Top wine picks in Asian media

Bindi Composition Macedon Ranges Pinot Noir 2011

Chek Wong from Singapore wine blog The Local Nose recommended this wine, writing: “Noticeable vanilla, cream and woody notes, with boiled sweets and slight gaminess. Quite overt, thickly layered with a candied sweetness to the fruit. Lively acidity provides a lift to this wine and prevents it from becoming flabby. Very good.”

Greywacke Marlborough Pinot Noir 2010

Wong also picked out this wine, writing: “Brilliant purplish crimson hue. Nervy acidity, layers of red fruits, strawberry and plums, exuding magnificent intensity and poise.”

I Vigneri by Salvo Foti from Etna Rosso

This wine was picked out by South China Morning Post‘s Nellie Ming Lee at a tasting held by Debra Meiburg MW. Lee described the wine as “an inky, opaque purple wine with vivid berry fruit and, surprisingly, no oak, made from Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio grapes.”

Chateau Ksara Sunset Rosé

The Wine Times of Hong Kong described this as “a great rose for the everyday wine drinker as it has exactly what is needed while chilling out at the end of the day,” adding “”it’s easy drinking with subtle but little complexity and it is not sweet or cloying like some of the other rose made around the world. It’s crisp and clean and it a perfect refresher for a warm summer/autumn evening.”

2007 Red Diamond Washington State Merlot

Winekorea.asia wrote that the nose on this wine was “fleshy and rounded red fruit and plum nose with some minerality.”

The website added that the palate was “fleshy and broad with sweet woodsmoke through the palate. There is some depth but the sweetness overwhelms. Smokey and sweet cloying caramelised finish. For good or bad, very Korean palate sweet profile.”

Kistler Sonoma Coast Les Noisetiers Chardonnay 2005

Another wine picked out by the team at Winekorea.asia, this was described as “pure and clean colour in the glass.

“On the nose it there were plenty of malolactics and oak. This wine was American and proud of it. Yet, the malolactics were balanced and didn’t dominate. White clay and a little creamy butter rounded out the bouquet. Dried grass and fish bone made things more interesting. Bright lemons too. Definitely a hot chardonnay with plenty of nutty oils. There were also tropical flavours, banana, rock melon, lemon and just the slightest hint of grapefruit. A very long lingering finish. Delicious and powerful wine.”

Warburn Premium Reserve Shiraz 2011

Winebuzz.hk wrote of this wine: “A good value wine with ripe blackberries and spice followed by savoury overtones, all supported by a deft touch of oak from twelve months maturation.”

2011 Cape Mentelle Chardonnay

This is the wine that Jeannie Cho Lee MW described as a “crisp, elegant Chardonnay” on asianpalate.com. She added: “With lean focused flavours along with plenty of ripe stone fruits – nectarines and apricots with hint of mixed nuts in the background. Lovely, balanced white that offers great value.”

2009 Lapostolle Clos Apalta

Cho Lee also picked out this wine, writing: “Tasted this wine served straight from the bottle and another portion decanted for 30-45 minutes and the decanted wine tasted much more open and attractive. Full bodied red with layers of concentrated dark berry and sweet oak flavours that requires at least an hour of decanting. Still very young – wait 2-3 years before enjoying.”