Another Block Buster On the Way – Tasting the 2017 Meerlust Chardonnay with Owner Hannes Myburgh…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 1 Comment

This 1756 wine estate has long been the pride and joy of South Africans since the 1970s and the corresponding love for this estate and its wines is practically ingrained in the South African psyche.

I’ve known both owner Hannes Myburgh and winemaker Chris Williams for a very long time so catching up with either of them in London is always a privilege. After a brief visit to Ireland, Hannes was straight back into the London trade to present a fantastic Rubicon Vertical in London, for which the write up is to follow soon.

But the Meerlust Chardonnay is a wine which has a following almost as passionate and loyal as that of the Rubicon. So today, given the opportunity, I dived straight in to review this new vintage classic.

Meerlust Chardonnay 2017, WO Stellenbosch, 13 Abv.

A very pale, faded apple core yellow, this is another wonderfully expressive Chardonnay from Chris Williams championing the “less is more” mantra with this restrained style. The nose is complex yet classically restrained revealing layers of smokey green Granny Smith apples, green pears, crunchy honeydew melon and a tantalising suggestion of struck match and dusty minerality. Lovely clarity, purity and focus throughout. Despite the lower 13 Abv, this wine is jam packed with intense flavours of sweet ripe lemons, lime cordial, honey suckle, toffee apple and green gauge fruits, embroidered and embellished with intense piercing fresh acids. Very polished and grown up, you can see instantly why this impressive wine remains a perennial consumer favourite. Another real beauty to drink from release and for 10+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Most Important Burgundy Releases from the 2015 Vintage ~ Tasting the Wines of Domaine de la Romanee Conti with Aubert de Villaine…

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“We see this sort of vintage 2 or 3 times a century. Very Special.” Aubert de Villaine, Domaine de la Romanee Conti

When you hear words like that spoken by one of the most iconic grandee figureheads of Burgundy, it’s enough to make your heart race and your blood pump wildly. Tasting any cuvée from any vintage of Domaine de la Romanee Conti is a very special privilege, but to taste the iconic block buster vintages, well, those are moments that make working in the wine trade so very special and memorable.

In the words of Aubert, “there is no such thing as a great or poor vintage, but rather only easy or difficult ones.” With those few simple words, you immediately understand the quality philosophy and commitment that goes into making the greatest expressions of Pinot Noir in the world. Having personally tasted every new release DRC vintage since 2004, I can confirm that the excitement and anticipation never recedes, but to the contrary, grows more and more vivid and intense with every additional vintage experienced.

With Aubert de Villaine at the release tasting.

The 2015 Growing Season

The winter of 2014/15 had been mild apart from a usefully cold spike in mid February which reached -6c, and with heavy rains for the water table that were to prove useful for the dryness that was to come later in the season. Spring was likewise warm and dry apart from two storms on May 1st and June 15th. July offered just 14mm of rain with a heat wave between the 2nd and the 8th, with night time temperatures reaching 30c.

The vineyards enjoyed this hot dry weather remaining perfectly green with no signs of stress and ripened quietly. The second half of August was fabulously hot and dry again with harvesting beginning in the white Montrachet vineyard on the 4th September and in the red Corton vineyards on the 5th September. The berries were small, fabulously ripe, thick skinned and with high intense sugars.

Domaine de La Romanee Conti Corton Grand Cru 2015, Burgundy

Wonderfully bright and lifted, this shows plenty of verve and energy. The fruits are dark, intense, very elegant and accessible. Layers of stony black plums, cranberry, strawberry pips and wild forest berries. The lovely mineral graphite hint is very pronounced at this youthful stage. The palate is full of silky stuffing, deep and dense with sweet spicy sappy fruit, wood spice and a pithy strawberry and cherry pip finish. The fruit envelops the acidity and tannins and emerges as a seamless, beautifully harmonious, concentrated mouthful. Drink from 2020 to 2040+.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine de La Romanee Conti Echezeaux Grand Cru 2015, Burgundy

The Echezeaux is decidedly more expressive on the nose than the Corton, with that extra bit of lift, power and fragrant perfume. Lovely notes of violets, cherry blossom, red liquorice and sweet pink musk mix with subtle hints of rock candy and powdered bon bons. The palate shows beautiful intensity of fruit, concentration and depth but is held in check by a defined seam of salinity and sea shore exoticism. Tannins are textured, finely polished and spicy, helping to carry the long, seductive finish. Drink from 2022 to 2035+

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine de La Romanee Conti Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru 2015, Burgundy

The Grands Echezeaux is decidedly deeper and denser and more grande than the Echezeaux, showing more gravitas and depth of fruit. The nose is brimming full of creamy fraises des bois, bramble berries and red cherry coulis. Such wonderful purity, focus and precision backed by power and intensity. The powerful aromatics follow to the palate that shows impressive concentration, plush opulent breadth and a mouth coating deliciousness. This is going to be one of the great expressions from this terroir in years to come. Truly exceptional. Drink from 2024 to 2040+.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine de La Romanee Conti Romanee St Vivant Grand Cru 2015, Burgundy

Usually tasted after Richebourg, in 2015 Aubert de Villaine reversed the order to follow the Grands Echezeaux. The aromatics are fine and ethereal with a chorus of delicate whispering. The nose shows subtle violet perfume, dusty spicy red fruit lift, raspberry coulis, fresh leafy cranberry, red cherry confit and pink bon bons punctuated by a constant seam of chalky minerality. The palate mimics the aromatics, with pretty, animated red fruits, sweet bruised red cherries, red cranberry, and distinguished finesse and flare. Belying the attractive fruit elegance and intensity, are the most compact, dense, balanced silk textured tannins that suggest this wine will have a very long and rewarding future. Very pretty indeed.

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine de La Romanee Conti Richebourg Grand Cru 2015, Burgundy

Aubert described 2015 as a vintage tailor made for the Richebourg style. The wine is certainly stand apart from the previous cuvées tasted, with incredibly bold and opulent aromatics bursting with sweet strawberry confit, cherry candy, toffee apples, bruised black plums and a sprinkling of crushed peppercorns and chalk dust. The palate sings a bold joyous tune of opulence, generosity, flamboyance and hedonistic pleasure. Such breath, depth and mouth watering deliciousness, this wine is so relaxed and at ease with its greatness. An eye wateringly fine example of Richebourg. Possibly one of the best in the past two decades. Drink from 2022 to 2040+.

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine de La Romanee Conti La Tache Grand Cru Monopole 2015, Burgundy

As different as the Richebourg was, this La Tache is altogether more deep, dark and mysterious, showing plenty of grandeur and elegance, but with reserve and noblesse that only breeding can bring. The aromatics show layers of broody dark fruits, saline cassis, blueberry, black cherry and black bramble berries touched with a lick of salty liquorice and polished mahogany. The palate reveals an incredible intensity of fruit, a pinpoint acidity and harmonious, seamless powdery tannins. So complete, so noble ~ an incredibly grand vin. The finish is powerful and layered with a length that knows no bounds. What this wine lacks in flamboyance, it more than makes up for with restrained grandeur, structure and effortless structural precision. Drink from 2024 to 2040+. A breathtaking wine.

(Wine Safari Score: 98+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine de La Romanee Conti Romanee Conti Grand Cru Monopole 2015, Burgundy

One of the lightest and most crystalline of the wines in colour, what this wine lacks in visual depth, it more than makes up for with its ethereal fragrant beauty. The aromatics are less of a compilation of greatest hits but more of a melodious chorus bellowed by angels on church spires. Smoked herbs, pot pourri, cherry skins, violets, jasmine blossom, crushed limestone, sappy peppery cranberry and subtle graphite spice notes make for an effusive nose. Blink and you will miss the ever changing notes unfurling in the glass. The palate perhaps remains truest to its terroir and combines the concentration of the vintage with the intense liquid minerality of the vineyard site, with its sappy, spicy black berry weightlessness of Pinot Noir at its mercurial finest. A true symphony of greatness. Always a pleasure to taste. Drink from 2025 to 2045+.

(Wine Safari Score: 99+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

A Wonderful Maiden Red Release from Thorne & Daughters ~ Tasting the Wanderer’s Heart 2016 Red Blend…

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John and Tasha Seccombe operating out of space at the Gabrielskloof Winery have established a massive international following for their deliciously opulent white wines over the past 5-6 years. So of course … that meant it was time for a red!

This maiden vintage was released in mid-2017 and has been met with high critical acclaim internationally. So with some very expensive Welsh lamb cutlets on the menu for Sunday lunch, this red seemed the perfect match! Oh, and what a beautifully designed label.

Thorne & Daughter’s Wanderer’s Heart 2016, WO Western Cape, 13.5 Abv.

An interesting red blend made from fruit sourced from all over the Cape including 69% Voor Paardeberg Grenache, 21% Bottelary Cinsault and 10% Bot River Mourvèdre. Unfined and unfiltered, this maiden vintage red was aged in old French oak barrels to create a wine with great purity. What immediately strikes you is an intensely perfumed nose full of violets, dried cranberries, red cherries, tart red plums and hints of black raspberries. A delectable melange of peppery red and black forest berries. The palate is crunchy and fresh with a complex, textured fleshy red berry fruited weight that also reveals savoury hints of dried herbs, raspberries, cranberry coulis and a defined underlying minerality of river pebbles and chalky tannins. The acids are pure and fresh adding a vibrancy and crystallinity without being tart. Light and fresh enough to drink slightly chilled, this impressive Grenache based blend is going to seduce a lot of drinkers now and over the next 10+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

White Burgundy Producers Making Great Red Wines ~ Tasting Domaine Roulot Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru Rouge…

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Domaine Guy Roulot is a legendary Burgundy producer responsible for some of the finest Meursaults, if not some of the world’s finest white wines. Under his charge, this small family domaine was elevated to global stardom. Guy’s marriage to Geneviève Coche and his own hard work added more prime parcels to the family’s holdings, which he vinified and bottled separately.

Guy’s sudden death in 1982 left the family in transition, as his son and heir apparent, Jean-Marc was in Paris pursuing a career in acting. A series of three winemakers later, including biodynamic convert Ted Lemon from Sonoma’s Littorai, assisted in the changeover period until 1989, when Jean-Marc at last agreed to return to take over the reins of the estate. Today, the wines of Domaine Roulot are among the most sought after wines in all of Burgundy.

The red wines at Domaine Roulot use grapes that are de-stemmed and vinification takes place in open top wooden cuves where must is kept at a low temperature for 3 to 4 days cold maceration before fermentation, which lasts around 12 days with pump-overs and occasional punch-downs. The reds are then aged for 12-15 months in barrels, 15% to 18% of which is new oak.

Domaine Roulot Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru 2014, Cotes de Beaune, 12.5 Abv.

The 2014 Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru has a very pretty aromatic profile that feels more delicate, tender, seductive and perfumed when you know the wine is made by one of the greatest white Burgundy producers. Like Coche-Dury reds and Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne Montrachet reds, this alluring Roulot Burgundy speaks with its own unique authoritative voice. The nose is jam packed with red cherry, logan berry and crunchy cranberry laced with exotic notes of sweet dried coriander seeds, fresh herbal parsley notes and a subtle boxwood spice. On the palate, what strikes you immediately is it’s sleek, elegant, crystalline red fruit profile, weightless fruit concentration that is so well defined with out being brutish or too ripe and powerful. A very succulent, welcoming wine that finishes with a very more’ish bright, mouth watering acidity and a softly saline, pithy, sea breeze twang. Wonderful pedigree, lovely class in the glass. Drink now to 2030+

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Satisfying Friday Night Pinot Noir Cravings with One of Burgundy’s Most Sought After Producers – Domaine Duroché Gevrey Chambertin…

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I have been following this superb Burgundy producer since 2011/12. Unfortunately, I’m not the only one who has tasted these wines and realised what incredibly exciting results were being achieved from some top Cotes d’Or vineyards.

Domaine Duroché is currently run by fourth generation Gilles Duroché along with his son Pierre, so they are by no means a new winery. But they have definitely emerged as one of the most sought after wineries in Burgundy over the past 4 or 5 years with consistently big scores from both critics Neal Martin and Burghound’s Allan Meadows.

Domaine Duroché Gevrey – Chambertin “Champ” 2014, Bourgogne, 12.5 Abv.

This pretty 2014 Gevrey Chambertin comes from vines planted between 1969 and 1973 and displays impressive aromatic violet perfume and pink blossom lift, lots of crunchy red cherry, tart red plums, summer strawberries and a pithy peppery leafy vibrancy ensure this is a complex glassful. The palate is medium bodied showing fine density, supple creamy tannins, and the most delicious fleshy, mineral laden red fruits framed by confident but not tart acids. Impressive depth, harmonious balance and a fine dusty, stony red berry compote finish. A winery to follow closely, with wines to beg for at allocation time on release. Drink now to 2030+

(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Winemaker Corlea Fourie and Bosman Family Vineyards Creating Some Profound Benchmark Wines in Wellington…

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The extensive Bosman Family vineyard holdings are based primarily in the Wellington region although a new winery in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus was added to the portfolio in the last few years. As well as owning large swathes of vineyards, the Bosman Family are also one of the leading nurseries for vine rootstocks in South Africa. Under the lead of head winemaker Corlea Fourie, they make some fantastic white and red wines.

But two whites that really stand out head and shoulders above the rest of the wines in their range are the Fides Grenache Blanc and the Optenhorst Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc. The Fides was first produced in 2013 as a ‘project of passion’ for Corlea who is certainly regarded as one of the most talented and precise winemakers in South Africa. This wild ferment skin contact Grenache Blanc has certainly allowed Corlea to ‘let her hair down’ and experiment with her ‘wild side’.

The second wine of note  is the Optenhorst Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc from bush vines planted in 1952. In 2010 the Chenin Blanc Association funded research into the old vineyards of the Cape and it turned out that this was the 4th oldest registered Chenin Blanc vineyard in South Africa.

Bosman Fides 2016 Grenache Blanc, WO Wellington, 14 Abv.

An alluring old gold colour with just the faintest copper tinge. The aromatics are super complex and a little more ‘wild’ than previous vintages. One almost gets the feeling that Corlea has loosened her winemaker grip slightly and allowed this skin contact Grenache Blanc vintage to really express its own personally a little more. The nose is packed with ginger biscuit spice, tangerine peel, bruised yellow orchard fruits, furry yellow apricots, spearmint and complex savoury herbal nutty notes. The palate is sleek, focused and taught, displaying delicious fresh bristling acids, pithy phenolics, bitter orange peel, sweet pineapple and mango pastille fruits, and finishes with a lovely long, textural, harmonious length. A superb effort if not the best to date. Drink now to 2026+

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Bosman Optenhorst Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc 2015, WO Wellington, 14.04 Abv.

The 2015 is an even more profound wine than the excellent 2014 Optenhorst. This superb new vintage plays to this wine’s style perfectly. The big rich bold bouquet is brimming with white peaches, tinned pineapple nuances, Golden Delicious apple puree, waxy pear skins and a fine vein of stony minerality. The palate possesses the most explosive concentration and intensity, coating all corners of the mouth with honied apples, yellow citrus, pineapple pastille and orange peel zest while all the while kept tightly under the firm reins of a mouth watering acidity. This is really one of South Africa’s top Chenin Blancs from one of the oldest vineyards in the country. This wine certainly does this heritage vineyard site justice. A real WOW wine. Drink now to 2035+ (RS 2.1 g/l, TA 7.8 g/l, pH 3.0)

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

A Superb Amphora White Burgundy Sure to Make Wine Geeks Weak at the Knees – Tasting Jean Marc Millot’s New Aligote 2017…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 1 Comment

Jean Marc has been in charge of his family’s small domaine for nearly two decades now. He has combined his experience with a relatively new chai at Nuits Saint Georges and is coming out with some very solid wines indeed.

There is a tendency to pick a little later (though never the last for the Cotes de Nuits Villages), use careful selection and then vinify in the natural way. There is just a little new oak on the Grand Crus and the Suchots but the wines rely on a very natural feel and intensity of fruit.

The Cotes de Nuits Villages has been a great value wine for some years. Jean Marc and Christine’s second daughter, Alix is making her mark … this is her fourth vintage and the wines have now become highly prized both in Europe, America and Asia.

Jean Marc is also dabbling with a delicious new Amphora wine made with bought-in Aligote grapes and was kind enough to include a sample bottle in his 2016 red Burgundy sample shipment sent over for his annual London En-primeur tasting.

Jean Marc Millot Bourgogne Aligote 2017, Burgundy, France

Still bright lemon yellow with a hint of haze, this is an exotic Aligote brimming with energy and character. The aromatics are quite lifted and phenolic, showing notes of baked apples, apple skins, pear purée and a savoury, earthy, white pepper, yellow pastille fruit intensity. This wine is still in amphora and so retains a vibrant crunchy green fruit concentration, plush fleshy depth, nervy energy, and a most delicious sweet apple bon bon finish. While not a finished wine yet, if Jean Marc can preserve the impressive textural breadth at bottling, this is going to be an absolute cracker that should make natural wine geeks week at the knees.

(Wine Safari Score: 88-90+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Possibly the Greatest Value Red Wine in Piedmont ~ Tasting Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo 2016…

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There are not many certainties in the world of fine wine, but there are some. One is that Cantina Terlaner is the greatest white wine Co-operative in the world. The second is that Produttori del Barbaresco is the greatest red wine Co-operative in the world! It is also one of the most innovative, consistent and highly acclaimed producers in Piedmont, making exquisite traditional Barbarescos that are among the best examples of the appellation.

This famed co-operative in Piedmont dates back to 1894; forced to close in the 1920s because of fascist economic rules, it was regenerated and revived in 1958 by the village priest of Barbaresco who recognized that the only way the small properties could survive long term was by joining forces and combining their efforts. Today the cooperative has 56 members and 100+ hectares of Nebbiolo vineyards in the Barbaresco appellation, which amounts to almost 1/6 of the vineyards of the area.

Their Langhe Nebbiolo in particular has long been one of the greatest and most profound value reds on the market, recognised and lauded buy critics far and wide. The 2016 is no exception and once again pushes the boundaries of red wine quality even further.

Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo 2016, 14.5 Abv.

This is a super attractive 100% Nebbiolo wine sourced from DOCG certified Barbaresco vineyards. Grapes were picked from both younger vines, lower aspect sites and vineyard spots that don’t quite meet the high standards of the Produttori Barbaresco co-operative. There are beautiful aromatics of sappy red cherry, red liquorice, star anise and tarry spice. The palate is gorgeously pure, finely poised and elegantly harmonious. It seems almost inconceivable that a wine so attractive can cost less the £20. It possesses such wonderful core focus and finishes with tender, sleek fine grained tannins and deliciously fresh mouth watering acids. Such a pleasure to drink and impressively, you’d never detect the 14.5 alcohol such is it’s cool, polished refinement. A truly tantalising release. Drink now to 2026+

(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Laura Lorenzo and Daterra Viticultores Creating Breath-Taking Wines in the Val do Bibei, North West Spain…

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Hailing from Allariz in the province of Ourense, Laura Lorenzo enrolled in the local enology school at the tender age of 16 with definite ambition to become a winemaker. Upon graduation, she worked at the nearby Adega Cachín, and then overseas with Eben Sadie in South Africa and Achaval Ferrer in Argentina. After her various apprenticeships, Laura took over the reins at Dominio do Bibei, a dynamic, pioneering producer of fine wine in the Quiroga-Bibei subzone of Ribeira Sacra.

Laura worked there for 10 years developing an attractive style of winemaking that was fine-tuned and focused on the hillsides of the region, specifically to the terruño around the village of Manzaneda. In 2014 Laura and her partner, chef & artist partner Alvaro Dominguez, branched out on their own and formed Daterra Viticultores to cultivate the mountainside vineyards of the Bibei Valley.

Gavela da Vila is comprised of 100% old vine Palomino organically farmed at a variety of elevations, expositions, and soil types in the Val do Bibei. 90% of the grapes were destemmed, with the must seeing just a few hours of skin contact before pressing.

The wine was fermented with wild yeast in used 225 liter French oak barrels, and then raised on the lees in the same barrels for 6 months. Small amounts of sulfur were added after fermentation and at bottling. The wine was not clarified, cold stabilized or filtered.

Daterra Viticultores Gavela da Vila Palomino 2015, Manzaneda, Val do Bibei, 12.5 Abv.

A bright pale gold straw colour, there are plenty of tell tale signs of the wine’s short skin contact. The nose is rich and very expressive with complex notes of savoury pithy yellow citrus, yellow blossom, hazelnut and walnuts, dried orange peel and the most seductive saline, baked apple, aldehydic and oxidative Sherry-Manzanilla notes. The palate entry is electric and vibrant challenging the palate and provoking thought, but most certainly makes your mouth salivate with a saline briney zest, fresh zippy acids and a delicious spicy oxidative leaning yellow fruited finish laced with baked pears and vermouth spices. A really tantalising effort from an incredible new talent in Spain. Only 1,590 bottles produced. Drink now to 2026+.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

English Red Wines Coming of Age ~ Tasting the Superb New Release Hush Heath Manor Pinot Noir 2016 from Kent…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

This historic estate dates back to 1503 with the exquisite Tudor-framed Hush Heath Manor serving as the family home of the Balfour-Lynn’s. The Manor nestles into the hill, overlooking the vineyards and estate with magnificent views across the Weald of Kent. The 160 hectares situated in an ancient oak woodland is impressive and a fitting setting for the Balfour wines.

The 2016 Pinot Noir is sourced from 16 hectares of vines planted on Wealden Clay over Tunbridge Wells Sand. Farmed environmentally friendly, the Burgundian Clones of Pinot Noir are trellised to the double guyot vertical shoot positioning system with a planting density of 3,300 vines per hectare. The 2016 harvest was hand picked between the 12th and 13th of October 2016.

Winemakers Owen Elias and Victoria Ash over saw the relatively cool fermentation’s at 26 to 28 degrees C on de-stemmed skins resulting in vibrant colour extraction and a lively fruit structure. The wine also underwent full malolactic fermentation before being aged for several months in American and French oak barrels.

Hush Heath Manor Pinot Noir 2016, Kent, English Quality Wine, 12 Abv.

An attractively vibrant crystalline ruby red colour, this wine possesses all the elegant perfumed beauty you’d expect from world class Pinot Noir. There are plenty of fragrant violets, cherry blossom and freshly plucked rose petals over scents of sappy spice, crushed red cherries, blackberries, pepper corns and resinous wood spice. Medium bodied and taughtly structured with a fine core of sweet / sour red plum fruits and vibrant, tart crunchy mouth watering acids. But unlike some cooler vintages, this wine’s palate shows ample flesh, a sweet depth of cherry and cranberry fruit and a complex array of exotic baking spices and raspberry herbal tea infusions on the long, persistent finish. Delicious to drink now already, this serious effort should show even more harmony and elegance in 1 to 2 years time.

(Wine Safari Score: 91+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)