Great names of Riesling
Amy Wislocki
It’s never hard to entice wine writers to taste Riesling, and even easier when the wines are made jointly by two famous estates. Decanter Hall of Fame Award winner in 2005, Ernst Loosen heads up the famous Dr Loosen estate in Mosel, Germany. In 1985, he met Peter Barry of Jim Barry Wines in Australia’s Clare Valley. The two hit it off and in 2010, Peter’s son Tom travelled to Mosel to work a vintage with Erni.
It was only a matter of time before the two estates decided to create a wine together. Fast forward to 2016, and the first vintage of the LoosenBarry, Wolta Wolta Dry Riesling, made in Clare Valley ‘in the way that my great-grandfather made Riesling’, Erni says. The wine is produced in a large oak cask (3,000 litres) and aged for two years on lees, crucially with no batonnage. ‘Long lees contact can give spectacular results,’ says Erni, ‘and when you don’t stir, the yeasts stay alive.’ Seek out the 2017 vintage (£70-£73 Cru, Waud Handford, Wine Republic), new to the UK, cooler and more youthful in style than the richer, creamier 2016 (look out for a museum release next spring) and in its beautiful, vibrant prime.
A new wine was also previewed, the Slate Hill Riesling, aged on lees for the same two-year period, but in stainless steel not oak. Due for release next February by Lay & Wheeler (£25.99), the first vintage, 2023, shows intense lime and lemon sherbet purity, and generosity from the extended lees ageing.
Bodega Norton: 130 years nurturing talent
Ines Salpico
At a time when uncertainty and change seem to be the only constants, it’s both refreshing and reassuring to spend time with people whose passion, talent and knowledge have been supported by forward-thinking entrepreneurs and a committed, equally talented team.
Over the years, Norton has not only nurtured but also retained a remarkable pool of professionals, now led by head winemaker David Bonomi, who first joined the Mendoza winery in 2002, under the mentorship of the great Jorge Riccitelli. Bonomi – who has since become one of Argentina’s ‘greats’ himself – was in London recently as part of a commemorative tour, marking the 130th anniversary of Bodega Norton.
While he brought with him superb library bottles – two Malbecs, from 1994 and 1974, were memorable both for their nuance and enduring vividness – Norton’s core range also made an important statement. Available at Waitrose for, respectively, £15 (2022) and £17.50 (2021), the Winemaker’s Reserve Malbec and Finca Agrelo Reserve Malbec were equally impressive for their approachable finesse and outstanding value.
A bright spark in Roero
Natalie Earl
Elisabetta Feimi with wine export consultant Tommaso Portieri
At a bustling London tasting recently, a young woman greeted me with a warm smile: ‘Ciao, I’m Elisabetta.’ Despite a long day pouring and talking about her wines, she had a sparkle in her eyes. ‘This is our family winery and I’m the next generation’. Amid the buzz, I had eyes and ears only for her. Elisabetta Feimi, just 25, runs the family estate Cascina Lanzarotti in Roero, Piedmont, with her uncle Carlo Ferrero.
When I asked what her role was, she looked mildly perplexed: ‘Well, everything. We all do everything.’ After studying viticulture and oenology, she joined full-time last year. She’s already improved visitor facilities and overseen a label change, UK distribution and Equalitas sustainability certification.
Built in 1883 by her great-grandfather, the estate began as a mixed farm, with vines, cows, plums and peaches. Today, 11ha of its 22ha are planted to Arneis, Nebbiolo and Barbera, the rest to woodland and fruit and nut trees. I was charmed not only by Elisabetta, but also the wines. The white Roero Arneis 2024 (£24.45 The Modest Merchant) is floral, salty and lipsmacking; Sfuso Vino Rosso 2024 (£17.45) is bursting with wild strawberry. My friends would love its lightness, drinkability and fruity flavours; I can’t wait to bring it to our next gathering.
Clinet’s fresh new expressions
Georgie Hindle
In the heart of Pomerol, where prestige often equates to exclusivity, Ronan Laborde is redefining Bordeaux’s narrative. Taking the helm at Château Clinet in 2004 after his family’s 1999 acquisition, Laborde – a trained oenologist and former president of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux – has preserved the estate’s excellent grand vin (alongside neighbouring estate Château Lécuyer) while boldly expanding into accessible expressions.
Spanning 11.5ha of gravel-clay terroir dominated by Merlot, Clinet produces just 3,000 cases annually of its ageworthy flagship and 533 cases of its second wine since 2016, Fleur de Clinet, of which the 2022 is ripe and heady yet fresh, fragrant and succulent, young still and capable of ageing, but delicious today (price will be in the region of £48).
But Laborde’s innovation has broadened the estate’s reach with the impressive and versatile By Clinet range. Using the same knowhow, technical precision and drive for quality, By Clinet Pomerol blends select grower fruit from the appellation’s diverse soils and is aged in second-fill barrels for freshness.
The 2022 (US$43 Harrison Wine Vault) is attractive, with dark fruit, liquorice and chalky tannins. Beyond Pomerol, Ronan by Clinet red (Right Bank Merlot-Cabernet since 2009) and white (Sauvignon-Semillon from vineyards in the Entre-deux-Mers, Ronan Laborde under screwcap) offer everyday enjoyment – perfect for family get-togethers – with easy drinkability and fun labels! The red 2020 is soft, juicy, structured and charming, while the white 2024 is bright and refreshing with a crisp citrussy core (both £15-£17 where available). Production is bigger yet the quality echoes Clinet’s savoir-faire, all the while attracting younger palates back to Bordeaux with these value-driven bottles.
Fizz in the rain (and sun)
James Button
Sarah Abbott MW. Credit: James Button
A July Saturday of rain and sunshine in equal measure (classic English summer vibes) marked the first edition of Fizzy Fest in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. Dubbed ‘the UK’s first-ever festival dedicated to Prosecco Superiore DOCG’, it was the brainchild of Czech-born Kristýna Weston, who opened La Dolce Bolla bar in the riverside town in July last year after being disappointed at the lack of availability of good-quality Prosecco in the UK.
Sarah Abbott MW was on hand to host some informal, stand-up tastings, while I also caught up with Alistair Cooper MW, who was there in a strictly non-work capacity! Producers were pouring a range of wines, including the rare but (in my opinion) rather delicious sui lieviti (aka col fondo), in which the second fermentation takes place in bottle with no disgorgement. If you’re into good Prosecco and live within reach of Marlow, you need to check out La Dolce Bolla next time round!
