Unicorn Wines, That Are Worth It?
The world of wine is an interesting one. A world full of of hype. Where some bottles are worth thousands of pounds. How does one make sense of these prices? You might have heard of estates like Domaine de la Romanée Conti where bottles are sold in auctions, and suit-wearing, high-end executives drink the wine in very fancy glasses. This is particularly true in the classical wine world, where domaines like Petrus, Chateau Lafitte, and appellations like Montrachet and words like Grand Cru often call for prices that make you ask yourself a very simple AND very valid question: is it really worth it?
Unfortunately, we haven't tasted many of these "unicorn" classical wines. They're just simply too expensive. Why would I spend £4,000 on a bottle of Romanée Conti if I can literally fill my entire cellar to drink for the next 3 years with that kind of money (and fill it pretty well!!)? That being said, it cannot be denied that certain winemakers know what they are doing, practice very small yields, farm the absolute best sites on the best terroirs, pick only the very best of the very best fruit for certain cuvées and ultimately apply a very high bar for quality. This kind of approach can lead to unicorn wines. And that approach can be worth it.
So let us discuss some of my favourites. Those wines that make you feel excited. The bottles that you've saved somewhere and will only open when your friend who's also an absolute wine fiend is coming over. The kinds of wines you wished you had by your feet, on your wedding night, not to be shared with anyone.
Benoit Rosenberger, Solerat du Cave 2018 / 2020 / 2022. Rosenberger makes wine in Auvergne and they are extremely hard to come by. We get a few bottles every year. This is a Solera (blending multiple years together) of Gamay d'Auvergne. His wines are always very alive, but in such a balanced way. Definitely natural, but not overly funky. The blend of different vintages gives it such a delicate complexity, packed with energetic fruit from the Gamay d'Auvergne. Volcanic soils are giving it a gorgeous mineral edge. This wine is truly a chin stroker.
Tanca Nica, Red Label 2022 and Grey Label 2022. Two stunning wines from the iconic Tanca Nica. And these are their special, single plot Zibibbo cuvées. We opened one with Andrew and Joanna at a recent barbecue, and oh my god! What a crazy amount of tropical fruit, be it pineapple and guava, followed by tons of mediterranean aromatics: thyme, rosemary, violet. Such a truly complex wine. The Red Label is more tannic and darker in colour, while the Grey Label (this isn't Johnny Walker guys) has no skin contact, and gives an expression which is smokey, mineral and saline, with tons of intensity. These wines are made in tiny quantity, and are hard to come by, so jump on this if this sounds up your street.
De Moor, Bourgogne Chitry 2022. Alice De Moor is an a Highbury Library favourite. We have a whole range of their wines, and I would recommend jumping on the opportunity to buy the bottles of this iconic Chablis producer. Intense, structured, complex expressions of Chardonnay. This wine is from the Bourgogne Chitry appellation, giving a heavier, denser wine for the buttery white heads. It still has a lot of what we love about De Moor in terms of the fruit quality and the flavour profile, but this one is even more gastronomic. We've held onto it for a couple years for you to be able to taste it at its best. Drink now or in a couple of years. If it were me, I'd probably have it with just a cheese board one night, or a decadent fish dish smothered in butter. Or roast chicken. Yum...
Tanca Nica, Passulata 2022. Going back to Tanca Nica now, for something very different. Sweet wine made with Zibibbo grapes that are left in the sun to dry, in order for water to evaporate and for flavour and sugars to become more concentrated. What do you get? Probably one of the best sweet wines we have ever tasted. Only 500 bottles made. It's sweet, but also savoury, with deep umami notes. You're getting smokey volcanic notes from the soil. You're getting canned apricots from the concentrated fruit. You're getting flowery notes too. Honestly! Me + this bottle + a slice (two slices?) of cake, and I think I don't really need anyone else in my life. Yeah. Go for it.
Andreas Tscheppe, Blue Dragonfly 2023. Last but not least, a recent arrival from the amazing Austrian winemaker, Andreas Tscheppe. This is fine expression of Sauvignon Blanc that can rival the best Pouilly-Fumé from Alexandre Bain, but in a slightly less rich, and more crisp / reductive in style. Instead of getting lots of stone fruity notes, this slightly less ripe Sauvignon Blanc is giving gorgeous grassy notes, elderflower characteristics, and hints of fresh white nectarines. It's also textured, and electric from the acidity. A really amazing bottle of Austrian white wine. A producer to discover if you haven't yet.
That's all from me. Unicorn wines can be worth it, if you have the attention span. If you've made it this far in the post, I think you have it.
Drink well. Ciao for now.
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