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.

2001 Arietta H-Block

Dinner at Izmir Turk Kitchen in Taipei.

2001 Arietta Hudson Vineyard H-Block - served undecanted. Nice sweet fruit like cassis on the nose, a little black plums, with light, woodsy notes. Drinking fine but not amazing.

Full post on dinner is here.

2020 Angelus and Ygrec

Dinner at Caprice.

2020 Ygrec de Yquem - nose of lemon citrus, honey, with very good acidity to balance the small amount of ripeness on the palate. I could definitely smell the sauvignon blanc in the blend.

2020 Angelus - drank about 2 hours after decanting. Definitely still a very young and vibrant wine. Very ripe and a little jammy, with prominent notes of forest and potpourri, along with vanilla and mint on the nose. Still needs time to develop, but enjoyable now.

2014 Yauem, en imperial - lots of polyurethane and saffron, as well as orange and acetone. Soooo lovely and viscous on the palate.

2020 DRC Corton-Charlemagne - good acidity as well as good ripeness, with a little honey on the nose and a bit of polyurethane. This did not smell like a white Burg at all, with none of the buttery and oaky profile. After a little more time, the toasty notes finally came out, along with some flint. When the wine got warmer in the glass, the ripeness became more obvious.

1989 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl Sélection de Grains Nobles - nose of saffron, honey, marmalade, and lovely nutty notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

Legras and BV

Dinner at Locanda.

Legras et Haas Intuition, dégorgée en Octobre 2023 - the nose had a nice and lovely fragrance. The dosage of 6g/l makes this a Brut, but I kinda felt the palate veered towards the sweet side.

1994 Beaulieu Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve - started drinking more than 1½ hours after decanting. Nose was nice and smoky, with pencil lead and black fruits. Very smooth tannins on the palate after 30 years. There was also a hint of earthiness a little later.

Full post on dinner is here.

1982 Cave Privée

Dinner at Sushi Fujimoto.

1982 Veuve Cliquot Cave Privée - the nose was nicely oxidized with savory mineral notes, and also reminded me of Chinese salty lemon. There was good acidity on the palate.

Bouteille 2490/3500, dégorgée en mai 2014

Full post on dinner is here.