For weeks, my mind had been revolving around this topic and trying hard to find a wine that fits the bill. Just when I was about to throw the towel in and admit this was not going to work, a bottle proved my search was worth the time. Find a sub-$100 wines from less heard regions, with finesse, really good quality and won’t bleed your wallet dry is going to be my new thing.
I led a blessed life with friends who have never hesitated to share their prized wines with me. Over a Saturday evening, I had classic right-bank 2003 Clos Fourtet , brilliantly displayed Les Charmes Santenay 2001 and a straddle in-between Château Sociando-Mallet 2000. But what charmed most in the evening was Morgon 2011, yet how many people in Singapore knows about Gamay?
But my centre stage was taken in the afternoon by a Cabernet Franc. L’Elegante by Vignoble de la Jarnoterie from Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil, Loire Valley. Fresh note of spices with light green stalks, ample suppleness on the palate with little tugging tannins. Deliciously elegant. The son becomes the father, and the father, the son. Cabernet Franc is an underdog whose fame has been superseded by its junior, the Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, Cabernet Franc remains as a blending grape in Bordeaux, a shadow behind its superstar son. But in the diversified Loire Valley, small havens that embrace this lesser known vine still exist. The elegance undeniable, and certainly welcoming in a world of big bold wines.
For weeks, my mind had revolved around this topic and trying hard to find a wine that fits the bill. Just when I was about to throw the towel in and admit this was not going to work, a bottle proved my search was worth the time. Find a sub-$100 wines from less heard regions, with finesse, really good quality and won’t bleed your wallet dry is my new thing.
I led a blessed life with friends who have never hesitated to share their prized wines with me. Over a Saturday evening, I had classic right-bank 2003 Clos Fourtet , brilliantly displayed Les Charmes Santenay 2001 and a straddle in-between Château Sociando Mallet 2000. But what charmed most in the evening was Morgon 2011, yet how many people in Singapore knows about Gamay?
But my centre stage was taken in the afternoon by a Cabernet Franc. L’Elegante by Vignoble de la Jarnoterie from Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil, Loire Valley. Fresh note of spices with light green stalks, ample suppleness on the palate with little tugging tannins. Deliciously elegant. The son becomes the father, and the father, the son. Cabernet Franc is an underdog whose fame was superseded by its junior, the Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, Cabernet Franc remains as a blending grape in Bordeaux, a supporting role behind its superstar son. But in the diversified Loire Valley, small havens that embrace this lesser known vine still remain. The elegance undeniable, and welcoming in a world of big bold wines.
About three weeks ago, I had the chance to meet Ned Goodwin MW over an evening of many wines. With a hairdo that reminded me of Johnny Depp, Ned was easy-going, straight talking and more direct that I had expected from someone of his stature. A long-term resident in Japan, he puts his name on a series of wines call “GOOD WINe”. A ballsy move in a conservative land. But instead of singing praises of these wine, Ned chooses to emphasise on one thing on their labels, developing trust in senses. Trust the place of origin to deliver quality, trust the mouth and not the eyes, and lastly trust Ned’s passion and the wine to express its beauty.
Of the many things we talked about, one resonated with me subconsciously was how to regain excitement in wines. The same excitement we felt after tasting wines for the first time from a popular region, a well-known producer or a classed growth. But this feeling fades off gradually, like the shadowy fruit aromas of yesterday in an aged wine.
Find the synergy between food and wines, and you win half the battle for restaurants and bars. But the same is not applicable for retailers. Mainstream wines are commonly seen in the market as sales anchor, cheap entry wines are sold in bulk for wedding and events. Where are the fun stuff?
Ned stressed that this little fun demands considerable amount of skills, passion and good knowledge of wines in the purchasing department. To deliver experience of wine drinking at home without ever drinking what we can drink at home, is to go beyond what is easily available yet at a comfortable price. Wines like L’Elegante and Morgon fall into this fun category.
But until retailers have the skills to do such feat, the father will remain the father.
