RKW Wine Tasting 43 7th Avenue

A relaxed tasting with clients putting some of my wines against others.

• 2011 Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 88 Points

  New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough

  (Tasted Blind): A minerally flinty aroma melds with pure, focused green fruit touched by subtle toasty nuances, smoke, smashed nut and shortbread. A poised, intense wine that depicts a tight structure with prominent gunsmoke and flint notes on the palate, augmented with a creamy texture and nutty quality. Well-balanced, with careful oak integration, it is bone dry with a light phenolic grip.
  More restrained than previous vintages, I have tried carrying an intriguing sweet and sour resonance that lingers on the finish. However, its components appear to have less integration, leading to a somewhat deconstructed feel.
  14% ABV. Barrel fermented and complete MLF.

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• 2012 Richard Kershaw Wines Chardonnay Clonal Selection Elgin

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind): A rich and intense profile marked by a pronounced minerality that adds complexity, lemon slices and some orange. A pleasant roundness to the mid-palate, smooth textured with a mineral-edged acidity that keeps it fresh and engaging on the palate.
  Score: No score as conflict of interest.

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• 2013 Jordan Winery (Jardin) Chardonnay Nine Yards 90 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  (Tasted Blind): 2013 Jordan-Jardin Nine Yards Reserve Chardonnay
  A rounder, juicier profile with a broad flavour spectrum that includes juicy peaches, smoke, ripe Gala apples, lightly toasted nuts, a squeeze of lemon juice and yellow grapefruit.
  Riper, compared to previous vintages, the fruit is rich and intense on the plate, round and satisfying without the often tell of caramelized notes, focusing instead on the fresh, vibrant fruit and a touch of mineral/flint.

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• 2011 Henri de Villamont Meursault 1er Cru 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru

  (Tasted Blind): Pale yellow in appearance. Subtle aromas of aniseed, wet chalk, and wet stones make for a restrained nose. The palate entry mirrors and the wine feels raked-back and tensile, with a linear profile of damp chalk and savoury-edged fruit. In the glass, the wine slowly emerges to show white peach, sour melon and unripe lemon juice. A long finish with a chalky phenolic grip that melts softly in the mouth. Slightly sappy towards the close with a stern, yet well-defined minerality.

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• 2010 M. Chapoutier Hermitage La Sizeranne 95 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  (Tasted Blind): Deep red-black hue. A dense nose fills with black cherries, pepper, wild game, blackberry, and seductive forest floor nuances. Full-bodied, potent, and concentrated flavours are ably supported by thick, ripe tannins and lively acidity, contributing to a firm structure. Flavours of ground black pepper, hung game, blackberries, boysenberries, smoke and a twist of liquorice all add a fabulous richness and give breadth to the mid-palate. This is a terrific satiny textured wine with a long, layered finish and admirable depth.

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• 2012 Jamsheed Syrah Garden Gully 93 Points

  Australia, Victoria, Western Victoria, Great Western

  (Tasted Blind): Mid-deep red-black in colour. Aromatic fragrant notes of Bing cherry, blueberry, blackberry, spice and parkin (a type of gingerbread). A juicy entry with pure red cherry skin texture sprinkled with spice and some light herbal notes. Fresh and ripe, the spices are accentuated, joined by black pepper, and there is a phenolic edge to the mid-palate. A bright, vivid wine with velvety towards chalky tannins that extend into a long lingering finish. I like the enhanced spicy character imparted by the stems as they give a purity to the wine, taking away the sweetness that is often in Aussie Shiraz.

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• 2012 Saronsberg Shiraz 92 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Tulbagh

  (Tasted Blind): Deep black-red in appearance. A bright intense nose filled with blackberry, fruit compote and summer pudding with a touch of wood spice. The entry is big, juicy, and concentrated, with powerful fruit-driven intensity. A core of superripe fruit of liquefied cherries and blackberries simmering in a pot coat the palate as it moves towards a fudge-like softness with hints of caramel, light tobacco and dried orange peel. Complex and with a long, farewell.


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• 2012 Richard Kershaw Wines Syrah Clonal Selection Elgin

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind): Mid red-black in colour. Relatively subdued nose with a fragrance of pure red fruits alongside a swathe of black pepper and light spices.An elegant, intense wine that is medium to full-bodied with a savouryedge, some cranberry and raaspberry that sits upright on the back of a lively acidity and carries through to a long finish.
Score: none as conflict of interest.

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