Clos du Mont-Olivet Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2011
Many years ago, when I still visited Burgundy (before deciding to focus on Bordeaux), at the end of a tasting at a very famous domaine, the proprietor asked if there was something else I would like to taste from his Grand Crus. I chose a village for one of the weakest vintages imaginable. The Frenchman was taken aback. And wondered, “why do you wish to taste that vintage and not another?”. My reply was, I hope, not taken in the wrong spirit nor caused any offence. I said, “I want to discover how good you are when faced with such a hopeless vintage”. When the chips are down, people who are imaginative, creative, and made of sterner stuff, they will weather through. These are the people who will make a difference. So it was that last week in Hong Kong, I had to take a red (and white) to dinner. I went to Watson’s Wine in Hopewell Centre in Queen’s Road East in Wanchai, Hong Kong. There was a more impressive 2015 of the same wine (and which was less expensive). But, I wanted something with evolution. So, although I knew 2011 was a challenging vintage, I put faith in the Sabon Family, proprietors of the wine. They did not disappoint. Although relatively light, I decanted it about an hour because the wine still needed to open up. The blend is about 80% grenache, 10% syrah, 5% mourvedre and the balance to counoise, vaccarese, muscardin, terret noir, picpoul noir and cinsault. Light, soft, sweetish cherry fruit. Elegant and fresh. Not concentrated but very balanced and thoroughly enjoyable.