CWG AGM

Wiomnes tasted at the Annual CWG Dinner held at Paul Cluver Wines

Blinis with beetroot cured trout, Black roe and dill crème fraiche
Parma ham, honeyed fig and brie skewers
Goats cheese and walnut mousse filled gougers

• 2015 Pol Roger Champagne Vintage Brut 91 Points

  France, Champagne

  (Tasted with dinner and served in Magnum) Light autolytic aromas of a slice of toast, a touch of melted butter, yeast nutrients, lemon zest and green apple. There is some maturity to it from its mid-yellow-gold colour. The palate has richness but little depth, yet maintains a lovely line of vibrant acidity with lemon juice, apple slices and pastry edges. A medium to long finish closing very dry with a touch of spice.
  A blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, sourced from 20 Grands and Premiers crus vineyards in the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs. Must undergo two débourbages (one at press house, second à froid in stainless steel at 6°C for 24 hours). Slow cool fermentation under 18°C in stainless steel, varieties and villages separate. Full malolactic fermentation before blending. Secondary fermentation in bottle at 9°C in deep cellars (33m below street level) for seven years before disgorgement. Remuage by hand. Aged in deep cellars before disgorgement.

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Fynbos smoked Norwegian salmon on red quinoa with Pickled radish and edamame beans, fennel milk emulsion and citrus crème fraiche

• 2019 Domaine de Montille Puligny-Montrachet 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet

  (Tasted with dinner) A pale straw colour with pronounced struck match and gunflint aromas verging on an inner bicycle tube, accompanied by fresh apple and lemon-to-lime qualities. The entry is chalky and dry, with a salty lemon-apple character, yet it opens to reveal a richer mid-palate and doesn't quite have the depth of a Premier Cru (see below). A crisp acidity contributes freshness, whilst the mid-palate is alive with aniseed, fennel, and light spices with a stem-ginger quality. It closes with a lingering, pithy, quarry-dust note, tightening the wine.
  The grapes were mainly from a declassified Premier Cru in the lieu-dit of Chalumeaux,"
  Chardonnay bunches lightly crushed before pressing. Premiers crus: 10-20% new oak; grands crus up to 25% new oak. Flagship Bâtard-Montrachet aged in single year-old barrique (228 liters). Whole cluster fermentation for aromatics and silkiness.

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• 2019 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet

  (Tasted with dinner and served in Magnum) Pronounced mineral, struck rock and tidal pools are complemented by greener citrus fruits, ripe peaches and yellow apples. The entry is fresh and pithy with a backbone of racy acidity underscored by soft oatmeal creaminess and a touch of smashed hazelnut. Complex with fantastic depth and concentration, the oak is still reasonably noticeable but doesn't detract. It has some phenolics, and the group felt it was slightly bitter, but I enjoyed its pointed angles as it ran to a lingering, fairly tensile finish with a hint of alcohol warmth.
  Sourced from seven parcels (4.64 ha's): Les Brelances, Les Grands Champs, Les Nosroyes, Les Reuchaux, La Rue aux Vaches, Les Tremblots, Les Houlières. On clay-limestone soils. Older vines (between 1955 and 2003). Biodynamic cultivation. Long, gentle pneumatic pressing; decanting 24 hours; racking to oak casks (18% new: max 1/2 Vosges, min 1/2 Allier). Aged 12 months in cask, then 6 months in tank. Homeopathic fining, very light filtering if necessary. Biodynamic.

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Wagyu carpaccio with Shimeji mushrooms, parmesan and baby leaf salad with truffle caviar and horseradish.

• 2017 Bouchard Père et Fils Clos Vougeot 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

  (Tasted with dinner) Pleasant earthy aromas merge with dried orange peel, cranberry, hibiscus and a light lift of sandalwood. Scrawny extract with an intense and full body framed with leathery tannins and a blade of acidity. Evident notes of candied orange, earthy, almost cooked beetroot leave along with some minerals and a warm finish. Needs time to settle.
  Soil is varied: upper slope pebbly limestone (best); mid-slope well-drained; lower alluvial clay. Southwest-facing slope.
  Gravity-flow winery. Smaller fermentation tanks for optimum ripeness. Increased new oak. Aged 3+ years before release.
  2017: Harsh winter, warm/sunny spring (early budburst/flowering with slight coulure). Mixed summer (heat/water stress, cooler showers). Harvest Sept 4-18 in autumnal weather; healthy grapes, near-normal yield.

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• 2017 Domaine Jean Grivot Clos Vougeot 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

  (Tasted with dinner): Pale ruby with a translucent rim. Expressive, lifted aromas offer a medley of red berries, ripe plum, and subtle hints of grappa and pomace. Beneath these fruit-forward aromas lie notes of candied orange peel, adding richness and a faint touch of warmth, savoury earthiness, and mineral undertones. Rich and polished wine in which a mix of ripe red berries, plum, and candied fruits takes centre stage as a minerality runs underneath, with support from firm yet fine-grained tannins that provide structure and a lively acidity drive.
  A warming core, with some glycerol here, some power, without overshadowing the ripe fruit.
  Refined, concentrated examples with a notable depth glide towards a long finish with lingering mineral and earthy notes— some gravitas!
  Score: 93/100
  The grapes were picked slightly later than most, and they were farmed biodynamically. 100% destemmed grapes and matured in 50% new oak barrels.
  1.9ha parcel in Clos de Vougeot
  Soil is varied as per Bouchard Pere et Fils. high-density planting for low yields.
  95% destalked; 4-6 days cold maceration; fermentation in stainless steel. Aged 18 months in oak (25% new for village, up to 70% for grands crus). Bottled without fining/filtration per lunar/atmospheric cycles.

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24 hours braised pork belly with seared scallops sautéed porcini mushrooms, parsnip puree caramelised baby onions

• 2008 Bodegas Mauro Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León Terreus Paraje de Cueva Baja 95 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León

  (Tasted with dinner) Deep garnet with a slightly tawny rim. Lifted and effusive but not volatile, the bouquet is all ripe prunes, dried figs, and dark cherry with savoury nuances of tobacco leaf, cigar box, and a subtle mineral edge.
  Bold and intense on entry with a sweeter fruit entry, the wine exhibits layers of prune, date, and fig interwoven with notes of dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and faint hints of cigar smoke. Some light raspberry hints at a Grenache element.
  Remarkably svelte, with ripe, powdery tannins, the wine has a firmer backbone that provides structure and keeps it focused and precise.
  There's a luxurious, almost velvety quality to the mid-palate, balanced by fresh acidity that lifts the ripe fruit and prevents any sense of cloying heaviness. A long finish with minerals, woodsmoke and tobacco leaf. Fabulous!
  Matured in French oak.
  Soils: Clay-sandy, loose, deep. 100% Tempranillo. Aged 33 months in French oak barrels. Bottled September2011. Yields 3,000 kg/ha. Production 5,900 bottles + 300 magnums. ALC 14.5%.

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• NV Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único Reserva Especial 1991, 1994, 1999 (2012 Release) 98 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  (Tasted with dinner) Light crimson towards a garnet rim. A deep, intense bouquet of spice cake, moist Christmas cake, and dark chocolate with layers of enticing dates, dried figs, caramel and hints of tobacco leaf. Underneath the spice and fruit lies an earthy core with faint herbal nuances.
  A luxurious entry with a silky texture and opulence that displays spiced black plum and cherry and date paste beneath which an opulent slice of wet chocolate cake or torte (black forest gateau?) melds the Christmas cake, caramel and chocolate together through which anise, mocha, and roasted cocoa bean weave through the mid-palate, creating a rich tapestry of flavour that is mind-blowing!
  This finely tuned wine, with depth and concentration, displays well-defined filigree tannins that build slowly across the palate without overwhelming the fruit, and a twinkling acidity that runs horizontally through the wine. The finish is remarkably long and resonant with each sip, revealing new layers of complexity, and it closes with orange zest, bitter cocoa nibs, moist chocolate cake, spiced fruit compote and a cigar box. Wow!
  A blend of 1991, 1994, and 1999 vintages the wine undergoes extended barrel and bottle ageing.
  Alluvial clay-limestone; 800m elevation
  ~95% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), ~5% Cabernet Sauvignon
  Aged 10+ years traditionally (reduced recently). Succession of large/small American/French oak barrels + bottle ageing.
  Vineyards structured into 52 plots; min 10-year-old vines (avg 35).
  Blend for consistency; tribute to tradition. Balance of best vintages.

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Brillat Savarin, Epoisse Berthaut,Comte (16 months), Saint Nectair, Fromages Blue, Marie Harel Brie

• 2006 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese 96 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (Tasted with dinner) A bright mid-gold colour with intense aromas of yellow flowers, jasmine, frangipani, and honeysuckle layered with the subtle botrytis character of marzipan, nougat and ginger spice entwined with hints of petrichor and damp earth. Ripe peach, semi-dried Tilton apricots and a touch of white blossom emerge with time in the glass, creating an expressive and gorgeous profile!
  A fine, linear entry with an exquisite balance of sweetness and racy, piercing acidity upon which rich layers of stone fruits, honeyed citrus, and white floral notes are carried by the acidity that cuts through the richness with precision. The mid-palate is opulent, with a slightly creamy element, and concentrated, with a steely mineral backbone, keeping the wine taut. I found the interplay of richness and tension captivating as the wine unfolded to a prolonged, seamless finish, with lingering notes of ripe peach, white blossom, honeycomb, and a faint saline minerality. A wine with panache and pedigree.
  Sourced from slate soils on steep slopes, the grapes are picked late with a touch of botrytis.
  87ha steep weathered clay/blue slate. Weathered grey Devonian slate (heavier with clay)
  Natural winemaking, minimal intervention. Needs years to show; ages decades.
  2006: Low yields, late harvest, best berry selection. 70% ungrafted vines.

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• 2008 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 94 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (Tasted with dinner) Pale gold with greenish hints. A savoury and earthy-led bouquet with notes of wet clay, slate, and faint mineral smokiness. A cool, herbal nuance, reminiscent of mint humbug, and a delicate pencil-lead note peek through, too. A more restrained Auslese than the typical expressions, offering a refined, linear profile with savoury elements framing the subtle sweetness. An incredible minerality and a touch of honeycomb underpin flavours of Granny Smith apple, spiced nectarine, and some granadilla. While the sweetness is evident, it feels slightly drier than comparable Auslese wines, with the sweetness elegantly balanced by a piercing acidity.
  A fine, silky, almost diaphanous texture the wine feels practically weightless on the palate and the acidic tension prevents the wine from feeling cloying—a long, lingering finish with some wet stones.
  In slate-rich soils, the grapes were hand-picked with partial botrytis followed by a slow, cool fermentation.
  Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr (part of 32ha Brauneberger Juffer)
  Fine weathered Devonian slate (almost "greasy," expanding)
  100% Riesling (partly noble rotten grapes)

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• 2009 Boplaas Cape Winemakers Guild Vintage Reserve 93 Points

  South Africa, Western Cape

  (Tasted with dinner): Deep, inky garnet with a slight ruby rim. Aromas of rooibos tea, exotic spices, leather ply with damson plums, fig, candied fruit and Xmas cake contribute to a brooding savouriness. A powerful, full-bodied entry reveals layers of dried fig, liquorice, glacé cherries, and prunes, enveloped in a velvety texture, with sweet, firm tannins that offer a supportive backbone. Plush, with a cocoa powder note in the mid-palate, the wine has that classic port-like richness of glycerol and sweetness that coats the palate, leading to a long, integrated conclusion.
  Made from Tinta Barocca, Touriga Nacional, and Souzão grapes. Fermentation occurred in traditional open-top fermenters (lagares), followed by fortification. The wine was then matured for 12 months in large seasoned French oak barrels.

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