THE CL S FINE WINE CHRISTMAS TASTING
[ kloh ]
noun, plural clos. French.
1. a walled vineyard.
2. your personal wine broker, growing and protecting your cellar & investment
Clos Fine Wine is your personal wine broker, managing everything from everyday drinking wines to cellar-building, wine for events and investment portfolios.
I strive to offer wines which when tasted will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end and the angelic chorus break into euphoric song. Every client relationship is treasured and every wine you buy is special, whether it be for ‘everyday’ drinking or a special occasion.
I’ll never, ever offer a wine that I don’t utterly believe in myself.
With a range of consultancy & brokerage services for both the hardened vinous veteran to the curious millennial, all delivered with a down to earth, personal touch, I hope Clos Fine Wine can become your personal wine broker too.
The Christmas Tasting
Wednesday 13 November 2024 from 18:00 until 20:30 at
Welcome to the 2024 Christmas Tasting, please take a glass upon arrival.
In this splendid venue you’ll find tables showcasing our sparkling, white, rosé, red, sweet & fortified wines to taste, all of which are available to order in the run up to Christmas.
Orders over £250 placed this evening will see your ticket value discounted, a saving of 10%.
The back two pages of this booklet include an order form which you can hand in on your way out.
If you like you may contact us at dominic@closfinewine.com to place an order, or do so online via www.closfinewine.com/shop.
Enjoy the tasting and we hope you’ll consider buying with Clos Fine Wine this Christmas.
www.closfinewine.com dominic@closfinewine.com
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Sparkling WINE
CVNE, Roger Goulart Gran Reserva Cava, 2019
Made the same way as the finest Champagnes, only 50% of that most sought-after press juice goes into this wine. Just like with vintage champers, the juice is fermented twice, and then spends a minimum of five years on the lees in deep caves to mature before release. Delicious and affordable fizz for Christmas.
Verre Anglais, Crémant de Bourgogne, 2017
Top quality Crémant, fizz made in using the traditional method, produced in Chablis from 100% Pinot Noir grapes. This is serious stuff, delivering impressively with seven years’ worth of maturity. Intoxicating aromas of crisp green apple, grapefruit, yuzu & freshly baked lemon tart. Perfect as an apéritif or with food.
Champagne Irroy, Extra Brut, NV
A hidden secret in the wine world, Irroy is owned by Taittinger, but, funding aside, is left uninterrupted to make exceptional grower champagne. Sophisticated & refined, with delicate bubbles, it delivers vibrant notes of green apple, citrus & toasted brioche. Perfect for celebratory moments or gatherings this Christmas.
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White WINE
Chapoutier, Bila-Haut, Côtes Roussilon Villages, 2019
This is a triumph of white wine making at just £12.50. Roussillon was made for Michel Chapoutier and it was here he set up Domaine de Bila-Haut, on a combination of soils, basked in the southern French sun & freshened up by the coastal ‘tramontane’ wind. Ripe peach, apricot & citrus fruit combine with spice for a refreshing finish.
Baron de Badassière, Picpoul de Pinet, 2023
Easy, sea-breezy Picpoul de Pinet is having a moment. Pique-poul translates as “stings the lip”, a reference to the grape’s mouth-wateringly high acidity, which makes it the perfect accompaniment to seafood & salads. As a delicious, lip-smacking fridge wine for Christmas to keep guests well-watered with a smile, look no further!
Pieropan, Soave Classico, 2023
Pieropan are easily the finest producers of Soave in Veneto, Italy and I can attest to the sheer love that goes into fermenting those Garganega grapes. Made in glass lined tanks & aged for a little while on lees, this premium Italian white wine with flavours of baked lemon, apricot, nectarine & biscuit should be over £30 a bottle.
Villa Maria, Taylor’s Pass Sauvignon Blanc, 2020
A Sauvignon Blanc of real opulence & grace, without ever taking on those herbaceous notes found in cheaper offerings. Grapes are grown in a single plot in Marlborough & there are kaleidoscopic aromas of green pea, parmesan, passionfruit, gooseberry & gentle flint smoke. Cloudy Bay is three times as much, and this is better, so stock up!
Domaine Rolly Gassmann, Riesling, 2021
This is a fabulous Riesling for lovers of this noble variety, with an inviting nose of honey, pear, quince, white peach & beeswax. On the palate this has fantastic acidity to balance the fruit ripeness & there is a line of salinity, too. A gorgeously velvety mouthfeel gives way to a persistent finish. This is a wine perfect for Christmas lunch.
White WINE
Florent Rouve, Mâcon-Lugny Vielles Vignes, 2020
Clos Fine Wine’s secret weapon & house white Burgundy. When I tried it I bought all the UK stock. An inviting nose with a kaleidoscope of golden apple, pear, yuzu & flecks of butter. A strikingly crystalline mineral structure with racy acidity to maintain freshness, whilst never losing that generous mouthfeel & luxurious finish. A must buy.
CVNE, Monopole Classico Blanco, 2019
Made with Viura grapes, the magic of this wine comes with the addition of a little manzanilla sherry, giving heady scents of yellow plum, resin, honeysuckle, almonds, bruised apples & chamomile. For lovers of exciting white wine, this hidden gem becomes a firm favourite within a few sips: a stunning 93-point rated white Rioja.
R Palacios, `Louro Do Bolo` Valdeorras Godello, 2023
Valdeorras in Galicia is home to some of Spain’s best white wines. Rafael Palacios’ Louro is largely Godello, fermented in huge oak foudres and is so precise and energetic with ripe citrus, salinity & spice. There’s lovely texture here which helps the incredibly long finish. I was bowled over when I tried it: the perfect festive apéritif.
Momento, Grenache Blanc, 2021
From just outside the Swartland in South Africa this is a special white wine, perfect for food or on its own through the festive period. Precise & focussed, it has stunning aromas of lime curd, white pear, green apple & chamomile. On the palate it is perfectly balanced with racy acidity and generous texture. Supremely good.
Villa Maria, ‘Icon Series’ Keltern Chardonnay, 2021
Easily one of the finest Chardonnays you’ll ever taste under £50, this knocks spots of Burgundy bottles five times the price. The recipient of a dizzying array of awards from 96 points with ‘The Wine Advocate’ & ‘Platinum: Best in Show’ at the Decanter World Wine awards, this is a sumptuous, special white wine for Christmas and beyond.
The Mixed White Case
A case containing one each of the following Chapoutier, Bila-Haut, Côtes Roussilon Villages, 2019
Baron de Badassière, Picpoul de Pinet, 2023
Pieropan, Soave Classico, 2023
Domaine Rolly Gassmann, Riesling, 2021
Florent Rouve, Mâcon-Lugny Vielles Vignes, 2020
Momento, Grenache Blanc, 2021
Red WINE
Louis Jadot, Beaujolais ‘Combes aux Jacques’ 2021
At just £14.50, this bottle delivers shedloads of fruit. A nose of crushed summer berries: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and flecks of red cherry, fig, menthol and some rosemary. The aromas are so inviting. This is a delightful, lighter red that is perfect with turkey, goose or a nut roast this festive season.
Willunga 100, McLaren Vale Cabernet/Shiraz, 2o22
Sourced from plots across the McLaren Vale in Australia this is an invitingly aromatic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz, with dark cherry, cedar, wild mint, tobacco, dark chocolate & bay leaf, giving way to rich blackcurrant & toasty oak. It has a mineral spine and maintains deft precision throughout. A Christmas treat.
Zuccardi, Apelación Cabernet Franc, 2019
Zuccardi have crafted this beauty from 100% cabernet franc. Grapes come from high-altitude vineyards almost 1,000m up! On the palate, the Apelación Cabernet Franc is as lovers of the grape would expect: fleshy black fruit, velvety mouthfeel, cashmere-soft tannins and flecks of spice. This is a hearty red, perfect for winter.
Château Sénéjac, Comte de Sénéjac Haut-Médoc, 2016
A wonderful find ahead of the Christmas period: stunning claret from one of the best ever Bordeaux vintages for under £20! Château Sénéjac is a much-loved Haut-Médoc estate in the UK and this second wine, is an utter treat. Richly profiled red & black fruits, flecks of pencil shavings, cassis, light tobacco box & marine scents. Superb.
G.D. Vajra, Dolcetto d’Alba, 2022
This is a magnificent Dolcetto from a famous winemaking family, with a heady perfume of black cherry, balsamic, wild strawberry, blood orange, rosehip, white pepper and flecks of violet. On the palate it is beguiling, with a sensuous mouthfeel and soft tannins. This is such an elegant wine and the finish lasts for several minutes.
Larry Cherubino, ‘Uovo’ Cabernet Nebbiolo, 2022
Tasting this last month with Larry Cherubino was a revelation. ‘Uovo’ comes from the ovoid tanks known as eggs in which the wine lees are continuously forced upward by an internal current. This gives voluptuousness, purity & texture, alongside juicy blackcurrant, redcurrant & bay leaf, and it is consistently light, clean & fresh.
CVNE, Contino Rioja Reserva, 2020
For Contino, grapes are handpicked from the best “microplots” in their vineyard along the meandering Ebro river in Rioja Alavesa. As a ‘reserva’ it is aged for three years before release, with 18 months in French & American oak barrels. With abundant blue & black fruits, this is a supremely silky Rioja and a vinous bargain.
Villa Maria, ‘Icon Series’ Taylor’s Pass Pinot Noir, 2019
One of the finest Pinot Noirs we’ve ever tasted & a multiple Gold medal winner. An exquisite nose of cranberry, boysenberry, cherries & flecks of violet, with a note of dark chocolate & espresso. A silky palate with cashmere-soft tannins, lashings of bright, ripe fruit, & gorgeous acid-driven finish percolating for minutes after tasting.
Jaboulet, Crozes-Hermitage, Domaine Thalabert, 2015
Rated 95 points by the wine advocate, and from one of the best vintages of all time in Crozes-Hermitage, the silken palate is replete with black cherries, black olives & searing minerality. This is a totally exquisite red Rhône and well worth stocking up on as it is only available to us in a very small parcel of cases.
Pieropan, `Vigna Garzon` Amarone Valpolicella, 2017
Surely the King of Christmas reds, this is a stunning Amarone from Pieropan with a hedonistic nose of black cherries, sweet spice & dark chocolate. Grapes are picked and left to dry on straw mats in the sun, concentrating flavours. This is opulent, generously structured and a real Christmas treat – don’t miss out!
The Mixed Red Case
Villa Maria, ‘Icon Series’ Taylor’s Pass Pinot Noir, 2019 £128
A case containing one each of the following
Louis Jadot, Beaujolais ‘Combes aux Jacques’ 2021
Zuccardi, Apelación Cabernet Franc, 2019
Château Sénéjac, Comte de Sénéjac Haut-Médoc, 2016
Larry Cherubino, ‘Uovo’ Cabernet Nebbiolo, 2022
CVNE, Contino Rioja Reserva, 2020
Rosé, Fortified & Sweet WINE
Château Beaulieu, `Cuvée Alexandre` Rosé, 2023
This rosé knocks spots off watery imitations costing much more from the supermarkets, with its depth of flavour, with wild strawberry, raspberry, white peach, pink grapefruit and pink pepper on the finish. There is more body & flesh here than in most Provence rosés and it maintains freshness & salinity throughout - a must-try!
Château Guiraud, Petit Guiraud Sauternes, 2020 (half)
For lovers of excellent Sauternes, this is a sublime offering from Château Guiraud at a fraction of the price of other wines. Petit Guiraud is their second wine, from the excellent 2020 vintage. It delivers honey, candied pineapple, yuzu, peach & almond, balanced by superb acidity. The perfect pairing for meringue & Eton Mess.
Zuccardi, Malmado Soleria Torrontes, NV
This small batch product is the only fortified Torrontés wine produced in Argentina, totally unique wine in terms of flavour profile. On the nose are aromas of dried fig, nut, toasted chestnut, dried apricot, orange zest & honey. A gorgeous palate, with buttery, intense flavours of golden raisin, kumquat & date. Perfect with Christmas pudding!
Villa Maria, Noble Riesling, 2021
This is a stunner of a sweet wine, and a wonderful alternative for Sauternes or Tokaji lovers. Citrus peel, toffee, apricot, honeysuckle & ginger percolate on the nose. On the palate is lip-smacking acidity and freshness, all around a kaleidoscopic mélange of florals, orange marmalade and honey. A vinous treat!
Quinta do Vallado, 20 Year Old Tawny Port
This is a deeply aromatic 20 YO Tawny from Vallado, aged in very old 600 litre oak casks. I think that aged Tawny port is the perfect digestif for Christmas, not as sickly sweet as other ports and with a delightful oxidative note which gives nutty aromas. I keep my bottle in the fridge and it goes perfectly with mince pies or stollen!
Christmas Cases
Six bottle Christmas case
A festive case containing one each of the following Champagne Irroy, Extra Brut, NV
Baron de Badassière, Picpoul de Pinet, 2023
Florent Rouve, Mâcon-Lugny Vielles Vignes, 2020
Château Sénéjac, Comte de Sénéjac Haut-Médoc, 2016
G.D. Vajra, Dolcetto d’Alba, 2022
Château Guiraud, Petit Guiraud Sauternes, 2020
Luxury Christmas case
£285
A special Christmas case containing the following Champagne Irroy, Extra Brut, NV x2
Florent Rouve, Mâcon-Lugny Vielles Vignes, 2020 x2
Momento, Grenache Blanc, 2021
Château Beaulieu, `Cuvée Alexandre` Rosé, 2023 x2
Château Sénéjac, Comte de Sénéjac Haut-Médoc, 2016 x2
Villa Maria, ‘Icon Series’ Taylor’s Pass Pinot Noir, 2019
Château Guiraud, Petit Guiraud Sauternes, 2020
Villa Maria, Noble Riesling, 2021
Join us on Thursday 20 February for a dinner in the splendid surroundings of the grand St James’s Room at 67 Pall Mall, London, featuring the wines of world-famous estate, Château Beychevelle.
We will be joined for the evening by Erwan Le Brozec, commercial director of Château Beychevelle who, after a champagne reception and over a sumptuous three course dinner, will taste with us the following:
Château Beaumont 2018, 2016 & Château Beychevelle 2019, 2015, 2005, 1985
Tickets for this rare event are £340 per head, which includes a case of Château Beaumont 2016.
Speak to Dominic this evening or via dominic@closfinewine.com to find out more
Order Form
Please fill in your details on this order form and enter quantities in the table below and overleaf to place your order. Please hand to a member of the team who will confirm your order with you. Alternatively, please email your order to dominic@closfinewine.com.
Form
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