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Gerald Rillstone, Independent Hearld | Thursday, September 17, 2020
Lover of wine Alan Evans with one of his favourites a bottle of 1997 Chateau Troplong Mondot.
What better way to celebrate four decades of tasting great wine than to have Wellingtons best-known champion of the grape present a special selection from his own cellar.
And that’s what they did to celebrate the 40th birthday of the Cellar Club in Johnsonville with Alan Evans presenting a range of wines from his own collection.
It was, some say, one of the most prestigious tastings in the 40 years of the club’s existence.
Alan joined the club in 1987 and has held the roles of Editor 10 years and President 8 years and was made a life member in 2010 and still attends the dinners and the occasional tasting.
2017 Troplong Mondot St Emilion Grand Cru
He is also a Past President of the Magnum Society that was a Wellington-based wine group founded in 1972. “We buy wines that we will be drinking in about ten years time or whatever the drinking window is he says which is a lot of fun and a bit of a gamble too,” Alan says.
“We have tastings going up to around 2034.”
He is also the cellar master for the Tinakori branch of the International Beef Steak and Burgundy Club.
Alan’s love of wine was a natural progression, he says, from an interest in ciders in the 1960s to the wines of Henderson in the mid-1970s. He has an extensive temperature-controlled cellar and over the years has developed a love of European wines which he augments with premium NZ and Australian varietals.
He says these days he has the luxury of having access to a plethora of online reviews so he has a fair idea of what a wine is going to be like before he tastes it.
“I do a lot of reading about what’s new and what to expect from the wine and I am not as surprised as I used to be but there are still surprises,” he says.
Alan says the Troplong Mondot they were tasting for the celebration, according to reviews, is best consumed around 2020 to 2022 and he has tried it and it is perfect.
It’s excellent now we’re in COVID19 Level One! Well done everyone!
“One of the most prestigious tastings in the 40 years of the club’s existence”. That’s what the Independent Herald wrote in their 17th September issue when reviewing last month’s tasting. And what a night it was. For those of you fortunate enough to attend our second (and last?) meeting under COVID Level 2, I am sure you will agree it was impressive.
Presented by Life Member and former President, Alan Evans, this carefully curated (by Alan and Wayne) selection was sourced from Alan’s temperature-controlled cellar and the Club’s cellar. This is what they came up with:
2016 Ogier Cotes du Rhone Blanc
2016 Askerne Semillon
2017 Dom. Vincent Careme Vouvray Le Clos
2011 Penfolds 389
2001 Penfolds 389
1991 Coleraine
2017 Troplong Mondot St Emilion Grand Cru
It is difficult to pick favourites as all the wines were superb. However, there was some consensus at our table, so I will highlight a couple. Of the whites, the Ogier Cotes du Rhone Blanc was our pick. This bargain-priced (under $20) blend contains five grapes: Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bouroulene, Roussane and Viognier. Produced without any oak at all, it showcases the region’s fruit above all else. Alan has become an expert in that region since, as he explained, at the Magnum Society the popular areas of France, i.e. Bordeaux and Burgundy, had already been taken. No one wanted Cotes du Rhone, so he took it!
Of the reds, it was the two Penfolds 389’s, their classic and much sought after Cabernet Shiraz wine, that was favoured at our table. Opinion differed as to which was the best but to me, it was 2001. Deep colour and very concentrated, it showed the benefits of keeping this wine for almost two decades. Alan explained that Bin 389 is often referred to as ‘Poor Man’s Grange’ or ‘Baby Grange’ because the wine is said to be matured in the same barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange. Interestingly 2001 was under cork while 2011 had a screw cap. Alan gave us the latest thinking on screw caps where there have been some disappointing results for cellared wines: the sulfur dioxide levels can be too high and produce rotten egg aromas. Some producers are returning to cork now that they can get guaranteed taint-free products like the Diam. The majority of Penfolds’ top-end red wines are now 100 per cent cork-sealed. They are also looking into the use of glass closures. Alan’s tip on removing that sulphur rotten egg smell: dip a copper penny into the wine and it will convert it to odourless copper sulphide!
This meeting was a highlight of our 40th Anniversary year and was a good opportunity to taste older cellared wines. A huge thanks go to Alan who indicated he is happy to do a similar tasting at some stage in the future.
We have good news for our many members who’d booked to spend a day wining and dining in the Wairarapa back in March before COVID19 scuttled our plans.
This trip is now rescheduled for Saturday, 13 February 2021 so lock that into your calendars!. Read more about the trip.
Some of you were unable to come on the March trip because you’d booked overseas holidays (remember when we used to do that?!) Of course we still welcome any members who weren’t on the original list – please email Wayne to have your name added and organise payment of the $75 per head.
Palliser Estate
Grave Wines
alana wines
We plan to follow the same schedule as we’d planned for last March. We’ll update it closer to the date when the train times for that period have been loaded onto the Metlink website.
Instead of launching the club’s 40th birthday celebrations, this event will wrap them up so come along and make it a great day to mark this special milestone.
An exclusive evening of excellent wines, delicious canapés and fantastic banter beaming right into your living room
As COVID-19 has altered the way both businesses and functions operate NZ-wide this year and next, the Hawkes Bay’s Winter FAWC celebrations were altered too.
FAWC notified all their regular attendees of a new event which was ‘FAWC Night In’. This was to be for an hour, 5-6 pm, on Saturday 15th August.
‘Gather up to 10 of our friends for an exclusive evening of excellent wine, delicious canapes and fantastic banter beaming right into your living room.’
The cost for people joining in for the virtual wine tasting was $250.00 for the hamper that held the contents for the tasting – this included five bottles of wine and the ingredients for the carefully matched canapes from the iconic Hawkes’s Bay Farmers’ Market and suppliers.
‘To discover the flavours of each of the wines, why different varietals have excelled in the varied terrain of Hawke’s Bay and to enjoy the witty tete-a-tete from the industry insiders.’
Our hamper arrived the Thursday before the event, and we refrigerated what contents needed to be in anticipation of Saturday! Along with the zoom meeting invite for the event.
So, we had:
5 x 75ml pours of wine
5 x bite-sized canapes
We had a lot of fun with this new format being tried out by region’s leading wineries and winemakers, the getting together with friends and the sharing:
Richard Painter – Te Awa Estate 2020 Cabernet Franc Rose’ – matching canape Origin Earth Takenga Gold Cheese with Berry Bees Manuka Comb Honey Tasting: strawberries, almost sweet but not too much Visually: blush in colourCanape brought out the saltiness in the wine – a really interesting match
Amy Hopkinson-Styles – Halcyon Days Wines 2019 Kotare Sauvignon Blanc/Gewurztraminer – matching canape Nieuwenhuis Goats Cheese on crackers Tasting: smooth on the palate, not the usual green apple taste, but pleasantly gooseberry-ish; had a small measure of pinot noir and gertz combined in it! Was quite a savoury taste Visually: pale yellow Canape was a well-matched selection.
Matt Kirby – Clearview Estate 2019 Chardonnay – matching canape Pig & Salt Pork Rillettes, Preserve & Co. Peach Chutney on Hapi Paelo Bread Tasting: highly anticipated as the last time we had this one at the Club is was from the first batch in new American Oak and tasted strongly of coffee! This brew was completely different and most enjoyable. It smelled and tasted like a buttery chardonnay – vegan friendly! Hand-harvested from their own block and naturally fermented Canape was a nice compliment to the wine.
Michael Henley – Smith and Sheth 2017 CRU Heretaunga Syrah – matching canape Pig & Salt Lamb Terrine with Hapi Paleo Bread Tasting: dark berries came through with a smooth-dry-ish after taste on the tongue – this had been a difficult vintage in the Bay to work with, but this could successfully be cellared for 7 years Visually: lovely dark red Canape was a nice compliment.
Julianne Brogden – Collaboration Wines 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon – matching canape Hapi Harore Cheese with OMG Cracker Tasting: blackberries on the tongue, most pleasant, this wine is 100% Cab Sauv from two sites Bridge Pa and Gravels and the grape variety is the last to ripen in the Bay. It has had two years in oak barrels and was very pleasant while being more sophisticated than the old Cab Sauv’s we remembered! This can be cellared for 10-12 years Visually: dark red Canape didn’t really enhance the wine any but was pleasant.
This was a strictly limited ticket numbers event, but I think we all felt it could have been a bit longer, as we enjoyed it so much! Would definitely recommend any upcoming events to members.
Without a doubt, this would be one of the most prestigious tastings in the 40 years of the club’s existence.
And who better to present these wines, than one of our life members, Alan Evans.
Alan joined the club in 1987 and has held the roles of Editor [10 years] and President [8 years]. He was made a life member in 2010 and still attends our dinners and the occasional tasting.
He is also a Past President of the Magnum Society that was a Wellington-based wine group founded in 1972 and currently is the Cellar Master of the Tinakori branch of the international Beefsteak and Burgundy Club.
Alan’s love of wine was a natural progression, he says, from an interest in ciders in the 1960s to the wines of Henderson in the mid-1970s. He has an extensive temperature-controlled cellar and over the years has developed a love of European wines which he augments with premium NZ and Australian varietals.
2001 Penfolds 389
The committee approached Alan to see if he would be prepared to present some of his premium cellared wines as one of our marquee events to celebrate our 40 years of tastings and he has not disappointed. The following list of wines is stunning.
2016 Ogier Cote du Rhone White [Introductory wine]
2016 Askerne Semillon
Loire Chenin Blanc
2011 Penfolds 389 [from our own cellar]
2001 Penfolds 389
1991 Coleraine
2017 Troplong Mondot [St Emilion Grand Cru]
1991 Te Mata Estate Coleraine
The ’91 Coleraine was rated by a group of wine experts three years ago as the 5th best Coleraine ever made and is a personal favourite of John Buck, winemaker and Chairman of Te Mata Estate Winery. It was also rated by Geoff Kelly, alongside the 1987 Stonyridge Larose, as “one of the few great achievements in the first 26 years or so of cabernet and cabernet/merlot wine styles, in the modern phase of New Zealand viticulture”.
And if that isn’t enough to wet your taste buds, go and google our last wine.
As I said at the outset, this is a prestigious tasting of premium wines which I suspect, many of us have never tasted before. We are indeed lucky to have that opportunity this month.
LAST MONTH we had a great turnout of members with an evening sampling both Portuguese and New Zealand wines with Victor Kattenbelt and Confidant Wines.
Victor Kattenbelt is a local wine distributor and as the importer, these wines were uniquely from his portfolio. Casa Santos Lima is the largest in Portugal and one of the largest in Europe. As explained, there are many grape varieties in Portugal that are unique to the Iberia peninsula and as such, many wine styles are almost exclusive to Portugal. We tasted winemaking that uses the best of traditional techniques (and local oak) but is modernising rapidly. He presented 8 wines that the orders on the night suggest were well received.
Casa Santos Bruto Methode
The wines were:
The introductory wine – 2017 Casa Santos Bruto Methode that stood out as so different from the usual French Methode and even traditional Spanish [cava] bubbles we are more familiar with.
2018 Galadoro Rose was dry, crisp, not overly fruit-driven, light in colour so typical of Provence & other southern Mediterranean Rose’, Cabernet blend, quaffable and food enhanced for sure.
2016 VK Gewürztraminer was an exclusive NZ wine that hit the mark for many being unmistakably a prime ‘Gewurzt’ with all the characteristics and some real wine palate weight.
2018 Beach House Chardonnay from a well known Hawkes Bay producer.
2017 Bons Ventos lived up to its luscious red descriptor, this introductory red set the tone for the exquisite reds that followed. Wine orders indicate this was a favourite.
2017 Confidential Tinto Red amazed as it is a 10-variety blend that only the Portuguese could do, significantly local varieties, soft, good palate feel, enhances food and not a tannin in sight!
2017 Valcatrina was a big blended red wine, highlighting Syrah and Touriga Nacionale (the port grape) so typically Portuguese, with plenty of awards accolades yet affordable quality wine.
Monte da Caçada
2016 Monte Da Cacada was a real treat, more expensive for sure ($36 – $40) but this wine indulged the palate, was red at its finest, 100% Alicante Bouschet, big, bold, European gold medals, a variety that most had not ever tasted before – no wonder their wines are acclaimed.
Thank you to the significant number of members who ordered wines. We are sure you will enjoy them both in the coming months and also after some cellaring as the reds are both approachable now and ‘good keepers’.
These wines, or information on his range, are available to inquire or order direct from Victor, phone 0274417409 or from Regional Wines.
A full schedule of tastings, talks and new experiences
This is your chance to immerse yourself in the New Zealand wine scene and celebrate the growers and winemakers that have put this country on the vinous map
New to 2020: ‘Wine Blind’ tastings and your chance to sample some ultra-premium wines (these wines are usually found upwards of $100 per bottle) with our new ‘Golden Coin’ currency
Masterclasses with Bob Campbell (MW) and Joelle Thomson in Wellington
Egmont St Eatery will also have a pop-up restaurant within the event
Local band: Super Bad Soul Section will also round out the last hour of the show.
For the Cellar Club, organisers have thrown in a 10% discount which can be applied at checkout to any wine purchases by members from Lemongrass wine buying site winetree.co.nz – Code: treehugger10.
A list of the world’s 50 best vineyards for wine tourism has named a Central Otago and a Hawke’s Bay estate as being among the best, as voted by ‘The World’s Top Wine Tourism Destination Academy‘.
And those two Kiwi vineyards rank in the top 20 in the world in the list out today.
The World’s Best
The global list of wine tourism destinations named Argentina’s Zuccardi Valle de Uco in the top spot for the second year running.
Bodega Garzón in Uruguay was second for a consecutive year and Domäne Wachau in Austria jumped 16 places to claim the third spot this year.
New Zealand’s Best
But Central Otago’s Rippon, on the Wanaka-Mt Aspiring Rd, placed 13th and was also named the best vineyard in Australasia. The Hawke’s Bay’s Craggy Range was 17th best on the list. Last year, the biodynamic Rippon was in eighth place and Craggy Range was 11th.
Rippon, 2020 World’s Best Vineyard (13th)
@13 THE BEST VINEYARD IN AUSTRALASIA: Rippon Country: New Zealand Wine region: Central Otago Standout points: Jaw-droppingly beautiful views from the shore of Lake Wanaka; stunningly sleek biodynamic wines Winemaker: Nick Mills Wine style: Precise, site-specific noble varieties (Pinot Noir, Riesling, Gewürztraminer)
The list said Rippon had “jaw-droppingly beautiful views from the shore of Lake Wanaka, stunningly sleek biodynamic wines” from winemaker Nick Mills and “precise, site-specific noble varieties of Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer”.
Winter at Rippon
“What makes Rippon one of the most desirable estates in the world to visit? The wines, the views, and the people – in equal measure. Lake Wanaka, an ancient moraine lake, shimmering under the crystal light of a sunny Central Otago day must count as one of the most Instagrammable images on the planet. That Rippon maintains 15ha of vines in this immaculate landscape is wonder enough, but the quality and sense of place of its wholly estate-grown wines gives this little corner of heaven an extra special appeal,” the citation said.
Burgundy-trained fourth-generation Mills and his team were praised along with the organic and biodynamic methods and intensive handwork on display. “Rippon’s cellar door is open for small group tastings by uncharged appointment throughout the year. Expect to enjoy an informal yet informed tasting of some of the best wines of Central Otago as you’re guided through a selection of five or six Rippon wines by a switched-on member of the Rippon team, who will talk you through the farm, the family’s history and if you’re game, the arcane world of biodynamics,” the list said.
Craggy Range, 2020 World’s Best Vineyard (17th)
@17 Craggy Range Country: New Zealand Wine region: Hawke’s Bay Standout points: Stunning location in the shadow of Te Mata Peak; luxury boutique accommodation; award-winning restaurant Winemaker: Julian Grounds Wine style: Multi-region, site-specific wines, everything from aromatic whites to Bordeaux blends, and terroir Syrahs and Chardonnays
On the 17th-ranked Craggy Range, the list said it was in a “stunning location in the shadow of Te Mata Peak, luxury boutique accommodation; award-winning restaurant”. It cited winemaker: Julian Grounds and said wines were “everything from aromatic whites to Bordeaux blends, and terroir Syrahs and Chardonnays.
Terry and Mary Peabody & family
“Over the past 20 years, Terry and Mary Peabody have expended every possible effort to make Craggy Range an exceptional visitor experience. Whether it’s the cellar door, inspired by some of the Napa Valley’s leading wineries, the award-winning restaurant with 360-degree views of the local landscape, or Craggy Range’s exceptional boutique accommodation, expect nothing but the best in this beautiful little corner of Hawke’s Bay,” the list said of that operation established in 1998.
“When it came to establishing their vineyards, from the off Terry and Mary pursued an innovative multi-regional approach, focusing on the Gimblett Gravels in Hawke’s Bay, ideally suited to high-quality reds including Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and Te Muna Rd in Martinborough – better for Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc – to produce a range of wines that speak eloquently of their place,” the list said.
“On a typical cellar visit, former New Zealand sommelier of the year Michael Bancks greets guests at the door and begins the tour in the main cellar building, Sophia, where you learn the history of Craggy Range. Then it’s on to the subterranean barrel hall, The Quarry, where you will taste from the estate’s unreleased prestige collection wines still in the barrel.
The award-winning Craggy Range Restaurant
“From there, the tour moves on to the restaurant garden in the shadow of Te Mata peak. At the award-winning Craggy Range Restaurant, head chef Casey McDonald has devised a menu inspired by the elements and produced abundantly in Hawke’s Bay. Finally, it’s on to the sun terrace to enjoy a guided tasting of Craggy Range’s diverse multi-region range, with a variety of flight options available to suit each guest’s tastes,” the citation said.
The world’s best vineyards list is based on nominations from a voting academy made up of more than 500 wine experts, sommeliers, and travel correspondents from around the world. It aims to raise the profile of wine tourism and encourage travelers to enjoy wine-related experiences globally.
Robin Semmens presented with a wine box set from Wayne Kennedy
Last month we were finally able to hold the Club’s AGM and it was well attended with 32 members and 1 guest present. If you would like to read the President’s report, you will find this on the Club’s website. Changes to note from the meeting:
Robin Semmens was farewelled from the Committee and as newsletter Editor, although he stays in the Club
Evelyn Dawson is the new Editor of the Newsletter
Steve Eades is now not on the Committee either but is still managing the Club’s website
We are meeting as usual on 12 August at the Johnsonville Community Hall, Ground Floor for an 8 pm starts with Confidant Wines, a small (boutique) local importer of Portuguese wines in Wellington distributing the well-regarded Casa Santos Lima winery and a range of notable NZ wineries that are available in selected retail outlets and a number of Wellington restaurants.
Victor Kattenbelt has been around the Wellington wine scene for a number of years and travels to Europe every year (even early 2020), for wine trade expos in France, Netherlands and Germany, and to visit his suppliers in Portugal.
Victor’s Portuguese portfolio is extensive, and some of his wines this time round are new to his portfolio and we have decided to expand the tasting to 8 wines for the tasting to do justice to his wide range and to celebrate our European tasting country of the year.
If you are interested in doing more reading see Casa Santos Lima winery. The wines for the evening are:
A Portuguese bubble – Casa Santos Bruto [NV] to begin the evening
2018 Galodoro Rose
2016 VK Gewurztraminer (NZ)
2018 Linden Estate Chardonnay (NZ)
Then an array of 4 unique Portuguese reds:
2017 Bons Ventos
2017 Confidencial Red
2018 Valcatrina
and to finish a superb Alicante Bouschet premium red
The member door price will be $15 and guest price $18.
