PARCHED | WINE AND FINDS

Wines from all the continents, decanters, and a machine that serves the perfect pour – all your wine needs and gifts sorted.

Maison de Grand Esprit

La Mysteriale Santenay wine

Someone knows someone who knows someone in the Bourgogne area, but it shall remain a mystery who the supplier is. However, winemaker Sebastien Long certainly knows how to get access to these precious pinot noir grapes in the Santenay region, which only harvests a total of 300 acres of the grape. And from that, he’s made one of the best Pinot Noirs we’ve ever tasted.

You’ll be hearing a lot about Maison de Grand Esprit soon, when they unleash their new offerings in 2018. The company combines Old World credibility with New World techniques by showcasing the best of France’s regions – Bordeaux, Rhone, Provence – all under one house. In short, they’re the pirate brewers of the winemaking world, but they adhere to the strict process required by the appellation d’origine controlee (AOC) specification. Their wines are made and bottled at wineries in the individual regions where the grapes are sourced.

And this Santenay Premier Cru is a complex delight, with layers of oaky and earthen flavours yielding spicy surprises with each sip, with a long fruity and peppery finish. Certainly look out for their 2015 release, as well as the L’Être Magique Crémant de Bourgogne NV, and L’Être Magique Côte de Provence 2016.

Contact Treasury Wines to reserve.

Castiglion del Bosco. Zodiac Limited Edition: Dog

zodiac dog castiglion de bosco

The stars align: 2018 is the Lunar New Year of the Dog, and Castiglion del Bosco has launched a limited-edition Zodiac Dog, a special series of their limited Zodiac collection. The label was designed by renowned Chinese artist Li Fu Yuan exclusively for the Italian winery, and the Zodiac Dog is celebrated as one of the finest expressions of their Montalcino terroir.

The vineyard boasts its own unique terroir at an altitude of 450 metres, resulting in light-filled wines of great complexity and elegance. Their Brunellos are bellissimo: The Brunello di Montalcino 2012 is ready to drink; it’s round, right and delicate. The Campo del Drago (Brunello) is made from grapes gathered from a single vineyard, and is a powerhouse of berries, with a complex punch of jammy sweetness.

The Zodiac Dog is a floral expression that howls with acidity and freshness. The 100% Sangiovese grapes and barrel aging provide texture and complexity, with hints of violet, thyme, mint and red fruits.

The Zodiac Dog is a collectable and is limited to 488 quantities, and retails at $1,455. Orders can be made directly with Castiglion del Bosco via Jessica (jessicaho.cdb@gmail.com).

Castiglion del Bosco’s Zodiac Year of the Dog Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2011 has been rated as one of the “Top 100 Italian Wines of 2017” by James Suckling.

Yering Station, Victoria/Melbourne

Yering Station wine

This is Victoria’s first vineyard (estb 1838), in a region (Yarra Valley) which has a cool climate and is slightly above sea level. Subsequently, its key varietals are the chardonnay, pinot noir and shiraz. (You’ll find the entire range at 1855 The Bottle Shop.)

After several bouts of ownerships, the vineyard now belongs to the Rathbone family, who have modernised its processes, and employed state-of-the-art viticulture techniques to produce award-winning wines (. The Rathbones have also turned the winery into a major tourist landmark.

Of particular interest is the Yering Station Village 2015 Chardonnay, a buttery white with mineral and melon flavours, a creamy feel with a subtle acidity and a languid floral finish. Another to love: the 2014 Shiraz Voignier. If you’re sort of a shiraz fan but not often in love with its aggressive single note, this might better suit you. The 5% voignier grapes softens the intensity to bring a smoother and more nuanced touch to its cherry and oaky palate.

Buy it at 1855 The Bottle Shop (ask for the Yering Station Scarlett Pinot Noir as well!)

Beaulieu Vineyard

beaulieu vineyard wines

Beaulieu Vineyard has been setting the standard for rich, classic Californian wines for 100 years – using an astute blend of traditional winemaking methods and high-tech equipment. From its Rutherford locale (the widest part of Napa Valley), founder George Latour has made fruit-forward wines with classic varietal character, their winners include the flagship Georges Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (now in its 77th vintage); the barrel-aged Cabernet Sauvignon; and the Rarity Napa Valley, produced only in magnums cos of its rarity – and which has 99 points. Want them? Contact Treasury Wines Estate.

Penfolds

Penfolds wines

What don’t you know about Penfolds already? Well, there’s the new Penfolds Collection 2016 maybe – an enduring collection that is worth cellaring. The best part when you drink this? The Maison Saint-Louis collaboration, which has produced the most exquisite objet d’art service vessels. The decanter (above) is the perfect accomplice to the Grange 2012 (see vid below), the most powerful and original expression of the vineyard’s blending philosophy (the set is yours for $2000). Get it at Treasury Wines Estate.

Cloudy Bay

Cloudy Bay wine

The Sauvignon Blanc 2016 comes at a perfect time. With its vibrant citrus fruit and ripe stone-fruit flavours, it’s a perfect wine to kick off any party, and also a perfect pair with Singapore’s cuisne. It’s delicate, fruity and refined, with all the hallmarks of cloudy Bay you’ve come to love.

D-Vine

1 glass of wine = 1 flacon = 10cl = 1 restaurant pour. Put the flacon in the machine, the D-Vine reads the RFID chip and preps it for the right temperature and aeration. The wine starts dribbling out in under one minute. Drink.

DVine machine

The D-Vine has its appeal, but it’s dependent on you having the flacons on hand. With premium wines you don’t have to open a whole bottle, just this one glass (You’re in the mood for a Bordeaux, she prefers a Burgundy, voila!).

So if you get the machine, you’ve got to order your flacons online. It’s the Nespresso of wines (it doesn’t work with regular flacons).

D-Vine S$1,790, flacons S$9-39. Order it at www.dvine.com.sg

Sena Chilean Wine

Sena Chilean wines

This Chilean powerhouse is the dream project and fruition of two known wine names – Eduardo Chadwick and Robert Mondavi – founded on the challenge to create ultra premium Chilean wines that fulfills its full expression and character – and are now award-winners (look up “The Berlin Tasting”).

The iconic wines from Valle de Aconcagua include Sena 2013 (S$167), a fruity and intense wine that’s agile and bright with perfectly polished tannins – and 99 points. Another to watch is the 2009 ($175), with its blend of cab sauv, carmenere, petit verdot, cab franc and merlot – you get red tobacco, raspberries, cinnamon, incense and cedar. The retail range is available at La Terre. Bar prices are different.

Plum Wine Machine

plum wine machine

Plum Wine is more than a high-falutin’ wine dispenser. It’s a wine opener, chiller, preserver, and researcher. It also does Wi-Fi, but with restraint. A bunch of smart people who’ve worked at Amazon’s Lab126, Motorola, and a few cybersecurity firms designed it to do two important things: Make your wine taste better and last longer. It also lets you drink just a glass or two without ruining the rest of the bottle.

What sets the Plum apart from other wine appliances is how it preserves your wine. As soon as you uncork a bottle, oxygen begins wreaking havoc on the color, flavor, and aroma of your beloved beverage. Plum found a clever solution to this problem. (Read more at Wired)

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