Table of contents for Summer 2021 in VertdeVin Wine Magazine

For this new edition of Vertdevin, the 18th, we are pleased to present a magazine with a fairly eclectic selection of wines from several French regions, Italy but also Hungary, Austria and Canada! In the first part you will find as usual interviews but also focus on beautiful vertical tastings during which we had a lot of pleasure: Château Smith Haut Lafite (Bordeaux), Le Macchiole (Bolgheri) and even with Amarone wine and Virginia wines. In the second part you will find a special report about “Bordeaux En Primeurs”, the world largest and most comprehensive report of 2020! find in this session more than 1,300 scored wines (1.450 were tasted). Before reading this session, please pay attention to the short infographics, to key information that allow us to better understand these…

There aren’t so many cultivars like Nebbiolo able to cast in the glass each shadow, energy and sentiment of soils, and even the microclimate around them. Normally, Nebbiolo stands for Langhe but there is such a movement in the north of Piedmont… many young farmers are coming back to farming proposing again with modern style wines become famous in the XIX century; in the near future we may say there will be even more thrilling and awesome passion by those people who are looking for wines rich in elegance, verticality and powers. Wines with an unbelievable acidity able to age very well. in each ten denominations produced (Gattinara, Boca, Ghemme, Sizzano, Fara, Bramaterra, Colline novaresi, Fara, Lessona and Valli ossolane) in 30 kilometers, disciplinary allow wineries to use besides Nebbiolo…

Le Macchiole 2019 Bolgheri Rosso DOC The nose is fruity and offers a certain intensity, precision, a spicy side. It reveals notes of cherry, bright wild red berries, small notes of pepper associated with small touches of cassis as well as fine hints of dry local garrigue and an imperceptible hint of liquorice. The palate is fruity, well-balanced, slightly tight and offers an acidulous/ juicy frame, a good definition, tension as well as a fine crunchiness. On the palate this wine expresses notes of crunchy/fresh redcurrant, small juicy red fruits, small notes of crunchy blackberry associated with a touch of cassis, liquorice, discreet hints of olive and sense of the place (biotope local). Good length. Tannins are fine, structuring and discreetly tight. (J.C.C.) Le Macchiole 2016 Bolgheri Rosso DOC The…

BARSAC & SAUTERNES Château de Rolland 2020 Barsac 15.75/20 (91-92/100) Château Cantegril 2020 Barsac 15.5+/20 (91/100) L’Extravagant de Doisy Daëne 2020 * Barsac 20/20 (100/100) Château Coutet 2020 Barsac-Premier Grand Cru Classé 18.5/20 (97/100) Château La Tour Blanche 2020 Sauternes - Premier Grand Cru Classé 17.25+/20 (95/100) Château Liot 2020 Sauternes 15/20 (89-90/100) Château Romer du Hayot 2020 Sauternes - Grand Cru Classé 15.5/20 (90-91/100) Château Haut-Bergeron 2020 Sauternes 16.5/20 (93/100) Château Bastor-Lamontagne 2020 Sauternes 15.75+/20 (91-92/100) Idéal de Rolland 2020 Sauternes 15.25/20 (90/100) Château du Mayne La Merci 2020 Sauternes (bio) 15+/20 (89-90/100) Château Haut-Claverie 2020 Sauternes 14.75+/20 (89/100) Symphonie de Haut-Peyraguey 2020 Sauternes 15.25/20 (90/100) Madame de Rayne 2020 Sauternes 15.25/20 (90/100) Château Raymond-Lafon 2020 Sauternes 16+/20 (92-93/100) Château Lamothe Guignard 2020 Sauternes - Grand Cru Classé 15.5+/20…

POUILLY FUMÉ La Moynerie 2018 Pouilly Fumé The nose is elegant, racy, aromatic and offers a very fine controlled richness as well as a beautiful finesse of the grain. It reveals notes of white peach, lychee, small notes of apple associated with small touches of white flowers, ripe citrus (lemon, lime) as well as discreet hints of pistil, quenette and a very discreet hint of racy minerality. The palate is fruity, well-balanced and offers an acidulous frame, juiciness, gourmandize as well as a good definition, suavity, energy, relief and a beautiful definition. On the palate this wine expresses notes of juicy white peach, apple, brugnon, small notes of lemon associated with touches of quenette, white flowers as well as fine hints of zests and discreet hints of racy minerality. Good…

CÔTES DE BEAUNE Albert Morot 2019 Beaune Aigrots 1er Cru The nose is fresh and offers concentration, a small power, a certain intensity as well as a fine grain. It reveals notes of ripe yellow apple, quince and small notes of nutmeg, spices associated with touches of mirabelle plum, ripe small yellow fruits as well as a fine hint of fresh blond tobacco and pepper. The palate is fruity, racy, well-balanced and offers juiciness, suavity, a mineral / acidulous frame, a beautiful definition, gourmandize, suavity, a certain delicacy in its fat, roundness, freshness as well as a beautiful fineness of the grain. On the palate this wine expresses notes of fleshy plum, crushed small yellow fruits and small notes of fresh lemon / lemon zest associated with hints of apple…

CLASSICO Davaz – Poggio Al Sole 2018 Chianti Classico (organic) The nose is fruity and offers a certain power, gourmandize, a good definition and a certain purity. It reveals notes of bright redcurrant, crushed raspberry, small notes of blackberry associated with small touches of crushed cassis, liquorice, fine hints of spices and a discreet hint of pepper. The palate is fruity and offers juiciness, suavity, minerality, a good definition, a certain juiciness as well as brightness, a certain aromatic purity, fullness and gourmandize. On the palate this wine expresses notes of bright redcurrant, pulpy/acidulous cherry, an imperceptible hint of local grove (in the background), small notes of bright raspberry associated with touches of juicy/fresh cassis as well as hints of zan, discreet hints of toasted and vanilla. Tannins are well-built…

Disznókö, Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2011 Tokaj, Hungary Bright golden color. The nose is fragrant with floral notes as well as candied lemon wedge and fresh apricot. The style shifts on the palate towards dried apricot and mango flavors as well as honey notes. The acidity gives freshness and good balance to the sweetness. Score: 15,5+/20 (91/100) Disznókö, Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2008 Tokaj, Hungary Deep golden color. Compared to the 5 Puttonyos, this wine shows way more spices. The nose has a tropical character with dried pineapple, honey, and citrus aromas followed by the complexity of fragrant spices. The palate is voluminous, with a hint of freshness through the creaminess. The finale ends on toasted notes. Score: 16,5/20 (93/100) Disznókö, Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttyonos Kapi 2011 Tokaj, Hungary Extremely…

In Ontario’s Niagara region, about an hour east of Toronto, tucked away on the famous Locust Lane wine route, you will find the Hidden Bench Winery. Founded in 2003, Hidden Bench is an artisanal, estate winery situated in the heart of the Beamsville Bench subappellation of Niagara. Perched in the heart of the Niagara peninsula just west of Beamsville, the Beamsville bench subappellations only count a handful of producers. However, the ”Bench”, a narrow terrace covering 6 kilometers in length and 600 meters in width, benefits from deep, ancient limestone-rich soils with optimal drainage and a microclimate tempered by the strong air circulation from lake Ontario, offers unique characteristics ideal for vinification. founded in 2003, with the first vintage released in 2005, Hidden Bench has quickly established itself as a…

Secondo Marco 2012 Amarone della Valpolicella This project was born because Marco need to have a proper space to realize according to its vision wines in Fumane from Valpolicella, Ripasso and Amarone in singular style each. He wish to enhance the juice to get the best possible drinkability; in every seasons before the harvest Marco is looking for the pureness and freshness of the grapes. The use of cement and big barrels allow to get richness, power and more important, an unbelievebable elegance. Dynamism and fragrance. (E.M.) Massimago 2015 Amarone della Valpolicella A very young and pink winery. The “renaissance” of the winery starts in 2003 with Camilla Rossi Chauvenet, its smile and eyes are visible in the wines, plenty of light, intensity and lightness but it doesn’t meaning power…

Château Smith Haut-Lafitte 2008 Pessac-Léognan Grand Cru Classé de Graves […] On the palate this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy blackberry, fleshy strawberry, small notes of bright cassis associated with touches of small black fruits, pulpy/fresh raspberry as well as hints of tobacco, incense, a very discreet hint of aromatic herbs and an imperceptible hint of underwood… (read full review on vertdevin.com) Château Smith Haut-Lafitte 2009 Pessac-Léognan Grand Cru Classé de Graves […] On the palate this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy blackberry, bright raspberry, small notes of redcurrant associated with touches of lilac, cornflower, nutmeg as well as fine hints of sugared mild tobacco, cardamom, discreet hints of cinnamon, grilled almond and a subtle hint of vanilla… (read full review on vertdevin.com) Château Smith Haut-Lafitte 2010 Pessac-Léognan Grand Cru…

Camille Giroud Les Chalandins 2018 Vosne-Romanée, Bourgogne The nose is elegant, racy and offers power (in delicacy), a beautiful finesse of the grain, deepness, a small complexity as well as precision. It reveals notes of bright plum, fleshy cherry, fleshy wild strawberry and small notes of cherry blossoms associated with small touches of rose, cassis, hints of Cuben pepper, racy minerality, spices as well as a subtle hint of bergamote, almond and an imperceptible hint of fresh vanilla bean. The palate is fruity, beautifully defined, racy and offers gourmandize, a small richness precisely controlled, a beautiful roundness, fat, power in control, complexity, finesse, a small unctuosity, dynamism as well as a small acidulous frame. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy / fleshy cherry, fleshy wild strawberries and…

QUINCY Domaine du Coudray – Une Pointe d’Authenticité 2019 Quincy (bio) The nose is fruity, racy, fresh and offers a small ciseled side as well as presicion. It reveals notes of green apple, crushed nectarine, small notes of lime stone associated with small touches of fresh lychee, flint, fresh white flowers as well as discreet hints of lemon and a subtle hint of lemon caviar. The palate is fruity, well-balanced and offers fullness, a beautiful finesse of the fat, gourmandize, precision, a small tension, a small chiseled side and purity. On the palate this wine expresses notes of quince, crushed nectarine, small notes of lychee associated with touches of crushed apple as well as hints of white flwers, lime stone, verbena, apple flowers, discreet hints of lemon/mesocarp. Good length. Score:…

Who are we ? The Cercle Gustave Burger bears the name of a founder and first director of the Association des Viticulteurs d’Alsace from 1911 to 1926. He was also a Deputy for the Haut Rhin, a Left Republican. This think tank was founded by women and men, former managers or young winegrowers, from large and small businesses. What are our goals: The goal of the Cercle Gustave Burger is: • To work for the emergence, recognition, existence and promotion of Alsace wines from places that fully meet the concept of Protected Designation of Origin. • Encourage the alignment of the Alsatian Protected Designations of Origin with the energy, environmental and social transition by implementing practices that are more respectful of a certain ethics. • To propose the drafting of…

BAROLO WINES 2017 vintage in a few keywords: intensity, aromatic, ripe, beautifully marked by their terroir, tannins quite present but polished / elegant, need time to be understood. Poderi Luigi Einaudi – Terlo Vigna Costa Grimaldi 2017 Barolo The nose is beautifully structured, elegant, aromatic, racy and offers complexity, a beautiful width of the aromatic palette, a certain intensity, a fine grain as well as a certain sensation of tension. There are notes of pulpy blackberry, cornflowers, violet and small notes of laurel berries associated with touches of wild strawberry, rose, bright cherry as well as hints of Madagascar pepper, a sense of the place (local biotop / dry local soil) and discreet hints of spices. The palate is fruity, fresh, well-balanced, well built and offers minerality, an acidulous frame,…

Some weeks ago in Paris, he showed up not just simple champagne but a new concept of it, a revolution. The blending of how we know and how we knew about the best seller Maison product, Brut Premier, doesn’t exist anymore. Collection is a new idiomatic form of blending, based on a need for change. A challenge for Louis Roederer who wants to benefit from the climate change and enhance the peculiarity offers by the different Champagne soils studied by the Maison teams in the last twenty years because of the decision to approach biodynamic farm practices Today Roederer is the most important farmer in champagne with 140 hectares biodynamic off 243. The huge effort has been awarded: louis Roederer is one of the 22 farmers in the world insert…

Veritas Petit Verdot 2017 Monticello, Virginia The nose is fruity, aromatic and offers concentration, a small deepness / richness as well as power in control. It reveals notes of Boysenberry, creamy cassis and small notes of jammy strawberries associated with touches of chocolate, pulpy / fresh blueberry, hints of pepper, tobacco, zan as well as a discreet hint of camphor and spices. The palate is fruity, well-balanced and offers an acidulous frame, a good definition, a certain gourmandize, suavity, minerality as well as a small richness / concentration. On the palate this wine expresses notes of juicy / bright blackberry, juicy cassis and small notes of juicy / bright raspberry associated with touches of small red berries, fresh flowers as well as hints of cardamom, tonka bean as well as…

2020: a year of contrasts, an extreme year, a year for the wine grower… but an amazing vintage! Some key information to well-understand the 2020 vintage in Bordeaux: • Strong autumn heat • Rather dry and mild months of January and February • A mild month of March which stimulated the rapid onset of vegetation • The budding of the vines is early • April, May and June (until June 20) are temperate and rainy months. A strong mildew pressure has been felt since the start of the vegetative cycle. • Very early flowering • Summer (mid-June, July, mid-August) is exceptionally hot and dry (above normal). Some terroirs suffer from too much water stress or even vegetative blockage. • The rains of mid-August are welcome and allow the great soils…

OTHER LOIRE WINES Comte Henri – Argiles à Silex 2019 Coteaux du Giennois The nose reveals notes of white flowers, lily of the valley, small notes of apple associated with touche of fresh citrus, fresh mesocarp, a discreet hint of asparagus and verbena. This wine should be decanted. This palate is fruity and offers suavity, gourmandize, a fine onctuosity, delicacy, a beautiful dynamism, a certain richness of clay, a good definition and a fine acidulous frame. On the palate this wine expresses notes of pulpy nectarine, crunchy brugnon, small notes of varietal/honey-suckle associated with touches of lemon zests, mesocarp, fine hints of asparagus, varietal as well as a very discreet hint of crushed lychee and rose. Good length. Score: 15.25+/20 (90-91/100) Clément & Florian Berthier 2019 Coteaux du Giennois The…

Clos Cibonne 2019 – Cru Classé Côtes de Provence The wine quite deep orange color, limpid and shiny. The first nose is shy with caramel notes. Then it progressively becomes more intense with dry banana, rosewood, cooked apple and Mirabelle flavors. We have also a spicy side with cinnamon, liquorice and white pepper. It is slighty vinous. There is a nice complexity. The tasting is fresh and aromatic with acidity. We find in the mouth the same aromas of the nose: banana, Mirabelle, apricot stone. The finish is discreet but long. Nice wine. Score: 15,75/20 (91-92/100) Château La Mascaronne 2020 Côtes de Provence (Organic) The wine is very clear with a hint of apricot. It is crystal clear and shiny. The nose has vinosity, a richness with notes of grapefruit…

NASCETTA WINES What is the Nascëtta grape? It is a semi-aromatic white native grape of Novello, a village already known for the Barolo production. After ten years from Doc achievement many farmers have started planting Nascetta, today there are 50 hectares and more than forty wineries of which eleven in Novello where production is possible only by the use of 100% of Nascetta. It has been called in 1877 ‘Anascetta’, as ”a very delicate grape and exquisite wine” and, if in the past it was used to blend Moscato today Nascetta reborn thanks to the willingness of producers to display a great white wine beside other native Langhe grapes like Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Barbera and Freisa. The grape is very plastic, sensitive, with an important structure and acidity; its features show…