CATEGORIES

45 GREAT BUYS FOR BORDEAUX LOVERS

We asked Andy Howard MW to taste a wide selection of top red blends from around the globe, produced using differing combinations of the classic Bordeaux grape varieties. The standard was pleasingly high across every region, and Howard’s favourite wines, revealed in the following pages, represent particularly good quality and value in this popular category

Around Spain In 10 Garnachas

Happy in Spain’s often testing rural terrain, this once unfavoured red variety is enjoying a surge in popularity among growers and critics alike, as regional authenticity finds increasing favor. David Williams selects his 10 top producers and their wines of the moment

TRANSFORMING TEMPRANILLO

Over-zealous planting and heavy-handed use of oak haven’t done its reputation any favours, but Spain’s most widespread variety can make excellent wines. Sarah Jane Evans MW highlights the regions and producers helping Tempranillo reach its full potential

RIOJA ORIENTAL

More than just an administration tweak, the changing of this subregion's name from Rioja Baja to Rioja Oriental holds far deeper significance for its native wine producers. As the region undergoes a winemaking transformation, Simon Field MW explains how a new generation is reclaiming the higher ground – in every sense of the phrase

RICARD ROFES

Located by the site of a 900-year-old former monastery, Cellers de Scala Dei is a winery immersed in the robust history of Priorat. Sarah Jane Evans MW meets the winemaker who is eloquently telling the region’s story – and paving the way for its future – through its wines

EXPRESSIONS OF NORTHWEST SPAIN

The reds from this area are incredibly varied, but not always well known – despite the high price of the most famous. Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW picks 20 from across the spectrum

ALVARINHO VS ALBARINO

Championed by winemakers in both Spain and Portugal, this white grape is becoming known for the diverse, high-quality wines it can produce. Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW explores a variety on the rise

Introducing Extremadura

Spain’s fourth-largest wine-producing region has much to boast about, yet it remains relatively unknown. Now, finding its own style and making the most of its little-known DO, Extremadura is starting to make its mark internationally, as David Williams discovers

Lafite In China

It has been a decade in the making, but earlier this year the Château Lafite Rothschild owner opened its first winery in China, cementing the country’s position as a wine-producing force to be reckoned with. Jane Anson reports from the long-awaited launch

How To Host Christmas

The festive season offers plenty of occasions for wine lovers to enjoy their favourite bottles. But what should you serve when? Fiona Beckett offers practical tips for perfect wine service at home

Louis Barruol

One of the Rhône Valley’s most celebrated winemakers, the Château de Saint Cosme owner has elevated his long-established family winery – and the Gigondas appellation itself – to a new level of prominence in the greater Rhône region, and one of his latest projects sees him striving to do the same in Vinsobres, as Matt Walls discovers

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte

The past three decades have seen the fortunes of this historic estate renewed, becoming a pioneer in both environmental initiatives and wine tourism thanks to the collective imagination and dedication of one family. Jane Anson pays a visit

A Decanter Guide To Chablis Premier Cru

The ethereal, nuanced intensity of its wines continues to bewitch many a wine professional and consumer alike. Andy Howard MW takes us on a tour of one of the world’s benchmark white wine regions, revealing the character that lies behind some of its best vineyard sites

The Meunier Makeover

A grape with a long and sometimes troubled history, Pinot Meunier is enjoying popularity once again – not just in its traditional homeland of Champagne, but in the vineyards of England and America’s west coast, as well. Alice Lascelles finds out more

Jancis Robinson MW & Hugh Johnson

Almost 50 years since it was first published, The World Atlas of Wine has reached its eighth edition. John Stimpfig talks to its two authors to discover how this revered book has documented the extensive developments in the world of wine over that time

St-Emilion: Finding Value

It really needn’t be seen as a contradiction in terms, explains James Lawther MW, who selects 15 great wines that offer both quality and fair pricing from this much-admired Bordeaux Right Bank region

Chablis 2018

This hot, early and bountiful vintage was a welcome relief for weather-plagued producers. But while the quantity is there, quality is patchy, says Tim Atkin MW, with much depending on yields, picking dates and producer nous. Here he selects 35 wines to buy, from grand cru to Petit Chablis

The Great Disrupters

There are those who accept the status quo and those who challenge it – and it is the latter group of rule-breakers who are driving progress in some of the world’s under-appreciated wine regions. Simon Reilly profiles pioneering winemakers who like to do things differently.

Vinsobres

Producing wines with a level of natural freshness few other regions can match, Vinsobres isas yet overshadowed by its better-known southern Rhône neighbours, discovers Matt Walls

Stars Of The South

With its plethora of native and local grape varietis and an increasing number of skilled and dedicated winemakers, southern Italy’s wine future is looking bright. Michaela Morris showcases some of its leading lights.

Celebrating Sauvignon

It’s one of the most popular and widely planted white grape varieties – and with good reason, says Rebecca Gibb MW in her round-the-world guide to Sauvignon Blanc.

A Tour Of California Under The Radar

The high-profile big names of Californian wine dominate media coverage, but if your interest is piqued by the fascinating and the smaller-scale, where best to look? Julie Albin points to the producers and regions quietly making waves, and recommends 10 great wines to try.

Travel Shock: Myth Or Reality?

Could it really be the case that the bottle of wine you have just transported from A to B tastes different in its new location? Intrigued by anecdotal reports,Jonas Tofterup MW designed an experiment to investigate the claim

Patagonia: The New Frontier

With climate change pushing them into cooler territory, intrepid South American winemakers are overcoming extreme conditions to produce fresh and delicate wines at the continent’s southernmost point. Amanda Barnes finds out more

Old Vines: The Gift Of Time

With many vineyard sites established in the 16th century or possibly earlier, Latin America boasts a significant number of old vines. But as Tim Atkin MW discovers, winemakers don’t like to shout about it

Liv-Ex Classification Expands

All the important fine wine investment news, compiled by Chris Mercer

Chilean Pinot Noir

A shift from increasing volumes to enhancing quality is beginning to bear fruit, and signs are that it will only get better as Chile’s Pinot Noir vines mature in the ground, says Peter Richards MW

David Babich

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the planting of the first vines in New Zealand. Josip Babich was one of the country’s founding winemakers and today his pioneering winery is still family-run, with grandson David at the helm. Rebecca Gibb MW meets him to talk legacies and future prospects

Californian premium Rhône reds

We asked Decanter’s Rhône expert Matt Walls to blind taste largely Syrah- and Grenache-based Californian wines with some from France hidden in the line-up. Here he reports on his findings and recommends his top 20 Rhône Rangers

The New Names To Know In Napa

From personal passion projects to collaborative winemaking, the latest wave of innovative producers in Napa Valley is taking the region’s wine scene in a new direction. Elin McCoy meets them.