With the announcement of the Special Wines line-up, you can take a look at the wines the Decanter Team is excited about and which ones stand out for them:
Stony Hill, Chardonnay, Napa Valley, California, USA 2010
An opportunity to taste a 13-year-old Napa Chardonnay from an iconic producer like Stony Hill is one of the unique treats of attending DFWE and not to be missed.
Château Clerc Milon, Pauillac 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 2009
The 2009 vintage is regarded as the stuff of legend from Bordeaux and of course the wines of Clerc Milon are always top examples.
Disznókő, Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos, Hungary 2013
A 10-year old Tokaji is the ultimate experience in opulence and Disznóko is a legendary producer.
Vérité, La Joie, Sonoma County, California, USA 2011
The Vérité project is an exciting one combining the best of Bordeaux and Sonoma and so to taste a 12 year old example of this wine is a special treat.
Château Suduiraut, Sauternes 1er Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 2010
Sauternes is having a moment, and I’ve been tasting younger Sauternes of late, and so to taste one 13 years in, a sort of youthfeel mid-point, and particularly one from Château Suduiraut feels like a great way to cap off the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter
Tina Gellie – Content Manager & Regional Editor (Canada, Australia, NZ, South Africa)
Vasse Felix, Tom Cullity, Margaret River, Western Australia 2017
Following my first trip to Margaret River in late 2022, it was wonderful to finally visit the place where, in 1967, Dr Tom Cullity planted the region’s first commercial vines. Vasse Felix’s top red is named in honour of the winery’s founder and is a blend of old-vine Cabernet and Malbec (from cuttings of the original vines) along with a dash of Petit Verdot. It’s always a powerful, ageworthy and inky-mineral wine, with fine chocolatey tannins and a lovely minty streak.
Yalumba, The Caley Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz, South Australia 2018
Taking Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra and Shiraz from the Barossa, this is a quintessential Australian blend – but here intentionally made to be an icon wine, so amped up to the max in concentration (and price). It’s only released with five years of bottle age, so attendees at Decanter’s New York Fine Wine Encounter will be among the first to try it. I’ll be tasting it myself just a few days before the event, and am expecting to be very impressed.
Craggy Range, Sophia, Gimblett Gravels, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand 2020
I’m excited to taste this new vintage, a Merlot-dominant blend with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, from winemaker Julian Grounds. It’s one of the winery’s flagships, and this will be the 19th year since it was first made from Hawke’s Bay’s famed Gimblett Gravels, a terroir similar to the Médoc in Bordeaux and the Rhône’s Hermitage. Apparently it’s named after the Greek goddess of knowledge, but other sources say it’s actress Sophia Loren…
Ken Forrester, Dirty Little Secret Three, Piekenierskloof, South Africa NV
Any Chenin Blanc made by Mr Chenin himself is going to be great, but this cuvée is unique, and one which I tasted recently when Ken was in London. Instead of showing the character of an individual vintage, It’s a blend of vintages (DLS Three is 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020) to highlight the terroir of the dry-farmed 1965-planted bushvine vineyard in Piekenierskloof. Layered, complex and mineral, It has a textured palate, honeyed orchard fruit and citrus zing.
