A Bordeaux white with an unusual grape on the label

 

I snapped this label from the shelves of one of the big two supermarket chains the other day. I had fleetingly seen this particular wine before, but I seem to encounter the other white wine from this estate more often - that does not list grapes on the label. I had blogged about a Chilean Sauvignon Gris some time ago, but it seems to be unusual to find this grape listed on the label of any wine, let alone a Bordeaux white. Sauvignon gris is actually allowed in both sweet and dry white Bordeaux wines, although it is rarely listed in the cepage. That again is not surprising, the amount grown in Bordeaux is actually not very much.

Mas de Daumas Gassac

We had a pair of red and white wines from Mas de Daumas Gassac at the Sunday brunch after the KCCWS AGM the other day. This is a pioneering winery in the Languedoc region of France, built in the 1970s with its first vintage of red in 1978. The first white wine was made in 1986. Although there are many indigenous varieties in the vineyard, the cepage of their wines is dominated by international varieties and is usually blended in novel ways, so that the wines fail to conform to the established rules of the AC system. As a result the wines were given the lowest legal category, though their quality has been recognized from the mid 1980s.

The barrel of 2015 Cuvee Maurice Drouhin

I had already blogged about the acquisition of another barrel of Hospice wine by the Wine Society, and of tasting it at the recent KCCWS AGM. I was strolling around the Club the other day when I chanced upon a wine barrel, which on closer inspection turned out to be that for the Cuvee Maurice Drouhin . Making enquiries, it was ascertained that the people who bought the contents of the barrel also acquired the barrel, and had it shipped to Hong Kong. I think they planned to get it dressed up and placed somewhere (probably in the Pavilion) to increase the visibility of the Wine Society in the Club. As such, I left the barrel to undergo refurbishment. It is not everyday one gets to meet the barrel of which contents you had recently tasted.

PS. For tasting a Sauternes out of a barrel, please refer to this entry from my visit to Bordeaux last May).

Comparing the 2011 and 2015 Cuvee Maurice Drouhin

These two magnums were part of the line-up at the KCCWS AGM Brunch and it was interesting to compare the two vintages. Looking up the two vintages on the web, the 2011 was an early drinking vintage with elegance and charm; the reds having bright fruit complimented by a light body. The 2015 was however a powerful vintage with the red being rich, powerful and statuesque  underpinned by juicy acidity, and these wines are for the long haul.

The 2015 was tasted first, and it was a bright ruby with strawberry fruit on the nose pepped up with a good dose of acidity. The palate was acid berry with a touch of astringency, well supported by an  acid backbone. The 2011 on the other hand was a limpid ruby, with a strawberry acid nose that hinted of  meatiness. The palate was slightly sweet and slightly fruity, again well supported by an  acid backbone. Both very nice wines with the 2011 more evolved and ready to dink whilst waiting for the glories of the 2015 to slowly reveal itself in the mean time.

PS. Last year, the 2011 was a touch woody on the palate with more of a stewed fruit note on the nose, both of which had abated in the interim, whilst some meatiness had developed on the nose.

KCCWS AGM and Brunch 2018

The KCC Wine Society held its AGM followed by Sunday Brunch yesterday. Apart from the serious business of the AGM, the brunch which followed is an opportunity to showcase some of the Society's wine holdings. Occasionally there are forgotten bottles, like a 2005 Ardeche Chardonnay from Louis Latour which had gone well past its use by date and is maderised with caramel notes (No it did go with sweeter dishes or desserts either!)

One of the special wines this time was the 2015 vintage of the Hospice de Beaune 1er Cru of which the Club acquired by auction before (ie the 2011) ; they got together again and bought another barrel. We had both wines and it was interesting to compare the two vintages (that's for another entry). last year we had a red and white pair from Chateau Musar; this year we have a pair from Mas de Daumas Gassac! Is this the beginning of a tradition? If so, what can we have next year?

Clos du Mont-Olivet Le Petit Mont 2015

 

I had this wine the other day as after concert drinks. The winery was one that I had tasted before on a few occasions, and is one which can produce some highly regarded wines with good scores. This is not their "Grand Vin" but the second wine which has been in production since 2005. I had bought their "Grand Vin' many times but it is the first time I tried Le Petit Mont. It did not disappoint. The wine was a deep ruby with an acid berry fruity nose. The palate was sweet acid and fruity, seasoned with a touch of tannins, well supported by a good acid backbone.

Some half bottles of clarets from the supermarkets

I had blogged about half bottles at the Club the other day, but so far I had not got around to trying them. There are a number of branches of the big 2 supermarkets within walking distance (say the distance between 2 MTR stations) and occasionally one gets to see some interesting wines in them, even half bottles! These are some which I got recently (though the Chateau Lilian Ladouys might have been from a little earlier). Often one sees a mixture of basic bottles of reds and whites from the New World (particularly Australia and maybe Chile or Argentina) but occasionally one gets to find the odd example of claret in half bottles. Entry level Sauternes is often seen and they seem to be most easily available of any Bordeaux half bottles in these supermarkets.

PS. I recently got a bottle of Vin Santo from one of these shops (together with a bottle of grappa, seemingly made from respectable Tuscan wines) Now that is really a wonderful surprise!