Armit rolls out big hitters and ‘future stars’ at London tasting

By Andrew Catchpole

Published: 29 September, 2022

Italian specialist Armit Wines unveiled a raft of new wines at its London tasting this autumn, in addition to library vintages and big formats, while billing the ‘New Fine Wines of the Future’ among its new and existing agencies.

These are tipped as the rising stars, which Armit’s MD Brett Fleming believes should rightly share a seat at the top table with the world’s biggest name estates. And partly from necessity, too, as the most sought-after labels at the highest end are naturally of limited supply.

“When you have something like Sassicaia everyone knows its place in the world of fine wine. But the real trick is to find who the future stars are going to be – it’s a bit of a roll of the dice, but as an agency house we have a duty not only to find those people, but then to look after them, because it’s all about relationships,” Fleming told Harpers.

Among those tipped by Fleming to fit the bill were the new producer Terroir Sense Fronteres from Spain, the wines of Giacomo Fenocchio and Davide Fregonese from Piedmont, plus Elena Walch from Trentino-Alto Adige and Pietradolce from Sicily’s Etna.

“It’s not just about the big names, but making sure we find these iconic producers that will really shine in the future,” added Fleming.

While admitting that there is a degree of self-promotion at work, Fleming goes on make the point that as the world of fine wine is “policed to a degree” by the fact that its finite, with limited production of any given label. And the world is ever thirstier for top wines, so buyers and consumers are naturally having to look elsewhere, meaning it’s in everyone’s interest to encourage adventurousness, at the mid-level, but also at the high end.

“I think that there is a duty for all of us in the industry, particularly businesses like mine, to find new consumers and bring them in – the wine trade is notoriously bad at this, but there is fantastic diversity and that can bring in new business,” said Fleming. “But it’s a long-term game, not a short-term game.”

Espirit de Pavie, Elena Walch, Rhone estates Domaine de la Pousterle and Domaine Le Prieuré des Papes, McLaren Vale producer Second Nature and Barossa’s Rockford were among the new additions to Armit’s portfolio that were showing at the tasting.

In addition, Armit was showing library wines, allowing tasters to track older vintages and evolution in magnums.

“When people come along to the tasting they need to see the new vintages, [as they are] looking for their wine list and what they might update. With the older vintages, what I really want to do is illustrate the heritage and the best way to do that, when the principles are there, is to show something that’s 10, 20, 30 years old,” explained Fleming.

It’s a ruse that he began a couple of tastings ago, during the pandemic, and one which he admits was “hard on my sleeve” in terms of cost, not least with wines such as Sassicaia 2001 on show, plus the likes of Chateau Pavie 2008 in magnum, and much else besides. But by Fleming’s own admission, as a strategy to attract people to the tasting it certainly works, also repaying some of the loyalty from the on-trade heavy attending buyers.

And, for the moment at least, the quality-driven, high end of the on-trade is continuing to thrive, according to Fleming, with a thirst for quality alternatives very much in evidence. “The top end is not having a problem”, he stated, with Armit’s most recent financial results seeming to back up that assertion. Nonetheless, Fleming cautioned that for many there is a tough road ahead.

Printer friendly version