Hong Kong: City of Wine

11 Nov 2011: 3 days of 'wining' at the HK Wine and Spirits Fair and 3 days at the Winefuture Conference in HK added up to be quite a heavy toll on my system, not least my teeth, which bore the brunt of the pigment and acidity attack from the seriously staining young reds. However, in the name of wine, it was all very worthwhile. Apart from attending some very well-organised and educational tastings including the well-publicised 2009 Bordeaux Magical 20 Tasting conducted by Robert Parker, I focused my tasting on the lesser known regions and grape varieties....and in most cases, was rather encouraged by what I saw and tasted.

Robert Parker conducted the Magical 20 Tasting of 2009 Bordeaux

I did not exactly take notes during my booth-hopping, but the following made a distinct impression on me: the Tannat from Uruguay, the Blaufränkisch, pinot-noiresque Saint Laurent and fruity and vigorous Zweigelt from Austria (the grassy and minerally Grüner Veltliner relegated to yesterday's story!), the Nero d'Avola and Frappato contributing to Cerasuolo di Vittorio DOCG from Sicily, the waxy Grecanico with a slight pungent nose of herbal and citrus, with bitter almond aftertaste from Sicily (another alternative to Sauvignon Blanc), the blend of Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera making juicy and well-structured Salice Salentino DOC from Puglia,  the Öküzgözü and Boğazkere (both black grapes) and Narince (white grape) from Turkey, the Cabernet Franc from the Maule Valley in Argentina (yes - old story, but exciting new expression), the Hungarian Furmint and Hárslevelű both made in a dry style and a medium sweet version made from Zéta, and also Icewine from China. 

Chester d'Arenberg Osborn demonstrating new marketing ideas - a world without boundaries

The future of wine is without borders and boundaries.....it will be fascinating to watch how some of these regions rise to realise their full potential in the years to come, and to see how the birthplace of viticulture, the countries around the Black Sea, would once again be resurrected to its former glory!  The future of wine is very exciting and HK managed to attract vinous people from all over the world to be cocooned in these concrete monstrosities of exhibition centres, complete with the standard issue of terrible coffee and buffet lunches!  HK is now truly the epicentre of wine - at least for now, with at least a wine-related auction taking place almost every other week.....and a formal wine dinner taking place somewhere in HK every other day.  There has never been so much interest in wine  here, thanks in one part to the elimination of duty, a bold decision taken 6 years ago but in another perhaps bigger part, the attraction of the massive hinterland of China! 

I may be wrong with my statistics but I thought there were as many people making a beeline for the better known regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy as there were people experimenting with new regions and varieties at the Wine and Spirits Fair.  Bordeaux will always be there - as Robert Parker said, it represents the pinnacle of winemaking and has a very unique wine style and ageing profile, not quite equalled by another wine region at the moment.  A lot of Bordeaux-inspired regions and wineries aspire to become the next cult wine, gaining overnight fame and status with a high rating from a worthy critic.  I rather admire individual personality in a wine, a wine that speaks of its origin and DNA, a wine that has a personna, a character that puts it in its own class and category, not Bordeaux-inspired, not Burgundy-wannabe and not chasing a certain style to ensure a high rating.  These are the wines that deserve our support so that they continue to improve and evolve.  I shall always remember how Randall Grahm profoundly talked about the 'chi' of wine - wine as a living organism, the 'chi' giving it energy, the 'chi' connecting it to mother earth!  When the wine is harmonious and at peace, we will enjoy it better........

If you haven't yet, I urge you to try Randall Grahm's wines - the reds are Grenache-based, harmoniously structured, very expressive and very elegant, and all within 14.5% alcohol.  I particularly liked his new experimentation with maturation in bon-bons.  I also liked the Roussanne and Grenache Blanc  white blend, refreshing, zingy, great food wine - Randall recommended sushi with fresh wasabi.  The vin gris is very interesting as well, with a creamy texture from the malolactic fermentation.....not sure how it got there but it did a great job giving the wine a new level of sophistication, uncommonly found in pink wines!

Randall Grahm on the 'chi' of wine

The Winefuture Conference was enlightening in many ways and I felt that there were many points one could take home to ponder over......the Chinese market remained a magnet to some and an enigma to others. Sparkling wine still struggles to to find a way to woo the Chinese palate (the racy acidity and sometimes too aggressive bubbles don't help - perhaps the much longer-aged prestige cuvée champagnes with more delicate mousse and intensified complexity would find their way to the Chinese hearts??).  We are seeing more consumption of white wine in China....hurrah!  Finally, the awakening of the Chinese palate.....I find that in general white wine demonstrates more versatility in the matching with a variety of flavours in Chinese cuisine.  Red wine still remains the wine of choice but pinot noir is the flavour of the moment and long may this last!  This 'deviation' from Bordeaux, however minor, may encourage an accelerated 'normalisation' of crazy Bordeaux prices, which is long overdue so that the playing ground can once more be better levelled for those of us without those thick wallets who have felt much sidelined.   



The Promising Wines from Spain

 But hey, look what we've found: impressive Argentinian Cabernet Franc, promising Turkish reds and Hungarian dry whites, silky and perfumed well-crafted Austrian pinot noir and plenty of delicious, food-friendly and ageworthy wines from Spain and Italy (if only the alcohol level could be slighty better managed - 14% or below would be ideal!).....we're not without choices!  In fact, as the Chinese market opens up, this has just propelled the development of wine in more directions than one and this development has offered all of us better quality wine (at a range of price points) and more diversity, and we the consumers now  more so than ever have the opportuity to identify our own style, much less influenced by critics and others.......Like the wine we drink, we too are evolving! 

Borrowing the words of Forrest Gump, the world of wine 'is like a box of chocolates'.......how exhilarating!  Gan Bei!  Yum Sing!  Santé! Salute! Cheers!!!

1988 Cote Rotie La Turque, Guigal

16 Oct 2011: Ruby-garnet. A very engaging perfume of blackberry, plum, mocha, leather, tobacco, camphor, hoi sin sauce, gamey and savoury, if marred by a whiff of volatility.  On the palate, the volatile acidity was a little more evident causing a slight off-balance to the taste and finish.  However, there was still more than a mere remnant of the majestic wine that merited the 100-point rating.  Behind the silky texture and mesmerizing perfume, it wasnn't too hard to find a vestige of the density, concentration and power that were once there.  Hugely disappointed, as I was so looking forward to trying this wine and it would have made the perfect accompaniment to Richard's slow-roasted shoulder of Welsh lamb and caramelised turnips!  Hopefully, this was just one slightly out-of-condition bottle.......while well-preserved bottles would still have some drinking window left! 17/20  

Côte Rôtie La Turque is made largely with Syrah grapes from the south-facing Côte Brune with some addition of Viognier (around 93% Syrah and 7% Viognier). The finesse and the strength of the wine is typically attributed to the mix of shale and iron oxide enriched clay soils on these sun-exposed slopes. The wine would spend 42 months in new oak before release. 

1995 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone Riserva

16 Oct 2011:  Earlier this month, we were treated to a very special dinner, where a double-magnum (3-litre) of 1995 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva was served - such a treat!  (I think the wine was decanted a couple of hours before it was served.) This was a wine of heroic proportions in every aspect: concentration and quality of fruit, intensity and complexity of aromas and flavours, density and weight on the palate, the lingering finish that would last as long as the time it took for the next sip.  Aromatically, the complex bouquet showed dark chocolate, blackberry compote, dried fruit and raisins, leather, liquorice, toffee, pungent tobacco and slightly medicinal. The finish went on and on, with a lingering sweet-bitter taste.  A sensational wine, that although drinking now, I suspect would be even more impressive in 8 - 10 years' time.

We also had on the same evening a 2001 Gaia & Rey Chardonnay, which impressed by its freshness balancing a very rich, rounded character.  White peach, herbal, slightly spicy, with minerality.  Quite rich and viscous, rather high in alcohol.....I personally found the alcohol level a little disturbing.  Drink now and for next 3 - 4 year (?). 

The 2001 Barolo Riserva Gran Bussia, Poderi Aldo Conterno delighted us with its bright red cherry fruit, earthy/minerally and rose petal pot pourri notes.  Not a blockbuster wine, but entirely refreshing and focused, very approachable and drinking beautifully now. Drink now and for next 4 - 5 years.

The 2001 Tua Rita Syrah in magnum reminded me of a Barossa Shiraz.  Blackberry jam, chocolate, spicy and quite a bit of sweet coconut and vanilla.  Big fruit, velvety texture, spicy finish.  Drink now and for next 4 -5 years.

It was a very special evening and a big thank you to our generous hosts for sharing with us the 1995 Quintarelli which was definitely a highlight and an eye-opener for me!

Corton Charlemagne and Romanee Saint Vivant

15 Oct 2011: Casual supper at home with a few friends.  Rummaging through the cellar at home, we thought we would do a horizontal of 2000 Corton Charlemagne and a vertical of Romanée Saint Vivant (by different winemakers).  Might I just begin by saying how disappointing it was to realise that the probability of finding a bottle that wasn't out of of condition, was less than 50%, more like 2 out of 5!  Two bottles by Faiveley were affected by cork taint and the bottle by Bruno Clair was madeirised.  Of the two that were ok, I liked the de la Vougeraie, just a touch more than the Simon Bize. 

2000 Corton-Charlemagne, de La Vougeraie: the wine needed a little time to open up to reveal its green apple, citrus, mineral nose, with a hint of dried blossoms and faint toasty character.  Pure and precise, lovely minerality, mid-weight, nicely rounded with mouth-coating texture, but not fatty.  Nice stylish finish. 16.5/20

2000 Corton-Charlemagne, Simon Bize:  Much tighter and racier than the Vougeraie's version, showing much more steely character, overlaid with citrus and green apple.  Tasting a little mean and austere still, but nicely structured with the light-handed use of oak and very minerally. Persistent finish.  This wine should benefit from further cellaring. 16/20

Then we had a vertical of Romanée-Saint-Vivants (by different winemakers):
1985 Romanée-Saint-Vivant, Alain Hudelot-Noëllat:  Beautiful mature bouquet of savoury, mushroom, violet.  Silky texture, with just enough acidity and softened tannin holding up the structure and freshness.  Tasting now, it's a beauty, classy and reminded us of what Romanée-Saint-Vivant was about: silky elegance, classy beauty, understated power (relative to Richebourg), with a mesmerizingly perfumed bouquet.  This 1985 beauty in its state now totally epitomised this description.  Lovely sweet and lingering finish, a little drying.  I would drink this wine now and for next 2 - 3 years to enjoy at peak.  17.5/20

1989 Romanée-Saint-Vivant, Michel Voarick (in magnum): a little funky and gamey, featuring Asian spice and some floral character, and a faint bretty note.  Well-made, still tasting fresh, but did not quite have the poise, elegance, class nor bouquet to endear us.  A touch simple.  Drink now. 15.5/20

2000 Romanée-Saint-Vivant, de l'Arlot: An attractive nose of black fruit and spice, some floral.  On the palate, lacks the body, intensity or complexity of the 2002 Confuron RSV.  Velvety-textured, demure and well-crafted, but perhaps a little simple and lacking in character.  Drink now and for next 5 - 6 years. 16/20

2002 Romanée-Saint Vivant, Jean-Jacques Confuron:  Aromatically very enticing and powerful: spicy, floral and just beginning to show animal character. Packed with ripe pinot fruit and fine and beautifully integrated tannin, giving the wine a velvety texture and a weighty palate. Full of balanced richness, purity, elegance and class.  Drink now and for next 10+ years.  Eric said it would be like the 1985 Hudelot-Noellat RSV then!  17.5/20

We actually preceded these RSV's with a bottle of 1989 Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which was simply fabulous: sweet spicy black cherry fruit, tobacco, leather, and liquorice.  Lovely concentrated fruit, showing intensity, complexity, harmony and a very long finish.   Drink now and for the next 10+ years!  18/20  (Easily the red of the evening, thank you Eric!)

Apart from the 1989 Beaucastel which was tasted blind and served by Eric, all the other bottles were plonked on the table and self-serviced.  Perhaps thinking that the 1985 should be the superior wine of the pair from the 80's and the 2002 the superior of the pair from the last decade, I tasted in this order: 1985, 1989, 2002, 2000.  As a result, my scoring could have been a little unfair to the 1989 and 2000.  I could only justify by saying that the superior wines rather set the benchmark for what great burgundies (indeed a Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru) could achieve, in terms of complexity, concentration, density and in the case of the 1985 the ageing potential (a very well-preserved 26-year-old!).  I thought all the wines demonstrated very well the vintage characteristics and the better wines this evening were classic examples of the vineyard characteristics.  I love these rather educational evenings!

1973 Robert Ampeau Meursault Perrrieres

1 Oct 2011: Paul and Julie hosted a most delicious dinner at their home.  We started with a 2000 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne. Ripe apple, citrus, white blossom, some toasty note, and with a taut minerality. Precise, pure and balanced.  Mid-weight, creamy mousse, and a very long finish.  Still very youthful but drinking very well now...Perfect aperitif!

Paul very meticulously arranged an interesting tasting of red and white for us.  First up, side by side two wines by Michel Niellon, 2004 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Chaumées 'Clos de La Truffière' and 2004 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Champs Gain.   Apparently the first bottle of Les Chaumées was madeirised.  While waiting for us to arrive (so sorry, Paul and Julie), the second bottle had already taken on some weight in the glass, showing a lovely rounded character, a complex bouqet of ripe peach, nutty, floral, lime and smokey, and firm acidity.  Whereas the Champs Gain (mid slope) was not so attractive by the time I got to it - it seemed a little out of condition.  I didn't get the typical broad and plump character with this wine.  Normally the Chaumées (higher up the slope and near to Saint Aubin) would be the more delicate and racy one....

Then two bottles of 2008 Vosne-Romanée Malconsorts, one by Dujac and the other Sylvain Cathiard.  We had them semi-blindtasted. From one decanter, the bouquet was bright fruit of raspberry and redcurrant, herbal and spicy, with some earthy character, and slowly emerging some lovely floral character.  Excellent backbone of vibrant acidity.  Very stylish and plenty of freshness, poise and purity.  The firm but fine tannin giving the wine an excellent texture.  Lovely mid palate and long finish.  From the other decanter, the wine seemed a little more evolved, revealing some warm scents of undergrowth and truffle, underneath the red cherry and Asian spicy notes.  Nicely perfumed. Very harmonious.  Perhaps slightly more rustic in style?  Medium weight and plenty of acidity and firm ripe tannin to help it age gracefully.  Both benefitted from decanting time.  Probably try again in 3 - 4 years time to let the various elements? I am still debating with Richard which was which.....one of us definitely switched our glasses the wrong way round!

The 1978 Leroy Vosne-Romanée was practically pronouned 'dead on arrival'.  A garnet-brown colour did not bode well and very soon, signs of madeirisation became very evident.  Lovely Sercial nose.

The 1990 Seghesio Vigneto La Villa was an interesting discovery.  Big and muscular, from the Monforte commune.  Spicy, mushroom, smokey and leather.  I decided to give it more time to develop and settle down.  Alas, I got rather captivated by the next wine.

The wine of the evening for me was the 1973 Robert Ampeau Meursault Perrières.  Deep golden colour.  Gorgeous nose of ripe pear, apricot, honeysuckle, white chocolate, butterscotch, macadamia, with smokey and spicy nuances.  The minerality was still very much evident.  Totally harmonious and integrated, flaunting extremely vibrant acidity, in an age-defying demonstration.  The finish went on for a very long time, with a spicy kick at the end.  Truly impressive!  I could have just drunk this all night, on its own or even better with some Epoisses and Maroilles!  Yummy!  This was our last bottle but for those who still have some, there is no hurry to drink it.....it will hold up quite well for a few years at this peak condition!  I would score this wine 19/20! 

I must mention Paul's "70-garlic cloves" gigot d'agneau.....served with Julie's mashed cauliflower and a zesty quinoa salad.....fabulous dish and it did its job remarkably accompanying the wines of the evening!  Thank you Paul and Julie! 



      

Some English Wines

1 Oct 2011: Tried some English wines recently......tasting better than just 'interesting'!

2006 Gusbourne Brut Reserve: Newcomer in this competitve space from Appledore, Kent. 46% Chardonnay, 41% Pinot Noir and 13% Pinot Meunier from gentle south-facing slopes on soils of clay and sandy loam, only 6 miles from the Kentish coast. Deep straw colour.  Ripe apple, brioche, honey, nutty, and some spicy note.  Fine bubbles, creamy and lively mousse.  Very well-made and well-developed. Good finish. 16.5/20

2010 Chapel Down Bacchus: Also from Kent. Bacchus is the British Sauvignon Blanc.  German crossing, adapted well to the British climate and soils, ripens well and does not suffer from its inherent lack of acidity when grown in the UK (where most grapes have too much acidity!).  Refreshing, lively and rather quaffable.  A great aperitif on a hot English summer day!  Citrus, herbal and chalky.  14.5/20

2010: Pheasants Ridge Bacchus Dry: From Hambleden, Henley-on-Thames.  Thought this had a slight edge over the Chapel Down....slightly more complex, with something reminiscent of elderflower, on top of the citrus, herbal and chalky character.  A bit more body as well.  Lovely acidity.  Excellent with a plate of salted almonds or a few English oysters! 15/20

I've still got a few more to try! Will report again!

1999 Leflaive Puligny Montrachet Les Pucelles

29 Sep 2011: Bright golden hue. A ripe and mature bouquet of dried apricots, honeysuckle, roasted macadamia, butterscotch, peanut brittle and intensely smokey, with just a hint of that ginger-like spicy note. Rather weighty, with a creamy texture, that is finely balanced by firm acidity. Lengthy finish. Offers much more than a premier cru....superb quality and elegantly presented.  Rather evolved now, recommend drinking within next 8 - 10 years to enjoy this wine at its peak (if kept well).  17/20

Palmer Dinner

30 Sep 2011: Last night, we attended the Château Palmer dinner at the Conrad Hotel organised by the Commanderie de Bordeaux HK Chapter.  It was very encouraging to see a bulgingly full house attendance at this dinner, to the point that the air conditioning in the room could not quite cope with the amount of carbon dioxide and body heat generated by the enthusiastic Palmer lovers and the doors had to be left wide open to let in fresh air. 

First wine was the Alter Ego 2006, which showed plenty of scrummy black cherry fruit, and spicy notes of liquorice. After a short while in the glass, a lovely floral perfume started to emerge.  Very well-balanced and tasting rather fresh. Good finish.  We were told later that in this vintage, rather unusually some Petit Verdot had been included in the blend for the Alter Ego.  The name says it all - it is not exactly a second wine, but a wine with its own character and sense of being.  Very approachable.  An excellent effort. Drink now and will develop further over next 3 - 4 years.  (Drinking window recommended by the château around 10+ years.) 15.5/20

Then we had 4 vintages of the grand vin: 2004, 1998, 1996 and 1986.  (Unfortunately, our 1986 was mildly corked.)  2004 showed a very complex and opulent wine, despite the challenges of the vintage.  47% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot.  It showed concentration and elegance.  Sweet ripe blackberries, violet, truffle, and spices.  Great texture.  Already delicious now.  Enjoy over next 15+ years.  17.5+/20

I found the 1998 rather unBordeaux like, a bit more tar and liquorice, chocolatey, with plenty of rich black fruit. The Merlot did very well in 1998 and there was a significant portion in this blend. I found it sumptuous but lacked the elegance that I expected from a Margaux (appellation).  Drink now and for next 15+ years. 16+/20

The 1996 took us back to a more classic and reserved cool climate style (more Cabernet Sauvignon with some Cabernet Franc: 40% Merlot, 55% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot). Now with 15 years of age behind it, it's now taken on complexities of tobacco, truffle and cedar, behind the sweet fruit entry. Elegantly textured, well-integrated tannin. Medium body. A wine to be enjoyed in a quiet place. Drink now and for the 10+ years.  17/20

The lamb was a very fitting match with the 1998 and 1996 Palmer,  but I wasn't sure how the red pepper soup with clams fitted into the food and wine matching......

In love with the Right Bank.....

24 Sep 2011: Tasted quite a few Right Bank wines this week.  Some of the more impressive ones that I tasted this week included:

2001 Gazin: Rich and complex nose of plum, chocolate, coffee, tobacco, and liquorice, showing some hints of leather and truffle.  Very elegant and stylish, still lush, balanced by fresh acidity.  Firm fine-textured tannin. A drying sensation on the long finish.  Full of character.  A very fine effort.  Drinking well now and will continue to drink well for the next 6 - 8 years. (There was a bit of bottle variation - we had 2 bottles opened (from same case) and one tasted much leaner and less generous than the other bottle - almost as if they were from different vintages.) 16/20

2000 Troplong Mondot:  Initially a little tight, needed time in the glass to open up to reveal its glorious bouquet of black and blue berries, plum, chocolate and eucalyptus. Velvety texture, a rich but fresh-tasting palate, with ripe well-integrated tannin giving an overall impression of a very harmonious and balanced wine with much depth and concentration of flavours and a very long finish. Still extremely youthful.  Though drinking now, can benefit from some bottle age before  trying again.  A very long life ahead!  Drink over next 15+ years.  18/20

2001 Troplong Mondot: Very deep ruby.  An intense nose of cassis, blueberry, blackberrry, chocolate, espresso, cola and liquorice. Made in a big, bold and concentrated style, perhaps lacking the elegance and persistence of the 2000 vintage on the palate. Youthful and vivacious.  Drinking now and will benefit from a few more years in bottle before trying again.  17/20
 
1985 La Conseillante (magnum): Ruby-garnet. A captivating perfume of tobacco, truffle, cloves, mocha, cedar and violet. Velvety tannin and still tasting rather fresh and concentrated, with the hallmark seductively lush character of Pomerol.  Deliciously long and sweet (almost like caramel) finish.  A wine with plenty of sex appeal, that makes you yearn for more and more.  Drinking now and for the next 5 - 6 years.  18.5/20

1982 Figeac: Rose petal, violet, cedar, dried blueberry, star anise, mint and eucalyptus. Harmonious and well-integrated. Medium bodied. Tasted still very fresh but a little delicate and lean on the palate....I would have preferred a bit more generosity to give it a slightly more substantial mouthfeel.  Today, I didn't like the somewhat (to me anyway) excessive cedar character on the nose and palate which will no doubt take on other complexities in the next 6 - 8 years.  16.5/20

The next 2 wines were enjoyed side by side and what a treat it was!  Both decanted for 2 hours, while we enjoyed the lovely 1997 Salon that Patrick brought.  Initially very tight and somewhat austere, the nose was mineral, floral, citrus and apple.  The rounded character was evident but needed time to build up.  The wine continued to develop after opening and 2 hours later, it flaunted all its richness and complexity which reminded me of a freshly baked pear tart, with a rich layer fo marzipan and the pear slices slightly burnt and caramelised.  Absolutely delicious!  19/20
2000 Chapelle d'Ausone: Deep ruby.  Graphite, blueberry, black cherry, violet and eucalyptus, some savoury and tobacco character coming through.  Purity of fruit, delicious and ripe, balanced, beautifully textured with fine but firm tannin.  Lengthy finish. A marvellous effort for a second wine sharing some of the qualities of the grand vin, though less concentrated.  Drinking magnificently now and showing all the characteristics of an extremely well-made wine in its own right, pure, balanced, elegant and seductive. Drink now and for the next 8+ years.  17/20

2000 Ausone: A deeper hue than the Chapelle.  An altogether more dense and concentrated wine, very rich and powerful.  Black fruit, blueberry, liquorice, violet, spicy and fragrant, and some very intense minerality/graphite character.   The wine took much longer to open up and 4 hours later, it finally revealed the unmistakable Bordeaux character. A very serious wine, totally reserved now, will benefit from further bottle age.  Suggest trying this wine from 2014....and a very long life ahead.  19.5/20   

Gimonnet Champagne Dinner at Rokkaku



The most delicious salmon sushi!!

21 Sep 2011: Gimonnet, a grower champagne name from the Côtes des Blancs of the Champagne region, long admired over the generations for the finesse, purity, precision and consistency of their 100% chardonnay champagne.  It was therefore very appropriate to have these qualities matched with the purity, precision and dedication to detail and quality of Japanese cuisine at the restaurant Rokkaku (Kwong Ming Street, near Star Street HK).  Chef Wong did an amazing job turning out some extraordinary dishes of sashimi, sushi, tempura and robatayaki dishes that totally wooed the crowd, in particular the lightly seared salmon belly sushi, which received calls of 'encore' from a most enthusiastic audience!  Fresh salmon roe just came into season and we were treated to it, served with some light radish shaving.  Absolutely divine when paired with the champagne! 

4 cuvées from the range of Gimonnet champagnes were tried and paired with the food (and with some very satisfactory results!):

Gimonnet Cuis 1er Cru Non-Vintage: as an aperitif and also to go with the amuse bouche of edamame, cold tomato salad and cod crisps, it tasted young, refreshing and lively, with some gentle notes of citrus, green apple and a hint of peach.  Very expertly made (typically from a blend of 4 vintages), with just the right balance of freshness and roundness, and a great way to kick off the evening. 15.5/20

Gimonnet Gastronome 2006: a young vintage wine with around 50% contribution from the grand cru of Chouilly, less than 40% from Cuis, enriched by the addition of wine from some very old vines from Cramant.  It's a great cuvée offering complexity and richness, while offering youthful freshness.  It served very well accompanying the selection of sashimi and sushi that the chef prepared.  Fine-textured bubbles and a creamy mousse giving this wine a very elegant definition.  Lovely nose of white peach, pear, acacia, honey and underlined with a hint of toasty character.  A very approachable 'coupe de champagne'! 16/20

Gimonnet Extra-Brut Oenophile 2004: A dry style non-dosée champage, crisp, complex and characterful, with a well-balanced richness.  A very distinct mineral and savoury character dominates here, making it very stylish.  Finish is long and very neat.....a very impressive wine!  I thought this went so well with the salmon roe! 17/20

Gimonnet Fleuron 2005: A vintage champagne made only in the best years, with selections from the best vineyards that are most representative for the particular vintage, and with ageing on lees in excess of 4 years before disgorging.  An absolute great equation for price and quality.  Brioche, floral, pear, apple and mineral.  Rounded texture, creamy mousse, perked up by the house-style acidity.  A great effort and it had sufficient complexity and texture to be paired with the bacon-wrapped grilled oyster, grilled ox tongue and grilled chicken dishes!  17/20

We finished the evening with a warming bowl of udon in soup, which probably served well to soak up the alcohol and a touch of sweetness at the end (some Tokaji got sneaked in to round off the evening and it went down rather well too!)

Dinner at Murano, London

3 Sep 2011: Dinner at Murano, an Angela Hartnett restaurant on Queen Street, London.  Decor is meant to be chic contemporary Venetian....I think.  They brought us some parmesan crisps and warm truffle-flavoured risotto balls as amuse bouche.  Then we were given some charcuterie and bread, as part of the amuse bouche.  Frankly, you probably wouldn’t need a starter after all this!  Menu is based on 3 or 4 courses, to be chosen from a selection of starters, main courses, vegetarian dishes, desserts and cheese.  So good to see a healthy selection of vegetarian dishes.  The chef had kindly prepared an off-the-menu langoustine starter for Richard and I took the warm caramelised tomato, lightly flavoured with balsamic vinegar, basil and smoked ricotta.  Then I had the linguine, with prawns, chilli and parsley.  Richard had the Iberico pork shoulder with pearl barley and salsify, which was tangy orangey.  The portions were perfect, and there was plenty of room for the cheese trolley, which is highly recommended.  We had a lovely Italian cheese with a name that would sound like ‘Medieval Castle’!  To add to this, we had Lincolnshire Poacher, Stinking Bishop and a Calvados-soaked Camembert.  We decided not to take dessert, but to our pleasant surprise, our waiter produced two ‘generous’ slivers of smoked lemon tart, a chef’s signature dish, apparently, together with a bowl of cherries and some hazelnut truffles.  Service was slick and impeccable and the restaurant felt spacious.  The food was perfectly executed and presented – attentive and imaginative cooking from the heart, a subtle display of talent.

For the wine, we took the sommelier’s recommendation.  2006 Lessona DOC, Proprietà Sperino: Traditionally a covinification of 95% Nebbiolo and 5% Vespolina (red grape variety related to Nebbiolo), grown on marine sandy, acidic but mineral-rich soil, at 295 – 350 metres above sea level. (Lessona DOC is north of Barolo, and next door to Gattinara DOCG). Use of natural yeasts.  28 days of maceration, followed by 13 months sur lie.  Maturation in barrels and 15 hl casks for 30 months, with further time in bottle, prior to release.  The 2006 vintage was aromatic, elegant, charming and very approachable, with a well-defined purity.  Lovely red fruit of red cherries, with slight herbal, earthy and floral character, with a hint of spice.  Medium in body, with smooth fine tannin and good level of acidity.  Went equally well with my linguine with prawns, chilli and parsley, as with Richard’s pork shoulder in a tangy orangey sauce. 16/20

A bit of background on this estate.  The estate was originally owned by the Sperino family, a renowned family of doctors, whose most notable members who contributed much to vinegrowing were Casimiro Sprino and particularly his son Felice Sperino, who was a close friend to Italy’s first ampelographer, and took active interest in indigenous grape varieties of northern Piemonte that were fast disappearing.  In the early 19th Century, as a result of no direct heirs, the estate passed to the De Marchi family, their close relatives.  Vinegrowing was abandoned for reasons of difficult economic climate and lack of economic scale to make the property work, without compromising on quality.  Paolo De Marchi (Isole e Olena, Tuscany) had dreamt of returning to his roots in Piemonte one day to revive the winemaking on their estate, and in 1999, he returned to the castle with his son Luca.  They have taken painstaking efforts to revive the tradition of vinegrowing and winemaking in Lessona and the results have been very encouraging.  Their first vintage was 2004, released in 2006.   Proprietà Sperino lies in the Castello quarter of the village of Lessona (Biella), among the foothills of the North Piedmont Alps.  The Nebbiolo grape is locally known as ‘Spanna’.

Visit to Marseille - Day 3

31 August 2011: After breakfast, we took a walk down the Corniche JFK to check out the beaches along the coastline, to get ourselves ready for lunch at Chez Fonfon (140 Rue du Vallon des Auffes).  I really enjoyed this walk along the coast and if we had time, we would also visit the gardens, which would no doubt have more tropical specimens….including the ubiquitous cacti and agaves. 



Bouillabaisse at Fonfon

 Our only problem that we foresaw at lunch was that we had been told to have the bouillabaisse, and yet it would be a very filling dish to have at lunchtime, especially when we had dinner at Le Petit Nice to follow.  So we took a compromise of having one portion of bouillabaisse and one green salad.  We had such high expectations of the bouillabaisse that we felt rather disappointed by the not so appetising looking plate of potatoes and fish that arrived – plus some of it didn’t smell nor taste so fresh, especially the rascasses.  My green salad was so drenched in dressing that I could only eat half of it.  The toasted croutons and dips that came free at the beginning of the meal were probably the best part – Richard’s favourite was the meshed pea dip, mine was the fromage blanc dip.  For wine, we had a half bottle of 2008 Château Simone, which tasted rather flabby and uninteresting.  Perhaps if we had gone a bit earlier (unlike the 13:45 when we showed up), we would have had a better experience??   Anyway, at least we can say we’ve ticked this one off!

After lunch, we walked (or climbed up the hill) to the Nôtre Dame de La Garde (at altitude of around 148 metres).  It originated as a chapel built in 1218 and was then enlarged by the Bishop of Marseille in 1851 and the basilique was built in 1864.  It was topped with a giant statue of Our Mary carrying the infant Jesus and blessing the city and its harbour, the people and the visitors.  It was certainly a worthwhile visit and a very good spot to get a panoramic view of Marseille, the harbour and the ports. We then went to check out a wine bar, La Part des Anges (33 Rue Sainte).  The barman was very chatty and began to talk about the differences of the wines of the region.  We got on the subject of vins rosés and he was very vocal about how rosé wines should be the expression of terroir, rather than the result of technology-focused winemaking and high-profile marketing targeted at Saint Tropez.  I think he had a very fair point, but I think credit should also be given to those who have taken a lot of effort to overcome the challenges of transforming rosé into a serious wine……..I highly recommend La Part des Anges, both as a wine bar and also as a lunch/dinner spot.  There is a decent menu and the chef’s fish and bars were widely advertised at the counter!  There are a few tables on the pavement – so you could enjoy a bottle of wine with a few friends, while enjoying the scenes of the street.  Rue Sainte seemed a very interesting street, bohemian chic and exotic, with quite a few eateries.  Turning the corner from Rue Sainte, we arrived at Rue Paradis, with a number of high-end smart boutiques.  



Deep fried shrimps at cocktail

 Our second and last (on this trip) at Le Petit Nice.  We started with an aperitif at the bar - we decided to give the outdoor terrace a miss. The mild mistral had rather strengthened and it was felt quite poignantly at the height of the Notre Dame de La Garde. I thought I ought to have a pastis to round off our visit to Marseille.  Some cocktail snacks came. They looked pretty much the same as the previous day's, except that deep fried white bait was replaced by deep fried tiny shrimps, which were so sweet and tasty! And interestingly, not bad with the pastis! 

We decided to go for the legendary bouille-abaisse, in the Passédat style...this being our second bouillabaisse on the same day. Well, the version at Le Petit Nice was a very sleek interpretation of the traditional dish.  Entirely elaborate and ceremonial.

For the white wine, we had chosen a bottle of 2007 Domaine Gauby Vieilles Vignes, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (http://www.domainegauby.fr/)  (40% Macabéo, 30% Grenache Blanc, 5% Carignan Blanc, 10% Grenache Gris, 15% Chardonnay; very old low-yielding vines, around 50 – 100 years old; natural yeast, 7-8 months sure lie; 65% maturation in barrels, 35% in tanks). I found this wine rather evolved. Some lemon, honey, apricot and spicy character, and something very savoury and yeasty.  Medium body, but rather low in acidity, to balance the flavour intensity and the weight.  Very weak mid-palate, though there was some length.  I was a bit baffled by the wine, not entirely sure if it tasted like how it should, and thought it might improve with a bit of decanting, but sadly it didn't, not for me anyway.  I wonder if we had an ‘out of condition’ bottle – we had asked the sommelier to try and he declared it ‘in condition’.  (Surprisingly, the same sommelier had informed us that this wine was a blend of Chardonnay, Marsanne and Roussanne…..I would not have expected to be misinformed by the sommelier in a 3-star restaurant!)  The Wine Advocate had scored this wine 94 points, with drinking window till 2016.  It certainly didn’t taste anything like the tasting notes in the Wine Advocate.  Based on this bottle, I would probably score this 14.5/20…but I think we should try another bottle to see if we had a dud.



Coquillage carpaccio

 The Menu Bouille-Abaisse started with a carpaccio of coquillage, full of the flavours of the sea and lightly seasoned. This was accompanied by a cream of chives, with some seafood fritters.  A cream of carrots, with an apple sorbet, shortly followed to freshen the palate.



Beautiful platter of fish in saffron broth

 This was followed by an assembly of beautifully grilled/roasted fish (monkfish, whiting, daurade and some other fish that we could not catch the name of) and lobster in a saffron fish stock with mirepoix of tender vegetables. Very colourful and full of fresh flavours, enhanced by the saffron fish stock.

The assembly of bouille-abaisse
Imagine all the layers on top of each other on arrival



Dorade et Pageot

 Finally, the pièce de resistance!  A tower of 4 layers. The top layer was a tube of soupe de poission, with the grated gruyère and rouille of the maison. The second layer contained potato cubes cooked in saffron fish stock. The third presented 2 pieces of beautifully cooked filets of daurade and pageot partially immersed in the soupe de poisson. Underneath in the 4th layer was a hot bouillon with herbs keeping the fish at a nice temperature.  The two types of fish, though similar, had different textures (the pageot slightly firmer and the daurade more delicate) and tasted best soaked in the extremely intense fish soup. The fish soup had this phenomenal intensity and texture that was simply sensational!  Interestingly this last course would go much better with red wine, and we had a half bottle of 2004 Domaine Terrebrune, Bandol, organically certified (http://www.vin-bandol-terrebrune.fr/) .   A blend of 85% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache and 5% Cinsault. Raised in very large (50-60 hl) oak vats for 18 months.  Liquorice, herbal, boysenberry, black cherry, spicy, savoury and slightly minerally.  Moderately tannic and the tannin was not astringent at all to be in the way of the food. A very good match with enough acidity to balance the richness of the flavours and enough weight/mouthfeel to match the texture of the fish soup.  Very approachable and a perfectly pitched expression of the grape varieties and the terroir.  Drinking very well now, and for the next 8 – 10+ years. (And I highly recommend the matching with la soupe de poisson (and make sure it’s one with a rich consistency!!!)   16/20




Apple dessert

 For dessert, it was an assembly of apple flavoured mousse/jelly/sorbet/marshmallow and apple-flavoured grissini. Rather tasty!! Quite rare for us that we really did not have room for cheese!  Well, we didn’t….!

Visit to Marseille - Day 2

30 August 2011: Breakfast at Le Petit Nice.  You would have a table on the terrace, right by the sea, and while feasting on the breakfast delights, you would also be able to watch some topless bathers taking a morning dip in the chilly waters!  There is a promontory next to the hotel and it seems like a popular spot for bathers in Marseille.  They come very early, as early as 8am and some leave rather late, almost 11 pm when the last would leave.  Breakfast is a casual buffet spread, with jamon, salami, cheese, fruit salad, apple compote, yoghurt, bread, croissants, and some really delicious cakes….I greedily tried them all, so yummy!  

Blue and Turquoise Marine

After a very simple lunch at the hotel, we took a speedboat excursion to visit Les Calanques (This I would readily admit as an extravagant mistake in our planning - it turned out to be way too expensive for just the two of us - it could have been worthwhile if we went out as a party to lunch at the Calanques and take a swim, etc. I recommend the cruises from Le Vieux Port as a more economical and sensible option!).  You start approaching the Calanques after passing through a narrow channel between the mainland and the Ile Maire, another towering limestone formation.  We visited the 3 most popular and largest ones, Calanque de Sormiou followed by Calanque de Morgiou and Calanque de Sougiton.  The water in the calanque was a striking interplay between clear turquoise and deep blue.  We chose a turquoise spot to anchor the boat and Richard, after mustering enough courage, plunged into the water for a quick dip, which Clément, our skipper and I resisted – it was so cold, it felt like 16 degrees!  There was a mild mistral blowing and this not only made the sea a little choppy, but also the water rather refreshing.  You could have lunch at Calanque de Sormiou – there seemed to be a decent fish restaurant.  Calanque de Morgiou was relatively calmer and less busy.  We took time to have a coffee at the Nautic Bar which also served grilled fish and other simple dishe.  Calanque de Sougiton was probably the prettiest, but unfortunately other people also thought so and it was a bit too busy for us to stop for too long.  From all these Calanques, you could go for hikes in the hills and it would make an interesting exploration of the flora and fauna of the Massif.  Clément also pointed out an extremely popular restaurant in the Calanque de Marseilleveyre, where only 3 dishes would be served….and yet there would always be a queue for the food in the high season!  The forces of nature were evident everywhere, sculpting the Massif into every thinkable shape and form over the thousands of years of their formation, including some very sharp edges like Le Bec de Sormiou. I felt so humbled by these marvellous formations of nature, towering above us!  The sea was rather rough on the way back, so we only managed a quick look from afar of Château d’If and the Archipelgue de Frioul.  Clément then took the boat into the Vallon des Auffes to show us a bit of the heart and soul of Marseille, with the little colourful houses around the fishing village harbour…..it was a very charming site, and he made sure that we would be trying another local institution, dating back to 1952, Chez Fonfon (http://www.chez-fonfon.com/) , which apparently served the best traditional bouillabaisse, before we would leave Marseille.



Snacks at apertivo
at Le Petit Nice

 Dinner at Le Petit Nice.  We went downstairs for cocktail around 7:30 pm.  Cocktail was served with a platter of nibbles, including some deep fried white bait and some anchovy-creamed biscuits.  We watched the sun slowly making its descent behind the gossamer of wistful clouds.  We had a very lovely table by the sea and we were able to witness nature’s light show while indulging on our dinner.  For wine, we had chosen a bottle of 2006 La D18, Domaine Olivier Pithon, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (http://www.domaineolivierpithon.com/) .   D18 is the name of a route départementale just next to the vineyard where these vines lie, a road between Calc and Le Col de La Dona in the Roussillon region.  Production of only around 2,600 bottles of a blend of organically cultivated, low-yielding Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris grown on high altitude slopes, raised in wooden vats between 12 and 16 months, with minimal intervention.  An engaging complexity of lemon sherbet, white peach, frangipane, honey, almond, marzipan, enhanced by mineral and savoury nuances.  The wine opened up in the glass to delight with a rounded mouthfeel, balanced with refreshing acidity.  Finish was lengthy and savoury.  Plenty of character and poise.  Perfect drinking now.  It went effortlessly well with a number of our dishes, in particular the marinated raw fish, the sea anemone and the lobster.  I would score this wine 16.5/20.

View of the twilight from dining table

We both took the Menu Passédat, which I highly recommend as an excellent introduction to the cuisine of Gerald Passédat and included all his signature dishes, including the raw pélamide (a version of tuna) with olive oil, soya and yuzu sauce, seabass as his grandmother liked it, grilled/roasted poisson de palangre (a type of seabream/”daurade”) with caramelised eggplant and rice crispy, sea anemone cooked 2 ways, in a light batter and also in a milky custard, with caviar, and finally the lobster cooked al dente in a blue-marine consommé.  Here’s the menu again and I mark the ones we liked best J:

Avant goût
Pélamide crue à la tranche, écorces de bergamote J
Bar de ligne comme l’aimait Lucie Passédat J
Poisson de Palangre grillé, jus de la tante Nia
Anémones de mer en beignets legers et onctueux iodé
Le homard Breton en mauve abyssale J
Les fromages affinés J
L’avant douceur
Fraicheur de fruits rouges et brousse du Rove
Mignardises



Raw pelamide



The famous seabass



The seabream



Sea anemone topped with caviar in a milky mousse



Lobster in a blue marine broth

 
The cheese trolley was not to be missed.  Even though we were both groaning under the weight of all the delicious dishes in the menu, we could not resist having a mouthful of cheese!  Not all French, there were some English, Scottish and even Dutch reinforcements.  The maroilles was my favourite, perfectly ripe!  Dessert consisted of 3 parts: the pre-dessert, the dessert (red fruits with Brousse du Rove, a freshly-made goat cheese, a bit like cottage cheese) and the mignardises…..all rather irresistible and delicately prepared! It’s a five-star experience, enhanced with very friendly, personal and knowledgeable service!  Marvellous!  Can’t wait for our second meal!