Wine

[ikileo]

any idea when you are planning on opening this and with what kind of food are you going to pair this with?


side note: i have a zhi char dinner with some guys on saturday. will be bringing a bottle. so far can't decide what. i checked my collection, nothing i am willing to bring down so looks like i'd have to buy something that matches assorted zhi char and good for beginner drinkers without making me bored. I'm thinking, a decent aussie, chilean, south of france or even south africa.

 

[andice2]

hey andice2 what's the next bottle you are looking at consuming?

Ch Cantemerle '05 earmarked for next week Was already impressed w Les Allees '05, so looking fwd to the Grand Vin

 

[ikileo]

nice...

do u have a collection of these bordeaux or you buy them as and when you feel like it?
you seem to have a heavy bordeaux focus, do you have other regions (French of otherwise) that you enjoy?

 

[andice2]

any idea when you are planning on opening this and with what kind of food are you going to pair this with?


side note: i have a zhi char dinner with some guys on saturday. will be bringing a bottle. so far can't decide what. i checked my collection, nothing i am willing to bring down so looks like i'd have to buy something that matches assorted zhi char and good for beginner drinkers without making me bored. I'm thinking, a decent aussie, chilean, south of france or even south africa.

For occassions like this, I'd usually fall back on a reliable Argentina Malbec (my fav is LUCA). Enough choc/ esspresso/ dark fruits to keep both u and your guests happy. Only thing is that it tends to overwhelm the Cze Char food, esp seafood

 

[ikileo]

for zhi char, i look for opulent whites with a rich mouthfeel like a chard or a white rhone blend (viogner/marsanne/roussanne gives great lush mouthfeel), or might even hit a pinot or aged bordeaux (which i have none at the moment)

 

[MuthuCurry]

nice...

do u have a collection of these bordeaux or you buy them as and when you feel like it?
you seem to have a heavy bordeaux focus, do you have other regions (French of otherwise) that you enjoy?

hehe, another bordeaux collector ... i just started bordeaux no long ago, and have like 90% of bordeaux bottles in my wine chiller ....

 

[ikileo]

bordeaux is a good place to start but do join us during our wine outings and dinners as we explore other countries and regions.

are any of you going to the Wine for Asia Wine Fiesta on 29 Oct? Hope to meet some of you guys there.

 

[andice2]

hehe, another bordeaux collector ... i just started bordeaux no long ago, and have like 90% of bordeaux bottles in my wine chiller ....

Haha, yeah I'm definitely a Bordeaux fan. Started w Bordeaux, dabbled with everything else...grenache, camenare, pinot noir, syrah, malbec....still find myself returning to the old Cab/Merlot blend favourites although prices have risen like mad. But now prefer reds that 'tell a story' (with a proper nose, entry, mid-palate and finish) now rather than brash, monotone fruit bombs.

I have 2 stashes - 1 stash for special occasions, another for regular drinking. The first stash is pretty stagnant w my tested favs (Cos!), the 2nd stash is fluid and topped up frequently at wine sales.

 

[ikileo]

ooh cool...would you like to share with us what's in your first stash? or if you have a cellartracker link that would be great!

 

[MuthuCurry]

Haha, yeah I'm definitely a Bordeaux fan. Started w Bordeaux, dabbled with everything else...grenache, camenare, pinot noir, syrah, malbec....still find myself returning to the old Cab/Merlot blend favourites although prices have risen like mad. But now prefer reds that 'tell a story' (with a proper nose, entry, mid-palate and finish) now rather than brash, monotone fruit bombs.

I have 2 stashes - 1 stash for special occasions, another for regular drinking. The first stash is pretty stagnant w my tested favs (Cos!), the 2nd stash is fluid and topped up frequently at wine sales.

i have to concur with you that bordeaux bottles are really pricey. i think it is not a good place to start off with, unless you have lotsa moolah ... hehe.

i also have 2 stashes - one is reserved for special occasion (or most of them are not in their drinking window yet !! ), and there other stash are those not-too-pricey bottles for normal consumption. i have more stock for those "reserved for special occassion" lot (sigh..), which includes lynch bages, p.baron, p.lalande, latour carnet, clerc milon, montrose. i have some second wines of p.baron, p.lalande, alter ego and 2nd wine of pavie etc.

still looking for value buy for daily consumption...

 

[ikileo]

some bordeaux fans, nice

personally speaking, the prices have put me off for the longest time and now I almost only buy Bordeaux only when they have already been aged for at least a decade and sold at a reasonable price; which is not often but they can be found.

i don't like to wait for bordeaux because I would rather pay abit more for something I can enjoy now and not in 10 years time while the rest of world has more opportunity for me to pay a bit less for something that can age as well...but that's just my habit

the rest of my money goes around the world as I love exploring. I have a soft spot for Spain for red and Germany for white as these were the 2 countries I visited when i lived in Germany for half a year and my wine journey began in these two countries.

For France, my heart actually sways towards the Loire (love their whites and 100% cab franc), alsace, rhone and languedoc. Burgundy is too out of my budget and i have had that 'moment of enlightenment' with burgs yet; even the so called more expensive ones.

for new world, i'm rediscovering cooler climate aussie reds & whites, quality american wines among several others. the wine world is so exciting!

but that's my wine journey

tell us more about yours!

 

[MuthuCurry]

As I jus started exploring Bordeaux, I was overwhelmed by the history and no of wine makers initially. Now I have some ideas abt Bordeaux and will like to stick to this region for a while. There are just too many wines (and too little $$ )..

 

[andice2]

Actually think ikileo's wide repertoire gives him a much broader perspective of what's out there and a more complete appreciation for different grapes, winemaking styles and locales. Definitely a better all-rounder than us stubborn bordeaux fans

MC, I went thru the same phase as you at the begining, stocking up on grand crus and reserving them for 'special' moments. Then I started to pop them 1 by 1 at monthly dinners w wine pals, because I figured the whole point of this hobby is tasting, sharing (wine and views) and building appreciation. Just reading and keeping don't bring much joy to me. Wine tasting sessions also train up your palate real quick.

Now in my first stash are mostly Chtxs (not necessarily vintages) I've tasted n loved. These r wines I almost certainly would enjoy when I pop the cork, not famous names whh I'm not sure whether I'd like. The ever-changing 2nd statsh is actually more interesting - I challenge myself to suss out wines w high quality-to-price, low or unclassified wines w GCC quality. Immense satisfaction when you start discovering gems like Meyney, Chasse Spleen, Brane, Olivier, that deliver super value relative to their price points. Anyone w money can buy Latour or Lafite, but the clever ones enjoy Latour-quality wine at a fraction of the price.

 

[Baggio10]

Actually think ikileo's wide repertoire gives him a much broader perspective of what's out there and a more complete appreciation for different grapes, winemaking styles and locales. Definitely a better all-rounder than us stubborn bordeaux fans

MC, I went thru the same phase as you at the begining, stocking up on grand crus and reserving them for 'special' moments. Then I started to pop them 1 by 1 at monthly dinners w wine pals, because I figured the whole point of this hobby is tasting, sharing (wine and views) and building appreciation. Just reading and keeping don't bring much joy to me. Wine tasting sessions also train up your palate real quick.

Now in my first stash are mostly Chtxs (not necessarily vintages) I've tasted n loved. These r wines I almost certainly would enjoy when I pop the cork, not famous names whh I'm not sure whether I'd like. The ever-changing 2nd statsh is actually more interesting - I challenge myself to suss out wines w high quality-to-price, low or unclassified wines w GCC quality. Immense satisfaction when you start discovering gems like Meyney, Chasse Spleen, Brane, Olivier, that deliver super value relative to their price points. Anyone w money can buy Latour or Lafite, but the clever ones enjoy Latour-quality wine at a fraction of the price.

Please recommend me some to try =D~

 

[MuthuCurry]

I am also searching high n low for value buy. Pls share ur lobang!

 

[ikileo]

Actually think ikileo's wide repertoire gives him a much broader perspective of what's out there and a more complete appreciation for different grapes, winemaking styles and locales. Definitely a better all-rounder than us stubborn bordeaux fans

but on the flip side you'd probably have a greater in depth experience with bordeaux than I do.

MC, I went thru the same phase as you at the begining, stocking up on grand crus and reserving them for 'special' moments. Then I started to pop them 1 by 1 at monthly dinners w wine pals, because I figured the whole point of this hobby is tasting, sharing (wine and views) and building appreciation. Just reading and keeping don't bring much joy to me. Wine tasting sessions also train up your palate real quick.

not all of us have the resources to blow on a case of wine to taste one every other year so if you do find a bottle at a good vintage at an acceptable price, just buy it so you can enjoy it now. the magic of bordeaux and why it's still one of the classic standards in the wine world is because of its variance and ability to age beautifully when done right.

Anyone w money can buy Latour or Lafite, but the clever ones enjoy Latour-quality wine at a fraction of the price.

for all those reading this forum, as andice2 has mention, not everyone can afford to get a first growth or even a super second and not many singaporeans are even willing to spend more than $50 on a bottle, and that's fine.

there are so many great countries, regions, grapes, producers that give you that super bang for the buck. if you like an old world style i'd highly recommend spain, especially old school Rioja.

The star of spanish wine is their native Tempranillo grape which has amazing aging potential and has the propensity to pair with virtually any kind of food. light/heavy/meat/fish/vegetables etc... just depending on the style and producer in spain. And for under $100 you can get world class top notch wines.

I happened to pop by ToTT (www.tottstore.com) today and their gourmet area had an amazing wine sale of world class spanish producers. I was so mesmerized by the collection and prices. I took home the price sheet and wrote it out on excel and uploaded it here for you to d/l.

there is free delivery for $350 or more. Promo is until November or while stocks last

http://www.sendspace.com/file/8qqu11

if you are keen on combining orders, let me know.

for my dinner tonight i bought an 2005 Vina Alberdi for $38 from the producer La Rioja Alta. I've had this producers higher end wines and they are phenomenal.

Good vintages in Rioja, Spain have been:
2009 2008 2005 2004 2001 1995 1994

 

[ikileo]

I am also searching high n low for value buy. Pls share ur lobang!

if u are still looking within bordeaux, u can look at Cotes de Castillon for some good value buys.

outside of Bordeaux, here are some value buys within the key regions of France:

Rhone: Cotes du Rhone, Gigondas, St Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Vacqueyras

Languedoc: Too many, but keep an eye on St Chinian

Loire: Anjou & Saumur for reds

Burgundy: Cotes du Beaune, Village Wines.

just to name a few. in the end, it's also up to your research and due diligence to source out good producers in better vintages.

 

[andice2]

I am also searching high n low for value buy. Pls share ur lobang!

Its about learning n discovery. Seize any chance to taste the pichons, the leovilles, ducru or whatever to see what the hype is about and to have a proper frame of reference to these 'benchmarks' (fr your own tastebuds, not books). Then hunt down lower crus or cru bourgeois that gives you the same utility at much lower prices.

Its trial and error, but there're some non GCCs like Poujeaux, Chasse spleen that consisently delivers GCC level wines.

Many midpriced wines (e.g. monbousquet, la lagune, olivier) have given me more pleasure than fancy GCCs (some 2nd/3rd growths are a joke). So don't let 1855 dictate your taste or preference, discover and be your own judge of what u like and don't.

(PS: ikileo, I'm gg to pick up a btl of la rioja alta ardonza on your recommendation - part of my palate 'training')

 

[ikileo]

Nice. Try the 01 vina arana as well. Had that before, very nice. La Rioja alta makes very savoury, medium bodied, smooth wines that some people might find 'light'. Especially if they have been weaned on heavier full bodied wines

 

[looiwte]

Cool, nice to see some new peeps join in on the discussion.

Wow, always wanted to take a look at Tott, didn't know they bring in wine. Pity my budget is way beyond burst

Have been busying myself with the Restaurant Week promotions, and had some nice wine to go with my food.

- Cotes Du Rhone, Domaine Andre Brunel
- Crozes Hermitage, Alain Graillot
- Chianti Classico, Fonterutoli
- Graves, Chateau Trebiac

They were all excellent but if I had to pick a favourite, it'd be the Alain Graillot, really lovely and elegant.