There is just under two months to go until the stunning Manhatta restaurant opens its doors for the second time to welcome you to the highly anticipated Decanter Fine Wine Encounter NYC this June. Not only will there be a sensational line-up of masterclasses held throughout the day, but guests can also enjoy a walk-around the Grand Tasting, which offers a rare opportunity to taste fine wines and meet the people behind the bottles.
The Grand Tasting is at the heart of DFWE and will showcase wines from 50 truly world-class producers from all over the globe. We are so pleased that many of the producers from our 2022 event will be returning this year, and we are equally excited to welcome 32 producers who will be joining us for the first time. This unrivalled wine-tasting experience will represent fine wines from the old world and the new world, with each producer presenting four wines from their collection.
Click here to view the 2023 Exhibitors
Clive – Pursehouse Decanter US Editor
Stony Hill, Chardonnay, Napa Valley, California, USA 2010
An opportunity to taste a 13-year-old Napa Chardonnay from an iconic producer like Stony Hill is one of the unique treats of attending DFWE and not to be missed.
Château Clerc Milon, Pauillac 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 2009
The 2009 vintage is regarded as the stuff of legend from Bordeaux and of course the wines of Clerc Milon are always top examples.
Disznókő, Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos, Hungary 2013
A 10-year old Tokaji is the ultimate experience in opulence and Disznóko is a legendary producer.
Vérité, La Joie, Sonoma County, California, USA 2011
The Vérité project is an exciting one combining the best of Bordeaux and Sonoma and so to taste a 12 year old example of this wine is a special treat.
Château Suduiraut, Sauternes 1er Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 2010
Sauternes is having a moment, and I’ve been tasting younger Sauternes of late, and so to taste one 13 years in, a sort of youthfeel mid-point, and particularly one from Château Suduiraut feels like a great way to cap off the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter
Tina Gellie – Content Manager & Regional Editor (Canada, Australia, NZ, South Africa)
Vasse Felix, Tom Cullity, Margaret River, Western Australia 2017
Following my first trip to Margaret River in late 2022, it was wonderful to finally visit the place where, in 1967, Dr Tom Cullity planted the region’s first commercial vines. Vasse Felix’s top red is named in honour of the winery’s founder and is a blend of old-vine Cabernet and Malbec (from cuttings of the original vines) along with a dash of Petit Verdot. It’s always a powerful, ageworthy and inky-mineral wine, with fine chocolatey tannins and a lovely minty streak.
Yalumba, The Caley Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz, South Australia 2018
Taking Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra and Shiraz from the Barossa, this is a quintessential Australian blend – but here intentionally made to be an icon wine, so amped up to the max in concentration (and price). It’s only released with five years of bottle age, so attendees at Decanter’s New York Fine Wine Encounter will be among the first to try it. I’ll be tasting it myself just a few days before the event, and am expecting to be very impressed.
Craggy Range, Sophia, Gimblett Gravels, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand 2020
I’m excited to taste this new vintage, a Merlot-dominant blend with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, from winemaker Julian Grounds. It’s one of the winery’s flagships, and this will be the 19th year since it was first made from Hawke’s Bay’s famed Gimblett Gravels, a terroir similar to the Médoc in Bordeaux and the Rhône’s Hermitage. Apparently it’s named after the Greek goddess of knowledge, but other sources say it’s actress Sophia Loren…
Ken Forrester, Dirty Little Secret Three, Piekenierskloof, South Africa NV
Any Chenin Blanc made by Mr Chenin himself is going to be great, but this cuvée is unique, and one which I tasted recently when Ken was in London. Instead of showing the character of an individual vintage, It’s a blend of vintages (DLS Three is 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020) to highlight the terroir of the dry-farmed 1965-planted bushvine vineyard in Piekenierskloof. Layered, complex and mineral, It has a textured palate, honeyed orchard fruit and citrus zing.
Amy Wislocki – Magazine Editor
Santa Rita, Casa Real Reserva Especial, Alto Jahuel, Maipo Valley, Chile 1994:
This is the flagship Cabernet Sauvignon from historic Maipo producer Santa Rita. Maipo Cabernet is a New World Classic, and this one will be even more fascinating to taste given the almost 30 years of bottle age. What’s more, I have a soft spot for this wine, whose front label shows the beautiful Casa Real Hacienda, now a luxury hotel – I stayed here during a visit to Chile some 20 years ago, and remember taking a walk through the gardens down to the lake one evening at sunset. One of those experiences that you never forget.
Nino Franco, Primo Franco Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, Veneto, Italy 2018:
Prosecco gets such a bad rap. But if you want to explore the higher quality and more complex side to the region, Nino Franco is a great place to start. The estate owns some of the best vineyard sites and has been making Prosecco for more than a century – so they know what they’re doing. I’ve met current owner Primo Franco a few times and he is uncompromising in his quest for quality.
Tenuta delle Terre Nere, Calderara Sottana Rosso, Etna, Sicily, Italy 2015:
When people ask me what my favourite red wine style is, I can never narrow it down to just one, but Nerello Mascalese from Etna will always be in my top handful. The reason I love good Etna reds so much is that they sing of their volcanic origins. The grape is often compared to Pinot Noir, and this red from excellent producer Terre Nere is a benchmark expression. Now all I need to do is get to the estate in person…
Hartford Court, Fog Dance Vineyard Chardonnay, Green Valley of Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA 2017:
I’m unfamiliar with this estate, but I love a Californian Chardonnay, and there are some clues here that this wine is likely to display delicious cool-climate complexity, from the name of the vineyard to the Russian River Valley origins. It’s also got some evolution, so all in all sounds right up my street.
Julie Sheppard – Regional Editor (Spain, Portugal, South America) & Spirits editor
Remírez de Ganuza Reserva, Rioja, Spain 1996
Based in Rioja Alavesa, Remírez de Ganuza is one of my favourite Rioja producers, making expressive wines that showcase impeccable attention to detail. Its older vintages, such as this 1996, evolve beautifully over time, developing intriguing tertiary characteristics, while retaining freshness. An object lesson in why Rioja deserves its reputation for long-lived fine wines – don’t miss this chance to taste it!
Zuccardi, Finca Piedra Infinita, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina 2019
The affable Sebastián Zuccardi is a gifted winemaker and this top Argentinian Malbec is part of his exceptional Fincas range, which highlights unique terroirs in the high-altitude Uco Valley. The 42ha Piedra Infinita vineyard sits in the alluvial plain of the Tunuyán River at 1,100m above sea level. Site expression shines through on this award-winning wine: pure, complex and nuanced, it demonstrates what can be achieved with Malbec in Argentina.
Marqués de Murrieta, Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial, Rioja, Spain 2011
This stunning – and rare – wine from one of Rioja’s leading producers, is made from carefully selected plots in a single vineyard. Like all the Murrieta wines, it has a long life ahead of it, but it’s drinking beautifully now: complex aromatics lead to a rich and rounded palate, with a silky intensity that will take your breath away. A true icon wine.
Taylor Fladgate, Classic Vintage Port, Douro Valley, Portugal 2003
At a recent Decanter Panel Tasting of vintage Ports, Demetri Walters MW described the 2003 vintage as ‘bold, vivid and full of personality’ – and I’d certainly agree. Built to last, but delivering plenty of drinking pleasure now, this vintage offering from Taylor’s is a melange of berry fruit, sweet spice, leather, chocolate and coffee. A real treat for fans of fortified wines.
Browse the Special Wines line-up
*Download the Grand Tasting catalogue here to study the line-up of producers and the wines they will be bringing.
Essential information
Decanter Fine Wine Encounter NYC
Date: Saturday 10 June 2023 from 11am to 5pm.
Location: Bay Room at Manhatta, 28 Liberty Street, 60th Floor,
New York, NY 10005
Price: Grand Tasting tickets from $225 + sales tax (Save with Group tickets) | Masterclass tickets from $245
A Grand Tasting ticket also includes access to the Decanter World Wine Awards winners’ bar, where you can taste Gold, Platinum and Best in Show wines from 2022.
Buy tickets today
