Looking forward to December…

The first time I met you guys was last December. Now I am almost 2 years old. I can walk competently. I can communicate. I enjoy reading and like cars and sports. I love Pudding but hate spiders. I really look forward to the next few weeks for all the partying with family and friends and those good food. Grandma has just got the pine home. Rather than a real tree, she opts for an artificial one this time because she says it not environmentally friendly to cut down trees. But what do we do with the plastics of this artificial tree? There does not seem to be a simple answer but guess we can at least re-use this one many times. In any event, I will help her to make it a very beautiful Christmas tree. As this year is coming to its final stage, may I wish you all the best for the year 2022.

OK…so much for baby talks…and as you are stocking up for the festive seasons, we want to recommend some of our latest additions:

2012 Vilmart Coeur de Cuvee (WA96 at HK$920/bottle) – Great grower Champagne house producing this concentrated, deep wine with notes of pear, fresh bread, elderflower, almonds and citrus oil, and a long, penetrating finish.

2012 Pol Roger Cuvee Winston Churchill (WA96 at HK$1,580/bottle) – Arriving in a week is this top offering from a reputable Champagne house. It exhibits youthful aromas of honeyed pears, toasted brioche, pomelo, green apple and mandarin orange, with hints of stone fruits. It is full-bodied, vinous and textural on the palate, concluding with a solid finish.

2018 Bernard Moreau Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru les Caillerets (VN93 at HK$1,200/bottle) – This Burgundy white is of almost a Zen-like style, with flavours of lemon, green apple, sliced pear, wet stones and flint, all well defined and yet beautifully intertwined together with great balance.

2017 M. Chapoutier Hermitage Blanc Chante Aluette (WS96 at HK$480/bottle) – This Rhone white from our favourite producer leads off with intense honeysuckle and chamomile notes, followed by yellow apple, quince and white peach flower flavours.

2018 Gaia & Rey (WA95 at HK1,500/bottle) – Chardonnay from the Italian producer having the equivalent status of a First Growth, this vintage is also the most highly rated by the Wine Advocate ever. Still young but after a little breathing, the wine offers fresh citrus, stone fruits, toasted almond and a little spice. It is delicate and yet determined, dancing between fragility and power.

2005 Branon (RP96 at HK$920/bottle) – The 2010 vintage we offered a few weeks ago was sold out in no time and now we have the equally good 2005 vintage from this small jewel property of Bordeaux. This is a beautifully deep wine that displays black fruits, charcoal, with some smoky barbecue notes.

2015 Domaine Joseph Voillot Volnay les Champans (WA93-95 at HK$660/bottle) – This Burgundy red is bestowed with an opulent bouquet of red cherry and wild strawberry. The palate is supple and rounded on the entry, belying the structure that lies underneath. The finish has a fine grip and lingers long and tenderly.

2015 Nin-Ortiz Planetes (WA95 at HK$320/bottle) – From the Catalonia region of Spain, this is a blend of Garnacha (Grenache) and Carinena. Offering great details, poise and elegance, it is fresh, perfumed and nicely balanced on the palate. Only 9,000 bottles produced.

2012 Dominus (RP98-99 at HK$1,800/bottle) – Situated in Napa with the same owner as the legendary Petrus, Dominus have been producing great wines with 17 of the last 20 released vintages scoring at least 95 points. In our opinion, the 2012 vintage, almost a perfect wine, offers exceptional value when it is priced at more than 20% lower than those rated 100 points.

2018 Donum Angel Camp Reserve Pinot Noir (WS95 at HK$1,000/bottle) – Last but certainly not least, the US producer for which we are the exclusive representative in Hong Kong…and our new offering being one of their reserve wines that is unctuous and hard to resist. Lusciously spiced, with plenty of vanilla notes on top of the ripe cherry and raspberry flavours, the wine offers a toasty mid-palate, with a long, burnished finish that is filled with juicy richness.

Thank you for reading. You may also like to browse our website www.vinopolis.com.hk to view the full wine list. Purchases can be made through the website or by sending us an e-mail or simply WhatsApp 9195-7383.