2007 Josmeyer Riesling ‘Le Kottabe’, Haut-Rhin, Alsace (RMB421)
Available from East Meets West. Contact: Wendy Jiang, Email: Wendy Jiang wendy@emw-wines.com (www.emw-wines.com)

Josmeyer is one of Alsace’s greatest producers and can trace its roots back to 1854, now under the watchful eye of winemaker Jean Meyer. The winery is also a fervent practitioner of biodynamic viticulture. This Riesling comes from 35 year-old vines close to the village of Wintzenheim.

Medium green-gold in colour, the nose has appealing apple fruit with mineral aromas. The palate is essentially dry with lovely fruit, excellent acidity, moderate alcohol and refreshing length. A superb wine to enjoy now or to age, it will also accompany Chinese cold dishes from various regional cuisines very well.

2006 Dr Bürklin-Wolf Pinot Noir, Pfalz, Germany (378RMB)
Available from Globus. Contact: Oliver Baenninger, Email: oliverbaenninger@globus-wine.com (www.globus-wine.com)

Dr Bürklin-Wolf is one of the top estates in Germany’s Pfalz region. This slightly warmer part of Germany enables Bürklin-Wolf to produce sumptuous white wines, but also this charming Pinot Noir. Another biodynamic producer, great care is taken in the vineyard to make one of Germany’s most attractive Pinots.

Medium red-purple in colour, the nose has very spiced red cherry Pinot fruit (with lots of white pepper, even clove). The palate has refreshing high acidity, low-medium smooth tannins, medium-high alcohol and quite good length. The quality of the fruit and the high acidity here means this Pinot Noir can suit chilli-hot forms of Chinese cuisine, including some Sichuan and Hunan dishes. Or enjoy as a lightly chilled aperitif when the Chinese summer arrives!

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This month we recommend two Californian wines which we have especially enjoyed recently on the back of our recent Californian trip (look out for future posts!)

(Photo: Schramsberg, remuage with riddler of long-standing Ramon)

2004 Schramsberg Crémant, California (412RMB)
Available from Globus. Contact: Oliver Baenninger, Email: oliverbaenninger@globus-wine.com  (www.globus-wine.com)

Intrigued to try something from the producer who supplied the wine for the secret meeting between Zhou Enlai and Nixon? Schramsberg is California’s most famous sparkling wine producer, serving Presidents, Kings and Queens and other dignitaries. This wine is called ‘Crémant’ because, although it is made through the traditional Champagne method, it is slightly less sparkling than Champagne.

Made from an unusually aromatic grape called Flora, the wine is a lovely deep gold with a gentle sparkle. The nose has floral and honeyed fruit with some toasty aromas whilst the palate is medium-sweet with balancing acidity and good length. An ideal Chinese banquet wine! (importer Globus stocks most of Schramsberg’s other wines including their Napa Cabernet, called ‘J. Davies’, which is well worth trying too).

2005 Ridge Lytton Springs (Zinfandel Blend), Sonoma, California (699RMB)
Available from Summergate. Contact: Jim Yang, Email: jim.yang@summergate.com Telephone 86.10. 6562.1800 ext 16 (www.summergate.com)

Ridge, under the command of Paul Draper, has become one of California’s greatest producers, with wineries in Sonoma and also the Santa Cruz Mountains (where the legendary Monte Bello Chardonnay and Monte Bello red blend are made).

This wine, from the Lytton Springs winery, is medium purple-red in colour. The nose has attractive blackberry, black cherry and berry fruits with lovely oak; whilst the palate offers robust and ripe tannins, strong fruit, nice acidity, good oak and excellent length. Made from 77% Zinfandel, 17% Petite Syrah and 6% Carignan, this is an extremely good wine. Try with Cantonese roast meats or even Beijing roast duck!

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(Above: Andrew Caillard MW presents)

23rd September 2009

Andrew Caillard MW of Australian fine wine auctioneers Langton’s - creators of the Langton Classification (1991) - presented this year’s Landmark Tasting courtesy of Wine Australia at the Park Hyatt, Beijing.

The Landmark wines, as their title suggests, represent some of the most notable achievements in Australian winemaking taken from the general topography of Australia’s diverse regional offerings where another tier of Regional Heroes can be found (’regionality‘ being the critical and often apt buzz-word among Australian wine circles).

This was the second year in which a selection of Landmark wines were shown in Beijing to a select group of local media, F&B, wine educators and wine importer-distributors influential throughout the PRC; joined by AWBC representatives, the new Chairman of the AWBC James Dominguez and personnel from Austrade.

Caillard gave a fun and informative introduction to each of the below wines, providing some compelling anecdotal glimpses into their respective histories in a presentation carefully pitched to the assembled audience. Certainly, as elsewhere in the world, but especially so in China, it is a critical time to introduce or re-introduce the fine wine message with respect to Australia (which has come in for a fair amount of flack in the international wine press).

For my part, the tasting and dinner were an incredible experience, a privilege; as the below wines should amply indicate:

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

2002 House of Arras Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir, Tasmania

2009 Grosset Polish Hill Riesling, Clare Valley

1999 Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Semillon, Hunter Valley

2006 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay, Margaret River

2006 Giaconda Chardonnay, Beechworth

2007 Bass Phillip Premium Pinot Noir, South Gippsland

2006 Mount Mary Quintet Cabernets, Yarra Valley

2004 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River

2004 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra

2008 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier, Canberra District

2004 Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz, Eden Valley

2004 Penfolds Grange, South Australia

2007 De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon, Riverina

1909 Seppeltsfield 100-Year Old Vintage Tawny, Barossa Valley

(For anyone interested in a vertical tasting of Penfolds Grange, featuring the 1983, 1991, 1998, 1999 and 2003 vintages, please click here).

Guests then sat down to a sensibly chosen and innovative menu, enjoying the following dishes (with some of the Landmark wines re-tasted for good measure):

Oolong tea-smoked lobster, chrysanthemum cress in a seasame-soy vinaigrette with blue-fina tuna and scallop timtable

2009 Grosset Polish Hill Riesling, Clare Valley

Twice-cooked crispy duck “Mille Feuille” in sweet and sour kumquat sauce with foie gras and a taro-truffle fritter

2007 Bass Phillip Premium Pinot Noir, South Gippsland

Jasmine tea and lychee sorbet (served in ice - as pictured above)

Wok-fried Wagyu beef tenderloin in black pepper sauce with braised veal cheeks in abalone sauce accompanied by sauteed pea sprouts and pumpkin risotto

2008 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier, Canberra District

2004 Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra

Imperial bird’s nest, coconut pudding and sherry ice cream

1909 Seppeltsfield Para 100 Year-Old Vintage Tawny, Barossa Valley

All in all, this was a very wine-friendly menu and especially appropriate for the fruit-driven complexity of many Australian wines. The below picture of the 1909 Seppeltsfield Vintage Tawny almost captures its dark brown oxidized colour, an incredible wine to experience (all tasting notes above on Adegga).

Our thanks to Wine Australia, Austrade and Andrew Caillard MW.

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Rounding off the end of September’s Beijing wine events in style, Torres China hosted its third annual Taste of the Nations portfolio tasting at the Chilean Embassy in Beijing.

(Read more about previous tastings here: 2008 Taste of the Nations, 2007 Taste of the Nations Part I, 2007 Taste of the Nations Part II).

Among dozens of wines, we tasted a snap-shot and took notes on the following:

Champagne Taittinger Brut Vintage 2002

Torres ‘Natureo’ Muscat, Catalunya 2007

Pintia, Toro 2005

Torres Mas La Plana, Penedes 2005

Symington Family Estates Altano Red, Douro 2006

Graham’s Late Bottled Vintage Port 2003

Domaine Bila-Haut ‘Occultum Lapidem’, M. Chapoutier 2006

Gigondas, M. Chapoutier 2006

Chateaneuf-du-Pape ‘La Bernardine’, M. Chapoutier 2005

Grosset Springvale Watervale Riesling, Clare Valley 2007

Bass Phillip Estate Pinot Noir, South Gippsland 2007

Henschke Keyneton Estate Euphonium, Eden Valley 2005

John Duval ‘Plexus’ SGM, Barossa Valley 2006

The Australian wines on offer were especially strong and the 2003 Graham’s LBV stunning.

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(Photo: The Wine Doctor)

Not so long ago we put our heads together to come up with a suitable Chinese name for legendary Haut-Medoc producer Chateau La Lagune.

If you want to read Fongyee’s rationale for the translation and discover the name itself, please click here (to download the La Lagune Newsletter).

This is now the official Chinese name for La Lagune and has since been adopted by The Singapore Wine Review and the Chinese Bordeaux Guide (which is working on a comprehensive list of names for all chateaux in the 1855 Classification).

For a full profile of La Lagune, click here. The Chateau’s wines are currently imported into China by Links.

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In association with importer Mercuris Fine Wines, Nick Yap of Aussie power-house Angove’s recently visited Beijing to host a media lunch at The Opposite House’s Sureno restaurant.

This tasting was something of an education because I hadn’t realized, among the many wines and brandies Angove’s produces, that there were some very good value wines in the Nine Vines and, especially, the Vineyard Select range.

Winemaker Tony Ingle and team are clearly doing great things. If you get a chance to sample the immensely refreshing Nine Vines Grenache Shiraz Rosé, do! (Ingle recently described this as his version of an eminently food-friendly Provence rosé).

Here’s what we tasted:

Angove’s Vineyard Select Clare Valley Riesling 2007

Angove’s Vineyard Select Limestone Coast Chardonnay 2007

Angove’s Nine Vines Shiraz-Viognier 2007

Angove’s Vineyard Select McLaren Vale Shiraz 2006

Angove’s Vineyard Select Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

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As part of Montrose Fine Wines‘ newly revamped portfolio, producers Emilio Moro (Ribera del Duero) and Borsao (Campo de Borja) recently visited Beijing for a sumptuous dinner at Agua (Qianmen No. 23).

The wines from Borsao are dependable and the Tres Picos (a robust Garnacha) proved popular. Emilio Moro, meanwhile, produces some distinctive Ribera and the Finca Resalso (an early drinking example) is likely to be a hit with Chinese tasters.

My wine of the night was, however, the 2005 Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero (although, admittedly, this will benefit from further ageing, however approachable it is now).

On tasting were:

Borsao Rosado Seleccíon, Campo de Borja 2008

Borsao Blanco Seleccíon, Campo de Borja 2007

Emilio Moro ‘Finca Resalso’, Ribera del Duero 2006

Ribera del Duero, Emilio Moro 2005

Borsao ‘Tres Picos’, Campo de Borja 2007

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(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

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Dean Hewitson of eponymous South Australian winery Hewitson recently presented a range of his wines with importer The Wine Republic at popular Sanlitun eatery Mosto.

Hewitson makes some of South Australia’s most restrained and elegant wines including some superb old vine Mourvèdre (these are genuinely ‘old vine’ emanating from a vineyard planted in 1853 - see below).

Unusual in this line-up was also the Private Cellar Shiraz Mourvèdre blend.

Here’s what we tasted:

Hewitson ‘Gun Metal’ Riesling, Eden Valley 2007

Hewitson ‘Lulu’ Viognier, Victoria 2006

Hewitson ‘Ned & Henry’ Shiraz, Barossa Valley 2006

Hewitson ‘Mad Hatter’ Shiraz, McLaren Vale 2006

Hewitson ‘Old Garden’ Mourvedre, Barossa Valley 2006

Hewitson ‘Private Cellar’ Shiraz Mourvedre 2006

Many of the reds will pay long-term cellaring, although the Ned & Henry will be approachable younger. The Lulu Viognier was varietally pure, racy and not too heavy (none of that overly extracted, glycerol mouthfeel); whilst the Gun Metal Riesling is as flinty, smoky and impressively ‘mineral’ as one could wish.

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2007 Marques de Montemor Branco 143RMB
(Available from East Meets West. Contact: Wendy Jiang, Email: wendy@emw-wines.com)

This appealing and very drinkable white wine from Quinta da Plansel is made from some very unusual grape varieties native to southern Portugal.

Their names are a mouthful, so don’t bother to memorize them! Just kick back, relax and enjoy their aromatic, fresh white fruits and refreshing acidity. This wine is perfect to drink on its own on a hot summer’s day or can go equally well with a light summer-time salad or seafood dish.

2006 Montes Limited Selection Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenère 132RMB (on offer)
This wine is right now on offer from the Wine Bank, a small retail store (TYG Building B1 #21, on 3rd Ring east, right next to Brassiere Flo).  Also available from Top Cellar and many supermarkets.

This mix of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%) and Carmenère (30%) blends two of Chile’s most successful black grapes. The wine has a very typical blackcurrant sweet fruit fragrance blended with spicy and vanilla oak aromas (plus a touch of Carmenère’s herbaceous character). The smooth and rich mouth-feel accompanied by ripe tannins and balanced high alcohol makes this lovely to drink on its own or to enjoy with strongly flavoured meat dishes – try with black pepper steak!

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