FINE Wine & Champagne India 174 by Fine Publishing India

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FINE Sport

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FINE Japan

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FINE Store

FINE Sparkling

New Beginnings

10 Fineevent

FINE India Sixth Anniversary

30 Finesport

The Drinks Interval: Wine and Cricket

42 Finebordeaux

The Pull of Bordeaux

62 Finejapan

For Goodness... Sake!

78 Finesparkling

Nothing but Delight

94 Finestore

Wine Paradise

110 Finetravel

Rail Royalty — The Maharajas’ Express

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WRITERS Rajiv Singhal Rajiv Singhal is an entrepreneur who pioneered activities in the luxury sector in India. He studied

FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA Volume 7 Issue 4 Q4 2017 Editor Rajiv Singhal Publisher Rajiv Singhal for Fine Publishing India Private Limited Chief Executive Ritu Singhal Wine Manager Radhika Puar Bordeaux Correspondent Ch’ng Poh Tiong Acknowledgements Patricia Hiramatsu Art & Creative Sandeep Kaul Photographs Shivam Bhatti Administration Archana Burman Distribution Vinita Vaid Cover Photograph Château Lafon-Rochet Editorial & Business Offices 6F Vandhna, 11 Tolstoy Marg, New Delhi 110001 E: contact@fine-magazines.in W: www.fine-magazines.in Subscriber Information T: +91 11 23359874-75 RNI no. DELENG/2010/35861 ISSN 2231-5098 Edited, Printed and Published by Rajiv Singhal on behalf of Fine Publishing India Private Limited. Published from 6F Vandhna, 11 Tolstoy Marg, New Delhi 110001, India. Printed at Aegean Offset Printers, 220-B, Udyog Kendra Extension I, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India.

Economics at Yale, and since then has been simplifying access to the Indian market for international clients. Among other path breaking initiatives, he helped set up the market for wine in India over the last 20 years. Appointed Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Merite by the President of France in 2014, Rajiv is also the Ambassador of Champagne to India and loves to challenge himself. Ritu Singhal Ritu Singhal is co-founder of New Delhi based Group Ritu, which has diverse interests in private equity, marketing, consulting and publishing. She trained as a textile designer at Sophia Polytechnic in Bombay, and experiments with new techniques on new media whenever she can. As voluntary work, she set up an annual craft bazaar to empower women artisans. When not doting on her two teenaged boys, Ritu is up for any gastronomic adventure. Aishwarya Nair Mathew Aishwarya Nair Mathew is Head – Corporate Food & Wine at Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts founded by her grandfather. Having graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York, she is focussed on bringing a global offering of culinary arts to guests. She is intensely passionate about fine wine and was felicitated with the Diplôme d’Honneur of the Corporation des Vignerons de Champagne in 2008. Currently based in Singapore, Aishwarya is taking fashion to the next level as she prepares to launch her eponymous label. Ch’ng Poh Tiong Ch’ng Poh Tiong is a lawyer by training who has many decades of expertise as a consultant, judge, writer and contributor in the wine space. Author of many books that have received international acclaim, he specialises in Bordeaux. He studied Chinese Art at the School of Oriental & African Studies in London and is an ambassador of the European Fine Art Foundation, Maastricht. Poh Tiong plays the 7 string qin, the ancient Chinese instrument, and is happiest when he laughs together with his daughter. Adam Lechmere Adam Lechmere has been writing about wine for about 17 years, having worked as a teacher in Madrid, in business publishing, as a tabloid entertainment reporter and at BBC Online. In 2000, he launched a wine magazine’s on-line portal and was its Editor for 11 years before going freelance to contribute to many international publications. Adam travels frequently, judges wine competitions and lives in London with his wife and three daughters. Stuart George Stuart George is the founder of Vins Extraordinaires, through which he offers fine and rare wine experiences and sales to private clients. He studied English and European literature at Warwick, holds the WSET Diploma in Wine and Spirits since 2000 and was the UK Young Wine Writer of the Year in 2003. Privileged to have tasted vintages back to 1780, he contributes to many wine publications and judges wine competitions. Based in London, Stuart plays the guitar and follows cricket in his free time. Lara Victoria

All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher. The opinions of the contributors or interviewees presented in this magazine do not necessarily correspond to nor reflect the opinions of the publisher or the editorial team. While the editorial team do their utmost to verify information published they do not accept responsibility for its absolute accuracy. Fine Publishing India does not keep nor return illustrations or other materials that have been sent in unsolicited, and hold the right to make any modifications in texts and pictures published in FINE Wine & Champagne India magazine. We reserve the right to refuse or suspend advertisements.

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Lara Victoria is a very highly qualified professional in the world of alcoholic beverages –WSET Diploma holder, Certified Educator, Sake Educator; Certified Specialist of Wine; Certified Sherry Educator… She trained as a Pastry Chef and studied Food Science and Technology and founded Cru Classe Hospitality Corp in 2009, where she brings together her education, skills and experience in her work as an educator, consultant, recipe developer, culinary artist, food stylist and event planner. Lara lives in Vancouver, Canada with her family.

ersuasion. Perseverance. Patience. This is the mantra that we share with those who are able

FINE Editorial

New Beginnings

to recognise the opportunity, look through the regulatory challenges, and are committed to building an approach to the market for wine in India.

At the turn of the millennium, we took pioneering baby steps to clear the path to foster a culture for wine in (what still is) a scotch drinking society and advised stakeholders to work towards the daunting task of dismantling the market’s quantitative restrictions and non-tariff barriers. A French agency, headed by a foresighted visionary, played ball and our path-breaking activities with Wines of France were rewarded with a lion’s share of the wine market in India. The powers-that-be chose to rest on their laurels and the competition chipped away. We brought the abysmal market share to the attention of the Ambassador of France to India – he has vowed to make amends. Following some long-drawn discussions since my first visit to the land, the Government of South Australia firmed up a multi-year initiative in partnership with us at Group Ritu that have brought wines from this “powerhouse” state formally into their 10-year engagement strategy with India – long awaited! And, on the occasion of the visit to India of the South Australian Business delegation led by H.E. Hieu Van Le, Governor of South Australia, the Minister for Investment and Trade, Hon. Martin Hamilton-Smith, launched the South Australian Wine Education Program which will aim to consolidate the top share of throat and to nurture the wine consumers in India to make informed choices. A moment to thank the world’s leading fine wine magazines for the FINEst years. In 2017, FINE India secured the exit of its Finnish partners from the onlyone-of-its-kind joint ventures in publishing that the Government of India has ever approved. Somewhat contrary to conventional wisdom, FINE India’s resolve is to keep the dying tradition of print alive and not to be swept through by the digital wave. FINE India is proud to present its first “independent” issue – complete with a re-iteration of the founding commitment to bring only the best to the world of wine!

Rajiv Singhal FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

The FINE Ambassadors' and High Commissioners' Table Our Sixth Anniversary Dinner

Text: Ritu Singhal Photographs: SHIVAM BHATI

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INE Wine & Champagne India, the first and only officially

registered wine magazine in India, has turned six. We are hosting the sixth edition of the very unique global wine extravaganza – the FINE Ambassadors’& High Commissioners’ Table. This is

an occasion for friends of wine and friends of FINE to come together to savour the wines that have been individually chosen de rigueur and will be presented by the heads of the diplomatic missions from the world of wine.

The format remains unchanged since this table was conceptualised

Jennifer and Nadir, the protocol team and staff are meticulously

for FINE’s first anniversary, except that this year the venue has

taking care of re-arranging furniture, tagging seats, laying out the

moved from one spectacular location

chinaware on the tables, flagging the

to another. The High Commissioner

glassware in order of service, lighting

for Canada to India, H.E. Nadir Patel,

candle lamps, tweaking the flower

and his wife Jennifer Graham, have

décor, plating the feast, briefing the

very kindly opened the doors of their

liveried footmen, accounting (sadly)

official residence – Canada House –

for last minute dropouts...

the sprawling heritage bungalow in Lutyens’ Delhi.

Our Sommelier for the evening, Vipul Thakur, has taken the treasure chest

As the sun sets on another summer

holding the wine in his charge and

day in Delhi, the OR is buzzing with

sets himself to the task of checking

activity. Under the watchful eye of

the wine, decanting, serving at correct

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Dipak Haksar temperature, and pouring into the right glass for maximum pleasure of the oenophiles that are joining us. This year, the exceptional bottle line-up is a baker’s dozen covering all continents but one of the world's wine production – represented by Australia, Canada, Champagne, Chile, France, Hungary, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain and the United States of America with wines from “lesser known” regions – Israel, Mexico, Serbia. All the bottles have travelled from far and beyond and are waiting anxiously for their heads of mission to share their story. One final look, and we are all ready to welcome our distinguished guests to the reception. The Chateau Ste Michelle Sauvignon Blanc 2014 from the United States of America and the Balduzzi Carmanere 2014 from Chile are served with delectable pass arounds. An air of bonhomie swiftly fills the reception room. H.E. Nadir calls for attention and shares how privileged he and Jennifer are to host this spectacular FINE Anniversary and to

Puja Bhargava

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Nikhil Sawhney welcome a dozen or so Ambassadors and High Commissioners, with special guests and friends, in one very, very special evening, in which we expect to get to know each other (and know more about some countries) a bit better – through wine. As Chief Executive of FINE, I share my gratitude with the Heads of Missions of participating countries for their selection of wines that we will savour as we hear them defend their choice. I welcome the guests, “FINE has grown from strength to strength in spreading the gospel of fine wine in India. Every anniversary is an opportunity to take stock, and we are delighted to have succeeded beyond expectations. As the country’s only officially registered and recognised wine magazine, we don’t have to remain under the radar.” I thank all our advertisers, partners and supporters for supporting our pioneering journey with the hope that they will continue to and more will join us as our journey challenges the next frontier.

Amar Singh

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Deepikka and Rattan Jindal

Mannu Sandhu

FINE’s efforts to bring Chile to represent South America at the FINE Table are successful this year. It has been a long wait – H.E. Andres Barbe Gonzalez, the Ambassador of Chile, and his wife Lorena Escobar are delighted to make it with the regional icon – Carménère from Balduzzi (2014) – the new world wine from old world grapes. If the “Reception” red is from South America, the “Reception” white is from the North. Charge d' Affaires of the Embassy of the United States of America, MaryKay Carlson hails from Arkansas, better known for the more potent “Moonshine White Lightening” (a white corn whiskey). With Minister Counsellor for Agricultural Affairs, Scott Sindelar, the history of wine in the United States is traced back 300 years to the founder, Thomas Jefferson, the first wine maker. The United States is the fourth largest producer of wine, with every single one of the fifty states producing wine – no mean task given the geographical diversity. The refreshing Chateau Ste Michelle Sauvignon Blanc 2014 represents the clean, clear, right taste that Washington wines are famous for.

Asha and Raj Kubba

As we sit down, three glasses with flags of Israel, Serbia and Mexico are placed before us. The “novelty showcase”, introduced at the FINE Ambassadors’ & High Commissioners’ Table of last year’s vintage to make wine more approachable and more accessible to more people in India, has found favour with the diplomatic missions. The market for wine in India remains difficult, and some Ambassador’s from the not-so-well-known wine countries have been keen to present wines from their countries at this rare opportunity. This year, FINE has pulled off another coup and wines of Israel, Serbia and Mexico make their debut. H.E. Daniel Carmon, Israel’s Ambassador, has been convinced by FINE friend and FINE Ambassador, Jess Dutton, to participate in the FINE Anniversary with his wife Ditza Froim – it took three years! He shares that he was born to the Winestone family and when asked to change to Hebrew names, his family changed to “Carmon”, which means “little vineyard”. Presenting a 2014 Reisling from the Kayoumi Vineyards of Carmel Winery, he tells us that Carmel Winery, founded on the slopes of Carmel Mountain,

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Madero from Parras. The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tempranillo leaves the sense of the first kiss in the mouth feel. Our hosts, H.E. Nadir and Jennifer, have proposed very exotic ingredients and delicacies from Canada in the avant garde menu to make the evening fun and adventurous – their version of culinary diplomacy. Nadir seizes this moment to make an intervention and announces that "there will be several through the evening”. He points to the cheese table that has been set up in the room and reminds all guests that they should help themselves through the evening to change their palate between courses or just to sample a particular type of cheese with a wine or to serve themselves the to-die-for papdi chaat liberally dosed with cranberry and maple syrup. Jess Dutton, the Canadian Deputy, takes the mic and takes the gracious hospitality of Canada House to another level, “out in the corridor there are rooms with beds, so feel free to take a break from wine for a wine nap”.

is the largest winery in the country that started with “Kosher” wine. He further claims that the wine industry in Israel is 5000 years old – with few gaps – and has developed well enough for him to present a high altitude single vineyard Riesling that is “not as sweet and not anything drier than a regular Riesling should be”. For H.E. Vladimir Maric, Serbia’s Ambassador, it’s a delight, pleasure and honour for him – and his wife Jovana – to join the FINE Table, where some countries present are leading wine producers in the world. “To present Aleksandrovic Trijumf Noir 2012 from a country which is small in terms of size, in terms of population, and in terms of wine production, I am extremely happy.” Justifying his selection, he chose the most famous wine from vineyards located near the town “Vinča” made by the biggest and most well-equipped winery in Serbia and toasted with “Živeli” (Serbian for long live). H.E. Melba Pria, Mexico’s Ambassador, presents the last novelty wine by requesting all to take a sip of water. Contrary to popular belief, she tells us that wine was produced a very very long time ago in Mexico – to be presented as a “novelty” gives a very old trade a “facelift”. In 1568, the conquistadores came to Parras, an important mining valley and, in 1594, monks set up the first winery in what was then the “new world”. Her choice is the awarded and cheered 3V 2015, which is the favourite pet of the season for Casa

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Rajiv Singhal, the Ambassador of Champagne to India, cannot mask his bias as he speaks of FINE Wine & Champagne India as a wonderful publication! Thanking FINE and our Canadian hosts for another opportunity to present the finest to the finest, he has had bubbles from the kingdom of Champagne poured into the flutes. Champagne Deutz was founded a few centuries ago in Ay (the heartland of grand cru pinot noir) and the grande marque is now owned by the Rouzaud family (owners of Louis Roederer), who firmly believe that the vine is the key to good wine. Choosing not to describe tasting notes, which he believes are individual and

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personal, he does share that the Deutz Brut Classic NV shows great harmony and perfect balance – even more so with the Octo Chaat (South Indian Lasagna for vegetarians). H.E. Joanna Kempkers, the New Zealand High Commissioner accepted our invitation to present at the FINE Table just as she arrived in Delhi with her husband, Dr. Tim Markwell. As if to put history in perspective, she shares how in 1973 when the first Sauvignon Blanc vines were being planted in Marlborough in New Zealand, she was a 2 year old crawling around her parents living room floor. In two decades, Sauvignon Blanc had been firmly established as New Zealand’s selection varietal and today, the New Zealand wine industry is a billion dollar industry and the 6th largest quality export. She proposes the very fresh, explosive flavours and very recognisable style of the Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2014 from Marlborough with Pan-roasted Celeriac and Spiced Artichokes (Banana Sea Bass for the non-vegetarians). The next flight is a white and a red from two very different wine worlds paired with Grilled Polenta with Caramelized Onions, Radicchio and Taleggio Cheese (Lobster Garam Masala with Cranberry-Fenugreek Pilaf for the non-vegetarians). H.E. Joao da Camara, the Ambassador of Portugal accompanied by his wife Raquel, chooses to present from the famed “world heritage” Douro region in the north of Portugal – not the eponymous Port but an unfortified white wine – Quinta da Maritávora Reserva Branco 2012 from the Douro Superior. “In the 19th century, the father of the very famous Portuguese poet, Guerra Junqueiro,

bought some farms here and started a winery. Today, some vines date back 150 years and this wine is organic. But most important, the wine captures and promotes poetry in your glass.” H.E. Harinder Sidhu, the Australian High Commissioner takes us back to 1788 and the first vine plantings by the settlers. She recalls that when her family arrived in Australia in the early 1970s, all one could get was rather awful cheap plonk. The industry adapted and evolved and now, 24 million Australians consume 500 million litres of wine! She let her trusted and diligent deputy, Chris Elstoft, take care of special duties that require special expertise and in depth insights, such as wine. Chris presents Ten Minutes by Tractor Estate Pinot Noir 2015, the arrival of which has been facilitated by Jess’ special “VinGardeValise”. This wine has been selected to showcase a relatively new wine region in Australia, Mornington Peninsula, where Pinot Noir has been planted “only” since the 1970s. Chris sums up with the suggestion to get onto the direct Air India flight to Melbourne and enjoy more such wines at the cellar doors in “Melbourne’s playground”. Jess Dutton is introduced as the resident Sommelier and wine aficionado at Canada House, what some may also know is that he moonlights as the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to India! Recognising that many in the room may not have tried a Canadian wine before, he steered away from the most obvious choices to

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present the Burrowing Owl Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 from the Okanagan Valley from the beautiful province of British Columbia. The winery claims its name from an oddity in the owl species that burrows in the ground, hunts on its long legs, is migratory and became extinct in the eighties. Jim Wyse (Founder & Proprietor) took his winery’s christening rather seriously and supported wildlife conservationists with some millions, so that Burrowing Owls are thriving again! It is time for the main course – Lamb Tandoor cheese encrusted lamb chops au jus with sweetneem-leaf potatoes (Courgette Floral Barley delicately spiced barley with courgette flowers and maple-glazed roast vegetables with smoked avocado purée for the vegetarians) – and the wines are old world Europe. The Ambassador of France, H.E. Alexandre Ziegler, and his wife Veronique selected Les Grands Ducs Saint Julien 2013 from their cellars to present at the FINE Table, but had to nominate Jean-

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Marc Fenet to come in their stead. A balance between elegance and refinement and power and substance is how Jean-Marc describes this wine, of which only 41,000 bottles are produced in a year. He recalls medieval Grand Dukes as wine connoisseurs and ends with the expression, “fait la tournee les Grands Ducs” – to enjoy a very pleasant evening with excellent wines and lovely conversations amongst friends! The new Spanish Ambassador H.E. Jose Baranano asked Emilio Contreras to represent Spain at the FINE Table (for the third year running). He describes Spain as a land of extremes – hot regions and cold regions, monasteries and vineyards, Real Madrid and Barca, Rioja and Ribera”. And presents Celeste Crianza Ribera del Duero 2013 – a Ribera wine that he describes as a perfect example of the spirit of innovation of the very famous and world’s most admired wine brand, Torres. Traditional Canadian Nanaimo Chocolate bars; Hot Butter Tarts with Fresh fruits; White Chocolate Mousse with Saffron Sponge

Brian Parrott, Minister Counsellor Commercial at the Canadian High Commission, is tasked to enlighten us about the historic “Nanaimo Bar”. Nanaimo is a coal town on the east coast of Vancouver Island, and it is believed that the bar found its way into miner lunchboxes. Its first recipe was created by the ladies auxiliary of the Nanaimo Hospital Society in 1952. The recipe was published in the Edith Adams Cook Book, produced by the Vancouver Sun, that became a given on every kitchen shelf. An attempt to register as a Geographical Indication, that British Columbia could be proud of, was sacrificed in negotiations with the Belgians. In the spirit of the evening, Brian concludes with tasting notes for the Nanaimo bar too, “a nose of dark chocolate, a bit of burnt custard on the palate, and of course a lovely finish of Graham crackers and coconut”. The 13th wine has been served. The Ambassador of Hungary, H.E. Gyula Pethő has waited patiently (he vows to present a rosé next year to come up the order) for his turn to present the Barta Oreg Kiraly Dulo Tokaji Szamorodni 2013 from the oldest wine

region in Hungary since 1572. “Szamorodni” was how the Polish named the wine, it means made by itself. When collected, the grapes already have noble rot which gives the high sugar content – minimum 21%. His wife, Annamaria Somogyi, insists that the wine is worth the wait – all concur.

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and Lemon Curd Tart with Meringue make the dessert platter that comes out – so sinful, yet divine.

H.E. Nadir sums up the tasting notes that he has picked up this evening – hints of cassis, berries, plums, hickory, tobacco and some rather unusual ones – bacon and charred meat. He highlights that key ingredients such as Cranberries, Maple syrup, Canola oil of Canadian origin had been used by Chef Sanjay, who put this wonderful feast on the table to pair with 13 wines entirely with his team in the kitchens of Canada House. With Jennifer, he thanks all for the collective participation in this very, very fun evening. Each FINE Anniversary has been celebrated by different wines, different styles of food, different wine-lovers, and in this case, a different location. The spirit of participation by our FINE friends across the world has built the tradition that the FINE Ambassadors’ & High Commissioners’ Table has come to epitomise.

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The Fine Ambassadors and High Commissioners

The Hosts Nadir Patel & Jennifer Graham (Canada), Ritu Singhal (Fine), Rajiv Singhal (Champagne)

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Australia Harinder Sidhu

Chile Andres Barbe & Lorena Escobar

USA MaryKay L Carlson

Mexico Melba Pria

Hungary Gyula PethÅ&#x2018; & Annamari Somogyi

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Israel Daniel Carmon & Ditza Froim

Portugal JoÃ£o da Camara & Raquel da Camara

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New Zealand Joanna Kempkers & Tim Markwell

Serbia Vladimir Maric & Jovana Maric

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Canada Jess Dutton & Sigrid Schlueter

France Jean-Marc Fenet

Canada Brian Parrott & Kelly Lindsay

Spain Emilio C. Benitez & Tanushree Jain

Canada Robert McCubbing

Australia Chris Elstoft

Australia Leonie Muldoon

USA Scott Sindelar

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Fine India Sixth Anniversary Tasting Notes Balduzzi Maule Valley Carmenere 2014

Region: Maule Valley, Chile Varietal: Carmenere Appearance: Pale ruby with some violet tints Aromas: Fruity, dark cherry, blackberry, slightly woody Taste: Red fruit compote, black plum, hints of peppery spice, soft tannins Finish: Smooth, short and slightly bitter When to drink: Now Inside Information: When the first vines of Chile were planted back in the 16th century, they were planted in the Maule Valley, which is today one the biggest wine regions in the country. Balduzzi is about 250 kms from Santiago, is family owned and is managed by the 3rd generation. The February 2010 earthquake brought significant devastation – almost 6,00,000 litres of macerating wine was lost and a further 20 stainless steel tanks spilled the wine which was fermenting quite literally flooding the entire estate with wine. In a nutshell: It’s come a long way

Carmel Winery Riesling Kayoumi Vineyards 2015 Region: Varietal: Appearance: Aromas:

Upper Galilee, Israel Riesling Straw yellow with silver tints Blossoms, just ripe apples, lemon zest with a hint of gasoline Taste: Citrussy, juicy apricots, pears, minerally with lively acidity Finish: Lingering with a minerally citrus edge When to drink: Now Inside Information: Carmel Winery is not the oldest, but one of the most historic wineries and now amongst the biggest in Israel. The first colonists in this part of the world approached the Boardeaux Baron, Edmond de Rothschild of Château Lafite, to lay the foundation in the Ya’acov region in the north of the territory in 1882. This wine has origins in Kayoumi vineyard, on the south easterly slopes of Upper Galilee, where the Johannesburg Riesling. The vineyards are at an altitude of 750 m above sea level, which keeps it rather cold, and very cool climate-like. In a nutshell: Israeli precision in the art world

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Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Region: Columbia Valley, Washington State, USA Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc Appearance: Light yellow-green Aromas: Lemon zest, herbaceous, pear, fragrant berries Taste: Grapefruit, golden apple, grass, hint of honeydew melon Finish: Medium firm, crisp and minerally When to drink: Now Inside Information: The Seattle lumber baron Frederick Stimson built the estate in 1912. Fifty years ago, Ste. Michelle Vineyards launched premium “European style” wine as Columbia Valley of Washington state. The founding fathers of the “founding winery in Washington” set out to prove –wrong the misconception that “great wine can come only from Italy or California” and inspired the thriving wine industry in this state – which is now home to nearly 1,000 wineries and 14 American Viticultural Areas. In a nutshell: Perfect starter

Aleksandrović Trijumf Noir 2012 Region: Varietal: Appearance: Aromas:

Oplenac, Serbia Pinot Noir Light garnet with purple tints Red fruits, cranberry, ripe cherry, plum, spice and whiff of smoke Taste: Pre-dominantly plum, redcurrant, blackberry, with vanilla and toast Finish: A medium to long finish and palate coating velvety tannins When to drink: Now to 2018 Inside Information: Family Aleksandrović has been in the wine world for more than a century. The great grandfather, Miloš, was one of the founders of Vinča Winegrowers Cooperative back in 1903. Trijumf was one the most sought after wines in the royal courts of Europe before World War II. In 1991, Živan Tadić who was a famous royal cellarmaster who had migrated to Canada following the World Wars, learnt about the attempts of the family Aleksandrović to revive Serbian winemaking traditions and shared the original recipe of ‘Trijumf’ with the Vinčas. This marked a new chapter in the long history of this family in wine. They are today the biggest and the most well-equipped winery in Serbia. In a nutshell: A differently mastered Pinot

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Casa Madero 3V 2015 Region: Valle de Parras, Mexico Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tempranillo Appearance: Intense deep ruby with purplish tints Aromas: Complex, red cherries, plum, black fruit compote, clove, pepper, cedar Taste: Berries, bramble, liquorice, vanilla, charred wood with ripe grippy tannins Finish: Well balanced, lingering and very pleasant When to drink: Now to 2020 Inside Information: The oldest winery in the Americas – four centuries old – when Mission of Santa María de las Parras made the first wine from native vineyards in the Parras valley. The Madero family, which also gave Mexico a President, modernise the facilities since the 19th century and send successive generations to train in Europe. Since 1893, Casa Madero has played a pioneering role – among others the first ISO9001: 2008 Certification and the first organic vineyards in Mexico with the National Organic Program of USDA Organic. In 2013, tasted blind by 134 professional tasters from around the world, the Chenin Blanc 2012, was selected as the Best White Wine of the entire Vinalies Paris competition from 3,425 international wines. In a nutshell: Colourful + vibrant + robust = Mexican

Champagne Deutz Brut Classic NV Region: Ay, Champagne, France Varietal: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay Appearance: Medium deep gold with a steady stream of rising fine bubbles Aromas: Brioche, freshly baked bread, nuts with a hint of dairy Taste: Fresh green apples and a touch of minerality Finish: Perfectly balanced, longish with all-round pleasantness When to drink: Till you can resist Inside Information: Maison Deutz was founded in 1838 by William Deutz and Pierre-Hubert Geldermann, both wine merchants from Aixla-Chapelle, in the renowned grand cru terroir of Ay. The founders’ belief that a fine vineyard is the cornerstone of great wine is embodied in the “Amour de Deutz Methuselah Collection” – “timeless, precious and unprecedented”. Just 365 examples were created for the real collectors – each bottle individually numbered and named. Each vintage has had an encounter with art – from a gold embroidered white leather case to a bespoke Christofle cradle. In a nutshell: A symphony for all senses

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Wither Hills Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015

Maritávora Reserva Bianco Douro 2012

Region: Wairau Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc Appearance: Pale gold with green tints Aromas: Lime, gooseberries, sweet peas, hints of tropical guava and slightly herbaceous Taste: Refined, bone dry with zesty acidity just like biting into a fresh juicy grapefruit. Pomelo, sweet bell peppers and some minerality. Fresh and succulent, Bright and cheerful. Finish: Chalky, tropical, medium dry When to drink: Now to 2018 Inside Information: The story of one man, a local winemaker, who didn’t desire fame and fortune. Crafting the very best wine from Marlborough’s exceptional vineyards bordering the Wither Hills mountain range to represent their sense of place was his passion. And getting his hands dirty described him. Three vineyards – Rarangi, Taylor River and Benmorven – produce the premium single vineyard range. The winery is accredited with Sustainable Winegrowing NZ and the cellar door restaurant offers sweeping views of the Richmond Ranges and the gorgeous Wither Hills in the Wairau Valley. In a nutshell: Delightful refresher

Region: Douro Valley, Portugal Varietal: Blend of many indigenous such as Rabigato, Códega do Larinho, Viosinho Appearance: Intense straw gold Aromas: Mature, hay, dried apples, cheese, tangerines Taste: Powerful, intense, preserved fruits, cinnamon with very lively acidity Finish: Citrusy long and lingering When to drink: Now to 2022 Inside Information: Quinta da Maritávora is one of the oldest family-owned and operated wineries in Portugal. In the 19th century, José Junqueiro Júnior, father of the poet Guerra Junqueiro, acquired farms in the Freixo de Espada-à-Cinta district of the Douro valley – a region which is Portugal’s coolest in winter and infernally hot in summers. Vines are planted in poor schists soil on wine terraces that line the slopes of the Douro. Tough conditions make the wine strong, full of character, which is loaded with wisdom and maturity with age. The estate uses indigenous varietals, practices minimal intervention winemaking, and ferments in cement “lagares”. An organic wine – fruit of its own circumstances. In a nutshell: Traditional specimen of nonfortified Douro

Ten Minutes by Tractor Mornington Peninsula Estate Pinot Noir 2015

Region: Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia Varietal: Pinot Noir Appearance: Medium dark ruby Aromas: Ripe, slightly tart red fruit, raspberries, currants, cherries with some oaky vanilla Taste: Red berry compote, black fruits, velvety tannins and hint of bacon and sea salt Finish: Strong herbaceous and minty When to drink: Now till 2019 Inside Information: Basis three unique vineyard sites, the first wines were made in 2000 by Richard McIntyre. Martin Spedding bought in 2003 with a view to making wine that is specific to his expanded vision of terroir. The cellar door restaurant presents chef Stuart Bell’s contemporary cuisine with fresh regional produce, head sommelier Jacques Savary de Beauregarda’s wine list that’s been judged Australia’s best, and magnificent views over the vineyards. Recognition came from James Halliday, “one of the cleverest pieces of marketing, the unforgettable name reinforced by superb graphics”. In a nutshell: A go to Mornington

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Region: Okanagan, Canada Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon Appearance: Deep garnet, opaque with some orange tints Aromas: Dark fruit, cherries, cassis, black olives, dusty oak, cedar, tobacco and dry sage Taste: Complex structure, prune, dried plums, dried cherries, charred meats, fine grained mouth coating tannins Finish: Intensely flavourful, spicy and minty When to drink: Now Inside Information: Founder Jim Wyse is committed to balance. The Hippocratic oath “to do no harm” underlies the creative viticultural and oenological practices at Burrowing Owl. The fragile ecosystems present challenges. Bluebird boxes and bat nurseries are standard alternative pest control systems. Meadowlark nests are protected by barriers so that they are not inadvertently destroyed by machinery/ workers. Snakes are safely relocated. Bears and big horned sheep are discouraged from sharing the harvest but never harmed. In a nutshell: British Columbian powerhouse

Celeste Crianza Ribera del Duero 2013 Region: Varietal: Appearance: Aromas:

Ribera del Duero, Spain Tempranillo Deep ruby Ripe strawberry, dark cherry, blackberry, violets and a hint of Ethiopian coffee Taste: Elegant body and structure. Black fruit compote, silky tannins with a hint of leather. Finish: Pleasingly long When to drink: Now till 2023 Inside Information: At an altitude of 895 metres, you can almost touch the stars and shape the clouds, and it is here that Celeste is born. This is the Torres family’s first Ribera del Duero – a wine that exemplifies their spirit of innovation. Sometime in the eighties, Miguel Torres Sr. started a very ambitious project to revive native Catalan grape varietals that had “disappeared” with the objective to protect their patrimoine for the next generations. Universities in Tarragona and Montpellier were brought in to identify them and as many as 32 “lost” varietals have been recovered. In a nutshell: Spanish innovation

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Burrowing Owl Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Barta Öreg Király Dűlű Tokaj Szamorodni 2013

Les Grands Ducs Saint-Julien 2013 Region: Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc Appearance: Deep ruby, opaque and dark orange tints Aromas: Lavender, red berries, dark fruits with hints of toast, vanilla and cedar Taste: Juicy, berry compote, dried blackberry, hint of cedar and cassis. Ripe supple tannins. Finish: Balance of elegance, refinement and power When to drink: Now to 2028 Inside Information: Aquitaine in the South West of France is a very beautiful part of France, yet disputed. The Queen of Aquitaine became the wife of the King of England and the history of long wars was finally put to rest as the English found love for Bordeaux wines! The French King Henry the 3rd owned some chateaux in the village of Beychevelle in the Saint-Julien AOC. “Beychevelle” is old French for “to drop the sails” and it is believed that all boats sailing along the coast as they headed to sea dropped sails as they sailed past. In a nutshell: Aristocrat

Region: Tokaji, Hungary Varietal: Typical Tokaj blend of Furmit, Hárslevelű and Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains Appearance: Bright lively gold Aromas: Honey, orange peel, dried apricots, mangoes with a touch of caramelization and sweet spices Taste: Sweet lime, mangoes, honeycomb, candied pineapple and a bit of hazelnut toffee. Cloying sweetness stands out on the ripe fruit character Residual sugar: 115 g/l Finish: Well balanced and medium When to drink: Now till 2019 Inside Information: In the 19th century, the extravagant Russian Czar who was very fond of the “wines of the gods”, rented a village in the region of Tokaj from the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. About a dozen officers from his military were commissioned to stay in that village with clear orders – choose the best wines for the Czar. But the better part of the job was to taste all the wines and obviously get drunk. In the 21st century, Barta offers you a similar option. Stay in the historic Rákóczi-Aspremont mansion on the estate in the village of Mád and taste the wines of the estate – to get drunk is your choice! In a nutshell: Extraordinary dessert Inputs for tasting notes by Vipul Thakur & Radhika Puar

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THE DRINKS INTERVAL: WINE AND CRICKET Text: Stuart George

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Following India’s victory over West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on 30th June 2017, the former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who scored 78 not out, was asked by a journalist about how he is getting better with age. Dhoni replied, “It’s like wine”. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

vineyard encourages vigour and lots of fat grapes. The smell of freshly mown grass is a common descriptor for some young white wines. Heavy rolling and covering the wicket is akin to spraying – a contrived manipulation of the environment that lessens the effects of climate and weather on how the pitch wears or the grapes ripen. Covers keep the area dry but can encourage fusarium, the cricket pitch equivalent of downy mildew, which is a grape disease caused by wet

weather.

Dhoni was born in 1981, which was a

The WACA ground in Perth, for instance,

reasonable vintage for red Bordeaux,

was for years renowned for its rock hard,

red Burgundy, Alsace, and the Loire

lightning-fast, clay-heavy wicket baked

Valley. Dhoni’s former teammate Sachin

in the scorching Western

Tendulkar – arguably the greatest of all

Australian sun, a bit like some

international batsmen – is known to enjoy

Australian wines are known,

good food and wine.

rightly or wrongly, for their high alcohol and deep colour.

The parallels between cricket and wine are

Vineyards can be dusty and

many and varied.

bumpy too, like the wicket at

Vineyards and wickets

the vast Eden Gardens ground in Kolkata.

John Arlott, a distinguished English cricket commentator but also an accomplished

A groundsman, just like a

wine writer, wrote, “The most important

vigneron, spends the winter and

single factor governing any first-class

spring tending to his few acres.

cricket match is the wicket.”

The grass on a cricket pitch is close-cropped like vines being

Wickets (or pitches), like vineyards, are

pruned. Groundsmen like to

influenced by the sun, soil, climate,

add nitrogen to their pitches

and weather. Bounce and pace varies

to produce a vivid green grass,

according to the soil, just as – to a certain

which looks nice on the TV,

extent – vigour and yield do in a vineyard.

just as spraying nitrogen in a

FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

Australians: Good at cricket and wine The Australian aptitude for playing cricket and for making wine is demonstrated by the many Antipodean labels that

evoke cricket: Jim Barry’s The Cover FINE Sport

Drive; Bleasdale Second Innings Malbec; DogRidge SQUARE CUT Cabernet; One Chain Vineyards The Googly Chardonnay; St. John’s Road Line and Length Cabernet Sauvignon (the label of which depicts the

Cricketers Pavilion Shiraz, among others. Wyndham Hill Smith, nephew of

Glenn McGrath

Shane Warne

and Jack Hobbs); and Wandin Wines

great England openers Herbert Sutcliffe

Australia captain Clem Hill, took over the management of his family’s Yalumba winery in the Barossa Valley in 1938. “Wyndie” was a good left-handed batsman and played nine games of first-class cricket. In October 1932, he represented Western Australia and an Australian XI in two warm-up matches against the touring England side during what became known as the “Bodyline” tour. The England team’s great fast bowler Harold Larwood targeted batsmen, and especially the brilliant Australian Donald Bradman, by aiming at their bodies – hence “Bodyline”. “Selling Port and Sherry to the miners of Kalgoorlie was pretty tough”, said Wyndie’s son Sam; “nevertheless, one of the greatest challenges to confront Wyndie Hill Smith was in the form of the formidable Harold Larwood”. Hill Smith opened and scored 26 for Western Australia in the match against the England team that included Larwood. His obituary in Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack noted, “In later life he became famous for the liberal hospitality

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Â© MCC

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FINE Sport Â© CIVC FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

“Line” was a wine term coined by the Len Evans

which he extended to touring teams at his

club has produced international players

and a half feet down from the Grandstand

Yalumba vineyard in South Australia.”

including Tom Moody, Tim Zoehrer,

boundary to the Tavern stand. Before

Brendan Julian, and Simon Katich.

drainage was installed, Lord’s used to

Jack Mann of Houghton winery in the

flood in front of the Tavern Stand, like

Swan Valley, to the north of Perth, was a

The Hill of Lord’s

fine club cricketer. He said, “The greatest

Great vineyards like Romanée-Conti in

grape I have is the noble Cabernet. I

Burgundy or Henschke’s Hill of Grace

suggested many a time that it is the only

in Eden Valley are like Lord’s Cricket

The “ridge”, a fractional undulation in the

grape tolerated in heaven and cricket is the

Ground, a few acres to which people from

surface right across the table of wickets,

only game that is played.”

around the world pay pilgrimage.

which runs east by north to west by south,

the bottom parts of the Clos de Vougeot vineyard in Burgundy.

also defines the terroir of Lord’s. Glenn Lord’s, in chilly London, has a much slower

McGrath of Australia obtained maximum

is the Midland Guildford Cricket Club,

pitch than Perth, though not without its

use of the ridge in 2005 during an amazing

which is surrounded by vineyards. The

own particular terroir of a slope of six

spell in which he took 5–21.

Ian Botham

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About three miles south of Houghton

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Jason Gillespie

Lord’s has used Sprinter, Majestic, and

reflected glory of their country’s vinous

recent vintages of this wine have included

Island Brown Top grass varieties. Different

exploits.

grapes from outside the Hunter Valley).

sorts of grass are used for sport pitches,

It also owns a “Graveyard” vineyard,

just as different vine clones are used in a

Shane Warne, who took 708 Test wickets,

presumably named in honour of all those

vineyard.

had his own range of wines via the Zilzie

failed England tours of Australia.

winery at Sunraysia in Victoria. The former Happily, Lord’s is the only major cricket

leg spinner Stuart MacGill is another

Geoff Merrill’s winery at Reynella near

ground in the world where spectators can

cricketer and noted wine enthusiast, or

McLaren Vale has for many years been

bring their own wine.

“wine tragic” in Aussie speak.

a favourite stop for England players during an Ashes series. Ian Botham and

Cricket and wine tragedies and tragics

Brokenwood in the Hunter Valley sells a

Bob Willis befriended Merrill during

“Cricket Pitch” wine, so-called because

the England tour of Australia in 1978.

In Australia some distinguished cricketers

the vineyard adjacent to the winery was

This longstanding friendship led to the

have been unable to resist basking in the

once the site of a cricket ground (though

creation of the Botham Merrill Willis

FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

wines, the first releases of which were the

when applied to wine. The US wine writer

being lost. Many people prefer Chilean

2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2001 Shiraz

Robert Parker rates wines on a 100-point

Sauvignon Blanc and Twenty20 cricket to

and 2002 Chardonnay. Botham’s love of

scale; thus a century equals, for him,

fine Bordeaux and a Test.

wine was greatly influenced by John Arlott.

perfection in a wine glass. Scoring 100 is

In June 2008, Thomas Hardy Wines

the height of excellence for a batsman.

released the “Dizzy 201” Shiraz 2005 to

The former England batsman Graham Thorpe said, “Test cricket is connoisseur's

honour the Australian fast bowler Jason

The language of cricket has parallels with

cricket, it is like a fine wine. Twenty20

Gillespie’s score of 201 not out in his final

the language of wine. Fielders and bowlers

cricket is like the fast-food version”.

Test appearance. A total of 2,001 numbered

have length and can be fine, full, and long,

and signed bottles and 201 numbered and

like a good wine. “Line” was a wine term

The English writer Neville Cardus

signed magnums were offered, as well as

coined by the Len Evans (1930–2006), one

frequently championed the beauty of Test

337 numbered bottles, 144 numbered

of the founding fathers of the modern

cricket, comparing it to music and literature:

magnums, and 1,178 numbered bottles. At

Australian wine industry, to describe a

“Cricket, more than any other game, is able

A$495 / INR24,000 per magnum, it would

wine’s continuity of flavour and structure.

at its best to rise above competitive appeal

be – like the current Indian captain Virat Kohli – a costly thing to drop.

A Test of patience

and results; it can show its fine arts entirely for our pleasure – our aesthetic pleasure”.

We live in an era of social media and short attention spans. With cricket and wine and

Like all the good things in life, fine wine and

everything else, people demand instant

cricket are worth the wait – and even more

Scoring is an admirable occupation in the

gratification. The pleasures of a long-aged

pleasurable when enjoyed together. >

cricketing world, but more controversial

fine wine and of a five-day Test match are

A perfect 100

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FINE Sport Â© Anthony O'Neil FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

Maharajas’ Express

An experience unsurpassed I

ndia… a country with a history as old as time. A country where diverse dynasties have ruled through centuries, leaving their indelible imprint on the landscape, language and culture of the nation. Majestic palaces, forts, rich natural bounty, abundant wildlife….there’s so much to soak in and store memories for a lifetime. Come aboard Maharajas’ Express. Journey Options Indian Splendour (7 Nights/ 8 Days) Delhi-Agra-Ranthambore-Jaipur-Bikaner-Jodhpur-UdaipurBalasinore-Mumbai Heritage of India (7 Nights/ 8 Days) Mumbai-Ajanta-Udaipur-Jodhpur-Bikaner-JaipurRanthambore-Fatehpur Sikri-Agra-Delhi Indian Panorama (7 Nights/ 8 Days) Delhi-Jaipur-Ranthambore-Fatehpur Sikri-Agra-GwaliorKhajuraho-Varanasi-Lucknow-Delhi Gems of India/ Treasures of India (3 Nights/ 4 Days) Delhi-Agra-Ranthambore-Jaipur-Delhi Highlights All inclusive tariff including sightseeing and meals • 24-hour valet service • Complimentary house wines, spirits and beers • Sightseeing with entrance fee included • Services of an experienced tour director • Choice of optional excursions and spas at hotels • Paramedic onboard

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The Pull of

Bordeaux Text: Châ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ng Poh Tiong

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Photos: Chateau Lafon-Rochet

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asile Tesseron’s audacious change of the consultant hired by his father at Saint-Estephe’s Chateau LafonRochet in 2012 was the talk of the wine world that year. While that decision shook the ground under the vines, Tesseron’s assimilation into the wine world is no less intriguing.

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Like members of the new generation of proprietors working alongside or having actually taken over from their parents, aunts or uncles, Basile Tesseron is highly educated, well-travelled and speaks English. The young Frenchman has also made history. Not just any historical milestone, but Médoc history no less. That’s like winning the César and Academy award for the same movie. It’s a double whammy that dreams are made of. Ironically, Tesseron has done so by not even wanting to be involved in the family business in the first place. ‘I didn’t want to join the wine world because both sides of my family have always been involved in alcohol. It was my maternal grandfather, Pierre Lillet, an oenologist, who gave me the opportunity to smell and taste when I was only four years old. In his office, there were so many flavours such as orange and other citrus fruits.’

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A RELUCTANT VIGNERON

I didn’t want to join the wine world

Basile Tesseron may have been born in the 20th century but those wafting memories can be traced back to the 19th century when the maternal branch of the family created the Lillet aperitif in Podensac, south of Bordeaux. On the paternal side, the Tesserons are legendary Cognac distillers with a history going back five centuries. Their entry into the world of table wine is relatively more recent. The Tesserons purchased Chateau Lafon-Rochet in the 1960s and Chateau Pontet-Canet in 1975. Then in 1999, Basile’s father, Michel Tesseron, sold his share in the Pauillac Fifth Growth in order to acquire threequarters of the share of Saint-Estephe Fourth Growth Lafon-Rochet. The remaining 25% is owned by his older sister Princess Caroline Poneiatowska. Following his becoming the majority owner, the flamboyant Michel Tesseron painted Lafon-Rochet a bright Tweety Bird or Emoji yellow. You can’t miss it from the road (not long after passing LafiteRothschild on the left and then Cos d’Estournel to the right). So visually announced, the chateau draws you

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FINE Bordeaux FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

in like hapless insects to the irresistible light. There was a singular exception. As mentioned earlier, Basile Tesseron was not interested in getting involved in wine. ‘I wanted to work in communication. I did a degree in Bordeaux, Edinburgh and Kassel (in Germany) because apart from studying communication, I also wanted to learn the three languages. In 2001, I was working in London for the Richemont Group (the luxury stable owns, including, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Piaget, Vacheron Constantin, JaegerLeCoultre, Montblanc, Dunhill and Lancel).’ When working in London, every week, Basile Tesseron was chatting about wine with one of the top executives of the Richemont Group. After six months and many more conversations, that same person gave the Frenchman the following assessment, “You might be more talented in wine than in communication”.’ The truth is never always easy to swallow. Those of us unable to accept it are merely postponing the inevitable. Like it or not, the truth will prevail. It’a a matter of time. The wisest amongst us, on the other hand, will waste no further time in embracing the inevitable. Wisdom is a form of courage. And vice versa. Basile Tesseron returned to Bordeaux and signed up for a degree in wine management. He also logged a few months at Chateau Haut-Bailly. Tesseron then left for Mendoza to work for Bodegas Fabre Montmayou (and also because he wanted to learn Spanish). After eight months in South America, Tesseron returned to Bordeaux to join Duclot, the famous Bordeaux wine merchant owned by the family of Jean-Francois Moueix, proprietor also of Chateau Petrus. In the four years he was there from 2003, the young man gained invaluable experience and contacts. Even when Basile Tesseron had decided to become involved in wine, he resisted the all too easy pull of the family business. It says something of his independent spirit and willpower that Tesseron resisted the 48

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Wisdom is a form of courage

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FINE Bordeaux FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

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After Michel Tesseron painted Lafon-Rochet the brightest of colour, he clamped up and said he wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do anything else to it until Basile joined him. The father (no doubt good-naturedly) was trying to blackmail his only child. These things tend to backfire rather than run a predictable straight course. Fortunately for Michel Tesseron and Lafon-Rochet, Basile agreed to do so. (But not before defining his own destiny by first working in communication in London and later in wine with other people outside the family fold). The best was yet to come.

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temptation. One which will bear immeasurable fruit for the Saint-Estephe chateau and for which he wrote the family estate into the wine history books.

The son made his boldest move

His wine odyssey completed, Basile Tesseron finally joined his father Michel at Chateau Lafon-Rochet in 2007. He learnt the ropes, familiarise himself with the business, and became acquainted with the staff. Perhaps even more importantly, Basile Tesseron got to know the vineyard and tasted the wine. Gradually assuming a greater role at the property as his father handed over more responsibility, the son made his boldest move five years after becoming involved in the family estate. In 2012, Basile Tesseron named Jean-Claude Berrouet as consultant to Chateau Lafon-Rochet (it was Michel Rolland before that). It was a move even more game changing than when his father visited a new colour upon the chateau. Berrouet was winemaker of Chateau Petrus from 1964 until his retirement in 2008. Basile had seen him, from a distance, when he worked at the negociant Duclot. Berrouet is very highly regarded but it takes just as highly a sensitive person to appreciate the kind of indomitably classic wines that he fashions. In one single bold stroke, Basile Tesseron created Bordeaux history. Chateau Lafon-Rochet is the first and, to date, only property on the Left Bank to engage the legendary Jean-Claude Berrouet as its consultant. The MĂŠdoc is luckier and braver for that. To think that Basile Tesseron didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even want to get involved in wine in the first place. >

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Château Lafon-Rochet 2012 Tasting Jean-Claude Berrouet’s maiden vintage at his inaugural assignment on the Left Bank, the wine all but vindicates Basile Tesseron’s astute, brave, and incredibly wise decision to change consultants. In the first place, 2012 is a good to very good, but not an exceptional, vintage for Bordeaux red. Such is Nature’s throw of the dice that not every year will be the same. It is when things are more challenging that creativity and imagination are revealed. If a consultant or winemaker had pushed the grapes too much and over-extracted in 2012, we end up having a coarse, mouth-puckering red with no possibility of redemption since the delicate fruit would have been snuffed out in the first place (life cannot be restored once murder has taken place). Such an aggressive wine would be no different than someone talking loudly but with no content nor substance. It would be just noise. Instead, Lafon-Rochet 2012 charms with elegant, persistent, delicate blue/black fruit and, just as importantly, silky, caressing tannins. The freshness is from start to finish. Like a V8 engine without interruption. What utter finesse.

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FOR GOODNESS... Photo: Â© Japan National Tourism Organisation

SAKE! 62

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F I N E Ja p a n Text: LARA VICTORIA

or most of us, our earliest memories of sake may involve a sharply stinging, highly alcoholic drink that was served alongside a roll of sushi at an izakaya partitioned up like a bento box. This sake, may likely have been served warm too and the experience may have indelibly been imprinted to memory (albeit, unpleasantly). Now who could blame you, if you resisted the thought of re-visiting that experience? â&#x20AC;Ś however, I am here to urge you to reconsider that. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

You see, sake has travelled history from its genesis in China around 4000 B.C. to its present flourish in Japan since 300 B.C. While dates might be argued upon, the general consensus seems to rest around that time, because it was sometime then that wet rice cultivation also began in Japan. Rice became the staple for food and not surprisingly, was the key ingredient in producing a local alcoholic beverage. Since those days of yore, its style has evolved, interchanging from sweeter expressions to drier ones and back and forth. In the colder months, sake was indeed served warm to heat up one’s “body and soul”. Of course, the lack of refrigeration in those days meant that in warmer weather, sake was simply served at room temperature or cooled in water that melted down from the snow on the mountains.

Photos: © Tokubee Masuda

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It was only after World War II that the sophisticated and efficient ricepolishing machine, as we know it today, was created. The ability to polish rice closer to the grain’s core led to the creation of Ginjo style of sakes, which seem to favour cooler serving temperatures. Not only could these delicate, refined and elegant sakes be produced now, but thanks to mechanization, they could be produced in large volumes. While the world reveled in the evolution of wines, not much was known of this exquisite libation of Japan. Those who looked at sake as nothing more than a travel token of Japan, brought in the lesser, commercial versions of sake and introduced them as a novelty drink for thematic Japanese meals. It seems, sake merely served as a

westernized reference to the world’s most eastern country, instead of being appreciated for what it really was. Small Japanese restaurants opened up across the world, and most poured what we would call commercialized versions of sake alongside their popular offerings of sushi. Needless to say, sake was not given the attention it deserved or that wine enjoyed. Instead, it only got buried further away from the CITIES OFof THEexcellence WORLD recognized mark it truly deserved.

TOKYO

It is believed that sake is enjoyed by gods, and even today, some offer it to the deities first, during festivities before consuming it themselves.

F I N E Ja p a n

In Japan, however, sake-making continued to grow more precise. Science uncovered better and more efficient methods to improve on the final product. Ultimately, technology and human creativity enjoyed its union in producing some of the best sake this world had ever known. Something this good, however, could no longer stay hidden. Towards the latter part of the last century, Japan seemed a lot more relaxed in terms of its international engagement and eventually, the world started to murmur about sake! Today, its stately and elegant versions are no strangers to culinary meccas all over the world. Small, über chic dining establishments and many a Michelin star restaurant carry impressive sake lists to complement their wine offerings. It would be most incredible to note is that sake is not restricted to sushi or Japanese food alone. It

complements international cuisines like Persian, Italian, Malaysian or Moroccan fare just as well as English pub grub. In fact, the versatility and adaptability of sake makes it the ideal companion to the varied expressions of Indian cuisine. From dosas to daal makhani, sake supports the Indian palate with Japanese precision! Another noteworthy benefit that sake scores, is that it does not contain sulfites. Those who cringe about the inclusion of sulphur in wines will find this a redeeming option. What’s more …being rice based, it is even gluten-free! It’s time to step out and experience the refinement of sake as we are privileged to know now. It will shatter your apprehensive memory of those alcohol-forward harsh offerings. Shying away from the sakes of today is simply denying yourself the right to experience the best of contemporary gastronomy. Now why would you want to do that?

So, here’s a call out to all of you of good taste…extend your repertoire with sake. Trust me. You’ll wonder what took you so long!

The first historical recording of sake was in the legend of Kojiki, the oldest Japanese chronicle, published in the year 712. The legend goes that an evil eight headed dragon attacked Shimane village (considered the birth-place of sake) year after year, each time devouring a girl. But Susano-o, the Shinto god of sea and storms, came up with a rather ingenious solution to stop the dragon – he asked the villagers to prepare a strong sake, filled eight cups with sake and waited for the dragon. The dragon arrived for his prey, but drunk from the cups and fell asleep… and Susano-o slayed the dragon to save the village.

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Photo: Â© Tokubee Masuda

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UNDERSTANDING SAKE

Sake is basically made of 4 ingredients: rice, kōji (a rice mould), yeast and water. Since rice takes centre stage here, the first key to identifying a particular sake style, is understanding its seimaibuai (the polishing ratio of the rice). It is indicated as a percentage – 50%, 60%, 70%... and so on. A sake label carries a number, which indicates the percentage of the grain remaining after polishing. For example, a polishing ratio of 60% means that each grain of rice, used to produce that sake, had only 60% of it remaining, or 40% of that grain had been polished or milled away.

Photo: © Japan National Tourism Organisation

Now, why is this important? It is, because the outer surface of the grain contains minerals, fatty acids

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and proteins. These could develop off-flavours in the resulting sake that is produced. Therefore, the closer the grain is polished to its starchy core, called shinpaku (which expresses the purest qualities of the grain), the more elegant its expression tends to be. Another important term to understand and keep in mind is “Junmai”. Remember those 4 ingredients that make sake? Well, there is a 5th “optional” ingredient: brewer’s alcohol. This is distilled alcohol that brewers can add to sake to enhance its aromatics or to produce a particular style. A sake with no added distilled alcohol is called “Junmai” which means “pure rice”.

SERVING SAKE

Traditionally, sake would be poured into a ceramic decanter called a tokkuri. You do not, however, need any fancy apparatus to enjoy sake perfectly. If you wish to enjoy your sake warm, simply place the tokkuri in a glass or even place the bottle itself in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes and that will suffice. As for serving glasses, while the traditional ochoko keeps things authentic, your classic wine glass has proven to offer the best tasting experience!

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Photos: Â© Japan National Tourism Organisation

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Photo: Â© Japan National Tourism Organisation

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STYLES OF SAKE

Photo: © Lara Victoria

In Japanese, sake actually means alcoholic beverages in general and the particular drink sake is better known as Nihon-shu 日本酒, which has been designated a Geographical Indication since Christmas Day, 2015.

Futshushu 普通酒 At the bottom of the sake style pyramid is this mass-produced quaffer. It has a polishing ratio of up to 80% or higher, which means only 20% or less of each grain would be polished away. Besides distilled alcohol, the addition of other flavours are permitted in this style. While it may not be the highest quality level of sake, it still serves as a delightful companion to a 'take-out' meal.

Futshushu

Honjozo 本醸造 This style has a polishing ratio of at least 70%. In other words, to qualify as a Honjozo, at least 30% of each grain must be polished away. These sakes tend to have higher acidity and umami characteristics making it a great match for rich, fried foods. Honjozo sake can be served at room temperature or warmer (up to 55°C).

Honjozo

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Junmai

Ginjo Photos: © Lara Victoria

Junmai 純米 This is actually a Honjozo, but without the addition of distilled alcohol. Junmai sake is generally full-bodied, rich in umami, with notes of cereal or grain, fennel, fenugreek or other spices. This is a great choice alongside pastas with umami-rich tomato sauces, or earthy mushrooms. This too, can be served at room temperature or warmer (up to 55°C).

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Ginjo 吟醸 A Ginjo has a polishing ratio of 60% or higher, meaning that at least 40% of each grain must be polished away. Ginjo sakes are essentially the gateway to refinement in taste. Fruit expressions with herbaceous notes lead the way here, making them great companions to aromatic dishes of South Asian cuisine. Serve chilled or if preferred warm, try to stay under 40°C.

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Junmai Ginjo 純米吟醸 Same as a Ginjo, except that no distilled alcohol is added to the sake.. Junmai Daiginjo

SAKE ETIQUETTE One does not serve oneself sake in company. Always be attentive to your companions and top their glasses. Just hope that karma kicks in and someone pours you some sake too!

Daiginjo 大吟醸 This is the pinnacle of premium sake! It must have a polishing ratio of at least 50%. This means no less than 50% of each grain must be polished away. It is quite possible to find ratios of 29% and even 1%! Daiginjo sakes are aromatically expressive with ripe banana, crisp apple, fennel and a soft floral bouquet. They are medium to light bodied and express lower acidity. Yet, the flavours are rich, crisp and perfectly harmonious! To have lived life without tasting a Daignjo, would be akin to have lived but never have been loved. This is a must-have experience for anyone

seeking gastronomic excellence. It may seem contrary to everything one was made to understand about food pairing, but you can confidently pair a light and elegant Daiginjo with a hearty steak! Try a Daiginjo with an aromatic Chicken Biryani and savour the elegant bounty of this union with every bite! Best served chilled or up to 35°C. Junmai Daiginjo 純

米大吟醸

Yes, you got it right…pretty much the same as Daiginjo, except that there is no distilled alcohol added here.

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Nigori 濁り This sake is coarsely filtered making it look cloudy with unfermented rice solids, which could either appear fine-grained or chunky. A Nigori sake is generally full-bodied with generous lactic notes making it a great option to accompany creamy desserts (think: a comforting rice pudding), rich soups or risottos.

must be stored and served chilled. Roasted root vegetables and soft, crumbly cheeses seem to like its company. Remember, since the sake is not pasteurized, store it chilled and consume within a year. Koshu 古酒 Koshu is an aged sake and the colour ranges from pale yellow to amber. This can be an acquired taste with aromatics that can either impress or intimidate the olfactory nerves! Its best expressions, however, have ripe aromatics of dried fruit, nuts and exotic spices that can be paired with desserts. Best served chilled.

Genshu 原酒 In this style of sake, no water is added to the final step of production. Genshu sake can often seem fullerbodied and sometimes exhibit a stronger alcohol structure. Pair with savoury pies or hearty stews and serve it warm, or at room temperature.

Nigori

Photo: © Lara Victoria

Nama 生酒 This style of sake, which is also called Nama-zake, is not pasteurized. It

Kimoto or Yamahai 生/山廃 These are 2 distinct methods of making shubo, both of which are traditional methods which manipulate and multiply the yeast cells over extended periods of time. This often incorporates ambient yeast cells that add acidity and umami to the resulting sake. Such sakes therefore are excellent companions to earthy mushrooms, mature cheese and other savoury, umami-forward foods. Both these styles of sake can be served at a range of temperatures, from warm to chilled, but its best expressions are revealed at about 40°C to 45°C (just slightly above body temperature).

Genshu

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Photo: © Lara Victoria

Sparkling Exactly what you can expect: bubbles! Great as an aperitif, a palate cleanser between courses or with desserts. You definitely want to serve this chilled! The serving temperatures above are a safe bet for most sakes in those categories. Culinary pundits in Japan and other parts of the world have experimented with serving Ginjo and Daiginjo sakes heated with varying degrees of success. That discussion however is for another day. For now, just introduce yourself to sake and get ready to fall in love! Kampai! Sparkling

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Nothing but Delight Text: Adam Lechmere Photos: Consorzio Franciacorta

he writer and critic Amit Chaudhuri, reflecting on the work of the nearly-forgotten novelist Henry Green,

recently suggested that his sole purpose “was to fashion a language with which to communicate joy”. Explaining Green’s complicated appeal, he said, “He has nothing to offer us but delight.”

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It’s a neat phrase. What could be

words, you can’t communicate joy

Franciacorta is a tiny corner of

a sweeter emotion for an artist

without a bit of salt in the mix, and

Italy, a pocket-handkerchief-sized

to evoke, but delight? It applies

that’s as true of wine as of anything

appellation tucked into Lombardy.

to composers and painters and

else. Consider the difference between

It’s bordered to the north by Lake

poets from Chopin to Rothko to

mass-produced Chardonnay and

Iseo, while the city of Brescia

Tagore. But Chaudhuri is describing

Puligny-Montrachet, or Liebfraumilch

brings up its south-eastern limit.

something more complicated than

and the finest Mosel Riesling.

It’s barely 20 kilometres across, a

simple hedonistic pleasure. Green’s

Controllata (DOC) producing some

is no more exquisitely sad poem

The sparkling wines of Franciacorta

than The Gardener – “You are the

The sparkling wines of Franciacorta

5000ha of vineyard (Champagne, by

evening cloud floating in the sky of

are lean, fresh, seemingly

contrast, is a bit over 34,000ha).

my dreams”.

uncomplicated, their dryness

novels aren’t an easy read, and there

17.5 million bottles from less than

mitigated by delicate fruit flavours

Not only is Franciacorta small

To say one has nothing to offer

(pearskin and white cherry,

(there are 116 producers), but it has

but delight also implies something

honeysuckle and hawthorn),

been seriously producing sparkling

hidden. We don’t see the mechanism

effervescent mousse and juicy

wine for no more than a couple of

by which the artist achieves that

acidity. They are joyous wines indeed,

decades. While its pedigree as a wine

sensation, but you can’t have delight

and you’d be forgiven for reducing

producing region is as distinguished

without the grinding of gears and

your assessment to that one simple

as Burgundy’s – vineyard records

pulling of levers; whether you can

formula: they have nothing to offer

from the 13th century have been

sense that machinery or not, you

but delight.

found – the first modern, traditional

have to know it’s there. In other 82

vino a Denominazione di Origine

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method sparkling was produced

saying. When the DOCG rules were

1961. It was received enthusiastically,

put together, they were as strict as

It is different in Franciacorta

investment followed, and DOC status

those of Champagne. All harvesting

There are other singularities.

for still whites and reds as well as

must be done by hand, dosage levels

Franciacorta is one of the richest

for sparkling was awarded in 1967. It

for brut, extra brut and so on. Most

areas of Italy – land is so expensive

wasn’t until 1995 that Franciacorta

importantly, more stringent minimum

that expansion is out of the question,

sparkling was given its own vino a

times for ageing on lees for the

so the wines have to be distinct.

Denominazione di Origine Controllata

different categories were set out.

“We can’t compete with giants

e Garantita (DOCG).

Basic Franciacorta is required to sit

like Champagne or Prosecco that

18 months on lees, Franciacorta Rosé

have many hundreds of times our

“We don’t use the traditional method,

and Satèn 24 months; Millesimato, or

production,” says Silvano Brescianini,

we use the Franciacorta method,”

vintage 30 months, and the Riservas

the vice president of the Consorzio.

cellar masters here are fond of

not less than 60 months.

“So our unique selling proposition

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by the house of Fratelli Berlucchi in

is our difference. We have different soils, climate and our approach is quite different.” To take one example, average yields in Franciacorta are ten tonnes per hectare. Another idiosyncrasy is bottling pressure. The Satèn style is bottled at between 4.5 bars instead of the usual 6. This gives the best examples a delicate mouthfeel which contrasts pleasingly with the acidity – “satin”, indeed. The sparkling wines of Franciacorta are now made almost exclusively with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. There is some Pinot Bianco, but it tends to make a less complex wine. There’s also the indigenous white grape Erbamat, which is being saved from extinction in some areas. Franciacorta sparkling is only DOCG, though there is a still wine, Curtefranca, that is a DOC, which produces red and white wines from Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Merlot and Pinot Noir. The sparkling wine of Franciacorta is so stellar that the still wines tend to be seen as poor relations, but they too can be excellent. Bellavista produces a particularly fine Chardonnay, the SS Annunciata. Their reds can be charming, though rustic. In either case, you won’t see many of them outside Italy. Soils are glacial in origin – very welldrained sand and silt – and climate is sub-Alpine, protected from the cold of the north by the Alps. Locally, vineyards are sheltered by the warming influence of Lago d’Iseo and by the rolling hills at three corners of the appellation. A glance at a relief map shows just how sheltered this compact little amphitheatre is – it’s easy to see how temperatures are on average 2.5° C higher than the rest of the north. Such topography makes for perfect sparkling wine terroir, with warm, sunny days during the growing 84

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mature quickly without losing acidity; harvests take place generally in the last week of August.

Franciacorta is small yet varied The appellation is small, but it can be

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season, and cool nights. Grapes

very varied. In the south, for example, on the low, five-kilometre range of hills known as Monte Orfano, olive trees and other Mediterranean plants flourish on the southern slopes. There six or seven wineries growing grapes here, among them the self-styled “garagistes” Daniele Gentile and Gigi Nembrini of Corte Fusia. “We’re warmer down here which gives a nice edge to the wines,” Gentile says. Corte Fusia is a highly focussed operation. They produce some 35,000 bottles from seven hectares of vineyard, some of which was abandoned before they took it on (in many rows the vines are still in recovery). There are no reserve wines (“we never have enough grapes. We could buy from outside Monte Orfano but we don’t”), so all wines are vintage but only labelled as such in the very best years. On our visit we sit surrounded by flat-packed boxes and full palettes in a tasting room which doubles as a packing shed. The wines are astonishingly accomplished: I note wet stones, sweet pear, poached pear, apricot, stone fruit, samphire, white pepper and brioche, minerality. Gentile and Nembrini use no oak and no dosage. A certain ripeness and delicacy of fruit, piercing acidity and dryness are the hallmark of Franciacorta. “Residual sugar tends to be very low,” Brescianini says. “We have more sun than Champagne, but we also have the acidity and this excellent balance.” Sommeliers love Franciacorta for the precision of the wines, and acidity that makes them naturally food-friendly.

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many attributes to the wine, not least

Franciacorta has an

of the appellation, sales manager

bestowing extraordinary longevity.

experimental streak

Francesca Cavalli notes that their

Most producers take the compulsory

These producers are farming land

brut has just 4-6 grams per litre

ageing times and add a few years

that was planted to vine, centuries

dosage. “We could call it extra

– or decades – for good measure.

before the invention of the printing

brut.” Their wines don’t go through

Ca’ del Bosco’s Cuvée Annamaria

press, but perhaps because

malolactic fermentation, adding

Clementi 1986 has spent a generation

Franciacorta sparkling is one of

further acidic bite. “This is what we

in bottle: they disgorged it last year

the youngest appellations in Italy,

regard as most important: minerality,

after 30 years on lees. The result

there’s a strong, even eccentric,

acidity, low dosage and extended

is a wine that is as lively as it’s

experimental streak here. At

periods on the lees,” she says. Over

seductive. It’s an astonishing feat,

Bellavista, for example, winemaker

and over again, I have noted, “this

and one that is repeated throughout

Mattia Vezzola is working out how to

is a food wine”. This might imply

the appellation – the Majolini Aligi

use oxygen to aid longevity, adding

a certain austerity, but the wines

Sassu 2007, for example, has also

it to the must, before fermentation. It

are quietly warm and exuberant.

just been disgorged after more than

is an article of faith, he tells us, that

They have an “Aube-like sunshine

80 months on lees. The aged wines

a wine must have acidity in order

character”, in the words of Tom

retain their acidity and dryness while

to age. “There are two things which

Stevenson, the founder and chair of

the fruit becomes opulent, even

make a great wine: longevity and

the Champagne & Sparkling Wine

luscious, gooseberry and “greener”

digestibility. Because of our terroir

World Championships.

flavours turning to guava, apricot

we can achieve digestibility through

becoming ripe and sweet, classic

perfect ripeness – but we need to

It is perhaps the lees ageing that

pear skin flavours turning to poached

look for longevity.” Franciacorta’s

sets Franciacorta apart. It brings

pear and muscovado.

micro-climate allows ripeness but

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At Castello Bonomi, in the south

acidity is generally low, so Vezzola

sorting tables. The idea is to remove

Tom Harrow: “The only thing that

has come up with the trick of adding

dust, soil, insects and heavy metals,

exceeds people’s unfamiliarity with

oxygen to the must. “Pasteur told us

as well as all traces of indigenous

Franciacorta is their enthusiasm once

that oxygen is the enemy of wine,” he

yeast. The equipment, housed in

tasted. The natural ripeness afforded

tells us. “But no one said it was the

a vast open fronted hangar, looks

by the region’s climate, low dosages

enemy of must.”

like the cooling system of a nuclear

and long lees-ageing give wines of

power station. The point is this,

great balance, depth and freshness.”

Sometimes the pioneering spirit can

however: washing the grapes might

turn to eccentricity: as is often the

be a splendid waste of money, but

It’s not a simple wine. To taste even

case, the most gifted proprietors

Ca’ del Bosco unquestionably makes

the finest Prosecco (and there are

indulge in experiments that have you

some of the finest and longest lived

many) alongside a Franciacorta,

scratching your head in wonder. Ca’

wines in Franciacorta. They must be

is to see instantly what you’re

del Bosco’s owner Maurizio Zanella,

doing something right.

missing. Prosecco offers a simple,

for example, invested €6 million

unadorned thrill, while Franciacorta

in a grape washing system that

Franciacorta is one of those wine

requires thought. Like all the most

was inspired by industrial lettuce

regions that is beloved of the wine

sophisticated pleasures it is not

production. Every bunch is washed

trade and little known by consumers.

instantly appreciable; its attractions

in a “jacuzzi” – a shallow bath with

But, all you have to do is open

come by way of layers of complexity

360 degree water jets – before being

a bottle, says the appellation’s

and contrast. Then, in the end, it has

dried and transported off to the

Ambassador in the United Kingdom,

nothing to offer us but delight. >

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One of the longest-established of the Franciacorta wineries, Fratelli Berlucchi is distinguished by being the first to produce a sparkling wine. The winery, founded in the 1920s by the three brothers and two sisters of the Berlucchi family, is housed in a medieval villa decorated with vibrant 15th century frescos, in the town of Borgonato in the centre of the appellation. The wines are very fine; the Satèn especially has fabulous acidity and length, and they have a dedicated international following. Some 15 per cent of the 400,000 bottle production is exported – to London, Tokyo, New York, Brussels and Munich.

Situated on 24ha of stony limestone vineyards in the rain shadow of Monte Orfano, Castello Bonomi was founded in the 1970s. Winemaker Luigi Bersini produces wines of superb concentration with low dosage and maximum lees contact (at the time of writing a vast new cellar is being hewn out of the hillside, in order to increase capacity to allow longer bottle ageing). The Dosage Zero 2010 has a particular fine mix of toasted brioche and salinity, while the Brut Cru Perdu is (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) is the flagship cuvée. Red wines are made from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Syrah under the Curtefranca DOC.

Huge, ultra-modern estate producing memorable wines from 204ha, which is nearly ten per cent of the entire planted area of Franciacorta. Maurizio Zanella started with his mother’s weekend retreat and – inspired by a teenage trip to Champagne – built what is now a 1.6 million bottle winery dotted with zany modern art (a full-size concrete rhinoceros hangs from the ceiling). Some of the wines are aged for decades. All are astonishingly pure. “What is my message to the world?” Zanella asks. “If you only know Champagne and Prosecco, you’re in for a surprise.”

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Franciacorta Recommendations 90

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Bellavista SS Annunciata

Fratelli Berlucchi Freccianera Satèn 2012

100% Chardonnay This is DOC Curtefranca, a still wine aged for a year in neutral oak. Lovely creamy perfumed nose with hints of sandalwood and dried rose petal. Beautiful freshness on the palate, more than a hint of tropical fruit, delicate apricot and then piercing acidity carries through to a fine finish.

100% Chardonnay 6.5gsl dosage 45 months on lees (3 years 9 months) Meaty savoury nose with notes of gooseberry and salty tang of cheese rind. Tiny bubbles dance in the mouth. Sweet briar and hawthorn on the palate, concentration, that hint of salt brought through with precise acidity and wonderful length. Balanced and delicious.

Ferghettina Rosé 2012 100% Pinot Noir 36 months on lees (3 years) Raspberry nose with dusting of white pepper. There’s a character of restrained generosity to this wine, the palate has red fruit as well as a whiff of samphire tempering cherry and sweet pea. Ethereal and classy.

Corte Fusia Brut NV 70% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir, 10% Pinot Bianco Zero dosage Powerful nose with brioche and salinity. Wet stones on the palate with ripe apricot fruit, fine mousse, sharp acidity; the whole gives impression of tightly-controlled energy. Excellent.

Castello Bonomi Franciacorta Millesimato Dosage Zéro 2010 50% Chardonnay 50% Pinot Noir Fresh bright mousse with citrus, pear skin, river mud and sea grass. Spiky acidity. Toasted, saline palate developing a sweet creaminess, a fine blend of vanilla and grapefruit. Pre-eminently a wine for food. Excellent.

Ca’ del Bosco Cuvée Annamaria Clementi 1985

100% Pinot Noir 101 months on lees (8 years 5 months) There is precise, powerful acidity here. The mid-palate is intensely dry, but washed with juice which releases flavours of guava and tropical fruit. Austere and elegant.

Chardonnay 55%, Pinot Bianco 25%, Pinot Nero 20% 360 months on lees (30 years) Disgorged 2016 Deep straw/ gold colour, scents of hay and stable floor, intimation of elegant rot. Fresh, bright effervescence, tropical fruits, spice, acidity that releases welcome splashes of juice; a really luscious and seductive and above all sprightly wine. Alive and vibrant.

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Ca’ del Bosco Vintage Collection Dosage Zéro Noir 2007

Majolini “Aligi Sassu” Pas Dosè 2008 100% Chardonnay 82 months lees (6 years 10 months) Disgorged 2016 Amazing floral, honeysuckle aromas leap out of the glass. The palate is full, bright, dense and dry at the end, with a parsimonious trickle of juice. Despite the nose this is slightly closed, but it is reined-in rather than austere. It has many years ahead.

Barone Pizzini Bagnadore Franciacorta DOCG Pas Dosè Riserva 2009 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnnay 72 months on lees (6 years) Incredibly concentrated with bright, textured acidity and delicate pear-scented fruit leading to fine raspberry and hints of redcurrant. Overall impression of power and finesse. This needs robust grilled or barbecued fish as a match. Superb.

Ricci Curbastro Extra Brut 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnnay 48 months on lees (4 years) 2 gms /l dosage Intensely fresh nose with brioche aromas and then a saline edge on the attack. Real power here with a sour cherry end palate and fine wash of juice to finish.

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Text: Some Name

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Wine Paradise Text: Rajiv Singhal

PHOTOS: Hedonism Wines

As you fleet past the big toy boys on Mayfair’s Berkeley Square, a brightly painted cycle cart decorated with fresh flowers on the pavement outside a large glass walled store calls out for your attention. It could be the Westminster City Council’s new art installation or a new designer who’s found home in London’s Golden Mile – but it isn’t. The name board above reads Hedonism Wines, and inside are shelves and shelves loaded with bottles and bottles of wines and champagnes (and spirits). FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

Yevgeny Chichvarkin

Tatiana Fokina

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Alistair Viner

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evgeny Chichvarkin, made his fortune (and a rather large one) in the business of mobile phones retail with more than 5200 outlets in various states of the Russian Federation and neighbouring countries – he had made his place on the billionaire oligarchs list but had to exile himself (and his family) in unfortunate circumstances to London, where some years were spent “sorting out” but he emerged. Retailing runs in his blood. Once a retailer, always one… Done with mobile phones, he thought of fashion. But somewhere between his own quirky fashion sense and the short expiry dates on seasonal collections, he dumped the thought in favour of wine – he is a hedonist in everything food and wine – an avid wine drinker who identified a gap in what was the domain of the St. James’ gents. “My dream was to create a one-stop shop – far better than what existed at that time – with knowledgeable, friendly and faster

customer service and the largest range of fine and rare and everyday wines available off the shelf – that would make modern Londoners appreciate a completely new level of experience in wine”, recalls Yevgeny. He neither had the property nor the wine, but to realise this daunting dream of creating “the best wine shop in the world”, he hired young Tatiana Fokina – a perfectionist who shared his work ethic and passion for wine (though not his fashion sense) – as the first employee and Chief Executive. To get a grip on the wine trade, they both approached Alistair Viner, who had been with Harrods for the last 15 years. A genuine, forthright and instinctive conversation between them led to an instant connect that put to rest any thoughts about a pipe dream that was never going to happen. “From the very hour, we were all singing the same hymn sheet”. Alistair traded the limitations and restrictions that

he is a hedonist in everything food and wine

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100

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he was working in (even if very secure) with the excitement of painting a plain white canvas with a high level of flexibility and independence to join as Head Buyer. With his dream team in place, Yevgeny choosing not to drive Hedonism but collaborate with Tatiana and Alistair on the path forward. In realizing his dream, he identified Service and Assortment as the key influencers for reputation leading to sales leading to success. In the market, they were met with “unbelievable scepticism” – the wine trade, licensing authorities, press, and even the residents who insisted on taking matters to court. But nothing dithered Yevgeny, Tatiana and Alistair from their belief in the founding vision. They zeroed in on a really large 700 square metre location (Yevgeny absolutely insisted upon this) on Davies Street and started to build the venture brick-by-brick, quite literally – each one has laid their own and remembers where! “The venture has a very strong Russian character – it is big, bold, beautiful and forward looking. I inherited the brand name Hedonism, which raised some eyebrows – but it defines us”, says Tatiana. Hedonism – the wines and spirits store – opened in 2012 as a destination where wine lovers could spend time, taste wines and buy what they wanted without intimidation. It is an unusual wine store for London – private, dark, cold, cobwebbed cellars have given way to bright and shiny, open racks waited upon by friendly staff. Hedonism could be mistaken for a furniture shop – the seemingly endless lines of interesting security tagged bottles that come in all shapes and sizes lend to a very welcoming, lively, cordial ambience and temptation to stop and browse. Built on two levels, the store has no windows – only glass walls.

The showpiece chandelier custom created from 125 hand-blown Reidel wine goblets; the antique look staircase custom built by a Welsh company that has started to show signs of aging with peoples’ footmarks; and an old vine add to the vinous character. The wines treasures include the Sine Qua Non cellar where the bottles are held by Mickey Mouse, Octopus, Dinosaurs hands; the Chateau d’ Yquem glass showcase that holds an impressive and envious collection of vintages lit by motion sensors; the vaults that hold the oldest and most precious (mostly Bordeaux) including

It is an unusual wine store for London

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in large formats; the collections of old vintage Champagne and Montrachet; and the £120,000 Penfolds Ampoule of which only 12 were ever released from Australia.

“Our focus is on the experience”

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The tasting area downstairs has a row of Enomatics that dispense upto 48 wines by the glass that are specially selected, are always changing and are priced very sensitively. Alistair explains, “it's a great tool to encourage people to drink the right wine, better wine and, just like your FINE magazine, educate them to hone their tastes”. The large wooden tasting table in this area has colourful spittoons, wine spills and tasting notes scribbled all over giving it a distinctive character – the handprints of Yevgeny, Tatiana and Alistair on the

shop to be this special spot and the Chief Executive of Hedonism felt blessed. The very regular tastings are steadily embedding into the London wine calendar – after all Harlan Estate, Screaming Eagle, Haut Brion, Dom Pérignon don’t hop over the pond(s) that often. Tatiana thinks that for makers and owners, it is an opportunity to understand drinking preferences and build relationships. “They notice how educated about wines (and spirits) our customers are”.

surface seem to “stamp” their involvement!

Hedonism counts students, office goers, anyone keen to learn about a new wine, regular shoppers, international vinos, royal families and A-list celebrities (some come with an entourage and many just walk in discreetly to be recognised only when they

Hedonism is a different experience, one where people who enjoy wine, enjoy wine. A wine lover proposed to his wine lover girlfriend at Hedonism. He chose a wine

take off their glasses) as customers. Yevgeny also makes a very meaningful contribution to sales! Alistair takes pride in the fact that the service levels at Hedonism are the same irrespective of who you are and

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what you buy. “We tend all our customers without getting into their way and help them find what they may be looking for. It’s all about creating an experience. It’s like finding your tailor or your butcher – when you do, you don’t move.”

The venture has a very strong Russian character - big, bold…

For Alistair, the most difficult task has been to work on the product range that is interesting, eclectic and diverse because his brief was to have something for every Hedonism customer, alongwith quality being the first and foremost driver. Alistair succeeded in sourcing some good wine from some reliable sources and focused on buying great wine in the great vintages as opposed to an easier option of great wines in the off vintages. 10,500 products ranging from £10 to £20,000 are in stock in what Alistair calls “a relatively industrial type space with a feeling of warmth” – over 25,000 stock-keeping units have been

created since the doors opened, even then, Hedonism sometimes can not offer what the customer is after. Provenance, specially in today’s day and age, was of critical essence for the fine wine story of Hedonism to play out – the bottles had to be perfect examples of what they were supposed to be. “Often, I’m off to the United States to meet the private collectors and see who the bottles were bought from and how the bottles have been stored – and only then, I sign the business.” Relations have also been built with the big auctioneers. “We stand by what we are selling,” announces Tatiana. Inspite of all the checks at the time of purchase, if there are issues with the provenance or the condition, it doesn’t matter if it is a magnum of 1961 Bordeaux or a Napa Cab. “The amount is

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Two Guinness world records are written to Hedonism’s name

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refunded (of course the case is investigated – you won’t get a refund if you walked in with an empty bottle of a wine that was bad). It is very important for us that the customer has confidence in Hedonism.” The management team at Hedonism has bitterly fought the clichéd perception of being a glitzy store for the elite/ billionaires, and the criticism of being a “hobby of the rich Russian owner” business. Both Tatiana and Alistair are visibly unhappy that this still persists, despite the fact that around 900 products in the store are priced at £30 or less, a glass of wine in tastings is about £2 and Champagne Moët et Chandon is cheaper than Waitrose. Many lines are price-matched individually and reviewed on a daily basis.

I ask Alistair and Tatiana to pick their favourites in the shop. Alistair gives me an expected stock reply, “I like all my products. It’s difficult to say that they are better than others.” Tatiana is more forthcoming. “My favourite was a magnum of the Krug Collection 1937 signed by the Krug brothers, Henri and Remi. We had had it since the opening and it was sold last year. It was good to see it go… I realized I had to be careful not to get attached to anything in store”. It makes Tatiana sad when a bottle of a 60 year-old grand vintage merely changes location from a bond house to the other, untouched and unseen by wine lovers, “clearly it was not made for that. Our customer, typically, buys for drinking now.

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It was so nice to receive a thank you email for the brilliant and so fresh magnum of Petrus 1961 that was bought from us the previous week.” Alistair is in agreement, “everything that went into the bottle was meant to be drunk for enjoyment, but people lost sight of that as tradability made it a commodity”. Would I get hired as a Wines & Spirits Adviser at Hedonism? Unlikely, because one needs to be knowledgeable, experienced a few years in the trade or retail or hospitality and qualified (at least a Level Three or Diploma), and have the “right” attitude for customer service, share the founders’ ethos and the ability to work independently or as a team with natural enthusiasm. And the team is small and not many leave.

Tatiana emphasises, “our focus is on the experience and our staff adhere to pretty high standards to make our customers happy”. Designated members of the team are assigned to regulars, to anticipate and take care of their wine needs. But that does not hold her from stepping in – it is all about going that extra mile. On Christmas day a few years ago, she serviced a £200,000 order – the customer was flying out that very day and she opened the shop, packed everything and took it to the airport herself ! “No other shop in London is as obsessed with customer service as we are,” Tatiana announces rather proudly. All mails addressed to Hedonism reach Tatiana’s inbox and are replied to very shortly. A customer complaint is taken very seriously and dealt with immediately. “A little bit

“It's not just a job, it's not work...it's life”

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In 2015, Hedonism hit break even and in 2016, even the rather ambitious financial targets were met – the business is showcased as the Top 100 Fastest Growing in the United Kingdom. “Last year, following Brexit, was our best year and best Christmas”. Two Guinness world records are written to their name – for the price of a bottle of Cognac sold at £220,000 and for the price of a bottle of Chateau d’ Yquem 1811 at £98,000 – last summer, which is also when the tills at Hedonism rung their largest single transaction touching a million pounds. Alistair laughs, “if you told someone at Chateau d’ Yquem in the early 19th century that more than two hundred years later this bottle of wine being bottled now would go on sale in London, they would have probably thrown you in the river to see whether you could float or not. And if you told them that it would sell for ninety eight thousand pounds, they would have classed you as being completely mad”. Having shocked the trade and forced some in the neighbourhood to change, Hedonism has steered the evolution of the wine retail landscape in London to more openness. Longer working hours and weekend openings have received complete customer endorsement. The possibility of buying fine wine off-the-shelf is a reality. Wine lovers no longer need to have planned for weeks in advance to drink a particular bottle of a particular wine of a particular vintage from a particular region

for a particular occasion. The spontaneity (and fun) of buying wine has been restored.

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of me dies when something goes wrong”. A very substantial investment (which no one was willing to disclose) was made in the lease and premium on lease, fit out, and the wines. Alistair recalls that, for all practical purposes, he had been given a blank cheque book to buy what he wanted, but hastened to add that he was very very prudent.

Hedonism doesn’t afford a typical working day to Tatiana. “It’s not just a job, it’s not work, it’s my first baby, it’s life. It’s a tough one that takes some passion, drive and devotion. It has aged me mentally. No day is the same, but there are always exciting finds, excited customers, and excited tales. When I spot a Hedonism bag being carried in the streets, I still love it and get overly excited.” Looking back, Alistair is of the opinion that, “we have got a fairly big global reach with customers from around the world in a very short space of time. We are probably beyond where we possibly dreamt we could be by this time.” Tatiana confirms that “Hedonism has grown organically, and we are on course to our goals.” Yevgeny expects Hedonism to be the point of reference in wine retail. What will Hedonism look like on its 10th anniversary in 2022? A rare divergence in thought emerges. Tatiana thinks that opening another Hedonism doesn’t make sense, whereas Yevgeny would be happy to see lots of Hedonism’s around the world. Very cautious when they opened, Hedonism have cemented a position in the wine world as gamechangers! >

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Rail Royaltyâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; The

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Maharajas’ Express

Text: RITU & RAJIV SINGHAL Photographs: MAHARAJAS’ EXPRESS

W hen the journey itself becomes the destination, luxury travel is

redefined. The uber lux offering of the Indian Railways – the Maharajas’ Express, an ode to the royal heritage of India – has firmly established itself amongst the fabled most luxurious trains that have run the tracks around the world as the “World's Leading Luxury Train”. FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA

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Presidential Suite

The indulgence of Indian Royals in the FINEst that was on offer (from all around the world) is legendary. Whimsical as they were, anything that caught their fancy was acquired for them – by hook or by crook – no one was willing to invite the wrath of hukum. Fascinated by the first passenger train in India that was flagged off with a 21gun salute on a 34 kilometer route between Bombay’s Bori Bunder and Thane in 1853, the royals of various princely states began to vie with each other to stay “one-up” and present ostentatious custom designed personal luxury coaches that showcased novelties and rarities like strips of ivory, solid gold hardware, sycamore wood, telephones, air coolers over ice or anything else that the makers in England could do to amuse their patrons.

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Mayur Mahal

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Deluxe Suite

Junior Suite

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In a highly praise-worthy initiative, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) brought the Maharajas’ Express back to life in 2010 to protect the rich royal legacy for future generations, redefine luxury travel on tracks and allow guests to experience the luxury lifestyle just like the erstwhile royals did in the bygone era. Delhi Safdarjung Railway Station, tucked away into a relatively unknown quarter of the capital’s Diplomatic Enclave, is home for the Maharajas’ Express. The sleepy station kicks into a flurry of activity as the station master is alerted by flashing panels in his control room of the yesteryears that royalty is approaching. 23 ornate and glossy burgundy coloured coaches of this nearly half a mile-long train are pulled by modern locomotives (that have sadly replaced the steam engine) to the platform. Turbaned and royally liveried stewards roll out the red carpet around the aesthetic flower and diya arrangements, rangolis and local folk artists in elaborately coloured dresses that deck the platform. Guests are led to Rajah Club lounge coach – which, as per an elaborate security protocol, is the only entry and exit point – where they are welcomed on to the train with a grand traditional Indian ceremony replete with marigold garlands, tilak and aarti. The guests’ anticipation and excitement of the fascinating mystical excursion ahead is palpable. No ordinary train journey this one – the Maharajas’ Express is a modern palace that defines luxurious comfort – on wheels. The rich ethnic designs, motifs and arts in the coaches stun the visual senses. The tasteful interiors including, but not limited to, wooden carvings and mirrorwork take inspiration from the elegance and grandeur from the age of Raj – the whole experience is a grand tribute to the regal lifestyle of that era.

Presidential Suite

Deluxe Suite

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Safari Bar

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On the train, 88 guests are accommodated in 43 suites which range in classification from Deluxe suites, Junior suites, Maharaja suites and the showstopper Presidential suite, Navratna (nine gems). Precious stones name the guest coaches (whose number varies depending on trip occupancy) – Moti, Heera, Panna, Neelam, Firoza, Moonga, Pukhraj and so on. The walls and ceilings of the lodgings carry the theme around the stone from which its name is derived and depict different bright hues of the gems (each one more striking than the next) – the insides of Moonga are ocean deep coral, while Heera proudly glistens in fiery and sparkling white. Every cabin has large panoramic windows – an engineering design marvel – just so that the guests can savour every bit of incredible India through their journey and see the landscape evolve from plains to desert to forest as they connect with nature in a way they haven’t done before.While one might expect compactness in living on a train, quite the contrary. Guests retreat to their own private sanctuary which, like any luxury hotel, is fitted with all modern amenities and have well sized en suite bathrooms. Design and planning has ensured that there isn’t an aspect where this special train lacks excellence.That the train is constantly on the move did not deter the Indian Railways’ engineers from providing live satellite television, direct dial telephone and Wi-Fi to keep guest au courant. A special effort has been put into curating the food and wine offer on the train, and a more than special effort goes into ensuring that the kitchen is stocked with all requirements – there is no corner shop from where the missing ingredient can be bought during the journey should they be missed! Two dining cars are dedicated to the two speciality restaurants – Mayur Mahal (the palace of the national bird of India, the colourful peacock) and Rang Mahal (the palace of colours) – both decorated with special hand painted fresco ceilings that exemplify

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the characteristic decor. The Maharajas’ Express crest adorns the bespoke goldfilled chinaware which is specially imported. Complemented by the intricately etched glassware, the table settings spell luxury, on which the chefs serve their very elaborate menus of diverse Indian and international specialities. And a carefully chosen list of champagne, wines and spirits gives guests an opportunity to enjoy pairings with food, or just to unwind with fellow guests over drinks at the Rajah Club or at the Safari Bar! “King size beds that are studded with jewels, cabins that stand up to luxury hotel shame, hospitality that the royals of yore would envy. Maharajas' Express is not just a journey, but a lifestyle – godly bliss”, the management proudly claims. The Maharajas’ Express is quite special, to say the least. Emphasis is on bringing an out-of-this-world experience to the guests and to maintain a very high standard throughout the journey. And with that, an additional self-imposed focus on guest expectation, satisfaction and accessibility that has been seen as a game changer in the travel world. A multi-lingual personal butler is assigned to each residential coach. “The domain of our ever-attentive butler, who appears, genie-like, a shy smile on his face, every time we enter the coach – no matter the hour. It would be rare to find this level of service in a conventional luxury hotel but in the close confines of an ever-moving train, it’s truly impressive,” reads a guest testimonial. Personalised levels of service add to the pleasures of the high-maintenance traveller. And so that this may be offered effortlessly to each travelling guest, the accommodation capacity is capped at 88. IRCTC officials claim that they have never failed to provide complete satisfaction to their guests in all the runs till date, something that they are very proud of – and rightly so. Another feather in their cap – Maharajas’ Express bagged the title of the “World's Leading Luxury Train” at the World Travel Awards each year from 2012 to 2016.

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Safari Bar

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Maharajas’ Express is listed to be the among the most expensive luxury trains in the world. Yet, the supreme sophistication and the general sense of the traditions and grand history of India does not take away from the great carnival-like atmosphere on-board. It is a mesmerising Indian odyssey which the royals would surely approve – a unique experience that the world could surely know more about. The pure indulgence that Maharajas’ Express offers is true to its style and name, and is, without a doubt, beyond gold standard that can make the guests feel like “Maharaja’s and Maharani’s for a week”. >

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The star of the show is still the journey itself. A blend of rich cultural heritage, ancient testimonies and local artefacts that all blossom under the modern lifestyle, which gracefully adds a special dimension to the already extraordinary experience. The “streak of burgundy” as the train is named by passers-by who see it race along the perimeter of what were 12 former princely states – from the romantic splendour of the Taj Mahal in Agra first-thing-in-the-morning to the natural grandeur of the big cats of Ranthambore or the tranquillity of the historical ceremonies on the ghats of the Ganges in Varanasi. Off the train, cultural experiences are re-inforced – this is a well-planned immersion that deep dives into the world of diversity that India has to offer – an exhibition elephant polo match in the historic courtyards of a monumental fort, lunch or high tea with the royals in their palaces or a sundowner flute of champagne among the sand dunes of the Thar.

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