As De La Soul have been banging on about since 1989... 'three is the magic number'. It’s multiples of three which are the standout numbers for Hallgarten at the moment; over the past 12 months Hallgarten & Novum Wines has added 300 new wines to its portfolio and welcomed 30 new producers to the list, as well as 30 new team members.
The company’s recent annual tasting offered the perfect stage to show off all these new wines, producers and faces as they took over Old Billingsgate Market in the City of London for two days to pour samples of 1,006 different wines to the eager wine trade.
The tasting was held over two days at London's Old Billingsgate Market
Of these wines 143 featured in an area of the tasting billed as ‘Just Landed!’, which was so large that it justified having its own separate tasting book. This area of the tasting was as busy as any and featured producers new to the UK as well as established, big names new to the Hallgarten stable.
Speaking to a handful of Hallgarten sales team members at the tasting there's a real sense of excitement about the possibilities going forward given the recent changes in the company and expansion of personnel and, indeed, wine listings. This is tempered in some quarters by trepidation about getting to grips with all the new producers and wines (“another 300 tech sheets to read!”) and the headache of placing all the wines correctly in the market.
Keeping all the producers – new and old – happy is another story, but if growth continues as planned then having a raft of shiny new wines to show off will be very important and offers genuine opportunities for the company.
Steve Daniel: "If we had a basic customer list that hadn’t expanded it would be frickin’ madness to do this.”
A big ship now
Hallgarten and Novum’s head of buying Steve Daniel is optimistic. “We’re doing alright, we’re making money. We’re a big ship now but we still run quite tightly,” he tells The Buyer. “We’re dealing with more customers, so we need more wines as we get more customers. If we had a basic customer list that hadn’t expanded it would be frickin’ madness to do this.”
He adds that in the past Hallgarten has under-indexed in certain areas so many of the new wines added to the list are a direct result of investing in the range to fill those gaps.
Of the new agencies Daniel is thrilled to bring in newcomers to the UK like Kuzubağ from Turkey – a winery that has never sold its wines outside of Turkey – as well as established big hitters like Banfi. “It’s different strokes for different folks,” he says “Banfi have got some grunt behind them and they’ve also already got distribution. I like to try and reinvent the wheel all the time, but sometimes it’s nice to get the jack out and nick someone else’s wheels.”
So what’s next for Daniel and the buyers at Hallgarten? “Nuancing, getting in the cellars of some of these amazing wineries and working with them to tailor make some wines for different sectors of the market. If I can do that with people like Domaine Lafarge for example that would be great.”
Hallgarten’s new additions: Ten exciting producers to explore
Champagne Abelé 1757, France
Abelé is the 5th oldest Champagne house and was founded, as its name suggests, in 1757 by Théodore Vanderveken, Henri Abelé’s great-great-grandfather. It began life in Epernay before moving to Reims in 1880. This is a house with pedigree, Henri Abelé Champagne was served onboard the Titanic and bottles have been recovered from the ship’s wreckage.
Today, the producer focusses on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir-led Champagnes, and the stand-out of the non-vintage wines on show is the Blanc de Blancs. This is bright and buzzy with a succulent, mouth-fizzing mousse and generous apple notes. There's a real bite on the finish and a seductive lick of sweetness from the 6 g/L dosage. Tremendous value too.
Domaine Lafage, France
Everyone I spoke to from Hallgarten mentioned Lafage when I explained that my mission was to explore the ‘Just Landed’ section. Beverly Tabbron MW was particularly animated when talking about their white wines, raving about their freshness and approachability.
Domaine Lafage is a family affair, the Lafage family have been growing grapes in Roussillon for more than two hundred years. Today Jean-Marc and Eliane Lafage produce classic and experimental expressions from the region. The ‘Novellum’ Chardonnay 2023, for example, is aged on Viognier lees, a winery mistake which proved to be magical; this wine has great depth and richness with stone fruit and creamy, long finish.
The red which really impressed me is ‘Narassa’ 2022, a blend of 60-year-old Grenache and Syrah which is aged in ex-fortified wine barrels. There’s a delicious richness here too, shot through with cherry drops, dried raspberry and a mineral, pencil shaving edge.
Alois Lageder, Italy
Established in 1823 Lageder is one of the most revered Alto Adige producers. A force in the world of biodynamics the wines from this north Italian stable are famous for their precision and verve. The whites on display all have power and a leaning towards the reductive, which can be very seductive when done well. The ‘Porer’ Pinot Grigio 2023 is a delight; lean and almost watery as first it opens up with pear and green apple notes and a distinct flintiness. Clean on the finish, with a bullet proof acidity.
Banfi, Italy
Another new addition that fits neatly into the ‘legendary producer’ category is Banfi – the Tuscan producer needs little introduction so we’ll get straight into the wines. The ‘Summus’ Rosso is a blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah, this IGT Toscano was the first ‘super’ blend from Montalcino. It’s liquorice flecked with boot polish and sticky bold fruit. A real palate awakener. The Rosso di Montalcino 2023 is far more refined and just beautiful. It’s supple and youthful with delicious juicy red fruit and an orange peel note that hints at what’s to come as this ages.
Quinta da Romaneira, Portugal
This is one of the largest estates in the Douro Valley, and is a flag bearer for the region’s still wines. With a focus on reds, it's the Dona Clara 2020 which really shines. This is a classic Douro red blend with a twist: classic local grapes Touriga Francesa, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Tinto Cao are blended with Syrah and Petit Verdot to create a ‘super-Douro’ blend that is waxy and ripe with bright red fruit and lovely wood-flecked texture. There’s a modern feel to this wine and it finishes with a blast of freshness.
Zorzal, Argentina
Not strictly a new arrival as this Argentinean producer, based in Gualtallary, Mendoza, has been with Hallgarten for a number of years but has recently gone through a reimagining of sorts and arrives here with two new ranges of wines. The top tier ‘Gran Terroir’ range is classic and classy, the Pinot Noir in particular is perfectly pitched; structured and bright with silky tannins and spice.
However, the ‘Terroir Unico’ wines, which are more keenly priced and a little rougher around the edges, are way more interesting. The 2024 Cabernet Franc is a wild ferment wine which sees no oak giving it a lively, freshly-picked feel. There’s red pepper and parma violet notes which jump from the glass and a lovely long, stony finish. This is deft winemaking, beautifully executed.
Kuzubağ, Turkey
With many of the newer producers joining Hallgarten fitting into established categories, it was refreshing to see some leftfield additions too, including Turkish winery Kuzubağ. Based near the village of Hançalar, 850m above sea level on the Denizli-Çal plateau, the wines across the range are ripe and modern with lovely fruit structure. The Narince-Chardonnay 2023 is a brilliant example of a versatile, food-friendly white; its savoury with lime-tinged acidity and a stoney-mineral line running through it. This is a wine that punches way above its £14 list price.
Neudorf, New Zealand
Hallgarten has worked for years with Marlborough giant Saint Clair, as well as Craggy Range (Hawke’s Bay/Martinborough) and Rockburn (Central Otago) but its New Zealand range has never pushed beyond this trio… until now. Over the past decade there’s been a lot of work on the South African and Australian portfolios and now it's NZ’s turn.
First up is Neudorf (Nelson) – a ‘bluechip’ producer, says Steve Daniel –whose Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs are world-beating and listed widely in the on-trade. The wine that ready stands out is the ‘Rosie’s Block Amphora’ Chardonnay 2023 which is made from a block of vines planted in 1999. 100% clay fermented and aged, with 10 months on the lees and full malo. This adds texture and bite but it’s the salt water freshness here that’s really appealing, twinned with Pink Lady apple, florality and spice. Lovely poise and tension.
Pyramid Valley, New Zealand
This was the busiest table at the tasting, and when you sample the Pyramid Valley (North Canterbury/Central Otago) wines – poured by enigmatic winemaker Steve Smith MW – it's easy to see why.
“Steve Smith he’s a bloody legend, the grandfather of New Zealand wine,” says Steve Daniel.
Where to start… three different Chardonnays and four Pinot Noirs all had their own stories to tell, but it was the wildcard ‘Orange’ 2021 that really got people talking. The Chards and Pinots in their classic, fruit-forward styles were all a dream in different ways. But it was the skin-contact blend of Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer, Muscat and Viognier which had people scratching their heads (in a good way). Here’s a wine that tastes like a cordial for grown-ups; peach tea, red liquorice and prickly tannins all come together to create a delightful, ethereal wine. As deftly executed as a Graham Thorpe cover drive.
Spoke, New Zealand
This Marlborough-based project is a collaboration between NZ winemaker Ben Glover (Zephyr, Wither Hills) and Bristol-based MW Liam Steevenson, who is releasing the Spoke wines under his Vineyard Productions umbrella. The wines look sharp, and have a distinct casual dining feel to them.
The ‘Awatere’ Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is an absolute banger, what I’d call ‘old school new world Sauvignon Blanc’ – it’s shot through with tang and nettles, spice and granadilla… the kind of wine that launched NZ Sauvignon all those years ago, but this isn’t too volatile and green, it’s grounded but fresh and utterly more-ish.
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