27 September 2015: This month, we were invited to a couple of important birthday celebrations.....and here are the wines our hosts served - I made a note against the ones I particularly enjoyed:
40th birthday party at Dine Art:
1996 Salon ***
2004 Meursault-Perrieres, Roulot ****
2001 Batard-Montrachet, Ramonet
2002 Griotte-Chambertin, Fourrier *****
1999 Romanee-Saint-Vivant, Sylvain Cathiard
1999 Grands-Echezeaux, Rene Engel
60th birthday party at Nicholini's:
2000 Krug Clos du Mesnil *****
2007 Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet, Henri Boillot
2004 Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet, Leflaive ****
2008 Meursault-Caillerets, Coche-Dury *****
2001 Clos de Vougeot, Leroy ****
1988 Lafite-Rothschild ****
1989 Lafite-Rothschild
What treats we had!
Monday, 28 September 2015
1999 Echezeaux: Emmanuel Rouget versus Jayer-Gilles
Over Richard's roast lamb loin, scented with rosemary and garlic, with caramelised shallots, we compared 2 bottles of 1999 Echézeaux, one by Emmanuel Rouget and the other by Jayer-Gilles.
The Rouget showed bright, rich and pure red fruit of raspberry and cherry, laced with savoury bacon, smokey, sweet vanilla nuances, in a rich and luscious expression of old vines (around 65 years then) from the climats of Les Cruots, Les Treux and Clos Saint-Denis. Beautiful concentration, presented by the seamless integration, firm structure, velvety texture and balance and energy. Drink now and over the next 10 -12+ years. 18.5/20 (According to Winesearcher.com, a bottle currently retails at around GBP 420/USD 635.)
The Echézeaux du Dessus by Jayer-Gilles revealed a more subdued and yet refined character, and an impressive balance that led to a persistent finish. More evolved than the Rouget, showing more game, sous-bois, spicy, and mushroom notes. Elegantly balanced, with lovely lift of freshness. Drink now and over 8 - 10+ years. (The Echézeaux du Dessus is a much favoured climat of Echézeaux, about 3.55 ha in size, and lying just above Grands Echézeaux, and neighbouring Les Loachausses and Les Cruots.) 18/20 (According to Winesearcher.com, a bottle of this wine currently retails at around GBP 225/USD 345.)
The Echézeaux du Dessus by Jayer-Gilles revealed a more subdued and yet refined character, and an impressive balance that led to a persistent finish. More evolved than the Rouget, showing more game, sous-bois, spicy, and mushroom notes. Elegantly balanced, with lovely lift of freshness. Drink now and over 8 - 10+ years. (The Echézeaux du Dessus is a much favoured climat of Echézeaux, about 3.55 ha in size, and lying just above Grands Echézeaux, and neighbouring Les Loachausses and Les Cruots.) 18/20 (According to Winesearcher.com, a bottle of this wine currently retails at around GBP 225/USD 345.)
To pair with the festive mooncake, we had a 2002 Pinot Gris Altenbourg, Clos des Capucins, Sélection des Grains Nobles, Domaine Weinbach. Golden hue, an intense nose and palate of white chocolate, ripe pear, macadamia, ginger, honey and caramel notes. Vibrant acidity giving this opulent wine perfect balance and the wonderfully persistent finish kept taking us back for more until the last drop. Loved the 10.5% abv! It worked beautifully with the salted egg yolk and the creamy lotus seed paste! 18/20
Thursday, 24 September 2015
2008 Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne
Tuesday, 22 September 2015
A passion for wine, art and architecture - Chateau La Coste
22 Sep 2015: About a month ago, we were very fortunate to be invited to a very special winery visit and lunch.......as part of a birthday celebration for a dear friend.
Inaugurated in 2008, the state-of-the-art gravity-fed cuverie, designed by Jean Nouvel, allows the winemaking process to follow the estate’s philosophy of nurturing this natural expression of terroirs. The two giant cuverie buildings, made of corrugated aluminium with insulation, measure 10 metres high and 17 metres deep below ground to house the vats. Although renewable energy is not a reality yet at La Coste, Paddy and the team have already installed a water purification plant and are studying waste recycling to further reduce carbon footprint.
Visiting the Château any day, one will see visitors and families enjoying a day out at the estate, which boasts a collection of modern artworks and creations of architecture by artists and architects from around the world, dotted over the premises. One needs to take a tour to visit all of them – 2 hours are recommended for this walk. The Tadao Ando Centre, laid out on a V-shaped plan, conceived by the eponymous architect is the art centre of the estate, housing the reception area, bookshop and cafe. The Japanese master’s signature elements, especially the interplay of exterior and interior spaces, are incorporated into this structure to create an experience of light and space in nature. The centre overlooks an infinity pool that hides the underground carpark. I was particularly impressed by the Oak Room by Andy Goldsworthy: a hemisphere-shaped cavern dug inside the sides of the hill, with the walls lined with continuous oak tree branches. One needed to adjust the eyes with help from the natural light coming in through the narrow opening, to be able to admire this artistic wonder in stunned silence. One could not miss the giant Crouching Spider by Louise Bourgeois in the infinity pool, Frank O. Gehry’s Pavilion de Musique across the field, the hilltop small chapel by Tadao Ando, or Sean Scully’s Wall of Light Cubed, and many more. The art and architecture project at La Coste has developed in an organic way over the last 10 years. Each artist or architect was invited to La Coste by Paddy to experience the beauty of the landscape and was encouraged to find his/her own unique spot on the premises, and to design a piece of work that would best express the location and the experience. One can say the landscape of La Coste is an evolving one, every visiting artist or architect adding a distinct and unique feature to the estate.
Local organic and seasonal fresh produce is integral to the design of the Provencal and Mediterranean-themed menus at both dining outlets at La Coste (the more casual outdoor La Terrasse and the more urbane Tadao Ando Café). I was delighted to see La Tarte Tropézienne on the menu too, for that extra Mediterranean touch!
Paddy has already embarked on the next project which will see his hospitality expertise applied to La Coste, through the development of Villa La Coste consisting of 28 individual villas, with a gourmet restaurant, club house and spa, on a hillside site overseeing the vineyards. We were told La Coste should welcome its first resident visitors as early as Easter 2016! To arrange a visit or reservation, http://chateau-la-coste.com/en/
With winemaking evidence dating to Roman times, enriched by a bastide built in 1682 by the Bishop of Aix, current owner, Irish entrepreneur Paddy McKillen has developed Château La Coste into a 3,000-acre community of wine, art and architecture based in Le-Puy-Sainte-Réparade, near Aix-en-Provence. La Coste in another time was La Côte (or hillside). Inspired by the wild nature, Provençal light and size of the property, Paddy’s vision was to build a sustainable wine estate in the Provence, esthetically and functionally in harmony with the wild landscape and peaceful surroundings, and producing world class wines using the best technology and talent possible, while respecting the soil, vines and biodiversity for sustainable growth. In 2006, he appointed Matthieu Cosse, who came with reputation established in Cahors at Domaine Cosse Maisonneuve, as the Oenology Engineer to transform the vineyards and upgrade the winemaking skills. A detailed soil analysis was performed to ensure best matching of variety to soil type. Château La Coste has been organically certified (French AB) since 2009 and having followed biodynamic principles for a while, the team is now set to engage in the biodynamic conversion process. With ‘carte blanche’ to do whatever he felt necessary to achieve the high standards set by Paddy, Matthieu has made significant improvements to the quality of the wines, especially at the high end cuvées: Bellugue, Les Pentes Douces, Grand Vin and Grande Cuvée. Average yields are kept low, with 35 hl/ha for reds, 40hl/ha for whites and 50 hl/ha for rosés.
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| Grande Cuvee |
The Grande Cuvée red is luscious wine made from 50% old vine Syrah and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, produced at very low yields, seeing 18 months in a mixture of new, one and two year oak barrels. This is a relatively new cuvée by Matthieu, limited to about 1,000 bottle production at the moment. The 2012 vintage still has some chewy ripe tannin, wrapped in the velvety texture to resolve, but the ageing potential is evident. The Grand Vin white is an IGP wine, as it has incorporated 10% Chardonnay and 30% Sauvignon Blanc, to lend aromatic familiarity and fleshy body to crisp Vermentino (60%), still retaining sound minerality and remarkable freshness from a land that basks in glorious Provencal sun. While excessive dryness is not an issue today, the challenge to nurture young vines to reach their potential remains.
Inaugurated in 2008, the state-of-the-art gravity-fed cuverie, designed by Jean Nouvel, allows the winemaking process to follow the estate’s philosophy of nurturing this natural expression of terroirs. The two giant cuverie buildings, made of corrugated aluminium with insulation, measure 10 metres high and 17 metres deep below ground to house the vats. Although renewable energy is not a reality yet at La Coste, Paddy and the team have already installed a water purification plant and are studying waste recycling to further reduce carbon footprint.
Visiting the Château any day, one will see visitors and families enjoying a day out at the estate, which boasts a collection of modern artworks and creations of architecture by artists and architects from around the world, dotted over the premises. One needs to take a tour to visit all of them – 2 hours are recommended for this walk. The Tadao Ando Centre, laid out on a V-shaped plan, conceived by the eponymous architect is the art centre of the estate, housing the reception area, bookshop and cafe. The Japanese master’s signature elements, especially the interplay of exterior and interior spaces, are incorporated into this structure to create an experience of light and space in nature. The centre overlooks an infinity pool that hides the underground carpark. I was particularly impressed by the Oak Room by Andy Goldsworthy: a hemisphere-shaped cavern dug inside the sides of the hill, with the walls lined with continuous oak tree branches. One needed to adjust the eyes with help from the natural light coming in through the narrow opening, to be able to admire this artistic wonder in stunned silence. One could not miss the giant Crouching Spider by Louise Bourgeois in the infinity pool, Frank O. Gehry’s Pavilion de Musique across the field, the hilltop small chapel by Tadao Ando, or Sean Scully’s Wall of Light Cubed, and many more. The art and architecture project at La Coste has developed in an organic way over the last 10 years. Each artist or architect was invited to La Coste by Paddy to experience the beauty of the landscape and was encouraged to find his/her own unique spot on the premises, and to design a piece of work that would best express the location and the experience. One can say the landscape of La Coste is an evolving one, every visiting artist or architect adding a distinct and unique feature to the estate.
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| Crouching Spider by Louise Bourgeois |
Local organic and seasonal fresh produce is integral to the design of the Provencal and Mediterranean-themed menus at both dining outlets at La Coste (the more casual outdoor La Terrasse and the more urbane Tadao Ando Café). I was delighted to see La Tarte Tropézienne on the menu too, for that extra Mediterranean touch!
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| The V-shaped Tadao Ando Centre and Jean Nouvel's Cuverie, view from an altitude |
Paddy has already embarked on the next project which will see his hospitality expertise applied to La Coste, through the development of Villa La Coste consisting of 28 individual villas, with a gourmet restaurant, club house and spa, on a hillside site overseeing the vineyards. We were told La Coste should welcome its first resident visitors as early as Easter 2016! To arrange a visit or reservation, http://chateau-la-coste.com/en/
Sunday, 20 September 2015
Musigny and Bonnes Mares.....and the wine of the evening is?
17 September 2015: For Part 3 of the Musigny dinner (Richard and I had missed Part 2), we decided to vary the theme slightly by including Bonnes Mares for some interesting comparative tasting. After a tough selection (thanks to everyone's generosity), we reluctantly narrowed down to 9 bottles, with the oldest vintage being 1978 and the youngest 1995.
Musigny has a total area of just under 11 ha, between 260 and 300 ha and is situated at the southern end of the Chambolle village, overlooking Clos de Vougeot and Les Amoureuses. There are 3 distinct parcels to Musigny, in order from north to south - Les Grands Musigny (5.9 ha), Les Petits Musigny (just under 4.2 ha) and La Combe d'Orveau (around 0.7 ha). Comte Georges de Vogüé has the entire holding in Les Petits Musigny with about 40% of Les Grands Musigny. Except Jacques Prieur which has its holding in La Combe d'Orveau, all the other domaines (I counted 8) have their Musigny holdings in Les Grands Musigny. The soil in general is clay-rich clay-limestone, with small stones to help drainage. The lower slopes are based on hard Comblanchien marble/limestone, making it tough work for the vine roots. Upper slopes are more porous. The domaines would typically have vines planted along the slopes for a complete expression. Musigny is noted for its distinct perfume and a velvety texture that belies a robust character and persistent strength.
Bonnes Mares on the other hand is at the northern end of Chambolle and has a total area of 15 ha, with about 13.5 ha in Chambolle, and 1.5 ha in Morey. There are many more producers of Bonnes Mares - I counted 23. Bonnes Mares typically has a more sauvage and earthy character than Musigny, and a stewed fruit/plum character, rather than pure red fruit.
Here are my tasting notes - we tasted from old to young - none decanted, all opened between 7:30 and 8 pm:
1978 Musigny, Comte Georges de Vogüé (US strip label): Such enthralling aromatics of mushroom, truffle, cinnamon, spice and earthy. Sensuous texture, but a little weak structurally, with a slightly hollow mid-palate and short of the lingering finish that one would expect of such great wine. Drink now (within 3 - 5 years); no positive upside can be expected from further cellaring. (17/20)
1978 Bonnes Mares, Comte Georges de Vogüé: A more earthy and sous-bois dominated bouquet. All aspects seamless integrated into a classically delineated structure that delivers restrained opulence balanced by freshness, mouthcoating flavours, robust structure and lingering finish. A wine at its peak of development. Drink now and over the next 8 - 10 years! (18/20)
1989 Musigny, Comte Georges de Vogüé (US strip label): The underlying good quality material disappointingly marred by brettanomyces, some volatile acidity, lacking in generosity on the palate and finishes dry.
1990 Musigny, Jacques Prieur: A classy bouquet of spice, dark cherry, savoury and animal notes, displaying rich ripe fruit and an understated elegance befitting of the vintage and its Grand Cru status. Great poise and perfectly balanced, with a very long finish. A wine that promises further ageing potential, of 10 - 15+ years! This was agreed by all as the wine that delivered the most upside surprise on the evening! (18.5/20)
1990 Musigny, JF Mugnier: This was much less evolved than the Prieur. Rich powerful nose and palate, with meaty and dark cherry notes, and still very primary. I detected a whiff of volatile acidity and a metallic undertone...but not sufficient to deflect our appreciation of its class, power and style. A wine to revisit in 5 years time? (17.5+/20)
1993 Bonnes Mares, d'Auvenay: unfortunately, this bottle had distinct bovril notes and signs of volatile acidity.
1993 Bonnes Mares, Robert Groffier (the owner of the bottle told us that it was a recent release by the domaine, hence the unusual wax capsule): for me, this was the wine of the evening. I scored it the highest. Alluring bouquet of coffee, spice, earth, mushroom and sous-bois notes. A wine that exudes freshness, energy, voluptuous ripe fruit, balance and a sense of harmony. Finishes very long. Drink now and over the next 10 -15 years. (19/20)
1995 Bonnes Mares, Georges Roumier: Classy bouquet and structure, with elegant poise and balance. Pure sweet fruit lines the palate, complemented by well-built freshness. The Groffier had just much more persistence, well-delineated structure and elegance at this evening's tasting. (18/20)
1995 Musigny, Georges Roumier: sadly another bottle with issues of volatile acidity and microbial spoilage.
The top 3 wines for the group were:
1978 Bonnes Mares, Comte Georges de Vogüé
1993 Bonnes Mares, Robert Groffier
1990 Musigny, Jacques Prieur
Quite a shame that 3 bottles out of 9 suffered from spoilage, one form or another.......and the sad thing is we could not have foretold their fates by judging from the condition of the cork, the level of the wine and sometimes the condition of storage (too much dampness?). Ultimately patience is rewarded in many a case of great wines.....let's just call the spoilage along the way part of the overall cost of investment?!
Musigny has a total area of just under 11 ha, between 260 and 300 ha and is situated at the southern end of the Chambolle village, overlooking Clos de Vougeot and Les Amoureuses. There are 3 distinct parcels to Musigny, in order from north to south - Les Grands Musigny (5.9 ha), Les Petits Musigny (just under 4.2 ha) and La Combe d'Orveau (around 0.7 ha). Comte Georges de Vogüé has the entire holding in Les Petits Musigny with about 40% of Les Grands Musigny. Except Jacques Prieur which has its holding in La Combe d'Orveau, all the other domaines (I counted 8) have their Musigny holdings in Les Grands Musigny. The soil in general is clay-rich clay-limestone, with small stones to help drainage. The lower slopes are based on hard Comblanchien marble/limestone, making it tough work for the vine roots. Upper slopes are more porous. The domaines would typically have vines planted along the slopes for a complete expression. Musigny is noted for its distinct perfume and a velvety texture that belies a robust character and persistent strength.
Bonnes Mares on the other hand is at the northern end of Chambolle and has a total area of 15 ha, with about 13.5 ha in Chambolle, and 1.5 ha in Morey. There are many more producers of Bonnes Mares - I counted 23. Bonnes Mares typically has a more sauvage and earthy character than Musigny, and a stewed fruit/plum character, rather than pure red fruit.
Here are my tasting notes - we tasted from old to young - none decanted, all opened between 7:30 and 8 pm:
1978 Musigny, Comte Georges de Vogüé (US strip label): Such enthralling aromatics of mushroom, truffle, cinnamon, spice and earthy. Sensuous texture, but a little weak structurally, with a slightly hollow mid-palate and short of the lingering finish that one would expect of such great wine. Drink now (within 3 - 5 years); no positive upside can be expected from further cellaring. (17/20)
1978 Bonnes Mares, Comte Georges de Vogüé: A more earthy and sous-bois dominated bouquet. All aspects seamless integrated into a classically delineated structure that delivers restrained opulence balanced by freshness, mouthcoating flavours, robust structure and lingering finish. A wine at its peak of development. Drink now and over the next 8 - 10 years! (18/20)
1989 Musigny, Comte Georges de Vogüé (US strip label): The underlying good quality material disappointingly marred by brettanomyces, some volatile acidity, lacking in generosity on the palate and finishes dry.
1990 Musigny, Jacques Prieur: A classy bouquet of spice, dark cherry, savoury and animal notes, displaying rich ripe fruit and an understated elegance befitting of the vintage and its Grand Cru status. Great poise and perfectly balanced, with a very long finish. A wine that promises further ageing potential, of 10 - 15+ years! This was agreed by all as the wine that delivered the most upside surprise on the evening! (18.5/20)
1990 Musigny, JF Mugnier: This was much less evolved than the Prieur. Rich powerful nose and palate, with meaty and dark cherry notes, and still very primary. I detected a whiff of volatile acidity and a metallic undertone...but not sufficient to deflect our appreciation of its class, power and style. A wine to revisit in 5 years time? (17.5+/20)
1993 Bonnes Mares, d'Auvenay: unfortunately, this bottle had distinct bovril notes and signs of volatile acidity.
1993 Bonnes Mares, Robert Groffier (the owner of the bottle told us that it was a recent release by the domaine, hence the unusual wax capsule): for me, this was the wine of the evening. I scored it the highest. Alluring bouquet of coffee, spice, earth, mushroom and sous-bois notes. A wine that exudes freshness, energy, voluptuous ripe fruit, balance and a sense of harmony. Finishes very long. Drink now and over the next 10 -15 years. (19/20)
1995 Bonnes Mares, Georges Roumier: Classy bouquet and structure, with elegant poise and balance. Pure sweet fruit lines the palate, complemented by well-built freshness. The Groffier had just much more persistence, well-delineated structure and elegance at this evening's tasting. (18/20)
1995 Musigny, Georges Roumier: sadly another bottle with issues of volatile acidity and microbial spoilage.
The top 3 wines for the group were:
1978 Bonnes Mares, Comte Georges de Vogüé
1993 Bonnes Mares, Robert Groffier
1990 Musigny, Jacques Prieur
Quite a shame that 3 bottles out of 9 suffered from spoilage, one form or another.......and the sad thing is we could not have foretold their fates by judging from the condition of the cork, the level of the wine and sometimes the condition of storage (too much dampness?). Ultimately patience is rewarded in many a case of great wines.....let's just call the spoilage along the way part of the overall cost of investment?!
P.S. During a recent stay at Gerard Basset's Hotel Terravina in the New Forest in the UK, we tried a bottle of 2006 Bonnes Mares, Hudelot-Baillet. We had never heard of this domaine before. The domaine was established in 1981 by Joel Hudelot, together with his wife Chantal Baillet. Now run by Joel's son-in-law Dominique Le Guen since the former's retirement in 2004, the domaine has taken great steps to improve the quality of wine from 8.5 hectares of vineyards, including much lower yields, and sustainable viticulture. Dominique practices cool pre-maceration before punching down in the early stages. He then moves to more gentle pump over and also delestage for avoid extraction of harsh tannins from the pips. 50% new oak and 50% 1-year barrels for the Premier and Grand Cru wines. Elevage in oak between 12 and 18 months. Since 2002, the wines have been bottled unfiltered.
The 2006 Bonnes Mares showed a deep colour, rich ripe and pure fruit, starting to display some tertiary development, a well-integrated structure with intrinsic minerality and balance, but perhaps lacked the aromatic and flavour complexity, depth and lingering finish of the better examples of Bonnes Mares. It was nonetheless a beautiful expression and a reasonable value for this Grand Cru! Gerard told us it was his last bottle! Hopefully, he will have replenished his wine list with another interesting wine on our next visit.
And I should mention that we also tried a 2012 Rully Premier Cru Grésigny by Paul et Marie Jacqueson. I last tried wines by this domaine during my visit to Bourgogne in June. It really was a great example of Rully! Mineral, almost flinty, with fine citrus and almond notes, well-judged acidity, well-balanced and a nice long crisp finish! We loved it!
(To read more, please refer to: http://vinumetvita.blogspot.hk/2015/06/climats-de-la-cote-chalonnaise.html)
And I should mention that we also tried a 2012 Rully Premier Cru Grésigny by Paul et Marie Jacqueson. I last tried wines by this domaine during my visit to Bourgogne in June. It really was a great example of Rully! Mineral, almost flinty, with fine citrus and almond notes, well-judged acidity, well-balanced and a nice long crisp finish! We loved it!
(To read more, please refer to: http://vinumetvita.blogspot.hk/2015/06/climats-de-la-cote-chalonnaise.html)
Saturday, 5 September 2015
The best wine to go with fried calamari!
25 August 2015: It was a great experience to be tasting 2013 Grecante by Arnaldo Caprai with Marco Caprai in Hong Kong! 100% Grechetto, with its Greek origin, showed vibrant acidity, pronounced minerality and elegant structural balance, proved to be a perfect pair with fried calamari, and absolutely approved by Marco!
We went to Fishteria on Queen’s Road East, the new seafood-focused dining concept by Chef Gianni Caprioli. The ambiance is bistro-like, with focus on seafood. Friendly, casual and nicely spacious. We started with some oysters and a glass of Champagne downstairs, before heading upstairs for dinner. The salt-baked seabass was a highlight, as was the scrumptious burrata with heirloom tomatoes. Look out for Chef Gianni’s upcoming opening on Star Street (same site as The Principal).
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| Deep-fried calamari |
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| Really delicious burrata and tomato salad |
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| Salt-baked seabass |
Vintage South African Wine Tasting
24 August 2015: Greg De’eb of Crown Wine Cellars is known for his knowledge and collection of mature South African wines and has often surprised dinner guests with bottles from his collection in blind tasting. Yet this HK Wine Society Vintage South African dinner was the first time he had organised a blind tasting of so many bottles from his personal collection, including a number that came from the famous Cape Winemakers Guild auction. We could call this a prelude to the two tastings at Crown Wine Cellars in September (8th and 15th) that would showcase samples from the upcoming auction on 3 October.
This year will be the 31st Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction which started in 1985, and will see 55 exceptionally crafted wines go under the hammer in Stellenbosch. Over the years, this Auction has enthralled private collectors, wine enthusiasts and on-trade representatives with limited volumes of wines of benchmarking excellence, individual character and enduring worth, made exclusively for the auction by members of the Guild. Excitement for the 2015 auction is particularly hyped for its lower quantity, with 258 fewer cases than last year’s auction. The 55 wines comprise 34 reds, 17 whites, 3 MCCs (Méthode Cap Classique) and a straw wine, making a total of 2,575 cases (each case being 6 x 750 ml). The pursuit of excellence amongst Guild members has led to the showcasing of the first ever Barbera making auction debut and a Cape Portuguese blend, being the first Calitzdorp-style red blend with 3 classic Port varieties with Shiraz.
On this evening, however, we tasted 12 reds, all from Stellenbosch, with ages varying between 14 and 18 years. In keeping with the HK Wine Society tradition, we all wrote brief notes and scored the wines, before ranking them in order of 1 to 12, with 1 being the top wine and 12 the least favourite. Everyone’s ratings were tallied and the wine with the highest number would be the least favourite wine and the wine with the lowest aggregated number would be the group’s top wine.
The group’s results were as follows (starting with 1st place):
1. 2001 Vergelegen Flagship
2. 1997 CWG L’Avenir Estate Pinotage Reserve
3. 1999 CWG Thelema Cabernet
4. 1999 Vergelegen Flagship (Cabernet/Merlot) – nicknamed Haut Brion bacon by the Society’s President Vernon Moore, as members alluded to its claret-like pencil shavings and cigar smoke nuances, as well as a distinct savoury, bacon note.
5. 1998 Vergelegen Cabernet Sauvignon
6. 2000 Vergelegen Flagship
7. 1997 CWG Zevenwacht Shiraz Reserve
7. 1999 CWG L’Avenir Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
9. 1999 CWG Grangehurst Cabernet Sauvignon
10. 1997 CWG Morgenhof Auction Reserve
11. 1998 Graham Beck Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Select
12. 1998 L’Avenir Cabernet Sauvignon
Some highlights served at dinner included a 1989 Pinot Noir Champagne by JC Le Roux (the Champagne name was still widely used in South Africa then!), showing ginger, nutty and toasted brioche notes, and harmonious balance, 2009 CWG Gary Jordan Chardonnay (judiciously oaked with an elegant poise, bright acidity, that can rival a fine Bourgogne), 2002 CWG Hartenberg Gravel Hill Shiraz (such elegance, bright acidity and spicy character), 2001 Meerlust Rubicon (rich, mouthcoating ripe chewy tannins) and a 1995 Kanonkop Pinotage served from magnum (showing such balance and character that received the majority vote over Kanonkop’s 1993 Paul Sauer Bordeaux Blend!). The 1998 CWG Overgaauw Reserve was also well received in the fortified category!
With such gracefully matured wines as testimony to the ageing potential and quality of CWG wines, we could expect a very exciting line-up for the 2015 auction. The pre-auction tastings at Crown Wine Cellars should not be missed, and more importantly the CWG Auction on 3 October! Greg has been running the pre-auction tasting since 1997, evidence of how popular the auction has become amongst HK collectors and wine aficionados. Take a peek at the 2015 auction wines at:
This year will be the 31st Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction which started in 1985, and will see 55 exceptionally crafted wines go under the hammer in Stellenbosch. Over the years, this Auction has enthralled private collectors, wine enthusiasts and on-trade representatives with limited volumes of wines of benchmarking excellence, individual character and enduring worth, made exclusively for the auction by members of the Guild. Excitement for the 2015 auction is particularly hyped for its lower quantity, with 258 fewer cases than last year’s auction. The 55 wines comprise 34 reds, 17 whites, 3 MCCs (Méthode Cap Classique) and a straw wine, making a total of 2,575 cases (each case being 6 x 750 ml). The pursuit of excellence amongst Guild members has led to the showcasing of the first ever Barbera making auction debut and a Cape Portuguese blend, being the first Calitzdorp-style red blend with 3 classic Port varieties with Shiraz.
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| The blind tasting at Crown Wine Cellars |
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| The flight of 12 , blind tasted |
The group’s results were as follows (starting with 1st place):
1. 2001 Vergelegen Flagship
2. 1997 CWG L’Avenir Estate Pinotage Reserve
3. 1999 CWG Thelema Cabernet
4. 1999 Vergelegen Flagship (Cabernet/Merlot) – nicknamed Haut Brion bacon by the Society’s President Vernon Moore, as members alluded to its claret-like pencil shavings and cigar smoke nuances, as well as a distinct savoury, bacon note.
5. 1998 Vergelegen Cabernet Sauvignon
6. 2000 Vergelegen Flagship
7. 1997 CWG Zevenwacht Shiraz Reserve
7. 1999 CWG L’Avenir Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
9. 1999 CWG Grangehurst Cabernet Sauvignon
10. 1997 CWG Morgenhof Auction Reserve
11. 1998 Graham Beck Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Select
12. 1998 L’Avenir Cabernet Sauvignon
As Greg summarised it in his opening remark before dinner started, this tasting certainly proved that South African wines with their Old World heritage could shine if only we consumers could have the patience to cellar them and enjoy them with maturity so that their full potential could be revealed and admired. He had prepared another set of exciting wines for us to experience at dinner. Guy Llewellyn, Club Manager and also Executive Chef of Crown Wine Cellars, had gone to great lengths to replicate some of South Africa’s signature dishes, including Cape Malay Bobotie, served with avocado, biltong and thyme vinaigrette, with its Indonesian heritage flavours, grilled traditional Boerewors (farmer’s sausage), served with tomato chutney and Fillet Meintjieskop (tender ostrich fillet infused with lychee sauce), following the recipe of the namesake dish served at the Restaurant Meintjieskop near the Union Building in Pretoria.
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| Fillet Meintjieskop |
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| The delicious 2002 CWG Hartenberg Gravel Hill Shiraz (right) |
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| The fortifieds |
With such gracefully matured wines as testimony to the ageing potential and quality of CWG wines, we could expect a very exciting line-up for the 2015 auction. The pre-auction tastings at Crown Wine Cellars should not be missed, and more importantly the CWG Auction on 3 October! Greg has been running the pre-auction tasting since 1997, evidence of how popular the auction has become amongst HK collectors and wine aficionados. Take a peek at the 2015 auction wines at:
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