We recently received a congratulary email from Pamela Heiligenthal of Enobytes who has compiled a Top 100 list of wine blogs via Google indexing and some enterprising research of her own.

Heiligenthal explains: ‘I created the “Google Top 100 Wine Blog” list by simply typing in a simple key term “wine blog” in the Google search engine. I then removed content that did not meet certain criteria, excluding blogs that haven’t been updated in over 3 months or websites that simply list other blogs.

I also excluded blog directories, redirects, subsets or duplicates and blogs that heavily focus on content other than wine. There are a lot of blogs that call themselves a wine blog but focus more on things like travel, sports, etc., and I also excluded product type wine blogs (e.g. subzero refrigeration)’.

The Dragon Phoenix Wine Blog weighed in at 75, not bad for a fledgling venture by a pair of wine writers just learning the ropes of Wine Web 2.0.

We have a long way to go, of course, particularly with blogging bells and whistles.

But it’s heartening to have some endorsement in terms of content and ‘findability’ on the web, particularly from such pioneers (Enobytes is one of the first sites to generate wine maps from Google Earth among other innvoations).

To read the Top 100 list and Pamela Heiligenthal’s full report, click here.

7th November 2008

Links China is a welcome new arrival to the Beijing market, a company already established in Hong Kong and Macau with some impressive wines from the likes of Domaine Laroche, Villa Cafaggio, Gonzalez Byass and most recently Champagne house Billecart-Salmon of Mareuil-sur-Ay fame.

Antoine Roland-Billecart, on his first visit to Beijing, was in person to present his wines, along with Victor Riberiro and Aladin Laroussi of Links who had organized a sumptuous menu at Jaan, one of the city’s top restaurants and centrepiece of the Raffles Beijing.

On tasting were (click on links for full tasting notes):

Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve

Served with pan-fried foie gras on cepe ravioli with a morel emulsion

Billecart-Salmon Grand Cuvee 1996

Served with slow-cooked scampi in nage followed by roast chicken with wild rice risotto

Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose

Served with a trio of desserts

All of these Champagnes are of high, in some cases, very high quality. It’s a pleasure to see them in Beijing where, sadly, too many Sunday brunches are awash with average, sometimes below average Champagnes (which will hardly incite local Chinese consumers to respect the region, struggling as they do with wines of higher acidity in any case).

The Brut Reserve and Brut Rose are ideal to drink now. The 1996 is clearly very special, but still something of a baby, illustrating the intense acidity of the vintage but with enough extract and concentration of complex autolytic flavours for the long term.

I would personally avoid serving rose Champagnes with desserts, but it was a very high quality menu all round. Links China follows on the heels of Watson’s in bringing decent new wines to the Beijing and wider mainland Chinese markets.

28th October 2008

Watson’s Wines of Hong Kong, now thankfully active in the Beijing market, hosted Margaret River producer Clairault for a special lunch at China World’s Aria restaurant with Clairault’s own chef in tow and a specially devised menu.

On tasting at the lunch were (click on links for full tasting notes):

Clairault Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Served with beetroot-cured salmon with avocado cream, horseradish and a lemon and herb oil

Clairault Cabernet Merlot 2004

Clairault Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Both served with fillet of venison with red wine braised tomato, grilled asparagus, roast leeks and watercress

The Semillon Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Merlot both weigh in at a relatively reasonable 162RMB, well-priced for the Beijing market. The Estate Cabernet is 393RMB, but is clearly a fine wine that, again in terms of the market here, does punch above its weight compared with some of the 400RMB and above offerings we see.

Paul Easden, Clairault Sales Manager, gave a sensibly pitched introduction to the property and Clairault’s philosophy.

These wines are clearly fine additions to Watson’s already impressive list which boasts the likes of Domaine de la Romanee Conti, Jean Grivot, Domaine Leflaive, numerous top Bordeaux properties, Jean Louis Chave and some very good New World producers (e.g. New Zealand’s Palliser and Australia’s Katnook Estate).

24th October 2008

ASC played host to Chilean producer Vina Carmen adding some higher quality wines all round to its current Chilean offerings (although ASC’s Santa Rita Reserve range is well worth looking at - Santa Rita and Carmen actually being under the same umbrella).

Guests congregated at The Legation Quarter’s Agua restaurant and bar, a Spanish joint also served by Japanese eatery Shiro Matsu, which made for an interesting selection of very well-made canapes.

Wines on offer were (click on links for full tasting notes):

Carmen Classic Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Carmen Reserve Chardonnay 2006

Carmen Nativa Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Carmen Reserve Syrah Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Carmen Wine Maker’s Reserve Red 2004

Carmen Gold Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

With so many Chilean wines come to China, it was refreshing to see this kind of quality reaching Beijing. Although many of these wines are approachable now - our all round favourite for quality price ratio was the Reserve Chardonnay - some are ageworthy.

Chile has yet to make the kind of great wine of which certain old world countries, California and Australia are capable, but it supplies value for money here and in other markets; and Carmen will perhaps raise the bar even higher in future.

At the end of September, I was invited back by organizers Wine China to judge at the Yantai Colombin Cup Wine Challenge, Yantai, Shandong province. In its second year, I was told the competition would involve a mix of Chinese and international wines, but that this time the range would be much larger and with more entries all round. 

It was an exciting but long morning, with judges analyzing in silence a range of wines from white and red to sweet, with even a few spirits thrown in for good measure. Judging in silence, although it has its merits, also has some obvious limitations. This was a very different atmosphere, for example, from the London International Wine Challenge - and I missed the chance to discuss particular wines with the other judges, especially in cases of marginal quality. It would have been more beneficial to taste the wines individually first and then discuss each one in turn. Also, there was a distinct lack of communication concerning faults. A couple of the whites I tasted displayed serious winemaking faults (which I did raise), but this didn’t seem to ruffle many of the other judges. Still, wine-judging is obviously in its infancy in China.

Results (courtesy of the Wine China Website)

The Special Award for Chinese wine went to the Qilu Vidal Reserve Ice Wine made by Qilu Winery in Huanren, Liaoning. I found this to be a pretty strange ice wine myself, with a rather too chemical nose.

The Special Award for Non-Chinese Wine went to 2006 Band of Brothers Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra, Australia, well-made and of good quality.

First Prizes for Chinese wine went to:

2006 Yeli Sparkling made by the Yeli winery in Changli, Hebei - this was very interesting. It was almost like a Moscato d’Asti. I’m going to search out some to buy in Beijing!

(No Vintage Given) Mogao Pinot Noir made (Mogao winery in Gansu). It was nice to see an award go to a Chinese Pinot Noir, a grape which is rarely planted here in China. I thought this was fairly well-made Pinot Noir and hope Mogao continues to improve!

First Prizes for non-Chinese wine went to:

2006  Blossom Icewine Riesling Chardonnay from Canada - a decently made typical Canadian icewine, perhaps lacking a bit in acidity but with good flavour.

2006    CUVÉE RITZENTHAL (Blend of Rathay and Roesler)  2006　(red) from Brundy Winery in Wagram, Austria

Other wines that did well included the Cabernet Sauvignon from Mogao (having tasted barrel samples of this, I am pleased that it did well).

There was also a surprisingly light but OK “Eastern Pearl” whisky from Penglai (also in the Shandong pennisula).

In all, it was heartening to see this challenge continuing to its second year and drawing more contestants. However it would also be good to see a wider range of judges, a greater discussion of the wines, and more training for future judges at such events.

Bouchard Pere et Fils Beaune de Chateau Blanc, Burgundy, France
A classic and graceful white Burgundy from a lovely vintage. Made from 100% Chardonnay grapes selected from 17 different Premier Cru plots around the town of Beaune, this wine has restrained lemon fruit with a lovely structure and modest use of oak. Available from Summergate (65621800) .

NV Henriot Champagne Brut Souverain, France
This Champagne is light and elegant. Lovely gold colour with a refined mousse, the wine is a delicate blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir aged for a particularly long time before release. Henriot is one to watch. Available from Jointek Fine Wines. Call 13860896522

Tigress Pinot Noir, Tasmania, Australia
Tasmania has one of Australia’s coolest climates, but is a real ‘hot-spot’ for good whites and, increasingly, for Pinot Noir (used for sparkling wines and much-improved reds). This wine has a striking red cherry and perfumed nose with delicate oak and a smooth, silky palate combining gentle tannins and Pinot’s refreshing acidity. Very good. Available from Jebsen Fine Wines (8519 8688).

27th September 2008

Champagne Henriot was in town with importer Jointek and we were lucky to be part of a small group of media and other wine commentators who got to taste the delights of these well-made Champagnes (including a very special 1988 cuvée – see below), all matched expertly with the extremely fine cuisine and superlative service of Beijing’s Maison Boulud (of Daniel Boulud fame).

Set in the heart of the newly opened Legation Quarter (see above), just to the east of Tiananmen Square, Maison Boulud also has one of the most impressive wine lists in town.

Click on the links for full tasting notes:

Henriot Brut Souverain

Henriot Brut Souverain Blanc de Blancs

Henriot Brut Rose

Henriot Cuvee des Enchanteleurs 1988

Of these wines, the Brut Souverain is very classy and the non-vintage Blanc de Blancs very good indeed (although would clearly benefit from extra time in bottle post-disgorgement).

The Brut Rosé is definitely well-made, but the piece de la resistance, unsurprisingly, was the 1988 Henriot Cuvée des Enchanteleurs: a great vintage, great wine.

This special cuvée is one to watch and definitely worth ageing in younger vintages. It is only made in particularly good years, of course, which is a relief given how some ‘luxury brand’ Champagnes are now being made in suspiciously regular vintages froma region which, by definition of its location, is going have variable years.

(Click on the links for full tasting notes):

Penfolds Grange 1983

Penfolds Grange 1991

Penfolds Grange 1998

Penfolds Grange 1999

Penfolds Grange 2003

After a short intermission, Kym Schroeter introduced the philosophy behind Grange, Max Schubert’s 1951 creation. Grange was originally something of a controversial wine with intense fruit and prolonged maturation in 100% new American oak and a full five years ageing before release.

In fact, it was so ‘big’ and massively concentrated that the senior brass at Penfolds actually ordered Schubert to stop making the wine in the mid-1950s. Schubert did not desist, however, and cannily kept on producing Grange, but without mounting expensive orders for new American oak barrels.

Thus, the 1957, 1958 and 1959 vintages, now hugely sought after at auction, were still made but aged in old oak already on the property, without arousing much suspicion.

The fruit for these wines is sourced from only top sites, of course, e.g. Magill Estate (for Shiraz). Grange is rarely 100% Shiraz, however - only five vintages since 1961 have been purely that grape - with the Kalimna Block 42 vineyard remaining the top source of Cabernet Sauvignon (from very old vines).

Clearly, the wine to drink on the afternoon was the 1983, although this still has a huge life ahead of it. The 1991 and 1999 Granges are more restrained and savoury and will be brilliant over time. The 1998 has the most attractive and concentrated fruit and is set to be a great vintage, whilst the 2003 is ‘lighter’, in relative terms, and at least gives Grange fans a vintage to approach earlier.

The 2003 is hardly a light-weight wine, however; it just has a different tannic structure (see tasting notes above) and more immediately appealing fruit than some of the ‘darker’ vintages.

All in all, this was a huge privilege and ASC put on a very professional tasting with simultaneous translation, while Grange (the restaurant) is obviously serious about proper service and handling.

If you can wait for these wines, your patience will be rewarded!

24th September 2008

ASC hosted a very special tasting in Beijing recently, presented by Kym Schroeter, Senior Winemaker at Penfolds. The venue was the appropriately named Grange restaurant in the newly-opened Westin Hotel, Chaoyang (Beijing’s second Westin, in fact).

Grange restaurant, as you might think, does have a full list of vintages of Penfolds’s iconic wine of the same name, but this venue also sports a diverse wine list with a healthy smattering of wines from China and the first Swiss wine I have seen on a Beijing list, or, for that matter, anywhere else in China.

We tasted in the following order (click on the links for full tasting notes):

Penfolds Koonunga Hill 1986

Penfolds Koonunga Hill 1991

Penfolds Koonunga Hill 1998

Penfolds Koonunga Hill 2004

Penfolds Koonunga Hill 2006

Penfolds ‘Seventy Six’ Koonunga Hill 2006

Kym Schroeter gave an informative power-point presentation on the history of Penfolds, its philosophy of regional blending (mainly from sites in South Australia) and the development of the nominal ‘entry-level’ wine Koonunga Hill as well as Grange itself, before leading guests through 6 vintages of Koonunga Hill (going back to 1986) and 5 vintages of Grange (going back to 1983).

The point of each vertical was not only to display the staying power of these very different wines, but to make good on the claims of the 6th edition of the comprehensive The Rewards of Patience guide. This unique reference work provides tasting notes on all of the Penfolds range compiled by an independent tasting panel (boasting the likes of James Halliday, Huon Hooke and Neil Beckett) lovingly compiled by Andrew Caillard MW.

Koonunga Hill was created in 1976 by Don Ditter. Penfolds wanted to produce a wine which would, as Schroeter explained, ‘over-deliver at the price-point’, providing a decent blend without expensive oak treatment from regions of over-supply (originally a Cabernet-Shiraz blend from Coonawarra and Barossa respectively).

Koonunga Hill itself, however, is the name of an actual vineyard in the Barossa. So the name testifies to a particular part of South Australia whilst also providing a catchy title for a multi-regional blend meant to maintain ‘consistency of style year on year’.

Of these wines, the 1986, though fading, was clearly fascinating to taste, the 1991 was still austere (with some ageing potential left) and the younger vintages showed the bright fruit-forward quality Koonunga Hill show always show. I loved the 1986, but the commemorative 2006 Seventy Six Kooonunga will provide lovely drinking (only available in restaurants) with the 1998 being very attractive too.

3rd September 2008

Importer ASC hosted the launch tasting of Champagne Ayala at Sadler Ristorante in the heart of Beijing’s recently re-opened and fascinating Legation Quarter (home to a number of other restaurants including the top-notch Maison Boulud). Guests enjoyed a selection of four wines (see below: click on links for tasting notes) overlooking the wide open spaces of the Legation Quarter and, a little further on, Tiananmen Square itself.

Champagne Ayala’s wines have definitely improved in recent years following acquisition by Bollinger and it makes sense for ASC to add this Champagne house to its expanding portfolio. At the same time, Ayala is actually a veritable old Champagne house dating back to 1860 and the good fortune of Edmond de Ayala, a Spanish aristocrat who came to France whilst serving as Consul of Columbia (his wedding dowry, in marrying Gabrielle d’Albrecht, involved acquisition of the Chateau de Aÿ in the heart of Pinot Noir country).

The star wine to drink on the night was the Ayala Brut Majeur, closely followed by the Ayala Blanc de Blancs 2000, a wine which will need further bottle ageing to show its true finesse. Generally, Ayala seeks lower dosage (i.e. adding less sugar before bottling), preferring to show the quality of its many Grand Cru vineyards in and around Aÿ, where it is still based.

Although some people at the tasting liked the Ayala Zero Dosage, a wine that has no added sugar, we didn’t feel this Champagne (at least the bottles we tried) held together. Perhaps Ayala needs a different mix of base wines in order to make a more drinkable no-dosage Champagne rather than using exactly the same blend as the Brut Majeur. But there was also the Ayala Rose Majeur on show for those who like a lighter-style rose Champagne.

All in all, the Brut Majeur was our favourite to drink now, a well-made, very drinkable Champagne dominated by Pinot Noir fruit and with a sensible 9g/l sugar at dosage. But it’s worth trying the Ayala range to see for yourself.