Decanter March 2022

EDITOR’S LETTER You have our ear Not, it must be said, in a Vincent van Gogh sense. That would be awfully messy. No, in the sense that we do actually listen to all of your opinions, rants and complaints. The diligent and delightful Paula, who has just retired from Decanter after 20-odd years of handling readers’ missives – many thanks, Paula – was very good at filtering our mailbag into admin issues (change of address, subscription glitch, dog ate my magazine, etc), commercial matters (off to the relevant department) and letters to the editor, which arrive in my inbox. I can’t answer them all, though I do give it a try, and we can’t publish them all without dropping the wine coverage entirely. But they are all read and taken…

Not, it must be said, in a Vincent van Gogh sense. That would be awfully messy. No, in the sense that we do actually listen to all of your opinions, rants and complaints. The diligent and delightful Paula, who has just retired from Decanter after 20-odd years of handling readers’ missives – many thanks, Paula – was very good at filtering our mailbag into admin issues (change of address, subscription glitch, dog ate my magazine, etc), commercial matters (off to the relevant department) and letters to the editor, which arrive in my inbox. I can’t answer them all, though I do give it a try, and we can’t publish them all without dropping the wine coverage entirely. But they are all read and taken note of. And if you look…

Meet the Decanter experts TIM ATKIN MW is a Decanter contributing editor and awarded wine journalist, author, broadcaster, judge and photographer. He publishes timatkin.com, where his 2021 Ribera del Duero Report is available now DARREN SMITH is a wine writer, journalist and nomadic winemaker. He made his first wine in 2018 and launched his label, The Finest Wines Available to Humanity, in 2020 – for more information visit tfwath.com ANDY HOWARD MW is a Decanter contributing editor and a DWWA Regional Chair. A former wine buyer, he now runs his own wine consultancy Vinetrades Ltd, focusing on wine education and sourcing MATT WALLS is a contributing editor to Decanter and the DWWA Regional Chair for the Rhône. His latest book, Wines of the Rhône (£35, Infinite Ideas), an essential reference…

TIM ATKIN MW is a Decanter contributing editor and awarded wine journalist, author, broadcaster, judge and photographer. He publishes timatkin.com, where his 2021 Ribera del Duero Report is available now DARREN SMITH is a wine writer, journalist and nomadic winemaker. He made his first wine in 2018 and launched his label, The Finest Wines Available to Humanity, in 2020 – for more information visit tfwath.com ANDY HOWARD MW is a Decanter contributing editor and a DWWA Regional Chair. A former wine buyer, he now runs his own wine consultancy Vinetrades Ltd, focusing on wine education and sourcing MATT WALLS is a contributing editor to Decanter and the DWWA Regional Chair for the Rhône. His latest book, Wines of the Rhône (£35, Infinite Ideas), an essential reference guide, was published in January 2021 ANDREW JEFFORD…

Château Angélus withdraws from St-Emilion classification St-Emilion’s wine council has defended the upcoming 2022 classification of the region’s top estates after Château Angélus withdrew its candidacy, causing fresh uncertainty. Châteaux Cheval Blanc and Ausone have already left the process, meaning three of the four top-tier premier grand cru classé A estates from the 2012 edition of the ranking aren’t seeking to renew their status in 2022. Launched in 1955, the St-Emilion classification is renewed every 10 years. Angélus cited legal challenges surrounding the ranking system as part of its reason for withdrawing. Estate president Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal said Angélus ‘will continue to actively promote St-Emilion and the great growths of Bordeaux’. So what now for the 2022 ranking? ‘From a collective point of view, we regret it,’ said Jean-François Galhaud, president of St-Emilion’s wine council,…

There has been a growing backlash in the UK wine trade over government plans to link duty tax more closely to alcohol levels (abv) from February 2023. MPs believe their system will be simpler, but the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) said prices would likely rise on several still and fortified wines. ‘We have consulted our membership and written a comprehensive response to the [government-led] consultation, in which we make it very clear that the current proposals fail to take advantage of an opportunity to reform an outdated and unfair tax,’ said the WSTA’s CEO Miles Beale. He said the plans were also ‘unworkable’ for wine, because of the variable nature of abv levels. Importer and distributor Liberty Wines said linking duty to abv ‘will limit the diversity of wine sold in the…