WTN: Two Chards - Leeuwin and Talbott

Short notes from lunch today at Cafe Ysabel with famous Singapore wine authority Dr. NK Yong.

Taittinger Brut NV - Slightly sweet. Lightish. Lemony finish. Refreshing. Very good.

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2004 - Light gold. Gentle oak. Well-balanced. Medium-bodied. Rich. Oranges. Long, dry finish. Elegant wine. Surprisingly good match with Sinigang na Ulang - a sour soup with a gigantic freshwater prawn.

Talbott Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Chardonnay 2004 - Medium-gold. Spicy nose. Quite sweet and very rich. The style isn't for everyone but I thought it was well-balanced enough that it worked beautifully. Surprisingly subdued oak. Brilliant match with salt crusted Grouper in passion fruit sauce; the wine echoing the flavor of the sauce. Also a good match for the Sinigang.

Corte Riva Merlot 2004 - Paired with Ox tongue stew.

Corte Riva Petite Sirah 2005 - Paired with three stews: Ox tail, duck, and goat; all accompanied by saffron rice.

Josefina Pinol Mistela - Very fresh and grapey. A most individual and unique wine. I was too stuffed to take more coherent notes than this. The wine itself was excellent but merely a decent match for the three outstanding desserts: Tarta Madrid (a large cake made of millefeuille and filled with bavarois cream usually reserved for festive ocassions), Mantecado Ice Cream (rich butter-flavored ice cream), and Leche Flan (creme caramel).

Thanks for the notes Jay. Sounds like quite a "lunch". A question that always enters my mind when I read your posts - how are fine wines (and wines in general) stored in tropical climates like Manila? Do many wines end up suffering from the heat exposure?

Thanks for the notes Jay. Sounds like quite a "lunch". A question that always enters my mind when I read your posts - how are fine wines (and wines in general) stored in tropical climates like Manila? Do many wines end up suffering from the heat exposure?

The better wine shops have good storage facilities so we rarely get any wine with heat damage. Even some supermarkets are starting to pay better attention to wine storage, putting them in special rooms rather than just on the shelves. Of course, the smaller liquor shops don't really care but the people I know don't shop at those places anyway.

All the people I know who are seriously into wine have a Haier or Eurocave or some other storage so no bottles are left out in the heat.

The "lunch" was pretty over the top. The idea was to give Dr. Yong a taste of what a late 19th century banquet would have been like in the Philippines.