Ideal dinner party wines

A couple of years ago, I was hosting a dinner for a senior official in one of China's regulatory agencies and his colleagues. As we prepared to embark on the first of a multi course Chinese banquet, I asked him what he would like to drink, wine, beer, cognac, whisky, etc. "Well", he replied "what I'd really like is cognac... but everyone in China seems to be drinking red wine these days and I need to understand what this is all about." Judging by the copious amounts of Pichon Lalande 1985 that were consumed that evening, he was on a pretty steep learning curve, and we still managed to squeeze in the odd cognac or two at the tail end of proceedings.

This boom in wine drinking in China coupled with the traditional interest in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, and the economic recovery in the region as a whole, means there has never been a better time to be a wine drinker in Asia. The difference today is that whereas previously red Bordeaux from classic vintages dominated the region - at one time it was said the biggest cache of Cheval Blanc 1982 in the world was in Thailand - today the range of wines available to the consumer is astonishingly wide and features producers from all the great wine producing countries, at prices to suit everyone's pocket.

The following represents a tip of the iceberg selection of wines I have drunk recently. Which are particularly fine and representative of their type. Given the sheer breadth of wines on offer, it does not purport to be a comprehensive selection and reflects personal preferences - perhaps even prejudices - which is every wine drinker's prerogative.

Prices are in Hong Kong dollars translated at current exchange rates without adjustment for Hong Kong duty or other local taxes.

Starting with whites, sauvignon blanc is the ideal palate sharpener; the best are still largely found in the Loire Valley and also New Zealand; less so in Australia where the wines can lack freshness and zing, often blended with semillon. Shaw & Smith is as good as you can find from Australia, while New Zealand has many fine examples such as Geisen, Palliser Estate, Oyster Bay, etc. However, for a racy, raspingly dry sauvignon, it's hard to beat the Sancerre 2002 from André Dezat (Berry Bros $262) with its hallmark gooseberry nose and palate tingling acidity.

While the sauvigon/ semillon blend makes great sauternes, I am not a big fan of this mix for drier style wines - pace some of the top white bordeaux such as Haut Brion Blanc and Domaine de Chevalier. However, occasionally in the right hands it can hit the spot. Such is the case with the Suckfizzle 2003 from Western Australia (Force 8 Cellars $370). Named after the hedonistic Rabelaisan character Lord Suckfizzle, this wine has grassy/citrus aromas and flavours, balanced and fresh with deft oak treatment, delicious with Chinese food.

The riesling grape is gradually being more widely recognised as the great white wine grape producing both dry and sweet wines of equal quality and complexity. Here Australia excels - indeed in the coming years I am sure it will become even more obvious that greatness in Australian wine is riesling for white and shiraz for red - while interest in the wines of Germany and Alsace is on the rise again after many years of neglect. There are many good examples from around Australia including the captivating Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling 2003 from Western Australia (Oliver's $228) but the Clare Valley in South Australia is the site of the finest and the Polish Hill Riesling 2003 from Jeffrey Grosset (Watson's Wine Cellar $348) one of Australia's best and most consistent winemakers is a gem. Dry, delicious to drink now with a captivating lemony lanolin flavour, but needs to mellow over the next 2-3 years or so to compare with the truly great 2002.

From Germany, the Scharzhofberger Kabinett 2000 from one of Mosel's best winemakers, Egon Muller, (Remy $299) is a light, beautifully made, articulate wine, and for something with a different level of richness and natural honeyed sweetness the Urziger Wurzgarten Auslese 1999 from the Dr. Loosen Estate (Watson's Wine Cellar $458) one of Germany's oldest and finest is rich, wonderfully unctuous yet poised with the benefit of some bottle age, showing perfectly now but with years ahead. Another feature of these Mosels is their relatively low alcohol content, at around 8%-9.5% compared with 12.5% and upwards for many chardonnays making them a very good option for the afternoon and early evening, in particular.

Despite many excellent examples from around the world - old as well as new - white burgundy remains the ne plus ultra of the chardonnay grape, with a seemingly unique combination of terroir, climate and wine making tradition. The Chassagne Montrachet 2000 from Marc Morey (Ponti $530) is a fine expression of the type showing all the qualities of this top white burgundy vintage. However, I was overwhelmed by the quality of the grands crus Chablis of William Fèvre in the 2002 vintage and particularly the Chablis Les Clos 2002 (Vintage Cellars $780). This proud, traditional Chablis producer was recently acquired by Joseph Henriot the Champagne House which also now owns the venerable Bouchard Père & Fils in Burgundy. The result has been a dramatic improvement in quality with 2002 being spectacular. The Les Clos has the sappy, mineral, almost stoney quality of great chablis with a power and purity of expression which makes it one of the finest young Chablis I have tasted. The Bougros and Vaudesir are also very fine.

Moving on to red - Hermitage/Shiraz/Syrah, the principal grape variety of the North Rhone and ubiquitous in Australia where it seems ideally suited, and where it produces two undeniably great wines, Grange and Hill of Grace. There are many good to very good hermitage/shiraz wines available at a range of prices including from names such as Guigal, Delas, Chapoutier, Jaboulet, Chave in the Rhone and from Australia, Chapel Hill and d'Arenberg. A particular favourite of mine is the Majella Shiraz 2000 from South Australia (Watson's Wine Cellar $328) which has a deep colour, viscous, a spicy eucalyptus nose and is packed with juicy blackberry fruit. Excellent value.

Across the water, New Zealand is now producing some of the finest pinot noirs outside of Burgundy - indeed while Australia may be shiraz and riesling country, New Zealand is definitely Pinot Noir and Sauvignon. Of those available in Hong Kong, Mount Edward, Palliser Estate and Martinborough are worthy examples with the Felton Estate Block 3 2002 (Watson's Wine Cellar $699) taking the prize of a number recently tasted. This is a delicious young pinot with rich ripe red fruit flavours but with a concentration and structure which is often lacking in new world pinots.

The arrival of a dedicated, broad minded group of talented young wine makers has meant that Burgundy has responded to the challenge posed by the progress made with this fickle grape variety around the world, and has now leaped to the fore as one of the world's most exciting wine regions. While interest in red Burgundy in Asia is still relatively narrow, the range of wines is improving and includes the excellent Chambolle Musigny Les Cras 2000 from Ghislaine Barthod (Watson's Wine Cellar $690) and Romanée St. Vivant 1998 from Sylvain Cathiard (Berry Bros $2,838) as well as names such as Ponsot, Rousseau, Drouhin, Leroy, Dujac de Vogue, Faiveley and Grivot of which Vinum in Singapore has a particularly fine range. The Charmes Chambertin 1998 Dujac (Vinum $650) enjoyed recently on a balmy late May evening on the terrace of the Auberge du Père Bise on Lake Annecy, for three generations one of the most beguiling of restaurants avec Chambres, is a beautiful example of a much underrrated vintage. The wine is beginning to develop trademark smokey farmyard tastes and aromas while retaining its youthful vigour. A very stylish grand cru burgundy from one of the most highly regarded producers on the Cote d'Or.

Italy is another wine producing country which has gone through dramatic change and improvement in recent years, in particular, with the emergence (or re-emergence) of some very serious high-end reds from producers such as Gaja, Giacosa, Sandrone, Prunotto, Conterno, Mascarello and the like. Up there with the best are Antinori's Solaia, from a producer who has probably done more than anyone to establish Italy as a source of top quality wine, Ornellaia and Sassicaia. At a recent comparative tasting of the 2000 vintage (which didn't unfortunately include the superb Masseto), all three showed extremely well. The pick was the Sassicaia 2000 (Remy $1,089). Deepish colour lovely minty blackberry nose with a hint of tar; already attractive to drink with a warmth and elegance that belies its tannic structure and ability to age.

And finally to Bordeaux, still far and away the most popular, sought after and widely traded source of fine wine. Particularly good selections of the finest can be found at Connoisseur, Watson's, Ponti and Berry Bros in Hong Kong and Vinum in Singapore. Apart from the overhyped 1982 vintage - lesser examples of which may now be tiring - 1985 is a quintessential Bordeaux year somewhat under the shadow of other more highly praised vintages and relatively good value as a consequence. Cheval Blanc, Mouton Rothschild, Pichon Lalande, Leoville Lascases and the wonderful L'Evangile have all been delicious recently, and à point for drinking now. 1983 is also unjustly overlooked and Cheval Blanc, Margaux (which is great) and Palmer have also all shown very well this year. However, I have been fortunate enough to enjoy two great Bordeaux recently. The Lafite 1990 (Connoisseur $3,900; Vinum $3,000) kindly supplied by a client at a recent dinner in Singapore, is from a vintage which is as good as any in the last 40 years and is now maturing nicely. This is the epitome of the subtle understated style of Lafite with all the trademark cedar and spice aromas yet with the latent richness and power of its best years: still many years to go. By contrast the 1970 vintage is perfectly mature and for drinking now. A recent tasting of six of the top properties emphasised what a very good vintage this is, similarly to 1985, with which it shares a number of characteristics, just lacking a degree of concentration for great. The Palmer 1970 was voted top and along with 1966 and the legendary 1961 is now generally recognised as a great Palmer: a beautiful fragrance of tobacco, violets, spices; superb balance; everything - fruit, oak, tannins - perfectly integrated in a lovely harmony of complex tastes and flavours, a perfect drink, and one that leaves a marvellous feeling of mellow tranquility in the air, as any great wine should!

Halves

A selection of half-bottles provide a good option for one or two people to share or to enjoy two or three wines at the same sitting, and are particularly useful for sauternes or other dessert wines. Despite restaurants', for the most part, apathetic attitude towards halves there is a surprisingly wide range available. Ponti have strong representation in Bordeaux and Italy, notably D'Angludet 2000, LaLagune 1999 and Lynch Bages 1997 ($720 excellent) and Brunello di Montalcino 1997/8 from Castelgiocondo Banfi; while Watson's, also strong in Bordeaux, list the delicious Chassagne Montrachet Les Embrazées 2000 ($650) from Bernard Morey and the acclaimed d'Arenberg Shiraz 2001 from Australia; Remy carry a range of Chablis (and some red burgundies/ beaujolais) from Louis Latour and A. Pic, the tasty Gewurztramurer 2002 from Hugel, the Pouilly Fumé de Ladoucette and several sauternes of which the Lafaurie Peyraguey 1997 ($230) from the best sauternes vintage between 1990 and 2001 is a perfect dessert wine. Finally Vinum offer a selection of Rhones from first rate producers such as Beaucastel, and top Bordeaux classed growths from recent vintages right up to Cheval Blanc 2000, although the Cantermerle 1989 ($350) from one of this modest property's very best vintages is a lovely mature offering at a reasonable price.

Krug 1990

It is hard to remember the release of a champagne occasioning quite so much hype, but for once it is fully deserved. 1990 was a great vintage for champagne, as in so many wine producing areas, and Krug have produced a monumental wine which has got everything right. At the recent launch by importers Riche Monde, Olivier Krug, scion of the family, described it as combining the best of both the previous vintages 1988 and 1989 which is spot on. It has all the leanness, grip and minerality of the 1988 together with the softer, richer, more expansive characteristics of the 1989. The result is a majestic wine of great balance and harmony and a long powerful finish. Very good now, particularly with food, but worth cellaring for five years or so when it should mellow and fill out. Will last 25 years and more (Riche Monde $1,714).