Wine Trivia

What is the oldest wine? Older bottles of liquid (from as far back as 325 AD) thought to be wine were discovered. But we would pick the Apostelwein 1727 here, one which came from the famous 12 Apostles’ cellar in the Bremer Ratskeller located in Bremen, Germany. There was only one barrel and the wine was bottled in the 1960s. Some people value it at US$200,000 per bottle. It is supposedly to be well preserved and still drinkable due to its high sugar content.

What is the most expensive bottle ever sold? Late eighteenth and early nineteenth century bottles of Lafite, Margaux and d’Yquem purportedly once owned by the great man Thomas Jefferson fetched hundreds of thousands. But in 2018 at a Sotheby’s sale in New York, an Asian collector paid US$558,000 for a bottle of the 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Romanée-Conti Grand Cru. That made it the most expensive bottle of wine in the world. Only 600 bottles of this wine were ever produced. Most of them are long gone today. It is supposed to be great. It has to be, considering it would cost you more than US$5,000 per sip.

How many grapes are needed to make a bottle of wine? Depending on the size and condition of the grapes obviously…but one will have to squash 600-800 grapes to eventually produce a 750 ml bottle of wine.

Following the above, how many bottles of wine can one acre of vineyard produce? Depending on the philosophy of the grower/wine maker, vineyards typically produce in the range of 2 to 10 tons of grapes from an acre (converted to around 4,000 square metres under the metric system) and 1 ton of grapes can yield around 720 bottles. That means an acre of vineyard will result in 1,440 to 7,200 bottles.

OK…back to reality and we want to recommend the following to you:

NV Vilmart & Cie Grand Cellier (WS95) at $370/bottle – Vibrant Champagne of lovely texture and length with the flavour of poached apple, quince, lemon zest and orchard blossom…and what a price!!!

2016 Lucien le Moine Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru les Caillerets (VN93-95 at $850/bottle) - A dense, opulent Burgundy white from this good estate, offering aromas of apple, spices, marzipan, and a flinty minerality.

2019 Blank Canvas Reed Chardonnay (VN95) at $240/bottle – A good value white from New Zealand that is finely poised and yet powerful, with a little nutty/smoky flavour and a good finish.

2015 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino (WA95) at $340/bottle – Popular Italian red with depth and beautiful latitude, aromas of dark cherry, flavour of lavender, camphor and toasted spices, all delivered in impressive harmony.

2016 Castellare di Castellina I Sodi di San Niccolò (VN98) at HK$460/bottle – Probably the single most overlooked high-quality wine of Tuscany, there is a rush of dark fruit, lavender, spice, licorice, and a hint of menthol, all contribute to build a wine of exceptional balance. While drinkable now with enough airing, it will further develop for the better over the next 10 years.

2009 Branaire Ducru (RP96 at HK$650/bottle) – We are re-stocking this very popular Bordeaux red which the famous critic Robert Parker referred to as the “haut couture equivalent of wine”. It is rich, aromatic but, because of its great balance, never comes across as heavy.

2011 Gracia (RP95) at $780/bottle – From St-Emilion of Bordeaux, this is probably not something you encounter in most wine shops. One of a few blockbusters of the vintage, it has a gorgeous aroma of graphite, chalk, black currant, blueberry, camphor and a hint of truffles.

2007 Climens (WA98) at $370/half bottle – For those who like sweet wines but opt for one with slightly less resident sugar, this very elegant first growth equivalent from Barsac (Bordeaux) might be the answer. It is endowed with a lovely bouquet of honey, orange blossom and a touch of quince. The palate is of great balance and purity; the finish persistent but effortless. A slice of heaven in the glass!!!

Thank you for reading as we would also encourage you to browse our website www.vinopolis.com.hk to view our full wine list. Purchases can be made through this online platform, by sending us an e-mail or just WhatsApp to 9195-7383. Your support is really appreciated.