27 May 2010: Dinner at home with a few friends, including Andrew and Bobby Caillard. It was a great evening as we tasted some rather special wines: Andrew's Mataro and our own Meursault Les Clous, both our first vintage and both of the 2008 vintage, separated by 6 months!
Let's talk about Andrew's wine first. We tasted it side by side with a Mourvèdre from France - Domaine Borie de Maurel Cuvée Maxime 2006. Two wines made with practically the same grape variety. Different soils and climates. The results so different.
Caillard Mataro (http://www.caillardwine.com/) : Our friend Andrew Caillard is a Sydney-based Master of Wine with auction house Langton's as well as an accomplished artist. Caillard Mataro is a limited release wine with production of approximately 120 dozen cases. The vines are located in the Barossa Valley which boasts the largest planting of Mataro in Australia, some over 100 years old. To the 2008 Mataro, Andrew added 2% of Syrah to give it just a little extra body. I thought it was absolutely deliciously drinking now, and will continue to evolve in bottle for the next 5 - 6 years. It was beautifully structured and balanced, with character, complexity, finesse, an almost pinot noir like silkiness and lovely long finish. A stylish and intellectual wine. Medium-deep ruby core. Medium-bodied, with a well-managed level of acidity, medium level of fine-grained tannins, from the use of 25% new oak and the rest 1 - 2 wine barrels for a maturation period of 14 months. On the nose, lovely aromas of black cherry,blackberry and bramberry with underlying spicy, peppery, herbal and savoury character, and just a hint of chocolate, dates and figs. I was equally impressed by the label - it was based on a painting by Andrew himself. What a talented man! Andrew's aim was to make a contemporary wine style that would honour the past. He achieved it so well, spot-on, for his first vintage and according to Bobby, the woman behind the label and Andrew's wife, the wine sold like hot cakes and they're thinking of increasing the size of production. Well done, Andrew and Bobby!
Then we tried the Borie de Maurel (http://www.boriedemaurel.fr/) . The domaine is in Félines-Minervois in the La Livinière appellation. Interestingly, it was a much more masculine version of wine made with the same grape variety. Maxime by Borie de Maurel was a deep-coloured and concentrated wine, with intense ripe fruit character (almost sweet on the nose), supported by spices, figs, leather notes, and a much richer style, a fuller body with firmer tannins. 20 - 45 days of fermentation followed by 18 months in 600 litre demi-muids. Good length aftertaste. Also very impressive but a totally different style!
I am fascinated by Mourvèdre as a variety!
We actually started the dinner with our wine: Meursault Les Clous 2008 (wine label not yet ready). It was also our first time tasting it and it was so exciting! Here are my tasting notes:
"Pale lemon-yellow colour. Medium-bodied, well-textured with a light richness, well-balanced with a good level of acidity. The citrus fruit and lime blossom character are supported by an intense minerality, with a hint of nutty character. A fresh, minerally and well-balanced Meursault, pure and complex at the same time. Drinking beautifully now and will evolve over the next 4 - 5 years. - Ivy"
The complexity and intensity of the wine comes from the terroir (limestone-clay soil, at an altitude of 310 metres, facing northeast and just below the famous "Casses-Têtes"), 62 years old vines which are handpicked and sorted and skilful winemaking by Monsieur Fichet, our winemaker who is known for his minerally wines. The 2008 vintage saw a lot of sun between April and mid July when the rain started. The combination of sun and wind in September made the vintage a successful one. The vines were harvested late September 2008. Elevage in barriques of 1 and 2 wines. Bottled in April 2010.
Andrew kindly wrote us his tasting note of our wine and here it is:
"Pale medium colour. Beautiful fresh grapefruit, lemon curd, grilled nut aromas. Touch of lanolin. Well-concentrated grapefruit, lemon curd flavours, underlying savoury nuances and indelible acidity. Finishes long and sweet. 18/20 - Andrew Caillard MW"
Richard's tasting note of our wine: "Mango, peach, floral nose; lovely balance, richness, good length and finish. Drinking now."
We actually had a magnum bottle of 1989 Angélus before we did the Mourvèdre-Mataro tasting. The Angélus was sensational - can Saint Emilion get better than this? Just a beautifully aged wine, with grace, elegance, finesse and length. Medium bodied, immaculately balanced, with well integrated tannins, and a finish that went on and on. The bouquet was smoky, pencil shavings, violets, rose petals, blueberries and figs. Just pure joy when you get a wine as beautiful as this! I would score it 19/20.
We finished the evening with the Chateau du Tariquet Armagnac 1990 Cépages. What a delicious drop! It just glided smoothly down your throat and sent a lovely warming sensation! Thank you, Gabriel - sorry that you didn't make it to dinner. You would have enjoyed it!
Let's talk about Andrew's wine first. We tasted it side by side with a Mourvèdre from France - Domaine Borie de Maurel Cuvée Maxime 2006. Two wines made with practically the same grape variety. Different soils and climates. The results so different.
Caillard Mataro (http://www.caillardwine.com/) : Our friend Andrew Caillard is a Sydney-based Master of Wine with auction house Langton's as well as an accomplished artist. Caillard Mataro is a limited release wine with production of approximately 120 dozen cases. The vines are located in the Barossa Valley which boasts the largest planting of Mataro in Australia, some over 100 years old. To the 2008 Mataro, Andrew added 2% of Syrah to give it just a little extra body. I thought it was absolutely deliciously drinking now, and will continue to evolve in bottle for the next 5 - 6 years. It was beautifully structured and balanced, with character, complexity, finesse, an almost pinot noir like silkiness and lovely long finish. A stylish and intellectual wine. Medium-deep ruby core. Medium-bodied, with a well-managed level of acidity, medium level of fine-grained tannins, from the use of 25% new oak and the rest 1 - 2 wine barrels for a maturation period of 14 months. On the nose, lovely aromas of black cherry,blackberry and bramberry with underlying spicy, peppery, herbal and savoury character, and just a hint of chocolate, dates and figs. I was equally impressed by the label - it was based on a painting by Andrew himself. What a talented man! Andrew's aim was to make a contemporary wine style that would honour the past. He achieved it so well, spot-on, for his first vintage and according to Bobby, the woman behind the label and Andrew's wife, the wine sold like hot cakes and they're thinking of increasing the size of production. Well done, Andrew and Bobby!
Then we tried the Borie de Maurel (http://www.boriedemaurel.fr/) . The domaine is in Félines-Minervois in the La Livinière appellation. Interestingly, it was a much more masculine version of wine made with the same grape variety. Maxime by Borie de Maurel was a deep-coloured and concentrated wine, with intense ripe fruit character (almost sweet on the nose), supported by spices, figs, leather notes, and a much richer style, a fuller body with firmer tannins. 20 - 45 days of fermentation followed by 18 months in 600 litre demi-muids. Good length aftertaste. Also very impressive but a totally different style!
I am fascinated by Mourvèdre as a variety!
We actually started the dinner with our wine: Meursault Les Clous 2008 (wine label not yet ready). It was also our first time tasting it and it was so exciting! Here are my tasting notes:
"Pale lemon-yellow colour. Medium-bodied, well-textured with a light richness, well-balanced with a good level of acidity. The citrus fruit and lime blossom character are supported by an intense minerality, with a hint of nutty character. A fresh, minerally and well-balanced Meursault, pure and complex at the same time. Drinking beautifully now and will evolve over the next 4 - 5 years. - Ivy"
The complexity and intensity of the wine comes from the terroir (limestone-clay soil, at an altitude of 310 metres, facing northeast and just below the famous "Casses-Têtes"), 62 years old vines which are handpicked and sorted and skilful winemaking by Monsieur Fichet, our winemaker who is known for his minerally wines. The 2008 vintage saw a lot of sun between April and mid July when the rain started. The combination of sun and wind in September made the vintage a successful one. The vines were harvested late September 2008. Elevage in barriques of 1 and 2 wines. Bottled in April 2010.
Andrew kindly wrote us his tasting note of our wine and here it is:
"Pale medium colour. Beautiful fresh grapefruit, lemon curd, grilled nut aromas. Touch of lanolin. Well-concentrated grapefruit, lemon curd flavours, underlying savoury nuances and indelible acidity. Finishes long and sweet. 18/20 - Andrew Caillard MW"
Richard's tasting note of our wine: "Mango, peach, floral nose; lovely balance, richness, good length and finish. Drinking now."
We actually had a magnum bottle of 1989 Angélus before we did the Mourvèdre-Mataro tasting. The Angélus was sensational - can Saint Emilion get better than this? Just a beautifully aged wine, with grace, elegance, finesse and length. Medium bodied, immaculately balanced, with well integrated tannins, and a finish that went on and on. The bouquet was smoky, pencil shavings, violets, rose petals, blueberries and figs. Just pure joy when you get a wine as beautiful as this! I would score it 19/20.
We finished the evening with the Chateau du Tariquet Armagnac 1990 Cépages. What a delicious drop! It just glided smoothly down your throat and sent a lovely warming sensation! Thank you, Gabriel - sorry that you didn't make it to dinner. You would have enjoyed it!
Ivy, thanks for a great evening, and for your notes - which give the wines an even longer finish! G will be sorry! M.
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