Churchill and Lucien Le Moine

Dinner at The Pawn.

1996 Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill - nice and ripe, mature, some toast on the nose, and really fragrant. Marmalade on the palate. This was drinking so beautifully!

2012 Lucien Le Moine Corton Blanc - really toasty on the nose. Initially the nose was a little overwhelming, almost showing like paint thinner. This went away and revealed lots of vanilla notes. Very buttery on the palate with good acidity, too.

2010 Hospices de Beaune Beaune 1er Cru Cuvée Rousseau-Deslandes, mis en bouteille par Lucien Le Moine pour MNSC - still very toasty as every other bottle I have opened. Nice, sweet fruit here with leather notes, and lots of Japanese cypress. Showing wonderfully.

Full post on dinner is here.

2004 Clos des Papes

Drinking at home.

2004 Clos des Papes Rouge - decanted and served. Initially pretty farmy, a little pungent, with some black fruits. Savory on the palate. With second pour the nose was more fragrant with woodsy notes. Still tannic. After 2 hours in the decanter this was lovely and fragrant, with tannins softening and becoming more velvety. Still concenrated, of course.

2007 Silex

Drinking at home.

2007 Didier Dagueneau Silex - overripe, a little bitter, still got some acidity, short finish.

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.