wineshark

2015年8月16日星期日

Chateau Marquis d'Alesme Becker

In 1585 Marquis d’Alesme Becker set up the estate and viticulture quickly followed, with records showing in 1616 the wines were already in the marketplace. Following the death of the marquis the estate was run by his widow, with a string of different owners throughout the years.

In the 1855 classification the estate was ranked a third growth so despite in recent years the estate was rather low-key, one must remember during those times the price was reflecting the quality level. The estate was constructed in 1859, again a reflection of the good financial status then.

By the 20^th century however the estate floundered, due to the succession of phylloxera, oidium, economic depression and then the two world wars. The property came to the ownership of Jean-Jules Theophile Chaix-d’Est-Ange, a lawyer of great reputation, who also inherited Chateau Lascombes from his father.

His intention was to integrate the two estates, but he died before achieving that in 1923. His successor, the adopted Comte Emmanuel du Bourg du Bazas, sold the estate to WH Chaplin & Co, an English firm that already acquired Malescot St-Exupery.

Neither properties saw any real investment during the Chaplin years, until the Zuger brothers came into the scene, purchasing the estate in the mid-20^th century. The estate remained under the Zuger family for half a century, passing from Paul Zuger who died in 1981, to Claude Zuger, his son.

Malescot was passed to his other son Roger, with considerable improvement in the last decades. However the Marquis property did not impress, and in 2006 it was sold to Hubert Perrodo, who founded Perenco, an energy firm specializing in exploration and exploitation of fossil fuels.

In 1989 Perrodo purchased Chateau Labegorce, and later Labegorce-Zede, he was aiming to reunite the three vineyards to create the original Lebegorce. However, the plan was dashed in 2006 when he was killed in a skiing accident while on holiday, but his family would continue his works.

The vineyards constitute 16 hectares of vines, planted with 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot, an unusual mix for any Margaux vineyard. The wine is fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks before going into oak for up to 12 months, of which a third is replaced each vintage.

The bottle is fined before bottling, with the grand vin Chateau Marquis d’Alesme Becker of about 8000 cases and a second wine Marquis d’Alesme of 2000 cases.

I have recently tasted the 2007 vintage and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, it has medium ruby color, with fading rims and legs.

Nose

Clean, with medium (-) intensity aromas of black fruit such as blackberry and cassis, oak notes of smoke, maturity notes of tobacco, herbaceous notes of blackcurrant leaf, MLF nots of cream, animal notes of meaty. The wine is developing.

Palate

Dry with medium acidity, the wine has medium (+) tannin which is a bit green and gripping. With medium alcohol and medium body, it has medium flavors of black fruit of blackberry and plum, oak notes of smoke, herbaceous notes of blackcurrant leaf, kernel notes of chocolate. The wine has a medium finish.

Conclusion

Acceptable quality Margaux though disappointing considering its GCC status, the wine has a fairly weak nose with reasonable complexity though showing a bit of under-ripeness. On the palate it has gripping tannin, with a fair concentration though still a bit simple, with a decent length on the finish. Ready to drink now, the wine has potential to further develop for another 1-2 years.

2015年8月14日星期五

Wineshark Home Cooking - 35. Braised Pork 'Tung Po' Style

Ingredients (for 4):

Pig belly - 1 kg
Rice wine - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Stock - 1 cup
Ginger - 3 slides
Sugar - 5 tbsp
Soy sauce - 6 tbsp
Oil - 1 tsp

Procedures:

1. Heat the pot and put the pork belly to cook in order to remove oil using tissue paper.

2. Pan fry until the skins turns golden.

3. Add water to the pot to cover the belly, and once boiled, take away the pork belly and discard the water.

4. Put the pork belly back into the pot, and add the ginger. Then add the rice wine, water and stock mixture.Once starting to boil, cover with the lid to cook for 1.5 hour.

5. Turn off the heat to braise for another 20 minutes. Removing the oil on the surface.

6. Turn on the heat again, add the sugar and then cover the lid to cook for another 10 minutes.

7. Add soy sauce and then cook for another 10 minutes, before turning off the heat to braise for another 20 minutes.

8. Some mustard could be added to season.

Wineshark Home Cooking - 34. Rolled Picardy Crepes

Ingredients (for 4):

First we prepare the crepe batter:

Flour - 125 g
Egg - 2 small ones
Milk - 1 cup (250 ml)
Butter - 40 g
Chives - 5 sprigs
Salt - dashes
Oil - dashes

Procedures:

1. Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, crack the eggs one by one into the mixture and whisk briskly with a little of the milk.

2. Incorporate the remaining milk, beating energetically until the batter is smooth and fluid.

3. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Melt the butter until it browns to a hazelnut colour.

4. Mix it into the batter with the snipped chives and chill for about 30 minutes.

5. Heat a pan over heat. Drizzle a little oil in and cook the crepes one by one, turning them when they begin to brown at the edges.

Then we prepare the mushroom duxelles:

Ingredients:

Butter - 25 g
Button mushroom - 175 g
Shallot - 1
Onion - 1/2
Parsley - 10 g
Ham - 125 g
Grated Gruyere cheese - 60 g
Salt and ground pepper - dashes
Butter - 30 g
Flour - 30 g
Milk - 500 ml
Nutmeg - dashes
Salt, white pepper powder - dashes

Procedures:

1. Chop the button mushrooms, the shallots, and the onion.

2. Melt the butter and sweat the chopped shallot and onion.

3. Add the button mushrooms and cook, lid off, until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and add the chopped parsley.

4. Finely dice the ham.

5. Use the butter and flour to make a white roux.

6. Add half of the milk and the grated nutmeg. Bring the mixture to boil over high heat, whisking constantly.

7. Pour in the remaining milk, bring to the boil again, and season.

8. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap flush with the surface. This will prevent a skin from forming.

9. Place the mushroom preparation, the diced ham, and a little of the bechamel sauce in a mixing bowl and combine. Adjust the seasoning.

10. Spread the crepes out and butter them with the remaining butter. Fill them with the mushroom and ham mixture and roll up.

11. Arrange them in a shallow ovenproof dish. Pour over the bechamel sauce and scatter the grated cheese on top.

12. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a preheated oven at 220 degree Celsius.

2015年8月13日星期四

GH Mumm

Like several famous families who founded Champagne houses in the 19^th century, brothers Jules, Edouard, and Gottlieb de Mumm were German Protestants, coming from Rheingau with a sizeable wine wholesale business. They opened their doors in Reims in 1827, with original name PA Mumm, Giesler & Co.

Fifteen years later Gottlieb’s son GH Mumm, joined the firm and in 1853 the company took its name. In 1876 it launched its first Cordon Rouge, with the striking red ribbon, making it a grand marque. In 1880s this flagship brand was better known than the house itself, particularly in the US, its prime export market, selling at 850000 bottles per year.

By 1902 Mumm’s total sales were just over 3 million bottles, one-tenth of Champagne’s entire annual sales. But the happy times were not to last and on the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the house’s assets, including all its vineyards, were confiscated by the French government because unlike other German founders of Champagne houses the Mumms did not sought naturalization.

In 1920 the house, largest in Reims, was put up for sale and sold to Societe Vinciole de Champagne Successeurs, a group of investors, one of which was the firm of Dubonnet. Rene Lalou, whose wife was a Dubonnet, took control of the firm. He successfully guided GH Mumm until 1973, building it into one of the largest houses, acquiring Perrier-Jouet in 1959 and Heidsieck & Co in 1972.

During his last ten years he doubled sales to 6 million bottles, yet never at the expense of quality. In 1969 Mumm was taken over by one of its shareholders, the Canadian-based Seagram group. In 1996 Seagram sold off Heidsieck, a welcome move for an unnecessary drain of GH Mumm’s viticultural resources. Mumm did retain its estate of 218 ha in fine grand cru sites such as Verzenay, Bouzy and Ambonnay on the Montagne de Reims, and in Cramant on the Cote des Blancs.

In 2000 Seagram sold Mumm and Perrier-Jouet to Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst, a private Texas investment company, which sold the two houses on to Allied Domecq in 2001. In 2006 Pernod Ricard acquired Allied Domecq and GH Mumm is now part of their global portfolio.

Taking more than 160 years to build the grand marque, unfortunately it took a single decade to demolish, with quality deteriorated from 1982 onwards. Many believed that Mumm’s reputation was destroyed by the poor quality of the wines made between 1982 and 1991, the prime responsibility lie with Andre Carre, the chef de cave of the time.

Things started to change for good in 1991 with appointment of Jean-Marie Barilliere, with a new cuverie for fermentation and assemblage built to harness the latest technology. In 1994 a revolutionary computerized disgorging line was installed, with Mumm becoming the first global grande marque to receive ISO 9002 certification in 1995.

Pierre-Yves Harang was cellar master from 1992 to 1997, taking up the task to clear up the mess left behind by Andre Carre. The overall quality of the Mumm range did improve markedly. The first improved Mumm started hitting shelves in 1995, with a young winemaker Dominque Demarville starting to show his hands. He also initiated GH Mumm’s new prestige cuvee R. Lalou, but was headhunted to Veuve Clicquot in 2006.

Dominique’s protégé, the talented Didier Mariotti, also presided the finishing touches of the current Cuvee R Lalou 1998, a recently reintroduced prestige cuvee. Along with the now revitalized Cramant de Mumm, the signs are encouraging. The Cordon Rouge is fresh, light and floral in style, as easy-going and pleasing as Champagne gets, but without much complexity or seriousness.

Cuvee Rene Lalou, produced between 1966 and 1985 vintages, is a wonderful wine, with angular-shaped bottle which is unique in design. This prestige cuvee was named after the important man in the company’s history, Rene Lalou, a key figure from 1920s onwards. In addition to finance Lalou also had a great understanding and passion for the vineyards.

Before World War II he increased the vineyard ownership of Mumm from 50 to 96 hectares, focusing on the grand cru villages, especially Bouzy, Ay, Cramant and Avize, as well as restoring old parcels that were ravaged by wars. Towards the end of his career he decided to craft Cuvee Rene Lalou, essentially a 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Nine vintages were made until production stopped in 1985, because Seagram, Mumm’s parent company then, decided to sell the company. But in 1998 Mumm and its cellar master at the time Dominique Demarville, decided to perfect the original cuvee and crafted Cuvee R. Lalou, aiming to seek inspiration from the original cuvee, but to go deeper in ideology.

As homage to Rene Lalou, Cuvee R. Lalou is blended from 12 individual vineyards from seven grand cru villages, all acquired or restored by Lalou himself. It remains a 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with the inaugural vintage of 1998, but the bottle had to be redesigned as the original one ad been sold to Vranken. Cuvee R. Lalou is launched mature, a low dosage around 6 g/l is sufficient.

I have recently tasted the 1973 Rene Lalou and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, it has medium gold color, with watery rims and legs.

Nose

Clean, with medium (+) intensity aromas of citrus fruit of lemon, green fruit of green apple, maturity notes of sugarcane, autolytic notes of brioche and lees, kernel notes of walnut, mineral notes of steely, some oxidation notes of sherry aromas. The wine is fully developed.

Palate

Dry with high acidity, the wine has medium alcohol and light body. It has medium flavors of green fruit such as apple, citrus fruit of lemon, with some stone fruit of peach on the aftertaste, autolytic notes of lees and bread, mineral notes of steel, oxidation notes of sherry and maturity notes of mushroom. The wine has a medium finish.

Conclusion

Very good quality Champagne with an intense nose showing amazing development, with nice complexity of some zesty and green apple characters supported by autolytic and mineral notes, the wine has strong acidity to provide crispness even after all these years, with elegance, but the finish was a bit mediocre. Even though still highly enjoyable, I think it would be even better at a slightly younger age, now is a bit too old.