In the tasting event, from left, Santi Dimaculangan, Mireille Pio de Roda, Alex Ledesma, Kaye Naval, Andi Santos, Diego Virata, Mikey Siy, Raph Tolentino, Joanna Tolentino, Jess Yang and Ian Umali
“Oh, this scent reminds me of my childhood merienda! Yum!”
“I can’t quite figure this out, but I know that it smells like red wine. Can I say that it smells like red wine?”
“Okay, this smells like…pee.”
So began our afternoon at Estate Wine’s Tutored Tastings event, which highlighted Berry Bros. & Rudd’s Bordeaux wines selected by sommelier Diego Virata. We were expecting a full-on lecture but Diego surprised us instead by handing each of us a vial that contained a specific scent; we were meant to guess each one, write down our answer, then pass it on to our seatmate.
It was quite unexpected, and it reminded me of the popular Apple TV series Drops of God. In the show, the protagonist trained with her father in this same style as a child, but wearing a blindfold. Thankfully, we didn’t have to go through the same ordeal as we were all given an Aroma & Flavour Guide, where scents such as violets, charred wood, oak, and even wet dog were possible answers. As time passed, some of us were mixing up the different scents, but there were others like Ian who really took the sniffing seriously. In the end, the ladies—Jess to be specific—scored higher than the men; Diego said that this was to be expected, as women have a stronger sense of smell.
“Now if you notice, I do not have a projector behind me, or any PowerPoint presentation involved; I want you all to come up with your own conclusions about Bordeaux and the wine we will drink this afternoon,” Diego explained after our olfactory-inspired ice breaker.
He proceeded to tell us all about Berry Bros. & Rudd (BBR for short) and their exclusive partner in the Philippines, Estate Wine, where he also serves as sales director. Over 300 years old, BBR has a fascinating history; not only does it boast two royal warrants (which means they are the official wine and spirit supplier of the British Royal Family), it also has three Masters of Wine. For this reason, BBR continues to be the standard when it comes to fine wine and spirits. For this particular tasting event, we were taken on a journey to arguably the most popular French region, Bordeaux. Now on to the fun part—drinking!
2018 St Emilion, Château Simard
To help redeem the men coming from the first activity, Diego called on Raphael (with the help of his wife, Joanna) to describe what he smelled on the first nose: oak, some blackberries, and cherries. Ding ding ding! It was the perfect bottle to start with, as it wasn’t too overpowering, hovering between being a medium to full-bodied wine. In fact, Andy and Mikey had already finished their first glass before we even started discussing its tertiary flavors.
2020 Pomerol, Château Feytit-Clinet
“Oh wow, now this is good!” Ian exclaimed as he took his first sip.
Almost everyone agreed, and this did seem like the group’s clear favorite. More medium bodied with lighter tannins, this was easier to drink, despite being a younger wine. Pleasantly surprised by the group’s reaction, Diego mentioned that we probably would have had a different reaction with the first bottle had he switched up the order of wines. He said he wanted to shock our senses with a bolder wine, so that we could see the contrast as we tried the other bottles. In the end, he admitted that this was his favorite bottle from the bunch.
“So does that mean I have the best taste in this group?” Ian joked.
2018 St Estephe, Château Tronquoy- Lalande
Moving onto the left bank, this bottle exhibited the more classic characteristics of a Bordeaux, with richer tannins and bolder flavors. This one was my favorite of the bunch, as it reminded me of the various jams that my dad would collect for breakfast. Other than the usual berries, there were hints of rich chocolate and a bit of spice, which revealed itself on the third sip. It was already quite rich, so I can just imagine what this would taste like in a few years!
2018 Pauillac, Château Lynch-Bages
“Did I catch a whiff of Jo Malone Blackberry?” Alex wondered out loud.
“I think it’s more Peony & Blush Suede,” Kaye replied.
Jokes aside, they were both right, as this bottle had a bit of black fruit and floral notes. Come to think of it, Diego chose a good bottle to end the tasting with, as it had a little bit of everything from the previous ones: silky tannins that were not too aggressive in the mouth, and intense yet pleasant flavors such as dried fruit, licorice, and roses.
With everyone slightly inebriated from the day’s activities, we all agreed that this will not be the last time we’d all be indulging in an event like this. We smelled, saw, and felt different sensations with every glass, bonding over a shared experience that was peppered with some laughs and anecdotes from childhood—so much so that Mikey, Santi, and Alex discovered they were neighbors! This is truly what makes wine so special, as it brings people from all walks of life together to experience the intricacies of a bottle (or several). After all, isn’t that what drinking is for? Santé!
Estate Wine is one of Manila’s full-service merchants of wines and spirits. They also offer unique experiences, from wine tasting events to collaborations with notable restaurants such as Antonio’s, Gallery by Chele, and Indus. They are located at the G/F Republic Glass Building, Salcedo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.
