The week in pictures: Hong Kong

A 1787 Lafite purportedly owned by American president Thomas Jefferson was on display at Hong Kong Parkview, as part of the collections owned by the late property tycoon, George Wong. The dark green hand-blown glass bottle has a dark grey seal, and engravings that read, “1787 Laffite Th.J.” Bordeaux first growth Château Lafite Rothschild was previously known as Laffite, and the ‘Th.J.’ shorthand was said to be initials of Thomas Jefferson, to which American historian Lucia Goodwin at Monticello, Jefferson’s residence in Virginia, disputed. She argued that Jefferson had only used ‘T.I.’, or the in-cursive ‘TJ’ and ‘Th:J’ with a colon to mark his name, but never used or specified with ‘Th.J.’ as the cache from German music producer Hardy Rodenstock did.

One 1787 Lafite was most famously sold at a Christie’s auction in 1985 to Christopher Forbes, son of the famous publisher Malcom Forbes for £105,000 (US$156,000), a record price for the single most expensive bottle of wine. Four bottles were later sold to American oil tycoon, Bill Koch; one bottle to Marvin Shaken, publisher of Wine Spectator, one to a Middle Eastern buyer and one to American wine merchant Bill Sokolin, to name a few of the famous Jefferson bottle buyers. 

The wine seems to be from the same cache that Rodenstock uncovered in 1980s in Paris, but it’s unclear how the bottle, along with three other Thomas Jefferson bottles (1787 Branne-Mouton, 1787 Chateau d’Yquem and 1987 Château Margaux,) ended up in Hong Kong collector George Wong’s possession.

In the book Billionaire’s Vinegar, it says that at least two dozens of the so-called Jefferson bottles were drunk, broken, or sent for scientific tests, and in collector’s cellars, the exact number of the bottles was never known as Rodentstock had always been elusive. But the book did not mention there were bottles sold to Hong Kong collectors. However, it’s certain that George Wong had met with Rodenstock and attended at least a tasting hosted by the controversial wine collector. The image above shows a bottle of 1789 Château Margaux that Rodenstock opened at a dinner on 3rd July, 2001 in honour of Wong’s visit to Munich.

Judges at our latest Asian Sparkling Masters held on 30 January at HIP Cellar: (from left to right) Jeremy Stockman, general manager of Watson’s Wine; Yu-Kong Chow, independent F&B consultant and wine judge; Francesca Martin, director of Bee Drinks Global; Ivy Ng, publisher of the drinks business Hong Kong; Derek Li, chief sommelier at Duddell’s; Natalie Wang, managing editor of the drinks business Hong Kong (observing); Eddie McDougall, The Flying Winemaker; and Anty Fung, general manager of HIP cellar.

Judges Ivy Ng of dbHK and Jeremy Stockman of Watson’s Wine discuss and evaluate the quality of sparkling wine samples including a wide arrange of Champagne, Prosessco, Cava and Asti. The results will be published online and in our print edition.

Derek Li of Duddell’s and Eddie McDougall having a group discussion about one of the wines at the Asian Sparkling Masters.

Borgogne Wine Board shone a light on Meursault and its climats at a live training with 23 wine trade professionals in Hong Kong including merchants, sommeliers and wine educators. Held at Berry Bros & Rudd’s office in Hong Kong, the live session hosted by Bourgogne Wine Ambassador Ivy Ng featured six wines (pictured below): Domaine Jean Chartron Meursault les Pierres 2015, Domaine Patrick Javillier Meursault les Tillets 2015, Maison Vincent Girardin Meursault les Charrons 2015, Domaine Philippe Bouzereau Château de Citeaux Meursault Premier Cru Poruzots 2015, Domaine Faiveley Père et Fils Meursault Premier Cru Blagny 2015, Domaine Latour Giraud Meursault Premier Cru Genevrières 2014.