My Most Memorable Wines of 2023
My most memorable wines of 2023 aren’t the most highly rated and reviewed – although they do include a 100-rated wine from Château La Nerthe – but the ones that told unforgettable stories inspired by experiences in some of the world’s famous wine regions.
On a surfing holiday in Algarve, Portugal, my wife Emma and I, and my son Logan went to Vila Vita Parc for a Portuguese Wine Tasting in their 11,000-bottle cellar (29/04), and were impressed with Filipa Pato’s Nossa Calcário Branco 2020, a biodynamic 100% Bical from 25 year old vines grown on chalky clay soils and fermented in 500L barrels. An incisive white. Filipa creates wines that tell their unique story.
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We enjoyed an ‘undiscovered’ indigenous variety in Arinto 2020 Quinta do Barranco Longo as an aperitif before Logan’s birthday lunch (30/04) at Vila Joya Sea, one of the world’s best beach bars. The Barranco Longo estate is located in the heart of Algarve where the clay-limestone terroir and 3,000 hours of sunshine per year helps ensure quality. Produced from Arinto, the wine was bracingly racy and mineral, the somm likened it to a dry Riesling.
quintadobarrancolongo.com
Emma and I enjoyed a couple of glasses of delicious Anselmo Mendes Muros Antigos Alvarinho 2021 on a beautiful afternoon at Salusbury Wine Bar (14/05, the day before London Wine Fair 2023. Made from the noble Alvarinho grape variety, grown exclusively in the sub-region of Monção and Melgaço. Pure, intense with three months on lees with stirring to give a richness for balancing high acidity. Exceptional value from a master of Portugal’s Vinho Verde (we bought a case).
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I loved two of Tim Atkin’s 3 ‘must discover’ wines at LWF 2023: Zuccardi Poligonos San Pablo Verdejo 2020 sourced from the San Pablo Vineyard, 1400m above sea level in Mendoza, Argentina. This 100% Verdejo was fermented in concrete vats at the Valle de Uco Winery. Wonderfully crisp and fresh.
The second, the excellent single-vineyard Familia Deicas Atlántico Sur Albariño 2022 made by influential winemaker Santiago Deicas from an extreme site in Uruguay. Bright, expressive Albariño with a distinct maritime, saline freshness from Atlantic Ocean influences.
I also liked two of Jamie Goode’s 3 ‘must discover’ wines at LWF 2023: Amoise Amphora Gamay Noir 2022 made by Amy Farnsworth who makes fresh and lively artisanal wines from small organic vineyards around Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. Grown on the famed Two Terraces vineyard in the Mangatahi Terraces, this natural wine was obviously inspired by the winemaker’s time working in Beaujolais. Super fresh and delicate from its time spent in contact with the clay amphora.
amoisewines.co.nz
The second, Julien Schaal’s Mountain Vineyards Pinot Noir 2021, an elegant ‘French’ Pinot Noir made in Elgin Valley, South Africa. A bright ruby red, the nose has delicate earthy aromas and on the palate has some interesting savoury notes and a hint of oak.
julienschaal.com
After presenting Ziraldo Vidal Icewine to Luca Gagliardi at the newly opened Soirée Wine Bar in the Opus building by Zaha Hadid, Dubai (19/05), over dinner with Donald Ziraldo at Roka I chose a Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio 2020 from Friuli (in honour of where Donald is from). Full-bodied, crisp, rounded with minerality. Complex mouthfeel with white peaches, lychees, apples and a long finish. Pinot Grigio at its finest. (And, Luca selected Ziraldo Vidal Icewine to be served by Emirates Airlines).
liviofelluga.com
Château La Nerthe is a beautiful estate in Châteauneuf Du Pape which we last visited four years ago. On a southern Rhône Valley trip with Emma and Logan, (30/07), Christophe Bristiel arranged a privileged tour and tasting for us including the 100-rated Château La Nerthe 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Clos de Beauvenir Blanc. I think this was my first time tasting ‘a perfect wine’ (at least in Jeb Dunnuck’s opinion). Interestingly, our friends Simone and Richard preferred the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc 2021.
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We had a visit and a brilliant tasting with Julien Bréchet at Domaine des Bosquets, one of the most exciting contemporary producers in the Southern Rhône (31/07). One highlight was 2020 Domaine des Bosquets La Colline, a single vineyard selection of all Grenache (80% destemmed) then aged for 18 months in demi-muids. Delicious; it ranked 12/100 in Jeb Dunnock’s top 100 wines of 2023.
vinvm.co.uk
On a business trip to incredible India (29/08-02/09), I managed a reservation at Masque Mumbai (World’s 50 Best Asia). I had a chat with Chef Varun Totlani before the innovative 10-course Chef’s tasting menu. I had two really interesting wines over dinner: a sophisticated and delicate Chandon Rosé, a 100% Shiraz sparkling rosé from Nashik, Maharashtra, India. And, a complex kus tavaan Skin Contact Chenin Blanc, India’s first orange wine. Only 300 bottles made exclusively for Masque Mumbai (Rajat Parr also loved this wine on a later visit).
chandon.co.in
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Finally, we opened a Danbury Ridge Chardonnay 2021 England (13.5%) and a Danbury Ridge Pinot Noir 2021 England (13.0%) with Raymond Blanc’s Perfect Roast Turkey on Christmas Day. Both wines were impressive but the Chardonnay was the highlight. Jancis Robinson in ‘The best white wines for Christmas 2023,’ (FT Magazine) said: “All I’ll say is that you have to taste this Essex game-changer.” Well, it is a game-changer. It could have been a Montrachet from the Côte de Beaune. It reminded me of my ‘surprise’ when I first tasted a 1998 Temkin-Paskus Chardonnay from Niagara, a testament to the world-class wines that Canada – and now England – can produce.
danburyridge.com