Sensasional Sauvignon Blancs

A delicious lunch with friends in their garden with views to False Bay and resplendent with iceberg roses and giant hydrangeas, brought home the fact that our South African Sauvignon Blancs can age with grace and substance.

Somewhat mature still Succulent Sauvignon Blanc

The line-up was heavy-weights such as Cederberg Ghost Corner, Klein Constantia, Oak Valley, Tokara and De Grendel from the stellar 2009 vintage which was an outstanding year for both red and white.

Tokara had crunchy New Zealand style fruit intensity while the Oak Valley was elegant with cool herbacious flavours, the Klein Constantia was rounded with underlying minerality. De Grendel showed lively, tangy lime and a creamy herbacious edge while the Ghost Corner still had its tensile mineral thread running through succulent fruit but its poise and depth made this the star of the show for me – it certainly could hold its own anywhere on the world stage.

2004 Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre Alphonse Mellot and Neil Ellis

We also compared two wines from 2004 – the local Neil Ellis and Alphonse Mellot La Mousierre from Sancerre. The latter was mellow with honeyed herb and  tarte tatin flavours while the Neil Ellis was deep, intriguing and lively with many years ahead of it. The Sancerre, although a satisfying mouthfull, has peaked and was enjoyed at the right moment.

Chateau d’Yquem

1987 D’ Yquem

In 1993 on an extensive visit to some of the most legendary and iconic wineries of Europe I visited Chateau d’Yquem in Sauterne and bought some of the 1987 vintage which has slowly been maturing, waiting for the perfect moment to be enjoyed. The wine certainly honored expectation and the 26 years of patience.

Chateau d’Yquem is a legendary Premier Cru Supérieur or Superior First Growth wine from the Sauternes in the southern part of Bordeaux. In the Official Bordeaux Classification of 1855, it was the only Sauternes given this rating to recognize its superior standing amongst its peers.  It is known for its longevity, unique taste, ancestry and high prices but ultimately it is the essence of the alchemy between the grape and the magic woven by the threadlike mycelium of the little fungus called Botrytis cinerea, or noble rot. Although understood by science, analysis of the unique flavours created very slowly first in the vineyard, then in the cellar and ultimately in the bottle remains illusive. It unfolds its secrets to those who take the time to listen and experience its wonder.

Chateau d’Yquem and Vineyard

Botrytis Cinerea on the Bunch

It takes a strong mind to leave your grapes on the vine until they turn into disgusting-looking, mouldy raisins by alternate climatic heat and misty dampness synchronized to create the afore-mentioned fungus. The grapes will all ‘rot’ on the bunch at different rates, so pickers have to pick berry by berry with little scissors into a little wooden basket and might need to comb the vineyard up to 10 times.  The yield from these dessicated grapes will be a small fraction of that yielded by healthy red or white berries, therefore only about 20 or so top ranking properties can afford the luxury of producing top quality of this sweet nectar every vintage. They might produce only tiny quantities or in some years nothing at all.

Fine Sauterne has an unctuous richness with honey, crème brulée and a mélange of glace pineapple, ginger, butterscotch and floral flavours with a counterbalance of freshness which lifts the concentration and sweetness and prevents overly heaviness. This combination gives these wines, from good years, almost eternal life. Fruity tones fade into delicious secondary and tertiary flavours with age, reminiscent of a faded silk tapestry of great beauty and lustre.

Bottled in 1787

In July 2011, an 1811 bottle of Château d’Yquem sold for £75,000 ($117,000) at the Ritz in London to a private collector, Christian Vanneque, to become the most expensive bottle of white wine ever sold.

The Chateau d’Yquem vineyard consists of 126 hectares in the Sauternes appellation, though only 100 hectares are in production at any time and plantings consist of 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon blanc. The proportions are close to equal in the final wine because of the greater crop from the Sauvignon Blanc.

The château was run by Comte Alexandre de Lur-Saluces, after the death of the Marquis Bernard de Lur-Saluces in 1968. He ran it as a family property until 1996. Sadly a family feud ended the family tenure when some members sold 55% to the French luxury goods LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton paid about $100 million. The Comte remained until 17 May 2004, when he retired and was replaced by the well-respected, current managing director of Château Cheval Blanc, Pierre Lurton.

Perfect maturation in d’Yquem Cellar

The grapes are pressed three times and transferred to oak barrels to ferment and mature for a period of about three years. In some poor vintages no d’Yquem is bottled – this happened nine times in the 20th century: 1910, 1915, 1930, 1951, 1952, 1964, 1972, 1974, and 1992 and in the 21st century one time: 2012.

The empty vessel

Younger Sauterne should be chilled to around 6 ºC and older wines can be served warmer at around 10 to 11ºC. The 1987 was a very good – if not spectacular – year and the wine had acquired the deep amber glow of burnished copper. It glugged lazily into the glass and the enticing nose of toasted nuts, vanilla cream and soft orange marmalade followed through to the palate. The silky, mouthfilling essence glided over the tongue reminiscent of melting butter and honey with complex flavours of glace apricot, pineapple, peach, smoky sandalwood and praline lingering for an eternity. Full-bodied, unctuous with perfectly balanced acidity giving wings to the complexity. It lingered dreamily, unfolding still more treasures, finishing seamlessly with perfect precision.

Pinot Noir Minx or Maiden

Yering Station 2008

On a recent tasting panel for Vinorevue in Prague we tasted 80 Pinot Noirs from all over the world in 4 flights. It was a pleasure to see how diverse the origin of some of the top wines was.

Pinot Noir is not an easy traveller and settles with great reluctance into new territory. To complicate matters further it also presents some other characteristic challenges. It is very prone to mutate – as in the browny-pink skinned Pinot Gris and the pale green-skinned Pinot Blanc. This variability results in wines of very different character being produced from different clones – much more so than in some other varieties. The thin-skinned bunches rot easily in damp, rainy conditions and excessive heat during ripening can result in simplistic, jammy wines.

Corton CLos du Roi, Burgundy

The essence of Pinot Noir can be found in its lively fruit, an expression of place and alluring charm rather than in a blockbuster garb with over-extraction, robust tannins and excessive use of new oak hiding its perfumed finesse. It translates the vineyard site with more clarity than many other varieties and adjacent vineyards can produce radically different wines despite similar love and attention.

Even though the greatest examples may not have the longevity of the grandest wines from Bordeaux the top wines can be majestic and profound and I have had the privilege to try some wonderful sixty to eighty year old bottles. The greatest wines are still produced in Burgundy although there are some strong contenders. Some of these vinous treasures come from the Grand Crus of the Côte d’Or, the legendary wines around Vosne-Romanée such as Romanée-Conti, La Tache and Richebourg and those on the hill of Corton – to name a few. Some village burgundy can be delicious at four to five years old, while at Premier Cru level they should drink well from six to ten years if well stored.

Some Burgundies

The siren call of this minx of a grape has lured and

enthralled many an unsuspecting wine lover and wine maker into an irresistible desire to drink the best or make the best Pinot Noir despite the odds against either finding or making it. Small plantings can now be found throughout Europe and far beyond – occasionally causing elation and often frustration. Germany, Switzerland, Austria and to a lesser degree Czech Republic has embraced it and the wines we tasted showed increased skill in the vineyard and cellar. Vintages can show big variation and the search for the holy grail continues.

The Californians are doing very well with big, juicy and bold Pinots made in the cool Russian River Valley, a more delicate style coming from Carneros and some fine examples from the Central Coast between Monterey and Santa Barbara, where Richard Sanford was a pioneer and proved it could ripen reliably year after year.

Juris Pinot Noir, Austria

Some of the cooler, coastal areas in Australia such as Geelong, Yarra Valley and the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria have been somewhat successful but New Zealand has really taken the grape to heart with Martinborough/Wairarapa near Wellington on the North Island long established. South Island has produced some very credible wines but the rising star has been the Central Otago region, in the southern part of the South Island, with some truly delicious wines emerging. This may well prove to be region that could make something truly profound.

Geil Pinot Noir from Germany

Wines I gave and 90 and more were – Yering Station, Yarra Valley, Australia; Villa Mount Eden, Russian River Valley, California; Francis Ford Coppola Director’s Cut, Sonoma, California;  La Crema, Monterey;  Cambria Julia’s Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley, California; Errazuriz, Aconcagua Valley, Chile; Castel Sallegg South Tirol/Alto Adige, Italy; Geil Spatburgunder, Bechtheimer, Germany; Juris Burgenland, Austria; Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru, Burgundy, France; Domaine Jean Grivot, Nuit-St-George Premier Cru “Aux Boudots”, Burgundy, France;

Cabernet Franc – a Horse of a different Colour

Chateau Cheval Blanc 2005 – St-Emilion 1st Grand Cru Classe ”A”

A recent tasting combined 10 vintages, 2001 to 2010, of South African Cabernet Franc from Raats Cellars and a selection of eleven Cabernet Francs from all over the world, which included the Cheval Blanc 2005.  Prices ranged from R100 for the Raats Dolomite Cabernet Franc to about R6,000 for the Cheval Blanc which is considered to be one of the top recent vintages from this iconic property. There were wines from the Loire – Chinon and Bourgueil, California and South Africa. I was pleasantly surprised by the excellent examples from South Africa, because it is a difficult varietal, not only in the vineyard but also in the sales room. Consumers hear Cabernet and often do not understand that Cabernet Franc has great finesse with a perfumed, lacy quality which belies its staying power. DNA evidence show that Cabernet Franc crossed with Sauvignon Blanc produced Cabernet Sauvignon which can have very dense tannins and make big, masculine wines. Sharing their first name often bring about misunderstanding of what to expect from the perfect glass of Cabernet Franc.

Cabernet Franc ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon and therefore is more suited to vineyards situated in far northerly regions where the latter seldom ripens. It is a demanding mistress in the vineyard but certainly makes up for it when treated correctly. It needs about 300 man hours of love and care as opposed to a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot that would need 100 man hours to produce similar quality. It buds unevenly and over-cropping occurs easily, producing weedy, thin wines.

Cabernet Franc ready to be picked

Cabernet Franc Bunch

The Raats wines showed class and consistency with my favourites, the 2004 and 2009, elegantly balanced. The 2001 was very much alive and the 2010 still an infant with spicy blackberry fruit and underlying  minerality. I quote Bruwer Raats who says:

“If Cabernet Sauvignon is a broad sword, then Cabernet Franc is a rapier.”

Domaine Couly-Dutheil in Chinon makes a superb example, called Clos de l’Echo.  This vineyard lies on calcareous clay soil and is the stuff of legend. The walled vineyard and castle was named for the echo sent back by the castle walls. The great French satirist Francois Rabelais and his family once owned the vineyard. The Couly-Dutheil family bought it in 1952 and it was re-planted the following year. I have been privileged to enjoy many bottles and the wine is very fine, complex, structured, and matures with grace for many years. It usually combines beautiful fruit concentration with dark chocolate, liquorice and leather wrapped in firm, smooth tannins. Sadly the example we had was not in good condition.

When nature and man combine its best efforts something sublime happens which illustrates greatness, that indefinable attribute called class and ultimately pleasure. The symphony of excellent terroir matched with perfectly chosen grape varieties guided by a sensitive concert master delivers much more than the sum of its parts.

The Saint Emilion property, Cheval Blanc, came into its own as France emerged from the devastating phylloxera plague towards the end of the nineteenth century. Cheval Blanc escaped unscathed and started building a reputation. It is one of only four Premier Grand Cru Classé ‘A‘ in St.-Emilion, together with Chateau Angélus, Ausone and Pavie. The owners since 1998, Bernard Arnault and Baron Frere, have maintained the quality and status and invested in a state of the art cellar which was opened in 2011.

This ultramodern $18.5 million cellar is chic but functional, environmentally sensitive and low-tech with no glitz or glamour in sight and captivates the spirit of Cheval Blanc. It was designed by architect, Christian de Portzamparc. The cellar creates the perfect place for the selective, one plot one vat, approach used by the Cheval Blanc team under the leadership of the revered Pierre Lurton, who has been there for more than two decades.  This allows all the elements and characteristics of each plot—gravel, clay, sand, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, different clones and rootstocks to express themselves before the ultimate art of blending combines them into the best wine they can be.

The wine is a blend of 50% each Cabernet Franc and Merlot (which could differ slightly vintage to vintage) and is known for its faultless focus and expression of purity and precision. It was its beauty and elegance rather than power which impressed about the 2005. The nose was initially quite ethereal and teased gently with blackberry fruit and violets, then built up layers of texture and flavour on a base of densely woven tannins which was pure silken luxury. It seduces rather than shouts and has the harmony and poise to last another 25 or more years for drinking perfection.

There are few things in life as captivating as a great line-up of wines and the wonderful thing about it is that it is ever-changing and thus ever-challenging and fascinating.

CABERNET FRANC WINES TASTED

1. Hillcrest Estate Cabernet Franc 2011 – Durbanville, South Africa
2. Raats Dolomite Cabernet Franc 2011 – Stellenbosch, South Africa
3. Frederic Mabileau Racines 2009 Bourgueil – Loire, France
4. Chinon Le Logis de la Bouchardière 2007 – Loire, France
5. Hermanuspietersfontein Swartskaap 2009 – South Africa
6. Couly-Dutheil Clos de L’Echo Chinon 2005 – Loire, France
7. Buitenverwachting Cabernet Franc 2007 – Constantia, South Africa
8. Château Cheval Blanc 2005 (St-Émilion) – St.-Emilion, France
9. Duckhorn Vineyards Cabernet Franc Napa Valley 2009 – California
10. Oldenburg Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2009  – Stellenbosch, South Africa
11. Duckhorn Vineyards Patzimaro Vineyard Cabernet Franc Napa Valley 2008 – California
12. to 21. Vintages 2001 – 2010 of Raats Cabernet Franc.

 

Chateau Mouton Rothschild

Waiting to be Decanted

1988 Mouton Rothschild catching its breath

It is not every day that mere mortals  are privileged to have  a Bordeaux First Growth in their glass and looking at the stratospheric prices which these succulent morsels sell at, it is no wonder. Recently I was privileged not only to have one but two vintages of  Chateau Mouton Rothschild in my glass as the ”piece de resistance” of an amazing line-up of wines perfectly matched with a memorable dinner.

Waiting to be Decanted.

In the original 1855 classification in Bordeaux which was based on the prices the wines were fetching, Mouton Rothschild was not classified as a first growth but a second. Prompting the charismatic owner, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, to say (translation from French) “First I cannot be. Second I do not deign to be. Mouton I am.” When he finally succeeded after much lobbying to acquire First Growth status in 1973, he changed it to “First I am, Second I used to be, Mouton does not change.” The wine is statuesque with the ability to age for many decades. It is a blend of mainly Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot used in the tradition of Bordeaux. The ’84 vintage was difficult and although  the wine showed some age the balance,  refinement and length was indisputably aristocratic. The ’88 was vibrant and youthful with delicious black fruit enclosed in a kid glove of firm, finely-honed tannins with savoury cedar tones stating its impeccable breeding. Lingering and perfectly partnered by slow-cooked oxtail it has left a blissful memory to be taken out and treasured for years to come.

From 1946 the labels have been designed by famous artists including Salvador Dali in 1958, Miro in 1969, Picasso in 1973 with the 1984 designed by Yaacov Aggam, an Israeli born artist now living in Paris and the 1988 by Keith Haring, an American sculptor and painter. His design for the 1988 perhaps makes an ironical reference to Mouton Rothschild’s official coat of arms with a satirical line-drawing of the Dancing Rams theme

1984 Mouton Rothschild waiting

This all was preceded by the stellar champagne from the House of Jacquesson, which has for long been one of my absolute favourite Champagnes and their Grand Vin Signature Rose 1995 was a  splendid example of the  Chef de Cave’s art.

Under the direction of the caring and meticulous brothers Jean-Hervé and Laurent Chiquet cultivation is organic, fermentation in oak has increased,  and vineyards have expanded. Based in Dizy the house was founded in 1798 and said to be  the oldest independant Champagne house.

The wine was delicate with creamy complexity and very much alive with a delicious depth of rich biscuit and toasted nuts, serious despite its feather-light footsteps teasing the tongue. This truly set the tone for splendours to come!

Jacquesson Grand Vin Signature Rose 1995

A wondrous line-up capturing many memories from vineyard to bottle and beyond

Chateau Clerc Milon 1991

Maturing Bottles

 

 

Fine Wines keeping company – Glen Carlou Gravel Quarry Cabernet and Chateau Clerc Milon 1991

Chateau Clerc Milon 1991

Consumed on Saturday 8 October 2011 with my dearest friend Johan and his mum Bes

We were admiring a collection of wines he has from the Mouton Rothschild stable when the dreaded smell of TCA made us isolate the bottle of 1991 Chateau Clerc Milon as the culprit. Leaving it on the side while we continued to drink the delicious Gravel Quarry 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon  from Glen Carlou we kept looking at the ‘rejected’ bottle discussing the sad demise of a great wine at the behest of the pesky little fungus that causes cork taint.

After some discussion we almost simultaniously said ‘let’s open it and see if it is really corked’  So without too much ado or ritual the bottle was opened and we were astonished to find the wine rather closed but undoubtedly pristinely clean without any of the dreaded mouldiness imparted by TCA. Our impulsive decision to try the bottle did now seem somewhat of an overkill after the delicious Gravel Quarry with its lingering depth sensuous muscular structure.

Chateau Clerc Milon is a 5^th Growth owned by Baroness Philippine de Rothschild. The 41 hectare property is located in an adjoining situation to Lafite and Mouton and was bought in 1970 by her father Baron Phillipe. Vines are planted closely with 10,000 vines/ha  and the varietal mix being 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Carmenere.  The wine is fermented in stainless steel for 15 – 22 days and then matured in oak for 16 – 18 months. The vintage was badly affected by the worst spring frosts since 1945.

In our unseemly hurry to drink it we did not wait for the wine to open but this gave us the opportunity to appreciate its evolution in the glass. The initial unresponsive nose opened to a plummy richness and sweet ripe fruit which was distinguished rather than obvious with excellent complexity developing as it unfolded its treasures which was well hidden until it was beckoned by oxygen to emerge.

Sharing this very special experience with wonderful friends has created a precious memory which will remain with me always and it reminded me once again of another wine friend’s saying that “ a wine collector’s biggest decision is not which wine to buy but who to share those lovingly matured bottles with.” For me it was indeed an honour to be chosen!

PS. Subsequent to our assumption of TCA we realised it was the wooden box containing the wines which was the culprit and we were put straight on the fact that it was not TCA(2,4,6, tricloroanisole) but TBA (2,4,6,tribromoanilsole ) a molecule which can produce a similar effect to TCA and comes from the precursor tribromophenol which is generally used to treat wood.