Hugel & Fils Wine Dinner (15 January 2014)

An evening with Etienne Hugel, the owner of Hugel & Fils Winery. Thanks to Sommelier Yuhei and the great work of the chef, the food was perfectly paired with the white wines. A total of 5 white wines tasted this evening.

Hugel Alsace Gentil 2012

Alsace, France 

Main varietal: Gewurztraminer, Muscat Blanc,Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sylvaner

Ratings: 3.25 stars; 88pts

Complex citrus dominated nose with floral hints and a fresh finish.

Hugel Alsace Jubilee Riesling 2007

Alsace, France

Main varietal: Riesling

Ratings: 3.9 stars; 91pts

Layered and laced with zesty citrus and perky mineral notes. Delightfully persistent. 

Hugel Alsace Tradition Pinot Gris 2011

Alsace, France

Main varietal: Pinot Gris

Ratings: 3.2 stars; 90pts

Starts with a bit of stink but nice spice hint and unctuous palate soon demand attention. A match made on heaven with the scallop and smoked mackeral (kudos to Sommelier Yuhei).

Hugel Alsace Tradition Riesling 2009

Alsace, France

Main varietal: Riesling

Ratings: 4 stars; 91pts

Citrus and ripe white stonefruit on a complex, attractive and clean palate. Nice length too. 

Hugel Alsace Vendange Tardive Gewurztraminer 2006

Alsace, France

Main varietal: Gewurztraminer

Ratings: 4 stars; 91pts

Clean white stonefruit, laitchi and botrytis notes greet the nose and follow through on the palate very nicely. Elegant.

(from left) Sommelier Yuhei, Wine Maker Etienne Hugel, Wine Expert Prakash

Dinner Menu

The Burgundies

The term "Burgundy", to some  represents the highest expression of the grape vine, a magical combination of fruit and earth, purity and complexity, beauty and power. Burgundy is beyond a trophy wine; it elicits pure passion.

This round our wine expert would like to share with you on the Burgundies that he tasted.

Ponsot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes 2000
Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Main varietal: Pinot Noir
Ratings: 4.5 stars; 94pts

Deep pinot strawberry/cherry greet on first pour. Great depth and complexity without the farmyard notes. Will go for another 10 years.

Mommessin Clos de Tart Grand Cru 2004

Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Main varietal: Pinot Noir
Ratings: 4.1 stars; 94pts

Pinot spice bursts forth from this wine as soon as it leaves the bottle. Still purplish and so powerful. Probably a bit too much toast on oak but the optimist part of me hopes this will integrate in years to come. Expected a bit more perfume and underlying minerality for this pedigree. last drop 8 hours after uncorking was the best. Fully opened and delightful. This one should age well.

Hospices de Beaune Pommard 1er Cru Cuvée Dames de la Charité 2005
Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Main varietal: Pinot Noir
Ratings: 4 stars; 92pts

Seductive pinot cherry with enough savoury notes to keep it interesting.

Domaine des Lambrays Les Loups Morey-St-Denis Premier Cru 2005
Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Main varietal: Pinot Noir
Ratings: 4.5 stars; 93pts

Great from the go with many twists to its evolution. Dense, layered pinot cherry with minerals, spice, a touch of green notes and smokiness adding wonderful mouthwatering complexity. Lovely texture.

Comtes Lafon Meursault 2007

Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Main varietal: Chardonnay
Ratings: 4.7 stars; 93pts

Wonderfully balanced with just the right intensity.  White stone fruit with nice minerality.

Leroy Bourgogne 2008

Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Main varietal: Pinot Noir
Ratings: 3.9 stars; 88pts

Serious quality for a generic drop.

Charles Audoin La Charme Aux Prêtres Marsannay 2009
Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Main varietal: Pinot Noir
Ratings: 3.5 stars; 89pts

A well-made structured pinot with some layering and good depth. Still young.

Ponsot Chambolle-Musigny Cuvée Des Cigales 2009

Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Main varietal: Pinot Noir
Ratings: 3.6 stars; 91pts

Deep and layered pinot cherry and spice. Great complexity for AC. Nice evolution and still many years to go. As usual, points never reveal the actual enjoyment factor of a good burgundy

Comtes Lafon Les Héritiers Du Comte Vire-Clessé 2011

Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Main varietal: Chardonnay
Ratings: 3.9 stars; 90pts

Good drop for a less premium region. Wonderful balance with a hint of nuttiness and a freat finish.

Roundup of this week's wine reviews (25 September 2013)

Very heavy on the Pinots this week, ranging from traditional Burgundy, NZ and US outposts, to more 'exotic' locales.

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 2001
Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
Main varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Ratings: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

What a way to end a 3-week detox! An understated vintage at its drinking epitome. This wine encapsulates in its expressions what I love most about this vintage's current offerings - a seamless and harmonious expression of fruit and secondary notes.


Domaine des Lambrays Les Loups Morey-St-Denis Premier Cru 2005
Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Main varietal: Pinot Noir
Ratings: 4.5 stars; 93pts

Great from the go with many twists to its evolution. Dense, layered pinot cherry with minerals, spice, a touch of green notes and smokiness adding wonderful mouthwatering complexity. Lovely texture.


Jose Maria Da Fonseca Domingos Soares Franco Colecçâo Privada Moscatel Roxo Rosé 1998
Portugal
Main varietal: Moscatel
Ratings: 4.5 stars; 93pts

Complex, deep and mellow. 15 years young. Showing complex plum, marmalade and creme caramel notes on a long and luscious finish. Tad soft but not worth complaining about. A gift from a friend who is no longer with us. RIP brother.


Moet Chandon Champagne Brut Grand Vintage 2003
Champagne, France
Main varietal: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Ratings: 4 stars; 92pts

Complex and drinking at its best. Less than brisk, being a 2003, but nice length.


Marcel Lapierre Morgon 2011
Morgon, Beaujolais, France
Main varietal: Gamay
Ratings: 4 stars; 91pts

Succulent and harmonious. Only now coming to the fore (previous bottle approximately one year ago was taut and inaccessible). Lovely juicy cherry notes with a hint of spice. Round and voluptuous with enough complexity to make most wine lovers excited.


Charles Audoin La Charme Aux Prêtres Marsannay 2009
Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Main varietal: Pinot Noir
Ratings: 3.5 stars; 89pts

A well-made structured pinot with some layering and good depth. Still young.


Wooing Tree Sandstorm Reserve Pinot Noir 2009
Central Otago, New Zealand
Main varietal: Pinot Noir
Ratings: 4 stars; 92pts

Deep and rich with good breadth. This one shows a bit of heat damage but still wonderfully palatable and expressive.


Parusso Armando Barolo 2007
Barolo, Piemonte, Italy
Main varietal: Nebbiolo
Ratings: 4 stars; 92pts

For a Barolo, this comes into its own very quickly with typical yet soft rose petals and tar.


Sandrone Barolo Le Vigne 1999
Barolo, Piemonte, Italy
Main varietal: Nebbiolo
Ratings: 4 stars; 91pts

Rich fine-grained tannins accord a serious backbone to this layered and complex treat. Took about 30 minutes to blossom and occasionally hinted at some oxidation but all is forgiven as this wine took on, and enhanced, a home-made quatro formaggio sauce.


Petrolo Torrione Toscana 2007
Tuscany, Italy
Main varietal: Sangiovese
Ratings: 3.5 stars; 89pts

Dark cherry notes and well-balanced. Drinking at its peak. I don't see room for improvement.


Escale Pinot Noir 2010
Languedoc, France
Main varietal: Pinot Noir
Ratings: 2 stars; 83pts

A bit barnyardy on the nose but reasonable balance on the palate. Ok for food.


Isole e Olena Cepparello 2007
Tuscany, Italy
Main varietal: Sangiovese
Ratings: 4 stars; 92pts

Balanced and intense. Still youthful. Dark stone fruit notes, layered, long.


Robertson Chardonnay 2012
Breede River Valley, South Africa
Main varietal: Chardonnay
Ratings: 3.5 stars; 90pts

Nice power. Oak not over-powering. Mild peach and vanillin notes. Great value.


Carlos Serres Reserva 2005
Rioja, Spain
Main varietal: Tempranillo
Ratings: 4 stars; 91pts

A heady and complex nose boasting delightful cherry and vanillin hints. Palate follows the nose with a wonderfully balanced and harmonious presentation. Nice maturity.


Montecastro y Llanahermosa Ribera del Duero 2007
Ribera del Duero, Spain
Main varietal: Tempranillo
Ratings: 4 stars; 91pts

Well-made with firm and focused delivery and structure. Very Bordeaux-like in some ways. Complex dark stone fruit notes with oak backbone.


Le Altanza Rioja Reserva Gaudi 2005
Rioja, Spain
Main varietal: Tempranillo
Ratings: 4.5 stars; 94pts

A slow-evolving complex wine. Attractive complex stone fruit nose slowly emerges and overpowers the initial earthy presentation. Elegant yet firm presence and persistence.


Celler Pinol Mistela Josefina Pinol Dulce Tinto 2009
Terra Alta, Spain
Main varietal: Grenache, Syrah
Ratings: 4.5 stars; 93pts

A red sweet fortified wine. A complex and slightly grainy presentation with red and blackcurrant, fruitcake vanilla and much more. Wonderful balance with no cloying personality, which makes a second or third glass very welcome.


Franz Leth Lagenreserve Wagram Roter Veltliner Scheiben 2011
Donauland, Austria
Main varietal: Roter Veltliner
Ratings: 3 stars; 88pts

Complex red and green apple notes. Acidity is soft for an Austrian wine, but good for the Asian palate. Reasonable length. Great with food.


Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Malborough, New Zealand
Main varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Ratings: 3.5 stars; 90pts

Pungent, pleasant gooseberry and passionfruit notes on a soft but intense, long palate.


Conti Neri Prosecco N.V.
Veneto, Italy
Main varietal: Prosecco
Ratings: 2.5 stars

Off-dry, but reasonable balance and flavors.


Mitre Rocks Pinot Noir 2009
Central Otago, New Zealand
Main varietal: Pinot Noir
Ratings: 3.5 stars; 90pts

Dark cherry notes balanced with some nice greenish hints, adding complexity.


Markowitsch Pinot Noir 2011
Lower Austria, Austria
Main varietal: Pinot Noir
Ratings: 3 stars; 88pts

Clean pinot cherry notes with some complexity.


Marimar Estate Don Miguel Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2006
Russian River Valley, USA
Main varietal: Pinot Noir
Ratings: 3.5 stars; 89pts

Great cool-climate US pinot, but at the end of its life.


La Pousse d'Or Les Jarollières Pommard Premier Cru 2008
Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Main varietal: Pinot Noir
Ratings: 3 stars; 87pts

A bit over-extracted. Needs time to open up but lacks elegance. A bit tannic.


David Bruce Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2005
Russian River Valley, USA
Main varietal: Pinot Noir
Ratings: 4 stars; 91pts

Ripe and complex dark stone fruit. Good complexity with tannins built for ageing.

22 September i-1-wine journey (I WANT WINE!): Time to awaken those tastebuds!

We jump straight into the deep end with a tour of one of the best-kept secrets in KL - the private cellar in the deep reaches of Sanctuary@7. Guarded under the magical and watchful eye of Bacchus, Roman god of wine.

The sight of all these bottles of wines, from Bordeaux to Burgundy, from Piemonte to South Africa, from Grand Cru to unassuming Village, from bone dry to sticky sweet, from newborn babe to old uncle wines...all these combine to fire up the imaginations of, and a long string of questions from, our participants.

But wait, it's freezing in here. So let's take some of these questions upstairs where we can comfortably go through our class, everyone's questions, and move on to the tasting part!

We discuss varietals and regions. We go through questions. Most importantly, we express our burgeoning interest in all things vinous and have a thoroughly good time. Some of our topics are as follows:

• Why do some wines taste so differently to how they smell? Does the palate deliver what the nose has promised?
• What are the grape varieties allowed for a bottle of Bordeaux red?
• What tips do you have for visiting a wine region? The food, wines and culture of Europe vs the convenience of Australia/NZ vs the bountiful nature of South Africa?
• How to read a New World vs Old world wine label (yes, those confusing buggers)?
• Why do people clink glasses when they 'cheers' each other? And why look the other party in the eye (we're shy Asians here)?
• What food to pair with certain wines? General guidelines vs individual preference.

When the tasting commences, participants have fun analyzing the sight, smell, taste of the wines, and discuss what memories these evoke. Someone growing up in Europe with their different sights and smells and family kitchen, will have a different experience from someone more used to chow mein and nasi lemak and siew yoke.

Our wine flight for the day:

• Australian sparkling Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, Andrew Peace (2011)
• South African Chardonnay, Robertson (2012)
• South African Sauvignon Blanc/Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay blend, Nederburg (2012)
• Spanish Garnacha white blend, Celler Pinol Nuestra Señora Del Portal Blanco (2010)
• Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, Montgras Reserve (2011)
• South African Merlot, Fleur du Cap (2009)
• Spanish Tempranillo, Carlos Serres Reserva (2005)
• Spanish red dessert wine, Celler Pinol Mistela Josefina Pinol Tinto (2009)

It is an excellent learning experience. And of course things don't end here. There are so many more wines out there to try, to taste, to experience, to live.