NYE 2015 blowout

NYE at a friend's home.

1999 Jacques Selosse, dégorgée à 19 Janvier 2009 - nice and ripe on the nose, but still fresh and lively on the palate.  Plenty of marmalade, preserved mandarin peel (陳皮), mineral, and yeasty notes.  Pretty toasty, too.  Very long finish here.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Omachi 43 (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 雄町43) - very rounded and sweet on the palate, with banana and rich, rice notes.

1997 Haut-Brion Blanc - exotic nose with Chinese licorice (甘草) and vanilla notes.  Ripe on the nose and a little alcoholic.  A little caramelized.

With white truffle the nose became even more exotic, showing coconut and white chocolate notes.

Everyday White - very fruity, and a little sweet on the palate.  Not a complex wine at all but pleasurable to drink nonetheless.

1989 Le Pin - decanted for a little while.  Nice and smoky, a little earthy, with sweet grass, ripe and sweet fruit.  Lovely and fragrant, with a little cedar wood.  So smooth on silky on the palate.

2000 Rayas - so floral, lots of lavender, dried herbs, violet, and pine needles.  Very exotic.  The nose was so open tonight that it was just stunning.  My wine of the evening.

1990 Pignan - more meaty, with animal and a hint of floral notes.  Needed a little more time to open up.

2010 DRC Corton - nose of toasty corn and a little grilled meat.  So fragrant and beautiful, with lots of sweet caramel notes, along with some toffee.

Full post on dinner is here.

Araujo and Clos Sainte Hune

Dinner at Tenku RyuGin.

2013 Araujo Sauvignon Blanc Eisele Vineyard - nose of green apple, mineral, flint, pipi de chat, and muscat grapes.  Full-bodied here.

1990 Trimbach Riesling Clos Sainte Hune - lots of plastic, polyurethane, petrol, flint, and minerals.  Very smooth.  Absolutely beautiful.

Full post on dinner is here.

Mixed lot for Chinese

Dinner at a private kitchen.

2000 Henri Giraud Fût de Chêne Collection - nice and caramelized nose, yeasty, toasty.  Rich on the palate, too.

Jacques Selosse Les Carelles, dégorgée à 10 Avril 2013 - fragrant nose, floral and almost perfume-like.  This was more elegant.  Initially flatter on the palate compared to the Giraud.  Dry on the palate with a little ripeness.

2001 Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet en magnum - nose was initially a little toasty, then with time became buttery, with marmalade notes.  Palate was ripe at first but remained dry.  Much later on the nose showed plenty of lemon and toasty corn.

1970 Torres Gran Coronas Reserva - a little minty with nice fruit.  A little acidic.

1970 L'Evangile - a little medicinal, smoky, still some fruit here, with a little forest notes and minty.

1982 Vieux Château Certan - cedar and woody notes, some sweet fruit, smoky with pencil lead.  Later on nose turned medicinal.

1983 Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill - a bit medicinal and bretty, minty, a little farmy and smoky.  Acidity was surprisingly high.

Marco Sara Mùfe di Piculit - very grapey and raisiny, honey, grass jelly (仙草), nutty, and a little acetone.  Alcohol was a little sharp here.

MNSC Dinner - Hong Kong Club

MNSC dinner at the Hong Kong Club, hosted by Pineapple.

Pol Roger Réserve Brut, disgorged at least 15 years ago - yes, this was the "White Foil", but one that has been cellared for 15 years.  Good acidity but nice and ripe on the palate, with lemon and caramelized sugarcane notes.

First flight: decanted for 45 minutes prior to serving.

1985 Groth Reserve - smoky, green pepper, pain grillé, nice and wood cedar notes.  Very smooth on the palate.  Later on very nice and fragrant, with a little piment d'espelette notes. 92 points.

1985 Lafleur - a little riper on the nose, with some shoe polish.  Nice fruit with smoky notes.  92 points.

Second flight:

1975 La Tour Haut-Brion - lots of hospital disinfectant and brett on the nose, with smoky notes.  92 points.

1975 L'Evangile - sweet grass notes, very nice and elegant.  96 points.

Third flight: popped and poured after 20 minutes from bottle.

1945 Seguin-Manuel Charmes-Chambertin - really fragrant nose, with toasty oak, and a little caramelized on the nose.  Lovely cherries.  94 points.

1945 Ducru-Beaucaillou - really smoky, really meaty, minty, with pencil lead, toast, and a hint of grass.  Nice acidity here, and very smooth on the palate.  An awesome wine.  100 points!

Fourth flight: decanted and served after 25 minutes.

1985 Vega Sicilia Unico - ripe and sweet fruit on the nose, almost Ribena-like.  A bit smoky, a little exotic, but a little farmy later.  With the second pour an hour later, a bit alcoholic, with a little coffee in the nose.  93 points.

1985 Petrus - a little smoky and not very open at first.  A little grassy.  Opened up later to reveal a little soy sauce as well as some ripe fruit.  94 points.

Full post on dinner is here.

Selosse and Kistler

Dinner at a friend's place.

Jacques Selosse Brut Initial - a little yeasty, a little oxidized.  Smooth and mature on the palate, but obviously still lively.

2004 Kistler Chardonnay McCrea Vineyard - nose was very toasty, oaky.  Ripe on the palate.  Later on the buttery notes came out.

2005 Kistler Pinot Noir Kistler Vineyard - a little forest herbs, a little oaky, with sweet fruit.

Full post on dinner is here.

2000 Smith Haut Lafitte

Dinner at Heichinrou in Central.

2000 Smith Haut Lafitte, en magnum - coffee, smoke, nice and cedary nose.  A little sweet on the palate but good acidity balance.

Pre-Christmas Bordeaux

Drinks at Watson's Wine Cellar.

2006 Brane-Cantenac - smoky and earthy.  Drinkable now.

2004 Troplong Mondot - some ripe fruit here, with cedar notes and a bit of smoke.

2008 Prieuré-Lichine - still tannic.

2009 Branaire-Ducru - pretty fragrant with cedar notes.

Enomatic at Grand Buffet

Lunch at The Grand Buffet.  All wines are dispensed by Enomatic machines.

2010 Kongsgaard VioRus - I couldn't believe it when I saw this bottle, because so little of this is produced that the winery mailing list sells out quickly.  Nose was a little pungent and metallic, probably from being opened for too long.  Sugary, candy notes.  The palate was a little flat at first, then it was just overripe.

2008 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain - also pungent nose from the gas interaction.  Overripe on the palate, with a little bit of finty notes on the nose.

2005 Rieussec - really ripe on the palate, and really sweet, with plastic and honey notes.

2011 Joh.Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spätlese - palate was sweeter than expected, but there's still good acidity here.  Nose was mineral and flinty.

2000 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon - again, nose was a little chemical thanks to the gas.  Still full-bodied here but smooth on the palate now.  Some forest notes.

1999 Yalumba The Octavius - lots of herbs, forest pine, and almost frankincense notes, with tons of vanilla and oak.  Good acidity on the palate.  Best wine of the meal.

2009 de Myrat - tons of honey, orange blossom, pineapple, and acetone in the nose.

2007 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance - nose of honey, beeswax, acetone, orange marmalade, and very grapey.  Very sweet on the palate.

1950 Piétri Géraud Banyuls - very grapey, with sour plum and a little nutty notes.  Wine seems a little cloudy.  Definitely fortified.

Full post on lunch is here.

Mollydooker and Scaletta

Dinner at Neighborhood.

2006 Mollydooker Cabernet Sauvignon The Maitre D' - a little bit alcoholic, sweet on the palate.  Almost a little oaky on the nose.  Very easy to drink.

2006 Simone Scaletta Vigneto Chirlet - a little more smoky with higher acidity on the palate.

Full post on dinner is here.

1940 Latour

Dinner at home.

1940 Latour, ex-château bottling - opened and served immediately without decanting.  Nose was plummy, smoky, with wood and leather notes, along with a little green pepper.  Definitely layered and complex.  Slightly acidic and the acidity became more prominent after an hour.

Full post on dinner is here.

97 von Schubert

Dinner at Family Li Imperial Cuisine in Taipei.

1997 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhauser Abtsberg Riesling Spätlese-trocken - nose was a little pungent, with polyurethane notes.  Palate definitely on the dry side.

Full post on dinner is here.

Egly-Ouriet and François Villard

Lunch at Caprice.

Egly-Ouriet Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru - dégorgée en Juillet 2015 after 48 months on lees.  Nice and crisp on the palate, still very young and vibrant, and a little yeasty.  A little on the lean side at first, but the finish displayed more ripeness with a little time.  After the temperature warmed up more, and after mouthfuls of oyster and caviar, this became much more full-bodied.  Delicious.

2007 François Villard Saint Joseph Reflet - served chilled so it's more refreshing.  Nice acidity here with sharp precision.  A little smoke, a little mineral and metallic.  A great wine to go with a heavy, gamey dish.

Full post on lunch is here.