1997 I Sistri

Drinking at home.

1997 Fèlsina Berardenga I Sistri - not as good as I remembered from the Ponti tasting. Some oak and citrus in the nose. A bit spicy on the palate.

Bought from Ponti for HKD 110.

1993 Peter Lehman Stonewell

Dinner at W's Entrecote.

1993 Peter Lehman Shiraz Stonewell - after airing for more than an hour, the nose was very pleasant. Classic cassis, black cherries, and sweet "bubble gum" notes in the nose. Tannins are still noticeable, but not distracting. Full bodied, good concentration, some minerals. Fairly nice to go along with steak.

Bought from a friend for HKD 430.

Haut-Brion tasting and more

Haut-Brion tasting at Manly Wine City.

Tasted the 1975, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995 Haut-Brion together. Liked the 1988 and 1985 the best, same with 1994. All very fruity and concentrated. A bit New World. Didn't like the 1990 as it was too earthy, and same with the 1975.

Drinking at dinner.

1997 Olivier Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet - too acidic for me.

Larrivet Haut Brion, vintage unknown - this was OK.

1997 Gros Frére et Soeur Richebourg - not bad at all. Very nice even though it's not a DRC.

1998 Dugat-Py Gevrey-Chambertin Coeur du Roy - very good effort and I really liked it.

1997 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Spätlese - nice and medium sweet, but the nose was smoke, petrol, and rubber.

89 Troplong and 93 Ducru

Drinking at Vinum in Singapore.

1989 Troplong Mondot - initially nose was intensely powerful for a few minutes, then it closed down and only smoke and wet rags showed with a hint of fruit. Eventually, after about 1½ hours, the wine began to show beautifully. Gobs of sweet cassis, chocolate, caramel, black pepper, and smoke in the nose. Good acidity balance, and the power started to show through. Clear reason to see why Parker gave it such high praise!

Bought from Vinum for SGD 140.

1995 Pegau Cuvée Laurence - with no breathing time, this was a classic CdP with smoked bacon, a bit of spice, a bit weedy. Acidity a little high. Overall it was alright, but probably needed time.

Dinner at Pierside.

1993 Ducru-Beaucaillou - classic Bordeaux with smoke, smoked meats, cassis, slight minerals. Drinking very nicely now, especially after 1½ hours or so.

Bought from Watson's for HKD 439.

1970 Lynch-Bages

Dinner at Paris 1930 in Taipei.

1970 Lynch-Bages - I was a bit disappointed by this wine. While the black fruits were there, it seemed very one-dimensional. Very smooth with most of the tannins shed (heavy sediment), the texture was nice. But I thought it was a bit boring.

Bought from Tatung Atherton for TWD 6,200.

1994 Heitz Bella Oaks

Dinner at Wolf.

1994 Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon Bella Oaks Vineyard - surprising light-to-medium bodied and therefore a bit disappointing. Some cassis. A bit of minerals. In general uninspiring although tannins are smooth.

Bought from the winery for USD 45.

1992 Primo Joseph

Drinking at home.

1992 Primo Estate Joseph Moda Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot - surprising good and deserving of Parker's attention. The Amarone style made sure for a concentrated wine packed with flavors. Nose of sweet berries, cassis, minerals, smoke. The high alcohol level is evident. Not a bad deal at this price. Tannins still evident but not harsh.

Bought from Macau Duty Free for HKD 400.

1990 Filhot

Drinking at home.

1990 Filhot, en demi-bouteille - pretty good stuff, with good botrytis, sweet nose of orange marmalade, honey, caramel, walnut. Yummy stuff!

Bought from Ponti for HKD 322.

1994 Gaja Barbaresco

Drinking at home.

1994 Gaja Barbaresco - wow! This is another great showing for Gaja. Opens up very nicely after 2 hours. Nose was explosively sweet at first, with gobs of sweet cassis, game meat, leather, toasted oak, even a bit of glycerin. Kept improving and eventually softened. Acidity is very high, a bit distracting. Tannins also are still very strong. Really needs time to age.

Gift from a friend.

1999 Sterling Chardonnay

Drinking at a wedding.

1999 Sterling Chardonnay North Coast - huge nose of toasted oak, typical for a Cali chard. Lots of minerals, some fruit in the nose, a bit sweet. OK but not my cup of tea.

1998 Kistler Elizabeth

Dinner at Postrio in San Francisco. Originally wanted to open a 1997 Colgin Herb Lamb but thought it might not be ready. The manager recommended this wine that wasn't on the wine list.

1998 Kistler Pinot Noir Cuvée Elizabeth - it opens up very nicely after decanting. Nose is explosive and very, very sweet, with lots of cassis, mint, black olives, rosemary, and a touch of glycerin at the very end. Full bodied, this is a huge wine! Finish is very long and powerful, showing the 14% alcohol. Tannins got to be a bit heavy in the middle of the bottle, but faded towards the end. Needs about 2 hours in the decanter and at least 3 years of aging.

USD 390 at the restaurant.

1996 Araujo

Dinner at Pinot Blanc in St. Helena.

1996 Araujo Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard - this wine was incredibly understated but good. Very silky smooth tannins surprising for a wine this young. The nose was very fruity, with some toasted oak and grilled meat. A bit peppery on the finish.

USD 275 at the restaurant.