1995 Pian delle Vigne

Drinking at home.

1995 Antinori Pian delle Vigne - curiously enough, this wine tasted like a cab and not a sangiovese! Good nose of sweet red fruits and classic Bordeaux nose. Not bad at all. Tannins still a bit heavy but drinkable now.

Bought from Remy for HKD 250.

1994 Mondavi Botrytis

Drinking at home.

1994 Robert Mondavi Sauvignon Blanc Botrytis, from half-bottle - WOW! What a great wine! Didn't expect much but this is one of the richest I've had. Very big nose with strong acetone permeating, along with banana, honeydew, honey, apricot, and pear nose. Amazing! And very, very sweet. Lovely stuff. Want to buy more of this!

Bought from Remy for HKD 318.

1996 Ségla

Drinking at home.

1996 Ségla - pretty damn good! Good amount of fruit, sweetness, along with typical tobacco, smoke, grilled meats. Very good price/performance. Good drinking wine.

Bought from Remy.

1989 Greysac

Drinking at home.

1989 Greysac, en demi-bouteille - still as good as it ever was. Nose of plum, red fruits, smoke, minerals, earth, and smoked meats. Good stuff, and one of my best buys.

Bought from Seibu for HKD 180.

Blanc de Lynch-Bages and Baumard

Dinner at home.

1996 Blanc de Lynch-Bages - very refreshing, citrus, lemon, apricot, pear noses. Crisp acidity. Very nice.

Bought from Ponti for HKD 430.

1990 Baumard Quarts de Chaume - could have sworn this was an Alsatian Vendages Tardives! Honey, apricot, dates, with slight bitterness on the after palate.

Bought from Tatung Atherton.

1994 Beaucastel

Dinner at Victoria Seafood.

1994 Beaucastel Rouge - a little disappointing. Acidic when first opened, body became fuller gradually with opening. Eventually smelled and tasted like a grenache and CdP, but not as sweet and explosive as the one 1½ years ago.

Bought from a friend for HKD 330.

1995 Phelps Merlot

Drinking at dinner.

1995 Joseph Phelps Merlot - this is now very drinkable. Typically Californian merlot with sweet nose and palate. Nice and smooth tannins. Well-liked by everyone.

Bought from Watson's for HKD 305.

1995 Ojai and 1991 Armand Rousseau

Dinner at brown.

1995 Ojai Pinot Noir Benjamin Lorenzo Bien Nacido Vineyard - opened but not decanted. At the beginning the nose was full of minerals on top of the red fruits, to the point of being a little "sulfury". Over time this improved a lot, and an apricot nose emerged, with more sweetness. At the very end, when it went downhill, I smelled Chinese herbal medicine! Very interesting but not as good as hoped. Maybe will try another bottle.

110 cases made, and artwork by Manfred Krankl of Sine Qua Non.

Bought from Oaks Cellars for around SGD 120.

1991 Armand Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Bèze - this was decanted. I didn't like this at first since I didn't get enough from the nose, but eventually it really opened up, after 2½ hours, very nice but not very full bodied. More elegant, with sweet cherries mixed in with a hint of sweet grass. Pretty good stuff.

Bought from Eslite for TWD 6,750.

1995 Pinots

Dinner at Chez Jimmy's after grandma's funeral.

1995 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Pinot Noir - acidic, somewhat fruity, a bit of mint, but fairly diluted and not that great.

Bought from Oriental House for TWD 1,200.

1995 David Bruce Pinot Noir Reserve - what an improvement! Very concentrated flavors, black cherries, mint, mushroom... all the typical pinot notes. Smooth tannins, sweet on the palate. Everyone liked this better, including mom.

Bought from Wine Society for TWD 900.