Last weekend, we at iDealwine had the pleasure of sharing our wines with enophiles at Matter of Taste in Zurich. We look back at these two days of wine tasting.
On a beautiful Saturday morning, with the first scent of spring in the air, two members of the iDealwine team arrived in Zurich, at the Dolder Grand Hotel, ready for to Matter of Taste wine show. The Matter of Taste series – events are also held in Singapore, New York and London – is the fruit of eminent wine critic Robert Parker and his journal Wine Advocate. The aim of these international events is to bring together some of the finest wines in the world – only wines with 90+ points are accepted – to share them with wine lovers from across the globe. We outdid ourselves, choosing an array of iconic wines which would pique visitors’ interest. More about that later.
The venue was none other than the Dolder Grand Hotel, which overlooks the city of Zurich, opening out onto a magnificent panorama of the city and lake, resplendent under the low winter sun. The hotel itself – where old meets new somewhat seamlessly – was the perfect backdrop for such an illustrious event.
Now for the wines. We began with a favourite of the iDealwine team: Sylvain Pataille’s Marsannay (2016). Having recently met this producer, who is as talented as he is loquacious, at a professional tasting, we wanted to share his wines – and our enthusiasm – with guests. After that, in a slight change of register, we poured the Domaine de Chevalier 2000… yes, 2000! This Grand Cru impressed wine lovers with its velvety texture and nice depth, and despite its 19 years of age, had retained an amazing freshness and fruitiness.
Our third reference, in contrast, had fully began its third stage of evolution. Still in the 2000 vintage, this Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Prestige from domain Roger Sabon unveiled an expressive, sophisticated nose of cooked fruits, forest floor, dried mushroom and game. Rich yet svelte on the palate, those who tried this wine loved it!
The delicious line-up culminated in Marcel Deiss’s Altenberg de Bergheim Sélection de Grains Nobles 1997. Rich and complex, this 100% Pinot Gris from one of the icons of Alsace had a beautiful golden colour, with honeyed notes of dried fruit and spices. The whole room soon fell under the charm of this great Alsatian wine!
The weekend was an excellent opportunity to meet wine enthusiasts from all over the world and to show the faces behind iDealwine. The popularity of our stand confirmed our long-held suspicions, that the way to a wine lover’s heart is with mature vintages… We would like to thank all of the enophiles whom we met, and the organizers of Matter of Taste. Auf Wiedersehen!
If this article has tickled your taste buds, why not browse our wines, or more specifically, our old vintages. You can also relive the weekend with us by checking out our photo album.
