30 April 2010: A friend brought back from Turkey a bottle of 2008 Sauvignon Blanc by Sarafin. Pale straw colour. Fragant nose with notes of lime blossom, citrus, green apple, gooseberry, lime peel overlying a lightly herbaceous (not like the in-your-face grassiness one sometimes finds in NZ Sauvignon Blanc) and spicy character. Light-medium body, with medium level of acidity, but lacking complexity on the palate. Perhaps a little short on the length of aftertaste. A fruity, aromatic and refreshing wine, easy to understand, which at 12.2% alcohol, reflects well its cool climate and terroir of the Saroz region.
The Chardonnay was next, from the same vintage. A more intense and rich nose of butter, pear tart, white peach, candied fruits and vanilla. Medium body, rich on the palate, but well-balanced with acidity. Slightly higher alcohol at 13.6%. Lovely finish.
I didn't have enough time to try the Merlot properly, but what I tried seemed promising - medium body, soft tannins, aromas of blackberries with some minty and eucalyptus character. Needed time to open up. Will need to try again.
Interesting experience and good effort from Turkey!
Friday 30 April 2010
Sunday 25 April 2010
Highlights of the week just gone......
24 April 2010: It turned out to be a busy week in Hong Kong even after our trip to Europe got cancelled. Some highlights:
Tuesday: we had dinner at W52 and Richard had the Pyrenees lamb which was really tasty. I had a less impressive pasta with rather mushy scampi and watery artichokes. We opened a 1997 Giusto di Notri by Tua Rita (Bordeaux blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon). Beautiful nose and tasted well, but somehow lacked the complexity, depth and length that we were expecting. Will have to try again! The biscotti were really good at the end of the meal and I went home with a doggy bag of them!
On Wednesday, we got together a bunch of friends to indulge in really good quality French bistro food at On Lot 10. It's really the perfect spot for pulling a few corks and sharing delicious trays of côte de boeuf, fricassée of chicken and roast suckling pig with perfectly crispy skin! I was very keen on the idea of sharing at least a couple of Languedoc-Roussillon wines with our friends because we were supposed to be in that region this week. I have been very impressed with the wines from the region but I do find their alcohol levels just one degree to high to enjoy them. After a refreshing 2005 Bourgogne Blanc by Leflaive, we proceeded with our selection of red wines for the evening. We started with Paul's 2000 Chambolle Musigny Les Feusselottes, Georges Mugneret, which would be softer, much more delicate and elegant than the powerful 2005s which were already opened at 6 pm to breathe. It went perfectly with the chicken, which everyone tucked into almost as soon as it arrived!
Then we proceeded to 2005 Château Moulin St Georges, a Vauthier property, less illustrious than Ausone but equally the result of careful viticulture and quality winemaking. This blend had 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Fermented in stainless steel. Aged in 100% new oak for 15 - 20 months. It was a pretty and seductive wine, with a deep ruby core, medium to full body, soft ripe tannis, and the robust structure of 2005. Intense nose of sweet blackberry character, complemented by chocolate, coffee and spicy liquorice. Good length. It would drink even better with a little more ageing in bottle (a year or so). Went perfectly well with the beef and suckling pig. I would score it 16.5/20.
Then we came to Marius 2005. Property owned by Frédéric Engerer, director and winemaker of Château Latour. Named after his grandfather. 2005 is the second vintage. A robust, powerful, vigorous, masculine and exotic interpretation of Cabernet Sauvignon from the south of France (Côtes Catalanes). Very intense nose of black cherries, plums, dark chocolate, liquorice, with a very attractive smoky character. The intense nose was matched by the complexity, length and finish on the palate. A full-bodied wine, with plenty of vigour, robust structure and firm ripe tannins. Not really ready for drinking now but I was keen to try it again (last attempt was in 2008). Needs further ageing in bottle, at least 2 - 3 years, before the wine becomes more approachable. Only 10 barrels produced....so I'll be keeping my other 10 bottles for a while! My score 18/20.
With that, we wrapped up our evening - shame we didn't get to try the other two Languedoc Roussillon wines that I brought along! By the way, according to Debra, the whole roast rabbit is really sensational at On Lot 10 but you would need to order well in advance. I think I'll stick to chicken!
Last night (Saturday), we cooked supper at home and invited some friends round to try Richard's carbonnade de boeuf, which was a really good first attempt. Really worth a mention is the 2003 Theta by Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards from South Africa. Organic viticulture. 100% Syrah. I had been waiting to try this wine. So it was with a lot of excitement that I opened the bottle to breathe at 7 pm. I had a little taste then - very promising! When we finally tucked into the wine around 9:30 pm, I thought it was a really exciting discovery! Complex intense nose and palate, spicy, savoury, with lots of black cherry, stewed black berries, chocolate and coffee character. Well-structured, plenty of acidity and well-integrated tannins. A lengthy finish. If you haven't heard of it, do seek it out! I scored it 17.5/20.
We finished the meal with a 2003 Castello di Pomino Vin Santo (Malvasia, Trebbiano Toscano) by Frescobaldi. Beautiful amber colour, medium sweet, cinnamon, dried apricot, raisins, nutty and honey.....just perfect with the panna cotta.
Tonight, we'll be finishing off left overs and I'm looking forward to having some cheese! After years of being obsessed with French cheese, I have recently been fascinated by the high quality of some English and Irish cheeses. My current favourite is Gubbeen, a yummy Irish cheese, with a lovely nutty character and a slightly creamy but firm texture.
Hate the thought of Monday being just round the corner.........
Tuesday: we had dinner at W52 and Richard had the Pyrenees lamb which was really tasty. I had a less impressive pasta with rather mushy scampi and watery artichokes. We opened a 1997 Giusto di Notri by Tua Rita (Bordeaux blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon). Beautiful nose and tasted well, but somehow lacked the complexity, depth and length that we were expecting. Will have to try again! The biscotti were really good at the end of the meal and I went home with a doggy bag of them!
On Wednesday, we got together a bunch of friends to indulge in really good quality French bistro food at On Lot 10. It's really the perfect spot for pulling a few corks and sharing delicious trays of côte de boeuf, fricassée of chicken and roast suckling pig with perfectly crispy skin! I was very keen on the idea of sharing at least a couple of Languedoc-Roussillon wines with our friends because we were supposed to be in that region this week. I have been very impressed with the wines from the region but I do find their alcohol levels just one degree to high to enjoy them. After a refreshing 2005 Bourgogne Blanc by Leflaive, we proceeded with our selection of red wines for the evening. We started with Paul's 2000 Chambolle Musigny Les Feusselottes, Georges Mugneret, which would be softer, much more delicate and elegant than the powerful 2005s which were already opened at 6 pm to breathe. It went perfectly with the chicken, which everyone tucked into almost as soon as it arrived!
Then we proceeded to 2005 Château Moulin St Georges, a Vauthier property, less illustrious than Ausone but equally the result of careful viticulture and quality winemaking. This blend had 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Fermented in stainless steel. Aged in 100% new oak for 15 - 20 months. It was a pretty and seductive wine, with a deep ruby core, medium to full body, soft ripe tannis, and the robust structure of 2005. Intense nose of sweet blackberry character, complemented by chocolate, coffee and spicy liquorice. Good length. It would drink even better with a little more ageing in bottle (a year or so). Went perfectly well with the beef and suckling pig. I would score it 16.5/20.
Then we came to Marius 2005. Property owned by Frédéric Engerer, director and winemaker of Château Latour. Named after his grandfather. 2005 is the second vintage. A robust, powerful, vigorous, masculine and exotic interpretation of Cabernet Sauvignon from the south of France (Côtes Catalanes). Very intense nose of black cherries, plums, dark chocolate, liquorice, with a very attractive smoky character. The intense nose was matched by the complexity, length and finish on the palate. A full-bodied wine, with plenty of vigour, robust structure and firm ripe tannins. Not really ready for drinking now but I was keen to try it again (last attempt was in 2008). Needs further ageing in bottle, at least 2 - 3 years, before the wine becomes more approachable. Only 10 barrels produced....so I'll be keeping my other 10 bottles for a while! My score 18/20.
With that, we wrapped up our evening - shame we didn't get to try the other two Languedoc Roussillon wines that I brought along! By the way, according to Debra, the whole roast rabbit is really sensational at On Lot 10 but you would need to order well in advance. I think I'll stick to chicken!
Last night (Saturday), we cooked supper at home and invited some friends round to try Richard's carbonnade de boeuf, which was a really good first attempt. Really worth a mention is the 2003 Theta by Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards from South Africa. Organic viticulture. 100% Syrah. I had been waiting to try this wine. So it was with a lot of excitement that I opened the bottle to breathe at 7 pm. I had a little taste then - very promising! When we finally tucked into the wine around 9:30 pm, I thought it was a really exciting discovery! Complex intense nose and palate, spicy, savoury, with lots of black cherry, stewed black berries, chocolate and coffee character. Well-structured, plenty of acidity and well-integrated tannins. A lengthy finish. If you haven't heard of it, do seek it out! I scored it 17.5/20.
We finished the meal with a 2003 Castello di Pomino Vin Santo (Malvasia, Trebbiano Toscano) by Frescobaldi. Beautiful amber colour, medium sweet, cinnamon, dried apricot, raisins, nutty and honey.....just perfect with the panna cotta.
Tonight, we'll be finishing off left overs and I'm looking forward to having some cheese! After years of being obsessed with French cheese, I have recently been fascinated by the high quality of some English and Irish cheeses. My current favourite is Gubbeen, a yummy Irish cheese, with a lovely nutty character and a slightly creamy but firm texture.
Hate the thought of Monday being just round the corner.........
Sunday 18 April 2010
Holiday cancelled by volcanic ashes!
16 April 2010: I was so looking forward to getting out of this miserable bipolar weather in Hong Kong, even just for a week. Then came the news of volcanic ashes grounding flights to Europe! Just perfectly ironic that the region in France we were trying to visit is currently ensoleillé, doing 24℃ with a clear blue sky! So back to the fog, humidity, sudden drops and rises in temperature and general dreariness in Hong Kong.
To commiserate, we decided to treat ourselves to dinner at Petrus at the Island Shangri-La in Hong Kong. Before heading for the restaurant, I made a short stop at Watson's Wine Cellars and picked up a bottle of 2004 La Mission Haut-Brion for the dinner. We started with two delicious glasses of 2002 Cristal. We ordered a half bottle of 1999 Riesling Kitterlé Grand Cru by Zind Humbrecht. I could not be sure whether it was the mature honeyed character which was insisted by the sommelier or that the wine was slightly madeirised (but retained some mature honey character), which made the experience rather unpleasant and disappointing. I was further disappointed by the watery green salad which turned up....(I should have stuck to the menu items!) The 2004 La Mission Haut-Brion was a delightful drop, full of young violet, blackcurrant, blueberry, cedar character and well-balanced and structured! And it went very well with the pigeon dish which was tasty and well executed! Richard's beef dish was rather bland and indifferent. Good cheese selection. The restaurant now serves meticulously cut fruit at the end as part of the petits fours.......an interesting touch but I guess popular with Asian clients.
Our second night of holiday at home.....we had drinks at a friend's before dinner. We were served a 2007 Puligny-Montrachet Champ Canet by Etienne Sauzet. It was really yummy, with plenty of green apple, softened mineral, and citrus character, and very approachable. Then we went back home to open a 2006 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet by Leflaive. Quite the contrary, the wine still tasted a little closed, extremely minerally, very lemony, with a much higher acidity level. It could do with some decanting to release its bouquet and richness - hopefully, it will be better tonight, having had the benefit of some oxygen creeping into the wine over night.
We cooked at home to enjoy a perfectly matured 1982 Château Haut-Brion. My tasting note reads:
Tasted 17 Apr 2010: Ruby core, with slightly garnet rim. An intense nose of tobacco, violet, blueberries, pencil shavings and spices. On the palate, still very fruity in character with a good level of acidity and well-integrated tannins. Very attractive and elegant. Lingering finish. At peak now and expected to drink well for another 5 - 8 years before showing decline. Score: 18.5/20
Woke up to another miserable day in Hong Kong.......what joy!
To commiserate, we decided to treat ourselves to dinner at Petrus at the Island Shangri-La in Hong Kong. Before heading for the restaurant, I made a short stop at Watson's Wine Cellars and picked up a bottle of 2004 La Mission Haut-Brion for the dinner. We started with two delicious glasses of 2002 Cristal. We ordered a half bottle of 1999 Riesling Kitterlé Grand Cru by Zind Humbrecht. I could not be sure whether it was the mature honeyed character which was insisted by the sommelier or that the wine was slightly madeirised (but retained some mature honey character), which made the experience rather unpleasant and disappointing. I was further disappointed by the watery green salad which turned up....(I should have stuck to the menu items!) The 2004 La Mission Haut-Brion was a delightful drop, full of young violet, blackcurrant, blueberry, cedar character and well-balanced and structured! And it went very well with the pigeon dish which was tasty and well executed! Richard's beef dish was rather bland and indifferent. Good cheese selection. The restaurant now serves meticulously cut fruit at the end as part of the petits fours.......an interesting touch but I guess popular with Asian clients.
Our second night of holiday at home.....we had drinks at a friend's before dinner. We were served a 2007 Puligny-Montrachet Champ Canet by Etienne Sauzet. It was really yummy, with plenty of green apple, softened mineral, and citrus character, and very approachable. Then we went back home to open a 2006 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet by Leflaive. Quite the contrary, the wine still tasted a little closed, extremely minerally, very lemony, with a much higher acidity level. It could do with some decanting to release its bouquet and richness - hopefully, it will be better tonight, having had the benefit of some oxygen creeping into the wine over night.
We cooked at home to enjoy a perfectly matured 1982 Château Haut-Brion. My tasting note reads:
Tasted 17 Apr 2010: Ruby core, with slightly garnet rim. An intense nose of tobacco, violet, blueberries, pencil shavings and spices. On the palate, still very fruity in character with a good level of acidity and well-integrated tannins. Very attractive and elegant. Lingering finish. At peak now and expected to drink well for another 5 - 8 years before showing decline. Score: 18.5/20
Woke up to another miserable day in Hong Kong.......what joy!
Tuesday 6 April 2010
A simple lunch with some lovely Burgundy wines
6 April 2010: After a rather disappointing 1993 Prieur Musigny last night, which tasted thin, lacked the concentration and finesse one would expect of a 1993 Musigny, we started the day with cooking for our lunchtime party which included Jeremy Seysses visiting Hong Kong all the way from Morey St Denis! It was going to be a simple lunch with the focus on the wines.....I broke my rule of not drinking at lunchtime to have a soupçon of 2 of the tastier wines. We started with 2007 Château d'Esclans Les Clans, which went well with the gougères and spring rolls. Lunch was an all time favourite casserole of slightly spicy pumpkin and chicken, together with Parmigiana di Melanzane. How effortless we went through 2000 Bachelet Charmes Chambertin, 1993 Arnoux Romanée Saint Vivant, 1991 Dujac Clos de la Roche, 1990 Dujac Echézeaux and the finale was a 1962 DRC Grands Echézeaux. We also pulled the cork on a 1989 Rousseau Chambertin which did not taste quite right at first and was put aside for further assessment. About 7 hours later, we retasted the wine. True, it tasted a little thin, but it retained fruit character, finesse, and a roundness and smoothness that we had probably hastily judged it as a dud. It lacked the concentration of a great Chambertin but it's still a worthy drop which probably should have been drunk 3 - 4 years ago when it was still at its peak. I would score it 15.5/20.
The two wines that I chose to try were the 1991 Dujac Clos de la Roche and the 1962 DRC Grands Echézeaux. The 1991 evoked this sweet fruit character, gentle and soft, with a long finish. Just delicious. I would score it 17.5/20. The 1962 was truly a beauty...well-aged, elegant, fragrant, silky, still retained its sweet fruit character. A well-crafted wine, with a lingering finish. 18/20. My memory of the 1993 Arnoux Romanée Saint Vivant was that it was indeed a fine wine, well-structured with power, freshness, and fruit character.
It seemed from our conversations today that 2009 was a generous year, with lots of rain early spring followed by beautiful weather late spring and in the summer, and did not have the same magnitude of rot problems as 2008. It was however perhaps an overhyped year. The well-made wines would be early pleasers, easier to understand than 2008, somewhat like 2000. The underperformers would show low levels of tannin and acidity, both aspects not boding well for wines to be aged. Some even featured over-ripe fruit. Can't wait to try them and to be pleasantly surprised by the ones which managed to keep the quality!
The two wines that I chose to try were the 1991 Dujac Clos de la Roche and the 1962 DRC Grands Echézeaux. The 1991 evoked this sweet fruit character, gentle and soft, with a long finish. Just delicious. I would score it 17.5/20. The 1962 was truly a beauty...well-aged, elegant, fragrant, silky, still retained its sweet fruit character. A well-crafted wine, with a lingering finish. 18/20. My memory of the 1993 Arnoux Romanée Saint Vivant was that it was indeed a fine wine, well-structured with power, freshness, and fruit character.
It seemed from our conversations today that 2009 was a generous year, with lots of rain early spring followed by beautiful weather late spring and in the summer, and did not have the same magnitude of rot problems as 2008. It was however perhaps an overhyped year. The well-made wines would be early pleasers, easier to understand than 2008, somewhat like 2000. The underperformers would show low levels of tannin and acidity, both aspects not boding well for wines to be aged. Some even featured over-ripe fruit. Can't wait to try them and to be pleasantly surprised by the ones which managed to keep the quality!
Friday 2 April 2010
At home with Peter Sisseck
1st April 2010: I'm writing this post-event not because of any lack of memorable aspects......quite the contrary! It was probably a month ago now and I have not been very diligent at keeping this blog updated! We hosted a dinner party at home and one of our guests sprung a lovely surprise on us......not only did he bring with him a 2003 Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne, he also brought us Peter Sisseck and Peter's friend. What an honour to be cooking for such a great winemaker! Really enjoyed talking to Peter....and it was a treat to listen to him talking about his passion.....making good quality wine in his adopted Spain! That evening we drank some really delicious wines from Domaine de la Romanée Conti, including 2001 Romanée Saint Vivant (in magnum), 1990 Romanée Saint Vivant and 1990 Romanée Conti which was sensational and a real indulgence! I made a mental note to place it in a special corner in my tasting memory, together with these other wines that left me with a soul-lifting sensation of tasting a wine so perfect, if one could just hold onto that moment, that sensation.......a 1966 Romanée Conti, a 1975 Château Lafleur, a 1988 Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux and a 1989 Roumier Bonnes Mares......
Simply delicious.....the champagne
Last night (31 March 2010) at Caprice in Hong Kong, I decided to go off the beaten track to try Jacques Selosse Brut Initiale NV. What a wonderful discovery! Creamy mousse, fine and persistent bubbles, an extremely complex nose of brioche, toasted hazelnuts, roasted lemon, apple compote and mineral character. The elegant richness was balanced by a fine level of acidity. Every sip was a delight and left the mouth with a lingering finish. 100% Chardonnay from Grand Cru sites. Oak ageing. Extended ageing on lees. Rich, complex, refreshing with a fine balance of autolytic character, fine quality fruit and minerality. A top wine, served its purpose well as an aperitif but could easily go well with food. I would score it 18/20.
Then we had a 2000 Meursault Charmes by Guy Roulot....now showing beautiful aged character, smoky, butterscotch-like almost, very complex. The 1985 Chateau Leoville Las Cases needed a little time to "warm up", a well-aged wine with mature qualities, perhaps not terribly generous, a little lean, but all the same, maintained its structure well, a good level of acidity, well-integrated tannins, and a lovely nose of cedar and liquorice. Would have been a perfect accompaniment to duck (or the other way round - I believe that wine enhances our enjoyment of food!).....unfortunately no one at our table ordered the duck dish. The pigeon dish was definitely a well-considered alternative! Glad someone ordered it!
Food was perfectly well presented but I thought my turbot was a little overcooked and it was not exactly hot when it arrived.......I tried some of the chicken cooked in Chalon sauce....delicious but did not quite overwhelm me......not quite convinced about the 3 stars the restaurant was awarded! Service was impeccable though...that alone made all the difference!
Having fish tonight....it's Good Friday.......more later.
Then we had a 2000 Meursault Charmes by Guy Roulot....now showing beautiful aged character, smoky, butterscotch-like almost, very complex. The 1985 Chateau Leoville Las Cases needed a little time to "warm up", a well-aged wine with mature qualities, perhaps not terribly generous, a little lean, but all the same, maintained its structure well, a good level of acidity, well-integrated tannins, and a lovely nose of cedar and liquorice. Would have been a perfect accompaniment to duck (or the other way round - I believe that wine enhances our enjoyment of food!).....unfortunately no one at our table ordered the duck dish. The pigeon dish was definitely a well-considered alternative! Glad someone ordered it!
Food was perfectly well presented but I thought my turbot was a little overcooked and it was not exactly hot when it arrived.......I tried some of the chicken cooked in Chalon sauce....delicious but did not quite overwhelm me......not quite convinced about the 3 stars the restaurant was awarded! Service was impeccable though...that alone made all the difference!
Having fish tonight....it's Good Friday.......more later.
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