in the vineyard.’

In the records from the past they’ve found ‘echoes, clues and lessons from other crises – recurring problems and recurring solutions,’ Ibáñez says.

Pérez continues the thought: ‘Different causes, different protagonists, but always the same consequence – usually the creation of a different style that can easily become obsolete, disconnected from the reality and problems it was meant to address.

‘Now we’re living in a great moment for white [unfortified] wines, but these new wines need to be connected to all the work and wines – sweet, oxidative, biologically aged – that came before. All of it is Jerez. If they are not connected to tradition, these white wines [vinos de pasto] will not succeed,’ Pérez concludes.

Past, present & future

Having found themselves in a period of deep change, Ibáñez and Pérez felt the need to put it into context, acknowledging the cyclical nature of history.

‘Understanding why certain wines were produced at a given time – be it because of technical limitations, different interpretations of terroir or the sensibility of winemakers – and identifying their fundamental elements is what really allows us to capture the essence of a given place,’ Pérez explains.

In practical terms, this informs their decisions about which styles to produce from a given site.

‘Even if we produce [an unfortified] white from El Corregidor, for example, we’ll always be influenced by Sandeman’s Oloroso 7a Criadera from 1940 – it’s the ultimate expression of that plot,’ he continues.

By exploring what they call the ‘liquid and human history’ of Jerez’s vineyards, they’re building a canon of sites and wines that transcends styles and trends – perhaps even time.

‘We always interpret the past through the perspective of the present,’ Pérez concludes. ‘We can always find the answers we want to find.’

Put simply, their work aspires to create a vision of the future through the lens of the past, liberated from the prejudices dictated by the present.

Faces of a movement

Willingly or not, the pair have become the face of a quiet revolution – a blueprint for how producers, in Jerez and beyond, can leverage legacy while remaining true to themselves, evolve without compromising identity, experiment with style without losing the essence of the vineyard.

It’s impossible to think of the renewed energy found in Jerez today without acknowledging the role played by Ibáñez and Pérez.

While they’re not in it for myth-making, their charisma has been a big part of their effectiveness. Pérez’s polished eloquence and striking, leading-man looks; Ibáñez’s earnest directness and rugged erudition – it’s an ideal, complementary casting for a headline duo.

Managing the spotlight hasn’t always been easy. ‘We need to be mindful of what we say,’ explains Ibáñez.

‘We try to focus on what we do rather than criticising others. We may not agree with certain sensibilities and ways of doing things, but we try to understand the motivations behind them. A bit like when we try to understand how things were done in past generations.’

‘If we’re sitting here today it’s also because of those with whom we don’t agree,’ Pérez continues. ‘There’s definitely a responsibility not to make statements that shed a negative light on others. We’ve lived through 15 years of so many challenges and changes; it’s important to contribute with a positive outlook.’

Their authority has been hard won, through plenty of legwork, scholarly precision and the softening of some of the harder edges of youth. It’s also imbued with a palpable sense of wonder, pleasure and fun.

‘It’s been a blessing to be able to taste wines made 90, 100 years ago from parcels we’re producing wines from now,’ Ibáñez concludes. ‘It’s an incredible source of information but also of motivation. It’s not history for its own sake.’

In the future, there will be a chapter in the history of the Marco de Jerez dedicated to the changes catalysed by the nerdy, restless, determined rummagings of these two university friends. Many will also find in it clues on how to live a good life.

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Visitors to Domaine Leroy are greeted with a version of a quote attributed to Salvador Dali: ‘Those who know how to taste no longer drink wine but taste secrets.’

Many would doubtless be delighted to learn the secrets of the proprietor, Madame Bize-Leroy, one of the wine world’s most successful entrepreneurs. Leroy has long been a name with which to conjure.

Maison Leroy was created in 1868 by François Leroy and developed by his son Joseph and grandson Henri, who took charge in 1919.

The present pinnacle of the house’s renown, however, is due to both Henri and his daughter Marcelle, known to the world as 'Lalou'.

Few winemakers have had as lasting an impact on Burgundy and the larger world of winemaking as she has.

Hers were the first notable estates in Burgundy to adopt biodynamic viticulture, and she has produced wines of hitherto inconceivable concentration and power.

Her leadership on biodynamic grape-growing has influenced generations of growers, with many implementing elements of this philosophy, even as the number of certified-biodynamic domaines remains fairly modest.

Lalou also inspired many with her commitment to producing concentrated wines through low yields and rigorous sorting, although her success here was often admired but seldom imitated, since few domaines could command the prices she did, which made this approach economically viable.

First steps

Born in Paris in 1932 to Henri Leroy and his wife Simone Brun, Lalou always longed to work beside her father.

Her dream didn’t take long to materialise – he gave her control of the négociant business in 1955 at the age of 23.

The family had long owned vineyards, and had developed other businesses as well, buying and selling both wines and spirits.

Henri’s great passion, however, was the wines of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC).

He had been a devoted customer and friend to proprietor Edmond Gaudin de Villaine throughout the difficult years of the Great Depression (1929-1939).

When de Villaine’s business partner Jacques Chambon decided to sell his half of the domaine in 1942, Henri Leroy leapt at the chance to purchase it, and in the years that followed, he lavished his attention on it.

As his daughter notes: ‘Henri Leroy made this domaine one of the jewels of Burgundy.’

Perhaps inevitably, his négociant business received less of his attention, and in 1955 his young daughter began to buy the wines for Maison Leroy.

She has long been famed for her acuity as a taster and, judging by the results, she did a remarkable job, even from the beginning.

I have had the extraordinary good fortune to taste many vintages of Maison Leroy wines from the 1960s and 1970s with collector friends, providing indelible wine experiences during the years I was living in Asia and later.

Bottles of 1962 La Romanée, 1966 Grands Echezeaux, and 1971 Corton from Maison Leroy were just a few of the spectacular wines from that era that I still remember vividly.

Frédéric Roemer, the maison’s sales director and Mme Bize-Leroy’s right-hand man, explained at the time that she looked for a classic style, remarking that 'the 1955 is the reference standard of where the house wants to be with the Chambertin, while 1949 is the reference for Musigny’.

Grand holdings

In 1974, Mme Bize-Leroy was named co-director of DRC upon her father’s retirement, working alongside Aubert de Villaine.

Then in 1988, she purchased Domaine Charles Noëllat in Vosne-Romanée and Domaine Philippe Rémy in Gevrey-Chambertin with the backing of Japanese partners, combining the vineyards to form the nucleus of Domaine Leroy.

At the same time, she purchased the interest of her sister Pauline Roch in the vines that they had inherited jointly from their parents and incorporated them into Domaine d’Auvenay, which she owns outright.

D’Auvenay is the home in the hills above St-Romain that she shared with her late husband Marcel Bize and where she still abides.

In 1992, she resigned from her role as co-director of DRC to focus on her two domaines; she was succeeded in this role by her daughter, Perrine Fenal. Domaine Leroy focuses on red wine.

Mme Bize-Leroy is quite specific about its dimensions, stating that ‘it currently comprises 22ha, 19 ares and 85 centiares’.

It includes eight village-level vineyards and eight premiers crus (see box). The pride of the domaine, however, are the nine grands crus.

At Domaine d’Auvenay, on the other hand, the focus was initially on white wine.

She began with vineyards in Auxey Duresses and Meursault, to which she added holdings in PulignyMontrachet and Meursault, including grands crus Chevalier-Montrachet, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet, with red wines from Bonnes-Mares and Mazis-Chambertin thrown in for good measure.

Biodynamic from the start

Although the négociant wines Mme Bize-Leroy bought for Maison Leroy were brilliant, her lasting contribution to the art of winemaking stems from the rigour and precision she brings to grape-growing and winemaking at her two domaines.

From the beginning, these domaines have been cultivated organically and biodynamically.

Her conversion to biodynamics in 1988 was among the first in Burgundy, and she led the way for a great many others.

Today, many of the region’s top domaines are certified biodynamic, including Domaine Leflaive (certified in 1997), Domaine Trapet Père et Fils (2009), Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair (2012), and DRC (2016), among others.

Mme Leroy specifies: ‘Among other treatments, the vines receive herbal teas and plant decoctions tailored to the season, weather and temperature.’

Bottling is done according to biodynamic principles, on ‘fruit days’ – when the moon is passing through the ‘fire constellations’ of Aries, Sagittarius and Leo (her preference is for the latter two).

When necessary, vines are replanted one by one using massal selection (taking cuttings from a diverse group of the healthiest, highest-quality old vines) rather than replanting an entire block – a technique called repiquage in French, preserving the older vines and increasing the vineyard’s average age.

See articles on previous Decanter Hall of Fame Award recipients

Meticulous methods

The domaine also led the way in introducing a technique known as tressage to Burgundy.

Vines grown in this way aren’t hedged in the more common method; instead, the vine tips are folded back over themselves (tressage translates as ‘braiding’ or ‘plaiting’).

Mme Bize-Leroy believes this reduces the trauma to the vine from the traditional hedging, explaining that the vine tip or apex is ‘the force that pulls the vine from the ground’.

Once the shoots are set, in an effort to encourage photosynthesis the canopy isn’t trimmed. In her words: ‘Le soleil grille, les feuilles nourrissent.’ (‘The sun scorches, the leaves nourish.’)

Some winemakers resist using the technique, arguing that the larger canopies it provides can hold humidity and increase disease pressure, particularly in a humid year.

In all likelihood, however, disease pressure is diminished in the generally hot, dry climate of global warming, and tressage may be the way of the future.

If some decry this labour-intensive technique because it can triple the staff required to work a vineyard, Bize-Leroy values it for producing tiny, concentrated berries.

Some winemakers also suggest that sugar levels are naturally lower when tressage is used, which can be beneficial in a hot, dry year.

She goes on to describe another pillar of her philosophy: ‘Yields are controlled through strict pruning,’ noting that the canes are pruned to three or four buds.

Even in an optimal year, this will yield only 15-16hl/ha, dipping to 10hl/ha or less under problematic conditions.

Yields this low are possible only for exorbitantly expensive wines, and Domaine Leroy has some of the region’s lowest yields.

Leroy fans find that such yields give wines of intense concentration, although some top domaines prefer the equilibrium of wines made from higher yields.

After sorting at the end of the Pinot Noir harvest, the central stem (rachis) is removed with scissors, but the bunches are either left whole, re-shaped with scissors, or snipped with scissors and sorted berry by berry.

Above all, the grapes are left whole to preserve the yeast and other microflora on their skins. They’re gently trodden by foot as needed to release the juice.

Chardonnay clusters are also kept whole until they are pressed in a pneumatic press.

After a gentle fermentation in wood, the wines are racked by gravity into lightly toasted oak barrels from François Frères (made from wood that has been air-dried for three years) for ageing.

No comparison

In the vineyard and in the winery, Mme Bize-Leroy is fiercely true to her own principles.

Although she has many admirers, none have reached the same heights of renown or succeeded in fully implementing the full range of her techniques.

Many have followed her down the path of biodynamics. Fewer implement the laborious tressage technique, or are willing to sacrifice yields to the extent that she has or put in place the rigorous sorting and grape-reception methods that she uses.

Her methods are sometimes compared to those of Jean-Yves Bizot, but Bizot is organic (not biodynamic) and uses less sulphur than Domaine Leroy.

Mme Bize-Leroy prefers stable wines – when asked about ‘natural wine’, Gilles Desprez, her sales manager at Domaine Leroy, commented: ‘She has no interest in natural wine.’

Others have remarked on the influence that Mme Bize-Leroy has had on Charles Lachaux, but their paths have diverged as well.

Lachaux (like Bizot) employs tressage in the vineyard and keeps yields at a draconianly low level, but he eschews extraction and, since 2022, has moved away from ageing in barrel, now ageing his wines entirely in ceramic vessels.

Another vigneron who practices tressage is Olivier Lamy, but here the comparison is less apt, since he’s known for high-density planting in contrast to Leroy’s repiquage at standard density.

Similarities but also striking differences are found with other biodynamic powerhouse domaines such as Domaine Leflaive and even DRC, where the Leroy family still owns a 50% stake.

Perched at the pinnacle

One common point among the aforementioned domaines is the stratospheric prices of their top cuvées, which put these wines out of the reach of everyday wine lovers.

This unfortunate state of affairs is perhaps inevitable, given the attention to detail, extraordinarily low yields, high-touch vineyard and winery techniques, and a luxurious maturation regimen lavished upon all the wines at Domaine Leroy, from the Aligoté to the Musigny.

This is not a domaine that struggles to sell its wine, even when the economy slows.

It’s a testament to the rare ability of Lalou Bize-Leroy that she has maintained her perch at the pinnacle of Burgundian wine through good times and less good times, and, in doing so, has left us a vinous legacy that will surely stand for decades to come.

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This month’s book has been sitting on my desk for some time – undeservedly having to wait its turn to appear here.

Written by Andrea Lonardi MW and Jessica Dupuy, Italianity: The Culture of Italian Wine (£40 Greenleaf, April 2026) is unlike any wine book I’ve come across before – and it will enchant lovers of Italian wine.

The book sets out to explore what defines Italian wine – ‘the layered interplay of flavour, terroir, tradition and quiet innovation’, the distinctive character that runs through the wines.

Although Italy and its wines are hugely varied, there’s a uniting factor: ‘Italianity’, which Lonardi describes as ‘a shared language spoken in a thousand dialects’.

The main body of the book is divided into key styles or grapes, with each section broken into bite-sized essays and a sprinkling of recipes.

Alternating between the voices of the native Lonardi and foreign Dupuy, these range from spotlights on restaurants and key industry figures to cultural musings and snippets of travelogue.

The insider-outsider duo, combined with Lonardi’s in-depth knowledge of both Italian wine and the broader global context, makes for a work that’s expert but accessible and, crucially, deeply evocative.

The penultimate section looks to the future of Italianity, offering something of a rallying cry for the industry on how to protect and preserve what sets Italy’s wines apart.

This is followed by personal essays on the meaning of Italianity from wine writers and sommeliers in the US, Canada and Italy.

The book is – as you might expect of an Italian offering – stylish: a beautiful hardback with gorgeous photography that brings Italy’s wine regions to life, and soft, earthy tones throughout.

There are some frustrating typesetting errors, but they’re minor imperfections. Each spread has text written in English on the left and Italian on the right, making it ideal for aspiring Italian-speakers.

This isn’t a guide to Italian wine, to the regions, grapes and producers, offering instead a flavour of what Italian wine is about. ‘A flavour’ doesn’t really do it justice, given its depth – but it is, like the concept of Italianity itself, hard to pin down.

As nebulous as it might seem, the book captures Italianity beautifully. It will leave you lusting not just for a glass, but for a trip to dive head first into all the things that make Italy (and its wine) so irresistible.

Also on our reading list: A new supermarket wine guide

Treasure in the aisles

Supermarket shelves are home to some brilliant wines at brilliant prices – and some rubbish wines, too.

While I’d always encourage wine lovers to frequent independent shops when they can, a new book by Helen McGinn, The Supermarket Wine Guide (£14.99 Ebury Press, May 2026), ensures you don’t fall foul of seductive discounts during your weekly shop, highlighting the best bottles from the UK’s biggest supermarkets.

Aimed at those who don’t (yet) have a Decanter subscription, the book showcases the variety and value on offer – from Bonny Doon’s orange wine in Tesco to an M&S Moschofilero and Roditis blend.

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The wines of Pommard were once thought of as structured and substantial, but somehow impassive and mute; the antithesis of the flashy and expressive wines from neighbouring Volnay.

A new generation in Pommard, however, is making wines today that are engaging and approachable when young, but substantial enough to age gracefully.

Today, even the ‘old guard’ Pommard domaines are updating their game.

The 400 year-old Domaine de Courcel has a new director, Pierre Clair. Courcel’s neighbour, Domaine Comte Armand, has also recently seen a changing of the guard, with Jane Eyre taking over as manager from Paul Zinetti.

Below are eight key producers leading this renaissance, each demonstrating how modern winemaking techniques, organic practices and thoughtful stewardship are reshaping the reputation of Pommard.

Domaine de la Commaraine

The new generation is already well underway at Domaine de la Commaraine. The domaine traces more than nine centuries of history and a succession of owners.

Most recently, it was sold in 2017 to Americans Denise Dupré and Mark Nunnelly, whose partner and manager, Jean-Luc Vitoux, hired Paul Krug as director.

Paul is the son of Olivier Krug, who worked with Burgundy superstar Louis-Michel Liger-Belair and soil specialist Pedro Para, both of whom collaborated on early stages of this new project.

Early tastings with Paul amply demonstrate both the quality of the terroir and his ability as a winemaker.

Château de Pommard

The Château de Pommard is another venerable property, founded in 1726. The estate was sold to American entrepreneur Michael Baum in 2014.

Baum appointed Paul Négrerie as head winemaker in 2021, who led the estate to organic and biodynamic certification.

The vineyard, rechristened the Clos Marey-Monge, is huge at 20ha. Négrerie and his team realise that the entire surface is not of equal quality, and they manage it in seven different parcels as outlined by former consultants Claude and Lydia Bourguignon.

Results are encouraging, and the top wines seem destined to restore the estate's lofty 19th century lustre.

Domaine Lejeune

The Lejeune family is another longstanding presence in Pommard, founded in 1753.

Although diminished over time from the 50ha Lejeune amassed, the family achieved organic certification in 2021 before selling to Louis de Belleroche and investors in 2023.

De Belleroche honed his craft with the accomplished Jacques Devauges at Domaine des Lambrays.

His first vintage was 2023. Moving away from the estate’s former tannic style, De Belleroche now uses only the ripest stems and extracts more gently to deliver a modern Pommard style.

Domaine Joannès Violot-Guillemard

Another passionate member of the new generation in Pommard is Joannès Violot-Guillemard, who took over in 2015 from his father Thierry.

Joannès is restlessly experimental. He began returning to his grandfather's whole-bunch fermentations, while retaining his father's very gentle extraction.

He is now maturing half the wine in ceramic containers called Clayvers and half in barrel.

He is very optimistic about the long-term potential of the vintage: ‘2025 is particular, [but] I think it will be one of the best vintages ever in Burgundy.’

Domaine Yvon Clerget

Thibaud Clerget is among the brightest stars of the young winemakers in Pommard, even though many of his wines come from Volnay.

The domaine is located in Pommard, however, and its largest holding is in Pommard Rugiens premier cru, where they farm two parcels totalling almost a hectare.

Thibaud, the family's 28th generation of winemakers, took over in 2015. He has reduced the percentage of whole bunches in the fermentation and tells me he ‘has not punched down since 2019,’ keeping the grapes moist by gentle pumping over.

This careful treatment brings a supple, velvety texture to the wines. They are a pleasure to drink and are approachable when young, a key attraction to his style.

Domaine Georges Joillot

Based in the centre of Pommard, Domaine Georges Joillot offers a selection of the better terroirs from Pommard and elsewhere, including the Pommard premiers crus Les Charmots and Les Epenots among others.

The new generation has been making the wines since 2019: Jeanne Joillot, the founder's great-granddaughter, her husband Grégoire Guidot, and her half-brother Simon Goutard.

The grapes are picked by hand, destemmed and carefully fermented in concrete with minimal punching down before ageing in barrels with a modest amount of new oak.

Domaine Jeanson-Parigot

Jeanson-Parigot is a new domaine founded by Florent Jeanson and Anaïs Parigot in 2019.

The pair met while Jeanson was working at the estimable Domaine Parigot in the Hautes-Côtes with his brother-in-law Alexandre Parigot.

The pair are now based in the village of Pommard, and their wines show promise.

These organic wines are carefully made with moderate extraction and modest use of new oak to keep them approachable. It will be interesting to follow this young couple as their domaine develops.

Domaine AF Gros

Domaine AF Gros still lists an address in Pommard, even though the wines have been made for some time now in Beaune.

It is well worth a detour to taste their delicious Pommard, now being made by Mathias Parent and his sister Caroline.

The style is elegant and modern; in ripe years there is no punching down, with moderate maceration, and maturation is done half in barrels and half in ceramic Clayver vessels, for an admirably ‘updated classic’ style.

The ‘bodybuilder’ style of the Pommard of former times has a charm of its own. I regularly seek out top names from the 1950s and 1960s, which still drink well and can offer stellar value.

But with a new generation making wine in Pommard, you no longer need to wait 70 years to enjoy top wines, so it's time to discover – or rediscover – this Burgundian classic.

Eight Pommard wines that define a new era

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The windswept limestone plateau of Carso, overlooking the Bay of Trieste, is home to Friuli-Venezia Giulia’s smallest functioning DOC.

Carso-Kras, or simply Carso, has a mere 57 hectares of vines officially registered to the denomination, with production in 2025 of 199,000 bottles.

Yet these figures do not tell the whole story: only a small number of wineries in the area claim the DOC as most bottle their wines under the regional Venezia Giulia IGT.

Properties in Carso are small. Castelvecchio, the only relatively large estate, has 36 hectares, while Edi Kante has 17.

None of the other 21 members of the local growers’ association works with more than 10 hectares, and several have fewer than five.

Wines shaped by rock

Carso is an area of extreme viticulture, with native varieties strongly associated with the region.

It is also a border region, closely connected to neighbouring Slovenia through culture and language.

Place names sound Italian, but family names are Slovene, and Slovene is the language most often spoken at home.

The environment puts strict limits on what can be cultivated in Carso. With bare rock often at the surface, little besides olive trees and vines can survive.

Luca Tomasig of the Castelvecchio estate recounts that it can take more than a month to break up the stone and prepare one hectare for a new vineyard. Consequently, vines are planted in small plots wherever soil can be found.

The deep underground streams typical of limestone karst do little for the surface. Thin soils retain little water, so drought is a constant threat.

These challenges, however, come with a silver lining. Doline – sinkholes where deep banks of red ferrous soil accumulate – provide soil that can be scooped up and used to prepare ground for cultivation.

And extraordinary underground cellars, such as those of Skerk and Zidarich, are carved into the rock to depths of up to 25 metres.

Two prominent features shape Carso’s climate: the nearby sea, which moderates summer temperatures, and the almost constant winds, which bring clear skies and high solar radiation.

These conditions also mean fungal disease is almost entirely absent. ‘I wouldn’t know what downy mildew looks like,’ producer Martin Merlak told me.

Together, Carso’s soil and climate produce naturally low yields of healthy, ripe grapes.

The resulting wines are vibrant, with low to medium alcohol, tense acidity and a distinctive mineral character.

The grapes of Carso

Chardonnay and Sauvignon were introduced to the area in the 1970s, when Friuli-Venezia Giulia’s wine industry was undergoing modernisation.

Although these varieties can make wines of great personality – Edi Kante, for instance, makes an outstanding Chardonnay – they have a marginal presence.

The grapes that define Carso are Malvasia Istriana, the native white Vitovska, and the red Terrano.

A skin contact tradition

Wine-growing on the karst plateau has a long history. Pliny the Elder wrote of a wine called Pucinum from the northern Adriatic and associated it with Livia, the wife of Emperor Augustus.

In the 20th century, the region was devastated during WWI, but recovered enough for the Istituto Centrale di Statistica to estimate 1,606 hectares of specialised vineyards in 1938.

Production, however, declined again WWII, and recovery only really began in the 1980s. The Carso DOC was approved in 1985.

Traditionally, as in neighbouring Slovenia, all white grapes were crushed together and fermented with their skins.

When I asked Benjamin Zidarich when he had started macerating his white wines, he looked surprised and replied that he had always done it that way.

Edi Kante was the first to depart from tradition, making single-variety white wines using conventional modern vinification. Today, the two styles exist side by side.

Alongside Kante, the excellent Castelvecchio ferments white grapes without their skins.

Almost all the small artisan producers, however – including leading names such as Kocjancic, Lupinc, Merlak, Milic, Skerk, Skerlj and Zidarich – macerate their wines for varying lengths of time.

Skerk, Skerlj and Zidarich favour an extracted style with long skin contact, while others, such as Martin Merlak, macerate for shorter periods to preserve varietal freshness.

‘It might be macerated, but it still needs to taste like a white wine,’ Merlak argues. When handled sensitively, both styles work in Carso.

Although a handful of the most representative producers export small quantities, the best way to get hold of a few bottles is to visit this remarkable region – something I highly recommend.

Below is my selection of wines from Carso to look out for.

Wines from the Carso plateau

Wines are grouped by grape variety

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Fine wine prices have been pretty flat in 2026, although some top names are up slightly over 12 months after a gentle rally in late 2025, said Geraint Carter of international merchant Bordeaux Index and the LiveTrade online trading platform.

Data on prestige Champagne, one of the better-performing market segments, illustrates the point (see table, below). Miles Davis of Vinum Fine Wines offered a similar sentiment: ‘I think overall prices are stable, but it’s still a buyer’s market,’ he said.

‘You can still get deals.’ Vinum saw a notable uptick in Champagne sales in July, Davis said, led by Salon; other top sellers included Cristal Rosé, Krug and Jacques Selosse.

At Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade, the multi-region Liv-ex 1000 index was up 1.2% in 12 months to 30 July. Its Champagne 50 sub-index outperformed, rising 0.9% in July and 2.6% in a year.

It was also up 8.7% in five years, although it hasn’t been a straight road.

For example, Liv-ex analysed Salon and said the 2012 vintage was ‘trading actively’ at £7,000 to £8,000 (12x75cl, in bond), noting it was released in 2021 at £5,800 and swiftly climbed to £13,300 before a subsequent market downturn.

Carter said top-tier Champagne has ‘taken its pain’, adding: ‘It’s a great time to be a Champagne buyer with such quality out there.’

Yet, he doesn’t expect prices to surge in the near-term, citing ongoing available stock levels. One general area to watch this autumn is the US auction scene.

Charles Antin, global head of auctions at Zachys, told Decanter that recent sales have been exceptionally strong.

‘We are having to revise our estimates upwards to keep up with a buoyant market, which is a strong sign for sellers.’

Zachys’ mid-year review reported a surge in demand for ‘super second’ Bordeaux this year, including Château Montrose, and stronger collector thirst for leading California wines.

The Bordeaux Index view

Fine wine & spirits specialist Bordeaux Index kindly sponsors this section of Decanter, and provides its view on the market here every issue. It can be found at bordeauxindex.com

Champagne conundrum

The Champagne market finds itself in an awkward, if familiar, position. After the manic exuberance of 2020-2022 and the swingeing correction that followed, prestige Champagne prices have settled into what has the makings of a prolonged rut.

At the mass-market end, things are arguably even less comfortable, with consumption and shipments continuing to decline.

The priority, more than ever, is getting consumers drinking again. In this context, price hikes ought to be off the table. This is not an easy message for the Champenois.

Costs have risen substantially over the past decade, while the increasingly extreme weather of recent years is a clear warning that, over the longer term, Champagne will need higher prices simply to compensate for the volatility of a more challenging production environment.

But that’s longer-term. For now, the stellar vintages of 2018, 2019 and 2020 are working through the system and will add considerable supply at the prestige end.

Total volumes may be falling, but that doesn’t automatically create pricing power when demand is, at best, flat and existing stocks remain plentiful.

The finer end cannot indefinitely act as a cash cow for shortcomings in the broader market.

Champagne rarely volunteers restraint; more often, the market imposes it. For now, keeping a lid on prices and getting corks popping ought to be the overwhelming priority.

Higher prices may be inevitable, but not yet.

Auction record for Judgement of Paris wine

A new world record auction price for a California wine that shot to fame in the 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting 50 years ago has been announced by Christie’s.

A bottle of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ Stag’s Leap Vineyard (SLV) Cabernet Sauvignon 1973 sold for $22,500 (£16,657), including buyer’s premium, at a Christie’s online auction of wines sourced directly from the Napa Valley producer’s cellars.

That’s a record auction price for the wine, which eclipsed a pre-sale high estimate of $6,000 in the Los Angelesbased sale, Christie’s said.

The 1973 vintage is famous for having outshone top Bordeaux reds in the Judgement of Paris blind tasting organised by Steven Spurrier and Patricia Gallagher in the French capital in 1976.

Half a century later, supplies are relatively scarce. A Christie’s spokesperson told Decanter that, after this year’s 50th anniversary celebrations, there will be 19 bottles of the SLV Cabernet Sauvignon 1973 left at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars.

Another lies alongside a Californian white wine star of the same tasting, Chateau Montelena 1973, in the Smithsonian collection of American historical artefacts.

Juan Muñoz-Oca, estates director at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, said the recent Christie’s auction result is ‘a powerful testament to the enduring legacy of the 1973 SLV Cabernet Sauvignon and the vision of our founder Warren Winiarski’.

In 2022, Heritage Auctions sold a bottle of the wine for $12,300, a record auction price at the time.

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Didier Mariotti is the custodian of a 250-year-old Champagne house, overseeing a team of 40 and making decisions that shape millions of bottles each year, but if six-year-old Didier had had his way, he would be a fighter pilot.

‘It was my childhood dream,’ he says. ‘I was always interested in planes and reading comics about fighter pilots. Unfortunately my eyes weren’t good enough to pursue it.’

‘A moment for myself’

Mariotti’s family was involved in wine, so he followed in their footsteps instead. He always intended to learn to fly, but a busy career and raising a family got in the way.

‘When I turned 40, I thought, “This is the time for me to have my moment for myself,”’ he says. ‘I got my private pilot licence, then my night-flying and flight-instructor qualifications. Now I am treasurer of the flying club here in Champagne and help train the new pilots.’

He compares the joy of teaching people to fly to the joy of opening a bottle of wine: ‘When you open a bottle, it’s always about sharing something with someone else. It’s the same when teaching: you’re sharing your passion with other people.’

The skills required to fly a plane and lead a major Champagne brand are similar, too, he believes.

‘You need to be able to learn every year,’ he says. ‘With wine, every vintage is different. When you’re flying, the weather conditions will be different, the airport will be different.

'What I like with both is that you have to trust yourself – that you have the knowledge and you’ll be able to find a solution. But at the same time, you have to be humble: the weather is always stronger than you are. That’s a difficult combination.’

Where they differ is how they treat mistakes – and Mariotti firmly believes that what he has learned in the cockpit has made him a better boss.

‘The culture of flying is very different to wine and industry in general,’ he says.

‘In companies and in wine, most people try to hide or avoid their mistakes – or try to blame someone else. With flying it’s the opposite. We share our mistakes straight away to make sure they aren’t made again. I’m teaching my team [at Veuve Clicquot] not to be scared of their mistakes.’

Peace and freedom

Of course, neither job is without stress. ‘For me, the most pressure in flight is when you have to land without visibility. You go through the clouds and can only see the ground about 200m before landing. You have to trust your instruments,’ Mariotti says.

‘You have to be very methodical. We have checks at all times. I apply that to my work [in wine] – you have to double-check, triple-check everything.’

The feeling of being in the air, however, is priceless. ‘You have this freedom – you’re like a bird. I love flying above the clouds. It’s like soft cotton that you can almost touch with your hand. It feels like you’re surfing the clouds.

'I enjoy it most when the weather is bad on the ground. You take off, go above the clouds, and it’s beautiful, sunny. The sun is my energy – both in the plane and in my work.’

Part of the reason Mariotti wanted his licence was to be able to fly his family around Champagne. ‘We can see the vineyards from the air, the hills, the valleys,’ he says. ‘I love to fly over it [Champagne] in autumn, when all the vineyards are orange and red.’

He finds these moments very peaceful. ‘You’re not connected to the rest of the world,’ he says. ‘Your phone isn’t working and you can’t look at your emails. You just have to enjoy it.

'It’s the same when I go down into the cellar – it’s 20m underground, so my phone doesn’t work there either. The world is moving so fast; it’s good to disconnect sometimes.’

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When looking back at a great vintage that’s now ready to drink, it can make for a rather short column. If the weather was perfect and the wines are brilliant, what more is there to say?

But this is Châteauneuf-du-Pape; even in a good year, there’s usually a considerable qualitative spread.

And one thing I love about Châteauneuf is its unpredictability as it ages; there are always a handful of ugly duckling tank samples that, through luck or skillful winemaking, end up developing into something surprisingly beautiful.

There’s another important element that we need to face. Châteauneuf in a hot vintage like 2016 is inevitably high in alcohol.

But that doesn’t mean they should be avoided – I’ll explain why in a moment.

The growing season

Vincent Avril of Clos des Papes remembers a mild, dry winter with strong winds. The whole year was marked by regular bouts of Mistral in fact, making for healthy vineyards and concentrated wines.

It was Florent Lançon of Domaine de la Solitude’s first year fully in charge of the family winery, and he had just steered the vineyards towards organics.

‘The growing season was relatively easy to manage,’ he says, ‘featuring a cool, dry spring followed by a summer that was considered hot at the time – though far removed from the temperatures we have experienced in recent years’.

After a very dry August, 45mm of rain fell on 14 September. ‘I believe the success of the vintage really hinged on the rainfall,’ says Lançon.

Eric Bonnet of La Bastide St-Dominique agrees, saying that it ‘allowed the grapes to complete their ripening process under excellent conditions.’ It was a long, unhurried pick.

‘Ultimately, it was a harvest that can truly be described as exceptional,’ says Bonnet, ‘perfect fruit health, excellent phenolic ripeness, and a superb balance between concentration and freshness.’

Olivier Mousset, co-owner of Clos St Michel with his brother Franck, is also convinced it’s a magnificent year: ‘For us, 2016 is the most successful vintage in 30 years,’ he says.

Not only was it great in quality, it was generous in quantity. Lançon says that it was the largest crop he’s harvested since joining the estate in 2007.

The tasting

When I tasted the 2016s from tank and barrel in 2017 I was convinced of their formidable potential. Returning to them now, it’s clear that they turned out just as well, if not better, than I’d hoped.

The 2016 vintage will go down in the history books along with 1978, 1990, 1998, 2007 and 2010 as one of the greatest of the last 50 years.

Some wines that showed well to begin with have blossomed into something truly extraordinary, including Château La Nerthe’s Cuvée des Cadettes, Domaine de la Solitude’s Cornelia Constanza and Domaine de Marcoux’s Vieilles Vignes.

Those are wines which often excel in top vintages.

But for many less famous estates, 2016 represents a high water mark, producing brilliant wines that will likely offer great value for money if you can still find them.

They include Domaine du Père Caboche’s Vieilles Vignes Elisabeth Chambellan, Domaine du Grand Tinel’s Hérès, Domaine Tour Saint Michel’s Feminessence and Domaine Albin Jacumin’s La Bégude des Papes.

A quick search online uncovered many 2016s still for sale. Snap them up while you still can.

The style

Vincent Avril sums up the style of 2016 succinctly: ‘A powerful vintage with deep colour. Good extraction, ripe tannins, very good pH levels and good balance.

'It is a very nice vintage for cellaring, one that has gained freshness and elegance over time. The alcohol is well-integrated, so everything is there’.

For the best wines of the vintage, I agree with all of this. Most of these wines have at least 10 years still ahead of them, some 20 years, some even longer.

But despite the overall quality of the vintage, I wouldn’t buy indiscriminately. Of the 54 wines I tasted, there were a dozen or so that missed the mark for various reasons, whether overripe, overoaked or oxidised.

And some were simply too alcoholic.

The burning issue

From the beginning, the alcohol levels on the 2016s felt high – this was my one reservation when I tasted them from barrel.

Of the finished wines I tasted from bottle, only 12 of the 54 had a stated alcohol percentage of under 15%. Some were 16%.

For Grenache to reach its apogee in Châteauneuf-du-Pape – its most complex, texturally sumptuous and terroir-reflective – it has to be fully ripe. And that rarely happens under 15% alcohol.

Alcohol is an important component of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, contributing to its signature richness. But if it sticks out or burns, that’s a problem.

Some were gently warming on the finish, but not excessive. Three wines were way out of balance, and I didn’t include them in my selection on that basis alone.

For the others, the alcohol was technically high, but – crucially – it felt integrated and the wines tasted balanced for the style.

Not all drinks are the same

There is a current trend towards lighter reds with low alcohol. Like a crunchy Cinsault or a fresh Poulsard, they can of course be delicious.

But sometimes it feels like there is a push for all alcoholic drinks to drink the same – to quench thirst above all. But that’s not why we drink wine, not really. Not all wines are made to refresh, and Châteauneuf is a case in point.

Red Châteauneuf is a powerful wine that for centuries has been prized for its ability to age for decades, and take on layers of complex flavour as it does.

When I imagine people passing over these 2016s just on sight of their stated alcohol content, I can’t help but feel they’re missing out. Yes it’s an extreme style, but in wine, sometimes these are what create the strongest memories.

Another prevailing trend is to moderate our alcohol consumption, which is undeniably wise. But the answer here is simple: leave some in the bottle for tomorrow.

If we can’t adapt the way we drink different types of wine, we risk losing out on some wonderful, delicious experiences.

Which is exactly what so many 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Papes have to offer.

Châteauneuf 2016 wines to buy or drink up

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Champagne’s brands and blends may be better known than its villages or vineyards, but if there’s one place in the region that has broken through it is Le Mesnil-sur-Oger.

What makes the Chardonnay grown in this sleepy Côte des Blancs village just south of Épernay ascend to such mythical status?

Perhaps it’s the famous names dotted discreetly around the village. Krug’s Clos du Mesnil and the house of Salon yield two of Champagne’s rarest blanc de blancs, often commanding bottle prices that exceed the cost of entire cases of other prestige cuvées.

Meanwhile, the famous Chétillon vineyard that straddles the road beneath the village was responsible for catapulting Pierre Péters’ Les Chétillons to fame and desirability, attained by few grower Champagnes during the 2000s.

At the heart of the question is time. Le Mesnil’s legendary longevity makes time an essential ingredient in almost all of the region’s blended Prestige Cuvées from the famous houses, from Taittinger’s Comtes de Champagne and Charles Heidsieck’s Blanc des Millénaires to the likes of Dom Pérignon and Cristal.

Even if it would placate their bank managers, the vignerons of Le Mesnil have to wrestle with the truth that the village’s wines can’t be turned around quickly.

Perfection can't be rushed

At Guy Charlemagne in the village, sisters Justine and Marie are just a few years into their journey to transform and modernise one of the great estates of the village.

Their entry-level wine has, somewhat remarkably, spent six years on the lees – more than double a normal time for a non-vintage Champagne.

‘You can’t drop the ageing, though,’ says Marie, ‘for Le Mesnil, you need time’.

When Eugène Salon released his first wine in 1905, the concept of a blanc de blancs was almost unheard of. Chardonnay was still primarily viewed as a blending variety for Pinot Noir rather than a standalone star.

At Salon, with no oak and no malolactic fermentation, it is time alone that reveals the village’s secrets: it ages on lees for around a decade and then often decades more afterwards.

Rodolphe Péters of Champagne Pierre Péters notes that the village’s austerity serves it well amid risks of overripeness elsewhere.

‘People mistake it for high acidity,’ he says. ‘But the freshness is driven by a crispy, electric perception from the chalk, alongside an iodine-like minerality that can feel almost metallic.’

Some, like both Marine Zabarino at Domaine Vincey and Paul Girard at Domaine Girard-Bonnet, suggest that Mesnil is slightly less sunny, and more exposed, than neighbouring Oger, explaining the more inward style of wines.

There’s a chalky austerity here which can’t really be explained away just by looking at the slope, or the aspect, though.

Péters explains that the chalk is ‘dryer’ here than in other villages, and has been more subject to crumbling under the surface thanks to repeated freezing and thawing.

‘There’s no science behind it,’ he continues, ‘but there are deep veins of fragmented chalk here, and the vines go deeper in search of water and mineral sources,’ he believes.

Heart of the terroir

The good news, though, is that the village’s treasures are more accessible than in the past thanks to the riper, fruitier grapes found in today’s warmer vintages, and a new generation of growers unlocking them.

Paul Girard of Domaine Girard-Bonnet manages the austerity with super-ripe grapes, careful oak vinification and plot selection, believing that some parts of the village can yield more accessible wines.

He feels the very lowest vineyards, such as Hautes Mottes, can be ready in three years, whereas the heart of the terroir – the ‘cœur du terroir’ as the Charlemagne sisters refer to it – needs longer.

Views differ, though, and unlike Burgundy’s love of the mid-slope, the flatter vineyards nearer the bottom of the Côte des Blancs are often viewed as the classical, long-lived terroirs thanks to the closeness of the chalk just beneath the surface.

The vines of the village are also severely hit with the court-noué virus in the historical mid-slope sector, which dramatically intensifies ripeness and drops yields.

Girard notes he may harvest only 2,000 kg/ha in the famous Volibarts plot (which, with its intensity and ripeness also makes Louis Roederer’s still white Coteaux Champenois), whereas Hautes Mottes can yield 12,000 kg/ha.

‘Of course, you’re going to say that Hautes Mottes is better!’ he jokes.

Ripples and bumps mean that adjacent vineyards even on the same slope can have markedly different topsoils, and markedly different wines.

At Pierre Péters this is the source of the contrasting Les Montjolys cuvée, a companion piece to famous, chalky Chétillons that always offers a little more juicy breadth thanks, Péters believes, to the deeper topsoil that collected in the foot of one of these undulations.

‘Mesnil is very wavy thanks to erosion,’ he says, with Chétillons and Montjolys on ‘two extremes of soil’.

Blends and barrels

Girard, too, blends some of the purer chalk sites with those richer in colluvium for his Mon Village cuvée, aiming to keep the strictness and refreshment value in the wine but also yield something approachable (and sellable), with around three years on lees.

The strength of the village’s wines means he opens them up with 70% of the blend going through oak, something he feels a less structured, austere village such as neighbouring Vertus couldn’t take.

‘If I did this with Vertus,’ he says, ‘the wine would be dead’.

For some such as Girard, Zabarino or Mesnil expert Robert Moncuit, opening up the wines with a little oak helps soften the wines a little.

Adrien Dhondt, too, works with the higher part of Chétillon, Chétillon de Haut, which is richer with more clay than the famous Chétillons.

The beautiful concentration and oak fermentation yields a heady, intense yet not austere wine in the forcefully sunny 2020 vintage.

For more established names, though, reserve wines can help tame Le Mesnil’s force.

At Péters (where there’s no oak in the cellar), the family has maintained a perpetual reserve of base wines since 1988.

For Rodolphe, this is ‘security,’ not only smoothing out vintage variation but also allowing wines like his Cuvée de Réserve (two-thirds Le Mesnil Chardonnay) to achieve complexity without requiring extensive lees aging.

It’s a benefit, too, as the Côte des Blancs faces a second consecutive heatwave vintage in 2026, challenging its identity as the racy, restrained backbone of Champagne.

With frost wiping out some of the higher yielding parts of the village beneath the road – ‘the parts we usually use to compensate for the court-noué,’ Péters explains – the quantities of top blanc de blancs produced in both 2026 and naturally low-yielding 2025 are undoubtedly down on top years of the past.

More scarcity might drive up prices in an already elevated terroir, but thanks to the new growers on the scene this village’s mystical appeal is, for now, still relatively easy to access.

Eight Champagnes from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger

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Many denominations in Italy permit the sale of a wine from 1 January once they have completed the necessary period of ageing, although this varies from area to area.

For instance, Brunello di Montalcino must complete a lengthy five years of ageing before release.

And yet, more and more wineries are choosing to hold onto their bottles for longer before making them available.

The reasons for choosing to release later in the year vary from area to area and winery to winery.

But besides commercial factors – more people are buying wine in the run up to Christmas than they are in January – it's hard to argue with the fact that extra time in bottle allows all the important elements of a wine to come together.

Anthocyanins, acids, tannins, wood and alcohol are all spiky and rough round the edges when a wine is first bottled, requiring time to settle down into a harmonious groove.

Releasing these wines earlier is great for cashflow, but less so for strong critical reviews and, therefore, sales.

Today's wine drinkers are typically not buying to lay wines down for many years – we want to enjoy our purchases immediately, or at least in the short- to mid-term.

So are these autumn releases as interesting from a consumer perspective as from a professional perspective?

That's the question; answers on a postcard...

Below you'll find the wine launches I'm most excited about this autumn.

Pick of the bunch

They're here because they're among the best – partly a matter of vintage, and partly the result of continuous refinement and adaptation in the vineyards and cellars.

Solaia 2023 is perhaps the best I've ever tasted, pairing generous fruits with a beautiful vertical shape.

For me, Masseto 2023 is not quite up to the supreme standard set by the 2021 – but that's an incredibly high bar. Like Solaia, there's generosity and juiciness to the fruit in 2023, accented by pretty aromatics.

Masseto's little brother, Massetino, is a strange beast as it's made in even smaller quantities than the grand vin. I love its vibrancy and saline, breezy character in 2024, making this a hard-to-resist buy.

Petrolo's take on a 100% Merlot is particularly finessed in 2024, making this latest Galatrona bottling – for me – the most compelling vintage to buy to date.

I recall tasting a sample of La Massa's Asiram (yet another 100% Merlot) debut 2019 vintage before its official launch and being suitably impressed. This year I had the opportunity to taste the '19, '21 and '23 side by side, and there's clearly been a marked step up.

Like owner Giampaolo Motta, the wine is no shrinking violet – but there's great balance and complexity in the 2023, combining Panzano's intrinsic warmth with careful work in the vineyard and cellar.

Giampaolo says that flagship Giorgio Primo 2023 reminds him of Sin Qua Non, such is the generosity of fruit (do you see a vintage theme developing here?). It's a viscous, rich yet brilliantly fresh and balanced wine that will reward mid- to long-term ageing.

Bibi Graetz's Colore 2024 is a slightly lighter offering than usual, reflecting the delicacy of the vintage. I typically prefer Testamatta for its sinuous energy, purity and beauty, but in this vintage, the old-vine depth of Colore with its incredible texture win out.

Caiarossa is a comparatively affordable buy (particularly when compared to most of the other wines on this list), but focusing on its value does the wine a disservice – the estate works with small plots and micro-vinifications to really draw the most from this seven-grape blend.

Cepparello needs little introduction. A prime Sangiovese bottling, the 2023 is both succulent and fine-boned, making for a classy drop exuding 2023's generous nature.

Siepi, a striking 50/50 blend of Sangiovese and Merlot, is a slightly lighter, juicier interpretation in 2024. Zesty and harmonious, it encapsulates all the drinkability I'm coming to love in Tuscany's 2024s, but will also reward short- to mid-term cellaring.

The only non-Tuscan wine on this list, Girolamo Russo's Feudo 2024 from Etna follows on from a grim 2023 vintage for the estate's reds where owner Giuseppe Russo bottled no cru wines at all.

Thankfully the 2024s fared much better (thanks in part to hard work in the vineyards), and Feudo Rosso is full of energy, capable of displaying all of Nerello Mascalese's beauty.

Italian autumn fine wine releases

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Bordeaux châteaux from Médoc to St-Emilion have been ranked under the new Michelin ‘grapes’ selection, following the system's debut in Burgundy earlier this year.

There have been several attempts to reconfigure Bordeaux estates featured in famous 1855 Classification. Other classifications, such as those of St-Emilion or Cru Bourgeois, are revised at set intervals.

While Michelin’s ranking may raise a few eyebrows, it also puts a fresh spotlight on this historic fine wine region.

Nine estates were awarded the top-tier ‘three grapes’. From Médoc, Pauillac-based Lafite Rothschild is joined by two 1855 second growths: St-Estèphe’s Montrose and St-Julien’s Léoville Las Cases.

Both were already considered members of a prominent, yet unofficial, group of 'super seconds'. Michelin highlighted efforts at Montrose to ‘further refine vineyard management’ in recent years, with the grand vin focused on the estate’s ‘finest historic plots’.

First growths Châteaux Mouton Rothschild, Margaux and Haut-Brion were among 16 estates awarded two grapes.

Fellow first growth Château Latour was one of the highest-profile estates not listed. A Michelin spokesperson said this reflected its process, rather than a final judgement, and emphasised that its guide is the first edition of a selection that will be reassessed annually.

'Our methodology takes a long-term view of each estate, assessing its work as a whole and its ability to deliver quality consistently over time.

'For a small number of estates, including Château Latour, our evaluation process had not been fully completed by the time this inaugural selection was finalised, and our inspectors had therefore not yet reached a collegiate conclusion. In full respect of the rigour, independence, and integrity of our methodology, we chose not to publish an assessment of these estates at this stage.'

Legendary Sauternes estate Château d’Yquem also features in Michelin’s top tier, with five more estates on the Right Bank also awarded three grapes.

In Pomerol, Petrus is joined by La Conseillante, plus Lafleur (now a Vin de France). Cheval Blanc and Figeac are the St-Emilion estates ranked at this level.

Other estates with two grapes include Pichon Comtesse and Pichon Baron, Palmer, Angélus, Canon, Vieux Château Certan and Les Carmes Haut-Brion, among others.

Michelin also gave one grape to 37 properties, with a further 21 wineries listed in a ‘Michelin Selected’ category.

Michelin’s one-grape tier included Lynch-Bages, Cos d’Estournel, Trotanoy, Le Pin, Léoville-Barton and Bélair-Monange.

Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin guide, said of the Bordeaux launch: 'This selection reveals a region deeply loyal to its history, yet never static. Behind the great internationally renowned labels, our inspectors uncovered a new generation of winemakers, estates deeply committed to their craft, and expertise in constant evolution, all in service of an ever more precise and authentic expression of terroir.'

When Michelin announced its expansion into wine, it said properties would be judged on five criteria, including ‘quality of agronomy’ – related to vineyard management – plus ‘technical mastery’, ‘identity’, ‘balance’ and ‘consistency’. Wines would be evaluated across multiple vintages.

The group plans to expand its Michelin grapes system to other wine regions in France and worldwide.

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For those travelling to London for the DFWE, the weekend offers an opportunity to do more than simply attend the tasting. Gareth Birchley of Burns & German Vintners takes us through his ideal itinerary, pairing the event with some of his favourite places to eat, drink and unwind across the capital.

If you have thought ahead and are planning to arrive on the Thursday evening for the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter (DFWE), then you’ve made the correct choice and afforded yourself an extra evening to luxuriate in our capital’s phenomenal dining scene.

For those looking to stay as local as possible, The Landmark Hotel itself is a wonderful place to stay. There are cheaper options in the area but the idea of popping upstairs after your winemakers’ lunch for a short siesta, might be too attractive a proposition to pass up.

Thursday arrivals: What to do before the corks pop

After checking in on the Thursday evening it stands to reason that you will be gasping for a glass of something special over dinner, ahead of the extraordinary vinous weekend that will no doubt unfold over the next few days.

If it’s fine dining you are after and have a penchant for seeking out legendary wines from Burgundy particularly, then an eight-minute taxi ride away is Les 110 des Taillevent on Cavendish Square. The food here is undeniably refined and classically French, but with a wonderful lightness of touch and elegance. If you are dining solo or keeping your powder dry for the weekend ahead, there are 110 wines by the glass that caters for all tastes, including mature vintages of Raveneau and Lafon. Not something to pass up lightly.

Should you wish to keep things on the plate more informal, then Lurra on Seymour Place is the perfect destination.

The format here is designed for sharing in the best possible manner. Small starters and table filling larger plates from Galician Octopus to Suckling Lamb, Iberico Presa and the uber fashionable whole Turbot cooked over fire. The wine list is, in the majority, from the Iberian peninsula, which is perfect foil for the food. A gastronomic experience I cannot recommend highly enough.

Fast forward to Friday morning

The following day, the eagle eyed amongst you will have noted that the Grand Tasting does not open until 3pm.

Personally, if space allows, I would run not walk to the Winemakers’ lunch hosted by the inimitable Lucy Hill-Smith. One of Australia’s most prominent estates, Yalumba has been family owned for 175 years and remains an absolute icon of the global wine scene. The lunch includes both the flagship “Caley” Cabernet-Shiraz and a rare mature vintage of the unique “Signature”.

The afternoon Grand Tasting holds more delights than any mortal can imbibe. Starting with fizz it’s impossible to look beyond titans of Champagne, Taittinger and Philipponnat, the latter’s single vineyard Clos des Goisses remains the apex of the region for many aficionados.

Whilst Whispering Angel is the most famous rosé on the planet, many remain ignorantly unaware that Chateau D’Esclans produce a range of wines right up to the legendary Garrus that entirely reframed the Rose category when first introduced by founder Sacha Lichine. This estate crafts a range of wines that represent the very best of Provence.

For Friday afternoon reds, CVNE from Rioja feels fitting and, should you feel inspired to track down some of the wines you enjoyed, represents some of the very best value in the fine wine world. If you have never experienced the delights of Michel Chapoutier in the Northern Rhone you may not be aware that no winery holds more perfect 100 point scores from the infamous critic Robert Parker than them. Their range of both Cote Rotie and Hermitage, including whites, are amongst the very finest wines produced.

Friday's Post-Pour Refuel

After a few hours of intensive tasting you might want to focus your dinner plans away from another vinous overstimulation, so I whole heartedly recommend Phoenix Palace just round the corner on Glentworth Street.

There is a list here that holds gems like Lafite, Margaux and Petrus but it’s absolutely not focussed around wine. This family style Chinese dining is second to none, but works equally well as a table for two or four. The EIGHT (!!!) menus are extensive and authentic. The adventurous should not miss the “Cold Trotter in Rice Wine” but if it’s a dash of luxury you crave there is an ample selection of Lobster, Abalone or perhaps comparing their preparation of the whole Turbot to last night’s Basque extravaganza.

If Chinese is not your thing and you yearn for a time when pink napkins, neatly folded into wine glasses adorning pink clothed tables was the height of sophistication then you are going to want to head to Oslo Court.

Perhaps one of our capital’s greatest hidden treasures, this iconic dining room is always full to the rafters with adoring fans flocking for Steak Diane, Turbot in Champagne Sauce, Prawn Cocktail and their very own taste of the seventies. Not one to miss!

Saturday: Globetrotting at the Grand Tasting

Saturday’s escapade to the Grand Tasting feels like a day for claret. The Bordeaux estates on show are an embarrassment of riches.

For those wishing to explore the elegance and refinement of the Margaux Appellation, Brane-Cantenac, Giscours and Lascombes (now under the stewardship of Axel Heinz, previously of Ornellaia) are a fascinating comparison.

St Julien is represented by a few of its very finest; Beychevelle, Leoville Poyferre and Barton Family Wines (Leoville and Langoa). All three of these offer amazing value for money in the modern world, particularly in the context of wines that will effortlessly age for half a century or more.

At some point perhaps something sweet to revive a fatigued palate. The electric Vendange Tardive Rieslings and Pinot Gris from Hugel, the phenomenally concentrated elixirs of Royal Tokaj or the fortified gems from Symington Family Estate. All worth seeking out!

That said, do not leave without tasting the offerings from Domaine Evremond, Taittinger’s outpost in Kent that is taking the UK wine scene by storm.

The Grand Finale: Where to round off your wine weekend

For dinner, and the conclusion of your immersive wine experience, a short trip up to Swiss Cottage and Arches Wine Bar in Fairhazel Gardens is completely and utterly unmissable.

Previously owned by the late, great Harry Gill, a goliath of the industry, the stories of this establishment are second to none and remain for all to see by way of the empty bottles that adorn every ledge and shelf of the dining room. Each bottle represents an occasion of immense enjoyment proffered by Harry and shared by his loyal regulars who still sit recounting tales of great nights that can scarcely be believed today.

This is the embodiment of hedonistic consumption and is the perfect place to finish your weekend, eating steak and enjoy the character of this truly unique bar.

Many experiences are now sold out, with limited tickets remaining for Decanter Fine Wine Encounter London. Join us for two days of exceptional wine discovery at The Landmark London, 6–7 November.

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In recent years we have examined the decennial anniversaries of Bordeaux vintages that have yielded a broad spectrum of success from the ‘unlucky number 4’ to the spectacular ‘rule of 5’.

This year, looking back at vintages ending in ‘6’ has been far more interesting than I imagined at first glance.

Sadly, for any ‘experienced’ Decanter readers emanating from the 1956, 1946 or 1936 vintages, the news is not great.

Although I’m sure there are drinkable examples, they are few and far between.

However, if you are receiving your letter from the King this year and have the wherewithal to be opening a venerable old claret from 1926, you are blessed with one of the finest vintages of the era.

2016

So much has been spoken about 2016, many believing that it may ultimately surpass its peers as the finest vintage of all.

Indeed, tasting over 80 of the top wines earlier this year at 10 years of age, the consistency and uniform quality was sublime.

There is an argument to put forward that the very apex of the vintage does not stack up to that of a handful of others, but we are splitting hairs.

The 2016s are, across the board, impeccably balanced and wines that will stand the test of time.

All of the producers you expect to have hit grand slam home runs have done exactly that, but special mention should go to both Durfort Vivens and Calon Ségur for producing arguably their greatest wines ever.

From top to bottom, buy everything you can within your means.

2006

Often a vintage that splits opinion, but one I personally love.

The right bank is, in some cases, superior to 2006 while the left bank wines are linear and generally very well made.

I wouldn’t suggest that it is a vintage that will satisfy the hedonists but it’s a haven (particularly in terms of price) for traditional claret lovers that want a little more ‘oomph’ than can be found in 2004 and 2007.

The wine of the vintage is undoubtedly Mouton Rothschild which made a wine that vies for the best of the decade against 2000, 2005 and 2009.

On the right bank La Conseillante punches well above its weight alongside glorious expressions of both Cheval Blanc and Le Pin.

1996

An out and out left bank vintage, and the finest of the decade at that. The wines east of the Gironde leave a little to be desired although it is far from a disaster in St-Emilion and Pomerol.

From the Médoc, almost everything was exceptional and stylistically typical examples of the respective appellations.

Depending if you crave power or elegance, respectively Latour and Lafite are the wines of the vintage with Pichon Comtesse following closely behind.

If it’s quintessential Pauillac you are after then Batailley, Grand-Puy-Lacoste and Lynch-Bages offer exactly that at varying levels.

Léoville Las Cases is a world beating wine that is backward and still needs time whereas, further north in St-Estèphe, Montrose and Calon Ségur are both ‘a point’ right now.

For readers wedded to 1996, I’d urge you to experiment with well-stored bottles at all levels from the Médoc and you will rarely be disappointed.

1986

To my mind 1986 is a vintage that was somewhat misjudged. Not because the quality is not generally exceptional, but because the initial expectations and predictions for greatness were misguided.

Let’s be clear, there are wines here like Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild and Léoville Las Cases that are world beating mature clarets and deliver as such, but the structured nature of the vintage has meant that many lesser wines have simply never had the fruit concentration to outlive the tannin.

Some wines are dry and austere, some are still shut for business, waiting to emerge (or not!) from their 40-year slumber, that said, the very best wines are built to last a century.

Margaux and Palmer further south should be included in that bracket. Without breaking the bank Gruaud-Larose, Pichon Comtesse, Talbot and Lynch-Bages are all exceptional on the left bank.

And, while pickings are much slimmer on the right bank, I have always had a soft spot for Vieux Château Certan.

1976

Anyone born in the UK before 1960 will immediately volunteer in any conversation around 1976 that it was famously ‘the hottest year on record’.

The fact that very few people could proffer almost any other historical meteorological facts serves only to emphasise the gravitas of this infamous vintage.

Although achieving ripeness in the 1970s in Bordeaux was a genuine concern, heat of this nature was equally unwelcome.

There are good examples of 1976, but sadly no great wines produced outside Sauternes. A recent bottle of Duhart-Milon was delicious if not profound. Similarly, it’s big brother, Lafite Rothschild.

On the right bank Cheval Blanc is, I suspect, the finest example, and both Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion are both very acceptable.

The wine of the vintage is, without question, Yquem, an almost perfect wine. Alongside the undisputed heavyweight, Climens and Coutet are exceptional.

I’d suggest anything from Sauternes or Barsac that is well stored will still be wonderful.

1966

1966 is a vintage often overshadowed by other superb or, in the case of 1961, legendary vintages in the decade.

It is a vintage of great homogeneity. You will rarely find a wine to rival 1961 or indeed 1964 on the right bank but almost everyone made solid wines that have aged very well.

If this World Cup winning vintage is special to you, then I suggest seeking out a bottle from any château you love in more recent years.

For the sake of specifics, Latour is the wine of the vintage. Its neighbours, Pichon Comtesse and Léoville Las Cases are also stunning.

Gruaud-Larose, Lafite Rothschild, Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion and Cos d’Estournel come to mind as great examples of mature Bordeaux still drinking beautifully.

Cheval Blanc in St-Emilion would be my pick on the right bank and pushes Latour for the very best wine produced in this landmark year.

I also have a very fond recollection of a magnum of Lafaurie-Peyraguey 1966 which was outstanding, as is so much in Sauternes, especially when it is this mature.

If only it were more popular…

Best Bordeaux wines ending in 6

Wines are listed youngest to oldest

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Not far from the St Paul de Mausole asylum in St-Rémy-de-Provence, the olive groves look much as they did when Vincent van Gogh painted them during his convalescence there in 1889-1890.

His physician, Dr Théophile Peyron, allowed his patient to paint freely beyond the asylum grounds – a rare humane gesture in 19th-century psychiatry – and Van Gogh produced more than 140 paintings in and around what is today Les Baux-de-Provence, France’s first 100% organic appellation.

Walking the vineyards, olive groves and orchards today is like stepping into one of these swirling canvases, as an art student does in Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams.

One of this tiny appellation’s 12 estates, Domaine de Métifiot, is justified in putting Van Gogh’s Olive Trees (1889) on its label – the estate is rumoured to be home to the groves it immortalises.

Les Baux-de-Provence may be one of France’s most visited villages, yet its wines are almost unknown beyond the region, with more than half sold at cellar doors and local restaurants.

The appellation has just 243ha under vine, situated within the Parc Naturel Régional des Alpilles.

Les Baux sits at a crossroads – closer to the Côtes du Rhône than to the Côte d’Azur in distance and wine styles. I arrived directly from Hermitage in the northern Rhône and found a kindred spirit in the elegant Syrahs.

This isn’t the Provence of platinum poolside rosé – indeed, the appellation eschews these associations.

Instead, the focus is on reds, which make up 52% of production, followed by 36% of rosé. Although only 12% currently, white production is on the rise, and these are the wines that surprised me most: crisp and vivacious, despite the southern heat.

The reds are Grenache- and Syrah-dominant, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Mourvèdre adding backbone.

The whites, assembled from Rolle (elsewhere known as Vermentino), Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Roussanne, tend towards the gastronomic and ageworthy in the better examples, with layered fruit and mineral tension.

Organic pioneer

The pristine environment lends itself to the appellation’s most significant achievement.

In 2023, Les Baux became the first appellation in France to achieve 100% organic certification, a move made voluntarily by all 12 estates – motivated not by regulatory compliance but ethics and ‘eco-logic’.

The relentless Mistral wind blows fungal threats and other pests away. The small vineyards, many old and gnarled, sit within a rich ecosystem, home to Bonelli’s eagles, Egyptian vultures and 19 species of bat, all actively encouraged by the vignerons as natural allies.

Vines and olive trees share the same limestone terraces, alongside apricot orchards, wild garrigue and pine forests: agroecology practised not as policy or trend, but as the touchstone of a place that has made wine since before the Romans arrived.

All of the wine estates also grow olives and the oil has its own appellation and ranks among France’s finest. Like the wine, it’s 100% organic and has been for 30 years.

The bottle of Château d’Estoublon olive oil I returned home with confirmed the quality – as did the wine.

This restored château, dating back to 1489, with stunning gardens that supply its acclaimed restaurant, is a destination in itself.

A dancing star

From the hilltop village of Les Baux, the surrounding patchwork is Van Gogh’s brush strokes made agricultural – violet shadow, burnt-orange earth, silver leaf, cobalt sky.

Even the immaculate golf course below, I learn, is tended organically. The same light that fuelled Van Gogh’s ecstasy in the final year of his life flows through the wines of Les Baux.

As he painted with visionary abandon around St-Rémy in 1888-89, philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, also drawn to the south, blazing like a supernova before descending into madness, wrote: ‘One must have chaos within oneself to give birth to a dancing star.’

It’s that same chaos the painter channelled onto his canvases that the vignerons of Les Baux channel through their wines, in a landscape he described as ‘too beautiful to dare paint’.

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If you didn’t know there’s such a thing as a Port Wine Day, you do now. It’s a handy date that serves as a reminder of this year's spectacular Vintage 2024 declaration, with many of the wines either just or about to be widely released. But it’s also a moment to celebrate the simpler pleasures of this historical wine.

Even though there’s an increasing appetite for premium Port, its fresher, more affordable iterations deliver such overlooked, everyday pleasures.

To celebrate this year’s Port Wine Day, we’re looking at different ways to enjoy it in a relaxed, joyous manner. The world is a tough place these days; why complicate it? Small indulgences go a long way.

First step: get those bottles out of the drink cabinet and stick them in the fridge. It doesn't matter whether they're red or white. One of the most common – and more harmful – mistakes of Port wine lovers is drinking them too warm...

Get creative with Port & Tonic

If you’re familiar with Port and/or have recently been to Portugal you’ll no doubt have been introduced to that delicious, uplifting aperitif that blends a fruity White Port with Tonic (P&T). It’s a masterclass in simplicity and immediate satisfaction.

My father used to make what is, for me, the perfect P&T (see below) and I’m partial to its straightforward, no-nonsense zesty twist.

But you should definitely get creative. Bartenders often garnish their P&Ts with mint leaves or a sprig of rosemary. I prefer to leave the Port’s aromatics undisturbed by herbs but each to their own.

There are obviously multiple, creative takes on P&T. I can recommend the Grapefizz, touted by Kopke following the release of its cocktail-perfect Kopke on Ice.

Mixing it up with Ruby and Tawny

Now, the art of mixing is not just the remit of White Port. The fruit intensity of a Ruby and the layered, smoky depth of a Tawny also lend themselves to delectable concoctions.

Here are three of my favourites (click left/right).

Move things around

Port should not be synonymous with desert and cheese platters. Cocktails, as mentioned above, are a great way to introduce Port as an aperitif, but there are other delicious ways to enjoy it before and during your meals.

There are, of course, the classical pairings – think Tawny with foie gras or aged White Port with cheese soufflé – but it’s worth thinking outside the box.

A few suggestions worth trying:

• Dry White Port with oysters
• Aged White Port with Mussels in creamy garlic sauce
• Vintage Port and seared or confit duck
• Tawny Port with lamb leg
• Tawny port with steak tartare

Elevate your cooking

Port is also a fantastic resource in the kitchen.

Few things are more naughtily delicious – and deceivingly, tangentially ‘healthy’ – than fresh berries and crunchy nectarines macerated in Tawny Port. Purists will be rolling their eyes but who cares.

Keep some raising in a jar with Port and use them for baking. Or reduce some Port for delicious salad dressings or meat sauces. Add some Port to your meat marinades. The options are endless – get creative.

Book yourself a harvest experience

There’s nothing quite like visiting the Douro with harvest underway and seeing, first hand, all the work and dedication needed to produce these incredible wines. Harvesting the fruit from the Douro’s steep banks – which stubbornly resist mechanisation – is truly backbreaking work. The fact that is still done today – the age of digital nomads, drones and AI – is testament to the perseverance and dedication of producers.

Many producers organise visits throughout the year and have special tours during harvest allowing visitors to have a full understanding of the process, from grape to barrel, by way of traditional granite lagares.

If you’re lucky, you might even have the opportunity to stomp some grapes. Having done it myself (more than once and more than 10 minutes) I’ll tell you that it’s both fun and eye-opening. The communal experience leaves your spirits lifted, your skin extremely exfoliated and your muscles aching.

And hey, you’ll get bragging rights on social media! So there’s a lot going for it.

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At the table with Jesús Jiménez of Bodega Numanthia

Join Jesús Jiménez and Decanter content director Tina Gellie for an intimate, three-course lunch during Decanter's Fine Wine Encounter London on 6 November. Guests will get to taste Numanthia 2019 and 2018, as well as the winery's Termanthia 2015.

Toro's old vines 'deliver unique tannins'

Insider food and travel tips

Taste Numanthia alongside Jesús Jiménez and Decanter content director Tina Gellie during a special three-course lunch during Decanter's Fine Wine Encounter London on 6 November.

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Some time ago, I visited Emmanuel Reynaud at Château Rayas in order to taste his 2012s from barrel. I asked him whether he thought it was a great vintage or merely a good one.

He thought for a moment, then explained that he didn’t believe in rating one vintage over another.

Like people, all vintages have different characters and qualities, and shouldn’t necessarily be seen simply as better or worse. It made me realise something about the different stages of wine appreciation.

The first stage is getting to know what you like. The second stage is understanding why you like it. The third is recognising quality in wine, even if it’s not to your taste.

The fourth stage is what Reynaud was getting at – to be able to see the value in all wines.

Stage 1: Discovering what you like

Shortly before I visited Reynaud, I was pouring wine at a large tasting event. I had several different styles in front of me, and I was excited about one in particular – a vin jaune from the Jura.

A man approached the stand and I poured him a glass. He tasted it and said ‘it’s a bit Marmite*, isn’t it’.

‘Does that mean you love it?’ I replied, innocently hoping to find a kindred spirit. ‘No, I mean it tastes of Marmite,’ he replied. ‘And that’s weird.’

I wanted to tell him about the six years and three months this wine spends in barrels under flor. I wanted to tell him about the significance of its 62cl clavelin bottle.

I wanted to tell him how well it went with Comté cheese. All the stuff that makes this elixir so fascinating to a wine geek like me.

But I knew it wouldn’t be helpful. It’s a wine that’s challenging at the best of times, and, being at the start of his journey, he needed an easier route in.

He was still at that first stage of wine appreciation – figuring out what he liked. Perhaps even if he liked wine.

Hopefully he went on to find some things that did appeal to him, which excited his tastebuds and spurred him on to explore further. If so, he might have reached the second stage of wine appreciation.

*(If you haven’t encountered Marmite before, it’s an English yeast extract that you spread on toast. Its pungent, umami flavour divides opinion, so to describe something as ‘a bit Marmite’ means you either love it or hate it.)

Stage 2: Knowing why you like it

When you discover a style you like – whether it’s Bordeaux, Riesling or Sherry – inevitably you want to try more.

There are endless bottles to explore and each holds the tantalising promise that it might be better than the last.

But you can only glean so much from drinking one bottle of it each week over dinner.

A crucial moment on any wine journey is when you start to taste more than one bottle at a time.

Until this point, a simple yes or no will answer the question of whether you like it or not.

With more than one bottle on the table, the question becomes an open one – which do you prefer, and why?

Comparison creates discussion, and preferences need explaining. When you can put it into words, your confidence grows.

Stage 3: Knowing what makes a wine good

If everyone around the table is in agreement over which wine is the best, then that seals it; it no longer feels like personal preference but objective truth – this bottle is better than that one.

What makes a good wine becomes clearer.

Being able to recognise that a wine is good quality, even if it’s not to your taste, is another step up.

Next come wine dinners, courses and online forums... From here, there’s no going back. I’ve never met an ex-wine lover.

But I believe there’s another level to wine enthusiasm.

Stage 4: Seeing the value in all wines

I was asked a simple question the other day that I struggled to answer. A friend asked me what were my favourite types of wine.

I found myself listing nearly every region and style imaginable. So I stopped myself and gave them a shorter version: I like all wines, as long as they’re good.

It might sound flippant but it’s true. Almost every style of wine that has stood the test of time offers some level of interest and enjoyment.

Some have taken longer to reveal themselves to me than others – I must admit vin jaune took me a while – but there are few established styles, regions or grapes with no redeeming bottles.

We all have personal favourites that we return to, but discovery is what keeps wine interesting.

And the greatest terroirs, such as Château Rayas, are interesting year in, year out. Every bottle tells the story of its growing season, and offers a different lens through which to understand the place and its people.

There is one caveat. I’m talking about wines of place rather than industrial wines. And one of the most important things you learn in your wine journey is the difference between the two.

The way to do that of course is by tasting. Starting with what you like, then through discussion of which wines are interesting and which aren’t.

And why.

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The job of winemaking is a fairly simple concept: vinify a harvest.

For Champagne houses, though, being in charge of winemaking means much more than simply taking in the year’s grapes and guiding them to bottle, especially when it comes to the non-vintage wines which make up over 90% of the region’s production.

In Champagne, complexity begins in the vineyard.

The houses themselves own only 10% of the land, and the rest is divided between more than 16,000 individual growers, from which the houses buy grapes and wines.

The assembling of hundreds of these wines, coupled with the use and maintenance of multiple reserve wines from previous harvests, makes this one of the most demanding jobs in the field.

But what exactly does a cellar master – known in French as chef de caves – do?

Steering the ship

‘My goal is to stay true to the house style,’ says Séverine Frerson, cellar master at Perrier-Jouët.

As she illustrates, their first responsibility is to the wines themselves.

While they may not to get too heavily involved in the daily tasks of basic cellar management, they are the masterminds behind the all-important blending sessions once the base wines have fallen still after fermentation.

They work with a winemaking team to present blends composed of hundreds of individual wines to a committee, who vote on whether these fit the style and quality goals of the house.

In family-run houses such as Billecart-Salmon, cellar master Florent Nys presents potential blends to a committee that includes other winemakers and family members.

Elsewhere, in more corporate structures, the cellar master is more like a chief executive, having the last word on decision making: ‘I come with the blends 97% complete, and the remaining 3% we discuss as a committee,’ says Krug’s Julie Cavil.

‘In 20 years it has never happened that we are not unanimous.'

And when it comes to the final all-clear?

At Krug, it’s Cavil who has the casting vote: ‘I say OK!’ she laughs.

The committee is often called back for another job, too: deciding the dosage before release.

‘There’s always a tasting committee for the dosage,’ says Nys, who has built a mini-winery of 51 different dosage liqueurs based on different grape varieties, vinifications and ageing profiles.

The minutely calculated additions of these liqueurs is the final flourish from the hand of the winemaking team before the Champagne is shipped.

Masters of the reserves

Beyond the complexity of blending the year’s harvest lies a very Champagne-specific skillset.

Tank-by-tank knowledge of the reserves, the library of wines kept back from previous harvests for blending.

This is a house’s secret store cupboard. Its most prized wines which, depending on the way they are kept and the way they age, bring huge amounts of character to the final blends.

‘Knowledge of the reserves is critical to the job,’ says Laurent-Perrier cellar master Olivier Vigneron, who keeps 300 individual tanks from previous harvests.

Depending on the house’s approach, some reserves might be kept in smaller oak (faster maturing but full of character); some may be kept in large stainless steel, developing slowly for a decade or more; or some may even be part of a complex perpetual reserve system incorporating multiple harvests.

Consistency is key for Moët et Chandon’s Benoît Gouez, where the reserves, kept relatively young, are used more to ‘reinforce the potential of the wine’ than add noticeable aged characters into the wines, says Gouez.

Production size means that pre-blends (wines blended from multiple villages) are made before the final blends that make up wines such as Moët et Chandon’s Brut Imperial.

‘When you have a good year, I prefer to keep a lot of pre-blends in reserve,’ he says, confident that wines can be combined without any problematic ingredients tiring too early.

A weaker year, for example following a troublesome growing season, means more care is needed, and the reserves have to be specifically put together so as to be sure not to include wines which might not age well.

It’s a perfect example of the sort of crystal ball a cellar master holds, judging how these embryonic wines will behave after the lengthy, multi-stage process involved in turning them into Champagne.

In front of the cameras

The idea of a 19th-century cellar master being asked to sail the seas, meet clients, develop business and present their wines to markets would have been preposterous to the cellar-dwellers of the time.

Today, though, the role is increasingly ambassadorial.

‘I like to say it has made me a collector of shoes,’ Krug’s Cavil says, ‘one moment I need my boots to visit the growers. The next I am in heels to talk to journalists, and then I’m in flat shoes to go to Paris and discuss the budget!’

Some, such as Louis Roederer’s Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, are equally at home in front of a masterclass or press tasting as they are in their own cellars.

Other houses such as Laurent-Perrier, Pol Roger, Taittinger, Billecart-Salmon or Deutz, maintain a more traditional role, with cellar masters rarely seen in front of the camera.

The demands placed upon cellar masters to emulate the likes of Lécaillon – boundlessly travelling the world representing both technical and communication prowess – aren’t suited to everyone.

Although it’s normal for cellar masters to play ‘musical chairs’ – moving between different houses through the course of their career – some cellar masters in the prime of their working lives (at houses such as Bollinger and Charles Heidsieck) have quit the game entirely over the last two years.

A team sport

What’s clear is that, despite being thrust into the limelight as individual geniuses, winemaking itself is a team sport at this scale.

At Ruinart, the winemaking team even has its own Instagram account, where they discuss the more technical aspects of the job.

Ruinart's cellar master Caroline Fiot, previously a member of the wider winemaking team, says that technicality rests at the heart of the role.

‘I need to keep feeding my skills, to be innovative,’ she says, ‘I’ve worked on everything from microbiology, strains of yeast and massal selection, to singularisation of the vineyards and microvinifications’.

Even for a born technician, though, it’s hard to complain when days in the laboratory are broken up with a good deal of the glitz and glam of a Grande Marque like Ruinart: ‘It’s 360 degrees, and there’s no routine,’ says Fiot.

‘But I love this job!’

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Chianti is made in the sun-drenched hills of Tuscany and enjoyed in candle-lit trattorias around the world. It remains the ultimate partner for a bowl of pasta, which has helped Chianti establish itself as Italy’s flagship red wine.

Why is Chianti Day on the first Friday of September?

An importer called Santa Margherita USA established Chianti Day in 2020. The Miami-based company, which represents several Chianti Classico estates, created the annual event “so people can officially celebrate this fantastic wine region with loved ones.”

The first Friday in September is the ideal occasion to enjoy Chianti, as the nights are drawing in and the weather is turning cooler. In Italy, the region’s producers are preparing for harvest, while wine lovers are ready to ditch the refreshing whites and rosés for something a little more robust.

It may have started out as an American campaign, but wine lovers across the globe have now fully embraced Chianti Day, which falls on 4 September in 2026.

If you’re joining in online, the hashtag is #NationalChiantiDay.

Seven centuries in the making

Chianti takes its name from a specific region in the rolling hills between Florence and Siena, where wine has been made for at least seven centuries. The villages of Castellina, Gaiole and Radda joined forces to create the League of Chianti during the Middle Ages.

The region lays claim to one of the oldest legal definitions in the wine world. In 1716, Cosimo III de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, issued an edict setting out exactly which villages could call their wine Chianti.

That made it one of the world’s first officially protected wine zones, nearly two centuries before France drew up its famous appellations. In 1872, Baron Bettino Ricasoli – a formidable statesman who also served as Italy’s second prime minister – settled on a blend built around the local Sangiovese grape, setting the region on a path to greatness.

In the 19^th century, the term “Chianti” began to be applied to wines produced outside the original boundaries, covering a much larger area in Tuscany. This upset some wine lovers, who felt that the brand was being diluted.

Nowadays, the original delineated area is the more prestigious Chianti Classico DOCG, which was established in 1996. Wines from this area must contain at least 80% Sangiovese, and they must be aged for at least 12 months. Riserva wines need to be aged for a minimum of 24 months, while Gran Selezione wines need to be aged for at least 30 months.

The Chianti Classico DOCG covers around 6,800 hectares, and it has a reputation for producing complex, structured and age-worthy wines.

Meanwhile, the broader region is the Chianti DOCG. It covers around 15,500 hectares and spans a far more diverse range of terroirs. Sangiovese must make up at least 70% of these wines, and they aren’t subject to quite as stringent ageing requirements.

Basic Chianti wines are enjoyed young, but there are high-quality Superiore and Riserva wines from the Chianti DOCG. Some of the most respected sub-regions include Chianti Rufina and Chianti Colli Senesi.

Scroll down to see 10 award-winning Chianti wines from DWWA 2026

The black rooster and the straw basket

The Chianti region has two famous icons: the black rooster and the straw basket. Legend has it that medieval Florence and Siena agreed to settle their border dispute with a race. A knight would set off from each city when the cock crowed, and the boundary would be drawn where they met.

The cunning Florentines chose a black rooster and starved it, so that it crowed well before dawn, and their knight galloped off early. He met his rival close to the gates of Siena, and Florence claimed most of the Chianti hills. The black rooster – Gallo Nero – is now displayed on the neck of every bottle of Chianti Classico.

Once upon a time, Chianti was served in a fiasco. Diners were accustomed to a squat bottle wrapped in a straw basket, which sat on tablecloths from Rome to New York. However, it came to symbolise an era when quantity trumped quality, so it was all but abandoned.

From the 1980s onwards, the region reinvented itself. Regulations were tightened, and the fading of the fiasco symbolised Chianti’s rebirth (although it has had a mild hipster revival in recent years).

Today the region is responsible for some of Italy’s most celebrated reds, with Chianti Classico Gran Selezione comfortably sitting alongside Barolo and Brunello on wine lists.

However, you don’t need to break the bank to enjoy a delightful glass of red wine on Chianti Day. The region offers impressive wines at a wide range of price points, so take this opportunity to open a bottle and enjoy it with some delicious Italian food.

DWWA 2026: See award-winning Chianti wines

Castello di Cacchiano, Gaiole Millennio, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2021
Platinum, 97 points
Regal and imperious: a gamut of black plum, cherry and spicy tobacco mottles the nose and inhabits the palate alongside grasping tannins and vibrant sweet and sour acidity. A steadfast mineral backbone drives the powerful finish. Alcohol 14.5%

Castello Del Trebbio, Vigneto Lastricato Terraelectae, Chianti Rùfina Riserva 2021
Patinum, 97 points
An elegant pas de deux of blue and black fruit dancing amid smoky mineral and mellow oak nuance. Weighty and elaborately textured with smoothed out tannins and vibrant pulsating acidity. Very long and infinitely enjoyable. Alc 13.5 %

Castello Di Radda, Vigna Il Corno Radda, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2020
Gold, 95 points
Voluminous and layered displaying abundant red cherry, balsamic and dried mushroom aromas over zingy acidity and satin tannins. Beautifully textured with a long rose petal finish. Alc 14.5%

Carus, Baldero, Chianti Classico 2021
Gold, 95 points
Packed with vim, verve and high-tone aromatics: red cherries, plums, raspberries and damsons with a lick of juniper. Assertive tannins and ample structure portray ageing potential. Alc 14%

Melini, Tesco finest*, Chianti Classico Riserva 2021
Value Gold, 95 points
Capacious red plum, sour cherry and dried floral notes within a finely-tuned structure of smooth tannins; there’s a balsamic edge to the long finish. Alc 13.5%

Tenute Fusi, Torre Prumiano, Chianti Classico 2022
Gold, 95 points
Authentically portrayed, displaying subtle floral, plum, clove and woodsmoke aromas over the ample structure, with energising sour cherry acidity and bold tannins surrounding. Long and fulfilling.
Alc 14.5%

Pieve Di Campoli, Cortine, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2020
Gold, 95 points
Laden with red berries, cherries, savoury herbs and cured meats that bound over the vibrant palate, gathering hearty tannins and structure as they go. Very long. Alc 15%

Poggio Petroso, Chianti Classico Riserva 2021
Gold, 95 points
Shimmering aromas of red cherry, oregano, sage and iodine, underpinned by clove and woodsmoke nuances. Proudly energetic with driving acidity and rustic texture. Wonderful typicity. Alc 14%

Villa Di Rignana, Panzano, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2021
Gold, 95 points
An incredible expression of red cherries, cranberries and aromatic green herbs mingled with smoky vanilla and clove spice. Smooth and slick with endless gastronomic power. Alc 15%

Fattoria La Vialla, Vino Del Babbo Sant'Apollinare, Chianti Riserva 2021
Silver, 93 points
Elegant and savoury, pepper and spice notes mingle with ripe red cherry, black plum and blood orange. Modern and rich style. Alc 14.5%

Search all award-winning Chianti wines from DWWA 2026

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Château la Commaraine: Stay in the heart of a top Burgundy vineyard

Few hotel openings in Burgundy have generated as much excitement as Château la Commaraine in Pommard.

Five years in the making, this ambitious restoration has been as eagerly anticipated by wine lovers as the annual en primeur tastings.

Set in the heart of one of the Côte de Beaune's most celebrated villages, it offers something many oenophiles have long dreamed about: the chance to stay not simply near a great vineyard, but at the heart of one.

Standing behind historic stone walls in the centre of Pommard, the château is surrounded by the vines of Clos de la Commaraine, a premier cru vineyard whose history stretches back centuries.

The estate itself dates from the 12th century, but following an extensive renovation by Champagne Hospitality, the group behind Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa, it has re-emerged as Burgundy's first luxury five-star hotel fully integrated with a working winery and premier cru vineyard.

The appeal begins with the location. Pommard remains one of Burgundy's most recognisable names, synonymous with structured, age-worthy Pinot Noir. Yet despite its reputation, the village retains a refreshingly understated charm.

Guests can stroll directly from the château into the surrounding vineyards, wander quiet streets lined with family-owned domaines, or reach Beaune's celebrated restaurants and wine bars within minutes by car.

Don't miss Beaune's lively Saturday morning market, where around 180 traders sell everything from seasonal produce and artisan breads to Burgundian cheeses, charcuterie and regional delicacies.

Burgundy heritage with modern luxury

Inside, the property strikes an elegant balance between heritage and contemporary comfort. Original architectural details have been carefully preserved, creating spaces that feel rooted in Burgundy's history while offering every modern luxury.

The 37 rooms and suites are individually designed, many overlooking the surrounding vines.

Natural materials, soft tones and thoughtful detailing create a sense of understated sophistication, while heated bathroom floors, Diptyque amenities and fluffy bathrobes add an extra layer of indulgence.

'Wine sits firmly at the centre of the guest experience'

The vineyards surrounding Château la Commaraine are as carefully nurtured as the hotel itself.

The estate has farmed its historic Clos de la Commaraine premier cru vineyard organically for several years, with biodynamic practices now guiding much of the vineyard work.

It's an approach that reflects a broader movement among Burgundy's leading producers to preserve the health of the land while expressing terroir with greater precision.

Wine sits firmly at the centre of the guest experience. Bespoke tastings and guided vineyard walks allow visitors to explore the nuances of the local terroir, while a new on-site winery will soon offer an even deeper understanding of the journey from vine to bottle.

For those keen to immerse themselves in Burgundy's culture, the château provides a compelling introduction to the region's intricate patchwork of vineyards and classifications.

Fine dining at Château la Commaraine

Gastronomy naturally plays a central role. Under the leadership of Meilleur Ouvrier de France chef Christophe Raoux and chef Jérôme Rioux, Burgundy's culinary traditions are given a contemporary interpretation.

At Le Clos, the relaxed bistro overlooking the winery, seasonal regional ingredients take centre stage, while the wine and cocktail bar, housed in a beautifully restored 14th-century tower, provides an atmospheric setting for an aperitif.

The terrace is the perfect place to watch the sun set as the swallows swoop and dip in the swimming pool nestled amongst the vines.

The culinary offering expanded further this summer with the opening of Le VIII, the château's fine dining restaurant. Located within the estate's ancient, vaulted cellar, it promises an ambitious gastronomic experience rooted in Burgundian flavours and ingredients.

The wine list, naturally, leans heavily into the strengths of the Côte d'Or, allowing guests to explore both established names and rising stars without leaving the property.

Beyond the wine, guests will find a spa and well-equipped wellness facilities. Yet what makes Château la Commaraine truly special is the sense of immersion it offers. This is not simply a luxury hotel in a wine region; it is an invitation to experience Burgundy from the inside.

For anyone whose ideal escape involves exceptional food, fine wine and waking up among premier cru vineyards, Château la Commaraine comes remarkably close to perfection.

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In the rolling hills of the Langhe, one grape steals the show: Nebbiolo.

It's the variety behind the region's famed Barolo and Barbaresco wines, bringing such acclaim that it takes a certain audacity to plant anything else.

There are other, delicious, alternatives of course: Barbera, Dolcetto and Arneis are some of the best-established varieties, but beyond these exists another, more curious group of grapes; Piedmont's underdogs.

Here are five to watch out for.

Nascetta

By the mid-20th century, Nascetta had practically vanished. Temperamental and fussy, it was displaced by more productive varieties. Its survival to the present day is due to a handful of growers around Novello.

Golden in the glass, it shows exotic fruit, honeyed notes, and white flower fragrance, with a savoury, waxy weight in the mouth that few Piemontese whites can match.

Locally known as Nas-cëtta, its revival traces back to a 1993 tasting, when growers including Elvio Cogno and Valter Fissore joined journalist Armando Gambera to open bottles from the 1986 vintage.

The wine had aged with real finesse – someone in the room even likened it to Sauternes. Cogno’s first modern bottling followed the next year, beginning Nascetta’s gradual revival.

‘Nascetta shows its best with age’, says Enrico Rivetto – reason enough to seek out older vintages of this strikingly resurgent grape.

Producers to know:

• Elvio Cogno
• Le Strette
• Rivetto
• Braida

Pelaverga

Pelaverga Piccolo's story is less resurrection than stubborn survival. Confused for years with the grape grown around Saluzzo, it was eventually recognised as its own distinct variety.

Pelaverga’s tiny kingdom is Verduno, where it produces pale, expressive reds with notes of violets, cherries and peppery spice.

‘Pelaverga is the key to understanding the soul of Verduno’, says Vittore Alessandria of Fratelli Alessandria, who describes its character as spicy elegance – fragrant and featherlight yet unmistakably characterful.

The Verduno è Uno association has promoted Pelaverga since 1994, and increasing demand for graceful, lower-alcohol reds has moved it onto serious wine lists well beyond the scope of the village.

‘It fits this “modern-classic” profile perfectly’, says Alessandria. Once tasted, it's hard to forget.

Producers to know:

• Fratelli Alessandria
• Reverdito
• Sordo
• Arnaldo Rivera

Freisa

Freisa takes its name from the Latin word for strawberry, echoed in its wild strawberry, raspberry and floral aromas.

One of Piedmont’s oldest grapes, it has an established parent-offspring relationship with Nebbiolo. The resemblance is clear: vibrant acidity, formidable tannins, and an ability to age.

When given top-tier treatment, Freisa is a serious wine. And its resistance to heat and drought makes it an attractive prospect for mitigating the effects of climate change.

‘Historically dismissed as a light, sweet or fizzy everyday red, we completely flipped that narrative,’ says Francesca Vaira of G.D. Vajra.

Applying the same long maceration and patient cask ageing as the estate's Barolos, she explains, ‘we unlocked its true identity: sophisticated, structured, and profoundly ageworthy.’

It's what Vaira calls ‘a sommelier's wine’ – one that may require an introduction but is difficult to forget.

Producers to know:

• G.D. Vajra
• Cascina Corte
• Giacomo Fenocchio
• Borgogno

Rossese Bianco

Only seven wineries currently work with Rossese Bianco, says winemaker Sara Vezza of Josetta Saffirio – a grape permitted as a Langhe DOC single-varietal, yet with remarkably little profile.

At Saffirio, the choice was a nod to the past. Vezza's father wanted to plant Chardonnay, but her mother told him, ‘We should plant something different’. In the end, they chose the local Rossese Bianco.

For Roberto Garbarino, the appeal was ageability. ‘Because of the remarkable tannin of this grape, Roberto thought he could obtain a wine that would age very well,’ says his daughter Beatrice.

Reaction so far has brought ‘a lot of curiosity and interest,’ she adds – ‘a good sign for the future.’

In the glass there's something of Vermentino about it, but quieter and more textural: citrus, floral, lively acidity and a bitter-herbal edge. It remains elusive, but is well worth seeking out.

Producers to know:

• Josetta Saffirio
• Roberto Garbarino
• Manzone

Bian Ver

There are obscure grapes, and then there's Bian Ver. Gabriele Cordero came across this ancient Alpine grape in L'Autin's old vineyards in Barge, close to the Alps.

‘We fell in love with this variety’, he notes, however it wasn't authorised for vinification in Piedmont.

Cordero worked with Turin University and the regional body to secure its approval, gaining official recognition under Langhe Bianco.

The profile is immediately striking: aniseed, fennel and apricot behind a wall of acidity. ‘In a blind tasting, it would never be associated with an Italian variety,’ Cordero proclaims. ‘Its expression is much closer to Burgundy.’

Grapes like Bian Ver survive because somebody, somewhere, still believes they're worth the trouble. If you see it, taste it.

Producer to know:

• Gabriele Cordero

Grapes found in one small village, or only grown today thanks to the efforts of a handful of determined growers, is the epitome of the underdog; particularly in a region that's home to world-renowned Nebbiolo.

But as drinkers continue to seek freshness and a genuine sense of place in their wines, the Langhe's throwback varieties look remarkably current.

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A drink with...Richard Sharp of Urban Wine Co

Urban regeneration specialist Richard Sharp founded community winemaking project Urban Wine Co in south London in 2009. The collective now makes a series of still and sparkling cuvées, known to locals as Château Tooting, from grapes grown in back gardens, balconies and allotments across London and the southeast of England.

From Languedoc to Tooting: How this all started

I work for Wandsworth Council. My job involves working with communities and stakeholders, building homes for social rent. I’ve been doing this for over 30 years and I think it enables me to think differently about how to organize spaces within communities and urban areas.

‘In the late 1990s, I went to the Languedoc. We were on holiday in a tiny village called Ajac, and they were doing the annual harvest. Local people were recruited to help with the vendange as well. This friendly farmer said to myself and my kids: “Come and join in, get involved.” So the kids were playing on the tractor. They were really excited and that left a lasting impression on me.

‘I got back to London and I just happened to have two vines in the garden…I thought, “Could there be an opportunity to recreate that community spirit that’s so famous in France and other parts of Europe? Could we do an annual harvest in London?” That’s how it started.

‘I managed to recruit enough people to have a small amount of grapes and I found a winery: Bolney Estate. Sam Linter was a real mentor; I’d spent days ringing round vineyards and trying to explain the concept and a lot of wineries just didn’t get it. But she really liked the idea, so it’s thanks to her that it took off.

‘The first vintage proper, which was from 100 or so households, wasn't bad. But I think over the years, it's got progressively better, particularly the fizz.'

‘Urban Wine members pre-register for the harvest – they pay a £25 flat fee – which takes place at a local church in Tooting over a weekend in September. Members pay for their wine at harvest in advance, and they patiently wait for their wine to be returned to them. I think members love the fact that they have wine made from their own gardens.

‘Members can order as much or as little wine as they wish. So it means that people with an abundance of grapes don't have to buy back their full allocation in wine, and those with less grapes can purchase more.

‘This is a beautiful part of the collective where people who bring a lot of grapes don't always want lots of wine back; this is really generous, and I think a community-based approach to winemaking that feels really inclusive and welcoming.

‘On average we have between 150 and 200 households contributing every year. At each harvest we probably receive around 1.5 up to three tons of grapes.

‘Some people are regulars, some might come for one year and they don’t come for another year, then other people are new members. So I've never kept a count, but we've had thousands of people over the years.

‘Members bring their grapes to the collection point, usually via car, sometimes on bikes, sometimes on public transport. Someone from Finsbury Park came down on the tube with a bucket of grapes. Every year – for the last 15 years – Steve Buzzard cycles down from Camden with grapes in his saddle bags. So we get weird and wonderful methods of people bringing their grapes down to the harvest.'

Making the wine

‘Some people know what varieties of grapes they have. They will say it’s a Rondo, a Sauvignon, a Solaris, a Phoenix… but many people don’t know. So one year the Royal Horticultural Society identified about 150 different vine leaves.

‘What’s always been a bit of a logistical nightmare is choosing the harvest date, as we’re dealing with 150, 200 different locations every year. So we have to put our finger in the air and say, “Well, okay, we’re going to do it the third week of September,” for instance.

‘Toby Spiers at Downsview Vineyard [in East Sussex] is our current winemaker. [After Bolney] we worked with the brilliant Hapenny Green in Staffordshire for a number of years, but there was a bit of an issue with the fact that it was 130 miles away. So we were always looking for somewhere closer and Downsview Vineyard [in East Sussex] is only 35 miles away.

‘Working with a boutique, smaller winery seems to work really well for our members. We did two visit days this year: they met Toby, did a walk in the vineyard, had some cheese and charcuterie, took a bare-rooted vine away. It also brought members together to share tips and tricks.

‘For a few years now we have also bought in English wines. There wasn't enough volume of spare uber-pink Tooting wine to sell to people, but there was an appetite for more English wine. That also provides a gateway, because people who might not have tried an English red will drink it, and then they'll then go, actually, how do we get involved with Urban Wine? So it provides a wider audience for us.'

'A real sense of community'

‘My favourite part of Urban Wine is definitely the connections I've made with some amazing people across London. I've met so many lovely people. It's definitely built that community ethos I always wanted.

‘Every time I run a farmer's market or community event, there's always old and new friends that pop up, talk to me about how they've used Urban Wine to celebrate births, baptisms, parties... It's really sweet and it’s a real privilege to know that we've created something special.

‘We do make some good wine, considering where the grapes are drawn from. It kind of turns the conventions of winemaking on its head. I think it’s a combination of the brilliance of our winemakers, but also the love and attention that many of our members give to their grapes.

‘The Urban Wine Co provides people with a real sense of community and how to celebrate together. This is part of the vision I had originally when I first experienced that harvest in France all those years ago – people who are proud of what they grow and have some sort of communal celebration through drinking wine together.’

‘A sense of place and community shaped by things that people grow, as a traditional model of neighbourhoods, is probably how London used to operate around 150 years ago. That vision that I established through Urban Wine Company, is genuinely being carried out on streets and gardens of Tooting and wider London. It's the people, it's the place and it’s the cohesion and the tangibility; but it couldn't have been any of those things without the wine tasting good.'

Try our pink fizz with Stilton

‘I've had some really good Bacchuses recently. I like that kind of citrus, nettle, cut grass. Give me a Bacchus, that's great!

‘I think our pink fizz goes really well with a good blue cheese, something like a Stilton – try it also with spicy food. And then the white fizz, just try it with some oysters, that's just going to pair really well.

‘My advice to anyone that's thinking of setting up a community wine scheme? I'd say start small, because if you make a mistake, you can repair it. And have fun – I think you've got to do it for that reason.’

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The name promises a tower, but there is no tower at Château La Tour Figeac.

A mill once stood on top of an old well, and this is likely where the name comes from.

Today only the well remains, on the neighbouring property, and the mill is gone.

The estate was born out of the break-up of a larger property, Château Figeac, which sold off parcels in 1876 and again in 1879.

It was from the 1879 sale that the Corbière family bought land to create Château La Tour Figeac.

The new property did not stay together for long: in 1881 it was divided again, half becoming La Tour Figeac and the other half La Tour du Pin Figeac, a separate estate that still exists today.

Since 1973, Château La Tour Figeac has belonged to the Rettenmaier family of Heilbronn. They bought it shortly after their hunting friends, the von Neipperg family, took over the nearby Château Canon La Gaffelière.

The family's main business is not wine but transport: they run TII Group (Transporter Industry International), a special transport company.

It was Otto Maximilian Rettenmaier, the current owner, who brought the family closer to the wine side, taking over the management in 1994.

Ownership is shared today: Otto holds 50%, and the rest belongs to his father's eight grandchildren.

Three of these are Otto's own children, but only one of his daughters has shown any interest in wine, so it is not yet clear who, among the next generation, will take the estate forward.

Illustrious company

The location is one of the best addresses on the Right Bank. Château Cheval Blanc borders the property to the east, Château Figeac to the south, and Pomerol begins just a few rows of vines away to the north and west.

Château La Tour Figeac has been classified as a Grand Cru Classé since the very first Saint-Émilion classification, in 1955.

The vineyard covers 14.5 hectares in a single block, planted with 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. The soil is gravel and sandy clay over a clay subsoil, with more gravel on the side closer to Cheval Blanc.

Vine age is usually given as around 35 years, though Otto says this needs recalculation, since a number of parcels have been replanted over the years and the average is no longer very precise.

Some of this replanting is still ongoing: about 2.5 hectares have already been uprooted, and Otto thinks another 3ha or so may need to follow, a decision driven as much by the market as by climate adaptation.

Planting density is around 6,500 vines per hectare on average, and the most recent plots were planted at a much higher 7,900 vines per hectare but this is now changing.

For future plantings, the estate is looking at wider row spacing, which comes to roughly 6,700 vines per hectare – close to the old average density, and a step back from the recent high-density plots.

The idea is not to intensify further but to adapt to a warmer, drier climate, giving each vine more room and less competition for water.

Vineyard approach

In the meantime, 2026 has already been a difficult year for young vines, which have needed irrigation to cope with the stress.

The estate has worked with biodynamic-inspired methods since 1997, guided by Derenoncourt Consultant and, more recently, their partner Julien Lavenu.

The vineyard is not certified biodynamic – the approach borrows from biodynamic thinking without following it as a fixed rulebook.

Organic certification came later and briefly: the 2021 vintage was the first to be certified through Ecocert France, but the estate lost certification in 2024 after a difficult year forced it to use a treatment not allowed under organic rules.

The vineyard is not currently back in conversion.

Composers in the cellar

Grapes are picked by hand and sorted carefully on arrival at the cellar. In a difficult year, they will rent a densimetric sorter to help the manual selection.

Colour and tannin are extracted using both cap punching down and pumping over.

Fermentation takes place in a mix of stainless steel tanks and six wooden vats, each one named after a composer – Beethoven, Bach, Tchaikovsky, and Vivaldi are among them – a small sign of Otto's love of music.

Malolactic fermentation follows in oak, in a room kept apart for this purpose. Ageing lasts 13 to 15 months for the first wine and 10 to 13 months for the second.

The wines are aged in a mix of 225-litre and 400-litre barrels, with 40 to 50% new oak and at least a third of the barrel stock renewed every vintage.

There are also two 12-hectolitre foudres, and two Clayver spheres,. About 60,000 bottles are produced each year, all bottled at the estate.

Three wines are made at the estate, though not always in the same vintage. The Grand Vin makes between two-thirds and three-quarters of production.

It is joined, in most years, by two second wines: L'Esquisse, made from younger vines, and Cuvée Lucie 45, from selected parcels.

Château La Tour Figeac

Wines are listed youngest to oldest

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Just before dawn, the hills of Piedmont look half‑formed, as if the fog is still deciding what to reveal. We pull up at the edge of a small wood, and Macchia (‘Spot’) the dog hops out of her pillowed nest in the back seat of a mud‑spattered Fiat Panda 4x4.

Michele – one of Alba’s most respected trifulau – leads us into the quiet trees. Macchia, a cheerful dog with quick paws, trots ahead, nose low, tail slicing the mist like a metronome.

The ground is soft underfoot, a quilt of wet leaves; the forest air is cool and heavy, rich with the soft musk of wild mushrooms, rain‑darkened foliage, moss, damp bark, and a faint thread of distant woodsmoke.

‘Macchia always knows before I do. The forest smells different when a truffle is close,’ Michele whispers, as if loud words might unsettle any treasures buried beneath our feet.

We’re searching for Tuber magnatum Picco, the white truffle of Alba – ‘white gold’, as the locals call it.

What I learn over the next few days, as I follow Michele and Macchia through the waking woods, is that beyond their earthly allure, truffles awaken something in us, activating neural pathways in ways science is only just beginning to understand.

Hijacking the dog's brain

In a way, dogs like Macchia are the truffles’ first victims. The fungus hijacks their brains long before it hijacks ours.

As we walk deeper into the woods, Michele tells me that training begins when dogs are mere pups, still nursing.

‘When the puppies are newborn, we scent the mother’s teats very lightly with truffle oil,’ Michele explains. ‘Just enough so that the first smell they associate with comfort and feeding is the smell of truffle.’

The olfactory bulb in dogs is proportionally 40-times larger than in humans, and their scent memory is astonishingly durable. What humans experience as a fleeting perfume, dogs experience as a map, a story.

The first whiffs of truffle a newborn puppy perceives become associated with nourishment, warmth and safety, forming lasting pathways in its neural circuitry.

‘When they smell truffles later, even years later, it wakes up something from when they were tiny. It’s the memory of their mother. They can’t ignore it,’ says Michele.

Once the puppies are weaned, the training becomes more deliberate. Michele hides small pieces of truffle in cloth pouches and buries them shallowly in the soil.

The dogs learn to dig gently, using only their paws, never their teeth. They’re taught patience, restraint, and the subtle art of the hunt.

‘For the dog, the joy is in the digging. The truffle is the prize, yes, but the hunt – that’s what they love,’ Michele says, watching Macchia zigzag through the underbrush.

Macchia is a Lagotto Romagnolo, the curly‑coated breed famous for its truffle‑hunting prowess. But Michele is quick to point out that the breed alone doesn’t make a hunter.

‘Lagotti are wonderful dogs,’ he says. ‘But when it comes to finding truffles together, what matters is the bond. Your dog is your partner. The dog has to want to work with you, not for you.’

When Macchia catches a trace of truffle, her entire posture changes. Her tail stiffens, her breathing shifts, her gait becomes laser‑focused.

This is dopamine at work – the neurotransmitter of anticipation; the same reward circuitry that fires in humans when we smell truffles also fires in dogs when they search for it.

‘Watch her paws’, says Michele.

Macchia begins to dig with a practiced, almost delicate rhythm. Each stroke is measured carefully, as if she understands the value of what lies beneath.

The earth loosens, dark and fragrant, releasing a faint, humid warmth. Michele kneels and places a hand gently on the dog’s flank.

‘She knows when to stop. That’s the difference between a good dog and a great one,’ he says.

And then, there it is: a pale, knobbly orb no larger than a walnut, streaked with the faint marks of the forest.

When Macchia steps back, Michele takes over, brushing away the last layer of soil with his fingers. Up close, it looks less like a fungus and more like a tiny buried relic.

‘Every truffle is a little treasure’, he says. ‘Its whole life is written on the surface: snail trails, a gentle scratch from a dog’s paw, tiny fissures from the earth pressing and releasing, even the imprint of the roots it grew against.’

Why we can't resist truffles

In 2025, a Hong Kong bidder paid €110,000 for a 1.009‑kilogram Alba truffle at the World Truffle Auction, hosted in the elegant castle of Grinzane Cavour.

To understand why people pay thousands – or tens of thousands – for these subterranean wonders, you have to understand how scent works.

‘Unlike sight or sound, smell bypasses the brain’s usual filters,’ says Paul J. Zak, founding director at the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, Claremont Graduate University.

‘Odour molecules travel straight from the olfactory bulb to the amygdala, hippocampus, and orbitofrontal cortex, the regions responsible for emotion, memory and reward respectively.

‘Scent is the only sense that is not gated through processing pathways: the olfaction response communicates directly to areas in the brain that process emotions.’

Paolo Montanaro, CEO of Tartuflanghe is one of the premier exporters of white truffles in Alba. After pursuing a degree in chemistry at the University of Turin, he joined his father’s company.

‘From a chemical standpoint, the intense and “intoxicating” aroma of white truffle comes from an extremely complex mixture of volatile compounds – over 100 different molecules – that readily evaporate and reach our olfactory system,’ he explains.

‘Sulphur-containing compounds are the primary drivers: they contribute earthy, cabbage-like, garlicky, and aged cheese notes, and are highly potent even in trace amounts.

Among them, 2,4-dithiapentane is considered the signature molecule of white truffle, responsible for its most characteristic, penetrating, sulphurous aroma.

‘Truffles also contain compounds such as androstenone and androstenol, which are structurally similar to mammalian pheromones.

’These molecules have musky, animal-like notes and contribute to the seductive and persistent quality of the aroma.

'They also explain why animals such as pigs and dogs are naturally drawn to truffles, as they are particularly sensitive to these compounds.’

Truffle paradox

There’s a paradox at the heart of truffle lust: these aromas – musk, damp earth, decay – should repel, yet they signal luxury.

At restaurants across Alba, white truffles are shaved over agnolotti del plin, melted into silky fonduta, and even curled into thin petals atop creamy gelato.

‘Rare or unusual scents are more sought after because new things enable humans to acquire new information that could help them survive or reproduce,’ notes Zak.

‘The brain always puts higher value on the “new, new thing”. It’s plausible that attraction to earthy, musky, and sulphurous compounds helped early humans identify food sources, assess food safety, and interpret environmental signals. Today, this same sensitivity contributes to the appeal of truffles.’

Novelty, rarity, and complexity become intertwined with prestige. Over centuries, cultures have elevate these once‑strange aromas into symbols of sophistication.

Wine and truffles: A fascinating combination

‘Wine and truffles speak the same aromatic language’, says Montanaro.

‘Aged Nebbiolo develops mushroom, underbrush, and dried rose notes, mirroring truffle aromatics: a perfect example of “aroma bridging”.

'At the same time, the wine’s acidity increases the volatility of truffle compounds and cleanses the palate of fats, so the aroma becomes even more vivid.’

Scientific research shows that soil microbial communities directly influence truffle aroma.

Truffles are mycorrhizal fungi, living in symbiosis with tree roots (oak, hazel, poplar, linden). These roots release nutrients that sustain a microbiome of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi.

‘As in wine, there is a concept of microbial terroir, where differences in soil microbiota influence aroma intensity and complexity,’ Montanaro explains.

‘The final scent is not produced by the fungus alone, but by a complex ecosystem of microorganisms.

‘An experienced nose can identify nuances such as hazelnut notes, honeyed tones from linden trees, the sharper intensity of truffles associated with oak, or more garlicky profiles from specific hills.

'Soil composition, such as calcareous or clay-rich areas, also contributes to subtle differences in aroma.’

One enduring mystery

The science lingers in my mind, but here, among the roots and leaf litter, it becomes something tangible.

Macchia’s nose twitches; Michele’s eyes scan the ground with the intuition he’s earned from truffle hunting for over 40 years.

When Macchia pauses again, Michele kneels beside her. The two share a look, a tiny exchange of trust, and then he begins to dig with practiced care.

A few moments later, he lifts a truffle from the soil as gently as if it were a living thing. Macchia proudly wags her tail, and Michele’s loving pats and scratches are the payment she expects and so obviously adores.

But for all we’ve learned, truffles remain stubbornly mysterious.

‘We still do not fully understand why, within the same forest or truffle ground, under identical environmental conditions, only certain tree roots develop the symbiotic relationship that produces truffles,’ says Montanaro.

‘It remains, in part, a fascinating mystery’.

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Reviews by Amy Wislocki unless stated otherwise.

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