Return to My True Colors (2)

It was 2021 when I published an article here about the twenty-two vineyards in Pouilly‑Fuissé being officially upgraded to Premier Cru status, effective from the 2020 vintage—by now many Pouilly fans will have tasted them. Time has flown, and over the past few years four more Premier Cru sites have been added; this time the neighboring Pouilly‑Loche and Pouilly‑Vinzelles. I have a bit of a connection with the latter: when I took the Burgundy instructor exam I happened to encounter it, and in my presentation I concluded it was essentially Pouilly‑Fuissé—so you can imagine how close the two are. Pouilly‑Loche includes “Les Mûres,” and Vinzelles contributes three plots—Longeays, Petaux, and Quarts—which from the 2024 vintage are officially designated as Burgundy Premier Cru vineyards. Their total area is just over thirty hectares.

Back in 2022, certain parcels in Pouilly‑Vinzelles and Pouilly‑Loche were already close to being approved for upgrade. Production rules require no herbicides, mandatory hand harvesting, yields under 5,800 liters per hectare, a minimum alcohol of 12% ABV, and wines may only be released to market after July of the following year. This area sits south of Chablis and, like Chablis, uses Chardonnay, yet it had not been upgraded until now—rumor has it the process took twenty years to reach this honor. The region has already attracted significant attention from foreign winemakers and Burgundian domaines; even renowned Côte d’Or houses such as Leflaive and Comtes Lafon have invested resources in the Mâconnais, and in recent years Château de Vinzelles has been included in local tourism development plans.

The Mâconnais lies in the southernmost part of the region with milder weather. The 2024 vintage was the upgrade year and the harvest was stable, unlike the clear shortfalls seen elsewhere. 2023 and 2022 were especially abundant and high-quality vintages; because those years have not yet been reclassified, prices remain relatively low and are worth buying now. If you’re interested in visiting the newest Premier Cru sites, consider dining at L’O des Vignes—the wine list will not disappoint and prices are fair. For older bottles, consider Quintaine 1985 Domaine de la Bongran or Les Birbettes 1999 Château des Rontets, both of which show Burgundy in excellent condition.

那年是2021年，在這裡發表文章關於Pouilly-Fuisse的廿二個果園正式升級為一級園，年份由2020年開始，相信各位"布粉"已品嚐不小。時光飛逝，幾年間又有四個新一級園加入，這次是毗鄰的 Pouilly-Loche 和 Pouilly-Vinzelles， 後者和在下算有點緣，當年考布爾岡導師時就是遇著她，presentation總結她是Pouilly-Fuisse，可想而知兩者是多麽接近。Pouilly-Loche擁有 "Les Mures" 加上Vinzelles三塊果園- Longeays，Petaux，Quarts 從2024年份正式開始標纖為布爾岡一級果園，總面積只是三十公頃多一點。

在2022年之時， Pouilly-Vinzelles 和Pouilly-Loche 兩地某塊果園已差不多落實升級，生產規限方面是禁止除草劑，必須手採收成，產量小於每公頃五千八百公升，酒精度不得小於12%，成熟期必須在翌年七月後才可推出市面。這裡和Chablis一北一南，也是採用Chardonnay，但一直未有升級，據聞原來已搞了二十年才有今日榮譽。其實這裡已吸引不小國外釀酒師和布爾岡酒廠注意，甚至Cote d’Or的名牌酒莊如 Leflaive，Comtes Lafon等也投放資源在Maconnaise，近年Chateau de Vinzelles亦被列入為旅遊發展計劃。

Maconnaise位於最南部地區，天氣比較温和，2024年是升級年份，收成也稳定，不像其他地方明顯失收。2023和2022年更是豐收和優質年份，這些年份還未升級，酒價偏低，值得趁早入貨。 若果大家有興趣去最新一級園朝聖可考慮到 L’O des Vignes 用餐，酒單不會令你失望，取價公道，舊酒可考慮Quintaine 1985 Domaine de la Bongran 或 Les Birbettes 1999 Château des Rontets 兩者可給予布爾岡優質狀態。

India's whisky

India's whisky industry began as early as the mid-18th century, when a Briton established the Kasuli distillery and released India's first malt whisky—Solan No.1. Because India was once a British colony, Indian whisky was naturally influenced by Scotland, but traditional production used cheap molasses fermented into alcohol and then distilled; at the time grains had to be reserved for food. India consumed a lot of whisky, but because it was made from inexpensive molasses it leaned toward rum-like spirits, mixed with soda or cola, and couldn't be compared to true whisky. Only by the late 20th century did producers start to focus on grain-based distillation; thanks to Amrut and Paul John, Indian whisky reached the international stage. Amrut was the first to produce an Indian single malt about twenty years ago, followed by Paul John a decade or so later, which used locally made copper pot stills.

Whisky production relies on water sources, and western Goa's soft water is notable; producers use six-row barley, which differs markedly from other countries' materials and is commonly cited as a reason for Indian whisky's nutty and spicy character. India has a tropical climate—temperatures in the northern plains and west can reach 45°C, and annual angel's share can exceed 10%. Spirits mature quickly in barrels; oak extraction is sufficient to maintain a lively body and tropical fruit notes, but oxidation-driven complexity still requires time. High evaporation can also lead to excessive oak influence, so maturation periods must be carefully calibrated.

Most products can be released to market within just a few years, so expressions older than eight years are rare; among them Amrut's limited Greedy Angels series aged eight and ten years are already extremely rare representatives of Indian single malt. Modern Indian single malt whisky is developing: the domestic middle-class market is shifting toward malt, exports are rising, new distilleries are emerging, and barrel diversity is increasing, bringing new stimuli. For example, the well-known Rampur is noted for its elegance—its Asava is finished in local red wine casks; Piccadilly Distillery's recent Indri Trini three-cask release—red wine, sherry, and bourbon casks—has already won significant international awards.

印度威士忌工業早在十八世紀中期已開始，當年由一位英國人建立了Kasuli 蒸餾所並推出第一瓶印度麥芽威士忌 - Solan No.1。由於曾是英國殖民地關係，印度威士忌自然受蘇格蘭影響，但傳統材料是採用廉價的molasses發酵成酒精再蒸餾而成，當年原因是穀物必須要留作食物用途。在印度威士忌消耗量很大，但止於以平價Molasses材料釀造，偏向於rum酒，配合梳打水或可樂等雜飲，不能比較真正威士忌。到二十世紀末才開始重視以穀物材料釀造，後來多得Amrut和Paul John兩大品牌把印度威士忌帶出國際，Amrut 首先在廿年前生産印度單一麥芽威士忌，然後Paul John在十多年前加入，並採用印度本土打造蒸餾銅壼。

生産威士忌水源尤以西部Goa屬軟水，採用六行大麥six roll barley，這些材料又和其他國家截然不同，也是一般認為印度威士忌堅果和辛辣風味的原因。印度屬於熱帶氣候，北部平原和西部温度可高達45度，每年Angel Share 可超過10% 這般利害，酒液在木桶陳熟快速，橡木桶extraction是足夠的，維持輕快酒體，熱帶水果風味，但酒液本身的oxidation是依靠時間才能製造更多複雜感，不過高蒸發度又可促成攝取過多木桶風味，所以熟成時間必須拿揑準確。

一般産品短短幾年間已可推出市場，所以超過八年以上的産品是罕有的，市面上要數Amrut 限量版Greedy Angels系列八年和十年已經是極罕有的印度單一麥芽代表。現代印度單一麥芽威士忌正在發展中，國內中産階層市場也轉向麥芽，出口也在攀升，新酒廠湧現，橡木桶續漸多元化，帶來不同刺激。好像市場上著名的Rampur 是以優雅見稱，其Asava 是以本地紅酒木桶熟成； 還有Piccadilly Distillery近年的Indri Trini 三桶 : 紅酒、雪利和波本木桶， 已連奪不小國際大獎。