Submitted by Heleen Bongers
The verdict: superb!
Chris Fun presents his Solus 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon at Papiamento
Pharmacist Chris Fun is the first Aruban to have his own private wine label. Brightly colored, with the sun and sea playing starring roles, the label on his bottles breathes the essence of this island. His wines are called Solus. Last Friday evening he presented his second Cabernet Sauvignon to friends at Papiamento Restaurant. It was an intimate affair in the spectacular garden. The lovely, creamy yet fresh 2006 Chardonnay was poured first, and then the Solus 2005 Cabernet. Before long it was time for the newly arrived 2006 Cabernet. Full bodied, it is fruit packed, with a lingering aftertaste that makes you want to taste more. The Solus Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 has aged for 18 months in a new French oak barrel. It is a truly stunning wine.
Early in 2005, Chris came across an article about Crushpad, an innovative facilitator for people who wish to make their own, custom-made wines. He realized that this was something he had always wanted to do and made a connection via the internet. Crushpad enables people to participate in the magic of winemaking, whether as a hobby or for marketing. For Chris the educational and scientific aspects of winemaking were intriguing, and he has jumped into the making of wines from a distance with a vengeance.
Close contact with `his’ winemaker and three barrel samples per year, shipped per FedEx, have resulted in three gorgeous wines so far.
“Making your own wine, even at a distance, gives you a magical feeling,’’ says Chris. “You determine which wine you wish to make, the style you are looking for, you even select the vineyard the fruit is to be sourced from and together with one of Crushpad’s professional winemakers you embark upon the adventure.’’ Last Friday was magical indeed: Papiamento Restaurant’s food was fantastic, as always, the wines were superb, the company more than a bit nice.
Chris was beaming, having wine loving friends and connoisseurs come and taste his Solus. His aim is to make wines that will showcase the characteristics of the particular grape variety used. “A great wine is like an orchestra. All the various instruments come together as one and the resulting music is harmonious and very well balanced,’’ he said. We believe he has created an opus with his Solus 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Solus is available at Papiamento Restaurant, Flying Fishbone Restaurant, Screaming Eagle and Chez Matilde.