26 Dec 2011: A few days ago, a group of us got together at the New Shanghai Restaurant at the HK Convention & Exhibition Centre for dinner. It was a relatively chilly evening in HK and in anticipation of the hearty Shanghainese food, we decided on the theme of Rhone Valley wines.
2008 Les Chaillées de L'Enfer, Domaine Georges Vernay: 100% Viognier. Floral, honeysuckle and violet, apricot, peach, with nuances of smoke and minerality. Full-bodied, unctuous, but deftly balanced with good level of acidity. Very very long finish. A little young to drink now - plenty of decanting is recommended. Drink over next 10 - 15 years. It went brilliantly with the Shanghainese ham sandwich smeared with osmanthus-flavoured syrup. 17.5/20
The vines for this wine are planted at south to southeast exposure on very steep granitic slopes. Average age 40 years old. Production is about 5,000 bottles. Cold soak on skin before fermentation. Fermentation in 225 litre barrels during 3 - 4 weeks, plus ageing on fine lees before bottling - about 12 months after vintage.
This domaine is the second largest producer in the appellation of Condrieu. Georges Vernay created the business with just 1.5 ha of Condrieu vines. Today, the estate has 7 ha of Condrieu vines, of which 3 ha are planted with very old vines dedicated to the prestigious cuvées of Les Chaillées de L'Enfer and Coteau de Vernon. They now also have substantial plantins in Côte Rôtie and Saint Joseph. See: http://www.georges-vernay.fr/
2004 Pure, Châteauneuf du Pape, Domaine La Barroche: 100% Grenache. Red cherry, raspberry, white pepper, liquorice, slightly vegetal, Mediterranean herbs, slowly developing into prune, dried fruit and caramel notes with further aeration in the decanter. Initially a slight bitterness at the finish, which dissipated after some aeration. Sweet fruit on entry, expanding with its complex flavours on the palate and a long finish. Med-weight Châteauneuf du Pape, made with a light touch. Lovely complexity and finesse. Drink now and over next 8 - 10 years. 16.5/20
The vines for this wine come from a single parcel (named Grand Pierre) of 100-year-old vines planted on sandy soils, next to the Rayas sector. Fermentation at 31 degrees in concrete tanks with maceration of about 4 weeks. 15-month ageing takes places in old 35 hectolitre oak casks for gentle oxygenation.
The family has been making wine at the domaine siince 14th Century. 2003 was the first vintage sold in bottle and not in bulk. Julien Barrot took over the running of the domaine in 2006. They now have 30 acres of plantings in the Châteauneuf du Pape area, mainly around north and northeast. Harmonious viticulture, respect of the ecosystem, gravity-feeding and biodynamic practices (activities linked to the lunar calendar) are prevalent at the domaine. This is a domaine worth watching! Check out: http://www.domainelabarroche.com/
2004 Hermitage, Chave: Deep ruby core. A rich bouquet of sweet ripe fruit of red and black berries, black cherry and cassis, spiced up with black pepper and liquorice, complete with chocolate and earthy and herbal notes. Despite challenges of this difficult vintage, this wine shows well-integrated acidity and ripe tannin, aromatic complexities, wrapped up in a structured yet supple frame with much roundness and weight. Full of energy and life. This wine of immense structure can be enjoyed now and will benefit from further cellaring. Drink now and over next 15-20 years. 17.5/20
The Chave estate has been operating since 1481 and is now managed by Jean Louis Chave, a graduate of UC Davis. The Chave family owns vines in 9 of the 18 vineyards of Hermitage, each expressing its own terroir and demonstrating unique characteristics. Finesse, structure and complexity are at the heart of the Chave style. The family firmly upholds the belief that "it is the terroirs that make the wine" and it is this belief that forms their guiding principle in the viticulture, the selection of wine for the final blend and the vinification. The blending for the red typically comes from these vineyards:
Les Bessards: the backbone of the wine providing colour and intensity. Les Bessards is one of the greatest vineyards on the hill, a large site on granite soils at the western end.
Le Méal: another large site, next to Les Bessards, but with more chalky soils. This provides the aromatics.
L'Hermite: a monopole, discussed above, providing the supple edge. There are 15% white grapevines planted with the red in this vineyard. (The appellation rules permit the use of up to 15% white grapes in the final blend.)
Les Roucoles: despite this site being favoured for white grapes, a small amount of red from this vineyard provides some tannic structure to the final blend.
Peléat: discussed above, another monopole, providing colour, tannin and character.
Separately vinified before blending. Fermentation in stainless steel or open wooden vats. The wine sees some wood, including new and old barrels, and 13 hectolitre-casks, depending on the vintage and the blend.
Love to try the white from Chave, which is also of very high quality!
We finished with a sweet wine from Aix-en-Provence: Margot, Domaine de La Brillane. Margot was the brainchild between Chef Gérald Passédat of Le Petit Nice, Marseille, and the domaine, conceived in 2007. They both wanted to create a unique wine that expresses the essence of the south, the flavours and the aromas. The resultant wine is a dessert wine, made organically, in a class of its own, and is a great match with dessert and chocolate dishes, as well as foie-gras based dishes. 100% Grenache (from vines of around 45 years of age). The grapes were dried for 2 months before fermentation to concentrate the acidities and the sugars. Only 500 bottles made. There is a firm tannic structure, but it can be enjoyed at youth or with some age. On the nose, dried raisins, Chinese dates, orange peel, Christmas pudding and fig preserve. Sweet, without being cloying, just the right amount of freshness. Website: http://www.labrillane.com/
I had brought this wine back to Hong Kong after my stay at Le Petit Nice this summer but had not tried it until this evening. At this dinner, it was used to pair with the pan-fried Eight Treasure Rice, one of my favourite desserts from Shanghainese cuisine. Another dessert that this would work well would be the Pan-Fried lotus seed paste pancake......And of course Christmas pudding!!
A quick word on the food.....very nicely presented and well-excuted food. I enjoyed all the dishes, perhaps least favourite being the duck, a bit on the tough side. The Shanghainese dumplings and the pork buns were very delicious. The best part was the professional service and the spacious dining room....quite a rare find in Hong Kong. Do give this a try next time you're looking for a Shanghainese restaurant for your wine dinners.
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