93 Abtsberg

Dinner at Grand Majestic Sichuan.

1993 Maximin Grünhauser Abtsberg Kabinett - good level of acidity on the palate, which was actually quite high and even a little sharp at times. Lovely nose of truffle and petrol.

Full account of the dinner is here.

Champagne magnums and DRC Assortment

Champagne in the Island Shangri-La Presidential Suite.

2003 B de Boërl et Kroff, dégorgé en Avril 2016 - drank 1 hour after opening. Nice and ripe on the nose along with lovely marmalade notes. Good depth on the palate with a nice dose of acidity. Turned reasonally metallic on the palate together with some caviar. Always a pleasure to drink.

1997 Salon, en magnum - drank 1½ hours after opening. What a beautiful wine! There was so much toast on the nose, and it was so open and fragrant. The acidity was still very high. There were also notes of minerals and juicy red plums. Soooo nice!

1961 Louis Roederer Cristal, en magnum - drank about 1 hour after opening. The nose was very metallic, with lots of Chinese salty plum. Very grippy on the palate. Such a lovely, mature wine.

Dinner at Petrus, with 2001 DRC Assortment case.

2013 Joseph Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche, en magnum - served around 2 hours after decanting. We've got some toasty notes, but overall the nose was not big and powerful. It's sweet and buttery, with lemon and almost a little apricot. A little bit too ripe for its age and considering the format. 93 points.

2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Montrachet - served about 2½ hours after opening. The nose was so much bigger, richer, yet cleaner. This was soooo fragrant. 97 points.

2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Saint-Vivant - started drinking more than 3 hours after opening. The nose was fragrant but there was a hint of earthiness, along with leather. Later on came the toasty notes, and perhaps there was a little bit of stem. Funnily enough, I also thought there were elements of Chinese traditional bone-setting oil (跌打酒)... 94 points.

2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti - started drinking around 3½ hours after opening. The nose was very floral like roses, with exotic spices, as well as a little bit of cherry-flavored [cough] syrup and eucalyptus. 97 points and my favorite wine of the reds.

2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg - started drinking around 4 hours after opening. The nose showed a lovely fragrance, a little floral, definitely cool fruit. Better than the Romanée-Saint-Vivant but not as good as the Romanée-Conti. 95 points.

2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands Échézeaux - started drinking about 4½ hours after opening. This was really fragrant and elegant, not quite floral but lovely nonetheless. A little later the toasty notes came out, and it was a little funky on the palate. Still very fragrant more than 5½ hours after opening. 95 points.

2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Échézeaux - started drinking the first bottle more than 4½ hours after opening. The nose was more closed compared to the others, with more stem, and was definitely corked. The second bottle was much cleaner with a fragrant nose showing eucalyptus. 95 points for the second bottle.

2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche - started drinking almost 5 hours after opening. This was still a little closed, and the nose was kinda meaty. 94 points.

1965 Yquem - nose was showing tons of saffron, honey, marinated prunes, and marmalade. Such a pleasure to drink an aged Yquem!

Full post on the evening is here.

Chinese wine tasting

Tasting of Chinese wines at Christie's.

2017 Tiansai Skyline of Gobi Sparkling Wine - this was decent, with a little flint and some fruit on the nose.

DEVO MV03 Brut Nature - this was more lively, with bigger flinty nose, and good acidity on the palate.

2023 Longting Spring Rosé - big nose with lots of flint. Very sweet with stone fruit notes.

2022 Zaxee Syrah Reserve - kinda funky, reductive, a bit stinky, mineral, and minty. Once it opned up more it got better.

2012 Franco Chinois Reserve Marselan - this was really good, with a fragrant and open nose.

2022 Amber Memorable Jin Prestige Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon - this was more Bordeaux-like, showing a decent nose with smoky and earthy notes. Also very decent on the palate, soft but not too boring. Almost a bit of a floral finish.

2019 Renyiyuan Tao Cabernet Sauvignon - this was also kinda Bordeaux-like, smoky, minty, with good fruit. Nice on the palate with good concentration.

2021 Xige Estate Jade Dove Cabernet Gernischt - the nose was more smoky, but also came with more woodsy fragrance.

2021 Helan Mountain Special Reserve Chardonnay - a bit oaky on the nose with flint and tropical stone fruit. Ripe on the nose as well as bring very ripe on the palate, this was definitely on the sweet side.

2022 Chateau Hesoute White Muscat - so flinty and also very obviously lychee, and this reminds me of Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise.

2021 Guyon

Dinner at Plaisance.

2021 Jean-Pierre Guyon Morey Saint Denis La Bidaude - right off the bat, the nose smelled of Chinese licorice, along with a little metallic notes. This was more ripe than expected for its age, but with good acidity on the palate. The second bottle was showing more of the buttery notes on the nose.

Full post on dinner is here.

French and Spanish

Dinner at Roganic.

Jacques Lassaignes Les Vignes de Montgueux - there was good level of acidity, pretty lean on the palate but still got a little ripeness. However, this is just not the type of Champagne I prefer.

2022 Hiedler Grüner Veltliner Thal - a little green on the nose, and you know it's not a riesling, and in fact smells more like muscat.

2021 Robert-Denogent Pouilly-Fuissé Climat Vieilles Vignes - good acidity on the palate, and more on the lean side, with some lemon citrus on the nose.

2020 Rafael Palacios Val do Bibei As Sortes - this has a nice and toasty nose, with good acidity on the palate.

2012 López de Heredia Reserva Viña Tondonia - this was very fragrant on the nose, with some blueberries that almost started to border on rubber. Nice and ripe on the palate, still got the tannins but there was enough acidity to balance it out. The nose also showed a little bit of savory minerals in the midst of potpourri fragrance.

Domaine des Marnes Blanches Macvin du Jura - this was a little tea-like with notes of jasmine flowers, and also pretty fruity. Very nice and alluring. So happy with this.

Full post on dinner is here.

1995 Corton

Drinking at home.

1995 Hospices de Beaune Corton Cuvée Charlotte Dumay, élevé par Dominique Laurent - decanted 45 minutes after opening, and served more than an hour after opening. This wine is definitely over the peak. Acidity is high as expected, and palate is thin. Some cooked fruit here.

Trimbach, Brochet, and Matriarch

Dinner at The Chairman.

Emmanuel Brochet Rosé de Saignée - opened 2 hours earlier. The nose was VERY toasty, with red fruits. Very punchy nose. Underneath the toast there was perhaps a hint of bubblegum.

2013 Trimbach Pinot Gris Réserve Personnelle, en magnum - a little hint of plastic on the nose, also a little floral. Good acidity mid-palate and on the finish, but also slightly sweet. There was a hint of marmalade, and a little bitter, too.

2007 BOND Matriarch - started drinking 1 hour and 45 minutes after decanting. Really sweet fruit on the nose, with tons of vanilla and coconut butter. Nice, woodsy notes, too.

Full post on dinner is here.

1940 Pichon and Kistler

Lunch at Rong Rong Yuan in Taipei.

2021 Kistler Chardonnay Sonoma Mountains - profile of the classic Cali chard... got the ripeness but still got acidity on the palate, and that buttery profile.

Dinner at YMS by onefifteen in Taipei.

1940 Pichon-Lalande, rebouché au château en 1991 - started drinking without decanting 10 minutes after opening. Nose was a little stinky and funky at first, showing smoky and woodsy notes. Naturally the acidity was on the high side after 85 years. With a fresh pour ater 50 minutes, this was lighter on the palate now, but the nose was still OK. Almost 2 hours in the nose was showing metallic notes, and the palate got flatter - which was not a surprise. This would be due to both the extended aeration plus the fact that sediment had been stirred up into the wine.

Full post on dinner is here.