Kokuryu and Vincent Girardin

Dinner at Mihanhonke in Taipei.

Kokuryu Daiginjo Shizuku (黒龍 大吟醸 しずく) - nose of banana and tropical fruits, and obvious fermented rice notes.  Sweet mid-palate but with a little spicy finish.

2005 Vincent Girardin Corton-Charlemagne - mineral, toast, lemon and butter.  Very ripe, tart and bitter on the finish.

Full post on dinner is here.

3 Champagnes

Dinner at Kitcho in Taipei.

2002 Louis Roederer Cristal - nose show a hint of salty plum, minerals and marmalade.  Pretty smooth mid palate but kinda tart on the finish.  A good Champagne to go with the food tonight.

2002 Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé - very smooth and soft on the palate.  A little more tart on the palate.

Jacques Selosse Substance, disgorged November 20, 2007 - how can I not love this wine?!  Made only with Chardonnay from the Grand Cru vineyards of Avize, using a solera system which blends every vintage starting from 1986… this is Champagne's equivalent to Tawny Port and Madeira - which I love so much.  Trademark nose of caramelized sugar, straw, cotton candy, apricot, marmalade, salty plum (話梅) and honey.  I'm so glad I brought this bottle tonight.

Full post on dinner is here.

MNSC Dinner - Megan's Kitchen

MNSC dinner hosted by Gazza, at Megan's Kitchen.

1973 Dom Pérignon en magnum - lovely, mature, oxidized nose, with marmalade, apricot, straw and honey.  Round mid-palate but sharp and acidic on the finish.  What a beautiful wine!  Perfect condition.

First flight:

1991 Chave Cuvée Cathelin - blackcurrant, leather, cedar, floral, sweet on the nose.  Smooth but short on the finish.  Opened 5 1/2 hours earlier.  95 points.  It's actually pretty amazing to be able to taste this wine twice in the space of 2 months, and to have it at 2 MNSC dinners in a row.

1991 Méo-Camuzet Richebourg - nose was funky, stinky and smelled like cheese at first.  This funky side faded after 1 hour, and exotic coconut butter emerged.  More concentrated on the palate than the Chave.  Opened 3 1/2 hours earlier.  91 points.

1991 DRC Grands Echezeaux - very clean fruit, fragrant.  More body mid-palate.  Opened 3 1/2 hours earlier.  94 points.

Second flight:

1989 Haut-Brion - the nose was so medicinal, strong hospital disinfectant… with smoke, soy sauce and minerals.  Opened 7 hours earlier and decanted for 2 hours at the start.  93 points.

1989 Beaucastel Hommage à Jacques Perrin - a hint of smoke, but nose was initially not showing.  Later on there was some toasty corn and a little mineral.  Opened 7 hours earlier and decanted for 2 hours at the start.  90 points.

1989 Penfolds Grange - lots of tropical coconut butter, vanilla, smoke, mint, coffee… very exotic.  Sweet on the palate.  Opened 6 hours earlier and not decanted.  96 points and my wine of the evening.

Third flight:

1993 Ponsot Clos de la Roche - mint, dried herbs, a little floral and violet.  A little acidic on the palate.  92 points.

1993 DRC Romanée-Saint-Vivant - dusty, smoky with some fruit.  88 points.

Full post on dinner is here.

5 for happy hour

Happy hour with friends.

2007 Clinet - earthy, smoky and minty.

1967 Vogüé Chambolle-Musigny - tropical fruit, leather, fragrant and floral, strawberry, a little tangerine.  Very nice.

1982 Pichon-Baron - stewed fruit, soy sauce, very savory and mineral.

1998 Pape Clément - smoky with fruit.  Very classic.

1994 Dominus - smoke, pencil lead, a little mineral, black pepper, green bell peppers, coffee.  Drinking very nicely.