McGuigan Wines MasterClass @ The Westin

Fresh back from the Hari Raya holidays, an opportunity to attend a MasterClass couldn't be of a better timing. Organized by Sommelier Association of Malaysia, the Master for today is none other than Mr Neil McGuigan, the winemaker of McGuigan Wines. With over 30 years experience in the wine industry, he is renowned as an innovator in the field of Australian wines. Holding firm to his tagline "Wine is the Hero", He is the first winemaker in the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) in 44 years history to win International Winemaker of the Year and Australian Producer of the Year for 3 times.

 

Held in evening of 14th August 2013, we were given  chance to taste 9 different types of wines which can be broken down to:- 

 

          The WhiteWines

          McGuigan Black Label Sauvignon Blanc 2012

           McGuigan Expressions Pinot Grigio 2012

           McGuigan Founders Pinot Gris 2012

         McGuigan Shortlist Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2011

           The Red Wines

           McGuigan Private Bin Shiraz 2012

            McGuigan Founders Cab Shiraz 2011

           McGuigan Shortlist Barossa Valley GSM 2011

       McGuigan Handmade Langhorne Creek Shiraz 2009

           McGuigan Farms Shiraz 2009

 

Among the first few questions, Mr Neil open to the class was what is the difference between Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris. The answer was that Pinot Grigio is an Italian variety grape while Pinot Gris is a French variety grape. They may sound familiar but Pinot Grigio wines are lighter than Pinot Gris due to the duration  of oxidation process. McGuigan Expressions Pinot Grigio 2012 is oily with pear aroma and is slightly pinky. According to Mr Neil, an A grade wines should fulfill the criteria in flavor, aroma and longetivity. As for McGuigan Founders Pinot Gris 2011 it is known as the mini chardonnay with musky, oaky, chewy and has more acidity. McGuigan Shortlist Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2011 on the other hand is known as the Prince of white grape variety as it consists of Chardonnay. Classified as a cool climate grape variety, the chardonnay of McGuigan Wines are harvested from the coolest region of chardonnay-Adelaide Hills.

 

Coming to the red wines, Mr Neil mentioned that wines are supposed to be taken with food and this is especially true for the red wines we are tasting. We started off with McGuigan Private Bin Shiraz 2012 and is such a lovely soft approachable red wine which Mr Neil term it as 5 o'clock wines :) as it has low tannin with soft peppery. For wine no. 6, Mcguigan Founders Cab Shiraz 2012, it is definitely a well balanced wine as it has a good fleshy palate with lovely warm tannin which finishes with acidity. McGuigan Shortlist Barossa Valley GSM 2011 which consists of 3 grapes blends namely  Grenache - Mourvedre - Syrah caught us by surprise as it has a lingering effect on the palate! It is really rare and I indefinitely find it amazing!! However, the wine which made the biggest impression on me is none other than McGuigan Handmade Langhorne Creek Shiraz 2009, it actually taste a bit salty and you can taste almost no tannins! This is amazing as the wine are 4 years old! and it doesn't stop there..each time you take another sip, a different aroma and palete appears, it started of with blackcurrant then a bit buttery, it turns to spicy and then salty. It is as though the wine is evolving in the glass ..Wow! I can't wait to see what would this wine evolve to in another 2-3 years more.

 Mr. Neil Mcguigan & I
 

A handful of the wines we tasted today had yet to hit Malaysian shores and I would look forward to the wines when it does. Cheers!

McGuigan Wines

Hunter Valley Cellar DoorCorner Broke & McDonalds Roads

Pokolbin NSW 2032

Ph: +61 (0)2 4998 7402

hunter@mcguiganwines.com.au

 

Barossa Valley Cellar Door (Yaldara)Hermann Thumm Drive

Lyndoch SA 5351

Ph: +61 (0)8 8524 0225

barossa@mcguiganwines.com.au

 

http://mcguiganwines.com.au/#

 

Clarendelle Wine Tasting@ South Sea Seafood Restaurant

 

 

Clarendelle Rouge 2007 & Clarendelle Blanc 2011

Held on a public holiday 26th July 2013, Clarendelle or much popular known as Clarence Dillon Wines came together with South Sea Seafood Restaurant to host this French Seafood Affair Wine Tasting. Clarendelle is a bordeaux wine brand launched by Clarence Dillon Wines established in Bordeaux since 1935

 

We were honored that day to have Mr Alexi Daste, South East Asia- Pacific Export Manager to talk about more on the wines. Unlike other days where we are usually tasting 4-5 wines. We would only be tasting 2 wines, one red and one white. Even more unusual Mr Alexi started out with the red, Clarandelle Rouge 2007 first which is pretty unusual as we always starts with the white. :)

 

Clarendelle Rouge 2007

Being a Bordeaux red blend it is with no doubt blended from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc. Unique to Clarendelle is cigar and tobacco aroma on the nose which to me is considered heavy but yet on the palate, the taste profile is beautifully soft and subtle with smooth tannin. One of the reason that is well balance as I believe the wine is currently at its peak now as it is a 6 years old wine. This is trully a gem as most wines would have way pass their peaks in such durations.

 

Clarendelle Blanc 2011

Blended from Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle,  Clarendelle Blanc has the aroma of beewax and honey. Citrus aromas such as lemons, lime and candied oranges are also noticeable in both aroma and on the palete. Worth to note that Muscadelle rarely makes up 10% of the blend but Muscadelle is the grape which carries the candied oranges aroma apart from the floral notes of the wines. Use widely in Bordeaux white blend, Muscadelle is also known as Raisimotte & White Angelica.

 

    South Sea Signature Tapas- Cheese Baked Oyster, Spicy Jelly Fish & Scallop with Crab Meat

 Various comdiments to kick start your taste bud ranging from Goat Cheese, Olives & Blue Cheese!

Sorry guys I can't help but to post this photo, the seahorse and puffer / balloon fish plays significant roles in breathing and decanting the wines. Thumb ups to the designer who made such innovative design! I realy like it a lot!

 

Mr Alexi Daste of Clarence Dillon Wines & I

 

Mr Alexi is such an informative guy and one of the unforgetabe piece of information shared which started out with a question " Why do we cheers when we drink wine? " and notice how people of Medieval time especially kings and knights cheers with force till the liquid would spill out of the mug or glass? The answer was that back then the usage of poisons were wide spread and in order to ensure that the wines I'm drinking is not poisonous, it is always safe to cheers till the wine can mix with the cheering partner glass! CHEERS!

 

 Clarence Dillon Wines
Pavillon Dillon-3, Rue Avison-33400 Talence-France

www.clarendelle.com
 

Wine Dinner @ Madisons Restaurant, Jalan Bangkung

 

I had always love MADISONS so when I was given a chance to taste the food again, I had immediately jump up on both of my feet. :) after all it was going to be on an eve of public holiday, 25th July 213 to be exact. This dinner would trully be an Australian affair as this time round, the wine featured would be none of than Shinas Estate located in Victoria, Australia a handcrafted Wine Estate well known for The Executioner.

 

Now, what does handcrafted meant? well as the word "hand" is there ..yes it is similar to handmade :) so being manually done, the production of the wines are extremely less. For the Excutioner, the production is only around 750 cases and Shinas Estate export at least to 10 different countries, so all wines are on allotment basis.

Also worth mentioning that Mr George Shinas is indeed a justice for 10 years now. Hence, Shinas Estate wines tasted on the night includes Sweet Justice, The Innocent, The Guilty and The Verdict apart from The Executioner. Wines named in a very Justice manner..cool!

 

 

 

 Shinas Estate Sweet Justice Moscato 

The latest addition to Shinas Estate Boutique Wine Collection and it has a sweet and low alcohol characteristics. Perfect to be enjoy on any occasions and time. Just remember to make it super chill then it would be super yummy :)

 

 

Shinas Estate Innocent Viognier

Viognier grapes are extremely challenging on Australian soil and hence harvest may not be good each time resulting in the reduction of final yield making the wine volume allocated to each country is reduced tremendously. Hence it is considered lucky that this time around, I'm able to taste The Innocent. This wine in particular carries with it the apricot, melon and honey aromas with surprisingly a light spicy flavours.

Selection of Canapes to go with Shinas Estate Sweet Justice Moscato

          Selection of Canapes to go with Shinas Estate Innocent Viognier

         My personal favourite canapes is the juicy seafood..Delicious!

Shinas Estate Guilty Shiraz 

This is certainly the most flavorful Shiraz I had ever tasted, the aromas and pallete combination is complex yet elegant. It is ripe shinny blackberry red in colour with voluptuous cherry, vanilla, a hint of peppery spice packed with smoky vanillin oak, cherry and strawberry fruits, Chocolate & Mocha wrapped in velvety smooth package.  

 

 Shinas Estate Verdict Cabernet Sauvignion

The Verdict for Verdict- The palate starts with ripe blackberry follow with Roasted beetroot compliment by savoury tabacco leaf, leather and toasty nutmeg

           Tufted duck liver and chicken liver pate, served with Chianti jelly, roasted beetroot and baby pears with  Shinas Estate Guilty Shiraz

      Tortellini of Suckling Pig with Shinas Estate Verdict Cabernet Sauvignion

 

   Shinas Estate Executioner  (far end right)

A blend of Shiraz 55% , Cabernet Sauvignion 43% and Viognier 2% It has an extremely light yield and The Executioner is made out of 6 barrels of Shiraz and 4 barrels of Cabernet Sauvignion so you can imagine how many bottles it actually had been produced. Making it a wine that is worth dying for!

 

       Prime Steer Rib-Eye served with Truffle mash, roasted swiss brown mushrooms shallots        candied speck and sage & Selection of fine cheese to go with none other than The Executioner

 

  Madisons Restaurant,

  65, Jalan Bangkung, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
  Tel: 03-2092-1222
  Operating Hours : Daily from 12pm to 1 am

 

   Shinas Estate Wines

For more information on Shinas Estate Wines, please do not hessitate to visit www.shinasestate.com

Wine Tasting @ Nam Lee Cheong

Nam Lee Cheong located in the busy Jalan Sultan Ismail is a prominent homegrown wine importer and distributor established since 1946. Wine Tasting is conducted monthly and I was invited to one of their wine tastng session held on 24th July 2013 :) During this session, the red wines were placed on a long table with names and description being place next to the bottles while white wines were chilled in the wine bucket. Basically, is like a wine buffet, all you need is just to pour into your glass for tasting!

Selections for the red wines for the wine tasting which has range of Old World Wines such as Tommasi (Italy), Rioja Vega (Spain) & Seignouret (France) and New World Wines which includes Montes (Chile), Pinno (South Africa) & Warburn (Australia)

Among all the reds, I was very interested to try PINNO. Why? Because it is made 100% of pinotage grapes. Pinotage grapes are native to South Africa just like Merlot is to France. In short it is the signature grape from South Africa. The unexpected was it has the BANANA aromas with wine color of most unusual which is brownish in color!

Selection of white wines  are less compared to the reds as there are only 3 types with origin from France and Chile. Worth mentioning is the Viognier, a type of white grape which is the only permitted grape for the French wine Condrieu in the Rhone Valley hence the production volume is pretty limited in France. Viognier wines has a dinstict floral aromas and is meant to be drank young hence should be consumed immediately or within 2 years of storage and although the aroma and color suggest a sweet wines but it is actually pretty dry.
 

Thanks to Mr Tony Leong, the Chairman of Nam Lee Cheong, I was given an opportunity to taste wines that were not in the wine list. Among two that stick like a glue in my mind is none other than 2002 St Emilion and the wine shown on top which is famously known as CGM.  Outer Limits CGM is made from a blend of 3 different grapes namely 50% Carignan, 30% Grenache, 20% Mourèvdre. Hence the name CGM. Yes! its Carignan again! and Yes! it is Chilean Wine! The wine is bright ruby red in color. On the nose it suggests blackberries, dry fig, light reminiscences of cinnamon and an elegant spiciness with a hint of the French oak barrel.

 

Wine Tasting are normally held from 3.00pm to 7.00 pm on selected dates and they are FREE but would be subjected to Space Availabilty and RSVP. For more information, please do not hessitate to get in touch with Ms.Tan on the address and contact below:-

 

Nam Lee Cheong Sdn. Bhd. 44-1, Jalan Sultan Ismail,
50250 Kuala Lumpur,
Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia.

 Tel: 603 21413177

www.namleecheong.com.my



 

 

 

Miguel Torres Wine Tasting @ Ceggo BoardRoom

 

It is not common to be able to taste wines of different origin at an event unless you are talking about wine fairs and showcases.  Such is the case for this event. Held at Ceggo Boardroom, Taman Danau Desa, We were honored to have Mr Gabriel Fernandez of Miguel Torres to introduce a total of  5 types of wines from 2 Origins namely Chile and Spain.

 

Out of the 5 type of wines, 3 are from Chile while 2 are from Spain. Miguel Torres winery is located at one of the oldest wine region in Chile which is the region of Curico. While, Jean Leon winery is located in the region of Penedes, Spain. Worth mentioning that Chile is free from phylloxera louse which means grape can grows from their original vines and need not to be grafted. This in return promised good and quality grape yields. Based on interview with Mr Gabriel, the vines used are more than 100 years old!!  However so, Miguel Torres has limited production of their wines range as an assurance to their client that only the best are being produced and is absolutely a value for money wines.

The first wine of the night was Miguel Torres Cordilera Chardonnay, if you like apple and vanilla, you would indefinitely feel in love with this wine. I have to say, it was one of the best Chardonnay I had so far :). On the nose, apart from apple and vanilla, you will be able to find  hazelnut fruit aromas, complemented by fine nuances of toasted bread. Overall, the palate is meaty and dense, well outlined by delicate acidity. This chardonnay would fair well with starters such as Brie, Gruyere and Provolone cheese.

Next on the menu are the Jean Leon wines, we started with Jean Leon Cabernet Sauvignon Rsv 2005 before proceding with Jean Leon Merlot, Vinya Palau 2006. Bear in minds these wines are 7-8 years old. Averagely, wines are best consumed not more than 5 years from their production date but there are some exceptions :) and these wines are definitely one of them. What made them good was despite their age, the wines tannins were kept at a balance level especially the Cabernet Sauvignon which is a full bodied wine but the tannins were not heavy at all! This means that both of these wines are extremely versatile in food pairing ..Cool!

Another fascination of Jean Leon wines are their grape varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. These grapes were directly imported from France as Mr Jean Leon believes that this varietal would fit the balmy Mediterranean climate perfectly.

                                                    Miguel Torres Cordilera Carinena

After the Spanish wines, we were back to Chilean wines but now to is to taste one of the rare gems of Chilean Wines. The gem we are talking about is Carignan, this is actually a Spain/ French wine grape variety and it is not common to be found in Chile but  Miguel Torres is among the few which has this grape varietal in their vineyard. The blend with Merlot and Syrah produces a very unique taste, it was rather long ending with a tint of spiceness. So far, this was my favorite wine for that night.

Although so, some of my"wine kakis" that night beg to differ as they like the last wine of the night which was Miguel Torres Manso De Velasco, a single vineyard wine. This means that The Single Vineyard of Manso de Velasco is devoted exclusively to the Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine is an intense and deeply-pigmented wine with palate of great dimension, round and complex coupled with appreciating fruity notes, clove and cocoa.

                                        Mr Gabriel Fernandez of Miguel Torres and I

                                  My "Wine KAKIs" for the night, Fui Ping, LA and Carmen

Miguel Torres

http://www.torreschile.com

 

Jean Leon

http://jeanleon.com/en/la-bodega/

 

Ceggo Boardroom

NO. 9-0-5, JALAN 3/109
DANAU BUSINESS CENTRE
TAMAN DANAU DESA
58100 KUALA LUMPUR

 

Jack Daniel's- One Night with Jack!



Ok..so Jack Daniel is not a wine in fact is a whiskey but who can turn down an invitation for a fun night in Hard Rock Cafe, KL? No right? ..hehehehe..so that's why here I am.

Organized by Mui Hua Sdn Bhd, the Malaysian importer for Jack Daniel whiskey, the night of 4th July was young when I arrived hence I took the opportunity to took some nice pictures with the back drop and the guitar of course and yes the theme of the night is Black & White, the color of Jack Daniel's. If you are thinking why No.7? Was it simply Jack's lucky number? Rumors has it that say that Jack Daniel had seven girlfriends or it actually symbolized the #7 train carried his barrels.
Oh well.. Only Mr. Jack knows the real reason :P

Tonight event is organized in conjunction with the announcement of the winners of the one month long Jack Daniel's Contest. The grand prize winner would walk away with a customized fully black coloured Harley Davidson! P/S- I had a photo taken but it is with the official photographer, would post it later when  I have it at hand.

 

 

 

The Hard Rock Cafe was beautifully decorated with black and white balloons accompanied by Jack Daniel's signage on the tv and well lit blocks decorated the buffet table.I seriously love the guitar made of Jack Daniel's No 7 signature balloons! Such a work of art!

 

                           Jack Daniel’s Manhattan

                      1-1/2 parts Jack Daniel’s® Tennessee Whiskey

                         ½ part sweet vermouth

                       Dash of bitters

                       Combined in a shaker with ice. Served straight up. Garnished with a cherry.

 



                             Jack and Coke

                         1 part Jack Daniel’s® Tennessee Whiskey

                           3 parts Coke®

                          Served over ice in a tall glass. Garnished with a slice of lime

 

                             Lynchburg Lemonade

                        1 part Jack Daniel’s® Tennessee Whiskey

                         1 part triple sec

                       1 part sour mix

                      all ingredients stirred with 4 parts lemon-lime soda. Garnished with
                         a lemon slice and cherries 

                  Seasoned Chips with Roasted Nuts ,  Jack's Mini Brownies and        Jack's Choclate Eclair  are the appetizers for the night and yes..that is my cup of

               Jack and Coke on Free Flow ..Sweet!

            Yes picture can be deceiving but trust me the food was Jackalicious! My favourite was the

           Jack Prawn Quesadilla :)

 

         It was definitely a memorable event but too bad it was on a Thursday therefore got to leave   early from the party. One thing for sure, Jack Daniel's Rock! Till Next Time..

 

Hard Rock Cafe Kuala Lumpur

Ground Floor, Wisma Concorde Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +60 3-2715 5555

Business Hours:-
RestaurantSun - Thurs 11:30AM - 1:30AM
Fri-Sat 11.30Am-2.00AM
(Kitchen Closes at 10.30pm)

http://www.hardrock.com/locations/cafes3/cafe.aspx?LocationID=18&MIBEnumID=3

Malaysia Best Sommelier Championship 2013

This is my first time attending the Malaysia Best Sommelier Championship 2013 and was uncertain what to expect from the championship but what was known that the semi finals was held at a closed door event and we are only able to view the Grand Finals. Organized by Sommelier Association of Malaysia (SOMLAY in short), has choosen Double Tree Hilton, KL as the battleground for the candidates. A quick check with Mr Zulikernain of Hilton KL who is also one of the participant of the Championship, mentioned that the first round consists of theory, tasting and face to face Q&A with the judges. From the result, the judges would then choose the top 3 to the finals.



Mr. Jean Luc Pouteau

 

This year judges line up consists of :-

 

Mr Jean Luc Pouteau-Chief Judge (France)

Head Sommelier and Wine Buyer/Purchaser for Pavillion de l' Elysee

Best Sommelier of France 1976

Best Sommelier of the World 1983 

 

Mr Edwin Soo (Singapore)

Wine Educator, Columnist for Appetite Magazine & Malaysian Star Newspaper, Restaurant Reviewer for Peak Selections and the Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards.

 

Mr Fernando Salas (Chile)

Second Secretary, Deputy Head of Mission and Commercial Director for the Embassy of Chile to Malaysia.

 

Mr Gregoire Debree (France)

Director of SOPEXA for South East Asia & Taiwan since 2009

Key involvement in South East Asia Best Sommelier Competition for 2009, 2010 and 2011.

 

Mr John Cheah (Malaysia)

Wine lecturer for SOPEXA from 1991 till 2006 in Hong Kong and Taiwan

Wine judge in Hong Kong, Melbourne and Tokyo Challenges

 





                     The 13 sommeliers

 

Based on the results, the top 3 was annouced and the candidates would have to go through a series of challenges in front of a a group of live audiences.

The top 3 announced was

 

Han Yew Kong, Head Sommelier, Osteria Mozza, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Britt Ng Choong Yoon, Assistant Sommelier, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Steven Lim Chin Hong, General Manager, Thirty Two @ The Mansion, Penang

 

Each candidate was given 5-10 minutes for each tasks and for this year there were 5 tasks. The tasks begins with serving of a glass of rose and prosecco to a lady and gentleman, followed by serving an agrd red wines to a table of six, to correct mistake on a wine list, to taste and describe 6 different liquids and finally to identify wine growing region and country from a series of wine labels showed on screen. For more detailed explaination on the tasks, please do not hessitate to visit LeVin et La Femme ( http://www.vinfemme.com/?p=2764)

 

After the intense and exhausting tasks and a short break, the winner was finally announced and it was none other than Mr. Han Yew Kong and runner up was Mr Brit Ng Choong Yoon.

It was indeed an eye opening event :) Both Han and Brit would be representing Malaysia in South East Asia Best Sommelier Championship 2013 scheduled to be held on 25th & 26th August 2013 in Singapore.

 



      In conjuction with the championship, a gala dinner was organized later that evening. Much     welcomed actually to celebrate the occassion, Thumb ups ! to the SOMLAY organizing committee  for the dinner.Ladies & Gentleman, presenting to you the MENU for the night!

                         Appetizer

                Prawns tossesd with lemon-herb vinaigrette served with mango thai style salad

                      2011 Montenovo Godello, Valdeorras, Spain

 

Entree

Creme of Butternut Squash

With house smoked duck breast and cinnamon grissini

2008 Mas Du Soleilla Reserve Blanc, Languedoc-La Clape, France

 

Main Course

Pan-Roasted Norwegian Salmon

Accompanied with sweet potato gratin, medley of vegetables and red pepper coulis

2008 Misha Vineyard's The High Note Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand

 



Dessert

Vanilla Panna Cotta

Served with strawberry moelleux and mango-passion fruit jelly

Coffee or Tea

 

Indeed it was a great way to spend a Sunday. A big Congratulations to Han and Brit! Makes us proud in August 2013.FYI, the previous 3 years champion for the South East Asia Best Sommelier Compettion has been won by the Malaysian candidates. Hence we would have high hope on both Han and Brit! Salud!

 

Sommelier Association of Malaysia

No:130, Jalan Kasah, Damansara Heights, 50490 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

e-mail: committee@somlay.org or somlayinfo@gmail.com

http://www.somlay.org/somlay/home.html