Steven Spurrier’s fine wine world

Decanter’s long-standing consultant editor hand-picks fine wines for drinking now and recommends others to lay down, based on tastings in the past month.

From the cellar

Saintsbury Club dinner

At the 171st dinner of the Saintsbury Club in October we were served a trio of 2000 clarets, all (as is every wine served on these occasions) presented by one of the 50 male members, who are split between industries of wine, arts and letters.

Following the Dom Pérignon 2002 on arrival at the Vintners’ Hall – fuller than expected – came a splendid Broadbent, Verdelho, Madeira 1954, rich and warm with lively acidity. The solitary white was an exceptionally good Jean-Noël Gagnard, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2009.

Then, with a confit of duck leg, lentils, pancetta, wild mushroom and mashed potato, came the 2000 clarets: De Fieuzal,Pessac-Léognan was broadly youthful but not really going anywhere; Du Tertre, Margaux was classic and firm, showing Margaux fragrance as it opened up; and the La Fleur-Pétrus, Pomerol, easily dominated – a really great wine, elegantly earthy with a decade and more in front of it.

With the cheese came Croft 1977, a rich and surprisingly vigorous Port in its 40th year, spicy and warm, while coffee was served with a Bas-Armagnac 1983, landed in Bristol in 1996 and bottled in 2008, presented by eau-de-vie specialist John Barrett – a truly spirited way to end another great evening.

For the cellar

Douro reds 2015

Members of The New Douro showcased their wines last year under the title ‘Taste along the River’. Since many burst on the London scene 20 years ago under the Douro Boys banner, their wines have shown a fascinating trajectory, and the red 2015s were deemed their best ever.

In his speech,Cristiano van Zeller of Quinta Vale D. Maria said that until 1970 almost all the Douro vineyards were field blends planted at a high density of 8,000 vines per hectare. Tractors have now replaced mules and broad terraces have been carved out, density has halved and varietal planting is now the norm. ‘But the best blend in the vat still comes from a field blend in the vineyard,’ he stressed.

Most wines listed here (all 92-95pts and drinking 2019-2030) are just that: Casa Ferreirinha, Callabriga (importer Liberty Wines); Duas Quintas, Reserva (MMD); Poeira (Fields Morris & Verdin); Niepoort, Batuta and Charme (Raymond Reynolds); Quinta do Crasto, Reserva Old Vines (Enotria & Coe); Quinta do Vallado, Reserva Field Blend (Bibendum-PLB); Quinta Vale D Maria, Curriculum Vitae (Tanners); Quinta do Vale Meão, Tinta Roriz (Raymond Reynolds); and Wine & Soul’s Pintas and Quinta da Manoella VV from vines planted in 1900 (Corney & Barrow).

Steven Spurrier recommends: