Wine styles have changed enormously over the last four or five decades –more than in any other era - even from the same producer, and even from some of the grandest of them.
If you could possibly afford to conduct a ‘vertical tasting’ (same wine, a run of different vintages) of the Bordeaux first growths from the 1970s to today, you would see a perceptible increase in concentration and alcohol towards the end of the last century and then, more recently, an increase in refinement and transparency. The same evolution would be apparent lower down the ranks, albeit perhaps with rather less subtlety. Fresher wines that communicate terroir rather than what was done in the cellar are the order of the day today throughout most of the wine world.
This switchback of aspiration is very apparent in most of the so-called New World. South American winemakers today have quite different aims and ideals from even a decade ago. Australian white wines are unrecognisably crisper than their predecessors. (Yes, the old oaky rich Chardonnays did die young…)The most fashionable reds in Australian wine bars and restaurants today are light in every sense; the French name Syrah is worn as a badge of honour signalling a contrast with rich, turbo-charged, stereotypical Australian Shiraz.
Throughout Spain forward-thinking producers have been seeking out higher-elevation or ocean-influenced sites that yield more refreshing wines than of old. A new wave of their California counterparts are doing the same, making wines that seem to be from another planet from the late twentieth century west coast diet of super-ripe Chardonnays and Cabernets.
I have been racking my brains to think of wines that have not changed much over recent decades. In the backwaters of Europe there are still, amazingly, some wines that are as disappointing as they ever were, wines that never climbed aboard the wagon of improved winemaking technique and viticultural expertise. Such wines have rarely been exported and have to depend on local demand and ancient loyalties to find a market.
But what I’m after is good wine made by producers who have never really felt the need to make many changes. I think some burgundies would qualify – particularly at the top end. The wines of Armand Rousseau and Michel Lafarge, for instance,don’t seem to me to have changed in style over the years. When you have a winning formula and can sell every bottle 20 times over, why tinker?
[optcut:On the other hand, I’d say quite a lot of red burgundy producers have changed their style since the 1970s, making cleaner, more concentrated wines from riper fruit than in the 1960s and 1970s when some less satisfactory clones of Pinot Noir dominated and winemaking expertise was not yet a given. Many of the older generation learnt experientially rather than bothering with any scientific training.
And white burgundy has changed enormously even quite recently, in much the same slimmed-down way that Australian Chardonnay has.]
One important wine-producing country that I have not mentioned yet is Italy, because my prime example of a wine that has hardly changed at all since it was launched with the 1982 vintage is the Cabernet blend of the San Leonardo estate in the subalpine region of Trentino.
San Leonardo is exceptional in so many ways. For a start it produces wine almost in a vacuum, north west of Verona towards Lake Garda, well outside the Valpolicella zone, and much further down the Adige valley from the vineyards that supply the sparkling wine of Trento.
Although it’s an ancient estate, based on a tenth century church, it did not produce wine until the late twentieth century.Marchese Carlo Guerreri Gonzago studied oenology in Lausanne in the late 1950s and then worked at the Tuscan estate that produces Sassicaia, Italy’s prototype Supertuscan Cabernet. Under the influence of Sassicaia’s creator Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, Carlo was keen to see whether similar Bordelais subtlety could also be coaxed out of the infertile clay limestone benchlands of his wife’s estate in Trentino.
A certain stratum of Italian society is so tightknit it’s effectively a pebble.Eighty year-old Carlo and his son Anselmo are of the hand-kissing sort (though I promise it is the wine that has seduced me, not the old-fashioned courtliness), and share the same (surely Scottish?) tweed and immaculate Roman tailor as head of the eponymous Tuscan wine dynasty Marchese Piero Antinoriwho, like Carlo, turns 80 this year. Once Mario Incisa della Rochetta had lit the winemaking flame, Piero lent his celebrated consultant winemaker Giacomo Tachis to fan it.
The result is a succession of vintages, all of which I have been lucky enough to taste, that are almost spookily similar and of astoundingly consistent quality. When the weather is disobliging, as in 1984, 1989, 1992, 1998 and 2002, no San Leonardo is produced. Frost destroyed half of the 2017 crop. But virtually any vintage of the principal wine, generally made from about 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Carmenère and 10% Merlot, is beautifully low-key and like the most refined red Bordeaux imaginable.
Carmenère, the grape variety that is nowadays common in Chile but almost extinct in its Bordeaux homeland, was supplied by mistake by a French nursery when Carlo was establishing his vineyard and was expecting Cabernet. Varietal Carmenère tastes green and unripe if the vines are allowed to be too productive and is too concentrated if they are pruned too severely but Carlo has learnt to tame it..
Only 26 of the estate’s 300 hectares are planted with vines. At one stage they raised cows and Carlo’s son Anselmo says he ‘dreamed of being a gaucho’. Instead, at the age of 22, he was charged with selling the family’s wine. At that stage, at the turn of the century, his family’s Bordeaux blend was widely dismissed as being too light. Anselmo suggested to his father that they blend in some of the deep-colouredlocal Terolodego grape. His father called him a cretino. This was surely a good call because the style of San Leonardo is just right for today’s vogue for lightness, refreshment and relatively low alcohol (2010 was the first year the alcoholic strength given on the San Leonardo label reached 13.5%).
The San Leonardo literature and website suggests an almost feudal set-up. The major domo Luigini Tinelli was born on the estate. But they have known some tough times. When Anselmo, who also lives on the estate, joined the business it was saddled with debt – so much so that there was no question of replacing the Carmenère with the more conventional Cabernet Franc and, according to him, ‘there were barrels in every room’. He seriously thought that the banks might repossess the estate.
Today the wine has slowly and steadily earned global respect and an average bottle price of around £50. Last December, identifying London as ‘the place where classic wines are understood and appreciated’, father and son came over to show off 15 of their favourite vintages to media and trade, Carlo claiming this was the most moving experience of his life.
WHERE TO BUY SAN LEONARDO
In terms of countries where our wines are best distributed:
- Italy
- Switzerland
- Germany
- UK
- USA
- South Korea
- China
- Canada
- Czech Republic
- Belgium
- France
The US importer is Vias Imports of New York and according to winesearcher.com a wide range of vintages is available from retailers at a regular price of about $70 a bottle but many a deal is currently advertised.
Classic Drinks of Little Island, Co Cork import the wine into Ireland.
UK importers are FortyFive10 of London SW18 and Inverarity Mortonof Glasgow. The wine is offered by the case by several fine wine traders but can also be bought by the single bottle.
2011
£43.95 Master of Malt, East Sussex; £59.99 Huntsworth Wine, London W8; £61.80 Hedonism, London W1
2010
£54 Huntsworth Wine, London W8
2007
£67.20 LadyWine at Satyrio, London EC3
2006
£79.20 LadyWine at Satyrio, London EC3
2005
£87.60 LadyWine at Satyrio, London EC3
2003
£54.95 South Downs Cellars, West Sussex
1999
£74.80 Hedonism, London W1
Vintages from 1988 are still going strong. Youngest vintage already beginning to drink well is 2011. Favourite vintages for current drinking 1996 and 1999.
International stockists from winesearcher.com. Tasting notes on Purple Pages of JancisRobinson.com
NNNN
Europe
ALBANIA
Sigi shpk
Picar-Vore
Tirane-Albania
+355 697078050
AUSTRIA
Döllerer’s Weinhandelshaus Gmbh
Kellau 160, 5431 Kuchl – Austria
tel. +43 6244 20 567
fax. +43 6244 20 567 42
BELGIUM
Licata Vini
Duifhuisweg 12, 3590 Diepenbeek Belgio
Laurent Licata
tel. +32 11222037 – +32 11286252
fax. +32 11214631
CROATIA
Acrobat D&M d.o.o.
Božidara Adžije 22/1
10 000 Zagreb
Tel: 01/3646 356
DENMARK
Ostjysk Vinforsyning A/S
Navervey n. 21 – 0886 Hinnerup DK
Per Dalby Kristensen
tel. +45 8755 9900
fax. +45 8691 1476
ESTONIA
Balen OÜ – Connoisseur
Mõigu Tehnoparkm, Läike tee põik 1
Peetri küla, Rae vald, 75312 Harjumaa
tel. +372 6000 950
fax. +372 6000 959
FINLAND
Interbrands Wines & Spirits Oy
Pietarinkuja 3
00140 Helsinki
tel: +358 9 682 9310
fax: +358 9 6829 3110
FRANCE
Paris
Quercia S.A.
54 Avenue des Terroirs De France, 75609 Paris Cedex 12
Frèdèrik Quercia
tel. 0033 143 43 01 84
fax. 0033 143 07 23 53
> Burgundy
SAS OSCO WINE / LA CAVE
9 rue Paul Sabatier
71100 CHALON SUR SAONE
> Côte d’Azur
SVB Distribution
Min St Augustin, Pal 1 Box 13, 15 route de Grenoble, 06200 Nice
tel. 04.93.18.82.15
fax 04.93.83.10.41
GERMANY
Abayan
Erikastrasse 67 Hamburg, D-20251
tel. +49 4048003520
fax. +49 22844969703
Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH+Co.
Burkard Bovensiepen Gmbh Alpenstrasse 37, 86807 Buchloe
Patrick Guth – Markus Geigle
tel. +49 824150050
fax. +49 82415005144
GREECE
Trinity Wines
2nd klm Markopoulo, Kalivia Ave 19010, Kalivia, Attika
tel. +30 2299040630
fax.+30 2299040062
Κινητό: +30 6945755707
IRELAND
Classic Drinks
Unit 5, OC Commercial Park, Little Island, Cork, Ireland
Steve Dwyer, Commercial Director
tel. +353 214510066
fax. +353 214355504
note: Hugh Murray, Sales director
ICELAND
Rolf Johansen & Co ehf
Skútuvogur 10A, 104 Reykjavìk – Iceland
tel. 354 595 6700
fax. 354 595 6750
ITALY
Sales Manager Italy
Sig. Fulvio Rimini
tel. +39 331 6680854.
LATVIA
VINEA MEA SIA
1048
AUCES STREET 1A-27
RIGA
LUXEMBOURG
Vinissimo
Z.I. route de Bettembourg, L-3378 Livange Luxembourg
Alexander Prouhhon
tel. +352 52 52 10 500
fax. +352 52 52 10 550
MONTENEGRO
Paduema doo
THE CAPITAL PLAZA Ul. Šeika Zaida 17, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro
MALTA
Abraham's Supplies Co Ltd
Gozitano Agricultural Village, Mgarr Road, Xewkija, Gozo
Tel: (+356 ) 21563231
MONACO
SVB Distribution
Min St Augustin, Pal 1 Box 13, 15 route de Grenoble, 06200 NICE
tel. 04.93.18.82.15
fax 04.93.83.10.41
NORWAY
Trans Nordic Selection
Karenslyst allé 4
0278 Oslo
Tel: +47 23 08 60 90
Fax: +47 23 08 60 91
THE NETHERLANDS
Unique Holland Wijnimport
Ten Hagestraat n. 4 – 05611 Eg Eindhoven – Olanda
tel. +31 402441693
fax. + 31 402462134
POLAND
Deliwina
ul. Roslinna 2, 61-307 Poznan
tel. (+48) 616 394 441
PORTUGAL
Adega Algarvia
Apartado 3342, 8135-903 Almancil, Algarve
Sig. Alvaro Abrantes
tel. +351 289 398966
UNITED KINGDOM
> London
FortyFive10° Ltd
31 Sulivan Road, London, SW6 3DT, United Kingdom
Massimiliano Jacobacci
tel. +44 20 7371 5036
fax. +44 20 7350 1574
cell. +44 7932 054 376
> U.K. (outside London)
Forth Wines/Inverarity Morton
Crawford Place, Milnathort, Kinross-shire, KY13 9XF
tel. +44 (0) 1577 866000
fax. +44 (0) 1577 866025
CZECH REPUBLIC
La Fattoria – vína a destiláty S.R.O.
Jeseniova 56a, 130 00 PRAHA 3
Sig. Giancarlo Bertacchini
tel. +420 267 312 849-501
fax. +420 267 312 197
ROMANIA
Export Manager
Mr. Joseph Johnston
RUSSIA
DP-Trade
29,Nizhegorodskaya Street, 109052 Moscow
Dmitry Pinski – Lyliane Serbourain
tel. +7 0959373209 – Fax +7 0959379461
fax. +33 14657 6269
SCOTLAND
Inverarity Morton
7 Evanton Drive,
Thornliebank Industrial Estate,
Glasgow, G46 8HL
Tel: 0141 620 6100
Email:
SLOVAKIA
Wineloversclub.sk s.r.o.
Dunajská 46
811 08 Bratislava
Slovakia
+421 948 451 133
SWEDEN
Sigva AB
Kanslihusgrand 3 183 68 Taby
Therese Henningsson, Vice Managing Director
tel. +46(8) 7325995
SWITZERLAND
Bindella Rudolf AG
Honggerstrasse 115, 8307 Zurich
Bruno Orlandi
tel. +41 44 276 62 62
fax. +41 44 271 04 49
Globalwine AG
Räffelstrasse 25, CH-8045 Zürich
Marco Diorio
tel. +41 44 450 16 16
fax. +41 44 450 16 19
UKRAINE
LLC “Sommelier” Elektrikiv lane, 15,
Kiev, 04071, Ukraine
tel/fax: +38 044351 17 17
HUNGARY
Proforg Consulting Kft.
1027 Budapest, Szász Károly u. 2. II/12.
Tel.: +36 70 391 9600
CANADA
MONTREAL
SAQ
Enoteca Moreno De Marchi
Montreal, Quebec
Moreno De Marchi
tel. +1 5148363166
ONTARIO
LCBO
Wine World Importers
2045 Avenue Rd – Toronto, Ontario M5M 4A7
Mr. Bruce Mac Lean
tel. +1 4164877147
ALBERTA
Richmond Hill Wines
108, 3715 – 51 STREET S.W. CALGARY, ALBERTA, T3E 6V2 CANADA
Mr. Dave Osbaldiston
tel. +1 403 686 1980
fax. +1 403 686 1982
BRITISH COLOMBIA
Stile Wines
1528 Commercial Drive Vancouver, BritischColumbia, V5L 3YS Canada
Sig.ra Carmen D’Onofrio
tel. +1 604 255 2518
fax. +1 604 255 7750
MANITOBA
Banville & Jones
1616 St. Mary’s Road – Winnipeg, Manitoba R2M 3W7
Mr. Gary Hewitt
tel. +12049489463
BRASIL
Mistral Importadora Ltda
Rua Rocha, 288, 01330-000 Sao Paulo Brasile
Ciro De Campos Lilla
tel. +55 116942 3401
fax. +55 116942 3405
UNITED STATES
Vias Imports Ltd
873 Sixt Avenue, Suite 2200, 10001 New York
tel. +1 212 629 0200
fax. +1 212 629 0262
PUERTO RICO
Bodegas Compostela
Avenida Condado 106,San Juan, PR 00907
tel.(787) 724-6088
fax.(787) 724-6066
Asia
CHINA
Shanghai SinoDrink Trading Co.,Ltd上海华饮贸易有限公司
Room 101, Building 1-2, No.518 Zhaohua Road, Changning District,Shanghai
上海市长宁区昭化路518弄1-2号101室
Tel: 021-6226 7586
JAPAN
Iida Co Ltd.
1-1-29 Yasunaka-Cho – 581-0085 Yao – Osaka, Japan
tel. +81 729236244
fax. +81 729236892
MALAYSIA
Dionysus Asia Sdn Bhd
No 16 Jalan Metro Perdana Barat 12 – Sri Edaran Light Kepong 52100 K. Lumpur, Malaysia
tel. +60 362583530
fax. +60 362585160
TAIWAN
Ascent Way International Corp.
1F, N° 535, Mingshuei Rd. Taipei 104 – TAIWAN R.O.C.
tel. +886.2.2533.3180
fax. + 886.2.2533.3185
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
African & Eastern
Grosvenor Business Tower 16th Fir Dubai PO BOX 32321 United Arab Emirates
tel. +971 44344558
fax. +971 44344758
info.gulfbeverages.com
HONG KONG
Sino Vantage Asia Ltd
16/F, Kiu Yin Commercial Building 361-363 Lockhart Road Wanchai, Hong Kong
Mr. Herve Leroux
tel. +852 2581 9129
fax. +852 2581 9182
ISRAELE
Wine Depot
Almogit Hotels Supply Ltd.
33 Habarzel Str. Tel Aviv – 69710 Israele
tel. 08-9762176
PHILIPPINES
Artisan Cellar
8th Floor Magsaysay CTE, 1680 Roxas – 1004 Philippines
tel. 522-3920/27
fax. 525-5009
SOUTH KOREA
Shinsegae L&B Co. Ltd.
Mesa b/d 16F Hoehyeon-dong 1-ga, Jung-gu –Seoul, South Korea
tel.+82 27271984
fax. +82 27271979
SINGAPORE
Crystal Wines
491 River Valley Road
#01-02/03 Valley Point
Singapore 248371
Tel: (65) 6737 3540
Fax: (65) 6735 4971
Alba 1836 Pte Ltd
Corporate operations – UEN 201327376D – 22B Duxton Hill, #02-01 – Singapore 089605
Matteo Trabaldo
tel. +65 6222 2048
fax. +65 6222 2826
SRI LANKA & MALDIVES
Decanter Wine Holdings (Pvt) Ltd.
24-3/2 Deal Place Colombo 3
Sri Lanka
Phone: +94 77 553 4545
Fax: +94 11 257 5611
THAILAND
Estella Company
679 Pattanakarn 30 Pattanakarn Rd. Suanluang Suanluang Bangkok Thailand
TEL:+662 318 5200
Oceania
AUSTRALIA
Trembath & Taylor P/L
291 Moray Street, South Melbourne Victoria, PO box 441, Soth Melbourne, Victoria 3205
Michael Trembath – Virginia Taylor – Matt Paul
tel. +61 03 96967018
fax. +61 03 96864015
mob. 0418 141 632
NEW ZEALAND
Planet Wine
3 Morton Street, Auckland CBD, NZ
Martin Cahnbley
tel. +64 9 309 9708
mob: +64 21 888 295
.