2012 La Grande Dame and more

Drinking at home.

2012 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin La Grande Dame, dégorgée septembre 2019 - initially tame, but acidity gradually came out, with more depth on the palate.

1990 Domaine de Marcoux Châteuneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes - farmy, earthy, a little bretty, and smoky.  Very soft on the palate.  Over the hill now.

1988 Carruades de Lafite Rothschild - served 30 minutes after decanting.  Very classic Pauillac, with tons of graphite, tobacco, and some cool fruit underneath.  Very clean and pure, with fragrant cedar notes.

Drappier Carte d'Or Immersion - honey lemon, a little metallic.  Pretty lovely and fresh, with a fine balance between ripeness and acidity.  Later showed more toast and yeasty notes.

Full post on the evening is here.

Sake and Burgs

Dinner at a friend's home.

Juyondai Sōkō (十四代  双虹), 30BY, from isshobin - very fragrant, sweet on the palate, some fermented rice flavors, and really round on the palate.

Senkin Kamosu (仙禽  醸), 2017 - an assemblage of three different types of rice.  Seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 20% for each of Yamada Nishiki (山田錦), Kame no O (亀ノ尾), and Omachi (雄町). Pretty soft and sweet on the palate, with a longer and dry finish.

2000 Coche-Dury Meursault - ripe on the palate but still got plenty of acidity.  Big, big toasty nose with flint.

2017 Patrick Javillier Meursault Les Clousots - nice and toasty, with some ripeness on the palate but a grippy finish.

2003 Domaine des Lambrays Morey-St-Denis 1er Cru Les Loups, en magnum - served two hours after opening.  Nice with soft red fruits.

NEXT FIVE Ispahan 2020 - pretty sweet on the palate, with some woodsy notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

Sake and cabs

Lunch at Godenya.

Beau Michelle Junmai Nama Sparkling Daiginjo (Beau Michelle 純米生活性), 2019-20, served at 10°C - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 60%.  Certainly tasted like muscat, and plenty of fermented rice flavors and banana.  Fizzy on the palate.  The fruity flavors worked very well with the smoky ankimo.

Mansakuno Hana Junmai Daiginjo Aiyama (まんさくの花  純米大吟醸  愛山酒), 2019-20 served at 11°C - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 45%.  Still fruity but a little more dry on the palate, with a long finish.  Starts sweet on the attack but the finish was dry.  A little more viscous.

Sogen Junmai Daiginjo Muroka Namagenshu (宗玄  純米大吟醸  無濾過生原酒), 2019-20, served at 15°C - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 50%.  Sweet on the attack and turned dry mid-palate, with a long finish.

Zaruso Horai Junmai Ginjo Queeen Nama (残草蓬莱  純米吟醸  クイーン生), 2019-20, served at 12°C - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 60%.  Definitely felt the lactic acid, and very fruity... like fruit-flavored milk I drank when I was young.

Nida Shizensyu Junmai wood cask (にいだしぜんしゅ  純米樽酒), 2019-20, served at 22°C - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 80%.  Definitely tasted the wooden barrel, probably made of Japanese cedar. Very fragrant. Very rounded on the palate. Good balance between sweetness and acidity. The smoky and woodsy notes paired very well with the smoky scallops and karasumi.

Kikuyoi Junmai Ginjo (喜久酔  純米吟醸), 2018-2019, served at 12°C - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 50%.  Very nicely balanced. Lean and very clean, dry, and very easy to drink.

Tenon Junmai Ginjo (天穏  純米吟醸), 2019-20, served at 46°C - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 60%.  Serving it warm made it soft, with some fermented flavors. A little more dry.

Minshuku Tono Dobuqueur (民宿とおの  どぶきゅーる)

Drinking at home. 

2003 Ducru-Beaucaillou - decanted 1 hour and 15 minutes prior to serving.  Smoky, ripe on palate, minty with ripe fruits.  Almost prunes 2 hours after decanting.  Sweet on the palate.

2002 Arietta H Block Hudson Vineyard - riper fruit here, more tannic on the palate.  Smoky with cedar notes, with really ripe and sweet fruit on the nose.

2000 Bahans and more

Drinking at home.

1996 Moët et Chandon Cuvée Dom Pérignon - nice and a little floral, a little cotton candy.  Mellow, rounded, nice ripeness but not too much.  Very elegant and easy to drink.  More toasty with caramel notes 30 minutes later, with more depth on the palate.

2006 Cloudy Bay Te Koko - still flinty on the nose, not too ripe and caramelized, but finish was kinda short.

2000 Bahans Haut-Brion, en magnum - decanted 1 hour and 15 minutes prior to serving.  A little corked perhaps, definitely bretty, very chalky and dusty with the first pour.  Pretty savory but OK on the palate.  Three hours after decanting, the bretty notes kinda faded and graphite showed up.  Much better after extended aeration.

2001 Kracher Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese No. 9 Zwischen den Seen, from half-bottle - really ripe, honey, concentrated grape nectar, marmalade.  This seemed a little one-dimensional tonight.

2002 Matriarch

Drinking at home.

2002 BOND Matriarch - decanted for 30 minutes before serving.  Nice and sweet on the palate, with smoky notes.  Rich and full-bodied.

2003 Matriarch

Drinking at home.

2003 BOND Matriarch - smoky, minty, a little short on finish perhaps.  Tannins still here.

2006 Kistler Sonoma Coast

Drinking at home.

2006 Kistler Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - black cherries, forest, cool fruit, tons of eucalyptus, lots of dried herbs.  Very sweet on the palate, like candy, but alcoholic as it runs down the back of the throat.

2000 Quintarelli

Drinking at home.

2000 Quintarelli Valpolicella Classico Superiore - drank 1½ hours after opening.  Ripe and juicy like black cherries, a little pruny, almost smoky.  Very smooth on the palate.  Love the nuances that come from the drying process.  Fragrant nose with lots of potpourri and spices.  Still going strong after 5 hours, showing ripe and jammy fruit.

2010 Lucien Le Moine Corton Blanc

Drinking at home.

2010 Lucien Le Moine Corton Blanc - over oxidized.  Some acidity here but too ripe and sweet, and short on the palate.

Pousse d'Or Puligny

Drinking at home.

2009 La Pousse d'Or Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Cailleret, en magnum - pretty ripe on the palate.  Toasty, lemon, flinty nose.  Also a little buttery and sweet.

86 Ducru

Drinking at home.

1986 Ducru-Beaucaillou - lovely smoky and woodsy notes, with a hint of coffee, some plum, and leather.  Smooth on the palate with good acidity.  Just beautifully fragrant 15 minutes after decanting.  2½ hours later showing really well with mint and a little more earthy notes.  Tannins much more obvious after aeration.  Still got plenty of life left.

2015 Leflaive Bourgogne

Drinking at home.

2015 Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc - toasty a little flint, lemon.  Ripe on the palate and a little bitter.

2004 Cigliuti Campass

Drinking at home. 

2004 Cigliuti Barbera d'Alba Campass - lots of herbs, sweet bubble gum, almost jammy, leather, a little musky, tons of potpourri and eucalyptus.

2003 Kistler Vine Hill

Drinking at home. >

2003 Kistler Chardonnay Vine Hill Vineyard - nose was pretty caramelized, but still got some toast and mineral, with a little pungent sulfur at first.  Round and ripe on the palate but still retained some acidity.  Kinda flat and short on the palate and a little bitter.