August 2024 Tasting Report: The Delicious Dozen, the Rush of Rioja and Memorable Cali Cabs

Call them the Delicious Dozen. That's the 12 wines the JamesSuckling.com tasting team gave perfect scores to in August out of the 3,789 in total we rated during the month, when much of our work was done in some of the world’s most popular wine countries – Italy, Spain and Germany. We uncorked 1,209, 926 and 542 bottles, respectively, from each, but it was in Germany where our cups overflowed with excellence.

Senior Editor Stuart Pigott spent much of the month in the Nahe, Rheingau, Rheinhessen and Mosel regions of Germany, where he encountered a number of extraordinary dry rieslings. In fact, 11 received 100-point scores – all from 2023. Frank Schonleber of the Emrich-Schonleber winery in the Nahe made one of them, the Emrich-Schönleber Riesling Nahe Auf der Lay GG (Auction Wine) 2023, which Stuart said is a “wonderful illustration of how fruit and minerality are beautifully interwoven in the 2023 vintage.”

At the Donnhoff winery in the sleepy Nahe village of Oberhausen, Cornelius Donnhoff made a mind-blowing range of dry rieslings crowned by two perfect wines that are dramatically contrasting. The first, the Dönnhoff Riesling Nahe Dellchen GG 2023, has a hypnotic beauty and redefines what peachy means in the riesling context, while the Dönnhoff Riesling Nahe Hermannshöhle GG 2023, in contrast, has Grand Canyon-like depth and layers plus a horizon-to-horizon spectrum of stone fruit, citrus and wild berry notes.

And  Stuart said that 2023 is also the best-ever vintage for the Kunstler winery in the small city of Hochheim in the Rheingau, with its parade of sensational dry GG wines led by the perfect Künstler Riesling Rheingau Hölle GG 2023, which has off-the-scale spicy power, along with awesome concentration, vitality and dynamism.

The Rheinhessen-based Weingut Keller gave us three of our perfect-scoring wines, also all GGs. The Keller Riesling Rheinhessen Abtserde GG 2023, Stuart said, “is a total classic” of this producer’s style and  unbelievably concentrated and elegant, while from the famous vineyards of Nierstein came the Keller Riesling Rheinhessen Pettenthal GG 2023, whose intense minerality “made the earth move” for Stuart. From their monopole Schubertslay site in Piesport in the Mosel came their third great GG masterpiece from 2023 the Keller Riesling Mosel Schubertslay Alte Reben GG 2023 which is “dense, bright and crystalline as a diamond.”

The Wittmann winery was another Rheinhessen vintner that overwhelmed with its dry riesling GGs, but the star was clearly the perfect-scoring Wittmann Riesling Rheinhessen Morstein GG 2023, whose “interplay of mineral darkness and stone fruit light in the glass is incredible,” Stuart averred, while the final riesling masterpiece from the Rheinhessen came from Julian Haart and the “totally breathtaking” Julian Haart Riesling Rheinhessen Am Schwarzen Herrgott 2023.

The Mosel region also delivered with the Peter Lauer Riesling Mosel Schonfels GG No. 11 2023 and its haunting nose of white peaches and white flowers, while the Carl Loewen Riesling Mosel 1896 (Gray Label) 2023 “proves that great density and delicacy can co-exist,” according to Stuart.

THE RUSH OF RIOJA

Senior Editor Zekun Shuai was in Rioja during much of the month, with his first stop in the town of Haro and the renowned producer Lopez de Heredia, whose white Gran Reserva from the excellent 2004 vintage was one of the most impressive wines he has tasted from Rioja, if not all of Spain – a vinous, deep and unique wine with notes of waxed lemons, white macadamia nuts, saffron, sweet potato and subtle smokiness

From Rioja’s excellent 2021 vintage, Roda’s flagship Cirsion was a clear winner and one of the best Cirsions ever, Zekun said. The latest iteration of the wine has a slightly higher percentage of graciano (14 percent) that brings out its nervy, spicy side, with supreme polished tannins, depth, length and freshness also coming to the fore.

Zekun also visited Ribera del Duero to taste their new releases, with Vega Sicilia at the forefront of wineries showcasing their supreme consistency of quality across vintages. Their Vega Sicilia Ribera del Duero Unico 2015 is “striking for its balance, complexity and finesse of tannins, with Its length simply awe-inspiring,” Zekun said. Meanwhile, their coming 2025 release of the Unico Reserva Especial NV – composed of the 2011, 2012 and 2013 vintages – promises a more refined experience, with its impressive length and powdery tannins akin to “a sheet of velvet.”

And Frenchman Bertrand Sourdais has been making a significant mark in Ribera del Duero with his Dominio de Es project, focusing on Atauta’s distinctive terroirs through his excellent La Mata and La Diva wines, which are both limited-production set pieces of around 1,000 bottles each.

A SAFFREDI FOR THE AGES AND SUPERB 2021 BARBARESCOS

Our top-rated wines from Italy during August included the Fattoria Le Pupille Maremma Toscana Saffredi 2022, a multi-vineyard blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petit verdot blend that shows great beauty and drinkability and will likely age beautifully, alongside two superb Barbarescos from the 2021 vintage: the Gaja Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo 2021 and Bruno Giacosa Falletto Barbaresco Rabajà 2021.

The San Lorenzo 2021, James said, clearly stood out among the Gaja Barbarescos he tasted during his visit there, with lots of intensity and character on the nose and palate, and although he said he preferred the more open and opulent 2020 Rabaja, which he tasted alongside the 2021 version, Bruna Giacosa, the owner of the Bruno Giacosa winery, expects the 2021s to outshine the 2020s with time.

James also said that Gaja’s current release of its pure cabernet sauvignon, the Gaja Langhe Darmagi 2021 “may have finally hit its mark” after decades in production, with its pure blackcurrant and violet character alongside its integrated and refined tannins taking it to a new level.

We also highlighted how the unique character of syrah in Tuscany – richness combined with relatively low pH levels, resulting in ample freshness and tension – comes through in such offerings as the Tua Rita Syrah Per Sempre 2022 and Bulichella Syrah Hide 2021, whose vineyards are located near the coastal town of Suvereto.

From Chianti Classico, James loved the balanced and drinkable (and affordable) 2021 Castello di Ama Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Lorenzo, and we also weighed in on Barolo’s 2020 vintage, which Senior Editor Aldo Fiordelli found more balanced, fleshier and more approachable than 2019.

Among the best of the 2020 Barolos Aldo tasted was the G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero, which was fermented using whole clusters and processed in wood using indigenous yeasts. “It’s a wine of extraordinary grace, dominated by a very intense nose of cinnamon and Parma violets, wild strawberry, peonies, bitter orange and rhubarb,” Aldo said.

And the Bartolo Mascarello Barolo 2020 is an enticing traditional blend whose novelty lies in the return of the glorious Cannubi San Lorenzo vineyard, which, after being replanted, “infuses the wine with the touch of elegance that has always characterized it,” according to Aldo.

MEMORABLE CALI CABS

From California, Executive Editor Jim Gordon and Associate Editor Ryan Montgomery tasted a range of new offerings from Napa, Sonoma, Carneros, Oakville and more, with the Bryant Family, the cult-level collectible estate on Napa Valley’s Pritchard Hill, giving us the most memorable wines.

Right at the top was the perfect-scoring Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021, whose amazing depth, focus and structure were equaled by the fine-grained tannins weaving through myriad flavors ranging from mint, cedar and star anise to graphite, blackberries, blueberries and toasted oak.

Their Bryant Family Vineyard Napa Valley Bettina 2021 was close behind in quality, giving a more velvety, refined and creamy expression that reflects the influence of other Bordeaux varieties in its blend, and the Bryant Family Vineyard Napa Valley DB4 2021 is also a Bordeaux-style blend, all silk and suppleness that makes it drinkable now as well as age-worthy.

Jim and Ryan also encountered an especially classy lineup at Ram’s Gate in Carneros, led by the cooly restrained Ram’s Gate Chardonnay Napa Valley Carneros Hyde Vineyard 2021 and the Ram’s Gate Syrah Carneros Hyde Vineyard 2021, a deeply perfumed wine with a lifted aromatic profile supported by a full-bodied, structured and refined palate.

Finesse and restraint could also be found in the latest offerings of Knights Bridge Winery, where head winemaker Derek Baljeu presides over a brand-new winery and cave system, allowing him to focus on his organically farmed vineyards and harvest separately according to the different soil profiles found in the vineyard.

This was represented by two standout wines. The first, the Knights Bridge Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Cristobel 2021, is from 100 percent old-vine hillside cabernet sauvignon grown on white, ash-rich soil from Mount Saint Helena. The second, the Knights Bridge Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Linville 2021, is a fleshier wine, with a deep yet elegant nose and dense notes of blood plums, espresso, chocolate and cigar, as well as a full-bodied palate and bright acidity.

In Sonoma’s Alexander Valley, Stonestreet winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon Christopher’s Vineyard 2019 offers complex and delicate aromas with an underlying power displaying dark cherries, blood plums, graphite and sage, and their Garden Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley Tesserae is 2016, a blend of 83 percent cabernet sauvignon, 5 percent merlot, 4 percent cabernet franc, 4 percent malbec and 4 percent petit verdot, is full-bodied with silky tannins and focused acidity, alongside notes of dark cherry, leather and cocoa.

Jim also took a close-up look at a new Paul Hobbs wine, the Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville Nathan Coombs Estate Cristina’s Signature 2021, which is being distributed through La Place de Bordeaux. It earned a near-perfect score for its silky, elegant mouthfeel, graphite, iron, seashell and cigar box aromas and super-concentrated blackcurrant flavors.

CHARDS, CHENINS AND MORE FROM SOUTH AFRICA

Finally, our annual tasting of South African wines began in our Hong Kong office, with a number of chardonnays and pinot noirs standing out. From the cool Walker Bay area in the south coast of the Western Cape, Creation Wines’ The Art of Chardonnay 2023 is a savory, chalky and lively white with energy and minerality, while two of its premium pinot noir bottlings, the seductively spicy and toasty Emma’s Pinot Noir 2023 and the complex and firm The Art of Pinot Noir 2023, are great for drinking now.

From the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Bouchard Finlayson checked in with its  Pinot Noir Galpin Peak 2022, a spicy and flavorful offering from a cooler growing area on the Cape South Coast, while the Cap Maritime winery made a pretty Pinot Noir Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley 2022, which comes with bright red berry-fruit and cinnamon notes.

Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt also liked Bouchard Finlayson’s spicy, chalky and nutty Chardonnay Missionvale 2023, as well as the cedary and flinty Chardonnay Overberg Crocodile’s Lair Kaaimansgat 2023, from a cooler, later-ripening Hemel-en-Aarde vineyard that lies 700 meters above sea level.

The husband and wife team of David and Nadia Sadie showed us some stunningly mineral, single-vineyard chenin blanc bottlings from the Swartland, alongside their grenache-based reds. Claire was most impressed by the length and tension in the Skaliekap 2023, followed by the tight, linear and sharp Platbos 2023, while the Hoe-Steen and Rondevlei have plenty of texture and creaminess in addition to the cool minerality present in all their wines.

And the latest releases from the Boekenhoutskloof winery, based in Franschhoek, included the impressively concentrated Boekenhoutskloof Semillon Franschhoek 2022 – a textural and creamy white using semillon grapes sourced from low-yielding bush vines planted in 1942, 1936 and 1902, while its 2022 Porseleinberg is a very fresh, savory and even herbal expression of syrah that shows green-olive, rosemary and iron aromas.

– Vince Morkri, Managing Editor

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