Ne Oublie – Do Not Forget

“This wine dates from the time Andrew James Symington arrived in Portugal to work for W. & J. Graham’s in 1882. Our family has cherished these three barrels resting in the Graham’s Lodge because they embody the legacy he left us. We have bottled only one, into individually numbered, handcrafted decanters, presented by craftsmen from England, Scotland and Portugal: the three nations of our family’s origin. The remainder will pass into the guardianship of our children.”

A good wine always has a story behind it. Well, the story behind Ne Oublie is just extraordinary.

Andrew James Symington's family

It all began in 1882 when Andrew James Symington, an 18-year old young man from Scotland, went to Portugal and worked for W &J Graham’s, a general trading firm and port producer. In 1891, Andrew James married Beatrice Atkinson, a lady of English-Portuguese descent whose family had been in the port business since 1652.

Andrew James and Beatrice, together with their three sons, focused on restoring port’s position in world markets after World War I. In 1920, Andrew James bought four casks of tawny port made in 1882 from a Douro farmer to commemorate the year of his arrival in Portugal. These casks were then transported by ox cart and boat from the Douro Valley to the cooler Vila Nova de Gaia where the wine could age gracefully. While the family continued to build the port business over the past century, these few barrels of 1882 wine rested silently in the port lodge carefully tended by generations of winemakers, cellar masters and coopers. Every year, a small percentage of wine was lost through evaporation—this is known as the angels’ share—and the original four casks were reduced to three.

To pay homage to Andrew James, the family has named this 1882 Single Harvest Tawny Port ‘Ne Oublie’, meaning Do Not Forget, after the original Graham family motto and the company where Andrew James started his life’s work. The name reflects the respect with which the family members regard their great-grandparents’ decision to commit themselves and their descendants to Portugal, to the Douro and to Port.

Now, four generations and 132 years after Andrew James landed in Portugal, the family has decided to bottle one cask of Ne Oublie. The remaining two casks, stamped and sealed, have been entrusted to the next generation who will decide their future in 2025 at the earliest.

But that is not the end of the story.

The family believes they owe their success to their Scottish, English and Portuguese heritage–Scottish for a rational and hard-working approach, English for common sense, and Portuguese for a flamboyant and romantic style. Therefore, they see it as only fitting to package these 656 bottles of Ne Oublie with the finest works of these three nations.

The wine has been bottled in individually numbered hand-made crystal decanters from Atlantis, a leading Portuguese glass manufacturer. Each one is decorated with three sterling silver bands weighing 250gm, moulded and engraved by renowned Scottish Silversmiths Hayward & Stott and carrying the mark of the Edinburgh Assay Office. Finally, the bottle is presented in a handcrafted, lockable leather box made by one of the world’s oldest luxury leather goods companies, Smythson of Bond Street in London. The wine, together with the packaging and presentation, sums up the passion and dedication of Andrew James and the family.

And how about the taste?

The taste is as incredible as the story. Paul Symington, present chairman of Symington Family Estates, remarked that it is hard to imagine how four or five generations ago, in the conditions of the time, they could have made a wine better than most being made today, probably without electricity for instance.

Because of the age, the wine is a dark brown colour with a greenish tinge at the rim. It is complex and rich with layers of aromas of marmalade, nuts, and herbs. Surprisingly fresh, the wine has a mellow mouth feel and an amazing length. Smelling and sipping the wine is like a glimpse into the family history.

Although 656 bottles were released, only 655 bottles will be available as the family is keeping bottle number 1. Asked if the family expects buyers to drink the wine, Euan Mackay, Sales Director of Symington Family Estates who was presenting the wine, said, “The wine is certainly a collector’s must-have but the family is expecting the wine to be drunk and enjoyed, especially among friends and family who appreciate the passage of time and family heritage.” Well, I have to agree that enjoying the wine is surely the tribute that Andrew James would have liked to see.

Only 25 bottles were allocated to Fine Vintage at HK$55,000/bottles. It is also available at Grahams’ Port Lodge at Oporto or via an online application list.

And if you miss this chance, there are still those two remaining barrels in waiting…but you will have to wait until at least 2025.

Louis Jadot, Burgundy en primeur 2013

2013 was a difficult year in Burgundy. Spring was wet and cold, resulting in poor flowering and thus a smaller crop. Summer finally arrived in June but a hailstorm in July devastated some vineyards between Meursault and Aloxe-Corton. September, the most important month for grape ripening, was excellent and balanced fruit with good potential began to develop, albeit in a much smaller crop. Unfortunately though, the weather turned progressively wetter and colder so those grapes harvested later had more rot than those harvested earlier.

But don’t simply dismiss the 2013 vintage. The overall production is definitely small but where vines were well-tended and grapes meticulously sorted, some truly elegant wines were made. I guess this is a big part of the excitement about wine grown in such variable climatic conditions. The wine is never the same every year but dedicated producers can always make something out of it. 2013 doesn’t taste like 2010 and probably doesn’t have the same ageing potential, but so what? I found a few more than decent wines at the recent Louis Jadot en primeur tasting:

Chablis ‘Preuses’ Grand Cru (white): Elegant with pronounced minerality. I always like Chablis and this one certainly doesn’t disappoint.

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (white): Rich and intense with ageing potential

Volnay 1st Cru Clos de la Barre (red): Not sure if it would age well but no doubt enjoyable within the next three to five years.

Moulin-à-Vent Clos du Grand Carquelin (red): Surprisingly good, fleshy but supported by fresh acidity. No doubt will beat a lot of Burgundies.

Clos Vougeot Grand Cru (red): A masculine wine with depth, power and ageing potential.

With more than 230 ha of vines in the region, Louis Jadot is one of the largest producers in Burgundy. Thibault Gegey, Deputy General Manager, said that wines from all appellations are being made pretty much the same way so the differences we can taste in the wines are attributable to the terroir—soil, vineyard facing and weather conditions. We have all heard this refrain so many times but it is always fascinating to taste wines side by side and see it for yourself.

2013 Burgundies are unlikely be 100 point wines but, thanks to the winemakers, there will nevertheless be wine lovers, including myself, who appreciate their elegance and leaner style. Try some for yourself.

Louis Jadot is available from ASC Fine Wines.

Wine for a cause

To be honest, I’m not a fan of the big heavy Californian wines but I decided to attend the recent Staglin tasting organised by ASC in the hope that it might change my mind.

Shari and Garen Staglin bought the Rutherford Bench estate in 1985 to realise their dream of making wine. They have since been joined by their children, Shannon, now the President, and Brandon, Director of Marketing and Communications.

Although the Staglin label is only about 30 years old, the estate itself has a rich viticultural heritage. Vines were first planted there in 1868. The property changed hands several times before the Staglins acquired it. Because of this, Shari and Garen see themselves as custodians of the land rather than owners. They are committed to preserve it for future generations of custodians by practising organic farming and, among other things, installing solar fields to reduce carbon footprint.

With only 51 acres (about 20 ha) of vines, Shari, who studied viticulture and enology after purchasing the vineyard, is devoted to producing only high quality wine. The family enlisted the help of Michel Rolland as consultant and followed his advice to practise green pruning in the vineyard and hand-sorting the berries in the winery. The location of the vineyard, at the base of the western slope of Mt St John, is also an essential element in the quality of the wine. The vines are shaded from the scorching sun in the afternoon, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and retain their acidity.

The Staglins were also advised to develop two labels. The flagship Staglin Family Vineyard label comprises a Chardonnay, a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux blend INEO and a Sangiovese to acknowledge Garen’s Italian heritage. The style is restrained yet still retains the energy of Napa. The second label, Salus, with only a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon, has a more typical American style—bigger and more upfront.

Salus also has a mission. Shari and Garen are active supporters of mental health research because Brandon was diagnosed with schizophrenia (he has since recovered). One of the activities is the Music Festival for Brain Health, which takes place on the estate to raise funds for research and treatment programmes. All proceeds from the sale of Salus go to underwrite this festival. To date, the event has raised US$210 million for the cause. Definitely a meaningful project.

Staglin wines have a finesse that most Napa wines lack, especially the 2010 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. It is rich but also elegant, with a fine structure. Although I have to admit that Napa wines are still not on the top of my drink list, hey, we all have different palates and it’s good that the whole world doesn’t all drink the same wine!

For those who like Napa wines, both Staglin and Salus are available from ASC. You know you’ll be drinking for a good cause.

An interview with Peter Gago

All wine lovers will have heard of Penfolds, one of the most popular brands in Australia, and its Penfolds Grange is among the iconic wines of the world. I had the opportunity to meet Peter Gago, the fourth Chief Winemaker of Penfolds since 2002 and with Penfolds for 25 years, to learn what lies behind the brand and its wines.

2014 has been a significant year for Penfolds. It is its 170th anniversary, the 60th year of consecutive releases of Grange, and the inaugural year of the Penfolds Collection. Founded in 1884, Penfolds is only a few months younger than Krug, Peter’s favourite Champagne house. Therefore it is with some justification that Peter argues Penfolds is not New World.

Max Schubert

Grange was developed in 1951 by Max Schubert, the first Chief Winemaker, after he visited Bordeaux and was inspired to create a red wine to rival the finest Bordeaux. Unfortunately Penfolds management order him to stop producing Grange in 1957 because of poor reviews. Max, however, continued to make it secretly and in 1960 the management realised its potential and instructed him to restart production. It is thanks to Max’s commitment that we are able to enjoy the 60th release of Grange today.

The grapes for Grange are sourced from a number of vineyards. Peter considers that in this way he can have the best fruit every year rather than being at the mercy of mother nature, although he admits that 2010 was a particularly difficult year with only one quarter of the normal production—about 9,000 12-bottles cases, were made. He further points out that champagnes and ports are all made from grapes from multi-vineyard sites so as to maintain the house style and consistency, and he sees Grange as no different.

Grange has always been Shiraz dominated and aged in 100% new American oak. It is full-bodied and rich with maximum extraction. Nevertheless, consumers’ palates change as time goes by. Asked if there was a pressure to change the Grange style, Peter said there are always wine lovers in the world who can’t get enough of Grange, but at the same time he acknowledges the diverse palates of consumers and that is why Penfolds makes different styles of Syrah,notably St Henri and RWT. St Henri is a 100% Syrah aged in old oak cases resurrected by John Davoren in the early 50s, after Penfolds bought the defunct Auldana Vineyard that first made the wine. Then, in 1997, Penfolds developed RWT (Red Winemaking Trials), a 100% Shiraz from a single region aged in 100% new French oak. According to Peter, St Henri is the classic style that came to be viewed as old-fashioned in the 70s, while RWT can be seen as the contemporary version of Grange.

The three wines are definitely different. Using the analogy of sport, I would say Grange is a rugby player, sturdy but not clumsy, while RWT is a tennis player, graceful yet full of strength and St Henri is a marathon runner, elegant and enduring. Well, Penfolds is blessed with both the resources and the vision to make different wine styles to suit most people’s palate.

Block 42 vines

Not all wines from Penfolds are from multi-vinevards though. Peter explained there are three categories of wine at Penfolds, First there are single vineyard wines that reflect the sense of place, such as Magill Estate Shiraz with only 5.2ha of vines and Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon from pre-phylloxera vines planted in the mid 1800s, the world’s oldest continuously producing vines. The second category is single region wines that showcase the region’s typicity, such as RWT Barossa Valley Shiraz, Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz and Reserve Bin A Chardonnay whose grapes are sourced exclusively from the Adelaide Hills. The final category is the house style where grapes come from different regions every year. The iconic Grange, St Henri and Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon all fall into this category.

Probably some wine lovers, like myself, are confused with Penfolds’ Bin numbers. Peter clarified that the bin numbers originally simply identified where the wines were stored in the cellars. It was an internal reference that somehow made it to the label. He reckons naming the wine after bin numbers is not a bad thing in Penfolds’ case as there are so many wines in the portfolio. It is easy to name one’s first or second child but it gets harder after the third of fourth. Anyway, alongside each bin number is always the region (if the wine is a single-region wine) and grape variety so it is not as confusing as it seems.

Peter Gago was a mathematics and chemistry high school teacher before passion brought him to study winemaking. He thinks his training as a teacher helps in his role at Penfolds, especially the communications skills that help him to build the team. Probably that’s why Peter is truly an ambassador of the brand. Apart from January to May, which is harvest time and a no-fly period, he is on the road most of the year, conveying the Penfolds message to wine lovers the world over. Peter welcomes everyone to visit him in Adelaide—just make sure you go when he’s not travelling!

Penfolds is available from Jebsen.