
The Swiss encounter
Sylvia Wu
Surrounded by classical wine countries (France, Italy and Germany), Switzerland exports only a small fraction of its wines – despite their high quality. Therefore, opportunities to taste a range of Swiss wines in London, such as the 67 Pall Mall tasting at the end of last year, are unmissable.
The indigenous variety Petit Arvine produces many floral, textured yet fresh Valais region whites – such as those from Domaine Jean-René Germanier (via Alpine Wines) and Les Celliers de Vétroz (Origin Wine). The more neutral Chasselas can exude delicate minerality and peachy weight – try Clos de la George, Premier Grand Cru 2023 from biodynamic producer Hammel Terres de Vins. An orange Gewürztraminer, Omnis Orange Nature 2023 from Domaine Henri Cruchon (Alpine Wines) in the Vaud region, was a surprise find – crystallised ginger and marmalade harmonise beautifully with lychee and white blossom, balanced by a serious, dry palate. Among the reds, Domaine Henri Cruchon’s Le Cruchon Pinot Noir 2023 is an ethereal, perfumed beauty, while the Le Vin de l’A, L’Alter-natif Pinot Noir 2022 showcases darker fruits and savoury herbs. From the Upper Rhône (Valais), the Domaine des Muses, Réserve Syrah 2020 (Gauntleys of Nottingham), with its peppery dark fruit concentration, exceptional elegance, and solid structure, was my favourite.
Viña Leyda: Pinot Noirs touched by the Pacific
Ines Salpico
The geography of world-class Pinot Noir is changing rapidly, as classic regions (not least Burgundy) grapple with climate change and economic challenges. Exciting new provenances are leveraging their cool climates, entrepreneurial energy and winemaking talent to produce some of today’s purest expressions of the fussy variety.
I joined winemaker Viviana Navarrete and viticulturist Tomás Rivera of Viña Leyda for a chat about the development of its Pinot Noir program in coastal Chile’s Leyda Valley. The two have been at the helm of the pioneering project since its inception; when Viña Leyda planted its first vineyards in 1998, it became the first producer of the since-created eponymous appellation. Navarrete and Rivera described a humbling process that has led them to shed assumptions and focus increasingly on discovering the identity of the local terroir.
A vertical tasting of the Lot 21 Pinot Noir reflected this journey: if in the first-released vintages extraction and overripeness obscured sense of place, the 2020 vintage (£34.82 Winesquare) shows incredible purity of fruit, elegance of tannins and an unmistakable Pacific-kissed freshness. As does their newly released flagship Origin Pinot Noir 2020, a wine that will surely turn heads in years to come.
A slice of heaven in Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe
Clive Pursehouse

El Cielo’s Gustavo Ortega Joaquín and Georgina Estrada
When Gustavo Ortega Joaquín planned his retirement as a hotelier in central Mexico, he envisaged perhaps a boutique B&B in the vineyards. On a visit to Baja California’s vineyards, he was smitten with the region. A few years later, Ortega Joaquín opened El Cielo, the winery, in 2013. He’s since added several hectares of vineyards and a luxury resort in the Valle de Guadalupe. Hiring the talented Jesús Rivera and sparing no expense in the cellar, the wines of El Cielo are among Mexico’s finest. These are world-class wines with an international pedigree.
The 2019 Polaris, a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc, is classical. Red-fruited and savoury, with mint leaf and blood orange notes, the wines are taut and fresh at lower alcohol levels. The 2019 Aristotles is a Pinot Noir at a diminutive 12% alcohol with undeniable elegance. Fresh, sweet red fruits, gorgeous hibiscus florals and ample savoury herbs. These are exciting wines because they testify to the capacity of Mexico’s flourishing wine culture and the potential to grow and craft great wines in the desert of the Baja Peninsula.
50 years of Vasse Felix Cabernet
Julie Sheppard
Vasse Felix celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017, which is also the birthday of Australia’s Margaret River region, as winery founder Dr Tom Cullity was the first to plant vines there in 1967. The recent release of the 2021 Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon (£33.21- £39 Laithwaites, Lay & Wheeler, Majestic) marks another milestone – 50 years of Vasse Felix Cabernet – and chief winemaker Virginia Willcock hosted a celebratory vertical tasting.
‘We wanted to show the evolution of styles over the decades,’ she explained. We began with the 1985 (93 points), evolved and savoury with soft red fruit, made by David Gregg and representing an early style that’s still long-lived. In the 1990s, Clive Otto preferred a bigger style, showcased in the 1995 (94pts), which included Shiraz, Malbec and Cabernet Franc in the blend. ‘This was the technical era of winemaking in Australia,’ said Willcock. ‘New technology came into Margaret River with new, young winemakers.’ Willcock’s first vintage was 2007. She prefers a 100% Cabernet wine: ‘I wanted Cabernet to have the unique shape and form it takes from our vineyard: elegant and succulent.’ That signature was evident in the 2021 release (94pts), young and energetic but with a tailored structure that will see it develop over the next two decades.
Next chapter at Beauséjour
Amy Wislocki
In 2020, St-Emilion premier grand cru classé Château Beauséjour was sold to the Duffau-Lagarrosse family, who put in a bid in tandem with the Clarins beauty group owners. The estate is managed today by Joséphine Duffau-Lagarrosse and Prisca Courtin-Clarins, both in their 30s, and Dr Axel Marchal consults.
I caught up with Joséphine when she passed through London recently. She spoke about the winery renovation that has been three years in the making, and about how to bring Bordeaux to a new audience. ‘We want to create aficionados of Bordeaux, who have visited and who know the terroir,’ she said. She wants those selling her wines to be able to tell the stories behind them and she wants the grand vin to be enjoyable in its youth. ‘We need to make it approachable two years after vintage, but without impacting its ability to age.’
The 2022 vintage (£120 ib-£165 Grand Vin UK, Lay & Wheeler, Millésima) was rich and deep, tasted alongside the 2022 second wine, Croix de Beauséjour (£24- £30.83 ib Grand Vin UK, Ideal Wine Co, Lay & Wheeler), which captivated with its floral notes, aromatic intensity and fruit purity. Joséphine is ambitious but not arrogant, with energy and intelligence, and has a good team around her. Great things lie ahead, one senses.
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