"Following the success of the inaugural Iconic Wine Night last September I had the great pleasure to be invited back by Neil and the team at Dunell’s to host a second evening of fine, rare and wonderful wines. The second Iconic Wine Night took place on February 10th in the Leopold Suite at Grand Jersey, with canapés matching each wine supplied by Richard Allen, their Head Chef. I was joined by Vianney Gravereaux from Champagne Philipponnat who presented the first two wines.
CHAMPAGNE PHILIPPONNAT CLOS DE GOISSES 1992 (This wine was brought to Jersey direct from the Philipponnat cellars and is not commercially available. It was a great honour to have this wine at this event)
For many of the guests tasting Clos de Goisses was the main discovery of the evening. Vianney explained that Clos de Goisses is often referred to as one of the wine worlds best kept secrets. The reason why Clos de Goisses is relatively unknown, even to wine enthiusiasts, is beacuse of its tiny volume of production. An average year for Clos de Goisses would be 15,000 bottles, which is put into persepctive when considerd next to reported estimates of Dom Pérignon production, which vary between 3 and 4 million bottles a year.
Vianney explained that the reason for the small production is that Clos de Goisses is a single 5.5 hectare vineyard, which produces just one wine, the Clos de Goisses. In French wine nomenclature the word clos indicates a single, often walled, vineyard. Vianney explained that goisses is a local dialect expression for hard work, or hard labour, a reference to the steep angle of the vineyard’s slope, at some places 45%. This steep slope, and its perfect due south aspect are keys to the unique style of Clos de Goisses. In the cold, northerly and marginal climate of the Champagne region, Clos de Goisses is remarkable in that it often ripens a full one or two degrees of alcohol more than surrounding vineyards. The vineyard is made up of pure chalk with heavily eroded top soil, so that the vines virtually sit right on the chalk. This gives Clos de Goisses its remarkable minerality, that balances the power and weight of the ripe fruit. Clos de Goisses is released after ten years aging, so the current vintage on the market is the 2000. It is one of the few champagnes wine that can stored with confidence over the long term; powerful years - such as the 2000 - will age and improve for thirty to forty years.
The first wine of the evening, the 1992 Clos de Goisses, bore testament to that ageability. Incredibly pale and bright for the age, it looked more like a five year old champagne rather than almost twenty years old. The nose was remarkably fresh and perfumed, and again, with no signs of age. One of the guests commented on the limey, almost riesling-like acidty and fruit on the palate. The flavours were very pure and precise, with a gentle honeyed richness coming in on the finish, the only real indication of its age.
CHAMPAGNE PHILIPPONNAT CLOS DE GOISSES 2000 @ £119.95 per bottle
By contrast the younger wine - the 2000 - actually looked older. Vianney explained that the deeper golden colour was a hallmark of the warm 2000 vintage, when the (black skinned) Pinot Noir came in so ripe that is was impossible to keep some of the colour out of the juice.
The wine showed a rich golden colour, powerful nose of brioche, toast, lemon and red fruits, with a savoury white truffle characteristic that many say is a feature of Clos de Goisses.
HUDELOT NOELLAT RICHBOURG GRAND CRU 2001 @ £269.95 per bottle
The first of the reds was a rare and delicious Burgundy, from the famous Richbourg Grand Cru vineyard, that lies within the appellation of Vosne Romanee in the northern part of Burgundy’s Cote d’Or, the Cotes de Nuits. Domaine Hudelot Noellat own 0.28 hectares in Richbourg, making them one of the smallest holders in this legendary Grand Cru which comprises 8.03 hectares in total. They are recognised for producing a house style of wines that are both fine and fragrant. The 2001 showed a delicate nose, very fine, gossamer like tannins, sappy, floral, red fruit, with some herbal complexity, with a very long finish.
CHATEAU MARGAUX 2001 @ £449.95 per bottle
The first of two Bordeaux First Growths, and a perfect example of the A list level we were tasting at this evening.
2001 was a good year in Bordeaux, characterised by a balance and restraint in the wines that make them perfect for early to mid term drinking, and to many palates (mine included) are representitive more of their terroir and a classic ‘claret” style than the riper, more powerhouse styles that are becoming more the norm in warmer years. This Chateau Margaux was highly aromatic, with a bouquet that filled the room, showing floral notes alongside dried tea and fine herbs. On the palate there was dried red fruit with more of the floral, rose petal perfume, the tannins already resolving (softening), and with a fresh, digestible acid.
CHATEAU LAFITE-ROTHSCHILD 2006 @ £595.00 per bottle
Until quite recently Chateau Lafite Rothschild was considered the least collectable of the five Bordeaux First Growths (the others being Latour, Mouton Rothschild, Haut Brion and Margaux). How things have changed. The huge demand for Lafite in the Chinese market has driven prices well above those of its peer group, fuellled by its image in the Chinese market as the “ultimate” gift. The 2008 which was released at £1950 a case is now worth over £11,000, a rise that was further fuelled by the Chateau announcing that each bottle will be etched with the Chinese symbol for eight (a lucky number).
The 2006 showed a semi transparent core, not as deep as I’d have expected; rich red and blue fruit, some coffee and mocha, spice, all elements in balance, dry, very fine granular tannins, tight finish, very long.
PENFOLDS GRANGE 2005 @ £199.95 per bottle
For many this was the most memorable wine of the evening, it was certainly the biggest and most powerful. Deep purple black, very rich nose, opulent, dark fruits, some raisin, black plum, mocha, espresso - complex full and very powerful. Broad structure, full but pliable tannins, saturated with ripe fruit and toasted new oak.
As an introduction to the wine, I related the story of how Grange was first created by winemaker Max Schubert. Inspired by a tour of Europe, and particiularly Bordeaux, in 1951 Max Schubert made the first vintage of Grange, producing five hogsheads (1800 bottles) on an experimental basis. By 1957, as a result of poor sales and negative reviews, Schubert was instructed to cease production of Grange, but continued undeterred for three years in secret, using old barrels and recycling bottles and hiding the maturing wine behind a false wall in the cellar. In 1960, as the early vintages began to age and their true value appreciated, the family members on the board instructed Schubert to re-start production, little knowing that he had not missed a vintage.
OPUS ONE 2007 @ £169.95 per bottle
I made the comment that there is often a gap between the perception of Opus One (often by those who have not drunk it!) and the reality of the wine itself. This is a far cry from the over-ripe “super-Cabs” that the Napa Valley is reknowned for producing. Robert Parker (the US critic) describes the 2007 as having a “skyscraper-like mouthfeel”. I have no idea what he means by this, but feel that he misses the point. This is a wine that is all about elegance, not power; texture, not ripeness.
On the nose it shows sweet blackcurrant and cream, not over ripe, very attractive. The palate is mid to full bodied, with silken tannins, full but supple. There is an intense core of damson fruit, sloe and more of that rich, creamy oak. Balanced acid, open perfumed almost floral finish. Delicious, drinkable, and not a skyscraper in sight!
WARRES 1977 @ £79.95 per bottle
We finished the evening on a gentle note - a fully mature vintage port from the house of Warres. Less rich than either of the two previous red wines, it nontheless provided a delicious and memorable finish to the evenings tasting. A herbal, sweet nose, showing dried figs and strawberry pips. Spirity, quite light body, aromatic palate with fine, lacy tannins, and a suggestion of cherry pie crust fruit on the gentle finish.
___________________________________
Once again the team at Dunell’s had put together an outstanding selection of some of the worlds greatest wines. I made the comment to some of the tasters at the end of the evening that these Iconic Wine Nights could be seen as a sort of “wine club” whereby everyone is chipping in towards the price of bottles that we rarely get to experience in our regular drinking lives. It was a real pleasure to host the evening, when the wines are this good its a privilage, albeit a very enjoyable one!"
___________________________________
To view all 24 pictures taken on the night, please click http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=269631&l=b3a2147b1b&id=110730952824 (even if you are not a Facebook member, you will still be able to view the pictures)
Huge thanks to Tim Wildman MW, Vianney Gravereaux from Champagne Philipponnat and to Nathan, Richard and the rest of the very professional team from Grand Jersey. The evening was a huge success!
No comments:
Post a Comment