Old vines from a favorite region inspire an East meets West wine and food tasting. Curtis Marsh leads the way.

Saturday, April 15, 2006

The question I'm most frequently asked is "What is your favourite wine?" To which I reply, "The wine I haven't tried yet," emphasizing that I gain most pleasure in discovering new taste sensations.

Inevitably, there are certain varieties and regions I enjoy more than others and I'm captivated with the wines of the Southern Rhone Valley, France.

Encapsulating the enchanting elements of Provence with the radiant Mediterranean climate tempered by the strong Mistral winds, the red wines here are generous and profound. Normally a blend of predominantly grenache, mourvedre and shiraz, they are full of character, plush in red berry fruit with spicy, dried herbal qualities and an earthiness known as garrigue (the flavor of baked earth and Provencal herbs).

Wines from the villages and more prominent appellations of Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Rasteau and Cairanne all have their individual merits and nuances, reflecting specific terroirs (the combination of the climate, soil and grape variety). However, it is Chateauneuf du Pape that is the most famous and at the top of the pecking order in quality.

With red wine accounting for more than 90 percent of production, the white wines of Chateauneuf du Pape are largely overlooked. It would also be fair to say the oxidized style and quality of the whites has been questionable in the past, with many producers over complacent, due to a false sense of popularity in the local restaurants.

With red wine accounting for more than 90 percent of production, the white wines of Chateauneuf du Pape are largely overlooked. It would also be fair to say the oxidized style and quality of the whites has been questionable in the past, with many producers over complacent, due to a false sense of popularity in the local restaurants.

However, in recent years, there has been a quantum leap in style and quality, mainly due to a more modern approach in the winemaking, spurred by growing interest in roussanne, marsanne and viognier, the principal white varieties of the Rhone region.

At the forefront are the wines made by Pierre Perrin at Perrin and Fils and the legendary Chateau de Beaucastel. Indeed, any respectability for white wine in Chateauneuf du Pape is singularly attributed to Chateau de Beaucastel Roussanne Vieille Vignes (old vines), unquestionably the finest dry white wine in Southern Rhone Valley. This wine came to my attention when I was recently researching an article on old vines, with the Chateau de Beaucastel roussanne vines being a venerable 75 years old.

It also served as inspiration for a wine dinner pairing with Cantonese food at the Yung Kee Restaurant in Wellington Street, Central. This led to the discovery that the savory, nutty, oily textured Chateauneuf du Pape whites are well-suited to many elements of Cantonese cooking, especially dishes such as deep fried dumplings and wonton or chicken marinated in dark soya sauce. Likewise, roasted goose with preserved trotter with soy sauce, and cloudy tea smoked pork were equally palatable with the 2001 (HK$880) and 2003 (HK$790) Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Red.

For aperitif we served the Perrin Reserve Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2005 (HK$89 per bottle) - a blend of 50 percent grenache blanc, 20 percent viognier, 15 marsanne  and  15 roussanne.  There  is no better example of  a

modern, affordable Southern Rhone white with its honey perfume among ripe apricots, exotic fruits, almonds and Moroccan spices. The palate is textural but with plenty of citrus zip, then twisting into savory bitter almonds and a juicy tangy finish.

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc 2003 (HK$695) is 80 percent roussanne, 15 grenache blanc, five picardon, clairette and bourboulenc. A rich, creamy honeyed wine from the hot 2003 vintage, it is the consummate red drinker's white wine. The layers of exotic fruits and caramel are balanced by a powerful citrus tang and manzanilla sherry qualities; the connation of sherry should not be taken as derogatory, rather I am referring to the wonderful salty, raw nut characters that give this wine so much personality.

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes 2002 (HK$990) has an explosive, over- the-top bouquet of palm sugar, passion fruit, ripe mango and pineapple, dried banana and ripe figs. The palate is honeyed and oily with interesting nutty, toffee aspects and some toasty new oak nuances. All the richness and exotic flavors are nicely balanced by citrus acidity and a nuttiness with a little grip on the finish. A wine of exceptional complexity and individual character that ranks among the very best white wines in the world.

Pierre Perrin was in Hong Kong a few weeks after our Yung Kee dinner and I readily accepted an invitation to a luncheon at the Conrad. Evidence of how seriously they take the relationship between food and wine at Chateau de Beaucastel, they brought along their in- house chef, Laurent Deconinck, to cook, along with most of the ingredients from Southern France. Deconinck's CV reads like an A-list of Paris restaurants, with stints at Le Cercle-Lucas Carton, Restaurant Michel Rostang, Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire, and even some time across the Channel at Raymond Blanc's Hotel Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons.

Space does not permit me to describe the food and wine pairing in detail, however I can tell you that of the hundreds of wine functions I have attended, none have been as professionally executed and informative as this.
The chef's compelling narrative in describing the relationship between the terroir and specific flavors in the wine that influenced the dish he was presenting, coupled with Pierre Perrin's passionate and detailed descriptions of the wines, was empowering.

Chateau de Beaucastel is a truly remarkable vineyard where the soil is made up of rounded stones known as galets which retain the heat of the day and radiate it to the vines during the night, contributing considerably to the quality of the wines.

They were also the first to practise organic farming and wine making in the region, having introduced these practices in the early 1960s.
Beaucastel is also one of few domains to plant and vinify all 13 grape varietals permitted in Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation, along with a higher percentage of mourvédre than most, accounting for the animal, earthy, leathery, meaty character you will encounter in their reds.

Having said my piece on white wines, it is perhaps fitting that I finish with a tasting note of Chateau de Beaucastel's flagship (red) wine the Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin 1999 (HK$2,900) - 60 percent mourvedre, 20 grenache, 10 counoise and 10 syrah. Inky in appearance, it has a musky, briary feral perfume, herbal with dried mushrooms, ripe black cherries, tarry with leathery notes and earthy-wet clay. It is incredibly full- bodied with lots of glycerol, explosive sweet blueberry, blackberry fruit, wonderfully layered with dark chocolate among black pepper and star anise finishing warming and spicy with a leathery farewell. Without doubt, one of the world's most sought-after wines.

For the Perrin and Fils and Chateau de Beaucastel wines, contact direct importer Altaya Wines. Tel: 2523 1945 (www.altayawines.com).

Available in Singpapore through Booze Wineshop www.booze.com.sg

Trade enquiries and stockist within Asia to Emil Teo amo@vinsperrin.com

“Curtis Marsh, a veteran wine importer and sommelier, is an Asia-based writer on wine, food and travel.”

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