[France / Italy] Montirius Gigondas Confidentiel 2010 & Fattoria Le Pupille ElisabettaGeppetti 'Poggio Valente, Morellino di Scansano Riserva DOCG Italy 2009 Wine Tasting

I have been so busy on these past weeks but still have time for wine tasting. These 2 wines are worth to try, let’s share these simple wine reviews for your reference.

The 1^st one is Montirius Gigondas Confidentiel 2010, from Gigondas which is locating in Southern Rhone Valley. The terroir here is limestone and clay slopes up to 1,300 ft. Here is Mediterranean climate hot temperature, dry and sunny. Gigondas only has black grapes plantation, so no white wine is yielding. The wine blended big amount of Grenache grape, it gives the wine firmer and longer aging potential. Montirius Gigondas Confidentiel 2010 blended with 80% of Grenache and 20% of Mourvèdre, the average age of the vines are 75 years old. Before, I decanted for around 30 mins. The color is dark purple, has plum, cherry, spices, black pepper and light smoke aromas. In the mouth can found richness of plum and cherries, powerful tannins, aftertaste has little mineral. Overall, this wine is dry and full body with luscious fruits, can drink now or keep in cellar for aging.    

The 2^nd one is Fattoria Le Pupille Elisabetta Geppetti 'Poggio Valente, Morellino diScansano Riserva DOCG Italy 2009, an Italian wine from Southern Tuscany. Morellino di Scansano DOCG is a dry red wine region from Village Scansano. Here the wine made with at least 85% of Morellino grapes, which is identical with Sangiovese grapes, the characteristics are medium to full body with cherry, plum, herbs and cedar aromas. Then, it matured in barrel between 4 to 12 months, for “Riserva” wine had 2 years of maturation which has 1 year in barrel. Fattoria Le Pupille winery owns by Elisabetta Geppetti, she is also the President of Morellino di Scansano Consortium. This Morellino di Scansano blends with Sangiovese and Merlot, the grapes are from Poggio Valente vineyards. After fermentation, the wine matured in a big barrel for 15 months. This wine shows very fleshy fruits aromas such as cherry, plum, raspberry, and it has tobacco, nutmeg and liquorice aromas. Overall, it is full body, dry with high acid and balance tannins, then aftertaste has richness of fruits come out, I found this is ready to drink now

近期因工作比較忙所以好少出文,不過都可以抽少少時間出嚟飲下酒. 就飲咗呢兩枝紅酒感覺都值得同大家分享一下.

第一枝係 Montirius Gigondas Confidentiel 2010, 來自法國隆河谷南部的 ”Gigondas”. 這裡是地中海氣候, 溫度比較熱, 乾燥和陽光普照. 主要土壤是石灰石和粘土, 地勢是斜坡型最高可到1,300FT. Gigondas主要種植黑葡萄為主, 所以只有釀製紅酒沒有白酒. 而釀造紅酒的主要葡萄是Grenache, 這款葡萄釀出來的酒會比較硬身, 可陳年, 帶有香濃的Plum(李子)風味.  Montirius Gigondas Confidentiel 2010 用了80% Grenache 和20% Mourvèdre來釀製, 每棵葡萄樹的平均年齡是75歲. 飲之前Decant大約30分鐘, 酒色深紫色, 有李子, 車厘子, 香料, 黑胡椒芳香和輕微的木桶煙燻香. 口感方面帶有豐富的李子和車厘子味道, 單寧較強勁, Aftertaste 可感覺到一些礦物質既感覺. 整體這是一款Dry 和Full Body 紅酒, 而帶有出色的水果風味, 濃郁得嚟又容易飲. 現在可以飲用或可以繼續陳年.

第二枝是來自意大利Tuscany(托斯卡納)的紅酒Fattoria Le Pupille ElisabettaGeppetti 'Poggio Valente, Morellino di Scansano Riserva DOCG Italy 2009. Morellino di Scansano DOCG 主要生產紅酒, 位於Tuscany南部的一個村莊叫做Scansano. 這裡的紅酒最少85%都是用Morellino葡萄來釀製, 而這款葡萄其實是跟Sangiovese "山吉歐維榭" 同一種葡萄, 釀出來的酒是近乎中等到厚身, 帶有車厘子, 李子, 草藥和雪松芳香. 釀成酒之後會放在木桶內陳年4至12個月, 如果”Riserva”紅酒需要陳年2年最少1年在木桶內. 酒莊Fattoria Le Pupille的莊主是Elisabetta Geppetti, 她又是Morellino di Scansano聯盟的會長. 這款酒主要是用了Sangiovese其餘是Merlot, 所有葡萄都是來自Poggio Valente葡萄園, 當紅酒釀成後放入大型木桶內15個月. 這款酒有飽滿的水果芳香, 有車厘子, 覆盆子, 李子和有一些煙草, 肉荳蔻(Nutmeg), 甘草的芳香. 整體這款酒的口感是, Dry, Balance 單寕, 酸度較高的紅酒不過Aftertaste可帶出豐富的水果甜味, 我覺得現在可以飲用.

[France] "Wine in a can"

Last month in HK, I found this wine which is packed in small aluminum can with 187ml. It names Winestar, their concept is let people to enjoy wine in a convenient way for different occasion. This small can of wine distinguished by Red, White and Rosé, very suitable for lunch, picnic or for people can't hold liquor very well. The price is around $23~27 HKD, not expensive, we can stock dozen cans for daily drink.

My Taste Note:

Red (AOC Corbières): It blends with 40% Syrah, 40% Mourvèdre and 20% Grenache noir. The color shows beautiful garnet red. It has strong black fruits, black pepper and different type of spices aromas come out slowly. The palate has medium body with very fresh acid and light tannins. In the mouth has full of black fruits and spices flavors.

White (AOC Corbières): It blends with 55% Malvoisie, 25% Rolle Vermentino and 20% Grenache blanc. The color shows pale yellow. The major aroma is pineapple and the rest are grapefruit and lemon, fresh style. On the palate is light body, soft acid, very easy to finish.

Rosé (AOC Languedoc): It blends with 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache Noir. The color shows orange and pink. I can only feel strawberry aroma. The palate has medium body and can find strawberry and candy flavors. Overall, this rosé is fine but after taste has little bitterness.

Overall, all 3 style of Winestar can provide pleasant aromas and taste. For myself, I like red and rosé because the palate is richer than white and the taste has more layer.  For this low price wine can be provided such a quality is worth to try out.              

上個月我在香港發現到一款葡萄酒是裝在一個小型鋁罐裡,容量是187ml.這款罐裝酒叫做Winestar,他們的概念是讓人可以在不同場合上方便一些來品嚐葡萄酒.這款小罐裝葡萄酒分為紅酒,白酒和粉紅酒,非常適合食下午飯和野餐的時候飲用或一些酒量比較差的人飲用.價錢每罐大約 $23~27 HKD比較便宜,可以買多一些方在屋裡慢慢飲.

我的品酒筆記:

紅酒(AOC Corbières) 這款紅酒是混合了40% Syrah, 40% Mourvèdre a和20% Grenache noir. 它的顏色帶有漂亮的石榴紅.香氣有強烈的黑色水果,黑胡椒和不同的香料慢慢出來.口感是中等酒體,酸味比較鮮明和輕輕的單寧.在口裡有豐富的黑色水果和香料味道.

白酒(AOC Corbières): 這款白酒混合了55% Malvoisie, 25% Rolle Vermentino和20% Grenache blanc.它的顏色帶有淡黃色.香氣帶有主要是菠蘿,有多一些柚子和檸檬,清爽型白酒.口感是輕酒體,輕巧的酸度,我覺得這款比較輕鬆.  

粉紅酒 (AOC Languedoc): 這款粉紅酒混合了 80% Syrah和20% Grenache Noir.它顏色帶有粉紅橙色.我感覺到它有士多啤利香氣.口感是中等酒體和可以找到士多啤利和一些類似糖果味道.整體是不錯,只是after taste有少少苦味.

整體3款酒都提供到優美和宜人酒香和味道.我本人比較喜歡紅酒和粉紅酒,因為這兩款的口感比白酒較醇厚和味道上更有層次.對於這種廉價葡萄酒可以提供到這種質素,是很直得去嚐試.

[France] “Petrus of Bandol” Château de Pibarnon

Bandol is an Appellation of Provence. Here it produced some of the Provence’s greatest red wine. The vineyards form a terraced facing the Mediterranean, elevation is up to 1,300 ft. (400m). The climate is hot and sunny in summer and not too cold in winter, and sometimes sea breezes cool down the heat. Bandol is famous for its red wines, which made with high proportion of Mourvèdre, with a minimum of 50% in the blend, and the rest is Grenache. It also produced Rose and White Wine with Cinsault, Syrah, Clairette, Ugni Blanc, Bourboulenc, Marsanne, etc.

One day, I was shopping in a wine shop and I bought this Château de Pibarnon 2004. When I searched some more information from the internet, I found people call Ch de Pibarnon as “Petrus of Bandol”. Probably since the red wine of “Ch de Pibarnon” is made will 90% of Mourvèdre and 10% of Grenache; and Château Petrus is made with a high proportion of Merlot and little Cabernet Franc, so people find the two wine similar. For the main winemaking step, the wine is macerated in a small stainless steel tanks for a minimum of 20 days and aged in oak for 19 months. It will be bottled without filtered and all the grapes are harvested by hands.

My taste note: The wine shows dark purple red color with blackcurrant, cherry, herbs and leather aromas. It is dry and medium bod. The palates have cherry like acid and fine tannins. Overall, this wine has powerful aromas and elegant palate. This is the 1^st time, I tried Bandol wine. I found, it has exotic flavor with strong fruit and herbs aromas.  

Bandol是在Provence(普羅旺斯)內的一個法定產區. 這裡釀造出Provence的最好的紅酒.  在這裡的葡萄園是以梯田型式, 面對地中海, 海拔1,300尺(400m)高. Bandol的氣侯是夏季炎熱和陽光充足, 冬季不是很冷, 比較溫和, 有時會有一些海風來降溫. 這裡出名的紅酒, 是用高比例的Mourvèdre葡萄來釀製,最少會有50%, 其餘的是用Grenache. 除了紅酒, 這裡也有釀造粉紅酒和白酒, 是用以下的葡萄品種Cinsault, Syrah, Clairette, Ugni Blanc, Bourboulenc, Marsanne, 等等.   

有一日我在行街的時候, 在某間紅酒鋪買了Château de Pibarnon 2004. 之後我在網上找了一些有關這枝酒的資料, 有人稱呼Château de Pibarnon為 “Petrus of Bandol”. 大概因為Château de Pibarnon的紅酒是用了90% Mourvèdre 和10% Grenache而Château Petrus用了高比例的Merlot和少少Cabernet Franc, 所以有人這樣稱呼它. 主要的釀酒程序, 葡萄酒會在小型的不銹鋼桶浸皮大約20天和在木桶內19個月來成熟. 當酒釀好和在裝瓶時, 酒是不會過濾. 所有葡萄都是人手採摘.

我的品酒筆記: 這款酒的顏色是紫紅色, 有黑加倫子, 車厘子, 草藥和皮革的香氣. 乾紅酒類型, 中等酒身. 口感有一種好像車厘子的酸和細緻的單寧. 總結這款酒是強勁香氣, 口感優雅. 這是我第一次飲Bandol的紅酒, 我覺得它有異國風味加上強勁的果香和一些草藥香氣.