Dinner at Chefshow Time (阿正廚坊) in Taipei.
2001 Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Boudriotte - I bought this just before dinner. I've always liked the 2001 whites from Ramonet, and this proved to be a beautiful wine. Wonderful nose of honey, straw, sweet grass, orange blossom, honeydew, oxidized pear and lemon. Very slightly acidic on the finish.
1997 Beringer Merlot Howell Mountain - I bought a ton of this wine a few years ago when it was offered on sale, and it is still drinking nicely. Nose initially showed mint and eucalyptus on top of red fruits, then it was a bit medicinal and showed sweet vanilla. Since this wasn't decanted, it actually took a bit of time for the nose to open up. This wine is still going strong and I will have a few more years to enjoy and run down my inventory.
Full post on dinner is here.
January 24, 2009
January 19, 2009
Old World vs New World Pinot and Chardonnay
Dinner at Fook Lam Moon (福臨門).
1999 Armand Rousseau Mazy Chambertin - color was very light and diluted. The nose was pretty muted while the palate was a bit acidic. Pretty disappointing to be honest. I expected Rousseau wines to be light, and the Mazy Chambertin would mean that it's quite restrained. But this is kinda pathetic...
1999 Kistler Pinot Noir Cuvée Elizabeth - this is Kister's top Pinot Noir with a production of around only 2,000 bottles. As I expected there was a lot more concentration here. The nose has plenty of sweet fruit, a bit of mint, blackberry, preserved plum and even a hint of mocha. Pretty nice, but still a bit of a let down. This wine can be mind-blowing but it wasn't to be tonight...
1995 Chartron et Trébuchet Bâtard-Montrachet - a beautiful wine with nose of sweet grass, straw, sweet and creamy butter and a bit of lemon. There is a little bit of ripeness on the palate. Not bad for the price I paid.
2004 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren - a very typical Californian Chardonnay, with lots of lemon citrus, minerals, toasty oak, and sweet butter popcorn. Pretty ripe on the palate. I can only imagine what this wine would taste like in another 10 years...
Full post on dinner is here.
1999 Armand Rousseau Mazy Chambertin - color was very light and diluted. The nose was pretty muted while the palate was a bit acidic. Pretty disappointing to be honest. I expected Rousseau wines to be light, and the Mazy Chambertin would mean that it's quite restrained. But this is kinda pathetic...
1999 Kistler Pinot Noir Cuvée Elizabeth - this is Kister's top Pinot Noir with a production of around only 2,000 bottles. As I expected there was a lot more concentration here. The nose has plenty of sweet fruit, a bit of mint, blackberry, preserved plum and even a hint of mocha. Pretty nice, but still a bit of a let down. This wine can be mind-blowing but it wasn't to be tonight...
1995 Chartron et Trébuchet Bâtard-Montrachet - a beautiful wine with nose of sweet grass, straw, sweet and creamy butter and a bit of lemon. There is a little bit of ripeness on the palate. Not bad for the price I paid.
2004 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren - a very typical Californian Chardonnay, with lots of lemon citrus, minerals, toasty oak, and sweet butter popcorn. Pretty ripe on the palate. I can only imagine what this wine would taste like in another 10 years...
Full post on dinner is here.
January 18, 2009
2000 Arietta Variation One
2000 Arietta Variation One - drank over dinner at Tien Heung Lau (天香樓). This would be something very unusual for most people. The Californian winery makes an interesting blend of Syrah and Merlot that, in my opinion, works very well. The tasting conditions tonight were not ideal, and I (surprisingly) didn't bother to take notes, but I still liked the wine a lot. There was plenty of the sweet vanilla coming from new oak barrels, and clearly the wine was going to be pretty concentrated with a lot of good fruit.
Full post on dinner is here.
Full post on dinner is here.
January 17, 2009
Old Champagne and Riesling
Dinner at Pierre.
1983 Dom Perignon - with more than 20 years of bottle age, this is now a beautiful Champagne. Classic nose with caramel, iron rust, oxidized pear, honey and marmalade. Color is now golden. Still plenty of bubbles left but a lot smoother. How I love old Champagne...
1994 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhauser Herrenberg Riesling Auslese - we are all big fans of Riesling, and this one was a great example of how good this varietal can be. An amazing nose of petrol, minerals, acetone, sweet pear and a bit of green apple. It's actually not as sweet on the palate as I expected. This was a great wine, and I'm gonna hold on to the remaining bottles in my cellar...
Full post on dinner is here.
1983 Dom Perignon - with more than 20 years of bottle age, this is now a beautiful Champagne. Classic nose with caramel, iron rust, oxidized pear, honey and marmalade. Color is now golden. Still plenty of bubbles left but a lot smoother. How I love old Champagne...
1994 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhauser Herrenberg Riesling Auslese - we are all big fans of Riesling, and this one was a great example of how good this varietal can be. An amazing nose of petrol, minerals, acetone, sweet pear and a bit of green apple. It's actually not as sweet on the palate as I expected. This was a great wine, and I'm gonna hold on to the remaining bottles in my cellar...
Full post on dinner is here.
January 14, 2009
Disappointing Burgundies
Dinner at the Press Room.
2004 Leroy Gevrey-Chambertin - Madame Bize declassified all her wines in 2004 due to the passing of her husband, so all the harvest from Grand Cru vineyards went into the village wines. These were available for sale at prices which made them more affordable, so some of us snapped up a bunch of these. Given that the Gevrey-Chambertin is actually a blend of Chambertin, Latricières-Chambertin, Combottes and some village grapes, you can imagine our level of excitement.
Well, we knew something was weird when the wine was decanted. The unfiltered wine looked very cloudy, but the color was really, really light. It looked like strawberry/raspberry juice, or a bottle of 30+ year old Burgundy from a weak vintage.
The nose was very open and beautiful with lots of leather, grilled meats, bacon fat and even some orange/tangerine. So far so good. But the first sip of the wine made me wince - the acidity was just too much. There was nothing on the palate other than volatile acidity, and I thought I was drinking something made from lemonade. Aeration in a decanter for more than an hour did not improve the palate in any way. It's a wine that would have rated in the low 90s judging by its nose, only to have 10-15 points deducted as a result of the palate.
2000 Dugat-Py Charmes-Chambertin - I was also a little disappointed in this wine, because the nose never really showed well. Yes, it's a weak vintage; and yes, it's a Charmes-Chambertin so not an opulent wine. There was some sweet fruit and a bit of grilled meats in the nose. There was a lot more concentration on the palate and even a little tannic, with a reasonably long finish. But I wanted more. After all, this wasn't exactly a cheap bottle of wine!
I wish I had taken a picture of the two glasses of wine, showing the totally different shades of (pun fully intended) burgundy. Judging by the colors, one would never have guessed that the wines were made from the same grape varietal grown in the same village, with only a 4-year difference in vintage.
Full post on dinner is here.
2004 Leroy Gevrey-Chambertin - Madame Bize declassified all her wines in 2004 due to the passing of her husband, so all the harvest from Grand Cru vineyards went into the village wines. These were available for sale at prices which made them more affordable, so some of us snapped up a bunch of these. Given that the Gevrey-Chambertin is actually a blend of Chambertin, Latricières-Chambertin, Combottes and some village grapes, you can imagine our level of excitement.
Well, we knew something was weird when the wine was decanted. The unfiltered wine looked very cloudy, but the color was really, really light. It looked like strawberry/raspberry juice, or a bottle of 30+ year old Burgundy from a weak vintage.
The nose was very open and beautiful with lots of leather, grilled meats, bacon fat and even some orange/tangerine. So far so good. But the first sip of the wine made me wince - the acidity was just too much. There was nothing on the palate other than volatile acidity, and I thought I was drinking something made from lemonade. Aeration in a decanter for more than an hour did not improve the palate in any way. It's a wine that would have rated in the low 90s judging by its nose, only to have 10-15 points deducted as a result of the palate.
2000 Dugat-Py Charmes-Chambertin - I was also a little disappointed in this wine, because the nose never really showed well. Yes, it's a weak vintage; and yes, it's a Charmes-Chambertin so not an opulent wine. There was some sweet fruit and a bit of grilled meats in the nose. There was a lot more concentration on the palate and even a little tannic, with a reasonably long finish. But I wanted more. After all, this wasn't exactly a cheap bottle of wine!
I wish I had taken a picture of the two glasses of wine, showing the totally different shades of (pun fully intended) burgundy. Judging by the colors, one would never have guessed that the wines were made from the same grape varietal grown in the same village, with only a 4-year difference in vintage.
Full post on dinner is here.
Cos d'Estournel tasting
Château Cos d'Estournel wine tasting organized by Altaya Wines. The tasting was held upstairs at Classified.
We tasted 11 wines in all - 9 vintages of the Grand Vin (2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1988 and 1982) as well as the 2006 and 1996 Les Pagodes de Cos.
Unsurprisingly, I thought that the 2003 and 2005 were both excellent wines, although the 2005 really needed time to open up. Both are very concentrated and sweet - more "New World" style. 1997 Bordeaux wines have been drinking very well over the last 2-3 years, and this one is no exception. 1995 and 1996 are a pair of classic wines. I didn't get to taste any of the 1982, because I was just too busy chatting with friends and didn't get to it before people sucked it up... And I thought that the 1996 Pagodes was a pretty good wine.
We tasted 11 wines in all - 9 vintages of the Grand Vin (2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1988 and 1982) as well as the 2006 and 1996 Les Pagodes de Cos.
Unsurprisingly, I thought that the 2003 and 2005 were both excellent wines, although the 2005 really needed time to open up. Both are very concentrated and sweet - more "New World" style. 1997 Bordeaux wines have been drinking very well over the last 2-3 years, and this one is no exception. 1995 and 1996 are a pair of classic wines. I didn't get to taste any of the 1982, because I was just too busy chatting with friends and didn't get to it before people sucked it up... And I thought that the 1996 Pagodes was a pretty good wine.
January 10, 2009
Jacques Selosse, BV and very old Madeira
Dinner at Celebrity Cuisine (名人坊) at Hotel Lan Kwai Fong.
Jacques Selosse Brut Initiale NV, mis en bouteilles Novembre 2007 - wonderful mousse. A hint of caramel on top of lemon citrus in the nose. Very fresh and crisp acidity. Pretty dry finish.
Jacques Selosse Brut Initiale NV, mis en bouteilles Juillet 2007 - what a difference 4 months can make! The color here is darker, more mature than the first bottle, with lots of caramel, oaky and marmalade notes. Also much smoother on the palate and not as fresh.
Jacques Selosse Blanc de Blancs Substance NV, mis en bouteilles November 2007 - by far the best of the three bottles of Champagne (duh...) Wow! The carbonation from the bubbles just go shooting up my nose... Lots of caramel, marmalade and honey. The color is golden honey here. After leaving it in the flute to breath for a while, the nose was even more amazing.
2003 Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Pucelles - initially not very open, with some minerals and a hint of lemon citrus. Later some sweet butter came out. Very smooth on the palate with a slight bitter finish.
2004 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne - lots of lemon citrus and banana on the nose with a hint of sweetness. Acidic on the palate. A little disappointed.
2002 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne - amazing jasmine and floral nose, with a bit of white pepper and minerals. More acidic on the palate with a long finish. A great wine.
1998 Cheval Blanc - explosive nose, classic Bordeaux with brett, sweet fruits and a bit of smoked meats. Surprisingly a hint of mint despite no Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend.
I brought the following pair of Cabs from BV. These are two different clones of the varietal made by the same winery in the same year, which makes for an interesting side-by-side comparison. Unfortunately they weren't served in the same types of glasses so it wasn't 100% accurate. I was also worried that the wines may be corked, since it is well known that BV had issues with TCA in their cellars for the 1997 vintage, and had to recall a large chunk of their wines.
Fortunately as well pulled the corks out, we did not detect any problems with these two bottles.
1997 Beaulieu Vineyard Clone 6 - smoky, wet chalk and sweet red fruits. Very Bordeaux-like. The crowd was surprised by how "French" the wine is, but I have always tasted the French roots of BV wines in the past. Georges de Latour was French after all...
1997 Beaulieu Vineyard Clone 4 - very alcoholic nose, with a bit of smoke and red fruits, plus vanilla and caramel. More concentrated and New World-like.
1999 Sine Qua Non the Ox - an Oregon Pinot Noir from one of my favorite Californian wineries. The first thought that came to my wine when I took a whiff of this was Cantonese liver sausage. Yes, it smelled just like the Chinese rose wine (玫瑰露) used in the production of the sausage. The nose was very sweet and alcoholic, with caramel and a bit of grilled meats. This was a very American Pinot, and exactly what I would expect from Sine Qua Non.
1863 Leacock's Malmsey - this was the highly anticipated finale, as most of the crowd have not tasted anything this old. I loooooove Madeiras, and what an amazing wine! After four hours in a big-bottomed decanter, the wine still smelled a little closed (!) Amazing nose of caramel, sweet fruits, vanilla, coffee, preserved orange rind (not marmalade but 陳皮). This wine just kept going on and on, and it was obvious that it was still in the prime of its life, despite being more than 145-years old... Time to collect more Madeiras...
Jacques Selosse Brut Initiale NV, mis en bouteilles Novembre 2007 - wonderful mousse. A hint of caramel on top of lemon citrus in the nose. Very fresh and crisp acidity. Pretty dry finish.
Jacques Selosse Brut Initiale NV, mis en bouteilles Juillet 2007 - what a difference 4 months can make! The color here is darker, more mature than the first bottle, with lots of caramel, oaky and marmalade notes. Also much smoother on the palate and not as fresh.
Jacques Selosse Blanc de Blancs Substance NV, mis en bouteilles November 2007 - by far the best of the three bottles of Champagne (duh...) Wow! The carbonation from the bubbles just go shooting up my nose... Lots of caramel, marmalade and honey. The color is golden honey here. After leaving it in the flute to breath for a while, the nose was even more amazing.
2003 Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Pucelles - initially not very open, with some minerals and a hint of lemon citrus. Later some sweet butter came out. Very smooth on the palate with a slight bitter finish.
2004 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne - lots of lemon citrus and banana on the nose with a hint of sweetness. Acidic on the palate. A little disappointed.
2002 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne - amazing jasmine and floral nose, with a bit of white pepper and minerals. More acidic on the palate with a long finish. A great wine.
1998 Cheval Blanc - explosive nose, classic Bordeaux with brett, sweet fruits and a bit of smoked meats. Surprisingly a hint of mint despite no Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend.
I brought the following pair of Cabs from BV. These are two different clones of the varietal made by the same winery in the same year, which makes for an interesting side-by-side comparison. Unfortunately they weren't served in the same types of glasses so it wasn't 100% accurate. I was also worried that the wines may be corked, since it is well known that BV had issues with TCA in their cellars for the 1997 vintage, and had to recall a large chunk of their wines.
Fortunately as well pulled the corks out, we did not detect any problems with these two bottles.
1997 Beaulieu Vineyard Clone 6 - smoky, wet chalk and sweet red fruits. Very Bordeaux-like. The crowd was surprised by how "French" the wine is, but I have always tasted the French roots of BV wines in the past. Georges de Latour was French after all...
1997 Beaulieu Vineyard Clone 4 - very alcoholic nose, with a bit of smoke and red fruits, plus vanilla and caramel. More concentrated and New World-like.
1999 Sine Qua Non the Ox - an Oregon Pinot Noir from one of my favorite Californian wineries. The first thought that came to my wine when I took a whiff of this was Cantonese liver sausage. Yes, it smelled just like the Chinese rose wine (玫瑰露) used in the production of the sausage. The nose was very sweet and alcoholic, with caramel and a bit of grilled meats. This was a very American Pinot, and exactly what I would expect from Sine Qua Non.
1863 Leacock's Malmsey - this was the highly anticipated finale, as most of the crowd have not tasted anything this old. I loooooove Madeiras, and what an amazing wine! After four hours in a big-bottomed decanter, the wine still smelled a little closed (!) Amazing nose of caramel, sweet fruits, vanilla, coffee, preserved orange rind (not marmalade but 陳皮). This wine just kept going on and on, and it was obvious that it was still in the prime of its life, despite being more than 145-years old... Time to collect more Madeiras...
January 9, 2009
2005 Cloudy Bay Te Koko
2005 Cloudy Bay Te Koko - drank over lunch at Pierre. The wine was exactly as I remembered it - with nose of green apple, muscat grapes, mineral and flint. After an hour I detected some sweet butter on the nose. There was lots of crisp acidity but it was pleasantly balanced. A great wine to drink at lunch, but now I only have two bottles left...
January 3, 2009
MNSC Dinner - Yung's Club
MNSC annual dinner held at Yung's Club (嚐真) - the 8th floor of the Yung Kee Building. Theme was Vega Sicilia Unico vertical.
1942 Vega Silicia Unico - sweet nose with strawberry bubblegum, preserved plum notes. It was a bit acidic on the palate at first, but later on it also tasted like preserved plums (話梅) with licorice (甘草). 93 points.
1967 Vega Sicilia Unico - very sweet nose with a bit of smoked meats and mint. Acidic on the palate at first, but with some grippy tannins at the same time. 94 points.
1957 Vega Sicilia Unico - very sweet nose with prominent bacon and grilled meat notes. A bit medicinal but a wonderful wine. Still pretty full-bodied on the palate. 94 points.
1962 Vega Sicilia Unico - a bit plasticky and alcoholic. Nose is sweet buta bit chalky. 92 points.
1964 Vega Sicilia Unico -Very sweet nose with a bit of smoked meats, and strong notes of stone and gravel, a bit flinty and steely. 94 points.
1953 Vega Sicilia Unico - lots of caramel, vanilla and mocha notes enveloping the core of sweet fruits. A bit chalky. Very awesome and my wine of the evening. 96 points.
1970 Vega Sicilia Unico - a real shame because this wine did not have enough time to open up, as we finished the dinner earlier than expected. There was some sweet fruit but it was still pretty closed.
1942 Vega Silicia Unico - sweet nose with strawberry bubblegum, preserved plum notes. It was a bit acidic on the palate at first, but later on it also tasted like preserved plums (話梅) with licorice (甘草). 93 points.
1967 Vega Sicilia Unico - very sweet nose with a bit of smoked meats and mint. Acidic on the palate at first, but with some grippy tannins at the same time. 94 points.
1957 Vega Sicilia Unico - very sweet nose with prominent bacon and grilled meat notes. A bit medicinal but a wonderful wine. Still pretty full-bodied on the palate. 94 points.
1962 Vega Sicilia Unico - a bit plasticky and alcoholic. Nose is sweet buta bit chalky. 92 points.
1964 Vega Sicilia Unico -Very sweet nose with a bit of smoked meats, and strong notes of stone and gravel, a bit flinty and steely. 94 points.
1953 Vega Sicilia Unico - lots of caramel, vanilla and mocha notes enveloping the core of sweet fruits. A bit chalky. Very awesome and my wine of the evening. 96 points.
1970 Vega Sicilia Unico - a real shame because this wine did not have enough time to open up, as we finished the dinner earlier than expected. There was some sweet fruit but it was still pretty closed.
January 2, 2009
Billecart Salmon Rosé
Billecart Salmon Rosé - drank over lunch at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon. Very smooth and round on the palate, but I found the nose wasn't as open as I had hoped, with some raspberry and toasty notes.
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