Past tastings

Bordeaux, France

Owned by the Rothschild family since the 19th century, Château Lafite Rothschild was one of four châteaux of Bordeaux originally awarded Premier Grand Cru in the 1855 Classification with their wines noted as “the most superb in all of Médoc”.  It is one of the most renowned wine properties in the Médoc, if not the world, and is also one of the largest Médoc estates.  Found in the Pauillac appellation, their wines have a distinguished perfumed elegance and finesse.  Please join us at our Bordeaux Dinner to experience these exquisite wines with us.

Pre-Dinner Drinks – R de Rieussec 2020 (AOC Bordeaux Blanc)

MENU

Starter

Château d’Aussières 2016 (AOC Corbières)

Parsnip and parsley risotto fermented turnips, black pepper roasted chickpeas, rocket pesto (VE) (GF)

Intermediate Course

Château Duhart Milon 2016 (AOC Pauillac)

Wild mushroom stuffed supreme of chicken and truffle velouté with fine herbs, citrus-burnt butter dressing, and confit carrots.

AND (Veg/vegan option)

Goats cheese mousse textures of beetroot, radish, horseradish snow, and sorrel cress. (V) (GF)

Main

Château Lafite 2008 (AOC Pauillac)

Braised shoulder of local lamb topped with toasted oats, minted pearl barley, roasted celeriac purée, glazed offal faggot, pea and pancetta, crumbled feta, and split jus.

AND (veg/vegan option)

Butter roasted cauliflower steak, cauliflower, and smoked cheddar velouté, buttered greens, pickled shallots, toasted pine kernels, beurre noisette vinaigrette (V) (GF).

Cheese

Château Rieussec 2019 (AOC Sauternes)

Dessert

Salted caramel tart quince gel, milk sorbet, sesame tuile. (V)

Dress code: Black tie

 

Ticket and ballot information

We only have a limited number of tickets available, and due to anticipated popularity, the event will be balloted for members only.  Members will be able to apply for ONE ticket each and tickets will be allocated through a completely randomised ballot.

The ballot opens on Sunday 15 January at 4pm and will close on 17 January at 6pm. Please indicate any dietary restrictions and seating preferences when you submit your ballot. We will be selecting the ballot winners shortly after, and payments are due by Wednesday 18 January at 6pm. You MUST pay for your ticket by this time in order to secure your spot.

If you fail to pay for your ticket or your payment is not authorised by the deadline, your ticket will be released to the next person on the ballot.

Napa Valley, California, USA

A four-generation, family-run affair, we are thrilled to have Snowden Vineyards join us for our Michaelmas Term Dinner!

Situated on a homestead in Napa that has been harvesting grapes since 1878, the Snowdens moved to the ranch in 1955, swapping the previously grown Petit Syrah and Palomino for Cabernet Sauvignon, and there, their story began.

We’re pleased to welcome Diana Snowden Seysses, their winemaker, who is also the resident enologist at Domaine Dujac in Burgundy (owned by her husband Jeremy). Taken by the Burgundian approach, she has driven forward their classically styled wines to highlight the specificities of the terroir to produce beautiful, organic wines that capture qualities specific to the region.

Dress code: Black tie

MENU

Soup

Standard (Vegan): Pumpkin and coconut milk soup, white truffle oil, hazelnut crisp

Starter

Standard (Vegan): Roasted corn risotto, crispy kale, parmesan

Main

Standard: Braised shoulder of venison, crispy potato terrine, curly kale, quince puree, pickled chestnuts

Vegan/Vegetarian: Roscoff onion tart tatin, parsnip purée, brassicas, crispy chickpeas

Cheese

Dessert

Standard (Vegan): Coconut and vanilla mousse, winter spiced fruits, mixed nut praline

Burgundy, France

With a history of significantly influential innovations since 1872, including originating many important Pinot Noir clones and being one of the first to practice estate bottling in the 1930s, Domaine Ponsot boasts a loyal following in the wine world as one of, if not the, defining domaine of the village and is the largest landowner in the famous Clos de la Roche Grand Cru terroir. We’re excited to welcome you to taste their remarkably powerful, rich, intense, long-lived wines!

Please note: this will be a balloted members only event.

• Registration will close on 11 October, 6pm
• Registered members will be drawn at random and notified if they have a place on 12 October

CUWS invites you to our Michaelmas term drop-in with wines selected from Cambridge Wine Merchants at St Paul’s Church, Hills Rd. Whether you are a connoisseur or just wine-curious this is a great chance to taste some delicious wines from the CWM range, reconnect with old friends and meet new members.

Entry is £10

Once capacity is reached, we will operate a one-in/one-out policy.

Tickets will also be available on the door.

Sonoma/Napa, USA

Alan Ramey is currently a graduate student here at Cambridge and a member of the blind wine tasting team that recently beat Oxford, but back in Sonoma/Napa, California, he is a second-generation vintner, who, along with his sister, owns Ramey Wine Cellars. Noted wine critic Antonio Galloni has said: “In my mind, Ramey is one of the top wineries in the United States.” Some of the winery’s accolades include appearing on the top wine lists of Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, front cover shots on Wine Spectator and Decanter magazines, and several top wine scores, including 100 pointers.

In addition to working in California, Alan has traveled to do harvests in Burgundy, France, and Casablanca Chile. He’s worked and trained in various aspects of the winery, from the cellar floor to the blending room, and his knowledge is augmented by mentoring from his dad and coursework from UC Davis, the USA’s leading winemaking school.

Alan will be showcasing a range of wines from the winery, walking the audience through Sonoma/Napa, the viticultural and winemaking process, and covering any questions the group may have.