On Tuesday March 11th - I had the opportunity to visit the NEW -SOON THE BE OPENED wine shop and tasting room called NORMANBY’s . Leading the acquisition of wines and the team is Liz Wheadon (ex-Glengarrys GM). Coinciding with this visit was the opportunity to taste four expressions from Chateau Kirwan - classified 3rd Growth. Thanks to Liz and the team for the opportunity. My impression of the wines below. By the way Normanby’s is part of the Webb’s Group.

I learned that Chateau Kirwan have Chardonnay planted - Why Chardonnay - It turns out that the house wanted to do something different, 4 barrels in 2023, 1 barrel 2024. Must be labelled - Vin de France.

Angelus also make a Blanc from Chardonnay. Also a Vin de France.

Wines tasted: Charmes de Kirwan 2021; Chateau Kiran - 2022, 2019, 2016, 2005

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Charmes de Kirwan 2021: Classic bouquet scents of Cabernet with its blackberry and oak spice highlights. Barrel spices and dark soils, stones and rosemary spice then barrel spices of clove and vanilla, cinnamon. There's a touch of coffee bean and cocoa. On the palate - bold, firm, dry, immediately drinkable with some bottle ageing attributes through firm tannins and plenty of acidity. Well made, med+ length. 93 Points.
Around 50K bottles produced $75 RRP. (ish)
The first Charmes was in 1993

Margaux, 2nd label of Château Kirwan Fine gravelly sandy soil with limited clay Cabernet Sauvignon  Merlot Cabernet Franc  Petit Verdot Harvest by hand in small crates, and double sorting in the winery on a vibrating table In concrete thermoregulated tulip-shape tanks with temperature control, Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation simultaneously to optimize freshness and aromatic purity In oak barrels and in tanks Sustainable development, preservation of biodiversity, natural treatments favored

Chateau Kirwan
2022 - Youthful, very vibrant and firm, scents of black berry and dark Doris plum, clay, stone, sand and then some violet florals. Plenty of new oak though not so bold in the bouquet. Lovely concentration and initial impact on the palate, as this settles the firmness of fruit tannins and barrel spices emerge quickly. Dark spices from barrel, then berries, flesh and with some smoky qualities. Firm tannins, nicely resolved, Med+ acidity. Lovely finish. 94 Pts

2019 - Quite a bold bouquet, after an initial prettiness with floral tones a firm cabernet sauvignon and petit-verdot voice steps in, quite herbal vegetal then not, those scents came and went as the wine opened out in glass. On the palate a wine still firm and raw/new, dark berries and plum flavours then some boysenberry and spice. Oak is well managed, med+ acidity. The wine evolves and changes shape in the glass slowly then quickly. Olive and spice. Med+ length. Not sure I completely like this wine, upon reflection I see this as a wine that should be aged further (it can easily do this) and that it simply requires more time. 93 Pts

2016 - Excellent bouquet - there's an elegance and plushness to the bouquet, a mix of berries and violets, some rosemary and dark soils/stones. Firm though not too firm, core mid palate of dark berry fruits and olive, a chocolate note, plums and dark berries. A lovely wine with poise and tautness, a frame of tension and eagerness. Length and finesse. Tannins dissolve slowly on the palate slowly. An lovely example, an easy- 95 Pts.

2005 - What a fabulous opportunity. Excellent bouquet, soil smoke and dark spices, cocoa and incense, then, dark berries and barrel spices, wood and wood smoke. Plums and ripe cabernet with blackberry and some black currant. Dry, salivating, delicious, fresh, still developing. I love this wine. It is drinkable, still ageable, tautness and finesse, fleshy and tense. A abundance of polished tannins and acidity frame the core fruit flavours. VG length and style. 96 Pts

Some notes on the 2022 vintage directly from Chateau Kirwan website: 2022-back to the future «Unlike 2021, which reminded us of some of the vintages of old, 2022 heralded the arrival of the future and showed how much climatic variations impact our work as wine growers. It was a year of contrasts and excesses, but the vintage, in the end, was a success.» Philippe Delfaut – General Manager Extreme figures across the board The preceding winter was the coldest in 10 years. A period of heavy rain in late 2021 gave way to drought, which began in January and intensified until the end of May. The vines budded at their normal dates (late March for the Merlot and early April for the Cabernet), and then 2 frosty nights on 3rd and 4th April caused concern for the new vine shoots. 2 plots outside the Cantenac plateau were at risk, and we successfully protected them with the warm glow of lanterns which we placed in the rows. In early May, temperatures soared and were well above average by around 2 to 3°C. The shoots now grew quickly, and the cycle surged ahead, so much so that the flowering process took place in late May, instead of the normal time in June. A very early harvest was predicted. In June, a spell of rain, which occurred to varying degrees depending on sector, brought some welcome relief for the vines. 50% less rain fell in Margaux, however, than in Pessac and Saint Julien. Drought conditions resumed in July during an exceptionally early veraison. Temperatures meanwhile soared in July and August with highs of over 30°C recorded on 30 days. Usually during the whole of summer, highs of only 25°C are recorded on 30 days! What was beneficial for the grapes’ phenolic components however proved detrimental for the size of the berries, which remained small. The sweltering summer heat caused defoliation among the young vines, which had suffered badly from the lack of water. We observed that vines planted on soils containing clay performed better than soils made up of loose, sandy gravel, since clay maintained moisture better and dried out less. The earliest-ever harvest Berries sampled from the vines revealed very aromatic skins with tannins that showed no vegetal character. The pips had quickly turned brown and on crunching showed roasted flavours. On squeezing the skins between the fingers, colour came easily. On each day of the last week of August the temperature rose to above 30°C, while berries were beginning to dehydrate. Given the context, on 31st August, it was decided to bring forward the start of the harvest to 5th September. We had never set such an early date to begin the picking. The harvest finished on 22nd September. In 2021, we were only beginning the harvest on 23rd September.

Read more, learn more - HERE

Chateau Kirwan tasting - March 2025 - Webb's Auckland