What is Premiere Napa Valley?  Inspired in part by the Hospices de Beaune, Premiere Napa Valley (PNV) is a wine auction that takes place every February in Napa. The week around the auction is filled with tastings and events relating to PNV. The auction is only open to members of the wine trade, most often merchants or restaurants who will then sell the wine exclusively to their clients. Today, Sotheby’s runs the actual auction. It first took place in 1997.  Which wines are auctioned off at Premiere Napa Valley?  The lots are all made specifically for the auction, one-of-a-kind wines that otherwise wouldn’t exist. Only members of the Napa Valley Vintners can make wines for the auction, and sometimes producers will collaborate on a lot. The lots normally comprise 240, 120 or 60 bottles, coming from AVAs across the region. These limited bottlings are often of a variety or vineyard not normally bottled separately, or a special blend or collaboration. The wines all come from the same vintage – harvest just under a year and a half prior to the auction (so the 2023 vintage is being offered in 2025), and tastings of these lots offer the first comprehensive view of a vintage to the trade.  Who organises Premiere Napa Valley and where does the money raised go?  The event is organised by Napa Valley Vintners. Napa Valley Vintners is an association of producers established in 1943 and formalised in 1944, a forum to exchange ideas and work as a group to overcome challenges as well as elevate the reputation of the valley’s wines. Napa Valley Vintners also organises Auction Napa Valley (previously knowns as the Napa Valley wine Auction) which was created in 1981 and takes place every summer.  Alongside its efforts to champion the region and its wines, investing in the local community is a huge focus: since 1981, the group has raised over $230 million for local non-profits – supporting healthcare and education, as well as environmental work. Today, 539 wineries are members of the organisation. The 29th iteration of Premiere Napa Valley, held in 2025, raised $3.3 million, a new record for sales. You can find out more about Napa Valley Vintners’ philanthropic work, which operates under Collective Napa Valley, and their current initiatives on their website.  Read more about Napa or browse all current Napa listings Photography: Alexander Rubin, courtesy of Premiere Napa Valley

Created by Napa Valley Vintners, the Premiere Napa Valley wine auction takes place every February. Here’s everything you need to know about the event and the lots on offer 

Everything you need to know about Premiere Napa Valley – California’s famous charity wine auction, organised by Napa Valley Vintners 

What is Premiere Napa Valley? About the famous wine auction

What is Premiere Napa Valley? 

Highlights of the programme: Daniel Johnnes (right) and Brunello Cucinelli (middle) introduce the programme and present Michel Troisgros (left) as the guest chef of La Paulée in Solomeo. A vertical tasting of Castello di Solomeo, featuring the 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 vintages, was led by Michele Baiocco (enologist), Pietro Grelloni (winemaker) and Riccardo Cotarella (consultant winemaker) on the first night. From left to right: Cristian Rimoldi (Champagne Salon and Champagne Delamotte), Olivier Krug (Champagne Krug), Guillaume d'Angerville (Domaine Marquis d'Angerville), Saskia de Rothschild (Château Lafite Rothschild and Château L'Évangile), Brunello Cucinelli, Pierre-Henry Gagey (Maison Louis Jadot), Daniel Johnnes (La Paulée) and Jacky Rigaux (University of Burgundy) at the winery at Castello di Solomeo. View over the vineyards from the winery at Castello di Solomeo, inspired by a Renaissance garden. Sir John Hegarty tasting the 2022 vintages of Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Duhart-Milon and Château L’Évangile. Brunello Cucinelli's CEOs, Riccardo Stefanelli (left) and Luca Lisandroni (right), at the tasting in the hamlet of Solomeo. Guests are gathering at the Cucinelli Theatre in Solomeo, waiting for the conference to begin. Olivier Krug, sharing how Champagne Krug embodies quality, innovation and a deep respect for tradition, while staying true to its enduring family values. Brunello Cucinelli (left) with Michelin-starred chef Michel Troisgros (right), who traveled from Roanne to Solomeo with his esteemed kitchen team led by César Troisgros. The remarkable lineup for the final dinner (from left to right): 2010 Chevalier-Montrachet, Grand Cru, Les Demoiselles, Maison Louis Jadot (from jéroboam) 1986 Château Cheval Blanc 2017 Volnay, Premier Cru, Clos des Ducs Monopole, Domaine Marquis d’Angerville 1988 Château Lafite Rothschild (from double magnum) 2018 Castello di Solomeo (from magnum) Champagne Krug Rosé 21ème Edition (from magnum) 1988 Château d’Yquem 2013 Champagne Salon Champagne Delamotte Brut (from jéroboam) All images by Enrico Galletti (Brunello Cucinelli).

FINE+RARE, in partnership with Brunello Cucinelli and La Paulée, hosted an exceptional gathering on 13th and 14th of November 2024. This exclusive event, inspired by Burgundy’s traditional end-of-harvest celebration, was held in the breathtaking village of Solomeo, Umbria—home to Brunello Cucinelli.

In November FINE+RARE invited to an exceptional gathering inspired by Burgundy’s traditional end-of-harvest celebration in Solomeo, Umbria.     

Castello di Solomeo Welcomes La Paulée

Until I joined Vinfolio, the US arm of our business, I hadn’t heard of Ch. Belle-Brise. But I rapidly fell in love with this little-known, yet much-loved Pomerol property. Our retrospective was to be held at three-star Michelin SingleThread in Healdsburg (Sonoma County, California), and examine 23 vintages of Belle-Brise, from 2020 all the way back to 1993. As proprietor Henri-Bruno de Coincy unfortunately couldn’t make it to our event, I was tasked with hosting on his behalf, and gave him a call to learn more about what he feels are the most important details to share about his property. (My degree in French, which was instrumental in my becoming a sommelier, proved to be quite useful. While M de Coincy speaks four languages, English is not one of them.) During our conversation, I confirmed the embarrassment of riches as far as what sets Belle Brise apart from its illustrious neighbours. Located in the southwestern corner of the already diminutive Pomerol appellation, Belle-Brise consists of only two hectares (around five acres) of vines. Planted to 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the vines average 70 years in age, with some 110 years old. The vines are farmed biodynamically, using horses to complete the necessary labour in the vineyard. While the subsoils have a mix of clay and sand, they also possess the famous crasse de fer – the iron-rich sand that is said to impart the aroma of truffles, a facet which only reveals itself as the wine ages. M de Coincy refers to Belle-Brise as his “jardin” (indeed, while the family spends much of their time in Armagnac, the house at the heart of the vineyard is very much their second home) and takes great pride in the fact that everything can be harvested by hand in a single day. 
Wine has been made at Belle-Brise since the 18th century, but the property did not see its first commercial release until 1991, after M de Coincy acquired the estate, with the wine sold only to family and friends before that date. If you are familiar with your Bordeaux vintages, you will know that 1991, ’92, and ’93 were all extremely difficult harvests. While not the auspicious start he may have hoped for, it did offer an opportunity to explore the vineyard and learn how to best care for it. Today the winemaking is identical from year to year, with the vintage – and site – speaking loudest. The wines are fermented in concrete before being placed in a third new, a third second-use and a third third-use 400-litre barrels, the traditional size used for Armagnac, rather than the more conventional 225-litre Bordeaux barrique. The Coincy family has been making Armagnac for 32 generations and over 700 years, so the exact size is not arbitrary, but the decision to use larger barrels is also deliberate – reducing the impact of the wood on the final wine. While the story of the château and the history of the De Coincys are both compelling, I must return to what is most important to keep in mind when tasting Belle-Brise: elegance and finesse. Serving Pomerol with kaiseki-influenced Japanese cuisine (as at SingleThread) may not be the obvious choice, however the delicacy of the wines ensured that the harmony of the dishes was kept intact, leading to many unexpected moments of delight. Unsurprisingly, exceptional vintages were beautifully cohesive and balanced, however, it was the less well-respected vintages (2011, 2004, 2002, 2018 and 2008, among others) that truly showed how attention to detail and care can surmount challenges that nature may present. While we were not able to taste every vintage of Belle-Brise (with the tiny volumes produced, the family simply doesn’t have stocks of everything), this retrospective tasting was one of the largest ever presented. The favourite vintage among guests on the night was 2011, a vintage which also came up in my conversation with M de Coincy, as it has been chosen as the “desert island” of wine professionals and aficionados many times before. The most interesting flight for me came later in the meal, with the 2004, ’03, and ’02 grouped together. These vintages all presented different challenges during the growing season. The 2002 saw extreme rain in many parts of France, with heavy downpours affecting flowering and fruit set. The 2003 saw a summer with extreme heat, which taught many lessons that were applied in 2022. Lastly, the 2004 had a larger harvest on the whole, but the vintage is often forgotten, left in 2005’s long shadow. In the glass, however, the 2002 was pure and bright, with the 2003 showing its suntan but still refined, and the 2004 had a concentration and depth that was remarkable (especially as the wines were all around two decades old).  Regardless of vintage, elegance and finesse were constant throughout the entire evening, reminding me of a concept I learned in one of my French philosophy classes at university. If my memory serves me correctly, Michel de Montaigne proposed in his Essais the concept of a “forme maîtrise” or master form when referring to the evolution of a person as they age, and as something that cannot be easily defined in simple terms. While I am now much different than I was at age five, 15, 25, etc, there is still a governing sense of self (or possibly a single thread) that connects the person writing this to the child I once was. As we continued to taste through the vintages of Belle Brise, this forme maîtrise kept asserting itself, via the performance of the wine in the glass, reminding me of the “garden” where these wines were made. As many of the variables seen at other châteaux (differing blends, oak regimes, etc) remain constant at Belle-Brise year after year, one can focus on the vintage and its effect on the wine in the glass. This results in a singular experience, when one can truly feel the sense of place that only certain wines can offer. Explore all current listings of Ch. Belle-Brise or discover more about our experiences.

Earlier this month, we hosted a dinner celebrating Ch. Belle-Brise, exploring this Pomerol estate via 23 vintages back to 1993. Here, Scott Turnbull MS – Director of Private Clients at our US arm, Vinfolio – considers the event and the golden thread that connects each vintage of this special wine

Master Sommelier Scott Turnbull dives into what defines Ch. Belle-Brise, the special Pomerol estate, via a rare vertical tasting of vintages back to 1993

Ch. Belle-Brise – the walled garden of Pomerol

Ch. Belle-Brise: discovering the walled garden of Pomerol

The Vauthier family is among Saint-Emilion’s most influential. The custodians of Ch. Ausone, they have been knocking about this medieval village since the 17th century, with the young team running Ausone today the 11th generation to make wine there. But the Vauthiers’ presence in Saint-Emilion spreads far beyond Ch. Ausone. They have also been in charge of neighbouring estate Ch. Moulin Saint-Georges since 1921, Ch. de Fonbel since 1971 and more recently Ch. Simard and Ch. Haut-Simard (since 2008). Their latest acquisition (again in Saint-Emilion) is the famed four-hectare site of Ch. la Clotte – another jewel in an impressive line-up of estates. Edouard Vauthier, the latest to join the business full-time (in 2019), likes to classify their properties using (heaven forbid) the Burgundy hierarchy. “If Ch. Ausone is the Grand Cru,” he says, “then La Clotte and Moulin Saint-Georges, still on the limestone plateau, are the Premier Cru equivalent. Ch. de Fonbel and the Simard estates are not on limestone but on sandier, clay soils, and therefore represent the village wines.” Tasting through the wines of all six estates, there is an undeniable similarity in style running through them. They all have such a refined tannic texture and purity of fruit, even in the least expensive bottlings of Ch. Simard and Fonbel. Edouard believes this is very much down to the family’s personal taste when it comes to ripeness levels, and their methods of extraction and maceration at fermentation. But it is not only this. When Alain Vauthier (Edouard’s father) took over the estates in 1999, he had huge ambitions for his “village” wines, Fonbel and Simard. “My father wanted to apply the same meticulous attention to detail in all his wines, whatever the family accountant might think,” he chuckles. Given the price of Simard on release is less than £10 a bottle, it might not make much financial sense to give it the same attention as Ausone, but they do – making these wines outstanding value. At this price, the wines are ideal for restaurants, with much of the stock held back specifically for them.  The Vauthier family’s eye for detail, even in these inexpensive wines, has also been to Ausone’s benefit. Simard, Fonbel and even Moulin Saint-Georges have all been a hotbed of experiments over the last two decades and have really helped, Edouard believes, enhance the quality at Ausone.   As trends changed in the region, Ausone, admits Edouard, adapted their extraction methods, notably from 2006 onwards. They also reduced the toasting of the barrels from 2011, which they felt was hiding some of the fruit, and you can taste the change in the oak regime comparing the wines over this period. Ausone is aged in 100% new oak, even today, but the change in toasting, he feels – and I agree, has greatly improved the wine. Tasting the older vintages today, while the oak is more present, the wines have not lost their unique identity – the sinewy yet refined tannins and amazing freshness are still very present, and the wines have matured beautifully. Despite Ausone’s premiership at this time, Edouard’s father Alain loved to experiment. Edouard jokes that his father was a little too obsessed with machinery. From about 2008 onwards he was buying up all sorts of state-of-the-art equipment, predominantly to try and raise the quality of their other estates. Being able to constantly compare these wines against Ausone was a healthy barometer. While many of these investments didn’t pay off, his father’s open-mindedness led to a magnificent discovery which was to have a huge influence on the Vauthier recipe and Saint-Emilion more widely today. He was the first vigneron in the world to trial the density sorting bath.  “It’s a very simple machine, perhaps that’s why we like it,” Edouard laughs. “If the machinery becomes complicated, we don’t understand anything.” The original design was used in pea production and was then modified to work for grapes. As the berries arrive at the winery, they are submerged, for less than a second, in a bath made up of a water and sugar solution. “It is a simple calculation,” says Edouard. “The density level can be adjusted so that any grape not sufficiently dense (and therefore concentrated) is disposed of. It brings 100% reliability to the sorting.” For the family, when they switched to using the machine, there was a clear distinction when it came to fruit purity in the wine.  But Edouard believes the density sorting machine is not only for sorting the grapes. Because the berries are submersed in water prior to fermentation, it cleans the berries. “All the dirt, all the dust, all the small particles are washed off. Going into the fermentation process you have a very clean tank and it results in a very clean fermentation. There are no impurities.”  As with all their experiments, the density bath was first tested at Ch. Simard in 2011. So happy with the initial results, they introduced it to Moulin Saint-Georges in 2012. By 2013 all three cellars and all six wines were equipped with the machine. Every grape of Ch. Ausone since 2013 has undergone density sorting. Tasting the wines from 2013 through to 2020, they have only become more ethereal. The purity of fruit is undeniable. This is not only down to the density bath, but with such a clean fermentation and a knowingness of the concentration levels of the berries, the winemaking team, Edouard explains, didn’t need to overly extract to get concentration or flavour into the wine. “We were ahead of the game,” he says, “and it was fortunate my father was friends with the inventor. We were one of the first using it.” Today Edouard estimates that at least 25% of Saint-Emilion properties use the method. Despite the advancements in technology, the Vauthier family knows that terroir remains the trump card in Saint-Emilion. Despite Alain’s meticulous attention to detail and however perfectly made the wines are, Simard or Fonbel will never give you the complexity you find in the berries of Ausone. It is the one part of the recipe that cannot be changed.  Saint-Emilion is a variable appellation, but its uniqueness lies in the presence of limestone. It is this that gives the wines low pH and naturally high acidity resulting in a natural freshness and energy in the wine. The grapes of Simard and Fonbel are grown on more fertile soils, which means the yields are naturally higher and therefore less complex. It also means more work needs to be done to manage mildew and disease.  “It’s harder to make wine here,” says Edouard. “Ausone, we are lucky, it is in the perfect place. Although every inch is manicured, it doesn’t take that much work to maintain the quality.” Back in 2008, the Vauthiers did extensive research on the availability of water across their Saint-Emilion properties. It turns out Ausone, even in the driest years, can still access enough moisture through the entire year, necessary for the vines to avoid water stress, thanks to its limestone soils. It is a special site.   The biggest surprise for Edouard when understanding his family’s vineyards was the natural difference in the quality of berries from site to site. “It is something that cannot be explained,” he says, “other than terroir. If you taste the grapes from each of our properties, all at the same period, at the same level of ripeness. Moulin Saint-Georges and La Clotte will have maybe three to four times more flavours and aromas than Simard and Fonbel and at Ausone it is 10 times more. I can’t tell you why, but it is true.” It is fascinating to think that despite all the improvements, Edouard believes it’s difficult to produce an unremarkable wine at Ausone. No doubt it is the reason it has been a prime viticultural site for over 2,000 years. Even back in the day, using basic traditional methods, the results still proved to be incredible. “When you taste old Ausone,” says Edouard, “it is light, aérien, everything is super smooth, delicate and balanced. While we can play with extraction and oak, in the bottle, we always have an Ausone typicity in the end.” His family’s job, he believes, is simply make sure nothing goes wrong.  Despite Edouard’s humble assertions, there is no doubt that the wines today are spectacular, the younger vintages only becoming more ethereal, and more refined. There are few wines, if any, that perfectly embody the magic of Cabernet Franc on limestone, a perfect base recipe from Mother Nature’s hand – but with the Vauthiers in charge, Ausone is in good hands.   Explore all current Ausone listings or read more Editorial

We recently hosted an event with Ch. Ausone in London, tasting nine vintages of the wine, as well as a flight from the Vauthier family’s other estates. We caught up with Edouard Vauthier to discuss what makes the property unique – and where the magic lies in this idiosyncratic Bordeaux appellation

Edouard Vauthier tells us what makes Chateau Ausone so special and why terroir is everything in Saint-Emilion.

Finding the perfect recipe at Chateau Ausone

Ch. Ausone: the Vauthier vision

South Africa is one of the most exciting wine-producing nations right now. A new generation – led by the likes of Eben Sadie, the Mullineux, Chris Alheit and many more – has put the Cape firmly on the fine wine agenda. Its pinpoint Chenin Blanc, serious Syrah and laidback winemakers have made it the darling of the industry – yet this modish group of surfer-cum-winemakers seems a world away from the sweet wines of Constantia.  “Constantia Wyn” was South Africa’s original vinous export – savoured by the good and great of the 18th and 19th centuries. Bismarck, Frederick the Great, Louis XVI and George Washington are all noted to have enjoyed it, while Napoleon had vast volumes shipped to him in exile on St Helena (drinking up to a bottle a day) – and it was supposedly the only thing he wished to consume on his deathbed. The wine is mentioned by Dickens, Dumas and Baudelaire, with Jane Austen’s Mrs Jennings in Sense and Sensibility famously recommending it for “its healing powers on a disappointed heart”.  How, then, did such a legendary wine fall from grace? Economic downturn in the second half of the 19th century, followed by the arrival of mildew and phylloxera in the Cape, and the subsequent dominance of the KWV – the state-run cooperative – saw it vanish.  But in 1985, the Klein Constantia property was bought by Duggie Jooste. He replanted the vineyards, built a new winery and worked on overhauling the long-neglected estate. In 1986 he and winemaker Ross Gower produced the first vintage of Vin de Constance – their tribute to “Constantia Wyn” – released in 1990. It was made with Muscat de Frontignan (a particularly thick-skinned clone of Muscat) left to raisin on the vine, producing a luscious sweet wine, with no botrytis influence. It was an instant success – but quality and style was inconsistent, and Vin de Constance was just one wine in the range, rather than a focus.   It was only in 2012 that Klein Constantia embarked on a new chapter. The property had been for sale for a while and, as Vice Chairman Hans Astrom told me, it was “a bit dusty” and severely in need of attention. It changed hands in 2011, with Zdenek Bakala – an American-Czech billionaire – and British banker Charles Harman taking over, merging a year later with the Stellenbosch estate Anwilka, part-owned by Duggie Jooste’s son Lowell Jooste, Hubert de Boüard (of Ch. Angélus) and Bruno Prats (previously of Cos d’Estournel). Matthew Day – who had worked at the property since 2008 – took over as winemaker. While the estate still produces a full range of whites and reds, Vin de Constance is its flagship.  Now, a decade on, the importance of this shift is shining through. Being a “legacy winery” used to be “what got us in the door”, Day explains, but Klein Constantia is no longer trading on its past. The wines made between 1986 and 2012 were experimental, Day notes – with bottlings ranging significantly in sweetness (from 80 to 180g/l residual sugar) – but they were “vital in figuring out where we are going”. His favourites from that era are the 1987, 1991, 1995, 1996 and 2001 (“with 1991 and 1987 being at the top of that list”), but he’s more excited about the wines he’s producing today. “The older Vin de Constances are more in the style of being sweet wines, whereas the newer vintages are just wines,” adds Day.   Since 2012, they have gradually evolved the style, striving for balance and freshness, with increased precision. For Day, the aim is to make “a sweet wine that doesn’t taste sweet”.  The first shifts were in the vineyard, which since the mid-2000s has been farmed sustainably with some organic and biodynamic practices. The team planted more bush vines that ripen and raisin earlier in the season, therefore retaining more acidity. While they used to pick parcels from January to have high-acid components for blending, now – with the bush vines – they can pick a more uniformly ripe crop, yet not sacrifice acidity.  The end goal remains to have as many components as possible for blending, with the harvest team picking in passes and bringing between one and five kilograms of grapes in per day. While the wine used to vary in alcohol and sugar level, they now aim for around 165g/l residual sugar and 14% alcohol – where they think the best balance is found, varying slightly according to vintage.   The 2016 vintage was the first to be made in a new cellar – a practical and hygienic space. As for what actually happens in the cellar, the key changes have been around skin contact and élevage. The must now spends a week on skins, inoculated with a non-saccharomyces yeast to protect them from biological contamination and the development of volatile acidity, extracting all-important flavour compounds, but not phenolics. They then inoculate for alcoholic fermentation, which lasts between one and three months. They also started re-introducing the use of foudre for ageing the wines in 2016. From 2019, the wine will spend its first 1.5 years in new 500-litre barrels (encouraging the evolution of secondary flavours), before being transferred to older foudre for another 1.5 years (giving oak influence but without the ageing effect of micro-oxygenation).   Tasting the 2012 alongside the 2019 highlights the differences. The two vintages were similarly cool, both picked in April, and although the residual sugar is almost identical, the 2019 feels significantly fresher – with a pithy, textured freshness that offsets its sweetness.   This whimsical wine of yore might feel like a counter to the nation’s new wave, but it’s not so, says Day. “For me, Klein Constantia has always been at the forefront of the movement, but in a completely different way. We might not be as trendy as some of the newer producers, but we like to think the work we have done with Vin de Constance over the past decade has shown the world that South Africa has the potential to compete with the best of the best in the world.”   Browse all current listings from Klein Constantia or browse more Editorial

Loved by Dickens, Austen and Napoleon, the sweet wines of Constantia were legendary in the 18th and 19th century. But Klein Constantia – the estate revived in the 1980s – is done with looking back. Sophie Thorpe caught up with winemaker Matthew Day to find out what lies ahead 

Klein Constantia’s winemaker Matthew Day on the evolution of Vin de Constance, South Africa’s most iconic and historic sweet wine

A new era for Klein Constantia’s Vin de Constance

A constant evolution: Vin de Constance

The headline for the latest Brunello vintage is that it was a challenging year. But don’t write it off. The vintage was an opportunity for the most sensitive and gifted vignerons to prove their mettle, producing a number of excellent wines that should not be missed. It is never easy for producers, or wine merchants for that matter, to promote the vintage following a classic. The 2016 vintage was a touchstone year for the region with a vast array of spectacular wines produced throughout the rich and varied appellation. The 2016 Riservas (also released this year) remind us again just how good the vintage was, and how it allowed both the character of the different terroirs and the style of each vigneron to strut their stuff. In comparison, 2017 was a lot less straightforward and Mother Nature threw a lot more curve balls. The beginning of the season saw some erratic temperature changes and the threat of frost on some early-budding vines.  There was drama in the town when Pietro Buffi (of Baricci) decided to lay damp hay bales around the perimeter of his vineyard; by setting fire to them, he created a smoke screen limiting the impact of the frost. The local fire brigade were called and there was much confusion, but no flames. It proved incredibly successful for him, at least. Unlike most producers, whose yields were drastically cut by the frost, Baricci lost just 10% of his normal crop. Yields for most producers are very low, not only due to the spring frost, but also the irregular weather at flowering, and the long drought and heatwave that marked the summer. For Matthew Fioretti at Cerbaiona, the elevation and exposure of his northeast-facing vineyards helped temper the hot conditions.  Even so, he admits that the 2017 Brunello was made almost entirely with his oldest vines, whose deep roots had better access to the limited water resources available. The clay-rich soils at Canalicchio di Sopra to the north eased the lack of rainfall, but no vigneron was immune to the vines shutting down at the height of summer. The concern was whether the grapes could reach full phenolic maturity by harvest. The cellars at Poggio di Sotto All the vignerons were in agreement that the arrival of rain in early September was a godsend. The rain brought the vines back to life and then it was a waiting game as the grapes pushed through to full phenolic maturity. Francesco Ripaccioli (Canalicchio di Sopra) is a strong believer that the last 20 days prior to harvest are the most crucial in determining the success or failure of a vintage.  In 2017, these last 20 days were, in his view, those of “a great vintage”, with mild temperatures during the day and substantial drops in temperature during the night, preserving acidity and aromatic complexity of the grapes. Favourable days were interrupted with a bit of rain, that was immediately dried up by the wind. Many producers we spoke to agreed – the final weeks in September brought plenty of character to the final wines. Thick skins and a nicely toasted fruit profile were, for many, positive attributes. The 2017 growing season remains fresh in the memory of Montalcino’s growers partly because the 2021 vintage was almost a carbon copy. Both vintages saw widespread frost followed by a hot and dry summer. In 2017, the drought meant that the berries were very small with high skin-to-pulp ratios, meaning lots of tannin.  The poorer examples are therefore quite dry as opposed to heavy. It is only where the grapes were resuscitated enough by rain to push through full phenolic maturity that producers could make balanced wines. For Fioretti, there were two options: either pick early and retain a bigger crop before more of the grapes’ juice evaporated, or hold out and see if the grapes took on more complexity left on the vine. He chose the latter starting on 19th September and finishing on 24th. Fioretti notes that while the fruit hadn’t reached full phenolic maturity, he was very satisfied with their ripeness in tank. With such huge variation in altitude across Poggio di Sotto’s different vineyards, the team spread their harvest over nearly a month, picking the warmer sites as early as 29th August and ending on 27th September. Although 2017 was one of the hottest and driest years ever, at Poggio di Sotto the wines have maintained excellent richness of fruit and acidity, due to rigorous selection and an elongated harvest. Based in the cooler northern district of Montalcino, Canalicchio di Sopra, another real success in 2017, picked even later, starting 25th September and finishing 6th October. It was the southern sections of Montalcino, however, that suffered the worst from the drought. The north received 300mm of rain between March and November, while the south saw just 160mm. Sangiovese is so sensitive to drought and the conditions were so drastic that parts of the south were even allowed to irrigate. The Montosoli vineyards at Canalicchio di Sopra Despite the challenges, a handful of top producers produced outstanding wine in 2017. The best examples have fully ripe tannins, a lovely crunch to the fruit and vibrant acidity. While not as fleshy as the 2016 Riservas tasted alongside, the top examples are not at all mean or lacking in concentration. Whereas in poorer examples the fruit aromas can be a little candied and sometimes a little meaty (suggesting possible issues with fermentation), others have a pleasing roasted fruit character, rather than raisined ripeness. At worst, the tannins can feel a little abrupt and hard-edged. Top producers, such as Casanova di Neri, Canalicchio di Sopra, Poggio di Sotto and Talenti have made great wines in the toughest of vintages, and their 2017s are no exception – they really are special. Wines selected wisely will give great short to mid-term drinking pleasure and should not be missed.

As the latest wines from Montalcino are released, we delve into the 2017 vintage. Talking to and tasting with leading producers at the annual Benvenuto Brunello event last November, here’s everything you need to know about a tricky year for the region’s growers

Why you shouldn’t dismiss the challenging Brunello di Montalcino 2017 vintage – and which wines are worth seeking out: Poggio di Sotto, Montosoli and more

2017 Brunello vintage report

Brunello 2017: vintage report

From January 2021, the Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur appellations permit the use of several new varieties – Touriga Nacional, Marselan, Castets and Arinarnoa, as well as two white grapes, Alvarinho and Liliorila, the theory being they’ll help shield the region from the ever-growing threat of global warming. As the region heats up, or more importantly dries up, some of the Bordeaux mainstay varieties are suffering from rising alcohol levels, disease and water stress. The new varieties all possess properties that counter climate change – natural high acidities, resistance to mildew and later budburst to offset the risk of spring frosts. While the recent changes only affect wines under the more basic Bordeaux appellations, are they paving the way for a wider relaxation in the region’s rules? And does that mean the flavour profile and identity of Bordeaux’s top châteaux are about to change? For Pierre-Olivier Clouet at Ch. Cheval Blanc there is concern over the potential of the varietal blend (encépagement) changing. “We believe that the encépagement is part of the DNA and the identity of the estate,” says Clouet. “Planting some Touriga Nacional, Grenache, Syrah at Cheval Blanc… it seems ridiculous.” While plenty of winemakers up and down the Médoc are dismissive of the idea, the warming climate is not selective – and even the top terroirs are going to be affected. The 2020 vintage was the hottest on record when you look at the temperatures throughout the 12-month period. The summer was also one of the driest, with not a single drop of rain in some regions for over three months. Pomerol, according to Omri Ram of Ch. Lafleur, is into its fifth consecutive year of drought and these weather patterns are becoming the norm in the region. Clearly some terroirs are better prepared for climate change than others. The clay soils of Saint-Estèphe and the limestone bedrock of Saint-Emilion, for instance, survived 2020’s drought virtually unscathed. These water-retaining soils are adept at locking in moisture and slowly releasing it through the drier months. But the deep gravel soils of the Left Bank are putting vines in real danger during long periods of drought. Lorraine Watrin from Ch. Montrose outlined the huge difficulties faced at their other Saint-Estèphe estate Ch. Tronquoy-Lalande, where (unlike Montrose) the estate’s gravel soils go down a staggering 10 metres. The drainage is so good on these soils that when there is no rain, the vines really suffer. Montrose is more fortunate, having just 1.5 metres of gravel sitting on a bed of moisture-retaining clay. But ongoing droughts are going to pose real problems for deeper gravel vineyards in the future – and solutions need to be found. Despite the obvious threat of drought, speaking with top estates on the Left Bank, they remain fairly comfortable about their future, even though their best soils are on raised gravel beds. The reason why? Cabernet Sauvignon. As temperatures have increased and the level of rainfall has dropped, Cabernet Sauvignon has proved its mettle. The vine is incredibly resistant to disease and its long ripening cycle has seen the variety thrive in the longer, more intense summers. Nicolas Glumineau from Ch. Pichon Comtesse is a big fan of Cabernet Sauvignon and has continued to increase its role in his wines’ make-up over the last decade. “Even if the temperature increases, Cabernet Sauvignon will still be very adaptive to the Left Bank,” he says. In their 2020, the wine consisted of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon with a further 7% Cabernet Franc, Merlot representing just 17% of the blend. Glumineau is not alone, in fact amongst all the producers I spoke to, there was little to no concern over Cabernet Sauvignon’s future and its dominance in their blends in the long term. Being such a large wine-growing region and with plenty of investment, Bordeaux is a hotbed for change, but Ducru-Beaucaillou's Bruno Borie thinks the addition of new varieties is premature. He reminds us that Bordeaux is one of the more moderate climates in Europe. It wasn’t that long ago his father was forced to plant more Merlot to avoid having to chaptalise the wines (add sugar to the must) because the Cabernet Sauvignon wasn’t ripe enough. “Without being arrogant and with all sincerity, we benefit from having Cabernet Sauvignon riper much more often than in the past,” he says. “Bordeaux is the northern limit for ripening the grape and here there is no need to replace it.”  Merlot’s future is perhaps a little less assured on the Left Bank, as Borie admits – but he believes the alternative to Merlot is likely to be already permitted varieties, rather than new ones. “Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc should keep us going another 50 to 70 years at least,” he says. Asked why not just switch to 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, Borie believes that however hot or dry it gets, the low-lying, clay riverbed vineyards would never ripen Cabernet. Despite concerns for Merlot’s future, grown in the right places the variety continues to thrive on the Left Bank. Just look at its success in 2020, a very hot vintage. Rainfall at just the right time helped retard alcohol levels in the Merlot. For those whose cooler Cabernet Sauvignon parcels didn’t fully mature, their Merlot replaced it and played a more significant role in the blend and saved the vintage. The grape is still fulfilling its role as the balancing variety in today’s Bordeaux blend. Despite Cabernet Sauvignon’s and Merlot’s impressive performances of late, plenty of experiments are going on, even at the very top estates. Ch. Lafite-Rothschild is already trialling massal selection of their own vines and new varieties including Touriga Nacional, Marselan and Malbec. For the moment it is too early for Lafite to draw any conclusions, but they’re keeping an open mind.  While the major estates aren’t switching up the blend yet, producers are looking at peripheral Bordeaux varieties as potential alternatives. On paper, Malbec seems a good option. Before phylloxera, Malbec was the most planted variety in Bordeaux, but never really made a comeback after the outbreak. But seeing Malbec’s success in the hotter, drier mountain valleys of Argentina, could it rise back to prominence with global warming? Nicolas Audebert – winemaker at Rauzan-Ségla and previously at Cheval des Andes in Mendoza – is not so sure. Malbec in French literally means ‘”bad beak” or “bad nose”, thanks to the negative reputation the variety had in Bordeaux, even when more dominant in the blend. “Prior to phylloxera, Malbec was used as a ‘filler‘ grape,” Audebert says, “used to balance out problems in the vineyard – namely providing more colour and ripeness to the wine.” Audebert compares it to Pinot Meunier in Champagne, whose role is similar. “Pinot Meunier is less sensitive to frost, so it is planted in the more frost-prevalent lower slopes, rather than the best terroirs. It never had the chance to reach the potential of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. Malbec suffered the same issue.” Audebert has planted Malbec at Ch. Berliquet in Saint-Emilion. He believes Malbec on clay could be extremely interesting and is keen to see how it works in the blend. But Malbec has its problems: it’s very sensitive to coulure (flowers not developing into berries, therefore producing lower yields), as well as mildew. Of the Bordeaux varieties, it responded the least well to grafting – hence why it wasn’t replanted widely in Bordeaux after phylloxera. Audebert reminds us that Argentina didn’t have these problems: “Low humidity in Mendoza meant mildew was not a problem in spring and there was no grafting, as the region used flood irrigation to battle phylloxera.” Since these remain challenges for the variety in Bordeaux, he doesn’t see it becoming more dominant in the future. Many wineries up and down the Médoc are lowering the proportion of Merlot in their blends, opting instead for more Cabernet Franc. “Blending just 5% of Cabernet Franc in with Merlot can be an effective method of lowering the alcohol, as well as adding freshness,” says John Kolasa (ex Director of Ch. Canon ). “It is something Pétrus did with the 2019 vintage. Look at the success of Ch. Figeac in 2019 – a third Cabernet Franc, a third Merlot and a third Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a big increase of Cabernet Franc in the blend and is performing better in the warming climate.” There aren’t many wineries in Bordeaux not increasing the Cabernet Franc plantings in their vineyards, given its improved performance in a warming climate. Pichon Comtesse, L’Eglise Clinet and of course long-term believers Cheval Blanc and Lafleur are all confident of the variety’s future and its growing role in the Bordeaux blend, both on the Left and Right Bank. Petit Verdot is another late ripening variety that thrives in the hotter, drier conditions. Could this peripheral variety become a star performer in Bordeaux’s future? Unlike Cabernet Franc it has yet to become more prominent in blends, often because just a small amount can dominate the structure and flavour of the wine and overpowers the more nuanced characters of Cabernet. Nicolas Glumineau is unsure that the variety is a saving grace, however. “I have some difficulties with Petit Verdot, it is a very tricky grape to grow… it’s very fragile – to wind, to rain, to many things and finally you just can’t pick it absolutely ripe every year.” While the new appellation rules allow new varieties, is changing the blend really the best solution to the ongoing issues of global warming? Ch. Margaux’s Philippe Bascaules certainly doesn’t think so. For him, changing the grape varieties is far too extreme when there are other, more subtle changes that, he believes, would be much more effective. “Currently we are at 10,000 vines per hectare but we don’t have to be,” he says. “Changing the row orientation would also have good results. Good for changing the effect of sunburn on the grapes.” Ch Pontet Canet's Justine Tesseron is another advocate of making alterations in the vineyard, not changing varieties. She is happy with how the Cabernet performs on her gravel soils and feels that there’s simply no need to experiment with other grapes. For Tesseron, the way in which the vines are farmed is more important: “A biodynamic vineyard is better placed to cope with the extremes. We treat individual vines based on their individual needs – it is all about the small details.”  Pierre-Olivier Clouet at Cheval Blanc sees a change in varieties as a last resort. He and his team have long been thinking about how to tackle global warming. “We are sure that the answer is in the vineyard management,” he says. They are looking at rootstocks, the size of the canopy, the yield (“If we want to preserve freshness, it’s better to have a little more yield”), cover crops, ploughing or no-till farming and how polyculture can help. Clouet is another Bordeaux vigneron who sees the problems – but also plenty of potential answers. They experiment a lot at their other property, Ch. Quinault l’Enclos. “We try to always be very open minded,” he says. But he is clear also that “We should never forget who we are.”  Bordeaux is awash with a mix of cautious optimism, as well as open-minded experimentation. For the time being, it doesn’t look – at least amongst the more prestigious classified estates – like they will be adding new varieties to the blend any time soon. Until alternative approaches in viticultural and vinification fail, Bordeaux’s varietal DNA looks safe. Read more about Bordeaux or explore more Editorial

Climate change poses a serious threat to wine-growers around the world. Bordeaux has just allowed the use of new grape varieties to help its producers cope with the increasingly hot, dry conditions – but what does this mean for the region’s identity? We talk to the top winemakers about the future

Cheval Blanc, Margaux, Lafleur, Lafite, Ducru-Beaucaillou and more on climate change in Bordeaux

Is climate change threatening the Bordeaux blend?

Colin Scott should be one year into his retirement. After 47 years at Chivas Brothers, 31 of which were spent as the Master Blender, he should be enjoying a well-earned rest. Instead, the ebullient Scott is lighting up the screens of the FINE+RARE team as he talks about a certain 50-year-old blended whisky he has created for remarkable spirits curators The Last Drop Distillers.   “It’s just fantastic to come to The Last Drop and find these nuggets of gold and all these wonderful casks of very precious liquid that have phenomenal complexity and flavour,” Scott says with unabashed glee.   Despite his near-50 years in the whisky industry, this is only the second 50-year-old blend Scott has had a hand in producing. Well-aged whisky was, until relatively recently, only a small part of Chivas’ business.   “By the time we’d filled a cask and it had matured to 12 years, most of that went into Chivas 12. Once it reached 21 years old, we put it all into Royal Salute. So, there was very little maturing. But of course, as time goes on, the stocks have been held back and the super-premium part of the inventory has grown.”   Scott joined Chivas Brothers in 1973 and became their fifth Master Blender in 1989. But he would have to wait a further 13 years before a 50-year-old whisky project presented itself. The result was The Royal Salute 50 Year Old, released in 2002 – a dual commemorative bottling for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation and Royal Salute’s 50th anniversary.   Today he’s talking about his latest 50-year-old creation, The Last Drop’s 22nd release and first in-house whisky: a 50-year-old blended Scotch. After a whole three months as a man of leisure, the “retiree” joined the Sazerac-owned company as their first Master Blender in autumn 2020.   “When I joined in September last year, it was really the beginning of finding out what all these nuggets were within the inventory. Sorting through the very special and remarkable casks and finding out a little bit about what they were and what they did and how we could bring them together.”  Scott explains that everything in the blend started out as either a single malt or a single grain whisky, distilled at different distilleries around Scotland over 50 years ago. “At various stages along the way, blends have been made but then of course the balance has been put into cask and stored away for further maturation. So, what we have is a mixture of some of these malts and grains, all with their own unique characters and flavours, that we bring together at the last moment.”   Tasting the blended whisky alongside Scott is like being escorted on a journey back through time – to an age when a lot of distilleries were doing their own maltings and adding peat to the kiln to get a little smoky flavour.   “To me, blending is all about taking the flavours and then balancing them,” he says. “What you have here on the nose is a tsunami of flavour. But, when you taste it, nothing actually lingers and stays on top.”   Scott encourages tasters to add water to remove the aggression of the alcohol and maximise the release of the aromas and characters. When he is tasting more than 50 samples around a nosing table, this trick is vital to reduce all the whiskies to 20% alcohol and allow the flavours to present themselves.   In the case of The Last Drop 50 Year Old, its mellowness, richness and depth means you don’t necessarily need to cut the 48% dram.    “When we blend, we don’t add something, sniff it and then add a bit more of that. What we do is actually write down the whole formula in its entirety. We then pilot blend it. When we add the last addition, it will change the balance of everything you have already. So, you don’t know the final answer until you add that last part of the formula. And then once you’ve got them all together you can evaluate what you have actually created.”  For Scott, the act of blending and evaluating is an entirely personal thing. “All whisky – grains, blends – are fantastic. They are all different and they all bring their own song to the party. The only reason one is better than other is your own personal experience.”   Scott, for instance, isn’t “a fan” of the smoky Islays. “I don’t think they’re bad,” he adds. “It’s all about personal taste. There’s not a bad whisky in the world.”  The Master Blender talks at length about whiskies having different personality traits that require nurturing and, ultimately, respect.   “If you take a single malt as distillate at birth – that has a flavour package. It’s like you when you’re born – you have a character. If you put that new distillate into a cask, over the years this distillate will react with the oak in the cask and take influences and nuances which will then promote other flavours in the new spirit.  “So as time goes on, the volume actually goes down, the strength goes down, but that flavour package actually intensifies and intensifies and multiplies and multiplies.”   When it comes to age, there is some debate about how old you can go. For Scott, the 50-year-old is undoubtedly a rare beast, but he doesn’t see any reason why you can’t go older and rarer if the whisky has been sufficiently nurtured.   “If the angels didn’t interfere, in a quality cask, you could take it to 60-, 70-, 80 years,” he says. “If you’ve got quality casks, you don’t get that wood influence. You get a little touch of the oak but what you have at the end of the day is this small amount of highly intense, complex flavoured whisky that started as the new distillate and just grew with all the different influences from the oak and the cask whether it is Sherry or Bourbon.”  While there have been scientific advancements during Scott’s career, he says there are still a great many unknowns about the maturation and flavour process, and you get the impression this only adds to the allure for him.   “Because it’s nature, we don’t actually know what’s going on,” he adds. “It’s massively complex and the technical people still don’t know the number of components in Scotch whisky. I think they’re up to about 800 now. When I started there were about 200.”   Regardless, you sense Scott will continue to do what he does best: respect, nurture and blend remarkable liquids – retirement be damned.   Browse all Last Drop listings or read more Editorial 

As he approaches his 50th year in the industry, Colin Scott tells Holly Motion about the allure of well-aged whisky and plundering The Last Drop’s remarkable spirits inventory 

The Last Drop Distiller's Colin Scott on the allure of well-aged whisky and his new role plundering the independent bottler's archives.

Domaine Eleni & Edouard Vocoret

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