The Asian Winehunter

Henri Jayer who died in 2006 left behind a legacy and a future path for Burgundians to follow. He epitomized the phrase "do as little in the winery as possible". This non-interventionist attitude did not mean "do nothing" however, just not in the tanks but in the vineyard. Unfortunately, it is not clear whether he has any equal or successors ( in the form of Rouget or Meo-Camuzet ) to this legacy. There is something about these wines which is unmistakable. Just as Domaine Leroy wines have an unmistakable "fingerprint" so does Henri Jayer. 1990 Echezeaux. George et Henri Jayer. Vinified, produced, elevated and bottled by Henri Jayer. I think we should put the myth to rest that this wine is not qualitatively as good as Henri's own - it is. Coming from a section of Echezeaux located right below Grand Echezeaux it was multi faceted and complex. Needs about an hour of air with smells of plum, cherry, tea, vanilla & cream, herbs and minerals. I have neve...

Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo & Barberesco - typical Italian names for red wines. Why do they all have to start with a "B" - confused already? It doesn't need to be painful. First of all the Brunello doesn't belong in this group because: a) It comes from a completely different region which is Tuscany b) Is a totally different grape varietal from the other two (i.e. Sangiovese). First off, Barolo & Barbaresco are names of actual towns. Both are in the Langhe region in Piedmont. If you can imagine the capital of Piedmont being Alba (yes think white truffles). Barberesco would be Northeast of Alba while Barolo would be Southwest of Alba. To be considered Barolo or Barbaresco they would need reside in the appropriate regions AND be made from the Nebbiolo grape. Let's take a look at the Barolo region first. The Barolo region essentially comprises of a hilly area comprising of 2 valleys interspersed with old towns which are homes to the many wine producers. Tra...

While it's getting easier to find good wine - it's not so easy to find decent everyday drinking wines which won't burn a hole in your budget. Having sampled these wines very recently, I can say that they are indeed very decent everyday drinking wines. In fact - they will last for quite some time if you can keep the corks on them. Both are suited for mediterranian type food from Spain, Italy, Southern France etc.. 2006 Artadi El Seque - Alicante A newly acquired vineyard in Alicante, Spain. 40 acres in brown/limestone soil. The blend is 80% Monastrell (also known as Mataro or Mourvedre), 10% Syrah and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Full bodied wine. Extremely rich and packed. Best to give it a couple hours of air but drinks well right out of the gate. Very nice tannins. The price should be under US$30 - 91pts 2007 Le Macchiole - Bolgheri Rosso This time from Tuscany, Italy. IGT table wine. Combination of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Sangiovese. True to Le Macchiole, the pu...

I wasn't a great fan of Michael Jackson in the later years but there is no denying he redefined the genre over the decades again and again. My favorites still come from the Jackson 5 era and here are some of them:

This time it's not a golden oldie but the complete opposite.  Amazing especially given the circumstances.  Zee Avi is a jazz/folk vocalist & songwriter. The 23 year old Malaysian from Borneo was posting youtube videos until being "discovered" and was offered contracts by several US record companies. More songs on the link below - enjoy!! http://www.myspace.com/zeeavi

Most of you won't believe this but the winehunter bought 2008 Bordeaux En-Primuer. Alright, accuse me of selling out, turncoat whatever - I admit it!! Anway, let's see if this works out. Given the pricing and the vintage there were some relatively good values to be had especially in the early days. Duhart-Milon @ $400/case was to me a complete no brainer. Owned by Lafite, quality has been improving steadily. Pontet-Canet; too hard to resist. The 2003 were yummy, 2008 costs less and should be even better.  On the other hand, some of the top rated wines have shot up tremendously especially after Robert Parker gave higher marks than were expected. 1st growths like Lafite have doubled since initial offering...  Greed is back. Either way, this should be fun to watch and try when it finally gets delivered.

For many, collecting antiques can be a fanatical pastime. For wine lovers, this road is fraught with uncertainty but also wonderful surprises. Last night, we had disappointments but we had some wonderful surprises as well - such is life.  We had 2 vintages which bookended the beginning and the worst parts of the previous large financial disaster - the great depression of the early 20th century. Is this where we are in the latest equivalent of the 21st century? - who knows. 1929 Beaune - Doctor Barolet selection ( H. Villamont) A great many significant events occured in 1929 which would reshape the later parts of the 20th century - a monumental year by any measure. The beginning of the great depression ushered in by the stock market crash in the United States The first public telephone booth call was made The Vatican was established as an independent jurisdiction by the Lateran treaty The first Academy awards were given out The EEG was invented What a surprise on opening this 80-year ol...

What has all this got to do with wine?? Not much I guess. Just in a nostalgic mood this evening (where's that Burgundy from the 60's I've got stashed away?). Anyway - since I'm on a roll here's another one. Sorry - just couldn't get it out of my head after the movie. T-Rex - "20th Century Boy"

When John Fogerty wrote the lyrics to the song "Have you ever seen the Rain", he was referring to the eventual breakup of his brother Tim from the band Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR). This song was released in 1970 and whenever I hear this song it rings nostalgia all over. For people of my generation (you know who you are) this will probably be true as well - for other generations perhaps not. Either way, it also seems like appropriate lyrics for the economic downturn and the credit crisis. By now everyone has seen the rain (or flood or Tsunami). Hopefully the sunny days will come back soon... Creedence Clearwater Revival - Have you ever seen the rain? Someone told me long ago, there's a calm before the storm, I know; It's been coming for some time. When it's over, so they say, It'll rain a sunny day, I know; Shining down like water. CHORUS: I want to know, Have you ever seen the rain? I want to know, Have you ever seen the rain Coming down on a sunny day...

Some thoughts on wine descriptions and your sense of smell. Years ago, I would read all the literature out there. Tasting notes, buy the wine, try it and then read the notes again. We get phrases like "...smells of Lychee, organge zest, pineapple, banana, buttery...." blah blah blah. For every 10 descriptions I would be lucky recognizing and picking up one of them. Perhaps my sense of smell wasn't as acute, taste buds dead, sensory memory lacking?? Maybe there is something wrong with me? Stop right there. Years later and many bottles down the road - I have yet to meet too many people who were truly missing these god-given abilities to taste. People may not know how to surgically dissect and analyze the wine but they surely know if it's good or not very quickly - there is no fooling that. The exceptions were usually people with a flu, Chain smokers, some other overriding impediment or cranial damage. If you enjoy food and can smell and recognize it; you should be abl...

For many who follow the comic book God's Drop or "Kami no Shizuku" - some will know that a limited 8 episode TV series began earlier this year in Japan. The final wine or "Kami no Shizuku" literally meaning "God's drop" was no other than the 2003 Chateau La Puy. Yours truly bumped into this wine by chance recently so here are the tasting notes. 2003 Chateau La Puy. Well, for something which was the wine of God - this is a bit disappointing. On the nose, this had the smell of a Burgundy with a bit of age (15+ years?). Earth, plums, tea - surprising and getting my hopes up as this is totally unexpected for an '03 Bordeaux. On the palate with....Disaster!!! Thin, astringent, slightly coarse tannins; can't believe this is an '03.  Mid-palate and finish is nothing to write home about.  Don't see how this could be construed with something close to perfection and showing "eternal qualities" - anything but. Wine of God - hmmm don...

2005 Francois Raveneau Butteaux . Minerality more covered up by fruit than usual. Try not to overchill this - nice acidity - very nice balance - good finish. Still prefer the 2002 though. 92+pts. 2006 Fontaine Gagnard - Chassange Montrachet 1er Cru Clos St. Jean Opened for ~30minuts. Denser, brasher, minerality backed up by power. Kept unwinding throughout the night - give this time. 90 pts. 2005 George Roumier Chambolle Musigny Opened in bottle for ~3.5 hours - needs it. Red fruits laced with a bit of earth and game. Structured, fine tannins - amazing village wine. 90 pts. 2005 Duhart Milon Rothschild Opened for ~2 hours. Young, full bodied, expansive, cassis, touch of pencil, traces of Lafite but not quite as this is more brawny without the complex aromas. Hey but given the price - no complaints! Serve at room temperature or a bit above ~19-21 C, no problems and may make it a bit less rough on the edges. 92 points. 1999 Chateau Palmer Opened for ~1.5 hours. Ahhh the 2nd disciple. An...

A few years back, I mentioned about a wine that stood out on a trip to Tuscany. That wine was called Isoglio del Cinghiale. After some fact checking, the people behind this winery were none other than Lodovico & Piero Antinori - the previous owner(s) of Tenuta Ornellia. Fast forward almost 2.5 years later and we had a very special treat - dinner with Lodovico in person. Insoglio is basically their everyday drinking product. Up until 2005, it was a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Verdot and Cab. Franc. Starting in 2006, Syrah was added to the blend and by 2007 I believe Cabernet Sauvignon was completely eliminated. Going forward from the 2007 the blend of varietals have pretty much "settled" in. Given the price point of this wine which is ~ EUR15, no complaints. More than acceptable as an everyday quaffer. Next up is the Il Pino di Biserno which is a more Bordeaux-like blend and does not contain any Syrah unlike the Insoglio. This is a much more complex wine a...

A couple more tried over the week. 2006 Leroy Bourgone Aligote Good acidity, minerality present but had hints of wet cardboard. Suspect this one was "slightly" corked. 2006 Craggy Range "Le Sol" Gimblett Gravels Extremely ripe primary syrah notes; you know the type where there is a note of "roach spray". I don't know how else to describe it but the fruit has a hint of something coming out of a can of Baygon. Very one-dimensional at this stage - perhaps evaluate in another 7-10 years; it's going to be a while. 1998 Haut Brion. Doing well now; this looks to be an early drinker by Haut Brion standards. A little air (45minutes) is all it needs. This vintage is underlined by the aromas of the earth - you can smell the soil. Tannins are quite fine and the mid-palate is full but will thin out over a span of 2 hours.... Not a vintage to go into the history books but good now - why wait?

Another year has gone by - time certainly flies. Been getting lazy posting tasting notes so new year's resolution is to be more deligent. Here goes.... 1998 Billecart Salmon Cuvee Nicholas Brilliant Pinot Noir smell gushing out just on the pour. On the palate, it was Chardonnay dominating. Quite good but the Chardonnay and Pinot could be a bit more integrated which will take time. 92+ points. 2004 Michel Niellon Chassange Montrachet 1er Cru Clos St. Jean On the nose, bright flecks of minerality and acidity. The palate could not follow through what was promised on the nose - bit diluted/thin on the core though it had nice acidity and a finish. 90 points. 2006 Domaine Leroy Aligote Minerals, acidity on the nose and on the palate. Nervosity and a bit of sharpness on the mouth. Needs a little bit of air (30minutes)to balance out. Chablis-like. Had 2 bottles in as many months - the latest one was defective. Flat, no fruit or minerals and a bit oxidised. Previous bottle was much better. ...