Pazo Señorans

Drinking at home.

2009 Pazo Señorans Albariño Rías Baixas - very caramelized and ripe on the nose, and palate also very ripe and kinda sweet, with straw and Chinese licorice notes.

Malconsorts and Brut Nature

Dinner at Stellar House.

2006 Louis Roederer Brut Nature, dégorgée Decembre 2014 - yeasty, pretty fragrant, and almost floral.  So easy to drink.

2012 François Lamarche Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Malconsorts - initially a little closed, with a hint of dustiness.  Opened up nicely a little later, with some forest notes, and started to show some sweetness.

Full post on dinner is here.

Isojiman

Dinner at Nikushou.

Isojiman Junmai Ginjo (磯自慢  純米吟醸) - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 50%.  Good depth of flavor, with balance between sweet and dry.

Full post on dinner is here.

Mixed bag at home

Dinner at a friend's home.

2015 Jules Desjourneys Pouilly-Vinzelles - toasty and buttery.

2001 Lake's Folly Cabernets - smoky, plummy.  Definitely smelled the acidity on the nose.

1949 Averys Richebourg - way over the hill, with wet cardboard, prunes, and a little stinky.

1997 Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Charmes - nice and caramelized, a little toasty, buttery.

1989 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Émile Vendages Tardives - tons of petrol and polyurethane, initially short finish, but improved significantly with aeration.  Also white flowers.  Somewhat sweet on the attack but turns drier mid-palate.

2012 Cecile Tremblay Bourgogne Pinot Noir - kindly flat, toasty, kinda firm on the palate.

1999 de Montille Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens - decanted for 4 hours prior to serving.  Strong minty and forest notes.  Pretty ripe fruits.

2002 Torbreck Run Rig - decanted for 2 hours prior to serving.  Pretty sweet and pretty ripe as expected, but a little too alcoholic.  Not drinking as well as hoped.

Kongsgaard Grenache / Syrah

Drinking at home.

2006 Kongsgaard Grenache / Syrah - started to open after 30 minutes, with very ripe fruit, lots of sweetness, still a little sharp, lots of forest and potpourri, tons of woodsy notes, cedar.  Almost showing coffee 4 hours later. 

Lafleur and SQN Raven

Dinner at Ta Vie 旅.

2007 Ram's Hill - pretty ripe and alcoholic at first, especially when not cold enough.  Much better after chilling and using a smaller glass designed for sauvignon blanc.  Still got green apple notes, and sweet like Chinese licorice.

1970 Lafleur - opened for 1 hour prior to serving.  Smoky, minty.  Much more open with the second pour, sweeter and more woodsy.  Pretty nice.

2006 Sine Qua Non Raven Syrah No. 4 - served more than 1½ hours after decanting, and was just opening up.  Metallic notes, sooo ripe and sooo fragrant.  Really fucking good 2½ hours later.  Still going strong after 3½ hours.

Drinks at House Welley.

The Wishing Well - distilled in 1994 at Braes of Glenlivet, aged 24 years in Bourbon cask and bottled for The Mash Tun Tokyo.  Very floral, kinda sweet on the nose.

Glen Grant 25 Years - initially fragrant, fruity and almost pear-like.  Nose concentrated in glass with intense alcohol.  Smooth on the palate.  Very nice.

Full post on dinner is here.

Nabeshima Kitashizuku

Dinner at Tominokoji Yamagishi in Hong Kong.

Nabeshima Junmai Daiginjo Kitashizuku (鍋島  純米大吟醸  きたしずく), 30BY - big on the palate, with lots of depth.

Full post on dinner is here.

Cristal, rhone, and more

Dinner at Neighborhood.

2007 Cloudy Bay Te Koko - big, toasty nose.  Kinda ripe on the palate.  Muscat grape and a hint of green apple, along with some flint.  Actually this was pretty fresh for a wine this age, with some lively acidity and not too ripe.

2002 Louis Roederer Cristal - very smooth on the palate.  Nice and fragrant.

1989 Zind Humbrecht Clos Windsbuhl Riesling Sélection de Grains Nobles - tons of manuka honey, notes of apricot, dates, marmalade, acetone, and beeswax.

2003 Henri Bonneau Cuvée Marie Beurrier, en magnum - decanted 1 hour after opening, and served 1½ hours after opening.  Very fragrant nose with eucalyptus, some ripe fruit, and a little gamey.  Still a little tannic, actually.

2003 Torbreck Run Rig - decanted more than 1 hour after opening and served almost 3 hours after opening.  Sweet and ripe, and a little smoky.  Delicious.

2005 Jonata El Alma de Jonata - decanted more than 4 hours after opening, and served 6 hours after opening.  Really sweet with lots of vanilla.

Full post on dinner is here.

2001 Louis Latour Beaune

Drinking at home.

2001 Louis Latour Beaune Rouge - kinda over on the nose, ripe for sure, but kinda dried out on the palate.

2009 Clos Floridene

Drinking at home.

2009 Clos Floridene Blanc - very ripe on the palate but still got good acidity.

2019 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon

Drinking at home.

2019 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc - strong notes of green apple and muscat grapes, with lots of toast.

2017 Cloudy Bay Chardonnay

Drinking at home.

2017 Cloudy Bay Chardonnay - toasty, a little buttery, surprisingly forward and mature.

1998 Clos Erasmus

Drinking at home.

1998 Clos Erasmus - still concentrated, with notes of grilled meats and good, ripe fruit.  Slightly ripe and sweet on the palate.