2020 Blanc de Suduiraut

Drinking at home.

2020 Blanc Sec de Suduiraut - flinty and toasty nose. Good, grippy acidity on the palate.

2002 Williams Selyem

Drinking at home.

2002 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Flax Vineyard - drank 30 minutes after decanting. Nose was really jammy and sweet, like strawberry jam. Really fragrant, with a hint of leather, along with eucalyptus and also a little floral notes. Drinking so well now.

Daimon Shizuka

Drinking at the KIX North Lounge in Osaka.

Daimon Rikyubai Junmai Ginjo Shizuka (大門利休梅 純米吟醸 静香), 2023 - seimaibuai of 55%. This was in an ice bucket but not submerged, so it was served too warm for my liking. Very dry and spicy on the palate. The second pour was slightly cooler, a bit softer on the palate but the finish was still dry and spicy. Nose of starchy rice with a hint of banana.

Sake and blancs de noirs

Dinner at Iida in Kyoto.

Kokuryu Jungin Tarekuchi (黒龍 純吟 垂れ口), 2023 - seimaibuai of 55%. Taste was more dry with the wasabi, but on its own the palate was on the soft side, and there was a little acidity here.

Urakasumi Betsuatsurae Daiginjo (浦霞 別誂 大吟醸), 2023 - seimaibuai of 40%. Softer on the palate and more fruity.

Drinks at Coupe de Champagne in Kyoto.

Benoît Lehaye Blanc de Noirs, dégorgée en Juillet 2022 - the nose was more metallic than I had expected, with flinty notes. The acidity was pretty high as this was an Extra-Brut, and the nose showed sharp alcohol.

Ulysse Collin Les Maillons Blanc de Noirs, YG 36 mois, dégorgée en Mars 2019 - the nose was nice and toasty, and the wine was lean on the palate and a little grippy. Unquestionably a step up from the Lehaye.

Full post on the evening is here.

Sake and Italians

Dinner at Wagokoro Izumi in Kyoto.

Kokuryu Ginfu (黒龍 吟風), 2021 - seimaibuai of 40%. A bit more depth than expected, and starting to show a slight hint of fermented flavors thanks to some aging. Initially this was dry on the palate but the mid-palate became sweeter with time.

Drinks at Asakura in Kyoto.

Sisora Junmai Ginjo Snow Label (紫宙 純米吟醸 スノーラベル), 2024 - seimaibuai of 55%. Sweet on the palate, but also got some depth, with a decent finish.

Shirasugi Nue (白杉 鵺), 2024 - seimaibuai of 60%. Made with 4 different koji and 4 different yeasts. The nose was very fragrant, nice, and elegant. Pretty thick and viscous on the palate, with good depth of flavors. Turns drier on the palate with time.

Tamagawa Spontaneous Fermentation Junmaishu Yamahai (玉川 自然仕込 純米酒 山廃), 2023BY - sweet but almost a little dry on the palate. The nose showed really high levels of alcohol, sharp and approaching what a paint thinner smells like...

Drinks at Emme in Kyoto.

2001 Bibi Graetz Testamata - a little burnt rubber on the nose at first, but really good fruit and still very concentrated. The tannins have been smoothed out already, but this was certainly not a light wine by any chance.

2001 Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva Moccagatta - nose of stewed prunes, leather, animal, slightly pungent. Very big nose with some fruit here.

Full post on the evening is here.

Michel Redde and Anseillan

Dinner at Eatanic Garden in Seoul.

Makgeolli - a tiny bit of fizz, not too sweet, with nice fruity acidity here.

2020 Michel Redde Blanc Fumé de Pouilly Barre à Mine - this was an easy-drinking wine, soft on the palate. The nose was nice and fragrant, but not overpowering.

2019 Anseillan - very ripe and sweet, with plenty of vanilla oak on the nose.

Full post on dinner is here.

Seoul pairing

Dinner in Vinho in Seoul.

2022 Txomin Etxaniz Getariako Txakolina - very floral nose, flinty and mineral. Lots of tropical stone fruit like a good lolly water. Still got the acidity on the palate, though.

André Beaufort Polisy Réserve, dégorgée en Mai 2023 - a bit toasty on the nose, more lean with some metallic notes, and perhaps a bit of sulfur? Acidity was on the higher side with a long finish. Later on with aeration this started to show more caramel on the nose.

2021 Stadt Krems Ried Wachtberg Grüner Veltliner - refreshing, a little ripe on the nose. The palate was slightly grippy and clears the fishy flavors of the caviar, and the acidity made its presence felt.

Paul Prieur Sancerre Rosé Perpétuel - lots of juicy red fruits like cranberries. Acidity was high but at the same time, this could get grippy on the palate.

2020 Trimbach Riesling Vieilles Vignes - lots of petrol and polyurethane, or "white truffle". A bit more sharp with acetone, with a surprising resemblance to insecticide...

Rodenbach Alexander - obviously very fruity with cherries. Good acidity and not bitter.

2021 Histoire d'Enfer Petite Arvine Réserve - a little bit of toast on the nose, some buckwheat, almost a little savory. Very dry and grippy on the palate, with a long and sharp finish.

2020 Ravaut Ladoix 1er Cru Le Bois Roussot - very fruity and jammy, like a cassis or blackberry jam. Very fragrant.

1995 da Silva Presidential Colheita - nutty, honey, medjool dates, and orange blossom water. So lovely.

Full post on dinner is here.

Krug and bone marrow brew

Lunch at Born and Bred in Seoul.

2000 Krug, ID 313058

Bone and Brew - brewed with bone marrow and koji. I could definitely taste the flavors from fermentation. There's good acidity here, and also a little grippy on the palate. The nose was showing some bone marrow notes with that fatty richness.

Full post on lunch is here.

Champagne and more

Lunch at Onjium for the collaboration with The Chairman and Seroja.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 171ème Édition, ID 322035 - crisp acidity on the palate, with lots of lemon and a small dose of brioche on the nose.

This was meant to be some tom yum drink traditionally paired with the noodles at Seroja, with a tomato base, and cucumber, coriander, lemongrass, green chili, and root vegetables. Definitely smelled something green there, but not quite like green capsicum.

2019 Alheit Cartology Bushvines - ripe on the nose, very aromatic. This was ripe on the palate, too, but still got the acidity and slightly grippy on the palate.

2022 Moulin de Rameau Chardonneret - toasty nose with good acidity. Bongwater.

Onjium's homemade soju - this was really strong and burns in the mouth when drank after the beef.

1993 Fleury Symphonie d'Europe, dégorgée Janvier 2020, en jeroboam - very nice, a little caramelized but still fresh and lively with plenty of bubbles. Got the acidity as well as a grippy texture on the palate.

The next juice was probably made with radish or turnip, with some savory profiles. Funnily, though, it also was a little like sugar cane juice.

2020 Harmand-Geoffroy Gevrey-Chambertin - nose of blueberries and black fruits. Later on we've got some strawberries and also forest notes.

Full post on dinner is here.