Evening out at Marble with Friends from CWG
Marble Restaurant, Johannesburg
Tasted Tuesday, August 27, 2024 by rikipedia with 15 views
Introduction
A selection of wines that we drank at Marble Restaurant over the course of the evening with winemaker friends from the CWG
NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs 93 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
A pale yellow colour with aromas of Granny Smith apple, lemon, and delicate nut, shortbread notes greet the nose, accompanied by hints of nougat, struck match, and peach that enhance the bouquet. The palate opens with crisp apple flavours, accompanied by an intense mousse and creamy texture, which softens the crunchy acidity. There’s a touch of residual sweetness, and while the mid-palate feels narrow and taut, the wine is airy, light and elegant. A long, minerally, almost saline finish balances the richness. Delicious!
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1997 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault Flawed
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
A mid to deep amber colour that shows notable maturation and on the nose a volatile and maderized note suggests the wine has seen better days.
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2012 Château de Puligny-Montrachet Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
A pale straw colour with a noted struck-match and cordite reduction opening to crushed stones and quarry dust, and then Forelle pear, Granny Smith apples and a squeeze of lemon juice. The palate is tightly coiled, with a mid-palate of chilled orchard-fruit puree and an incisive acidity that yields a chiselled texture. Wonderful focus and clarity; the wine may be sharp but isn't aggressive, with acidity that nicely cuts through the fruit, shaping the wine and coaxing it to a long finish.
The mid-palate has real depth of flavour and excellent concentration for Saint-Aubin, and it finishes with a faint savoury note of button mushroom.
The wine receives 15% new oak, using larger-format barrels (350L and 600L).
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2021 Domaine Génot-Boulanger Chambolle-Musigny 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny
A mid purple colour with fragrant notes of wildflowers, pure Bing cherry fruit, boysenberry and wild strawberries with hints of fresh soft herbs and minerals. The entry is focused and lithe, driven by a medley of summer berries and a bright acidity underpinned by fine, chalky tannins that give backbone and a graceful gait — almost ballerina-like in its balance. Delicate herbs sit beneath the fruits of this precise, delicate wine. Concentrated and with a certain restraint, the wine is youthful and quite tight, displaying palpable energy. Medium to long with lingering red fruits.
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2020 Le Vigne di Eli Etna Rosso Calderara Sottana 94 Points
Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC
A light ruby-purple with wonderfully pure, lifted (volcanic) aromas of red cherry, red roses and strawberry, underpinned by a strong mineral line of a warm gravel driveway, dried clay, and rock scree, with touches of cherry pip.
The palate is direct and sprightly with an edgy, raw quality of the fruit. Steeped raspberries sit at the core, supported by gentle pepper, wild scrub, spice and minerals - crushed granite, ash, mineral dust - all woven right through the palate rather than sitting on top of it. Vivid and lifted, this clearly speaks of Etna, with its firm, finely etched tannins, energetic acidity, and tension. Long with a persistent red fruit and mineral length.
A superb expression!
100% Nerello Mascalese, soils are black volcanic sands, basalt and lava fragments. Aged for approximately 14 months in oak, using a mix of barrels and large casks (10–30 hl).
ABV: 14.5%
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2016 Roagna Barolo Pira 94 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
A pale red towards a bricking rim. A beautifully enchanting Barolo with plenty ot tar, pressed rose petals, and sour cherry with hints of leather and cigar box. There’s a wild, savoury undertow — touches of fungi and undergrowth lurking in between.
The palate is airy and perfumed with a distinctly feminine grace underpinned by clearly delineated acidity. The structure is fine-boned, reticular and compact, feeling refined rather than forced, and there is a lifted, graceful demeanour - buoyant - as it sashays to an elongated minerally finish. The ripe fruit is reflected in the mid-palate with a little more meaty nuances joining. Concentrated, this is a seriously delicious wine!
100% Nebbiolo from the Pira vineyard in Castiglione Falletto. Extremely traditional approach with an extended maceration of approximately 100 days on skins. Fermentation and ageing in large, neutral oak casks
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1977 Graham Porto Vintage 93 Points
Portugal, Douro, Porto
A mid to deep tawny with brick and amber edges. A classic expression of mature vintage port, with dried fig and cherry leading, followed by candied orange peel and deep, brooding flavours of prune, damson, and dark chocolate, infused with plenty of Christmas spices. The entry reflects that sweet fruit as the noted RS takes hold and a distinct spirit-y warmth comforts the mid-palate, helped along by a moderate acidity and silky tannins. Richly layered, this buxom-shaped wine shows complete integration and excellent concentration, with a strong sense of development. Wonderfully integrated the tapering finish is long and rewarding, evolving nicely in glass.
Traditional foot-treading in granite lagares. Long ageing in the bottle following a short time in cask.
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2017 Pieter Ferreira Cap Classique Blanc De Blancs 92 Points
South Africa, Western Cape
Pale straw with fine, persistent mousse. Initially quite reductive with wet stone, it opens to damp wool, followed by light apple, green plum, and chilled sliced lemon, which bring an overall coolness to the nose.
The palate is taut with an incisive acidity and a similarly cool tanginess that gives energy to the mid-palate. Plenty of minerals take precedence over its inherent fruit sweetness. Apple, pear, kumquat and pear sit within a chiselled, linear frame beneath which some gentle lees massage the palate. Dry and focused with a long, saline finish.
Mostly Robertson fruit fermented in SS, with a small portion fermented in a barrel. Aged on lees for 6 years. 1.6 g/L dosage.
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2022 Mullineux Syrah Schist Roundstone 95 Points
South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland
Deep purple in colour with an expressive lifted nose of purple flowers and lavender at the fore, followed by a light garrigue/fynbos, rosemary, aniseed, tapenade, charcuterie, ground black pepper and dark black fruit - very much Syrah - with a touch of bacon kip in the background pointing to SA. The aromas are pure and unforced, and this carries through to the palate, which is super fresh and intense. Compact, dry tannins add traction, as does a lively acidity, as the mid-palate opens with grilled herbs and fennel bulb gently infused with macerated blackberry. Powerful and concentrated, this is a purposeful, full-bodied wine with a dry, confident grip that carries the wine to a persistent finish.
100% Syrah planted in 1988. 100% whole-cluster fermentation
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2022 Rall Red 92 Points
South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland
Medium crimson in colour with inviting aromas of squishy raspberry, rose petal, loganberry, fynbos, soft herbs, peppered charcuterie, and dry underbrush in the Karoo.
The entry has plush spiced red fruits accented by a clear mineral thread. Pure, the wine is round and generous, with mineral-edged acidity and fine-grained, powdery tannins that add up to a decent structure. The mid-palate has a pastille-like sweetness balanced by leafy herbal notes, which add freshness and keep the wine focused. Appealing and approachable with a good backbone to age a touch further.
A blend of 78% Syrah, 12% Grenache, 7% Carignan, 3% Cinsault (all whole-bunch). 80% from schist soils. Aged in a mix of large foudre, concrete and old French oak.
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2015 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Arana Gran Reserva 94 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Deep garnet to a deepish-orange ring that shows some development. A big, sweet and expressive nose is dominated by tobacco, machiato foam, coconut and pronounced American oak. Steeped, marinated fruit notes come through as it opens with tinned cherries, mince pies, vanilla pod and a generous overlay of sweet spice - unapologetically old-school Rioja! Rich, sumptuous, and syrupy on entry, with a distinctly sweet-fruited attack, there are layers of tinned strawberry, cherry compote, dark chocolate (85%), and damson plum, woven with sweet tobacco leaves, vanilla, and baking spice. Plush and generous, with moderate acidity and ripe, integrated tannins, this is a super-polished wine that is comforting rather than austere. There’s plenty going on, and the wine carries its sweetness and oak nicely. Long and tapering, the wine finished with festive spices and figgy pudding.
A blend of 95% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano, with extended ageing in American oak barrels
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