The Asian Winehunter

Sometimes, we just don't know how good we have it. May 28th was such a day. An incredible lineup of wines. If that wasn't enough Alan Meadows aka the Burghound was present to talk us through these wines. I will not bore you with individual tasting notes but just suffice to say that there were some great wines - it's just that side by side you begin to split hairs. Chambertin and Musigny are definitely a cut above Grand Echezeaux. Just more complex. This statement is probably heresy to some and completely obvious to others. Can't win. Comte de Vogue Musigny is variable and I'm not sure it's quite all there. Something to mull over given the high prices. On the other hand the 1990 Musigny is a butterfly finally coming out of it's 18 year cocoon. This will need another 7-10 years? - but it's a knockout. Armand Rosseau Chambertin. Amazing wine, year after year. Best white of the night '99 CM. Some people liked the '90 but to me that shouldn't be w...

In this final part of this series, I would like to introduce readers to an extremely small winery which pays serious attention to their vines. Himmelsfeld vineyard began in 1991 when owner Elizabeth(Beth) Eggars decided to try something else besides nursing. Nestled on a gentle hill in Upper Moutere , the 10.5ha property has about 1.5ha dedicated to growing Cabernet Sauvignon , Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc (roughly equal split). The rest of the land is still home to an apple orchard and many sheep! Total production for all wines is roughly about 600+ cases so odds are you will not see this too often overseas. In fact, don't think we saw it in shops while in New Zealand either. Of the many wineries visited - Beth struck me as one who puts emphasis on the Vineyard first and wine making second. She is adamant that "great wines are made in the vineyard", something which I hear echoed in the most zealous ( and coincidentally top notch) Burgundy producers. Her vineyard...

Established in 2002 by Sam and Audrey Watt from what was an apple orchard, this small vineyard makes microscopic amounts of wine. We found this place mainly due to the attractive accommodations but the wines are something of a surprise bonus. The vineyard currently spans over 5 hectares with vine densities of 2600 vines per hectare. The soil here is predominantly clay from the Moutere area. What I would really like to highlight here is their 2007 SV Sauvignon Blanc which is one of the best expressions of New Zealand SB I have had this trip and perhaps the top handful I have had from New Zealand. Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm not going to mince words here - if what you want is a light, tart and aromatic quaffing wine then this is not it. Sometimes, I am convinced that the British wine trade wants to box in New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc as aromatic, tart thin thirst quenchers to serve before the serious wines- bullocks. If that's what people think will sell then it becomes a self-...

This one is not exactly a small winery and definitely a bit more flashy than many others. Woollaston Estates was formed in 2000 - with some creative passion. You can see that in the design of the winery building itself as well as the myriad pieces of art and sculptures around. This one is worth going to just to check out the architecture. While I cannot say that I was impressed with most of their offerings - one did stand out to me and that was their Pinot Noir. Vines are still young but there is a balance here which I find lacking in many others. This is one of the better Pinot if not the best I tried on this trip. Looking at a design of their winery it seems to be designed around letting gravity lead the flow through the winemaking process . This can only mean it was designed around the careful handling of Pinot Noir. To me, you can taste a big difference in quality between the Pinot and their other wines. It was as if the other wines were intended for bulk sale in order to finance ...

Clos Henri is a relatively new entrant to the Wairau valley of the Marlborough wine growing region. This property is also located close to Renwick and is actually opened by the Bourgeois family from the Sancerre region in France. The first vines were planted in 2001 with emphasis on bringing out the terroir. There are a multitudes of soils here but they essentially are either clay based or rocky riverbed. Their "Bel Echo" offerings of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir show definite minerality and bely the rocky riverbed soil which it was planted on. The "Clos Henri" series on the other hand definitely is more earthy, rich and deep being planted on predominantly clay. Of all the wines tasted in this region - these wines strike me as the most "terroir transparent" I have tried so far. Their vine planting densities are some of the highest around here of around 5000 vines per hectare. I have high hopes for this property in the future as their vines begin to acq...

Te Whare Ra ( "Tee Faree Ra" is supposed to mean house in the Sun in Maori) is based in Marlborough New Zealand. This is on the south Island in the town of Renwick which is host to quite a few wineries including Cloudy Bay, Montana etc... Established in 1979, this small boutique winery probably has some of the oldest vines in the area. In 2003, the husband and wife team of Jason & Anna Flowerday took the helm and have significantly upgraded various aspects of the winery. Although offering a Pinot Noir, IMHO they are a white wine producer with offerings mainly from Sauvignon Blanc, Reisling, Gerwurztraminer and Chardonnay. It's their aromatic wines which to me show their stuff here. Current size of the vineyards ~9 hectares with many coming from the older vines planted in 1979 ( almost 30 years ago) - I was told the Gerwurztraminer. Fruit is basically hand sorted and picked - now we are talking. Cutting to the chase, my favorite wines from their lineup would be the...

A bit more than 1/2 year ago, we were in Chateauneuf du Pape. Anyway long story short. The sommelier at Beaucastel came up with a short video clip to explain the varietals and the philosophy going into CdP and Beaucastel in particular. Enjoy http://www.dailymotion.com/register/ccbc48fdeb59759ac171c670f/7478619 P.S. Just got back from the South Island of NZ so expect something here on wines from Malborough and Nelson areas.

It's hard to believe that a year has almost gone by and Christmas Time is here. In getting into the holiday rhythm, I went looking for some music only to find most of it unsatisfying (surprise, surprise). There are exceptions, and here I think is one of them. December 1965, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" was aired and became an instant standard. Most people will remember the Charles Schultz cartoon along with the catchy tunes. Upon listening to the recent 2006 re-master of this album by Fantasy records, I was amazed. This is so much better than coming out of a 14 inch mono TV. Arranged & composed by Vince Guaraldi, there is an underlying quality of happiness and cheer to the music. Perhaps it brings back happy memories of my childhood but I think it is intrinsic to the music. Guaraldi to me, has the lyrical qualities of Bill Evans together with the rhythm and swing of a Dave Brubeck - it is a shame he died of a heart attack at an age of 47 between sets at a jazz club. T...

Pouilly Fuisse should not really be mixed up with Pouilly Fume although it happens. While both are white wines Pouilly Fuisse is rightfully Chardonnay and Burgundian. The other Pouilly is from the Loire Valley and is made from Sauvignon Blanc ( to be covered someday!). While Pouilly-Fuisse is an appelation on to itself it would be a shame not to give the individual terroirs recognition also. There are 4 villages in the appelation: Vergisson, Solutre-Pouilly, Fuisse and Chaintre and arguably 5 terroirs as Solutre and Pouilly are distinctive. From a distance the twin rocks of Vergisson and Solutre are a clear giveaway that you have arrived. The certain soil zones around these rocks are limestone and give the wines that mineral taste which is lacking or more subdued in the other communes outside of Vergisson, Solutre and Pouilly. The 5 terroirs within Pouilly-Fuisse are : Vergisson - mineral driven, punchy with acidic backbone. Solutre - mineral driven but softer with pronounced acidity. ...

2005. Vincent Girardin Santenay 1er Cru Les Gravieres. Fruit, minerals, acidity, fine tannins - feels as if one could feel the sun shining down. I don't think you can really ask for more in a Santenay - I think this is an amazing value. True balance here, if this is a good representation of the '05 vintage then I would say that it takes the best attributes of '02 and '03 together. 91pts. 2004 J.F Mugnier Nuit St. George 1er Cru. Clos de la Marechale. Good depth of fruit, acidity, mid palate. Very good showing for a 2004. Unfortunately, the 2005 Santenay came before it. 90 pts. 2005 Felton Road. Block 5 Pinot Noir. Very Generous fruit and good tannins, aromatically less complicated than the previous 2 Burgundies. Given the price of this, I'm not sure it's really worth the money. It's just not as complex as the previous wines. 89pts.

A visit to Beaucastel isn't complete without trying some so off to the tasting room.... 2006 - Beaucastel Blanc. The Roussane grape is dominant with 80% (small percentage of 60 year old vines) and another 20% comprised of Grenache Blanc (10-40 year old vines). Honey, flowers, good acidity and a minerality. Good to serve on the cool side i.e. 10-12 centrigrade. 2006 - Beaucastal Blanc Vielle Vignes Again made of Roussane but this time 100% pure and straight up. The vines are old (I'm told 78 years). Production is absolutely miniscule at 6000 bottles per annum ( sorry now 5999 for '06). With the Roussane variety I am told you either drink it within 5 years of the vintage of 10 years later. The 5-10 year period is supposed to be a funky phase where the wine shouts down and appears oxidised. Strangely enough I have not it during this phase but have had ones over 10 years - you will be nicely surprised. The RVV belies it's age in comparison to Beaucastel Blanc - you can te...

T he fresh, bubble gum like wine known as Beaujolais Nouveau released on 3rd week of November is what most people think of when this appelation is mentioned. Beaujolais rouge is made with the Gamay grape and actually encompases 3 categories. 1. Regular Beaujolais - Beaujolais Nouveau is a part of this. 2. Beaujolais Village - 38 communes claim this category. Again Nouveau can come from this. 3. Beujolais Cru - These consists of 10 vineyards : Brouilly The largest Vineyard with 1300 hectares at the foot of Mount Brouilly. Annual production : 10million bottles. Really massive production not really that interesting. Chenas The smallest vineyard with 280 hectares. Annual production : 2.1 million bottles. One of the better Crus. Chiroubles Situated at 400 meters is the highest of the vinyards. 370 hectares. Annual production 2.7 million bottles Cote de Brouilly On the slopes of mount Brouilly. 320 hectares. Annual production : 2.4 million bottles Fleurie 870 hecta...

A visit to Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape. What does this word usually mean to you? Strong, robust, rustic, wild, wooly, complex, monolithic all the above? Several hundred years ago it was none of the above. In the 1300's, the papal court moved to the city of Avignon along with the papacy of Pope Clement V due to political reasons. So ensued several generation of French Popes called the "Avignon papacy". South from Avignon in the village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the papacy made their summer homes and encouraged the growing of vines in the surrounding areas of Bedarrides, Sourgues and Corthezon. It was at this time that the wines became known as "Vin du Pape". It was not until 1923 when the first Appellation controlee rules were drafted under the leadership of Baron Le Roy that Publish Post Chateauneuf-Du-Pape AOC was born. In fact, this probably was the first AOC and the precursor of the various regulations to come later on. Returning to Corthezon, ...

It's been a while since any postings and apologies are due. A combination of a busy workload, lack of thematic tastings and too many things on my plate. Believe me when I say, would rather deal with wine topics than sub-prime and market turmoil - but such is life. Promise to have some articles lined up in the not too distant future. Hopefully late summer/early fall. If it smells like a dog it probably is - Grand cru Burgundy don't sell for the price of of a Vin de Pays. Likewise, high yields and high credit ratings (i.e. AAA/AA rated CDO tranches) don't go together-that would be a contradiction. It's taken the market this long to realize it. Which reminds me of a passage from one of Warren Buffets annual reports "You can't tell who's swimming naked until the tide goes out". In the meantime be careful out there.

August Clape - 1995 Cornas . Initially a bit closed and astringent. With time and about 1.5 hours it unfolded, figs, earthy, good finish. However, as it breathed more it also became a bit more sour and thin. Mid palate just didn't seem to have sufficient density - for a Cornas . The finish was quite decent. Perhaps this needs another 5 years to even out. Hopefully then all components would be "synchronized" at least for that 1.5 hours. 90 points. Maybe 2 more in 5 years. Pierre Morey - 2001 Mersault Perriers Right out of the bottle oozing with minerals and flint. Not a super hot year so this came through very pronounced. Do not serve this too cold as this would make it too Chablis-like. Give it ~45min to warm up and the overall aromatic profile should be even better. Again a bit light bodied for a Mersault so don't overchill . A bit short on the finish and not exactly my idea of a typical Perriers - a bit on the lean side but nevertheless a very good wine. 92 poin...

I'll just admit it right now - I don't really know much about New Zealand - save for the Cloudy Bay, Oyster Bay, Kemeu River, Montana and a handful of others. Definitely good, competent wines but not really stuff that gets your's truly excited... Until I ended up going through Central Otago on vacation. Central Otago is situated on the "South Island" - for those who don't know, New Zealand is actually divided into North and South Islands. Central Otago - is dry and cool.... perfect for Pinot Noir Burgheads, at least that is what is mostly planted here (>80%). I'll cut to the chase, the promise was Pinot and most producers here make small amounts and the price is not exactly cheap. Many are good competent renditions of Pinot Noir (other's not quite so) but not something that makes my heart skip a beat. I have been told to give some of the special reserve bottlings a try. That will be done but frankly they are not easy to get a hold of and definitel...

Have you ever wanted to help out in understanding and perhaps even finding the cure to diseases such as Alzheimer's, Cancer, Parkinson's and others? Well now you can. The Idea folding@home is a distributed computing effort organized by a nonprofit institution affiliated with Standford University's Chemistry department . Protein folding is involved in very basic biological processes. If we understand these processes and mechanisms better then a cure could be possible. In order to do this, computer simulations are required. On the other hand, the se simulation requirements are beyond even most supercomputers. The trick is to pool together hundreds of thousands or perhaps millions of Desktop, Laptop, and now even the Playstation3 to cut the problem down to size. Currently, the combined computer power of this network could very well be the most powerful floating point computing unit globally. The results are will not be owned or sold but will be submitted to scientific journa...

1996 Jacquesson Signature Champagne. Friends tried to pull a fast one and claimed it was a Salon. Certainly did not taste like something from Mesnil. Hints of green apple, toast/bread, good acidity. This will needs more time to settle down even now - A higher class version of the non vintage version. The grapes from Avize ( Chardonnay) seem to be quite prominent. 91 points now and should get better ( ~94pts) in 5-7 years. 2003 Coche Dury Bourgogne Pinot Noir Very different from the last tasting. Aromas of minerals and pinot now in much better balance and more forthcoming. Caveat are the hints of slightly burnt pepper & grape smell that seems to be common many 2003's - not sure if this is a good thing. Certainly not typical of Burgundy character. Nevertheless, it has a medium body whereas it seemed thin and withered when it first arrived - fruit is abundant and the tannins are quite refined. Still it lacks the multi-layered dimensionality and finish that is required of a great ...

Much myth and disinformation exists around the wine and history. Perhaps it's better to start from the beginning. With annual production >300 million bottles a year - make double sure you are getting the real deal. Champagne Trivia #1 - Originally Champagne was not fizzy Originally, Champagne at least up until the 17th century was probably more along the lines of a rose than the sparkling we know today. #2 - Dom Perignon did not invent Champagne That was more marketing blitz byMoet & Chandon in the early 20th century. Actually, it was the English who added sugar to still wine from Champagne before our famous Benedictine monk. #3 - Napoleon's favorite Champagne house was Moet & Chandon. Jacquesson came in 2nd - the medal awarded to the house was for the grandiosity of the cellars. History In 1728, the law forbidding shipment of wines in bottles was revoked. Soon after, many Champagne houses began to appear. Among them Ruinart, Moet, Cliquot, Heidsick and Jacquesson t...

First off, a Happy New Year and good health to all. It has been a busy past year and unfortunately this has led to a slowdown in new posts lately. This year we start of with a new look and hopefully try to write more about wine and also it's natural partner - food. Besides, would you trust the advice of someone in wine if they couldn't tell chicken from pork?!! Stay tuned.