Wine Century Club appears in a Decanter article

Readers of this blog know of the Wine Century Club from various tidbits in the past. Apart from the entry detailing my entry into its ranks at the doppel level in November 2011, I have frequently mentioned my grape discovery antics in this blog. The profusion of entries detailing lesser known (or even outright obscure) grape varieties bear testament to my grape collecting tendencies. Now Decanter has published an article by John Stimpfig in the January 2014 issue about it in which there were interviews with a number of intrepid grape collectors, including someone who had tasted over 500 grapes. JC should be pleased that he Hong Kong chapter was mentioned in the article. Now it seems to be a good time for me to sort out my grapes and present myself for the 400 level (and my wife for 300).

Pamid

I tasted a wine which included this grape variety in last year's Wine and Dine. Although Pamid is an ancient Bulgarian grape, the wine I tasted came from Greece and included Limnio as well as Cinsault in its blend. A high yielding grape achieving good sugar levels but low acidity, Pamid makes light quaffable wines for early consumption when vinified alone.

As for this wine, it was a deep ruby with a sweet acid fruity nose with a hint of the skin of currants. The palate was sweet and fruity, giving way to a tannic and then sharply acidic mid palate, turning slowly into an acid backbone giving sterling support.

Chambolle-Musigny les Amoureuses 2009

I had blogged about this climat for Valentine's Day last year and how I got to know about this vineyard (Jancis Robinson's book), but I had not got round to tasting that bottle yet. However I came across this wine from the same climat at last year's Wine and Dine Festival and I could not resist the urge to have a taste.

I know that Burgundies differ between producers even if the fruit comes from the same climat, but I had never tasted this wine before. The wine was a ruby red with an acid fruity meaty nose. The palate was sweet and fruity with acid, leading onto a nice acidic backbone giving sterling support.

Kisi

I tasted a wine made from the grape Kisi in last year's Wine Fair. This obscure grape from East Georgia is often made into wine by fermenting in Qveri clay vessels (see previous blog entries on these special wines here and here) in the traditional way. This apparently involves fermenting the grapes whole, skins, seeds, stems and all, in buried earthenware vessels for some 5 to 6 months with regular stirring! The modern way is then to let the wine then age for a further 12 months in oak, which is what happened to this sample I tried. Back to the grape, Kisi is a low yielding grape which tends to be fermented into off dry wines with tropical fruit aromas.

As for this wine, it was an orange gold with an aromatic slightly cardboardy nose, the palate was off-dry, a bit fruity with some clay notes. An astringent acid backbone left an astringent finish after the acid subsided.

Lafon-Rochet's second wine

The second wine of Chateau Lafon-Rochet goes by two different names, Les Pellerins or La Chapelle, and I have encountered both versions here in Hong Kong. My last encounter was a promotion at some shop or another just before the Chinese New Year and I then tasted the 2007 vintage. This second wine is made from younger vines (between 10 and 30 years old) and is aged in barrels for only 15 months (since there was no mention of new barrels as there was for the grand vin, it can be assumed that old barrels were used). as for the 2007, it was ruby garnet with a slightly sweet fruity nose with hints of wood. The sweet fruit continued onto the palate, well supported by an acid backbone with a touch of tannins.

Urla Karasi

I came across this wine made from this obscure grape blended with the Sicilian grape Nero d'Avola at last year's Wine Fair. Urla Karasi (meaning the black grape of Urla) is an ancient grape from Urla in Izmir Province (Turkey). It is grown in bush vines there and it was originally thought that there are no pure breed vines. Later three old pure breed plants wer found and from these more vines were propagated. Apart from this, it is difficult to obtain more information about this grape (no listing on VIVC). As for this wine, it was a deep ruby, with a berry fruity nose, which followed through to the palate accompanied by spicy notes. There was ample acidity for structure and support.

Keith Haring's Mouton 1988 label

I had blogged about tasting this wine in last year's Wine and Dine Festival already; now I am blogging about the label and the artist. The design for the label is a satirical take of the Dancing Ram theme by Keith Haring. Now Keith Haring is the sort of artist whose name as well as artwork you might see on posters and T-shirts. Also known for his graffiti and other public art, Keith Haring is one of the best known American artists of the 20th Century.

Born in Reading Pennsylvania, Haring first studied commercial art before going to New York and then studying Painting in the Manhattan School of Visual Arts. One of his early images, the Radiant Baby, subsequently became his symbol. In the 1980s he created over 50 public works in dozens of cities around the world. Later he took up social activism through his works including anti-Apartheid, AIDS awareness and the crack cocaine epidemic. Haring died in 1990 from the complication of AIDS.

Provinage for Bollinger Vieille Vigne Francaise

The Bollinger Vielle Vigne Francaise is a rare Blanc de Noir champagne from a famous house, remarkable for the fact that the vines, from which the fruit (100% Pinot Noir) originate, are ungrafted. The way the ungrafted plants come into being is also unusual in that they were not raised from seed and planted into the ground; instead the ancient practice of provinage by which the fruiting canes are pushed back into the soil  after harvest to bury the growing tip and encourage rooting, so that in the new season the tip roots and gives rise to a "new" plant. This method of planting "en foule" (literally in a crowd) was used up till the end of the 19th century but is only done in a few locations nowadays. Apart from being labour intensive, it also makes the vineyard "migrate" in a certain direction, so that from time to time replanting is needed in the "lee" of the migration.

Initially there were three vineyards from which the fruit originated - two walled vineyards Clos Chaude Terre and Clos St-Jacques in Ay and an unenclosed on Croix Rouge in Bouzy. However, since 2005, phylloxera had caught up with the last vineyard and the production of this unique champagne has shrunk as a result.

Chateau Cantenac

Although Cantenac is a commune in the Haut-Medoc whose wines fall under the Margaux appellation, and although there are 3 classified growths from Margaux with Cantenac in their name, this estate of Chateau Cantenac is firmly on the opposite (right) bank and is a St Emilion Grand Cru.

Owned by the present family since the 1930s, the estate added to its holdings by acquiring Chateau Tour de Grenet (in the Lussac St Emilion appellation) and now offer three wines from Ch Cantenac and one from Ch Tour de Grenet. Apart from the Cantenac main wine, there is Merlot dominated selection as well as a super cuvee made fruit selected from om the best parcels of the vintage.

Champagne Billecart-Salmon

Billecart-Salmon is not my usual champagne, though I have drunk the Brut a number of times. The other thing I know is that it does produce a demi-sec which is well regarded, and that is something that I want to try, demi-secs being uncommon and good demi-secs rarer still.

Billecart-Salmon is a medium sized family owner champagne house in Mareuil-sur-Ay, founded when the Billecart and Salmon families were joined in matrimony in 1818. The Billecarts were noted winemakers already, with an ancestor being awarded the right to create a coat-of-arms by Louis 13th. Apart from the usual non-vintage and vintage champagnes, there is a special wine made from an area beside the house that had been set aside for the family. This is their Clos St Hilaire special cuvee.

Calon-Segur for Valentine

Sometimes you take things for granted; it is only when people does something a little out of the ordinary that you realize that there is no reason why this should not be the case. In this context, the heart shape which encloses the name of the Chateau was such a familiar sight that one tends to forget it, especially in relation to romantic matters. It was only when some one posted a picture of Calon-Segur on Facebook as their Valentine wine last year that the label could be interpreted this way. Well I suppose, given that the heart on the label was because the owner, Marquise de Segur, declared that his heart was at this chateau even though he also owned Lafite and Latour at the time, having this wine at Valentine Day is as reasonable a choice as any.

Ch Climens 2001

Chateau Climens is a first growth Barsac estate, with which I am a little bit familiar. In 2004, I attended a tasting of its wines at Berry Brother's Causeway Bay shop, and it was introduced by Berenice Lurton herself. A number of wines were tasted, including the latest vintage which was specially brought over for the tasting, the 2001 vintage. I remembered that I had to take a photo because the duty was not paid on the bottle and I could not take the label, otherwise I will need to come up with the duty for that bottle. Now looking up the wine again, I found that it was awarded the prestigious full marks of 100 points by Robert Parker that year. So that's another RP100 wine my wife and I had tasted. Now all I have to do is to locate the tasting notes of that wine again!

PS. I had started writing about the 2006 vintage which I tasted last year before it ended up being the RP100 vintage of 2001 tasted in 2004. That would have to wait for another tidbit.

Emir

I met a wine made from Emir in last year's Wine Fair. Originating in Cappadocia, the grape is called Emir (as in the ruler) because the high quality of its wines are thought good enough for the ruler's table. The variety can grow at high altitudes, with many of the vineyards at around 4000 ft. The wines are typically high in acidity (which is why the variety is recruited for sparkling wine production) and good minerality. Fruit notes tend to be of the citrus kind.

As for this wine, it was a golden straw colour, with a little acid and a little fruit on the nose. It was off dry on the palate with a little fruit and a fair bit of lemony acidity, the latter of which went on to form the backbone of the wine.

Beauregards and other "umbrella" 1er Crus

Chablis Premier Cru (1er Cru) is one of my favourite French whites for seafood and I have tasted a number of different crus. My first ever encounter was with a Beauroy which my sister bought from Marks and Spencers whilst we were studying in London many moons ago. I see many examples of the following names in Hong Kong - Mont de Milieu, Montée de Tonnerre, Fourchaume, Vaillons, Montmains etc. Recently I bought one that I haven't met before - Beauregards. It turns out that there are some 40 1er Crus in Chablis and some 17 of them are more often used on the label than others - they are sometimes nicknamed the "umbrella"1er Crus. Different small climats are "attached" to different "umbrella"1er Crus. Although the latter are usually seen, I have also met the smaller climats on the labels too.

Ermitage de l'Oree

Having blogged about Ermitage le Meal recently, I now turn my attention to one of the whites from the same line of products, which incidentally I tasted at last year's Wine Fair. Actually, I remember blogging about their Vin de Paille as well (in my old blog) too. "De l'Oree" only has a white version and its fruit (100% Marsanne) comes from 70 year old vines in another plot of vineyard "Le Murets". After hand harvesting and pressing, the must is cold settled for 24 hours before fermentation in 600L wooden casks and vats (around half-half). The wine undergoes further maturation on lees with regular battonage for around 6 months. It then matures for a further 10-12 months before bottling.

This wine was a nice golden yellow, with a nose that has mild elements of meatiness, sweetness and fruit. The palate was sweet acid and fruity with a slightly astringent (similar to a mildly tannic feel) acid backbone for support.

Chateau Bellevue Mondotte 2007

This wine was recommended for me to try before I taste the Pavie at last year's Wine and Dine. A wine from the same stables as Pavie since Perse acquired it in 2001, this small St Emilion estate (2.5 ha) which was once part of the Pavie-Decesse enclave (also a Perse property) produces a serious garagiste style St Emilion wine in small quantities - typically 300-350 cases per vintage. Green harvesting followed by had harvesting and sorting to ensure the best of fruit, the wine undergoes natural fermentation by native yeasts in temperature controlled wooden vats, with a total of 3 to 5 weeks maceration. The wine is then aged on lees for 6 months in a total of 24 months maturation in 100% new oak. Assemblage occurs just before bottling without fining or filtration.

The 2007 vintage was a deep ruby with a rich berry leathery nose. The rich berry notes continue onto the palate accompanied by a good smattering of tannins, well supported by a tannic, sweet slightly acid backbone.

An old white Burgundy from Javillier

I forgot when I bought this wine, or indeed how I got to buy it, but I found it in my "collection" with a dog-eared label and with rather a bit more age than one should leave these generic Burgundies and so I took it out and put it in a place where I would remember to drink it. I opened it the other day as I was having a garoupa tail braised with mushrooms and roast pork. There was also a dish of chicken giblets with celery and it went very well with the chicken liver too, enhancing the taste of the liver.

This cuvee des forgets is Javillier's entry level product, being souces from AC Bourgogne blanc sites around Meursault. At thirteen years old, it is well past the recommended aging of 3-5 years, but the wine was still a lovely old gold, with a sweet fruity grapefruity nose with a slight hint of fishiness. The palate was dry acid with an ever so slight touch of fruit, well supported by a lemony acid backbone. Well done for an elderly Bourgogne Blanc!

Longanesi

I chanced upon this stall in the 2013 Wine and Dine Festival, specializing in unfamiliar Italian wines. It was at this stall that I tasted a dry Cinque Terre wine as well as the white wine from Elba. I tasted this Burson, made from the Longanesi grape. There is not a lot of information about this grape and I cannot find it on the VIVC database, but it seems to be another ancient grape saved from extinction, this time by a certain Signor Longanesi after whom the grape is now named. The grape seems to have existed for centuries in the area around Ravenna, and it was Longanesi who noticed this singular vine climbing up an oak tree in the 1950s. After a great deal of effort, the grape eventually its way into the National Registry in 2000, and the local consortium registered the name of Burson as the wine made from it. Of course there had to be a link with the discoverer of the grape, it was his nickname, which unflatteringly means a bore. I tasted this example of Burson: a deep ruby red with leafy acid berry nose, the acid berry notes on the nose carried through to the palate accompanied by sweetness and lummy notes, beuing well supported by an acid backbone.

Arimei Passito Secco

I blogged about the grapes of this unique wine a few days ago. Coming from a winery dating back two centuries, abandoned and subsequently revitalized, this is a wine whose place of origin is as dramatic as its history. Hailing from the volcanic island of Ischia and made from ancient grapes probably brought there by the Greeks, the wine required hand picking in seven harvests spread over three seasons, of the five grapes I had already blogged about.

This wine was a golden tea colour with a grapey dried apricot nose. The palate was slightly sweet (despite its secco designation) with lots of dried apricot notes. This extended through the backbone to the finish which is full of dried apricot acidity.

Neuburger

I met this grape as a minor component in a Ruster Ausbruch blend from Feiler-Artinger on the 2012 Wine Fair, but I met this grape in a varietal in last year's Wine Fair. Neuburger is a natural crossing of Roter Veltliner and Sylvaner from Wachau in Austria, but its importance is diminishing with Gruner Veltliner replacing it in many vineyards. Although it ripens early, it has inconsistent yields and in quite prone to disease. The grape produces aromatic and full bodied wines with good acidity, having aromas and flavours of almonds and honey. Younger wines can be spicy and flowery developing nutty aromas later on.

This example was a lemon yellow, with an orangey muscat nose. The orangey fruitiness (although muted) extended onto the palate, accompanied by an equally muted sweetness, well supported by a good acidic backbone.