Among the high spots were the ‘Long Lunch’, a sort of mini Paulée held at the Hong Kong Cricket Club, who supplied a match to watch to boot. However we spent more time concentrating on the wines than on the cricket, generous guests bringing bottles from Lafon, Blain-Gagnard, Vougeraie, Roumier, Grivot, de Montille, Rossignol-Trapet, Perrot-Minot, Cathiard, Rémy, Fourrier, Dugat-Py and more.

The key will be to encourage appreciation right across the range and this should be possible. Wines such as Sylvain Loichet’s Ladoix Bois de Gréchon have found favour already, and good quality Bourgogne Rouge is being snapped up. As we expected, the learning curve develops frighteningly quickly.

We did many more wine events this year with Cantonese food which is a stimulating development. I like the idea of having lots of bottles open on the table so you can grab a sip of whichever one might please you with whichever nibble of dim sum or peking duck catches your fancy. Dishes which I really enjoyed this week included braised pomelo skins and some baby roast pigeon. Apparently I was just too late for seasonal snake soup.

This grand Event did have a rocky evolution. Poor Big Si The Wine Guy was down to host but had to pass the baton onto me (tough life), and then 24 hours before Frederic Engerer (the genius behind Latour’s incredible run in the modern era) had to urgently fly back to Bordeaux as well. I had a feeling the event was cursed and all the bottles would end up corked! Fortunately we had the perfect replacements in Jean Garandeau (Ch. Latour’s Sales and Marketing Director) and Jeremy Quievre (Latour’s Asia Representative) – who were both at Amber hours before decanting and fine tuning the evening with more detail and tactical acumen than Sir Alex.

Now in truth I have not tasted much Latour – certainly not mature Latour. Most of my experience has come at en primeur tastings where I have annually awarded Latour wine of the vintage – YET have not been able to really understand what these immature beasts will mature into. Well the stars were aligned and together with 16 Berrys’ customers, it was my night to find out! To kick things off – the pre-match warm up – was the 2003 and 2000 Forts de Latour. Pre-match warm up is VERY harsh as these are stunning wines in their own right and certainly at Second Growth level. What shone through here was the contrast in vintages. 2003 (16.5pts) all bells and whistles and little bit tarty – and I was not sure about the life expectancy. For me the 2000 (17pts) had the edge – cooler more structured and with a self assured certainty to it. Jean described the contrast perfectly, comparing 2003 to Marilyn Monroe and 2000 to Audrey Hepburn. I described the contrast as Katie Price to Angelina Jolie… I think that says a little more about me than the wines.

It was then time to fasten the seat belt and go through a flight of the Grand Vin. Starting at the 2001 and finishing at 1966 – stopping off at the legends that are 1996, 1990, 1982 and an under the radar vintage that is 1970. The 2001 (18pts) was a great way to start “a proper vintage” as a guest next to me suggested. It certainly had a cool menthol feel to it, that is in contrast to some of the more flamboyant vintages we have experienced recently. Although it was showing well this still has a very long life ahead to it. 1996 (19.99pts!) is pretty much as good as claret gets for me – still so young, with just a hint of some tertiary aromas starting to come through. A brooding monster that is in perfect harmony. Jean described the 1996 as a perfectly balanced orchestra – he is bang on the money. For me, this is a more polished version of 1982. Simply stunning and a privilege to drink. Anyone that has a case should lock it up for another twenty years and then brace themselves for utopia!

The 1996 was a tough act to follow, however the 1990 (18.5pts) did this with great style. Far more giving than many 1990’s I have encountered of late and this was a real crowd pleaser on the night. It perhaps lacks the backbone of 1996 or 1982 but hey that is being very picky on a stunning wine. The 1996 is your Franz Beckenbaur vs. The 1990 being the Johan Cruyff perhaps. We then came to the 1982 (19.99pts)… oh the 82…. WHAT A WINE. The nose and palate attacked my senses like no other on the night. Mesmerising. Still so youthful, still so much vigour. I read a tasting note from Neal Martin later that night that summed the wine up perfectly – a magnificent monster. The textured layers of fruit kept on enveloping out, it just went on and on. I still believe the 1996 might, just might, better this, but again this is clutching at straws and in truth who cares. This is like Denman vs. Kauto Star, Federer vs. Nadal – just marvel at the beauty of both. For the record 1982 must simply Pele!

After I went to the washroom for a gentle sob and to thank the man upstairs – it was time for the 1970 (17.5pts) and reading a certain Mr Parker’s reviews, one might have been a little underwhelmed by this – particularly after what preceded. Well not a bit. This was gorgeous – not like the blockbusters beforehand but a wine that just seemed perfectly comfortable to reveal all and not pretending to be anything it is not. Lighter secondary aromas with gorgeous tobacco and truffled notes. This reminded more of your favourite most trusted comfy old chair – it may not look that good but you cannot help but love it. Finally after 3hrs and 45 min we hit the final wine of the evening the 1966 (18pts) – a wine with a huge reputation. Well it did not disappoint – more rustic than the 1982, 1990 and 1996 but far more aggressive and deeper than the 1970. So much power to this wine still and a touch of wild about the tannins. What a way to finish what was one of the greatest nights of my life. Thanks so much to Richard Ekkebus and the team at Amber – although I mention nothing of the food – it was stunning and balanced perfectly against the wines. If you have not been to Amber – make a point to get a reservation as it is up there as Hong Kong’s best.

Sometimes I find blogs just a little self indulgent – its more about the writer than the content. I hope – just hope that I have done a little bit of justice to these simply stunning wines from this magnificent Chateau. Anyone that owns a case of young Ch. Latour (or Forts for that matter) from any of the recent string of great vintages – rest assured, you will also have the just to feel closer to god!

The tasting itself was an incredible achievement in its own right. 1000 disciples with 20 glasses in front of them, a sample in each all served at the perfect temperature. Think about the washing up!
As inspiring as Bob was and how incredible the logistics were it was these “Magical 20″ (Well, 15 in my book) that had the room mesmerized. They were stunning. It’s the first time that they have been shown as most were only bottled in July and not shipped until now.

I attach brief tasting notes as I made them. They become increasingly more brief because the organizers took the poor decision to hurry the great man along. I still don’t understand why he regards some so highly and all the people I chatted to afterwards were scratching their heads as to why some were included and why there were some obvious omissions. It will cause some controversy of course and I’m certain it will have an instant effect on these wines in the Market – I can only apologize if some have these are sold out if you come back and want a case or ten but we shall do our best to source more for you.

Simon Staples

Fine Wine Director

1.Ch. Haut-Bailly 2009

Purity, intense, really beautiful. Great length. Perfect equilibrium. Totally beguiling. Delicious.

18.5/20 BBR Score

96-98+ Robert Parker

528 GBP per 6 bottle case (very limited stock)

2. Ch. Rauzan-Segla 2009

Best of all the times I’ve tasted it. Beautifully creamy. Sweet, decadent with lovely poise. Great length. I’m smitten.

17.5/20 BBR Score

92-95 Robert Parker

None available please ask if you’d like us to source for you . C.900-1000 GBP per 12

3. Ch. Brane-Cantenac 2009

Far more Margaux than Rauzan. Sumptuous really sweet with lovely balance. Need to check if I have it. Delicious.(I didn’t have any but have now!)

18/20 BBR Score

93-95 Robert Parker

255 GBP per 6 bottle case (very limited stock) then more at 282 GBP per 6

4. Ch. Malescot St Exupery 2009.

Deep, sweet but too much new oak. Best of all times tasted but still not my style.

17/20 BBR Score

95-97 Robert Parker

380 GBP per 6 bottle case (very limited stock)

5. Ch. Palmer 2009.

Amazing. Show stoppingly good. So fine yet powerful and totally seductive. If you haven’t got a case and you want the best, get this.

19.5/20 BBR Score

94-96 Robert Parker

1260 GBP per 6 bottle case (very limited)

6. Ch. Smith-Haut-Lafitte 2009.

Very dense. Inky. Massive amount of oak. Great fruit but difficult to dig down to. Great length but lacks purity.

16/20 BBR Score

96-98+ Robert Parker

480 GBP per 6 bottle case (very limited)

7. Ch. Pape-Clement 2009.

Really don’t get it sadly. Huge brooding beast with little charm or finesse. Clunky and short. No Dommy Chev or Ducru in this 20?

15/20 BBR Score

95-97+ Robert Parker

540 GBP per 6 bottle case (limited)

8. La Fleur-Petrus 2009.

Quite gorgeous, silky tannins, sexy beast. Slightly short on the finish compared with Palmer but lovely.

17.5/20 BBR Score

96-98+ Robert Parker

None available please ask if you’d like us to source for you . C.1200-1500 GBP per 6

9. Ch. La Conseillante 2009.

Heavenly. A Purity and balance that is utterly compelling. This is as good, maybe even better than the 05. Fantastic. Rivals Petrus in quality.

19/20 BBR Score

95-98 Robert Parker

840 GBP per 6 bottle case (very limited) then more stock at 894 GBP per case

10. Ch. Trotanoy 2009.

Where Conseillante is all about feminine whiles this is majestic and powerful. This is Brilliant!

19/20 BBR Score

97-100 Robert Parker

None available and I can’t seem to be able to source any. My apologies

11. Ch. Le Gay.

Again, no idea why this is in this company. Tad austere, very dry where’s the sex appeal? Short.

15/20 BBR Score

91-93 Robert Parker

440 GBP per 6 bottle case (Very Limited)

12. Ch. Léoville-las Cases 2009.

First Growth!! Truly brilliant. So complex, so utterly transfixing. I know its expensive but worth every cent.

19.5/20 BBR Score

96-100 Robert Parker

1320 GBP per 6 bottle case (Very limited)

13. Ch. Léoville-Poyferré 2009.

Wow! Really profound. Sweet but perfectly balanced. Brilliant. What a tasting!! Feeling v privileged.

18.5/20 BBR Score

97/100 Robert Parker

684 GBP per 6 bottle case (limited)

14. Ch. Pichon-Lalande 2009

Plump and proud but lacks a little compared to Poyferre and Las Cases.

17/20 BBR Score

96-98 Robert Parker

740 GBP per 6 bottle case (Very limited)

15. Chateau Lynch Bages 2009.

This is perfect Pauillac. Sends shivers down the spine. Cassis bomb but with total quality and balance. Lush.

18.5/20 BBR Score

94-96+ Robert Parker

684 GBP per 6 bottle case (Very limited)

16. Ch. Pichon-Baron 2009.

If Lynch is Grace Kelly, Baron is Marilyn. Curvy, seductive,  totally gorgeous.

18.5/20 BBR Score

93-95 Robert Parker

600 GBP per 6 bottle case (Very limited)

17. Ch. Pontet-Canet 2009

What a fabulously decadent and brilliant wine. Has been on all occasions but this is the best I have ever tasted it.

19/20 BBR Score

97-100 Robert Parker

680 GBP per 6 bottle case (Very limited).

18. Ch. Cos d’Estournel 2009.

All the debate about this should now be over. Soft. Amazing. Deep. Concentrated. Not like any of the others. I love it.

18.5/20 BBR Score

98-100 Robert Parker (His favorite wine of the night)

1290 GBP  per 6 bottle case (Very limited)

19. Ch. Clos Fourtet 2009

Again not my thing too pushed but very impressive. Apologies about speed but Bob is being pushed to speed up. Rubbish! Not the wine….the speed.

17.5/20 BBR Score

95-98 Robert Parker

440 GBP per 6 bottle case (Very limited)

20. Ch. Angelus 2009

Love the dollop of Cab Franc. Is it Bordeaux? Brilliant but a bit flash. 1 glass very happy. Impressive show winner.

18.5/20 BBR Score

96-100 Robert Parker

1388 GBP per 6 bottle case (Very Limited)

ALL STOCK SUBJECT TO REMAINING UNSOLD

Do let us know what you fancy and we shall do our best to procure it for you as soon as France opens!

We were not sure what to expect of the evening but I was promised we wouldn’t be idle and our eyebrows should be raised by close of play. They weren’t wrong!

As we struggled through Shanghai’s teeming Friday evening traffic and headed towards the famous Bund and it’s incredible light show all eyes were drawn away to the dozen or so enormous tracer lights further up stream that cut into the overcast and starless sky. Looking like a scene from the Oscars, could this possibly be our destination? As we turned into several banks of officious security guards it seemed apparent it was. We asked our jovial taxi driver to pull over his 30 year old, battled scarred Ford Cortina so we could stroll over rather the last few hundred yards rather than arrive as four crumpled messes in a cloud of CO2. We eased ourselves out rather looking like four clowns emerging from their clown mobile under the big top. This evening’s Motley BBR Crüe consisted of the ever whimsical and dapper Dan, Adam Bilbey, our Hong Kong sales manger, Geordie Willis our Hong Kong PR and Marketing genial guru, Rufus Beazley our Shanghai head honcho and secret weapon, angelic Anglo looks, Caesar buffont and fabulously fluent in Mandarin. The team was topped off by our Hong Kong Chairman and all round bon viveur K.K Mui.

As we strolled up the enormous, tealight-flanked black carpet, ranks of Chinese paparazzi blinded us with wave after wave of flash bulbs, beckoning us to look at them. Most of the team went a bit British: head down, crack on. Billboard Bilbo went for a wave or three and I’m convinced I saw him make a phone sign to one particularly attractive lady and a cheeky wink. He was in his element. It has to said as we left several hours and a few glasses of champagne later we greeted the ranks with far more exuberance, en masse behaving more like Take That taking their final curtain call. Lushes that we were!

The venue the Vertu team had chosen was, 2 days previously, an empty 20,000 sq feet warehouse on the river. What they had created within was quite remarkable. It was almost a mixture of sophisticated night club, modern and chic museum with the fun and frivolity of a ride at Disneyland. Guests, starting with almost 200 journalists from Asia’s finest publications, were led through the whole “journey” that Vertu had created. This was so much more than the launch of a new very snazzy phone. In some ways the phone is almost secondary to what Vertu want to do. Their essence is to offer to make people’s lives easier and to try to enhance it as well. Their core, and fundamentally what attracted us to become partners with them was they live and breathe good old fashioned customer service.

They offer the ability through their touch screen apps and Concierge service to get into the most exclusive events, concerts, restaurants in 200 key cities in the World. If you’re not busy one weekend at the touch of a button you organise a private jet to take you on a personal tour of Opus One in the morning, table at the French Laundry for a leisurely lunch (wear a jacket or they won’t let you in… don’t get me started on that!) then get the jet to drop you down to LA for the Oscars and Elton’s after show jamboree. No. Really.

Having trouble getting the real low down on the oligarch you are are trying to do a deal with, or stuck in an explosive situation where a country erupts overnight in civil war and BA decide to pull the flight? Vertu can get you out. Now these services will cost a tad more than a £15 top up bought from the local newsagent as it is by no means for all, but they can do it.

What are BBR and Vertu doing then together then? I can see that you wouldn’t believe it would be me dangling from a black ops helicopter, on the end of a winch scooping you off a roof of an Embassy in Tripoli as the bullets rained in, with a sarcastic remark and a waiter’s friend to fend off the hordes. You’d be right!

We have been working with Vertu for almost a year on developing what I believe to be the most intuitive and useful wine app out there. Not only can you view all the information on your favorite wines, vintages, producer profiles, ratings etc, but through a very user-friendly series of on-screen selection wheels highlight a wine, whatever vintage and quantity you fancy, and that request goes immediately to one of our teams in the UK, Shanghai, Hong Kong or Japan, and we’ll return availability and price as soon as possible. This is fluid and easy to use and is backed up by another part of the app which is through the phones camera. Now this is funky.  How often have you had a cracking bottle in a restaurant knowing that most restaurants make, er, a healthy margin on the vino and you wonder how much it really is!  Your wine woes are over. Take a photo of the label and through some technology I don’t understand it recognizes the label, whizzes it through to us and we have endeavored to get back to you with availability and price “before the bottle is empty”.  Now that’s rock n roll wine merchanting at its best !

Our part of “the journey” was a spectacular black void filled with an incredible fifty foot high mobile of white wine glasses hanging from the ceiling with thirst-enhancing Champagne bubbles projected onto them. Dozens of cleverly mounted LCD tv screens projected not only beautiful images of the new phone with our app on but also the BBC documentary “The Firm” that was made a few years ago running on a constant loop. This was somewhat disconcerting that every now and again my fat face would pop up and completely throw me off my stride when I was talking to a journalist or excited member of the elite guest list. Group after group of the press were funneled through to us and always-ready Rufus was on hand to entertain and enlighten. His fluent Mandarin received with rapturous applause and huge beaming smiles.

As 9 o’clock approached we were all hurried into the venue’s largest room. Almost 1000 people dressed to the nines, quaffing various exotic cocktails and Veuve Clicquot (we cracked on with our rather delicious 2004 Brane Cantenac that we’d brought along “just in case”!) The walls and ceiling were covered in projected stars to represent “the Constellation” and in the center of the room, towering over the throng was, what can only be described as a gigantic graphite, hollow meteorite, housing 3D images of the new phone.

The lights dimmed and dramatic music enveloped the hushed crowd. A male and female hologram walked across the stage with virtual thoughts drifting from their minds; exclusive hotels, in the pits with Ferrari, behind the wheel of a Lambo, dinner in BBRs cellars ( a small whoop from our gang) etc. The people turned into 10 feet high virtual phones and their touch screens “played with” by members of the crowd. The finale was the head honcho of Vertu, Perry Oosting and 5 Chinese celebrities (who I sadly did not recognize) but the crowd went wild. As the applause reverberated around the enormous hall, there was a thunderous explosion and one wall, which was actually a 100 meter long curtain dropped to reveal the spectacular cityscape of Shanghai. More whoops of glee and excitement  and then a DJ hologram emerged from centre stage and the evening really started, well for the party revelers. I have to say that the emergence of any DJ, real or not, has always been my cue to leave. I suggested a hasty exit to my merry amigos and they rather surprisingly agreed and we headed out into the cool Shanghai night, somewhat blown away by our new partners professionalism, creativity and flair. Bravo Vertu! It might take me a few years to save up for one of their marvelous phones but I have to say I’m sorely tempted… they are beautiful. Right then, off to Hong Kong for a few weeks to attend two huge trade fairs. Even Big Bob is there for the first time. Will keep you posted.

Back in Shanghai with batteries re-charged I have a chance to reflect on what was not only a fantastic, but also very significant week.

The Italian producers week (as discussed in David Berry Green’s recent blog), was all about setting a marker down for Piedmont’s wines in Hong Kong, and judging from the feedback of the hundreds that attended various dinners and tastings, as well as the sales that have ensued, this was squarely achieved.

From a personal perspective, I’ve come away with a real buzz and excitement for the wines of Piedmont and especially for the Nebbiolo grape (Barolo, Barbaresco). I think for a lot of us over in this part of the world, especially mainland China, it can sometimes be quite easy to find ourselves adrift in an oceanic expanse of Bordeaux. So this week was just what was needed to illustrate that other fine wine regions of the world are capable of producing equally enchanting wines with their own autochthonous varieties.

During the week, we became well acquainted with Piedmont varieties ranging from Dolcetto, Arneis, Timorasso, Barbera and, of course, the grape responsible for the ‘king of wines, the wine of kings’, Nebbiolo. I was relatively familiar with the reds apart from Dolcetto – 2009 Dolcetto d’Alba, E. Pira Boschis – this is all about violets, pure crunchy red fruit, and was summed up perfectly by David Berry Green as a ‘real lunch wine’.

The whites were a different story, and I hadn’t tried them before. Firstly there was Arneis – an intriguing variety which was close to extinction but produces a very distinguished wine in the 2009 Arneis, by Cornarea – notes of tangerine, honey and a lovely salty minerality on the finish, delicious! There’s Timorasso too, a variety which was also on the verge of extinction. This produces wines reminiscent of Chablis and whites from the Loire – check out the 2008 Derthona, Colli Tortonesi, La Colombera.

Dinner on the first night held at the China Club provided a chance for the producers to get to know the BBR HK staff and test-drive their wines with the local fare, the line up was all Ferraris and Mazaratis, not a Fiat in sight; here are the lovely wines we drank that evening:

2001 Barolo, Cascina Fontana
2007 Barbaresco, Rio Sordo, Cascina delle Rose
2001 Barolo Cannubi, Chiara Boschis E. Pira (Mag) 
1999 Barolo, Cascina Fontana 
1997 Barolo , Serralunga d’Alba, Giovanni Rosso (Mag) 
2001 Barolo, Cantina Mascarello Bartolo (Mag) 

What was unexpected was how well these wines worked with the food. In my view, pairing wine – especially reds – with Chinese food can be a bit of a nightmare but these had the grace not to overpower the delicate flavours of the dishes and had a perfume which almost enhanced them.

The rest of the week was crammed with press lunches, interviews, tastings and dinners, culminating in a tasting for some 150 people on Thursday night, where a lot of the younger vintages where showcased, predominantly the 2006s for Barolo, which all appear to have great potential but will need serious time to come round. If you’re looking for a bit of immediate drinking then Davide Rosso’s Barbera d’Alba, Giovanni Rosso was a standout and for the price, a no brainer.

What resonated most with me during the week was just how much Barolo is all about patience. There is no doubt that things have moved on considerably from the Barolos of yesteryear whose  structure in youth was famously overpowering, with mouth puckering acidity and huge tannins that would leave one gasping and flailing for a beer. Nowadays, the story is very different; advances in winemaking have allowed these wines to be enjoyed much earlier in their life – although I fear many over this part of the world will fall at the first hurdle, insisting on immediate gratification. However, when it gets some bottle age, my goodness it’s good! Its intoxicating perfume draws you in and all that early immense structure softens to leave you with the perfect grip to frame unctuous fruit, dried spice, mint, tea, liquorice… the list of flavours is endless.

Not all of us are lucky enough to try really mature Barolo; its miniscule quantities are snapped up when it’s young, never to be seen again until the corks are popped by those fortunate few who were in the know early on! If you want my advice, buy young Barolo now, and as much of it as you can. Trust me, if you can hold off drinking it, 10 years down the road you’ll be patting yourself on the back and hopefully sharing a bottle with me in gratitude.

I’d like to give special mention to David Berry Green, our Italian buyer who lives in Piedmont, as well as all the producers: Giovanna Rizzolio – Cascina delle Rose, Davide Rosso – Giovanni Rosso, Chiara Boschis – E. Pira, Maria Teresa Mascarello – Cantina Mascarello Bartolo and Mario Fontana – Cascina Fontana. Thank you all so much for sharing your wines with us. Given the success of the week, I’m sure your wines will be equally at home amongst the towering skyscrapers of Hong Kong as they are in the rolling hills of Piedmont.

I’m very excited; I’m very, very excited. In fact I’m as excited as a steamed-up Dim Sum dumpling that’s just realised he’s been served up as the Hong Kong representative in the annual Chinese Dim Sum Cup! And no, of course it’s not linked to the symbolic win of Italy over France in the Six Nations Rugby…but plenty to do with having just returned from a week leading five Piemontese producers – Cantinas Giovanni Rosso, Cascina delle Rose, E.Pira, Cascina Fontana and Mascarello Bartolo – to BB&R Hong Kong, their exclusive importers.

You only have to watch the video interview below to witness the buzz the trip generated. In fact so successful was the trip, the first for all bar Davide Rosso, that they’d barely touched down back in Milano and they were already planning their return!

Several areas really touched the producers: the way their wines tasted so good so, so far from home, notably twenty and thirty year old vintages poured at the Mascarello Bartolo dinner; how their Nebbiolo wines found a perfect, seamless match with the Chinese food (putting other nations’ wine firmly in the shade!); they enjoyed the Chinese’s reverential and cultural approach to food and eating; the youthfulness, open-mindedness, and curiosity of journalists and consumers alike; the apparent lack of hand-made, artisan Italian fine wine such as their own – shop shelves packed with the same-old brands; and they were struck by the professionalism, spirit and drive of the BBR Hong Kong team in promoting their products.

This was my first visit to China too. I loved the experience, the people and the food in particular. I loved the way the Chinese lingered over the meals, Italian-style, which consisted of a series of small dishes that included favourites such as suckling pig, goose, duck, lamb, prawns, fish – each one totally at home alongside Nebbiolo. And given the taste for tea during the meal, Nebbiolo’s fine tannins, cleansing acidity and rich sunny fruit were in perfect company.

I enjoyed the Chinese’s studied, open approach to meeting the producers and drinking their wines. Meeting Beatrice Zhai, Editor of the Chinese newspaper South Metropolis Weekly, Guangzhou, was one of my highlights. She travelled two hours by train to make the tasting, and then proceeded to taste and enquire with real care. Perhaps it was due to an intrinsic, cultural appreciation of artisan products, an awareness that these producers and their wines offered something truly special…and so they do.

Crucially though it was my BB&R Hong Kong colleagues that made the biggest impact. The way they put together such a balanced yet full programme, introducing the producers and their wines to sales colleagues, journalists and consumers. And how they accepted and enthused over the wines for what they are, and not for what the market might have them believe. This was a seminal week. I – and the producers – will be back to continue the momentum. Avanti Savoia!

Other highlights included a press lunch accompanied by the exquisite food of Pierre Gagnaire. I suppose this cuisine could be called fusion but it was so brilliantly perceived and executed that it was hard to imagine that France and Japan were not eternally fused in culinary harmony.

There were so many fabulous wine dinners that I am quite glad to have returned in one piece. Dinners at Mosaique and Bulgari stand out, along with a finale at La Belle Epoque in the Hotel Okura where I was staying. I was brilliantly looked after at this lovely Hotel. Sommelier Egawa-san presided over our superb wine dinner on the final night.

Wherever you go in Hong Kong you bump into old friends, also just passing through – Sylvain Pitiot of Clos de Tart broke his journey from Paris tio Auckland with half a day in Hong Kong, nipping in to the city centre to have lunch at Alfie’s.

Appreciation of Burgundy has changed so rapidly in Hong Kong. This is a material city and five years ago the only question seemed to be ‘how does this wine compare to DRC?’ The investment angle is certainly still there, but now there are so many more people who want to find out the story behind, and who appreciate the subtleties of the wines. Burgundy has a great future here.

A major attraction for visitors to Tokyo, the market houses around 900 wholesale merchants working out of small open stalls and selling everything from seaweed to tuna and caviar. The market is an attack on the senses; colours and sounds ricochet off ever surface and it takes all your efforts to avoid the countless mini-forklifts that whizz and spin down every alley. After a couple of hours of meandering through this immense space (the market handles over 2,000 metric tons of seafood per day), we found ourselves in a sidestreet full of sushi and sashimi restaurants. We decided on the stall that had the longest line (us Brits like queuing of course) and waited stoically to be seated. What followed was one of the most delicious meals I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. Sushi and sashimi for breakfast may be some people’s idea of a nightmare, but it was so fresh and succulent, yet effortlessly simple… wow, I can’t tell you, it really was a food epiphany.

I do have an apology to make though… (on top of my current overutilization of ellipsis). During my short time in Japan I drank Asahi, cocktails, shochu (a distilled spirit commonly made from rice, sweet potatoes, wheat and/or sugar cane and served mixed with ice and water – we brazenly drank it for breakfast with our sushi), and of course Sake, but no wine…. I’ve heard of people drinking Fino with Miso, and vintage Champagne with sushi (the richness on the palate is apparently a wonderful pairing with the sweetness of the rice, the soy and wasabi), but I am yet to experience this myself. Oh well, as someone wisely told me, “Tokyo is for repeat offenders”; Just another reason to return to this beguiling city.

By gee what a year it has been. Needless to say it has gone quicker than Liverpool’s title ambitions and this is by no means down to the quite incredible year we have seen in the wine trade. In truth, Hong Kong is a fairly easy place to settle in, everything as at your doorstep and there is every kind of Western amenity for the unadventurous… oh, and there is more live Premier League football on than back in Blighty! So I was settled in quick as a flash and that was a good thing.

As 2009 Bordeaux en primeur kicked off, it set the thermostat on high and the temperature just got higher and higher… mainly due to the thirst of the Asian market for the finest wines in the world. Now this was not an organic thing that just grew itself by some miracle, there were a lot of protagonists throwing in the ‘bio-grow’ – just look at the chest pumping you see every week from certain auction houses! One even has bouncers with white suits and head pieces manning the door – yes it’s bigger than the Oscars. However there are some trying to cut this thirst and interest down as quickly as possible, just look at the negative comments we read in the press so often. Then, on the whole, there are those who are taking out the weeds and pruning things correctly – looking to grow this market for the long term and make sure we treat it correctly so it can grow and flourish in the future.

I probably bang on about this subject a little, but when you are on the front line you do see everything that is happening in this incredible place. A lot has been written and said about the events and continued demand from Hong Kong and China. The demand is still there for the top wines, no doubt, but we certainly see diversity and demand for the greatest wines from anywhere. At the end of the day if you have the money and you can afford the best, there is a strong argument to say “why don’t I just drink that?”! As wine lovers we know better than that and it is the trade’s job to educate this ever-growing market so they can experience the full spectrum of wine. Education is key! Just look at the rapid growth and knowledge we see in Hong Kong nowadays, there is a plethora of great wine on the market here, and this has actually evolved very rapidly.

We have seen some crazy prices for certain wines (particularly at auction), but if the money is there, some people are willing to pay top bill. This is only a very small percentage of this potential market. Given the limited amount that some of these great wines produce and the increased demand we are seeing globally for these top wines, you don’t have to be Einstein to see what will happen. Whether the ‘Lafite bubble’ will burst in 2011 is doubtful but I think we all hope it does stop inflating at such a rate. Then there is the huge speculation as to “what is the next Lafite?” I don’t think there will be another single wine that runs clear Roger Bannister Esq but what we might see is many of the top wines shift and the market become a little more in sync. Certainly wines like Haut-Brion and Grand Puy Lacoste look like great value compared to Lafite and Lynch Bages!

But the truth is, who really knows? It is a fascinating time to be in the wine trade in Asia, seeing this burgeoning and huge interest in something we love and cherish so much. The beauty is that most consumers here are desperate to learn, and learn quickly! As I type we are in the midst of our 2009 Burgundy campaign and we are experiencing unprecedented sales, far greater than any Burgundy campaign before… and not just the Grand Crus I might add. Oh, and not a Romanée-Conti in sight. Now that is exactly what I am talking about: diversity and a healthy demand.

Right, now I have been here for 12 months I thought it was an apt time to jot down a few memories of the last 12 months:

My 30th – It sounds a bit corny but drinking a range of wines from 1980 at Café Grey overlooking the Hong Kong skyline was incredible (above, right). 1980 was not the best year but there were a few surprises!

09 EP – Never again do I need to do so many 1am finishes and 7am starts! I am not Michael Douglas in Wall Street. I hope the Bordelaise take it easy on us next year…

Restaurants – Not one in particular but the local cuisine in HK is incredible. Whether it be going for Dim Sum, a hole in the wall or Private Kitchen. This is where the best food and value is.

Hiking – Some of the best hiking in the world is at my doorstep. Well, a twenty minute cab ride!

Vin Expo – Not the actual exhibition but the event we put on for the producers, sailing round the harbour. I was A-list for a night!

Roger the Tailor – For not much more than a Marks and Sparks suit I no longer need to look like Rodney Trotter.

High Point… Winning a fortune at Happy Valley Race Course (top left)
Low Point… Losing fortune at Sha Tin Race Course

There it is, an incredible first year. Here’s to the year of the rabbit!