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Striking twelve: the happy return of a vital tasting

The Dirty Dozen may look rather different to its original iteration of 10 years ago. But for David Williams, the collective still captures the essence of all that’s exciting about the UK’s wine scene

At 10 years old, The Dirty Dozen tasting is at a curious point in its evolution. A number of the original founders are no longer on the bill, among them important names that embodied the trailblazing spirit of the first Dirty Dozen event in 2011, such as Vine Trail, Roberson, Flint Wines, The Wine Barn, Aubert & Mascoli and Indigo.

This might lead to speculation along the lines of the famous head-spinning philosophical conundrum of Theseus’s Ship: can a vessel that has had all of its constituent parts replaced over the years really be said to be the same ship it was when it was first made? In the same spirit, the UK wine trade might ask: Just how many of the original members of The Dirty Dozen can the event stand to lose before it becomes something else altogether?

For now the question is still just about moot, and not only because of the continued presence of such founding members as Astrum, H2Vin, fortyfive10°,

Susana Esteban, a star of Alentejo

Clark Foyster and Raymond Reynolds. The recruitment of the newer players has for the most part been sensitively done. The likes of Ucopia, a spanking new Latin American specialist set up by ex-Las Bodegas man Laurie Webster, the classical Burgundy and Germany specialist Howard Ripley and the consistently excellent, everadventurous Yapp and Carte Blanche, for example, are each simultaneously different enough and similar enough to their predecessors for punters to not notice the joins. Safe to say there is still an ethos here, a recognisable kinship among the different suppliers and their wines.

And that means the event still has the capacity to excite its audience of independent merchants, sommeliers and press. It’s still a must-visit tasting. All the more so, perhaps, after an 18 months during which it was possible to speculate that such events might never happen again.

Indeed, once I’d got over the emotionally confusing strangeness of being in an enclosed space crowded with unmasked tasters spitting into cardboard cups, I found dozens of memorable, and not at all dirty, wines at the triumphant return event at Glaziers Hall by Southwark Cathedral in late September.

Among the highlights were several wines from Spain, a country that, despite the absence of Indigo, has become a real collective specialism of the Dozen, a reflection of Spain’s relatively recent emergence as a fertile breeding ground for avant-garde small producers.

The Dozen’s Spanish offering took in the full range of the country’s modern artisan winemaking. From Carte Blanche’s stock of natural and nearly-natural, terroir wines I

But at the opposite end of the scale, I loved, as I always do, the refined silkysavoury magnificence of ultra-traditionalist Rioja producer López de Heredia’s Viña Tondonia 2008 and was fascinated by its Swig stablemate, Bodegas Valsardo Reserva Superiore 2002: a parcel of mature Tempranillo from a vineyard next to Peter Sisseck’s Pingus, made in a supremely elegant (12.5% abv) way that would have put it completely at odds with the big fruit, big oak wines being made in the region at the time.

The western half of Iberia also had plenty to offer in the shape of the usual fabulous offerings from such celebrated vanguard Central Portuguese producers as Luis and Filipa Pato and Dirk Niepoort, but also in the lesser-known, but intriguingly balanced, succulent southern wines from Ramilo (superb new releases from Keermont and BlankBottle courtesy of Swig), The Dirty Dozen remains one of the most cosmopolitan tastings around.

It’s a busy global-bazaar where you can see how Dirk Niepoort’s Mosel project stacks up alongside the classic masters of the region, Howard Ripley’s JJ Prüm and Fritz Haag; where a singing Baden take on Blaufränkisch (Yapp’s Klumpp Cuvée No 1 2018) can be tasted alongside Prieler’s take on the grape from Burgenland; and where Malbec’s graceful side comes out in wines from Mendoza (Susana Balbo); Patagonia (Bodegas Noemia) and Cahors (Mas del Perle).

All of which enthusiastic reporting is really just to say the current iteration of The Dirty Dozen was fun. I’m very glad it’s back. And long may it continue.

was completely bowled over by the gossamer-soft, pure high-altitude Valencian white made (in a mix of amphora, neutral oak and stainless steel) from the fascinating local variety Merseguera, Baldovar 923 Cañada Paris 2018 and by two equally haunting, but very different interpretations of Sierra de Gredos Garnacha offered by Ca di Mat (Valautin Garnacha and Los Peros Tinto). in Lisboa and Susana Esteban in Alentejo (both courtesy of Raymond Reynolds).

One consequence of the line-up shake-up, however, is that the spread of specialisms was arguably wider at this edition of the Dozen than ever. From Corsica (H2Vin’s excellent Clos Canarelli and Yapp’s elegant Domaine Torraccia) to Georgia (Clark Foyster’s peerless Orgo), and from Greece (the sometimes quirky, sometimes eccentric, but always compelling roster put together by Maltby & Greek) to new-wave South Africa

Once I’d got over the emotionally confusing strangeness of being in an enclosed space crowded with unmasked tasters, I found dozens of memorable, and not at all dirty, wines at the triumphant return event at Glazier’s Hall

Louisa Rose of Pewsey Vale

The Yalumba winery

Dalrymple winemaker Pete Caldwell

A road trip across Australia with Fells

Pewsey Vale Eden Valley Riesling 2020 (RRP £16.99)

“We always think about Australia as being about the present, but Pewsey Vale was established in 1847.

“The vineyard is quite high altitude for Australia, at 440-490 metres, which gives a good difference between day and night temperature, and produces good acidity.

“Pewsey Vale is about one vineyard, one variety, one vision, and it’s very rare to find that single vision in a producer. It makes four Rieslings, three of which are sold in the UK.

“This is really dry but has a fruit sweetness element, like a candied lime or orange peel that shines through.

“At 12.5% it’s at the low end from an alcohol point of view, but Riesling delivers a lot of flavour and a lot of acidity at low alcohol levels.

“Australian Riesling is quite often overlooked, but I’d say don’t judge it by the first sip and – this is incredibly important – have something to eat with it.”

Tyrrell’s Hunter Valley Semillon 2019 (RRP £18.99)

“If anyone is looking for lower alcohol wine, it doesn’t get much lower than this, and to get this amount of flavour at 10% is remarkable.

“They pick quite early, with low sugar content, which is the way in Hunter, to preserve that already quite low acidity level. Hunter Valley Semillon is always about the textural element.

“I personally like to open this a bit in advance. You want to give Semillon a bit of time – and a slightly bigger glass.

“Semillon becomes very interesting with bottle age. It keeps its freshness and gains vigour.”

Dalrymple Cave Block Chardonnay, Tasmania 2017 (RRP £27.99)

“Tasmania has been on the radar of producers from mainland Australia for a number of years and several have bought vineyards as it’s become more popular. What you see coming out of there is actually quite stunning quality.

“It makes excellent Pinot Noir, excellent Chardonnay and excellent sparkling wine. It’s a bit like Burgundy meets Champagne. “I think this wants as big a glass as you can find because of its richness, concentration and body.

A road trip across Australia with Fells

Six wines from the Fells portfolio were chosen by the UK importer’s new wine consultant, master sommelier Stefan Neumann, to demonstrate the breadth and depth of the company’s offering from Australia. “For these wines you go on a journey of about 5,000 miles,” Neumann told a tasting for readers. “The six wines couldn’t be more different.”

Feature published in association with Fells

There’s a bit of the buttery, nut and slightly creamy component in there. It shows structure and body.

“They use barriques but also bigger barrels like puncheons to get the oak influence, as a supportive element, to lift the aromas and flavours and give a long finish.”

Torbreck Old Vines GSM, Barossa 2017 (RRP £17.99)

“Anyone who’s ever looked after Grenache in a vineyard will tell you it’s going to be very hard to get it ripe at 14% abv. It’s often described as having a doughnut effect, where it covers the sides of the tongue but rarely fills the hole in the middle.

“Syrah adds a lovely spice element and the Mourvèdre adds a textural and savoury aspect. The complementary nature of Syrah and Mourvèdre makes it a really harmonious, well thoughtthrough blend. It’s dangerously good and very easy to drink. It’s one of those examples where you can open a bottle to pour and it’s instantly there and it carries its freshness really nicely.

“People don’t normally buy wines to cellar them; they buy them to drink the same week, or even the same day.”

Vasse Felix Premier Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River 2018 (RRP £32.99)

“Vasse Felix is a company that is committed to a wide variety of grape varieties and is very open about what it does.

“This is actually 90% Cabernet, and there is 8% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. It’s a really smart blend. The Petit Verdot gives wonderful colour and tannin structure and Malbec gives a lovely, round, soft edge to it. It provides a little bit of the seasoning that you put in a dish, that little bit of salt and pepper to make it perfect.

“It’s 44% aged in new barriques and 56% in one to four-year-old barrels. That sounds like quite an odd percentage but it just lifts up the fruit and aroma profiles rather than allowing the oak to dominate it.

“It’s been made every vintage since 1972 so there’s a long-term commitment. It’s an incredibly approachable wine and varietal driven, with a lot of dark fruit component – blueberries, blackberries – and a bit of spice element in the best possible way.”

Yalumba Samuel’s Collection Barossa Shiraz 2018 (RRP £17.99)

“Yalumba take sustainability very seriously; it’s not just a word they say. It is one of the biggest solar panel energy collectors in Australia, for example. “They’ve got their own cooperage which gives an idea of their dedication to consistent quality. It makes a huge difference to the end product if you are in charge of every level of the process. “The Shiraz is not too overwhelming or too concentrated – it’s about drinkability. “With 2018 and the Yalumba range you don’t need to worry about whether to drink or to keep: you can do both. “Shiraz is easily understood by a lot of people. It works across the board very well. It’s a classic, wellexecuted, thought through and well-made example.”

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“Tyrell’s Semillon is always a slight surprise to taste. I prefer this more refreshing style to what most would refer to as ‘proper’ Semillon with slightly more ageing and a richer, oily backbone.

“Pewsey Vale Riesling is always consistent and a great introduction to the variety. My personal leaning is always to more old world styles with a bit more residual sugar.

“Dalrymple Chardonnay is super enjoyable and good value for this niche region. Torbreck is a real ‘twist and go’ wine. Well made, good depth and a nice balance of the various grapes.

“Vasse Felix: Western Australian reds are so underrated and much I think is down to initial serving impressions. They need to be decanted, aired ... given time. Like a good Bordeaux, this opened up in the hours to follow and showed a richness balanced with a degree of elegance.

“Yalumba was delicious with an overriding elegance to what many folk perceive to be a normally full-bodied grape.”

John Kernaghan, Liquorice, Brentwood, Essex

“It's difficult to choose a standout performer as all the wines were fantastic. At a push I'd have to the say the Torbreck GSM at the price point was superb – one we'll probably be listing in the shop. Also the Dalrymple Chardonnay was superb. It really showed that Tasmania is knocking out some awesome stuff that can easily rival Burgundy and other top Chardonnays from California, South Africa etc.”

Chris Helliwell, The Wine Cellar, Isle of Man

A mirror image of each other

Yin & Yang wines join Graham Beck’s Artisan Collection

When Graham Beck’s experienced winemaking team were assembling the 2016 wines for that year’s Cap Classique, there was a debate about whether Chardonnay should dominate the blend, or Pinot Noir.

Cellarmaster Pieter Ferreira and winemaker Pierre Klerk considered the matter for some time. The decision was made to make two expressions: one a 60-40 blend of Pinot and Chardonnay, the other a mirror image version of that wine.

The wines, dubbed Yin & Yang, are the latest addition to Graham Beck’s Artisan Collection: a premium tier within the portfolio where creative craftsmanship and terroir- driven winemaking is promoted. The maiden release was an Extended Lees Ageing cuvée.

Pieter recalls the events of May 2016 as the final classification tasting of base wines got underway. “This followed many selection tastings, in the build-up to establishing the purest ultimate expression of the vintage – the one finally singled out for our prestigious Cap Classique,” he explains.

Eventually Pierre created an impressive final blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, with a delicate blush colour. Both men were pleased with what they had created, but Pieter suggested to also look at a mirror image of the blend by using the same components, this time with Chardonnay in the lead role.

They sampled the two blends in black glasses: the ultimate test for any taster, encouraging a focus on the wine’s intrinsic qualities, without undue influence by its appearance. The wines proved equally impressive, and so Yin & Yang were born.

The concept of yin and yang is all about the interchange and interplay of opposing forces, which seemed apt in the case of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. “It’s all about accepting life’s contrasts and celebrating these differences,” says Pieter. “Blending Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Cap Classique is not that different to understanding these fundamental lessons.”

With its charming salmon pink hue and vibrant red berry and blackcurrant aromas, Yin (60% Pinot Noir/40% Chardonnay) exudes notes of warm, savoury allspice and features great length on the palate. Yang (60% Chardonnay/40% Pinot Noir) delights with tinges of sunkissed apricot and rich, ripe citrus aromas, while the palate boasts a vibrant entry, together with delectable nuances of juicy yellow fruit and lemon zest.

Yin & Yang will only be available to purchase in a pair, packaged in an attractive gift box. Produced in extremely niche quantities, this duo will be released in November 2021 and will be available at selected retailers and wine shops.

Feature produced in association with Graham Beck Wines, imported in the UK by Walker & Wodehouse. More details can be found at grahambeck.com.