Starck and Ducru

Dinner at House 102 in Foshan.

2009 Louis Roederer Brut Nature, dégorgée en Mai 2016 - nose was pretty nice with some ripeness and savory minerals. There was good acidity on the palate thanks to zero dosage, but also a little Chinese salted plum with the savory profile, and a nice, long finish.

2004 Ducru-Beaucaillou - started drinking after about 1 hour and 15 minutes in the eto decanter. Nice nose with lots of smoke, very meaty, lots of wood, and still got the fruit. Definitely some sweetness on the palate, and very silky smooth.

Full post on dinner is here.

All-Japanese dinner

Dinner at Sushi Kissho by Miyakawa in Macau.

2019 Hirakawa Les Amitiés Rosé Sélection - nice nose of red fruits, along with a little flint and minerals.

Wa 8 Gold Label Junmai Daiginjo (和８ 金ラベル 純米大吟醸) - seimaibuai of 28%. Very sweet on the nose, with lots of starchy rice notes. Smooth and easy to drink.

2021 Mongaku Valley Tochi - definitely got that bongwater feel... Riper on the palate than expected, with plenty of marmalade, and also flinty.

Kameizumi Shuka Chosun Manju Junmai Daigonjo Genshu (亀泉 酒家長春 萬壽 純米大吟醸 原酒) - seimaibuai of 35%. Classic banana on the nose. Nice and balanced on the palate, if veering ever slightly to the dry side.

Meiri Shurui 100 Years Premium Umeshu (明利酒類 百年梅酒 プレミアム) - served on the rocks.

Full post on dinner is here.

2000 Torbreck Descendant

Drinking at home.

2000 Torbreck Descendant - I could smell the wet cardboard even before the cork was fully extracted. The wine was fine on the palate, not dead or flat, and was, in fact, alcoholic and hot going down. There was some ripe, fruit fruit on the nose, but the wine was definitely corked. This got worse as the wine opened up.

1980 BV and Fermier

Dinner at Table by Sandy Keung.

2023 Fermier Denen Chardonnay - the nose was very fragrant with lots of tropical fruits and flint. Really ripe and sweet on the nose, and we've got ripeness on the palate, too, along with a small amount of acidity. Absolutely lollywater...

1980 Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve - this bottle was in excellent condition with level into neck. Started drinking after around 45 minutes in decanter. Very fragrant nose with lovely notes of leather. The wine was still very much alive, perhaps I wouldn't call it vibrant but certainly very good. Minty with a little smoke. After 1 hour and 15 minutes in decanter, this was showing savory notes like soy sauce. I had my second pour some 2 hours after decanting and the nose was really smoky by then. Drinking pretty damn well tonight, and I'd say better than the 1976 I had earlier this month.

Bought as part of a mixed lot from Christie's for HKD 938.

2022 Fermier Pinot Noir - really sweet and candy-like on the nose, with a little bit of leather. So sweet like strawberries, or was it cherry-flavored cough syrup? Someone thought this was like watermelon-flavored Jolly Rancher...

Full post on dinner is here.

2020 Cossard Chard

Drinking at home.

2020 Frédéric Cossard Chardonnay - definitely got that flinty and mineral nose, and very ripe both on the nose and on the palate, although there's plenty of acidity, too. Lots of white flowers on the nose, and almost a little honey.

2004 Pax Moriah

Drinking at home.

2004 Pax Cuvée Moriah - started drinking 10 minutes after decanting. Very ripe and jammy, lots of blackcurrant. A little alcoholic thanks to coming in at 15.9%. Plenty of vanilla oak and blueberry. Second pour after 1 hour in decanter, still going strong, very alcoholic on the nose now. Very sweet. It's amazing how I could still feel the tannins on my tongue after 20 years. Delicious.

Bought from the winery for USD 50.

2022 Blue Mountain

Drinking at home.

2022 Blue Mountain Chardonnay Estate Cuvée - flinty, vanilla, surprisingly buttery, very oaky, nose was very alcoholic with lots of aromatics. Really ripe and the oak is very obvious and in-your-face. There was some acidity on the back end but overall this is much riper than expected.

Oceanic pairing

Dinner at Plaisance by Mauro Colagreco.

Tempera Eterna I - a sparkling green tea made with sea fennel and lemon. The nose was interesting as it showed fermented and savory notes.

2018 Bisson Spumante Metodo Classico Abissi Riserva Marina - some nice, caramelized notes on the nose. Some acidity here, but there was definitely some bitterness on the palate.

2021 Domaine de Bellevue Muscadet Gabbro Clos des Bouquinardières - nose got plenty of toasty oak, and very flinty. Good acidity on the palate.

2020 Les Quatre Piliers Touraine Bel Air - the nose seemed waxy, more reductive, more intense. It did open up after a while and the nose was a little more buttery.

2022 Antonin Cosnier Pernand Vergelesses 1er Cru En Caradeux - very big toasty nose, and very buttery. Surprisingly beautiful.

2021 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon - very classic Napa cab, with sweet fruit and smoke on the nose, also a little minty. Obviously very young and vibrant.

2023 Santo Stefano Moscato d'Asti - fragrant nose of honey, orange blossom water, and perhaps a little pear juice, even. Very pleasant to drink.

Full post on dinner is here.

2004 Maiden and 2010 MNSC

Dinner at Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine in Tsim Sha Tsui.

2010 Hospices de Beaune Beaune 1er Cru Cuvée Rousseau-Deslandes, mis en bouteille par Lucien Le Moine pour MNSC - started drinking after 10 minutes in the decanter. The big familiar toasty nose showed up right away, along with wonderful fruit that was not quite jammy like a Cali, but fresh and lively nonetheless. Delicious.

2004 Harlan Estate The Maiden - started drinking after 45 minutes in the decanter. Initially the nose was a little more muted than expected, with perhaps slightly more Asian spices. Second try showed a bigger nose along with stronger alcohol, now opening up more and packing a punch. Got that big, woodsy nose with smoke and grilled meats. This was really nice now. Plenty of sweet fruit left, too... and got the sweetness on the palate.

Bought from the winery for USD 150 plus tax.

Full post on dinner is here.

1943 Sisqueille

Dinner at Ambassador Chinese Cuisine Tianmu in Taipei,.

1943 Sisqueille Rivesaltes, mis en bouteille 2012 - nose was slightly sharp and alcoholic, showing notes of grape jelly, nutty, honey, caramel, and Medjool dates.

Bought from Farr for GBP 40.

1976 BV

Dinner at LALA.

1976 Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve - started drinking 10 minutes after decanting. Very smooth on the palate 20 minutes in, with smoke and stewed prunes on the nose. With saucisson this brought out the metallic flavors on the palate. Additional woodsy and a little meaty notes showed up, and this was really fragrant after an hour in the decanter, with more toasty notes. Perhaps there was a whiff of brett about 1½ hours in. While this was still drinking well for its age, it's clearly not as "fresh" and lively as the slightly younger bottle tasted just a day before.

Bought as part of a mixed lot from Christie's for HKD 938.

Full post on dinner is here.

1981 Silver Oak

Light meal at Caprice Bar.

R. Pouillon Grande Vallée, dégorgée 2e trimestre - very fresh on the nose, floral and fragrant. Nice with good complexity on the palate, and I thought I tasted the meunier. With time the nose became more caramelized, and the wine became more alluring.

1981 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley - started drinking around 15 minutes after opening without decanting. Surprisingly big and lively nose, with lots of coconut and plenty of sweet fruit hanging around after more than 40 years. This was such a classic Cali cab, with leather and a bit of smoke thrown in. After about an hour the nose had really opened up well. The bottle was in excellent condition, as evidenced by the immaculate labels and a level that was into neck. Drinking very, very well and I would never have guessed this was more than 25 years old.

Bought as part of a mixed lot from Christie's for HKD 804.

Full post on the meal is here.

2020 Cossard Saint-Romain

Drinking at home.

2020 Domaine de Chassorney Saint-Romain Sous Roche - initially some nice notes of leather and animal, a little toasty and pungent, farmy, and a little violet. Acidity was on the high side. About 40 minutes later there was more sweetness on the nose. After 1 hour the wine seemed kinda vibrant and uplifting on the nose, with additional eucalyptus notes.

Burgs and Jura

Dinner at Yong Fu.

2017 Testut Chablis Grenouille - this was decanted to give it time to air, but the staff made the mistake of serving it right away. Nice and toasty nose. Good acidity, a little tannic and grippy on the palate.

2020 Tissot Arbois Les Bruyères - much bigger toasty notes on the nose. Palate was more focused with crisp, higher acidity.

2018 Rémi Jobard Meursault 1er Cru le Poruzot-Dessus - the nose was toasty as one would expect, and still got the acidity on the palate, but this was a little more buttery and certainly softer.

1995 Hospices de Beaune Corton Cuvée Charlotte Dumay, élevé par Dominique Laurent - first bottle was served after about 2 hours in decanter. First taste was a little acidic, but still got the black fruits. More fruity with the second pour, along with smoke and toasty notes. Second bottle decanted about 30 minutes before serving was tasting a little more fresh.

Bought from Christie's for HKD 774.

Full post on dinner is here.

Laherte and Kongsgaard

Dinner at Sun Hon Kee.

Laherte Rosé de Meunier, dégorgée en Mars 2023 - lively, fresh, with plenty of juicy red fruits.

2005 Konsgaard Syrah - decanted 15 minutes after opening, and started drinking 45 minutes after opening. This was so fragrant with wonderful woodsy notes, along with eucalyptus. Smooth on the palate, with sweet and ripe fruit. About 2 hours after opening the wine started to show some floral, violet notes. Simply lovely.

Bought from the winery for USD 150.

Johnny Walker Red Label, from 4.5 liter bottle - this had a fragrant nose with nice caramel notes. I don't know how old this bottle is, but it's definitely got a few decades on it.

Full post on dinner is here.