Progressive wineries to keep an eye on in 2020
Chile: Vik, www.vik.cl
Norwegian-uruguayan billionaire Alexander Vik wanted to make the best wine in South America. He employed French consultant Patrick Valette to make it happen. Vik’s new winery in Cachapoal valley south of Santiago looks almost spaceage. Their Bordeaux-style blends are really making waves. My favourite is rich, supple, lush, peppery French-oak matured Vik Milla Cala Vina 2012, £35, Corney & Barrow; Slurp; Hicwinemerchants.
South Africa: Lismore, www.lismore.co.za
Californian ex-pat Samantha O’keefe chose a remote location under the snowy Riviersonderend mountains at 300m altitude near Greyton to plant vines back in 2003. She has been remarkably successful on the shale over clay soils. Best is her barrelfermented French oakmatured Lismore Chardonnay 2016, £25.99, Exel Wines, Perth.
Argentina: Riccitelli, www.matiasriccitelli.com
Salta-born Matias Riccitelli has created his own boutique winery in Las Compuertas in Mendoca. His best white is Old Vines Semillon 2019, £31, Exel Wines, with its rich, intense, honeyed, creamy mouthfeel from vines planted at 1,000 metres altitude in the 1950s and matured in oak and concrete eggs. His best value red is the gutsy, opulent, peppery Hey Malbec! 2018, £10.99/£12.99, Majestic Wine, made from old vines in Mendoza’s Lujan de Cuyo.
Australia: Stargazer, www.stargazerwine.com. au
Kiwi Samantha Connew moved to Tasmania five years ago to work for Morilla estate and set up her own wine label, Stargazer. She bought a small vineyard, Palinsander, in Tea Tree subregion of Coal River Valley near Hobart to supply grapes for her own wines. Stargazer Riesling 2018, £27, Exel Wines; Luvians; Great Western Wine, is made in minute quantities, but shows the island’s potential with its bright acidity, citric sweetness and juicy mouthfeel.
France: Cedric Bouchard
Ex-sommelier Cedric Bouchard makes only single vineyard, single variety (pinot noir), single vintage champagnes – memorable for their richness. Infloresence Blanc de Noirs Côte de Val Vilaine, £50, www.vinetrail. co.uk, www.robersonwine. com, is rich, dense and vinous.
Spain: Ximenez-spinola, www.ximenezspinola. com
Unlike any other Jerez bodega, Ximenez-spinola work with one grape, pedro ximenez. I particularly like winemaker Jose Antonio Zarzana’s offdry white table wine: PX Exceptional Harvest 2017, £22.99, Luvians; Fine Wine Musselburgh. Made from lateharvested grapes left on the vine; unique aroma of figs and prunes.
Hungary: Sebestyen Pince, www.sebestyenszekszard.hu
The Sebestyen family’s small winery in southern Hungary focuses on 22 hectares, half of which they own themselves – making wine in an old garageturned-winery. Winemaker Csaba and his sister Csilla (ex-sommelier at Andrew Fairlie) make deliciously vibrant cherry-fruited spicy Sebestyen Kadarka 2017, £14.50, www.woodwinters. com.
Austria: Pichler-krutzler, www.pichler-krutzler.au
Elizabeth Pichler, daughter of white winemaker FX Pichler in Wachau, and Erich Krutzler, a red winemaker from southern Burgenland, are one of Austrian wine’s new power couples. Pichler-krutzler Riesling Kellerberg 2015, £42, www.raeburnfinewines.com, is gorgeously rich in a juicy, baroque style with minerally notes and honeyed richness.
New Zealand: Te Whare Ra, www.twrwines.co.nz
Aussie Anna and Kiwi Jason Flowerday focus on low yields from old vines from their organic and biodynamicallyrun 11 hectare vineyard. My favourite is gingery, rich, spicy Te Whare Ra SV5182 Gewurztraminer 2017, £24, L’art du Vin, www.aduv.co.uk; Les Caves de Pyrene, www. lescaves.co.uk.
England: Black Chalk, www.blackchalkwine. co.uk
Jacob Leadley is a talented winemaker who quit his job in the city to create wines which typify Hampshire’s chalklands. The best is Black Chalk Classic 2015, £35, Vino Wines & Cornelius Wines in Edinburgh; elegant creamy fizz with floral appley aromas, which focuses on pinot meunier alongside chardonnay and pinot noir.
Oregon: Nicolas Jay, www.nicolas-jay.com
Jean Nicolas Meo-camuzet is one of several Burgundians who have been lured across the Atlantic to exciting pinot noir country in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2016 Nicolas Jay, £72, www.bbr.com, tastes like a bridge between earthy, ripe Oregon pinot and elegant structured Côte de Nuits.
Italy: Montecarrubo Estate
Peter Vinding Diers has made wine around the world and bought Montecarrubo in Melilli, Sicily, because he felt it was the perfect place to plant syrah. His top wine is Il Carrubo, but I preferred more accessible Il Piccolo Vinding Montecarrubo 2017, £29, www. swig.co.uk: a deliciously ripe, peppery syrah with minerally undertones. n
Join Rose’s Chile v Argentina wine tasting on 21 February in Scores Hotel, St Andrews, Fife, £36, www.rose murraybrown. com