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!

 

 

As a follow up from my previous post on Food and Wine pairings with Beringer’s Senior Wine Educator, here are some of my tasting notes on Beringer’s Private Reserves, some of which are Jerry’s favourite picks. After a truly informative and mind stimulating workshop, there comes the time to just ‘chill’ for some. However, for myself, it was great to have tasted the following:



Beringer, 2007 Private Reserve Chardonnay
Tasting Notes: Stonefruits, nutty and apple bouquet on the nose following on to a nice concentration on the palate with apples, mild buttery notes and slight honeyed like complexity.

Beringer, 2003 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting Notes: Nose showing leafy blackcurrants, black fruits with herbaceous eucalyptus notes while it is medium bodied on the palate with good balance and nice acidity, once again with blackcurrants, herbaceous green pickles on the mid palate plus some chocolaty notes.

Beringer, 2003 Chateau St Jean Cinq Cepage
One of Beringer’s single vineyard icons!

Tasting Notes: Truly Bordeaux like for the ‘Bord’ lovers with a bit more sunshine in my opinion!
The nose is showing funky earthy and black fruity nuances while the body is well structured, medium in depth with good concentration and intensity displaying black fruits, blackcurrant and dusty chocolaty oak. A well poised wine that is not over the top with vibrant acidity keeping it in check.

 

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!
Cheers!

 

Pairing wines with foods has always been an uphill task for many, even for top sommeliers when new dishes are created on the menus of any top restaurants. Likewise at our Local Nose HQ, a single dish has to be paired with many wines with the approval of not one but a few local tasters before coming to a mutual consent. However, when they do match…..Ahh, it’s a real delight to see how they synergistically complement each others’ own characteristics!

So what’s the secret?

Let me share what Mr Jerry Comfort, Beringer’s Senior Wine Educator (and a chef himself) has shared with us, in a very enlightening and mind opening session! It was great to learn as Jerry helped us understand the simple details that we often over look.

The common few types of food and wine pairing are the ‘Regional Pairing’ – where wine is paired to a local dish. Eg: French food with French wines, Italian foods with Italian wines. No doubt these pillars of pairing set a good framework as tradition and culture have equally played a part in cuisine and wine production.   For instance, Provencal/ Rhone wines often have a ‘spicy’ character as are their cuisines often prepared with many local spices. The second style of pairing is often to match food to wine by ‘imitating’ the flavours of a wine. Hence, a dish is prepared according to the flavours, structure style and complexity of a wine.  However in reality, it is often ONE bottle with MANY dishes across the table! (And as Jerry joked, the one who gets the best pairing is often the one ordering the bottle!)

Next, wines can be classified into 5 simple categories:
1)      Off dry/ Sweet
2)      Dry, UNoaked (white)
3)      Dry, OAKED (white)
4)      Lightly tannic (red)
5)      Heavily tannic (red)

After classifying wines into their categories, here are some ground rules:
·         DO NOT pair to Flavour, but PAIR to TASTE
·         DO NOT pair to Varietal, but PAIR to STYLE
·         DO NOT pair to Protein, but PAIR to PREPARATION

Let me try to demystify things a little, when it comes to taste, there are 4 different tastes our palate can perceive – sweet, sour, salty, bitter (and the latest 5th Umami – savourish protein craving). However, there are countless types of flavours we can pick up. For example, sweet is a taste sensation but many flavours are sweet such as fruits, honey or candies. Secondly, pairing to styles (as the 5 categories above) of a wine is important because a varietal may differ in styles such as a Chardonnay may be oaked or unoaked or even as Blanc de Blanc Champagne. Lastly, pairing to the preparation of a dish is important as the same chicken/ beef may be served in a thick creamy sauce, spicy salsa or a very sharp acidic marinade.

A hint, always taste the wines first! (Food changes the way a wine taste but seldom the other way) or as a good friend of mine will say, which do you pay more (locally) – a bottle of wine or a single dish?!

During the course of the session, we experienced how different taste sensations alter wine styles and how they complement each other by trying various foods with wine. Here I say, food not dishes because we tasted a slice of apple, a wedge of lemon, a cube of cheese, cooked unsalted fish and steak. Next to these foods were condiments such as salt and pepper. We had the experience of tasting each food by itself with the wines (white, rose, light tannin red and strong tannin red) and then adding salt/ pepper/ lemon to the cheese/ fish/ steak! Fun indeed and a great way to learn!

What I learnt from the session was,
·         Highly acidic foods (sour) – softens a wine
·         Sweet foods  & umami tastes – turns a wine sour and ‘stronger’ (Hence, for any sweet foods/ desserts, the wine has to be sweeter in order not to be overpowered by the dish)
·         Salty foods – blocks the bitter sensation and makes wine taste ‘sweeter’
·         Salt BALANCED foods are wine FRIENDLY (as most cooking requires salt)
·         Tannins make our palate more sensitive to spices (no wonder I’m not a fan of big reds with curries!)

And off course after this mind stimulating session comes to a close, there comes the time to stimulate the palate….Check out my next post for Beringer’s Private Reserve Selections and their single vineyard icon!

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

Cheers!

Portugal, one of the pioneers in maritime exploration, once guardians of the Straits of Malacca and last but not least they are also part of the old world pioneers fermenting grape juices that we happily sip today. When one thinks of the wines Portugal brings to the table, it is often the popular Port wine which historically has been fortified with strong spirits by sailors to avoid wine spoilage during their voyage off Porto.

Personally, Port wines are good and are indeed enjoyable sips but the rest of Portugal remains undiscovered and underrated. Just as majority of the ‘old world’ wine regions have their own native grapes, so does Portugal. Often these wines are blended together, may it be a blend of the local indigenous grapes or between the indigenous grapes with more renowned new world varietals.

 Vinophiles, here’s a secret to share….

These wines are often a bang for your buck! Real good value, real good deals!

Reason? --> They are gems that remain underrated and quite unheard of! Test yourselves, have you tasted varietals such as Touriga Nacional or even Castelao? Have you tried a ‘green wine’ (vinho verde) before?

If you are looking for these wines to try, they are already available on shores of Singapore! In our local 365 days of summer, a fresh vinho verde can do the trick for an afternoon chiller!

A couple of Local Noses along with a great hangout group were fortunate to have Mr Covas from Viva Vino, a Portugese wine supplier in Singapore to share his passion about his homeland and their offerings. During the session, we were introduced to wines and grape varietals from various regions of Portugal and were able experience the diverse varietals that the Portuguese can boast about. Starting from Minho, in the north travelling south to Douro, Extremadura around Lisbon (unlike the Spanish region), Ribatejo and all the way to Alentejo where it is often scorched, hence producing bigger wines but not without finesse. Last but not least, we travelled back up to Douro again just to end on a sweet note with some Ports!

The following wines that were tasted are available at Viva Vino:

Quinta da Aveleda, 2009 Vinho Verde (Minho)

Tasting Notes: Fresh, light and crisp with intense citrusy floral notes…a great chiller!

Fiuza, 2008 Premium Vinho Branco (Ribatejo)

Tasting Notes: Another quaffer with notes of green asparagus and minerality coming through with fresh acidity before a dry yet buttery finish .

Herdade do Esporao, 2007 Reserva Branco (Alentejo)

Tasting Notes: Cold climate-Chablis like nose with flint and stones with cold climate fruits and herbaceous notes before coming through big and bold with good acid supporting the palate showing tropical fruits and flint with a buttered popcorn finish.

Nieepoort, 2006 Vertente (Douro)

Tasting Notes: Nose of a new world shiraz akin spicy, plumy and chocolaty plus red licorice notes but well restrained with a medium bodied palate, good acidity for balance with plums, melted red licorice, spicy with earthy tones before ending with dry tannins.

Quita do Casal Branco, 2006 Vinho Tinto (Ribatejo)

Tasting Notes: Leafy notes with spicy blackberries on the nose leading to a very easy drinking style with dark berries and hints of earthiness on the palate.

Quinta de Monte D’oiro, 2003 Aurius (Estremadura)

Tasting Notes: One would expect a typical Barossa Shiraz by nosing the wine as it displays big jammy plumy and milk chocolaty bouquet. On the palate it follows through nicely with big jammy sweet ripe fruits ala berry basket with pomegranate smothered in chocolate.

Herdade da Mingorra, 2004 Vinhas da Ira (Alentejo)

Tasting Notes: Nose reminds me of a Hermitage blended with an Amarone that I had previously of earthy, saddle leather, herbs, soy and tar with dried raisins (almost Port like). A big boy on the palate with good vibrancy showcasing intense blackberries, tar and a red fruit compote mid palate finishing off with austere tannins.

Nieepoort, 1998 Colcheita (Douro)

Tasting Notes: Reminisce of a cognac with dark Jaffa chocolate and dried fruits while the palate is medium bodied with sweet plums, hint of floral notes together with chocolaty orange nuances.

Sogrape, 2000 Ferreira Vintage Porto (Douro)

Tasting Notes: Dark cherries, dark chocolate and coffee notes with a herbaceous minty nose. Good acid and structure on the palate presenting with a myriad of flavours -dried raisins, coffee, orange peel , dark cherries and plums and off course ending with soft but fine tannins.  This was decanted for 2 hours….and what’s great is that it is delicious yet not overly cloying on the palate, hence it does makes one continue the joy of having sips after sips!

Let your palate explore new sensations and delights as the Portuguese did!!!

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

 

Salut!

  
 

 

When at Raffles, experience Dubai…When at Raffles, experience Beijing…so were the advertisement banners in the elevators of Raffles Hotel, Singapore. This time, it shall be “When at Raffles, experience New Zealand” wine growers! It was an evening with the kiwis, wine growers strutting their stuff (some for the very first time) in Singapore. Along with the growers were many from the trade, media and writers such as Singapore’s reknowned palate, Mr Ch’ng Poh Tiong .

It was a great session not only to taste wines but to mingle around the growers and one can definitely sense the enthusiasm and passion that these growers posses. It made wines not just for consumption but also to cherish the labourious efforts these growers have stamped into each vintage and each bottle making the fruits of their labour worth every drop . Another reason that makes masterclasses and events like this worth attending would be the eye opening experience to their local scene which can be rather educational! A very interesting fact that I picked up was how the ‘Abel clone’ also known as the ‘Gumboot clone’ got its reputation. This Abel clone was actually nicked off the famous Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) in Burgundy and brought in illegally into New Zealand (NZ), hence vineyards with this Abel Clone would have a ‘sense of Burg’ in their wines!

Lastly, when at Raffles (after visiting NZ)…..experience the Raffles cellar! We were fortunate enough to have our guide, Raffles sommelier himself, Dheeraj Bhatia to lead us through the ‘maze’ of Raffles Hotel to the cellar. Once a lifetime? Perhaps not, but surely it was very delightful to have had come this close to the prized collections that many can only dream about. Such bottles/ magnums…Chateau Margaux 1900, Y’quem 1900, La Tache, DRCs!!! Just imagine a ‘car in a bottle’!

Now back to some highlights, (but not limited to) for the night…

Two Paddocks, 2006 Pinot Noir (Central Otago)

Fruits for this Pinot Noir are sourced from three different vineyards across Central Otago. The first of which comes from vines in Gibbston Valley aged around 17 years while the other two vineyards of about 10 years of age are from Alexandra. This Pinot is available from Hermitage Wines.

Bouquet: Floral bouquet opening up with red cherries with a hint of earthiness.

Palate: Fruit focused on the palate with red cherries and light earthiness for a medium bodied wine that has medium acidity.

 

Gibbston Highgate Estate, 2007 Soultake Pinot Noir (Central Otago)

Murky and slightly cloudy…my first question, “Is this filtered?”

Vineyard director, “Unfiltered and unfined”

This Gibbston vineyard is about 25 years old, producing good quality fruits for the final blend of which there is also a proportion of the legendary ‘Abel clone’! Beautiful wine and my understanding is this wine will be made available at Rev Wines.

Bouquet: Sweet strawberry candies (think strawberries and cream), some Turkish delight nuances and light undergrowth

Palate: If the palate is too ‘ripe’…fret not, the fruit here is pure and the palate smooth with flavours of red cherries, some dark plums and light earthy savouryness with a nice acid backbone and soft tannins.

 

Lime Rock, 2007 White Knuckle Road Pinot Noir (Central Hawkes Bay)

Central Hawkes Bay…if you’re thinking why are they growing Pinots in Hawkes Bay? Then, you’re not alone…Central Hawkes Bay is a new and upcoming wine growing region in NZ and (nope) it is not in Hawkes Bay. This is single vineyard Pinot Noir for those who enjoy terroir and the essence of a particular vineyard.

Bouquet: Spicy and floral with cherries and a hint of meatiness.

Palate: Intense cherries with beautiful spice notes and a touch of earthy tones. Simple and nicely done

 

Weka River, 2007 Pinot Noir (Waipara Valley)

Those who enjoy simple wines, here is a good choice. Simple, easy drinking wine for the times that too much thinking has been done over the day and wines are for simple relaxation in the evening!

Bouquet: Dark fruity nose with a savoury touch plus some spiciness.

Palate: Soft tannins for easy enjoyment with some dark cherries coming through on the palate

 

Cambridge Road, 2008 Syrah (Martinborough)

Not all Pinot here, but hang on…YES, SYRAH in Martinborough! The winemaker did not get it wrong, on the contrary, this is the second oldest Syrah vines in NZ, planted in 1986!

Bouquet: Rhone beauty comes to mind with pepper, sweet spices, licorice and bitter dark chocolate.

Palate: Medium bodied, cool climate styled syrah with a nice fruit core showing red fruits, pepper and some spiciness (not alcoholic though) with very soft tannins à perfect for enjoying now!

 

Mount Difficulty, 2002 Pinot Noir (Central Otago)

Yes, an 8 year old Pinot and drinking beautifully.

Bouquet: Musky white pepper, red cherries, spices, ‘dark earthiness’ (if it makes sense) and some meaty notes.

Palate: Nice body and lushes, velvety mouthfeel with soft grained tannins at the back held by vibrant acidity à palate sensations = dark cherries, white pepper, savoury earthiness and a hint of meaty tone as displayed from the nose.

 

Haythornthwaite Wines, 2008 Noble Gewürztraminer (Martinborough)

Good parents = good upbringing = well mannered off springs, while good genes = good quality.

The winemakers themselves are a beautiful couple, which has been reflected in their wines. One may call me bias, but the palate speaks for itself. I have had the honour of vertically tasting the pride of their winery the Susan’s Gewurtztraminier - 2008, 2009, 2010 (speaking of which the 2010 is not even released yet!) The 2008 has developed a great and rich mouthfeel after 2 years in the bottle, I can only imagine how good will the 2010 develop as it current is showing a very promising structure of fruits and acid with a poised balance. Perhaps, we’ll all find out in due time!

Lastly, to end any occasion well…we had a good and NOBLE ‘sticky’ from Haythornthwaite Wines.

Bouquet: Ripe tropical fruits, rich thick honeyed aromas plus ripe apricots and hazelnuts.

Palate: Rich but remains fresh mid way through with layers of ripe mangoes, bananas, apricot crème and a dose of mild hazelnutty ending with lingering residual sweetness.

 

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

Cheers!

As I have promised all the Pinotphiles, Part 2 of TLN’s New Zealand Pinot showdown!

This time I’ll still be focusing on the same two regions of NZ, Central Otago versus Marlborough however the wines will be from separate vintages, 2008 and 2007 respectively. To some, these Pinot Noirs may be a hair young but the good news is, NZ does produce quality wines that are approachable young while off course there will also be those that have the potential for aging.

For those who find it irresistible to keep their hands off their cellars, this would be a perfect fix for those ‘itchy’ hands! Surely, wines that are meant for aging will not show their full potential in their infant years hence we always need a ‘drink now’ wine to satisfy our ‘thirsty’ palates while we patiently await our delayed gratifications in years to come. ‘Drink now’ wines don’t mean that these wines are not suitable for the cellars; it’s just simply deliciously approachable in their youth while some may equally have their aging potential.  Off course, the fun part is when we get to try them NOW….and stock some up to evaluate how they mature in the later years!

Thankfully, the wines for this part are those that are already approachable to be enjoyed today. Up for the challenge this round will be Gumfields Wines 2007 Pinot Noir from Marlborough followed by Rabbit Ranch 2008 Pinot Noir from Central Otago.

 

The Verdict:

Gumfields Wines 2007 Pinot Noir
Bouquet: cherry juice plus some fresh raspberries coupled with floral notes, light spices and hint of wet earth with a surprising find, ‘red capsicum’!

Palate: Fruit driven wine with pink cherries, sweet ripe strawberries ala chewy strawberry candies with a slight hint of tea notes at the backend

 

Rabbit Ranch 2008 Pinot Noir
Bouquet: Well crafted perfumed nose consisting of cherries and raspberry mix together with black pepper, hint of spices with a floral component

Palate: Fruit focused with red fruits and cherries plus well balanced acidity
 before some underlying plums on the mid palate and finishing off with light earthiness, black pepper and hint of toasted oak

Once again, everyone has their own palate; for those who enjoy chilling with an easy drinking wine to start the evening, the Gumfields Wines 2007 Pinot Noir would be an ideal bottle to quaff about. As for me, the Rabbit Ranch 2008 Pinot Noir which was a real ‘nose-wine’ won the show this round! In part one, the previous Central Otago pinot did had a great brooding nose however, this Rabbit Ranch Pinot was just perfumed and invitingly attractive while on the palate, it truly is one to enjoy today and over the next 3-4 years if not longer!

(A catchy one from the winemaker; Rabbit Ranch does not ‘test on animals’!)


Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

Cheers!

If Champagne is the drink of kings, then I must have been a prince the evening Crystal Wines held their Dom Pérignon thematic tasting! Champers or Champagne –historically a ‘royal indulgence’ to which is often ‘popped’ as a celebratory drink with a steep price tag in todays society.

Very commonly, a vast majority assumes sparkling wine to be champagne or vice versa. Notably they may exhibit similarities however, strictly speaking, champagne is not a drink but rather a region in France that produced the first sparkling wine in any quantity and historically. Champagne was derived from the Latin term Campania, consisting of three towns namely Rheims, Épernay, and Ay. Only wines produced from the Champagne appellation can use the term ‘Champagne’.

Back to the fun, interesting, ‘tasting’ ala indulging session at Crystal, we were addressed by Francois Piganeau, brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy and a fellow enthusiast particularly for its iconic wine, Dom Pérignon. The evening kicked off with a great ‘nerding’ up introduction soiling into French history particularly Champagne, the region and its produce and of course Dom Pérignon. A true session for the geeks!

I’m sure many would easily recognize the Dom Pérignon label but did you know that Dom Pérignon was actually a monk?! Yes, he was the Benedictine monk who experimented with many blending processes including the styles of champagne we drink today. Moët & Chandon paid homage to Dom Pérignon by launching the 1921 vintage as the first Dom Pérignon prestige cuvee in 1928. As recorded in history, it would require a minimum aging period of six years before any Dom Perignon cuvee can be launched.

Getting bored with nerd facts? How about this…

1)      How much grapes are needed to produce a bottle of Dom Pérignon?

Answer: 1.5kg of grapes per bottle!

2)      What grapes are used for Dom Pérignon?

Answer: Traditionally, champagne wines are made from Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir but for Dom Pérignon, only GRAND CRU plots of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are used!

3)      If the standard cuvee needs a minimum of 6 years on lees, what about Dom Pérignon Rose?

Answer: 10 years minimum!

4)      For the foodies and gourmands, what foods best suit Dom Pérignon?

Answer: Dom Pérignon can be rather versatile to match a whole range of styles and cuisines, but a major tip is to keep foods SIMPLE to synergise the complementing effect of wine and food.


Now back to the drinking -ahem - TASTING session…we were presented with the ‘three faces’ of Dom Pérignon. Francois joked that in some places it is termed as Yellow Dom, Red Dom and Black Dom! However with all due respect to the immense, laborious work of the Champenois, we were privileged to be presented with Dom Pérignon Vintage 2000, Dom Pérignon Œnothèque 1995 and last but not least Dom Pérignon Rose 1998…where pleasure finally sets in motion!

The bouquet of the 2000 vintage was rather pleasing with floral, pome fruit aromas which seemed as if a larger proportion of chardonnay was in the blend. On the palate, the bubbles were enticingly soft and pleasant yet fresh with apples, lemon, citrus, complex nutty biscuity notes with a very long dry finish that lingers on as the conversation continues.

The aged Œnothèque 1995 is a style that underwent disgorgement in 2006 before it was laid down to rest for another couple of years. This optional process is said to impart more complexities by further developing secondary and tertiary profiles. True enough, this wine showed a more intense bouquet with stonefruits, acetone-apple characters, nuttiness and surprisingly for me notes of ginger! No doubt about it! It showed a fuller body as it caresses my palate, displaying more intense, multilayered flavor profiles of peaches, apples, minerality and complexity illustrating good fruit to acid structure and poise. Besides its fuller and more intense character, there was noticeably lesser carbonation from the disgorgement process.

The 1998 Rose on the other hand, was stylistically a more masculine wine. It was coppery tawnish orange in colour with some red raspberries, floral nuances and a faint hint of animal hide on the nose. As I entice my palate once again, the bubbles were crisper with some animal-gamey notes plus red berries with a hint of wet stones and leather coming through to add complexity before yet again another long finish.

Before we concluded the evening, I had a few burning questions that needed an answer from an expert…How long can we age champagnes?  When is the best time to drink them?

The expert’s advice was, vintage champagnes (such as Dom Pérignon) are only made in exclusive years and are made to last if stored witin proper cellaring conditions. Then, the ball was thrown back to my court…How many drinkers are able to appreciate/ understand aged champagnes? Hence, if you enjoy the freshness, it’s best to be enjoyed upon release up to a few years. However, if it’s a special vintage that you may have some personal attachments to, there’s no harm in keeping a few in cellar. Last but not least, to the nerds/geeks…..the experience is always part of the learning curve and a well worthy one indeed!

These Dom Pérignon champagnes are available at Crystal Wines.

Salut~!

My first wine-sip after a 10-days road trip in north Thailand happens to be with good quality Spanish wines, the Chivite wines to be precise. I attended the Bodegas Chivite lunch at Si Chuan Dou Hua (at UOB Plaza) on 10th June. Mr Eduardo Ruiz, Bodegas Chivite’s  export manager, was at hand to host the lunch.

In a world where wineries are increasingly owned by conglomerates, finance companies, banks and fashion houses; Bodegas Chivite stands as a family-owned winery. Founded in 1647, it stands among one of the oldest wine producing dynasties in Spain with over eleven generations of family members involved over time in producing the Chivite wines.

For this lunch, we tasted 2 whites and 3 reds from the Chivite range of wines accompanied by Chinese (shichuan) cuisine. The wines were:

2006 Chivite Gran Feudo Edicion, Chardonnay Sabre Lias
A chardonnay from the Navarra DO. The grapes harvested for this wine come from the southern part of Navarra. After fermentation, the wine stays on lees for 6 months and is kept in a mix of American and French oak to give it an added dimension in texture and flavour. This wine shows yellow colour of medium intensity, good brilliance and clarity. Hints of citrus, white fruits and wood show in aroma and flavours. A light to medium bodied wine, it is soft, fresh, balanced with good acid adding to its structure. Hints of citrus and acid lingers in its aftertaste.  

2006 Chivite Coleccion 125, Blanco
(This particular label was launched in 1985 to commemorate the 125 year anniversary of the 1st export of Bodegas Chivite wines back in 1860.) Again from the Navarra DO, this is a single varietal wine made from chardonnay. The grapes this time come from the northern part of Navarra. Upon fermentation, this wine spends some time on lees and is aged in small French barriques for 10 months. This wine is yellow in colour with medium intensity, shows aromas and flavours of citrus, butter and oak; holds good structure, shows a supple body in palate with a hint of smooth, buttery texture and a lingering finish. Elegant and enjoyable, this wine is still young and the ample acid in the background hints at further aging potential.  

2007 Chivite Gran Feudo Edicion, Seleccion Especial (Navarra DO)
This is a red wine made from a blend of tempranillo (50%), cabernet sauvignon (30%) and merlot (20%). Its bright red in colour and shows lots of black berries and cherries with a hint of spice on the nose. A medium bodied wine, it shows black cherries, leather and well-integrated oak elements in the palate; slightly astringent in nature with mouth drying quality and shows a good balance. Around 300,000 bottles were produced for the 2007 vintage.

2004 Chivite Gran Feudo Edicion, Vinsa Viejas Reserve (Navarra DO)
This is a red blend made from tempranillo (70%), garnacha (25%) and 5% of cabernet sauvignon and merlot.  The grapes for this wine come from the northern part of Navarra. The tempranillo vines are 40 to 60 years old. During harvest the grapes are hand-picked. Upon fermentation, it is aged for 18 months in new French oak, after which the wine undertakes bottle-aging in the winery to qualify for the reserva status. Less than 200,000 bottles were produced for the 2004 vintage. The wine shows high intensity ruby red colour. In the nose and palate it shows red fruits, plum, earth and tobacco. It is a medium to full bodied wine, well balanced and shows a good structure consisting of ample fruits, tannins, oak and a hint of acid in the finish. 

2005 Chivite Coleccion 125, Reserva (Navarro DO)
This red blend consists of tempranillo (64%), merlot (20%) and cabernet sauvignon (16%) and has been aged in new French oak for 14 months. The colour is deep red; shows aromas and flavours of black fruits, tobacco and cassis; medium to full bodied, slightly brooding in nature, supple and smooth in texture and has a lingering finish. It’s a wine which shows the potential for secondary development with further aging.

I paired the two whites with 3 of the dishes at the table; the Four Delicacies combination (entrée), the Double-boiled shark’s bone soup with fish maw and the Baked cod fish in miso sauce. Though the whites held well against all 3 dishes, I must say they best matched with the baked cod dish.

As for the reds, I tasted all 3 reds with the Braised spare ribs with vinegar dish. For my palate at least, the 2007 Chivite Gran Feudo Edicion, Seleccion Especial (Navarra DO) seemed the best red of the 3 to go with the spare ribs. On its own, without food, the 2005 Chivite Coleccion 125, Reserva (Navarro DO) was the ideal red for the afternoon.