2016 Te Koko

Lunch at Howard's Gourmet.

2016 Cloudy Bay Te Koko - really fresh, with a huge nose of muscat grapes, green apple, and flint.

Full post on lunch is here.

Hodgepodge for hot pot

Dinner at a friend's home.

Jacques Selosse V.O. - marmalade on the nose with lovely toast.  Good ripeness.

Hanamura Junmai Daiginjo Aiyama (花邑  純米大吟醸  愛山), R2BY - very ripe, lots of fermented rice in the nose.

2015 Bernard-Bonin Bourgogne Blanc Initiales B.B. - acidity on the high side, and pretty lean on top of ripeness.  Very fresh.

2012 Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chenevottes - a lot more ripe and rounded on the palate.

2006 Kongsgaard Syrah - really ripe and jammy upon opening.  Served 1½ hours after decanting.  Not as sweet as expected on the palate.  Minty and metallic.  Acidity was higher than expected, and tannins were still here.

2010 Two Hands My Hands - served 3½ hours after decanting.  Still plenty of vanilla in the sweet nose, but not as sweet and jammy on the palate.  Finally really ripe and sweet after 4 hours, with lots of woodsy notes.

2003 Guigal Condrieu Luminescence - apricot, metallic, Anjou pear, and honey on the nose.  On palate showing marmalade and a hint of bitterness.

2007 L'Esprit des Pavots

Drinking at home.

2007 Peter Michael L'Esprit des Pavots - ripe fruits, lots of cedar, grilled meats.  Still pretty tannic on the palate.

Ulysse Collin Les Maillons

Drinking at home.

Ulysse Collin Blanc de Noirs Les Maillons, dégorgée en mars 2018 - good balance of ripeness with acidity, good depth on the palate.  Toasty notes not too strong on the nose, with plum, nutty, yeasty bread notes.

Nice and aged sakes

Drinking at a friend's home.

Azumaichi Daiginjo Shizukushibori Show Selection (東一 大吟醸 雫搾り選抜酒), 2BY - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 39%.  Nice and fermented flavors of jiuniang.  Still sweet on the nose, but definitely more savory with more depth on the palate.

Katsuyama Junmai Daiginjo Shoryu (勝山  純米大吟醸  昇龍) - seimaibuai of 35%.  Really sweet nose, lots of banana.  Initially sweet and a little round on palate, but turned kinda lean and finish was a little bitter.

Kikuhime Ginjo Kukurihime (菊姫  吟醸  菊理媛), 10BY - seimaibuai of 50%.  Definitely more fermented and savory on the nose.  Nicely balanced on the palate, with a hint of sweetness but dry mid-palate, and a sweet aftertaste which comes back and builds up.  Very smooth on the front and mid-palate, turning lean into a long finish, with savory soy sauce notes.  

2012 Stephan

Drinking at home.

2012 Jean-Michel Stephan Côte-Rôtie - full barnyard, animal, and leather on the nose.  Also plenty of floral notes like violet, with some black fruits and eucalyptus.  Pretty lean and dry on the palate without much sweet fruit, and later developed savory notes.

2010 George Hansen

Drinking at home.

2010 George Pinot Noir Hansen Vineyards, from magnum - that unmistakable barnyard nose - from the manure of 300 heads of cattle grazing near the vineyard - showed along with smoky and leather notes.  Also pretty fragrant with cedar notes.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 168ème édition, ID 219014 - very toasty nose as expected, and clearly still young and fresh, with higher-than-expected acidity on the palate, along with some confit lemon.

MNSC Dinner - home edition

Dinner at a friend's home.

1980 Moët et Chandon Cuvée Dom Pérignon - nice and mature now, toasty with lots of marmalade. Good depth on the palate but a little bitter.

First flight: served 1½ hours after opening without decanting.

1950 Cheval Blanc - lots of mint and smoke. Very fragrant nose with some underlying ripeness. More savory notes showed after lowering the temperature. 94 points.

1950 Petrus - riper, but somehow dusty and chalky, with burnt rubber. More fruit showed after cooling. 92 points.

Second flight: served 2 hours after opening.

1970 Heitz Martha's Vineyard - pretty acidic and lean on the palate. More exotic on the nose with spices woodsy notes and savory soy sauce. 96 points.

1970 Vega Sicilia Unico - smoky, a little leaner, a little grassy still some black fruits here, with a slight hint of chalk. 95 points.

1970 Giscours - sweet and grassy, with wet cardboard. Corked, but jammy and ripe and exotic underneath.

Third flight: Served 3½ hours after decanting.

1990 Guigal La Mouline - fucking beautiful. Soooo fragrant with smoky, leather, and coffee notes. 100 points.

1990 Beaucastel Hommage à Jacques Perrin - very open and beautiful nose, with woodsy notes and some hospital disinfectant, brett. 97 points.