Henri Bonneau and friends

Dinner at YAKITORI MOE in Tokyo.

2017 Ultramarine Blanc de Blancs, disgorged November 16, 2021 - nose was very toasty and buttery.

2022 Yukidoke Shonai Pinot Gris - pretty fragrant on the nose.

2007 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape - drank about 1 hour after opening without decanting. Nice nose of prunes, spices, with meaty notes. Still got the tannins around but with good acidity balance.

2007 Henri Bonneau Réserve des Célestins - drank about 1½ hours after opening without decanting. The nose was definitely a little farmy but also more fragrant, more savory notes along with some leather. Tannins were very silky on the palate. More than 2 hours after opening the nose opened up and showed beautiful floral notes that reminded me of certain kinds of soap.

1998 Henri Bonneau Réserve des Célestins - drank a little before 2 hours after opening without decanting. The nose was definitely more fruity and sweet, but not quite to the level of being jammy. Sweet on the palate, too. This was rich and really lovely.

1986 Henri Bonneau Réserve des Célestins - Drank about 1½ hours after decanting. Definitely more farmy on the nose, but this wine was so elegant and lovely, very alluring.

Full post on dinner is here.

Isojiman Adagio vertical

Isojiman Adagio vertical tasting at Hotel Metropolitan Edmont in Tokyo, organized by Tamanegiya.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 35 Adagio (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 35 アダージョ), 2009, from jeroboam - only 51 of these 3-liter bottles exist, with glass handblown in Italy. This was very smooth, and slightly sweet on the palate. It's clear that there is age on it but it's not showing too much of the fermented or savory notes one usually finds with koshu. Did I smell a little more of the alcohol than usual, and was it because of the light fermentation notes? Regardless, this was just a really smooth and beautiful drink.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 35 Adagio (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 35 アダージョ), 2010 - the nose was not as open as the 2009, and this was more dry on the palate.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 35 Adagio (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 35 アダージョ), 2011 - this was a little more rounded on the attack but turned dry and spicy almost immediately afterwards.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 35 Adagio (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 35 アダージョ), 2012 - very smooth and round, soft and slightly sweet on the palate now.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 35 Adagio (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 35 アダージョ), 2013 - rounded on the palate, but slightly more dry than 2012.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 35 Adagio (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 35 アダージョ), 2014 - definitely sweeter on the palate, and showing notes of starchy rice on the nose.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 35 Adagio (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 35 アダージョ), 2015 - sharper alcohol notes on the nose, a little more dry than the 2014, and bigger on the palate.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 35 Adagio (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 35 アダージョ), 2016 - very sweet and starchy nose, but also started to be a little spicy on the palate.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 35 Adagio (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 35 アダージョ), 2017 - got a little more acidity on the palate here, but overall rounder and smoother on the palate.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 35 Adagio (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 35 アダージョ), 2018 - reasonably smooth on the palate, with a good balance between being neither too sweet or too dry.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 35 Adagio (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 35 アダージョ), 2019 - this was more dry on the palate.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 35 Adagio (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 35 アダージョ), 2020 - rounded on the palate, a little bit sweet but still kinda dry, too.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 35 Adagio (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 35 アダージョ), 2021 - this leans dry on the palate.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 35 Adagio (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 35 アダージョ), 2022 - rounded and smooth on the palate, but I could taste the alcohol a little more. Slightly dry on the finish.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 35 Adagio (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 35 アダージョ), 2023 - the nose was not as open on this one, although it was sweeter on the palate.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 35 Adagio (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 35 アダージョ), 2024 - a little bit of banana on the nose.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 35 (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 35), 2023 - this was the very last vintage of Nakatori 35, as a new product line started in 2024. The palate still started out being sweet, but turned dry towards the finish.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 33 Grazioso (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 33 グラツィオーソ), 2024 - this was the first vintage of Nakatori 33 Grazioso, which replaced the "regular" Nakatori 35. Having just been released, the alcohol seemed to be a little sharper on the nose for this one.

Photo credit: Kinoshita Takayoshi

Full post on the tasting is here.

Dujac Clos de la Roche

Dinner at Yakitori Kyotanba in Tokyo.

2014 Dujac Clos de la Roche - very floral and lovely on the nose, and showing pretty well. I could also taste the floral notes on the palate, which was very nice.

Full post on the evening is here.

Airline wines

Lunch at the Qantas Lounge Hong Kong.

2023 Peter Lehmann Portrait Riesling - nice and a little toasty on the nose with flint. Good acidity on the palate.

2022 Warburn Estate Rumours Pink Moscato - fruity on the nose. Slightly sparkling and sweet on the palate.

2020 Brickfielder Shiraz Regional Icons W. Colton - classic Aussie shiraz profile, with vanilla, tons of coconut butter, and strawberries.

Onboard JAL flight from Hong Kong to Tokyo.

Kudokijozu Junmai Daiginjo Yamadanishiki (くどき上手 純米大吟醸 山田錦) - really sweet on the nose with starchy rice and banana. The alcohol seemed more obvious, but was it because I'm drinking this in the air? Or is this naturally more dry mid-palate all the way to the finish?

Full post on the day is here.

Perrier-Jouët and more

Dinner at OPUS 388 at Mandarin Oriental Shenzhen.

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut, dégorgée le 22 Janvier 2024 - a little mineral and flint on the nose, and good acidity on the palate.

2022 Dr. Bürklin-Wolf Riesling Trocken - classic nose with notes of petrol.

2022 Louis Latour Bourgogne Pinot Noir - acidity on the palate was a little high.

Full post on dinner is here.