Icon Wine

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Once Again Leading the Premium Wine Charge – Tasting and Reviewing Their Latest Vintage Releases…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Gyles Webb bought an old fruit orchard farm in 1983 after giving up his accounting career in Natal to pursue wine farming in the Cape. The old manor house was restored and the first wines under the Thelema Mountain Vineyards label were released in 1988. By the mid 1990’s Thelema’s wines sold out within a month after release, making it one of the most sought-after wine estates in South Africa.

Forever cemented as one of the Cape Wineland’s iconic wineries, the wider wine press attention in the noughties did somewhat shift away from the classical estates like Thelema towards the swathe of new up and coming exciting young gun producers primarily located in the Swartland.

Thomas Webb, the next generation in charge at Thelema.

But the classics always remain special and in the past decade, the wider global wine market has seen a massive refocus back on to the classical names that once helped re-establish the modern post-apartheid Cape wine industry. Thelema is just one of these wineries and their new releases under the stewardship of Thomas Webb are certainly worth a lot of attention! I caught up with Thomas in London recently and tasted through a superb selection of new vintages.

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2022

Vibrant, crystalline and fresh with bright acids, notes of lime peel and green passion fruit and a hint of green apple on the mouth watering finish. Beautifully lifted, pure fruited with a chalky density and impressive fruity, fleshy concentration despite being below <2g/l RS. A premium Sauvignon Blanc for drinkers who perhaps don’t like the more pungent grassy styles.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay 2020, 13% Abv.

Made 100% from mountainside vineyards offering a fulsome expression, rich and plush with a certain comforting opulence, boasting sweet lemon cordial, salted toffee, nutty pistachio and savoury biscuit notes. The palate shows impressive intensity with salty maritime notes, bright tangy acids with lemon grass, lime cordial nuances and a cool, mineral, drying finish. Really very smart.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 13% Abv.

The new release 2021 Thelema Chardonnay possesses a beautifully pale lemon lime canary yellow with a fabulous shimmering brightness to it and is a very enticing Chardonnay offering indeed. The initial aromatics are full of dried green herbs, sweet lemon and lime citrus, tart pineapple and a most seductive vanilla pod hint that is seamlessly integrated into the wine. The classy oaking is equally evident on the palate but kept well in check by authoritative 2021 vintage acids, a stony granitic mineral frame, all tempered by tart crystalline white citrus fruits, white peach, green apple and a tangy fresh concentrated finish where another hint of tart pineapple makes an appearance. A truly classy wine from this phenomenal 2021 red and white vintage in South Africa, it shows its regal class and precision with such purity and clarity combined with intensity. One of the best Chardonnays from Thelema in more than a decade. Drink on release and over the next 8 to 10 years.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Merlot 2020, 14% Abv.

Beautifully sweet fruited with aromatics of sappy cedar spice infused with black plum, black berry compote, dried baking herbs and a dusty granitic minerality. The palate is soft, sweet fruited and piquant with a supple fleshy texture, silky accessible tannins over subtle tobacco leaf, hoisin plum sauce, cigar wrapper and a cedar wood spice finish. A classy pure varietal expression of Merlot.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Merlot Reserve 2021, WO Stellenbosch

The Reserve Merlot displays a delicate aromatic array of potpourri, dried violets, bouquet garni and incense together with hints of red currant, dried cranberries and red plum nuances. The palate shows a tender, seductive elegance, linear acids, and a taut freshness, that belies a sleek, incredibly subtle, cool fruited elegance. There are hints of sweet cedar, baking herbs and very fine grained stony mineral tannins that really steer this wine in a wonderfully old world Bordeaux – St Emilion direction from a cooler vintage of minerality, restraint and structure. This is a simply spellbinding wine with a tight knit texture, a phenomenal purity and an elegance of note. If you can’t afford £100+ Bordeaux right bank reds, this beauty will go a long way to fill this gap. Drink from 2024 to 2036+.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

This classy Cabernet shows a spicy, piquant inky aromatics laced with layers of iodine, cedar spice, tobacco leaf and sweet black tea. The balance and texture on the palate is super classy with silky sweet tannins, plump opulent red and black berry fruits, sweet tobacco, graphite and a supple, long, intense finish enlivened by tangy acids. Very classy and classical Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon but approachable now.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards The Mint Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

A lush, plush opulent aromatics kissed with its signature minty leafy nuances over resinous menthol blackcurrant boiled candied sweets. Very sleek and fine boned on the palate, this is a beautifully supple, soft wine showing a silky elegance with finely balanced sweet tannins, tangy bright acids, and salty cassis intensity capped with a kiss of mint choc peppermint crisp complexity on the finish. A great returning vintage for the fabled Thelema Mint Cabernet!

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Rabelais 2020, 14% Abv.

2007 was the first vintage released commercially to the market after Giles Webb resigned from the CIWG where the wine was normally  destined. The 2020 expression is majestically complex and soft spoken, orchestral and refined with real precision, focus and textural poise. Beautifully earthy and perfumed with sweet violets, tilled earth, liquorice and salty black currant before a soft, silky, tangy palate loaded with black cherry kirsch liquor, saline cassis and a pure, long, intense classical finish. True class!

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Vin de Hel Dessert Muscat 2021

Made from 1 hectare of 37 year old vine Muscat (de Frontignan), picked at 35 balling to hit 149-150g/l RS with a TA of circa 5.7g/l. Grapey, fresh and vibrant on the nose with layers of lychee, rose petals, peach puree and quince jelly. Beautifully fresh, pure and utterly delicious. This is a very attractive but not overly sweet dessert style wine.

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

The Thelema crest.

The Thelema wines are imported into the UK by Enotria Wines.

Bordeaux En-primeur 2023 – Tasting the Wines of Martin Krajewski of Clos Cantenac and Chateau Seraphine…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

With Bordeaux En-primeur 2023 about to get into full swing, 2023 is indeed one of the most interesting and intriguing vintages in recent years. I visited Bordeaux from the 13th to the 20th September and visited a number of top Chateaux to walk the vineyards and inspect the quality of the grapes. After visits to left bank chateaux including Pedesclaux, Cap Leon Veyrin, and Pichon Baron as well as visits to right bank properties Figeac, Clos Cantenac and Chateau Seraphine, I concluded that the grape quality was indeed excellent.

The original doubts surrounding the vintage were cast after a prolonged spell of wet and humid conditions that struck vineyards at the end of June and early July, leading to intense mildew pressures. With the correct treatments, yields would have been slightly reduced but quality certainly does not seem to have been compromised at the top properties.

Walking through the Chateau Seraphine vineyard in mid-September 2023.

Whilst 2023 might be remembered as a year of extremes, it also produced some very favourable conditions at crucial times throughout the growing season including a warm dry spring that led to an early growth spurt and gave the vines time to establish themselves before the summer heatwaves arrived. With any serious damaged avoided during the frosts on the 4th and 5th of April, weather improved steadily in May with a very successful flowering and fruit set before a prolonged period of wet and humid conditions followed in late June, bringing with it a serious threat of mildew damage.

With Martin Krajewski in his Pomerol vineyards in September 2023.

From mid-July onwards temperatures were generally cooler than 2022, although they did regularly hit 30c in August and overall conditions remained favourable with red grape harvesting commencing on the 13th of September. The overall quality of the 2023 harvest is considered outstanding.

Petit Cantenac 2023, Saint Emilion Grand Cru, 14% Abv.

The 2023 Petit Cantenac is a blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that seduces from the very first waft of perfume and macerated black berry fruits in the glass. A little darker and broodier than the Clos Cantenac, the aromatics are once again dense and compact revealing rich notes of macerated black plums, black cherries, hoisin plum sauce, tannery leather and delicate hints of graphite spice. The palate shows impressive balance and symmetry all built around sensual, creamy, fine-grained tannins, supple black berry and black cherry fruits and a limestone mineral spice enlivened on the finish with a bright, seamlessly integrated seam of acidity. Showing attractively bold Cabernet characters in its youth, this is another very finely honed and constructed Petit Cantenac that offers a glimpse of the vintage’s warmth and ripeness while simultaneously retaining a certain amount of classical restraint. Really very classy indeed and undoubtedly… excellent value for money.

(Wine Safari Score: 94-95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Clos Cantenac 2023, St Emilion Grand Cru, 14% Abv.

This attractive 2023 Clos Cantenac is an exotic 100% Merlot Saint Emilion Grand Cru and displays the luxurious opulence and ripeness of this warm sunny vintage. Vibrant, plush, and deep, the aromatics show intricate notes of macerated black cherries, black berries, raspberries and damson plums together with hints of pressed violets, fresh tobacco leaf, tilled earth, incense, mocha and vanilla pod spice. The palate is fabulously full and textured, dense and mouth-filling with very sweet fine-grained ripe tannins, layers of salty black currant and black cherry fruits, all punctuated by a lingering vein of acid freshness. Perfectly weighted, rich and harmonious but also elegantly accessible and polished, this could be one of the finest young Clos Cantenac vintages I have tasted to date. A real beauty of the vintage.

(Wine Safari Score: 95-97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

L’Innocence de Seraphine 2023, Pomerol, 14% Abv.

The 2023 L’Innocence de Seraphine is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc and displays seductively opulent aromatics of perfumed violets and lilies, sweet damson plums, black cherries, blueberries, vanilla essence, freshly cut cedar and sweet exotic Asian spices. The palate is beautifully pinpoint and precise with a sleek, polished texture of saline black berry fruits, crème de cassis, picante dark chocolate and fresh cigars with subtle mineral limestone nuances. The palate shows impressive power and focus with supple, pliant tannins enrobed by ripe black berry fruits, mellow acids, hints of cola and salted caramel, finishing with notes of vanilla pod, mocha and savoury macerated berries. A delightful wine with striking mid-palate weight, power, and balance sufficient to rival most producers’ Grand Vins.

(Wine Safari Score: 93-95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Seraphine 2023, Pomerol, 14.5% Abv.

The 2023 Seraphine Pomerol is another incredibly dense, intense, hedonistic 100% Merlot creation boasting an almost impenetrable black opaque colour, massive extract, and exotic aromatics of white flowers, macerated black cherries, black currants, cola, freshly tilled earth, graphite, cloves and subtle hoisin plum sauce nuances. The palate is plush, full bodied and incredible concentrated, bursting with mouthwatering layers of blueberries, black currant pastille, black cherries and milk chocolate before subtle hints of salty black liquorice and brown toast on the long, persistent finish. This is an incredibly compelling wine with a spellbinding appeal, mouth coating sweet ripe tannins, and a distinctive seam of fresh, bristling acidity that adds requisite tension and delineation to the velvety Merlot fruit. This is up there with some of the finest vintages of Seraphine produced to date. (Only 4,400 bottle production.)

(Wine Safari Score: 97-98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Le Riche Wines Releases a Sensational Benchmark Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 That Will Redefine Pure Cabernet Quality in South Africa for Years to Come…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Le Riche Wines represents a veritable masterclass in the art of blending specially selected Stellenbosch terroirs from vines grown on decomposed granitic soils, sandy/loamy duplex gravels and deep clay rich oakleaf soils on the Simonsberg mountain range. Vintage after vintage, the Le Riche family, starting with father Etienne, and now continuing more latterly with Christo, have consistently produced some of the finest and most noteworthy single varietal Cabernet Sauvignons in the Cape… and finally, the world is waking up to this phenomenon.

This year’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 is a vineyard blend of grapes sourced from around Stellenbosch, including 67% Helderberg, 22% Simonsberg and 11% Jonkershoek Valley, which were matured in 70% new French oak for 24 months. (Helderberg Coastal, three vineyards; Simonsberg-Stellenbosch Single Vineyard; Jonkershoek Valley Single Vineyard).

As Christo reiterates, Reserve status is only endowed if the grapes and the resulting wine measures up to exceptional standards. Hand selected grapes from older, lower yielding vines are generally used and fermentation is done with a selected yeast strain under controlled temperatures. Manual plunging during this period ensures optimal colour extraction. After seven days the tanks are closed and allowed to macerate for a further period, normally 10-14 days. Pressing follows and the wine is transferred to barrel for a natural secondary malolactic fermentation. After a year in barrel, the individual batches are blended to form the final wine and returned to barrel for another year before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. The wines are matured in bottle for one year before global release.

Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.

1.9g/l RS | 5.7g/l TA | 3.79pH

This highly anticipated 2021 release comes hard on the heals of the highly rated 2020 and 2019 from Christo Le Riche, and the impressive 2021 completes the trilogy of block buster vintages from this Cabernet specialist. Unwinding in the glass, the aromatics show delicately musky, perfumed notes of white flowers, crème de cassis, blueberries, black berries and freshly tilled earth hints that mingle with notions of dried herbs, thyme and fresh mint leaf, dried peach skins over graphite, granite dust and delicate dark chocolate cocoa spice nuances. The palate is beautifully silky and creamy, full and broad yet velvety soft and plush, voluminous but delicately elegant, finely detailed and weightlessly concentrated. Tight and compact, seductively seamless in the truest sense with an incredibly integrated acid fruit balance, a lively purity, and supple sweet tannins on the long, piercing finish. If 2019 had the muscle and power and 2020 the seductive elegance, balance, and accessibility, the 2021 is a stand apart expression, as unique as the vintage itself. Simply sublime, awesome even, and most definitely a vintage that will come to define premium quality Cabernet for years to come. A true classic that will richly reward bottle ageing. Drink on release and over the next 20 to 30+ years.

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

The Le Riche wines are available to UK wine trade from Boutinot Wines and to consumers from Museum Wines.

Kanonkop Estate Prepare to Release Possibly One of Their Most Iconic Vintages Ever – Tasting the New Paul Sauer 2021…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

It’s always a very special occasion visiting the Kanonkop Estate to taste new releases. In many ways, it’s the closest we get in South Africa to the annual pilgrimages European wine merchants make to iconic wineries like Chateau Latour, Chateau Margaux or Chateau Lafite-Rothschild. However many times you visit, it always remains a highlight of the year and my recent visit to taste the new Kanonkop Paul Sauer was no exception.

The new 2021 Paul Sauer due for general release in June 2024.

While Abrie Beeslaar has obviously already produced a 2022, 2023 and 2024 vintage, the iconic 2021 will be his swansong release before he departs his full time role in August 2024. Undoubtedly, like the two winemakers before him, Abrie will remain as much part of Kanonkop’s history as Kanonkop will remain part of Abrie’s. He will of course have vintages like the 2004, 2006, 2009, 2015, 2017 and now the epic 2021 to look back on with immeasurable pride. Groete ou maat en alles van die beste!

We are going to miss you Abrie!

Kanonkop Estate Paul Sauer 2021 Cape Bordeaux Blend, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 13% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Paul Sauer is beautifully intense and utterly seductive, the aromatics pulling you in with their perfumed notes of incense, violets, black currant, saline oyster shell, black cherry, sweet cherry tobacco and graphite with subtle blueberry notes and a subtle kiss of sweet cedar and vanilla pod spice. The palate shows sprawling breadth and depth with a gentle picante spice together with a noticeably intense salinity and maritime, nori seaweed nuance before more bold flavours of black currant, mulberry, black cherry and blueberry coat the mouth. The fine silky tannins are deceptively taut and crisp with the fresh glassy acids adding to the wine’s obvious power, focus and superb intensity. So much wine in the glass, so much to assimilate! The 2021 Paul Sauer represents a true Cape Bordeaux blend masterclass once again from Abrie Beeslaar! Drink from 2025 to 2050+.

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

Judgement of Wimbledon 2024 – It’s ‘Start Your Engines Gentlemen’ With a Preliminary Round of Grenache Wine Selections…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The 2023 edition of the Judgement of Wimbledon Grenache Tasting was held last year with one of the most impressive line-ups of Grenache wines to date, and the results were of course always going to be highly contentious. The 14-wine blind flight included three wines from Sierra de Gredos, the mountainous region west of Madrid, four wines from Priorat in Catalonia, one wine from Montsant next door to Priorat, one wine from Vinos de la Tierra Castilla y Leon, three old vine wines from South Africa, one wine from Rioja and one wine from the USA. It was indeed a spectacular array of wines that the tasters thought couldn’t be easily surpassed.

But of course, as another year has passed and another vintage hits the market, so many truly incredible 2021 Garnachas from Spain, among other regions, have become available and the prospects for a fourth consecutive Judgement of Wimbledon have never looked so tantalising! With the line up being restricted to circa 16 to 18 wines, there is, by necessity,  a certain amount of pre-selection, that needs to take place before a final line-up can be agreed, and while the judges won’t know the final line up destined for the grand blind taste-off, they certainly get an initial insight into the quality they can expect by tasting in some of the preliminary Judgement of Wimbledon Tasting Pre-Selection assessments.

This year, one of the Kew-based judges volunteered to host one of the preliminary blind tastings and the below report gives a brief but illustrative snapshot of just what is in stall when the final Judgement of Wimbledon 2024 tasting occurs. Some mention should be made to the selection criteria as many people often ask why wines such as Chateau Rayas or some big, ripe Australian expressions are not included. The simple answer is that these wines, from USA, Australia and of course Chateauneuf-du-Pape, in the case of Rayas, are often simply too stand apart and unique, making their expressions incredibly obvious and very easy to identify. So, over many years, the focus has naturally moved to emphasise not only innate quality, but also minerality, freshness, terroir, and classical restraint… which seems to be the modern style of Grenache / Garnacha that has started to captivate the world in the past 3 to 5 years, led by Spain and South Africa, though of course, not exclusively.

With a special acknowledgment and thanks to global wine critic from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Luis Gutierrez, who contributed many suggestions for the preliminary tastings, proceedings kicked off in January 2024 with the following initial wines tasted blind:

Tasting Line Up (with group average scores):

1. 2021 Vina Zorzal, Senora de las Alturas – 94.1/100 score

2. 2021 Mas Martinet – Els Escurçons – 92.2/100 score

3. 2020 Pegaso Barrancos de Pizarra – 94.9/100 score

4. 2020 Bruma de Valverde – 91.9/100

5. 2020 Pegaso Granito – 93.9/100

6. 2020 4 Monos Viticultores Molino Quemado – 93.7/100

7. 2020 Uvas Felices Reina de Los Deseos – 94.9/100

8. 2020 Bodegas Frontonio, El Jardín de Las Iguales Garnacha – 95.2/100

9. 2020 Uvas Felices La Mujer Canon – 95/100

10. 2020 Bruma del Arenero – 92.4/100

11. 2020 Bodegas Frontonio, Las Alas – 94.8/100

12. 2022 Sam Lambson, Experimental Grenache – 91.2/100

Or in order of scoring for individual judges:

Undoubtedly, Spain has made the category of Grenache almost its own with incredible tension, precision, minerality and power. This snapshot tasting was merely a teaser for what is lined up for the grand finale, with some of the above wines possibly making the Final Cut?

Watch out for my full report on the Judgement of Wimbledon 2024 in the coming weeks. It stands to be the pinnacle of Grenache perfection!

Domaine Jean-Yves Bizot Prepares to Release Its Maiden Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2022 from Le Charlemagne…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The spectacular wines of Jean-Yves Bizot represent the pinnacle of wine quality in a region graced with some of the most sought-after labels in the world of fine wine. Jean-Yves’s strict and uncompromising standards in the vineyards and his enviable old vine parcels in Vosne-Romanée combine to offer a stellar line-up of miniscule production red Burgundies built for ageing. Jean-Yves is a respected professor of viticulture and oenology in Beaune and lives in Vosne across the road from Henri Jayer’s old residence.

Sunrise in January 2024 over Gevrey-Chambertin.

Indeed, the two vignerons had neighbouring parcels in Vosne-Romanée and often discussed vinification techniques while working their vines. As a result, Jean-Yves decided to adapt some of Jayer’s techniques in his own cellar (in particular, whole cluster fermentation at cool temperatures in conical wooden vats) and is now making exceptional Vosne-Romanée wines that defy quality comparisons. Jean-Yves has undoubtedly forged his own unique winemaking path and today is recognized as producing some of the most iconic wines in Burgundy, following his own distinct and rigorous philosophy in the vineyards and in the cellar. Unsurprisingly, the wines of Domaine Bizot are now regarded as the pinnacle of Pinot Noir perfection and are coveted by the greatest Burgundy collectors and connoisseurs around the world, joining the ranks of other iconic names such as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.

Tasting the Corton-Charlemagne 2022 from barrel with Jean-Yves in January 2024.

Jean-Yves Bizot recently made some exciting new purchases in Burgundy, including 0.14 hectares of prime Le Charlemagne Chardonnay vines as well as further north in the Côtes-de-Nuits, terroirs that he believes are still under-appreciated by the current generation but which were very well known and highly regarded centuries ago – both of his Côtes-de-Nuits vineyards are just south of Dijon: Bourgogne “Le Chapitre” and Marsannay “Clos du Roy”, both of which are old vine parcels.  His range is completed by his magnificent Bourgogne Blanc that comes from an old parcel of sélection massale Chardonnay right next to Grand Cru Clos de Vougeot. Bizot’s wines are bottled by hand, barrel by barrel, without filtration, and are serious Burgundies for the patient connoisseur, emphasizing purity, subtlety, power and elegance.

Some Bizot vineyards next to his Vosne-Romanee winery.

Domaine Jean Yves Bizot Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2022

The two specific single vineyards of En Charlemagne and Le Charlemagne make up half of this famous appellation, while white grapes grown in seven other vineyards may also be sold as Corton-Charlemagne. As a result there can be a wide divergence in styles between earlier picked south-facing locations and cooler, later picked western slopes around Pernand-Vergelesses. Jean-Yves’s 0.14 hectares of vines are located in the prestigious Le Charlemagne vineyard and produce a meagre two new French oak barrels, or 600 bottles, of this golden Grand Cru nectar. A wonderfully sophisticated first showing of this wine reveals a rich vinous tapestry tightly packed with savoury aromatics of leesy yellow citrus, fresh rain on limestone, wet straw, baking herbs and glacé lemon rind. The concentration on the palate is astonishing – glycerol, piercing, fresh and beautifully crystalline and saline with intense layers of lemon and lime cordial, green apple pastille over an electric laser-like acidity with just a subtle kiss of lemon butter and vanilla pod spice on the finish. An astounding wine of incredible power, focus and precision, the likes of which you rarely see from Corton-Charlemagne. A wine that is sure to be legendary even before its official release.

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

The wines of Domaine Jean-Yves Bizot are imported and distributed exclusively in the UK by Wimbledon Wine Cellar. Contact: andrew@wimbledonwinecellar.com to enquire about available allocations and up coming new releases like the Corton-Charlemagne.

Revisiting the Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto 2021 After the High Profile 100 Point Sassicaia 2021 Release…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Guidalberto was always known as the official second wine of Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia even though it was a slightly different blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot compared to Sassicaia’s Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc cuvee. First released in 2000 to mark the Millenium, it was originally conceived to be more approachable earlier than its bigger sibling Sassicaia but still retain an impressive age worthiness if cellared.

As time has passed, the Guidalberto cuvee has taken on a more individual identity to the point where it is now regarded by Tenuta San Guido as its own wine and no longer a notional second wine of Sassicaia. As such, construction commenced in 2022/3 to build Guidalberto its own dedicated winery and this is expected to be completed in late 2025 or early 2026.

Tenuta San Guido’s director of winemaking, Carlo Paoli, is on record for saying that he thought the Guidalberto 2021 was the finest vintage ever produced. So after tasting and reviewing the newly released Sassicaia 2021 recently, I decided to pull a bottle of the Guidalberto 2021 out the cellar and see how it’s looking after an extra year in bottle. With stocks still available on the open market at affordable prices, this wine seems a particularly wise buy for circa £220-£250 IB per 6 compared to Sassicaia 2021’s rather punchy £1,250 IB per 6 new release price.

Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto 2021, IGT Toscana, 13.5% Abv.

There doesn’t seem to be complete agreement amongst growers as to whether 2021 in Bolgheri was an easy or difficult vintage. What certainly is in agreement is that this cooler Tuscan vintage yielded some incredibly taut, intense, vibrant wines. Aged in 85% French and 15% American oak 225 litre barrels, 40% new, for 15 months, this beautiful Guidalberto 2021 boasts fabulously piercing aromatics of violets, black cherries, blackberry compote and seductive dark plum over sweet exotic Christmas spices and stony graphite notes. The oak and vanilla wood spice is still busy integrating with the super taut, tight palate fruit intensity, perhaps at a slightly slower pace than in a riper, warmer vintage. But it’s the palate’s chiselled focus and linearity that marks this vintage as a true stand out expression amongst more recent dryer, warmer years. The texture is laser focused but also wonderfully transparent showing the true mineral terroir characteristics of Bolgheri together with a wonderfully fresh, tart, glassy acidity supported by sleek, polished marble tannins on a pithy cherry cola packed finish. A vintage to be truly celebrated but also one best to bury in the cellar for an another 8 to 10+ years.

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

Great Vintages Create Great Wines – Tasting The Iconic Sassicaia 2021 Bolgheri Rosso New Release…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Few wine estates have captured the collective imagination of the wine trade and fine wine consumers in recent years quite like Sassicaia has, making every new vintage release a notable event in the annual fine wine calendar. “Each vintage is a small but determinant step in preserving our unique heritage and creating a long-lasting legacy. We feel a profound responsibility in offering to the world not simply a wine, but a symbol of virtuous coexistence of man and nature”, states Sassicaia General Manager Carlo Paoli.

On the 2,500-hectare estate, 115 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc vines are cultivated on the estate-owned plots of Castiglioncello, Aia Nuova, Cerreta, Sassicaia di Sopra and San Martino. Planted on limestone rich soils, the vineyards are located at an average altitude of between 100 and 300 meters above sea level, with exposure to the West / Southwest.

With the perfect terroir, all that is needed for an exceptional vintage of Sassicaia is an optimal vintage, and this is exactly what the estate experienced during the lead up to the 2021 vintage. The autumn of 2020 was characterized by mild temperatures and alternating rainfall. From mid-October to the second half of December the rains were more frequent, and temperatures dropped below the seasonal norm. Except for the week of Christmas, the remaining winter period was rainy and intensely cold, conditions which favoured the resting vines after several consecutive hot, dry seasons.

Sassicaia barrel cellar

The situation changed drastically in the last week of February with a sharp rise in daytime temperatures, almost spring-like, and sunny days. March was dry and generally sunny. In the very first days of April, temperatures were mild and from mid-April they began to drop dramatically again, approaching 0°C at night. Throughout the month of April and a good part of the month of May, sunny days and sporadic rains were alternating, sometimes even stormy, but with a continuation of fresh air and temperatures below the seasonal norm, especially in the early hours of the morning and at night. From the second ten days of May the weather situation changed with a substantial rise in temperatures and the definitive arrival of the beautiful season.

The vines were not affected by the strong heat of the summer months and the development of the vegetation continued regularly, although with smaller bunches and berries, suggesting a harvest of reduced quantity but also greater concentration of fruit. The progress of ripening at the end of August was stable and constant, favouring optimal phenolic ripening, and harvesting operations for the 52nd vintage of Sassicaia commenced on the 1st September under ideal weather conditions.

Sassicaia Le Difese 2022, IGT Toscana Rosso, 13.5% Abv.

0.32g/l RS| 5.60g/l TA | 3.50pH

This traditional Cabernet Sauvignon – Sangiovese blend is a super bright and crystalline offering, the aromatics subtle and sultry with a delicate smoky blackberry melange of cherry and juniper with a delicate black plum spice. In the mouth the wine is super sleek and elegant possessing ample fruit weight, silky creamy tannins and a picante, salty black currant persistence. Another wonderfully well honed, harmonious le Difese that is deliciously forward and ready to drink now and over the next 8 to 10+ years.

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

Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 2021, Bolgheri-Sassicaia DOCG, 14.10% Abv.

0.15g/l RS| 6.10g/l TA| 3.43pH

A truly wonderful vintage of freshness, elegance and purity, this super attractive 2021 release boasts seductive aromatics of roasted herbs, sweet sappy sandalwood spice, picante black cherry and bramble berry nuances intricately interwoven with hints of sweet, moist tobacco leaf, black cherry kirsch liquor, and a subtle crushed limestone minerality. The palate is silky and seamless, beautifully finessed into a weightless, perfectly formed fine wine with lacey tannins, a soft intricate intensity of fruit and an incredible red and black berry fruit concentration, all in perfect harmony. This wine certainly speaks of greatness and overt purity and precision that, in this cooler vintage, come together in perfect synergy. Undoubtedly ranked among Sassicaia’s greatest ever releases… and for me personally, a wine that absolutely personifies the cooler vintage affinity of this world class winery. Drink from 2025 to 2048+.

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

The Tenuta San Guido wines are imported into the UK by Armit Wines and are available for retail on allocation from fine wine merchant Museum Wines.

Vilafonte Release a Seductive Series M Cape Bordeaux Blend from the Uniquely Cool and Classical 2021 Vintage…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Exceptional vintages have the ability to yield exceptional wines. Just think of 2000, 2005, 2009 and especially 2010 in Bordeaux, and perhaps 2004, 2009, 2015, and 2017 in the Cape. Without doubt, 2021 was another extraordinary vintage with ample winter rains followed by an unusually cold and wet spring and early summer. In an era of global warming and extreme weather events, getting a vintage like 2021 in the Cape must surely be a winemaker’s dream. So many I have talked to have described making wines that they feel they may never get the opportunity to make again due to the unusually cool, slow ripening conditions.

At Vilafonte in Paarl, flowering was largely even with good fruit-set, boding well for not only a healthy crop but also an ample crop. Early season growing temperatures were cool to moderate, warming gradually towards ripening, with a lack of February / March heatwaves a very noteworthy feature of the vintage. Berries were supple-skinned, bursting with flavour, showing a vibrant freshness and bold tannin structures. Harvest began on February 11th under mild weather conditions that continued for the remainder of the season. The resulting wines show a piercingly perfumed intensity, deep inky colours, sophistication and poise.

Vilafonte Series M 2021, WO Paarl, 14% Abv.

The 2021 Series M is a blend of 41% Merlot, 35% Malbec, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc that spent 22 months in French oak barrels with a 26% new oak portion. The aromatics are enticing and alluring, offering up notes of dark berries, exotic Asian spices, plum compote, black liquorice, graphite and wood smoke with subtle dried bay leaf nuances. Despite being dominated by Merlot and Malbec, the Series M often boasts a structure more in common with Cabernet Sauvignon blends, but in the cooler 2021 vintage, this wine remains very much in a Bordeaux right bank leaning style boasting precociously sumptuous notes of supple black currant fruits, mulberries, black plum with hints of cocoa powder, chargrilled charcuterie and pithy blood orange peel. Beautifully plump and opulent in the mouth, the tannins are velvety, supple and sweet, enveloping the palate and finishing with incisive saline acids and complex notions of baked blackberries, preserved plums and star anise. A wonderfully complete wine that already offers abundant pleasure in its youth. Drink on release and over the next 10 to 15+ years.

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

Vilafonte wines are imported into the UK and are available to trade on allocation from importer John E Fells, and are available retail from specialist South African merchant Museum Wines.

http://www.museumwines.co.uk

Highlights of Burgundy En-Primeur 2022 – Reviewing the Domaine Jean-Marie Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint Jacques 2022…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

Over the last twenty years, Domaine Fourrier has turned out to be one of the great success stories in Burgundy, proof that a talented grower with good sites can rise out of near obscurity to make wines that have become some of the most sought-after in the region. The man behind this rapid rise is Jean-Marie Fourrier, whose father generously handed over control in 1994, when his son was twenty-four. He is lucky to have a large stock of old vines, but as ever, the secret to his success is meticulous work in the vineyards.

Jean-Marie does not follow organic methods specifically, but rather he tries to keep chemical treatments to a minimum and is more of an ‘intuitive anticipator’ of vineyard problems. While always remaining true to their terroirs, his wines have won over a legion of Burgundy collectors and followers with their unashamed ripeness, textural polish, and an all-round seductiveness that is normally instantly recognisable, but without ever compromising on the wines’ age ability.

Vintage 2022 in Burgundy:

The 2022 vintage undoubtedly represents a return to a warmer and dryer style of season after the trials and tribulations of the complex, frost affected, low yielding but high quality 2021 vintage. The 2022 conditions and wine styles have more in keeping with the trilogy of riper years in 2018-2019-2020 despite the region having had several near misses with frost during the season with low -4c temperatures recorded in April.

Fortunately, after a very meagre but high quality 2021 harvest, the volumes of 2022 rebounded, as is often the case with frost affected vines, with some generous grape yields of excellent quality for both reds and whites after a warm, dry summer without any heat spikes. Harvesting generally began towards the end of August in the Cotes de Beaune and in early September in the Cotes de Nuits and Chablis. The resultant wines are beautifully ripe and vibrant, with invigorating fruit concentration, crystalline purity, and delicious mouthwatering intensity.

Domaine Jean-Marie Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint Jacques 2022, Burgundy, France

A very classy, plush aromatics which suggests great pedigree and power but announces it with true elegance and soft-spoken restraint. There’s a lovely melange of both red and black fruits, strawberry, black cherry, red currant and plum spice. The palate is deliciously bright, sleek and fleshy but also beautifully delineated, with fresh underlying acids punctuating the focus and purity of fruit. All wonderfully in balance, the fleshy sweet fruit is tight knit, taut but silky, the tannins powdery and mineral. Very elegant and supremely classy with the archetypal Fourrier fruit purity and palate concentration but importantly with energising, revitalising acids in this warm ripe vintage. Yet again a thoroughly seductive Gevrey-Chambertin from this blue chip 1er Cru vineyard. Drink on release and over the next 10 to 15+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 94-96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)