1995 Abreu Madrona Ranch

Dinner at Tra Vigne in St. Helena.

1995 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch - this was a powerful wine, and clearly could use another 5 years' of aging.  Very sweet, high concentration nose of cassis.  Extremely peppery on the finish.  A long finish, too!  Probably the spiciest wine I have ever had.

USD 225 on the list at Tra Vigne.

Napa trip - Rutherford Hill

Visit to Rutherford Hill.

1992 Rutherford Hill Cabernet Sauvignon - this was alright.  Nothing too spectacular.

Napa trip - Joseph Phelps

Visit to Joseph Phelps, with free tour.  Tasted lots of wines, especially the Rhône varietals like Mistral.

1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia - very powerful, but needs a lot of time.  Huge tannins, spicy, peppery.

Napa trip - Beaulieu Vineyard

Visit to Beaulieu Vineyards, with a private tour and saw the tanks, barrels…etc.

1991 Beaulieu Vineyard Brut Réserve Methode Champenoise (disgorged 1999) - fresh, crisp, toasty nuts.  Good stuff.

1997 Beaulieu Vineyard Pinot Noir Reserve - from Carneros.  This was really good.

1990 Beaulieu Vineyard George de Latour Private Reserve - really good stuff, and better than the 1995.

1995 Beaulieu Vineyard George de Latour Private Reserve

Bought 2 bottles of 1970 George de Latour, 1 bottle of 1997 Pinot Noir Reserve, and Beauzeaux.  No more Clone 6 left except 6-liter bottles!

1990 Peter Lehmann Stonewell

Drinks at Brown.

1990 Peter Lehmann Shiraz Stonewell - did not air this.  It was smooth and medium bodied, but not much else was detected besides a little spice and fruit.  Disappointing but maybe we needed to air it more.

1995 Philip Togni

Drinking at home.

1995 Philip Togni - this was a real fruit bomb.  Nose was amazingly sweet, full of red fruits.  A spicy finish, but the sweetness was a bit overpowering.  I thought it was OK but it hid the other aspects of the wine.  Deep ruby color.

Bought from Vinum for SGD 137.

1970 Lafite

Dinner at Camargue in Hong Kong.

1970 Lafite-Rothschild - double-decanted at home using Riedel glasses.  There was still a bit of tannin left.  Smooth.  Finish a little short.  Some fruit left.  OK to drink but not one of the best.

Bought from BBR for HKD 1,999.

1990 Bruno Clair Chambertin Clos de Beze

Dinner at Au Jardin in Singapore.

1990 Bruno Clair Chambertin Clos de Beze - this was very fruity, with a great cassis and mint nose.  Definitely a great '90 Grand Cru.  Just the right acidity levels and soft, velvety tannins.  Finish seemed a little short.

1985 Las Cases

Dinner at Angelus in Singapore.

1985 Léoville Las Cases - this was decanted and we waited for about half an hour.  Drinking very nicely now.  After the wine opened up, it was very smooth, tannins are soft.  Good fruit, medium sweetness, a bit of spice.  I'm happy I bought this wine.

Bought from Oaks for SGD 223.

1992 Lafleur

Drinking at home.

1992 Lafleur - decanted for about 1 hour before we started drinking.  This was a wonderful wine, at least the nose was.  Berries, grilled meats, saddle/leather, some hint of pain grillé.  The sweetness was incredible, and it got better and better, even after 3 hours.  Wow!  Definitely one of the best '92s I have ever had.  The body was kinda medium light for this wine, highlighting the fact that '92 was a diluted vintage.

Bought for SGD 225 from Oaks.

95 Renato Ratti Marcelasco

Drinking at home.

1995 Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco - this was highly acidic, with moderate tannins.  In some ways it even resembles a pinot noir.  The nose was fruity, a bit sweet.  Nose opened up well after some time.  Not that great of a wine.

Bought from Ponti for HKD 269.