Sommelier’s Recommendation

1995 Barros Vintage Port, Portugal
PHP 4,500
Since 1913 Barros has been one of the important port houses and a prestige brand. It was merged into Sogevinus group in 2006. It is particular revered for its colheita Port which regularly bags lots of awards. Dark berry and chocolate on the nose lead to a vintage port of medium body, soft tannins, lots of berry flavors and dark chocolate. Maturing now into a harmonious vintage port with a long finish, great with blue cheese and dark chocolate naturally but also very nice to drink with food with very rich sauces too.

1983 Feist Vintage Port, Portugal
PHP 6,900
Founded by Germans H and C.J. Feist way back in 1836, this well-respected Port house was later acquired by BARROS (and then sold to Sogevinus in 2006). 1983 was one of five declared vintages in the decade of the 80s. This vintage port has complex crème caramel bouquet, rather full-bodied, now fully matured and offering complex flavors, lovely tannins and a long finish, regarded as one of the best efforts of the decade.

1970 Diez Vintage Port, Diez Hermanos, Portugal
PHP 8,500
Interestingly Don Salvado Diez and is 4 brothers started as a sherry producer, then moved on to Madeira before embracing Port as its core product. We are talking about the turn of the 19th century. This old port house was acquired by Offley Forrester in 1968. This 1970 vintage port was one of only three vintages declared in the decade of the 70s. Made with a lot of pride and care, this medium-bodied wine has a lovely bouquet of pharmacy, hospital and menthol, now matured but in no way old at all; absolutely delicious, rich, complex and a really persistent finish.

NV Hutcheson’s Fine Tawny Port, Portugal
PHP 1,800

As in the case with most Port wines, Hutcheson was founded in the 19th century by two Englishmen, a boutique house making fine "English styled" port, meaning the more refined and classy kind, a tradition that carried forward to day after the takeover by the large BARROS Port producing house. These fine tawny ports are a class about many tawnies on the shelves. Enjoy this tawny port with blue cheese, dark chocolate desserts and also food with heavy sauces.

2011 Pavillon de la Brie, Monbazillac
h –PHP 1,900
A lovely French dessert wine. Rich with and mouth filling burst of concentrated flavour. Dried sweet fruit on the finish, an overall quite complex wine.

2005 Château Liot, Sauternes
h –PHP 1,900
Made from mainly Sémilloon grapes with a touch of Sauvignon Blanc for extra vigor, this wine is luscious but not too thick and heavy. The 45-year-old vines produced grapes with intense flavors resulting in wine of lengthy fruit and honeyed flavors. Many will enjoy this delightful sweet wine with Crème Brûlée and other mildly sweet, slightly creamy dessert while others will order it for foie gras.

1983 Château du Mayne, Sauternes
PHP 4,500
This is one of those lesser-known wines outside of France that has been serving the connoisseur community for a very long time, now slowly being discovered by the average wine lovers. A bouquet of citrus and white fruit leads the way into a delicate sweet wine with fine acidity, excellent balance, freshness and finesse. This can be a dessert all on its own or a sweet wine to enjoy with mildly sweet dessert. Fans of foie gras and liver pate would be very happy to drink this wine with food.

1996 Château Doisy Daëne, 2eme Cru Classé, Barsac, Sauternes
PHP 5,900
Owned by the famous Dubourdieu family since 1924, this 2eme Cru Classé of Barsac consistenly commands respect (and price) higher than its officla classiciation. Much of the wines body comes from the cèpage of 86% Sémillon and 14 % Sauvignon but it is the freshness and vivacity that capture the hearts of wine lovers. Honey, quince and lychee aromas on the nose ushers in flavors of peach and apricots. Most interestingly perhaps is the mineral notes on the finish. This is a classy wine for dessert or a foie gras.

1996 Quarts de Chaume, "Les Guerches" Dom. Du Petit Metis, Renou, Loire,
PHP 6,500
Quarts de Chaume is a highly respected sweet white wine appellation of the Anjou district in the western Loire Valley of France. Quarts de Chaume wines are made exclusively from Chenin Blanc (known here as Pineau de la Loire). Chenin Blanc is a versatile white wine grape variety known for its high acidity and aging potential. Most commonly associated with the Loire Valley, Chenin Blanc has been cultivated in France for nearly 1300 years; official French documents first mention Chenin Blanc as early as 845. It is only since the 1980s, however, that renewed interest has reinvigorated Chenin Blanc’s position as a classic and noble grape variety. These wines are as luscious and opulent as those from Sauternes.

1 4 月, 2014 in Sommelier Selection 2013, Wine List