eguiling cuvées of high-altitude nerello mascalese on the volcano’s cool northern slopes. In Argentina, Bodega Catena Zapata’s marvellous malbec from its extremealtitude (1,500m) vineyard is being heralded as “South America’s grand cru”. The country’s next great estate, though, may be one that has gone to a different extreme. Mendoza winemaker Juan Pablo Murgia commutes 2,000 kilometres by plane to Patagonia, where, in 2010, Otronia was founded – sitting at 45.33°S, perhaps the world’s southernmost estate. Spring can bring bud-killing below-zero temps, so Murgia developed a water protection system which sprays the vine before a severe freeze to insulate the fragile buds in ice. Praise for Ortonia’s pinots confirms that the borders of the winemaking map have shifted. Today, characterful wines are produced at far-north estates like Les Pervenches in Quebec and Kullabergs Vingård in Sweden. In Kent, Gusbourne Estate (whose Blanc de Blancs 2018 was the darling of the 2023 Decanter World Wine Awards) encapsulates why England has become one of the world’s premier sparkling-wine producers. “The climate is still marginal, so the ripening period is longer,” says Master Sommelier Laura Rhys. “You get grapes with lovely, full phenolic ripeness without losing the acidity.” Gusbourne is also tracing a path to sustainability for the industry, using organic fertiliser and cover crops in the vineyard while mitigating frost risk with “cold air drains” – cylindrical fans installed at low points in a vineyard to propel away dangerously frigid air. Sustainability and climate innovation are leitmotifs of numerous rising wineries today. New Zealand’s Central Otago has emerged in recent decades as the world’s southernmost wine region, where forwardthinking vintners are planting their estates with a warming planet in mind. “In everything we do, from biodynamic viticulture to high-density planting, our aim has been to get the roots down deep, to get those vines really in tune with the soil and boost their resilience to arid conditions,” says Claire Mulholland, winemaker at Burn Cottage estate, founded in 2002. Its recipe for acclaimed pinot noir starts with biodiversity, farming grapes but also olive trees, sheep, chickens, bees and highland cattle (whose manure creates soilenriching compost). “People talk about ‘regenerative agriculture’ today as a new direction to help climateproof estates, and organics and biodynamics are the peak of that,” she adds. A term first coined by researchers at the Rodale Institute, regenerative agriculture entails curtailing both pesticides and tilling to rejuvenate life in the soil and throughout the estate. “It’s a very holistic approach to winegrowing,” says Michelle Bouffard. “Not only does it promote carbon sequestration in the soil, it creates a healthier ecosystem and makes the vines more resilient. It’s really where I see hope today.” And hope not just for new wineries, but for historic estates which today are on the frontlines of climate change. One shining example is Château d’Yquem, founded in 1593 in Bordeaux’s Sauternes district and producer of a sublimely sweet wine considered one of the greatest expressions of terroir ever created. Estate manager Lorenzo Pasquini came to Yquem after years working in Argentina, California and Médoc. “I’ve been lucky to make wine around the world, discovering different landscapes, cultures and histories. It gives me hope for the future, because I’ve seen all the ways we can overcome our challenges. The world is changing, so it’s not about whether you change or not, but how to move in the right direction.” For Château d’Yquem, keeping ahead of climate change has meant replanting its vineyard on new, drought-resistant rootstocks, pruning its vine canopy differently to protect the grapes from heat, and using cover crops between the rows to maintain soil microbes and prevent erosion. However, wines like those made at Yquem aren’t born of vines alone, but a whole microclimate where humidity, wind and heat allow the magical Botrytis fungus to flourish, attacking ripe grapes and concentrating their sugars to ambrosial levels. Protecting its surrounding environment is thus paramount for Yquem. In 2022, the entire estate was certified organic. Meanwhile, Yquem has cocooned itself with hectares of wild prairie and groves of pine trees and acacia. Maintaining this buffer of life enhances the presence of pest-controlling insects and birds, and according to climate scientists, it can actually have a cooling, moderating effect on a microclimate. Trees, cover crops, living soils – there are so many ways to climate-proof an estate. In Pasquini’s words, “A great wine is the pure expression of a place, and of a harmony found between humans and a natural ecosystem.” In other words, hope in a bottle. 62
HOPE IN A BOTTLE “There is a lot of darkness around climate change,” says sommelier Michelle Bouffard, founder of the biannual conference Tasting Climate Change. “So we need to celebrate beauty when we find it.” Here are 15 wines of great beauty from innovative winemakers who are adapting to climate change, providing hope for the future of this most pleasurable expression of human civilisation. ARGENTINA BELGIUM CANADA ILLUSTRATIONS JULIA ILKOVA BODEGA OTRONIA PINOT NOIR BLOCK 1, 2018 In an era of global warming, Argentina has become home to the greatest concentration of high-altitude vineyards on the planet, as Mendoza producers like Catena Zapata and PerSe have identified new, cool, grand cru-quality sites at 1,500 metres and higher to create exceptionally fresh, complex wines. But the visionary businessman Alejandro Bulgheroni is convinced that Argentina’s most promising cool growing area isn’t up – but down. In 2010, he founded perhaps the southernmost wine estate in the world – Otronia, at 45.33S in Patagonia. His talented winemaker, Juan Pablo Murgia, commutes 2,000 kilometres from Mendoza. Patagonia’s cold climate is ideal for typical early-ripening grape varieties (chardonnay, pinot noir), but the intense sunlight, extreme diurnal temperature shifts and complex, lacustrine soils yield utterly unique expressions. After tasting Otronia’s range in 2021, Tim Atkin MW named Murgia Argentina’s “Young Winemaker of the Year” and awarded his 2018 Pinot Noir from block one – the most calcareous of Otronia’s 50 hectares – 95 points, writing: “A superb, organically farmed Pinot Noir … Fresh and focused, with subtle reduction, savoury, wild strawberry fruit, pithy acidity and delicate tannins.” DOMAINE LA FALIZE CHARDONNAY Belgium has a proud brewing tradition, but it has never been known for winemaking, being outside the latitudes historically considered possible for viticulture. Yet today, global warming has made ripening grapes here a realistic prospect. In Wallonia, Domaine La Falize – a 200ha estate of forest and farms – has planted several hectares of chardonnay and pinot noir since 2012. Founded by an owner of the AB InBev brewing company, the vineyards are already producing critically acclaimed wines, served at Michelin-starred restaurants like l’Air du Temps. Their quality is owed to the estate’s state-of-the-art equipment, but also to the men who make it: Belgium’s most famous winemaker, Peter Colemont – known for his Clos d’Opleeuw chardonnay – and Sylvain Pellegrinelli, vineyard manager at Domaine Leflaive in Burgundy, who has supervised the estate’s transition to biodynamic viticulture. Stéphane Dardenne, Gault&Millau’s 2020 Best Sommelier in Belgium, is an admirer: “In my opinion, Domaine La Falize has currently set the bar for winemaking in Belgium. Today, the precise, Burgundian approach in the winery is yielding chardonnay reminiscent of the most beautiful expressions of the Côte d’Or.” VIGNOBLE LES PERVENCHES CHARDONNAY “LES ROSIERS”, 2018 In recent decades, Canada’s winegrowing reputation has been surging, with Benjamin Bridge Winery in Nova Scotia lauded by wine critic Jancis Robinson for its “serious sparkling wine”, and Mission Hill Family Estate in British Columbia awarded “World’s Best Pinot Noir” in the under £15 category at the 2013 Decanter World Wine Awards. Yet for years, Quebec, with its cold continental climate, wasn’t invited to the party. “Historically, Quebec has been the most challenging place in Canada to grow grapes,” says Canadian sommelier Michelle Bouffard. “Now that’s changing.” Not every vintage is a blessing, but as temperatures rise there’s a growing sense of opportunity for the nascent industry. Leading the way is Vignoble Les Pervenches, biodynamic pioneers in Quebec. “The owners Michael and Véronique are constantly asking themselves what they can do differently and better. They developed a system to train the vines and shelter them with geotextiles in the winter, and have inspired a wave of young winemakers.” When the London-based wine writer Jamie Goode visited in 2020, he praised the “stunning natural wines” of Les Pervenches, like its Chardonnay Les Rosiers: “Astonishing fine-grained texture … salinity. Lemons, pears. So refined. 94/100.” 63
