A filmmaker's wine, rosé sales, rugby drama, and a rare chardonnay is on our wine radar this month
Making The Cut
Francis Ford Coppola, the celebrated director of The Godfather, has been directing much of his energy into Californian winemaking with a level of creativity equal to that which he invests in his films, the result being some Oscar-worthy reds. Coppola’s first purchase was the Inglenook winery in Napa County, then he bought one in Sonoma County and named it Francis Ford Coppola Winery. The latter produces flagship wines called the Director’s Cut series with labels personally designed by the filmmaker, each resembling a filmstrip. The Inglenook Napa Valley Rutherford Rubicon remains his benchmark wine, however. I rated the most recent vintage, 2013. 92 points
Give it a Try
New Zealand’s Mud House, one of Accolade Wines’ brands, is to sponsor the British and Irish Lions rugby union team’s tour of New Zealand next year—causing an outcry that a Kiwi brand is backing a rival team. But Accolade’s winemaker played down the implications, saying locals would be more forgiving by the time the games start. The campaign is mostly focused on the UK at present, with a total of £2 million to be spent. Mud House will also sponsor coverage of the various rugby competitions in the southern hemisphere.
A Rare Opportunity
A few precious cases of a one-off chardonnay from one of the great old names of the Napa Valley, Mayacamas Vineyards, will be available in Hong Kong. Mayacamas Chardonnay Napa Valley The Terraces is a fresh, zesty white that was produced in 2013 from old vines dating back to 1952 on the property, high in the hills of Mount Veeder, and is bottled with a special label. 97 points
Rise of Rosé
In the US, sales of rosé priced at more than US$11 per bottle jumped 60 per cent last year, making it one of the fastest-selling wine categories in the country, according to a report by Nielsen. This echoed findings from the Wine Market Council’s annual Sonoma County presentation. On average, Americans spend US$9.06 for a bottle of sauvignon blanc. Despite warnings of slower wine consumption, wine sales in the US increased 2.5 per cent overall in 2015—the fastest growth rate since 2012.
This article was originally published in Hong Kong Tatler's May 2016 issue