On 8 June, Manhatta in New York City was transformed into a wine lover’s paradise for the third edition of the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter (DFWE) NYC.

This exclusive one-day event, renowned for bringing together wine enthusiasts, connoisseurs and some of the finest wine producers from around the globe, offered the 500 attendees an unforgettable experience filled with an exquisite Grand Tasting, enlightening masterclasses and the chance to meet legendary winemakers.

Scroll down to see photo highlights from DFWE NYC 2024.

Thanks to photographers Mark Reinertson and Studio Smith Studio and video team Future Studios.

Thanks also to our sponsors: Riedel, Hamilton Russell Oregon and Domaine Anderson

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In an effort to extend hope and valuable viticultural knowledge, winemakers and wine industry professionals from war-torn Ukraine visited the bucolic Napa Valley, offering a moment of respite from the full-scale Russian invasion of their home country, which began in February of 2022. The event was centred around lessons in regenerative wine growing but included site visits, cultural exchanges and broader lessons about wine growing, various fermentation lessons and best practices.

Violet Grgich, president and CEO of Grgich Hills Estate, whose father, Miljenko ‘Mike’ Grgich, who famously came to Napa Valley from Croatia, hosted the Ukrainian delegation. ‘We are deeply honoured to share our expertise in regenerative practices with our Ukrainian colleagues,’ said Grgich. ‘This programme is a testament to our belief that agriculture bridges cultures and supports communities through the most challenging times.’

Ukraine has recently become a darling in the wine world, a world in awe of the country’s undeniable resilience. Fittingly, lessons on vineyard resilience and climate change were part of the programme in Napa. Exploring Napa’s unfortunate experience with wildfire recovery in the vineyards, bio-diversity, and climate impacts were all part of their learning.

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One of the Ukrainian winemakers, Pavlo Magalias, is a veteran of the Ukrainian military and has recovered several spent warheads from his Olbio Nuvo vineyards, which became part of the frontlines during Russia’s initial invasion.

‘We have learned a lot about the science of regenerative farming this week,’ said Svitlana Tsybak, CEO of Beykush Winery. ‘It has opened our eyes to new ways of working with our grapes and making the soil healthy while also having a positive impact on the environment. We are very grateful for that and for the friendships that we have made in Napa Valley. We are especially grateful to Violet Grgich and Ivo Jeramaz [winemaker for Grgich Hills Estate] for hosting us.’

In addition to their time at Grgich, Napa’s guests visited with Ames Morison in the vineyards at Medlock Ames in Healdsburg.

The Ukranian delegation in the vineyards at Medlock Ames. Credit: Roots of Peace

The technical viticultural and oenological curriculum included:

• Climate impact and vineyard resilience
• Principles of regenerative viticulture
• The oldest regenerative organic Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in Napa – how to work with old vines
• Review pruning procedures and impact on vineyard yields
• Vineyard diversity, pest mitigation and new vineyard care
• Vineyard recovery after fires
• Napa’s AVAs and their similarity to Ukrainian viticultural areas
• Natural winemaking using wild yeast fermentation techniques

Grgich Hills Estate winemaker Ivo Jeramaz reflected on his own experience in Croatia during the 1990s. ‘We are heartbroken for them. We know what it means, it’s similar. Obviously, Russians and Ukrainians are brothers, same as us and the Serbs.’

‘This collaboration is a powerful stride towards healing and growth for Ukrainian vintners,’ said Heidi Kühn, founder and CEO of Roots of Peace. ‘We are planting seeds of hope and economic stability for war-torn communities by imparting sustainable and peace-centric agricultural practices.’

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Maxim Chmora, head of the main department of federal customs revenue & tariff regulation of the Federal Customs Service of Russia, warned that a 200% protective duty could be applied to wine imports from NATO states.

Moscow is also planning to slap a 50% tariff on wines from other so-called ‘unfriendly’ states, according to Chmora.

‘We understand that this duty will basically be like a ban,’ he said. ‘Paying the duty and then carrying on with business, from an economic point of view, is possible only for very high-margin products.’

European wines currently dominate the Russian market, but they will effectively be prohibited if Russia follows through on its threat.

The move would be in response to a range of sanctions imposed upon Russia in the wake of its decision to invade Ukraine in February 2022.

Western nations have frozen Russia’s foreign currency reserves, and some Russian banks have been excluded from the Swift payment system.

Oligarchs have been sanctioned, yachts have been seized, and a slew of western companies have left Russia, from Coca-Cola to Heineken.

EU countries have also stopped exporting various goods to Russia, while imports of gold, diamonds and other products from Russia have been banned.

Moscow is now planning to retaliate by imposing high duties on wine imports from European nations.

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The proposed tariffs are also designed to give domestic wine producers a timely boost. While the majority of Russia is unsuitable from grape growing, some regions including Krasnodar and Rostov produce wine.

In total, Russia now has 85,000ha under vine. Rkatsiteli is the most widely planted grape, but Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling and various other international varieties are grown.

Dmitry Kiselev, chairman of the Board of the Association of Winegrowers and Winemakers of Russia (AWWR), claims that ‘excessive imports’ are putting a strain on the domestic winemaking sector.

The AWWR has already successfully campaigned for duties on wine imports from ‘unfriendly countries’ to be increased from 12.5% to 20%. However, Kiselev wants duties to be raised far higher in order to prevent oversupply in the domestic market.

If European wines are effectively banned from the Russian market, it could potentially represent a boon for producers in Argentina, Chile, South Africa and Armenia. Those countries have all been steadily growing their exports to Russia in recent years, and that trend could accelerate.

Russian winemakers have also requested additional support from the government. One proposal would require 20% of the wines stocked in Russian supermarkets to be locally produced, while half of the bottles listed at bars and restaurants would need to be domestic wines.

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Château Figeac 2023 has been released more than 40% below the debut offer for the 2022 vintage debut last year, making it one of the biggest discounts in a Bordeaux 2023 en primeur campaign that has taken place amid challenging market conditions.

Other highly prized wines released in the past 24 hours include Château Montrose, Château La Conseillante and Château Beauséjour, giving consumers plenty to ponder in the final days of the campaign.

Latest releases at a glance:

• Château Figeac 2023 | 98pts (Decanter) | €150 per bottle ex-négociant, down 40.5% versus 2022 | UK price £1,788 per 12x75cl in bond (IB)
• Château La Conseillante 2023 | 98pts | €150 per bottle, down 32.4% | UK price £1,788 (12x75cl IB)
• Château Montrose 2023 | 98pts | €120 per bottle, down 16.7% | UK price £1,428 (12x75cl IB)
• Château Beauséjour 2023 | 98pts | €108 per bottle, down 10% | UK price £1,284 (12x75cl IB)
  Price data source: Liv-ex.

While Figeac’s discount is sizeable, the 2022 vintage was relatively expensive on release. A potential 100-point wine, it was the first release after Figeac’s promotion to Premier Grand Cru Classé A in the revised St-Émilion Classification.

Although it remains too soon to draw conclusions about sales, some early analysis has suggested a muted overall response to the campaign, despite several success stories among top-rated wines.

Decanter Premium members can read more analysis below.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, plus ratings and tasting notes on the top-scoring wines

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Master blender Colin Scott selected 75 rare whiskies for the unique blend, including 19 spirits from ‘lost distilleries’ such as Imperial, Glenlochy and Convalmore.

He created just two bottles of the Blend of 75 whisky, which will be paired with two portraits of King Charles III, created by Welsh artist Mark Evans. They are currently on display at Wiltons Restaurant in London.

The first portrait is ‘a gift to the nation’ and it will be displayed at London’s Sladmore Gallery over the summer. One bottle of Blend of 75 will be presented to His Majesty privately.

The other portrait and Blend of 75 bottle will be auctioned off for charity. The conservative combined market value of the portrait and bottle of whisky is estimated at $600,000 (£471,600).

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All proceeds will go to Big Change, a charity founded in 2012 by Princess Beatrice and five friends, which is designed to transform education on a global basis.

Scott, who spent 47 years working at Chivas Brothers before joining The Last Drop Distillers in 2020, said: ‘It was my great honour to be asked to create this unique blend to honour His Majesty King Charles.

‘I had the opportunity to choose from The Last Drop’s inventory of maturing barrels to create a blend of 75 different Scotch whiskies, from the four corners of Scotland.

‘My aim was simple: to produce a unique whisky that represents Scotland, the magic of Scotch Whisky and our profound admiration for His Majesty.’

Some of the whiskies are more than 50 years old, and the resulting blend is said to be exceptionally rich and complex.

An additional 10 drams, made during the bottling process, are being sold for £10,000 apiece at Wiltons in order to raise more funds for the charity.

King Charles III was born on 14 November 1948, but the king also celebrates a second birthday on the second Saturday in June each year.

This is his official birthday, which is known as Trooping the Colour, and the portraits and blended whiskies were created in time for the occasion.

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With 23 harvests at Kanonkop Estate under his belt, winemaker Abrie Beeslar has become synonymous with the Stellenbosch estate. So it was no surprise that his decision to leave, announced in January this year, made the headlines.

‘It was, and still is, very difficult,’ Beeslaar told Decanter at the time, about his decision. Six months on, the groundwork has been more firmly laid for his succession at Kanonkop, where he is not being replaced by an outsider.

Instead the existing team at Kanonkop will continue the winemaking, with Francois Van Zyl stepping into the role of senior winemaker, alongside winemakers Christelle Van Niekerk and Ruan Van Schalkwyk. Suzaan Krige, daughter of Paul Krige, who owns Kanonkop with his brother Johann Krige, will also be joining the team as assistant winemaker.

‘I’m leaving a great team behind,’ said Beeslar. ‘The talent is there, the commitment, the love for the property and the brand –so that’s I think the most important thing. That’s also the same reason why we haven’t decided to appoint somebody outside the business; to keep that momentum going and keep that passion going. I think it was a positive decision,’ he added.

Beeslar will be officially stepping away from Kanonkop at the end of November. ‘By November most of the vineyards are pruned already, all of that work is done. November’s a good date,’ he explained.

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But he will still be staying close to the winery in an ongoing consultancy role. ‘It’s not that I said, “Listen, I want to go!” Because you don’t stay at a place for 23 years and not enjoy it. Kanonkop will always have a piece of my heart and I don’t think I will ever be not interested in what’s going on,’ he said.

‘The reason for going is just that I needed to give myself room to grow my own wine,’ he continued. ‘Kanonkop is becoming too big and is still growing aggressively so there wasn’t really room.’ Under Beeslar, production at Kanonkop increased from 300,000 bottles to three million.

Established in 2011, his personal project Beeslar Wines is a smaller operation, currently focusing only on Stellenbosch Pinotage and Chardonnay. Beeslar sources fruit from growers, using four plots for Chardonnay, but just one site for Pinotage. The latter represents a radical departure from his work at Kanonkop, as the vineyard is shale.

‘In my whole life I have only worked with granite soils. So the expression of Pinotage on [granite] I knew exactly what it was. But then with the shale, all of a sudden you had all this perfume and red fruit and beautiful expression of the varietal,’ he said.

There are currently 10 vintages of Beeslar Pinotage in the market. But there are plans to extend the red range. ‘I’m starting a Bordeaux blend that will be released at the end of this year, beginning of next year. It’s 2022 vintage and has already been bottled,’ he said, adding that the new wine does not have a name yet.

‘Then from next year, I’ll probably do a second wine as well. It might be a lighter style Bordeaux blend, it might be a Cape Blend or it might be a straight Pinotage. I haven’t decided yet.’ Watch this space…

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Seven hours, 60 floors up, more than 50 premium producers and four exceptional masterclasses – consumers and wineries were unanimous in heralding the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter New York City (DFWE NYC) as Manhattan’s greatest world wine event.

In its third year, DFWE NYC 2024 welcomed more than 500 wine lovers from across the Empire State and as far away as California, Washington and North Carolina.

Held at the glitzy and spacious Manhatta, which offers unparalleled views over the city, this NYC iteration of Decanter’s renowned global events series brought together 28 Gold, Platinum and Best in Show medal-winners from the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) as well as 180 premium wines from more than 50 world-class producers.

DWWA 2024 results out on 19 June!

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Each producer at the Grand Tasting brought one special wine, either an old vintage or a large-format bottle – and often both – to share with guests.

Among the highlights were: magnums of Damilano’s 1752 Cannubi Barolo 2013, Joseph Phelps’ 2006 Insignia, Château Lagrange 2003 and Château Haut Bages Libéral 2008; double magnums of T-Oinos’ 2022 Clos Stegasta Assyrtiko and Dow’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port; and a jeroboam of E Guigal’s 2016 Château de Nalys.

Other special bottles included Château Léoville Las Cases 2003, Speri’s 2003 Sant’Urbano Amarone Classico, Catena Zapata’s 2004 Nicolás Catena Zapata, Remírez de Ganuza’s 2005 Rioja Gran Reserva and Tenuta Sette Ponti’s 2005 Oreno.

Alejandro Vigil, winemaking director of Catena Zapata in Argentina, pouring his ‘special bottle’ for guests: the 2004 Nicolás Catena Zapata. Credit: Mark Reinertson Photography

And that was just the Grand Tasting. Those who snapped up tickets to one of the four masterclasses throughout the day had the rare chance to enjoy expert guided tastings of 34 cuvées from the likes of Châteaux Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion back to 1995, and Napa’s Peter Michael Winery back to 2006.

Apart from the wines, of course, the biggest drawcard to the DFWEs is the chance for attendees to speak with the winemakers and winery owners themselves.

Rhône superstar Michel Chapoutier of M Chapoutier and Count Vicente Dalmau Cebrián-Sagarriga of Marqués de Murrieta in Rioja stole the show in their masterclasses, wine lovers queuing for autographs and selfies after each session.

Coming soon: Full masterclass reports from DFWE NYC 2024

Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion & Quintus
Peter Michael Winery
M Chapoutier
Marqués de Murrieta

In the Grand Tasting, of the 13 tables spanning the length and breadth of Italy, we welcomed winemakers and owners from six estates, including Allegrini, Baricci, Barone Pizzini, Masciarelli, Tenuta Sette Ponti and Zenato.

Key figures from several US wineries were in attendance too, including Ross Cobb (Cobb Wines), Rebekah Wineburg (Quintessa), Chris Peterson (Avennia), Joanna Wells (Signal Ridge) and Olive Hamilton Russell (Hamilton Russell Oregon).

Winemakers and owners from Remírez de Ganuza, Marqués de Riscal, Montes, Santa Rita and Catena Zapata also generously took time out of their busy schedules to fly over for the event, pour wines and chat at length with guests.

José Ramón Urtasun of Remírez de Ganuza in Rioja was one of many winemakers who flew to New York especially for the DFWE. Credit: Mark Reinertson Photography

Indeed, producers remarked at the high level of knowledge and genuine interest in wine among the DFWE NYC 2024 guests compared to those at other events – making it an enjoyable experience for all.

If you attended, keep an eye out for our photo gallery, as you may be featured. Or, if you have a favourite moment you want to share with us, you could be in with a chance to win a pair of Grand Tasting tickets to next year’s DFWE NYC.

Upload your images to X (Twitter) and Instagram by 1 July, and make sure you tag @Decanter and use the hashtag #DecanterFWE.

In the meantime, if you can’t wait for June 2025, why not join us at our inaugural DFWE Singapore on 26 October or the original DFWE London on 16 November?

The DFWE NYC 2024 was kindly sponsored by Riedel. Event photography was done by Mark Reinertson Photography and Studio Smith.

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Troplong Mondot, Haut-Bailly and Vieux Château Certan were the latest major names to release 2023-vintage wines en primeur, on Tuesday morning (11 June).

New releases at a glance:

• Château Troplong Mondot 2023 | 97pts (Decanter) | €90 per bottle ex-négociant, down 11.8% versus 2022 | UK price £1,068 per 12x75cl in bond (IB)
• Château Haut-Bailly 2023 | 96pts | €90 per bottle, down 25% | UK price £1,080 (12x75cl IB)
• Vieux Château Certan 2023 | 98pts | €186 per bottle, down 32.6% | UK price £2,220 (12x75cl IB)
  Price data source: Liv-ex.

As the campaign nears its end, early market reports and merchant feedback have continued to suggest a mixed response from consumers to Bordeaux 2023 wines in general.

Most wines have been cheaper than the 2022-vintage releases last year, but a key consideration is also the price of other well-regarded recent vintages that remain available on the market.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, plus ratings and tasting notes on the top-scoring wines

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In a warming climate, there is one characteristic in wine that is increasingly coveted: freshness. This is why Ventoux, once a marginal climate for quality wines, finds itself in an increasingly strong position.

Although most of the appellation’s vineyards are at the foot of the mountain, vines are climbing ever upwards, and have now reached 550m above sea level. With Mont Ventoux’s summit at 1,912m, they’ve got plenty of room to grow.

I tasted 56 wines in ascending elevation to see when the freshness of altitude becomes discernible. I was expecting a clear correlation between height and freshness; the reality, however, is more complex.

Scroll down to see notes and scores for top picks from Ventoux

Fresh Ventoux wines

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This year’s Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) again promises to highlight a diverse array of stunning premium wines for all budgets.

More than 18,000 entries from 57 countries have been tasted by 243 expert judges, including 61 Masters of Wine and 20 Master Sommeliers.

DWWA’s rigorous judging process means consumers can explore the wine world with confidence, from lesser-known names to classic styles being produced in famous regions.

Be among the first to see this year’s medal winners: Sign up to the DWWA newsletter

Under-the-radar styles

Greece was understood to have scooped an intriguing top medal at DWWA 2024, but this also reflects a fascinating showing for Greek wines in general, according to Terry Kandylis, Regional Chair for Greece and Cyprus at DWWA 2024.

Giving his general impressions, he said, ‘I would like to emphasise the wines that we tried from Nemea, with the majority showing that the producers have taken a much fresher approach, with less extraction and use of new oak, which highlights the fruit-forward character of Agiorgitiko and the terroir.’

Kandylis, who was UK Sommelier of the Year in 2016, also highlighted the noble qualities and terroir-specific expression of Assyrtiko, while ‘Xinomavro and Limniona are showing how versatile they can be, with wonderful examples in both red and rose categories’.

More generally, he said, ‘Greece’s ace in the sleeve is the numerous indigenous varieties that more and more producers are trying to understand.’ Many are being used to make mono-varietal wines, he said. ‘It is quite exciting.’

Kandylis also said DWWA was seeing more and more Cypriot wines, and he highlighted Xynisteri and Yiannoudi as grape varieties ‘that are showing wonderful qualities and lots of promise’.

Classics and upcoming

Elsewhere, Burgundy was a notable highlight at DWWA 2024 among more established names on the world wine stage.

Charles Curtis MW, Regional Chair for Burgundy at DWWA 2024, said, ‘We were looking mostly at wines from the 2022 vintage, which was a resounding success for the most part from north to south, producing supple, approachable wines for early drinking, and some top wines for laying down, all of which we found in this year’s competition.’

He added, ‘I think that the general level of quality in the more accessible price bands is very encouraging.’

Recent Bordeaux vintages, particularly 2022, also stood out for judges, noted Andrew Jefford, one of the five DWWA 2024 Co-Chairs and who is also acting Regional Chair for Bordeaux this year.

A flight of sparkling wines prepared for tasting at DWWA 2024. Credit: Ellen Richardson

Sparkling wine lovers often have plenty of options among DWWA medal winners, but vintage Cava has seriously impressed judges in 2024. ‘I was really struck by the continued improvement in the Cava category that we’ve seen over recent years, especially the vintage Cavas,’ said Sarah Jane Evans MW, a DWWA Co-Chair and Spanish wine expert. ‘If Cava has not been on your radar, then now is the time to take another look.’

Beyond Europe, James Tidwell MS, Regional Chair for the US and Central America, said expert judges assessing entries from the US found some outstanding wines on show.

‘Remarkable were two flights of Dundee Hills wines [from Oregon]: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Both of these flights exemplified the high quality of US entries overall,’ he said.

Tidwell added quality was high from many different regions. ‘The panel was excited to find many entries from US states off the West Coast, and Mexican wines from outside Baja California. The Mexican wines showed significant improvement over last year’s entries,’ he said.

He highlighted a strong result for a US wine made from a hybrid grape variety, ‘which was encouraging for states outside the main regions’.

Co-Chair Beth Willard and Joint Regional Chair for Piedmont, Michaela Morris discussing the wines at DWWA 2024. Credit: Ellen Richardson

Beth Willard, a new Co-Chair at DWWA 2024 and who was previously Regional Chair for Spain, said it was exciting to see great wines coming from all over the world.

‘It was a real pleasure for me to taste some of the exceptional wines from Greece, for example, as well as Turkey, Switzerland and the Rhône. In particular, Germany seemed to have outstanding entries this year.’

She encouraged fans of red Burgundy to look towards top-performing Beaujolais ‘cru’ wines, ‘which represent the amazing quality coming from the region’.

Among the very top medals, she said, ‘Apart from outstanding wines from classic, well-known regions, there are a few wines which should really attract domestic attention and provide a lot of interest for consumers.’ These include a rare Italian white wine, ‘which transports you straight to a Mediterranean seaside holiday’, she said.

Exciting wines from the major producer nations in the Southern Hemisphere, from Australia to South Africa to Argentina, also feature among the top medals.

Willard said she thought the overall quality among DWWA entries was very high this year, too. ‘It means that a customer who picks up a Bronze medal-winning wine in their local store should be really impressed with the quality it delivers.’

Quality at every price point

DWWA wines are split into five price tiers. Band A represents the ‘value’ segment (up to £14.99 per bottle) while Band E is for super-premium wines at £100 and above, for example.

‘DWWA isn’t about awarding Gold medals to the most expensive wines in every category,’ said Co-Chair Evans. ‘I was very excited this year by the range of value wines (under £15) that the expert judges from each region highlighted. Seek them out: they are a reliable guide to enjoyable drinking.’

Stay tuned for the full results and more commentary from our expert judges, with medal winners set to be announced on 19 June.

Be among the first to see this year’s medal winners by signing up to the DWWA newsletter

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Magnums of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) from the 1970s were the stars of the show at Sotheby’s inaugural wine and spirits auction in Geneva.

DRC dominated the sales board, with eight of the ten highest-selling lots coming from the Côte de Nuits estate, the most famous in Burgundy and – arguably – on the planet.

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A trio of magnums of 1971 La Tâche topped the bill, selling for 125,000 Swiss francs (£110,000), more than double the lower end of the lot’s pre-sale estimate.

Six magnums of 1976 La Tâche fetched CHF37,500, midway through their estimate of CHF32,000-42,000.

Three individual magnums of 1971 La Tâche sold for CHF32,500, CHF27,500 and CHF18,750.

La Tâche’s was joined on the leaderboard by DRC-stablemate Richebourg, with a bottle from 1947 going under the hammer for CHF17,500, smashing through its upper estimate of CHF13,000.

The total sales price reached CHF573,500 (£504,000), with 91% of the lots selling.

Buyers from 14 countries took part in the auction, spread across Asia, Europe and North America.

Frédéric Guyot du Repaire, Sotheby’s deputy head of wine for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said: ‘Most of the wine lots, particularly the mature Bordeaux and rare Burgundy, fetched prices two to three times above their low estimates, underscoring the strong interest of international collectors for such rare wines.

‘This outcome highlights the scarcity and desirability of these collectible wines and legendary vintages.’

DRC’s dominance was broken only by fellow Burgundian stalwart Domaine Armand Rousseau, with a lot consisting of two bottles of 1959 Chambertin fetching CHF20,000, double the lower end of its estimate.

The highest-selling spirit was Baccarat decanter number 124 of Hennessy’s H8 Cognac, one of 250 filled to mark the retirement of master blender Yann Fillioux and the appointment of his successor, Renaud Fillioux de Gironde, with the baton passing from the seventh to the eighth generation of their family.

The elaborate, eight-ring decanter – which sold for CHF37,500, midway through its pre-sale estimate – was inscribed for ‘Arthur’s’, the Geneva-based bar and restaurant operator and drinks wholesaler.

Large-format DRC also features heavily in Massachusetts-based Bonhams Skinner’s ‘Iconic Wines from Passionate Collectors’ online auction, which closes on 17 June.

Three imperials and one magnum are due to go under the hammer, including an imperial of 1971 La Tâche valued at between $150,000 and $200,000, and a 1971 magnum from DRC’s Romanée Conti vineyard estimated at $40,000 to $50,000.

They’re joined by imperials of 1994 La Tâche, estimated at $20,000 to $26,000, and 1994 Richebourg, valued at $14,000 to $18,000.

Bonhams’ online auction also includes bottles of 2003 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon and 1993 Henri Jayer Echezeaux, both from the collection of American wine critic Josh Raynolds, who died last year [2023].

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This morning’s (10 June) release of Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2023 (97-points, Decanter) maintained the trend for price cuts versus the 2022-vintage en primeur campaign last year. 

Yet the wine is more expensive than some of the Pessac-Léognan estate’s back-vintages, according to Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade.

It reported that the wine was released at €91.2 per bottle ex-négociant, down 20% versus the 2022 release, and with a UK offer price £1,188 per 12x75cl in bond (IB). However, initial prices varied; Farr Vintners and Bordeaux Index were offering the wine at £1,080 (12x75cl IB).

St-Émilion’s Château Larcis Ducasse 2023 (95pts) was also released, with a recommended UK price of £50 per bottle (IB), according to consultancy group Wine Lister.

Both releases follow a busy week for the en primeur campaign, which saw offers for first growth Château Margaux, among many others. See our scores and prices table for other Bordeaux 2023 en primeur releases.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, plus ratings and tasting notes on the top-scoring wines

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Winiarski became one of the world’s most famous winemakers when his Cabernet Sauvignon won the Judgement of Paris in 1976. Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars finished ahead of Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château Haut-Brion in the fabled blind tasting that year.

When his wife called to tell him they had won, Winiarski simply said: ‘That’s nice.’ Little did he know that the result would change his life. It also represented a seismic shift in the modern history of wine, demonstrating that New World wines could go toe-to-toe with their European counterparts.

Winiarski developed a fascination with wine at an early age. He was born to Stephen and Lottie Winiarski in 1928. His parents lived in a large Polish community within Chicago, and his father made honey wine, fruit wine and dandelion wine in his spare time.

He met his wife, Barbara, while studying western classics at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland. Winiarski then returned to Chicago to begin graduate work in political theory with Leo Strauss, an esteemed philosopher, in 1952.

During his studies, he spent a year in Italy focusing on Machiavelli. He fell in love with Italian wine, and he resolved to eventually make wine in the United States.

He married Barbara in 1958, and the couple moved to Napa Valley in 1964. Winiarski served as a winemaking apprentice with Lee Stewart at Souverain Cellars, and he then became the first winemaker at Robert Mondavi Winery from 1966 to 1968.

After a two-year sojourn making wine with Californian grapes at Ivancie Cellars in Colorado, Winiarski returned to Napa Valley in 1970. With the backing of several investors, he purchased an 18ha prune orchard and converted it into a vineyard, planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

In 1973, Winiarski built an adjacent winery and named it Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. Three years later, he secured a stunning upset victory over Bordeaux First Growths in the Judgement of Paris, which catapulted him to superstardom within the wine world.

Stag’s Leap cemented its status as one of Napa Valley’s leading producers over the ensuing decades. Winiarski continued to play a leading role in developing the region’s reputation as a producer of world-class wines. He chaired the Napa Valley Vintners trade body in 1989, and he spearheaded the campaign that led to the passage of the Conjunctive Labeling Law, which helped build brand recognition for individual AVAs within Napa Valley and other regions.

In 1996, Winiarski and Barbara initiated The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History’s American Food & Wine History Project. The project traces the long, diverse history of food and wine in the United States.

Winiarski’s career as a winemaker ended when he sold Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars to a partnership of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and Marchese Piero Antinori for $185m in 2007. He was 78 years old at the time, but he continued to own Arcadia Vineyards in the Coombsville AVA of Napa Valley, while also helping to run the Winiarski Family Foundation.

In 2018, the foundation donated a $50m matching grant to St. John’s College to support students’ tuition fees. The donation allowed the college to reduce tuition costs by $17,000 per student. Winiarski also donated $3.3m to build the world’s largest collection of work by wine writers within the library at the University of California, Davis.

He was inducted into the California Hall of Fame alongside director Steven Spielberg and former Raiders quarterback Jim Plunkett in 2017.

Winiarski died peacefully at home on June 7. He is survived by his three children, Kasia Winiarski-Amparano, Stephen Winiarski and Julia Winiarski, and six grandchildren: Gabriel and Noah Amparano, and Matin, Arren, Kiann and Maia Winiarski.

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In between still and spumante wine styles, frizzante used to be a staple of osterie and traditional trattorie in many regions of Italy. In Campania the bubbles softened the searing acidity of Asprinio; in the Oltrè Po they countered the harsh tannins of the Croatina grape; in Emilia they provided the perfect foil to the richness of the cuisine.

Frizzanti were traditionally made by simply bottling early with a little residual sugar and allowing the fermentation to finish in the bottle. Semi-industrial vat re-fermentation threatened to substitute artisan frizzante, but today it is making a robust comeback – ‘Pet-nat’ is trending.

One Italian online retailer lists over 200 ‘hand-made’ frizzanti, including examples from regions without a sparkling wine tradition, such as Sicily, Puglia and Sardinia.

Scroll down to see notes and scores for 10 Italian frizzante wines

10 Italian frizzante wines to try:

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The wineries’ lawsuit alleged that PacifiCorp’s refusal to cut off power to lines in a severe windstorm contributed to the fires that had deleterious effects on the 2020 vintage.

Wildfire smoke can damage wine by tainting the grapes; a phenomenon known as ‘smoke taint.’ It is particularly problematic with red wines in the maceration process.

As a result of the fires and intense and lingering wildfire smoke, many Willamette Valley wineries sold off wine in bulk, declassified wines, made white Pinot Noirs and, in the worst cases, made no wine at all.

Adam Campbell, second-generation owner and winemaker at Elk Cove Vineyards, said, ‘My gut tells me that the total production was probably cut in half across the valley.’

Campbell added, ‘At the time, we were mostly focused on how we honour our contracts with growers, get the grapes in and try and make something salvageable.

‘Subsequent to managing all of that, we learned that there were things that could have been done to mitigate some of the fires that PacifiCorp chose not to do. This lawsuit is about holding people accountable.’

However, the facts of the case would ultimately have to be decided upon by a jury.

PacifiCorp hasn’t directly commented on the case, although it told Associated Press that it was committed to settling all reasonable claims ‘as provided under Oregon law’.

Thus far, PacifiCorp has made several settlements regarding the wildfires. Earlier this week, the company’s Pacific Power business said it had reached a $178m settlement with 403 plaintiffs, in which the vast majority of plaintiffs opted out of class action litigation.

‘The company has settled nearly 1,500 Labor Day 2020 wildfire claims with individuals and businesses in California and Oregon and will continue to settle all reasonable claims,’ the group said.

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Dustin Dow, one of the attorneys representing several Willamette Valley wineries and vineyards that have smoke damage claims against PacifiCorp arising from the Labor Day 2020 fires, told Decanter: ‘Our clients are bringing these claims because PacifiCorp’s actions caused at least seven fires throughout Oregon on 7 and 8 September, 2020. These fires were a substantial factor in damaging our clients’ grapes and wine with smoke taint.’

It’s understood from Dow’s comments that a key issue regarding the complaint is the extent to which fires may have been caused or exacerbated by PacifiCorp leaving power lines energised.

Elk Cove’s Campbell said winemakers tried to make the best of a very difficult situation, but still saw a big impact from the wildfires.

‘We felt like we made some good decisions to mitigate some of the problems,’ he said. ‘In reality, in the best cases, our yields were cut in half. I know we made good wine; we wouldn’t have released it if we hadn’t.’

Campbell added, ‘We followed the research out of Australia about reducing press fractions, making more rosé, and pressing lighter. All of that impacted the amount of wine we were able to make.

‘We sold off wine as a lot of bulk wine and, in some cases, didn’t make wine from the most affected vineyards. Less extraction, lighter pressing – we tried it all. We even used milk products for fining; we did things we would never do. We salvaged what we could, but there was a lot of loss. We didn’t make reserve or single vineyard wines that vintage, which was a blow financially.’

Of the lawsuit, Campbell said, ‘Our goal here is to hold people to account. We’re not interested in jumping the line in front of people who lost their homes or entire timberland that was devastated. We’re aware that we lost half of one vintage and that some people lost everything.’

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St-Émilion’s Château Beau-Séjour Bécot and Margaux-based Château Lascombes released their 2023 wines this morning (7 June) after achieving high scores relative to previous vintages.

Pomerol-based Clinet 2023 was also released this morning, and all three estates continued this year’s theme of dropping prices versus last year’s campaign for the 2022 vintage (see more analysis below).

Three releases today:

• Château Beau-Séjour Bécot 2023 | 97pts (Decanter) | €43.2 per bottle ex-négociant, down 24.2% versus 2022 | UK price £516 per 12x75cl in bond (IB)
• Château Lascombes 2023 | 94pts | €49.2 per bottle, down 21.2% | UK price £595 (12x75cl IB)
• Château Clinet 2023 | 93pts | €57.6 per bottle, down 29.4% | UK price £690 (12x75cl IB)
  Price data source: Liv-ex.

Friday’s releases follow the launch of first growth Château Margaux yesterday (6 June). Before that, the market saw the release of châteaux Canon, Rauzan-Ségla and Les Carmes Haut-Brion yesterday, Pavie, Pichon Baron and L’Eglise Clinet on Tuesday, and Pichon Comtesse and Palmer at the beginning of the week.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, ratings and tasting notes for all the top-scoring wines

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Falkirk has always been proud of its skyline – at one end of the town, which lies between Glasgow and Edinburgh, sit The Kelpies, a pair of massive 300-tonne sculptures of mythical Scottish water horses unveiled in 2013, while at the other stands the Falkirk Wheel, the world’s only rotating boat lift, opened in 2002 to link the Union and Forth & Clyde canals.

Between the two protrudes a pair of much older monuments: the famous 43-metre Georgian steeple on the town’s high street, once home to the jail, and the equally-loved red brick chimney at the old Rosebank distillery, nestled on the canal bank. Local people, known affectionately as ‘Bairns’, long feared that the chimney would be demolished following the distillery’s closure, robbing the town of one of its most distinctive landmarks.

Now, the chimney – and the new distillery that surrounds it – are in safe hands. Today (7 June), the new Rosebank distillery will welcome visitors for the first time. Having gone silent for 30 years, the distillery that was once known as ‘The King of the Lowlands’, is ready to reclaim its throne, thanks to a new team and new stills, but the same spirit character.

Auspicious beginnings

Rosebank traces its roots back to 1840, when James Rankine – a local wine merchant and tea blender – turned the former maltings for the nearby Camelon distillery into a distillery in its own right. It eventually became part of United Distillers & Vintners (UDV), one of the forerunners of the present-day Diageo, Scotland’s largest distiller and maker of Johnnie Walker, Bell’s and J&B.

The oil crises in the 1970s triggered high inflation and a drop in global demand for Scotch, leading to a ‘whisky loch’ of overproduction in the 1980s. Rosebank was one of the final casualties, closing its doors in 1993, with the site sold to the British Waterways Board – now Scottish Canals – in 2002.

A project by Arran Brewery to revive the site by turning it into a brewery, bottling hall, and micro-distillery was abandoned in 2014. Instead, the old distillery was bought in 2017 by the Russell family, owners of Ian Macleod Distillers (IMD) , the company behind the Glengoyne and Tamdhu distilleries. IMD also purchased the ‘Rosebank’ brand name and pre-1993 casks from Diageo.

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The road to revival at Rosebank

Credit: Chris McCluskie Photography

On Tuesday night, the Russell family welcomed scores of guests to the official opening of the new Rosebank distillery, designed by Michael Laird Architects, and built using tonnes of reclaimed bricks and timbers from the original derelict distillery buildings. The designers incorporated parts of the original stone walls along the canal side and incorporated the lock-keeper’s cottage, a scheduled monument, Scotland’s highest level of protection for structures of national importance.

The road to reopening rarely runs smoothly. The original copper stills and mash tuns had been stolen during the Christmas and Hogmanay holidays back in 2008-9, while IMD managing director Leonard Russell told the audience on Tuesday that the project had gone ‘three times over budget’. Back in 2017, that budget was reported as between £10m-£12m, with a prospective opening date of ‘2019 at the earliest’.

Yet the results look like they’re worth every penny, with a building that can hold its own against the most modern of Scottish craft distilleries, such as Holyrood, Port of Leith , or Raasay. Tourism has been built into the design from the very start, from a massive audio-visual show projected onto a wall at the beginning of the tour, through to theatrical spotlights picking out individual rows of casks in the small on-site warehouse as the tour guide introduces some of the pre-1993 stock alongside the new ex-bourbon barrels, which began to be filled last summer .

Going back to the future

Credit: Chris McCluskie Photography

At the heart of the new Rosebank sit three stills. While triple distillation is common in Ireland, it’s rare in Scotland, with Auchentoshan in Clydebank near Glasgow fabled as the most famous example. Triple distillation provides more contact with copper, leaving behind a lighter and more floral spirit.

Rosebank’s other distinguishing feature is its set of massive worm tub condensers that sit outside the stillroom. Worm tubs produce a richer and more robust spirit than the alternative shell-and-tube condensers. Rosebank is the only Scottish distillery to combine triple distillation with worm tubs – producing a spirit that’s perhaps best described as an iron fist inside a velvet glove.

To recapture Rosebank’s historic spirit profile, IMD got hold of the original plans and commissioned legendary Speyside coppersmiths Forsyths to recreate the three stolen stills, even down to their oddities. The original wash still, the first of the three used to make spirit, had been inherited from another distillery and had its distinctive swan neck chopped off to fit inside the old still house and replaced with a flat plate, with a lyne arm connected to its neck instead.

‘You’ll notice that they’re f***ing weird shapes,’ laughed Leonard Russell. ‘But [distillery manager] Malcolm [Rennie] has done a fantastic job – he’s making spirit that’s spectacularly fantastic out of those stills.’

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A first in its 38 years of existence, the International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC) has chosen a media partner, Decanter magazine, in a pivotal year for the event –one of America’s longest-running wine celebrations.

The weekend of 26-28 July 2024 will mark an historic final IPNC weekend, as organisers have designs on pivoting to a different format for the event.

IPNC is a one-of-a-kind wine event held in McMinnville, Oregon that brings an array of Pinot Noir producers from around the world to the campus of Linfield University and the hillside vineyards of the Willamette Valley. The three-day immersive experience includes names like Burgundy’s revered Domaine des Comtes Lafon, CHACRA from Patagonia, and many Oregon and California producers, including Sonoma’s Three Sticks and Oregon stalwarts, Bethel Heights and Beaux Frères.

‘I was part of the first IPNC in 1987,’ said Dominique Lafon of Domaine des Comtes Lafon. ‘This celebration was key for the strong relationships between the burgeoning wine industry in Oregon and Burgundy. The event also puts the spotlight on Pinot Noir worldwide. I’ll be happy to participate in this wonderful event one more time with my family.’

Attendees will have access to in-depth, up-close wine education with some of the world’s biggest names in Pinot Noir. Raj Parr will provide the keynote address. The Grand Seminar, moderated by Karen MacNeil, will explore Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Champagne to Burgundy to South America and the US West Coast. There will be vineyard tours and intimate University of Pinot seminars.

The meals at IPNC include food prepared by some of the Northwest’s best chefs and deep verticals of Pinot Noir from the extensive IPNC library collection.

Guests may purchase tickets for individual events, including the Sunday Sparkling Brunch, the IPNC Salmon Bake, or the entire weekend.

Decanter’s North America editor, Clive Pursehouse, will be in attendance. IPNC represents an excellent opportunity for Decanter to speak with American wine lovers as the publication seeks to expand further into the US market, having launched a US team almost two years ago.

‘We are thrilled to have the sponsorship and support of Decanter magazine for the 2024 event,’ said Thomas Savre, president of the IPNC board, and winemaker for Lingua Franca. ‘This collaboration not only validates our event’s exceptional quality and reputation but also underscores our shared commitment to promoting excellence in the world of wine.’

‘This event is beloved by the industry and Pinot Noir fans. I am looking forward to celebrating one more time with the guests and some of the best Pinot Noir makers from all over the world. IPNC may be closing a chapter, but the book still has many pages to be written,’ Savre added.

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Château Margaux 2023 was released this morning (6 June), alongside the estate’s Pavillon Rouge and Pavillon Blanc labels, with Gruaud Larose and Calon Ségur also joining the day’s offerings.

Releases at a glance:  

• Château Margaux 2023: 98pts (Decanter) | €360 per bottle ex-négociant, down 30.2% versus 2022 | UK price £4,320 per 12x75cl in bond (IB)
• Pavillon Rouge 2023: 93pts | €120 per bottle, down 20% | UK price £1,440 (12x75cl IB)
• Pavillon Blanc 2023: 96pts | €240 per bottle, down 9.4% | UK price £2,880 (12x75cl IB)
• Château Gruaud Larose 2023: 97pts | €60 per bottle, down 13.8% | UK price £716 (12x75cl IB)
• Château Calon Ségur 2023: 96pts | €78 per bottle, down 23.5% | UK price £936 (12x75cl IB)*
  Price data source: Liv-ex.

Château Margaux’s appearance means that all of the Left Bank first growths have now released their 2023 wines, except Château Latour, which no longer participates in en primeur.

It follows the launch of châteaux Canon, Rauzan-Ségla and Les Carmes Haut-Brion yesterday, Pavie, Pichon Baron and L’Eglise Clinet on Tuesday, and Pichon Comtesse and Palmer at the beginning of the week. 

A trend for year-on-year discounts has continued, but analysts have also highlighted potential opportunities for buyers interested in back-vintages.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, plus ratings and tasting notes on the top-scoring wines

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Catalan grape growers praying for water have had their prayers answered, but not in the way they had hoped. A hailstorm that fell on 1 June in the Penedès region of Catalonia devastated an estimated 1,200 to 1,500 hectares of vines. Hardest-hit areas might see any chances of a 2024 harvest completely wiped out.

This is the latest in a series of unfortunate weather events for the Spanish region, which faced a bout of mildew in 2020 and has been under severe drought alert for much of 2024.

Catalan wine publication Vadevi published a map of the storm’s path drawn by local growers. It shows a vertical line from Sant Joan de Mediona to Cubelles, cutting straight through Vilafranca de Penedès. The worst-affected vineyards were in the towns of Santa Margarida i els Monjos, Castellet i la Gornal, Sant Martí Sarroca and Font-rubí.

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‘There was rain in the forecast that night, but instead of water it was just ice falling,’ said Ferrán Lacruz of Bodega Clandestina, located in Sant Martí Sarroca. The storm began around 8pm, with hail falling fast and furiously over the span of half an hour. Lacruz suffered some damage to his Macabeo/Macabeu crop, but his vines mostly escaped the full rage of the storm. Others were not so lucky.

‘Some vines just have the trunk left,’ said Josep Marrugat, head of viticulture for agricultural union Unió de Pagesos. Marrugat said there will be no harvest from the most severely damaged vines this year, and next year’s harvest might also be compromised. Speaking to local newspaper La Ciutat, he classified the situation as ‘very demoralising.’ Unió de Pagesos estimates a loss of about seven million kilos of grapes, or about €5m, for local grape growers.

Guardiola de Font-rubí, Alt Penedès | Credit: Unió de Pagesos

Most of the vineyards damaged by hail produce grapes for DO Cava, exacerbating an already difficult year in which the regulatory council has had to take extraordinary measures to meet high global demand. Added to this is the uncertainty generated by the Catalan elections in May, in which no party was able to win a majority needed to form a government. Marrugat said that so far there was no one who could make the decision to send aid to growers with damaged vineyards.

Both Marrugat and Lacruz called for the support of the entire wine sector to stabilise prices and allow growers to make a living in the face of an increasingly chaotic climate. And also for a change of mindset. ‘It’s not only wineries who purchase grapes, but also consumers, who need to understand that prices need to change for the Penedès to have a future,’ said Lacruz, who does not produce wines under an appellation. ‘We need to make a change from volume to value, in order to be able to survive in years when we produce much less,’ he concluded.

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