Jürade de Saint-Émilion du Singapour Gala 2023

The Singapore chapter of the Jürade de Saint-Émilion held its annual Gala for members at The Four Seasons on 08 November 2023. Each course was accompanied by wines supplied by the Wine Council of Saint-Émilion, unless otherwise stated. Members also paid homage to Pierre Mirande of Château La Rose Côtes Rol, whose untimely demise in June 2023 so soon after the Jürade’s visit had shocked us. Many thanks, Russ, Calvin and Marc, for the brilliant organisation!

2018 Les Cordeliers Grand Vintage Brut. A sparkling white from Saint-Émilion. Green fruits, melons and minerally elements in equal measure, imparting excellent zest with dryish intensity.

2012 1938. From the satellite region of Puisseguin. Deep purple, displaying supple intensity of ripe plummy fruit. Very well-balanced.

2011 Château Trianon. Deep crimson, proffering a reductive earthy pungency softly cushioned by a gentle cool ripeness. Rather understated at first, gaining traction with greater fullness and elegant intensity after some time over a base of subdued minerals.

2015 Château Carteau. Some early evolution in colour. Medium presence, open with relaxed charm. Structured with smooth rounded tannins that enhanced its feminine stance, offering good detail. Highly integral, developing controlled verve and intensity.

2014 Château Jean Faure. Deep purple. Fullish. Sleek mid-palate of recessed red fruits with undertones of rye, yielding fine intensity.

2010 Château Jean Faure. Deep colour. Savoury characters on the nose amid a cool ripeness of fruit. Medium-full, displaying excellent fullness, balance and intensity tinged with a subdued note of varnish. Good sophistication and finish but far from ready.

2015 Clos de la Cure. Early evolution of colour, proffering a lifted note of haw and red fruits. Medium weight. Structured with lean definition, though it carries good verve with fine intensity of cool ripe fruit. Good balance.

2015 Château La Rose Côtes Rol. Opaque dull red that belies the lovely lift of predominant red fruits, boasting sheer density of fruit and characters of soy though there is a vegetal tinge, further accentuated by a general darkish austerity. Still tightly coiled.

2006 Clos Badon Thunevin. Deep brownish red. Medium-full, the fruit fairly well developed with open supple intensity, structured with sweet rounded tannins. Distinctly modern. Good sophistication.

2020 Arômes de Pavie, courtesy of Marc. Strong hint of warm gravel on the nose, met by sleek youthful intensity on the medium-bodied palate, structured with tightly-knit tannins.

2016 Château Les Grandes Murailles, courtesy of Russ. Deep purple. Distinct note of rye on the nose. Generously layered with black fruits that impart sleek dryish textures, structured with firm tannins. Distinctly modern, but quite highly integral. This estate is now extinct, its two hectares of vines having been completely absorbed into Château Clos Fourtet.

2011 Château Valandraud, courtesy of Marc. Deep garnet. Notes of malt and vanillin on the nose matched by well-extracted swathes of ripe dark plummy tones dressed in svelte velvety tannins, still tinged with a discernible note of varnish.

2010 Château Pavie, courtesy of Dennis. Decanted on-site. Impenetrable deep purple. Still very full, almost unctuous, imbued with deep swathes of dark fruits and ripe wild berries that exude overtones of varnish. Unashamedly modern. Plenty of promise here; truly one for the ages.

1998 Château La Gomerie. Opaque purple. Lifted note of soy amid a profusion of alluring secondary characters. Fairly full, structured with slick acidity and silky tannins. Still very fresh and agile, developing further notes of toffee and mocha. Excellent.