CLWS Newsletters
Thursday 17th September 2026
Report
Bordeaux Left Bank 1996 by Chris Smith, Wed. 16th September 2026
“1996 (with 1990) was one of the two great Bordeaux vintages of the decade. The left bank fared particularly well, because an Indian summer provided good ripeness and polished the tannins for Cabernet Sauvignon, harvested late. A great opportunity to celebrate the 30th birthday of these wines.”
Members obviously agreed with this billing, for a capacity audience arrived promptly for a splendid horizontal from Chris’s (actual) cellar. Not one but two for the Table of Honour.
Blends e.g. (60, 35, 5, 0) are % Cab. Sauv., Merlot, Cab. Franc and Petit Verdot respectively. Prices are historical and availability now scarce.
| 1 Château Bel Air Perponcher, Entre-Deux-Mers, 2024 double starter white (screwcap) | Score | Price |
| 70% Sauv. Blanc, 27% Sémillon, 3% Muscadelle A typical rather neutral Bordeaux Blanc, balanced with buttery body from the Sémillon. | 4.0 | £13 TWS |
| 2 Château Larose Perganson, Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois 2014 starter red | ||
| (60, 40, 0, 0) Plainsong Bordeaux, tart finish, not for further keeping. | 3.3 | £12 TWS |
| 3 Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Léognan 1996 | ||
| (65, 35, 0, 0) Good cedary tertiary nose. On the palate, faded fruit and tannin so now showing acidity. | 4.4 | £76 |
| 4 Château Kirwan 3eme cru, Margaux 1996 | ||
| (55, 32, 8, 6) Pronounced tertiary but still Margaux-esque fruity nose, good follow-through on the palate. Will drink well for a while longer. | 4.6 | £55? |
| 5 Château Lafon-Rochet 4eme cru, Saint-Estèphe 1996 (2xHB) | ||
| (40, 56, 4, 0) Two different half bottles, surely once fine but both now showing their age with #2 vegetal on the nose. | 3.8 | £62 (FB) |
| 6 Château Langoa Barton 3eme cru, Saint-Julien 1996 | ||
| Complex nose leads to a complex, delicious and elegant palate. Quintessential quality claret. No rush to drink. | 5.5 | £96 |
| 7 Château Gruaud Larose 2eme cru, Saint-Julien 1996 | ||
| (64, 26, 7, 3) Stunning aromatic nose of perfume, menthol, rose, red cherry et al. Palate spot on with red fruits again and creamy texture; long. A keeper. | 6.4 | £110 |
| 8 Château Duhart Milon 4eme cru, Pauillac 1996 | ||
| (85, 15, 0, 0) The first of two Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated wines now more about structure than fruit. Very well-made with an enigmatic, spicey, graphite nose. Palate shy, tannic, yet classy but for a slight metallic tinge on the finish. Some say not yet ready. | 5.9 | £96 |
| 9 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 5eme cru, Pauillac 1996 | ||
| (75, 25, 0, 0) On the nose meat, farmyard, cedar and a touch of brett (not so rare for GPL it seems). All delivered on a creamy palate yet reserved not fading and maybe never really ready. | 5.7 | £124 |
| 10 Château Lynch Bages 5eme cru, Pauillac 1996 | ||
| (79, 13, 6, 2) Atypically high proportion of Cab. Sauv. (for LB) no doubt helping to sustain this complex, multi-faceted wine. Rich perfume and fruit on the nose follows through on another creamy palate. Long. A beautiful Pauillac showing the limited value of the 1855 classification today. WOTN. | 6.5 | £240 (T. Wright Wine) |
Many thanks to Chris for a terrific tasting.
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Next Meeting
Wed. 23rd September: The Northern Rhône (£60) by Trevor Sharot
This tiny wine region – a sixth of the size of Napa Valley – produces mostly remarkable wines from Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier and Syrah. This is a selection of mature examples from top vignerons. .
| White: | Rémy Nodin, Vieille vigne du Suchat, Saint-Péray 2023; Le Pied de Samson, Georges Vernay, Condrieu 2020 |
| Red: | Caprice, Christelle Betton, Crozes Hermitage 2020; Monier de la Sizeranne, Hermitage, M. Chapoutier 2020; M. Chapoutier, Cornas 2012; Chaillots, Thierry Allemand, Cornas 2009; Ch. d’Ampuis, E. Guigal, Côte-Rôtie 1999 |
| Sweet: | Les Ayguets Récoltes Tardive Liquoreux, Yves Cuilleron, Condrieu 2007 |
More tasters please!
| Guest | Paid? | Guest | Paid? | ||
| 1 | Ed Smith | 27/04 | 13 | Diane Foltean | |
| 2 | Sue Hildrey | 14 | |||
| 3 | Charles Kenny | 15 | |||
| 4 | Wang Chong | 16 | |||
| 5 | Michael Jampel | 30/08 | |||
| 6 | Josh Abramson | ||||
| 7 | Michel Bernard | 01/09 | |||
| 8 | Fahd Gondal | ||||
| 9 | Richard Pull | ||||
| 10 | Sandra Clarkson | ||||
| 11 | Bernard Lamb | ||||
| 12 | Jeanette Clarke | 09/07 |
Please pay now if you haven’t.
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Forthcoming events – the wines were circulated separately on 10th September
Saturday 26th September 12:30 for 1pm Ian’s Lunch with Chilean Wines (£40)
| White: | Mont Gras Rare Riesling; Morande Black Label Chardonnay | ||
| Red: | Montes Outer Limits, Colchagua; Coyam, Emiliana, Colchagua; Underraga Grenache, Maule; De Martino Carmenere, Maipo; De Martino CS; Valdivieso Caballo Loco, Casablanca | ||
| Sweet: | L F Edwards Late Harvest Viognier/SB, Colchagua | ||
Booking details below.
Tuesday 13th October, 12:30pm: Salutatory lunch with Guest of Honour Ian McLaren
Ian has chaired or co-chaired CLWS for decades. We will celebrate his outstanding contribution to the society as he now reduces his workload.
Venue: The Laundry, Brixton – 374 Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8PL
Time: Champagne reception at 12:30. Lunch at 1:00 pm.
We have an excellent turnout but can accommodate three more. Attendees: Angela, Barrie, Bernard, Beverley, Charles, Clive & Sheila, David, Duncan, Ed, John & Ann, Gary, Graham & Ros, Michel, Monica, Neil, Nick Colman, Nick Preston TBC, Peter Haywood, Richard, Ronda, Sue, Trevor, Wang.
Further details will be circulated shortly.
Wed. 14th October: Everyday Bordeaux (£30) by Gary White
It is possible to find good white and red Bordeaux to drink with everyday meals – here is a selection.
Three seats available.
Wed. 21st October: Love from Cyprus (£30) by Thomas Page and Marina Nicoli
Tom and Marina set up Love From Cyprus, the UK’s first Cyprus specialist, earlier this year. Marina has family in Cyprus and they will have just returned from a visit, so this will be a first-hand update on the island’s old indigenous grape varieties and new enthusiastic winemakers.
Six seats available, which is not good enough for guest speakers. Please support your Society and come along.
Wed. 11th November: Roussillon (£30) by Trevor Sharot
This tasting will draw on wines and information from Trevor’s trip to Roussillon with the Association of Wine Educators in April. While the three vin doux naturel appellations of Banyuls, Maury and Rivesaltes still produce magnificent dessert wines, most production is now vin rouge, with the rustic, bulk wine of yore having given way to emphasis on parcel management, old vines and low yields.
Open for booking.
Wed. 18th November: Gevry-Chambertin’s Pecking Order (£60) by Peter Haywood
A superb flight of mature bottles, working up from commune through premier cru to grand cru.
Open for booking.
Wed. 2nd December: European Sweet Wines (£30) by Ian McLaren, presented by Duncan Budd.
Open for booking.
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Ian’s Lunches
Saturday 26th September: Chile (£40)
Saturday 31st October: Eight Interesting Wines (£45)
Saturday 28th November: Australia (£40)
Maximum eight at table including Ian.
Please book directly with ian.mclaren@ukwineclub.org.uk with a copy to clwsbook@ukwineclub.org.uk
and make payments to Ian McLaren, Barclays Bank 202267 10596310.
Ian’s lunches are held at 19 Howard House, Barrington Road, Brixton SW9 7JY.
From Brixton tube station, turn right, take the second right (Brixton Station Road) and walk to the end. Turn left into Barrington Road and follow the curve. The entrance to Howard House is in the lane between the modern flats & the terraced houses.
For access, press 1-9-Call at the front door and again at the 1st floor gate. If not working, phone 0795 579 8758.
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2027 tasting schedule
We will continue to meet on every middle Wednesday of the month i.e. not the first and last Wednesdays. The dates for 2027 are as follows:
January 13 & 20; February 10 & 17; March 10, 17 & 24
April 14 & 21; May 12 & 19; June 9, 16 & 23
July 14 & 21; August 11 & 18; September 8, 15 & 22
October 13 & 20; November 10 & 17; December 8; December 15 (Christmas Party)
Please let me know if you wish to reserve one or more dates to put on tastings.
=
Send booking requests to this email address.
All Wednesday meetings take place at 6.30pm prompt in the Edward Bridges Room, Civil Service Club, Great Scotland Yard.
Sign the attendance sheet at reception on arrival.
=
Payment by noon on the preceding Sunday is required, otherwise you may lose your seat to the waiting list.
Pay by bank transfer to Trevor Sharot & Ian McLaren, NatWest private account, 601010 93293011. If the name field isn’t long enough, just ‘Trevor Sharot’ should match.
Include your name(s) and event date(s) in the label field and send a confirmatory email with the same information straight away.
Cancellations may be made before noon on the preceding Sunday without penalty.
See you soon!
Thursday 10th September 2026
Report
Great Winemakers – Bodega Garzón, Uruguay Wed. 9th September
Devised, researched, sourced and scripted by Ian McLaren; presented by Trevor Sharot
This was a most interesting topic providing insights on (inter alia) Uruguay’s granitic terroir (hence success with Albariño and Viognier) and of course Tannat; plus an oil billionaire (Alejandro Bulgheroni) setting up a magnificent bodega and engaging a top winemaker (Alberto Antonini). Many thanks to Ian for putting this together.
Wines, scores and prices, all from VINVM except the last, which is from The Wine Depot:
| 1 Viognier de Corte 2024 | Score | Price |
| Entry-level but typicity & textured. | 3.9 | £16 |
| 2 Reserve Albariño 2025 | ||
| Entry-level, a bit sweet and short. Tasted with 3. | 3.6 | £19 |
| 3 Single Vineyard Albariño 2024 | ||
| Aromatic (olive oil), balanced and quite complex, quite long. | 4.7 | £30 |
| 4 Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 | ||
| Tawny, a bit past its best and oak now dominating the fruit. | 3.3 | £30 |
| 5 Cabernet de Corte 2023 | ||
| 80% Cabernet Franc, 10% Tannat et al. Pale ruby, light, minty and Bordeaux-esque; polished tannins. VG value. | 4.0 | £14 |
| 6 Reserve Cabernet Franc 2023 | ||
| Precise varietal character, tannins still resolving, long finish. VG value. | 4.9 | £19 |
| 7 Reserve Marselan 2023 | ||
| Opaque purple, Cherry Brandy nose (condition?), rich Dundee cake style, long finish. | 4.4 | £18 |
| 8 Single Vineyard Petit Verdot 2022 | ||
| Another big black wine, dark chocolate and blueberries, complex, but needs drinking up. | 5.6 | £30 |
| 9 Single Vineyard Tannat 2023 | ||
| Still young and sappy, tannins need time, good black fruits, lacks the magic touch but v.g. wine and value. Tasted with 10. | 5.8 | £29 |
| 10 Petit Clos Tannat Block #212 2022 | ||
| Great purity and structure, tannins need time, but long and a touch of mystery. WOTN and a place on the Table of Honour. | 6.2 | £47 |
Scoring:
1 Faulty 2 Poor 3 Acceptable 4 Good 5 Very good 6 Excellent 7 Outstanding
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Next Meeting
Wed. 16th September: Premium: Bordeaux Left Bank 1996 (£60) by Chris Smith
1996 (with 1990) was one of the two great vintages of the decade. The left bank fared particularly well, because an Indian summer provided good ripeness and polished the tannins for Cabernet Sauvignon, harvested late.
A great opportunity to celebrate the 30th birthday of these wines.
Please pay now if you haven’t (or top up your payment).
Forthcoming events
Wed. 23rd September: Premium: The Northern Rhône (£60) by Trevor Sharot
This tiny wine region – a sixth of the size of Napa Valley – produces mostly remarkable wines from Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier and Syrah. This is a selection of mature examples from top vignerons.
Tuesday 13th October, 12:30pm: Salutatory lunch with Guest of Honour Ian McLaren
Ian has chaired or co-chaired CLWS for decades. We will celebrate his outstanding contribution to the society as he now reduces his workload.
Venue: The Laundry, Brixton – 374 Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8PL
Time: Champagne reception at 12:30. Lunch at 1:00 pm.
We have an excellent turnout but can probably accommodate a few more.
Further details will be announced shortly.
Wed. 14th October: Everyday Bordeaux (£30) by Gary White
It is possible to find good white and red Bordeaux to drink with everyday meals – here is a selection.
Three seats available.
Wed. 21st October: Love from Cyprus (£30) by Thomas Page and Marina Nicoli
Tom and Marina set up Love From Cyprus, the UK’s first Cyprus specialist, earlier this year. Marina has family in Cyprus and they will have just returned from a visit, so this will be a first-hand update on the island’s old indigenous grape varieties and new enthusiastic winemakers.
Wed. 11th November: Roussillon (£30) by Trevor Sharot
This tasting will draw on wines and information from Trevor’s trip to Roussillon with the Association of Wine Educators in April. While the three vin doux naturel appellations of Banyuls, Maury and Rivesaltes still produce magnificent dessert wines, most production is now vin rouge, with the rustic, bulk wine of yore having given way to emphasis on parcel management, old vines and low yields.
Wed. 18th November: Gevry-Chambertin’s Pecking Order (£60) by Peter Haywood
A superb flight of mature bottles, working up from commune through premier cru to grand cru.
Wed. 2nd December: European Sweet Wines (£30) by Ian McLaren, presented by Duncan Budd.
=
Ian’s Lunches
Saturday 26th September: Chile (£40)
Saturday 31st October: Eight Interesting Wines (£45)
Saturday 28th November: Australia (£40)
Maximum eight at table including Ian.
Please book directly with ian.mclaren@ukwineclub.org.uk with a copy to clwsbook@ukwineclub.org.uk
and make payments to Ian McLaren, Barclays Bank 202267 10596310.
Ian’s lunches are held at 19 Howard House, Barrington Road, Brixton SW9 7JY.
From Brixton tube station, turn right, take the second right (Brixton Station Road) and walk to the end. Turn left into Barrington Road and follow the curve. The entrance to Howard House is in the lane between the modern flats & the terraced houses.
For access, press 1-9-Call at the front door and again at the 1st floor gate. If not working, phone 0795 579 8758.
=
2027 tasting schedule
We will continue to meet on every middle Wednesday of the month i.e. not the first and last Wednesdays. The dates for 2027 are as follows:
January 13 & 20; February 10 & 17; March 10, 17 & 24
April 14 & 21; May 12 & 19; June 9, 16 & 23
July 14 & 21; August 11 & 18; September 8, 15 & 22
October 13 & 20; November 10 & 17; December 8; December 15 (Christmas Party)
Please let me know if you wish to reserve one or more dates to put on tastings.
=
Send booking requests to clwsbook@ukwineclub.org.uk .
All Wednesday meetings take place at 6.30pm prompt in the Edward Bridges Room, Civil Service Club, Great Scotland Yard.
Sign the attendance sheet at reception on arrival.
=
Payment by noon on the preceding Sunday is required, otherwise you may lose your seat to the waiting list.
Pay by bank transfer to Trevor Sharot & Ian McLaren, NatWest private account, 601010 93293011. If the name field isn’t long enough, just ‘Trevor Sharot’ should match.
Include your name(s) and event date(s) in the label field and send a confirmatory email with the same information straight away.
Cancellations may be made before noon on the preceding Sunday without penalty.
See you soon!