Wednesday Wines – Episode 83 – The wonderful wines of Paul Goerg
Episode 83 – 27th October 2021
The wonderful wines of Paul Goerg
This terrific label dates back to 1950 when eight significant growers in the 1er Cru village of Vertus, who traditionally sold their fruit to the larger houses, decided to pool their resources and set up their own house, named after a former mayor of the village, Paul Goerg. With 120 hectares of vines between them, mainly planted with Chardonnay and all situated on the slopes of the famous Côtes des Blancs, the wines crafted here are some of the hidden gems of Champagne. Paul Goerg makes six cuvées, all from Premier Cru fruit, and they sell around a quarter of a million bottles each year, 85% of which is exported. If you have never tasted these wines before, you will find them unnervingly accurate and extraordinarily good value, too. With flavours more readily associated with wines twice the price, this discreet house, with its exemplary standards of grape-growing and wine-making, has worked its way onto the tables and into the cellars of many of the most discerning palates in the world.
NV Paul Goerg, Premier Cru a Vertus, Brut Tradition, Champagne, France (£150.00 inc VAT for 6 bottles – £25.00 each, www.goedhuis.com).
The facts – 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir grown in Vertus. 65% comes from the 2014 harvest, and 35% is reserve wine. The dosage is 8 g/L.
Lovely, open and gentle, with superb texture and bitingly fresh finish, this is a thrilling wine with invigorating tension under a diaphanous palate. The epitome of a Côte des Blancs classic, the tender nose, crisp middle and zesty finish make it an easy to fall for and one that is difficult to put down. With a price more suited to the High Street than an elite merchant, this is magnificent Champagne.
NV Paul Goerg, Premier Cru a Vertus, Brut Blanc de Blancs, Champagne, France (£180.00 inc VAT for 6 bottles – £30.00 each, www.goedhuis.com).
The facts – 100% Chardonnay grown in Vertus, 60% of which is from the 2013 harvest and 40% is reserve wine. The dosage is 8 g/L.
The drama is ratcheted up a few degrees with this pure Chardonnay model. With perfect balance, matching crystalline fruit with an unnerving crispness, and a discreet, chalky scouring of the palate offset with faint wildflower tones, this wine possesses the magical charm of a thoroughbred Côtes de Blanc classic. Superbly classy and ravishingly adroit, if you are a fan of rapier-sharp Chardonnay dressed in exquisite citrus and floral finery, this wine is for you.
