MNSC Dinner - Caprice

MNSC dinner at Caprice. Hosted by me.

1971 Moët et Chandon Cuvée Dom Pérignon - nose was very oxidized, as expected, with sugar cane, straw, marmalade notes. Ripe, soft, and lovely on the palate.

First flight: served 2 hours after opening, without decanting.

2000 Armand Rousseau Chambertin - a little grilled meats, leather, not quite open. Definitely harder and masculine. 93 points.

1999 Armand Rousseau Chambertin - much bigger, more open, and more toasty on the nose, also a little dusty and dirty. Very smooth on the palate but also more noticeable tannins. 94 points.

1995 Armand Rousseau Chambertin - cleaner, softer on the palate. Black fruits and some eucalyptus. 94 points.

Second flight: served 1 hour after opening, without decanting.

1949 Haut-Brion, ex-château 2013 - very savory, huge and punchy nose. Very oxidized but not quite madeira, with Chinese salted plum, much more ripe and smoky. Classic old claret with that savory soy sauce and aged tangerine peel. 95 points.

1944 Haut-Brion, ex-château 2013 - very savory, a little medicinal, woodsy, more open and much more beautiful. 96 points.

Third flight: served 3½ hours after opening, without decanting.

1970 Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva - sweet grass, kinda fruity, pretty fragrant, minty, and kinda ripe. 94 points.

1971 Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva - a little oxidized, a little savory, kinda ripe. 93 points.

Bonus round:

1959 Clos de Nouys Vouvray Moelleux - flinty, floral, pollen and orange blossom notes. A hint of sweetness but not too rich.

Full post on dinner is here.

Peter Michael and SQN

Lunch at Mian.

2008 Peter Michael Chardonnay Point Rouge - lots of sugar cane, very caramelized and oxidized, sweet with notes of straw. Very ripe and sweet, and very buttery on the palate.

2007 Sine Qua Non Body and Soul - 71% roussanne and 29% viognier. Flinty, tropical, also sweet and caramelized but not quite sugar cane. Notes of straw. Ripe and buttery on the palate.

Full post on lunch is here.

White Burgs and a Rose

Dinner at Yong Fu.

2007 Comte Lafon Meursault Clos de la Barre - very tosty nose, ripe on the nose, nice acidity on the palate. One hour in the nose was very buttery and beautiful.

2009 Hospices de Beaune Corton-Vergennes Cuvée Paul Chanson, elevé et mis en bouteille par Lucien Le Moine pour El Bulli, en magnum - the nose was very oxidized, very fragrant with lots of vanilla and caramelized sugar. Still got the acidity on the palate and definitely pretty alcoholic. Improved after more aeration and chilling. Showed more toast on the nose about 1½ hours in.

2018 Philippe Charlopin Corton-Charlemagne - much younger with more fruit, more tropical stone fruits. Very ripe and buttery on the palate, and actually really ripe and alcoholic on the nose, too.

2017 Rose and Arrow Pinot Noir Gathered Stones Hopewell Hills - very, very fragrant with lots of sweet fruit, some leather, almost a bit floral. Rich but not quite jammy - although going in that same direction. Beautiful and open, with lots of toast on the nose.

Full post on dinner is here.

2019 Susucaru Rosato

Drinking at home.

2019 Frank Cornelissen Susucaru Rosato - definitely a little pungent, almost sulfur-like, some flint, with red currants. Acidity was high and it was a little lean on the palate, with a slight grippy finish. Second pour was more fragrant.

Umeshu and more

Dinner at Tatler Dining Kitchen for the UZA by Nikushou pop-up.

Homamade umeshu highball - made with Nikushou's house umeshu.  Rich and intense plum flavors.

2018 Planeta Carricante Eruzione 1614 - a little ripeness on the palate, and flinty.

Tsubo Hassen Junmai Daiginjo (壷八仙  純米大吟醸) - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 50%.  HUGE nose of bananas, sweet and soft on the palate.

2017 Kracher Beerenauslese Cuvée - not as sweet as expected, kinda mild. Nose of pollen.

Takashimizu Kaonjukusei Gedatsushu Junmai Ginjo (高清水  加温熟成解脱酒) - seimaibuai of 50%. Sake meter value of -30. Oxidized nose but not over the line. Lighter on the palate.

Full post on dinner is here.

1999 RWT

Drinking at home.

1999 Penfolds RWT - served after 30 minutes in decanter. Sweet, definitely vanilla and coconut, minty, woodsy. Showed pine needle notes 1 hour in. After 2 hours became pretty dry on the palate, and very minty after 2½ hours, and much more smoky, less sweet fruit, and more acidic on the palate.

Sake sake sake

Dinner at the Sake Bistro by Ta Vie and Godenya.

Daigo no Awa (醍醐の泡), 2020-21 - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 90-93%. Sparkling. Nice and fruity like juice, with a little bit of lactic acid. Low alcohol at 7%.

Akishika Motoshibori Yamahai Junmai Nama (秋鹿  酛しぼり  山廃純米生), 2020-21 - with a seimaibuai of 70% and sake meter value (日本酒度) of -72. Very fermented nose with savory notes. Fragrant, sweet and fruity.

Inemankai Junmai Nigori (伊根満開 純米生にごり), 2020-21 - I've seen the "regular", clear version of the sake, but this was a special batch of nigori (にごり). Very intense flavors of fermented rice, very nice and sweet on the palate.

Juji Asahi Junmai Daiginjo Jukeseishu (十旭日  純米大吟醸  熟成酒), 2002-03 - seimaibuai of 45%. Very fragrant, very oxidized, very savory on the nose. Really fragrant in the mouth after the soup, with an aftertaste that was almost like longan. Really round on the palate, with a long finish that was very nice. This was very serious stuff.

Kotori no Saezuri Junmai Ginjo (小鳥のさえずり 純米吟醸), 2008-09 - seimaibuai of 50%. Served warm. Nice and fermented flavors.

Togo Kimoto Junmai Nama (東郷 生酛 純米生), 2018-19 - seimaibuai of 88%. Smoky, fermented nose. A little savory, and worked well with the duck confit.

Minshuku Tono Doburoku Nondo (民宿とおの どぶろく Nondo), 2020-21 - very sweet and fruity, with lactic acid.

2016 Afruge No.1 - seimaibuai of 65%. Aged in red wine barrels. Very oxidized and savory on top of sweetness.

Hana Tomoe Nature × Nature Yamahai x Yamahai White (花巴  ナチュール  ×  ナチュール 山廃  ×  山廃  白), 2019-20 - seimaibuai of 70%. With a sake meter value of -76. Also a little savory on the nose, but somewhat sweet on the palate, and almost a little marmalade. Very easy to drink.

Suwaizumi Junmai Koshu (諏訪泉 純米古酒), 1989-90 - seimaibuai of 60%. Really, really savory, with a little sweetness but much more umami.

Full post on dinner is here.

2019 Super Pink

Drinking at home.

2019 Frédéric Cossard Super Pink - very light on the palate, with strawberries but a hint of metallic notes, flinty, with a little white peach. Color was cloudy pink.

2013 Clos Ste Hune

Drinking at home.

2013 Trimbach Riesling Clos Sainte Hune - lots of polyurethane, with stronger notes of white flowers, and flint underneath. Color was very golden. Still high in acidity but also more ripe on the palate, almost a little orange blossom water.

Bongwater night

Drinks at LQV.

2018 Guiberteau Saumur Les Moulins - kinda pungent, flinty, not quite sulfur on the nose. High acidity and on the lean side.

Anne et Jean-François Ganevat Kopin!, en magnum - a little metallic, kinda like pear. More fruity and a little rounder on the palate.