CH’NG Poh Tiong
This Monday 9 September 2024, a new range of wines will be debuting in Singapore.
After nearly 12 months of looking for top value-for-money wines and top wines of that quality, FairPrice Finest has secured exclusivity to some of the best wines of Languedoc-Roussillon in the South of France.
As their wine consultant, together with their Wine Buyer Richard Chai, we have done so by tasting wines from different suppliers over nearly a year before deciding on an outstanding range from LGI Wines, based in Carcassonne, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
LGI Wines’ logo is “Tradition & Innovation”. We can certainly add “Quality” to their mission statement.
Their wines come from different vineyards, terroirs, and sub-regions throughout the south of France. Some are individual domaines (just like in Burgunday) and single vineyards.
As a testament to their quality and individuality, LGI Wines have been selected, including by Scandinavian Airlines, KLM, American Airlines, Asiana Airlines, Emirates, and Singapore Airlines.
The wines will be on promotional prices this Monday 9 September 2024.
Le Beau Sud Cotes De Gascogne 2023
A very aromatic and thoroughly delicious white. Passion fruit, guavas, and grapefruit leap out of the glass and reward with zesty, refreshing fruit. Irresistible on its own and mandatory around the barbecue, swimming pool, chalet holiday, the beach and with sushi, seafood, fried beehoon, dim sums, and finger foods. A blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Gros Manseng, Le Beau Sud is on screwcap and ready to go! Cotes de Gascogne is south of Bordeaux and west of Toulouse, not in Languedoc-Roussillon. The wine is just so good we couldn’t not resist including it in our selection.
Pure Altitude Chardonnay 2023
Pure Altitude – more than 400 metres in the Pyrenean foothills – produces some of the purest, most pristine, and elegant wines of the Languedoc (see also Pinot Noir and Malbec below). The hot sunny days alternate with cool nights which extend the ripening cycle, all the time piling layer after layer of complex fruit to the grapes. Bright light straw with a green tinge. Vanilla, melons, nutmegs, cloves, and a hint of pineapples. Creamy with a lift of freshness on the finish. Very harmonious. Medium-bodied and elegant. Worthy of a Burgundy. Outstanding on its own and irresistible with sashimi, sushi, seafood, fish, tempura and dim sums.
Domaine Saint-André Folio d’Inès Rosé 2023
This wine is as seductive as the shape of its bottle. Bright pink blush with a whiff of peach, a hint of strawberries, and a suggestion of grapefruit. Elegantly fruity, fresh and lively. This Languedoc-Roussillon rosé is produced from Grenache, the backbone varietal of rosés from Provence and the rest of the South of France. Domaine Saint-André Folio d’Inès is delicious on its own and with dim sum, sushi, tempura, chicken, pork, ham, pizza and pasta. Serve cool (almost, but not as cold as a white wine).
Languedoc-Roussillon
Les Garraudes Edition Privée Pinot Noir 2023
Alluring mid-red colour. Cherry and strawberry fruit held together by tannins with a crisp grip on the finish. Medium-bodied with a firm structure and freshness on the end. While enjoyable on its own, even better with roast chicken and pork, duck, beef and lamb dishes. Les Garraudes hails proudly from the Languedoc-Roussillon.
Le Professeur Marselan 2023
Le Professuer is a tribute to French ampelographer Paul Truel (1924 – 2014) who in 1961 successfully crossed Cabernet Sauvignon with Grenache and so was born Marselan (named for the port Marseillan in the south of France not far from the experimental vineyard where Marselan was grown). There are few pure Marselan wines in France so this is a wonderful discovery. Ripe, silky tannins with dark and black fruit including cherries and currants complete with a liquorice note. No oak whatsoever was involved in the winemaking nor ageing. The tannins come holistically from the seeds and skin of the grape. Delicious on its own and with pork, chicken, duck, beef, steak and lamb. Le Professeur is on screwcap and has a very colourful, zany label!
Beausol Grenache 2023
Grenache is celebrated throughout the South of France from Languedoc-Roussillon to Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the Southern Rhone. Aficionados often to refer to it as the “Pinot Noir of the South”. But, only if it is well-made. As Beausol certainly is! Violet, floral notes on the nose give way to red cherries and raspberries. The fruit is pampered by soft, silky tannins that will melt whatever meat you wish to lavish on this irresistible pure Grenache, be it chicken, pork, duck, lamb or beef. Mushroom dishes will also surrender. Medium-plus bodied, incredibly harmonious, and utterly dee-lee-cious.
Pure Altitude Pinot Noir 2023
Ruby red in complexion. Fragrant. Raspberries, strawberries, and cherries. Wonderfully fruity and complemented by silky soft tannins. Serve cool. Store all your red wine in the fridge (better still the fruit and vegetable compartment) and enjoy after 10/15 minutes in the glass. Thoroughly engaging on its own and with braised doufu and mushroom dishes, chicken, pork, duck, lamb, pizza and pasta.
Pure Altitude Malbec 2023
A French grape believed to originate from Cahors and then spread to Bordeaux (about 200 km west), Malbec has been embraced by Argentina but is still cultivated in France. And with very good results as shown by Pure Altitude. Floral on the nose but also red fruits including raspberries and cherries wrapped in silky tannins. A very harmonious medium-bodied red very enjoyable on its own and a wonderful pairing with chicken, pork, duck, steak and beef dishes.
