After years of holding out, Brunello di Montalcino may finally be inching towards a greater focus on sub-zoning. The innovative Forma project spearheaded by Italian MWs Gabriele Gorelli and Andrea Lonardi – primarily intended to add greater objectivity to the Consorzio’s vintage rating system – has been instrumental, necessitating the assembly of reams of site-based data that have (inevitably) laid bare the great variability within the denomination. With the ever-shifting climate, the site factor apparently top of mind across the denomination is altitude. Montalcino has always traded on a wine that pushes Sangiovese to generous levels of ripeness without – crucially – losing its balance and an unpredictable climate is hardly conducive to such a sensitive balancing act. Pier Giuseppe d’Alessandro of Poggio Antico, where vineyards rise up to 612m above sea level (asl), says ‘altitude does not mean low temperatures but lower temperatures,’ explaining that during August, the vineyards may be 4-5ºC lower than Montalcino’s lowest sites. The critical factor, he says, is the duration of temperature spikes, which tends to be shorter at altitude, helping avoid vine stress. Read more: The Brunello di Montalcino Report 2024 However, there are several dynamics at play: fog in the valleys tends to make nights warmer but mornings cooler, reducing diurnal variation, whereas sites above the fogline warm more quickly in the morning but cool rapidly at night, preserving critical acidity. This slows ripening overall and extends the harvest, sometimes to a dramatic degree – Luciano Ciolfi of Sanlorenzo notes that in the difficult 2024 vintage they had to wait until mid-October. However, Giancarlo Tommasi and Emilio Falsini, director of Tommasi Family Estates and enologist of the group’s Montalcino property Casisano say their breezy, high-altitude sites facilitate more uniform ripening and thus more aromatic complexity. Finally, Riccardo Campinoti of Le Ragnaie, known for its high-altitude single site wines, likes that altitude can help reduce vigour and naturally limit yields. Yet another factor in Brunello di Montalcino is geology. Acidity-preserving stony calcareous soils dominate at higher altitudes, while richer alluvial soils are common lower down, giving altitude pedological as well as climatic significance. In years where the main problem is not intense heat but abundant rainfall, like 2024, the slopes and well-drained stony soils of higher sites can save the vintage. Montalcino collectively affirmed the importance of altitude in 2015 when it first allowed vineyards above 600m asl into the appellation (whether the region might also have set lower limits on altitude remains an open question). Gianni Pignattai of Pietroso, whose vineyards are mostly between 400 and 500m asl, notes that ripening at these heights was frequently challenging even 10-15 years ago but that they are now his least challenging vineyards to manage, as their lower humidity and greater ventilation allow him to use fewer pesticides. One thing made clear by the handy 3D map produced for the Forma project is that most of the wine world’s (including the Italian wine world’s) mental image of Montalcino as a roughly cone-shaped protuberance sloping uninterrupted to the flat plain below might need updating. The northern slope of Brunello di Montalcino is indeed more uniform, with only small bumps like Montosoli breaking up its descent. However, the southern stretch is much more topographically varied, with high-altitude sites running all the way south-southwest from Montalcino town to Sant’Angelo in Colle (once unfairly lumped in with the much lower-lying Sant’Angelo Scalo) and south-southeast nearly to the town of Castelnuovo dell’Abate, both about 7km away as the crow flies. Blends that incorporate at least some high-altitude elements are a snappy riposte to many low-energy bottlings of the mid-2000s Though multi-site blending remains the norm (and with an increasingly unreliable climate, the blenders may eventually have the last laugh) single site wines from high spots, like Campinoti’s Passo del Lume Spento at 621m asl in Ragnaie, some distance south of Montalcino town, are redefining the upper octaves of Brunello. Meanwhile, blends that incorporate at least some (and often several) high-altitude elements are a snappy riposte to many low-energy bottlings of the mid-2000s. Andrea Cortonesi of Uccelliera based his second brand, Voliero – which, unlike Uccelliera, is blended from across the denomination, including Sant’Angelo in Colle – on the notion that high-altitude sites are linked by consistent (and desirable) characteristics. On the other hand, there is also clearly some variability among high-altitude wines. Some, like Campinoti’s, trend delicate, tart-fruited and herbal, with alcohol levels (~13.5%) to match. Contrast this with Poggio Antico’s wines, including I Poggi, from their highest active vineyard at 550-575m asl, which is a potent 15%, though with great tension from its dynamite acidity. Exposure, slope and airflows have great impact at these heights – Sanlorenzo’s vineyards sit southwest of Montalcino at 500 asl in two valleys that face southwest towards the Mediterranean and its warming breezes, but Ciolfi says they recently planted some north-facing land in the same area and have just started to vinify the results. Antonio Michael Zaccheo of Carpineto, where vineyards run from 470-500m asl, believes they are the only ones at that altitude with vineyards fully exposed to the north and slopes up to 30%; they typically harvest over three weeks after valley vineyards, with low sugars and elevated acidity. The challenge is that, with new Brunello plantings frozen since 1997, opportunities to plant higher are limited. Pignattai says though they would like to plant more high-altitude sites, they haven’t found owners willing to sell. D’Alessandro says ‘we do not have higher land to plant because there is no higher land’– Montalcino, unlike Chianti Classico, has no land above 650m asl. However, he is sanguine that with experimental viticultural practices – more dynamic vineyard architecture that permits rapid response to changing conditions – the advantages of higher altitude can be maximised. Giulia Härri, enologist at Mastrojanni, agrees that cultivation techniques are key to altitude’s effectiveness against climate change; she credits their biodynamic viticulture with helping avoid vine stress. While not a silver bullet, altitude is undoubtedly one factor that may help preserve Brunello’s freshness. Montalcino’s best and brightest are harnessing its power in some of the denomination’s most exciting wines where intense aromatics (and sometime generous ripeness) are offset by gravity-defying acidity. Browse all Brunello di Montalcino listings.

Writing for Club Oenologique in 2025, Sarah Heller MW talks to producers in Montalcino about how altitude has become a key tool in preserving Brunello's freshness and why it might prove critical in protecting the wine's character in the face of climate change

Writing for Club Oenologique in 2025, Sarah Heller MW explores how altitude helps Montalcino’s producers preserve Brunello’s freshness and singular character.

Altitude’s role in the future of Brunello di Montalcino

Steep slopes, high hopes: Altitude’s starring role in the future of Brunello di Montalcino 

The key words that spring to mind when describing Clos des Papes are ‘elegance’ and ‘consistency’. Whilst the common perception of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is (usually correctly) one of power and richness, Clos des Papes possesses a restraint and an almost Burgundian character that very few other wines from the region do.  The consistency of Clos des Papes wines is largely thanks to the stability behind the scenes, and that over the decades there have only been minor tweaks in the approach and philosophy of this great domaine in the Southern Rhône. Winemaker Vincent Avril took over from his father Paul in 1987 and is currently on his 38th vintage. ‘I have changed very little of what my father did. The biggest change has been a deeper focus in the vineyard, as I would say that 80% of the work is done in the vineyard itself. And, of course, the soils are key: we have 24 different plots and 24 different soil types, which is a blessing.’ Clos des Papes possesses a restraint and an almost Burgundian character There has only ever been one red and one white cuvée produced here, with Avril showing no interest in following the trend for cuvée speciale, which all too often can be even more powerful and weightier than the traditional cuvées. One of the more significant changes has been the changing grape mix in the vineyard, with less Grenache and more Mourvèdre. ‘Chateauneuf is the most northern outpost for Mourvèdre in France, and it gives a brightness and wildness and spice to the wines in their youth. We now have around 55% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah and the balance is Counoise and Cinsault.’ According to Avril, the most important thing for his wines is tannin and phenolic maturity. He never picks on sugar content but on tannin ripeness. ‘If your tannins aren’t ripe then you will feel the alcohol far more. If the tannins are ripe then you will automatically have better balance and alcohol integration. I also believe that the quality of tannins is fundamental for the ability to age. For that reason, I also only use old foudres and never any new oak; I don’t want oak tannins in the wine, I want to taste the grapes, the soil and the place.’ At Clos des Papes, the reds are always co-fermented with two varieties together. When I ask what this brings, Avril explains that ‘the wines are just more complete when fermented and blended from the beginning. My father and I did trials every year of single ferments and co-ferments and then we tasted the results; we always chose the co-ferments, they are deeper and more complex.’ As this vertical tasting demonstrated, they are certainly wines with profundity, complexity and an incredible capacity for ageing. On the issue of climate change, it was interesting to hear Avril’s thoughts on the impact it has had on Clos des Papes over the decades. ‘This really hasn’t had a huge amount of difference, especially not compared to places like Burgundy. We are now only harvesting on average two to three days earlier than we were 30-40 years ago. But what we have are more peaks, so we may see a huge downpour of 100mm of rain in an hour, and we certainly see less rainfall in summer. So it is more extremes but not necessarily warming.’ One effect on the winemaking as a result of these changes, however, was the decision made in 1992 to totally de-stem the fruit. With less rain in the summer, the stems do not get fully ripe and therefore would potentially add a greenness to the wines, thus undoing all the hard work of the judicious tannin management. The white wines are somewhat atypical in terms of Châteauneuf for several reasons. Firstly, they are a blend of six varieties, all contributing in different ways. Grenache and Rousanne give richness but can lack acid, Clairette and Picardin add elegance and the freshness comes from Bourboulenc and Picpoul. Secondly there is no oak or malolactic fermentation and the wines are bottled very early, normally in February following harvest. For Avril, the whites nearly always follow the same maturity: ‘The young wines show peach, anis, white flowers, grapefruit and a salinity. As they age, they become more mineral and almost show a Riesling like petrol note. And then heading towards 20 years we see honey, dried apricots and quince appear.’ These are whites that do have a freshness that many other whites from the appellation do not have, yet never at the expense of the textural richness that is integral to their identity. I consider Clos des Papes wines to be extremely good value for money The tasting demonstrated perfectly the trajectory that Clos des Papes wines tend to follow as they age. In their youth, they offer very attractive drinking for two to three or so years after bottling with primary fruit and a suave feel as demonstrated by the 2021, 2022 and 2023. The wines then tend to shut down in bottle, as seen with the 2019, which whilst having a spellbinding nose was quite tight on the palate but with such balance. The 2016 was still somewhat tight but just beginning to unfurl and open up, while the 2010 was drinking just beautifully yet clearly with great potential to develop further. The coup du coeur for me was the quite magnificent 2005, which still maintains such tannic structure and grip but with beautiful fruit, texture and minerality. Again, this seemed to be dipping into a quieter phase as well and I expect it will age gracefully for another 20 years. Clos des Papes is a wine that should be on every Rhône lover’s radar. Firstly, I consider them to be extremely good value for money. They are wines that offer so much pleasure over such a long period of time yet can still be enjoyed in their youth. Each vintage really does speak of the year yet with the hallmark of Clos des Papes, as Avril explains, ‘I compare my job to that of a painter. At the beginning of the year, I get a blank canvas and the weather is what gives me the colours with which to paint the best picture possible. Each year the resulting painting will be different but always with the same signature beneath.’ Vincent Avril is a man that makes it all sound so simple, yet the wines are anything but and offer incredible complexity, elegance and refinement.

Written for Club Oenologique in 2025, Alistair Cooper MW reports on a vertical tasting of Clos des Papes with winemaker Vincent Avril, highlighting some of the best wines from the estate over the last 20 years and explaining why they are must-haves for Rhône collectors.

Written for Club Oenologique in 2025, Alistair Cooper MW reports on a vertical tasting of Clos des Papes with winemaker Vincent Avril.

Clos des Papes 2005-2023

Albiera Antinori is the first woman to take the helm of the Antinori empire. And “empire” isn’t an exaggeration for a dynasty that rose to prominence in the late 13th century, making its fortune in the silk trade, and later banking. The family has been making wine since at least 1385, when Giovanni di Pietro Antinori registered with the winemakers’ guild in Florence. To put that in perspective, that was before the Gutenberg bible was printed, before the fall of Constantinople, before Christopher Columbus set sail for the Americas.   Now, over six centuries later, Marchesi Antinori owns almost 3,000 hectares of vines across 21 estates (plus additional land that is dedicated to forest, olive groves etc) spread across the globe, and is among the oldest family businesses in the world (sitting at number 10 globally). Once part of Italy’s aristocratic elite, the Medici family line may have faded into extinction, but the Antinoris – like the Ricasolis – still hold significant sway.  Looking at Albiera Antinori on my screen, however, it’s hard to tie this pedigree to the woman in front of me. Now aged 58, she – along with her two sisters – represents the 26th generation of the family. Olive-skinned, relaxed and with a gentle smile, she props her glasses back on her head once the inevitable technical issues are resolved, settling back into her chair for our Zoom call. She may be one of the most powerful figures in Italian wine, but you wouldn’t know it.   Harvest is just getting underway as we sit down to talk about her family and its legacy – a time that she remembers fondly as a child. She grew up in Florence, but spent weekends and holidays in Bolgheri or at Tenuta Tignanello in Chianti – and wine was simply part of life. Some of her earliest memories are of the harvest and sipping wine (diluted with a drop of water) over dinner at Tignanello, gathered around the table with her grandfather, Niccolò Antinori, and the rest of the family.  It was when Albiera finished school that wine moved into the foreground. She didn’t yet know what she wanted to do and – with harvest at Castello della Sala was set to start in a few weeks’ time – her father, Piero Antinori, suggested she work there, that way she’d at least be earning some money while she figured things out. “From then on, it’s been a kind of snowball,” she says, smiling. Once the fruit was in, the wines needed making, there were vineyards to be managed and planted, and soon she was travelling, telling the world about the wines her family made. She had fallen down the rabbit hole.  Has she ever wondered about the path not taken? No, is the short answer, she tells me – and she’s been able to combine her other passions with work for Antinori. Take architecture: she has overseen the construction of 12 wineries during her tenure, working closely with the team to develop the perfect building for each.   She officially took the reins of the business in 2017 – but, as the eldest, she almost fell into the role of CEO. She may be at the top of the figurative tree, but it’s a family business through and through. She works closely with her sisters, both of whom are Vice Presidents (Alessia oversees the winemaking and Allegra manages the company’s various restaurants). Their father Piero – now approaching 90 – is still in the office every day too.   The Antinori name has long been associated with boundary-pushing. Albiera’s grandfather Niccolò was one of the first to stir things up in Chianti. In 1924, he put Bordeaux varieties in the family’s Villa Antinori Chianti – a scandalous act at the time. Niccolò’s brother-in-law was Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who planted Cabernet Sauvignon on his wife’s Tenuta San Guido estate in 1944. The wine was made for family and friends at first, but when Piero Antinori (Niccolò’s son and Albiera’s father) took over running the family business in 1966, he saw the potential. Giacomo Tachis, the Antinori winemaker, started making the wine and ageing it in new French oak. By 1971, Piero had persuaded his uncle to release the 1968 vintage commercially: Sassicaia – and the Super Tuscan movement – was born. It wasn’t long before Piero followed with his own offering, releasing the first vintage (1971) of Tignanello – a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet from their eponymous estate in Chianti Classico – in 1978. Solaia soon followed (first made in 1978).  “The equilibrium between innovation and tradition is always something very delicate,” says Albiera. The family’s revolutionary spirit lives on, but she’s aware that their history, legacy and tradition is “a real asset” – one that shouldn’t be overlooked in today’s global wine market. While once they had to force the world to acknowledge the quality of Italian wine, now their focus on celebrating local varieties and creating wines that are true to their terroir. That remains true across their estates – no longer just in Tuscany, but from Puglia to Piedmont, as well as beyond – with properties in Chile and California (including Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars). At its core, however, their philosophy can be summed up in one word, she says: quality.  The next generation is already on board, with Albiera’s children Vittorio and Verdiana working alongside her. Their journey was totally different – going to university, taking master’s degrees and gaining experience at wineries around the world – a more conscious step into the family business. There was, however, no denying their fate.  Being an Antinori, Albiera says, “means a responsibility towards the people that work with us, towards the history that we have, and towards the land that we farm… a solid and constant commitment to doing things well, to doing things with intelligence, to do things that are long-lasting”. After six centuries in the business and a portfolio of estates around the world, that responsibility continues to grow – but it’s a duty the Antinoris seem uniquely suited to handling.  The new vintage of Solaia (2022) is now available  Explore all current Antinori listings or read more Editorial 

The Antinoris are one of Italy’s most famous families. As the new vintage of Solaia is released, we caught up with Albiera Antinori – the 26th-generation CEO and President of her family firm

Sitting down with Albiera Antinori – CEO of Marchesi Antinori, company that created Super Tuscan Tignanello to find out more about their wine dynasty 

Talking to Albiera Antinori about the family’s wine empire 

The Antinori empire 

Sitting opposite us, the dark-suited, dark-haired figure waved an elegant hand at the bottle of white Burgundy which he’d just fished out of a carrier bag and planted on the table with the air of a conjuror at a party. “You’ll like this,” he said; it was a statement, not a suggestion, delivered in a faint accent with American overtones and a hint of gutturality. In this totally unremarkable West London pub, a bottle of Meursault looked as out of place as a KGB officer. Which he was. We did like it, of course, who wouldn’t? It made the greasy steak and chips almost bearable, and was one of the best wines I’d ever tasted at that point in my life. I was 33 that year, 1978, and as a newish BBC foreign correspondent I wasn’t particularly well paid. He’d brought the Meursault with him to show us how sophisticated he was, and to counter the blandness of the food. But why had he suggested The Mitre as a place for lunch? It was handy for the Soviet embassy up the road, certainly; but I realised that the real attraction for him was the high-backed seats that enclosed our table and kept our conversation private. Sergei was a major in the KGB, masquerading as a press attaché. The habit of secrecy was deeply ingrained in him. The Meursault started to work on my companion, a gossipy, amusing, slightly naïve BBC executive. It worked on me, too, but under the influence of alcohol I tend to go quiet and introverted. Not so Harry. He delivered the brief lecture about Soviet harassment of our Moscow correspondent which he’d been planning. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t make Sergei burst into tears. On the contrary. “Ah, yes, the famous Declan.” Sergei managed to put the accent on the second syllable. “Such good Russian. A pity he wastes his time hanging around those drop-outs and wastrels.” I was particularly impressed by ‘wastrels’. “I suppose you mean dissidents,” I said, pushing my glass across for more Meursault. The label read ‘1968’; the Soviet embassy must have had a superb cellar. Sergei laughed scornfully and poured. “I hear Declan’s marriage isn’t going so good now,” he said. “Ah, no, his wife left him for an airline pilot,” Harry replied, giggling. I kicked him sharply: you didn’t feed personal details about your colleagues to KGB officers. “What?” Harry said, looking at me. We saw the bottle out. Sometimes I think I can still taste that rich, green-gold collection of butter, almond, citrus and, could it have been, or is it just my imagination after more than 40 years, hints of bracken and mayflower. At the end, we stood up and shook hands. “So you’ll go easy on Declan from now on?” Harry said. “Well, Declan must stop creating bad propaganda against the Soviet Union.” He had a good ear: this time the accent was on the first syllable. Sergei turned in the direction of the embassy, and we headed back to Television Centre. “Bloody good wine those Russkies can afford,” Harry said, and gave his high-pitched laugh.For journalists and spies, booze is a famous lubricant, a fuel, even. I came from a teetotal background, yet when I started as a foreign correspondent I soon found myself ordering a glass of single malt as a means of self-protection, while someone I was trying to pump for information opened up and talked in a way he or she never would if I’d ordered a Britvic orange. Yet there were exceptions. In Belfast and Derry, where I started my reporting career, the leaders of the Provisional IRA were mostly ultra-Catholic and never drank a drop; and as I branched out and began reporting on the Middle East, I found that organisations like Hezbollah and the followers of the Ayatollah were as teetotal as I had once been. There were no bars to meet them in, either. Fortunately, though, cities like Cairo and Beirut were more sophisticated. I soon found that anywhere with a sizeable Christian population, Egypt and Lebanon, of course, but also Syria, Iraq and westernised countries like Turkey and Pakistan, made allowances for thirsty westerners and permitted them to drink, even if in cities like Peshawar you had to sign a big leather volume and register yourself as an alcoholic. The bar in the old Commodore Hotel in Beirut was a wonderful centre for professional alcoholics of this kind. I first went there in June 1982, when West Beirut was under hourly attack from Israeli planes and tanks, and there were no shelters to protect us. The presiding spirit of the place was a correspondent called Chris Drake, a hospitable soul who dispensed booze and information even-handedly. When the barrage was going on, it would have been suicidal to leave the Commodore, and the building shuddered to every nearby explosion. Chris Drake had a parrot, and when the bar was packed in the evening with journalists glad to still be alive, it would imitate the sound of a shell in flight with startling accuracy. Most of the people there, not me, thank God, had walked into the bar on their first night, heard the parrot’s hugely convincing whistle, and thrown themselves on the floor shouting “Incoming!”. There would be a roar of laughter, and someone would help them up and offer them a glass of arak, an infusion of grapes and the seeds of the anise plant. I acquired a real taste for arak at that time, and I still think of that slightly oily, metallic, liquorice-tasting liquid hitting the back of my throat and burning its way down. A few years later, during another upsurge of fighting, the Commodore was heavily shelled by the Syrian army. The building was destroyed, and no trace of the parrot was ever found. When peace was restored and there was money around, the Commodore was rebuilt, much bigger and more glitzy, but the architect designed a new bar precisely where the old one had once been. You can still see the space on the floor where many a famous journalist measured his length when the parrot did its party trick. I took my wife and 13-year-old son there a couple of years ago, and one afternoon, when the bar was empty, my son insisted on re-enacting the whole thing. In China, things were different. Meetings with underground figures usually took place at their homes or outdoors, given the fear of surveillance. I often chose Ritan Park in Beijing, where teahouses served pu-erh tea and offered a discreet place to talk. By contrast, official meetings required alcohol, specifically Maotai, a fierce baijiu distilled from sorghum at over 50% ABV. At one banquet, after being insulted by a local Party official, I tried to outdrink him. The plan failed, he had help, but we still ended the night collapsed together, singing in two languages. The next day, I was told this had enhanced British prestige. Countries where alcohol is banned present different challenges. In Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, I smuggled in a 27-year-old bottle of Laphroaig disguised as Fanta, only to pour it down the toilet when soldiers began searching rooms for alcohol. They never entered mine. After the fall of the Soviet Union, I tried to track Sergei down but never found him. Before that, though, I had taken my revenge by signing him up to every unwanted mailing list I could find, encyclopaedias, dubious magazines, and more inventive subscriptions besides. It made me feel very good.And yet, if I imagine meeting him again, I always picture the same thing: Sergei standing in the doorway, holding a superb bottle of Meursault. For that, at least, I’ve always been grateful. This article was written by John Simpson, who reflects on his experiences reporting across the world, and the role alcohol has played in the art of face-to-face reconnaissance. Illustrations by Natsko Seki. Originally published in FONDATA, Issue Two.

BBC world affairs editor John Simpson reflects on reporting from conflict zones, recalling memorable bars, encounters and the role alcohol plays in the subtle art of face-to-face reconnaissance.

BBC world affairs editor John Simpson on bars, encounters and how alcohol shapes reporting, trust and intelligence gathering worldwide.

John Simpson on bars, spies and the art of reporting

Refuge,  refreshment & reconnaissance

Earlier this month, I returned to Auxey Duresses to spend time at the Domaine and taste the 2026 Maison Leroy release in full. This was a significant visit.

We tasted more than 25 wines across vintages, appellations and styles, which allowed for a level of depth and comparative understanding that is rarely possible with Maison Leroy. It is a way of tasting that strips away hierarchy and focuses entirely on expression, timing and intent.

Having visited consistently for more than 12 years, and multiple times each year, I have seen many releases in different forms. I can say with confidence that this is the most complete and compelling Maison Leroy selection I have encountered. It is an exceptional release. The 2026 Maison Leroy collection tasted as a modern collection in the fullest sense. What gives it its shape every year are wines drawn from different years, now brought together at a point where Madame believes the wines have something extraordinary to say. However, this felt like the first Maison collection to begin to mirror, with real conviction, the superlative character of Domaine Leroy.

There is range here, certainly, across appellation, level and vintage. Each feels released at precisely the point where evolution had hardened rather than softened its definition.

That is what gives the release its outright drinkability — an unflattering expression to many, and perhaps one not preferred at the Maison, but these were wines of serious joy and poise.

What makes the 2026 release especially significant is that it presents Maison Leroy in a form that feels entirely of the present, while carrying the same gravitas, refinement and inner control that have come to define the Domaine at its highest level. The result is a Maison collection of unusual stature: one that stands on its own terms, yet also comes closer than any previous release to reflecting the authority and brilliance associated with the Domaine’s dominant era. Process and Élevage To understand Maison Leroy, one must first understand the process. Every wine is tasted blind by Madame Lalou Bize Leroy before any decision is made. Hundreds of wines are assessed each year, with producer, appellation and reputation set aside. Rarely do new wines make the cut. Only when a wine meets her standard does it carry the Leroy name. That responsibility remains directly hers. It is only the beginning. Once secured, the wines are transferred to the cellars, where they enter a long and closely controlled élevage. For the reds, with Bourgogne Rouge the sole exception, every wine completes its élevage in used Domaine Leroy barrels, regardless of appellation. Village or premier cru, classification gives way to quality. Each wine is handled according to its potential, allowing a level of refinement and integration that rises above hierarchy. The same philosophy applies to the whites. With Bourgogne Blanc the exception, the wines complete their élevage in used Domaine d’Auvenay oak barrels. The foundation of Maison Leroy Maison Leroy is the original cornerstone of one of Burgundy's most influential and enduring families. Founded in 1868 by François Leroy in Auxey-Duresses, the business began as a négociant operation with access to vineyards across the Côte d'Or, including Auxey-Duresses, Meursault, Pommard, Chambertin, Musigny, Clos Vougeot and Richebourg. At the time, the wines were not bottled under the Leroy name, instead being sold through the Comptoir des Propriétaires de la Côte d'Or. Under Joseph Leroy, the Maison expanded commercially, before Henri Leroy fundamentally reshaped its trajectory. In 1942, during a period of uncertainty in Burgundy, Henri acquired a 50% stake in Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. His stewardship was instrumental in restoring and elevating the estate to its modern standing at the very pinnacle of fine wine. While the négociant arm continued, it was under Lalou Bize-Leroy that Maison Leroy assumed its modern identity. Joining the family business in 1955 and taking control in 1971, Lalou transformed the Maison into something far more exacting: a house defined by independence, absolute selection and long-term vision. Maison Leroy sits at the centre of a wider Leroy ecosystem, alongside Domaine Leroy and Domaine d'Auvenay – each representing distinct, yet complementary, expressions of the same uncompromising philosophy — wines that consistently transcend AOC convention. The forthcoming Domaine Leroy release will offer a contrasting perspective – rooted in vineyard ownership and production, yet entirely equivalent in rarity, prestige and ultimate quality.  The 2026 Maison Leroy collection will be released soon. Read more about Maison Leroy and browse all current listings 

Managing Director Craig Norton returns to Auxey-Duresses for a tasting unlike any other – the 2026 Maison Leroy collection in full, and what it reveals about one of Burgundy's most singular houses.

The 2026 Maison Leroy collection in full — selected by Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy, released only when ready. 


The 2026 Maison Leroy Collection

The old adage about necessity being the mother of invention springs readily to mind when you hear the story of Jean-Luc Pasquet. In 1970, he took over a Cognac vineyard at Chez Ferchaud, a few kilometres southwest of Châteauneuf-sur-Charente, from his uncle Albert Brisson. Things got off to an excellent start. The weather was glorious and the 1970 harvest was abundant – ideal when your business model is predicated on selling to the big Cognac houses that dominate the industry. Life, in other words, was good. But then came the oil crisis and a downturn that badly affected trade in Cognac, prompting Jean-Luc to think again. Amy Pasquet, his daughter-in-law, takes up the story. ‘He said, “I have some really unique terroir; I’m going to make my own label,”’ she explains. And so, in 1977, Cognac Jean-Luc Pasquet was born. Soon, Jean-Luc’s Cognacs were picked out and praised by a German journalist, prompting interest from Germany, Sweden and the UK – and the company, today run by Amy and her husband, Jean-Luc’s son Jean, hasn’t looked back since. Cognac is replete with individuals like Jean-Luc Pasquet. Often they are the unseen drones of a multibillion-euro industry, toiling in vineyard, winery, distillery and cellar to fuel the engines of the quartet of titans that dominate global trade: Hennessy, Martell, Rémy Martin and Courvoisier. But to those in the know, they shine a new and very different light on a corner of rural France that continues to produce the finest brandy in the world. ‘Cognac is so artisanal when you go outside of [the big four houses],’ says Amy. ‘I think a lot of people coming from the world of Scotch and other spirits think it’s kind of boring. But you have 250 artisanal brands with their own vines – it’s a joy to explore.’ Cognac is so artisanal when you go outside of the big four houses – it’s a joy to explore – Amy Pasquet As well as being the source of high-quality, excellent-value and sometimes downright quirky Cognacs, these small producers provide enthusiasts with no shortage of fascinating rabbit holes of flavour and provenance down which they can happily vanish. They are the antithesis of the blended VS, VSOP and XO bottlings that dominate shelves and back bars from Shanghai to San Francisco. Jean-Luc Pasquet’s vineyards – 15ha (37 acres) now, spanning the Grande and Petite Champagne crus – are all farmed organically, which is no small feat in this Atlantic-influenced, notoriously humid part of western France. The Pasquets rely heavily on weather stations and apps to ensure the vines get the right treatment at the right time. ‘Our two vineyards are only 5km [3 miles] apart but they have very different microclimates,’ says Amy. As if organics didn’t make life difficult enough, the Pasquets are also huge fans of Folle Blanche, the grape variety that dominated the pre-phylloxera Cognac vineyards but has fallen heavily out of favour since, on account of being fiendishly difficult to farm. (About 98% of Cognac plantings are now Ugni Blanc.) An annual JL Pasquet bottling of a 10-year-old cask of Folle Blanche is a perennial highlight. Jean-Luc Pasquet set up his business as a négociant; this meant he could bottle other people’s Cognacs, as well as his own, though he had no need to do so in the early years. In 2018, however, demand was such that the company ran out of its own aged stock. What resulted was L’Esprit de Famille, later renamed Trésors de Famille single-cask bottlings of Cognacs produced by small grower-distillers – known as bouilleurs de cru. It began with Le Cognac de Bernadette, a 1974 Cognac from Bouteville in Grande Champagne, and it has continued with bottlings of Le Cognac de Paul, Claude and André-all namechecking the producers in question. ‘For me, all of these vintners are the unsung heroes of Cognac’, says Amy Pasquet. ‘They’re selling to big houses, making really fine products and never getting any credit.’ It’s one thing to know that there are many dozens of small producers out there, but quite another to be able to track down their Cognacs, short of conducting your own painstaking tour, cellar door by cellar door, of the Charente region. Here specialist retailers such as The Whisky Exchange are a great place to start, unlike the multiples, they take the trouble and have the space to stock a much broader range of smaller producers and interesting bottles. If this were Scotch whisky, of course, enthusiasts on a quest for obscure single malts would turn to independent bottlers but that concept is far less common in Cognac. The superb selection offered by David Baker’s Hermitage Cognacs has long been an exception to this rule, as are the releases of Cognac Sponge from bottler Decadent Drinks, then there’s Through The Grapevine (TTG), an independent bottling offshoot of French retailer La Maison du Whisky in association with Italian importer Velier. Now managed by Antoine Bouchard, TTG was revamped two years ago, with Bouchard setting out to create a rolling annual release programme of single-cask Cognacs spanning from the 1930s to the 1990s in colour-coded bottles designating the region’s different crus. Unlike most Cognac operators, TTG encourages its partners to minimise any reduction in alcohol, everything is geared to reject homogeneity. ‘The idea of TTG is to unearth the “hidden gems” of the region, not to go towards the big four like Hennessy – although they’re doing a great job, don’t get me wrong’, says Bouchard. ‘We want to emphasise that the big brands are blending subregions, thus erasing, in a way, the identity of the grape and the distillate. Instead, we want to focus on how the soil influences the final product.’ The result, in the most recent round of TTG releases, is an eclectic selection of idiosyncratic Cognacs. There’s everything from a benchmark Grande Champagne from Jean Fillioux (Lot 63, signifying a blend of mainly 1963 eaux de vie with a little 1965) to a totally out-of-the-box Château de Beaulon 1988 Fins Bois. Created by the remarkable Christian Thomas in the far south of the region, close to the Gironde Estuary, it’s bottled at a muscular 55.2% ABV and eschews the ubiquitous Ugni Blanc for a unique blend of obscure grape varieties: Colombard, Montils, Folle Blanche and Folignan. If Beaulon waves the flag for Fins Bois, TTG’s remarkable Mauxion 45 (yes, 45 as in 1945) does the same for the often overlooked Bons Bois cru – although it’s sadly out of stock now. ‘It’s really about showing that there is no subregion inherently better than another’, says Bouchard. ‘To me, Bons Bois Cognacs are amazing and it’s such a shame that Grande Champagne is seen as the greatest cru.’ While a terroir-focused, provenance-rich approach to Cognac remains predominantly the preserve of smaller operators, others are taking note. Delamain – a specialist in long-aged Cognacs of XO grade and above – is now managing its own Grande Champagne vineyard, as is Hine. And Frapin, with its 240ha (600-acre) estate at Château de Fontpinot, has always been rooted in the soil surrounding its vines. Drinkers around the globe are changing and Cognac – ever so slowly – is changing with them The largest operators remain predominantly focused on their core VS, VSOP and XO blends, but the philosophy is shifting here, too. ‘For me, the approach for Cognac has to be much more precise, like the grands crus we have for our wine regions in France,’ says Baptiste Loiseau, cellar master at Rémy Martin. ‘We see more and more small producers going with much more information on the label.’ In 2022, Loiseau released Rémy Martin L’Étape in France, a 7,000-bottle release that blended 14 eaux de vie sourced from growers across Grande and Petite Champagne who have achieved HVE (High Environmental Value) certification – complete with a paper wrapper featuring grower testimonials, a map and a QR code for more information. Rémy Martin Tercet, meanwhile, highlights the respective roles of wine grower, distiller and blender. At Martell, cellar master Christophe Valtaud has created the Martell Single Cru Collection – a six-strong range of Cognacs including three Discovery Edition products (Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois), two Aged Editions (Grande Champagne XO, Borderies XXO) and one Vintage Edition (Borderies 1999). As well as showcasing Martell’s signature Borderies origin, these Cognacs challenge preconceptions, particularly the younger Discovery Edition trio. ‘Before tasting, people think that the Petite Champagne will be the best, but the best Cognac at this stage and the biggest pleasure to drink is the Fins Bois,’ explains Valtaud. ‘Fins Bois eaux de vie find balance more quickly than Petite Champagne, which is more spicy and a little bit less easy to drink. People think that Fins Bois and Bons Bois are not the best, but it’s not always the case.’ Drinkers around the globe are changing and Cognac – ever so slowly – is changing with them. ‘In England, America and China, I see the new generation wanting to know what the size of the cask is, or how many bottles we produced in this special vintage,’ says Delamain cellar master Charles Braastad. ‘I think that this is our time; the world has become more informed and more interested. People just want to know what it is that they are drinking.’

In this 2024 article for Club Oenologique, Richard Woodard speaks to Cognac’s foremost innovators to find out how times are changing for the spirit – propelled by a particular focus on provenance.

In this 2024 article for Club Oenologique, Richard Woodard speaks to Cognac’s foremost innovators to find out how times are changing for the spirit.

Reimagining Cognac from the ground up

Because of the technical demands of its wines, Champagne has often been associated more with the skill of the people and technology behind the bottles than with the land itself. Yet in the 1980s, amid a period in the wine world dominated by industrialisation, a handful of quality-focused grower-producers began championing terroir-driven Champagne, laying the foundation for the nuanced, expressive wines we celebrate today. Thanks to them, the names of Champagne’s grands crus are firmly etched in the minds of today’s connoisseurs. We can now delve even deeper into individual lieux-dits through an ever-expanding array of single-vineyard Champagnes. For decades, Philipponnat’s 1935-initiated Clos des Goisses from Aÿ’s monumental slope stood alone. The modern single-vineyard boom began in 1979 with Krug’s Clos du Mesnil, and the growth since the 1990s has been exponential. Through site-specific Champagnes, we have learned to thirst for such terroirs as Ambonnay Les Crayères, Cramant Le Bâteau, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Les Chétillons. The modern single-vineyard boom began in 1979, and the growth since the 1990s has been exponential Elevating the ‘autres crus’ Equally significant is the rise of Champagne’s autres crus, the once-overlooked villages without premier cru or grand cru designation. Montgueux and the Côte des Bar in the south have become particularly dynamic regions. Thanks to vigneron Emmanuel Lassaigne’s work at Jacques Lassaigne, Montgueux’s majestic Chardonnays are in high demand – not only by the major houses, which prize their structured elegance, but by discerning consumers seeking unique expressions. Another quickly rising village is Les Riceys – Champagne’s largest cru, with well over 800ha (1,980 acres) – where Olivier Horiot and Domaine Alexandre Bonnet showcase Pinot Noir’s distinctive power. If the classification were reassessed today, neither of these villages would remain autres crus. Following in the footsteps of the consistently magnificent Cédric Bouchard Roses de Jeanne Champagnes, the list of exciting producers in the Côte des Bar continues to expand, reflecting the subregion’s dynamism. Recently, I’ve been impressed by the bright, transparent non-interventionist style of Domaine de Bichery (Neuville-sur-Seine) and the sheer expressiveness of Clandestin (Landreville). The Champagne septet Chardonnay always remains in fashion in Champagne, but it is thrilling to see more regional expressions emerging. Among the most striking are Ulysse Collin’s single-vineyard wines from the up-and-coming Coteaux du Petit Morin, just south of the Côte des Blancs. The Sézannais and Vitryat regions are establishing themselves strongly, as is Montagne de Reims, which offers a wealth of exceptional Chardonnay sites. One of my personal favourites is Rilly-la-Montagne’s chalky Les Blanches Voies terroir, where both Vilmart & Cie and Huré Frères craft magnificent wines. Meunier, long out of fashion, has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence thanks to the passionate growers of the Vallée de la Marne. Once again in the spotlight through the work of, for example, Tarlant, Jérôme Prévost and Egly-Ouriet, today producers such as Nicolas Maillart, Gounel-Lassalle and Laherte Frères are elevating Meunier to unprecedented heights. Despite this progress, I believe Meunier still has vast untapped potential to reveal. In Champagne’s Pinot Noir heartland of the Grande Vallée de la Marne, houses such as Bollinger and Philipponnat are cementing their authority with a string of pure Pinot Noir releases. But what’s notable today is that the new wave of blancs de noirs is no longer chasing cult benchmarks like Bollinger’s Vieilles Vignes Françaises and Krug’s Clos d’Ambonnay – bottlings famed for their unapologetic richness. Instead, the spotlight is shifting to a fresher, more contemporary interpretation of Pinot Noir. Consider the precision of Nicolas Maillart’s Montchenot or the electric verve of Domaine La Borderie’s De Quoi Te Mêles-Tu?; these are wines embodying a new aesthetic that privileges finesse over power. In a nod to its past, Champagne is tentatively reviving its forgotten heritage grapes Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Let’s not overstate the trend – plantings of these cépages still account for just 0.4% of the region’s vineyard area, up only a fraction from 0.3% a few years ago – but the trajectory is undeniable: over the past two decades, these varieties have expanded by 45ha, now covering 136ha in total. The south of Champagne has quietly kept the flame alive, where Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris continue to offer an unmistakable local accent. Domaine Alexandre Bonnet’s Blanc de Blancs, for instance, is half Pinot Blanc, half Chardonnay. Arbane may remain an infamously meagre producer, yet vignerons such as Laherte Frères see real promise in Petit Meslier, particularly in the era of climate change, thanks to the piercing freshness it brings to the glass. Evolution, not revolution Freshness, rather than ripeness, has become Champagne’s new obsession. With harvests creeping into August and fruit coming in under a blazing sun, the challenge now is to preserve acidity, not to coax maturity. The old orthodoxy of 100% malolactic fermentation is giving way as more producers choose to let a streak of crisp malic acid sharpen their blends. Even the sacred formulas of brut Non-Vintage cuvées are being rewritten. Previously, reserve wines were prized for softening edges and adding richness, but today they are reimagined as a safeguard for vitality. Louis Roederer has gone so far as to reinvent its flagship Non-Vintage, now called Collection, introducing a perpetual reserve stored in gigantic vats – a safeguard of freshness that now defines the wine’s very DNA. Simultaneously, it has evolved from an ‘ageless’ Non-Vintage, with no reference to its base year or disgorgement, into a collectable, complete with edition numbering, like the Jacquesson 700 series or Lanson Création. The moment has finally arrived in Champagne to stop concealing the base year and other technical details and instead to celebrate them with pride. Falling sugar levels and minimal intervention The shift in Champagne’s taste profile goes hand in hand with a steady trimming of dosage. Despite the buzz in sommelier circles and wine-press headlines, the ultra-dry styles remain a statistical footnote: barely 3.6% of exported Champagnes carry less than 6g/l (extra-brut or brut nature). Yet the broader reality is unmistakable: sugar levels are falling fast. Dom Pérignon’s 2015 Vintage, for example, sits at just 4.5g/l. It’s not only prestige cuvées chasing purity; the entire region is recalibrating as even the world’s most popular Champagne, Moët & Chandon Impérial, is dropped down to a record low dosage of 6g/l. The old rationale of softening searing acidity with sugar has lost its purpose. In today’s warmer vintages, the dash of sugar is ‘seasoning’, tempering phenolic bite and extending the wine’s length and deliciousness. Few regions have leaned on sugar as heavily as Champagne. Traditionally, it has been added three times: first to enrich the must for higher alcohol (chaptalisation), then to spark the second fermentation in bottle, and finally as the sweetening dosage. Today, however, the pendulum is swinging towards authenticity, and sugar is a villain there. In a move pioneered by Agrapart in 2007, some vignerons are replacing industrial sugar with preserved grape must from the previous harvest to ignite the second fermentation (or, if bottling later, with the juice of the new season). Since the 2019 vintage, Fabrice Pouillon of Champagne R Pouillon & Fils has gone a step further, crafting his Champagnes entirely without external sugar. Even when dosage is applied, it comes from grape juice itself. It’s a small revolution – one that redefines purity in a region that was once synonymous with sweetness. If the first wave of Champagne’s game-changers sometimes veered into excess with bone-dry bottlings, overpowering oak, and (too) low sulphites, the next generation has found its stride with impressively sound and exciting wines, often achieved through minimal-intervention techniques. With offerings that are precise, vibrant and true to site, producers such as Jules Brochet and Domaine de Bichery exemplify this new, confident minimalism. For those chasing innovation, Famille Moussé is a must-visit. Cédric Moussé, a true inventive force, equips his ultra-sustainable winery with every tool and gadget imaginable. In the village of Cuisles, he has even launched Champagne’s first cooperative to cultivate vineyards with the aid of robots. For a greener future At the same time, Champagne is getting greener. Comité Champagne is pushing for a collective effort, while the grandes maisons are turning corporate ambition into vineyard action. The EPI Group trio (Piper-Heidsieck, Charles Heidsieck and Rare Champagne) were the first in the region to achieve B Corp certification. Pernod Ricard’s houses – GH Mumm and Perrier-Jouët – are championing regenerative viticulture. Ruinart, the sustainability flagship of LVMH’s Champagne empire, houses a landmark vitiforestry project across its vast Taissy holdings. But the movement is not confined to big brands – for example, Aurélien Lurquin and Domaine La Borderie are doing impressive work. And while small houses remain Champagne’s most visible champions of organics and biodynamics, it is Louis Roederer that has rewritten the scale: with 130ha now certified organic, it alone represents almost 6% of Champagne’s total organically certified vineyard area (2,240ha as of the end of 2024). As transportation makes up the lion’s share of Champagne’s carbon footprint, producers are finally looking at rationalising their packaging. Cédric Moussé recently developed the lightest bottle so far, which will enter the market in two years’ time. He also transitioned from traditional metal capsules to recyclable paper ones, which reportedly have a carbon footprint just 20% of that of aluminium. Ruinart deserves high praise for its Second Skin bottle cover, moulded to the contours of the bottle. Fully recyclable and made from 99% paper, the case is marketed as nine times lighter than its predecessor. Beyond the sustainability gains, it elegantly addresses a quality concern: Ruinart’s hugely popular Non-Vintage Blanc de Blancs in clear glass is now protected from light-strike – a phenomenon that can rapidly degrade Champagne yet is overlooked by consumers and the trade alike. Moving away from clear glass is not just a matter of quality, it is also a sustainability imperative, as these bottles require new, rather than recycled, glass for production.The Champagne landscape has never been more thrilling. Beyond the classic offerings, you’ll find late-disgorged gems, rosé de macération, clos and other site-specific expressions; perpetual reserves; and cuvées aged in a multitude of vessels from oak and sandstone to glass and clay amphorae, each promising a fresh take on the region’s tradition. Today’s younger buyers crave brands that marry luxury with ethics, and Champagne is responding. The rules are changing, the classics are evolving, and the next sip could redefine everything you thought you knew. Browse all Champagne listings 

Can Champagne evolve while preserving the traditions that define it? Writing for Club Oenologique in 2026, Essi Avellan MW draws on her recent tastings to explore the trends and exceptional wines shaping Champagne today and redefining luxury for a new generation of connoisseurs.

Writing for Club Oenologique in 2026, Essi Avellan MW draws on her recent tastings to explore the trends and exceptional wines shaping Champagne today.

Terroir vision: the future of Champagne

Will Berliner says he didn’t drink wine until he was in his 50s. There might have been the odd bottle of Thunderbird in his teens – he’s a New Yorker by birth – but that was all. ‘All I knew was that white wine was for girls and red wine was for guys. I never drank it.’ So it’s remarkable that now, in his 70s (he looks a decade younger), he’s producing a wine that has been lauded since its first vintage in 2010. Cloudburst, from Margaret River in Western Australia, has been described as ‘otherworldly and memorable’ by Matthew Jukes; ‘fearless and uncompromising’ (Huon Hooke); and ‘a gorgeous wine’ (Jane Anson). It joined the mighty John Riddoch and The Armagh as the first Australian wines on the Bordeaux Place. ‘Will works in ways that are completely different to the mainstream. He’s doing amazing things and his wines are excellent,’ Andrew Caillard MW, author of The Australian Ark, told me. In minimalist, etched glass (screwcaps on both red and white), Cloudburst wines sell for between £130 and £200 per bottle. It’s one of the most expensive Margaret River wines but given that it’s vanishingly rare – Berliner makes about 250 cases of Chardonnay, 200 of Cabernet Sauvignon and 50 of Malbec (it can be much lower – there was less than half that in 2022) – that’s pretty good value. We meet downstairs at Hedonism in London’s Berkeley Square. ‘There he is!’ Berliner says, as if it’s me who’s the celebrity. He’s compact, fit-looking and energetic; from the moment we sit down, he barely draws breath in his urge tell the story of what he calls ‘the most improbable project ever.’ A restless entrepreneur who grew up in New York and moved to New England, Berliner has run a Patagonia-style sustainable clothing business, a Whole Foods-style grocery and a futon business. He’s made schlocky feature films (‘they weren’t super successful’). He built a company, sold it, built another and so on. In 2003, he and his wife Alison Jobson (who is Australian) bought 100ha at Wilyabrup in Margaret River because they loved it and wanted to retire there. The estate was virgin land (though Wilyabrup is full of illustrious estates: Pierro, Moss Wood, Cullen, Vasse Felix) and he says he had no intention of making wine; he might plant a row or two to sell the grapes. Then he caught the bug. A friend – ‘a big New York restaurateur’ – taught him to taste and he got ‘turned on’ to Bordeaux (‘only the Left Bank’). He put himself through a night-school degree in viticulture and enology at UC Davis, and, in 2005, planted a pocket-handkerchief sized plot, one-fifth of a hectare of Cabernet Sauvignon. He was mentored at first by Stuart Watson and his father David, founder of Woodlands Wines in Wilyabrup. ‘I’m ever grateful to him. He’s brilliant and open-minded,’ Berliner says, before adding (with characteristic modesty), ‘but it took someone with my disposition and background to take it to this level.’He now makes the wines himself, from a slightly bigger vineyard – 1.25ha of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and 10% Malbec, from which he makes hobbyist amounts of single-vineyard bottlings.When he pours the Chardonnay, I’m expecting something pretty good but somehow not so delicate (it’s not an adjective I’d use for the stocky New Yorker sitting opposite me). There is nothing showy about Cloudburst. The Cabernet is perfumed and delicately tannin-ed, the Chardonnay restrained. They are complex, structured and elegant, the fine work of someone striving for that holy grail of sense-of-place. It took someone with my disposition and background to take it to this level You meet winemakers like this on every continent and each has their own way of articulating this elusive ambition. For Berliner, it’s a Gaia-like concept of oneness with the earth. ‘My life energy has always been about being in nature,’ he says. Cloudburst, he recently told a magazine, ‘is driven by very different considerations than those of my neighbours. It is cultivated differently from any other vineyard in the world.’ Over the years, he’s said a few things that might be thought foolhardy for a fast-talking American in Australia. When I put this to him, he looks for a moment like a 14-year-old unfairly accused of pinching his dad’s cigarettes. ‘I don’t know what you’re referring to,’ he says. How about the idea you’re working to a different rhythm to everyone else? This gets us into a discussion of tall-poppy syndrome, the peculiarly Aussie mechanism by which anyone who puts on airs gets quickly cut down to size. ‘I have been tall-poppied,’ he admits. Some people in Margaret River were threatened by him, he goes on. ‘It’s a normal human characteristic for people to react in a certain way. I understand that, and part of me is very forgiving. But others realise there is great value in having an estate that’s absolutely pure and so small that it demonstrates something. And what we demonstrate is instructive for those who are willing to take a moment and listen.’ And Berliner’s neighbours seem to have got over his tall-poppyness. ‘Will nurtures the wine with his unique personality and it eventuates in Cloudburst as a unique expression of Margaret River,’ Virginia Willcox, head winemaker at Vasse Felix, told me by email. Were his neighbours annoyed by some of his comments? ‘I would hope that all growers have some different considerations to their neighbours. Will is unusually connected to his property and does things his way based on what he feels his plants require.’ The most critical I’ve heard is an off-the-record comment that ‘he’s not a team player.’His farming methods – own-rooted, dry-grown vines, no tilling, wild-yeast ferment in open barrels, no racking or stirring – are not that unusual for a modern artisan wine, but he was ahead of the game when he planted. No-dig mulching, for example, wasn’t that much in vogue in 2005. ‘I did nothing to the soil before I planted. I put down good quality cover crops but basically all I did was poke holes in the ground and stick [in the root]. And sometimes that worked, sometimes you’d have a root that made it on top of a rock and dried up. So there’s a differential from gnarly vines to very skinny vines.’ I care about making a little bit of something extraordinary Many gifted winemakers find it difficult to explain what they are trying to do. Some take recourse in mystical hocus-pocus, others skewer their audience with opaque science. Anyone who ever listened to the late Serge Hochar of Château Musar explaining his white wines will know what I mean.I imagine he got into wine in the same way he got into all his other ventures: learn the subject and do it better than anyone else. But if it had been just that, he’d be farming a lot more than 1.25ha now. He insists he’s not in it for the money, and I believe him. ‘This little bit takes all of me. I don’t give a shit about scaling. I care about making a little bit of something extraordinary. And the thing that has distinguished us, for our customers, is that they get a piece of something that tastes extraordinary.’And so he reaches for a bottle and pours me a glass that is – yes – extraordinary. Explore our full selection of available Cloudburst wines

In this 2025 article for Club Oenologique, Will Berliner talks to Adam Lechmere about arriving in Margaret River with no intention of making wine, producing some of its most expensive cuvées, being ahead of the game and getting ‘tall-poppied’ by the locals.

Will Berliner talks to Adam Lechmere in Club Oenologique’s 2025 article about his Margaret River journey and producing some of its most expensive wines.

The most improbable project ever:Will Berliner on Cloudburst

‘The most improbable project ever’: Will Berliner on Cloudburst

Tenuta Guado al Tasso (Antinori)

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At {shortName}

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Your pre-order item will be deleted. Are you sure you want to continue?

Your delivery request will be cancelled. Are you sure you want to proceed?

represents all the wines that are in your possession and have been consumed.

This is the price you paid for this item.

Cost price

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The lowest price you're willing to sell at. If the net price goes below this value your listing will be removed.

shows all the items that you have pre-ordered, including en primeur wines, and all the items on your watchlist.

Futures

You can set a floor price on items you're selling based on a % of current unit net value.

You can set a market price on items you're selling based on a % of current unit net value.

shows all the actions that you have taken on items in your Portfolio.

groups every action by type - Purchase, Sale, Delivery, and Inbound Transfer - so it's clear at a glance what happened to each item.

History

shows all the items that are currently in transit to or from {shortName}.

In transit

Local delivery is free for orders over HK$1,800 (to a single location). For orders below this value, delivery is HK$150 for up to four cases and HK$50 per case thereafter.

Shipping starts from €15 within Italy and €45 to Switzerland and the rest of Europe for up to 48 bottles (75cl). Costs vary by destination. Larger shipments can be quoted on request.

The date shown below is when your order will ship from our local warehouse. Your final delivery date, along with full tracking details, will be provided once our team has processed your request.

You can arrange collection from our Retail store on 22nd Floor, 8 Wyndham Street, Central Hong Kong.
Collection times are between 9:30am-13:00 and 14:00-18:00pm, Monday to Friday. We are closed on public holidays.

You can arranged collection from our warehouse STI INTERNAZIONALE SPA, on Viale del Lavoro, 57, 37051 Bovolone, Verona.
Pick-up hours are between 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM, Monday to Friday. We are closed on public holidays.

This is the current estimated market value for this item.

Manually set prices will be overwritten. Already listed wines are not affected.

Updates all unlisted wines to current market price.

Set all at market

represents all the wines you currently have in your Portfolio that aren't stored with us. Press the

My cellar

Name

Net price

New portfolio available

New portfolio

You do not have any invoices at this time.

shows all the items from your Portfolio that are currently on the market.

On sale

shows all the items you currently have in your Portfolio. You can perform individual actions on them from this page.

Overview

shows any items that are currently awaiting user action.

Pending

This is the dynamic market price of the item with trading margin removed.

This is the amount of profit you will receive if your listing sells.

Pre-authorised payments enable automatic transactions on your behalf, ensuring seamless and hassle-free payments. This allows recurring charges, subscriptions, or scheduled payments to be processed without manual approval each time.

The number of cases you wish to place on sale

Your catalogue item will be archived. Are you sure you want to continue?

Your catalogue items will be archived. Are you sure you want to continue?

Before you request delivery, you can adjust the quantity for each item in your selection below.

*Market price is dynamic and may change. At time of sale a 10% trading fee will be deducted from the final sale price.

Total market price*

The fixed custom price you wish to sell each item for.

Split into {caseSize} individual {bottleSize}cl bottles.

Title

shows all the items you currently store with us. These items can be sold.

Available for sale — items stored with {name} eligible to be listed on the marketplace.

Profile

This item is at FINE+RARE, available for storage, transfer or delivery.
 Most UK deliveries can be made within 3-5 working days, with next day delivery for London;
 an exact date will be available when arranging delivery.
 International deliveries have longer lead-times, please contact us for details.

This item is at FINE+RARE HOME Hong Kong, available for delivery or local pickup. Most Hong Kong deliveries can be made within 3 working days, an exact date will be available when arranging delivery. International deliveries have longer lead-times, please contact us for details.

Wines sold en primeur will be released from the producer after bottling, typically 18 months after the so-called campaign ends. Your wine will then be stored by FINE+RARE in a bonded warehouse until you decide to take delivery.

We will source this item at the guaranteed price from our network of suppliers and arrange expedited shipment to FINE+RARE.
 The lead-time depends on many variables, but 2-4 weeks is typical for expedited sourcing.
 Once your order is confirmed, we'll keep you updated on its ETA.
 Every item is checked on arrival by our expert team, with photographs available on request (please note that charges may apply).

We will source this item at the guaranteed price from our network of suppliers and arrange shipment to FINE+RARE.
 The lead-time depends on many variables, but 6-12 weeks is an average estimate.
 Once your order is confirmed, we'll keep you updated on its ETA.
 Every item is checked on arrival by our expert team, with photographs available on request (please note that charges may apply).

Tenuta Guado al Tasso (Antinori)

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