Friday. 15 January. 2010. 10:01 am
The Sommelier of Sheraton picks a Sotanum 2003 for Winebuzz.hk Expert Picks this week.
Alan Tsui is the sommelier at Sheraton Hong Kong, where wine is an important part of their offering. Their SkyLounge wine room stocks an exclusive rare wine list from around the world and was one of the first in the city to install the Enomatic Wine Dispenser; allowing it to serve the widest range of wine by the glass anywhere in Hong Kong.
Back to the wine selected, the Vins de Vinenne “Sotanum” 2003 is a wine produced by the Vins de Vienne vineyard in the Rhone Valley, France. The vineyard’s historical significance dates back to the times of the Roman Empire and the vineyards of Seyssuel were already known for their quality.
The forgotten vineyard was revived in 1996 by four top winemakers from the right bank of the Rhône; Pierre Gaillard, Francois Villard, Yves Cuilleron, and later on Pierre-Jean Villa. They planted the first Syrah vines in 1996 and have been producing 3 crus: Sotanum, Taburnum and Heluicum on the now 19 hectares vineyard. The Sotanum stays in oak barrels for 20 months and is a concentrated wine with ripe, rich flavours and a full, long finish.
According to wine critics, this is a label that deserve serious attention.
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Wednesday. 30 December. 2009. 11:00 am
Our wine pick this week is one of Italy’s most famous sparkling wines.
Paolo Gorreri is the Manager of Grissini at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. This week for Winebuzz.hk’s expert wine picks, he selects a Franciacorta Cuvee Ca Del Bosco 2004.
Franciacorta Spumante is one of the most appreciated sparkling wines from Italy and the best alternative to Champagne. Made from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco grapes, the sparkling wine is then fermented in the ‘traditional way’ for a period of time – quite long in this case of more than 25 months in the bottle.
The area of Franciacorta in Italy is situated in Lombardy, in the county of Brescia. The wine served in Grissini is specially labeled in the magnum bottle for the restaurant. The magnum bottle size is 1.5 liter, the equivalent of two standard bottles and you can get up to 10 full glasses from a bottle. We especially ordered the sparkling wine be bottled in magnum bottles because it ages better compared to regular bottles as there’s less oxygen to slow down the ageing process, thereby allowing for more nuance and complexity to develop in the evolution of the wine.
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Friday. 11 December. 2009. 10:17 am
Island Shangri-la’s Head Sommelier picks a South African wine.
Nicolas Pierron is Island Shangri-La’s Head Sommelier. This week for WInebuzz.hk’s expert wine picks, he selects a Pinotage from Top of the Hill, South Africa.
Top of the Hill is only produced in exceptional vintages and only when the current, ninth generation winemaker, Daniel de Waal deems it suitable for release. The name, Top of the Hill is derived from the fact that the vines are planted on top of the hill and exposed to the sun.
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Friday. 27 November. 2009. 9:55 am
The Peninsula’s sommelier selects a Californian wine for this week’s wine pick.
Jordi Chan is the sommelier at Peninsula Hotel. For our wine pick this week, he selects the Star Lane Sauvignon Blanc 2005 by Star Lane.
Star Lane is a vineyard located on the lower slopes of the San Rafael Mountains in Santa Ynez Valley, in sunny California. The terraine features a unique mix of weathered sand, gravel and alluvial cobbles over clay subsoil. With both excellent drainage and good water-holding capacity, these conditions mimic terrain found at the best vineyards in Bordeaux.
Their Sauvignon Blanc is bottled unfiltered after 10 months on fermentation lees (lees being the yeasty residue found in the cask); giving the wine a more rounded & creamy texture on the palate.
Tasting Notes
- White flowers, gooseberries and mandarin orange nose, with a taste of passionfruit and grapefruit. On the palate, refreshing acidity keeps the wine lively and well structured.
Food Pairing
- It is a delicious wine to pair with shellfish dishes, like mussel or clams with white wine sauce.
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Friday. 13 November. 2009. 10:40 am
The Chief Sommelier of the Mandarin Oriental picks this week’s wine.
Pierre Legrandois‘ Wine Pick Of The Week is the 2007 Etna Rosso by Tenuta delle Terre Nere.
Pierre is the Chief Sommelier at the Mandarin Oriental Group, responsible for selecting all wine served at the hotel and restaurants. The 2007 Etna Rosso is produced by Tenuta delle Terre Nere, a young estate owned by wine aficianado Marco de Grazia who produced their first vintage in 2002.
The vineyard produces only one vine variety on their estate in Nerello Mascalese, which is indigenous to Sicily. The old bush vines; the majority of which are pre-Phylloxera; are planted on the rocky and sandy volcanic soils on the north side of Mount Etna at 900 metres above sea level. The Etna Rosso is a regal style wine aged in 20% new French oak barrels for 18 months. It demonstrates a purity and finesse of fruit reminiscent of good red Burgundy.
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Wednesday. 11 November. 2009. 9:40 am
Anthony Petit of Modus Ecellente Education Centre picks a good Bordeaux.
Starting this month, we will feature Expert Wine Picks to help you, wine lovers discover great wines to enjoy in Hong Kong.
Anthony Petit, wine educator and Faculty Master picks a Bordeaux wine: Chateau de Saye. This bottle of wine is made from carefully selected and hand-picked grapes by winemaker Alain Laubie in his 30 year old vineyard near St Ciers d’Abzac, 15 km north of Libourne on the Bordeaux right bank.
It is sometimes difficult to find good value Bordeaux wines in Hong Kong, Chateau de Saye provides balance and complexity at a reasonable price, says Mr.Petit. With its pale and bright ruby core and its dark pink rim, this wine is a blissful attack on the senses with its interesting aromas of cedarwood and roasted coffee beans. There are also fruity notes of plum and blackcurrant with just a hint of vanilla.
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