Medical Association Wine Dinner 27/10/05

Medical Association Wine Dinner 27/10/05

Details:
Date: 27th OCt 2005. Time: 8pm
Venue: Bauhinia Room, HKCEC, Wanchai
Organizer: Medical Association, sponsored by ING Private Banking
Cost: HK$500 each

A wine expert Mr. Thomas Yip has been invited to talk about food & wine matching. Here are some information about him. Please click for bigger image.

Grandin Brut, France - Medical Association Dinner 27/10/05

Cocktail Reception
Wine - Grandin Brut, France
Alcohol: 11.5%
Clean, medium intensity, yellow gold. The welcome wine has a colorless watery rim, a few legs & big bubbles. It has a clean, light, youthful nose, which has nutty & toasted almond aromas. On palate it is dry, high acidity, light-medium in body, medium intensity. Bubbles are large & are creamy in texture. The wine is refreshingly fruity, citrus, apple, with a nutty flavour probably contributed by the oak ageing, a hint of spice. It has a clean finish, with medium alcohol level & a medium length. The wine is acceptable, & is ready to drink now.

Roederer Estate Brut, Anderson Valley NV - Medical Association Dinner 27/10/05

Scottish Smoked Salmon Parcels Filled with Blue Crab Meat Caviar Cream Sauce
Wine - Roederer Estate Brut, Anderson Valley NV
Region: Mendocino, California
Country: U.S.A.
Price: Approx. US$22
Alcohol: 12%
It is clear, pale, lemon in color. The rim is broad & watery, has a few legs & noticeable fine small bubbles. The wine has a clean, medium & youthful nose. It is fruity & floral, with good pineapple, green apple, lime aromas. There is very little hint of oak as well. It is medium in sweetness, highly acidic, has a light-medium body & a light intensity. Bubbles are small & delicate in texture. The palate is almost the same as the nose, which is quite citrus. It has a medium alcohol level & gives a medium length. This wine is good for aperitif & is ready to drink. While the wine is slightly sweet, it gives a very good balance with the salty smoked salmon & blue crab meat. It's high acid balances the rich caviar cream sauce.

Pinot Noir du Chateau, Domaine du Chateau de Meusault 2001- Medical Association Dinner 27/10/05

Black Truffle Risotto in Beefsteak Tomato
Wine - Pinot Noir du Chateau, Domaine du Chateau de Meusault 2001
Region: Cote de Beaune, Burgundy
Country: France
Alcohol: 12.5%
It is clear, pale, garnet in color, with a brick-red rim, & has a few legs. It is clean, medium-intensity & developing. The wine gives red fruit, mainly red cherries, raspberries & strawberries. Lightly perfumed with dusty aroma. There is some grass too! On palate it is dry, high in acid, gives low-medium tannins. It has a medium body & is light in intensity. On palate it has again the red fruit similar to the nose, with some mineral & oak. It has medium alcohol level & has a suprisingly med-long aftertaste. It is a good wine & is ready to drink now, but still can keep in cellar for another couple of years.

Chateau Bel Orme, Haut Medoc Cru Bourgeois 1998 - Medical Association Dinner 27/10/05

Roasted Roulade of Duck Breast with Wild Cherry
Wine - Chateau Bel Orme, Haut Medoc Cru Bourgeois 1998
Region: St. Estephe, Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux
Country: France
Price: around HK$180
Grape Varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon,

Cabernet Franc, very little Petit Verdot & Malbec
It is clear, deep ruby color, with narrow brick red rim. Few legs can be been. Significant amount of sediments on rim & at the bottom of glass. It has a clean, light developing nose. The wine shows a bouquet of blackcurrants, blackcherries, green bell pepper, some vegetal notes & little chocolate. On palate the wine is dry, high in acid, with high tannins, medium-full bodied, medium in intensity. It has intense blackfruit flavour, with traces of pepper & oak. It is medium in alcohol level & gives a medium clean finish. The wine is good in quality in terms of its good price: $180! It still has some ageing potential while the wine is still high in acidity & tannins. However, it needs to be decanted.

Chateau La Fleur Gazin, Pomerol 1999 - Medical Association Dinner 27/10/05

Slow Cooked Aussi Wagyu Beef Cheek on Mustard Mashed Potato
Wine - Chateau La Fleur Gazin, Pomerol 1999
Region: Pomerol, Bordeaux

Country: France
Alcohol: 13%
Price: Around HK$400 - $500
Grape Varieties: Merlot (80%)

The wine is clear, deep ruby, with an orange rim, & a few legs. It has a clean, medium, developing nose. It gives pleasant black fruit, perfume aroma. Oak is present. On palate it is dry, medium-high in acidity, medium-high in tannins, medium-full bodied, medium-intensity. It has plenty of sweet cherries, blackcurrants, plummy & oaky flavours. It has a medium alcohol level & nice medium length. It is a good wine & is ready to drink, but still can be kept.

Sauternes, Dourthe Freres 2002 - Medical Association Dinner - 27/10/05

Golden Baked Mango Spring Roll, Coconut and
Pineapple Tart & Lemongrass Gelato
Wine - Sauternes, Dourthe Freres 2002
Country: France
Alcohol: 13.5%
It is clear, medium lemon colored, with watery colorless rim. It has quite a few legs. It has a clean & medium youthful nose. Abundant fruit on the nose, rich lychee, lemon, riped apples, with a whiff of nut. It is sweet, medium-high in acidity. It is a medium-bodied wine with pronounced intensity. On palate it gives the same flavours as the nose. It has a medium alcohol level & has a long length. The quality is good & it is ready to drink, but could age.

Marcel Deiss Alsace Pinot Gris 2000 Bergheim- Tasted on 25/Oct/05

Portuguese Wine Dinner - 21/10/05 - Tasting Notes

Details:

Date: 21st Oct, 2005.
Venue: Club Lusitano (Salao Nobre de Camoes), Central, HK.
Organized by: Vins Gallery
Cost: HK$480 each

Menu + Wine List:

Welcome Aperitif

Wine - San Lorenzo Hills Chardonnay 2004

Alcohol: 12.5%

Price: HK$98

Tasting notes: Clear, with pale lemon colour. Few legs. Medium developing fruity nose. Intense floral, citrus & vanilla (probably becoz of the oak ageing) aroma. The wine is dry, with high acidity, has a medium body & intensity. On palate, it shows good oak & buttery texture. The alcohol level is medium high & it has a relatively long finish. I think it is a good valued wine & ready to drink.

Appertizer

Pasteis de Bacaihau

Golden Fried Cod Cakes Served with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Wine - San Lorenzo - Bairrada 2003

Alcohol: 13%

Grape Blend: 80% Baga, 10% Merlot, 10% Shiraz

Price: HK$98

Tasting notes: Clear, with a deep purple colour. Few legs. Clean, weak but developing nose. Oaky, red fruit, herbal, plummy aroma. The wine is dry & has medium- highly acid. It has high tannins, medium intensity. Medium-full in body. In the mouth it gives a lot of oak, red fruit, blackcurrant, a bit of herbs & harbaceous. The wine is acceptable & it should be able to evolve in bottle in another two years.

Remarks: Patrick's second favourite, the first goes to the Touriga Nacional.

Soup

Caido a Alentejana

Spinach and Chourico in a Chick-pea Puree

Wine - Messias Selection - Douro 2003

Alcohol: 12%

Grape Varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franco & Tinta Roriz

Price: HK$108

Tasting notes: Clear, deep ruby red colour. Few legs, with narrow pink watery rim. It has a clean, medium, developing smoky nose. It gives a blackcurrant, vegetal (cabbage), smoked ham & oaky aroma. The wine is dry on palate, with medium-high acidity & medium tannins. High in intensity & medium-full in body. It have tremendous black fruit flavour, particularly blackcherries, a bit of sour cherries & plums, and also some hints of meat. It gives a medium long finish with medium alcohol level. The quality is good & it is ready to drink now.

Remarks: The wine is good, however, I personally do not like the match of this wine to the dish, the thick potato texture overpowers the wine a bit & the acidity causes the soup tasted awkward.

First Main Course

Leitao a Moda da Bairrada

Roast Suckling Pig in Bairrada Style

Wine - Quinta do Valdoeiro - Touriga Nacional 2003

Alcohol: 14.5%

Region: Bairrada
Price: $195

Tasting notes: Clear, opague ruby colour. Few legs. It has a clean, medium-intensity & developing nose. It has a very distinctive buttery nose. There are beautiful aromas like floral, herbal & oak. On palate it is dry, with high acidity & high tannins. It is high in intensity & full in body. The 100% Touriga Nacional did impress me when it gave me the intense blackcurrant, oaky, buttery, floral in the mouth. Although it has a high alcohol level of 14.5%, it didn't give me the burning heat alcohol aftertaste. It has a long beautiful length. This is a very good-quality wine. It is ready to drink since it is at its peak for the moment.

Remarks: This is the best wine I like throughout the night. It is a very well-balanced wine & was matched perfectly with the suckling pig (portuguese style).

Second Main Course

Frango Assado

Traditional Roast Chicken

Wine - Quinta do Cachao - Touriga Franca 2003

Alcohol: 13%

Region: Douro

Price: HK$210

Tasting notes: Clear, opague, purple colour. There are a few legs & shows a pink rim. It has a clean, medium, developing nose. It has some blackfruit, mainly blackcurrant, coffee, corn aroma. On palate it is dry, high in acidity & high in tannins, medium high instensity. The wine in full in body & gives similar flavours as the nose. It has obvious oak flavour too. It has medium alcohol level & a medium length. The wine is quite good in quality & can be consumed now.

Dessert

Serradura

Pastry Cream with Layers of Crumbled Biscuit

Wine - Messias Port Wine - 20 Years

Alcohol: 20%

Price:HK$430

Tasting notes: Clear, medium, tawny colour. There are many legs. It has a clean, pronounced, aged nose. It has strong dried fruit, caramel, coffee & toffee aroma. On palate it is sweet, high in acidity & low in tannins, high instensity. The wine in full in body. It has outstanding flavour such as dried fruit, ripe fruit, coffee, caramel & toffee. It has fortified alcohol level & a long length. The wine is good in quality & can be consumed now, but still can keep.

Coffee or Tea

Pasteis de Nata

Creamy Custard Tarts

Wine - Messias Port Wine - 30 Years

Alcohol: 20%

Price: $720

Tasting notes: Clear, deep, tawny colour. Many legs can be observed. The port has a yellow-brownish watery rim. It gives clean, very pronounced, aged nose. It has strong dried prunes, intense caramel, coffee & toffee aroma. On palate it is medium-sweet, high in acidity & low-medium tannins, high instensity. The wine in full in body. It gives flavours like riped raisins, chocolate, coffee & toffee. It has fortified alcohol level & a long length. The wine is good in quality & can be consumed now, but still can be kept.

OVERALL COMMENTS:

I like the wine, the food, the place & the ambience. It was a very enjoyable evening. Good value!

Gracia, de Chile Leyenda 2003 Reserve - Merlot Shiraz - tasted on 19th Oct, 2005

DETAILS:
Tasting Date: 19th Oct, 2005.
Venue: Home
Price: around HK$80 from Park N' Shop
Alcohol: 13.5%
Region: Rapel Valley
Country: Chile

APPEARANCE:
Clarity: Clear
Intensity: Deep
Colour: Ruby
Other observation: Few legs, narrow pink rim

NOSE:
Condition: Clean
Intensity: Medium
Development: Developing
Aroma: Blackcurrant, Black fruit, Plum, Chocolate, Mineral (Iron)

PALATE:
Sweetness: Off-dry
Acidity: Medium-high
Tannin: High
Intensity: Medium
Body: Medium-full
Flavour: Blackcurrant, oak, spicy, green bell pepper, black cherries
Alcohol Level: Medium
Length: Medium

CONCLUSIONS:
Quality: Good
Maturity: Ready to drink
Value Category: Inexpensive

Bordeaux Tutored Tasting - "A Mini-Masterclass" on 20/10/05 - tasting notes

Details:
Date: 20th Oct, 2005.
Venue: Watson's Wine Cellar - Happy Valley

Chateau de Sours Rose 2004
Grape variety: Merlot

Tasting Notes:

Clear, medium intensity salmon color. Good developing red fruit nose. On palate it is medium- dry, with high acidity, low in tannin, light-bodied, medium intensity. Flavours like strawberries, cherries are noted. Alcohol is medium & the length is medium. According to Jeanette, the host of the tasting event, it is the rolls royce of rose wine.

Opinions from magazines:
In a class of its own, and acclaimed as "probably the best Rosé in the world" by the late Auberon Waugh, Château de Sours Rosé is created through the saignée method, using free-run juice from our aged, hand-picked Merlot grapes, which is slowly cold fermented for 8-10 weeks. The resulting wine is superlative; packed with intense fruit and uniquely, vibrantly pink in colour. It should be drunk within 1 to 2 years.
Drink 2005-2006

"Like the dozy apprentice who fell asleep and invented Guinness, Esme Johnstone has chanced upon the best Rosé in the world." Auberon Waugh, The Telegraph Magazine

"For years the best French Rosé on sale here has been this glorious rose-red wine created by an Englishman in Bordeaux, Esme Johnstone." Jane MacQuitty, Good Housekeeping

"The 2002 vintage is absolutely terrific and knocks spots off everything else around...exudes strawberry, plum and red-cherry flavours. I doubt there will be a better bottle of rosé released this year. Get your case now." Matthew Jukes - Daily Mail Weekend - April 2003

"If you were one of the thousands of Weekend readers who emptied the shelves of this heavenly rosé last year, then get your skates on. I haven't seen a better Rosé wine this year, and quite frankly I don't expect to." Matthew Jukes, Daily Mail Weekend - May 2004

"Château de Sours started Rosé on the long road back to rehabilitation." Sunday Times Style magazine

"It's got enough upfront strawberry fruit to send an envious Pamela Anderson back to the surgeon's knife." Decanter, quoted in Later Magazine

Chateau de Sours Rouge 2003
Alcohol: 13%
Region: Gironde (On the label), Entre-deux-mers (Informed by Host)

Tasting notes:
Clear, medium-intensity ruby color. The nose is clean, but weak, in development. It has some black fruit, a bit vegetal. On palate, it is dry, medium-high in acidity, with medium-high tannins, medium-full in body & medium intensity. Flavours are black fruit, including blackcurrant & black cherries. The wine has good concentration of oak flavour too. Alcohol is medium & the wine has medium length.

Opinions from magazines:
The hottest summer on record in Bordeaux produced very ripe, concentrated grapes. This resulting wine is almost 'new world' - very forward with blackcurrant and berry fruit flavours and a long full finish. A 'big' wine.
Drink 2005-2015

The hand-picked grapes used in Château de Sours Rouge are predominately Merlot, with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. The average age of the vines is well over 20-years old and all are treated with modern techniques such as 'micro-bullage' to soften tannins and bring out the fruit.

"Chateau de Sours Bordeaux Rouge - intensely fruity, medium in body and featuring good cassis and wild berry backed by subtle oak flavours." - Wine Spectator's Ultimate Guide to Buying Wine

CHÂTEAU DE FONBEL red 1999,
Saint Emilion Grand Cru AOC Bordeaux

Alcohol: 12.5%

Grape Variety: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting Notes:

Clean, deep garnet colour. Few legs. The wines has significant blackcurrant, earthy, wet wool & wet hay nose. The palate is dry & has high acidity. The tannins is high but a velvety one. It has a medium body & medium intensity. It gives a black fruit flavour.

Opinion copied from web:
A classy Saint Emilion Grand Cru
The Château de Fonbel is a marvelous Saint-Emilion Great Growth.Thanks to Alain VAUTHIER, Ausone co-owner, it has become one of the Saint-Emilion must have. Mr Vauthier is showing all his savoir-faire and conduces the vinification and trains the vines himself.What a pleasure to taste such a great wine!
The vineyard is planted with Merlot (70%), Cabernet franc and Cabernet Sauvignon with 20 y.o. vines. The wine is then matured in oak barrels for 10 months.

Chateau Z de Zede 2000
Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc
Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $105
Classification: Bordeaux Superieur

Tasting Notes:
Clear, medium-intensity ruby red. Few legs with watery pink rim. It gives clean, medium nose. The aroma is developing, with red cherries, strawberries & a hint of cedar. On palate it is dry, & has medium high acidity. It has medium tannins, & medium intensity & is light in body. On palate it has similar flavours as the nose. It has medium alcohol & has a medium length. The wine is acceptable. It is ready to drink as it is not going to improve in the bottle.

Extract from the web http://www.wine-journal.com/labegorce.html:
...The wine is fermented in temperature-controlled concrete vats at around 30° with pumping-over twice a day, then transferred into barrel for the malolactics after which it is aged for 18 months in oak barrel, 40% to 50% new. Approximately 7,000 cases of Grand Vin are produced annually with a second wine introduced in 1984 under the name "Domaine Zédé" plus a Bordeaux Superieur from a 9 hectare parcel under the name "Z of Zédé". Unlike most other chateau you can buy bottles direct from the property when you visit.

Please feel free to visit the above-mentioned web for more info.

Chateau Grand Marechaux 2002
AOC Premieres Cotes de Blaye
Grape Variety: Merlot
Alcohol: 13%

Tasting Notes:
It has nose of oak. On palate it is dry, highly acidic. It has a medium high tannins but it is soft & pleasant. This right-bank wine is medium-full in body & has a medium intensity. It gives a tang of black fruit & some oaky flavour. The alcohol level is medium & gives a medium-long length. This is an acceptable wine & is ready for consumption.

Chateau Moulin d'Issan 2002
AOC Bordeaux Superieur

Region: Margaux
Grape Variety: Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 12.5%

Tasting Notes: Clear, deep intensity ruby color. It has a clean, medium developing nose. Being mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, it has black fruit, black cherries & floral nose. It is dry, with medium high acidity, medium high tannins. Medium in body & has a medium intensity. Flavours are mainly within the black fruit category, with some oak & butter. Alcohol level is low & it has a short length. The wine is not good in quality, just acceptable, & it is ready to drink now.

Overall comments:
It's good to attend different wine tasting classes, but this time, the venue is not a good place to write & I had difficulty jotting down notes. The tasting pace was pretty fast, therefore you would see that I have missed some of the info. Perhaps I need to be much faster in writing tasting notes to catch up with the tasting pace.

Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry - tasted on 7/10/05

I have tasted a Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry earlier, here below is the tasting notes:

DETAILS
Tasting Date: 7th Oct, 2005.
Venue: Home
Price: HK$150 from City Super
Content: 750ml Producer: John Harvey & Sons
Region: Jerez Country: Spain
Alcohol: 17.5%

APPEARANCE
Clarity: Clear
Intensity: Medium
Colour: Tawny
Other observation: A lot of legs, narrow colourless rim

NOSE
Condition: Clean
Intensity: Pronounced
Development: Developing - Aged
Aroma: Resinous, Ripe fruit, Dried Fruit, Dried fig, Nutty

PALATE
Sweetness: Medium sweet
Acidity: Medium
Body: Medium
Tannin: Low - medium
Intensity: Medium
Flavour: Nutty, resinous, ripe fruit
Alcohol: Fortified
Length: Medium - Long

CONCLUSIONS
Quality: Good
Maturity: Ready to drink, still can keep for another 3 years
Value category: Mid-priced

REMARKS
According to some of the wine books, this cream sherry is excellent for duck pate.

Nipozzano Riserva Chianti Rufina - tasted on 14/10/05

DETAILS
Tasting Date: 14th Oct, 2005.
Venue: Home
Price: HK$205 from City Super
Content: 750ml
Region: Chianti, Tuscany
Country: Italy
Alcohol: 13%

APPEARANCE
Clarity: Clear
Intensity: Deep
Colour: Ruby
Other observation: Few legs, narrow purple watery rim

NOSE
Condition: Clean
Intensity: Medium
Development: Developing
Aroma: Red cherries, sour cherries, medicinal, raspberries, harbaceous, dusty

PALATE
Sweetness: Bone Dry
Acidity: High
Body: Medium
Tannin: Medium
Intensity: Medium
Flavour: more or less similar to the nose, sour cherries, red fruit, dusty, red cherries

CONCLUSIONS
Quality: Good
Maturity: Ready to drink
Value category: Mid-priced

REMARKS
I tried the wine with goose pate, taste ok, but not superior.

Santa Rita Reserva Merlot 2003 - tasted on 11/10/05

DETAILS
Tasting Date: 11th Oct, 2005.
Venue: Home
Price: HK$140 from City Super
Content: 750ml
Region: Maipo Valley
Country: Chile
Alcohol: 14%

APPEARANCE
Clarity: Clear
Intensity: Deep
Colour: Ruby
Other observations: Few legs, very narrow purple rim

NOSE
Condition: Clean
Intensity: Medium
Development: Developing
Aroma: Blackcurrant, oak, dark cherries, cedar, spicy: cinnamon, coffee

PALATE
Sweetness: Bone-dry
Acidity: Medium-high
Body: Medium
Tannin: High (Should merlot have softer tannins? I don't think this one is soft at all!!!)
Intensity: Medium
Flavour: Spicy, wood, black cherries, redcurrants, coffee
Alcohol: High
Length: Long

CONCLUSIONS
Quality: Good
Maturity: Ready to drink, still can keep for another one to two years
Value category: Mid-priced

REMARKS
Personally I don't like this Merlot, not my type.