For anyone who has read a few posts here on this blog, it is not news that my wife is Korean-American. Both of her parents were born in Korea, and they met after they both came to the U.S. to escape the Korean War. It should also be no surprise that I am currently in Korea, our first trip as a family to the country that means so much to my wife and her family.
In the days, weeks, months (and years) leading up to this maiden voyage to Korea for me and the two boys, I repeatedly was served up caveats by my mother-in-law, her brother, my wife’s sister, my wife, and the guy on the street corner who looked like he might be Belgian, that wine in Korea is 1) hard to come by, 2) very expensive, and 3) not very good at all.
What I found was pretty much contrary to those above assessments. Wine is relatively easy to find (they have some solid bottles in most convenience stores, although not much depth), the upper end wines are about the same price (or cheaper, thanks to a weak Korean Wan) as the U.S., and we found some really stellar wines while we were here.
But.
With one exception, all of our hotels had an executive lounge, of sorts, which offered up small plate kind of food and free wine for a few hours before dinner each day. There, at least one of the warnings held true–the wines were, for the most part, horrible. Really, really bad. Nonetheless, I tasted them all since, well, I have a penchant for self-punishment and they were so bad, I just had to tell someone (lucky you).
As you can see from the notes below, this last batch of lounge wines was decidedly better (we were in a slightly better hotel; funny how that works), which served to restore my faith in humanity (if ever so slightly). From what I could ascertain, these wines were not all that more expensive than the wines in the other lounges, but it did seem as though whoever selected these wines either had a better palate, actually gave a crap, or both.
Viñedos Balmoral Edoné Cuvée de Maria Brut, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain: Retail $20. 100% Chardonnay. We made it back to Seoul in one piece, which was surprising given the way many of our septuagenarian Uber drivers operated their vehicles (125kph in a 60kph anyone?). [According to my wife, almost all of the younger Uber drivers in Korea quit after Covid, claiming it impossible to make a living (Ubers are cheap in Korea). They have largely been replaced by retirees who tend to have limited English and are terrible drivers.] We decided to upgrade a bit for our last three days and reserved Le Méridien right in the middle of the Myeongdong neighborhood of Seoul. It was not only an up grade in room, but the member lounge was also a decided improvement (not that any of the other hotels had been shabby by any means, with the obvious wine exception). I dropped of the luggage and headed straight to the lounge, which had this Spanish traditional method sparkler (but not a cava) on offer. And it is pretty good. Tree fruit a-plenty on the nose, mostly fresh pear and peach, with just hints of white flower and wet rock. Nice. The palate is tart and fruity, but also average, but average is a welcomed development given our experiences in the hotel lounges thus far. This definitely passes the Bud Light test (I would drink this instead of Bud Light at a wedding). I know that is a low bar, but this wine passes it, which (at least on this trip) is saying something. Good 86 Points.
2024 Élevé Colombard-Sauvignon, Côtes de Gascogne, Languedoc, France: Retail $12. 70% Colombard, 30% Sauvignon Blanc. Another wine that looks like it was made with the Asian market in mind as almost all the information on the internet concerning this wine was in either Chinese or Korean. I honestly believe that this is my first Colombard/Sauvignon blend, but at this point, who knows? Quite light in the glass with just a brilliant straw hue, but a very expressive nose of tropical fruit, fresh cut grass, and yes, a touch of cat pee. The palate is rather pleasant as well with plenty of tart fruit, surprising weight, and that solid tropical vibe coming through in spades. I have stated many times that I am not a huge fan of the overly tropical style of SB, and I can count on one hand the Colombard-dominant wines I have tried, but this wine, tonight, is working for me. Lip-smacking tartness, a healthy body, and a lingering finish? Yeah, I’ll have another glass, maybe two? Very Good. 88 Points.
2023 Con Mistral Chardonnay, Central Valley, Chile: Retail $20. 100% Chardonnay. This was my third wine of the night, and it might just be the best. A Chilean Chard with tons of character starting with a lemon rind, fresh lime juice, and just a hint of banana on the nose. The palate is all Chardonnay with impressive weight and loads of fruit. There is also a mineral aspect that, frankly, gets lost in most modern Chardonnays. I am also getting some oak, albeit very subtle, but just enough to round out that acidity and contribute to the mouthfeel. Like I said, I have tried close to a dozen “lounge wines” now in Korea, and I think I need to place this at the top (at least for now—I have two more reds to go). Excellent. 90 Points.
2024 Élevé Carignan Vieilles Vignes, Pays d’Hérault, Languedoc, France: Retail $22. 100% Carignan. You don’t see a single varietal Carignan all that often, so when I saw this at our hotel’s executive lounge, I was intrigued. And it’s good. It is not a mind-blowing, change-your-life, I’m only ever going to drink Carignan from here on out kind of wine, but it might be the best wine on offer in the lounge. Medium to dark in color with tons of black fruit on the nose: cassis, plum, and blackberry predominant. There is also a healthy dash of black pepper and a slight herbal note (basil? tarragon?). The palate is initially fruity, but in that subtle, Old World kind of way, casually holding court until the tartness arrives on the mid palate and takes over the proceedings. There is also a mineral aspect that is so often masked in red wines, that I find thoroughly enjoyable. This is not bombastic in any way, just solid from start to finish, exactly what I hope for in a wine. Excellent. 91 Points.
2023 Con Mistral Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Valley, Chile: Retail $18. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. OK. This is now the last of the lounge wines that I forced myself to drink during our trip to Korea. This is our last stop, we are back in Seoul for three nights, and this is the last of five wines in the the lounge that I felt the need to try (and evaluate). It’s a Chilean Cabernet, and while there are several such wines that are stellar (or even beyond), those are not the wines one choses for a hotel lounge, which is certainly the case here. Dark, but short of “inky” in the glass with an abundance of black pepper and clove on the nose. There is also some dark fruit, but it is masked by all that spice. There is also a green/herbal note (basil? tarragon?) that I really love in a Cabernet, but virtually does not exist in varietal wines from California. The palate is, well, OK. Not a ton of fruit, not a ton of spice, ample acidity. It is just kind of there. Below average weight, which would be OK if the fruit or acidity filled the void. Neither does. Like I said, it is fine, and even an above-average wedding wine, but not much more, sadly. Very Good. 87 Points.
2024 Estancia del Alto Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva Especial, Central Valley, Chile: And we are finally at the final “free” wine in the Marriott Lounge in Busan, South Korea, this Chilean Cabernet. Another wine that really does not exist on the internet (other than some Korean sites), but at this point I was willing to champion any wine that wasn’t completely horrible (by the way, I consider wines in the 70 Point range to be completely horrible, in order to “earn” a score below 70, there needs to be legitimate fear for my own life and considerable hazard pay). Right off the bat, this smells like, well, a Cabernet. Off to a roaring start! Black and red fruit, an herbal note (basil?), and a smattering of black pepper. The palate continues on this somewhat glorious path (certainly when compared to the others), with flavors that resemble fruit (although not a ton of it), some acidity and spice, and a flinty aspect that, well, did not fit and brought me back down to earth. It’s not great, but it is the best in the room. By far. And that will have to do. Good. 83 Points.
the drunken cyclist 