07.29.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 7:20 pm by admin
According to this story, Earth-eating Girl Tilts At Guinness Record, an Inner Mongolian woman has her stomach set on eating dirt for two months:
The girl, called Wuqibalaqiqige, became a minor celebrity after the media broadcast stories about her curious eating habits last year… The girl said she feels no need to eat normal food now that she has discovered how much she likes to eat soil.
I suppose her diet is low-fat and high-protein (think worms), but what wines would go with it? I asked Campbell Thompson of ASC Fine Wines (when it comes to dining, he prefers not to soil himself, so to speak, but he did respond to my suggestion of an earth / Riesling pairing):
You could play with the idea of ‘terroir’ - the idea that well-made wines are an expression of the place they are from, which includes the idea that the mineral elements of the soil are expressed in the wine.
Good Rieslings are often ‘full of terroir’ - because they are made without oak or malolactic fermentation they are a fairly pure expression of the grapes, and the grapes in turn are a fairly pure expression of the soil and microclimate they come from. Sancerre (wine from the Loire Valley in France, made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes) is also often described as having a pronounced ‘mineral’ taste.
Personally, I’d suggest a good Seghesio Old Vine Zinfandel from California – it is rich and silky (so would help to get the dirt down your throat), and also clocks in at around 14.5% alcohol, which would also help to alleviate the negatives of a dirt-rich diet.
Malolactic fermentation? Maybe dirt doesn’t sound so bad after all. In any case, note that sauce can play a key factor in any pairing. If you enjoy sprinkling Tabasco on your earth, that Riesling might be a better pick than Zinfandel. And if you’re the type with a fancy for earth and black truffles, consider a Burgundy.
(Note: I spotted the story about Wuqibalaqiqige on chriswaugh_bj. This post originally appeared on January 30, 2007 on www.beijingboyce.com.)
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07.27.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:48 pm by admin
Bacchus Wines is teaming up with Houhai’s La Baie des Anges, co-runner up in the TBJ awards‘ best wine list category, for a Rose competition: Cotes du Rhones Sud versus Cotes de Provence.
The event starts at 8 PM (100 kuai). Here’s the lineup:
Domaine des Pasquiers - Vin de Pays du Vaucluse 2006
Domaine de la Camarette - Cotes du Ventoux AOC 2006
L’Esprit de Provence - Cotes de Provence AOC 2005
Chateau Roubine - Cotes de Provences AOC 2006
There will be specials prices on Rosé all night. Check La Baie Des Anges website for a map.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 12:47 pm by admin
It seems China World Hotel’s Aria isn’t the only local establishment being recognized by Wine Spectator. Wangfujing-based Garden of Delights - which has one of our city’s more spectacular interior designs - reports that the magazine has awarded it a 2007 Award of Excellence. Look for a Trimbach wine tasting in the Garden next month (details to come).
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07.24.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:31 pm by admin
Word has it that China World Hotel bar Aria will be recognized in Wine Spectator magazine’s August issue as having one of the world’s best wine lists. I’ll have more on this in the coming week. The recognition comes on the heels of China-based Don St. Pierre Jr of ASC Fine Wines being included in Decanter magazine’s top-50 most influential wine industry people. See my interview with St Pierre Jr here.
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07.23.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 8:14 pm by admin
All you need is wine…
Faced with a wine tasting in my home in two days and a glass collection devastated since that last purchase over a year ago at the long-gone Riverside Cafe, I went on a shopping mission last week. M-Dawg and Pony suggested the Flower Market and I hit pay dirt there. I dug up the 22-ounce, thin-rimmed, Bordeaux-style Stone Island beauties above for a mere 10 kuai each.
I picked up 36 and went back the next day for six more (all they had left), 12 Champagne flutes (10 kuai per) and a decanter (40 kuai). The first photo below shows the Bordeaux-style glass vis-a-vis a bottle of wine. The second adds in a flute and decanter. The third is for fun. (Click the thumbnails for larger pictures.)
I got my glasses at Jujiayuan, the shop farthest back in a group of three in the Flower Market’s basement. If you go there, mention the “guy who bought 30 glasses” and you’ll likely get that 10-kuai price without haggling. Since I bought all of the 22-ounce glasses, you might want to call Zhao Xu Fai 13391-936-198 at the store to see if he has restocked.
(This post previously appeared on February 26, 2007 on www.beijingboyce.com.)
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07.21.07
Posted in Taillan, Taillan at 1:45 pm by admin
Pictures, pictures, pictures - that’s my friend Kraft-D’s advice for this blog. Last night, I dug up a few dozen from a November 2005 trip to Taillan, a winery just outside Beijing. Sequoia Cafe owner Frank Siegel and the American Community Club co-organized the trip (for full details, see Tying One on at Taillan).
General Manager Alain Leroux (above, right) led our tour of Taillan, a ten-year-old Sino-French venture. He said that the vines are grafted to North American rootstalk to protect them from phylloxera, a kind of plant lice.
He also gave us some insights into producing wine in China. “At the beginning, French people thought it would be an easy market, but no.”
With that cleared up, we headed inside and learned that the vats can store up to 100,000 bottles worth of wine. Taillan has enough equipment to process thousands of bottles per hour, often doing bottling for other companies.
Our little group could never handle even an hour of Taillan’s output, but we were ready to try. After Frank unpacked a picnic lunch of cold cuts, cheese, breads and potato salad, we worked our way through what Alain called “drinkable” wines, including a 2000 Chardonnay, 2003 Rose, 2003 Malbec (my favorite), Merlot, 2001 Pinot Noir and 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Drinkable, indeed!
(This post originally appeared on February 6, 2007 on www.beijingboyce.com.)
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Posted in GELIPU at 1:44 pm by admin
I popped over to The Wine Cellar (Henderson Center, 3F) and met Garry Anderson, who is with both Auswine Alliance and Beijing GLP, which are representing Australian family-owned vineyards. Garry plans to open a few bottles of wine each Thursday afternoon from 4 to 7 for those who want to give them a try. Upcoming tastings will cover Little Wine Company on January 18 and Frog Rock on January 25. During my visit, we tried a Celestial Bay Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2006 from the Margaret River region in southwestern Australia. It had a tangy citrus nose and was fresh and zesty. We also had a Frog Rock Chardonnay 2004, which didn’t do much for me. For more information, contact Garry at 13552-274-667.
(This post originally appeared on January 20, 2006 on www.beijingboyce.com.)
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07.18.07
Posted in Interviews, Tastings at 10:51 pm by admin
Some know him for opening one of Beijing’s first non-hotel bars - the creatively named Frank’s Place (1990). Some know him for his later establishment - John Bull Pub. And yet others know him as the Tuesday night quizmaster.
What fewer know is that during the past year, Frank Siegel has built a Beijing wine community via Friday night tastings at the Sanlitun branch of Sequoia Cafe. BB sat down with “The Frank” recently for his take on the tastings, the funnest events he’s been to over the past 20 years, what it takes to make it in the business, and whether it’s true that he’s a big fan of Algerian wines.
Go here for the full interview.
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07.17.07
Posted in Grace, Media coverage at 7:44 pm by admin
Thanks to GS for forwarding a South China Morning Post article about China’s Grace Vineyard - Shanxi takes on wine world - by Mark Graham (registration required). I think these two paragraphs sum things up:
In less than five years, Grace Vineyard, located in out-of-the-way Shanxi province has not only turned into a profitable venture, it also is producing vintages that are being accepted on to the wine lists of the Peninsula and Shangri-La hotels.
It is a remarkeable success story, especially given the challenges of setting up a vineyard from scratch in such a hardscrabble region.
Grace CEO Judy Leissner - check my April interview with her - stresses Grace’s low volume. “We produce 500,000 bottles a year compared to the 100 million bottles of the major producers such as Great Wall, Changyu and so on. We are serious about wine.” She also notes that a second vineyard is planned.
The dominant picture in the article shows an elderly picker, cigarette dangling from his mouth, holding a container of grapes. It serves to underscore that while China’s market for wine develops, huge inequalities exist. As SCMP puts it:
Few people in Shanxi itself would be able to afford even the cheapest, HK$68 wine in the range; peasants living nearby would need to splurge several months’ wages to buy the top-of-the-shelf Chairman’s Reserve, that retails for HK$488.
Grace fared well both in my first blind tasting of Chinese wines and in my second (the notes will soon be posted). It also came out on top in a major blind tasting in Shanghai. And this weekend, I’m planning to try the winery’s Deep Blue – which is 60 percent Merlot, 30 percent Cabernet Franc and 10 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, which is not yet on the market, and which - fingers crossed - holds the promise of being among the best wines ever to be made in China.
Torres distributes Grace wine.
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07.16.07
Posted in Big 9, Tastings at 6:19 pm by admin
The first two times I went to Big 9, it was emptier than a bottle of Veuve Cliquot at my friend E-Salt’s house after New Year’s. Imagine my surprise as the place bubbled over with 40-plus people one recent Friday night. Yes, the wine was free, but it was nice to see such a good mix of foreigners and locals trying more than a dozen wines.
Before I go on, please read the following out loud:
“Wei? Wei? Wei? [Pause] Wei? Wei? [Longer pause] Wei? Wei? Wei!? Weiiiii!? [Pause] Weiiiii!? [Etc].”
That’s how the night started, with a woman at the bar giving a demonstration on bad phone manners. To further stress the point, her friend was simultaneously doing the same, giving us a kind of stereo effect.
Anyway, from there things only got better…
My notes are a bit scant. I tried some Alsace Gewurtztrameiner, which had some peach, grapefruit and honey on the nose. I expected it to be sweet, but it was a bit tart, a sort of sour apple thing that left me a bit disappoitned. The best wine tried was the Indis Shiraz - the first bottle was “out of balance” but the second had cherry and other fruit flavors. My favorite at this place so far is the Indis Shiraz Rose, at 145 per bottle…
You can find Big 9 just around the corner from the City Hotel, near The Den.
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07.12.07
Posted in Tastings at 7:02 pm by admin
Oliver Sedlinger, Stefan Fleischer, his friend Vera and I tried some Austrian wines a few weeks ago. (Disclosure: Oliver’s friend makes the Schandl wines tried and Palette Vino, where Stefan works, distributes them.)
First was a Schandl Cabernet Sauvignon 2003, the first Austrian red I’ve tasted. It had tobacco, spice and black cherry on the nose, though the fruit explosion on the tongue was a bit much. We let the wine breath and the fruit flavors evened out, giving us a palatable wine with a strong cherry and slightly berry finish.
“This wine has restrained tannins and is exceptionally fruity, which is not typical of a Cabernet. Californian and Australian are heavy on tannins,” said Stefan. He added, “That’s a wine that really needs to breath,” to which Oliver added, “It appreciates breathing,” to which I added, “So do I.”
Next was the Kracher Cuvee Beerenanslese 2003 (ASC Fine Wines) and Schandl Cuvee Beerenanslese 2003, two sweet wines. The flavor and aroma of the Kracher was full-on honey, with a few floral scents on the nose. It was sweet and filling - nice. In contrast, the Schandl had a light and fruity nose with hints of sour apples. Stefan noted the acidity was noticeable in the Shandl, but not the Kracher.
Both sweet wines were appealing. From a marketing standpoint, the consistent and rich Kracher seems a better sell - it’s dependable and safe. The Schandl on the other hand is a bit more complex, something you might sit down, taste and talk about. Why not try both, I say, and stick in a Canadian ice wine and a Hungarian Tokai to boot?
(Note: We tasted these wines at Cafe Pause, in Dashanzi, where Stefan is co-owner. We also tried some new menu items, including bacon, mushroom and pistachio dumplings with lemon butter and deep-fried wonton shrimp with soy / wasabi sauce.)
(This story first appeared in issue 32 of the Beijing Boyce e-newsletter, mailed on March 1, 2007. It was published on March 22, 2007, on www.beijingboyce.com)
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Posted in Uncategorized at 6:58 pm by admin
You can teach monkeys many things, but I doubt that making booze is among them. It’s something they need to discover on their own.
(By the way, who wants to bet how long it will be before a local scientist claims that the monkeys in China were doing this at least a thousand years before those in Borneo?)
(Originally posted on April 12, 2007, on www.beijingboyce.com)
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07.11.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:45 pm by admin
I went to Summergate’s wine tasting at the Hilton last week and it was a big mistake. I tried four wines from Dr. Loosen - a Pinot Noir and three Rieslings - and talked to the man - Dr. Ernst Loosen - himself. I found the wines interesting and took lots of notes. And I chatted with wine-lovers-about-town Fongyee Walker, Edward Ragg and Gabriel Suk.
So, why a mistake? Because as I left the tasting in Zeta, I saw the ensuing wine dinner in One East on Third under way, and it dawned on me that I had missed a chance to hang out with Decanter’s Man of the Year for 2005. Duh!
I was kicking myself the next morning, though not too hard, as I’m losing my flexibility to age…
Loosen spoke briefly at the tasting, stressing that his wines are not only fruit-driven, but also low in alcohol, thus, “it’s best to drink two or three bottles, or, if you’re with a friend, four.” I chatted with him after that, the exchange going roughly like this:
BB: Do you think China’s market has huge potential?
EL: People get drunk on this idea. They are besoffen.
You mean the idea of selling a billion glasses of wine?
Yes, it’s such a childish view.
By the way, what does besoffen mean?
It’s German for “drunk.”
Oh. Liebe das guten Leben (that’s German for “live the good life” and pretty much exhausts half my knowledge of that language.)
Here are my notes on the wines:
Villa Wolf Pinot Noir, Pfalz 2004: It smelled better than it tasted, with some toast and cherry. I found it too tart.
“Dr L” Riesling 2006: Peach and lychee, with hints of grapefruit soda. The literature called it “bursting” and that seemed apt.
Wehlener Sonnenuhr (Sundial) Riesling Kabinett 2005: Petrol on the nose. Peach and honey, but not too sweet. A nice mouth feel. (It seemed a bit unripe to me, but maybe that’s the lemon mentioned in the notes.)
Urziger Wurzgarten (Spice Garden) Riesling Spatlese 2003: Petrol on the nose here, too, but this one was crisper. Peach, lychees and some sweetness, with a very good mouth feel.
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07.09.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:33 pm by admin
Frank Siegel poured five “new world” sparkling wines at his last Friday night tasting and I popped in to give them a try. While 15 people signed up for the event, some 30-plus came through the doors, which while it’s a good sign that the tasting was popular, such situations can make things hard for Frank in terms of gauging how much wine to order beforehand.
Luckily, Frank is no fan of effervescence, so his share could be donated to the collective good. Here’s how the bubbles came up for me, ranked from first to fifth…
Miguel Torres Pinot Noir Bruite (Chile): It smelled toasty, and slightly of yeast and nuts. It was tart - sour apple - and I could imagine getting a stomachache after a few glasses of this (fifth place).
Norton Cosecha Especial Extra Dry (Argentina): The nose is light and peachy, with a faint toastiness. I found it bit rough going down. “I’m not enjoying number two” say my notes which kind of says it all (fourth place).
Redbank - Emily, Pinot Noir Chardonnay (Australia): Very little nose; some toast and slight nuttiness; nice creamy bubbles and a light apple and citrus taste; this one I liked (first place).
Bridgewater Mill Brut (Australia): Some petrol and toast on the nose; a bit tart, not as smooth as number 3 (third place).
Chateua Ste. Michelle Brut (Washington State): Dry, reliable, I can live with it, though it does seem to be missing some oomph (second place).
We also tried two of the Hungarian wines from last week’s tasting. My note-taking took a turn for the worse, but the two bottles sampled were both nice and a fitting finale to a fun night.
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07.08.07
Posted in Palette Vino, Tastings at 7:11 pm by admin
Poor Perri Kane - an unlucky day for the Australian brand manager at Palette as she found herself sitting across from me at her company’s media tasting for winemaker Ben Glaetzer at China World’s Aria. Of the dozen-plus people there, I knew the least about wine. Unfortunately, I lack the software that causes most people in this situation to meekly sip vino, laugh at wine-related jokes they don’t get and, when asked to opine, repeat what someone else said. Instead, I just say what I think… unfiltered… sort of the “two-buck chuck” of observers…
Anyway, you’re apparently clueless in the wine world if you don’t who Ben Glaetzer is. Heard of him I had not, though I’ve tried his Stickleback wines - good value for the money. He seems a nice (and patient) bloke and answered a long-standing question of mine: What wine goes with kangaroo? (See details below.)
Some notes on the four wines, which included a few grape combinations I’d never tried:
Viognier Pinot Gris 2006: The nose was balanced and fresh, like towels newly out of a lemon-scented wash. The mouth had peach and some citrus zing.
Heartland Dolcetto Lagrein 2005: The nose was slightly medicinal, with spice and dark fruit lurking. Hard to describe, the best I could do was, “smooth yet mysterious –and velvety in the mouth.”
(At this point, Palette’s Stefan Fleisher noted two things re Glaetzer’s wines: 1. The temperature is important since too much alcohol comes off them if warm, and 2. “The reds all benefit very much from decanting.”)
Heartland Shiraz 2005 : Deep, consistent fruit (plum and blackberry) on the nose, and more so after it opened up. It had a lovely mouth feel and went superbly with the beef, courtesy of guest chef Joe Vargetto, who usually cooks up a storm, so to speak, in Melbourne.
(At this point, I posed my kangaroo food/wine pairing question. “What’s unique about kangaroo is that unless it’s medium rare, it gets a bit tough,” said Glaetzer. “It needs a wine that is big and acidic, as it can get oily.” The Shiraz would work nicely. I saved my second query - about what Ben does with kangaroos that wander onto the winery’s premises - for later.)
We finished up with a Glaetzer Wallace, a Shiraz Grenache blend. Wow! This had a vibrant nose that smelled earthy, gassy and vegetal - in other words, a bit rank (or, as company literature put it, a mix of “sweet cherry, toffee and earthy characters”). Food and Wine’s Arcy Yin found it interesting and said it had some mineral tastes. I liked it, and it’s also a favorite of P. Wong and of Beijing Wine Club guy / Timeout wine writer Gabriel Suk, who called it, “the perfect blend of Shiraz and Grenache”, just before he headed to Aria’s bar for Coopers (no beer could have a better name for a wine lover).
Notes: Aria GM Danny Kane will head to Shanghai to be a judge in the International Wine Challenge there. Perri Kane says Glaetzer’s Amon-ra and Godolphin wines are available in Beijing only in Aria. Vargetto hails from Oyster Little Bourke in Melbourne. Meat and Livestock Australia supported this event. Aria uses long and narrow plates - think bowling alley dimensions - that define “form over function”. Despite there being at least a half-dozen Aussies involved in this event, nary one said “mate”.)
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07.07.07
Posted in Grace, Media - foreign at 3:58 pm by admin
Yesterday, I emailed Grace Vineyard President Judy Leissner with five quick queries and the answers were back faster than it takes for a bottle of wine to breath. I’ve been a Grace fan since trying the Cabernet Sauvignon at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Beijing last fall. It fared well in my first blind tasting of Chinese wine - we’ll soon see how well it does against Dragon Seal, Huadong and others.
The interview…
BB: I understand demand for Grace wines is growing faster than what the vineyard can produce, so grapes are being brought in from outside. If so, how does Grace balance quantity and quality?
JL: First of all, the percentage of grapes purchased from nearby vineyards is quite small. Secondly, the vineyards are relatively close to our existing premise. As a result, we can monitor the development and check the vineyards prior to harvest. Finally, the grapes are selected and only those that meet our standard would be purchased.
BB: Why did Grace locate in Shanxi?
JL: We believe that only places above the Yellow River are suitable for growing grapes. The east coast is far too humid and, as a result, the sugar [in the grapes] is pretty low. The far west is high in sugar, but low in acidity. So, it’s logical deduction that Ningxi, Shanx and Shaanxi would be the best provinces. Of course, we also hired French professor D. Boubals, the teacher of Miguel Torres, to come to China, and he picked Shanxi over the other provinces.
BB: What is your vision for where Grace should be in 20 years?
JL: I see Grace continuing to be a relatively small operation, but we will have several small wineries across China. Each will have its own unique style and grow different varieties. I also hope we can find a place to grow Pinot Noir in China (ha ha… personal preference). Lastly, I hope we are able to find the most suitable variety for China, similar to Shiraz for Australia, Malbec for Argentina, and so on.
BB: How do I know a wine is truly made with 100-percent Chinese wine, i.e. are there such rules re labeling and, if so, are they enforced?
JL: Ha ha, please ask our government.
BB: What are your three favorite Grace wines?
JL: I think my taste has evolved over time. For example, I used to like our entry-level Chardonnay very much, but now, I prefer our Tasya’s Reserve Chardonnay. Of course, it’s also affected by the food and the company. Right now, I like our premium unfiltered Pinot Noir (ok, it’s not the best, but I enjoy it), our Chenic Blanc (very acidic and fresh, it goes very well with Cantonese food) and finally our Deep Blue (which is a similar but younger blend of Chairman’s Reserve). We haven’t launched Deep Blue yet, but have been drinking it constantly. That’s the nice thing about having a winery, isn’t it?
Note: Grace wines are available in Beijing from Torres.
(Originally posted on April 11, 2007, on www.beijingboyce.com)
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07.05.07
Posted in Bodega Langes, Catai, Changyu, Grace at 8:32 pm by admin
Note: I will post the notes from the second blind tasting shortly.
Action scene from my at-home blind tasting of Chinese wines (more pics below)
I’ve received numerous emails from people who are either: 1) curious about Chinese wine but unsure where to start, or 2) cynical about Chinese wine after a bad experience or two with some nasty Dynasty or Great Wall. My mission: find seven decent wines made with Chinese grapes that anyone in Beijing can easily buy for less than 700 kuai for their own DIY tasting with friends. As fireworks exploded (Chinese New Year!) outside my apartment on February 22, I began that mission by trying 11 wines with seven tasters:
- Frank Siegel, who opened Beijing’s first non-hotel bar (Frank’s Place) in 1990 and runs the popular Friday night wine sessions at Sequoia Cafe in Sanlitun
- Campbell Thompson, who recently left ASC Fine Wines to pursue a Master’s in Wine Marketing
- Fongyee Walker and Edward Ragg, who have held and judged in many blind tastings and just moved to Beijing
- Mike Wester, GM of that’s Beijing, who says, “All wine tastes the same to me!”
- Maggie Huang, my co-worker, who fancies single malt but is open to wine
- Me, a novice at wine, and participating in my first blind wine tasting in China of this size
These are my notes from the tasting of 10 Chinese wines (and one Australian) by seven people in my home on February 22 (CS = Cabernet Sauvignon).
Flight 1: Grace Chardonnay 2005, Catai Chardonnay 2005
Grace: Its creamy nose, with apple and vanilla scents, matched nicely to its equally creamy and refreshing body; hints of citrus; sour apple at the finish.
Catai: A nose described as “medicinal,” “locker room” and “disappointing”; a bit harsh going down, with a chemical taste; making out flavors was difficult.
Verdict: Everyone concurred with Maggie H that Grace (Torres: 60 kuai) beat Catai (Summergate: 44 kuai). “Grace blew the other one out of the water,” said Fongyee.
Flight 2 (Blind Tasting): Catai CS 2005, Grace CS 2005, Catai Merlot 2003
Catai CS: The nose went from syrupy with dark fruit to peppery / dusty to “dead”; too tannic and not enough finish.
Catai Merlot: The nose was first dusty and “polluted” (”this one was evidently made near a highway,” said Mike), then more complex and spicy, though musky. “More structured,” said Edward; “Number two is good,” said Fongyee, although we agreed it didn’t hold up well.
Grace CS: Nose was light, fruity, with sugary apple hints, and a slight plastic-y smell; fruity body, though a bit stringent. Fongyee said it was, “fairly clean, but lacking in the middle.”
Verdict: Catai Merlot (Summergate: 44 kuai) won, followed by the Grace (Torres: 60 kuai) and Catai Cabernet Sauvignons (Summergate: 44 kuai). I agreed, though my notes suggested a different order. (I’ll get into the psychology of blind tasting in a minute).
Flight 3 (Blind Tasting): Catai CS 2003 Superior, Grace CS 2003 Tasya’s Reserve, Bodega Langes CS 2003 Reserve; Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz 2003 (We added Australian Shiraz as a measuring stick.)
Grace: Steady, fruity, pleasant nose, somewhat dusty at the end; a bit stringent, but with nice lingering fruit flavors. “This is the most well-rounded and likable. Definitely being made in the Bordeaux style,” said Campbell.
Catai: Spicy, syrupy nose with hints of toast; fruity body; nicely drinkable.
Bodega Langes: Nose described as “bog rot,” “musty,” “tar,” “burnt Starbuck’s coffee” (the label called it “casky”); oak flavors overwhelmed the wine’s fruitiness (wood from the China-North Korea border is used). “This is a real stinker, with aggressive, spiky tannins,” said Edward.
Penfolds: Pleasant nose; “Wow! Black currant,” said Fongyee; “This has a lot more punch than the others,” I wrote.
The Verdict: Grace (Torres: 188 kuai). I picked it, then Catai (Summergate: 236 kuai), while Frank picked the reverse. Campbell noted the Grace “could be passed off as an entry level Bordeaux.” Mike said, “I had too much to drink already.” Again, my written notes suggested I liked the Penfold’s better than I verbally ranked it (see below). The Bodega Langes (588 kuai) was the most expensive and the worst wine of the night.
Flight 4: Grace Cabernet Franc 2003 Tasya’s Reserve, Changyu Sparkling Cider
I kept no notes, but the Cabernet Franc (Torres: 198 kuai) was one of, if not the, most enjoyable wines tasted. As for the Changyu sparkling cider, this 5-percent, apple- and peach-scented fun is a great value (26 kuai, and that’s for a magnum - 1.5 liters!).
Overall, I would say all four Grace wines, the Catai Merlot, the Catai CS 2003 and the Changyu sparkling cider should pass into the second round of tasting, which I hope will include some select Dragon Seal, Huadong and Suntime wines.
Thanks to Campbell for helping to prepare and bringing the Shiraz, Frank for moderating, Fongyee and Ed for providing rating sheets, bottle covers and cider, Maggie for bringing fruit, and Mike for dragging over 8 liters of water. By the way, all of the wines were paid for and provided by the tasters (I ordered a case each from Summergate and Torres, both of which provided a discount).
More pictures below (click to enlarge):
From left: click to enlarge Men at Work: Campbell, Frank and Edward; The Wine: We work our ways through the red; Taking Note: The ever-diligent Thompson (nice slippers)
Addendum: The psychology of blind tasting
The next day, I noticed my wine tasting notes didn’t match my votes, Penfolds Shiraz 2003 and Grace Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 being the biggest victims. I emailed Edward and he said such discrepancies are common. I had some of each wine left and decided to do a “solo” blind tasting. How is that possible? I took identical coffee cups, wrote a number on the bottom of each and poured in some wine - one shot of each wine per cup. I closed my eyes, shuffled the cups until I lost track of which cup held which wine, then paired each cup with a wine glass. I poured the wine from the cups into the glasses, then began tasting, taking notes and, eventually, voting. When I finished, I checked the bottom of each cup to see what wine each glass held. The results? Interestingly, my notes from both tastings were similar.
Flight 1: Grace CS 2005, with Catai Merlot 2005 a very close second and Catai CS 2005 a distant third. Strangely, I again described the Merlot as smelling a bit “polluted” at first (maybe dusty is a better word), but ranked it high.
Flight 2: Grace CS 2003 and Penfolds Shiraz first, with Catai CS close behind, and that Bodega Langes CS eighth.
Finally, Fongyee posted her notes to eGullet. Here are her scores, out of 20, in order of best to worst: Grace Cabernet Franc 2003 Tasya’s Reserve (16), Catai Merlot 2004 (15), Grace Chardonnay 2005 (15), Grace CS 2003 Tasya’s Reserve (15), Penfolds Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz 2003 (15), Changyu Sparkling Cider (14), Catai CS 2005 (13), Grace CS 2005 (13), Catai CS 2003 Superior (13), Catai Chardonnay 2005 (10) and Bodega Langes CS 2003 Reserve (9). (See forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=99661 for tasting notes.)
(This story, sans photos, first appeared in issue 32 of the Beijing Boyce e-newsletter, mailed on March 1, 2007, and on www.beijingboyce.com on March 7, 2007.)
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