Two Paddocks, striking gold in former goldmine

Tags

Central Otago, new zealand, Pinot Noir, sam neill, Two Paddocks

When we began searching for a Central Otago Pinot Noir six years ago, the label of Two Paddocks immediately struck us, but it was the very restrained and classical style that was love at first sight. Even Francophiles might be tempted to try what Lisa Perotti-Brown, Master of Wine, calls “a very natural, almost leafy style of Pinot Noir”.

The fact that Hollywood actor Sam Neill is behind one of the most recognized names from Central Otago helps of course, but it is their philosophy in the vineyard which resonates most. Sam says his viticulturist Mike Wing is the most important person in the estate and the two have been busy searching for new plots, with the last purchase in Bannockburn, at the end of Felton Road, an area in stature similar to Vosne Romanee in the Cote de Nuits.  This vineyard now produces fruit for the Estate blend, and also the limited reserve named “Fusilier”, referring to Sam’s grandfather, who was a Wine Merchant and Soldier.

Sam explains the estate is “committed to an organic and holistic farming model that we believe produces the very best expression of our sites and intrinsically cares for our soils, our animals and our people.” Vintage to vintage they continue to move ahead of the pack. Today we propose the winery’s main wine, please enjoy and let us know!

Two Paddocks Pinot Noir Estate 2016, Central Otago

“A blend of the Bannockburn, Earnscleugh and Gibbston vineyards. This leads with ripe sweet cherry-berry fruit aromas ahead of a spicy and meaty background. Plenty of youthful appeal. The palate is succulent and packed with vibrant flesh, attractive red cherry fruit and plenty of lithe, juicy tannins.” James Suckling 92 points

Coche Dury, perhaps the finest white wine in the world

Tags

burgundy, Chardonnay, coche dury, meursault, off track france, raphael coche, reduction

There is a place, somewhere off the beaten path, which we are unable to divulge. This restaurant is owned by a chef and avid wine collector, who for many years traveled to Burgundy and Champagne to find vinous jewels. This is where I first came across a Coche Dury, and realized there is no other wine like it, and also conclude no other restaurant will offer at this price.

It is positive that long-time buyers are offered reasonable ex-cellar prices, which we newbies are not. Despite the difference, we remain upbeat for this brightly shining village Meursault, as the stellar 2015 is already trading at a higher prices in Hong Kong and New York.

Below is a good description of this fine Burgundy producer by Steen Öhman, the editor, writer and owner of Winehog.org, a blog which was launched in 2011 and is a site focused solely on the wines of Burgundy. Please allow me to quote him:

What is so special about Coche-Dury

Coche-Dury has almost legendary status among wine connoisseurs, and rightly so. His wines are something special, and he almost have the same status as Henri Jayer, who was quite unique in Vosne Romanee.

Coche-Dury – bouquet and taste

Coche-Dury are very expressive wines that really jumps from the glass. It is not subtle or for that matter aristocratic wines, no they are quite flamboyant wines of almost incredibly high quality.

The first thing you notice is the assertive bouquet of gun powder and hints of popcorn – which can be very distinctive when the wines are young. They also have quite a considerable note of new oak, which together with the various nuances of the Chardonnay grape gives a complex and challenging nose.

On the palate the wines has very fine textures and freshness that comes from both the soil and the fine acidity structure. The wines are never overripe, but retain their suppleness and finesse. There is a pronounced Coche style, but this does not prevent the individual vineyards terroir to shine through. They are terroir wines but have a quite distinctive style that characterizes all the wines from the domaine.

Why does Domaine J.-F. Coche-Dury make better wine?

A large part of the explanation for the high quality is most likely found in the vineyards, where a thorough work combined with very old vines in several vineyards yield some special wines. He manages to make wines that are both fresh and resilient although the concentration is quite high, something very few manufacturers are able to match.

Coche-Dury are, of course, also very skilled in the cellar, but I think it is in the vineyards he makes the big difference, which is probably one of the reasons that nobody has been able to copy his style and qualities.”

For the full article read here.

 

Paella battle on Toro’s patio, Nov 10th

Tags

broken eggs bangkok, charlie jones, jacopo astrays, paella, quince bangkok, spanish wines, toro bangkok

Come chill out and enjoy a fun evening with the two chefs, the crew from Toro and our casually easy drinking wines from Spain.

Ca N’Estruc Blanco is a refreshing and aromatic blend of Xarello with Muscat from vineyards close to Barcelona, Catalunya

Monastrell, aka Mourvedre, blended with some Syrah and briefly aged in oaked by Barahonda in Yecla, is a massive bang for the buck and shows why cool nights can lift a full-bodied Mediterranean wine.

The limited seats are B1,500++ per head. Please RSVP fast at 02-392-7790 or info@torobangkok.com

Maremma’s Montepeloso at Char, Nov 7th

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char restaurant, fabio chiarelotto, indigo bangkok, maremma, montepeloso, nikolas ramirez, tuscany

These wonderful wines are rated 90-95 points by Robert Parker, James Suckling plus Vinous. Well worth to come and meet both Fabio and Nik this evening.

For bookings please call Tel 02 207 4999. Tables can be reserved at your convenient time.

The soul of Chianti according to Monty Waldin

Tags

chianti, elisabetta fagiuoli, Italy, montenidoli, sangiovese, siena, tuscany

Elisabetta Fagiuoli comes from a family that has been making wine for more than 300 years with the simple and truthful rules of attention, respect, love, harmony.

At Montenidoli she only uses the native vines of her land, following strict organic methods. Cuttings are grinded for the compost that goes back to the vineyards. Wild edible mushrooms grow in the vineyards and testify the richness of our unpolluted land The wines are artisan wines: traditional methods, harvest by hand, small yields. The estate handcrafts a very limited number of bottles per year.

Montenidoli Chianti Colli Senesi Il Garrulo 2015

“Good deep red. Pretty aromas of redcurrant, fresh herbs and flint. Bright and fresh, showing a restrained sweetness and lovely inner-mouth aromatic character to the spicy red fruit flavors framed by lively but harmonious acidity. The bright finish features lively tannins and very good length.” Ian d’Agata, Vinous on 2010 vintage

 

Chocolate and Wine Pairing, Oct 6 2018

Tags

another story, Bangkok, chocolate, emquartier, wine garage, wine pairing, xoconat

If you are a Bangkokian with a sweet tooth, we urge you to join us at Another Story, EMQuartier this Saturday starting 530pm. This will be a special workshop of luxurious indulgence in confections and nectar-like wines.

Our collaboration partner Natalie of Xoconat obsesses over details when making small-batch chocolate, one at a time. The selection for the pairing includes Matena white, Thai spiced Ganache, Lavender Vanilla dark, Pistachio Buttercrunch, Coffee Toffee, Midsummer Dream French Rose, Lod Chong Bar, which just finished in time.

Especially for this engaging session we will present you 6 fantastic tipples: Niepoort Vintage Port 2005, Albert Boxler Gewurztraminer Reserve 2012, Begali Amarone Recioto 2012, Equipo Navazos Oloroso Sherry, Hofgut Falkenstein Riesling Spatlese Euchariusberg 2017 and Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Old Vines Todd Ranch 2015.

For inquiries please email marketing@winegarage.asia

For bookings please email anotherstory@themall.co.th

Seats are thb 1,000 per person, limited to 12 seats.

Garage Wine Co., Chile

Tags

cabernet sauvignon, chile, derek mossmann, garage wine co, new chile

Like many wine lovers with an eye on Europe, we probably haven’t looked close enough to see what is happening in Chile, Argentina, and South Africa.

There has been a fair deal of innovation and a good deal of movement into the classy realm of fine wines allowing small estates to capture part of the mid-to-premium segment – albeit now more visible in London, New York and Berlin.

Chile is traditionally dominated by large corporations. Only by the millenium has MOVI (Movimiento de Viñateros Independientes), a self regulating group of boutique producers, been set up; the initial group of 12 now is just over 20 quality-minded producers who try to make authentic wines, which alters our perception quite a bit.

Derek Mossmann Knapp, the co-founder of Garage Wine Co. is one of the spokes persons and initiators whose credo includes that member wineries “have no promotional or marketing people at tastings, just owners or winemakers who are intimately involved in production”. This approach fits well to our Wine Garage style, and we have been quite successful in integrating their specialty, a Carignan field blend, into restaurants like Cocotte and Pesca in Bangkok.

More mainstream, but no less interesting, is our offer today: a Cabernet Sauvignon which veers towards the “natural” spectrum, but will please a wide range of palates.

We hope you will agree. When opening just pull the cork out through the wax capsule. Decant 20-30 minutes and serve at 16C.

Vintage: 2015 | Wine Type: Red Wine
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon (93%), Cabernet Franc (7%)
Origin: Chile | Appellation: Maipo Alto
Elaboration: Fermented with native yeasts, low intervention, punch down in open top fermenters at 976 metres above the sea this vineyard an extreme example of Cabernet Sauvignon in Maipo Andes. Barrel aged over two winters in French barrels of various cooperages with two or more uses.
Conservation: Drink now through 2020
Winemakers: Derek Mossman, Pilar Miranda and Alvaro Peña 

“A solid Cabernet Sauvignon with currants, hot stone, blackberries and hints of currant bush. Full body, dense and polished tannins and a pretty, chewy finish. 93 points” James Suckling

Austrian Wine Week, Bangkok

Tags

austrian wine week, Bangkok, Blaufrankisch, Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, tastes of austria, wine garage, zweigelt

We are super excited to be offering an array of Austrian varietals around some of Bangkok’s finest dining establishments from 1-5th October.

 

Franz, founder of Tastes of Austria and myself were both working in New York City around the millennium, but our paths crossed a few years later during a trade visit to Tokio. Since then I firmly believed in bringing in Austrian wines to Thailand, but had to wait until Wine Garage was founded in 2013. Franz supports the export of these fine and dynamic estates, but in some cases also helps with blending and refinement of specialty items such as the Hoch Pet Nat Kalkspitz and Kalkreich – both a must try! He will be on the floor at Oskar’s on 1/10, Quince on 3/10, Nahm on 4/10 and Fireplace Grill on 5/10. A great guy to chat and drink with

 

The cool evenings in continental Europe allow are expressive fruit flavors to be kept in balance by acids and tannins. Frankly most varietals, from any of the regions, and styles from classic to the natural or biodynamic are extremely food friendly, especially for cuisine in this part of the world. Come on this ride with us an our partners and taste some of the greatest organic wines around.

For more details please visit our event page with up to date information

https://www.facebook.com/events/259802997999786/

 

 

Kumeu River, Auckland, New Zealand

Tags

auckland, burgundian, Chardonnay, kumeu river, new zealand

Kumeu River is one of the 10 or 12 estates we started off with in 2013. Year in year out, their wines, starting from the village and going all the way to the top with Mate’s Vineyard, are compelling in their own right. Frankly, it is also their relatively low price for fine Chardonnay, that have made it possible for listings in almost all gastronomic hotels and restaurants in Thailand. (Below credit NZ Wine Blogger)

The Brajkovich family is very much involved in every aspect of the family estate, with each of the four children sharing responsibility for winemaking (Michael, 1st Master of Wine in New Zealand), viticulture (Milan), sales (Paul) and tasting room plus activities, events (Marijana), while Mother Melba continues as Managing Director, and is one of the longest standing female executives in the industry. (Below credit Kumeu River)

Every year, sometimes in SFO, then in London, there is a panel tasting hosted by industry captains and fine wine writers, where the Coddington is pitted against village wines from the Cote d’Or, the Hunting Hill against 1er Cru vineyard wines, and the Mate’s against Grand Cru level. Surprise, surprise, they keep getting voted into one of the top ranks. Sadly our rotation here is quick, and we don’t have enough stock of the single vineyard wines to put down and taste after 5-6 years; am certain the reward is immense. (Below credit Pic Bear)

The vineyard is only 50 meters above sea level with both warm and cooling influence depending winds from either the Tasman Sea or Pacific Ocean. Similar to the Cote d’Or the vines grow on clay with overlying sandstone, with vines aged 5-55 years. The trained lyre system helps prevent sunburn from high UV in New Zealand, there is no irrigation.

Try this Estate bottling, which is at the core of the range, and see how close New Zealand Chardonnay can resemble a Bourgogne Blanc. Then later you might want to opt for the villages bottle as your everyday white wine, or venture into the nuanced single vineyard on special occasions. This one goes very well with richer seafood or poultry, and even spicy Thai curries. Decant for 30 minutes when young to allow the fruit to balance in to minerality.

“Still a Kiwi classic, Kumeu River’s 2016 Estate Chardonnay features toasted grain aromas, ripe peach and nectarine flavors and a long, citrus-inflected finish. It’s medium-bodied, with a plump, silky texture and up to a decade of aging potential.” 91 points Wine Advocate

Montepeloso, Tuscany’s gentle giants

Tags

fabio chiarelotto, Italy, maremma, montepeloso, tuscany

Spending time with Fabio Chiarelotto, a self-taught winemaker and former historian is always a joy. Maybe its his Swiss-Italian background, perhaps his take on life that makes conversation eventful. He bought the 6.5 hectare estate in 1999 with a mere 10,000 Swiss Francs and big support from friends. Looking back today, he says he gambled quite high, but the reward is immense, as Montepeloso are supremely rated and available in the finest restaurants and collector’s cellars.

Jancis Robinson, Master of Wine once described “This is fascinating, intriguing stuff with a particularly distinctive character rather than an Other Cabernet or Merlot.” And we tend get the same impression with every bottle as they are never constructed. Of late Fabio is trying to make the wines silkier, with super fine tannin, allowing for earlier enjoyment.

Being close to the coast and southern Tuscany, the wines are Mediterranean with generous aromas, mouthfeel and alcohol. But don’t be scared, these are not heavy wines, and we guarantee each bottle can be finished without a knocked out feel.

MONTEPELOSO GABBRO 2010

Gabbro embodies the essence of the noble Cabernet Sauvignon, some of which are over 40 years old. It represents the estate’s ambition to produce a Cabernet Sauvignon that can hold its own with the best in the world. This wine is matured for 18 months in 80% new wood. They use 400-litre barrels as well as barriques. The wine is subsequently stored in the bottle, usually for about nine months. Annual production is 3000 bottles on average.

“The 2010 Gabbro, Montepeloso’s 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, is all about texture. Today the flavors are completely unevolved, instead it is the wine’s towering presence and sheer personality that stand out most. With time in the glass hints of melted road tar, graphite, smoke and incense gradually being to emerge. An exotic mélange of savory herb nuances melt into veins of salinity frame the finish. Readers will have to be patient with the 2010, but it is a jewel of a wine.” Vinous 95 points

thb 6,500

MONTEPELOSO GABBRO 2015

“Here is another excellent wine from the folks at Montepeloso. Indeed, the top wines from this estate are all so equally delicious it is hard to tell them apart. The 2015 Gabbro is all Cabernet Sauvignon, and it stands apart from the other blended reds for this reason. This is an inky dark and impenetrable expression with savory aromas of dark fruit and spice. The wine plays its best cards in the mouth, thanks to the richness and endurance of its texture.” Robert Parker 94 points

thb 5,500

MONTEPELOSO ENEO 2015

This is the estate’s “grand vin” and Italian response to globalization. It is a truly distinctive wine from native varieties which expresses the particular qualities of the Suvereto terroir but has worldwide appeal. An assemblage of Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Malvasia Nera and Alicante is matured for 15 to 18 months in used French oak barrels and then for a further 18 months in the bottle. The exact percentage of grape varieties in the composition depends on the particular characteristics of the vintage. Annual production is 30,000 to 35,000 bottles.

“The 2015 Eneo is a beautifully saturated and concentrated wine. The unusual blend used here is Sangiovese with Montepulciano, Marselan and Alicante Bouschet. The bouquet is profoundly bold and exuberant, with generous integration and beautiful power. The warmth of the vintage further adds to the overall intensity of this carefully crafted red wine. The mouthfeel is seamless and soft.” Robert Parker 95 points

thb 2,500

MONTEPELOSO A QUO 2014

An assemblage predominantly of Montepulciano, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, with smaller portions of Marselan and Alicante Bouschet. The A QUO is matured for twelve months in barriques, most of which are pre-used, and then for about nine months in the bottle. A QUO is Montepeloso’s fresh young high-flier. The wine, characterized by early accessibility, is made using grapes from the more recent plantings which already epitomize the distinctive qualities of Montepeloso. Almost 60,000 bottles are produced every year.

“Lots of chocolate and berry character with hints of vanilla and cherry character. Medium to full body, soft tannins and a long finish.” James Suckling 92 points

thb 1,300