Wines

Left Bank Bordeaux delivers what most of us think of as the essence of this region – classical châteaux with dreaming spires, and complex, barrel-aged wines that major on savoury black fruits laced with touches of cedar, eucalyptus and mint, all capable of ageing for decades in dusty cellars. It’s where you find many of the wine world’s most famous names, and yet it is also a large area, with thousands of wine estates, and myriad styles.

It’s easy to forget, for example, that Left Bank Bordeaux extends both northwards from the city of Bordeaux up into the Médoc peninsula and also southwards through Pessac-Léognan and the Graves.

Good: AP Graves

To get to know the region, it’s worth starting with an AP Graves wine – the appellation that can be seen as the original Left Bank wine, as the name once referred to all the wines made on the gravel-heavy soils that lie to the west of the Garonne river, until individual areas were progressively defined over the centuries. Most of the wines here are made from an even blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, making for an approachable introduction to the black fruit character of Left Bank Bordeaux. They are almost always ready within two or three years of bottling, rather than the eight to 10 years that is more typical up on the Médoc peninsula. Not as consistent in difficult vintages as the more highly prized Left Bank appellations, Graves is the place to find overperforming labels in successful years such as 2016 or 2018.

Better: The Médoc

To shift up a gear, head northwards of Bordeaux city to the Médoc itself. There are two regional appellations that sit within this finger of land that extends upwards towards the Atlantic ocean. These are AP Médoc and AP Haut-Médoc – together producing much more than half of the wines from the peninsula, far more than the commune names such as Margaux, Pauillac and St-Julien. Look to the Haut-Médoc to discover some of the most exciting wines in all of Bordeaux, from classified growths such as Château La Tour Carnet to iconic unclassified estates such as Château Sociando-Mallet. The best wines are deeply coloured, age well, and express the magic that can come from barrel-aged Cabernet Sauvignon blends in this particular corner of the world.

Best: Pauillac

But if you want to really get to the heart of Left Bank Bordeaux, you need to head to Pauillac, with its deeply coloured wines full of cassis and blackberry fruits, powerful tannins and confident structure that age with both intensity and grace. Pauillac has among the highest density of vine planting in the Médoc, meaning about 10,000 vines planted per hectare of land, while in the cellar the winemaking tends to ensure good extraction of colour and aromatic compounds, with the resulting wine given long barrel ageing usually of 18 months to soften the tannins and add extra layers of flavour and nuance.

Pauillac’s location close to the Gironde estuary helps keep acidities fresh even in hot years, which combined with the grape varieties (62% Cabernet Sauvignon plantings) ensure the best wines are capable of ageing 20, 30, even 40 years. There are 54 winemakers in Pauillac, with a full 18 classified growths from the 1855 ranking, including three of the five first growths (Lafite Rothschild, Latour and Mouton Rothschild), but you can find brilliant examples at more affordable prices.

Good: Château de Chantegrive, Graves 2018 – 91 points

Better: Château Belle-Vue, Haut-Médoc CB 2016 – 93 points

Best: Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac 5CC 2009 – 96 points

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Jane Anson’s Left Bank Bordeaux picks:

Jane Anson’s pick of the best Pauillac 2020 wines, tasting on primeur

Left and right bank Bordeaux: What’s the difference? 

Classic styles when pairing wine with turkey:

• Full-bodied Chardonnay, such as those from Burgundy or California
• Pinot Noir
• Mature Bordeaux, Rioja or Barolo
• Beaujolais (Gamay)

Remember that turkey is not a powerful meat

Turkey is a white meat and has a low fat content, which is why it can dry out if not cooked carefully.

So, your wine matches should ideally be either a full-bodied white wine or a medium-bodied red, with low or medium tannin and relatively high acidity.

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The basic rules of wine with turkey

Let’s talk about tannins

Fine tannins are great in a balanced wine with some bottle age, but too much mouth-coating tannin could also ruin all those hours you’ve spent slaving away in the kitchen.

There is likely to be a dearth of fat on the plate in general, leaving little to soften tannins in a big, bold, young wine.

This can accentuate the harsh feeling of tannins in the mouth, eclipsing other flavours, while the saltiness of the turkey can also make tannins taste more bitter.

It may seem strange that classic wine choices include those with relatively high tannin levels, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blends from Bordeaux.

This, however, is where several years of bottle age come into play, because tannins will soften and integrate over time in the best wines.

Embrace acidity

A roast turkey dinner is often full of flavours and complexity – sides like cranberry, bacon, parsnips, stuffing and Brussels sprouts are just some of the dishes vying for attention.

A wine with medium or high levels of acidity should be able to cope better with these myriad flavours.

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Red wine with turkey

Everyone has their own personal tastes, and there are so many options out there, but Pinot Noir in its various guises around the world is often seen as a great match for turkey dinners.

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir from bolder Burgundy crus, such as Gevrey-Chambertin or Pommard, should work exceptionally well.

If you can stretch to the Grand Cru of Chambertin then you’re in for a treat, but there are also plenty of less expensive options out there. Try looking towards Fixin or Santenay, for example.

Be aware, though, that some lighter styles of Burgundy Pinot, such as classic Volnay wines, may be overpowered by the range of flavours on your plate.

How about a delicious Pinot from Oregon’s Willamette Valley or California’s Santa Barbara County? Decanter contributor Stacy Slinkard recently praised the balance of lively acidity, fresh red fruits and sweet spice in this Schug Pinot from Sonoma County, too.

The feathery tannins and autumnal fruit of Mooroduc Estate’s ‘McIntyre’ Pinot from Australia’s Mornington Peninsula could also make it a dinner to remember.

Pinot Noir is also a good option when eating cold roast turkey leftovers, particularly if pickles and chutneys are on the dish too, says Fiona Beckett. She recommends ‘a riper, more robustly fruity Pinot Noir from, say, California, Oregon or New Zealand.’

Beaujolais Cru

Gamay is often underrated and it’s easy to also make the mistake of thinking that all Gamay wines are lightweight.

Not so, especially in those 10 Beaujolais Crus known for making wines with more power and depth, such as Morgon or Moulin-à-Vent.

Aged Bordeaux

Cabernet Sauvignon is obviously in a completely different universe to what we’ve just talked about; big tannins, big acidity and lots of luscious dark fruit. Merlot, too, carries significant weight in its classic Bordeaux Right Bank form.

Yet the delicately poised balance of fruit, acidity and integrated tannins can still work wonders with your turkey dinner, if some of those tertiary aromas from a few years of bottle age have started to develop around the edges.

Jane Anson selected wines from Bordeaux vintages that are ready to drink now. Some of the top second wines from the Bordeaux 2005 vintage are also hitting their sweet spot, said Anson.

Other classic reds from the bolder end of the spectrum would be aged Barolo or Chianti Classico.

Mature Rioja can also combine those lovely, earthy, mushroomy aromas with bright red fruit and medium-weight tannins. There are also plenty of relatively good value options.

Be wary of choosing a wine with too much oak influence, however.

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White wine with turkey

Chardonnay

A full-bodied Chardonnay can be an enchanting accompaniment to your turkey, especially with traditional sides such as bread sauce.

The best examples exude oaky richness that can give sweet spice notes, while creamy lactic acid really helps out with a meat that can sometimes be on the dry side. A backbone of acidity helps to balance out the flavours.

Good Chardonnays, in general, are found in the similar geographical areas to good Pinot Noir.

White Burgundy from the Côte de Beaune will work well at almost all levels. As above, those lucky enough to be able to choose a Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru or a Bâtard-MontrachetGrand Cru are unlikely to be disappointed.

The high levels of minerality and acidity in these wines help to cleanse the palate, allowing you to wade through all the trimmings effortlessly. The Mâconnais is an area to explore for relative value options, particularly for anyone who enjoys riper fruit notes on their Chardonnay.

This Domaine Serene ‘Récolte’ 2016 from Oregon’s Dundee Hills is an example of a bolder style of Chardonnay from the US, showing dried apricot, spice and lots of concentration – but with enough acidity ‘to keep it all in balance’, according to Decanter contributor Charles Curtis.

Other wonderful examples can be found in Victoria in Australia, from Victoria to Adelaide Hills to Margaret River, or in California from Napa Valley to Sonoma’s Russian River Valley to Santa Barbara County.

Don’t overlook South Africa, home to this ‘top-class’ Chardonnay from Hamilton Russell Vineyards, or New Zealand. The Kumeu River Chardonnays made near Auckland are extraordinary wines and are capable of offering fantastic value for money.

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Top tip for cooking turkey: 

‘Take off the legs and cook them separately from the crown,’ says Stephen Harris, chef at the Sportsman in Whitstable, Kent. ‘It’s easy to overcook the breast otherwise. I like to confit the legs in goose fat and last year I sous-vided the breast, which worked well.’

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Tasting notes: Wine with turkey suggestions

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This article was originally written by Harry Fawkes in 2015 and has been updated; most recently in May 2021. 

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For many people around the globe, Cognac’s status as a luxury lifestyle statement –  and the world’s leading brandy style – hangs upon the quality of its XO expressions.

Until 2018, you could label a Cognac as XO after only six years of ageing, but now the minimum period of maturation is a decade. In reality, this made little difference to most quality-conscious distillers, because they were already ageing their eaux-de-vie for well over 10 years anyway.

Creating these XO styles is the point at which the great Cognac terroir of Grande and Petite Champagne comes into its own. Those deep, chalky soils help to create a distillate that rewards patience and long years in oak – whether produced by one of the big, multinational-owned Cognac houses, or by a small farm operation using only the fruit of its own vineyards.

Best XO Cognacs

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Bisquit & Dubouché XO

A recently relaunched XO sourced from Grande and Petite Champagne, this is a Cognac to woo whisky lovers, with smoky oak, dried fruit and stewed plum, moving into slightly austere tobacco leaf, clove and liquorice. At the richer and more wood-driven end of the spectrum – and a fine example of that style. Alc 40%

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Château de Montifaud XO

A family producer – six generations of the Vallets have farmed here – and an XO that showcases the sometimes overshadowed Petite Champagne sub-region. Limestone-rich soils produce a Cognac of finesse and delicacy – very fruity, undercut by savoury light spice and a beguiling nuttiness. Light rancio notes hint at the inclusion of some decades-old eaux-de-vie. Alc 40%

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Delamain Pale & Dry Centenaire XO

A new incarnation of this 100-year-old classic, with a higher abv, a smaller bottle and notably more intense aromas of jasmine and honeysuckle, merging into lip-smacking tropical fruit and citrus notes. Creamy Madagascan vanilla, a glorious texture and a supremely long finish. Retains all the harmony and charm of the original. Alc 42%

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Frapin Château de Fontpinot XO

Frapin is something of an XO specialist – the roster of expressions runs into double figures – but this single property Cognac remains the house’s benchmark, and superbly encapsulates the house style. Pressed flowers, light dried apricot, then soft vanilla and gently roasted almond. Perfectly balanced and utterly seamless. Alc 41%

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Hennessy XO

Maurice Hennessy is reputed to have created the Extra Old (XO) term more than 150 years ago, and this remains, for many, the epitome of the style. We’re leaving delicacy behind here and moving into powerful, rich and spicy territory, with lots of wood-driven smoke and tangy, dried fruit. Dark chocolate, clove and peppercorn come through on a robust and well-structured palate. Alc 40%

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Hine Antique XO

Like Delamain’s Pale & Dry, this old favourite has recently celebrated its 100th birthday, and time hasn’t diminished its superlative quality one jot. Hine’s vinous style comes to the fore here: all delicacy and finesse, but with a deceptive structure and evolved character from the inclusion of decades-old eaux-de-vie. Alc 40%

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Jean Fillioux Grande Réserve XO

An independent family domaine with a link to successive Hennessy Master Distillers, Jean Fillioux has about 20ha of vineyard in the heart of Grande Champagne. Bottled at an unusually high strength, this has great intensity and complexity, with more flavours leaping from the glass the longer you leave it: peaches in syrup, orange blossom, dark honey and cigar humidor. Alc 44%

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Paul Giraud Vieille Réserve XO

Stunning value from a 42ha Grande Champagne estate that is farmed organically, distilling all its eaux-de-vie on the lees for greater fragrance and texture. This is pure tasting pleasure, with honeyed peach and apricot undercut by a little clove and ginger. The sweeter elements are always held in check by toasted, nutty notes and an unmistakable tang of rancio. Alc 40%

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You might also like:

Cognac vs Armagnac: What’s the difference? 

Best Cognacs under £100 / $100

The best Cognacs to buy as a gift

See the Decanter reading wine tasting notes graphic in full here.

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Do you ever find it difficult to read wine tasting notes?

Wine tasting will always have a subjective, personal quality, because taste and smell are so inextricably bound to an individual’s own reference points. Language, too, is both collective and individual, and you may identify more with one wine critic over another.

But, there are some common wine descriptive words that it is useful to know, and can help you understand what to expect from a style of wine.

As well as flavours, tasting notes can tell you about other aspects of the wine. Andrew Jefford wrote in his guide to writing wine tasting notes ‘a wine’s structure, shape and texture are just as interesting as its aroma and flavour.’

‘[Texture] is what really separates the great from the merely good,’ said Berkmann Wine Cellars purchasing director Alex Hunt MW, in Victoria Moore’s guide to wine tasting.

Wine tasting notes: How much is too much?

There has been debate about the use of overly descriptive tasting notes in the wine world, as Andrew Jefford discussed in his 2015 column.

‘Each contender is trying to outdo the other, and bludgeon their rivals to death by adjectival force of arms.’

But at the same time, overly bland notes do not communicate anything.

‘Conservative, restrained wine descriptions are tedious, repetitive and soporific, and utterly fail to evoke the excitement of smelling and tasting wine,’ wrote Jefford.

When writing tasting notes, Jefford advises to keep use analogical descriptors in moderation – half a dozen at the most.

‘Keep it simple when it comes to tasting notes,’ wine educator Kevin Zraly told Victoria Moore.

Below is what our experts put together.

Reading wine tasting notes:

Dry white wines

Credit: Patrick Grabham

Example wine: Louis Latour, Meursault, 1998

Tasting Note: Clean, limpid medium yellow with a hint of green, quite rich, a really lovely colour. Touch of new wood on the nose, ripe melony fruit, slightly exotic, stylish and very expressive. Fine, floral, honeysuckle fruit on the palate, with hazelnut overtones, rich and quite buttery, yet good lemony acidity, very elegant but still young. Very good balance, oak and fruit well blended in, an excellent example of grape variety dominated by terroir, great persistence, very good future.

• limpid – literally transparent, like clear water, while retaining its colour
• rich – showing ripeness and viscosity, usually from the legs or ‘tears’ that form on the sides of the glass than from depth of colour
• new wood – the vanilla-vanillin aroma of new oak, whether French or American
• melony -signifies ripe, slightly exotic fruit, usually referring to Chardonnay. More exotic fruits could be pineapple, guava
• expressive – expressive of either its grape variety, terroir or both. Stylish + expressive would be a finely turned out wine with character
• floral usual on the nose, but on the palate means the blend of florality and flavour
• honeysuckle/hazelnut – typical expressions of a the Chardonnay grown in Meursault, rounded and attractive
• buttery – the impression of ripeness with a certain fleshiness, often the result of barrel fermentation or barrel ageing

Aromatic and sweet white wines

Credit: Patrick Grabham

Example wine: Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Sauternes, 1er Cru Classé 1985 

Tasting note: Pure gold in colour, with hints of yellow still and no amber. Floral, honeyed-peach and apricot, an impression of great sweetness but not over-heady . Honey and lanolin flavours on the palate, rich barley sugar sweetness, great fruit extract, good botrytis, luscious, classy finish. A fully sweet Sauternes from a fine year, tasting superbly at 15 years, with as long again in front of it.

• gold – a golden colour indicates both original ripeness and sweetness as well as maturity. In 10 years time the golden colour will have taken on an amber glow, and the colour will progress from gold to amber as it matures further
• floral – on the nose the smell of flowers or blossom as opposed to the smell of fruits
• honeyed – many sweet wines do literally smell of honey, but hear it refers to ripe concentration and richness that is epitomised by the smell of honey
• peach / apricot – the aroma of these stone fruits is also found in aromatice wines from the Viognier grape, and denotes warm, summery ripeness
• heady – concentration of richness that literally goes to one’s head. An over-heady wine would be over-powering and unbalanced
• lanolin – a smooth, creamy impression often associated with the Semillon grape at advanced ripeness, the opposite of tart
• barley sugar – concentrated sweetness, but not sugary
• botrytis – the effect of reducing the water in the grapes, thus increasing the sugars, when they are attacked by pourriture noble, or noble rot

Light red wines

Credit: Patrick Grabham

Example wine: Allegrini, Valpolicella Classico Superiore 1998 

Tasting note: Brick red colour, very fresh and young looking. Fine, rose-like like bouquet, some sweetness in attack, drier on the second nose. Clean, cherry-like fruit flavours on the palate, a hint of wood and a touch of bitter almonds, good balance, long, dry finish. Fine long flavour despite the liveliness, natural acidity present, a wine for food.

• brick red – denotes the absence of violet or purple colours of some very young wines, more a lack of intensity than a sense of maturity
• rose-like – a delicate aroma, yet with a certain ripeness, always floral
• attack – the strong first impression, one that jumps out of the glass
• second nose – the more studied reflection gained by swirling the wine in the glass to release more than it does on the first impression
• cherry-like – unless cited as ‘black cherries’ which carry a definite impression of ripeness, cherry-like indicates firm, vibrant fruit with a touch of acidity and none of the sweetness of, say, blackcurrants
• wood – a sense of firmness and tannin, as opposed to ‘oaky’, which refers to the new casks in which the wine will have been aged
• bitter almonds – often associated with cherries, a certain fruity bitterness, more refreshing than unpleasant
• food – wines with exuberant, unrestrained fruit do not go well with food, for their fruitiness dominates. A ‘food wine’ is one that complements a meal

Medium-bodied red wines

Credit: Patrick Grabham

Example wine: Château Léoville-Barton, St-Julien, 2ème Cru Classé 1990

Tasting note: Deep colour, velvety red, no real sign of ageing, still very youthful and firm berry fruits on the nose, heavily Cabernet in style, blackcurrant leaf, with a cedar wood / cigar box spice coming through, concentrated fragrance followed by rich fruit. Same concentrated, tightly knit fruit on the palate, wonderful ripeness, still showing youthful black currants and blackberries, firm backbone but ripe tannins, superb structure. Overall, a classic Medoc from a top chateau in a great vintage. Ripe enough to enjoy now, but still a long way off its best, which should be during its third decade.

• velvety – a deep, rich smooth looking colour that always denotes very good ripeness at vintage time
• firm – Reserved and with potential to develop, a positive description, not to be confused with “hard”, which is generally negative
• berry fruits – small red fruits, covering the berry, cherry and the currant families. Individual red varietals tend when young to be dominated by one or two of these red fruits
• cedar wood / cigar box – cedar wood is a characteristic of semi-mature and mature Cabernet-dominant wines especially from the Medoc, owing more to the style of wine than to oak ageing. Cigar box is similar – found in many Cabernet & Merlot wines
• tightly knit – flavours that are firmly woven together, not loose or diffuse, shows good potential for development
• backbone – an essential element for a well-structured wine
• tannins – substance existing in the skin and pips of a grape that is necessary for the long development of a red wine. Tannin can also be obtained from the oak barrels in which such wines are matured
• structure – a sense of solidity that has more to do with each element holding together than with weight

This page was updated on 23 February 2016, and again in May 2021. 

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In a winery line-up, you wouldn’t pick out Peter Vinding-Diers as the winemaker. This tall, confident man, still dashing in his late seventies, looks as though he’d rather be striding across moorland with dogs in tow than pruning vines.

It was a glimpse of the vineyards of Beaune that first made him think that making wine could be his future. At that time, he probably never dreamed that in the years ahead he would be acclaimed as an oenological wizard, especially for his work in isolating yeasts and solving other winemaking conundrums; nor that he would play a major role as an early ‘flying winemaker’ and in reviving the ancient traditions of Tokaj in Hungary.

His patrician family had always bought and drunk fine Bordeaux, so wine was already in his veins. ‘But my father and grandfather were so Francophile, even living half the year in France, that I knew I had to learn the craft elsewhere. And that’s what took me to South Africa.’ He seemed to fall into jobs and assignments, working in a laboratory in Stellenbosch and later being a more hands-on winemaker at the splendid Rustenberg estate.

‘Sooner or later, France tugged me back. In the 1970s, I did a spell at Château Loudenne in Médoc, where the director Martin Bamford played host to many of the big names in Bordeaux, whom I got to know. Len Evans and other Australian investors were keen to become involved in Bordeaux. They had their eye on Yquem, but it wasn’t for sale, so they ended up buying Château Rahoul in the Graves, which I ran and where we lived.’

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Peter Vinding-Diers at a glance

• Born 3 June 1943 in Trinitatis, Denmark
• Education Schooling in Denmark, England and France; educated in farming and journalism
• Career Winemaking around the world: South Africa (1969-1974), Bordeaux (1974-1998), Tokaj (1989-2000), Sicily (2003 onwards)
• Family Married to Susie for more than 50 years, with two sons: Hans, owner of Bodega Noemia in Patagonia, and Anders, a lavender grower in Sicily
• Interests ‘Wine, women and song’, plus literature, architecture and travel

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The yeast experiments

‘I became interested in the role of yeasts in giving wines a particular identity. It just seemed evident to me that wines such as Léoville Las Cases and Léoville Poyferré, from adjoining vineyards and made in adjacent cellars, were so different and distinctive in large part because of their yeast population. Bordeaux University’s Professor Denis Dubourdieu was soon convinced, even though his boss Pascal Ribereau-Gayon had always advised châteaux to use selected yeasts.’

In 1985, he vinified a batch of Semillon from Rahoul in three tanks, one with yeast from Lynch-Bages, the second with yeast from Angludet, and the third using the Rahoul strain. The wines turned out differently and were shown at tastings to the grandees of Bordeaux. The point was made. Dubourdieu told Peter Sisseck (Vinding-Diers’ nephew): ‘Peter Vinding-Diers intuitively saw and understood what had taken me 20 years to prove scientifically.’

This battle was decisively won, and today most prestigious wines are made using native or ambient yeasts, although Vinding-Diers admits that if he were producing mass-volume wines, he would stick to the safety of commercial yeasts.

Problems and persistence

His French sojourn was complicated by issues with investors, banks, bureaucrats and, occasionally, personnel. There was a period when he and Len Evans fell out. He bought Domaine de la Grave and then Château de Landiras in 1988, both in the Graves. His fresh white wines, so different from the drab and sulphury tank-aged examples available then, soon found favour in international markets.

He also championed Semillon as a grape variety at Rahoul and at Landiras. Although the variety of choice for Bordeaux’s sweet wines such as Sauternes, it was less popular than Sauvignon Blanc for dry wines. Semillon could indeed be heavy, but then Sauvignon could be strident and grassy. Sauvignon had its crusader in André Lurton (of Châteaux La Louvière and Couhins-Lurton, among others), which balanced Vinding-Diers’ enthusiasm for Semillon. He also planted the exotic Sauvignon Gris, which later became a significant part of the blends at top estates such as Smith Haut Lafitte in Pessac-Léognan.

The Landiras adventure came to an end in the mid-1990s, when the international market began switching to red wines. He has had a few other regrets. He was offered Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste in Pauillac before the Borie family bought it in 1978, though it would have been a financial stretch. ‘I admit, too, that the one place I would have loved to make wine, but never did so, is Burgundy. It was the sight of those vineyards around Beaune that long ago sparked my interest in wine.’

Setbacks never diminished his zest for adventure. In 1989, he helped plant the Hacienda Monasterio vineyard in Ribera del Duero, then a remote and little-known region of northwest Spain. Preoccupied with winemaking in Bordeaux and other places, Vinding-Diers passed the baton to his nephew Peter Sisseck. Not long after, Sisseck turned up at Landiras with a sample of red wine from the Spanish region, which the Vinding-Diers children christened ‘Pingus’. One of Europe’s most admired, and costly, wines was born.

Ambitious adventures

Also in 1989, Vinding-Diers and wine writer Hugh Johnson explored the possibility of reviving the great wines of Tokaj and founded The Royal Tokaji Wine Company. Today few appreciate what a heroic enterprise this was. More than 40 years of communism had come close to destroying vineyards and wine traditions that dated back centuries. Royal Tokaji and other international investors had to start from scratch.

‘Yes, it was tough. None of the growers and winemakers would tell us anything. Nothing. Here and there we found people who could suggest how the great wines of the past had been made, and we explored maps and archives and discovered the ancient classification of Tokaj.’ By the mid-1990s, the region was again producing great sweet wines.

He also worked as a consultant, where his negotiations began with an insistence that the clients furnish him and Susie with first-class air tickets. ‘It wasn’t greed. It’s because I knew they would only take me seriously if I came at a price. The real lure was the intellectual challenge of working, for example, in such a different environment as Brazil, where I found the wine producers were open and friendly. Bulgaria, too, was beginning to exploit its potential. Of course there were language problems, and I knew that as soon as I got back on the plane to Europe, all my advice would be ignored! The worst experiences were in Hungary, where winemakers were stubborn and wouldn’t even clean their barrels.’

The wandering winemaker

One aspect of Vinding-Diers’ life that has always puzzled me is his peripatetic nature. At Landiras, he and his English wife Susie kept open house, or so it seemed, and I spent quite a few evenings feasting in that lovely château. Peter is a proud Dane from a very well-connected family, and the house was full of his books and family furniture and heirlooms. But a few years later, the couple would be in Hungary or Rome, still with a 10,000-volume library in tow.

‘For some years, I’ve been here in Sicily, making Syrah and other wines at Montecarrubo near Siracusa. That’s our last stop. I suppose I’ve wandered so much because I like fresh challenges, and also because I’m a loner. It hasn’t always been an easy ride, but having my possessions with me helps me feel at home. And, of course, Susie has been an absolute rock through some very difficult times.’

After his Hungarian period – and he still retains a fine manor house in the Tokaj region – he turned his hand to wines in Italy. Curiously, Tuscany never appealed to him.

‘I didn’t like the grapes and I didn’t like many of the people, who often seemed secretive. I found Sicily the opposite. Andrea Franchetti of the Trinoro estate in Tuscany was a good friend, and he wanted to start making wines on Etna. We explored the area together, but we found we had different ideas. I wanted to find some parcels of very old vines, while Andrea, typically, wanted to start a venture on a grand scale. And he did, with his Passopisciaro label. I was involved at the beginning, but I realised this wasn’t what I really wanted to do. But our collaboration was fun while it lasted.

‘Eventually I landed up at the property we called Montecarrubo because of the carob trees on the estate. We were planting on soils that had never seen vines, so we farmed organically from the start.

‘I love it here. The local people are curious and helpful, and I’ve been free to do exactly what I want, which is to focus on Syrah in Sicily. I’d planted Nero d’Avola, Sicily’s signature grape, in another site, but to me it seems a second-rate grape. But Syrah and Petit Verdot give great results here.’

Settled but still pushing on

Surveying the contemporary wine world, he remains optimistic. ‘It’s become snobbish where it once was humble. Owners of great châteaux have changed to become managers for corporations. But there’s always room for people who genuinely love wine, and let’s hope they persist.’

The peripatetic Viking is now settled and content among his vineyards and olive groves, part of a generous community of family, friends, neighbours and employees. At long last, Peter Vinding-Diers feels at home, and as passionate about winemaking as he was half a century ago.

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Viking in the Vineyard by Peter Vinding-Diers is published by Académie du Vin Library – Buy here. Decanter readers can save £5 with the code DECANTER21.

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Five classics for red wine with steak

• • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Malbec
  • Grenache / Shiraz blends
  • Syrah / Shiraz
  • Sangiovese

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An evening with a succulent, juicy steak and a delicious bottle of wine is one of life’s great pleasures, at least for meat lovers.

It’s always fun to experiment when it comes to wine and food pairing but here are some go-to styles and things to consider if you’re preparing a special steak dinner.

Red wine with steak

Malbec red wines have become a classic match with steak, largely thanks to the Argentina-led reincarnation of this grape variety on the global wine stage plus also the country’s reputation for high quality beef.

Malbec’s lush dark fruit and natural tannin are considered to match-up well with a good steak in general, but some experts suggest searching for fresher styles.

‘I tend to choose a ‘new wave’ Malbec, one with less oak, fresher fruit and better acidity,’ said South American wine expert and journalist Patricio Tapia in 2018, when regional chair for Argentina at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

‘Especially ones coming from places like Altamira and Gualtallary in the Uco Valley, towards the Andes Mountains.’ He added, ‘Always keep in mind that the main task for a glass of wine is to refresh the food.’

Cabernet Sauvignon wines, with their blend of dark fruits, tannin and naturally high acidity, are another classic choice if you’re looking to pour a full-bodied red.

‘A powerful California Cabernet Sauvignon with a grilled steak is pretty hard to beat,’ said wine expert Karen MacNeil in her 10 rules to food and wine pairing.

More options for red wine with steak

‘I’d urge people to look beyond the traditional matches of Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon with steak,’ Peter Richards MW told Decanter in 2018.

‘How about a nice lively Cabernet Franc? Or may even a Carignan, Cinsault or cool-climate Syrah? Even a full-bodied but elegant rosé can work well on a warm day,’ said Richards, who is DWWA regional chair for Chile and chairman of Decanter Retailer Awards.

He said he enjoyed red wines that have body and texture but that could also refresh the palate during a steak dinner. ‘The risk with steak is to think ‘big meaty flavours = big wine.’

Does Pinot Noir go with steak? 

Most Pinot Noir wines tend to sit at the light to medium-bodied end of the spectrum, and its profile is often therefore paired-up with lighter meats.

Yet Pinot Noir’s natural acidity and bright, red berry fruit can work with your steak dinner, depending on the style and the cut.

In general, think about trying this with leaner cuts, such as fillet, cooked rare to medium-rare.

‘I don’t normally think of Pinot Noir as a match for steak, but the best pairing by far, when the meat was cooked rare, was a classically silky, seductive Daniel Rion, Vosne-Romanée 2001,’ wrote food and wine expert Fiona Becket after tasting several fine wines with steak for Decanter magazine back in 2007.

How to cut it: Do you want a wine with ribeye steak or fillet?

‘The easiest way to pair wine with beef is to think about matching the flavour intensity of your wine with your beef,’ said Mark Quick, wine director for Hawksmoor steakhouse restaurants, in this in-depth article on pairing wine with beef.

Consider the fat content in your meat, for example. ‘More fat equals more intense beefy flavour,’ said Quick, speaking to Decanter in December 2020.

In her 2007 article on pairing different cuts, Beckett said a ribeye steak with relatively high fat content worked well with a Côte-Rôtie from the Syrah stronghold of the northern Rhône, and also a Super Tuscan – ‘both generous, ripe and full-bodied’.

She also recommended riper, more fruit-driven styles of red for steak cooked well-done.

Sauce matters

‘Sauces and sides will also be just as important when it comes to the choice of wine,’ said Richards. ‘Creamy sauces like béarnaise can go well with an oakier wine. Syrah can work well with peppercorns.’

White wine with steak

Why not ignore the raised eyebrows and forget the long-established mantra that a steak dinner is no place for white wine?

Discovery is, after all, one of the most exciting things about the wine world. In an article from our archive, Matthieu Longuère MS, of Le Cordon Bleu London, talks about possibilities for pairing white wine with steak and other red meat.

Options range from a mature white Rioja to thinking about how to subtly adapt the meal to suit other styles, such as Pinot Grigio, he wrote.

This article was first published in 2018 by Ellie Douglas and has been updated by Chris Mercer in May 2021.

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Wine with steak: Recent reviews by our experts

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From the archive: Matching wines to different cuts of steak

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Marqués de Riscal has always been a winery of firsts. When it launched in 1858, founder Don Guillermo Hurtado de Amezaga insisted on selling his wines in bottle rather than barrel – the first winery in Rioja to do so. A guarantee to his customers that they were getting what they paid for, it followed the practices of the great estates of Bordeaux and was a powerful statement of intent.

It was clearly justified: in 1895 Marqués de Riscal became the first non-French winery to win a Diplome d’Honneur at the influential Bordeaux Exhibition. The certificate is still on the label of the Reserva today. The Bordeaux win brought Marqués de Riscal a lot of attention, so to protect from forgeries, the winery started to deck its bottles in the gold mesh chain-mail that’s very much part of the wine’s signature look.

Marqués de Riscal Reserva

Today Marqués de Riscal Reserva is one of Rioja’s best-known wines. It has the advantage that it’s easy to get hold of, extremely well-priced for the quality and excellent with many types of food.

At the heart of the wine lies Rioja’s flagship grape: Tempranillo. In the 2016 Reserva, it makes up 96% of the wine, partnered by a little Graciano. There’s more Tempranillo in here than would have been the case 100 years ago, but otherwise, it’s made more or less with techniques first developed 150 years ago and perfected over time.

All of the grapes for Marqués de Riscal’s wines come from the Rioja Alavesa sub-region. North of the River Ebro and running into the foothills of the Sierra de Cantabria, it is home to the DO’s highest vineyards. This altitude, combined with free-draining chalk/clay/limestone soils gives the wines a characteristic brightness and lift; a poise and perfume that are quintessentially Riojan.

Marqués de Riscal has made a firm commitment to convert its vineyards to organic viticulture, which means no herbicides or pesticides. Leaving vines to fend for themselves makes for stronger, healthier plants and, with less intervention, a more pure expression of terroir.

To attain its trademark balance, Marqués de Riscal Reserva requires quality fruit but also sensitive handling in the winery. It spends a relatively short time on skins (no more than 12 days) so that it is not over-extracted, followed by two years’ ageing in American oak and one year in bottle.

The result is a wine of concentration but also elegance; it can age for many years, but is ready to drink on release. It’s well structured, but also supple, so matches everything from casseroles and red meat to cheese and poultry, making it a reliable choice in any restaurant.

XR Reserva

The XR Reserva is similar in many ways. From the villages around Elciego, it has an almost identical varietal make-up (95% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano) and spends two years in American oak. Yet it’s noticeably different.

Whereas the Reserva is all about softness and roundness, the XR is tighter and more taut; its tannins slightly more to the fore. Food-wise, it’s more in the red meat spectrum. In short, it’s a bit more Bordeaux-like in feel, which is no accident.

There is a long history of interaction between the two wine regions, and for much of the 20th century Marqués de Riscal winemakers followed the tradition of Bordeaux cellar masters by keeping a record of barrels that showed unique characteristics (marked as XR on the selected barrels). XR pays homage to this tradition. Still made in the original winery from 1883, it’s a fascinating counterpoint to the traditional Reserva.

Baron de Chirel

The years from 1985 to 2005 saw some major innovations by Marqués de Riscal, among them a new winery, the construction of the iconic Frank Gehry-designed City of Wine hotel and the creation of Baron de Chirel.

It was the first of a new breed of deluxe Riojas that changed the rules. It’s two-thirds Tempranillo and one-third ‘other’ varieties.

It’s made from the very best fruit from vines aged between 80 years and 110 years, and is aged for just under two years in French oak. That gives a wine of extraordinary concentration, finesse and elegance that is crying out for powerful food: venison, game, lamb shoulder.

It’s been described as a ‘Riojan first growth’ and deservedly picked up a Platinum medal – 97 points – at last year’s Decanter World Wine Awards. It can be drunk on release, but really this is a wine that should be cellared for many years to allow its full complexities to develop.

From bottling to the Bordeaux Exhibition, and classic Reservas to groundbreaking projects in both winery and vineyard, Marqués de Riscal is a winery that sets trends but follows its instincts; that respects history but never stops looking to the future.

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Among the list of Scotch distilleries that were closed during the whisky downturn of the 1980s, a handful have been mourned across the ensuing decades. Brora was one of that small number, known as ghost distilleries, whose whiskies became increasingly sought-after by connoisseurs.

In 2017 an original Brora single malt distilled in 1972 – the oldest official bottle of Brora at that time – was bought at auction by an unnamed buyer for £14,500.

So there was much jubilation when Diageo announced plans to restore the Highland distillery. Less than three years after that announcement, the first cask has just been filled, 38 years after Brora last closed its doors.

Master Distiller Stewart Bowman, who grew up in Brora and is the son of the last exciseman at the distillery, said: ‘In 1983 my father wrote in an old distillery ledger, “Commencement of Brora Distillery silent season (undetermined period)”. Growing up in the village we often wondered whether Brora would ever return, but today we filled the first cask,’ he added.

‘It is with great pride that I can now say to my father, the Brora community, and all the old hands that worked at Brora and helped to craft a legendary whisky, that the stills are alive and we are making Brora spirit once again.’

The restoration at Brora is part of a total £35 million investment by Diageo, which also includes plans to reopen Islay distillery Port Ellen in 2023.

Brora Triptych

To mark the reopening of Brora, a special release of three bottles called Brora Triptych has been created. It costs £30,000 and celebrates some of the distillery’s most iconic whisky styles.

Elusive Legacy is a 48-year-old distilled in 1972. It represents an earthy expression of Brora that was only made in very limited runs. Age of Peat is drawn from casks of 1977 whisky, a time when Brora was making smoky expressions to be used in blended Scotch. Finally, Timeless Original was distilled in 1982 and is a nod to the waxy character that made Brora famous.

Sold in a presentation case, Brora Triptych is a fitting celebration of a new chapter in the distillery’s eventful history.

Brora Triptych: tasting notes

Timeless Original, Distilled 1982

Celebrating the famously waxy style of Brora, this expression has a deliciously rich, fruity nose of orchard fruits and mangoes, candle wax, honeysuckle and apple blossom. The waxiness is present on the palate, coating the mouth. Apple slices, flapjack and fresh wood shavings are joined by a lick of smoke on the mid-palate, which is quickly joined by beer hops too. Alc 47.5%

The Age of Peat, Distilled 1977

Despite celebrating an era when the distillery increased the peat levels of its malted barley, this certainly is no peat monster. A beguiling nose of papaya, chamois leather, foam banana sweets, bandages, heather and a gentle smoke drifting on the breeze. Tasting reveals a dichotomy of a whisky – on the one hand soft and sweet, with heather honey and a touch of waxiness; and on the other delicious chewy notes of charcoal, creosote, sticky pine resin and a warming chilli heat. Alc 48.5%

Elusive Legacy, Distilled 1972

The oldest Brora expression ever released, this whisky celebrates the earthy style that Brora sometimes made at a time when it was used for blended whiskies. A distinctly granitic aroma is joined by notes of cheese rind, tack room, peppered biltong and ripe banana. The granite continues on the complex palate, accompanied by cigar box spice, coal, dried chilli flakes, cardamom and a whisper of salami on the finish. Alc 42.8%

£30,000/3 x 50cl, www.brora.com

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Readers of Decanter will be familiar with tasting techniques for evaluating wines, but there are some key differences when it comes to tasting spirits such as gin, vodka, whisk(e)y, rum, tequila and Cognac. The comparatively higher alcohol content (abv) of spirits means that you can’t simply swirl, sniff and spit as you would do with a wine.

These high-strength spirits benefit from being diluted with water while you’re tasting: use one part water to four parts spirit. This is especially true if you’re tasting a product that’s marked ‘export strength’, ‘cask strength’ or navy strength’ – all of which have an even higher abv.

However you should nose and taste the spirit neat initially, using the guidelines below, before diluting it.

Best glassware for tasting spirits

Choose a stemmed tasting glass, rather than a spirits tumbler or a shot glass. The same ISO (International Standards Organisation) glasses that are recommended for wine tasting will work for spirits. These tulip-shaped glasses help to concentrate aromas and will hold a 25ml-50ml measure for tasting.

Do check that your glass is thoroughly clean before tasting. Smell the empty glass, as detergents and rinse aids can leave behind a strong smell, even though the glass looks clean.

Where to taste spirits

Choose a room with good natural daylight; ideally somewhere quiet so that you can concentrate. Just as you don’t want any contamination in your glass, try to avoid external aromas such as cooking smells, coffee, fresh paint or flowers.

Don’t wear perfume or aftershave – and avoid washing with your hands with scented soap before you taste.

Aroma

Sample your spirit at room temperature, as chilling dulls the aromas. Smell the neat spirit initially, but avoid inhaling deeply – the higher alcohol content will burn your nostrils. Instead hold the glass slightly away from your nose and inhale gently.

Then taste the neat spirit (see below) and make a note of any initial aromas and flavours that you notice. When you have nosed and tasted your spirit neat, you can dilute it with water (see above). This will open up more aromas and flavours.

Taste

Sip only a small amount of your neat spirit at first, then spit, to prep your palate. Take a bigger second sip and swirl it around your mouth, keeping it there while you work out the general flavour profiles you can taste.

Then try to be more specific. If the spirit tastes fruity, what kind of fruit is it? Citrus, stone fruit, orchard fruit, berries? If you’ve identified citrus notes: are they lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit? Go through the same process for other flavour profiles such as spicy, floral, vegetal or smoky.

As well as noting the flavours, think about texture: is the spirit heavy and velvety in your mouth or is it light?

You can now add water (see above) to open up the palate and allow a greater range of flavours and more subtle notes to appear. After your final spit, think about the aftertaste of the spirit; also known as the finish. Does the taste stay in your mouth and if so what flavours can you notice?

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Jim Clendenen, who cofounded Au Bon Climat winery in California in the 1980s and was internationally recognised as a trailblazing producer of California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines, has died at the age of 68. 

‘We are mourning the loss of Jim Clendenen,’ said Au Bon Climat on Instagram. ‘We lost a winery legend, a true icon, a visionary. There is a huge void where Jim Clendenen should be and we are in shock. His absence will be keenly felt, but his legacy will continue.’

There have already been many tributes across social media to a man who inspired others in the winemaking cellar but was also renowned for his generosity and love of entertaining guests.

‘We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of California’s most colourful and dynamic winemakers,’ said California Wines UK, the local branch of the California-based Wine Institute, on Instagram. ‘Farewell to the wild boy of California wine.’ 

Bob Lindquist, the celebrated winemaker who shared facilities with Clendenen for many years, told Decanter, ‘He was my mentor and great friend, and taught me how to make wine. 

‘He encouraged me to start my own winery (Qupé), the same year that he started Au Bon Climat, 1982.’

Clendenen was among a number of long-standing proponents of the sort of restraint in the cellar that has become a more mainstream and talked-about strand of California winemaking today. 

Sonal Holland MW, who was part of a 45-strong group of Masters of Wine to enjoy one of Clendenen’s famous lunches in 2018, described him on Instagram as a ‘legendary winemaker who redefined how Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays should be made’. 

In a 2017 Decanter magazine column referring to the conversation about ‘balance’ in California wines, Oz Clarke OBE wrote, ‘Jim Clendenen at Au Bon Climat has been talking this language since the 1980s.’

Jancis Robinson OBE MW, who previously coined Clendenen’s ‘wild boy’ nickname, said in an obituary and tribute, ‘The wine world really is much the poorer without this brave pioneer.’ 

UK wine merchant Berry Bros & Rudd described Clendenen as ‘a true visionary’ and said ‘he will be greatly missed’. 

In California, Lindquist told of how he first met Clendenen, who was born in Ohio but developed a love for wine – and especially Burgundy and Champagne – during a year abroad in France while studying at the University of Santa Barbara. 

‘I first met Jim in January 1979 when I was hired to manage a wine shop in Los Olivos, CA,’ said Lindquist via email. ‘Jim was the assistant winemaker at Zaca Mesa Winery. We connected right away and discovered that we were both born in January 1953 (he January 11th, me the 24th), so we were both turning 26.

‘Nine months later we attended a Kinks concert in Santa Barbara, which got me fired by the wine shop (that’s another story), and Jim helped to get me hired at Zaca Mesa as their first tour guide. We didn’t get many tourists back in those days, so most of my time was spent working with Jim in the cellar.’

Clendenen subsequently started Au Bon Climat with Adam Tolmach, as a winery focused on Burgundian grape varieties. Tolmach left at the start of the 1990s to pursue other projects; including the Ojai Vineyard that he still owns today. 

Meanwhile, in 1989, Clendenen and Lindquist joined forces along with the Miller family to ‘build a winery together at the Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley’, said Lindquist. ‘We have been sharing the Clendenen Lindquist Vintners winery facility ever since.’

He added, ‘Jim was a force in this business. He travelled all over the world carrying the Santa Barbara wine banner. His loss has left a huge hole in our hearts and lives.’

In its Instagram tribute, Au Bon Climat quoted Clendenen’s daughter, Isabelle, who described her father as a ‘very generous, bright, and candid man’.

She added, ‘He made sure my brother [Knox] and I wanted for nothing. His loss affects so many, but his impact will never be lost to any of us. It means a lot to me that he was celebrated and loved by so many.’

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Tributes paid to Pio Boffa, a Piedmont wine pioneer

Williams Selyem: An icon of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Recent Decanter reviews of Au Bon Climat wines