Wine

[kunzzy]

Grand Cru Blind Tasting Class - Taste Wine Like A Pro

http://www.finewines.com.sg/grand-cru-blind-tasting-class-taste-wine-like-a-pro/

 

[ikileo]

Hi kunzzy what kinds of wines do u like you drink? Are u a wine professional?

 

[kunzzy]

trying to be a professional but still far far away from adjusting my palate.....haha....i drink mostly french wines that has more complexity.

 

[ikileo]

trying to be a professional but still far far away from adjusting my palate.....haha....i drink mostly french wines that has more complexity.

are there any regions of producers you can recommend from France?

 

[kunzzy]

Pauillac, Margaux, Pomerol, St Emilon and Graves would be a good start.

 

[ikileo]

Pauillac, Margaux, Pomerol, St Emilon and Graves would be a good start.

nice so you're mostly drinking bdx? for the benefit of the forumers, any producers, vintages to look out for and where they can possibly buy them?




doesn't have to those top, super ex kind. Ideally something accessible for all of us here to explore.

anyways the purpose of this thread is to enable and introduce more wine info and resources to the forumers here

i don't drink as much bdx so i'm not super familiar, aside from the usual suspects and popular names.

 

[RaisonD]

Had a session last friday with some buddies.

Left to Right
1. Dante Rivetti Moscato 2011 :: caramelised, rather sweet and off balance. reminds me of late harvest with bubbles. From Auric
2. Old Plains - Power of One (Old Vine) Shiraz 2009 :: Gentle and feminine, full of spices, notably cinnamon. After 3 hours, explosion of fruits on the palate and long finish. From Wine Exchange Asia
3. St Henri Shiraz 2009. Meh~ over-hype but still decent.
4. Pirramimma War Horse 2010. Good balance of structure, body. Good showing of fruits. From Crystal Wines
5. Kaiken mAi Malbec 2009. Rich body fills with powerful dark fruits and overwhelming alcohol. recommend to decant atleast 1 hour before serving. From Crystal Wines

 

[ikileo]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[ikileo]

had dinner at Bar-a-Thym earlier this week. Just about a year old restaurant run by ex-absinthe french chef. Food is french but relaxed and no white tablecloths. As the chef is from the south of France he's nearer to Spain & Italy than he is to Paris, so the food is more Mediterranean in style. Good food, produce and the prices are reasonable. Highly recommended.

We had 4 bottles, of which one was purchased from them.

2014 Michel Gassier Costières-de-Nîmes Nostre Païs Blanc. From the region of Costières de Nîmes in Southern France. A blend of 5 local native white grapes to make an incredibly vibrant, aromatic and balanced white wine. My personal fave of the evening. Available at the restaurant

2014 Zilliken (Forstmeister Geltz) Saarburger Rausch Riesling Kabinett. From the Mosel Valley in Germany Zilliken is a very good and consistent producer. Low alcohol and packed full of flavour and lightly sweet. Refreshing and mineral laced flavours with white peach and apricots. Available at Wein Vin.

2009 San Giusto a Rentennano La Ricolma Toscana IGT. From a really good Tuscan producer of premium wines, this is 100% Merlot. Review taken from cellartracker as this captures it best:

The 2009 Ricolma was showing beautiful contrasts in the bouquet, between dark ripe fruit and rich & savory reduction sauce, yet with all the Tuscan hallmarks of dust and spice that you could ever hope for. It was dark, silky and vibrant with alluring grip on the palate, displaying blackberry, spice, cedar, and hints of tobacco. The finish was long with structure showing through in spades, yet still energetic and fruit focused. I'd say it needs a few more years in the cellar yet is still enjoyable now on its potential alone.

Not available in retail yet.

2003 Talenti Brunello di Montalcino. Also from Italy, one of the most prominent makers of the premium Brunello wine. Big in flavour and rich. With really good texture and silkiness.
Not available in retail yet.

 

[kunzzy]

guys there is a grand cru bordeaux wine tasting on the 24 September featuring wines from 2000 - 2010. If you are have yet to taste a 1855 grand cru classe wines, here is a good chance.

http://www.finewines.com.sg/a-decade-bordeaux-wine-tasting/

 

[ikileo]

guys there is a grand cru bordeaux wine tasting on the 24 September featuring wines from 2000 - 2010. If you are have yet to taste a 1855 grand cru classe wines, here is a good chance.

http://www.finewines.com.sg/a-decade-bordeaux-wine-tasting/

Thanks for sharing! It's good to taste bdx especially for those who don't drink often.

Did u see my previous post to you? Can share any affordable wine rec from France for the forumers here? Best to include price and where to buy! We are always looking for a good deal so it doesn't have to be premium expensive wine.

 

[kunzzy]

ah sorry bro...I missed that post..I would highly recommend the 2nd wine of a smith haut lafitte or 2nd wine of pichon lalande....its about $70-80 but the wine is dammm good...it beats some of the the 4th/5th growth in the 1855 classification.

 

[ikileo]

ah sorry bro...I missed that post..I would highly recommend the 2nd wine of a smith haut lafitte or 2nd wine of pichon lalande....its about $70-80 but the wine is dammm good...it beats some of the the 4th/5th growth in the 1855 classification.

thanks for sharing! where are the places to buy these wines?

Also do you have any recommendations for bottles under $50 from France?

 

[ikileo]

was at a newly opened wine bar on Monday night to meet some friends. As it was a Monday night there wasn't much people so it was very relaxing.

Called 'Le Quinze Vins' (meaning The 15 Wines), it was started in France and then opened one in HK and now in SG. Very focused on French wines and for a wine bar, the prices are very reasonable for the kind of quality producers. Do not expect Wine Connection prices because the wines here of a higher tier versus the more casual Wine Connection range (nothing against WC, it's just a different tier).

Great to come and chill with friends to open a bottle or buy a glass of one of 15 different wines. They have a great representation of nearly all the wine regions in France, from the most well known to the ones only wine enthusiasts secretly keep to themselves.

Interior

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LQVSG/

I had a 2014 Marcel Lapierre Morgon from Beaujolais. If you like red wine that is fresh, vibrant and not too heavy; if you like pinot noir but don't want to pay the high premium for it, the region of Beaujolais (pronounced bou-joe-lay) has long been an under the radar region that wine enthusiasts flock to for such wines and great quality for a much lower sum of money versus more premium regions

What is Beaujolais?
Beaujolais is a region right next to burgundy and primarily grows red wines. The grape variety they use there is called Gamay. Which gives the wines it's raspberry and cranberry flavours and freshness. Some people have described it as a red wine for people who only drink white wine.

It pairs well with chicken, rich fish dishes, roasted vegetables and even a pork chop, because of it's fresh flavours and acidity. I strongly recommend you to try one next time; some bigger cold storage/jasons and fairprice finest carry it.

There is the general mass growing region in Beaujolais and there are also 10 sub-regions that specialize in making quality Beaujolais. The names of these sub-regions are found on the bottle, so look out for the more common ones in SG such as: Fleurie, Moulin-A-Vent, Morgon & Brouilly

You can also buy it direct from importers such as:
KOT Selections (email them)
WEA Wines (email them)
Culina (retail store in Dempsey)
Or just visit the wine bar

For a deeper and well presented insight into Beaujolais, check out this link: http://winefolly.com/review/beaujolais-wine-region-map/

The wine in the video was the one I had, but a different vintage.

My bottle with the cheese platter.

 

[Wardyn]

The wine in the video was the one I had, but a different vintage.

Apparently if you look closer, it is of a different cuvee as well.
The one you had is "Cuvee MMXIV" made from 100 year old vines.
The one on the video should be the normal morgon cuvee from slightly younger vines.

Anyway it must have been a delicious wine and i look forward to try it and compare it with Jean Foillard's beaujolais.

 

[ikileo]

Apparently if you look closer, it is of a different cuvee as well.
The one you had is "Cuvee MMXIV" made from 100 year old vines.
The one on the video should be the normal morgon cuvee from slightly younger vines.

Anyway it must have been a delicious wine and i look forward to try it and compare it with Jean Foillard's beaujolais.

yes that is true. regardless my post is more of a producer focus and introduction to beaujolais for the members here on the forum, many of which I believe had not tried/heard of it before.

 

[Dexter71]

Thanks ikileo for sharing the french wine bar at Boon Tat St..its 5 mins from my office so a good place to drop by for a glass or two and learn a bit of french offerings.

 

[ikileo]

Thanks ikileo for sharing the french wine bar at Boon Tat St..its 5 mins from my office so a good place to drop by for a glass or two and learn a bit of french offerings.

enjoy! share with us what you drank!

 

[Dexter71]

ah sorry bro...I missed that post..I would highly recommend the 2nd wine of a smith haut lafitte or 2nd wine of pichon lalande....its about $70-80 but the wine is dammm good...it beats some of the the 4th/5th growth in the 1855 classification.

Bro

Thanks for recommending these two.

Am I right that every french producer in Bordeaux has 2nd label? Is 2nd label and 2nd wine saying the same thing? I think not.

For example, 2nd label means Mouton Rothschild has a 2nd label that is one notch below and within that 2nd label there is a more affordable 2nd wine. Is this the right way to think about it?

Are these (Haut Smith, Pichon Legende) considered 2nd growth producers but their 2nd label are value for money?

Thanks for sharing and teaching.

 

[ikileo]

Bro

Thanks for recommending these two.

Am I right that every french producer in Bordeaux has 2nd label? Is 2nd label and 2nd wine saying the same thing? I think not.

For example, 2nd label means Mouton Rothschild has a 2nd label that is one notch below and within that 2nd label there is a more affordable 2nd wine. Is this the right way to think about it?

Are these (Haut Smith, Pichon Legende) considered 2nd growth producers but their 2nd label are value for money?

Thanks for sharing and teaching.

i can also jump in here. @kunzzy feel free to add in or correct me if you think the info is not as accurate as you'd like.


second wine/second label can be used interchangeably. Many bdx chateaus make their main wine (grand vin) and use the rest of their crop to make a second wine and, for some, even a third.

In your case for Chateau Mouton Rothschild, they make a Grand Vin named after the estate, they have a second wine called Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild, made with younger grapes. And they make a white bordeaux called Aile d’Argent.

That being said the Mouton business empire is quite big so they also make entry level to mid tier wines across different bordeaux estates and other countries, but those are not considered second wines etc... as they are completely separate bottlings and not made from the actual Chateau estates.

The other thing not to be confused of is the Second Growth and Second Wines/Labels are not the same. if you already know this you can ignore the next few sentences. The First to Fifth growth classification system dates back to 1855 which ranked the Bordeaux estates based on the trading prices back then, which people considered to be a direct relation to quality (which we now know is not true)

The concept of using younger or lower quality wines for other bottlings is not unique to Bordeaux. Virtually every wine region and wine maker uses his/her best grapes for the top wines, while younger or lesser quality grapes will go into the more affordable bottlings.

Whether or not a second wine is a good deal to buy, that is still up to you as the consumer to decide for yourself. Is a producer you like from a good vintage? Do you perceive the price to be fair? Is the price difference from the Grand Vin equatable to your perceived different in quality level vs the Grand Vin? These are more ambiguous terms which you will have to decide for yourself.

If you enjoy bordeaux or are starting to explore bordeaux then that's a good way to start. Other options would be taste just as good producers from other parts of France or the world, especially places that aren't as well know to find great value. There are also sub regions in bordeaux like Fronsac, Moulis-en-Médoc and Cotes de Castillon where historically it was cheap basic bordeaux for the masses but in recent years serious producers are making Bordeau wine in these less famous regions. They let you get a taste of what a good Bordeaux can be without breaking the bank. Thereafter you can spend more on the classified growths to see which you prefer in terms of taste and even value.

So it really depends on what you are looking for in your wine journey





If you have the time, you can read this short article I found online that summarizes the second wines extermely well.

If it were easy to find, or to even define, second label wines there wouldn’t be a need for this website. Much like the subjectivity of wine drinking itself, the definition of a second label wine is up for debate.

The concept of second wines began in Bordeaux in the 18th century as a means for producers to utilize wine that was not chosen for the Chateau’s first label. Rather than waste this excess wine or sell it in bulk, the second label allowed winemakers to bottle and sell this still very high quality wine under their name and through their distribution channels.

Second label wines tend to be made of grapes from younger vines than the first label. They will also receive less pampering in the winery, generally getting fewer new oak barrels for aging. At the end of the day this results in wines that share a style and consistency with the first label but that are not as refined or structured.

Second labels are usually not meant for long-term aging. Instead they are very approachable when they are young and most are ready to drink upon release. The upshot for value-minded consumers is the ability to drink incredibly high quality wine produced by some of the world’s foremost winemakers for a fraction of the price (many times less than half) of their first label offerings.

Bordeaux is still the only wine region in the world that legally defines a second label. French wine law guarantees the grapes used for the Chateau’s second label are from the same estate as those used for the first label or grand vin. Outside of Bordeaux, however, there are no laws regulating second labels so producers will often bottle them with inferior fruit from entirely different regions. We do not consider these to be second labels, but rather a different line of wine that just happens to be owned by the same people.

For the purposes of this website, we will use fairly loose criteria to determine what a second label wine is. In addition to the proper second wines of Bordeaux, we will include declassified wines and wines made by respected producers that are sourced from less prestigious vineyards than their big brothers. For example, we will call a simple white Burgundy a second label to a Montrachet if it is bottled by the same negociant. Or perhaps a basic Cotes du Rhone made by a producer of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. We might even include a Ripasso made from the leftovers of a great Amarone.

The bottom line is we are more concerned with finding great wine than we are in sticking to a rigid definition of second label. The challenge for consumers is to separate the wheat from the chaff and identify the producers who strive to maintain the same high standards for their second wines as they do for their first. We believe this is where some of the world’s best value wines can be found.