The week in pictures: Hong Kong

Cloudy Bay has released its 2019 Sauvignon Blanc in Hong Kong. Yang Shen, estate director of Cloudy Bay, hosted a tasting session to celebrate the launch.

Shen said: “This vintage is likely to be remembered as one of the great Marlborough vintages, and we have created a Sauvignon Blanc that perfectly balances ripeness and freshness. The quality is a testament to our great vineyards, our hardworking teams and a season where everything just came together.”

The 2019 season started with an early budburst after a mild winter and warm early spring. Cool and unsettled weather came through the region in late spring, around the time of flowering, leading to lower yields than average.

This unsettled weather was replaced after Christmas with consistently warm and dry conditions, which extended all the way into harvest, allowing fruit to ripen evenly on the vines. With almost perfect conditions over harvest, the grapes proved concentrated and complex.

We joined Krug at The Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong for the launch of ‘Les Créations de 2006’ in the territory. Presented by Julie Cavil, winemaking director, and Jerome Jacoillot, winemaking development manager of the Krug winemaking team, the stage was set to share house’s philosophy and the story of the 2006 vintage.

Globally renowned harmonica virtuoso, composer and singer songwriter CY Leo performed a crafted playlist of live Krug X Music pairings. Towards the end of the event, a symphony of food pairings by Krug Ambassador, executive chef Robin Zavou of The Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong was brought forth to accompany the wine.

Singleton of Glen Ord held an elaborate night of Single Malt Sherry Cask to demonstrate the pairing of its smooth, complex and intricate whisky edition matched with cuisine by internationally acclaimed Singaporean chef Justin Quek.

Famous for French-Asian fusion cuisine, chef Quek presented an array of signature dishes including Duck Foie Gras Xiao Lung Bao and Wok Fried Lobster, which were paired with Singleton whiskies ranging from 12 to 25 years old. The experience was enhanced by the engaging performances which were curated to echo the ethos of the latest Sherry Cask edition.

dbHK attended the portfolio tasting of Watson’s Wine at St. Regis Hong Kong. It is part of the events in Watson’s Wine Week that lasted from 21 to 25 October. The tasting showcased an extensive selection of wines from around the world, featuring over 80 booths presenting wineries such as Château Haut-Brion, Cos d’Estournel, Champagne Gosset, Nyetimber, Domaine de Beaurenard, Catena Zapata and Vasse Felix.

After months of refurbishment, one of the city’s favourite social hubs SEVVA has reopened its doors.

The facelift spans from upgrade of its fixtures and fittings, to new tweaks in its design decor. For example, the dining room has been revamped with a unique colourful sculptural installation adorning the 20-ft-tall ceiling. The Taste Bar has been enlarged and reconfigured with a dazzling gold-leaf trim. The revitalised venue will continue to live up to its hype as one of the hottest party spots in town.

The Macallan Edition No.5 was officially launched in Hong Kong this month. The brand celebrated the new edition which came about due to a unique collaboration with Pantone, which created a bespoke hue of purple for the label and which was the major theme of the party.

The Edition No.5 whisky is matured only in American oak casks, which is a new take for the Scotch whisky house. The result is an intense flavour profile that hosts sweet notes of caramel and fresh fruit combined with oak spices.