Our Wandering Palate wanders into the Australian gold country of Moonambel-Pyrenees, Victoria, to come up with a favorite chardonnay.
I have been on a chardonnay crusade since writing on the subject in October, 2009, and as I taste through the current vintages of top producers from Australian, my headline “Another Brilliant Chardonnay” reverberates. So indulge me as I write a succession of reviews over the next month on the pick of cutting-edge Australian chardonnays.
Many wine lovers consider the 1961 Paul Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle Rouge to be one of the great wines; unfortunately it is very scarce. So is there an equivalent in the offing?
In conversation at a recent wine dinner, the subject turned to the staggering price that a case of 1961 Paul Jaboulet La Chapelle fetched at Christie’s Fine and Rare Wine Auction in London, a staggering GBP123,750 (HK$945187.00) inclusive of taxes and premiums, a European record for a single case of wine. The conversation then turned to the vintages of La Chapelle that might potentially be the equal of the enduring 1961. According to the vintage charts, the 1978 and 1990 are the obvious candidates.
Micro Blogging industry giant Twitter has announced that they are all set to start selling wine under their Fledgling Initiative.
The company said that they would contribute USD$ 5 for every bottle sold to Room to Read. Room to Read is a non-profit entity aimed to promote literacy for kids around the world.
Twitter said: “The Fledgling Initiative embodies two things that are at the core of Twitter’s mission: providing access to information and highlighting the power of open communication to bring about positive change.”
The best cabernet sauvignons from Australia and France are arguably of equal quality, but one has ended up on supermarket shelves, the other in the best of wine cellars.
The wine regions of Coonawarra in South Australia and Bordeaux, France have a great deal in common, sharing similar climate and geology (terroir), varietal composition, and even comparable quality during Coonawarra’s epoch. Yet, today, they are poles apart, with Bordeaux surging ahead in prosperity, superiority and finesse in its wines.
If there’s one white grape variety that has found its nirvana in the tropical climates of Asia, it would have to be sauvignon blanc, where practically every day is a ‘crisp white, summers drinking day’.
If I were a sauvignon blanc producer I would be focusing my attention and campaigning harder on this part of the world rather than seasonally dependent traditional markets. And that’s exactly what savvy Austrian wine producers are doing, with a youthful and energetic Armin Tement from Weingut Tement beating the feet around Asia recently and visiting Singapore on-route.
Modern farming techniques and big business are sapping the Australian region’s potential, but there is hope, writes Curtis Marsh.
In comparing the similarities of climate and geology (terroir) shared by Australia’s Coonawarra region and Bordeaux in France, there was a period when Coonawarra genuinely challenged the world’s most renowned wine region for quality. However, the Bordelaise have fought back against the new world competition and are clearly reigning at the premium level.
The French region is enjoying an extraordinary period of prosperity for a variety of reasons, writes Curtis Marsh.
While I continue to refer to regions such as Bordeaux in France and Coonawarra in Australia as “old” and “new world”, I sometimes wonder which is more abreast of pertinent technology and how to best balance it with tradition and nature. There have been exponential advancements in viticulture and winemaking over the past 20 years. Many timeless methodologies have also been maintained. However, advances in the science of chemistry and botany, alongside mechanical ingenuity, has interjected to a point where we are in danger of artificially synthesizing an otherwise purely natural beverage.
The sensational results of a tasting in Paris more than 30 years ago forever changed the way American wines were considered, writes Curtis Marsh.
America’s most prodigious Bordeaux-style blend – the legendary Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello from the Santa Cruz Mountains – turns 45 years old this year.
Reaching this milestone is only part of the motive for writing this article, notwithstanding that I hail from the same vintage, further inspiration comes from my affinity with Ridge, the 1971 Ridge Monte Bello cabernet was the first American wine I had ever tried, and remains to this day, one of the most profound and indelible wine experiences.
For many summer means BBQs, and a great refreshing accompaniment is a glass of chilled red wine, writes Curtis Marsh.
In the heat of the summer months, even the most ardent red wine drinkers gravitate towards white wines, perhaps the more savvy new age imbiber indulging in rose.
However, if you are like me when it comes to the BBQ, both the apparatus and cook just do not seem to function adequately without a glass of red in your free hand. Notwithstanding, the enticing smoky, meaty incense of broiling pork cutlet’s or succulent sirloins teasing the olfactory senses in the direction of a wholesome red. Apologies if you are vegetarian.
My exposure to champagne is not as comprehensive as in the United Kingdom or US markets, as we do not see many of the excellent smaller houses and grower champagnes in Asia.
However, this Henriot Millesime was selected from three blind (masked bottles) champagne tastings I participated in in 2007 and it was unquestionably the standout wine amongst 116 different wines sampled.
Furthermore, it was unanimously rated the best wine in a line-up of 38 prestige or luxury cuvee, including Dom Perignon, ironically the Henriot 1998 being their standard vintage offering and mistakenly included in the tasting.
