Aussie vs. French

Dinner at Brown.

1988 Bollinger R.D., dégorgée le 11 Septembre 2000 - pretty good, but not that impressed. It was pretty soft and yeasty, but not as "fresh" as one would think from an "R.D."

1997 Leasingham Classic Clare Shiraz - voted the "Wine of the Year" by Winestate, this was definitely overrated. The nose was nice and fruity, typical Aussie shiraz, but it died very quickly and became flat. I think Jeremy Oliver is absolutely right about this wine by giving it a 15.7.

1991 Margaux - predictably light, a drinking wine. It had been open too long by the time we got to it. Not very enjoyable.

1995 Henschke Cyril Henschke - this was much better, of course. Very sweet and fruity. Definitely would try more of this wine again. Tannins are still present and fuller-bodied and concentrated.

1982 Ducru-Beaucaillou - the bottle was in pristine condition, just like the one I drank earlier. Very nice and smooth, but not as good as the one from last week.

1999 De Bortoli Noble One - this was a bit light, both in color and in body. Kind of disappointing but maybe because it's still young.

1998 Miranda Golden Botrytis - this, by contrast, was much better. In fact it was very rich with walnut, honey, caramel notes. Perhaps even better than the d'Arenberg.

95 Black Pepper Shiraz

Drinking at home.

1995 E and E Black Pepper Shiraz - what a great wine! Huge nose of sweet black fruits, later on switched to the typical Aussie shiraz nose, only to change yet again into honeydew melon and lychee. Reminds me of the Mondavi Botrytis!

Bought from Red Dots Auction for HKD 410.

70 Palmer and David Bruce

Dinner at Brasserie on the Eighth.

1996 David Bruce Pinot Noir Russian River Valley - pretty fruity! Sweet nose, but acidity was a bit high. Black cherries.

Bought from Oaks for SGD 62.

1970 Palmer - amazingly this was smooth but still concentrated. A friend thought it smelled like beef, and of course it's grilled meats. A bit of smoke, and red cherries and cassis. Wonderful stuff, but wasn't as good as I had hoped.

Bought from Vinum for SGD 375.

82 Ducru and Figeac

Dinner at Fung Lam Shatin. First dinner with Pineapple and the precursor to MNSC.

1993 Tertre Roteboeuf - unfortunately this was corked and not enjoyable at all.

1982 Figeac - this was opened quite early and therefore perfect by the time we started drinking. Wonderfully soft. A wine with great finesse. Not bad for my first taste of Figeac!

1982 Ducru-Beaucaillou - this was in perfect condition... label, level, cork... and it was perfect! Wow! Usually Ducru is nice and soft, but this was packing a punch, especially compared to Figeac. Highly concentrated. Red fruits, smoked meats, not much earth and minerals here.

94 Stony Hill

Drinking at home.

1994 Stony Hill Chardonnay - very nice. Lots of citrus and petrol, a bit of apricot, but acidity seems low. Not enough bite. Smooth but a bit flat. Still good for drinking, though.

Bought from K and L for USD 43.

86 Cos

Dinner at a friend's home.

1986 Cos d'Estournel - pretty good, but not as good as I remembered. Maybe it was because of the glasses. Any how my friends loved the wine.

Bought from DFS for SGD 202.

93 Ducru and Wynns

Dinner at Maman.

1993 Ducru-Beaucaillou - wonderful stuff! The wine was appreciated by all.

1995 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Shiraz - uninspiring but predictable. Typical Aussie shiraz.