Wednesday, May 5th, 2010
2006 Roero Arneis, Correggia, Piemonte, Italy (258RMB)
Available from Wine Culture. Contact: Wendy Wu, Email: wendy_wu88@hotmail.com (www.wineculture.com.cn)
Arneis is a very aromatic grape variety native to Piemonte and especially to the Roero region. This example, from a top producer, is medium green-gold in colour. The nose has delicate peach, guava and floral aromas – Arneis is like a cross between Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc on the nose – whilst the palate is dry with refreshing high acidity, light to medium body and good length. Very suitable with a range of Chinese cold dishes, this wine and can even pair with jiaozi and its accompaniments!
2005 Domaine Cauhapé ‘Ballet d’Octobre’, Jurançon, France, 375ml (207RMB)
Available from China Wines & Spirits. Contact: Alexandre Cros, Email: alexandre@china-wines-and-spirits.com (www.china-wines-and-spirits.com)
Jurançon is a region in south-western France well-known for its production of a spicy, sweet white wine and some dry whites made from the Petit Manseng and/or Gros Manseng grape. This wine is called ‘Ballet d’Octobre’ on account of the wonderfully sweet and pungent grapes that are late-harvested in October (in this case, 70% Gros Manseng and 30% Petit Manseng).
Medium gold in colour, the nose has pear, apricot and peach fruit with a range of spices (cinnamon, clove) and honeyed aromas. The palate is medium sweet with vibrant acidity, lovely fruit and considerable length. This wine is a joy to drink on its own but would also suit less acidic Chinese fruits such as dragon fruit and water melon.
Thursday, February 4th, 2010
2008 La Spinetta Moscato d’Asti ‘Bricco Quaglia’, Piemonte, Italy (RMB 172)
Available from Watson’s, Contact Lily Li: LilyLi@asw.com.hk www.watsonswine.com
La Spinetta is one of the top producers in Italy’s Piemonte region. As well as making great Barolo and Barbaresco, among other wines - for a stunning example from the 1997 vintage click here - La Spinetta also produces one of the region’s best Moscato d’Asti, a delightful sweet sparkling wine (in this case named after a hill-top vineyard - bricco - frequented by quails - quaglia).
Light green in colour with attractive, gentle bubbles, the nose has Moscato’s wonderful perfume of orange blossom and lime fruit. The palate is medium sweet with just enough acidity to balance and low alcohol (5.5% abv.), making it very drinkable!
Moscato d’Asti – which is typically of higher quality than generic ‘Asti’ – does not get much better than this! Try with dishes that contain chilli (or other acidic spices) or enjoy with Chinese fruits at the end of a banquet.
NV McGuigan Sparkling Shiraz Black Label, Australia (RMB 128)
Available from Gelipu Wines, Contact Danny Wu: ausdanny@gmail.com, 13911229053 www.ai9.com.cn
Sadly, there is not much Sparkling Shiraz in China. Most of it is consumed in Australia where it is extremely popular, particularly for special occasions. This is a fun and food-friendly wine ideal for Chinese New Year banquets.
Medium purple with an attractive, full mousse, the nose has pleasant black cherry and berry fruits with a touch of spice.
The palate has refreshing medium acidity and tannin is kept to a minimum for this style of wine. Very adaptable to many kinds of Chinese dishes. We just wish there was more Sparkling Shiraz available here.
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
(Photo: www.theworldwidewine.com)
Sparkling Reds
With Chinese New Year and Western Valentine’s Day falling on the same day this month, nothing could be more suitable to celebrate than a decent sparkling red wine. Most sparkling wines are either white or rosé; and whilst pink may be considered a romantic colour, red, especially in China, is undeniably positive.
The sparkling red with the longest history is Lambrusco from Central-Northern Italy. Lambrusco is the name of the grape variety used and the region of production is Emilia-Romagna, famous for its especially rich cuisine (in which butter and olive oil are frequently combined and Parma ham and Parmesan are not far behind).
(Photo: www.turismo.comune.mo.it)
Buying good Lambrusco is difficult: firstly, there are four types of which one, Lambrusco Reggiano, is sweet, while the other three are off-dry. There is also a glut of cheap Lambrusco, which unfairly tarnishes the image of what can be a wonderful wine (we once tried a Lambrusco in Bologna produced by Rinaldi Rinaldini that was a superb example).
Generally, high quality Lambrusco should be medium to deep red in colour with a generous sparkle, attractive red cherry fruit and refreshing, integrated acidity – perfect with many types of food from Italian pasta with tomato sauce to Hunan dishes (in Bologna the wine accompaines tortellini in broth or rich ragu sauces).
The other main sparkling red is the uniquely Australian Sparkling Shiraz (see this month’s Wine Picks for an example). This can be made from 100% Shiraz grapes or may have other red grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon blended into the base wine. It is generally off-dry but higher quality and usually more expensive examples will be essentially dry.
Like many other forms of Australian Shirazes, Sparkling Shiraz is full of berry fruits (mulberry, blueberry, blackberry, etc.) and has a very friendly palate with gentle acidity. However, unlike other styles, Sparkling Shiraz should be very low in tannin, thus the palate should not astringent at all.
Sparkling Shiraz should be easy to drink and is a great wine to pair with such classics as Beijing roast duck, hamburgers and many other forms of grilled or roast meat.
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
2005 Barone Ricasoli ‘Castello di Brolio’ Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy (508RMB)
Available from Watson’s. Contact: Lily Li. Email: LilyLi@asw.com.hk www.watsonswine.com
The Barone Ricasoli restored his family’s castle and vineyards in the early 1990s and now makes some of the finest Chianti available.
Predominantly Sangiovese, this wine is a gorgeous dark purple-red colour with a lovely nose of red and black cherry fruit, clove spice and subtle, savoury oak aromas. The palate is packed with sour, but ripe black and red cherry fruit, refreshing high acidity and a wonderful tannic structure with excellent length. Very high quality and superb with turkey, duck, goose or other roast birds!
2006 De Bortoli ‘Noble One’ Botrytis Semillon, Riverina, New South Wales, Australia 375 ml (443RMB)
Available from Torres China. Contact: Jenny Zhang. Email: jenny@torres.com.cn www.torreschina.com
Sweet wines are essential at Christmas! May be you have tasted France’s great treasures such as Sauternes from Bordeaux, Coteaux du Layon or Bonnezeaux from the Loire Valley or the wonderful sweet wines of Alsace. But Australia’s Noble One is among the greatest sweet wines available. In its first vintage in 1982 it even beat Chateau d’Yquem in a blind-tasting!
Deep gold in colour, the nose has lovely honey and citrus lemon with the savoury aromas of noble rot (botrytis). A rich, sweet palate with balancing acidity and wonderful length make for a special Christmas treat! Don’t just think to match this wine with fruit or cream desserts. Try with paté, especially foie gras (fatty goose or duck liver). The trick with sweet wines is: never serve a dish that is sweeter than the wine itself (otherwise your delicate ‘dessert’ wine, so-called, will taste unduly sour).
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
NV Prosecco ‘Jeio’ Valdobbiadene Brut, Bisol, Veneto, Italy 211RMB
Available from East Meets West, contact: Wendy Jiang. Email: wendy@emw-wines.com
Prosecco is an easy sparkling wine to enjoy and to remember! Prosecco is both the grape name and place from which this famous Veneto sparkler comes. Bisol is a highly reliable producer too, this wine originating from the Valdobbiadene heartland of the Treviso region.
Light to medium green in colour with a persistent mousse, this Prosecco has delicate apple and pear fruit, refreshing high acidity and good length. Try as an aperitif or with many Chinese light dishes (Prosecco is very food-friendly).
NV Pol Roger Champagne Brut, France 826RMB
Available from Summergate, contact: Jim Yang. Email: jim.yang@summergate.com
Telephone 86.10. 6562.1800 ext 16.
Although one of the famous Grande Marque Champagne houses – like Moët & Chandon or Veuve Cliquot – Pol Roger is relatively small. It boasts very high quality wines indeed. This classic non-vintage Brut – known popularly as ‘White Foil’ on account of its distinctive white packaging – is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (exactly a third of each).
Lovely medium gold colour with a fine, delicate mousse, the nose has complex citrus and slight redcurrant fruit with typical yeasty, bread-like and biscuit aromas. The palate is effectively dry with amazing depth of flavour, very well-balanced high acidity and considerable length. Winston Churchill once described Pol Roger as ‘the most drinkable address in Europe’. Now we can enjoy this top-flight Champagne in China!
Sunday, September 13th, 2009
(Pandolfini speaks with Wine in China editor Fiona Sun)
Jacopo Pandolfini, Antinori’s new man on the ground in Shanghai, is working closely with importer Summergate to further the cause of Italian wines - and the Antinori portfolio specifically - in China.
On a recent visit to Beijing, Pandolfini spoke with assembled local media over lunch at Sadler restaurant (part of the Qianmen 23 complex).
Mr Pandolfini, who spent three years with Antinori in the US, happily admitted to being on a learning curve in China and was looking forward to his move to Shanghai.
Over lunch we tasted the following food-friendly wines:
Santa Cristina ‘Cipresseto’ IGT Rosé, Tuscany 2006
Santa Cristina Chianti Superiore, Tuscany 2006
Saturday, May 2nd, 2009
2007 Santa Cristina “Cipresseto” Rose IGT 189RMB
Available from Summergate. Contact 010 6562 1800 or www.summergate.com
This lovely rosé is part of the Santa Cristina range from the Italian family firm of Antinori. This is no sickly-sweet candied-berry rosé but one with serious savoury flavours and balance (made from a mix of traditional Tuscan varieties such as Sangiovese). A perfect companion for a summer’s day, this wine is bone dry, refreshing and lively with a delicate redcurrant and strawberry fragrance. The mouth-watering acidity is well-balanced with the fruit and the result is a very food-friendly wine that would go with dishes ranging from salads and patés to fish and chicken as well as lighter Chinese dishes such as shitake mushroom braised with greens or crispy-skinned chicken.
2006 Bourgogne Chardonnay Signature, Maison Champy 332RMB
Available from The Wine Republic. Contact email: orders@thewinerepublic.com or Tel: (010) 5869 7050
An elegant white Burgundy provides a refreshing but sophisticated drink for warm summer days. Maison Champy is one of several negociants to have really upped quality since the late 1990s. This is elegantly made with bright citrus fruit, delicate oak, lifting acidity and a good overall structure. Perfect with a smoked salmon or chicken salad or just by itself. An excellent wine to take as a gift (preferably pre-chilled!) to dinner parties and suitable for lighter cold starters at the Chinese banquet table.
Friday, January 23rd, 2009
22nd January 2009
Joining the cream of the British wine trade on our UK trip, we were delighted to taste our way through a sizeable range of the Richards Walford portfolio.
Here are our full notes, although, in truth, we only managed to taste a selection of what is a wide-ranging and extremely impressive body of wines (Királyudvar being especially good).
The notes are divided by country and region:
France, Champagne
NV Champagne Le Mesnil, U.P.R., Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
Champagne Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru 2000
France, Alsace
Rolly Gassmann Riesling Pflaenzerreben, Rorschwihr, Alsace 2000
Rolly Gassmann Gewurztraminer, Rorschwihr, Alsace 2004
Rolly Gassmann Tokay Pinot Gris Rotleibel Vendange Tardive 1996
France, Côtes Catalanes
Le Soula, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes, Gérard Gauby (Rouge) 2007
Le Soula, Vin De Pays Des Côtes Catalanes, Gérard Gauby (rouge) 2006
Le Soula, Vin De Pays Des Côtes Catalanes, Gérard Gauby (rouge) 2005
Le Soula, Vin De Pays Des Côtes Catalanes, Gérard Gauby (rouge) 2004
France, Rhône
Côte-Rôtie ‘Cuvée du Plessy’, Gilles Barge 2006
Côte-Rôtie ‘Cordeloux’, Pierre Benetière 2006
Austria, Wachau
Grüner Veltliner Loibner Berg Smaragd, Wachau, F. X. Pichler 2007
Riesling Steinertal Smaragd, Wachau, F. X. Pichler 2007
Grüner Veltliner Ried Kreutles Federspiel, Wachau, Emmerich Knoll 2007
Hungary, Tokaji
Királyudvar Tokaji Sec, Tokaji 2005
Királyudvar Tokaji Sec, Tokaji 2006
Királyudvar Tokaji Becsek (demi-sec), Tokaji 2005
Királyudvar Hárslevlu Lapis 2006
Királyudvar Tokaji Cuvée Ilona, Tokaji 2003
Királyudvar Tokaji Aszù 6 Puttonyos, Tokaji 2002
Királyudvar Tokaji Aszù Lapis, Tokaji 2002
Italy, Tuscany
Lisini Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany 2003
Lisini Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany 1999
Lisini Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany 1998
Lisini Brunello Di Montalcino, Tuscany 1995
Italy, Piemonte
Barbera d’Alba ‘Maggiur’, Cascina Luisin 2007
Barbaresco Sorí Paolin, Cascina Luisin 2003
Barbaresco Rabajá, Cascina Luisin 2003
Italy, Veneto
Valpolicella Superiore ‘Marion’, Stefano Campedelli 2004
Teroldego IGT ‘Marion’, Veneto, Stefano Campedelli 2004
Amarone della Valpolicella ‘Marion’, Veneto, Stefano Campedelli 2004
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008
4th March 2008
Jebsen Fine Wines had organized a special tasting held at the newly opened Ritz Carlton Hotel in Beijing’s Chaoyang District - the second Ritz Carlton in the city, in fact, the other being on Financial Street - of the wines of Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, the great Tuscan producer based in Bolgheri and responsible for the legendary Ornellaia.
On tasting were:
2005 Le Volte, Toscana IGT
Appearance: medium red-purple, slight orange rim.
Nose: bright red cherry fruit, possible unoaked (on first nose). Certainly no evidence of new oak treatment.
Palate: nice acidity here, soft red fruits, low-medium silky tannins. Nice length.
Conclusion: this wine is a blend of Sangiovese 50%, Merlot 30% and Cabernet Sauvignon 20%, vinified separately with the blended wine then being aged in 2-4 year old barrels for some 10 months. In other words, not much oak flavour is imparted, if any, as desired. We expected a bit more structure to come through from the Cabernet Sauvignon, but it’s clearly well-made. Drink now or over the next couple of years. Retail RMB255.
Rating: 16/20
2002 Le Serre Nuove Bolgheri DOC
Appearance: medium purple with red tints, slight orange rim.
Nose: bright red and black fruits, noticeable oak, savoury and relatively complex for the vintage.
Palate: nice acidity again here (as you’d expect), angular medium-high chewy tannins, but only medium-bodied throughout. Nice length too.
Conclusion: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, this wine’s malolactic fermentation began in stainless steel but was finished in barrique (25% new oak, the remaining 75% in once-used barrels). It was then aged in barrique for some 18 months. It’s impressive they were able to produce such a nice wine in the rain-prone 2002 vintage, a bit of a wash-out in Tuscany. Strict selection would have had to be necessary. We preferred this to the Le Volte 2005, however. Jebsen currently offers other vintages of the Le Serre Nuove (2004 and 2005) for RMB616 and RMB633. We’d hope the 2002 is cheaper, if they still have it.
Rating: 17/20
2005 Ornellaia (1985-2005 anniversary bottle)
Appearance: dark purple-red.
Nose: very elegant nose of myriad red and black fruits, toasty oak prevalent at present as well.
Palate: medium-high chunky tannins, lovely acidity, complex fruits gradually revealing themselves. Long.
Conclusion: this must be a special blend for the occasion, as we couldn’t find anything on the Ornellaia website about the constituents or vinification of the 2005. This wine has some of the restraint and elegance of fine Pomerol or other Right Bank Bordeaux, but with more vibrant acidity. Will age for many years, but is approachable now. Retail RMB1915.
Rating: 18/20 [but should get better]
1995 Ornellaia
Appearance: medium red, marked orange rim.
Nose: fading red and black fruits, leaves, decaying oak and other complex savoury smells (mushrooms etc.).
Palate: complex palate which is more youthful than the nose suggests, lovely acidity and great length. Tannins have precipitated out and it’s very smooth and very appealing!
Conclusion: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, this wine was aged for about 16 months in French oak barriques (39% new, 61% once-used), bottled without filtration and matured a further 14 months before release. It’s clearly fine wine and drinking well now. We cannot put a retail price on this wine for the Chinese market, however. The cheapest we’ve seen it on Wine Searcher is around £55 (UK pounds) or $100 (USD). It is likely to be much more expensive in China, if it is available at all.
Rating: 18.5/20
Wednesday, November 21st, 2007
Here are the rest of the wines from the Antinori tasting 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 (see separate posting for the three whites on show and the Umbrian and Tuscan wines we tasted) as well as Piemonte (Prunotto) and Puglia (Tormaresca), both also under Antinori control.
2005 Dolcetto d’Alba, Prunotto
Appearance: deepish purple colour, clear rim.
Nose: lots of red and black cherry but with noticeable almond nose and some white pepper. No oak.
Palate: chewy medium tannins (well managed here for Dolcetto!), medium-high refreshing acidity, lovely fruit and impressive length. Alcohol is well-balanced too.
Conclusion: a lovely example of Dolcetto from a strong vintage. Retail 203RMB.
Rating: 18/20
2005 Barbera d’Asti ‘Fiulot’ Vineyard, Prunotto
Appearance: medium red-purple, clear rim.
Nose: light red cherry nose with some stalky fruit. Some other savoury smells, but no oak.
Palate: bright fruit, nice acidity, and moderate spiky tannins. Quite good length.
Conclusion: medium-range Barbera in a light style. Well-made. Retail 179RMB.
Rating: 17/20
2000 Barbera d’Asti ‘Costamiole’ Vineyard, Prunotto
Appearance: dark purple-red, slight orange rim.
Nose: complex nose with intense black cherry fruit and several different savoury aromas including herbs (rosemary, oregano). Some of the spice here must be traceable to oak.
Palate: very ripe chewy tannins, great acidity and fantastic complexity of fruit and oak. Well-balanced throughout.
Conclusion: part of the Prunotto ‘Cru’ range and a superb Barbera! The wine does actually spend 12 months in barriques and is then aged for a year in bottle before release. Retail 660RMB.
Rating: 18.5/20
2001 Barolo ‘Bussia’ Vineyard, Prunotto
Appearance: medium to dark purple-red, slight orange rim.
Nose: immensely perfumed Nebbiolo with a mixture of black cherry and redcurrant fruit, peppermint and florality (although what flowers we couldn’t tell you!). Oak is well-integrated here as the grape variety is allowed to sing.
Palate: seems tighter in flavour on the palate (this is not a function of the gripping tannins as such). Very good length, however.
Conclusion: obviously high-class Barolo from a really good year that has an impressive life ahead. The ‘Bussia’ vineyard is in Monforte. The wine is aged in large French oak barrels, then in smaller barriques before being aged for a further year in bottle. Approx. 839RMB retail.
Rating: 18.5/20 [might be higher with time]
The Puglian reds from Tormaresca:
2004 Rosso Puglia IGT, Tormaresca
Appearance: medium red, clear rim.
Nose: attractive red and black cherry fruit, ‘warm’ and quite alcoholic on the nose. ‘Rustic’ in a good sense.
Palate: chewy and spiky medium tannins, refreshing acidity, pleasant fruit, quite good length.
Conclusion: 70% Negroamaro and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is an attractive blend for everyday drinking. Retail 167RMB.
Rating: 16.5/20
2003 ‘Masseria Maime’ Salento IGT, Tormaresca
Appearance: medium purple-red, clear rim.
Nose: ‘crushed berries’ with leathery notes, also savoury and, again, ‘rustic’, although that needs qualifying. There’s an alcoholic quality to the nose, probably helped by the 2003 heat. This is attractive though.
Palate: nice ripe tannins, pleasant fruit, decent acidity and a good overall balance despite the ‘warm’ alcohol nose. Good length.
Conclusion: 100% Negroamaro and very drinkable. Impressive. Retail 419RMB.
Rating: 17.5/20
