September 2024 Tasting Report: A Riot of Rieslings, Italian Time-Tripping and Napa’s Gentle Contact

We remained heading in the right direction to hit our aim of tasting greater than 40,000 wines for the 12 months by ranking 2,754 bottles in September from a document 22 international locations. Italy led the way in which with 957 bottles rated, adopted by France with 418, the USA with 349, Germany with 246 and Austria with 179, but it surely was the latter two international locations that gave us the lion’s share of our highest-scoring bottles.

Nineteen of the 20 wines we rated 100 or 99 factors got here from Germany and Austria, with 16 of these being rieslings. Of the 100-pointers, 4 have been rieslings and one was, gloriously, a German pinot noir, or spatburgunder.  In reality, Senior Editor Stuart Pigott mentioned it was the best German pinot noir he has ever skilled, and it was positively the primary German wine from the grape we’ve ever given an ideal rating to.

The only-vineyard Bernhard Huber Spätburgunder Baden Wildenstein GG 2022, Stuart mentioned, is a “mixture of mind-blowing focus plus unimaginable precision and delicacy” with a texture on the palate that “is a dream of heaven, however no imitation of Burgundy.” One other of winemaker Julian Huber’s pinot noir creations from 2022 was shut behind in excellent high quality – the Bernhard Huber Spätburgunder Baden Schlossberg GG 2022, which Stuart liked for its unimaginable focus and freshness, which he mentioned hits like a large wave.

The opposite 100-point German providing was the Robert Weil Riesling Rheingau Kiedrich Gräfenberg Trockenbeerenauslese 2023 – a dessert wine with the essence of dried apricots, mangos and papayas with a monumental freshness.

Winemaker Wilhelm Weil was capable of reveal his mastery of the dessert wine class with this providing, which is predicated on the stringent number of single shriveled berries. An excellent greater favourite of Stuart from Weil was the sensational Robert Weil Riesling Rheingau Monte Vacano Trocken 2022, the fifth classic of a single-parcel dry riesling that was fermented and matured on the lees for 22 months in impartial oak casks.

And much more German riesling pleasure from the Rheingau got here by means of the Kunstler vineyard’s Riesling Rheingau Aeterna 2019, which winemaker Gunter Kunstler not too long ago launched.

It’s a wine that mixes extraordinarily concentrated candied orange, apricot and recent almond aromas with a driving minerality that “takes your breath away,” based on Stuart. And Kathrin Puff, the winemaker for the Rheingau’s legendary Kloster Eberbach vineyard since 2018, hit a brand new excessive with the Kloster Eberbach Riesling Rheingau Baikenkopf GG 2023, which is extraordinarily compact and stony with unimaginable brilliance.

And from Germany’s Pfalz area got here a trio of excellent dry rieslings, together with the Christmann Pfalz Riesling Idig GG 2023, which has intense flinty character like a younger Grand Cru Chablis, the gorgeous Dr. Wehrheim Riesling Pfalz Kastanienbusch GG 2023, which marries nice focus and class, and the wilder and extremely intense Ökonomierat Rebholz Riesling Pfalz Kastanienbusch 2023.

Our different 100-point rieslings have been from Austria’s “usually nice” 2023 classic and its most well-known appellation, the Wachau. The F.X. Pichler vineyard gave us twin, excellent dry rieslings with their F.X. Pichler Riesling Wachau Ried Steinertal 2023 – “the top of a racy, stony riesling with unimaginable Amalfi lemon and wild herb freshness” – and the F.X. Pichler Riesling Wachau Ried Kellerberg 2023g, which is all about peach and mango but is super-focused and the final word in minerality.

The late-picked Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Austria Ried Singerriedel Smaragd 2023 was the third Austrian 100-pointer, which nailed a super-cool and brilliant end and sits “very comfortably” at 13.5 % alcohol, in distinction with lots of the different higher-alcohol wines from the classic.

SPANISH WONDERS AND TIME-TRIPPING IN ITALY

Spain gave us our different 99-point wine that wasn’t from Austria or Germany within the Artadi Viña El Pison 2022, which together with its El Carretil providing are the most effective illustrations of how Spain’s nice vineyards can adapt to excessive climate and produce amazingly constant wines. El Pison’s melted, dissolved tannins and lengthy, minerally end have been particularly hanging, based on Senior Editor Zekun Shuai.

Zekun was additionally struck in his September tastings by the most effective worth wine he has encountered thus far this 12 months from Spain, the Bodegas y Viñedos Ponce Bobal Manchuela Pino 2023, which comes from a small, limestone-rich plot with vines over 40 years previous, and solely prices about $30. One other notable Spanish wine was the nice Ribeira Sacra purple, the F. Algueira Ribeira Sacra Dolio 2020, which Zekun believes is the most effective classic he has tasted so removed from this mission.

Whereas at his Italian base in Tuscany throughout September, James took time to go to Campania and Sardinia. His journey to the latter area was like going again in time in Italy, he mentioned, with some vineyards of aglianico greater than 180 years of age – or so previous that they need to be referred to as “Jurassic vines,” he quipped.

However amid all of the tree-like previous vines all through the huge volcanic panorama he noticed, there was additionally a palpable sense of rebirth, as if Campania was nonetheless evolving together with such names as Galardi, Donnachiara and Feudi di San Gregorio, the latter of which bottles wines beneath the label, Irpinia Aglianico Serpico by Feudi di San Gregorio. Though the Feudi di San Gregorio wines are usually exhausting and forgiving, James mentioned, “there’s an intrinsic nature to them that solely the previous vines can ship.”

James additionally roamed the varied mountain vineyards of the Galardi vineyard with co-owner Allegra Selvaggi and was impressed with the variety of expositions and the affect of the varied forests encompass the plots. Their new launch, the Galardi Campania Terra di Lavoro 2021, additionally impressed.

In Sardinia, James took within the historic vineyards of Mamoiada, a couple of two-hour drive inland from the coastal city of Olbia, one other repository of previous vines however planted in barren granite soils. Lots of the wines James and Senior Editor Aldo Fiordelli tasted there – together with throughout a lunch they organized for 30 producers – have been old-school and excessive in alcohol, however there have been additionally brisker, lighter wines. One of many standouts was from Marco Bacci of Tuscany (Castello di Bossi and Renieri), who’s producing a brand new purple beneath the label “Blue Zone.”

READ MORE BAROLO ANNUAL TASTING REPORT: 2020 GOES DOWN EASY

From the well-known Sardinian property of Capichera, in the meantime, the place the vineyards and vineyard are present process an enormous revamp beneath the (newish) possession of Carlo Bonomi, got here a marked enchancment of their whites, that are constituted of vermentino, together with the Capichera Isola dei Nuraghi VT 2022 and Capichera Isola dei Nuraghi Santigaìni Bianco 2017.

James additionally reviewed the brand new releases of single-vineyard Nero d’Avolas from Feudo Maccari, the Sicilian property owned by the Moretti household of Tuscany. The wines, Guarnaschelli and Sultana, at the moment are of their second classic with the 2022 releases, and though they’re barely much less structured than the 2021s, their readability and drinkability are apparent.

And out of the northern Italian area of Alto Adige, Senior Editor Aldo Fiordelli famous just a few standout wines: the Alois Lageder PInot Noir Alto Adige Krafuss 2022, a really basic, layered, advanced, tense and concentrated providing; the Cantina Girlan Alto Adige Flora Riserva 2021; and the  2021 Riserva from Castel Juval – a singular Alto Adige pinot noir that’s extra mineral and tense alongside a considerable chewiness that makes it an awesome meals wine.

CABERNETS AND MORE FROM NAPA AND BEYOND

In the USA, Government Editor Jim Gordon tapped right into a slew of Napa Valley reds that impressed him, with two of the most effective being veteran winemaker Chris Phelps’ full-bodied and deep Advert Vivum Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Yountville Sleeping Woman Winery 2021 in addition to the Perus Pink Wine Napa Valley Alessio 2019, which provides dense black fruits and a large construction, significantly noteworthy on this usually supple and easy-drinking 12 months.

Nevertheless it was Napa Valley 2022 chardonnays and cabernet sauvignons from Tor Kenward’s Tor Wines that actually impressed, dispelling any notions that the “warmth dome” classic produced solely common wines. Guided by the sunshine contact of Tor winemaker Jeff Ames, their Chardonnay Napa Valley Carneros Beresini Winery Cuvée Torchiana 2022 is broad, indulgent, luscious and lingering, whereas amongst Tor’s reds, the Napa Valley Black Magic 2022 is an extremely darkish and scrumptious mix based mostly on cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot whereas the Napa Valley Pure Magic 2022 is equally gorgeous however extra smooth, elegant and minty.

Ridge Vineyards additionally stepped into the highlight with a powerful lineup of reds, together with the Ridge Vineyards Sonoma County Dry Creek Valley Lytton Springs 2022, which boasts equal components wealthy fruits, savory notes and spices. Additionally from the 2022 classic,  the Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Pritchard Hill 2022 exhibits the basic construction, energy and freshness of mountain grown fruit from this 67-year-old household property, and it’s stuffed with scrumptious blackberries and complicated cedar, earth, graphite and dried herb flavors.

From 2020, the Duckhorn Napa Valley Pink Wine The Dialogue 2020 is a cabernet sauvignon-dominant mix and the vineyard’s costliest bottling. It’s layered, nevertheless, with a great portion of the vineyard’s past love, merlot, giving it an ultra-smooth texture and scrumptious creme de cassis flavors with scarcely noticeable, silky tannins.

STELLENBOSCH STUNNERS

A couple of wines of observe that Affiliate Editor Claire Nesbitt tasted from the Stellenbosch area of South Africa have been the fantastically ripe and velvety Kanonkop Pinotage Black Label 2022 and Kanonkop’s Bordeaux-style mix, the cabernet sauvignon-dominated Paul Sauer 2021, which is full-bodied and stylish with refined, silky tannins.

And from the cooler Helderberg space within the south of Stellenbosch cane Uva Mira’s The Single Tree 2021, a deliciously nutty, broad and flavorful chardonnay, in addition to their icon Uva Mira Chardonnay Stellenbosch 2021, which is lengthy and concentrated, with an electrical freshness to the creamy mouthfeel.

We additionally tasted some terrific dry purple wines from the Douro area of Portugal, led by Quinta do Noval’s Vinhas da Marka 2020, a full-bodied and intense discipline mix of over 30 totally different conventional grape varieties, and the Petit Verdot Duriense 2021, a chic purple regardless of its wealthy black-fruit and potpourri character, with impressively mushy and polished tannins for a grape that always produces tannic wines. Quinta do Noval’s Syrah 2021, Touriga Nacional 2021 and Douro Reserve 2021 are additionally value trying out.

And from the nation’s  Bairrada area, Filipa Pato, the co-owner and winemaker at Filipa Pato & William Wouters, makes top-of-the-line baga wines in her 2021 Nossa Missão, which is crafted from centenarian, pre-phylloxeric baga vines planted within the stony, clay-limestone soils of Bairrada. It’s a wine of exceptional steadiness and depth, combining class with focus, wonderful tannins and full of life acidity.

And we additionally went to the mountainous area of Shangri-La, China, the place the eponymous Shangri-La Vineyard is flexing its high-altitude chops with distinctive cabernet sauvignons and chardonnays. Their high wines have been the Shangri-la Vineyard Chardonnay Shangri-La Sheng Yu Legend 2022, which comes with big depth punctuated by concentrated, candy lemon notes alongside brilliant, mouth-watering acidity, in addition to the wealthy and opulent Shangri-la Vineyard Shangri-La Sheng Yu 2018.

Lastly, from Hungary got here the “Royal Flush” of candy Royal Tokaji’s Aszu Puttonyos wines that Affiliate Editor Andrii Stetsiuk tasted through Zoom with firm director Kovacs Adorjan Zoltan. The wines, from 2018, included 5 soon-to-be-released bottles from Royal Tokaji’s labeled vineyards, collectively known as the Royal Flush:  Szt. Tamas (First Development), Betsek (First Development), Nyulaszo (First Development), Mezes Maly (Nice First Development) and Birsalmas (Second Development). The wines confirmed spectacular freshness and drinkability alongside class and steadiness, and so they additionally featured scrumptious fruit, floral notes, and sometimes savory and mineral nuances.

– Vince Morkri, Managing Editor

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