Wine and your Heart - IS DRINKING GOOD OR BAD FOR YOU

 

by Dr Philip Koh - Consultant Cardiologist

Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre

 

People who drink a large amount of alcohol have a higher risk of dying. They are at risk of high blood pressure, strokes, liver cirrhosis and, of course, accidents. ln this respect, alcohol is like tobacco - the more consumed the more dangerous to health.

But there is a difference - the lowest death rates are not seen in the non-drinkers.

 

Moderate alcohol intake appears to protect against heart disease.

 

People who drink alcohol have higher levels of "good" high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) than people who don't drink. This effect is noticed whether alcohol is consumed as beer, wine or spirits. But the statistics seems to show that people with moderate alcohol

consumption have twice as rnuch protection from heart disease than can be explained by the increase in "good" HDL- cholesterol.

 

Studies have indicated that moderate drinking also lowers blood pressure and stress and has beneficial effects on the platelets. Platelets are cell elements in the blood responsible for initiating clotting. lt's the blood clot in the artery that interrupts the blood supply to the heart muscles that causes heart attacks. Alcohol appears to affect the clotting mechanism and making the platelets less sticky, hence preventing clotting.

 

SO WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT WINE

 

The French consume nearly twice as much alcohol than the Americans but the way the alcohol is drunk is different. In the US, two-thirds of the alcohol consumed is drunk as beer and / or as spirits.

 

Whereas in France, it is consumed mainly in wine and perhaps as importantly, taken at meals together with the food. lt seems that when alcohol is mixed with a meal, it has better effect on the level of "good" HDL-cholesterol and on the stickiness of the platelets than does drinking it at outside meal times. Scientists from Davis University in California had found a series of compounds in red wine capable of preventing oxidation of "bad" low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol).  The oxidation of LDL cholesterol in the artery damages the blood vessel wall besides increasing the stickiness of the platelets and risk of blood clot formation.

 

It appears that Red Wine itself was more effective in blockinq this oxidation process than vitamin E.

 

These scientists in California found that red wine contained large numbers of flavonoids, procyanidins, phytoalexins, other natural anti-oxidants and yes, even salicylic acid (i.e. aspirin).

 

Flavonoids and flavonols are found in large quantities in fruits and vegetables. Ouercetins are flavonols found in garlic and onions and also noted to have anti-cancer effects. Procyanidins are very powerful anti-oxidants and are found in high concentrations in red wine.

Phytoalexins are natural anti-fungal agents which occur on the skin of the grapes.

 

ln the manufacture of red wine, the grape skin and pulp are kept for longer in the fermentation process than with white wine. Hence, more of these substances are found in red wine. One of the phytoalexins, resveratrol, increases the level of "good" HDL cholesterol as weil as reduces platelet stickiness.

 

That wine should contain salicylic acid came as a real surprise. The protective effect of  aspirin in patients with heart disease is now well known. And it appears there might be enough of it in red wine for its moderate drinkers to benefit from it.

 

So it appears that wine is indeed special. More so Red Wine. And better still, Drink while you Eat. Do remember, as always everything in moderation. Bon appetit.

 

Caution : lf you are unsure of your health status, please check with your doctor before making wine a regular feature of your meals.

                                            -------------------------------------------

 

Substances Found in Wine with Beneficial Effects on the Heart :

 

*  Flavonoids

    Flavones

    Flavonols - Ouercetin

    Catechins

*  Procyanidins

*  Phytoalexins

    Resveratrol

*  Salicylic acid (aspirin)

 

Moderation is defined as no more than One drink per day for women and no more than Two drinks per day for men...

 

One drink  = 12 ounces* ( 360ml ) of  regular beer  or  5 ounces* (150ml ) of Wine.. or  1.5 ounces* ( 45ml ) of  80 - proof  distilled spirits

 

* One ounce = 30 ml

 

HEARTline March 2002

err... how to read? Not enough pixels for me....  ;D

Moderation for me used to be as many as it took for me to pass out....  ;D

 

These days a few pints would be enough.

 

 

These multivariate analyses are never convincing proof...Too many variables. Wine drinkers tend to be better off and so other lifestyle factors come into play.

One for Heart ?  Don't drink to that.....

 

London :  Men who drink alcohol every day see a nearly one-third average reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease, according to a long-term study among Spanish men published yesterday.  The study, which appeared in the British Medical Journal's Heart publication, found large quantities of alcohol could be even more beneficial for men.

 

But experts have warned that heavy drinking can damage organs, with alcohol responsible for 1.8 million deaths globally per year, and the study should not encourage anyone to drink more.

The study assessed the intake of 15,500 men and 26,000 women aged between 29 and 69, who were asked to document their life time drinking habits, and followed them for 10 years.

 

No significant effect was found in women and the type of alcohol drunk did not seem to make a difference. The study focused on Spain, which is the world's third largest producer of beer and wine and has the sixth highest per capita consumption of alcohol but also one of the lowest death rates from heart disease in the world.

Dr. Robert Sutton, professor of surgery at the University of Liverpool, said the study was based on self-reported information and those drinking more would probably be less likely to see doctors and have heart disease identified.....

 

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE -  20Nov200912.46

 

                                                    -------------------------------

 

Wine Bottle Size  

 

Normal                            750ml

 

Magnum                1.5Litres        2 Bottles

 

Jeroboam               3L                4 Bottles

( I Kings 11:28 ) North King of Israel - 933 BC to 910 BC. Oxford dictionary reference back to 27th July 1889

 

Rehoboam             4.5L               6 Bottles

A son of Soloman & Naamah - 1st King of Judah

 

Methuselah             6L                 8 Bottles

Old Testament Patriarch - Life span 969 years..longest lived human - Genesis 5:27

Great-Great-Great-Great - Grandson of Seth, child of Adam & Eve - begotten more than a century after Cain,

Father of Lamech & grandfather of Noah. His forebears lived for between 899 and 962 yrs. Except his father

Enoch, lived a mere 365 yrs..

 

Salmanazar             9L                12 Bottles

The form in the Vulgate of the name of Shalmaneser, King of Assyria. (II Kings 7)

 

Balthazar                 12L             16 Bottles

One of the wise men who came from the east to worship the infant Jesus.

 

Nebuchadnezzar     15L            20 Bottles  

King of Babylon - 603 Bc - 562 Bc

THE GREAT 1982s

 

                                              Wine Vintage          Format         S$/btl        Qty

 

Petrus (with certificate of origin)       1982                    0.75           8800          1  case

Margaux                                        1982                    0.75          1780           3  cases

Latour                                            1982                    0.75          3280           1  case

Lafleur Pomerol                              1982                    0.75           6800          2  cases

Cheval Blanc                                  1982                    0.75            790           5 cases  

Ausone                                          1982                    0.75          1050           2 cases

Haut Brion                                      1982                    0.75          1285           8 cases

La Mission Haut Brion                     1982                    0.75          1655           3 cases

Leoville Lascases                            1982                   0.75            910           10  cases

Cos d'Estournel                              1982                    0.75             570          6  cases

Ducru Beaucaillou                           1982                   0.75             450           6  cases

Figeac                                           1982                    0.75            445            4  cases

Gruaud Larose                                1982                    0.75            560           1  case

La Lagune                                      1982                    0.75            245           2  cases

Latour A pomerol                            1982                    0.75            510           2  cases

Lynch Bages                                  1982                    0.75            590           3  cases

Montrose                                       1982                     0.75            370           8  cases

Palmer                                          1982                     0.75            395           5  cases

Pape Clement                                1982                     0.75            195           1  case

Pichon Baron                                 1982                     0.75            420           1  case

Pichon Lalande                              1982                     0.75            860           8  cases  

Pavie                                             1982                    0.75            355           3  cases

Grand Puy Lacoste                         1982                    0.75            460           7  cases  

 

the above finewines are @corndale....

 

                                                        --------------------------------

 

A Bottle A Day Keeps The Doctor Away ?

 

A recent controversial study is suggesting that drinking up to eleven units – the equivalent of a 750ml bottle of red wine can help to reduce the risk of developing heart disease by 50 percent.

 

The research was published in the journal ‘Heart’ and authored by Dr Larraitz Arriola. It was conducted in Spain; one of the world’s largest producers of wine, with the lowest rate of mortality caused by heart disease. The study, which gained much attention worldwide, involved a team of epidemiologists and doctors from government departments and universities across the country working with more than 41,000 people between the aged of 29 to 69. The participants had no known heart disease when they enrolled and their health progress was monitored for an average of ten years.

 

In another separate report, John Lekakis and Christos Papamichael of University Hospital in Athens revealed that the polyphenols in red wine is responsible for the “suspension” of the harmful effect of smoking one cigarette. This is attributed to the fact that polyphenols are able to block the production of the natural chemical endothelin-1 that plays a major role in causing heart attacks.

 

Surprised? You are not the only one. Health professionals, like Professor Mark Bellis, director of the centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University, highlighted that the protective effects of alcohol can be achieved at low levels of consumption, as low as a daily intake equivalent to just one quarter of a normal wine glass. This means that the effects do not increase substantially the more people drink. To add to this, the benefits are not limited to just red wine, but alcohol in general.

 

Therefore, before you go on a drinking spree, do take note that the reports and studies require more detailed examination taking into consideration other factors like increased risk of stroke, cancer and other alcohol-related diseases that can arise from the consumption of high intake of alcohol.

 

30NOV200910.49

 

Hi Austrich,

How do you grade the Pichon Llande 2000 vs 1982!  Thanks.

Hi Austrich,

How do you grade the Pichon Llande 2000 vs 1982!  Thanks.

 

YOu also Pichon lalande fan ;D ;D ;D ;D

Hi Austrich,

How do you grade the Pichon Llande 2000 vs 1982!  Thanks.

 

1982 - 5 stars rating for Medoc, Pessac - Leognan, St.Emillion & Pomerol.

2000 - 5 stars  for Medoc & Pessac - Leognan, 4 Stars for St.Emillion & Pomerol..

 

I have not tasted any 1982 Pichon Lalande or the 2000 vintage...1982 is already passed it's drinking peak I think... However, the chateau  may still have some Library stock of 1982 Magnums laying around. As for the 2000 vintage, I think we should get 4-5 persons to share a bottle.. ;D

Even if can find a 750ml bottle of 1982,  it Must come from a good cellar and not travelled to too many owners, otherwise quality may be compromised.

 

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse De Lalande - Pauillac...45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Cab/Franc & 8% Petit Verdot..at 20mths oak. Nothing can go wrong, except when pocket too shallow.. ;D

 

 

Thanks Austrich.

Are there any simple formula to know the drinking peak of the wines!

If you are drinking 1st growth, at least mini.10yrs, 2nd growth like yr favourite Pichon lalande or Longueville, can drink at 6 -10yrs. These Bordeaux fine wines are very long term cellar worthy. Your cellar must be maintained  at 14 deg.C at 70%RH Constant..Anything else is a big compromise on the wine quality.

 

2005 and 2009 vintages are also highly rated...since it's a good vintage year, don't have to spend extra for 1st growth, 2nd & 3rd will taste just as good...

 

Do you keep any old Pichon Lalande ? I can share the cost with you if you want to drink... ;D

 

PM me...since you are so near.

 

www.asiacuisine.com 

Please read your PM.

 

all the rich men are here.

US Bordeaux prices at risk of 'bloodbath' experts say

 

By Suzanne Mustacich (AFP) –

 

BORDEAUX, France — Even as Chateau Lafite leads a surge for Bordeaux  vintners in Asia, US retail prices for the same wines have skidded below wholesale cost as a major importer dumps stocks worth tens of millions of  dollars.  US importer Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines (DC&E), a subsidiary of the  British drinks giant Diageo, has abandoned Bordeaux wine after 35 years, aggressively liquidating its warehouse stock on an already shaky market.

Speaking to AFP, a source within DC&E, who asked to remain anonymous, blamed "enormous stocks" of unsold Bordeaux for their exodus. "It's all about making money. The margins are getting thinner each year and Americans are trading down."

 

DC&E's turbulent withdrawal, which has heated up in recent weeks, is having a "huge impact on the market," Chris Adams, chief executive of

Manhattan retailer Sherry Lehmann, told AFP.  For many years, DC&E was the largest US buyer of Bordeaux, and amassed a colossal cellar. Now famous labels such as Lafite, Haut Brion and Lynch Bages are being offered to American retailers at discounts of up to 50 percent.

"I have 5.5 million dollars' worth of First Growths in my warehouse that I cannot sell, because I'll be 50 percent more expensive than Chateau & Estate," said Guillaume Touton, owner of Monsieur Touton Selection, the New York importer with annual sales of over 100 million dollars.

"A major Mexican importer sent trucks to New York to pick up inventory, because it was 25-percent cheaper to buy it from Chateau & Estate," he said.. "No one else can sell their wine. We don't know how long the scenario will last," said Geoff Labitzke, Corporate V.P. of Fine Wine for Youngs Market Company, a California-based wholesaler with annual revenues topping one billion dollars.

 

The timing is particularly bad.  The economic crisis crippled Bordeaux wine sales and "the exchange rate is killing us," chorused several wine merchants.

But Adams came to DC&E's defence. "They're exiting the market - and trying to find the correct market price." He said the discount prices "reflect the level of demand for the 2005 and 2006."  But there is a benefit for wine lovers suffering like consumers in general from the downturn. "In general we are passing a lot of the discounts on to consumers," he said.

Today Sherry Lehmann retails Chateau Lafite 2006 at 495 dollars (334 euros) per bottle. Wholesalers bought the same wine two years ago for 310 euros per bottle, shipping, taxes and broker fees not included. Connoisseurs can pick up "vintage of the century" Lafite 2005 for 9,900

dollars (6,674 euros) a case. Just six weeks ago, a New York Sotheby's auction sold the same wine for 14,520 dollars (9,789 euros) a case.

The pricing problems for Bordeaux are not new, nor entirely the fault of  DC&E's defection or the economy. Prices soared between 1982 and 2005 under the combined pressure from Asia, speculators and Robert Parker's faithful legions.

The problem was exacerbated according to Labitzke, because Costco and DC&E bought huge allocations and hoarded the wine, creating "an artificial level of implied demand from the US -- the wine estates set their prices based on this perceived demand."Touton agreed. "Chateaux have admitted to me that they had had steady growth for the last 15-20 years because of (DC&E). DC&E was part banker, part Santa Claus. Well, Santa Claus is gone now." The bubble burst when vintners badly miscalculated the prices for the 2006 and 2007 vintages. Consumers fled. Wholesalers and retailers cancelled orders. And companies like DC&E were left financing overpriced wine.

Aquitaine Wine Company's Harvard-educated CFO Margaret Calvet likened the situation to the classic business school case study, tulip mania.

At the end of 16th century, the world was crazy for tulips. They were coveted as the ultimate luxury good. They were sold on futures. Prices climbed to dizzying heights until buyers would no longer follow. The price no longer had any relation to the flower's intrinsic value. In 1637, tulip

prices crashed, never to recover. "There is a price ceiling for every wine on the planet," concurred Labitzke. "Beyond that ceiling, the consumer will not pay." Bordeaux and its partners are, naturally, hoping to avoid the fate of  tulips. Brokers and merchants are pressuring vintners to resist the temptation to raise prices on the excellent 2009 vintage. And some merchants have moved to stench the flow of discounted wine on the market as well as replenish their own stock from someone willing to lose 50 cents on the dollar.

Pierre-Antoine Casteja, CEO of Joanne, a 125-million-euro wine merchant firm with a six-million-bottle cellar, confirmed in an email to AFP that he had bought stock from DC&E. Meanwhile, Adams raised the spectre many vintners fear. "There are a lot of retailers in America where Diageo was their supplier for Bordeaux wine." The retailers will continue to stock their shelves, but will it have Bordeaux on the label? "When you pull a bottle off the shelf, another bottle replaces it. You don't get back that shelf space," said Adams.  Casteja has already moved decisively to fill the distribution void with his recent purchases. "The stock already in NY will remain there to be sold by the organisation we have established there."

In the meantime, Bordeaux and its partners in America are bracing themselves for DC&E's imminent sale of the 2007 vintage. In separate interviews with AFP, four wine executives predicted a "bloodbath."

 

http://www.wineindustryinsight.com/RSS//index.php/hop/latest/1/13322

 

A great Wine Rendezvous !  

 

It was a wonderful night of good wines & meeting of friends....many thanks to bro. HT Chua for contributing his Pichon lalande 2000. Excellent vintage !

 

 

 

 

Balance in make-up of wine is the key to cellaring

by Jeremy Oliver

 

IN this fortnightly column, wine commentator Jeremy Oliver sheds light on the wide world of wine. He is the author of the bestselling Australian Wine Annual, and runs his website www.onwine.com.au

 

How do I determine how long a bottle of red wine can be kept ? This is because I have heard from friends that not all wines can be kept for years.

 

It's perfectly true that not all wines are likely to improve with cellaring. In fact, most of the cheaper wines sold around the world will only cellar for a relatively short time at best before showing signs of deterioration.  Here are some guidelines that might help you decide whether a wine is fit for cellaring.

 

Not many are aware that certain kinds of white wine can cellar as well as top reds. But be it red or white, a wine must have a few prerequisites to begin with.

 

Fruit flavour should be present along the entire length of the palate. A young white Burgundy or chardonnay, might reveal very delicate fruit, but if it is not there at the start, or else overwhelmed by enough wood to build a house, forget about cellaring it.

 

Acid, which you detect down the sides of your tongue, is wine's most important preservative. It punctuates the finish of the taste. Without it, a wine's palate will lack length and freshness after a year or two. This even applies to sweet dessert wines as Sauternes and German auslesen, both of which are also classic cellaring whites. Thelr big, luscious fruit may make the acid a little harder to find, but look for it around your tongue after you swallow. They show dramatic development after a few years.

 

Tannin is obviously a factor in the age-ability of red wines, although it does not have to be hard or aggressve. Some of the finest and most elegant claret styles from the red Bordeaux varieties begin their lives with tightly knit but fine and silky tannins, yet history shows they can cellar for many decades in the right conditions. Similarly, if a wine is made with insufficient fruit and excessive tannins, by the time its tannins have softened and become more approachable, the wine may have lost its fruit entirely.

 

A real keyfactor is balance  ---- how the components of a wine fit together. Young wines with great cellaring futures can be big and awkward, with mountains of fruit, oak and tannin, but even in their youth, no single feature should stick out above the others. Many of the new generation of high-alcohol wines from the New World and Europe present youthful fruit that may conceal their alcoholic strength. But while fruit fades over time, alcohol does not. So as they age, these wines become more and more out of balance.

 

I have three final tips. First, consider a wine's track record - how well its previous vintages have cellared, especially those from good seasons.

 

Only buy wines from good vintages for your cellar, since it is common for lesser vintages to age more quickly. And if it all gets too hard, there are books available that attempt to take the risk out of this very notion.

 

Cheers

Jeremy Oliver

 

 

191204-SUN

Call him Lion ?  Some say better call him Cheetah ....sounds more like a cheater  ;D

 

Last heard Jack has 9 mistresses, so Tiger just beat him with a perfect 10.

 

Not too sure about breaking Jack's 18 major record though. Perhaps TW will suffer implosion and never see another Major again. 

 

英雄难过美人关  :P

Looks like he has scored the other 18 holes out of the green...should start drinking some wines... ;D

French wines 101

 

By.....Koh Boon Pin - 2006

 

I WAS at a dinner recently when two prominent Singapore wine personalities, in a moment of candour, laughed at how they used to struggle with the pronunciation of the French wines they drank 20 years ago. How far they've come, I thought. But what about the rest of us? And it's not only the pronunciation of names we're talking about.

 

In consumer focus group research led by Shanghai-based consultancy DT Asia over the last three years, the findings were not unexpected. New World wines were thought of as easy and fruity, consistent in taste, identifiable through its. varietals, and so on. French wines were deemed complex, tannic and varied in taste depending on the vintage and area it came from. Also, when drinking French, one had to be au fait with tedious notions such as what· chateau it came from and whether the wine was a vin de pays or Appellation d'Origine Controllee (AOC, or wine made under strict production rules in a specific area within a wine region). 

Despite the challenges, the world continues its love affair with Gallic tipple, as noted by influential critic Robert Parker :

"The whole world compares its best wine to French wines," he said in an interview with Paris Match magazine last October. "As far as great wines are concerned, the reference is France."

 

And so it is for drinkers here, where French wines lead the market with trade worth $67.8 million and 3.3 million bottles a year.

Australian wines are second, with $48.2 million on the back of 4.3 million bottles, and Italy, a distant third, with $7.9 million and 400,000 bottles.

 

French wine players are, naturally, keen to keep up the business, in anticipation of estimated trade growing nearly 40 per cent over the next five years. Those from Burgundy, in particular, will vie for a larger slice of the current $155 million pie, especially since the region was the only one among its brethren which posted a growth in exports last year compared to 2004.

 

It will have quite a bit of catching up to do with region leader Bordeaux, which exported four times as much wine as Burgundy did last year. But a recent trade visit by Burgundy Wine authorities holds hope. Ms Nelly Blau-Picard, the export marketing manager of the Bureau Interprofessionel des Vins de Bourgogne, when asked how the body. would promote wines from the. region, said: "Burgundy the home of Pinot Noir, the home of chardonnay." 

Put as simply as that, wine drinkers who normally choose easy to identify New World varietals should feel emboldened to try their favourite counterparts from Burgundy, or Bourgogne as it is also known as.

 

For those unfamiliar with the region, here are some quick reference notes.

 

> Bourgogne produces single varietal wines and blending is rare. Two-thirds of its wine production is white (mainly chardonnay and some aligote) and a third, red (mainly pinot noir and some gamay).

 

> The wine-growing regions are in Chablis/Grand Auxerrois, Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaune, Cote Chalonnaise and Maconnais. Together, they offer a spectrum of flavours, from light and fruity to powerful pinots; lively to complex chardonnays; dry to full aligotes; and light and aromatic gamays.

 

> Quality is more assured because Bourgogne is the only wine-growing region in France whose entire production area has AOC status. There are four grades to note  though: regional appellations, village appellations, premier crus and the highest level, grand crus.

 

> Its unique soils and climatic conditions favour pinot noir and chardonnay grapes, resulting in world-famous wines with delicacy, aroma, long finish and cellaring potential.

 

For details, visit www.bourgogne-wines.com

 

 

Here comes the price for drinking Burgundy.....

 

The Legendary Madame Lalou-Bize Leroy has for years astounded the wine world by producing the best Burgundy's wines in the world and her cellar has been classified a Historical Monument by the French government.   

         

   

  RED Leroy Pommard  Les Vignots          1994          S$ 241 /btl ( 2  bottles) 

  RED Leroy Vosne Romanée Les Brulees 1994          S$ 374 /btl ( 12  bottles) 

  RED Leroy Richebourg                          1996          S$ 1,235 /btl ( 2  bottles) 

  RED Leroy Clos de Vougeot                  1997          S$ 961 /btl ( 9  bottles) 

  RED Leroy Latricieres Chambertin          1997          S$ 1,576 /btl ( 1  bottles) 

  RED Leroy N.S.G Aux Boudots              1997          S$ 546 /btl ( 6  bottles) 

  RED Leroy Richebourg                          1997          S$ 1,705 /btl ( 1  bottle) 

  RED Leroy Romanee Saint Vivant          1997          S$ 1,705 /btl ( 7  bottles) 

  RED Leroy Clos de la Roche                  1998          S$ 1,300 /btl ( 2  bottles) 

  RED Leroy Clos de La Roche                1999          S$ 1,236 /btl ( 1  bottles) 

  RED Leroy Clos de Vougeot                  1999          S$ 927 /btl ( 6  bottles) 

  RED Leroy Latricieres Chambertin          1999          S$ 1,126 /btl ( 1  bottles) 

  RED Leroy Clos de La Roche                2000          S$ 1,184 /btl ( 10  bottles) 

  RED Leroy Clos de Vougeot                  2000          S$ 952 /btl ( 17  bottles) 

  RED Leroy Corton Renardes                  2000          S$ 759 /btl ( 5  bottles) 

  RED Leroy Gevrey Chambertin Les Combottes 2000  S$ 555 /btl ( 1  bottles) 

  RED Leroy Latricieres Chambertin          2000          S$ 1,184 /btl ( 8  bottles) 

  RED Leroy Clos de Vougeot                  2001          S$ 1,015 /btl ( 36  bottles) 

 

  WHITE Leroy  Auxey Duresses Les Boutonniers 1997  S$ 221 /btl ( 2  bottles) 

  WHITE Leroy  Meursault Les Gouttes D'or          1997  S$ 496 /btl ( 2  bottles) 

  WHITE Leroy Auxey Duresses                          1997  S$ 185 /btl ( 1  bottles) 

  WHITE Leroy Chevalier Montrachet                    1997  S$ 1,157 /btl ( 2  bottles) 

  WHITE Leroy Corton Charlemagne                      1997  S$ 549 /btl ( 5  bottles) 

  WHITE Leroy Criots Batard Montrachet              1997  S$ 1,116 /btl ( 1  bottles) 

  WHITE Leroy Meursault "Les Narvaux"              1997    S$ 272 /btl ( 8  bottles) 

  WHITE Leroy Meursault Les Gouttes D'or          1997    S$ 494 /btl ( 1  bottles) 

  WHITE Leroy Puligny Montrachet Les Folatieres 1997    S$ 455 /btl ( 3  bottles) 

  WHITE Leroy Meursault "Pre de Manche"          1999    S$ 330 /btl ( 1  bottles) 

  WHITE Leroy Meursault Les Gouttes D'Or          1999    S$ 581 /btl ( 2  bottles) 

  WHITE Leroy Puligny Montrachet "En La Richarde" 1999  S$ 482 /btl ( 13  bottles) 

  WHITE Leroy Puligny Montrachet Les Folatieres 1999    S$ 584 /btl ( 15  bottles) 

  WHITE Leroy Corton Charlemagne                    2000    S$ 862 /btl ( 3  bottles) 

  WHITE Leroy Meursault Les Gouttes D'Or          2000    S$ 504 /btl ( 17  bottles) 

  WHITE Leroy Puligny Montrachet "En La Richarde" 2000  S$ 546 /btl ( 5  bottles) 

  WHITE Leroy Puligny Montrachet Les Folatieres  2000    S$ 546 /btl ( 4  bottles)

 

All prices quoted are excluding GST ........

"2000 is a monumental vintage, and undoubtedly the greatest year Bordeaux

has ever experienced...." Robert M. Parker Jr., The Wine Advocate

 

Bordeaux Vintage 2000 :

 

2000   Chateau Haut Brion, Pessac Leognan (RP: 98+pts)      S$1,180/btl     ( 6bottles )

2000   Chateau Lafite Rothschiild, Pauillac    (RP: 100 pts)      S$2,950/btl     (6 bottles)

2000   Chateau Lafleur, Pomerol                   (RP: 100 pts)     S$3,600/btl      (6 bottles)

2000   Chateau Leoville Lascases, St Julien    (RP: 99 pts)     S$680/btl         (2 cases)

 

2000   Chateau La Fleur Morange, St Emilion (RP: 91 pts)      S$170/btl         (6 bottles)

2000   Chateau La Gomerie, St Emiion          (RP: 96 pts)      S$380/btl         (2 cases)

2000   Chateau Leoville Barton, St Julien        (RP: 96 pts)     S$250/btl         (3 cases)

2000   Chateau Lynch Bages, Pauillac            (RP: 95 pts)    S$305/btl         (6 bottles)

2000   Chateau Monbousquet, St Emilion        (RP: 95 pts)    S$230/btl         (3 cases)

2000   Chateau Vieux Ch. Certan, Pomerol      (RP: 95 pts)    S$295/btl         (2 cases)

 

                  ........ prices quoted are excluding GST

 

Dec - 2003 Prices

Chateau Leoville Barton 1995 - Saint Julien, Second Growth - S$ 135 per bottle

 

Robert Parker (91 points)

 

This 1995 possesses a dark ruby/purple colour, as well as an oaky nose with classic scents of cassis, vanilla, cedar and spice. Dense and medium to full-bodied, with soft tannin, the 1995 is an outstanding textbook Saint Julien.

 

June 2004 Prices :

 

CHATEAU L'ANGELUS -Saint Emilion Premier Grand Cru - S$/bot ex-Bordeaux S$220.

 

Wine Spectator 95-100 : Exotic aromas of blackberries, cherries, spices and light coffee. Full-bodied, with super velvety tannins. Goes on and on. A fabulous young wine. Beautiful. This is pure fruit-coated cashmere.

 

Robert Parker 94-96 : Once again, Angelus is one of Bordeaux's great successes thanks to the extraordinary hard work and skills of one of its owners, Hubert de Bouard. The 2003 is a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. Some cuvees of Cabernet Franc achieved nearly 16% natural alcohol. Inky/purple to the rim, with a stunning perfume of flowers, red and black fruits, lead pencil shavings, smoke, and roasted coffee, it is an opulent, heady effort possessing loads of glycerin, extremely low acidity, and a 60+ second finish. This hedonistic, intellectually pleasing, full-bodied wine is a packed and stacked beauty. Thick, juicy flavors cascade over the palate, so I suspect this 2003 will drink well young, yet age for 15-20 years. It may be a modern day version of its 1947 counterpart.

 

Decanter 5-stars : A minimum 50% Cabernet Franc in the blend. Possibly one of the finest wines from this estate yet. Powerful but not overblown with great balance and length. Deep, intense colour. Fine, complex nose with floral notes. Smooth textured, ripe with firm tannins in behind and on the finish which remains fresh and long. 2012-2025.

 

 

CHATEAU LEOVILLE LAS CASES -St Julien 2nd Growth- S$/bot ex-Bordeaux S$289

 

Wine Spectator 95-100 : Warm and rich aromas of plums, blackberries and currants, turning to flowers and hints of mineral. Very complex. Layers of cashmerelike tannins, turning to leather. Warm and inviting, yet rich and powerful; fantastic purity, yet voluptuous. This is what exciting wine is about.

 

Robert Parker 94-96 : Extremely small yields of only 21.2 hectoliters per hectare, from a harvest that began on September 11 and ended September 26, the 2003 Leoville Las Cases is a blend of 70.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17.2% Merlot, and 12.6% Cabernet Franc. The 13.27% alcohol is slightly less than the record alcohol level attained here in 2002, and the pH is 3.82. Only 54% of the harvest made it into the grand vin. Still a large-scaled, monolithic wine, it will no doubt move up the scale as it sorts itself out and becomes more delineated. Inky/ruby/purple-colored, it possesses the classic Las Cases purity and balance along with layer upon layer of ripe, pure, black cherry and black currant fruit wrapped around a solid core of minerals and subtle oak. Medium to full-bodied, with sweet tannin, but not as opulent as many of its peers, this classically proportioned, well-delineated 2003 is a brilliant achievement from Jean-Hubert Delon and his staff.

 

Decanter 5-stars : Huge colour, superb fragrance and depth from a high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, marvellously finely grained tannins, very great balance and length, a classic Premier Cru Saint-Julien. 2012-35.

 

Thinking of getting into Wine collection in 2010 ? This cellar is a good brand to start with....don't buy the glass door model unless your living room is air-cond, get the solid door type.

 

6 years ago, this unit cost $950..but after change of sole agent the price went up.

 

 

IMHO, This is an absurd price even at $1316 for this small fridge and at usual price, it is a highway robbery.

IMHO, This is an absurd price even at $1316 for this small fridge and at usual price, it is a highway robbery.

 

Liebherr is 50yrs in Europe, they're famous for their industrial product...They do produce a range of very reliable commercial cellar and fridges....I really don't understand why this sole agent have to use this tactic of high "usual price" $2878. This unit is worth $1000. I used to have 3 units of 200 bottles capacity..they are good workhorse......I sold them off after 5yrs, now I'm using a big commercial model that holds 400 bottles...  ;)

Liebherr is 50yrs in Europe, they're famous for their industrial product...They do produce a range of very reliable commercial cellar and fridges....I really don't understand why this sole agent have to use this tactic of high "usual price" $2878. This unit is worth $1000. I used to have 3 units of 200 bottles capacity..they are good workhorse......I sold them off after 5yrs, now I'm using a big commercial model that holds 400 bottles...  ;)

 

I need to get a wine fridge that would serve the purpose without trouble and am looking at big commercial models too. Are you using transtherm by chance?

 

Reading your posts, you are very knowledgeable in wine.

 

Are you going to organise any wine tasting session?  ;)

Bro. Transtherm, Eurocave, Subzero etc, they are very well marketed brand...agent must commit very high loading ( 1 x 20ft container for a start ) when they got the agency. Therefore they must have very high mark-up on landed price. My Liebherr Proline cost me almost $9k 7 yrs ago..now kitchen culture may retail for $12k.

 

There are a lot of wine coolers selling in shopping mall, but they are Not for Long Term keeping of good wines. These cooler run at 8-10 deg.C, it only cool down your wines for daily drinking. If your normal fridge has space, might as well keep it in your fridge.

 

A good wine cellar is Not a fridge for wine...Cellar maintains constant Temperature and Humidity.

High-end house fridge can maintain at 2-6 deg.C, but most small fridges run at 8-10deg.C and RH at 30-40% too cold & too dry for long term wine keeping...and temp not constant. 

Ideally should have one for red and one for white wines. Good Red required Temp. from 12 - 14 deg.C, whereas White wine need 10 -12 deg.C for Long Term cellarage. Due to our small space, most would only buy one for both types of wines. So setting Temp. at 14 deg.C is most suitable for both wines. RH 70-75%

 

Depends on where you going to install it, a solid door model is always recommended unless you're running a wine cafe or restaurant. Some novice wine enthusiasts prefered glass door because it looks good to show visitor they have a wine cellar. However, if you have a cool & nice corner in your house then it's ok to buy one with glass door. 

You can join me for wines this Sat..16th at my place...PM you my address.