CALICEM Vertical with Xavier Jean

He could have simply relied on the fact that they are a tiny plot of less than 1 hectare to sell their wines. Instead, knowing Xavier, he chose for the quality of these wines to speak for themselves.

The idea of this event came about when Xavier and Jaclene were out dining at another Peranakan restaurant. The rich flavours without the spicy heat seemed like a perfect match for his CALICEM wines. He exclaimed excitedly that we should host a CALICEM vertical together, and we started looking for a venue that could tailor to our requirements.

The acclaimed Austrian chef Karl Dobler and seasoned restaurateur Jessica Lim were more than happy to accommodate to our requests — rich dishes with flavours and depth, but without the fiery spice. Having ran a restaurant together and now running their own private dining space, Salut Private Dining’s cozy ambience is just the start of the experience. Chef Karl and Jessica worked with Jaclene and Xavier to create the menu that attendees would enjoy that evening.

Xavier brought along eight vintages of CALICEM, since the very first vintage from 2015 to 2023. 2017 was not harvested due to the severe spring frost that vintage. To the surprise of our attendees, he also brought along a 2015 and 2016 Couvent des Jacobin, his family’s estate, which he is also at the helm of.

In the true AWR fashion, Xavier took the guests through the vertical, not in chronological order, but by how the vintages were. He started with the classic vintage of 2018, with immediately inviting aromatic that opens up to structure on the palate laced with soft and integrated silky tannins.

Then it was off to the cooler vintages of 2021 and 2016. 2016 CALICEM was also tasted alongside the 2016 Couvent des Jacobins, with the former showing soft red fruits like a younger sister and the latter being the older big brother. 2021 CALICEM is akin to an elegant lady standing tall while singing at the opera house — a wine already coming into its own identity.

The solar vintages of 2022 was floral but 2019 showed more extraction without the concentration to match. For the “bold and powerful” vintages of 2023, 2020 and 2015, the 2023 is proves it can be cellared for a long time while the 2020 was extremely layered and even (dare I use this term) masculine. Tasting the 2015 however, gave me goosebumps. 2015 was CALICEM’s first vintage, and the salinity that CALICEM is known for comes through on the palate with the softness of the fruit and tannins to match. It was a wine that was, even though finding its footing, showed extreme promise. Tasted alongside the 2015 Couvent des Jacobin, it feels like a proud parent watching a child prodigy.