10 minute read
The HK IWSC 2019 Trophy Wines
from SPIT Journal 2019
by HK IWSC
Trophy
Winners
Advertisement
The Judges are first separated into panels and are then presented with lights of wine organised by region, area, variety, style, type, vintage, age and so on. All wines are blind -tasted to ensure impartiality and judges are not permitted in the preparation area at any point during the tasting. Judges are provided with score sheets on which they mark their respective samples individually without comment.
Once all judges have nished tasting and scoring their ight, the panel and panel chair congregate to openly discuss the scores. If there is any signi cant disagreement over one particular sample, it may be referred to another panel for a second tasting. Gold, silver and bronze awards are then allocated depending on the product's score out of 100. The highest marks in each category are passed on for a second tasting to compete for the national and international trophies.
Our sincere thanks to KPMG who reviewed our results to ensure accuracy, fairness and transparency.
BEST WINE FROM ARGENTINA
La Pascuala Tukma Gran Corte 2015
Salta, Argentina
Intense red colour with violet edges. Notes of ripe red fruit and red pepper. Time in French oak barrels creates subtle aromas of vanilla and toasting. Great structure and volume. Intense, ripe tannins. Long, harmonious nish, where the three varieties amalgamate perfectly.
BEST RED WINE FROM AUSTRALIA
Bream Creek Reserve Pinot Noir 2017
Tasmania, Australia
Premium cool-climate pinot noir with a generous cherry and spice nose and a powerful palate of dark and red cherries, spice and hints of dark earth and minerals, supported by excellent tannins. Enjoyable now, this wine may also be con dently cellared.
BEST WHITE WINE FROM AUSTRALIA
Shottesbrooke Single Vineyard Series 'Adelaide Hills' Chardonnay 2017
Adelaide Hills, Australia
Fresh stone fruit and zesty lemon aromas are lifted by nuances of toasty oak and a hint of nougat. Palate dominated by elegant nectarine and grapefruit. Balanced and structured acidity maintains freshness and liveliness, while subtle oak adds interest and depth.
BEST WINE FROM AUSTRIA
Weingut Günter + Regina Triebaumer Beerenauslese 2018
Burgenland, Austria
Multi-dimensional fruit on the nose with ripe pineapple, acacia blossom, tropical fruits, patisserie from Rust, sugar melon, vineyard peach and eucalyptus. Inviting, almost fresh notes of honey, seductive fragrance.
BEST SINGLE VARIETY WINE FROM CHINA
Château Huahao Villager's Collection Marselan Reserve 2017
Ningxia, China
Abundant violet orals and blueberry fruit with sour cherry juiciness and a long, clean nish.
BEST CABERNET/ CABERNET BLENDS FROM CHINA
Château Miqin Reserve 2017
Ningxia, China
Abundant vanilla oak aromas, with hints of cherry. Rich tannins, sweet cassis, charred oak, and ginger spice on a smoky nish.
BEST WINE FROM CHILE
Falernia Gran Reserva Chardonnay 2018
Elqui Valley, Chile
Rich yellow in colour, oral on the nose with tropical fruits of banana, papaya and spicy aromas. Full and round with ne acidity and a long nish. Made with hand-picked cool climate grapes fermented in French oak barrels for around 10 months.
BEST WINE FROM GEORGIA
Shalauri Cellars Saperavi Dry Red Wine 2017
Kakheti, Georgia
A bouquet of earthy dried fruit awash with lush red fruits and berries supported by a backbone of spice, tobacco, chocolate, blackberry and violet. Tannins cling to every sip. Aged in qvevri, this textured, un ltered wine should be drunk over days, not hours.
BEST WINE FROM JAPAN
Yoichi Harvest Zweigelt Special Cuvee 2017
Hokkaido, Japan
A noble Austrian variety suited to Hokkaido's cool climate. Light to medium purple in the glass, with raspberry and cranberry aromas and spicy avours. In the mouth, bright cassis and dark cherry have a light tannic base and a beautiful earthy component.
BEST WINE FROM FRANCE
Dop & Irion Château de Riquewihr Grand Cru Sporen Gewürztraminer 2017
Alsace, France
Marvellous acidity and a wealth of aroma, with more spicy notes than oral.
BEST WINE FROM ITALY
Villa Canestrari Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 'Plenum' Riserva 2012
Valpolicella, Italy
Incredible pure cherry and bramble fruit which is ripe, dense and concentrated. The palate is rich, smooth and very powerful with seamless integration of the alcohol. Caramel, raisin and smoky oak add to the complexity of the incredibly long nish.
BEST WINE FROM NEW ZEALAND
Tohu Awatere Valley Pinot Noir 2017
Marlborough, New Zealand
Deep ruby in the glass, with aromatic layers of cherry, plum and bright red fruit and hints of wild thyme. Richly textured palate with avours of red and dark fruit, spice and integrated French oak underpinned by dry herbs and savoury notes.
BEST WINE FROM PORTUGAL
Dona Ermelinda Reserva Branco 2018
Palmela, Portugal
Colours of grass and straw, with sweet fruit and citrus aromas. Well integrated with wood from ageing. Full and creamy in the mouth with an elegant, persistent nish.
BEST WINE FROM SPAIN
Scala Dei Cartoixa 2016
Priorat, Spain
Intense aromas of ripe plum and black fruits and a touch of violet intermingled with mineral notes from the llicorella slate terroir. Barrel ageing creates spicy aromas of vanilla, pepper and toast. Robust, buttery, supple palate with intense mature tannins. Rounded body and long lingering nish.
BEST WINE FROM NIEDERÖSTERREICH
L5 by Laurenz V. 2013 Kamptal DAC, Austria
Exotic fruit characters, cinnamon and vanilla over tropical fruit aromas and hints of coconut. Balanced oak character, vibrant body with herbal spice on the nish, leading to a lingering salty-mineral aftertaste. A Grüner with longevity.
BEST GRÜNER VELTLINER
Weingut Dürnberg Tradition Grüner Veltliner Weinviertel DAC Reserve 2018
Weinviertel, Austria
Grapefruit, rose petals and delicate white pepper on the nose. Rich and spicy with a mineral-laden nish. Strict grape selection and ageing on the lees (until mid-May), expresses the wine's direct, bold character.
BEST WINE FROM SOUTH AFRICA
Asara Vineyard Collection Pinotage 2017
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Pure and distinct with layered black fruit purity and vibrant, elegant freshness.
BEST WINE FROM USA
Darioush Signature Viognier 2018
Napa Valley, USA
Crisp and fragrant, with oral aromas of honeysuckle, acacia, and bergamot. Bright citrus broadens to layers of stone fruits which unfold to reveal sleek, inty minerality. Spiced nish punctuated by hints of nutmeg and toasted hazelnuts adds textural complexity and persistence.
BEST CHARDONNAY
Hardys HRB Chardonnay 2016
Yarra Valley, Australia
Pale straw in colour with vibrant yellow hues. Aromatic white stone fruit with lemon curd and subtle oak tones. Intensely avoured with white peach, nectarine and lemon and subtle spice and cream hints. Strong acidic backbone provides vibrancy and minerality to a sweet, textured, persistent palate.
BEST RIESLING
G+G Single Vineyard Riesling 2015
Eden Valley, Australia
Very pale straw, with traces of green. Floral, citrus, apple blossom palate with chalky minerality. Balanced by a succulent and crisp acid nish with a trace of residual sugar.
BEST SAUVIGNON BLANC
Muster.Gamlitz Sauvignon Blanc Grubthal 2017
Südsteiermark, Austria
Light yellow-straw colour. Fine fruit purity is accented with green herbal and paprika notes. Crisp acidity forges an elegant structure. Beautifully integrated oak adds subtle nuances.
BEST CABERNET/ CABERNET BLENDS
Shottesbrooke Single Vineyard Series 'House Block' Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
McLaren Vale, Australia
Rich berry fruit aromas of black cherries and blueberries, along with a hint of pepper complement layers of toasty oak and dark chocolate on the palate, supported by pleasant hints of mint and blackcurrant. The wine is mouth- lling with great length.
BEST PINOT NOIR
Cobblestone Vineyards 'Te Muna' Pinot Noir 2015
Martinborough, New Zealand
Perfumed with dark plums, raspberries, cherries, dried herbs and spicy oak. Fleshy and fullbodied wine with avours of plum and spice. Well-structured, elegant wine with balanced acidity, fruit and tannins, and a long velvety nish
HONG KONG TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL TROPHY BEST TEMPRANILLO
Bodegas Bilbainas La Vicalanda Gran Reserva 2012
Rioja, Spain
Intense colour. Great elegance and intensity. Predominant ripe black fruit and balsamic notes on the nose. Considerable body, buttery and balanced on the palate. Persistent and complex.
BEST SEMILLON
Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon 2013
Hunter Valley, Australia
Intense citrus and lemongrass combine with bottle age characters of lanolin and toast.
Concentrated citrus of lemon and lime, with beautiful acidity driving through the palate to showcase the amazing length of this wonderful aged style.
BEST MERLOT/ MERLOT BLENDS
Leopard's Leap Special Edition Red Blend 2017
Western Cape, South Africa
Lively berry and playful fruit aromas intertwine with dark berry, spicy oak and sweet vanilla avours. Delightful berry fruitiness is prominent on the palate, while subtle sweet vanilla joins red fruit to create a wellbalanced wine with a lingering aftertaste.
BEST SHIRAZ/SYRAH
Luis Felipe Edwards LFE900 Single Vineyard 2015
Central Valley, Chile
Deep red with bright purple accents. Nose characterized by fresh fruit aromas, with notes of cherries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cedar, tobacco and earth. Palate is oily with good volume, fresh, juicy and long, with round and ripe tannins.
BEST INDIGENOUS GRAPE - ZWEIGELT
Artner Zweigelt Ried Steinäcker 2016
Carnuntum, Austria
Creamy fruit with a subtle sweet nish. Mild brambly notes, with quite a bit of oak.
BEST ROSÉ WINE
Two Rivers Isle of Beauty Rosé 2019
Marlborough, New Zealand
Savoury with aromas of fennel pollen, wild thyme, liquorice plant and sherbet, nuanced with almond blossom, white peach and mandarin. Zesty palate exudes eshy tamarillo, citrus pith and blackcurrant with touches of spice and wet stone. Elegant, poised, complex rosé with a briny-fresh, vibrant, dry nish.
BEST CAVA
Gran Codorníu Chardonnay Reserva 2015
Catalunya, Spain
Supple toasty notes intermingled with spring fruits: peach and cherry underlaid with brioche and dried fruit and nuts from ageing in lees. Complex with elegant notes and generous aromas that are enhanced by time in the glass. Rounded, complex, balanced, creamy mouthfeel.
BEST FORTIFIED WINE
Grant Burge 20 YO Tawny
Barossa, Australia
This exceptional mature tawny is made from traditional Barossa tawny varieties blended to an average 20-year-old wine.
Rich, complex and extremely rare, with a deep tawny colour. Sweet and mellow, with a harmonious balance of fruit characters and oak tannins.
BEST SPARKLING WINE
Roebuck Estates Classic Cuvée Brut 2014
Sussex, England
Rich, yet pale straw in colour. Citrus fruit notes and baked apples layered with toasty richness and a hint of tru e. Delicate bubbles linger on the palate leading to a beautifully balanced nish. A nessed, elegant cuvée fermented in French oak and aged for 36 months.
BEST DESSERT WINE
Seifried Winemakers Collection
Nelson 'Sweet Agnes' Riesling
2018
Nelson, New Zealand
Crystallised citrus peel, succulent apricots and honey notes on the nose. The palate has a avoursome burst of concentrated fruit with a neat line of citrus acidity balancing the luscious palate and leaving a satisfying lingering nish.
WHERE TO TRY WINES
SOMM - LANDMARK - LANDMARK ATRIUM 15 Queen's Road Central, Central
Le Quinze Vins Singapore
29 Boon Tat St, G/F, Singapore 069624
La Cabane Wine Bistro 62 Hollywood Rd, Central
Women of Wine Festival - Hong Kong 11 March 2020 (Mon) | 16:00 - 21:30 HKEX Connect Hall | 17:00 - 21:00 RSVP: rita@mwminternational.com
WHERE TO LEARN ABOUT WINE
MWM Wine School
Unit 1524, 15/F, 41 Heung Yip Rd, Wong Chuk Hang
MWM Wine School is Asia’s premier wine school, directed by Debra Meiburg MW, Asia’s rst Master of Wine. Hong Kong’s only WSET provider directed by a Master of Wine, all instructors are WSET Diploma holders and/or Master of Wine candidates. Students also bene t from visiting international guest lecturers such as winemakers, sommeliers, Masters of Wine and others.
www.mwminternational.com info@mwminternational.com | +852 9436 8054
A GOOD READ ABOUT WINE
THE WINE BIBLE by Karen McNeill
