1 + 1 > 3

It is rare to meet an alliance of superheroes, all at once.

From the perspective of a visitor to wine fairs such as Vinexpo, I am quite open-minded to taste wine from unknown wineries but felt awesome when I spotted a big crowd surrounding a particular pavilion, which showcased a league of big icons from France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain.- It is Primum Familiae Vini (PFV), an international association of eleven of the world's finest wine producing families.

If you reckon the synergy of 1 + 1 > 3, you must be moved by the impact of the alliance of 11 wine families. People were just staying at that pavilion for the whole day!

What I tasted?

Hugel Patience 1996 - an exceptional ‘nectar’ not only showing the amazing richness and intensity with perfect balance between sweetness and acidity, but also revealing the family secret, which has remained hidden for 20 years, as to bringing winemaking with noble-rot nurtured Riesling to the highest level. It was made by Marc Hugel following the secret recipe left behind by his ancestors, using the 1996 harvest of extraordinary quality, which is not guaranteed for every vintage.

Hugel Patience 1996, extending the ancient heritage from generation to generation

Mark André Hugel, the new generation winemaker at Hugel, whom I have been meeting every year at wine fairs in Hong Kong

Torres Mas Le Plans 2007, made of 100% old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon grown in a prime vineyard surrounding Miguel A. Torres’s house in Pacs de Penedès. Grapes were hand-harvested from October onwards. Rigorously sorted and then macerated for 28 days with a seven-day ferment taking place at 28-30°C. Aged for 18 months in 100% new French Tronçais and Nevers casks. Bottled July 2009. Very correct, fresh claret style and transparent. Miguel A. Torres’s has put effort in reviving endangered varieties of indigenous grapes. Six grape varieties - Querol, Garró, Moneu, Gonfaus, Pirene and Forcada - are found to show remarkable potential for the production of quality wines.

Torres Mas Le Plans 2007

Vega-Sicilia Valbuena No.5 2013

Valbuena No.5 2013 of Vega-Sicilia, Ribera del Duero’s most legendary estate owned by the Alvarez family. About 80% of Vega-Sicilia’s 250 hectares of vineyards are planted with Tinto Fino (i.e. Tempranillo), and the remainder with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec, many of them are more than a century old.

Valbuena is often made from younger vines and is released after five years in American oak. 2013 is an unusually cold and rainy vintage in which they will not bottle Único. It's mostly Tempranillo with 5% Merlot. It is very elegant and fresh with a developed nose, quite classical with a fine texture, elegant tannins and a supple, long finish where the oak is still quite obvious. It is a triumph over the challenges of the year.

Solaia by Marchesi Antinori 1997, 2001, 2010, 2013 and 2015

Cheers!

A vertical tasting of Solaia of five vintages - all made predominantly (up to 75%) of Cabernet Sauvignon, and some Sangiovese and to a lesser extent Cabernet Franc: -

1997: Deep garnet. Tremendous concentration of blackcurrant with pleasant earth and subtle mint, layered with superb leather and aniseed character.

2001: Very dark crimson. Sweet, intense, rich, round, very complex (blackcurrant, with fresh spearmint and bark) and long, tannins very well managed.

2010: Again, intense and rich, concentrated blackcurrant accompanied with some subtle smoky spice and roasted coffee beans. Long finish.

2013: A sleek, vibrant wine with bright, focused fruit flavours.

2015: Very full bodied with black plums. A very complex taste with a cola finish. Smooth tannins although very young at the moment. Surely can age!

Other families within the association include: Château Mouton Rothschild, Joseph Drouhin, Egon Müller Scharzhof, Champagne Pol Roger, Famille Perrin, the Symington Family Estates, Tenuta San Guido. Wow! Wow! Wow! Something that even a professional taster won’t be willing to spit!

PFV aims to reunite its members (intended to be 12 at maximum, their families and their management teams, to share best practice, discuss developments in the wine world, and pass on experience to new generations of winemakers. What’s more? PFV regularly holds tastings and dinners around the world to present its members' wines, taking those opportunities to raise funds for the benefit of a local charity of the city they visit while enabling consumers to meet the producers face to face.

Article by: Philip WONG, DipWSET

Photos by: Thomas HO