There are many ways to describe a wine. Some describe and remembers it as a memoir, food pairing, taste profiles, and so on…Previously, I did ask and was wondering what other ways can a wine be described? For the sake of this article, I’ll be swaying away from the conventional tasting notes but instead I shall describe the wines below as a ‘personality’. I’ll be describing the wines as how these personalities have charmed my palate.

Just recently, I was with a group of wine lovers for an “appreciation” night. Five wines, all red, BLINDED and well decanted by the host himself for no less than 2 hours. Let the fun begin! Surely different wines require different amount of ‘airtime’ to strut their full potential but this goes to show how serious these wine lovers are and how hedonistic pleasures may be achieved through various methods of preparation before serving.

Firstly, KUDOS to the host! He has certainly done it well and got most of us fooled (in a good way)! All the wines certainly had a similar distinct characteristic….very Bordeaux like indeed (Cabernet Sauvignon/ Merlot based wines). Since the wines were blind with the only theme of being present and to enjoy the company amidst the red velvets in front of us, most knew the style of wine but certainly were not sure of the origin, what more the vintage. All of us even thought there was a ‘joker’, otherwise a teaser, amongst the flight of wines. Soon enough when the bottles were unveiled, it turned out to be a VERTICAL TASTING!  Fooled! But this is how fun is defined in wine terminology (for geeks like me amongst aficionados)!

It was truly a great way to learn and to experience the true nature of each vintage, not forgetting the style of the winemaker and the terroir of the vineyard.  The wines were from……a Bordeaux Second Growth from the appellation St-Julien, Chateau Léoville-Barton. Below are the five vintages that we savoured.

1995
Wine Personality: A sexy shy damsel indeed, packed with inner beauty and elegance but only still peeking from behind. Perhaps, it’s a Burg lover’s style of Bordeaux.


1999
Wine Personality: This is a beauty from the first whiff, packed on some weight over the decade yet one who knows how to keep elegance in check to continue charming the beholder, leaving a long lasting impression!

2002
Wine Personality: Compared to the other siblings, this has a more petite personality, not bad just lesser dominance with slightly sharper and edgy characteristics.

2003
Wine Personality: A hunk in a tank top with muscles ripping through wearing a light musky floral perfume where one senses the raw might of a gymjunkie with a firm grip.

2004
Wine Personality: Similar to the 2003, yet different. Unlike his other 2004 counterparts who may be not as ‘big’ from this vintage, this is a well build teenager, young and masculine but dressed in a tightly knitted suit framed as a gentleman!


During your next sip, do think about how you’d like to express your drink!

Remember folks…..

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

Salut!

French fries? Definitely not! But rather a French-affaire with three beauties. After missing out on limited and low production Californian Syrah line-up recently, we headed back to the native old world where the famous Syrah comes from, France. Ironically, the line up did not include any Rhone Syrahs however, we travelled to Bordeaux, then Burgundy and to finish it off…at Champagne!

What more can one asks for at the end of the week but to enjoy good wines in the presence of good company?! This Friday had truly been a fortunate one being able to enjoy a 21 year old Bordeaux (reached puberty? adulthood?), a Burgundian red from a stellar vintage and a Grand Cru growers Champagne.

Château Clerc Milon, 1989 Grand Cru Classe (Pauillac)

Most Bordeaux drinkers probably know where Clerc Milon lies….in Bordeaux’s left bank, Pauillac where most of Bordeaux’s big full reds are from. What makes Clerc Milon even more sought after is not just its finesse and structure but also because it is under the stable of the great Mouton-Rothschild which happens also to be its neighbour. Lastly, 1989 has been long lauded as a great vintage in Pauillac which would give this red a bonus. In summary, after having tasted this wine, it shows that with great care and providence, great Bordeaux can go the extra mile in the cellar! Extremely young and vibrant….Forever 21?!?

Bouquet: Showing nice fruits – plums, graphite, some wet earthiness and sweet spices.

Palate: Rich with a good vibrant structure holding it together while dusty chocolaty tannins remains soft for the long haul encasing sweet savoury moorish plums, red fruits, graphite and mild earthiness on the mid palate. Great after 2 hours decanting!

Maison Champy, 2005 Aux Saints Juliens (Nuits-Saint-Georges)

A beauty in the making which currently remains in its infant phase. Decanting required, of which only after 3 hours did the wine start to show its soul, packing up more weight and seriousness!

Bouquet: Red cherries, some mouldy notes plus herbal tea nuances with very slight mint

Palate: Medium bodied packing up more weight with air, high acid and high tannin structure – ideal cellaring potential. On the taste profile, dense red cherries and sour plum core with slight earthiness and minty tea notes.

Jean Lallement et Fils, NV Grand Cru Brut (Verzenay)

Some may say Grand Cru Champagne while others say grower’s Champagne…nevertheless, no matter what one prefers to classify this beauty as…it’s a great value champagne!

Bouquet: Complex ripe fruit aromas of apples and more, some gingery spice and nutty tones.

Palate: Ripe Granny Smith apples flavours, nutty, yeasty and dried smoked hay notes. Sharp bubbles but great freshness!

For the lovers of grower’s Champagne…stay tuned!

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

Salut!

Welcome to Rhône, ladies and gentleman! A sweet spot in the hearts of many, and a region that has managed to seduce me to appreciate their offerings even more with every drop. The Rhône valley, situated in South Eastern France is divided into two distinct zones, the Northern Rhône and Southern Rhône.  As close as they may be within the same valley, both these zones do have distinct characteristics that signify them from each other. To begin, they posses different climates, soils, and even grape varietals that are allowed into the wine blends.

Some may argue that one may be superior to the other however, everyone has their own palate – likes and dislikes. My take? Why not enjoy them all to savour what each has to offer! Northern Rhône includes the legendary Côte Rôtie and Hermitage. These wines are typically famed for their elegance, structure and longevity. Besides these, other popular appellations within the North include Cornas and St Joseph which also produce relatively decent wines similarly from the Syrah varietal (also commonly known as Shiraz in the New World context).

On the other hand, the Southern counterpart does not lack pristine with the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape, an appellation which allows up to thirteen (13) grape varietals into the final blend! What a joy to be able to enjoy wines that are beautifully crafted by these vignerons. Imagine the skill, intensity, labour and ingenuity required to blend multiple varietals into perfect harmony!

Fun fact: Among the thirteen varietals allowed in these red Châteauneuf-du-Papes, white grape varietals are also allowed to add character and harmony!

While Châteauneuf-du-Pape has taken centre stage in the south, there also are other appellations worth mentioning, such as Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Lirac and of course the large wine producing appellation that can be a rather good value for money, Côtes du Rhône. This southern region is frequently under the Mediterranean influence including the climatic factor. Besides Syrah, Grenache is a common grape varietal in the south and along with these are also other varietals such as Mouverdre, Cinsault, Carignan, Viogner and many more.

The wines that were lined up for the palates:

Perrin & Fils, Perrin Reserve 2007 (Côtes du Rhône)

Bouquet: Pleasant bouquet with dark cherries, wild herbs and some lavender plus raspberries.

Palate: Medium bodied on the palate with a nice and fleshy fruit focus, mixing with dark cherries and mild peppery notes. Overall, an easy drinking styled wine with soft tannins.

Château de Beaucastel, 1998 (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)

Bouquet: Perfume laced with roses and cherries, white pepper plus lovely sweet spices with a whiff of game (meat) notes.

Palate: Ahh…just elegant! Ripe red maraschino cherries, kirsch, game, earth, coffee, pepper with light dark chocolaty notes that lingers on and on. Truly a sensual, seductive, multilayered complex wine at its peak that is silky and velvety.

 A sip is worth a thousand words!

Cave de Tain, 2003 (Hermitage)

Bouquet: Beautiful sweet spicy notes with leather and wet soil (also developed soy notes hours after decanting).

Palate: Nicely layered with dark cherries and blackcurrants plus red fruits supported by black pepper and spice. A complex wine that is smooth on the palate yet with fine grained tannins showcasing its aging potential.

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

Salut!

During a web-surfing session last night I came across an interesting website called, "Femme Vigne Rhône ".   As a dedicated Rhône wine drinker - and as a woman (femme),  I couldn't resist snooping around.

I sounded out the name in my head and realised that "Femme Vigne Rhone" was a play on words.   While it would go right past a non-French speaker it is quite endearing once you get clued into the inside joke.  In fact,  the sheer whimsy of the name can't help but raise a smile. :-)

I know that jokes are never funny if they are explained but I'm going to do it anyway.  For the non-French speaker - here's the joke:

The male connoted word for winemaker in French, vigneron,  is pronounce in English "veen   yahrohn" .  In French "vigneron" is a masculine gender word fitting what is a traditionally masculine occupation. 

The play on words is that "Femme" means woman,  and the last two words "Vigne Rhône" - meaning "Rhône vines" - and pronounced "veenyah   rohn"  has an almost identical pronunciation  to the word vigneron, only the emphasis is on a different syllable.  My guess is this inspired word play was a "eureka" moment for a group of "les femme vignerons" during an evening full of wine mirth!   It definitely captures the seriously clever nature of what these women are up to in the wine market.

 Ok, enough semantics, and on to the story. 

The Women Winemakers of the Rhône Valley as their name most accurately translates, definitely have a marketing hook.  They are a loose-knit group of multi-national women making wine up and down the Rhône valley with a mission to capture  and cultivate the attention of the  wine market in that female, nurturing way.

By that I mean they take a hand's-on market approach in conducting consumer-friendly tastings and wine encounters, all the while reinforcing the role of female wine professionals - from growers to merchants to journalists. 

With winemakers producing wines from Nimes in the south to Vienne in the north…they've carved a feminine-inspired wine route through some of France's most rugged vineyard lands.   Judging from the collection of black and white photos of these women on their website it's clear that each is her own woman - but bonded by a common love of the Rhône vines, wine and what they are doing. 

They've done their marketing work  well because now I really want to taste the wines...

Here's the WEBSITE and wine route map.

I took the opportunity a few days ago (on 21 Apr 2010) to attend the Georges Duboeuf wine tasting at Sentosa Resort and Spa. Though it was raining earlier in the afternoon, luckily it stopped by the time the event began. This helped as at least a third of the space used for this tasting was held outdoors. It was certainly a sizable one with a few hundred guests and the event room was packed with the smartly attired and beautifully dressed.

The 4 wines featured for tasting were:

a. 2008 Macon-Villages (Cru du Macconnais)

b. 2005 Fleurie (Cru de Beaujolais)

c. 2008 Julinas, Ch des Poupets (cru de Beaujolais)

d. 2006 Pouilly Fuisse (Cru du Macconnais).

To go with these wines, there was an array of food; from barley & duck confit, teriyaki glazed ‘sushi’, duck ragout cherries & chocolate potato waffle, foie gras and scallop in soy balsamic vinaigrette to ravioli with spinach & white balsamic espuma.

Indoors there were an assortment of desserts, fruit trays and caviar to further satiate the guests. The food and wine were complimented with a live band which supported the ambience without overwhelming the on-going banter of the guests.

My 2 favourite wines for the evening were the 2005 Fleurie and the 2006 Pouilly Fuisse. One often talks about a food and wine pairing where one can see a synergistic union in a pairing. I must say the 2006 Pouilly Fuisse and the Ravioli with spinach and white balsamic espuma was one such pairing. The chefs were kept busy dishing out new servings throughout the night and the sommeliers had their hands full in filling up the glasses for the crowd intent on an epicurean pursuit.

I had to leave early as I had FHA to contend with the next day. But I must say it was a pleasant evening.