French Wineries ‘Authentique Sud-Ouest’ and ‘Cellier de Genne’ Visit Hong Kong

Two winemakers bring 15 new wines to Hong Kong via Cottage Vineyards.

Hong Kong retailer and distributor, Cottage Vineyards, invited two French winemakers on a 10-day tour of Hong Kong and Southern China to showcase their exquisite line of French wines.

Frédéric Lornet of Cellier de Genne in Jura, France, and Olivier Allamagny of Authentique Sud-Ouest – a group of six independent wine growers – recently spoke to Winebuzz.hk during a private wine tasting about the very special regions of France where they make their unique wines.

First up, Mr. Allamagny is in Hong Kong representing 6 independent wineries from the primary AOC regions across the French southwest; a wine-producing area situated south of the Bordeaux wine region. All are fiercely proud of their unique terroir, history and grape varietals, and seek to make wines authentic to their Southwest roots.

Five of the six members grouped under Authentique Sud-Ouest available in Hong Kong are:

1. Domaine de Gineste: AOC Gaillac
2. Château La Renaudie: AOC Bergerac, Pécharmant, Montbazillac
3. Clos Cavenac: AOC Côtes du Marmandais
4. Château Cantelauze: AOC Cahors, Vins du Lot
5. Château La Petite Bertrande: AOC Côtes de Duras

Mr. Allamagny’s wineries sell 95% of their wines in France already, so he’s looking to Asia as a new outlet to bring a small portion of his wines out East. His father bought the winery not long ago, and he himself left an executive position at Nokia to pursue his one true passion: wine-making.

Some of the wines we tasted included:

Château La Petite Bertrande Côtes de Duras 2008 (Sauv. Blanc) (Côtes de Duras): Bright, light yellow colour. Flowery nose. Fresh, with good acidity. Well-balanced, pleasant mouth. Long finish.

• Domaine de Gineste Gaillac Blanc Grande Cuvée 2005 (Barrel-fermented Mauzac and Sauv. Blanc) (Gaillac): Golden yellow with amber tints, this wine offers a nose reminiscent of the yellow wine with notes of wax, curry and caramel, citrus, liquorice, apple and Pear William. In the mouth, the wine is rich, round and extremely well-balanced.

• Domaine de Gineste Gaillac Cuvée Blonde 2005 (Late Harvest L’En de l’El) 2005 (Gaillac): Pale golden yellow colour. Nose of citrus and mango with a rich powerful mouth, developing notes of honey with a harmonious sweetness.

• Château la Renaudie Pécharmant 2006 (40%Cab. Franc/40%Cab. Sauv./20%Malbec) (Pécharmant): Fruity notes of cherry and blackcurrant which attacks very full and fatty. Great balance. Long finish on the fruit supported by elegant tannins.

• Château Cantelauze Cahors ‘Le Cotagé’ 2007 (Malbec) (Cahors): Luminous, deep dark red. Cherries, blueberries, spice, a touch of clove and mocha. In the mouth, the tannins are silky and flowery. The fruitiness has melting sensations of violet fruit jelly, accentuating the wine’s fleshiness.

• Clos Cavenac Côtes du Marmandais ‘Le Grand Cros’ 2005 (40%Merlot/30% Cab. Franc/15% Malbec / 10% Cab. Sauv. / 5% Braucol) (Côtes du Marmandais): Nose of crushed red fruits; red cherries with toasty notes. In the mouth, the wine displays a pleasant sweetness with well-developed tannins. A powerful full-bodied wine, with a long finish on the fruit.

• La Renaudie Monbazillac Cuvée Prestige 2005 (Semillon/Sauv./Muscadelle) (Monbazillac): Beautiful deep golden colour with amber accents. Intense nose of fig, mirabelle plum and pineapple. Rich and powerful, the wine holds a beautiful balance between fruit, sugar and alcohol.

The Château Cantelauze Cahors ‘Le Cotagé’ 2007 was a bold and strong wine that we felt really worked well, and is definitely worth recommending.

Also along for the trip from France is Frédéric Lornet who owns and runs the winery, Cellier de Genne, in Montingy-Les-Arsures; a small village just outside of Arbois in the Franche-Comté/Jura region in the East.

A 4th-generation winemaker and on some very interesting land in France, Mr. Lornet brought actual fossils found on his land to show us how old it is. The winery produces grapes from the Lornet family’s vineyards, which were formerly owned and operated since the 13th century by the Cistercian monks of the Abbey of Mont Sainte-Marie, who knew only too well the quality of the land’s “terroir”.

Jura on the other hand, sandwiched between Switzerland and Burgundy, is not only France’s smallest AOC region (1,800 hectares), but also one of the most distinctive. The region which, like the Marsupials of Australia, has evolved in relative isolation from the rest of France due to the late development its roads, is best known for the mysterious Vin Jaune (Yellow Wine) produced by the controlled oxidation of the Savagnin white wine, and the nectar-like Vin de Paille (Straw Wine).

Besides these two specialties, numerous other wines exist made from these grapes found nowhere else, and also using techniques practiced nowhere else. From this special tasting event, we invite you to explore a selection of Jura wines from winemaker Mr. Frédéric Lornet of Cellier de Gennes (producer of the Frédéric Lornet brand of Jura wines), bound to provide you with a truly unique tasting experience.

Some of the wines we tasted were:

• Frédéric Lornet Arbois Naturé 2008 (Savagnin) (Retail: $298.00): Floral aromas, very rich in minerality. Good liveliness with strong aging potential. Food pairing: aromatic dishes, asparagus, raw fish, crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shellfish. Canapé with asparagus and crab meat, or a trout carpaccio with olive oil, lemon juice, a splash of balsamic vinegar, freshly ground pepper, chives, red peppercorns, OR a scallop tepees with green asparagus.

• Frédéric Lornet Macvin du Jura Blanc (Retail: $378.00): Nose similar to Chinese salty “Mui Choi” (preserved turnip). On the palate, aromas of orange peel, quince, dried fruits and prunes. Food pairing: gingerbread, chocolate, Roquefort, vanilla ice-cream

• Frédéric Lornet Arbois Trousseau des Dames 2006 (Retail: $258.00): Beautiful garnet colour. Ripe nose of morello cherries, spices and blackberries. Rich, supple mouth of concentrated black fruits. A delicate and elegant wine with a slightly musky nose, attractive tannins and depth on the palate. Food pairing: grilled meat, pâtés, meat pies, roast, grilled meat, game, cold cuts, cheese and red meat

And the sweeter yellow wines we enjoyed were:

• Frédéric Lornet Arbois Vin Jaune 2000 (Savagnin) (620mL) (Retail: $678.00): Golden yellow in colour with clear, brilliant reflections. The powerful nose combines floral scents, spices and notes of nuts and fresh hazelnuts, as well as a sweet almond note. Smooth, elegant mouth, long finish. Resembles something between a Sherry and a Chinese “Hua Diao” wine but dry, full and powerful. Food pairing: Comté cheese and walnuts, dishes with cream-based sauces (filet mignon, Coque au Vin with morel mushrooms, foie gras, snails, crayfish and CRAB!

• Frédéric Lornet Vin de Paille 2003 (50%Savagnin/30%Poulsard/20%Chardonnay) (375mL) (Retail: $558.00): Deep reddish gold. Powerful, complex aromas of dried fruits (apricots, figs, mirabelle plums) and vanilla honey. Silky, intense mouth, impressively long finish. Food pairing: Pigeon, foie gras, desserts of all sorts and, of course, chocolate!

Mr. Lornet’s trip culminated on Thursday night with a special hairy crab seafood wine-pairing dinner that featured the wines above matched with such local delicacies as Braised Shark’s Fin with Hairy Crab meat & Coral in Egg Dumplings & topped with gold foil, Grilled Prawns with Black bean & preserved vegetables, Braised Minced Pork with Hairy Crab meat & Coral; Braised Whole Abalone and Goose Web in Oyster Sauce and the main event, Steamed Hairy Crabs…we’re full even writing it!

Stay tuned to Winebuzz.hk for the next time Cottage Vineyards has one of these amazing once-in-Hong-Kong dinner pairings.

All of these wines are available exclusively from Cottage Vineyards, and you can see them at their awesome tasting room/shop in Causeway Bay. Call them on (852)2395-1293 to arrange.