©Florian Rossignol, 3rd February, 2022

Gong Hei Fat Choy! At The Fine Wine Experience we hope the days ahead are filled with wine adventure, immense joy and prosperity. This is my third year to spend my Chinese New Year in Hong Kong so I decided to go through our wine list and search for the Tiger Wines to enjoy during the holidays. For those who might not be familiar, according to the Chinese zodiac, 2022 is the year of the Tiger, and previous Tiger vintages include 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962, 1950, 1938. Below are my crème de la crème picks

for you to consider:

2010: Burgundy
The 2010 vintage in Burgundy is perhaps the most surprising year since 1991. The cool growing season & frost damage made this a distinctly difficult year. Yet the wines turns out better than anyone had expected. Allen Meadows, aka ‘Burghound’, noted “almost inexplicably the wines possess remarkably ripe and fine tannins along with balanced levels of alcohol and acidity and extraordinary, almost crystalline, terroir transparency.”¹ The top 2010 Burgundy reds I recommend in the list below are fresh, precise, energetic and supported by ripe and fine-grained tannins. These long-lived wines are ready to enjoy now but for the best ones I suggest keeping them longer in the cellar. They will repay you.

1998: Rhône
1998 is rated one of the best Rhône vintages in the 1990s. This is a vintage of potency and power. We are very lucky to have a few bottles of E. Guigal’s Côte-Rôtie “LaLas” available on our list. Marcel Guigal made these wines with his focus on absolute quality, from the top of his three single vineyards – ‘La Mouline’ from the Côte Blonde, the more charming, soft and perfumed of the three (11% Viognier); ‘La Landonne’ made from pure Syrah from Côte Brune, with longevity and backbone; and ‘La Turque’, also from Côte Brune, but with 7% Viognier, with something of the scent and thrill of La Mouline, but the mineral backbone of La Landonne. Collectively these “La Las” were made in tiny quantities and set the bar for the appellation. They are fresh, well-balanced and well-matched with richer dishes to be enjoyed during Chinese New Year.

1986: Bordeaux
The 1986 is without doubt a great vintage in Bordeaux, with many top châteaux in the Médoc producing wines that were at their deepest and most concentrated since 1982². With known longevity, these wine are just starting to reach their peak. Wines like the 1986 Château Ducru Beaucaillou (Ex-Château) & 1986 Château Mouton Rothschild we have on our list today are getting harder and harder to find, probably because who can defer the enjoyment for 30+ years and wait for these great wines to be fully mature?

1974: Napa
1974 was an extremely good year in California and Napa stole the show. When I read through the vintage summary of 1974 I can imagine the smiles on the vineyard workers’ faces. Steady and cool spring, a hot late summer and early autumn ideal for harvesting. I went through our wine list and found one not-so popular name: 1974 Chappellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, in magnum. Founded by Donn and Molly Chappellet in 1967, this winery rose to prominence in the late 1960s through rich, concentrated Cabernets with promising potential. In 1974, 10% Merlot was included in the blend, which was a new approach in Napa at that time. Only 3,500 cases were produced with a release price for USD 7.50 (!)  in 1977³. Perhaps people might think with 48 years of age this wine would have passed its peak, but I always find odd surprises here and there in older bottles - you never know your luck.

Other Tiger Wines we have on our list that you shouldn’t look away from, include: 1962 Domaine Comte de Vogüé - Musigny Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru, 1938 & 1950 Macallan Fine & Rare Whiskies, 1998 DRC La Romanée-Conti, 1998 Lafite Rothschild, Latour (Ex-Château) & Le Pin, 2010 Gaja - Barolo Sperss, 2010 Screaming Eagle in Magnum & 1986 Château d'Yquem in Methuselah (6L)!

¹ P.530 Allen Meadows & Douglas Barzelay (2018). Burgundy Vintages: A history from 1845.
² P.64 Robert M. Parker JR (2003). BORDEAUX A Consumer’s Guide to the World Finest Wines, 4th edition.
³ P.119, James Laube (1989). California's great Cabernets: The Wine Spectator's Ultimate Guide for Consumers, Collectors, and Investors.