Seeking Precision in McLaren Vale, Plus Italy’s Alpine Heroes

While in Australia for several weeks recently, Associate Editor Ryan Montgomery tasted over 160 wines from McLaren Vale, a region renowned for its old-vine material, predominantly grenache and syrah, and a maritime influence on the climate.

Wines coming mainly from the 2022 and 2023 vintages highlighted just how much precision and focus producers are now achieving across grenache, shiraz, and even less conventional styles like flor-aged whites.

Of the 162 wines tasted, Ryan scored 58 of them 94 points or higher!

Among the standout wines is the Clarendon Hills Grenache McLaren Vale Blewitt Springs Romas 2023, a wine that captures the lift and finesse of grenache grown in a cooler year. It is perfumed, sophisticated and lively with vibrant energy and length, showing a mix of blue and black fruit, pomegranate, violet and plum, underpinned by graphite, spice and fine tannins.

The Clarendon Hills Syrah McLaren Vale Astralis 2023 also impressed. Long considered one of the region’s benchmark reds, this latest release leans into balance and precision over sheer power.

Aromas of blood plum, blackberry compote, licorice and fresh herbs lead into a full-bodied palate with firm, structured tannins and a tactile, mouthwatering feel. A savory edge of black olive and graphite adds complexity, while the finish remains polished and composed. A wine for the cellar and time.

A less expected highlight came in the form of the Brash Higgins Chardonnay McLaren Vale Bloom 2017, a rare Australian vin jaune-style wine aged under flor (a biofilm made of yeast) for seven years in old white Burgundy barrels.

Aromas of preserved lemon, salted nuts, mandarin zest and beeswax give way to a layered and textural mouthfeel. It finishes long and saline, showing both oxidative complexity and freshness – an ambitious and well-executed interpretation of style.

Also showing the potential of old vines and careful extraction was the S.C. Pannell Grenache McLaren Vale Old McDonald 2023. Sourced from 81-year-old vines, it delivers dried strawberry, blueberry bush and floral notes on the nose, followed by a creamy, finely structured palate.

A quiet precision defines the wine. Its bright acidity and subtle grip give energy and drive. Ryan perceived it as perhaps the purest, most refined release from Pannell’s single-vineyard range this year.

READ MORE: OLD VINES, NEW VISION: HOW BAROSSA’S HERITAGE GRAPES ARE SHAPING AUSTRALIA’S WINE FUTURE

In Italy’s Alpine Vineyards, a Heroic Wine Turns the Page

If viticulture above 500 meters (1,650 feet) or in extreme conditions earns the title “heroic,” what happens in the Italian region of Valtellina might best be described as superheroic, “Marvel” viticulture.

Along the steep terraces carved into the northern edge of Lombardy, vines cling to slopes that tilt at dizzying 60 percent grades. In some plots, the crown of one vine lines up with the roots of another just five or six plants above it.

These dramatic gradients, coupled with mineral-rich soils and ideal sun exposure, give nebbiolo grapes, here called chiavennasca, a striking expression – bright, savory and taut with a kind of alpine crunchiness.

Today, this narrow valley is at a turning point. For years, the region’s most prestigious wine was sforzato – locally called sfurzat – a robust red made from dried nebbiolo grapes (in the style of Amarone, just to explain it).

While the Sforzato appellation still commands high prices and remains the most profitable label for many producers, the spotlight is shifting. Winemakers are now betting on traditionally vinified Valtellina Superiore and Riserva wines – bottlings that capture the essence of fresh grapes, the land, and its microclimates.

“This has been our main goal in recent years: improving the quality of fresh grapes. The future lies in Valtellina DOC, whether Superiore or Riserva,” said Mamete Prevostini, president of the regional consortium, over lunch last week as Senior Editor Aldo Fiordelli tasted through nearly 100 wines from across the appellation.

The shift isn’t just a talking point – it shows in the glass. Looking over tasting notes not only from this year but also from 2024 and earlier, a clear pattern emerged for Aldo. The fresh Valtellina DOC wines are, on average, more compelling than Sforzato. They’re transparent and fragrant, crunchy and mineral, thanks to the valley’s schist and granite soils.

The data tells the same story. According to Andrea Gandossini, the consortium’s director, Valtellina produces between 3 and 3.2 million bottles annually. Of those, only 200,000 to 300,000 are Sforzato, a fraction of the region’s output.

What’s more, the traditional 100-day drying period for Sforzato grapes has shrunk by at least two weeks. Warmer seasons brought on by climate change have made natural concentration easier to achieve in the vineyard itself.

However, the most compelling reason to pay attention to DOC wines is their ability to express place. Valtellina is a patchwork of distinct crus or terroirs, and each reveals a different face of nebbiolo.

Maroggia, the lowest and warmest of the five official subzones, tends to produce wines that are a touch more neutral and less savory, with bright notes of blood orange but softer acidity and body.

Sassella, perhaps the most mineral and vibrant, shows off a nose of crushed stones and a tightly knit, savory palate.

Grumello, which surrounds an ancient castle at the heart of the appellation, can yield slightly more rustic tannins than Sassella, but the wines are rich and alive.

Inferno, the hottest and most intense zone as the name declares, often displays smoky, incense-like notes and the fullest body of the group.

Valgella, in contrast, offers a light, fresh profile – sometimes with a touch of pine needle and watermelon on the nose, always lifted and defined.

Among the top-performing producers, Arpepe and Balgera continue to shine. Fay stands out in Valgella, while Nino Negri remains a benchmark for the region. One surprise was the youthful charm of the Luca Faccinelli Rosso di Valtellina Bandello 2024, a red bursting with strawberry-like fruit and early-drinking pleasure.

But the real showstoppers came in the form of aged Superiore Riservas. The Arpepe Valtellina Superiore Sassella Rocce Rosse Riserva 2018 dazzles with a perfumed nose of rosemary, cherry pit, dried orange peel, balsamic herbs, Parma violets and cinnamon, lifted by unmistakable stony minerality. Tightly wound, it finishes with austere grace. A wine to drink now or cellar.

Equally impressive, the Balgera Valtellina Superiore Valgella Vigneto Quigna Riserva 2016 delivers radiant clarity and lifted aromas of red currants and citrus. Medium in body, it’s crisp, energetic and full of tension, a wine to savor today or hold for future reflection.

In a region where harvesting means climbing ladders and winemaking is more mountaineering than agriculture, Valtellina is proving that its most exciting wines no longer need to be dried to be serious. Sometimes, freshness is the boldest move of all.

Shangri-la Becoming a Paradise for Chinese Chardonnay

China’s Shangri-la region in the elevated southwest of China is not only gaining global recognition for producing some of the finest reds from the country based on cabernet sauvignon, but also for its remarkable chardonnays, as noted by Senior Editor Zekun Shuai, who covers Chinese wine.

Following the acclaim of Xiaoling’s 2021 Hong Po Chardonnay, which we named our Chinese Wine of the Year in 2023, a new project led by Xiaoling’s winemaker Feng Jian and viticulturist Li Da is making waves. Their two chardonnay debuts, Mingyi Chardonnay Shangri-la Above the Creek 酩一桃溪之上干白葡萄酒2022 and Mingyi Chardonnay Shangri-la Beneath the Temple 酩一岚若之下干白葡萄酒2022, are already turning heads.

Feng revealed to Zekun that the project began in 2018, aiming to identify the finest terroirs for chardonnay and pinot noir, with aspirations to connect the high-altitude vineyards of Yunnan to esteemed Burgundies made from these two grape varieties.

Their inaugural vintage, 2022, is marked by its strikingly high acidity, already showcasing the potential of high-altitude chardonnay from the diverse and complex Yunnan terroirs.

Both the Xiaoling and Mingyi wines share a similar winemaking approach: wild yeast fermentation, whole-bunch pressing and around 50 percent malolactic fermentation without batonnage.

However, Above the Creek is sourced from Jiangpo village at a dizzying 2,800 meters (9,200 feet) above sea level, a much-coveted source of fine chardonnays today with rich organic matter in the soil. It was aged for 12 months in Burgundy barrels, with 30 percent of them new.

In contrast, Beneath the Temple blends fruit from Jiangpo and the calcareous soils of Adong village at 2,700 meters (8,860 feet), where the renowned LVMH-funded Ao Yun winery also sources its whites. This wine spent eight months in oak, with 30 percent new.

While both wines exhibit similar flavor profiles – concentrated, textured, bright and saline, with a subtle creaminess chiseled to a mouthwatering precision – Above the Creek presents a tighter, more structured tension, whereas Beneath the Temple is slightly more open, favoring linearity over volume and verticality.

Oregon Crafts Savory, Mineral-Driven Sparkling Wines

Along the cool western slopes of the Willamette Valley in Oregon, USA, Staff Writer & Taster Courtney Humiston recently delved into the burgeoning sparkling wine scene where Oregon winemakers are crafting site-specific wines using the traditional Champagne method.

She visited eight different wineries, interviewed the winemakers and tasted 46 sparkling wines. This report covers those and other sparkling wines our team has reviewed recently. The majority scored 90 to 93 points.

Those based on chardonnay grapes, which we showcase here, are just the tip of the iceberg. Oregon offers distinct, complex and charming sparkling wines made from other classic Champagne grapes as well: pinot noir, pinot blanc and pinot meunier.

From a combination of cool air, persistent fog, volcanic soils and wild Pacific Northwest terroir, vintners are crafting savory, crisp and mineral-driven wines.

"Rather than ripeness of fruit you get a lot of the nuances of the vineyard expressed in a different way: floral or earthy or mineral," said Kate Payne Brown, the winemaker for Argyle, which until about 2014 was the only significant sparkling wine producer in all of Oregon.

Take, for example, the Pashey Coast Range Blanc de Blancs 2021 from Trisaetum's coolest and most western site. Courtney calls this a linear and focused sparkling chardonnay reminiscent of Champagnes from the Cote de Blancs. The nose is more savory than fruity with notes of white button mushroom, stone, fir tips and lime zest.

Similar salty, zesty flavor profiles come from Argyle's Spirit Hill Vineyard. The Spirit Hill Blanc de Blancs 2020 is mineral-driven, with aromas of bosc pear, lemon zest and crushed stones. The dense mousse from multiple years of lees aging elevates the freshness and minerality.

Corollary, a young winery that Jeanne Feldkamp and Dan Diephouse founded in 2017, goes all in on Oregon sparkling – they don't produce even a single still wine.

From their tasting room on a breezy and foggy morning in early June, you can see and feel the Van Duzer Corridor from which they source most of their grapes. Through a gap in the Coast Range mountains due west from their estate, "cold air from the ocean floods into the valley every night so our grapes hold onto their acidity," Feldkamp said.

“Holding onto the acidity” is an understatement. It is in fact, a driving force in all of their wines (and Oregon sparkling in general). The X-Omni Blanc de Blancs 2020 from a single vineyard planted to 17 different clones, balances that abundant natural acidity with richness from 42 months on lees in bottle.

Courtney is especially enthusiastic about the potential for pinot meunier in the region, which is sometimes considered a workhorse grape but here has a wonderful sweet-tart minerality, juicy succulence and flavors of red apple skin. At just 14 acres, Argyle is the largest farmer of the variety but others are taking notice.

While some producers, like Argyle, are proud that they make exclusively vintage-dated wine, others including Sokol Blosser and Stoller, have invested in large casks so they can have a continuous solera to use as a base for multi-vintage wines, as is common in Champagne. This will add richness and complexity as well as umami undertones, without having to mature the wines for a decade in bottles.

Corollary and others are planning a grand tasting on July 26 for what they are calling Method Oregon, to celebrate and raise awareness for high quality, traditional method wines. "When people think of great sparkling wine, we hope they will start to think of Oregon,” Feldkamp said.

– Ryan Montgomery, Aldo Fiordelli, Zekun Shuai and Courtney Humiston contributed reporting.

The list of wines below is comprised of bottles tasted and rated during the past week by James Suckling and the other tasters at JamesSuckling.com. They include many latest releases not yet available on the market, but which will be available soon. Some will be included in upcoming tasting reports.

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