12th March 2008: The Wine Republic at Café Europa

An inaugural tasting event celebrating the founding of Beijing’s newest wine company, The Wine Republic, hosted by Managing Director Campbell Thompson.

Guests assembled at Café Europa to sample the wines of Victorian estate Mount Langi Ghiran, part of what looks to be an inspiring range, set to include other Australian producers such as Yering Station, Yarrabank, a joint venture between Yering Station and Champagne Veuve A. Devaux, Parker Coonawarra Estate, Xanadu Wines and Hewitson.

Thompson explained how it was not just important for him to import genuinely good wines into China, but that the logistics-side was a pressing concern: how wine is shipped, how it is stored and transported within mainland China; and, of course, how it finally reaches the consumer.

Those of us who have had clearly heat-damaged bottles know only too well the problems with storage and transportation that routinely occur here.

We were certainly impressed by the quality of Mount Langi Ghiran’s wines (see full tasting notes below) and welcome the appearance of The Wine Republic on the Beijing and Shanghai scenes.

Despite recent shipping, the wines seemed to be in fine fettle. The Wine Republic joins a handful of companies including Globus Wines and Ruby Red Fine Wines (both in Shanghai) that takes issues of transportation and storage seriously.

Each wine was paired by a particular dish and the food-and-wine matching was generally very well-done. Here are our notes:

2004 Mount Langi Ghiran Riesling

Appearance: medium yellow green.

Nose: instantly appealing developed Riesling nose featuring lime and grapefruit aromas with marked kerosene notes. Savoury and subtle.

Palate: mellowed ripe lime fruit with lovely acidity and excellent concentration. Good length too.

Conclusion: impressive Australian Riesling from at least 20 year-old vines. South Australia’s Clare and Eden Valleys usually get the limelight for this grape, but it’s lovely to have such a good Victorian example. Very good and capable of some further ageing in bottle if you like your Rieslings a bit older (up to 2010). Went very well with a tuna carpaccio with mango salsa. Note: The Wine Republic will carry the 2007 vintage for those who like a younger expression. Retail approx. 220RMB.

Rating: 18.5/20

2003 Mount Langi Billi Billi Shiraz

Appearance: medium purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: attractive cool-climate Shiraz nose showing black cherry and blueberry fruit with distinctive peppery notes (that pepper is lost in hotter climates, even if Shiraz retains other spicy aromas). Non-intrusive oak, if any here.

Palate: lovely fruit, medium chewy tannins and good acidity here. Pleasant length too.

Conclusion: well put-together and drinking well now. 2003 was not the greatest vintage anywhere in Australia really and a number of reds are looking tired already (certainly in comparison with 2002 and 2005). But this wine is ready and a lovely expression of cool-climate Shiraz. Paired extremely well with a grilled duck breast and rocket and parmesan salad. Retail approx. 180RMB.

Rating: 17/20

2001 Mount Langi Cliff Edge Shiraz

Appearance: dark purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: crushed red and black fruits of various descriptions (everything from red and black cherry to Shiraz’s slight blueberry character), lovely oak (largely French oak here), mature, slightly leathery notes.

Palate: medium-high chewy tannins, although mellowed, backed up by lovely fruit and nice acidity. Alcohol is balanced as it was on the Billi Billi Shiraz above.

Conclusion: lovely cool-climate Shiraz already benefiting from modest ageing. A pretty good accompaniment to the pepper-crusted beef fillet, but I think the pepper in the dish was too much for the wine in this case. A quibble. Retail approx. 260RMB.

Rating: 18/20

2000 Mount Langi Cabernet-Merlot

Appearance: dark purple-red to black, orange rim.

Nose: dark blackcurrant fruit with some plummy notes, nice oak again here. Still quite young on the nose.

Palate: very good palate with integrated medium-high tannins, good fruit, good acidity and impressive length.

Conclusion: this wine still has some time to go really, although it’s clearly drinkable now. Very well-made; but the Cliff Edge Shiraz might be the best of the reds here in terms of quality-price ratio. A pretty good match with the gratinated field mushroom. Retail approx. 420RMB.

Rating: 17.5/20

Labels: 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Featured Tastings, Merlot, Mount Langi Ghiran, red, Riesling, Shiraz, The Wine Republic, white

9th March 2008

Cellar Le Pinot, in conjunction with Ruby Red Fine Wines in Shanghai, hosted a dinner in Beijing showcasing the wines of Terrace Heights Estate (THE), Marlborough, New Zealand.

The dinner was held at private dining facility, Il & Elle, which specializes in Huaiyang cuisine with some French twists.

Director of Sales and Marketing, Steve Hammond, had come up from Shanghai on a general China-leg to present his wines. Terrace Heights Estate was born only as recently as 2002 – with the release of its first Sauvignon Blanc – although Hammond has been involved in growing vines in the region since 1993.

These are wines defined by purity of fruit expression and regionality. They are not over-blown in any sense, a far cry from the over-extracted wines that can crop up in Marlborough (that sherbet fruit bomb problem on over-ripe Sauvignon Blanc, for example, where acidity also tends to suffer and alcohol levels creep suspiciously high or otherwise give way to unseemly residual sugar).

Hammond mentioned that most of his wines are designed for early drinking, although the Pinot Noirs should certainly age well in the medium term, perhaps for longer. In fact, we have added some notes from our earlier experiences with Terrace Heights’ Pinots (vintages 2003 and 2004 - see below). These older vintages should still be in fine fettle.

Here are our notes:

2007 Terrace Heights Estate Sauvignon Blanc

Appearance: medium green.

Nose: slight gooseberry, light guava nose, very pure fruit, slight minerality.

Palate: lovely acidity here, great fruit whose concentration comes out gradually, very good length.

Conclusion: this is what Marlborough Sauvignon is really about: purity of Sauvignon Blanc fruit, lively but not too zesty acidity, some mineral notes and cool concentration of flavours. Excellent. Drink now. Retail RMB230.

Rating: 18.5/20

2007 Terrace Heights Estate Pinot Gris

Appearance: deepish yellow with green tints.

Nose: immediate pear fruit, slight spice (white pepper note), other savoury aromas.

Palate: lovely fruit, impressive acidity, well-balanced residual sugar here. Off-dry, integrated.

Conclusion: a good expression of the grape. Doesn’t quite have the finesse of the Sauvignon Blanc, but this is the first time Terrace Heights has released a Pinot Gris. At least the wine is well expressive of grape variety. Made in the traditional Alsace style really with not too high a level of residual sugar, but not as spicy on the nose as Alsatian examples. Good. Drink now. Retail RMB230.

Rating: 17/20

2006 Terrace Heights Estate Pinot Noir

Appearance: dark purple-red.

Nose: attractive, perfumed nose featuring red and black cherry fruit (more cherry here than raspberry or strawberry notes), backed by lovely oak and some spicy aromas (largely traceable to the oak).

Palate: excellent acidity, lovely intensity of fruit with soft, silky medium tannins and nice length.

Conclusion: very well put together Pinot Noir. New Zealand has, of course, shown its powers in managing this unyielding grape variety. Even if some will wonder whether Pinot in New Zealand can attain the heights of greatness occasionally possible in Burgundy, let’s not forget New Zealand has a better track record than France overall at producing reliable Pinot; and with innovations in many regions, including Central Otago, who knows what’s possible. This wine is very well-made. Drink now or up until 2011. Retail RMB430.

Rating: 18/20 [possible higher with time]

Two Older Vintages of the Terrace Heights Estate Pinot Noirs: 2004 & 2003

2004 Terrace Heights Estate Pinot Noir

Note: This wine was tasted on 6th July 2006. It should be even better now.

Appearance: deepish purple-red.

Nose: warm Pinot fruit nose, some floral notes though too. Good oak here.

Palate: high alcohol (actually 14.5% here). But what’s impressive is that the Pinot has not lost typicity: good fruit, nice acidity, medium slightly chewy tannins, good length.

Conclusion: it may be a higher alcohol Pinot than the below 2003, but it’s still well-made. Drink now until 2012.

Rating: 17.5/20

2003 Terrace Heights Estate Pinot Noir

Note: This wine was tasted on 10th July 2006. It should be even better now.

Appearance: medium purple-red.

Nose: showing less alcohol than the 2004 vintage (this wine 13%, the other 14.5%), this has integrated, lush Pinot fruit and shows good use of French oak.

Palate: good fruit, decent structure with low-medium silky tannins and a slight bitterness on the finish (which would probably settle down with further ageing).

Conclusion: very impressive. Should age very well, up to 2012. Would probably go further than the 2004.

Rating: 18.5/20

Labels: 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, Cellar Le Pinot, Marlborough, New Zealand, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, red, Ruby Red Fine Wines, Sauvignon Blanc, Terrace Heights Estate, white

The following two wines will shortly be new additions to the Bacchus Wines range. Bacchus Wines already carries several of the wines of Domaine Lorentz Klipfel. These two were impressive and are very welcome newcomers to the Beijing market:

2005 Riesling Grand Cru Kirchberg, Klipfel

Appearance: medium green gold.

Nose: strong apple fruit, very ‘fresh’, mineral, no kerosene or other petroleum at this stage (it is still a young wine).

Palate: apple fruit, more mineral notes, lovely refreshing high acidity with moderate residual sugar (this is only just off-dry really). Good length.

Conclusion: a young wine from a good year. This Riesling is lovely to drink now, but will really repay cellaring. Stylish Alsatian Riesling all-round.

Rating: 18/20

2005 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Kirchberg Vendange Tardive Clos Lisser, Klipfel

Appearance: beautiful deepish gold with green tints.

Nose: classically aromatic nose with lychee and rose petal, but also the gingerbread notes that are only really found in good Alsatian examples of the Gewurztraminer grape. Shows other spices too. Not too large a nose (something from which some Gewurtraminers can suffer).

Palate: great fruit, lovely balance of moderate residual sugar to acidity (impressive acidity here for Gewurz too). Lovely length and that extra richness from this being ‘Vendange Tardive’ (late harvest).

Conclusion: a very good example of a VT Gewurztraminer. Extremely good. Will drink now, but will also repay moderate keeping.

Rating: 18.5/20

Labels: 2005, Bacchus Wines, Gewurztraminer, Grand Cru, Kirchberg, Lorentz Klipfel, Riesling, sweet white, Vendange Tardive, white

The Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux held their annual grand tasting in Beijing, the last in a leg of an Asia-wide tour also comprising Tokyo (22nd Nov), Osaka (24th Nov), Seoul (26th Nov), Shanghai (28th Nov) and Guangzhou (29th Nov).

Many chateaux owners were then going on to Singapore and India, en route back to France. Several commented that the turn-out at Beijing’s Sofitel Hotel was better than in previous years; and were happy both with the volume here as well as in Shanghai and Guangzhou in particular. We spoke with several owners about their perceptions of the China and wider Asia markets and although no single property has obvious ‘brand’ recognition within China – apart, perhaps, from Château Lafite – they were cautiously optimistic about the future in Beijing and further a field.

This year the UGC showcased the 2004 vintage, still under-appreciated and under-valued, at least alongside 2000 and 2005. The hype surrounding 2003 may still exist, but most people should recognize the vintage had atypical weather conditions that resulted in some strange wines from some quarters as well as over-activity in the market. Recall 1997: different weather conditions, but similar hype. The 1997s drunk much sooner than some expected; clearly a different vintage from the likes of 1995 and 1996.

With so many wines to taste, the notes we offer here are condensed, beginning with dry whites (Part I), then the sweeter ones (Part II) - the Sauternes and Barsac wines were particularly strong - followed by reds from the various appellations (Part III).

2004 Domaine de Chevalier (Blanc), Péssac-Leognan

Appearance: medium green gold.

Nose: attractive nose with marked Sauvignon notes – here slightly aromatic and peachy (not the clone that is used in Sancerre or for other Sauvignons in the Loire Valley) – but with lemon and slight wax coming through from the Semillon. Good use of oak.

Palate: integrated fruit, fresh acidity, good length and pleasant oak. Not heavy. Elegant.

Conclusion: decent white Pessac, this wine is 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon and spends 18 months in oak (a third of which is new). Very good.

Rating: 18.5/20

2004 Château La Louvière (Blanc), Pessac-Léognan

Appearance: medium green gold.

Nose: lovely oak which is currently predominant backed by citrus (the fruit should come out later).

Palate: very balanced, considerable toasty oak, but the fruit is there with very good acidity.

Conclusion: this wine is 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Semillon and is a lovely example of dry white Bordeaux.

Rating: 18.5/20

2004 Château Malartic-Lagravière (Blanc), Pessac-Léognan

Appearance: lightish green-gold.

Nose: made in a light savoury style with some green notes but also peach from the Sauvignon Blanc. Oak is non-intrusive.

Palate: good acidity, with light apple and peach fruit. Quite good length.

Conclusion: a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon, this much more of an aperitif dry white Bordeaux than a so-called ‘first course wine’, but some may like the light style and the fact the oaking is on the light side here too.

Rating: 17/20

2004 Château Olivier (Blanc), Pessac-Léognan

Appearance: medium green-gold.

Nose: nice intensity of lemon fruit here with good oak and even some minerality.

Palate: good fruit, nice acidity and good length. Oak is balanced.

Conclusion: this spends 10 months in oak (of which 20% is new) and is well put together. Should age well too.

Rating: 17.5/20

Labels: 2004, Bordeaux, Domaine de Chevalier, Featured Tastings, France, La Louviere, Malartic-Lagraviere, Olivier, Pessac-Leognan, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux, white

A grand tasting of the various properties owned by the Antinori family organized by Summergate and hosted by the Italian Ambassador, Mrs Riccardo Sessa and Alessia Antinori. Wines were available from Umbria and Tuscany (the original Antinori home) as well as Piemonte (Prunotto) and Puglia (Tormaresca), both also under Antinori control.

The tasting itself was held in the Italian Embassy and drew a good crowd of invited guests from the diplomatic, journalistic, F&B and wine trade worlds. The majority of the wines were red with only three whites on show. We offer our notes here of those three whites together with the rest of the selections from Umbria and Tuscany. A further post will contain the wines from Piemonte and the Puglian reds.

2005 Castello della Sala ‘Campogrande’ Orvieto Classico, Umbria

Appearance: pale green with yellow tints.

Nose: largely light apple fruit.

Palate: apple fruit, pleasant acidity, light-bodied, not bad length.

Conclusion: made from 40% Procanico, 40% Grechetto, 15% Verdello, 5% Drupeggio and Malvasia, this is a crisp, food-friendly white for everyday drinking and affordable at 135RMB.

Rating: 15.5/20

2005 Castello della Sala ‘Bramito del Cervo’ Chardonnay, Umbria IGT

Appearance: medium gold.

Nose: peach and melon fruit, pleasant oak.

Palate: good fruit, some acidity here; good oak and quite good length.

Conclusion: after maceration, the must for this wine is exposed to French Allier and Troncais barriques to undergo alcoholic fermentation; but only a proportion of the wine receives malolactic fermentation in wood. This may account for the lifting acidity here. Quite well put together. Price 299RMB.

Rating: 16/20

2004 Tormaresca ‘Pietra Bianca’ Castel del Monte Chardonnay, Puglia

Appearance: medium yellow-gold.

Nose: appealing citrus and peach fruit, good oak.

Palate: pleasant acidity, strong fruit, deft use of oak and well-balanced.

Conclusion: this was probably the best white of the three on show. Well-made Chardonnay with an impressive balance of ripe fruit – no trouble ripening Chardonnay in Puglia – and good acidity (probably the element that is harder to achieve). This wine retails at 347RMB.

Rating: 16.5/20

2004 La Braccesca ‘Sabazio’ Rosso di Montepulciano DOC, Tuscany

Appearance: light to medium red-purple, clear rim.

Nose: appealing light red fruits (red cherry, redcurrant).

Palate: more pleasant red fruits, medium-bodied, good acidity, light on tannin.

Conclusion: this wine is a blend of 80% Prugnolo Gentile, 15% Merlot and 5% Canaiolo (NB Montepulciano grapes are not used to make this wine, nor are they used for Vino Nobile di Montelpulciano – if you want to drink Montepulciano, try Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from the Marches region). It only spends about 4 months in oak which might account for why we didn’t notice any oak here at first. Priced at 191RMB, this is an easy-drinking, food-friendly Italian red for more or less immediate consumption.

Rating: 16/20

2001 La Braccesca Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, Tuscany

Appearance: deep purple colour with slightly orange rim.

Nose: dark black and red cherry fruit, ‘tart’ nose, discernible oak but this is well-integrated.

Palate: lovely tannins here (moderate and spiky in nature), fine acidity, pleasant dark cherry fruit and good length.

Conclusion: this wine is aged in different sizes of oak barrel for 12 months (with a proportion in barriques). It’s lovely stuff. 347RMB from Summergate.

Rating: 17.5/20

2001 ‘Marchese Antinori’ Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Tuscany

Appearance: dark purple, slightly orange rim.

Nose: marked black cherry fruit, savoury oak, slight spice, complex.

Palate: medium-high chewy tannins, lovely acidity, strong fruit, good oak and very good length.

Conclusion: a blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the latter adding some richness and slightly darker fruit whilst the former dominates with its strong cherry quality. The oak in question is new, one-year and two-year old Alliers and Troncais French oak and the wine spends some 14 months in oak after blending. 450RMB and clearly very good.

Rating: 18/20 [but could be higher with time]

2001 ‘Pian delle Vigne’ Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany

Appearance: medium purple-red, slight orange rim.

Nose: complex red and black cherry fruit, some oak, savoury but with sweet fruits, complex.

Palate: very elegant with lovely closely knit but ripe medium-high tannins and beautiful Sangiovese fruit. Very balanced. Great length.

Conclusion: entirely Sangiovese, the wine spends some two years in a range of different sized oak vats and is also aged for a further year in bottle before release. This is clearly a very high quality Sangiovese (744RMB).

Rating: 18.5/20

Notes on the wines of Prunotto and the other Tormaresca reds to follow.

Labels: 2001, 2004, 2005, Antinori, Brunello di Montalcino, Chardonnay, Chianti, Featured Tastings, Italy, Montepulciano, Orvieto, Piemonte, Puglia, red, Sangiovese, Summergate, Tuscany, Umbria, white

Gaia Gaja of famed Piemonte producer Angelo Gaja came to Beijing for a book-signing (at the Hilton Food & Wine Experience) and a special dinner arranged with importer ASC. She kindly consented to an email interview arranged around her busy schedule. Dragon Phoenix (hereafter DP) is very grateful to Gaia Gaja (hereafter GG) for her time and effort. With luck, she will be back in China in 2008.

DP: You recently visited Beijing to show-case your wines. What is your perception of the market for fine wines in China?

GG: The Chinese market is certainly one of the future, as China is a factor in all things: because of its growth and the increasing acquisition of wealth. Fine wine will undoubtedly be part of this expansion.

DP: How would you say Piemonte wines specifically are appreciated in China? Or is it too early for the market to understand the complexity of the Piemonte region?

GG: I believe our wines are accepted equally in China; just as all other fine wines in the world are. Their complexity is an added value which, with time, will be more and more appreciated.

DP: Your company has a number of business interests: including Gaja distribution, the Castello di Barbaresco as well as wine estates not just in Piemonte but also in Tuscany. How would you say your business experience has helped in establishing new markets for your wines in China and Asia as a whole?

GG: My mother has a little distribution company importing foreign wines to Italy (this is a business that concerns Italy alone). As to the Castello di Barbaresco, you are talking about the castle of Barbaresco which we bought in 1995 and restored. We were thinking of transforming it into a hotel but, in the end, we decided to keep it for the winery – so now there are offices and tasting rooms. So, we just make wine really. This is the only thing we know how to do and we will continue doing it just so.

We produce wine in Piemonte, in Montacino and in Bolgheri, as you know. The three wineries are working with different varieties: Nebbiolo, Sangiovese (in Montalcino), Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (in Bolgheri). The three regions – what we call the ‘3 Bs’ of Italy, Barbaresco (and Barolo), Brunello and Bolgheri – are, in my opinion, the most prestigious in Italy. They provide the opportunity and real possibility of making long-ageing and complex wines. So, we have the same goal for the three wineries and the same style, but different expressions. The Chinese market can see the distinctive differences between these three wine regions with the distinctive Gaja flare in each case.

DP: Your family’s wine-making roots in Barbaresco date back to 1859 and Giovanni Gaja’s establishment of the winery. You have embraced both tradition and modern technology in your wine-making. How would you describe your company’s philosophy and outlook?

GG: My wines are easy recognizable in blind-tastings because they have a defined style that is obviously the style of our Barbaresco winery. The goal is to produce wines loyal to the area, and loyal to the history of the winery itself. To preserve their identity and dignity, we release them only in vintages when the weather conditions have allowed them to express all their beauties and to illustrate what Nebbiolo in Barbaresco can do.

The wines are, therefore, not produced every year. For example, our Piemonte winery did not produce any wine in 2002,1992,1984,1980 and 1972. The single vineyard wines (Costa Russi, Sori San Lorenzo, Sori Tildin, Sperss, Conteisa) were not even produced in 1994,1992 and in many other older vintages. Pieve Santa Restituta did not produce any wine in 2002 and in 2003; and Camarcanda was not produced in 2002 either.

To work like artisans, following every detail from the beginning to the end: this is our philosophy. We do not buy in grapes but only use what we produce from our estate vineyards which have been selected over several generations. We also personally select the wood for part of the barriques we use, and we are working on several other details in the winery too.

DP: Piemonte wines are very food-friendly. Do you believe your wines will pair well with different Chinese cuisines?

GG: I don’t know enough about Chinese food, but I had the pleasure to pair several of our wines with different Shanghai-ese dishes (which were more oily and generally sweeter to the taste than some of the other Chinese regional cuisines I’ve heard of). They paired extremely well.

DP: Angelo Gaja was the first wine-maker to use French barriques and introduce international grape varieties to the Langhe. How would you describe the difference between your ‘international’ wines and your Barbaresco DOCG or is there no difference in your wine-making philosophy for these wines?

GG: Even the international varieties that my father introduced and started to produce in Barbaresco (Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay) are producing wines (Darmagi, Alteni di Brassica and Gaia & Rey) that are very Piedmontese in their personality. The grape varieties are a vehicle to express the flavours of the place where they are grown. Piemonte wines reflect minerality, earthiness, and can have fabulous ageing potential where the aromas develop exquisitely. All of these characteristics are expressed in the Darmagi, Gaia & Rey and Alteni di Brassica wines.

DP: Some of your top Barbaresco wines – Sori Tildin, San Lorenzo, Costa Russi – and the Barolos, Sperss and Conteisa, are ‘de-classified’ to Langhe Nebbiolo DOC because this allows you to add up to 15% of other grapes. Do you find that blending helps tame some of the more difficult aspects of Nebbiolo, e.g. its sometimes harsh tannins? Or is there another reason for blending?

GG: My winery has produced Barbaresco since 1859. And this is why Barbaresco is the most representative wine from our winery. The single vineyard concept was introduced in the late 1960s (in 1967 we produced the first single vineyard Barbaresco: Sori San Lorenzo). Clearly, Gaja became well-known through this Barbaresco, the only wine of the winery for generations; and the reason behind the re-classification of the single vineyards was to go back to Barbaresco as the only Barbaresco of the winery.

When we changed the denomination for the single vineyards, we discovered the advantage of being able to add, if we wanted, other varieties. The variety we are most interested in adding (and from 1997 did so) is Barbera: a local variety with very good acidity, excellent fruit and not too much tannin. In warm vintages Barbera is useful because it gives the wine a certain drinkability whilst also aiding ageing-potential. It works very well with Nebbiolo.

DP: Do you think it is easier for consumers to understand international grapes – for example, you make straight a straight Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and a Sauvignon Blanc – than the complexities of Italy’s DOC and DOCG system? Or is the Piemonte region itself of more importance to you and your customers?

GG: I think that one important reason why the international varieties are more understandable is that they are more well-known than the DOCs or DOCGs. So people are more used to drinking them and knowing what to expect from them. These varieties are like an international language that everyone can, on some level, speak and understand.

In Italy we have such a large selection of local varieties, all produced in such tiny quantities and areas, that it becomes very difficult to know them well. They are very much niche products. The international varieties give the chance to wine lovers to compare the results of certain grapes coming from different wineries and from different parts of the world.

DP: Nicholas Belfrage MW has written about your pricing policy, observing that this ‘seems to be paying off handsomely, with international buyers willing to spend any sum for a top name’ (Barolo to Valpolicella: The Wines of Northern Italy, p. 86). Belfrage does not dispute the very high quality of your wines, but wonders about global prices in the fine wine market. Do you think that buyers will continue to pay ‘any sum’ for top wines?

GG: The markets are undeniably growing and the new increasing demand cannot be absorbed by the offer of certain wines alone (as some wines cannot be produced in sufficient quantities to meet the demand). At the same time the production of wine is growing all over the world as well as the quality level (more countries are producing wines of better quality). So, for sure, in the case of certain top wines the prices will inevitably continue to grow. Fortunately, though, there will also be a good offer of wines at more moderate prices.

DP: In China, wine education should improve the market for fine wines as consumers become more confident in purchasing. How do you hope to support the appreciation of your wines in the Chinese market(s)?

GG: I like to explain my wines personally (and be there to explain them in person). I like to meet the people that drink and talk about my wines; and to hear their questions. This is one of the pleasures of my work. I will continue to come to China, maybe more often than I have in the past, and continue to explain what my wines mean to me to the people I will have the pleasure to meet. This is central to my life and work.

Labels: Angelo Gaja, ASC, Barolo, Bolgheri, Brunello di Montalcino, Cabernet Sauvignon, China, Gaia Gaja, Interviews, Italy, Langhe, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Nicholas Belfrage, Piemonte, red, white

2007 Bouchard Finlayson ‘Blanc de Mer’, Walker Bay, South Africa

Appearance: medium gold.

Nose: very aromatic. We didn’t actually know the assemblage at the tasting but Fongyee and I guessed that Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc were presences as the nose had both green fruits as well as peach and slight apricot aromas.

Palate: rich aromatic fruits (mixture of peach, apricot, melon, gooseberry, guava etc.) with lifting acidity from the Riesling, Chenin and Sauvignon here. Medium-bodied and refreshing; essentially dry, but possible some slight residual sugar here. Good length.

Conclusion: an intriguing blend of 39% Riesling, 33% Viognier, 17% Sauvignon Blanc and 11% Chenin Blanc, this is a very food-friendly wine and would go with richer fish dishes, particularly seafood in cream sauces.

Rating: 17.5/20

Labels: 2007, Bouchard Finlayson, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa, Viognier, Walker Bay, white

2003 Chassagne-Montrachet, Marc Morey, Burgundy, France

Appearance: medium gold-green.

Nose: very attractive French oak nose matched by ripe citrus fruit – mainly lemon – and possibly some melon fruit too. Also mineral and savoury qualities.

Palate: powerful lemon fruit, impressive acidity for the difficult 2003 vintage, lovely toasty oak and superb length.

Conclusion: this was a very high quality Chassagne and very impressive given the hardships of 2003. This is the first time we’ve tasted Marc Morey’s wines – having drunk much more of Michel Morey-Coffinet in the past (Chassagne is a minefield of Moreys, Coffinets and other relations) – and we were definitely convinced of the quality here (tasted at an event where several bottles were served showing great bottle-to-bottle consistency).

Rating: 18.5/20

Labels: 2003, Burgundy, Chardonnay, Chassagne-Montrachet, France, Marc Morey, white

2006 Grüner Veltliner, F X Pichler

Appearance: medium green gold.

Nose: lots of ‘green’ notes reminiscent at first of Sauvignon Blanc. There was less white pepper than expected for this grape. But there was good minerality with smells of wet stones and cool apple and pear fruit.

Palate: marked acidity – not in the Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc league, but definitely there. Palate has a weightier feel than other more acidic grapes would show. More apple and pear fruit and a savoury quality. Good length.

Conclusion: not Pichler’s most intense Grüner Veltliner, but very pleasant.

Rating: 17/20

Labels: 2006, Austria, F X Pichler, Gruner Veltliner, Wachau, white

Here are a selection of some of the other wines we particularly enjoyed at the Torres China 'Taste of the Nations' event (see Taste of the Nations Part I: Torres China Grand Tasting)

2004 Amherst ‘Dunn’s Paddock’ Shiraz, Pyrenees, Victoria

Appearance: dark purple-black, clear rim.

Nose: concentrated dark fruits with a very ‘Christmas cake’ nose (i.e. candied fruits, spices like cinnamon and clove). Strong oak here which balances with the robust fruit well (probably American oak by the smell of things).

Palate: intense fruit, more ‘Christmas cake’ aromas, ripe chewy and big tannins but with enough acidity here to lift the wine. Decent length.

Conclusion: interesting to try some Shiraz from Victoria. Well-made and very enjoyable. Retail 224RMB.

Rating: 18/20

2003 Amherst ‘Chinese Gardens’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Pyrenees, Victoria

Appearance: dark purple to black, clear rim.

Nose: immensely fruity blackcurrant nose with similar ‘Christmas cake’ aromas to those on the above Dunn’s Paddock Shiraz. Strong oak, but this seems to match well with the concentrated fruit here.

Palate: big fruit, very large chewy tannins and pretty good length. Acidity is there.

Conclusion: This didn’t seem as balanced as the Dunn’s Paddock Shiraz, but is still clearly a good wine. Retail 224RMB.

Rating: 17.5/20

1998 Marimar Torres Chardonnay, California

Appearance: medium gold.

Nose: developed, aged Chardonnay with lingering citrus, nutty aromas and some other oxidized smells (from the mellowing oak).

Palate: concentrated palate with more nutty citrus fruits (fruits that were quite ‘warm’ originally). Decent acidity lifts this, though. Good length.

Conclusion: impressive aged Californian Chardonnay. Retail 385RMB.

Rating: 18/20

2000 Marimar Torres Pinot Noir, California

Appearance: medium red-purple, orange rim.

Nose: sweet Pinot fruit (red cherry, strawberry), perfumed but with some development (slight barnyard aromas).

Palate: typical high acidity but this has mellowed and integrated with the rich Pinot fruit. Light on tannins, but they are there and slightly chewy. Good length.

Conclusion: obviously decent quality Californian Pinot Noir. Ready to drink. Retail 441RMB.

Rating: 18.5/20

2006 Hess Collection Chardonnay, California

Appearance: medium green-gold.

Nose: attractive mixture of citrus and melon fruit (‘warm’ and ‘cool’ in expression), light on oak.

Palate: generous fruit, but this is restrained and there’s acidity there.

Conclusion: good quality Monterey Chardonnay. A good deal at 170RMB.

Rating: 17/20

The other Hess wines on show (the Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon) are also worth trying.

Labels: 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006, Amherst, Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Chardonnay, Featured Tastings, Hess, Marimar Torres, Pinot Noir, Pyrenees, red, Shiraz, Torres China, white

Torres China threw a large tasting of their portfolio under the banner ‘Taste of the Nations’, a tasting of 150 wines organized by country. Fongyee, Ellen Xu and myself divided up those 150 wines and covered the majority.

The event itself was held at the Traders Hotel, Beijing, which did a good job and the Torres staff on hand were helpful and informative. There was a sizeable crowd, a decent mix of Chinese and ex-pat wine lovers and some good food to be had too. We were looking for wines that were decent expressions of their origins (and also useful for teaching purposes). Many of these examples would make reliable drinkers too.

Here were some of our favourites, including some for the cellar. Wines will be divided into two posts:

2000 Torres Nerola Syrah, Catalunya

Appearance: medium purple, slightly orange rim.

Nose: cool-climate Syrah nose with black fruits and black pepper, deft oak. Good.

Palate: pleasant medium chewy tannins, strong fruit, more black pepper. Good balance of fruit to oak. Acidity is maintained well too.

Conclusion: we don’t get to taste much Spanish Syrah, but more and more of them are appearing. This was well put together. Retail 192RMB.

Rating: 17/20

2002 Torres Mas La Plana Black Label

Appearance: dark purple to black, essentially clear rim.

Nose: very complex blend of black fruits, subtle oak and considerable spice and savouriness.

Palate: beautiful well-knit ripe medium-high tannins, great fruit, lovely acidity and very well balanced throughout.

Conclusion: obviously a top Cabernet Sauvignon, but very young at present. Needs time. Retail 489RMB.

Rating: 18.5/20

NV Graham’s Fine Ruby Port

Appearance: medium purple-red, clear rim.

Nose: concentrated red and black fruits, ‘Porty’ obviously but with light fruits, some slight spice.

Palate: medium-bodied, good acidity and well-balanced with regard to sugar and alcohol. Quite good length and only moderate in tannins (which are slightly chewy).

Conclusion: this is what entry-level Ruby Port should be: fruity, balanced, not too demanding. Retail 169RMB.

Rating: 17/20

NV Graham’s ‘Six Grapes’ Reserve Port

Appearance: darkish purple, clear rim.

Nose: crushed red and black fruits, powerful alcohol but this seems to be integrated.

Palate: sweet and also tart crushed red and black fruits, quite good balance of sugar to acidity with fairly good length. Tannins are gripping and ripe.

Conclusion: this is obviously a good Port – a Reserve Ruby – but there’s something unappealing about the tart fruit, even although there’s nothing wrong with quality here. Retail 278RMB.

Rating: 17/20

2000 Graham’s Late Bottled Vintage

Appearance: dark purple to black, clear rim.

Nose: very complex nose of concentrated black fruits, spicy oak and other savoury qualities.

Palate: lovely fruit, appealing structure with integrated chunky medium-high tannins, good acidity and a good balance of residual sugar to acid to alcohol. Good length.

Conclusion: a very stylish LBV from a strong vintage. We preferred this to the Six Grapes certainly. Retail 278RMB.

Rating: 18/20

NV Taittinger Brut Reserve Champagne

Appearance: medium gold, good mousse.

Nose: attractive yeasty nose with strong Pinot fruit (perfume, slight strawberry fruit even) but also some citrus from the Chardonnay here.

Palate: good fruit, lovely acidity and has promising length. Not very complex, but this may be a young bottle.

Conclusion: a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay blended from forty different vineyards, this is a reliable NV Champagne. It’s not exciting as the equivalent NVs from Pol Roger, Bollinger or Louis Roederer, but it’s still a good wine to go for and is one that should improve in bottle even after release. Retail 441RMB.

Rating: 18/20

2006 Peter Lehmann Eden Valley Riesling, South Australia

Appearance: green gold.

Nose: very attractive intense lime fruit with some floral notes too, slight kerosene.

Palate: lovely fruit, high refreshing acidity, more florality and a little kerosene. Good length.

Conclusion: a lovely example of Australian Riesling in this style. Well worth trying (and ageing). Retail 191RMB.

Rating: 18/20

2000 Peter Lehmann Mentor, South Australia

Appearance: dark purple to black, essentially clear rim.

Nose: warm nose laden with black fruits, but at the same time slightly tight (still a young wine on the nose). Good oak though.

Palate: complex fruit, gripping chewy tannins; fruit is a bit closed but the ripeness and concentration are definitely there. Promising length.

Conclusion: this wine needs time and is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Malbec, 4% Merlot and spent 16 months in French oak hogsheads. I like the fact Malbec is part of the blend because this is hardly well-known as a grape in the Barossa, but is, of course, a traditional Bordeaux-blending grape. High quality and the 2002 (see below) is even better. Retail 531RMB.

Rating: 18/20

2002 Peter Lehmann Mentor, South Australia

Appearance: dark purple to black, clear rim.

Nose: much cooler fruit than the nose on the 2000 Mentor and with more savoury smells. Intense.

Palate: complex palate featuring a range of black fruits (blackcurrant, black cherry, blackberry, black plum etc.), chewy ripe but ‘cool’ tannins, lovely acidity and great length.

Conclusion: a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 10% Shiraz, 8% Malbec, this wine spent some 18 months in new French oak hogsheads. Retail: approx. 531RMB.

Rating: 18.5/20 [may get even better]

Labels: 2000, 2002, 2006, Bordeaux-blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Champagne, Featured Tastings, Graham's, Mas La Plana, Peter Lehmann, Portugal, red, Riesling, South Australia, Spain, Syrah, Torres China, white

A tasting of the wines of Australian producer Brokenwood at Frank Siegel's Sanlintun Sequoia Café in conjunction with Jebsen wines. Geoff Krieger, one of the company’s twenty-five partners and General Manager, was on hand to answer questions and also gave a short introduction to the winery. Brokenwood, although based in the Hunter Valley since 1970, has become increasingly national in its grape-sourcing, although the majority of wines are vinified in the Hunter itself.

2006 Brokenwood Hunter Valley Semillon

Appearance: light green.

Nose: complex nose of lime and green apple, slight wax. Very young and green at present.

Palate: more lime and green apple fruit, wax, medium-high acidity, lean feel, obviously no oak in this classic Hunter Semillon style.

Conclusion: very good, a wine you can either drink now when it is fresh, green and light or ten years down the road when the wine will become nutty – even giving the illusory sense of being oaked – with complex savoury notes.

Rating: 18.5/20

2005 Brokenwood Cricket Pitch Sauvignon Semillon

Appearance: medium gold.

Nose: developed Semillon is dominant with lemon and nutty aromas – you might be forgiven for thinking this wine is oaked, but it is entirely unoaked. Any green notes from the Sauvignon have blended into the wine with slight age.

Palate: more nutty, lemon fruit with nice zip of acidity from the Sauvignon. Good length.

Conclusion: pleasant and a lovely example of an unoaked Sauvignon-Semillon blend (50% of each). The fruit is sourced from both New South Wales and South Australia but everything is vinified in the Hunter Valley itself.

Rating: 17.5/20

2003 Brokenwood Cricket Pitch Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot-Shiraz

Appearance: medium purple-red, slight orange rim.

Nose: attractive red and black fruit nose with slight spice and integrated oak.

Palate: medium-bodied, nice ripe chewy tannins, pleasant acidity and easy drinking, fruity red.

Conclusion: this is 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 25% Shiraz with fruit sourced from South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. Easy drinking, but I think the Cricket Pitch white is more exciting.

Rating: 17/20

2004 Brokenwood Hunter Valley Shiraz

Appearance: medium purple-red, slight orange rim.

Nose: complex blackberry fruit with definite black pepper accompanied by sweet-smelling spices (cinnamon, cardamom). Good oak.

Palate: lovely fruit, good acidity, nicely integrated oak – which is actually American, hence the sweet nose here albeit mixed with savoury characteristics – medium chewy tannins, medium-bodied.

Conclusion: a lovely example of Hunter Shiraz, not too massive in style, elegant and very drinkable.

Rating: 18/20

Labels: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, Australia, Brokenwood, Cabernet Sauvignon, Featured Tastings, Hunter Valley, Jebsen, Merlot, New South Wales, red, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Shiraz, white

Importer East Meets West teamed up with wine merchant Top Cellar in order to show the wines of Gérard Bertrand (from France’s Languedoc region) at Centro in the Kerry Centre Shangri-La.

2006 Gérard Bertrand 6’eme Sens Rosé

Appearance: attractive medium pink.

Nose: a range of red fruits including strawberry and red cherry. Clean and attractive.

Palate: slight residual sugar, but basically dry. Attractive fruit, some acidity, not flabby certainly.

Conclusion: pleasant, drinkable rosé. Fun. Food-friendly.

Rating: 16/20

2005 Gérard Bertrand Chardonnay

Appearance: medium yellow.

Nose: no oak here, ripe peach and melon fruit.

Palate: palate is smooth – this wine does actually go through malolactic fermentation, it just does so in stainless steel not oak – with more peach and melon fruit. Acidity is relatively low here.

Conclusion: pleasant, fruity Chardonnay, but not very exciting. Good with food, however.

Rating: 16/20

2003 Gérard Bertrand Minervois

Appearance: medium purple-red, essentially clear rim.

Nose: very fragrant, i.e. not just black fruits from the Syrah and Carignan blend here, but some spice and even perfume of sorts.

Palate: pleasant fruit, medium-bodied, soft on tannins.

Conclusion: this wasn’t as heat-damaged as I thought it might be (thinking of the 2003 vintage). The grapes were obviously picked judiciously. Good.

Rating: 16.5/20

2005 Gérard Bertrand Château L’Hospitalet Reserve

Appearance: medium purple, clear rim.

Nose: a range of black fruits, spicy, nice use of oak.

Palate: medium-bodied, plucky medium tannins, lifting acidity, nice fruit and oak.

Conclusion: a decent blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre. Good.

Rating: 17/20

2002 Gérard Bertrand La Forge Terroir Boutenac, Corbières

Appearance: darkish purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: a mixture of red and black fruits (hard to define what) with lots of herbs, particularly Mediterranean ones, e.g. rosemary and oregano/marjoram.

Palate: elegant palate with good acidity, nice integration of fruit to oak, attractive medium chewy tannins and good length.

Conclusion: a lovely blend of Syrah and Carignan. Very good.

Rating: 18/20

2002 Gérard Bertrand Le Viala, Minervois La Livinière

Appearance: darkish purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: pleasant mixture of red and black fruits, good oak, distinctive Mediterranean herbs (rosemary, thyme).

Palate: elegant, complex fruit, good oak again, medium chewy tannins, good length.

Conclusion: made from old vines (50-80 years-old), this is probably less powerful than in other bigger vintages, but still impressive.

Rating: 18/20

Labels: 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, Carignan, Chardonnay, Corbieres, East Meets West, Featured Tastings, France, Gerard Bertrand, Grenache, Languedoc, Minervois, Mourvedre, red, rose, Syrah, Top Cellar, white

Summergate hosted the wines of Villa Maria at Green T. House, a lovely venue. Dan Siebers was on hand to answer questions as was George Fistonich of Villa Maria itself. On tasting were:

2006 Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc

Appearance: medium green.

Nose: guava and passion fruit with green notes.

Palate: pleasant fruit, good acidity.

Conclusion: very drinkable. Does not have mineral complexity, but is a good expression.

Rating: 17/20

2005 Villa Maria Private Bin Chardonnay

Appearance: deepish gold green.

Nose: sour pineapple with overt oak.

Palate: pleasant ripe Chardonnay fruit, good oak, impressive acidity.

Conclusion: drinkable, reliable Chardonnay.

Rating: 17.5/20

2006 Villa Maria Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Clifford Bay

Appearance: deepish green-gold.

Nose: intense Sauvignon fruit – a mixture of gooseberry, guava and even a ‘green’ perfume of sorts.

Palate: intense, full-on palate, obviously fruit-driven with lovely acidity.

Conclusion: a strong example of Sauvignon Blanc, although this may be too fruit-intensive for some palates.

Rating: 18/20

2005 Villa Maria Cellar Selection Pinot Noir

Appearance: deepish purple-red.

Nose: lovely cherry fruit and a lot of French oak, slight white pepper.

Palate: smooth palate, light slightly chewy tannins, lots of cherry fruit, quite good length.

Conclusion: a nice expression of Pinot Noir, if lacking complexity.

Rating: 17.5/20

2005 Villa Maria Private Bin Merlot

Appearance: deepish purple, clear rim.

Nose: very plummy fruit – rather like some Okanagan Valley Merlots, but not quite as bright somehow – with a fair whack of oak.

Palate: lots of plum fruit, medium spiky tannins, but with a relatively smooth mouthfeel, nice acidity.

Conclusion: good varietal expression of Merlot.

Rating: 17/20

2004 Villa Maria Syrah Private Bin (Gimblett Gravels)

Appearance: dark purple-red.

Nose: blackberry fruit with mixture of red and black cherry, black pepper and good oak.

Palate: decent fruit, good acidity, fairly low-medium silky tannins.

Conclusion: a good expression of Syrah. Reliable. If not exciting, then certainly good quality.

Rating: 17.5/20

Labels: 2004, 2005, 2006, Chardonnay, Clifford Bay, Featured Tastings, Merlot, New Zealand, Pinot Noir, red, Sauvignon Blanc, Summergate, Syrah, Villa Maria, white

Before the Barolo Cerequio vertical, I interviewed Michele Chiarlo - see Interview: Michele Chiarlo brings Barolo to Beijing and Featured Tasting: Michele Chiarlo Barolo Cerequio - and then tasted a number of other Chiarlo wines:

2006 Gavi, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: deepish green gold

Nose: lots of lemon, pear and apple fruit. Very clean on the nose.

Palate: lovely acidity, good fruit and refreshing length and finish.

Conclusion: a lovely expression of the Cortese grape and actually the most successful wine in Asia for the Chiarlo family. Good.

Rating: 17.5/20

2004 Barbaresco Asili, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: medium purple-red, slightly orange rim.

Nose: extremely perfumed and very delicate showing red fruits and slight spice.

Palate: lovely acidity, moderate slightly grainy tannins, good fruit, and very ‘refreshing’ (not something usually said about Nebbiolo).

Conclusion: Barbaresco, unfairly, is seen as playing second fiddle to Barolo, but its wines can show very pure examples of Nebbiolo in a delicate style. Asili is a single vineyard, but not one I’ve had before (most of the single vineyard examples I’ve had from the Produttori del Barbaresco).

Rating: 18/20

2003 Barbera d’Asti La Court, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: deepish purple-red colour, clear rim.

Nose: shows a lot of oak, even although the wine sees only 50% oak; but much would depend, of course, on what proportion of that is new oak and what happened in 2003 itself where very ripe fruit may have called for heftier oak. Has very attractive dark cherry fruit as well, however.

Palate: lots of alcohol here, but there’s good acidity, pleasant chewy tannins and impressive length.

Conclusion: obviously a very fine example of Barbera and a pleasure to drink now (with some modest ageing ability there too).

Rating: 18.5/20

1999 Barolo Riserva ‘Tortoniano’, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: deep purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: elegant red cherry and redcurrant fruit, violets.

Palate: not too tannic, ripe, possesses lovely acidity and the tannins that are there are grainy and also ripe. Good length.

Conclusion: A lovely expression of a readily drinkable Barolo; ready now, but one that will also improve.

Rating: 18/20

Labels: 2003, 2004, 2006, Barbaresco, Barbera, Barbera d'Asti, Barolo, Chiarlo, Cortese, Featured Tastings, Gavi, Italy, Michele Chiarlo, Nebbiolo, Piemonte, red, white

Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo, Vertical Tasting

Presenting his wines at Aria restaurant in a tasting organized by ASC, Michele Chiarlo revealed that the family owns some 6 hectares of the Cerequio vineyard or about 40% of the total (with the likes of Angelo Gaja, Roberto Voerzio and Aldo Conterno controlling the rest of the vineyard).

The yield is generally at 35 hl/ha. He affirmed the care taken in extracting the better tannins from Nebbiolo before the bitter tannins take over: something the grape can easily show in less carefully made examples. 33% of production is sold in Italy with the rest going overseas, principally to the US and UK.

2003 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: deepish purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: Very ripe red cherry, some ‘heat’ from the alcohol here, but there are still Nebbiolo characters coming through with some tar aromas. Oak is not over-dominant and with most of these notes I’ve hardly talked about oak because it’s well-integrated and almost hidden as Nebbiolo takes over.

Palate: big fruit, tight and close but ripe tannins; has impressive acidity for such a difficult vintage, some almond character and also peppermint and clove.

Conclusion: a very good wine for such a demanding vintage. Sensibly, they did not de-leaf in this vintage knowing that the grapes hardly needed much exposure to the sun in the fierce 2003 heat. Good, but it will never be a great Barolo year, not even from this vineyard and this producer.

Rating: 17.5/20

2001 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: Medium to medium-deep purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: toasty first nose, a lot more immediately perfumed than the 2003 with a gamey aroma and beautiful red fruits (cherry, redcurrants, even cranberry).

Palate: has ripe large grainy tannins, excellent acidity and considerable finesse. There’s a great balance here on the palate with delicacy, freshness and lovely length.

Conclusion: Very good. A lovely expression of Barolo in a fine year.

Rating: 18.5/20

2000 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: Deep purple-red (deeper colour than the 2001 certainly), slightly orange rim.

Nose: More tar on the first nose than perfume. Lavish fruit: more black cherry here than the red fruits you’d normally expect from most Piemonte Nebbiolos (at least those that haven’t had a bit of Barbera added!).

Palate: tannins are ripe and chunky. Considerable black fruits, but there isn’t the staying power here of the 2001 and there’s a slight problem with the palate. It’s not that the wine is short in length: there’s a gap between the generosity of the nose and a palate that gives a little less.

Conclusion: the palate notes here sound overly critical; but I can see why Chiarlo himself has more time for his 2001. This won’t last as well as the 2001 and will be an attractive earlier drinker, still of impressive quality.

Rating: 18/20

1999 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: Medium to medium-deep purple-red, orange rim (similar in colour to the 2001).

Nose: Very perfumed indeed – in that way that Nebbiolo at this level is indescribably perfumed, just like great Pinot Noir. Very concentrated ripe red fruits.

Palate: has the feel of ‘sweet’ fruit on the palate, excellent acidity and gripping, ‘angular’ tannins (whereas the tannins on the 2000 were chunky and chewy).

Conclusion: very, very good indeed and, along with the 1997 and 1990, probably my favourite (with the 2001 being a close contender).

Rating: 19/20

1998 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: dark purple-red, orange rim (but orange rim is less extensive than that on the 1999).

Nose: has an immediate clove nose with tar, pepper and ripe cherry fruit.

Palate: tannins are chunky here and the palate is very much like the 2000 but with a better overall structure, i.e. the ripe cherry fruit is more integrated and there’s a better balance between fruit, tannin, acidity and alcohol.

Conclusion: very interesting to taste comparatively. Obviously similar to the 2000 in style, but better overall. Although the below rating is the same as the 2001, I think I prefer the 2001 to the 1998, at least in this tasting.

Rating: 18.5/20

1997 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: Medium to dark purple-red (I know this sounds strange, but these wines are a real mix of colours and hues)

Nose: first nose has lots of violets, perfume and also rose petal. Throughout, there is the ‘sweet’, ripe red fruits of the 1999 vintage.

Palate: similar to the 1999 with ripe red fruits and perfume, but the tannins are bigger here. Excellent length.

Conclusion: the 1999 is more ‘delicate’ or lighter on the nose and palate than the 1997, but the 1997, with its relative burliness, might last longer. There are both wonderful vintages, however, and point-for-point, this and the 1990 were my top wines.

Rating: 19.5/20

1996 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: dark purple core with a real spread of red to orange in the rim.

Nose: shows a very clove and tarry nose – like the 2000 and the 1998 – with concentrated, even closed, red and black cherry fruit.

Palate: fruit is riper and ‘sweeter’ on the palate than expected with very big, chunky tannins and good acidity.

Conclusion: this wine will need a lot of time. Could do 10-20 more years and may well be superb eventually.

Rating: 18.5/20 [but could be higher with further age]

1995 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: deep purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: lots of peppermint, tar and perfume with a mixture of red and black cherry fruit.

Palate: has ‘dusty’ big fruit, hefty and chunky tannins, acidity that seems higher here than on other vintages (or is more noticeable).

Conclusion: obviously impressive, but not as conversation-stopping as some of the other wines. Still very good, however.

Rating: 18.5/20

1993 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: deep purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: has a very ‘Christmas cake’ first nose with clove, cinnamon and candied fruit.

Palate: shows more peppermint on the palate with lovely red fruits, decent marked acidity and ripe ‘fresh’, i.e. light, tannins (no doubt mellowed with age).

Conclusion: Ready to drink, although will still improve. A lighter, attractive vintage.

Rating: 18/20

1990 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: medium purple-red, orange rim (still has considerable colour but has a wider gradation of orange rim than the other wines)

Nose: white truffle nose – the first wine to have this truffle quality – also other mushrooms, red fruits and some perfume.

Palate: mellowed but still lean tannins with generous fruit, complex truffle flavours and great acidity.

Conclusion: this wine still needs time in my book. It’s obviously a massive vintage and it would certainly be better to drink the 1993 before this wine. Stupendous and extremely generous of Michele Chiarlo to bring this over from his personal cellar.

Rating: 19.5/20

Labels: 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, ASC, Barolo Cerequio, Featured Tastings, Italy, Michele Chiarlo, Piemonte, red, white

Top Cellar offered another free tasting at their Amigo delicatessen and shop shared with Bento & Berries in the Kerry Centre. The wines were from various producers and were intended to be European Classics. All were imported by Top Cellar directly.

Sébastien Lézier of Winpact gave a short introduction to the wine accessories his company has put together for Top Cellar: two types of corkscrew (both ‘waiter’s friend’ design), two wine-pourers, Champagne stopper and the usual coolers and freezer cooler packs.

Wines tasted:

2004 Schloss Gobelsburg Riesling Urgestein, Kamptal, Austria

Appearance: medium gold yellow.

Nose: intense lime fruit, some minerality, hints of kerosene.

Palate: generous lime, pleasant acidity and good length.

Conclusion: we haven’t drunk much Austrian Riesling – Grüner Veltliner seems to have stolen some of the limelight internationally – but this has always been a very important and noble Austrian grape. This seemed to be a good expression, at least of Riesling.

Rating: 17/20

2004 Schloss Gobelsburg Zweigelt, Kamptal, Austria

Appearance: light to medium red-purple.

Nose: mostly red cherry fruit, possibly raspberry too.

Palate: light red cherry fruit, very low tannin, pleasant medium acidity, shortish length.

Conclusion: Zweigelt was created in the 1920s by Fritz Zweigelt, a hybrid of Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent. It ripens early and can withstand winter frost, so it’s easy to see why it might be popular with winemakers in Canada as well as Austria. Generally speaking, Zweigelt (Austria’s most planted red grape) is going to make light reds for quaffing. This was that, although no doubt someone is making more serious Zweigelt somewhere.

Rating: 15/20

1999 Vina Amezola Rioja Reserva

Appearance: medium purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: classic American oak nose but in an obviously aged and mellowed state with raspberry, strawberry and red cherry fruits.

Palate: pleasant fruit, decent oak, tannins slightly coarse, pretty good length.

Conclusion: certainly characteristic Rioja, but a bit disappointing at Reserva level.

Rating: 16/20

2003 Château Ducluzeau, Listrac

What used to be a called a ‘Cru Bourgeois’, this property is owned by the Borie family.

Appearance: medium purplre-red colour, clear rim.

Nose: warm red and black fruits from the 2003 heat, French oak.

Palate: mixture of red and black fruits, slightly coarse tannins, medium acidity, okay length.

Conclusion: not bad Claret if red Bordeaux at this level is your cup of tea. Not exciting.

Rating: 16/20

2003 Il Volano, Toscana IGT (Il Molino di Grace)

Appearance: medium purple-red, clear rim.

Nose: appealing tart red cherry fruit with touch of spice.

Palate: nice plucky Sangiovese tannins, the acidity you’d also expect, cherry fruit.

Conclusion: we couldn’t actually find this wine on the Il Molino di Grace website, but apparently it is 65% Sangiovese with the remainder a range of other grape varieties. Pleasant, easy-drinking Tuscan IGT.

Rating: 16.5/20

2003 Chianti Classico, Il Molino di Grace

Appearance: deep purple, clear rim.

Nose: ripe black cherry fruit, discernible but integrated oak, some clove and cinnamon spice.

Palate: lovely chewy not too astringent tannins, pretty good acidity for the difficult 2003 vintage in which the sheer warmth made attaining decent acidity a problem, lovely fruit and good length.

Conclusion: impressive Chianti Classico. Very drinkable. Approachable now, but will age.

Rating: 17.5/20

Labels: 1999, 2003, 2004, Austria, Bordeaux, Chianti, Featured Tastings, Italy, Kamptal, red, Riesling, Rioja, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Top Cellar, Tuscany, white, Zweigelt

2004 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, Markus Molitor

Appearance: green-gold, some yellow.

Nose: apples and honey (more developed than expected), some kerosene.

Palate: characteristic high acidity balancing lovely residual sugar. Refreshing, but already softening out seemingly.

Conclusion: this was more advanced in age than I expected, but it’s rash to judge from one bottle. Molitor is a very good German Riesling producer and we will ideally leave the other bottle for a good while.

Rating: 17.5/20 [but will improve]

Labels: 2004, Germany, Kabinett, Markus Molitor, Mosel, Riesling, Wehlener Sonnenuhr, white

ASC had arranged for Meerlust owner Hannes Myburgh to visit and show his wines. Sadly, Mr Myburgh could not make the event, but we did get to taste some of the best wines now available from South Africa:

2006 Meerlust Chardonnay, Stellenbosch

Appearance: medium-deep gold

Nose: ripe citrus fruit, principally lemon, lots of oak (French).

Palate: ripe lemon fruit, fair whack of oak but this is supported by the fruit. Pleasant acidity there too and impressive length.

Conclusion: one of the best South African Chardonnays I’ve had. Recently bottled, so not quite integrated yet, but this will do well in the next two years, perhaps longer. It is only partially malo-lactically fermented which would explain the lifting acidity here. The oak is showing a lot now, but will calm down (the wine is vinified in large French oak hogsheads, 60% new barrels).

Rating: 18/20

2004 Meerlust Merlot, Stellenbosch

Appearance: medium red-purple colour, slightly orange rim.

Nose: restrained plummy Merlot fruit (red plum here), marked French oak and some leathery development.

Palate: light, but fruity with more red plum, harmonious oak, pleasant lifting acidity, ripe grainy tannins and good length.

Conclusion: similar to Merlot-dominated Bordeaux in a ripe vintage. Elegant, restrained, very drinkable. The oak in question is Nevers - which the Rubicon also sees in barrique form (here it is hogshead) - in which this Merlot spends 17 months (60% in new oak).

Rating: 17/20

2003 Meerlust Rubicon, Stellenbosch

Appearance: medium purple, slight orange rim.

Nose: ripe black fruits, but already showing some savoury, developed notes (became meaty over the evening). Similar to aged red Bordeaux, but riper, with fair bit of oak.

Palate: grainy tannins, good acidity (which is marked), pleasant fruit, good length.

Conclusion: an elegant Bordeaux-blend, comprising 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc aged in French Nevers oak for two years (80% of the wine sees new oak). This wine is already drinking and will actually age more quickly than the 2001 Meerlust Rubicon (see below).


Rating: 17.5/20

2001 Meerlust Rubicon, Stellenbosch

Appearance: deep purple to black, orange rim.

Nose: concentrated black fruits (lots of blackcurrant), considerable oak, some leather but still ‘youthful’. Also has pine and iron smells from the oak.

Palate: rich, concentrated fruits, angular tannic structure that is larger than the 2003 Meerlust Rubicon, ripe but with great acidity and very good length.

Conclusion: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc and aged for two years in French Nevers oak (80% of which is new oak), this is clearly an excellent vintage of this particular wine that has a great life ahead of it, if enjoyable now.

Rating: 18.5/20

Labels: 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Meerlust, Merlot, red, Rubicon, South Africa, Stellenbosch, white

We met Dr. Sandro Boscaini, President of Veneto producer Masi at the Grand Hyatt, Beijing, at the invitation of ASC.

Dr. Boscaini mentioned that he had come to China on several occasions and had once even transported a gondola to Beijing to display in the Kempinksi Hotel! On this visit, he was happy to talk to journalists about the slowly improving China fine wine market and share his thoughts for the future.

In effect, Masi wants to embrace the new fine wine culture - which is little different, on Boscaini's view, from the worlds of fashion or other consumable designer products - whilst keeping a keen eye on the company’s traditions and innovations. The desire to be ‘glocal’, both global and local was voiced. But Boscaini is hardly satisfied with marketing-speak alone. Conversation soon moved to Veneto wines and the Masi range; and Boscaini’s great passions came to the fore as we drank his excellent 2003 Amarone Costasera (Rating: 18.5/20 full tasting note available below).

Boscaini reminded us of Masi’s 1964 innovation in producing its Campofiorin, essentially a Valpolicella Ripasso produced with the skins of already fermented Amarone grapes (the same three grapes that make up Valpolicella: