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 Although a couple of the wines have been in the portfolio for a while for instance the Palais labels from Italy, the concept was formally launched in Mumbai last week with the unveiling of a Sauvignon Blanc (NZ), Pinot Grigio (Italy), a Bordeaux Blend, a Tuscan IGT Red, an Australian Shiraz Cabernet and of course the made in India-‘Super Maharashtran’ red.
Fratelli Svara 2013
Svara from Fratelli is the Maharashtran version of ‘Super Tuscan’ with the blend that has 70% Sangiovese that has nice acidity, freshness and floral notes together with soft tannins that make this wine easy to drink. Cabernet Sauvignon 20% gives the structure while Cabernet Franc 10% adds richness and sweetness that makes this wine fruit forward and very versatile.
Alessio Secci, one of the partners in Fratelli, is busy in the 2015 harvest at Akluj. He took time out to share with delWine that it was a 2013 wine blended exclusively for the Taj in conjunction with their Sommelier and Piero Masi, the winemaker of Fratelli. ‘We opted for 70 % Sangiovese because Taj has already in their private label ‘Palais’-a blend of Sangiovese with another grape. But that is a 2009 vintage so in order to make a wider option, we made this 2013 blend.’ He further adds, ‘It may be poured in banquets or with all Taj cuisines and introduced to foreign customers who want to taste a local wine made in international style. It has been in the oak barrel for 14 months’.
Alessio is candid to admit that Taj wanted to add a ‘Made in India’ wine to their private label list. ‘Thanks to the success of our Reserve at Taj Lands End we were approached by the Taj team and we crafted this wine working together in two 2 months,’ he adds.
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 2 Swamp Block Sauvignon Blanc
Vishal Kadakia, owner of the Wine Park who imports Saint Clair range from New Zealand has now listed his Saint Clair Pioneer Block 2 Swamp Block as a private label Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand exclusively for the Taj Hotels. ‘Wine Park and Taj Hotels have worked jointly to bring this exciting wine from Saint Clair's Single Vineyard Selection as a private label for Taj Palaces & Resorts. The wine will be available exclusively to the Taj Group in India,’ he says. The wine has incorporated the Taj logo in its label. He also clarifies that this is not an entry level wine but a fine quality wine that can give a good drinking experience to connoisseurs.
Les Pagodes de Cos au The Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai 2008
Les Pagodes de Cos 2008 is the ‘Second Wine’ from the ‘Super’ Second Growth Chateau Cos d’Estournel in Saint –Estephe in Bordeaux, imported by Sanjay Menon of Sansula. It is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot each. Younger drinking wine than the world famous Chateau wine, suitable for up to 10 years drinking after bottling is highly perfumed, well-balanced wine with a long and pleasant finish. For the Indian palate and wallet, this is perhaps one of the best value-for-money great quality wines from Bordeaux. Les Pagodes de Cos au The Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai 2008 may be tad facetious as a label-it’s certainly the ‘longest’ in India, but it does offer a value-for-money wine for the connoisseurs.
Penfolds Koonunga Hills Seventy Six 2010
This is a Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon that draws its popularity and strength from the maker of the iconic Grange wine and is imported by Rohit Mehra of Mohan Bros. Introduced in 2006, the label is a multi-regional blend from South Australia with grapes from Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra. As the label suggests, it is a Shiraz dominated blend (66%) with the balance 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, oaked for 12 months.
Other two wines are Palais Castellani Toscana IGT 2009 which was referred to by Alessio and Palais Corte Giara Pinot Grigio IGT Delle Venezie 2013 – Palais ostensibly added in the original label to indicate it is meant for the Palace and Resorts properties of the Taj. They are imported by Brindco.
Private label concept is extremely popular world-wide. Several top hotels and restaurants use them in wine- by- glass programme and to promote and push wines with their own branding. This also gives a marketing edge to the hotel because of the exclusivity of the label. Taj Hotels’ focus on private label program shows their commitment and focus towards promotion of wines in their hotels group in India.
The programme would have been in place much earlier-it was reportedly scheduled to be operational in August last year, according to an importer because of an unexpected road block created by the FSSAI procedures and the shipments were delayed. It remains to be seen how successful it becomes because of the costs of marketing the labels in different states. Each label has to follow the FSSAI procedures and must be individually registered in each State where the hotel is located.
None of the vendors for these private labels have any say or inkling in the matter of pricing by the Taj but the general consensus is that the Taj group is taking its wine programme very seriously and will price the wines aggressively- to sell them and not merely use them as decoration and props in the restaurants, as has been generally the case so far.
Subhash Arora |