The sportsmen wine

Celebrities from around the world are making wines but it is not often that we have a chance to taste them. Thanks Dream Wines that I could taste not only one, but two wines made from sportsmen from different parts of the world side by side. The fame of celebrities may sell the wine once but the wine must have the quality in order to sustain sales. So how did these two celebrity wines fare?

The first one was from Ernie Els, a professional golfer from South Africa and a former world number one. His estate, Ernie Els Wines, is located in the Golden Triangle of Stellenbosch where some of the best wines from the region is made. Its proximity to False Bay allows the vines to benefit from the cooling ocean breezes, producing smaller berries with optimum ripeness and concentration balanced by lively acidity and smooth tannins. Experienced winemaker Louis Strydom has been making wine for Ernie since the first vintage in 2000.

Ernie Els reds are particularly impressive. The Big Easy, named after Ernie’s nickname because of his size (6 ft 3 in tall) and his fluid golf swing, is a full-bodied yet easy-drinking Mediterranean style blend dominated by Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon - definitely a crowd pleaser perfect to be served by the glass. The Proprietor’s Blend is a notch up Bordeaux blend with 20% Shiraz to add the extra dimension, while the Signature is a classic Bordeaux blend that is one of the finest expression of Stellenbosch terroir - a structured wine with fine tannin and long finish supported by abundant fruit. No wonder the wine consistently scored 4.5 and 5 stars in the Platter’s Guide.

The second was Yao Ming, probably the most well-known and popular sport celebrity in China. The estate, Yao Family Wines, sourced grapes from different Napa vineyards and make only Bordeaux red blends heavily dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. Its first wines, Yao Ming Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Yao Ming Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, both 2009 vintage, were released in China with great fanfare with the latter retailed at around HK$5,000/bottle. Today, the estate has two more affordable wines in its portfolio: Napa Crest and Gold Peak. Yao Ming’s wine, received acclaim from wine critics, is typical of California - powerful, bold and flashy.

Both Ernie and Yao extended their sports professionalism to their wine. Ernie’s secret of success in golf is discipline, focus and commitment; and he is determined to make his wine with the same focus and discipline. Yao, on the other hand, said a basketball game is not a one-man show, it requires team. Making a good wine is also the same and that no one person can do it alone. He is grateful for the team behind his wine.

Guests at the table agreed that both celebrity wines have the quality to back them up. Which wine you prefer will be up to your preferences. I was suggesting to Dream, the lady behind Dream Wines, to invite both Ernie Els and Yao Ming for a friendly tug-of-war here in Hong Kong, and we can count the number of fans behind them. Which side will I go with? For those who know me would probably guess the answer.

 Both Ernie Els Wines and Yao Family Wines are available from Dream Wines.

Facelift of Hugel estate - from sons to family

Energetic Etienne Hugel, the face of the Alsatian estate Hugel, visits Asia regularly and often. His first market visit this year was on a high note and he was excited to share the latest changes at the estate.

First of all was the change of name, from ‘Hugel & Fils’ to ‘Famille Hugel’, to officially recognise the other gender in the family. This was followed by the change of the label. While still retaining the trademark ‘Maggi’ yellow colour, the family coat of arms is modernised and the new label looks cleaner and fresher. Last but not least, the family also revamped their range of wine, starting from most popular Gentil, then the dry varietal wine Classic (former Hugel) range predominately from purchased grapes, the Estate (previously Tradition) range which only consisted of Riesling and Gewurztraminer from the selected plots in the family estate, followed by the Gossi Laüe range replacing the Jubilee line where grapes are picked from the best sites in the estate. The limited release Schoelhammer, with 2007 being the first vintage, is a single vineyard Riesling from the heart of the Schonenbourg Grand Cru hillside. Vendage Tardive and Selection de Grains Nobles completed the range.

We tasted and compared four varieties in different ranges: Pinot Noir (2014 Classic and 2010 Gossi Laüe), Riesling (2013 Classic, 2012 Estate and 2010 Gossi Laüe) , Pinot Gris (2012 Classic and 2010 Gossi Laüe) and Gewurztraminer (2013 Classic, 2012 Estate, 2010 Gossi Laüe and 2007 Vendate Tardive). All the wines were well-made and each range has a clear identity that appeals to the target customers and occasion. The Classic range is fresh and accessible, the Estate range has an added complexity and dimension while the Gossi Laüe (equivalent to Grosse Lage or Grand Cru) range is the finest expression of terroir. The Gossi Laüe Pinot Noir was complex and elegant, while its Riesling counterpart, awarded the perfect 20/20 points by Bettane & Desseauve, was dense, precise and with longevity.

I am not a big fan of Gewurztraminer but was impressed by the Hugel Gewurztraminer series. They were aromatic but not excessive, full bodied but not heavy, opulent but not right on your face. The Estate one was harmonious while the Gossi Laüe’s was elegant. I think they would match well with the spicy and slightly sweet Korean cuisine.

However, I can feel that Etienne was most proud of the mass appealing Gentil, a wine blended with all the key Alsatian white varieties: Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner. The objective is to produce a consistent wine year on year that goes well with a wide range of food. Each grape contributes a layer or aroma but none dominates the wine. Etienne compared it to champagne - a wine that makes people happy but without the bubbles and the price tag. Its 2007 vintage was selected by Decanter as one of the France’s 50 best-value wine. Etienne was also frank about how Gentil was born - not because of some fancy idea of the winemaker but because of the downturn of the economy after the Gulf War in 1992 when the company was forced to develop a value wine. The name Gentil was chosen because it was the term for a blend of wine from noble grapes in the 1920s. The decision proofed to be a sound one and today 400,000 bottles of Gentil are available in all 109 countries that Hugel exports to. The 2013 vintage was even served on the business class of Japanese airline ANA.

Familie Hugel is in its 13th generation but the company does not show any sign of tiredness or sleepiness. With the changes outlined by Etienne, I can see the family is adapting to future and engaging the young generation while balancing it with quality and traditional value. The new carton box of the crowd-pleasing Gentil, is a picture of the bottle with kisses, with the question, ‘Why do all the ladies go crazy for him?’ and the answer, ‘Because he is always the perfect Gentil-Man’. Well, traditionalists may find this tacky but so what if the majority likes it. After all, it’s only the carton box, Etienne assured us that the kisses are not on the actual bottles.

Etienne is charming and humorous, with a presentation style not dissimilar to Apple Computer founder Steve Job. He has been actively promoting Riesling with Asian cuisine for the past 20 odd years and even produced a set of chopstick with a Hugel cork holder to hammer the message. I hope his effort and love for Asia will be carried on by the young Hugels in future.

Hugel is available from Summergate.

The best of Pinot Blanc

Pinot Blanc, or Pinot Bianco as the Italian called it, is often the light bodied, refreshing inoffensive house wine with a faint hint of citrus and apple served in many restaurants that is often drunk without a second thought. True this may be, there are indeed some eye popping Pinot Blancs that could grab one’s attention, and I had the pleasure to have tasted one of these recently.

The wine in question was Weingut Stigler 2012 Weissburgunder Trocken, Ihringen Winklerberg ''GG'',  Weissburgunder being Pinot Blanc in German. Because of the neutral varietal character, the wine was understated at first sip although I could feel the depth in it, and it was not as appealing as the 2012 Grauburgunder Kabinett Trocken (Pinot Gris) that was served alongside. However, the wine shone and revealed its beauty when paired with food. The sweetness of the pork dumpling and taro pastry brought out the stone fruits aromas, which in return, enhanced the flavour in the dim sum. This was followed by the classic roasted suckling pig and assorted meat, which I thought might overpower the wine. But quite opposite, not only did the intensity of the wine stood up to the flavoursome meat, it also cut through the fat and brought a lightness to it. This magic combination between wine and food would arouse interest in curious consumers, encouraging them to explore more pairing.

According to Regina and Andreas Stigler, the fourth generation of the family, the grapes for this wine were harvested from the oldest Weissburgunder ‘Grand Cru’ vineyard plot where
the vines were planted in 1985. With Baden being the sunniest wine region in Germany, the grapes ripen to exceptional ripeness resulting in a concentrated wine. Partially fermented in lightly toasted oak barrel added further complexity and roundness to the wine. I have to say this is one of the best Pinot Blanc I ever tasted.

Baden is the home of Burgunders in Germany because of its warm climate. Apart from the Weissburgunder and Grauburgunder, We also tried two of the Stigler’s Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir). The 2011 Pinot Noir “Max” Spätlese Trocken was an easy-drinking fruity wine made by the fifth generation Maximillian (hence the name Max on other label), and the multi-layered 2009 Spätburgunder Backöfele “GG”, Ihringer Winklerberg. The wines kind of reflected the characters of the winemakers - Max being energetic and vibrant, while the latter being deep and structured.

Andreas also makes a Riesling Spätlese, Ihringen Winklerberg ''EL'' which was not in the plan. In one difficult year, the Riesling didn’t quite ferment to complete dryness with some residual sugar left. The wine still had to be sold and to the Stiglers’ surprise, it was exactly what a restaurateur was looking for — a slightly sweet wine to match with food. Needless to say, a new style of wine was born. We had the 2012 vintage which was elegant and refreshing, laden with apricot and melon. I can imagine it would be fantastic with Vietnamese and curry flavoured dishes.


Weingut Stigler is available from Schmidt Vinothek

.

Acaibo, the creation of love

I came across Acaibo at a Gonzague & Clare Lurton tasting, the Bordeaux couple both from wine families but separately and successfully manage their own family properties, Ferriere, Haut-Bages Libéral and Durfort-Vivens. At first I thought Acaibo is just another commercial New World venture from a Bordeaux family but upon talking to Claire at the tasting, I found that Acaibo is more than a mere investment.

Gonzague and Claire, along with their extended family members, own more than 20 chateaux in Bordeaux alone but the couple always wants to create something special that they can truly call their own, like their children. After over 10 years of searching, they finally came across this 24-acre (around 10ha) piece of land on Chalk Hill in Sonoma that according to Claire, was more than just land, and that she could sense the wildness, life and purity.

They named the property Trinité Estate, derived from the Latin saying ‘Omni Trium Perfectum’, loosely translated as all sets of three are perfect, to pay homage to the three Grand Cru chateaux they took over and managed, the three grape varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Cabernet Franc) where their wines are made from, and their three beautiful children. Gonzague and Claire consider themselves as guidance of the land which will be one day looked after by their children.

Acaibo is the name of the Bordeaux blend wine from Trinité, made up from words of the Native Americans living around Chalk Hill long time ago. Aca means fish, or Aka means water, a precious resource in California’s viticulture, and sibo means three - hence the logo with three fish.

We tasted Acaibo 2012 and 2013. 2012 was clearly New World with upfront ripe fruits, while 2013 was more restrained with an added elegance. Claire agreed and explained that they bought the property in August 2012 and although harvest was in October, they couldn’t do much in terms of vineyard management, whereas for the 2013 vintage, they had a full year to tend it and make sure it was in natural equilibrium. She was even more excited about 2014 vintage and reckoned it would be the best of the three. The couple is proud of this blend of their French tradition with a very American spirit of adventure.

The fact that Gonzague and Claire moved the whole family to Sonoma indicated their commitment. Although Claire said she split her time between Bordeaux and Sonoma, I could see from her eyes and the way she talked that Trinité Estate is what the family called home now. There they planted vines, and their children play in the trees, and sometimes sleep at night beneath the vines.

Acaibo is available from CCF Wine.