The Best of the Best: Fine Wines & Rare Spirits at The 2023 Golden Vines® Awards in Paris, France
Discerning the very best fine wines can be a daunting task, even for the most educated and experienced connoisseurs in the business. The sheer number of excellent wines on offer can often seem overwhelming – indeed, the beauty of wine is that a person could live to a ripe old age and still only have sampled the very tip of the iceberg – and, of course, taste can be incredibly subjective and easily swayed by the particular preferences and peccadilloes of the person wielding the glass. It’s the sheer variety on offer that often means that many of us are self-professed wine ‘geeks’. We love to study each glass academically, revelling in statistics and vintages and the sheer amount of history and human care that can be tasted in a great vintage. Of course, our own tastes can also change over time: we may initially favour something big and fruit forward and only later come to understand the delicate subtleties of the lighter-bodied varietals. We are all on a journey to find the very best, and build on our own knowledge in the process.
Fine wines are often those that evoke some type of emotional response. For example, the emotion could come from recognising the sense of place in the wine – what the French call ‘terroir’. For instance, “This glass of Harlan Estate is so recognisable as being from Harlan”, or “This glass of Domaine Duroché Chambertin Clos de Bèze can only have come from the Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru vineyard”. In these instances, the wine in hand is a fine example of that specific winery or vineyard.
The best of all wine emotions is the “wow” moment. All fine wine lovers have had it, otherwise they wouldn’t be lovers. The “wow” moment is when you taste a wine and it takes you to a different place: your eyes light up, and you start looking at the glass and wondering what the heck you just drank, even though you know precisely well what was poured in your glass. As wine lovers, we are in constant pursuit of these perfect, Proustian moments.
Ultimately, wine is consumed for pleasure and appreciation – nothing more, nothing less – and that’s the fundamental question we should be asking ourselves when we come to taste. In the years since our Awards started we have been lucky enough to feature wines and rare spirits from some fantastic estates. The role, while heavy with responsibility, is one that brings us all tremendous pleasure, and I can vouch for everyone in saying that it truly is an honour to be able to celebrate such outstanding work in the field.
2023 will be no different, and we’re excited to have a huge array of fantastic wines at The Golden Vines® Awards this year. All are defined by their exceptional quality and adherence to the tenets by which we identify the very best products. Below is a little more information about the wines and spirits that will be served at The 2023 Golden Vines® Dress-to-Party Charity Gala and The 2023 Golden Vines® Awards Ceremony & Dinner Gala. We hope it’s more than sufficient to whet your appetite and get you excited for what promises to be an event unlike any other.
Krug Grande Cuvée 171ème
Joseph Krug was the first to ‘invent’ the idea of a best of the best Champagne using wines from different vintages. Today, Krug Grande Cuvée is the cornerstone wine from the Maison and on its 171th Édition, a blend of 131 wines from 12 different years, the youngest of which is from 2015, while the oldest dates back to 2000. A stay of around seven years in Krug's cellars gives this Édition its remarkable expression and elegance.
The Estate: Krug
The House of Krug barely needs any introduction: its reputation for the highest standards and ultimate luxury is recognised by wine lovers everywhere. The House was established in Reims in 1843 by Joseph Krug, a visionary non-conformist with an uncompromising philosophy. Having understood the true essence of Champagne is pleasure itself, his dream was to craft the very best Champagne he could offer, every single year, regardless of annual variations in climate. Six generations of the Krug family have perpetuated this dream, enriching the founder’s vision and savoir foire.
Krug Vintage 2004
Krug only releases a vintage Champagne in years’ where the head cellarmaster, Chef de Cave, believes that the wine is of sufficient quality and character to demand its own bottling. 2004 gave birth to highly expressive, bright, undeniably elegant and discreet wines with a shining structure. A dialogue between expressive Chardonnays (39%) and the backbone of Pinot Noir (37%) combined with the vivacity, tension and citrus notes of Meunier (24%). The elegance of Krug 2004 comes after over 12 years in the cellars gaining in harmony, expression and finesse.
Dom Pérignon Rosé 2009
Dom Pérignon Rosé is always one of the finest expressions of sparkling Rosé wine produced in the Champagne region. It’s a wine oozing class and precision. With almost twelve years ageing on its lees (dead yeast cells), the 2009 Dom Pérignon Rosé is surprisingly fresh, vibrant and elegant. There’s no sense of heaviness or obvious maturation in this stage of its life. With time in the glass, a seashell minerality emerges on the nose that is most alluring. Made during the tenure of legendary Chef de Cave, Richard Geoffroy, but released by his chosen successor, the highly respected Vincent Chaperon, this is another masterpiece for lovers of Rosé Champagne and one that should age gracefully for several decades.
The Estate: Dom Pérignon
The Estate needs no introduction or explanation either: every wine lover knows that Dom Pérignon is a vintage Champagne made only in years when the house believes the quality of the fruit is exceptionally high. Using wines from the best grapes grown in a single year is an imposing challenge, and Vincent Chaperon, Chef de Cave of Dom Pérignon, “embodies this absolute creative freedom, experimenting and reinventing for each vintage”.
Dom Pérignon P2 2004
The Second Plenitude, what distinguishes P2 from its younger sibling, P1, is longer lees ageing in the cellars and the Chef de Cave’s view on the quality of the wine to release as a marquee P2 expression. The 2004 remains discreet, yet more clearly defined in this 2004 P2. Citrus notes of pink grapefruit and blood oranges gently cede to figs. The additional time on the lees elevates the minerality of the vintage with the sublime maturity that is Dom Pérignon’s signature.
IWA Reserves
Bottled only in 1.8 litre Iishobins, and with the IWA logo embossed in black (rather than white) on the bottle, Richard Geoffroy, former Chef de Cave at Dom Pérignon, has created his version of Dom Pérignon P3 (the top of the range, super expensive Third Plentitude Champagne) in the world of sake. IWA RESERVES is a blend of reserve (i.e. aged) sakes, a concept that does not exist in the sake category. Richard intends to make RESERVES with at least five years of library stock. “I wanted to showcase the highest potential of IWA with RESERVES, a sake that has depth, complexity, energy and intensity”, explained Richard. How does it taste? Expensive! RESERVES is a seriously complex drink. It had a profoundness and finish deserving of a top Burgundy white. It does not have the freshness of a new sake, but the evolution enhances the energy and vibrancy of the sake rather than diminishes it. Most importantly, you want to drink more of it – the alcohol levels are a very respectable 15% ABV. “There’s less primary fruit, and more unami and tertiary notes, but no mushroom or obvious oxidation”, Richard effused. RESERVES is not commercially available, and will be released for the first time at The 2023 Golden Vines® Awards in Paris.
The Estate: IWA Sake
In his search for renewed harmony at IWA, Richard Geoffroy pursues the dream of a grand Japanese Sake. A radiant Sake. Such a paradoxical proposition cannot come from a single brew. It can only be achieved through Assemblage, by design. Assemblage adds a paradigm to the established paradigm of rice polishing. The more Assembled, the more harmonious.
Assemblage 2 is Richard’s second blend of IWA 5. While remaining true to IWA 5’s singular characters of balance, mouthfeel and complexity, Assemblage 2 puts a particular emphasis on even purer and more heightened aromatics.
The company name, Shiraiwa, comes from the site that welcomes the Kura and the brand’s name, IWA. Or ‘White Rock’ and ‘Rock’. In the Spring of 2021, a contemporary kura designed by renowned architect Kengo Kuma opened; harmoniously slotted into the landscape, in profound dialogue with the history of rural architecture, it channels the core principles of IWA: inclusivity, horizontality, community. It stands between mountain foothills and arable flatland, with access to pure local water straight from the rooftop of Japan, amidst some of the heaviest snowfall in the world.
Château d'Yquem 2015
The 2015 Château d'Yquem is a blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc that was picked on the gravelly soils as early as 3 and 4 September until 21 October, four tries through the vineyard. It delivers 144 grams per litre of residual sugar, with six-grams of tartaric acid, a pH 3.65 and 13.9% alcohol. It has a show-stopping bouquet that is beautifully defined and very complex and exuberant, infused with greater mineralité than recent vintages – intense but not as flamboyant as say the 2009 d'Yquem at this stage. The palate boasts absolutely stunning balance. This is a d'Yquem without a hair out of place: fantastically pure, botrytised fruit caressing the mouth. What distinguishes this Yquem is the sense of electricity that is imbued by that razor-sharp acidity.
The Estate: Château d'Yquem
Château d’Yquem offers an unforgettable moment of grace for the senses and the soul.
Created in the 18th century, d'Yquem produces miraculous wines through a serendipitous fusion of a unique ‘terroir’, the expertise and unstinting efforts of men and women in the vineyard and cellar, and the microscopic fungus botrytis cinerea, better known as noble rot.
Autumn’s morning mists are followed by sunny afternoons and a slight easterly wind, which encourages the development of noble rot on the Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes, concentrating sugar and richness. In order to pick each grape at just the right time, harvesting is done on every vineyard plot – indeed, every individual vine – over an average of five times in keeping with a method used since the 19th century.
The Chateau d'Yquem philosophy has been the same for over five centuries: to do everything possible to produce the best wine, with yields of just one glass per vine. The result: the most renowned wine in Sauternes, and one of the greatest sweet wines in the world.
Harlan Estate 1995
The 1995 Harlan Estate is an extremely hard bottling to find, and is being presented by the Harlan family from their personal reserves. Robert Parker described it as “one of the most remarkable young Cabernet Sauvignons I have tasted”. The wine, a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, was aged in 100% new oak, which adds subtle pain grille/toasty scents. This opaque purple-coloured Cabernet offers up a nose of smoke, coffee beans, black and blue fruits, minerals, and roasted herbs. It is extremely full-bodied, with spectacular purity, exquisite equilibrium, and a seamless personality with everything in total harmony. The finish lasts for more than 40 seconds.
The Estate: Harlan Estate
For nearly four decades, Harlan Estate has been committed to creating a California ‘First Growth’. Founded in 1984, Harlan Estate is a winegrowing estate—consisting of 240 acres, 40 of which are planted to vines—in the western hills of Napa Valley, set above the fabled Oakville benchlands. We devote our lives to making wines which can captivate the senses and meet the needs of our soul.
“Harlan Estate might be the single most profound red wine made not just in California, but in the world.” – Robert M. Parker, Jr. / The Wine Advocate.
Domaine Arnoux Lachaux Echézeaux Grand Cru 2013
Brooding, floral and pungently spicy nose featuring plum and dark berry fruit notes. The wine has outstanding richness to the full-bodied and attractively textured flavours that possess good muscle but with the right-amount of balance to create a sense of refinement. A wine for long ageing that is in good peak condition at this point in its life-cycle.
The Estate: Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux
Originally founded in 1858, Charles Lachaux spearheads today the Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux (previously Domaine Robert-Arnoux). The sixth-generation winemaker, brings a refreshing approach to viticulture and vinification. The estate still very much remains a family affair, with the mother, Florence, at the helm of all administration and allocation processes. In addition to farming organically, Charles has become a leader in biodynamic farming in Burgundy, while also implementing a restrained use of oak and a hands-off mentality in the cellar. He also allows his vine shoots to grow to soaring lengths.
The Arnoux-Lachaux estate comprises 14 hectares spread across 15 terroirs, encompassing Bourgogne, Village-level, premier, and grand cru designations, with prime plots in Burgundy’s famed Vosne-Romanée, Clos de Vougeot, Nuits-Saint-Georges & Echézeaux. Charles uses a sensory-driven approach versus a methodical one. Rather than hedging his vines to look prim and proper, he allows grass to grow freely and prunes using the Guyot Poussard method, which honours the vines’ sap flow and leads to healthier plants and therefore, better quality fruit. Wines are produced using generous amounts of whole clusters and are vinified based on taste, not with a recipe.
Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux is The Winner of The 2021 Virgin Galactic Golden Vines® World’s Best Rising Star Award
Liber Pater 2007
Described by many at a recent event in Macau, the Robb Report Culinary Masters, as the “best wine ever tasted” by a number of the guests, the 2007 Liber Pater is a “wow” wine. Although an early example of the incredible work of vigneron, Loic Pasquet, the 2007 vintage has matured into a seething beauty, yet is certainly nowhere near peak performance. Having produced less than 500 bottles, guests will surely taste one of the rarest wines on the planet.
The Estate: Liber Pater
Named after the Roman god of viticulture, Liber Pater is a boutique winery in Graves which only began production in 2006 and labels its wines simply as ‘Vin de France’. Yet it has rapidly developed a cult following, in large part because of its maverick winemaker and owner Loic Pasquet. He has dedicated himself to reviving forgotten Bordeaux grape varieties such as Marselan, Tarney Coulant, and Castet, and his intense focus on quality produces exceptional wines which frequently receive ratings of 90+ from wine critics.
Pasquet primarily works with ungrafted rootstock, which he believes allows him to create more authentic wines. During the rapid spread of phylloxera in the mid-19th century, French shoots were grafted onto American rootstock which was resistant to the disease. Pasquet’s bold use of ungrafted rootstock gives wine lovers a taste of what pre-phylloxera Bordeaux was like.
Accompanying the focus on little-known historic varietals is a move back to traditional winemaking techniques. Pasquet farms his vineyards with little more than a 150-year-old plough and a mule. Working organically helps him to tread lightly on the natural environment. Of course, making wine in this way is labour-intensive and costly, but the end result is a wine that reminds us of the ancient harmony between man and earth.
Since Liber Pater produces minuscule quantities, the wines are rare and difficult to get hold of. Approximately 2400 bottles of the red are made each year along with 300 bottles each of Pasquet’s oak-fermented white and sweet dessert wine.
Modest quantities and tremendous quality explain why Liber Pater wines are highly sought after all over the globe, despite the relative newness of the estate.
Taylor’s Port 50 Year-Old Tawny Special Edition
Created specifically for The 2023 Golden Vines Dress-to-Party Charity Charity Gala, and yet to be tasted by anyone outside the estate, we can only wonder at how this rare beauty will perform when presented alongside the food of Alain Duccase and Akrame at the Pavillon de Bercy on 13th October 2023.
The Estate: Taylor’s Port
For many, Taylor’s is the archetypal Port house and its wines the quintessential Ports. Established over three centuries ago in 1692, Taylor’s is one of the oldest of the founding Port houses. It is dedicated entirely to the production of Port wine and in particular to its finest styles.
Taylor’s is also respected as a producer of wood aged ports and holds one of the largest reserves of rare cask aged wines from which its distinguished aged tawny Ports are drawn. The house is also known as the originator of Late Bottled Vintage, a style which the firm pioneered and of which it remains the leading producer.
Above all, Taylor’s is an independent company in which some family members play a leading role in all areas of the firm’s activity. The firm’s long and unbroken family tradition has provided continuity and clarity of purpose, essential attributes of any great wine house. It has also allowed the skills and knowledge required to produce the finest ports to be constantly refined and added to in the light of experience as they are passed down from one generation to the next.
Based in Oporto and the Douro Valley the company is closely involved in all stages of the production of its Ports, from the planting of the vineyard and the cultivation of the grapes to the making, ageing, blending and bottling of the wines. The family’s commitment to the future of Port is demonstrated in its single minded dedication to the highest standards in Port production, its continued investment in all aspects of the firm’s operations and its determination to preserve the unique environment of the Douro Valley through the promotion of sustainable and responsible viticulture.
István Szepsy Tokaj Aszú 6-Puttonyos 2006
The 2006 was described by Istvan Szepsy Jr. as the greatest wine the estate has ever produced. The 2006 being served at The 2023 Golden Vines Awards Ceremony & Dinner at the Palais Garnier on Saturday 14 October comes from the family’s private reserves. The wine shines from both a combination of huge concentration of fruit with soaring acidity that cuts through the sweetness like a butter knife. The finish is something to marvel at. The wine will surprise anyone who has not tasted world-class Tokaji before, and no doubt leave them speechless.
The Estate: Szepsy Winery
When you are in possession of what is considered to be the single, most complex soil composition in the world, the quest for perfection in your wines is a matter not just of personal ambition but of moral responsibility. You have no choice. When you’re aiming for perfection, there are no compromises. It takes a certain kind of person to aspire to live up to that, let alone achieve it.
István Szepsy’s family has been producing Tokaj wines since the 1500s. He became its director in 1989 and has since made it his life’s work to achieve the fullest potential of his celebrated patrimony.
He has taken an interest in every detail of the Estate’s operations, never accepting anything less than 100 per cent in everything. In 1631, Szepsy Laczko Mate was the first man to ever write down how to make Tokaji Aszú. Eighteen generations later, now under István Szepsy’s direction, the same standards remain and younger generations honour the family tradition of continually striving towards perfection.
Szepsy Winery is The Winner of The 2022 Golden Vines® Best Fine Wine Producer in Europe Award.
István Szepsy is The Winner of The 2022 Golden Vines® Hall of Fame Award.
Camus Cocktails
Our Chef, Arkame, has created a range of Camus cocktails specifically for The 2023 Golden Vines.
The Distillery: Camus
Celebrating a living tradition five generations strong, Camus reflects today over 160 years of family entrepreneurship. Operating independently since 1863 we uphold the same uncompromising philosophy, one of craftsmen of an extraordinary passion, engaged in a relentless quest for the utmost refinement. We embrace our traditions whilst remaining at the forefront of science to consistently achieve new levels of aromatic intensity in our Cognacs. Perfectionists, we seek the utmost refinement with sincerity, passion and determination to produce the best Cognac in the World for the pleasure of those who appreciate the finest things in life.
In 2018, Cyril Camus, family entrepreneur and 5th generation owner of the House of Camus, founded Les Ateliers Camus. Unique in its genre Les Ateliers Camus is the birthplace of Camus’ most exclusive cognacs and the bespoke workshop marrying the finest eaux-de-vie with unique pieces of art designed and created by our craftsmen, innovative creations that relate a unique story and create strong emotions in the heart of those fortunate enough to possess them.
Camus Exclusive Blend
This blend has been exclusively blended by our Golden Vines Chef, Akrame, and will be first presented at The 2023 Golden Vines in Paris. Featuring a range of aged cognacs from different parts of the cognac region, the cognac has been specifically chosen for its gastronomic appeal.
We are looking forward to welcoming our guests at The 2023 Golden Vines Awards suite of events in Paris, France and sharing these incredible fine wines & rare spirits with them.