Decanter Christmas 2022

As I write this, it’s still quite a long time until the festive season, such are the vagaries of print deadlines, so it’s mildly tricky to summon up the holly-and-tinsel mood yet. Luckily, we have already invaded the lovely Hampshire home of two of our long-suffering contributors, Susie Barrie MW and Peter Richards MW, and forced them to enact an early celebration. They did a fantastic job – you’ll find their guide to the perfect wine lovers’ Christmas on p30. Meanwhile, we had a celebration of our own a day or two ago – the Decanter London Fine Wine Encounter, back at its Landmark Hotel home for the first time in three years. We were a little apprehensive, with that long gap, transport disruption and general economic gloom all casting…

SUSIE BARRIE & PETER RICHARDS are married Masters of Wine and regular Decanter contributors. Well known for their writing, broadcasting and live events, Susie & Peter co-host the award-winning Wine Blast podcast FIONA BECKETT is a contributing editor to Decanter. Publishing at matchingfoodandwine. com, she is a leading expert on food and drink matching. She writes a column for The Guardian and a Substack newsletter Eat This, Drink That CHARLES CURTIS MW is a widely published journalist, author and fine wine advisor based in New York. Formerly head of wine at Christie’s in the US and Asia, he started out as a chef and travelled to Paris to train at Le Cordon Bleu PIPPA DE BRUYN is the South Africa destination expert for The Telegraph in the UK. Based in…

Wine crime: Madrid cellar theft, fraud in France Fine wine with an estimated value of at least €150,000 (£130,000) has been stolen from the cellars of two-star Michelin restaurant Coque in central Madrid. Spanish police were investigating after thieves broke into Coque restaurant’s wine cellar via a next-door property and stole about 132 bottles, managing to evade security measures. Some wines could be hard to replace, said the communications director for Coque, Cristina Pérez Olmos. The team was advised not to name bottles taken, but she said family-owned Coque has built up the wine cellar over many years. ‘Then to have someone just come in and take it is quite awful,’ she said, adding the cellar was nevertheless back open as part of the experience the restaurant offers to diners.…

■ Margaux second growth Château Lascombes has been acquired by the owner of Napa Valley estates Heitz Cellar and Stony Hill. It marks the first acquisition in Europe for Lawrence Wine Estates – founded by the Lawrence family, of US entrepreneur Gaylon Lawrence, and Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy Jr. ‘Château Lascombes is a special place – we will spare no expense to ensure we bring it to its full potential,’ said McCoy Jr. ■ Severe frost in Argentina may have affected about 10,000ha of vineyards in Mendoza, according to a local official, but winemakers were still assessing vines. Temperatures plunged to -4°C in early November. Juanfa Suarez, producer and owner of Finca Suarez in Paraje Altamira, Uco Valley, reported ‘100% damage to our Finca Las Piedras vineyard and 80% damage…

ADOPT A VINE WINE EXPERIENCE The next best thing to owning your own vineyard – adopt between six and 36 vines in an organic vineyard chosen from a list of French regions and producers. There’s a welcome gift pack for Christmas Day, regular updates and photos, personalised bottle(s) at the end of the experience, and optional visits to the vineyard. From €169 gourmetodyssey.com BIRCHGROVE SAKE TASTING SET This set of serving flask and four matching ceramic cups is the perfect gift for anyone keen to enjoy Japan’s national beverage in style. £39 harveynichols.com AFTERNOON TEA CASE One for the sweet-toothed: a bottle of The Wine Society’s Prosecco NV, plus goodies including fruitcake, raspberry lemonade, vanilla meringue biscuits and raspberry jam. One of a wide selection of hampers and wine gifts.…

The rewards of research To follow up on William Pask’s letter about vintage variation (December 2022 issue), occasionally it works to one’s benefit. A few years ago Kanonkop’s Bordeaux blend Paul Sauer was recommended to me as a great South African wine to lay down. I promptly ordered the 2016 vintage, paying about £30 per bottle. My London-based son, a new collector with a nice cold, damp cellar, recently decided to follow my lead. Coincidentally, Decanter published an article by Tim Atkin at the same time, in which he awarded the 2015 vintage 100 points. My son couldn’t believe his luck to find nine bottles of this vintage in assorted local Majestic stores, paying the same price as myself. Lay & Wheeler currently has this wine on sale at £290…