Sake lunch

Lunch at Zuma.

Nanbu Bijin Tokubetsu Junmai (南部美人特別純米酒) - a hint of dryness on the palate, turning sweeter with time in glass.  Reasonably smooth.  Nihon shudo (日本酒度) of +4 and seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 55%.

Nanbu Bijin Junmai Daiginjo (南部美人純米大吟醸) - much smoother and less spicy than the tokubetsu junmai, which is not surprising since the Nihon shudo (日本酒度) is +3 instead of +4. seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 35%.

Eikun Junmai Daiginjo Izutsuya Ihei Iwaimai Sanwarigobiki (英勲純米大吟醸井筒屋伊兵衛祝米三割五分磨き) - I picked up this bottle in Kyoto a couple of years ago as I wanted to buy something local.  This was really smooth with a sweet and long finish.  However after leaving the sake in glass for a while, the alcohol became pretty sharp with a dry finish.  Notes of banana and tropical fruits in the nose.  Nihon shudo (日本酒度) of +2 and seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 35%.

Full post on lunch is here.

2006 Boekenhoutskloof Semillon

2006 Boekenhoutskloof Semillon - opened in office.  Green apple, banana, tropical fruits, very sweet on the nose, toasty oak, minerals, round and smooth palate.

Joh. Jos. Prüm dinner

Dinner at China Club, showcasing the wines of Joh. Jos. Prüm.  Hosted by Rare and Fine Wines with Dr. Katharina Prüm in attendance.

2008 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett - very young and fresh, with notes of pear, minerals, green apple, banana and tropical fruits.

2007 Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett - classic nose, slightly pungent, with notes of plastic, polyurethane, a little minerality, and a bit of marmalade on the finish.

2004 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett - nose of minerals, petrol, a hint of plastic, green apples and a hint of muscat grapes. This was clearly a more complex wine compared to its younger sibling.

2007 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Spätlese - almost my wine of the evening. Very complex, with lots of minerals, petrol and plastic in the nose. Being a spätlese it was naturally sweeter, with a little bit of orange rind on the palate. Beautiful and a pleasure to drink.

2005 Les Fiefs de Lagrange - inserted by the local agent coz they thought that us "local people" only drink red wine and couldn't possibly sit through an all-white dinner. How wrong they were... This was a really funky wine... there was sweet fruit in the nose, with some vanilla and caramel from the oak barrels, but the nose was dominated by what I thought was a mix of Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce or some sort of a barbeque sauce. There were notes of mint and smoke, too.

2007 Graacher Himmelreich Auslese - very fresh and fruity, with nose of plastic and candied pomelo rind. The wine is rich and smooth now, sweet (as ausleseshould be) but with good acidity.

1995 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese - not surprisingly, this was my wine of the evening. A huge nose of petrol, mineral, slate and perhaps a hint of white pepper? For a wine that is almost 15 years old, the color was surprisingly pale - no doubt the result of the slow aging process as it sat in the cellars at the estate until very recently. The wine was surprisingly dry on the palate, especially for auslese. Katharina said that their wines are made to age, and the proof was in my glass. What an amazing wine! And how I would love to watch it develop over the next 10 years!

Full post on dinner is here.

Champagne, Burgundy and Tokaji

Dinner at Wagyu Kaiseki Den.

1999 Amour de Deutz - the last time I had this Champagne was at my friend's wedding in Reims. This was beautiful with a yeasty nose, ripe, round and smooth on the palate and a nice finish. Paired very well with the first course. Interestingly, there's a twist to the metal cap which traditionally covers the Champagne cork. The metal piece here has been stamped with an image of Cupid, and a string has been attached to make it into a pendant. That's a pretty nice touch.

1996 Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet - I've always loved the white wines of Ramonet, and this was no exception. A very lovely nose, very ripe with notes of pineapple, straw, marmalade, salty plum (話梅), sweet cotton candy, caramel...and towards the end, almost exactly like the Cantonese drink of sugar cane and water chestnut (竹蔗茅根水)! Acidity was a little high, and showed some minerality and metallic flavors on the palate.

1993 Hubert Lignier Clos de la Roche - unfortunately I only had one pour of this wine (drinking too slowly...), but initially it was a little sharp, with notes of pine needle, forest, eucalyptus and black cherries. It died about three hours after opening, and all that was left was smoke and brett.

1998 Baron Bornemisza Aszú 6 Puttonyos - this interesting wine is the baby of Marchese Lodovico Antinori. Nose of orange marmalade, botrytis, sugar cane and plum. Obviously pretty sweet as it's a 6 puttonyos. Once I've tasted the next wine, this one naturally tasted much fresher and lighter...and it's not everyday that you can say that about a 6 puttonyos!

1993 Château Pajzos Esszencia - Wow! What a wine! This is the first time I've drunk Tokaji Esszencia, one of the richest sweet wines in the world. I actually have a couple of 50cl bottles of this wine, and my friend brought out a 10cl baby bottle given to her by winemaker Ronan Laborde, whose family also owns Château Clinet. This was really concentrated, unctuous, with nose of salty plum (話梅), caramel, toffee, spices and a little botrytis. Tokaji is known to be very sweet, especially Esszencia, but this has great acidity balance. I think I's gotta get me some more...

Full post on dinner is here.

Isle of Islay vs Isla Formosa

Drinks at Bar Seed.

Murray McDavid Macallan 1997 - I enjoyed this as much as last time, possibly more. Nose of honey, caramel, raisins, butterscotch, a little salty plum (話梅) and a bit spicy. The palate was sweet, with a long and spicy finish. Not surprisingly, this was good on the rocks but much better straight from the single malt glass.

Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask - there's no indication on how old this single malt is, but given that the distillery was only set up in the last couple of years, this is probably no more than 3 years old. This was also at cask strength, so just under 60% alcohol.  I took this on the rocks, letting the water dilute the strong drink. Nose was a little unexpected - salty plum (話梅), sour plum soup (酸梅湯), and ripe fruits in general. Pretty sweet on the palate. The nose was almost brandy-like, and pretty different from your run-of-the-mill whisky. The darn thing was just too one-dimensional, with no complexity whatsoever.

Full post is here.

Oxidized whites

Lunch at a friend's place.

2001 Pride Viognier - this was definitely over the hill, and I suspected as much before popping the cork. Nose was ripe, with toasty oak and honey. Color was a golden hue like honey, and the freshness that Viognier should have in its youth is long gone. Oh well...

2006 Taille aux Loups Montlouis-sur-Loire Sec "Rémus" - nose of lemon, toasty oak and minerals with a little ripe, sweet nose. Much better than the Pride Viognier but a very different wine from the one I tasted back in 2008.

Full post on lunch is here.

A pair of 1998s

Opened two bottles of 1998s in the office.

1998 Robert Craig Affinity - mint, strawberries, a bit of sweetness in the nose, hint of cotton candy, a bit of alcohol... Drinking nicely now.

1998 Rusden Shiraz Black Guts - pretty sweet nose, but not the deathly sweetness of Aussie Shiraz, with a bit more earthiness which reminds me of Rhone Syrah... suddenly a whiff of floral perfume, a bit of smoked meats, caramelized sugar... Still full-bodied but tannins are a bit softer now.

A pair of 2000 + a pair of 60s

Dinner at Papa Gio' in Taipei.

2000 Haut-Bages Averous - on top of the classic claret nose of smoke comes the distinct notes of caramelized sugar, just like a cotton candy. Very sweet nose from a ripe vintage.

L'Interdit de Badon - once again I explained the story behind this wine to a group of people baffled by the label, with neither a vintage (2000), the appellation (Saint Emilion) nor the name of the château (Clos Badon). I've always loved this wine, especially given how little I paid for it en primeur. Nose of mint, smoke, soy sauce and grilled meats.

1962 Haut-Brion - I had brought two bottles of this wine to deliver to their owner, but as we were running out of wine, we decided to open the bottle with the lower level (mid-shoulder). The stock originally came from Mähler-Besse, but bottle variation is to be expected for a wine this old. Add to this the fact that the bottle had been knocked around in a suitcase on my flight yesterday... it wouldn't have had recovered from bottle shock for sure. Our expectations were low, and there wasn't much surprise on the upside. Nose of smoke, earth, and some cooked fruit with oxidation. All the tannins have been shed so the wine was very smooth on the palate, with a good acidity balance.

1964 Noval Colheita - I brought this in honor of the birthday girl since my other 64s just wouldn't travel well. Tawny ports - like Madeiras - are almost indestructible. I opened this during dinner and served it after all the food has been consumed. Nose was still a little sharp at the beginning thanks to the alcohol, and very sweet as expected, with nutty and concentrated grape aromas.

Full post on dinner is here.

1997 Turley Zinfandel Old Vines

1997 Turley Zinfandel Old Vines - drank over dinner at Food & Beverage (巷弄) in Taipei. This had just been shaken around all day in my checked suitcase. The wine needed some aeration and the nose eventually came out. Spicy and smoky at first, there was also sweet fruit, toffee and a little bit of Christmas potpourri. 

Full post on dinner is here.

The first Friday afternoon drinks in the office

1999 Haut-Brisson - smoky, sweet stewed fruits, medjool dates, sweet caramel, pine needle, alcoholic, browning at the edges... Nose is nicer than the palate.  Actually the wine died quickly in glass and became kinda yucky on the palate.  This vintage is a couple of years after the Kwok family purchase.

1998 Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin Combe-du-Dessus - sweet, ripe fruit, mushrooms, smoked game meats, a hint a preserved plum... beautiful nose!  I looooove this wine.  Getting close to the end of the case I bought in 2000.

Latour and Ramonet

Dinner at Caprice.

1999 Latour - this was a very nice wine, drinking surprisingly well. Nose of smoke, red fruits, mint, a little bit of forest and plum. Smooth and initially a bit short and flat on the finish, it gathered weight with more aeration but also picked up a bit of acidity. Not bad at all...

2001 Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Boudriotte - this is a wine that I've always liked. Even Sébastien the sommelier remarked that he was surprised at how fresh and vibrant the wine was tonight. Loads of toasty oak...in fact I was surprised at how heavy the toast was. Ripe and sweet nose, with corn, citrus and minerals/flint in the nose. Excellent acidity balance. I don't think I could ask for anything more from this wine. Interestingly, the last bottle that I drank a year ago tasted completely different, and I love them both!

Full post on dinner is here.