Rhône night

Dinner at Bistronomique @Staunton.

2005 Tattinger Comte de Champagne - toasty, a little ripe on the palate.

1985 La Mission Haut-Brion - very smoky, minty, pencil lead, a little earthy, with some fruit.  Classic claret.  Soft on the palate with velvety tannins.  A beautiful wine.

1996 Guigal La Mouline - beautiful, rich and fat, with leather notes.

1998 Guigal La Mouline - beautiful, with bacon fat, sweet fruit, floral notes, a little coffee and some potpourri.

1995 Chave Hermitage - a little floral, nice and lovely with leather notes.

1998 Jaboulet La Chapelle - initially still a little closed but opened up a bit more later.

1995 Jaboulet La Chapelle en jeroboam - leather and animal notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

Quinta do Noval Masterclass

Co-hosted by Corinne Michot of AXA Millésimes and (Gérard Basset?).

2000 Quinta do Noval Colheita - still really alcoholic, very sharp nose, with lots of red fruits, very grapey, still got the tannins.  Later this opened up more and showed nutty notes like hazelnuts, and prunes.

2011 Quinta do Noval - forest pine notes.  Obviously still tannic, the alcohol wasn't so sharp.  Very sweet on the palate but not so bad on the finish.

2004 Quinta do Noval - exotic nose, with acetone, and this was a little weird... maybe with some banana?  Not what I expected.  Can feel the tannins softening.

2000 Quinta do Noval - nose was very closed, just as Corinne said.  A little paint thinner, with maybe a teeny bit of leather and a hint of forest.

1994 Quinta do Noval - much more developed, with exotic nose that was sweet like sugarcane, Asian spices.  Really lovely, and wonderful on the palate.

We then moved on to the Nacionals - the rarest of Ports made from a small plot of ungrafted, pre-phylloxera vines.  Production is extremely tiny - about 200-250 cases per year, and these days the practice is to release it slowly over 10 years while keeping about 20% stock at the quinta.  It's an incredible privilege to be drinking any of these wines, and especially the older vintages.

2011 Quinta do Noval Nacional - lots of forest pine, much bigger and more intense than the vintage.  Definitely licorice and spices, with a hint of smokiness.  More tannic because the berries are smaller.  Good sweetness on both the nose and on the palate.

2004 Quinta do Noval Nacional - nose was a little closed, somewhat stinky, with a little animal and hospital disinfectant... I think Christian Seely was right in not releasing this wine earlier, because I'm one of those who don't really "get it", at least not right now.

2000 Quinta do Noval Nacional - just like the 2000, I didn't get much out of the nose... only shoe polish, as the nose was pretty closed.

1994 Quinta do Noval Nacional - a lot more smoke, pencil lead, a little green.  Not showing as well as the vintage.

1963 Quinta do Noval Nacional - more alcoholic, with paint thinner, a hint of dustiness, but oh-so-beautiful on the palate!  Very nutty, soft and beautiful, with candied fruits and prunes.  What a privilege to have tasted this wine!

1937 Quinta do Noval Colheita - the oldest colheita from Noval, and these were bottled only 2 months ago from pipes.  With savory notes and very alcoholic on the nose.  This was simply stunning!  Soooo rich and unctuous on the palate.  Wow!

Unbelievable to have drunk 3 (or was it 4?) glasses of this tonight.

2009 Quinta do Noval Duoro - nose of potpourri, and still kinda tannic.

2000 Fisher Lamb Vineyard

Dinner at Cafe Causette.

2000 Fisher Lamb Vineyard - a little alcoholic, minty, oaky, smoky, sweet with blueberries.

Full post on dinner is here.

Les Plantiers and Les Terrasses mags

Dinner at Liu Yuan Pavilion.

2000 Les Plantiers du Haut-Brion en magnum - toasty, a little buttery corn, with lemon notes.  Round and soft on the palate.  A little surprised by the softness and elegance.

2001 Alvaro Palacios Les Terrasses - totally disappointing.  Probably served too warm and needed chilling, as the alcohol was too sharp and prominent.  Nose seemed disjointed with paint-thinner, fruit...etc.  Improved with more aeration, but a far cry from the other magnum opened a few months earlier.

Full post on dinner is here.

Hodgepodge with Gaudichots

Dinner at On Lot 10.

2012 Shäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spätlese - very floral, peachy, tropical, with minerals and a little sulfur.  A little fizzy on the tongue.

2004 Nicolas Potel Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Gaudichots - lovely fruit here, black cherries.  Fragrant and a little floral.  Initially body was a little light but built up over time.

1991 Jaboulet Le Chevalier de Sterimberg en magnum - big nose of heavy toast, with polyurethane.  Ripe on palate.  A pretty big wine.

2002 Saltram Shiraz The Eighth Maker - a total Aussie Shiraz.  Minty, sweet and exotic, like tropical coconut.

2000 Tyrell's Pinot Chardonnay Vat 47 - lots of toasty oak, lemon.  Ripe on the palate but still got nice acidity here.

1970 Penfolds Dalwood Hermitage - a little stinky, like manure, or "barnyard".  A little dusty.  Very soft on the palate.

1997 Chapoutier Hermitage Vin de Paille en demi-bouteille - color has turned dark brown, which was unexpected.  Very nutty, lots of marmalade, a little botrytis.  Very unctuous and viscous.

Bordeaux Confidential

Bordeaux wine tasting put together by Hong Kong Tatler and James Suckling.

2010 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc - ripe and sweet nose like cotton candy, a little caramelized, a little toasty.  Also a little alcoholic.

2011 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc - much heavier toast, a much bigger nose here, with pipi de chat, minerals and lemon citrus.  Outstanding.

2010 Le Petit Haut Lafitte - very ripe with lots of fruit and vanilla oak.

2010 Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge - a little more toned down.  A little smoke, minty, and very fragrant.  Lovely on the palate.

2010 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge - green peppercorns and smoke.

Melanie Tesseron came to pour the Pontet-Canet wines.
2008 Pontet-Canet - classic left bank, smoky with a hint of oak, woody and fragrant.

2002 Pontet-Canet - more green and herbaceous, with cedar notes.

2000 Pontet-Canet - a beautiful wine!  Lots of oak, cedar, sooo fragrant, with smoke, leather and coffee notes.

Bruno Borie came to pour the Ducru-Beaucaillou wines.
2008 Ducru-Beaucaillou - very fragrant and a little smoky.  Still a little tannic but drinking well.

2011 Ducru-Beaucaillou - ripe and fruity, with forest notes.  A little fragrant with a hint of earthiness.

2000 Calon-Ségur - with 60% Cab in the blend.  A little more closed with a hint of smokiness.

2008 Calon-Ségur - with more Cab in the blend at 82%.  Very nice and fragrant, with more dried herbs and coffee notes.  Showing well with good concentration.

2009 Calon-Ségur - with even more Cab at 92%.  Nose was also fragrant but more closed compared to the 2008.  A little smoke and dried herbs, and alcoholic.

2001 Rauzan-Ségla - very open, showing nose of minerals, earthiness, dried herbs and smoke.

2005 Rauzan-Ségla - minty, a little closed.  Showing a little brett and smoke.

2008 Canon - nose of cold fruits, which was very nice.  Fragrant with dried herbs, forest and potpourri.

2006 Canon - stewed and cooked prunes, a little smoke, alcoholic, some savory minerals and potpourri.

2000 Canon - much more developed compared to the other two wines.  Lovely.

Kapcsándy tasting

Tasting of wines from Kapcsándy Family Winery, organized by Bordeaux Index.  Lou Kapcsándy in attendance.

2010 Kapcsándy Grand Vin Rosé - 70% Cab and 30% Merlot.  Very sweet and ripe, with tangerine notes. Alcoholic, a little like cough syrup, perhaps?  Forest notes, and a slightly bitter mid-palate and finish.

2009 Kapcsándy Endre - 51% Cab, 40% Merlot, 6% Cab Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.  Meaty, sweet, oaky.  Still tannic, young but not too bad.

2010 Kapcsándy Endre - 53% Cab, 43% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Cab Franc.  Sweet fruit, vanilla oak, slightly alcoholic.

2005 Kapcsándy Estate Cuvée - 56% Cab, 40% Merlot and 4% Cab Franc.  Very minty, also with sweet fruit, a little smoke, but a hint of dusty, chalky notes.  Very fragrant nose with pine and a little coconut butter.

2006 Kapcsándy Estate Cuvée - more fragrant forest pine, dried herbs, slightly sharp nose from the alcohol.  Tannic but still relatively enjoyable.

2008 Kapcsándy Estate Cuvée - 68% Cab, 22% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.  Metallic, sweet, very tannic.  Still young and alcoholic.

2009 Kapcsándy Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin - 96% Cab, 3% Merlot and 1% Cab Franc.  Very classic Cab, earthy, metallic and minty.

2010 Kapcsándy Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin - 95% Cab, 4% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot.  Pretty good...

2009 Kapcsándy Roberta's Reserve - 96% Merlot and 4% Cab Franc.  A little oak.  Nice and sweet, but a little alcoholic.

2010 Kapcsándy Roberta's Reserve - 95% Merlot and 5% Cab Franc.  Ripe and sweet fruit, with vanilla oak.

2007 Kapcsándy Vino del Sol - 100% Merlot.  Clearly more alcoholic and much sweeter.  Really rich and viscous, with gorgeous dates.

1969 DRC Richebourg

Dinner at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Taipei.

1969 DRC Richebourg - opened 30 minutes prior to serving, not decanted.  Lots of leather, good amount of sweet fruit, plummy, a little animal.  Very cloudy from sediment being shaken, a little tannic from the sediment.  Much more muted than expected and not showing well.  Very disappointing.

Full post on dinner is here.

Lodovico and Biserno

Dinner at Chiu Tang with Marchese Lodovico Antinori.

2008 Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Noirs Lieu-dit "Les Ursules", dégorgée en Avril 2012 - nice and toasty.  Very fragrant, caramelized and nutty.  Ripe on the palate but also acidic mid-palate.

2011 Ram's Hill - really awesome, showing big nose of muscat grapes, really fragrant and tropical, with lots of lychees and floral notes, a little pear, flinty, a little pungent - perhaps from the sulfur?  Full-bodied, too.  Once again shows me why this is one of my favorite Sauvignon Blancs.

2006 Biserno - still a whiff of alcohol in the nose, with potpourri, dried herbs, a little coconut, exotic, sweet and ripe.  Pretty nice.  Later on showed a slight hint of Chinese medicine, and at the end it fell apart and was a little dusty and chalky.

2007 Biserno - a little minty, potpourri, a little closed, nice and plenty of fruit here, and the structure is there.  Showing better than 3 years ago.

2008 Biserno - a little closed, a little more brett here, and still some tannins.  Later on some ripe fruits came through.

2010 Biserno - showing better than the 2008 tonight.  Tannins are still here but not harsh.  Still pretty young.

2007 Lodovico - very lovely, a little minty but could have had a tad more fruit initially.  Later on some ripeness began to show, and some toasty notes came out.  Showing better than 3 years ago, but somehow still not at the level when it blew me away 4 years ago.

2008 Lodovico - a little plastic and a little oaky.  A hint of pungent sulfur.  Nice overall with minty notes.  Later on the wine opened up more.

2011 Lodovico - lots of potpourri, dried herbs and still a little alcoholic on the nose.  Palate was really beautiful.  Nice and sweet fruits, and a little exotic.

2003 Baron Bornemisza Tokaji Aszu 6 Puttonyos - honey, nutty, very ripe and sweet, slight botrytis.

Full post on dinner is here.