Dynamic 2015 Bordeaux tasting in Hong Kong brings in the crowds

Hong Kong experienced its first major Bordeaux barrel tasting on May 23 at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center when more than three dozen châteaux poured their 2015 wines to almost 400 top wine trade members and keen connoisseurs. A small intimate dinner at Michelin-starred Island Tang preceded the event focusing on the 2000 vintage. 

JamesSuckling.com and Hong Kong Tatler organized Bordeaux Confidential En Primeur 2015 with Cathay Pacific and CVBG wine merchants of Bordeaux. Lalique provided tasting glasses.

“It’s like being in Bordeaux for the en primeur tastings in April,” said James Suckling, wine critic and CEO of JamesSuckling.com as well as wine editor for Hong Kong Tatler. He tasted about 800 2015 barrel samples this year in Bordeaux and deemed the vintage as an outstanding one, especially in such Right Bank areas as Pomerol and St. Emilion. Check here for an overview of the vintage. 

Some of the highlights of the 2015-barrel tasting were samples from such illustrious names as Giscours, Pape-Clement, Pichon-Baron, Pépy-Faugères, Smith-Haut-Lafitte, and Valandraud. But many other châteaux were at the event and some costing as little as HK$150 a bottle. Red, dry white and sweet white were poured.

Suckling said that it was almost hard to believe that the young and unfinished wines poured to the crowd during the afternoon walk-around tasting were resting in the cellars in barrels in the various wineries just a few days before the event. “Thank you Cathay Pacific for making this possible,” he said. “One château winemaker here thought the wines taste better here in Hong Kong than in Bordeaux. Of course he is joking but it shows how well the wines travel.” 

Guests to the tasting came as far away as Hanoi, Seoul, Tokyo, Bangkok, and Manila and they were not disappointed. “I have never tasted a barrel sample before,” said one wine merchant and wine educator from Hanoi. “It’s surprising how drinkable they are.”

Suckling explained during the event that the young wines are surprisingly good to drink at this stage from barrel. “You are not supposed to drink the barrel samples,” he said on stage during the tasting. “But the fact that so many of you are underlines how outstanding the vintage is. A great wine is always great to drink whether from the barrel or bottle.”

The event ended with many people saying that they hoped Bordeaux Confidential En Primeur would be an annual event. The participating châteaux seemed to agree. “This was a great opportunity to show the Asian market the quality of our young wines,” said Sophie Schyler Thierry of Château Kirwan. “And people loved the experience.”

Don’t miss the event video on top to savor the highlights from our dinner party on May 22 and the Grand Tasting on May 23 at Asia Society.  

Photos from top to bottom: All the producers at Bordeaux Confidential En Primeur tasting on May 23; Guests tasting 2015 samples; Producers pouring wine for trade members at the tasting; Stéphane Derenoncourt and Jean-Luc Thunevin; Philippe Dambrine (Cantemerle), James Suckling and Mathieu Chadronnier (CVBG)

-JamesSuckling.com Team

Dinner 

Grand Tasting