葡萄成熟時 Wines that Can Age Gracefully

Happiness is a big reason why I enjoy wine so much! When I sip a nice wine that I like, I’d smile from my heart. When I see a very good vintage wine from an outstanding chateau, my eyes will look like the heart-shaped emoji icon. Not every wine will make me happy, just like not every guy will make your heart beats faster. One of the wines that most people will be happy to sip is Krug champagne. I’m also very delighted to meet with Maggie Henriquez, the President and CEO of Krug, again. She introduced the newly launched Krug 2004 to Hong Kong market. Krug 2004 has been aged for at least 13 years, with a combination of 39% Chardonnay, 37% Pinot Noir and 24 % Pinot Meunier. This is the third vintage after 1981 and 1998 that has more Chardonnay than Pinot Noir. The weather was better than 2003 and Chardonnay was outstanding in 2004. It is very fresh and lively with white flowers, green apple, kumquat, mineral, honey and candied spices notes. The acidity is high with great potential. If you drink Krug, you should know that they have a Krug App, where you can scan the Krug ID to get more detailed information about the champagne, as well as a music pairing song recommendation for you. So which song is a good pairing with Krug 2004? Krug has invited Lianne La Havas, the British singer-songwriter to be the musician for Krug 2004. We paired the champagne with her song Unstoppable. I asked Maggie when they would invite musicians to do the music pairing for Krug. She said that when the chef de caves thinks that it’s about the right time to release the champagne, they would recork the bottle to settle for another year and invite the musicians to do the pairing. How do I feel about the music pairing? It does taste better under a more relaxed and happy mood with more fruitiness coming out from the pairing. I’m also so blessed that I tried my first bottle of Chateau Latour 1947 at a gathering! I’m so happy and it feels like I’ve won Mark Six! I still keep smiling whenever I think about it. 1947 was a good vintage in Bordeaux. How does this 1st growth grand cru classe taste like? It has forest, toasty, dried mushroom, leather, old oak, dried raspberries, dried roses and dried tea leaves notes. It has more dried prune and toffee notes after breathing. It's amazing and still very lively at 70 years old! There is really a kind of happiness that you can only get from wine! 我喜愛葡萄酒的其中一個重大原因是快樂！喝到佳釀時真的會從心底笑出來，見到超級大莊的好年份葡萄酒會即時心心眼！當然不是每支酒都會令我心心眼，就等如不是每個男人也會令你心動一樣。其中一個肯定人見人愛的快樂來源是Krug香檳！很高興又與Krug香檳總裁兼CEO Maggie Henriquez 會面，今次她帶來全新Krug 2004年到港為亞洲發佈會的首站。全新Krug 2004年最少陳年了13年，包括39% Chardonnay、37% Pinot Noir 及24% Pinot Meunier。 這支2004年是繼1981及1998年後第三支會以Chardonnay比重多於Pinot Noir的Krug香檳， 因為這年天氣比2003年好，而Chardonnay亦特別出色。此香檳味道非常清新活潑，帶白花、青蘋果、柑橘、礦物、蜜糖、糖衣香料等味，酸度高，非常有potential。如果你有飲開Krug，應該知道佢有自己的Krug App，只要數一數Krug ID便知這支酒的詳細資料，最獨特的是Krug特別為不同Krug香檳提供配對的音樂pairing。那2004年配那首歌？Krug邀請了英國歌手兼作曲家Lianne La Havas 為這年份的代言人，並一起邊喝邊聽她作曲及演繹的Unstoppable。我問Maggie她們何時邀請音樂家為香檳作音樂配對。她說當釀酒師認為支酒可以差不多出世時，她們會將酒從新裝新酒塞再放一年，然後邀請音樂家來試酒並創作。聽著音樂pairing喝Krug2004年真係好飲點，心情更愉快開懷，果香更跳脫！ 近日更有幸喝了人生第一支Chateau Latour 1947年！簡直開心到有如中了六合彩！現在回想都仲笑咪咪！1947年係波爾多的好年份，到底這支波爾多一級莊的葡萄酒是什麼味的呢？希望在此與大家分享。此酒帶乾菇、烤烘、舊橡木、森林、皮革、乾紅莓、乾玫瑰及乾茶葉味，以七十之齡仍然很活潑，唞氣後乾梅子及單寧開放了，亦帶點拖肥的餘韻，好棒啊！有種快樂是葡萄酒才能給你的呀！

Women may choose wine based on their feelings! So, what wines will attract women to drink? Women may choose a wine based on its name. I came across with a sake named ISSYOSEISYUN at Fukushima sake and food tasting recently, which means “Young Forever” in Chinese. It’s definitely a great birthday gift for your girlfriend and she’ll be very eager to try this sake! It is a refreshing style of sake made from Yamada Nishiki rice with light pear and rice notes. The simple style that matches with its name “Young Forever” very much! Women will also be attracted to elegant and floral wine. I tried six elegant Fritz Haag Riesling wines from Germany lately and I’m sure that ladies would enjoy them, too. The six wines tasted are from dry to sweet. I like Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Riesling 2016 Grand Cru the most with roses, white peach, honey, mineral, spices and earthy notes. It has many layers of flavours with long finish. The winemaker and owner Oliver Haag told me that you could easily keep it for 20-30 years! Elegant wine like champagne is also ladies’ favourite. I went to Cabana in Repulse Bay and tried its champagne package, where you could soak yourself in a Japanese jacuzzi-style bath and sip a bottle of G.H. Mumm champagne, with green apple, almond, vanilla and toasty notes, for just HK$580 per person including a bottle of champagne every weekend. Girls all like to pamper themselves. Treat yourself with elegant champagne and enjoy a chilled afternoon over weekend! 女人飲酒是講feel的！到底有什麼酒會吸引女生的興趣去飲？酒名啱聽絕對是原因，早前於福島清酒美食品賞會中見到支「一生青春」特別純米酒，一見便知買比女友人生日一定快樂！此清酒使用山田錦米釀造，屬於爽酒類別，清爽帶淡淡的梨香和米的甜香，絕對感受到青春的簡單直接。 優雅而帶花香的葡萄酒亦十分吸引女生。近日試了6款優雅的德國Fritz Haag Riesling葡萄酒，由乾至甜，完全感受到Riesling的不同風格，我想我還是喜歡Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Riesling 2016 Grand Cru，充滿白桃香及玫瑰香，帶礦物、蜜糖、香料及土壤的味道，有層次而餘韻悠長，莊主兼釀酒師Oliver Haag 説此白酒可輕易地方上20至30年！令女生感覺高貴的香檳亦是喜愛原因。去了淺水灣的Cabana, 它每逢周末下午都有香檳派對, 可以一邊著住泳衣浸係日式木桶型水池，一邊飲住雪凍的G.H. Mumm香檳，帶青萍果、杏仁、雲尼拿及烤烘味等，對正淺水灣沙灘，感覺好高貴好chilled！來個另類下午break，每位$580起，包香檳一支。

What wines will you choose for boat trips in summer? I just want to sip chilled wines on the yacht and enjoy sea breeze! It's so chilled to sip new vintage fruity wines under a hot sunny day. I start to understand why guys always like to hang out with young ladies, as they are simple & refreshing, just like my feeling of sipping white or rose wine on a boat trip, it feels so good! I joined Bernard Magrez's boat trip recently for tasting its new Bleu de Mer wines from Languedoc-Rousillon in Southern France, including red, white and rose wines. It's not a Pape Clement tasting this time. The Bleu de Mer wines are more for daily drinking. You can tell by its label with blue and white stripes that feels so summer! I like the Bleu de Mer Rose 2016 (Grenache and Cinsault based) with raspberries, cherries and mineral notes. It's refreshing and fruity, which feels like a sweet sixteen lady! Bleu de Mer White 2016 (Sauvignon Blanc based) is unlike the new world style with strong green bell pepper notes. It has lime, green apple, subtle green bell pepper, herbaceous and mineral notes. It's elegant and crispy, just like a twenty-ish lady who starts to show her feminine elegance. I also like to bring Riesling to boat trips, as I feel so romantic to sip a floral wine at sea. I attended Domaines Schlumberger's tasting lately and met with the winery owner Alain Schlumberger. I tasted 7 wines with him and I liked Schlumberger Riesling Grand Cru Saering 2014 very much. It's rounded and complex, with white floral, mineral, lime and pear notes. It's an elegant wine to bring to boat trips. I also like the Clemens Bursch Marienburg Trocken GG VDP Grosse Lage Fahrlay 2014 Riesling wine that I tasted at Wine High Club portfolio tasting. It's rounded, bone dry with high acidity. It has white floral, mineral, herbal and lime notes. It's very crispy! If you don't like bone dry wine, then I'd recommend you to try Paul Jaboulet Aine Domaine Mule Blanche Crozes-Hermitage Blanc 2015 that I tasted at Rhone Valley Vineyards grand tasting, which is made of Rousanne and Marsanne, with floral, mineral, brioche, green apple and creamy notes. It's crispy and elegant! Come on guys, it's time to plan your next boat trip! Enjoy! 夏天出海你會想飲酒什麼葡萄酒？吹著海風，烈日當空下只想輕鬆愉快的大口大口喝著新鮮的果香，我會選擇新年份的冰凍葡萄酒，超爽！我開始明白點解無論什麼年齡層的男士都喜歡年輕的女生，因為她盛放著青春，簡單而活潑，就像我在遊艇上喝著白酒或Rose酒的感覺一樣，正！ 參加了Bernard Magrez酒莊的遊艇活動，今次並不是試Pape Clement，而是試了它旗下位於法國南部Languedoc-Roussillon的Bleu de Mer系列的紅、白及Rose葡萄酒，主打輕快可即開即飲的葡萄酒。一看它酒標的藍白色間條便有出海的感覺。我比較喜歡它的Bleu de Mer Rose 2016 年葡萄酒，以Grenache及Cinsault葡萄釀造，帶紅莓、車厘子及礦物等味，清爽而充滿果香，簡單直接，就像16歳的美少女一樣。而Bleu de Mer White2016 年葡萄酒，以Sauvignon Blanc葡萄釀造，沒有新世界Sauvignon Blanc的鮮明青椒味，帶青檸、青蘋果、含蓄的靑椒、草本及礦物味等，比較優雅而清爽，像二十頭的青春女生，開始滲出優雅！ 另外我會揀帶Riesling白葡萄酒出海，看著海喝著帶花香的Riesling，感覺很浪漫。早陣子跟Domaines Schlumberger的莊主Alain Schlumberger 試了他的7款酒，我喜歡來自法國Alsace的Schlumberger Riesling Grand Cru Saering 2014年，圓潤而有層，帶白花、礦物、青檸及香梨等，出海喝很優雅。另外我亦係Wine High Club 的年度試酒會試了我很喜歡的德國Mosel 的Clemens Bursch Marienburg Trocken GG VDP Grosse Lage Fahrlay 2014年Riesling葡萄酒，酒體圓潤、非常乾身而酸度高，帶白花、礦物、草本、青檸等，很清爽！如果不喜歡太酸的，我會推介在Rhone Valley Vineyards 試酒會中試了的Paul Jaboulet Aine Domaine Mule Blanche Crozes-Hermitage Blanc 2015年，以Roussanne及 Marsanne葡萄釀造，帶白花、礦物、牛油麵包、青蘋果等及帶奶油香，同樣清爽優雅！快點襯夏天計劃一下你的出海派對啦！