I painted "Forever Free Falling" at KAABOO Del Mar in 2017 during one of Tom Petty's final performances. This is my tribute to the man, the legend, and now the angel. I’ll be back at KAABOO Del Mar this September with a few surprises up my sleeve.
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Another December, another round of wine scrum. There I was, again, negotiating a capacity crowd of stemware-wielding, purplish teeth-baring oenophiles for my vinous spoils.
To be exact, a staggering 191 premium wines from 98 producers. James Suckling’s Great Wines of Italy 2018 Asia tour was back and bigger than ever.
The bustle of Bangkok was nothing compared with frantic scenes in Hong Kong or Beijing, observed visiting winemakers. That said, no sooner had the door opened things got into full swing.
More wines, less time
Something tells us perhaps the shortened programme — there goes our one-hour head start before people clock out from work — has something to do with cost management. Omission of some big-name labels suggests as much. Then again, it remained a small price to pay for the admission price we paid, in a country where wine spells luxury.
But I digressed. Naturally, the early birds flocked to wherever 100-pointer juice flowed, drained and vanished in record time, leaving a trail of empty Ornellaias or Tignanellos exhibited posthumously to disgruntled latecomers.
However, the sheer number of exciting picks meant there was no time for regret. Something else would come along.
Suffice to say, I was extremely content to have followed the heart rather than the points. Though I barely scratched the surface, my experience was all the more rewarding for when winemakers reciprocated aficionados’ enthusiasm with full attention and spirited exchanges in between pours.
Here’s my far-from-exhaustive fabulous dozen from the walk-around tasting:
Riecine ’14 Toscana Rosso Riecine
Visibly limpid, hauntingly weightless. Beautiful mesh of red fruit, violet, white pepper and blood orange, laced with racy acidity and minerality. Smart, trim, nothing in excess. Picture a whispery tête-à-tête with Rooney Mara. Incredibly cerebral, soulful sangiovese in purezza. Some whole bunch, extended skin maceration, élevage in concrete.
Riecine ’15 Toscana Rosso La Gioia
More quintessential Chianti Classico: richer, fuller by comparison. Expressive sour cherry and red fruit emerges front and centre, as sweet spice, sandalwood and leather chime in harmoniously. Judicious oak and supple tannins add substance to style with plenty of verve. A classy 100% sangiovese which lives up to its name: true joy in a glass.
The reason these translucent beauties shun the Gran Selezione pedestal, according to the engaging winemaker Alessandro Campatelli, is colour-obsessed red tape no less. To think that the Consorzio would’ve learned a thing or two from past blunders...
Pieropan ’15 Soave Classico Calvarino
Heady aromas of pear, apple, grapefruit and spring flowers wow the senses with real piquancy and thrust. Dripping with pristine orchard fruit, chalky minerals and brisk acidity on the sapid palate. Leesy and complex, it closes long with a peculiarly saline, nutty twang. Decidedly scintillating. 70% garganega and 30% trebbiano di soave on volcanic soil, aged sur lie in concrete vats.
Pieropan ’15 Soave Classico La Rocca
Harvested late and oaked, this radiant white bears richer concentration and definition, with a tropical (papaya!) twist. Honeyed and minerally, bright acidity lifts the tactile palate as it powers to a flavoursome finish. A peach of a wine, this offers fascinating contrast side by side with Calvarino yet there’s very little to separate them. 100% garganega on chalky clay, aged sur lie in large old casks.
Pietradolce ’14 Etna Rosso Vigna Barbagalli
Lady Etna is enigmatic: floral, briary, smoky, with tar and menthol in the bouquet. Concentrated wild berry and slick oak inform the smoldering, youthfully austere palate. Distinctively earthy with pu’er-like finish. Mind the silken yet potent tannins. Has the stuffing, both gravitas and grace not unlike nebbiolo. From century-old, pre-phylloxera vines at contrada Rampante.
Alta Mora ’14 Etna Rosso Guardiola
Likewise earthy disposition to this fragrant single contrada. Mineral vein underscores dark fruit, wet clay, tar, florals, pomegranate and Mediterranean herb, all framed by dense noble tannins. Tightly-knit and sleek rather than sinewy, with excellent complexity, line and length. More animated and savoury than Barbagalli. Nebbiolo again pops into mind yet with a personality all its own. A winner from 150-year old vines.
Nittardi ’15 Chianti Classico Casanuova di Nittardi
Pure sangiovese from acidity-retaining altitudes at Castellina. Just old tonneaux and some time in concrete. Bright cherry is joined by violet, dark berries and a whiff of good ol’ barnyard. Sappy palate grips and extends with a dusty, spicy kick. Riveting. One-time owner, Renaissance rockstar Michelangelo Buonarroti — hence the artsy label tribute — makes for an excellent conversation piece.
Proprietor Léon Femfert revealed that Rhys, one half of the mischievous Matthews on The Wine Show — and an Emmy-winning actor — downed a glass filled to the brim, presumably in desperate need of inspiration for his label doodling showdown with co-host Goode. Guess what, it did the trick.
Castello di Volpaia ’15 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Coltassala
Red fruit, incense, florals and vanilla leap out of the glass. The extravagant perfume a result of sandy soil at Radda altitudes and 24-month worth of new French oak. Deep sweet cherry luxuriates in milk chocolate in the mouth, rendered a voluptuous spin by said wood. Fresh acidity and firm ripe tannins provide impeccable balance. Freshly-minted Gran Selezione, kind of self-explanatory if you find it a touch modern.
San Polino ’13 Brunello di Montalcino Helichrysum
Spellbinding aromatics. Ample acidity and a wall of mouth-coating tannins shape the chiseled architecture which frames black cherry, raspberry, blue flowers, new leather, tobacco and baking spice. Brooding and tight, there is no doubting the latent potential i.e. depth, intensity and vigour. Long ferment, large Slavonian cask aging equal classic brunello par excellence.
It was the Fanti rep Luca Vitiello who pointed me in San Polino direction when I requested his recommendation. Nice lad. Speaking of which, his lithe, fresh-fruited Fanti ’13 Brunello di Montalcino is disarmingly charming, delivering succulent berries and watermelon with lip-smacking immediacy, not that it won’t benefit from some bottle age.
Argentiera ’15 Bolgheri Superiore
Ornellaia next-table might have stolen the limelight, but this snazzy overachiever stole the show. Blueberry, blackcurrant, cedar, wood spice and graphite meld seamlesssly with super polished tannins and opulent oak to compose a symphony of decadence. Apparently well-endowed yet supple in its caress. The proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove.
Jermann ’16 Vintage Tunina Venezia Giulia
An intriguing blend of chardonnay, sauvignon with autochthonous ribolla gialla, malvasia istriana and picolit. Intense nose and full-bodied palate are handsomely laden with gooseberry, apricot, white blossom and lemon drop in citrusy overtone. Steely acidity balances juicy weight with aplomb, as pithy aftertaste lingers on. Not for nothing does it consistently rank as one of Italy’s top whites.
A winemakers’ vintage
To say barolo is conspicuous by its absence would be an understatement. With 2014s’ bad rap weighing on my mind, this wettest of vintages in recent memory seemed to have put a damper on barolo’s hot streak at first taste. A weaker field and palate fatigue arguably didn’t help.
But hindsight is a beautiful thing, in all probability, so could be some of these ugly ducklings. What this winemakers’ vintage might lack in flesh and bones, it more than makes up for in finesse and sultry appeal, eager to please with minimal cellaring. 2014 might turn out to be nothing more than just a speed bump.
Between the inebriation and camaraderie, the wine-drenched evening was a lot to take in. Evidently, Bangkok embraced vino italiano with gusto — some had one too many, those jovial strangers who egged me on to give the irrepressible Frescobaldi ambassador, Erika Ribaldi a peck on the cheek, to which I respectfully obliged.
Good-natured fun apart, the tasting is always about finding that something which tickles your fancy. I’m constantly told, and often repeat, that to get to the bottom of Italian wines, non basta una vita. — KY
*** This is a sponsored post ***
The sixth Asia’s largest Italian wine showcase will return to Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel on Nov 27. Visit jamessuckling.com/event for tickets or more info.
James Suckling is one of the world’s foremost wine critics, having tasted more than 200,000 wines over three decades. A resident of Hong Kong, he lives most of the time on Cathay Pacific flying to the most popular wine regions in the world and tasting the best wines. James organises regularly large premium wine events in Hong Kong, Thailand, the US and Europe. Visit them at jamessuckling.com.
Oenophiles don’t usually see eye to eye, but Bourgogne’s (Burgundy) reputation as the Holy Grail of wine is one commandment many would clink glass in approval. The most desirable drop is said to send the rich to seventh heaven, and its shadow forever eclipse other wines they drink henceforth—that, until the next RM45,000 bottle comes along. While we the less fortunate commoners are spared such inconvenience, we’re invariably caught peeping outside heaven’s gate, picturing what it’s like while nursing a glass of ‘lesser’ Bourgogne.
‘Lesser’ is but a relative perception. Cheaper (not CHEAP cheap) Bourgogne, if carefully chosen, may still offer a slice of terroir if not more bang for the buck. People have been foraging up and down Côte d’Or, beneath the hierarchy into the overlooked neighbours of Grand Cru sites, scouring for the next affordable bottle.
The Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) might just have the answer.
Malaysia’s Bourgogne premiere
In mid-October, BIVB in collaboration with Entwine has brought to Malaysia the inaugural “Rendezvous avec les Vins de Bourgogne” at Berjaya University College of Hospitality. The program aimed to shed light on a hidden gem of Corton, as well as to initiate newcomers in the bewilderment that is Bourgogne.
The gem in question is Pernand-Vergelesses.
Before we dived straight into said village, our speaker Thomas Ling opened with a lowdown on Bourgogne and the lay of the land.
It took about 2 millennia of viticulture tradition and the Burgundians’ fervent devotion to their land to arrive at today’s prize (and price). Of course, it’d be sacrilegious not to mention the marine limestone soil from 150 million years ago: source of the wines’ characteristic subtlety and minerality. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Cistercian monks had made good use of their spare time to fine-tune and document grape growing know-hows by the 11th century. They’d also defined the superior parcels along the way, laying the groundwork for latter-day classifications.
Fragmented ownership
The 4 categories of Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée in Bourgogne read Régionales (51.1% of production), Village (37.3%), Premiers crus (10.2%) and Grands crus (1.4%).
As a BIVB accredited educator, Thomas believes Bourgogne’s cryptic label has been sort of a turn-off to many a newcomer. Not only do we have to navigate the labyrinth of over 100 AOCs and 600 climats*, Napoleonic inheritance laws have compounded our frustration further. A small vineyard can be the property of dozens of heirs (some own just a few vines), with many sharing the same surname on their bottles. Let’s just say not all siblings exert themselves as meticulously as the top dog in the family.
More than any other region in the world, random selection in Bourgogne is a hit-and-miss exercise; even the Premier Cru is far from a safety net.
Oh my Gunn
The attendees were later introduced to the renowned Bourgogne master, Jean-Pierre Renard in a pre-recorded video, after our interactive live tasting was called off for a glitch. The impeccably suited-up Frenchman bears an uncanny resemblance (you'll see if you squint hard enough) to Tim Gunn, Barney Stinson’s tailor! It was rather amusing to watch Tim’s doppelgänger tour the vineyards of Pernand-Vergelesses and talk wine instead of mentoring wannabe-designers.
In a nutshell, Pernand-Vergelesses is a tranquil village tucked behind the shadows of Corton hill at the northern end of Côte de Beaune. Unbeknownst to many but highly regarded by insiders, the commune harbours 17ha of Grand Cru lands (Corton, Corton-Charlemangne and Charlemangne) more synonymous with its illustrious neighbours, Aloxe-Corton and Ladoix-Serrigny.
82ha of area under vines is planted to red grapes, 53ha to white; 44ha and 18ha of which are designated Premier Cru respectively: and there’re 8 of them. Île des Vergelesses is the stand-out climat, while Sous Frétille, Clos Berthet and Village de Pernand produce only whites. Les Vergelesses, En Caradeux, La Creux de la Net and Les Fichots make up the rest.
Pernand-Vergelesses is also the only appellation in the entire Côte d’Or to produce both red and white on all four levels.
'Ham sap' white Burgundy
One thing I like about official body-run event is it usually features thematic bottles yet to arrive on our shores (some will get stuck in the customs for sure, pending clearance). To borrow a quote from Thomas, “There is no two ways around it, but to taste/drink more.” Only through our palates can we get to the bottom of our subjects.
It’s funny Thomas mentioned how some people accuse white Bourgogne as being ‘ham sap’ (pervert in Cantonese; literally tart and wet). The first wine Domaine du Château de Pommard ’11 Pernand-Vergelesses gave us a taste of chalky limestone with acidity that tingles. Its ham-sap-ness certainly makes you wish you’re shucking fresh oysters on the beach.
You can’t escape minerality in the premier crus which followed either. Site superiority shows in Domaine Dubreuil-Fontaine Père et Fils ’12 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Monopole “Clos Berthet”, yielding riper and intense stone fruits, but also rounder, fuller mid-palate with a touch of wet stone. Layered and delicately-oaked. Maison Champy ’11 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru “En Caradeux” is slightly less complex. These appetizing whites will be incredibly versatile with richer seafood and poultry.
The two pinot noirs from Domaine Pierre Marie et Fils have got their funk on: both are discernibly more herbaceous and tauter than the New World pinot noirs I could afford. Sweet scent of raspberry and strawberry comes through in ’11 Pernand-Vergelesses “Les Belles Filles”, but medicinal herbs and structure reign the medium-full-bodied ’11 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru “Les Fichots”. Sturdy tannins should integrate nicely with ample fruit reserve in due time.
These Premiers Crus should cost no less than RM200 on the shelves yet they spell relatively good value in Bourgogne perspective.
Vin de terroir
People don't call the Bourgogne ‘vin de terroir’ for nothing. The spiritual home to pinot noir and chardonnay makes hands down some of the most transparent specimens in the world, highly singular from clos to clos*. The taste of soil isn't exclusive to the tip of the appellation pyramid, however, as some obscure village wines have shown.
If it’s up to me, next such event should be a BYO — bring your oysters. Now that’s wicked. — Kaki Vino
* What's climat and clos? — Climat is a delimited plot that enjoys particular geological and climatic conditions, yielding wines of unique, remarkable organoleptic personality. A clos corresponds to a climat surrounded by man-made walls.
This Bourgogne preview is partially subsidized. Visit the BIVB at www.bourgogne-wines.com for everything about Bourgogne.
Entwine is a niche F&B industry focused consultancy and business solution provider. Visit them at www.entwin3.com.
Few names fill wine lovers with unspoken reverence the way the word ‘Rothschild’ does. Sight of the unmistakable five arrows invariably heightens anticipation of the beholder.
If only the subject in question portrays a certain château, or commissioned paintings, on the labels. You and I both wish. Instead, what we’ve got is a space-age cellar 7,000 miles away in Argentina. Flechas de los Andes is the winery under the spotlight.
First, visiting sales manager, Etienne de Rességuier had to clarify how those iconic arrows get onto the bottles.
French connection
In the late ’90s, before Valle de Uco becomes the viticultural hotspot that it is today, the story goes exceptional terroir draw a handful of pioneers to the southern expanse of Mendoza’s winegrowing landscape. They liked what they saw, apparently. One such men was a certain Michel Rolland, the Bordelais rock star oenologist who decided to put his money where his mouth is.
Turned out there was other people’s money involved too. Came in the frame are Baron Benjamin de Rothschild (he of the French branch of Rothschild family, owner of Château Clarke) and Laurent Dassault (owner of Château Dassault). Sold on the site potential, the two families relished the challenge to build a winery from scratch and, above all, a legacy of crafting top Argentine wines.
Together with other like-minded French winegrowers and investors, they took the plunge by each acquiring 100-hectare plot near the district of Vista Flores. The seven partners would pool resources and know-how to create a vast, coherent property called Clos de los Siete (Vineyard of the Seven).
First vines were planted in 1999, before Compagnie Vinicole Edmond de Rothschild completed the construction of their avant-garde, futuristic looking cellar, dreamed up by science fiction artist Philippe Druillet, in 2003. Following year’s harvest officially marked the birth of Flechas de los Andes.
The joint venture eventually paved the way to individual bottlings of the partner estates. Flechas included.
Even the most fetching tales get a little dry without a drink in hand. Etienne promptly diverted our attention to the entry level malbec duo ’14 Punta de Flechas and ’15 Aguaribay. Solid quaffer, if anything, they washed down the perfectly chargrilled vegetables, chicken and cow gizzard skewers I was chomping just fine.
If your idea of malbec revolves around dark, dense and lush fruits with unapologetically New World sheen, ’13 Aguaribay Gran Reserva is more like it. Fleshy and flashy, it packs a hefty punch which has wooed a generation of wine drinkers.
The Andes is the limits
Back to Argentina. Savvy readers of back labels must notice how vineyard plantings seem to creep upwards with each passing year. Located 120km south of Mendoza, Flechas de los Andes holdings outstrip the historical heart zone in elevation at 1,100m a.s.l. Consequential wide diurnal shifts prove crucial in such semi-arid continental climate, as ripened fruits get to retain all-important freshness, with great aromatic and colour intensity to boot. In short, a sweet spot for high quality wines production, barring overzealous human intervention.
The ever watchful, snow-crested Andes is as life-giving as it is breathtaking in the backdrop. Winegrowers in Valle de Uco owe their livelihood to the upper Tunuyán river through which snowmelt atop the majestic range descends, irrigating every inch of their vineyards.
In Flechas estate, malbec is king on those rocky, granite pebbles and alluvial gravels, among a smattering of other red grape varieties. They are planted quite dense for local standards (5,500 vines per hectare), so roots have got to dig deep for survival. Nothing builds character like hardship and struggle.
Etienne took a deserved breather just when sizzling pork skewers, sided by quail egg yolk, came streaming out of the smoke-filled kitchen. Lacing of savoury teriyaki sauce called for something substantial, and ’11 Gran Malbec answered in style.
Beauty and the Beast
Sweet black fruit bouquet, smothered in smoke, vanilla and cinnamon, floats from the glass effortlessly. This inky red takes richness and focus up a notch, marrying luscious blackcurrant, cola, cassis to sensuous oak and round tannins with aplomb. Mocha aftertaste concludes what has been an opulent display that seriously gratifies without tipping over the edge, thanks to ample acidity. Gran Malbec is matured 16 months in equal part combination of new wood, used barrels and stainless steel.
Fittingly, it took nothing less than the restaurant’s pièce de résistance to match with the estate’s grand vin: ’11 Gran Corte. So sinfully succulent were the wagyu beef, these skewered bliss had managed to break the incessant chatter in the room for a sec.
Gran Corte demonstrates, desirably, more restraint than the 100% new French oak it spent 18 months in. The aromatic nose is loamy, violety, polished but vital with a lift not usually seen in hard-hitting Argies. Granted, the 20% apiece of syrah and cabernet franc dance an intense tango with malbec on the tongue. Seamless oak and fine-grained tannins weave a silken texture to the red and blue-fruited, olive-tinged palate. Again, bright acidity lends definition while sweetness takes a backseat. There’s harmony all round from start to end.
Like the beauty to Gran Malbec’s beast, the Old World understatement of Gran Corte was not lost on most guests, who lauded it as WOTN.
Wine for thought
Flechas de los Andes wines are, needless to say, very well made, but so are countless other Mendoza offerings. My minor pet peeve with this varietal is that most taste precariously alike regardless of producers. Now don’t get me wrong: I enjoy big, flavour packed malbec as much as the next wino, not to mention the insane QPR it can sometimes offer.
Argentinian winemakers could be forgiven for sticking to the commercially sound, tried-and-tested recipe, but tides are shifting. The credo ‘less is more’ is trending, as wine lovers increasingly value restraint and freshness over heavy-handed aesthetics. Well, you wouldn’t want to bet against these winemakers to catch wind and adapt before long. Not with the gauchos’ adventurous spirits and marketing nous anyway.
Surely, things should take a turn for the better, more complex in all likelihood, once the vines mature: when site individuality manifests itself more readily in the fruits. Mendoza is a relatively young wine country. A work in progress, so to speak. One does not simply rush it.
Not that anyone has any qualms about the quality of Flechas de los Andes wines. As the pieces fall into place, things can only go up for this side of the Andes. — Kaki Vino
*** This is a sponsored post ***
More info on Flechas de los Andes wines at edrh-wines.com.
Many thanks to the re-established wine importing arm of CSS for the delightful evening and delish Flechas de los Andes reds, one of many exciting agencies in CSS portfolio. For more info, visit www.cssliquor.com.my
Much appreciation to Japanese Yakitori Restaurant, a secluded and, you guess it, authentic yakitori joint that doubles as watering hole. Why while away your precious evening moping in rush hour traffic while you can swing by for a boozy relief? Find them at:
place 105 & 106, Block C, Ground Floor, Phileo Damansara 1, Jalan 16/11, 46350 Petaling Jaya.
local_phone +603-7660 6166/6266
A Special Invitation To All Wine Lovers And Opportunists.
If you are a connoisseur of Premium Fine Wines or novice and would like to learn how you can get it every month delivered straight to your door FOR FREE PLUS, learn how you can (if you want to) get an income by telling your family, friends, and businesses about these SPECIAL WINES, than please sit back with your glass of wine and watch this 22-minute presentation.
Afterward, go to http://6y8e.com/fine-wines/ to learn more about this program.
A Special Invitation To All Wine Lovers And Opportunists.
If you are a connoisseur of Premium Fine Wines or novice and would like to learn how you can get it every month delivered straight to your door FOR FREE PLUS, learn how you can (if you want to) get an income by telling your family, friends, and businesses about these SPECIAL WINES, than please sit back with your glass of wine and watch this 22-minute presentation.
Afterward, go to http://6y8e.com/fine-wines/ to learn more about this program.
