After two months in temperatures that barely reached 20 degrees Celsius in Paris and northern Italy, Hong Kong feels like a furnace. The heat is suffocating, and the humidity feels like a heavy fog inside my lungs and around my body. And yet, I am still reaching for my daily glass or two of wine. I want a refreshing wine, one that drips with condensation as soon as it reaches my dining table, tempting me to take a sip of the cool liquid inside.
This week I found myself fishing for something to drink among the coolest section of my wine fridge. I found a wine that was recently sent to me by Christian Seely, who has just launched a non-vintage English sparkling ros?called Coates & Seely. This traditionally made sparkling wine has a light salmon pink hue, a vibrant cherry and strawberry nose, and tiny, fine bubbles. With its crisp lean profile and good depth of flavours, this is a serious sparkling worthy of the large white wine glass in which it was poured. I highly recommend this elegant bubbly, which combines both substance and lightness from Hampshire, Britain. I rate it 92 points.
When I am looking for value, one of the producers I rely on is Cono Sur from Chile. Their 20 Barrels Limited Edition Sauvignon Blanc from 2010 is less than HK$200 and has crisp and lively flavours of gooseberries, apricots and nectarines. Unlike New Zealand Marlborough sauvignon blanc, this wine is less herbaceous and more about crunchy summer fruits. The mid-palate has amazing density and depth for a medium-bodied white wine and is perfect with Thai salads and poh pia (spring rolls). 90 points.
I am always looking for unusual wines from unlikely places, and I was taken by Israel's wonderful whites earlier this year. I am impressed with the 2009 Flam, un-oaked sauvignon blanc and chardonnay, an uncommon blend from the Judean Hills. Why would one blend such distinctly strong personality varieties together? But somehow, this wine works. With a citrus and herbaceous nose that signals sauvignon blanc, and a generous mid-palate and rounded profile, it's a fascinating wine worth seeking. 88 points.
Another wine that captivated me this summer was the 2008 Vigne Marina Coppi Timorasso Fausto from southeastern Piedmont. The Timorasso variety is an ancient indigenous Italian variety that nearly became extinct until a handful of dedicated producers recently made efforts to revive its popularity. The wine is full-bodied without sweet fruit flavours or density. The nose exudes dried chrysanthemums, minerals and blanched almonds. On the palate, the flavours are complex with minerality and firm acidity. The flavours rise in the finish, making it an enticing wine with a unique array of flavours. 91 points.
If unusual varieties and flavours are not what you are looking for, Bordeaux is a great place to go for medium- to full-bodied whites that use the herbaceous and refreshing sauvignon blanc in their blend. I highly recommend the delicious, opulent 2005 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc. The flavours are seductive, still fresh and lively, with wonderful roundness and completeness on the palate. Think toasted pine nuts, ginkgo nuts, star fruit and dragon fruit. Great length. Enjoy now and over the next five years. 95 points.