Dassai 50

Dinner at Gyodoike in Taipei.

Dassai Junmai Daiginjo 50% (獺祭「純米大吟醸」50) - sweet on the palate, with plenty of rice flavor and slightly bitter finish.

Full post on dinner is here.

Cali and Bordeaux

Dinner at Sup 1 in Hong Kong.

1996 Laville Haut Brion - nice ripe nose of marmalade, minerals and oak.  No length whatsoever on the palate.

1990 Philip Togni - smoke, grilled meats, kinda sweet on the nose with a hint of brett.  I've always loved Togni's wines and this was lovely.

1991 Opus One - ripe and sweet fruit, with mint, a bit of earth, black fruits, and later on a little grassy.  Nice and smooth.  My contribution.

1995 Angélus - nose was a little sharp and alcoholic at first, but this disappeared with my second pour.  A little ripe and cooked, smoky, coffee and chocolate.

1989 Margaux - "perfumed" according to the Specialist… although it was indeed fragrant.  Smoky, mineral with soy sauce.  Surprisingly still lots of concentration on the palate.

1998 Angélus - needs more time to open up, but classic smoky nose.

2000 Réserve de la Comtesse

Dinner at Fook Lam Moon in Hong Kong.

2000 Réserve de la Comtesse - showing coffee, tobacco, earthy and minty notes.  Drinking pretty well.

Full post on dinner is here.

Wines for a 40-year old

Drinks at String in Hong Kong.

1998 Moët & Chandon Cuvée Dom Pérignon Rosé - as expected this was served too cold, so didn't get much out of the nose.  Flint, mineral and raspberries.

1997 Gruaud-Larose en magnum - classic Left Bank, with mint, earth, smoke and grilled meats.

Jacques Selosse Rosé, disgorged May 11, 2011 - red fruits, minerals, very ripe.  Love that oxidized nose.

1999 Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs - nose a little lean with grassy notes.

1998 Pol Roger Cuvée Winston Churchill - a little ripe with marmalade.

07 Torbreck RMV

Sipping at home.

2007 Torbreck Roussanne Marsanne Viognier - oak, mineral, muscat grapes, slightly sulfuric n pungent.  Very ripe and alcoholic on palate.  Not one of my favorites.

Bodegas Chacra dinner

Dinner at Café Gray Deluxe in Hong Kong, hosted by Italian Wine Merchants in conjunction with Piero Incisa della Rocchetta.

2010 Chacra Barda - floral nose with dried herbs, rich, jammy and sweet with a bit of sulfur.  Very nice wine to start with.

2010 Chacra Cincuenta y Cinco - elegant and floral, with animal notes and leather.  Very lovely and sweet on the nose, showing a hint of tobacco and mint.  Finely balanced on the palate at 11.5% alcohol from a cool vintage.

2009 Chacra Cincuenta y Cinco - a much bigger wine than the 2010, from a hotter vintage and weighing in at 14% alcohol.  Nose of forest, potpourri and very sweet.  Sharp on the nose with lots of concentration here.

2010 Chacra Treinta y Dos - sweet and jammy but definitely showing its character from the cool vintage.  A bit of smoke, mint, pine needle, coffee, leather, smoked meat and bacon fat.  Lovely.

2007 Chacra Treinta y Dos - seems much cooler compared to the 2010.  Showing mineral and metallic notes, a slight hint of brett.  Acidity is higher on the palate, and actually pretty grippy at the same time.

2008 Chacra Mainqué - ripe, jammy and sweet.  Minty and a little vegetal with a bit of smoke.

2009 Chacra Mainqué - nose was luscious at first, then got a little leaner, showing smoky notes.

2007 Sassicaia in magnum - surprisingly a little dusty, smoky, then suddenly showing sweet and tropical notes along with caramel.  Lovely to drink now like so many other 2007 Tuscans.

Full post on dinner is here.

MNSC Dinner - Masseto vertical

Dinner at Gold by Harlan Goldstein in Hong Kong, hosted by me.

2009 Peter Michael Chardonnay La Carrière - sugary sweet on the nose, lots of oak, flint, white flowers, honey and vanilla.  Beautiful.  Very ripe on the palate and a little tart finish.  Burns a little going down my throat thanks to the alcohol...

First pair:

1993 Masseto - pencil lead, smoke, sweet fruit, open nose with mint, a little grass and tea leaves.  95 points.

1995 Masseto - a bit riper fruit, smoke, earthy and minty.  93 points.

Second pair:

1997 Ornellaia - corked but not undrinkable in my opinion.  Grassy, vegetal, cardboard, a hint of sweetness, minerals.  88 points.

1997 Masseto - huge exotic nose with tropical notes, coconut oil, pretty sweet, then fading to reveal smoke.  95 points.

Third pair:

1994 Masseto - savory, mineral, a bit sweet, mint, a bit earthy and smoky.  92 points.

1996 Masseto - mint, smoke, sweet, really lovely, savory.  Concentrated on the palate.  94 points.

Fourth pair:

1998 Masseto - smoky, a bit earthy, minty and a bit sweet.  A big wine with lots of concentration.  95 points.

2001 Masseto - ripe and sweet fruit with coffee.  Clearly the youngest vintage and full-bodied.  95 points.

Full post on dinner is here.

Bolgheri, Aussie Shiraz and Pays d'Oc

Dinner at Bistronomique in HK.

2011 Badet Clement Seduction Sauvignon Blanc - minerals, tropical, a little ripe on palate.  Simplistic.

2004 Michele Satta Piastraia - plums, dried herbs, mint, ripe and luscious.

2002 Watershed Shiraz - sweet, oaky and peppery.

Cristal and Burgundies

Dinner at a friend's home.

2004 Louis Roederer Cristal - yeasty, a little caramelized sugar, very pleasant, nicely balanced on the palate, but slightly tart on the finish.

2005 Louis Roederer Cristal - very nice mousse, yeasty and flinty on the nose.

2001 Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet en magnum - sweet, buttery, toasty corn and straw on the nose.  Very lovely and got better as it opened up further.  Reasonably ripe on the palate but not overly so.  Slightly bitter finish.  Did not go well at all with jamón ibérico, as metallic and mineral flavors became very pronounced.

1990 Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares - fruity, leather, ripe prunes and dried herbs.  A little alcoholic on the nose.

1989 Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St.-Jacques - beautiful, showing mint, luscious fruit and potpourri.  Sweet and open nose.

1998 Anne Gros Richebourg - much more concentration on the palate, almost a little harsh.  Alcoholic on the nose, with metallic, pencil lead and floral notes.

1999 Rouget Echezeaux - good concentration, with ripe fruit that is almost a little stewed.

1990 Leroy Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts - sweet with a hint of smoke and forest.  Still grippy and tight after all these years.

Full post on dinner is here.