Bornard and Müller

Dinner at Neighborhood.

2015 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett - a little floral and fragrant.  Both sweetness and acidity were very pronounced.

2015 Bornard Les Gaudrettes - cloudy, flinty, a little pear.

2012 Sante Marie Brunello di Montalcino Colleoni - fragrant, really floral, sweet on the palate but a little savory on the finish.

Full post on dinner is here.

Drunken mix

Dinner at The Chairman.

2013 Jean-François Ganevat Grusse en Billat - good acidity with a little ripeness and some flint.

2010 Roxanich Milva - very oxidized and sweet on the nose.

2009 Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia - smoky nose.  Some ripeness but dry on the palate.

Charles Dufour Avalon, dégorgée le 11 Juillet 2017 - really strong and yeasty, a little tart, like aged tangerine peel.  A little pungent.

1999 Louis Latour Bâtard-Montrachet - really ripe... possibly over-ripe.  So oxidized and caramelized with sugar cane notes.

Pagoda Brand 20-year old Huadiao (塔牌二十年陳釀花雕) - of course this was served warm and paired with the crab...

1955 Massandra Sherry - savory and very nutty.  I didn't notice the sweetness but apparently others thought it was sweeter than the Huadiao.

Buran Junmai Ginjo (不染 純米吟釀) - clearly oxidized.  Slightly sweet on the palate with fermented rice flavors.

2009 Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Croix de Bois - still kinda young and a little sharp.

2009 Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino - very fragrant, with eucalyptus and a bit of smoke.

2009 Rutini Felipe Rutini - concentrated on the palate, with ripe fruit, eucalyptus, and smoky notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

Wines for spicy food

Dinner at Golden Valley.

2008 Maison Leroy Meursault 1er Cru Les Embrazées - nice and a little ripe, with a little honey.

2013 Kongsgaard VioRus - ripe and a little hot on the palate. A hint of marzipan.

1996 Rene Engel Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Brulées - lovely and fragrant with red fruits.  Pretty cloudy.

1996 Chapoutier Ermitage L'Ermite Rouge - served 2½ hours after opening.  Black olives, tapenade, very savory, with some floral and violet notes.  Very smooth but flat on the palate.

1971 Camille Giroud Clos de Vougeot - nice fruit, a little sweetnes, but also a little savory black olive.

1983 von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Spätlese - polyurethane, white flowers, and good acidity.

Full post on dinner is here.

Keller and Boekenhoutskloof

Drinking at home.

2007 Keller Riesling Limestone - nice residual sugar, a little flinty.

2005 Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon - very alcoholic, smoky, oaky, and earthy.  Still disjointed and needs time to integrate.

Larkmead Cabernet

Drinking at home.

2008 Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon - very sweet and jammy, fragrant with woody notes. 

Araujo Sauvignon Blanc

Drinking at home.

2013 Araujo Sauvignon Blanc Eisele Vineyard - initially not open, showing some green apple, a little pungent, and pretty alcoholic.  Took a while, but this is still too young.

2005 Palacios Terrasses

Dinner at Celestial Court.

2005 Alvaro Palacios Les Terrasses, from magnum - minty, fragrant, grilled meats, sweet fruit, cigar smoke.  Kinda alcoholic on the nose and burns going down the back of my throat.

Full post on dinner is here.

Krug at Krug Room

Dinner at Krug Room.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 164éme édition, en magnum, ID 216018 - toasty and nicely integrated.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 165éme édition, ID 416036 - a bit more mousse and a little fresher.  Base wine was 2009.  The smallest production for the Grande Cuvée in history, thanks to the Global Financial Crisis.  This is only available in 4 markets - France, US, UK, and HK.

2004 Krug, ID 417033 - a little grippy on the palate, with a hint of nuttiness.

Krug Rosé, 20éme édition, ID 415066 - a little bit of red fruits. 

Full post on dinner is here.

MNSC dinner - Caprice

Dinner at Caprice.

2004 Louis Roederer Cristal - very nice and floral.  Nice and balanced on the palate between crisp acidity and some ripeness.

First pair: opened 6 hours and 15 minutes prior to serving.  Not decanted.

1995 Guigal La Landonne - minty, eucalyptus, a little sweet with black fruits, a little smoke.  Good acidity and slightly lighter on the palate, with a little bacon fat.  96 points.

1995 Guigal La Turque - smoky, leather, a little shoe polish?  Still full-bodied.  95 points.

Second pair:

1985 Guigal La Turque - opened 7 hours prior to serving.  Very meaty and smoky, a little savory, and a little coffee.  96 points.

1998 Guigal La Turque - opened 7 hours prior and decanted 1 hour prior to serving.  Notes of pencil lead, with nice and ripe sweet fruit.  95 points.

Third pair: opened almost 8 hours prior to serving.

1989 Guigal La Turque - nice bacon fat, coffee, smoke.  Very nice.  99 points.

1990 Guigal La Turque - more closed, ripe and stewed fruit, grilled meats, a little savory but not quite black olive.  96 points.

Fourth pair: opened 8 hours and 40 minutes prior, and decanted 2 hours and 40 minutes prior to serving.

1999 Guigal La Mouline - minty with grilled meats.  96 points.

1999 Guigal La Turque - still concentrated, with sharp alcohol, still smoky, oaky, ripe and sweet on the palate.  96 points.

Full post on dinner is here.

Keller Spätlese

Drinking at home.

2006 Keller Riesling Spätlese - white flowers with a hint of polyurethane.  Very smooth and rounded on the palate, and sweeter than expected.

Boekenhoutskloof Syrah

Drinking at home.

2006 Boekenhoutskloof Syrah - black fruits, smoky, cedar, lovely fragrance.  Good acidity here but still tannic.