Text by: Greg Somm
This column is written by The Gold Certified ASI Sommelier, Chef-sommelier of WineHall Company and a MS Diploma Candidate, Greg Somm.
Such evenings only happen only If you meet people who are truly obsessed with the culture of gastronomy and wine. The Widder restaurant is not just a place for foodies, it is the best place for gastronomy and proper wines in Zurich. There cannot be many such places – too many factors must come together. The most important is the professionalism of the people who, like an orchestra, complement the play of each other!
The wine set was put together as a result of people communicating and the resulting improvisation. But what a wonderful set it turned out to be! In combination with the cuisine from Stefan Hellmann @sheilemann, each wine was even better than expected. We started the evening with a mind-blowing wine from Sébastien Caillat – Lamy-Caillat Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru 'La Romanée' 2022. Each time his wine makes a new impression. In terms of style, this is the standard of reductive style. The aroma is an abundance of ripe garden fruits, gunpowder, milk and white flowers. The taste is endlessly fresh and salty.
But then after chatting with the neighboring table, I got to try Clos du Mesnil 2000 and 2002. And it was a great experience. Perhaps this is the greatest embodiment of Chardonnay in Champagne. Blindly, I would compare it to the same vintage from Selosse, but the scale and volume of Krug is an order of magnitude greater. For me, this is the ideal champagne made in a barrel. The finest expression in the aroma with an abundance of tones of sweet garden fruits, lemongrass, bergamot and honey. In the taste, endless and enveloping. At the same time, both vintages 2000 and 2002 were very close in level. Simply luxurious wine!
We continued with what we had long wanted to drink. Magnum from Anna Vatan, and her Clos La Neore 2019 – this is the most unusual, and therefore mysterious embodiment of Sauvignon Blanc. Its magic apparently lies in the exceptional quality of the grapes grown. The cellar work is as traditional as possible. Fermentation in old oak vats of 600 liters, no decanting or filtration. The aroma is unusual. Shades of fennel, lemon with sugar, mint, propolis and kvass!
We finished with a wonderful South African blend – 4G Wines “67 Imizuzu” 2014. It waited for its time in the decanter for about two hours. Fantastic elegance, complexity and subtlety. This is, without exaggeration, the best wine in the New World!
