Best Brazilian wines

The tasting notes below are a brief representative sample of the wide range of producers, varieties and styles that I tried on my recent trip (see Brazil – world player in wine?), listed in descending order of score. The photo shows Brazilian Merlot grapes.

Cave Geisse, Brut 1998 Brazil 17.5 Drink 2009-12
70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir. 10 years of lees ageing. Strong yeast, apple on the nose – but actually quite closed. On the palate, much more developed with a very broad length and just-popped toast on the finish. The subtle and fresh autolytic character is a...