ARGIANO Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Vigna del Suolo 2020 / One of the pinnacle of the zoning project of the house, now an untouchable name, cranberry nose, wild mint, shades of yellow peach and underbrush. Mouth with refined tannins, citrus appeal, mentholated lashing, extraordinary drinkability.

Prowein was a busy fair but there was some time to taste some stunning wines from Italy.

Niepoort's latest releases: The 2022 vintage of Redoma Branco continues to showcase Dirk Niepoort’s masterful touch with Douro whites, delivering a wine of purity, freshness, and understated complexity. The nose is crystalline and vibrant, with lifted aromas of bergamot, fresh lemon peel, green herbs, and delicate white peach, underscored by a whisper of wet stone and subtle smoky reduction—a signature of its minimalist winemaking and old-vine heritage.

On the palate, it’s tense and focused, driven by racy acidity and a lean, mineral backbone. Citrus, pear skin, and bitter almond notes unfold with grace, carried by a fine, almost saline texture. There’s a quiet depth here, suggesting both the schist soils and high-altitude vineyards from which it hails.

The finish is long, clean, and mouthwatering, leaving a lingering echo of citrus zest and flinty minerality. Still youthful, but with the structure and energy to evolve beautifully over the next 5–7 years.

A quintessential Douro white—precise, authentic, and full of quiet character.

QUINTA DO NOVAL VINTAGE PORT NACIONAL 1963 – This is the Vintage Port which most people would like to take to their lonely island. High-scores everywhere and so much life ahead that it almost frightens you: The colour is easily 10-20 years younger of what you would expect. Deep, dark-red colour with lots of reflections. Perfectly balanced bouquet with finesse and intensity. Long and multi-layered aftertaste. Tasted last year at the Quinta. Port-Heaven! 100

Yalumba The Octavius Shiraz 1988-2020 tasting: 2019 vintage: Medium-deep crimson. Intense dark plum, black cherry, blackberry aromas with praline, vanilla, hint black pepper notes. Generously proportioned wine with superb pure blackberry pastille, cassis sage flavours, fine chocolaty firm tannins and beautiful integrated ginger, roasted chestnut oak. Finishes chocolaty and long. Wonderful follow-up vintage. Drink 2030–2048. 14.5% alc

Dom Pérignon Oenothèque 1990 / Big, ripe expression with gingerbread, roasted hazelnuts, straw, green apple and sea notes, complemented by gunpowdery complexity. Broad, almost oily textured yet fresh palate, with the softest mousse. Mature but healthy and fruity. Disgorged 2007.

Fair and Green e. V. strives for a society in which sustainable business practices are taken for granted and future generations will find the world in a better state. The associations wants companies to act sustainably themselves and make their contribution to sustainable developments by offering sustainable products. A tasting of member's wines showed the impressing skills of German vintners and presented great wines of the vintage 2014.

Australian newcomers: Mito Savitar Shiraz 2021 / Apparently Savitar is a mythical dragon. Nothing too mythical about the wine, it is real and really good drinking. It spent the best part of two years in a mix of new and older oak, mostly French. Under diam. 

A dark garnet/maroon, this is a wine of concentration, power and intensity. The nose gives us notes of chocolate and mocha with dried herbs, spices and tobacco leaves, as well as some oak which is well integrated. Impressive balance with a supple texture and fine tannins. There is some serious persistence here. Well structured, this is a very fine McLaren Vale Shiraz from a great year. Great stuff. This is going to drink beautifully for at least ten to fifteen years. 95. 

Yalumba The Cigar 2019 / A delightful, dense black fruited mass is what greets you here. Suggestive oak lurks furtively, framing not dominating.The palate shows a lick of black licorice, a slick and glossy feel shows it gliding across the palate. It feels composed, graceful in how it presents itself - yet not without some gruff tannins, somewhat acting as a counterpoint to how it presents otherwise. Generous length. Go the years here easily. Drink now to 2032 92p

When you are fortunate enough to taste nineteen Rousseau Chambertins at one meal, you can be sure you will have some perspective. The range of vintages was 2018 back to 1990 with almost all the most heralded vintages (no 1991), and the one that stood out above the rest was the 2005 Rousseau Chambertin. Make no mistake about it, there were many standouts, but the 2005 hit the highest note. It was deep but more hi-toned than some of its younger brethren, in a bright red way. It has a raspberry, cranberry and citrus mélange. While rich and saucy, it wasn’t like the other saucy vintages as it had more tension and style. This was a wine to restore one’s faith in the often glacial 2005 vintage. It had enough spice to satisfy the entire House of Atreides (99, Paris).

Tim Smith Barossa Mataro 2023 / For all the hype, Mataro/Mourvedre from the Barossa is still a grumpy thing. It’s the dark, moody, reductive, fortified grape that helps fill out blends and only enjoyed a solo career in recent years. But Tim Smith has Barossan Mataro sorted. Old vines, old oak, and Tim’s knack for nailing texture means these wines just work. Same again with the Tim Smith Wines Mataro 2023. Sourced from two vineyards, 70 and 140 years old, on the Barossa Valley ‘floor’, and this has that old vine complexity on full show. Cola, ‘Provençal herbs’ as Tim says on the label, and this licoricey black fruit endless depth without a sense of heaviness. Instead, here’s a real medium feel to it – this isn’t an unapproachable dark and heavy thing at all. The palate just sings on through in that cola, dark chocolate and savoury grainy vibe. It’s a hit.

To celebrate 25 years of ownership of the Wilmers family at Haut-Bailly, they organised a wonderful evening with tasting each vintage from magnum, as well as a wonderful dinner. It is the only time the estate has organised such a tasting, so a treat indeed to be part of it!