Movies, and there are movies…

Yours truly is quite a movie buff and watched some 100 movies a year during the university days, many being non-mainstream ones not shown in cinemas but by film clubs in studios with only 20-30 viewers present. Even though the degree of passion is different now, watching movies is still a favourite past time. And it has to be in cinemas. Many will opt to do it via cell phones or laptops at home, in the office or even en route to work in a bus or train. That’s convenient. You start, and stop, whenever you want. It is usually free of charge, legally or not legally. But the cinema offers (ideally) an environment of comfort and “self-forgetting” darkness within which one will have a bigger propensity to be absorbed into the movie. The darkness will generate distance from the real world and one’s actual circumstances, as well as an insulator of one’s emotion which will not be readily noticed by others. And that brings to the two movies yours truly watched recently. When many say good movies must involve huge investments, these two show how small budget productions can be excellent and will hopefully encourage those in the industry to focus in the right direction.  

The Chinese movie “Dear You” (給阿嬷的情書) is creating such a stir in the communities of Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and some Southeast Asian countries. Not only has its box office receipt exceeded HK$2 billion in the last two months (within which HK$10M in Hong Kong for 10 days of showing), it has also aroused tremendous interests in understanding the lives and the struggles of people around the economically deprived Chaozhou area during the late 19^th Century up to around the 1970’s, with many chose to leave home heading for the likes of Thailand, Malaya and the Philippines to do hard manual works, sending letters and the little they earned back to their family via what was called Qiaopi or 僑批 in the Chinese language (direct translation: letter-remittance) . The movie centres around the dynamics and emotions of how people struggled in work, maintaining family ties, love, friendship, and really just surviving day-in-day-out.  The moral linkage of all is the motto that “all acts in life have to be about (for the lack of a better translation) loyalty and affection (有情有義)". There are no seasoned professional actors/actresses in the entire cast and all dialogues are in the Chaozhou dialect. But that just makes the entire presentation and delivery more real. Is the movie good? There have been many excellent movies over the years. But this is the ONLY one that really moved yours truly in the last four decades!!!

The other movie is “Pressure”, a war drama based on true events. Towards late May 1944, the Allied Forces, under the command of US general Dwight D. Eisenhower, were planning for the D-day invasion with multiple landings at Normandy, France. With the recommendation of Winston Churchill, the Scottish meteorologist Captain James Stagg was summoned to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force to forecast the weather in order to decide on the best landing moment. Without revealing too much of the storyline, suffice it to say there were arguments, conflicts, matters of personal egos, dynamics between people and the unpredictability of nature, all amalgamated to the conclusion of attacking on June 6. The success of the invasion enabled the Allies to defeat the Germans within a year. When fights, car/boat/plane chasing and crashing, bloodshed and other violent actions are regarded as important ingredients for box office success, this movie does not have much “actions” and very limited war scenes. It is mostly dialogue but you feel weight and tension throughout. It is also worth noting that in the epilogue, Eisenhower in fact had prepared a note to be sent out should the invasion fail: “The troop, the air and the navy did all their bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt, it is mine alone.” You often find seniors claiming credit in no time when there is success, but always would put the blame on subordinates and peers for any failure. A real leader has to shoulder responsibility and to have the courage to admit mistakes as well.

Anyway, time to go to wines and below are some of our recent additions:

2023 Antinori Cervaro della Sala (WA97 HK$560/bottle) – By one of the best producers, this Italian masterpiece is reminiscent of the great whites of Burgundy. It opens with an elegantly reductive note of flint and crushed granite before sliding gracefully into silky fruit sensations, breakfast pastry and crème fraîche. The wine offers carefully balanced richness and textural importance. Could well be the best Cervaro della Sala ever.    

2020 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Charmes (WA94-96 at HK$3,300/bottle) – Good name Burgundies are never cheap but it is OK to indulge ourselves once in a white. This Meursault is brilliant, offering up a complex bouquet of pear, crisp stone fruits, clear honey, baking spices, wheat toast and hazelnuts. Medium to full-bodied, deep and taut, it's extremely concentrated, with racy acids and an abundance of chalky structuring extract, all to make for an unforgettable experience.  

2018 Lagrange (WA95 at HK$380/bottle) – A Bordeaux red of excellent value, the 2018 Lagrange explodes from the glass with bombastic notes of crème de cassis, chocolate-covered cherries and baked red and black plums with suggestions of rose oil, cedar chest and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has fantastic vibrancy for the ripeness, packed with juicy black fruits and compelling tension with a finely grained texture to support, finishing on a lingering mineral note.

2012 d’Issan (RP95 at HK$460/bottle) – Another good value Bordeaux red that builds on richness, structure and density, it has an inky purple colour and a stunning nose of spring flowers, blueberry and blackberry fruit as well as touches of incense and graphite. Medium to full-bodied and stunningly concentrated, this 2012 is a great success in the vintage, one of the superstars

2010 Branon (RP97 at HK$650/bottle) – Small production Bordeaux red from a great vintage, the wine offers notes of mocha, espresso roast, chocolate, creme de cassis on top of the elegant fruit. The palate is classic, full-bodied, intense and well structured. It’s just a shame that less than 8,000 bottles were made.

2005 La Fleur Morange (RP96 at HK$780/bottle) – A blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, this Bordeaux red emerges from a vineyard averaging 100 years of age. The wine has a superb bouquet of acacia flowers, blueberries, black currants, crushed rocks, and its oak component completely obscured by the wealth of fruit and overall rich, concentrated style. Sadly, only 4,200 bottles were produced and we suggest you to grab a few bottles if you ever manage to find it.

2020 Castell'in Villa Chianti Classico (JS96 at HK$250/bottle) – An excellent choice for those who want to explore wines of this Italian region without waiting for it to mature…succulent red cherries, leather and licorice are some of the notes that emerge from this delicate, understated Chianti. The tightness and firmness are its hallmarks when young, but they are fairly restrained. This is a wine that combines pedigree, superb quality and fabulous value. Don’t expect it to be especially long-lived, but there won’t be too many bottles lying around by the end of the decade anyway.

2017 Ornellaia Tenuta Dell'Ornellaia (WA96 at HK$1,450/bottle) – One of the famed Super Tuscan, this Italian red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc in 56/25/10/9 proportions. The 2017 vintage is called Solare and represents the 12th edition in the estate's Vendemmia d'Artista series featuring artwork by Tomás Saraceno. His beautiful art depicts a radiant sun halo and is intended as a symbol of sustainability. That theme of sunshine and warmth is particularly well suited to a vintage such as this, one that is generous and fruit-forward with dense richness and concentration all driven by the smaller and more compact berry size that characterizes this dry, hot growing season. Black and purple fruits segue to spice, tobacco, leather and some of those beautiful Mediterranean notes of black olive and wild sage. These various moving pieces work together in perfect harmony.

NV Sami-Odi Little Wine #14 (WA97 at HK$700) – This Australian Shiraz is a blend of the following vintages: 2024 (37%), 2023 (32%), 2022 (12%), 2021 (8%), 2020 (4%), 2019 (3%), 2018 (1%), 2017 (2%), and 2016 and 2015 (1%). The wine is elegant and tightly coiled. It has an inherent softness and harmony to it, partly from the process of aging and partly from the older vintages just being softer and more weathered by time. There are floral and mineral notes, as well as graphite, licorice, cracked fennel seed, dark chocolate, blackberry and mulberry. All in all, this is a very pleasurable wine that can be hard to find but well worth the effort and is warmly recommended.

Thank you for reading. Please feel free to go to our website www.vinopolis.com.hk to browse the full wine list. Purchases can be made through the website or by sending us an e-mail or simply WhatsApp 9195-7383.