Chateau Siran

Chateau Siran has superb wine that one wine journal describes as “having an almost Pomerol like richness and a supple, velvety mouth feel”. Just as rich and interesting is the history behind it that weaves its way through Manila at some point long, long ago. While I enjoy wine, I haven’t consumed enough nor is my palate, tongue and nose fine enough to be a real connoisseur. If you have ever tasted several wines in one sitting you would start to appreciate the real differences between good and great wine. Even within one producer, tasting several different vintages (a vertical tasting I am told) yields surprising differences in taste and quality. Some of the more extravagant and involved dinners in our house mean that I cook (foie gras, lobster, kobe beef, creme brulee), and guests bring the superb wine – good trade don’t you think?

It’s not often that one associates a Bordeaux Chateau with downtown Manila but an abridged version of the history goes something like this… in the early 1800s an Irish man made his way to the Philippines and started to acquire property in Binondo. His properties and wealth then passed down several generations (often through the females and thus the changes in surnames that are highly confusing) until many generations later it ended up with the family that now owns Chateau Siran. This harks back to the genteel days when some of the wealth generated here in the archipelago actually went back to France to help fund a Grand Cru Chateau in Bordeaux…how cool is that? The history of the chateau itself is also quite interesting and here is their website. Chateau Siran (limited vintages) is available at Bacchus located at several Shangrila hotels (and a subject of an earlier post). To get the wines pictured here including the case with six magnums (double bottles) vintage 1982, and some other fine vintages, you kind of have to know the owners and lure them with a serious dinner…heehee. The 1982 vintage is described by wine-journal.com as a “lovely fresh, plump, plummy nose with violets and a touch of peppermint” – and rated excellent overall. At about USD100+ a bottle (double for the magnum I presume), it is a luxury… but a superb luxury.