page 1 memberservices@ The Society's Exhibition Rioja Reserva 2006 This comes from the famous La Rioja Alta bodega, whose wines are known for their finesse as well as depth of flavour. We chose them because they make the very best traditional style of Rioja, released only after long ageing in barrel and bottle. This ripening process results in a complex, lengthy wine with fine, delicate texture which is amazingly fragrant and stylish. Decant before serving. Product Code SP7121 Dominant Grape Tempranillo Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2012 to 2016 Origin Rioja Alcohol Level 13.5% Style not applicable Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2006 Price No longer for sale Producer : La Rioja Alta - See next page.
page 2 memberservices@ Producer : La Rioja Alta Headquartered alongside Bodegas Muga in the Barrio del Estación, the old railway quarter of Haro a popular location for wine exporters during the phylloxera crisis in France - La Rioja Alta is one of the most resolutely traditional of the regions s bodegas. It was founded in 1890 by a consortium of five families, including the Aranas, Ardanzas and the Alberdis (names now immortalised as Reservas. See below), and now commands an impressive vineyard portfolio of over 700 ha, comprising 470ha in the Rioja Alta, 65ha in the Alavesa, where Barón de Oña is produced, 63ha in the Baja, 74ha in the Galician denominación of Rías Baixas and 95ha in DO Ribero del Duero. As the company expanded, it outgrew its premises in Haro, which now house corporate offices, a visitor centre and shop and a wine storage facility. The main business of La Rioja Alta takes place these days at its purpose-built winery in Labastida, a mile down the road, a strikingly handsome stone building completed in 1996. The fermentation tanks are set under the wooden floor of a stunning, light-flooded hall, the sparkling steel lids visible, Beneath them is a huge barrel-ageing cellar. It s reckoned that La Rioja Alta have, at any given time, some 45,000 barrels on the go, and carry around eight years worth of stock. Sensibly, the company does its own coopering in house. Oak is imported from Ohio and Pennsylvania, but there is little reverse traffic, the company s second biggest export market after the UK being not the USA but Mexico. La Rioja Alta excels in classically styled reservas and gran reservas which are given considerable cask ageing. What sets this bodega apart from other traditionalists is that the wines succeed in retaining striking vigour and fruit whilst undergoing their lengthy period in cask. They are released for sale only when fully ready to drink and always have an air of graceful maturity about them. Three wines are produced at reserva level. Viña Alberdi is 100% tempranillo, aged for two years in cask, and two in bottle. Viña Arana is a blend of 95% tempranillo with5% mazuelo, made in the supple 'Rioja claret' style and has three years in cask and two in bottle. With 80% tempranillo and 20% garnacha, and extra six months in cask, Viña Ardanza is the most traditional-tasting and in exceptional vintages (to date, just 1964, 1973 and 2001) has the additional description of especial. The extended ageing which is winemaking policy here would normally qualify both Arana and Ardanza as gran reserva, but this designation is reserved for the two top-of-the range 904 and 890 bottlings. The former, is 90% tempranillo with 10% graciano, aged 4-5 years in cask and a further 4 in bottle. 890, made only in the best vintages and presented in numbered bottles, is overwhelmingly tempranillo (96%) with a little graciano and mazuelo and has a whopping 6-8 years in cask and 6 in bottle. Not surprisingly, we source The Society s Exhibition Rioja Reserva from La Rioja Alta.
page 3 memberservices@ Producer : La Rioja Alta - Continued. Two years in cask and then further ageing in bottle results in a complex and mature wine, the concentrated, silky fruit and cedary character of which have won it a great deal of critical acclaim in the Press. La Rioja Alta also has a Galician estate, Lagar de Cervara, run autonomously of the Rioja operation in the village of Fornelos. Here they make, among other things, superb albariño from 75 hectares of vines, the largest holdings of any Rías Baixas winery. They began with five hectares in 1988 and have acquired sites around the area as they became available, and in 2013 opened a new, state of the art winery.
page 4 memberservices@ Pinot Gris Tradition, Hugel, 2010 An exemplary dry and rich pinot gris that combines body with elegance. Product Code AL9501 Dominant Grape Pinot Gris Product Type White Wine Drink Dates 2012 to 2017 Origin Alsace Alcohol Level 14.0% Style 1 (of 9): Bone dry Closure type Cork, diam Vintage 2010 Price No longer for sale Producer : Famille Hugel Hugel is one of the longest-established Alsace houses as well as being the most famous. The family firm has made wine in Riquewihr since 1639! As having extensive vineyard holdings of some 127 hectares (including grands crus Sporen and Schoenenbourg), Hugel also acts as a négociant buying grapes from other respected growers. The late Johnny Hugel was one of the most influential winemakers in Alsace, not only championing Alsace at home and abroad, but also helping to formulate important protection laws. It was he who obtained official seal of approval for late-harvest vendange tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles designations. Under the thoughtful management of Johnny s nephews, Marc and the sadly missed Etienne, who died suddenly and much too young in April 2016, the business remained in safe hands, and now a younger generation is involved in this great family tradition. Marc is the current winemaker, and in fine tradition the firm continues to make some of the very best examples of lateharvest wines from riesling, gewurztraminer and muscat available in Alsace today. The Jubilee range of wines was started in 1989 when Hugel celebrated its 350th anniversary. These were made only in very good or great vintages and are synonymous with high-quality wines. All but the pinot noir came from grand cru sites. The Jubilee range has now been replaced by the Grossi Laüe ('great growths' in Alsacien), taking a further step up in quality. Members visiting the pretty town of Riquewihr, where Hugel is based, might also enjoy a visit to an interesting winethemed museum there established by Johnny s brother, André Hugel, and to their fine wine shop.
page 5 memberservices@ Château Peyredon Lagravette, Haut-Médoc 2010 A remarkably forward and delicious cru bourgeois claret that we tasted recently and enjoyed so much we bought as much as we could. From a tiny vineyard and mature vines (63% cabernet sauvignon and 37% merlot), matured for 14 months in French oak. Open it now and it is classy and classic, with freshness and spice, and well-balanced palate. Or keep it we reckon easily to 2020 for further complexity and if you prefer your claret with developed savoury (rather than fruit-led) flavour. Product Code CM16411 Dominant Grape Cabernet Merlot Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2013 to 2020 Origin Medoc, Graves Alcohol Level 13.5% Style Medium-bodied Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2010 Price No longer for sale Château Fourcas Dupré, Listrac-Médoc 2005 Expressive claret from a great vintage with both substance and balance that will reward generously over the next five years or so. Decant if serving now to allow its early hints of cedar and tobacco to come to the fore. Product Code CM12021 Dominant Grape Cabernet Merlot Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2010 to 2020 Origin Medoc, Graves Alcohol Level 13.0% Style not applicable Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2005 Price No longer for sale Producer : Château Fourcas Dupré - See next page.
page 6 memberservices@ Producer : Château Fourcas Dupré Perched upon a relatively high point of the Médoc, at 42 metres, known locally as the roof of the Médoc, Château Fourcas Dupré lies between the appellations of Moulis and Saint-Julien. 46 hectares of vines in one large parcel make up the vineyard holdings, lying on a mixture of excellently drained gravel with clay and limestone. Cabernet sauvignon and merlot share the honours equally with plantings of 44% of each, supplemented by 10% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. The wines are matured in barriques, around a third of which are new each year. Fourcas Dupré's vineyards have a long history, and were mentioned on maps dating back to the time of Louis XV. Purchased in 1843 by a lawyer, Jean Antoine Baptiste Dupré, the château was born in 1844, taking the name of its new owner combined with the name of the lieu-dit in which it is situated, Le Fourcas. Major restoration work ensued and today there are new cellars to complement the original buildings and barrel cellar, as well as a gîte refurbished in 2012. The property has been managed by the Pagès family since 1970 and is currently run by Patrice Pagès. Under their stewardship the estate has maintained its reputation as a very fine cru bourgeois, classified cru bourgeois supérieur in 1932 and 2003.
page 7 memberservices@ Ch Tour Haut Caussan Medoc 2005 An impressive, true Médoc from the Courrian family in Bégadan and certainly one of the best in its class. Balanced and stylish with fine bouquet after at least an hour in a decanter. Product Code CM10281 Dominant Grape Cabernet Merlot Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2010 to 2018 Origin Medoc, Graves Alcohol Level 13.5% Style Medium-bodied Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2005 Price No longer for sale Producer : Château Tour Haut-Caussan Philippe Courrian and his winemaker son, Fabien, have been making lovely well-balanced claret on 17 hectares of well-sited vines at Blaignan for many years. This excellent Cru Bourgeois property has been in the family since 1877 and the family has been in the area since the 1630s. It takes its name from the windmill situated in the middle of the vineyard and the nearby village Caussan. Half of the vineyard lies on the slope and on top of a hill near the village of Caussan on clay and limestone. The other half is in Potensac where gravel predominates. The vines, a 50:50 split between cabernet sauvignon and merlot averaging more than 30 years of age are planted to a density of 7,000 per hectare. Low yields and hand harvesting help the quality, and the wines see time in oak, 25% new, for fourteen months. The wine is not filtered. As M. Courrian says, 'Why filter? My wine does not contain anything bad.'
page 8 memberservices@ Gewurztraminer Folastries, Josmeyer 2010 Very rich, full-bodied, dry-style gewurz. Jean Meyer always likes to partner this with tomato-based dishes. Also good with strong, ripe cheeses. Product Code AL9671 Dominant Grape Gewurztraminer Product Type White Wine Drink Dates 2012 to 2019 Origin Alsace Alcohol Level 14.0% Style 2 (of 9): Dry Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2010 Price No longer for sale Producer : Josmeyer The Alsace domaine of Josmeyer dates back to 1854, when Aloyse Meyer set himself up as a négociant to supply restaurants. His grandson Hubert added part of his father s name to create the company name, Josmeyer. Though technically still a négociant, practically everything that Josmeyer produces comes from the estate s 31 hectares which are located between the towns of Turckheim and Wintzenheim near Colmar. Each generation has left its mark here. Hubert, who died in 2005, created the export market. His son Jean further raised quality levels. He more or less abandoned the négociant side and then switched the whole estate to biodynamic farming. Jean was an outstanding cook, as is his wife, Odile, and gastronomy was always present at any discussion and when creating their cuvées. Jean died in 2016, leaving his two quite extraordinary daughters at the helm. Céline is in charge of the books and sales and her sister Isabelle is in charge of the cellar. Both daughters are artistically gifted and helped their father design the look of the ranges. From the beginning, Josmeyer has been identified with the vineyards of Brand and Hengst, now among Alsace s top grands crus. Hengst produces fine full-flavoured riesling and gewurztraminer, while from Brand there is also pinot gris which is invariably bone dry and among the best in Alsace. A curiosity of the house is a cuvée of old-vine auxerrois from the Hengst.
page 9 memberservices@ Gewurztraminer Jubilee, Hugel 2007 Majestic gewurz from Hugel. Though not stated on the label, Jubilee gewurztraminer always comes from Hugel s own holdings at the heart of grand cru Sporen. Product Code AL7501 Dominant Grape Gewurztraminer Product Type White Wine Drink Dates 2010 to 2022 Origin Alsace Alcohol Level 14.0% Style 3 (of 9): Dry, rich Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2007 Price No longer for sale Gewurztraminer Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre, 2005 Wonderfully creamy and fragrant, dry and full-flavoured, the perfect gewurz to go with food. The origin of the grapes, all from Trimbach vines, includes grand cru Osterberg in Ribeauvillé. Product Code AL8101 Dominant Grape Gewurztraminer Product Type White Wine Drink Dates 2010 to 2022 Origin Alsace Alcohol Level 13.5% Style 3 (of 9): Dry, rich Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2005 Price No longer for sale Sotanum, Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes 2004 Pierre Gaillard, Yves Cuilleron and François Villard, three leading growers in Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie, made their first wine in 1997. 100% syrah grown on schists, very dark, intense and minerally and not unlike Côte-Rôtie. Drink this year and next. Product Code RH14121 Dominant Grape Syrah/Shiraz Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2008 to 2014 Origin RHONE - Northern Rhone Alcohol Level 13.0% Style Medium-bodied Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2004 Price No longer for sale
page 10 memberservices@ Château du Tertre, 2006, Margaux With early charm and subtle perfume and freshness from 20% cabernet franc, this is a Margaux with typical fragrance and class for relatively early drinking. Product Code CM11861 Dominant Grape Cabernet Merlot Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2010 to 2018 Origin Cru Classe Medoc, Graves Alcohol Level 13.0% Style Medium-bodied Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2006 Price No longer for sale