Delicious Cheeses from the West Country: much more to offer than its world-famous Cheddars

August 2018: Last week, we managed to squeeze in a quick visit to the West Country (UK) to our summer holidays. This has been a hot and dry summer in the UK, with occasional heatwave spikes. The West Country is an area located in the southwest of England, comprising typically the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall (as delimited in the PDO rules for West Country Farmhouse Cheddar), but sometimes including Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Bristol. To say we 'visited' was perhaps an exaggeration, but we did cover a few kilometres in the counties of Dorset and Somerset, driving through the unusually dry landscape of rolling hills and cows in search of the sparsely distributed green spots. With relatively modest altitudes of the hills, cooling influence from the English Channel was a welcoming feature.

It was at dinner at Little Barwick House where we were able to try a few fine examples of this area's cheese offerings. For this evening's cheese selection, the restaurant featured the following cow milk cheeses: Mrs. Montgomery's Cheddar, Wedmore, Cornish Yarg, Tunworth, Sharpham Brie, Isle of Wight Blue, Bath Blue and two goat milk cheeses: Little Wallop and Driftwood.

Clockwise from far left: Mrs Montgomery's Cheddar, Wedmore, Cornish Yarg, Tunworth, Driftwood, Isle of Wight Blue (hidden behind the Bath Blue), Bath Blue, Sharpham Brie, No. 1 Little Wallop in the middle

I was keen to try those that were new to me - so I selected the following:

Clockwise from far left: Bath Blue, Isle of Wight Blue, Sharpham Brie, Driftwood, No. 1 Little Wallop, and Wedmore (front centre)

Wedmore: this is a cheese made with pasteurised cow's milk (Holstein-Friesian) and vegetarian rennet, produced by Westcombe Dairy near Shepton Mallet in Somerset. It was a cheese originally developed by the Duckett family, being an adaptation from the recipe for Caerphilly, inspired by the lush country landscape. The resulting cheese balances the rich crumbly flavours with a refreshing lactic tang spiced with the piquant and herbal character of chives. Dry natural tan-coloured thin rind with some white/grey mould spots. A pale cream paste with a thin olive-green band of chives in the middle. The texture is firm but supple and slightly crumbly to taste. Citrus tang adding to the mildly salty, lactic creamy notes, with just a hint of smoke overlaying the piquant vegetal flavours. Zesty finish with a mineral aftertaste. Perfect picnic cheese. Apparently very good melted on toast too!


Sharpham Brie: This soft-ripened bloomy rind cheese from Sharpham Dairy, Devon is made with unpasteurised Jersey cow's milk and vegetarian rennet. The example I tried had a nice maturity and was already showing orange spots through the white rind. The paste was a creamy yellow colour, more densely packed and firmer than a Brie, more like a Coulommiers. Mildly salty, with just a faint hint of mushroom and earthy notes over the buttery flavours. Finishes with a distinctive bitter aftertaste. The version we had was a 300g square but it can be available in 500g and 1.2kg rounds.


Isle of Wight Blue: Despite the fact the the Isle of Wight is not part of the West Country (it lies in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, but part of it shares the chalky soils dominating the Dorset hills), the restaurant manager and co-owner of the Little Barwick House told us that she allowed this deviation as this cheese was too good to be excluded. It was an excellent recommendation! Ash-covered blue cheese made with pasteurised Guernsey milk from the Arreton Valley, produced by the Isle of Wight Cheese Company. Sold between 3-5 weeks of age. This was first developed in 2006. The natural rind was covered with green, grey, blue and white moulds, and the ivory paste was rich and creamy with an even distribution of blue mould. The taste was buttery and mineral, with the piquancy of blue mould and complemented with a nice dose of salt. It is a tiny cheese about 200-230g in weight, perfect as the centre-piece of the cheese board.


Bath Blue: A blue-veined cheese made by the Bath Soft Cheese Company at Park Farm, near Bath using organic pasteurised cow's milk (Holstein-Friesian) and following the Stilton recipe, aged for 8-10 weeks. It has a dry natural rind, with some white/grey moulds, and a matt yellow paste with evenly spread blue mould. The mineral and piquant flavours from the blue mould are entirely harmonious with the buttery flavours, complemented with a citrus tang. It finishes with a fermented tangy and clean aftertaste. This superb cheese won the World Cheese Champion at the 2014 World Cheese Awards.


No. 1 Little Wallop: Another great centre-piece for the cheese board. A small (140g) goat milk cheese, made with pasteurised milk and vegetarian rennet. The cheese, a collaboration between Alex James and White Lake Cheeses at Bagborough Farm, Somerset, is washed with Somerset cider brandy to heighten its pungency and distinct fermented tang. Covering with vine leaves also helps the cheese retain moisture, giving the creamy cheese an urgency to ooze out after opening. This example was very mature and started to show notes of ammonia, amidst the distinct caprine aromas. A strong cheese.


Driftwood: Another fabulous cheese from White Lake. A log-shaped ash-covered goat cheese made with thermised milk and vegetarian rennet. There was a blue/grey downy rind, and an ivory coloured silky smooth paste that turns to creamy and runny at room temperature. The aromas were reminiscent of hay, meadows, with a sharp citrus tang at the finish.


This was a very indulgent way to end a delicious meal at the Little Barwick House, a restaurant with rooms in Somerset, run by husband Tim (chef) and wife Emma (restaurant manager) team who took over in 2000. Every dish was a harmonious and beautifully presented assembly of flavours. The style of cuisine was classic, with contemporary delicate touches. The tables were well-spaced and there was a lovely refreshing breeze that drifted in from the opened windows. It was not our intention to overhear other people's conversations but we could not help picking up the flow of compliments offered to the chef and team by fellow diners. Richard particularly enjoyed his aperitif selected from the wine by the glass list - a Reid Wines Blanc de Blancs supplied by his favourite merchant in the West Country - another great local touch to this charming restaurant. We look forward to returning for a proper stay (www.littlebarwick.co.uk) .


After returning to London, we visited a couple of cheese specialist shops and managed to try some more fine cheeses from the West Country:

Rachel: an award-winning cheese from White Lake. A washed rind cheese (with brine), made with thermised goat milk and vegetarian rennet. It has a thin orange-coloured rind, with occasional spots of red/orange, with a pale ivory paste. The taste is very faintly lanolin, with nutty, floral, sweet hay notes. The finish is clean and mineral. This is a 2kg cheese. I tried this at The Fine Cheese Company, London.


Katherine: This is the raw milk version of Rachel, made with unpasteurised goat milk and animal rennet, washed with Somerset cider brandy. It has a more distinctive orange coloured rind, with spots of grey and orange on the dry rind. The paste is a cream colour, firm but supple and densely packed. It has a slight granular texture. Initial attack is a trigeminal piquancy, then the palate is filled with umami flavours, overlaid with sweet ripe apple and tropical (pineapple) notes, finetuned with the sweetness of hay. Only a very faint hint of goat character is detected. The finish is persistent with a piquancy that refreshes the palate. This is available in 250g and 2kg. We tried this at La Fromagerie, Marylebone, London.

This was my selection: Washbourne (sheep), Single Gloucester (cow), Katherine (goat), Bosworth Ash (goat).

I will follow with a separate blog on Suffolk/Norfolk cheeses.

But I wanted to add two more cheeses that we also tried and are worth recommending:

Bosworth Ash: Ash-covered log-shaped goat cheese made with unpasteurised milk and animal rennet, from Innes Cheese at Highfields Farm Dairy, Staffordshire. The natural rind showed blue/grey mould, under the rind was a tan-coloured halo, around the silky white paste. The cheese on the cheese platter was nicely matured and the paste was firm and had a granular/chalky texture that melted in the mouth, hanging onto the palate like fudge. The flavours were a mix of sweet vanilla balancing the light saltiness, turning to pineapple and grassy, before hitting the almond and marzipan notes, with a hint of citrus tang lingering on the clean finish. We tried this at La Fromagerie, Marylebone, London.


Beauvale: A softer, milder, creamier take on Stilton produced by the Cropwell Bishop Dairy in Nottinghamshire. The cheese takes its name from the Vale of Belvoir. It has a cream coloured paste with evenly distributed blue mould and a thin natural rind. It has a rich velvety texture, combining the delicate piquancy of the blue mould with a decadent rich buttery flavour. The closet description would be Gorgonzola Dolce. A remarkably rich, creamy and indulgent blue cheese and best with a glass of chilled 20-year Tawny!

This was Richard's selection: it's obvious he loves washed rind....Maida Vale, Limburger and Stinking Bishop all on the same platter!

A mini vertical of Rousseau Chambertin across 4 decades

19 Jul 2018:
On a torrential rainy evening in Hong Kong, we organised a mini vertical tasting of Rousseau Chambertin.

The line-up

 ​
1981 Krug
Amber/gold robe, with nuances of butterscotch, gingerbread, cinnamon, pear, apple compote and nougat. Delicate mousse and lively acidity greeted the palate, with the flavours unfolding and culminating in a long candied apple finish. 18/20 (Thank you, John!)

1995 Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne
A pale gold colour. Almond, marzipan, with some bruised apple notes. Although showing oxidative notes, I did not find them unpleasant at all. The structure of the wine was still intact. I kept some back for the cheese course, it was actually not a bad complement at all. 16/20

2005 Rousseau Chambertin
Notes of plum, prune, nutmeg, sous bois and coffee. The vibrant acidity balanced the fleshy and succulent texture of the ripe tannins and the structure was impeccable. Great concentratation. It was an outstanding wine, powerful, structured, and a veritable benchmark for Chambertin. 20/20

1989 Rousseau Chambertin
The bouquet showed dried shiitake, wet leaves, forest floor, prune and leather. The silky texture was nicely balanced with fresh acidity. Finish was long if slightly drying. 19/20

1978 Rousseau Chambertin
Some VA had begun to creep into this delicate wine. An aromatic mature bouquet, if slightly marred by the acetaldehydes. The palate had a nice lift for the same reason, but for me, this bottle was past its peak. 16.5/20

1964 Rousseau Chambertin
Beautiful aromatics, with layers of leather, cardamom, cinnamon, truffle, earth and coffee. Harmonious, with a silky texture and bright acidity and a persistent finish that was almost mesmerising. A truly seductive wine. 20/20

The levels of the bottles

I took votes of everyone's best and second best wines of the evening. The 1964 had everyone's unanimous vote as best wine of the evening, followed by the 2005 as the second best for most, and a couple of us had the 1989 as their second best.

The staff at the Long Room of the Hong Kong Cricket Club did an amazing job with the wine and food service. Look forward to returning for another dinner.

Heaven made in Cheese

29 Jul 2018:

Champagne and Langres - heaven made in cheese!

It was the perfect occasion to share a beautifully aged Langres, with a few good friends and a bottle of 1996 Dom Pérignon. (Well, we actually needed two bottles so that we could have spare some for pouring into the cheese!)

Langres is a soft washed rind full-fat cow's milk cheese, with a wrinkly golden yellow to orange rind, sometimes covered with white down and an ivory paste. The 18th century cheese owes its name to the town of Langres, a historic fortified town in the Haute-Marne region of Champagne that boasts 3.5 km of remparts offering strategic views of the Marne Valley and beyond to the Vosges Mountains, as well as 12 towers and 7 gates. The Langres cheese is easily recognised by a concave hollow, known as the "fountain" (or "la fontaine"), reminiscent of the fortified remparts of its namesake town. This concave feature which becomes more pronounced with age, is due to the flattened cone-shaped terracotta moulds (called "fromottes") used in the making of the cheese and the fact that the cheese is not turned during its ageing process. Once turned out, the cheese is dried on platane leaves in wicker cages. The ageing process usually lasts a minimum of 3-4 weeks (usually longer, and total time depending on the size). Langres comes in 3 sizes: small (150-250 g), medium (280-350g) and large (800-1300g). The colour is due to the washing with brine and the natural annatto giving the cheese its distinctive colour. Marc de Champagne is sometimes added to the washing process to intensify the flavours.

The rind is sticky to the touch, with a brilliant sheen to its coat. It has an intense pungency on the nose, and on the palate, the dense texture passes from firm and chalky/grainy to a velvety soft creaminess that melts in your mouth, with extended ageing. The mildly salted umami-accented flavours remind one of fermented soya beans, dried citrus peel, and a farmyard note. The finish is long. It is no surprise that it is often referred to as the cousin of Epoisses.

The hearty gourmands would pour Marc de Champagne into the hollow. In my version last night, I made a cross in the top of the cheese, poured our champagne into the hollow until it overflows. I then left it to let the cheese soak up the champagne for almost an hour and a half before I served it. I dug a well into the cheese prior to serving, mixed around the cheese and champagne into a creamy, if slightly messy-looking mixture and served. The result was stunning - the champagne characters of mushroom, hazelnuts and caramelised apple notes complemented the complexity, and lent just a touch of acidity (see below wine note) to balance the creaminess of the cheese. It was a heavenly "mess"!

Heavenly "mess"!

On my cheese board last night (see below), I also served a Rove des Garrigues, one of my favourite goat cheeses from France. The local breed of Rove goats in the Provence/Midi-Pyrénées roam the garrigue-grown land and the aromas of the wild flora and herbs (wild thyme, juniper, wild rosemary, broom) find their way into the organoleptic profile of this wonderful fresh goat cheese. Serving it at its prime, this little round ball of cheese had a slightly wrinkly cream-coloured coat that was almost lifting from the soft white paste when cut. It had a refreshing citrus lactic tang, and a delicate herbal note, with a creamy texture that lingered most delicately. A tiny cheese that packs a lot in!

The cheese board with Tomme aux fleurs, Beaufort Chalet d'Alpage, Reblochon, Brie de Meaux, Langres, Lavort, Le Parthenay and Rove des Garrigues.

Langres and Champagne, a heavenly pairing!

As for the wines of the night, here are my short tasting notes:

1996 Dom Perignon: I would have liked this to be more zingy, more fresh.  It was a beautifully matured champagne, with a creamy mousse, nuances of mushroom, hazelnut, honey, caramelised apple shortbread notes, but to me, it lacked energy and tasted a bit flat and unexciting. However, I only tried one of the two bottles.  According to Richard who tasted from both, both bottles were very similar. 16.5/20

2010 Mount Mary Triolet: A blend of around 75% Sauvignon Blanc, with some 20% of Semillon and some Muscadelle from Yarra Valley.  It was a harmonious wine with measured acidity, notes of honey, toast and straw, with a medium length finish. 17.5/20

1982 Grand Puy Lacoste (in magnum): A very attractive bouquet of cedar, leather and tobacco, with just a hint of graphite and herbaceous note. It was elegantly structured, with pleasant acidity and a long finish. Drinking at its peak now, but would hold for another 8-10 years in large formats. 18/20

1982 Mouton Rothschild (in magnum): A more muscular version from the 1982 vintage, with smokey, dried blackberry, cassis, and black tea notes, with just a hint of leather.  It took a while to unfold in the glass and it revealed a robust structure, with ripe velvety tannins, and a soft acidity. The finish was long.  This was a classy claret still very much in its prime and would probably take at least 5-8 years to reveal its best, depending on the format.  19.5/20

2004 Climens: I did not taste this. I was told it was delightfully fresh and not a waste at all to taste it in its youthful stage.

An Epic Cheese, Food and Wine Pairing Evening

25 April 2018

This started off as a somewhat ambitious attempt to stage a multi-course cheese and wine pairing, alongside a wine and food pairing for each course. A few friends volunteered to join me on this educational “expedition”.  To ensure that we have a fresh palate to vote on the best cheese and wine pairing, I insisted on tasting the cheese first before the pairing dish for each course. 

The Wine Selection

The Cheese Selection

Course 1
The first course was paired by a champagne:
2002 Pierre Péters Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Cuvée Spéciale Les Chétillons: This bottle was much fresher than the last 2 bottles we tried from the same case. This was classy Blanc de Blancs, with the immediate attack of ripe fruit notes (apple compote and pear), overlaid with buttered toast and brioche notes, leading to distinct mineral tones on the mid-palate, with just a hint of field mushroom character. Creamy texture, full-bodied, this was an opulent and classy wine with crystal definition and a persistent finish. 95/100

Cheese pairing:
We paired this with Brie de Melun (Seine et Marne, cow). This soft bloomy rind cow-milk cheese was intensely flavoured, with earthy aromas from the rind. The soft and creamy texture pâte showed marked saltiness and a pronounced and persistent mushroom character.

The chiselled acidity of the champagne was able to cut through the creaminess, cleansing the palate with the fine bubbles. The savoury and mushroom character of the cheese paired quite well with the mature character of the champagne. Given the unexpected freshness of this bottle, next time I would have paired this cheese with a more mature example (a 1995 Krug?).

Food pairing: I paired the champagne with the classic smoked salmon on blinis, with a lemon-flavoured crème fraiche. The fresh acidity from the lemon balanced the richness of the smoked salmon. The toasted and citrus character of the champagne complemented the flavours very well.

Course 2

The next course was paired with a set of wines based on Sauvignon Blanc:
2008 Silex, Didier Dagueneau: 100% Sauvignon Blanc. A rich and powerful wine, layered with overt notes of tropical and green fruit, mango and gooseberry, lifted with refreshing acidity, delivering a remarkable balance and long persistent finish. A Sauvignon Blanc not like others, very distinct. 94/100

2011 Aile d’Argent: A blend of 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 38% Semillon and 2% Muscadelle. The Semillon seemed to have taken over the characters of this wine. The bouquet was floral, peach, pear, with honey and nutty nuances. On the palate, it tasted phenolic, leaving a slightly bitter note at the finish. A rich and opulent wine, balanced but somehow lacking in precision to rank it amongst the finest from Bordeaux. 90/100

Cheese pairing:
I served two goat cheeses: Mothais sur Feuille (Deux Sèvres, goat) and Selles sur Cher (Touraine, goat). Here, we agreed that the pairing was best when we paired the cheese and wine from the same region.

The Selles sur Cher with the firm texture which melted in the mouth, and the interplay of sweet, salty and citrus tangy notes, paired very well with the Silex.

The Mothais sur Feuille with its creamy, oozing texture, and the more pronounced salty and nutty character, found a better match with the Aile d’Argent.

Food pairing:
The vote was unianimous for the Silex when it came to pairing with the dish: Grilled asparagus with Iberico ham, and lemony crème fraiche.

Course 3

The third course was paired first with a pair of Syrah-based wines, followed by a Mediterranean style wine.
2000 Côte Rôtie La Turque, Guigal: This was a blend of Syrah with 7% Viognier, with fruit from the Côte Brune. The structure was initially tight and masculine, displaying ripe fine tannins and lifted with marked acidity. With aeration, it opened up to display a rich bouquet layered with notes of dark chocolate, clove spice, cassis, dates and figs. A flamboyant wine, made with precision. Long persistent finish. Drinking beautifully now, and over next 8–10+ years. 96/100

2000 Côte Rôtie La Mouline, Guigal: This was a blend of Syrah with 12% Viognier, with fruit from the Côte Blonde. This wine was at once more open and evolved than the La Turque. It was sensual aromatically and texturally, diplaying an elegant and fine-chiselled poise. The softer acidity was balanced by refined tannic structure. The bouquet was blackberry, plum, mocha and cardamom spice. An absolute beauty now, drinking so well, and will continue to do so over next 8-10 years. 95/100

1999 Château Musar: a blend of Cinsault, Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon, each a third. Fermented in cement tanks with extended maceration, followed by a year ageing in French oak. There was the hallmark bretty gamey note, immediately followed by pronounced sauvage character of wild herbs, almost like the garrigue, and notes of prunes and plum. Good lifting acidity provided great balance to this opulent wine, with sinewy muscles. A very elegant wine. Drinking very well now and over the next 6-8+ years. 93/100

Cheese pairing:
24-month Laguiole (Aveyron, cow): the saltiness of the Laguiole and the spicy tangy and savoury notes from the extra aging worked reasonably well with the Syrahs, but I think these two Syrahs were too powerful for the Laguiole. I would pair this with a Saint Joseph or a Côtes du Rhône next time.

Mimolette Extra Vielle (Nord Pas de Calais, cow): Uncooked, pressed cow-milk cheese. Salty and savoury, with caramelised notes. The savoury character worked well with the Syrahs, and the fruitiness of the La Turque in particular went well to complement the salty character.

Ossau Iraty au Piment (Pays Basque, sheep): this pairing had the most votes. This uncooked pressed semi-hard sheep milk cheese from the Pays Basque had a slightly grainy texture, creamy and buttery in flavour, with herbaceous, nutty, floral and spicy notes. This paired very well with both Syrahs, but possibly even better with the La Mouline.

We experimented with Livarot (Normandy, cow) too. The washed rind was not too disastrous for the Syrahs – in that the wine did not taste bitter with the cheese. (I asked our friends to try both, with or without the rind.) The pungent note from the washed rind possibly worked much better with the characterful Musar.

Food pairing: I paired these wines with a 6-hour lamb shoulder with North African spices, chick peas and tomato, served with steamed ratte potatoes and Savoy cabbage. A very fine food and wine pairing, especially with the Musar.

Course 4

Final course was paired with a dessert wine.
1995 Riesling Sélection de Grains Nobles, Hugel: A golden hue. Pronounced acidity balancing the luscious sweetness. Complex notes of apricot, honey, beeswax, nuts and rye, with a slight smokey nuance. Delightfully refreshing and finishes long. 93/100

Cheese pairing:
I paired this with two different blue cheeses, just to demonstrate a bit of diversity amongst the blues.
Fourme d’Ambert (Auvergne, cow): Rich, creamy, with an open texture. Salty, with delicate notes from the blue mould, complementing the buttery and creamy notes. This paired brilliantly with the SGN.

Bleu de Gex (Jura, cow): A drier style of blue cheese, with semi-firm texture, dense and close, lightly salted, spicy and pepper nuances balancing the buttery taste, finishing with a slight bitter note. This actually paired rather well with the Syrahs.

Food pairing:
It had been an epic journey…so we just settled for a sliver of kueh lapis cake, the richness of which was washed down nicely with the acidity from the SGN.

Here's a summary:

Wine	Cheese/Dish
Champagne: Pierre Péters Les Chétillons, Le Mesnil, 2002	Brie de Melun (cow) Smoked salmon blinis
Sauvignon Blanc-based: Silex, Didier Dagueneau, 2008 Aile d’Argent, 2011	Mothais sur Feuille (goat)/Selles sur Cher (goat) Grilled asparagus, Iberico ham, lemon crème fraiche
Syrah-based: Côte Rôtie La Turque, Guigal, 2000 Côte Rôtie La Mouline, Guigal, 2000 Château Musar, 1999	24-month Laguiole (cow)/ Mimolette Extra Vieille, 24 months (cow)/ Ossau Iraty au Piment (sheep) Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with North African spices, chick peas, potato and Savoy cabbage
Sweet Wine: Riesling Sélection de Grains Nobles, Hugel, 1995	Fourme d’Ambert (cow)/Bleu de Gex (cow) Kueh lapis cake

A Fine Pair of Poitou Cheese and Charentais Wine

3 Mar 2018

A friend brought a special bottle last night - Domaine Le Petit Marand Cuvée Elise 2016 (Elise is daughter of Fabrice Papin, whose family owns this domaine - read the lovely message on the back label). Limited production of Chardonnay from the Gironde region - IGP Vin de Pays Charentais.  Only 1,830 bottles were produced. 10 months of élevage in oak barrels. Winemaker is Joël Bonneau. It was an added bonus to find that this bottle won a gold medal at the drinks business Global Chardonnay Masters in 2017! 

A grape variety not usually associated with this area of the Gironde, but I was told that the soil at the vineyard is chalk-dominated, and suited to Chardonnay.  Here the climate is warmer and more maritime than Chardonnay's spiritual home, Bourgogne.  Beeswax and white flowers dominated the nose, on the palate, there was a core of chalky minerality, with nuances of liquorice spice, Macadamia nuts and ripe pear.  Fleshy and slightly unctuous, balanced with soft acidity. Creamy and long finish.

We initially served it with the prawns and Marie Rose sauce starter, with guacamole and cherry tomatoes.  While it did a nice job, not overwhelmed by the slightly spicy sauce, it did an even better job later on when I went back to it with cheese.  I paired it with La Bonde de Gâtine, a raw goat milk cheese from the Poitou region.  La Bonde de Gâtine weighs about 150 grams, has a wrinkly charcoal-ash coated rind. It has a close and crumbly texture, giving a smooth yet dense paste, delivering ample saltiness and acidity. The characteristic fruity tang belies the mineral richness.  The generous character and vivid minerality of the Domaine Le Petit Marand wine paired beautifully with this cheese, with just enough acidity to cut through the richness of the cheese. 

About the other wines we had:

We started the evening with 2009 Dom Perignon.  The richness of the vintage was so well-carried off by the vibrancy and energy of this young Dom Perignon. Fine bubbles and creamy texture caressed the palate, delivering a serious yet approachable champagne, that is already drinking well.

With the main course, we had a magnum of Trotanoy 1990, and then a bottle of Trotanoy 1982 to finish off the evening.  Had the size of the bottles been different, we would have swapped them round. (Main course was Coq au vin blanc.) The 1990 showed more stewed plum fruit, with a slightly burnt character., with tobacco notes  It had an immediate hedonistic appeal, fleshy with a ripe and firm tannic structure, but it lacked the balance of lively acidity. No sign of waning here. Can be cellared for another 8 - 10+ years in this magnum format.

The 1982 was much more elegantly structured, with more complex bouquet of tobacco, violet and leather.  There was an understated finesse about this wine, but I felt that the fruit and the overall palate was a little weak and I would probably drink this wine in the 750 ml format within the next 4 - 5 years for optimum enjoyment. 

Reflecting on the 10th anniversary of the abolition of wine duty in HK

I was prompted by a key international industry figure to reflect on this important milestone in HK's wine history.  

On 27 February 2008, Hong Kong announced with much fanfare the abolition of excise duty on liquor with alcohol content at or below 30% (it was previously 40%) and the city's ambition to become Asia's wine hub. This government-led decision was designed to inject new economic dynamics and GDP growth into the city, allowing all aspects of the wine industry to flourish under this ruling. According to Euromonitor International, the HK wine market stood at US$ 1, 543 million in 2016, based on wine sales that recorded 6.5% per annum growth during the past 5 years (or 33.8 million litres). The same report forecast its continuous growth at 9.8% per annum in value, from 2016 to 2021 (or 3.1% per annum growth in volume). Hong Kong has firmly established itself as a successful wine trading hub, with a staggering number of wine importers, presence of world-class fine wine storage facilities, wine logistics companies and impressive wine auction results that would oftentimes beat London and New York. In 2016, wine auction sales in Hong Kong totalled US$ 92 million, according to Wine Spectator.

The WSET was also attracted by HK's wine hub status to open its first international office in Hong Kong in November 2016, leveraging from its proximity to the high-growth mainland Chinese market. Wine education, whether at professional level or targeted at amateurs, has become a must-have qualification, for most city executives and industrialists. To sustain the wine economy, Hong Kong needs to produce a regular stream of workforce with requisite level of wine knowledge. This has spurred the mushrooming of wine schools and wine courses in the city, leading to an increase in the number of wine industry professionals, qualified sommeliers and educated wine amateurs. Qualified sommeliers are quickly snapped up by the city's latest fine dining venues, to keep alive the gastronomic scene in Hong Kong, fueled by the awarding of Michelin stars and social media verdicts.

An average-sized apartment in Hong Kong is not the ideal place for home entertaining. As such, Hong Kong has developed a strong BYO culture, whereby almost all restaurants allow you to bring your own bottles, at corkage fees that range from friendly to intimidating. While there is no official data, it would not be difficult to imagine that Hong Kong hosts more wine-tastings and wine dinners per square metre of usable space than any other metropolis in the world, despite being far from holding the spot for the highest per capita consumption in the world. Wine consumption is restricted to a privileged minority percentage of the 7.5 million population. The average wine connoisseur in Hong Kong can be invited to a wine tasting or wine dinner every evening of the week. There is no room for lonely hearts and wine hermits. Hong Kong has successfully bred a community of fine wine devotees who can roll off the tip of their tongues the top wines from Burgundian domaines, reach out to the wine world's Who's Who via Whatsapp and boast a collection of trophy bottles.

Given the small percentage of real wine consumers in Hong Kong, the trade in Hong Kong is marked by a significant amount of it being re-exported. Growth has been significant since 2007. For example the imported value recorded HK$ 5.7 billion in the first half of 2017, compared to HK$ 1.6 billion in 2007. In volume terms this represented 30.3 million litres of wine imported in the first half of 2017, with about 43% of this re-exported. However, the growth is starting to deviate from a linear path, the imported value for this period actually showed a 9% decrease. The exported volume also saw a 24% decline, compared to a 9% growth in the same period last year. (Source: HKTDC Research, 4 September 2017)

Looking at the big picture, Hong Kong has fulfilled its lawmakers' prophecy of becoming a fine wine hub in the last decade, but what about its wine culture? Wine to many remains a subject of curiosity, a luxurious commodity that is only revered but not tasted. We have few dedicated wine bars in Hong Kong, and most drinking holes would need to double up as coffee and sandwich outlets during the day to pay for the high rentals. (https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2018/02/why-does-hong-kong-lack-true-wine-bars/)

Have some of us lost sight of what wine really is? It is a beverage first and foremost, albeit made by ingenious alchemy using interesting grape varieties and the skill of knowledgeable winemakers. Throughout history, it has fulfilled its role of pleasing the gods, nobility and government leaders, but its real destiny is to become a part of the everyday culture of people, providing spiritual enrichment to us humans when consumed modestly and responsibly. It is made to be enjoyed, with friends and family. Every bottle of wine has a history and a soul that is meant to evoke in us an emotion, an inspiration and most of all, an awareness of its ingenious creation. It is time Hong Kong started to embrace wine as part of our multi-racial culture, just like we have embraced French, Italian, Spanish and Japanese cuisines into our weekly food regime. This notion may help fuel the next decade of Hong Kong's wine industry development, while avoiding the phenomenon of falling consumption and dwindling sales in some developed cities, and the negative impact of falling re-exported sales. 

Wine education directed at the right audience will help create the right sentiment about wine, sparking more interest in a diversity of styles and price points. Is there more the government can do to help incorporate wine into the culture of Hong Kong? Has the once a year Wine & Dine Festival, approaching its 10th anniversary in October 2018, helped towards this goal or it has only benefitted the few with resources to put up a booth? Perhaps the government is quietly reluctant to make wine a popular cultural aspect, for fear of moral decline or social debauchery?

Fine wine merchants/importers have their pre-determined missions and pre-selected and targeted customer segments and private clients. While barrier to entering the wine selling sector is not high, rental prices remain as deterring as ever as in 2007 to ensure a continuous threat to the long-term survival of many wannabe neighbourhood wine retail shops. A number have shunned brick and mortar to turn to the online space, which still requires word of mouth to secure a loyal client base through the ethers. The duopoly in Hong Kong's supermarket retail sector features a selection of wines but the bottles may need more encouragement to find themselves more frequently in shoppers' baskets.

The generic bodies certainly have vested interest in growing the wine culture in Hong Kong. At one level, they are not so much at conflict with each other. The bigger the pie grows, the larger is everyone's share. Alas, most of them view the growth potential of the Hong Kong market as limited. While they have not totally given up on Hong Kong's spoilt palates, more budget has been allocated to nurturing the more acute and curious palates of mainland China with younger and more eager involved consumers.

Hong Kong, limited in space and in population, may remain that fine wine hub we were destined to be, and fine wine consumption will continue to thrive amongst the privileged few. The overwhelming success of Hong Kong's fine wine business has drawn some quiet undercurrents of discontent with the state of wine affairs in Hong Kong​. One such manifestation is the recent organisation of VINsurrection, a collective of 7 local wine importers that specialise in high quality artisan wines​ to showcase the diversity of Hong Kong's wine scene at an annual tasting.  The event organisers declare this as the antidote to stuffy, buttoned-up tastings. ​

This is not jealousy, simply a desire for a more balanced and interesting lifestyle.  In the press release about the 3rd edition of Bourgogne Week in Hong Kong, BIVB sent messages to Hong Kong's trade and consumers to focus on lesser-known village and regional appellations, that offer a rich and varied portfolio to satisfy Bourgogne enthusiasts, at much more attractive prices. A key motivating factor behind this appeal was the concern of meeting demand with successive vintages of reduced volumes.

I believe Hong Kong is eager to show the world that our market has matured since 2008. Education feeds curiosity and breeds interest. Our trade needs to offer new experiences to our consumers.  We need to educate our younger generation of wine consumers about diversity and the culture of wine.  

I am excited to see that there is a lament of the lack of a wine culture because improvement can only come from this. 

Chinese New Year Wines with a special focus on 2002 and 1997 vintages

Over Chinese New Year, we did a bit of damage to the cellar and it turned out to be a very rewarding experience to revisit the 1997 and 2002 vintages of some top Bourgogne reds!

Before then, let's take a look at some 2002 champagne:

2002 Gimonnet Special Club
Nose of apple compote, brioche, toasted hazelnut, butter shortbread, with blond cocoa notes. Creamy mousse, enriched with layers of flavours and caressing texture on the palate. Deftly balanced with crisp acidity, altogether culminating in a wine of supreme elegance. Finish is clean, crisp and lingers with the purity of Chardonnay. A very refined champagne, drinking at its peak now, but in no way showing signs of decline. Expect to hold for another 6 to 8 years. 18/20
(This sadly was our last bottle, which Richard salvaged for me to try! So pleased I got to try it.  It was truly remarkable!)

2002 Salon
Sublime nose of pure Chardonnay, with green apple, buttered toast, minerality notes.  Creamy mousse but somehow the bubbles did not quite dance persistently on the palate.  It felt a little flat.  Saline and slightly austere finish, and long.  Need to try another bottle to see if it was a one-off. 17/20

Then onto the 2002 vintage of Bourgogne reds:

2002 Robert Chevillon, Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saints Georges
The intense bouquet reveals notes of ripe blackberries, sweet spices, underlaid with notes of minerality and earthy character. Voluptuous with a velvety textured body, yet the ripe tannin structure belies a muscular and firm structure, lifted by vibrant acidity. Bold and virile, a wine best paired with a Cote de Boeuf or a roast lamb dish. (It went beautifully with our faux filet de Limousin.) Finishes very long, lingering with a ripe fruity quality that has a beguiling sweet note. Ready to enjoy now, but one could wait 3 - 4 years for more complex tertiary character to develop in the wine. 17.5/20

2002 de Montille, Pommard Les Rugiens
The nose redolent of truffle, strawberry, Asian spice, balsamic, wild herbs, dried violet, overlaid with a sauvage character. Silky texture, bright acidity. A very fine drop, slightly dry finish but long. 17/20


And the best surprise of all, some excellent 1997 Bourgogne reds:

1997 Claude Dugat, Griotte-Chambertin
Sous bois, mushroom, cardamom, cloves, with prune and leather notes complete the beguiling bouquet. A wine still exuding energy and depth of character. Lively acidity (lifted with some VA), wrapped in silky texture, belies this wine's maturity. A very fine example of this vintage. Drinking perfectly now, at peak. While there are no signs of deterioration from this bottle, it would be a shame not to enjoy this at its peak. 17.5/20

1997 Dujac, Clos St Denis
The tertiary character now dominated by vegetal and sappy notes. The silky texture and elegant structure still lifted by lively acidity.  It was a brilliant display of sophistication and finesse so well defined by a wine of 20 years.  17/20

1997 Denis Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux St Jacques

Intense bouquet of prune, leather and mushroom. The texture was velvety, wrapping with it such balanced and lively acidity, underscoring the subtle power and firm structure of this wine.  A wine showing so well that we all felt that it was a fine example of wine punching above its weight. Finished very long, with just a sense of dryness on the finish.  18/20

And finally, a white Bourgogne from the 2004 vintage:

2004 Raveneau, Chablis Montée de Tonnerre
Minerality, green fruit, spicy, smoky notes define the nose. Lively but measured acidity threads through the medium-bodied palate, underscoring the freshness and vibrancy of this super Premier Cru climat, with the characteristic flinty, saline and lingering finish. A wine at its prime. We tested it in two different glasses. The liveliness seemed better preserved when served in the smaller tasting glass, than in the bigger Zalto universal glass. Perfect now. 16.5/20

I cannot wait to try more 1997 Bourgogne reds!  They seem to be at such a great place now......so far from the bottles we tried!