LeDomduVin: Nice little tasting of some of the wines of JC Garnier (Auxey-Duresses, Burgundy)

A pleasant surprise! Nice little tasting of some of the wines of @jc_garnierperefils, with Vincent Garnier (5th generation) and Tony Wong, his importer/distributor here, in HK, at WVinery (@wvinery_official).

We tasted the red first, which is rather uncommon, especially compared to Bordeaux wines, where whites usually are tasted before the reds. Very Burgundian! Loved it. And I loved the wines, too. 

Bourgogne Rouge Cotes d'Auxerre 2023

Nice, light, sharp, and refreshing, with notes of wild red cherries and strawberries. Perfect as an aperitif! 

Auxey-Duresses Rouge Cuvée d'Antan 2023

Very attractive nose of dark fruits, black cherries, blackberries, mingling with floral notes, and smoky nuances. Medium bodied, yet dense and generous, very good balance and juicy finish. Loved it!

Pommard Les Petits Noizon 2023

A bit subdued on the nose, with dark fruits also, earthy notes, and more pronounced minerality. The palate is complex and layered in a delicate and elegant way. It is very approachable now but would deserve a few more years to develop its full potential. 

Saint-Bris Mont Embrasé 2023

Beautiful, easy-going wine! A Sauvignon Blanc with the attributes of a Chardonnay. Touch grassy and zesty with good acidity and minerality. Lovely! 

Auxey-Duresses Blanc Vieilles Vignes 2023

On the nose and on the palate, this wine could easily be mistaken for a Meursault in a blind tasting. Lots of minerality combined with a gentle touch of butteriness. Nicely done! 

As discussed with Vincent Garnier, all these wines had a few things in common. And what I loved about them is that they were clean and focused, with no angularities, from beginning to end. 

It was a pleasant surprise and discovery, too, as I never tasted the wines of JC Garnier before. 

Thank you to the Gentry Club Team for organizing the tasting and inviting me to taste these wines. Thank you to Vincent and his family for their wines and Tony for helping bring them to Hong Kong. 

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #wine #vin #vino #wein @jc_garnierperefils #jcgarnierpereetfils #burgundy #burgundywine #tasting #tastingnotes #sommelier #sommelierlife #sommlife #ilovemyjob #lovewine

LeDomduVin: Grower Champagnes casual tasting at the office

Grower Champagnes casual tasting at the office with Monica from @cuvee_champagne. 

We tasted: 

Champagne Roland Champion Secret d'Aramis

@champagnerolandchampion

Champagne Benoît Beaufort Rosé Grand Cru 

Champagne Benoît Beaufort Tradition Grand Cru 

@champagne_benoit_beaufort 

Champagne Lancelot et Fils Le Fer de Lance Réserve 

@champagne_lancelot_fils 

Champagne Charlot-Tanneux Les Meuniers de Moussy Millésimé Extra Brut 2019

@champcharlottanneux

I liked Benoît Beaufort Rosé for its freshness, balance, and friendliness. Very easy drinking. 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay. Nicely done! 

I particularly enjoyed the Charlot-Tanneux for its complexity, richness, structure, texture, and yeasty notes. 

A small production of 3087 bottles made from 100% Pinot Meunier, which is uncommon and makes it even more worth tasting. Lovely! 

Thank you to Monica and the team at the office who organised this casual tasting. It was a good occasion to meet and bond with the team. 

Cheers! Santé! 

Dom

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #wine #vin #vino #wein #champagne #tasting #champagnetasting #organic #biodynamic #organicchampagne #biodynamicchampagne #demetercertified #champagnerolandchampion #champagnebenoitbeaufort  #champagnelancelotetfils #champagnecharlottanneux 

#sommelier #sommelierlife #sommlife #ilovemyjob #lovewine #lovechampagne

LeDomduVin: What's a great wine!

What's a great wine?

We can argue on the subject for hours, but first and foremost, a great wine is a wine YOU love.

A wine that is satisfying to you for its aspect, robe, color, intensity, aromas, bouquet, freshness, ripeness, richness, depth, complexity, balance, harmony, structure, texture, layers, taste, aftertaste, sensations, from the attack to the finish, and whatever else you can think of that is pleasing to you in it. 

A wine so exciting and delicious to your palate that it makes you shiver, or pause, or reflect, or smile right after the first sip. A wine from which the first glass immediately calls for another one. A wine you will never forget for that blissful moment. A wine triggering only one reaction from you: "Wow! What a great wine!"

Wine tasting is so subjective and can be influenced by so many factors that you can only count on yourself to really define what a great wine is for you. 

You might be the only one in the room who loves this wine, yet who cares, as long as you are satisfied with it. And don't let anyone or anything influence your own taste and judgment!!!

[...]

I just made this illustration as a header for a blog post I wrote in 2018 with the same title, which was missing one. 

All these names/words are slang and old popular French synonyms for "bad wine" from various regions, eras, and uses. 

I thought it would be funny to see my two protagonists, Bordeaux and Burgundy, insulting each other with these old-fashioned French words. 

😁👍🍷 

Full post on my blog at www.ledomduvin.com (link in bio). 

Cheers! Santé!

Dom 

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #wine #vin #vino #wein #whatsagreatwine #questcequungrandvin #greatwine #grandvin #definition #pointofview #perspective #subjective #sommelier #sommelierlife #sommlife #lovewine #wineyearly #tasting #winetasting

LeDomduVin: A Sommelier Portrait (by Roger Lee)

Ledomduvin: A Sommelier Portrait by Roger Lee (@rogerleestudios)

Tonight, I'm attending The WEMP event "The Children Ball," where I will be helping the Rosewood Hotel team serve the wines at the head table of the event. 

As I came early, I walked the venue, and while visiting one of the private salons, I met with Mr. Roger Lee, the official photographer who will photograph tonight event personnalities et celebrities.  

We had a very nice talk, and because I do not meet often very professional photographers like him, I asked him if he would not mind taking a few pictures of me with my phone (as it is not every day I dress in full black suit). 

He accepted and professionally guided me on how to pose for the camera while he was snapping a few shots. 

These are some of the pictures he took. I think he did an excellent job, as I'm not very photogenic and really do not know how to pose. 😅😅😅

Thank you, Roger, much appreciated. I love these pictures. 

Roger is also a great video producer, so reach out to him for professional photos and videos. 

Cheers! Santé!

Dom 

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #wine #vin #vino #wein #portrait @rogerleestudios #rogerlee #rogerleestudios #photo #photographer #lens #picture #sommelier #sommelierlife #sommlife #ilovemyjob #wineyearly #lovewine #wineinlife #hongkong