Uncorked: Eric Desgouttes

Eric Desgouttes is general manager for Kerry Wines in Hong Kong and China.

What Vintage are you?
A great year for Port – 1963

What bottle sparked your love of wine?
While working in London, a regular customer of mine brought in for a special bottle, a 1959 La Mission Haut Brion – I never realised before that wine could taste like this!

Ambition or talent?
To make Kerry Wines a leading wine merchant in Greater China.

What would you be as a wine?
A mature Pinot Noir from Vosne-Romanée.

Where are you happiest?
At home with family & friends, sharing a home cooking meal and some bottles from my cellar.

What’s your greatest vice?
Chocolate

Best advice you ever got?
You never buy a great label, just a great bottle (perfect sourcing is the key)

Your cellar’s underwater, which bottle would you dive in and save?
I would go for the largest bottle in my cellar, a Jeroboam of Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage a J. Perrin 1998

What’s the best & worst thing about the wine business?
Best: People I meet who are either producers or as customers.

Worst: Too much importance are being given to wine critiques, not enough from wine merchants or your own palate.

Personal satisfaction (Parker points)?
Not a great believer in giving points (Parker or others), just enjoying the energy of this wonderful city which has giving me so much (so A+ RATING)

Desert island vine?
Has to be Champagne, preferably with 10+ years of ageing.