The popular Four Seasons’ Club in Birkirkara was the venue for the wine tasting session organised by Hubert Muscat on behalf of Paolo Bonnici Ltd, importers of fine wines and spirits.

Addressing around 55 people, all wine lovers, Mr Muscat explained the wine from the vineyards of Rapitala`, with its rich clayed soil, where Hugonis comes from. Made from the full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon grape harvested in September 2000, Hugonis is ideal with such things as red meats and mature cheeses. Matured in French oak casks for 18 months before being blended and bottled, refining Hugonis takes at least six months, making it indeed a veritable vintage that is surely to be enjoyed by any wine connoisseur who loves his wine with an abundance of tannins.

The wine tasters also got the opportunity to try out and compare the Hugonis with another wine made mostly from the Sangiovese grape with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon namely the Morellino di Scansano “Santa Maria” from the Marchesi de` Frescobaldi winery in Tuscany. Exhibiting an intriguing nose giving it a rustic appeal complimented by the scent of blackberries, this Sangiovese reveals a palate of considerable power with tannins beautifully woven into the overall texture and well-balanced.

Speaking to the press, Four Seasons’ Club owner Sammy Baldacchino remarked that such educational lectures about wine were very important and appreciated by his patrons since it created a greater understanding of the wines that they would be drinking. He thanked Paolo Bonnici Ltd for organising the event and Mr Muscat who thoroughly explained the compositions of both wines and the processes by which they were eventually brought to them.