Well, it was a whistle-stop week of walking, talking and I can’t lie…  a lot of lunches and dinners! There is no doubt that the show came to town last week and there was buzz in the air. Although I’m not entirely sure on the numbers I do know that there were 750 exhibitors, and the rumour is that more people attended the event on the first morning than the whole of the previous Vinexpo, in fact, apart from the last few hours on Thursday, the HK Exhibition Centre was packed to the rafters. I’ll have to be honest, although there were a healthy amount of exhibitors from around the globe, France (and Bordeaux in particular) was where the main interest and concentration was.

(more…)

Thanks to mother nature I took a rather scenic route to Bordeaux this year; and after a rather romantic overnight ferry from Portsmouth St Malo and a six-hour drive down to Bordeaux (thanks to THAT volcano) with my colleague from the UK, Philip, it was my turn to taste the much hyped 2009s. Alas, I was the only HK representative in Bordeaux, with my colleagues being stuck back at home. Incredibly my colleague from Japan, Julian Stevens did turn up (two days late), after a marathon trip involving planes, trains (one of which caught fire!) and I think a carthorse as well!  After all the effort it did, however, turn out to be a glorious week and the wines were easy to taste so young, with freshness and sweetness of tannin.  Unfortunately the lowlight of the week was getting stuck in a public toilet… when the lights went out, the door locked. I tried to remain calm but suddenly water started gushing from the floor…  it was like a scene out of Nightmare on Elm Street! Three minutes later I staggered my way out, and this once dapper young home-counties boy was soaked, stunned and will never be the same again. NEVER use the public toilet at L’Elerc in Le Pian in Médoc.

(more…)

Well , with all the focus on Bordeaux and the headlines that will be emanating from there this week , I thought it might surprise you that my mind has been elsewhere over recent weeks.  Now I love the wines of Bordeaux but I would always put Burgundy as my first love; however it is not these fragile and fragrant beauties that have been occupying my thoughts over recent weeks either.  Nope, it’s the grandeur and cerebral intensity of the king of Italian varietals, Nebbiolo, and the wines of Piedmont (above) that have caused me to gaze out of the office surveying Hong Kong harbour, reminiscing over the dramatic aromatics and power that these wines can offer.

(more…)

Right, before I start recounting the details of an epic 10 vintage Pontet-Canet Dinner last night, I thought it best to update you on my progress; as I’ve now been here for over a month and would consider myself a local (in fact I have my first visitor next week!), I’ve found myself a little cubby hole to live in, in a very trendy (so I am told) area called Sheung Wan (think the Notting Hill of HK). It’s close enough to the action that I can wander home in the evening, but far enough away that I can enjoy some peace and quiet! I have had Now TV installed so I can catch up on the Footie action back home till my heart is content (though still struggling on finding the darts!!!), a sad life I know!

(more…)

Last week Jean-Guillaume Prats of Ch. Cos d’Estournel (pictured left with myself and my colleague, Jenny Wee) paid us a flying visit to host a private dinner at the fantastic new restaurant in Wan Chai, Amuse Bouche . I was pretty excited for most of the day, as I am rather partial to a bottle or two of Cos. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is one of my favourite wines from Bordeaux. And to add to the excitement, Jean-Guillaume was bringing with him cask samples of the much-hyped 2009 vintage… To say that there was an air of anticipation in the office would be something of an understatement! Not to mention the small matter of the main wines at dinner… the ultra-rare 2006 Blanc as well as the 2002, 2000, 1995 and 1985 vintages of the Grand Vin.

(more…)

After two crazy weeks getting used to Hong Kong life, my colleagues Geordie and James thought it might be time to get me out of downtown HK and into the countryside for some fresh air. It may come as a surprise to those of you who picture Hong Kong as a thriving metropolis to find out that the island is amazingly green and unspoilt. In actual fact, less than 25% of the territory’s landmass is developed, and about 40% of the remaining land area is reserved as stunning country parks and nature reserves. We were heading off to Lantau Island, about 25 minutes away by ferry, for a “gentle” hike.

(more…)

While Jasper was in town last week we managed to grab a few minutes with him to talk about his thoughts on the ‘08 Burgundy en primeur campaign in Asia:

After a fantastic few days with Jasper in town, Nick Pegna, Managing Director of BB&R HK (and my boss!), gives his thoughts on the events that took place.

“We have just dispatched Jasper Morris MW, our Burgundy Buyer, back to his home in the Côtes of Burgundy, having completed our second Burgundy Week in Hong Kong. The week, which consists of master classes, interviews, dinners and tastings included the first tasting in Hong Kong of the 2008 Burgundies en primeur (and perhaps the first Burgundy primeurs tastings in Asia – left) as well as a thoughtful and thoroughly enjoyable look at the 1996 vintage of Domaine de la Romanee Conti, at a dinner organised in conjunction with American Express for 15 people last Friday night.

(more…)

Leading up to the big move last Friday the one thing I promised myself was to immerse myself in the culture and experience what Hong Kong is all about! I’d been a few times before and friends and customers in the UK had given me graphic details of the crazy lifestyle that I was about to get myself into. Given my tendency to get myself into a pickle my mum was a little apprehensive (even though I managed to look after myself in Melbourne for three years!), and had packed me a medical bag larger than my main suitcase! Yep, there is now doubt that Hong Kong is a daunting place to the unsuspecting…fast paced and passionate… it gobbles you up, throws you around and then spits you out (a good thing!)

(more…)

I find this time of year the toughest by far… Burgundy En-Primeur. It is a living hell, where I am waking up in cold sweats and arguing with my colleagues. No this is not a complaint about how busy I am but the problem all Burgundy ‘nuts’ have…what on earth do I buy this vintage?!

(more…)

Last Thursday I was moseying my way along Regent Street in a rather good mood, as I was on way to Mark Hix’s brand new restaurant on Brewer St., Soho. I was pretty confident the food was going to be tip-top and was also pretty happy with myself about the wine in my bag to accompany lunch… 1997 Guigal, Cote Rotie, La Turque!
 
Now I was lunching with a customer, who’s knowledge and love of the Rhône Valley is far greater than my own, and I knew he was bringing a fascinating old Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the shape of 1989 Cuvee Laurence from the great Domaine du Pegau. So the scene was set for a grand battle… North vs South, the old vs. the new, and I was confident that my bottle one of Guigal’s legendary La La’s was going to win by the length of the straight!

(more…)

I had just about recovered from the humiliation of my apparent blind tasting inadequacies (please read the previous blog-Bourgogne Blancoff) when the first red of the night was poured: 2000 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru, Les Charmes, Domaine Ponsot. I’ve found Ponsot’s wines a little inconsistent in the 90’s but whizz bang this was spot on! From a vintage that is showing oh so well at the moment, with this displaying such perfume and brightness and energy. A tarty, Christiano Ronaldo of a Pinot, all show and style, it was a classic example of the Ponsot flashiness and interestingly it reminded me a bit of the great Sylvain Cathiard’s Vosne Romanées. A great start and a perfect match with David’s homemade foie gras terrine with a plum and port chutney, that just melted in the mouth (the man has talent in the kitchen).

(more…)

Well after the apocalyptic conditions that graced us last week- a few of us in the Fine wine team decided to treat ourselves to a bit of Burgundy night on Friday, with the first half of the evening being the battle of the Bourgogne Blanc titans.

Four of our favourite white wine Domaines in Burgundy battling it out for the crown of Bourgogne Blanc of 2005. Domaines Coche-Dury, Arnaud Ente, Jean-Phillipe Fichet and Leflaive… anticipation was high!!!

(more…)

On behalf of Berrys’ I’d like to wish our thoughts and support to those effected by the current fires in Victoria, Australia. Such loss of life and the horrific images witnessed cannot help but make us take stock of life and be thankful what we have.

The picturesque wine region of the Yarra Valley just on the outskirts of Melbourne is still under threat. I spoke to a friend and former colleague at Yarra Yering this morning who described how the flames came to with 500 yds of the vineyard.

(more…)

Well it’s that time of year when Berrys’ Fine Wine Team are having sleepless nights and waking up in cold sweats…What will the Christmas Day wine list be this year! It has been a matter of much contention in the office but after weeks of rumours, soul searching and money lending, I have finally come up with what I hope to be the finest line up in my 28 years on this planet!

Well then to kick start proceedings, I find it very hard to get out of neutral on Christmas Day morning without a bit the sparkling stuff with my smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. Here lies the first problem of the day as some of my less cultured family members had the audacity to throw some orange juice into the bottle of Jacquesson 731 I provided last year. Don’t get me wrong I love a Bucks Fizz, but to sacrifice a bottle from my favourite Champagne house…not gonna happen! So I’ve settled for the ever reliable Prosecco from Trevisiol. Bone dry, and a lovely drop on its own; it is also great value for money which means I won’t have to be picked up off the floor this year when the OJ comes out.

Right, so midday has arrived and the edge has been taken off the morning and presents are being opened. Mum’s nagging me to lay the table and thoughts turn to the white wine to accompany our starter. Christmas Day is not complete without white Burgundy, however my sis is overt to the heavy use of oak in wine, so what I need is minerality and finesse. One might focus on the floral edge of Puligny-Montrachet while steering away from the richness of Meursault. I would agree if it was not for the Sachin Tendulkar (little maestro) of Meursault, Arnaud Ente! This young genius crafts some of the finest and most precise wines in the world, that seem to dance effortlessly on the palate. So his 2005 village Meursault it is then! I also have some of his 2006 Bourgogne Blanc in the fridge as back up for those who really get into the party spirit!

Ok then the party hats are on and now it’s time for the deal breaker…the reds! Despite months of pleading with mum, Turkey has been chosen and not goose. I can’t lie, this did take me out of stride for a few weeks but like the great Red Rum I gained composure and settled back into a canter. Since visiting Burgundy in November I have had my heart set on some mature red burgundy this Christmas, saving the grandeur of Bordeaux for Boxing day. Things were all looking rosy until two weeks ago when my colleague Joss Fowler gave me some news that sent my world into despair…the 25th December is a leaf day in the biodynamic calendar! This was catastrophic to put it mildly, in basic terms this is a day when the atmosphere subjects an enormous amount of pressure onto the earth and those far wiser than yours truly swear that this has an effect on a wine, with the fruit not coming to the fore and the wine tasting rather muted and numb. Pinot being the delicate little creature it is, it tends to be effected by a much greater extent. Now you may say this sounds like witchcraft, but time and time again in tastings this view has been proven correct.

So now that mature, gamey Burgundy is out of the running, I’ve decided to take the risk of offering some youthful Burgundy, in the hope that primary, muscular fruit will have the bones to cope! So the 2000 Armand Rousseau, Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru, Clos St. Jacques is the one. If a wine which comes from a year that has been drinking so well from even a young age, from a legendary Domaine and from arguably the greatest 1er cru of all isn’t a recipe for success then I’m calling Gordon Ramsey. Along with this little ripper my New World smokey of the day is the 2003 Au Bon Climat, Knox Alexander Pinot Noir. This is my favourite wine from a reference point Pinot Noir producer. By now the Queen’s speech is over and the finishing line is in sight. All we need is something to accompany the Christmas pudding and send you on your way to the customary bond film! This year it’s Lustau’s PX Sherry. The Aussies have it very wrong as this is the amber nectar and a heck of a lot better value than Fosters!

Well that’s it, for good or bad that is the Bilbey Christmas list. All I can say is good luck!!!

PS…For those who want to know, Boxing Day lunch is a battle of the Bordeaux blends with the 1990 Cos d’Estournel  perched alongside the great 1980 Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No 1. The latter will this year be a tribute to the late great Dr Carrodus, a legend of the wine world who had a huge influence on me. He will be missed.

On a recent trip to California, my colleague (Mark Ross) and I had the opportunity to visit the famed joint winery of Au Bon Climat and Qup

On a recent trip to California, my colleague (Mark Ross) and I had the opportunity to visit the famed joint winery of Au Bon Climat and Qupé in the Santa Maria Valley. I’ll be honest and say that I hadn’t tasted their wines too many times and was expecting the stereotypical big, brash style with oodles of oak…with no hint of varietal finesse and class!!! Well as per usual…I was wrong!

Founded in 1982 by the great Jim Clendenen (left), the ABC winery is located in the world-famous Bien Nacido Vineyard and concentrates on the classic Burgundy varieties of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. As well as using fruit from estate vineyards (owned by Jim), ABC also sources fruit from several vineyards within the region, very much like a negociant would in Burgundy, utilising longstanding relationships with the growers to source the best fruit from their vineyards.

In fact from the moment we were greeted by Marketing Manager Rob Fry at the winery, the whole visit had a very artisan/Burgundian feel to it. Even in the throws of the new vintage the atmosphere was very relaxed, with Rob being one of the coolest men I have ever met (think the Dude from the Big Lebowski). I felt like the Beach Boys should be playing in the background!

Back to the serious stuff…after a brief tutorial on vineyard and the regional characteristics, we went in to taste a wide range of single vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the 2007 vintage, which happens to be an absolutely stonking year.

This tasting was a revelation, the key fact standing out was the hugely different characteristics from each of these vineyards. The winemaking seemed to be very much hands off in approach, with the oak supporting the structure and identity of the wine. From the earthy expanse of the 2007 Nielson Vineyard Pinot Noir to the focussed opulence of the 2007 Knox Alexander, ALL of the wines were flawless, with preference purely being down to preferred style. This really was like tasting in Burgundy, experiencing the contrasting styles between fruit grown in vineyards within Santa Maria and surrounding regions was fascinating and shows how good New World Pinot and Chardonnay (when in the right hands!) can be.

As if that wasn’t enough, we then went on to taste a range of wines from Qupe (these wines are made by Bob Lindquist) in the same winery. Concentrating on Rhône varietals, it is a very similar (impressive) story to ABC. As well as Estate holdings, fruit is sourced from meticulously managed vineyards within the region, with the best being bottled as individual cuvées. I was blown away by the aromatic profile of the 2007 Parimina Vineyard, reminding me of a top Côte-Rôtie from the Côte Blonde, whilst Mark was a fan of the 2007 Elises Vineyard, which offered huge concentration of fruit and savoury notes, while retaining its freshness.

Without doubt this was one of the most fascinating winery visits I have experienced and it really wasn’t expected. My only regret is that we didn’t take Rob up on his offer for lunch, as we had to drive to Las Vegas and we had also had a rather lavish lunch at famed restaurant “The French Laundry” the day before…but that is another story!

Last Friday, we were lucky enough to have Mark Hasima, from Yarra Yering Vineyard, brave the train from London Waterloo and visit Berrys Bros. & Rudd in sunny Basingstoke! He came armed with the new 2006 Vintage of YY and some older vintages of the famed No 1, No 2 and Underhill. Mark is great ambassador for YY; a quintessential strapping Aussie male with forthright views and most importantly a passion for what he does. When speaking to Mark you really do get the influence of his mentor, the owner of Yarra Yering, Dr Bailey Carrodus, a legend in the Australian wine industry.

YY has been a favourite with BBR (see picture of me at YY right) and our customers for several years, with the style being a cross between Australian flamboyance and the Old World’s restraint and class. During the tasting Mark was keen to point out that one of the key ingredients to YY’s success is the vintage variation that the estate experiences (being based in the cooler climate of the Yarra Valley in Victoria). This was very apparent in the tasting, with the open knit and flashy style of 2004 appealing to all (think Elton John), whilst the structured and tannic 2005’s gave about as much away as a Fabio Cappello interview in English! The 2006’s were a balance between the two earlier vintages, looking very impressive (particularly the monolithic No 1).

In an age where globalization and commercialisation are so apparent, where we are drinking brands rather than particular wines on their own merit, it is great and fascinating to see subtle style changes each year, not by winemakers choice but on the decision of Mother Nature. Many wine lovers in Europe lambast the New World for lacking the variation and complexity of the old World regions…well taste three vintages of the YY No 2. and think again my friend!

We should embrace different vintage characteristics as this is what makes wine so interesting. So 2007 Bordeaux isn’t going to be a legendary year to drink in 20 years time. Well to be honest I’m bloomin happy with that, as I need something soft and approachable to drink at some point in the next 20 years!!! Drinking the great vintages is always good, but to really appreciate these you have to drink the vintages where the vigneron had to earn his living!

On Sunday morning I did something I never thought 1) I would ever do 2) Would ever have the balls to do!

When my alarm rang at half six it dawned on me that I would be starring on LIVE BLOOMIN TV, appearing on a Wine Segment on Something for the Weekend (BBC 2), in less than 4 hours….HELP. All week I’d been playing it cool at work, pushing the nervous thoughts to the back my mind (my teacher always told me I had an ostrich-like neck for burying my head in the sand!), but I had been wonderfully prepared by Vicky (our PR Manager), and JoJo (from the show).

Breakfast was a non-runner, All Bran wasn’t going to help today! A nip of Highland Park 18yr old to calm me? Perhaps not! As I got to the studio my angel for the day JoJo (Food Producer) temporarily calmed my nerves, running through the segment with me a couple of times, meeting Tim, Amanda and Simon (pictured above), who were so laid back they were horizontal, like the wiley old pro’s! Well with two hours to go the nerves were back and the pressure cooker inside this young novice was about to blow!

Well after some makeup to hide my spots, it was into the green room and some welcome distraction. Meeting the guys from Athlete and Paddy McGuinness, all top lads and very down-to-earth, just whiling away the morning talking about the footie and the Hatton Fight which Paddy is going to and attending the after show party (fame eh!!!).

Well as the show rolled on it was getting closer and closer, I could hardly walk, let alone talk about wine! Then…. there was the call, “Adam to the set”!!! I will never know what nerves footballers feel when they walk out to a World Cup Final, but by gee I think I now have some idea. I propped myself by the bar and held on for dear life, the legs were doing the Elvis and then it was the count down…. on in 30…20…10…5…4…3…2…1

I remember the intro from Tim and then that’s it…. BANG! GONE!

Just one hazy blur of adrenalin!

Looking back now I’m pretty proud and happy I did it. I’ve watched it and know I can do far better but as a first effort I’ll give myself a C. The biggest hurdle is over, the NERVE factor, but I’m all the better for this and I’m ready for action and the next time!!!

Ps….At the time I didn’t notice…. but what a top wine 2004 Ch. Fonbel is, a classic St Emilion with lots of muscular young Merlot fruit, well-integrated tannins, well-balanced oak – I can understand why people have quoted it as a mini Ch. Ausone! For just £15 you get a glimpse… a feel… a vision as to what one of the greatest wines on Planet Earth has to offer. A bargain! And perfect for Christmas lunch.