This is still a work in progress as I upload tasting notes and wine labels from as far as 1999... Check back once in a while to get the updates.

November 29, 2002

Altaya Annual Tasting

1999 Falesco Vitiano - minty, a bit acidic.  Very drinkable wine, especially for the price.

1998 Falesco Montiano - ripe and fruity, marshmallow nose.  Also a bit minty.  Pretty concentrated and tannic.  Excellent wine and my favorite of the evening.

1999 de Colombier Hermitage - sharp, kerosene-like nose.  Not very pleasant.  Full of animal blood.  Nose actually reminds me of cheap Côtes-du-Rhône from Guigal or Jaboulet.

1999 de Monteillet Côte-Rôtie - open nose and a bit floral.  Not bad.

1999 de Font-Sane Gigondas Cuvée Futée - very solid.  Medium bodied.  Good effort.

1998 Les Cailloux Châteauneuf-du-Pape - nose a bit like grape juice.  Full of red fruits and stewed prunes.  Probably the best Rhône of the evening.

1998 Balestard-La-Tonnelle - oaky nose with stewed prunes.

1998 La Vieille-Cure - nose of tobacco, bacon, animal, leather and coffee.

1998 La Griffe de Cap d'Or - nose of roasted ground coffee, also a bit of "shit" nose, not very good.

1998 de Chambrun - pretty tannic on the palate.  Not pleasant drinking.

1998 Franc-Mayne - very flat and uninteresting.

1998 Haut Villet Cuvée Pomone - dry, tannic on the palate.  Nose of nuts, oak and some ripe fruit.

November 28, 2002

'93 Ausone + '62 Haut-Brion

Dinner at Plats.

1993 Ausone - this was a pretty good wine.  Nose of tobacco, minerals, earthy tones, and ripe prunes.  High alcohol and acetone in the nose at first, but faded after a little while.

1962 Haut-Brion - nose of sweet red fruit with tobacco overtones.  Pretty good stuff.

November 25, 2002

1988 Silver Oak Napa

1988 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley - what an amazing wine!  Big bouquet of sweet, extracted, jammy red fruits.  Very smooth tannins, medium to full-bodied.  This can definitely age for some more years.

November 24, 2002

Overture

Overture - drank at Hotel Kajikaso in Hakone.  This is the non-vintage second wine of Opus One.  Opened in the morning and breathed for most of the day, so it was actually very drinkable by dinner time.  Pretty smooth, but not an amazing wine.

November 22, 2002

100-point '86 Paullacs

Dinner at Brian's in Tokyo.

1983 Dom Perignon - brought this bottle.  Very nice.  Crisp acidity, full of toasted oak and caramelized sugar.  Not many bubbles due to the age.

1973 DRC La Tâche - H-man brought this bottle.  Very good wine.  Another fine example of old, mature Burgundy.  Initially the color was so faded it looked like I was decanting apple juice!  But the nose opened up nicely with ripe red fruits, bacon, grilled meats.  Hmmm....

1986 Lafite-Rothschild - I brought this bottle.  Pretty sweet nose of red fruits, minerals, tobacco.  A bit of sweet grass.  Very good wine overall and glad it wasn't cooked while being stored in Taipei.

1986 Mouton-Rothschild - from H-man.  Very powerful.  Big, smoky cigar nose dominates everything.  Very full-bodied and long finish.  Minerals and grilled meats nose.

November 18, 2002

MNSC Dinner - '82 First Growths

MNSC dinner at Toscana.  Theme was '82 First Growths.

1982 Haut-Brion - very sweet nose, with grilled meats & leather.  A bit acidic at the end.  Pretty log finish.  Very good wine.

1982 La Mission Haut-Brion - nose of ripe, sweet red fruits, melon, with a long finish.  Turns acidic on the palate after 3 hours.

1982 Latour - my contribution.

1982 Lafite-Rothschild

1982 Mouton-Rothschild

1982 Margaux

November 16, 2002

A pair of '97 Right Banks

1997 La Gomerie - opened up after 40 minutes.  Sweet nose with vanilla notes.

1997 L'Evangile - minerals, blood, earth, grilled meats and bacon.

November 14, 2002

Unico, Pichon Baron and Pride

Dinner at Grissini.

1962 Vega Silicia Unico - Wow!  Amazing wine.  Very open, sweet and powerful.  I would say it's better than the '70 I opened for my birthday.

1989 Pichon-Baron - classic Bordeaux nose.  Very good.

1997 Pride Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - powerful as usual.  Wow!  Total fruit bomb.  The nose blows everything else away.

November 9, 2002

1996 Trio

1996 Rosemount Syrah Balmoral
1996 Torres Grans Muralles
1996 d'Arenberg Riesling the Noble

November 8, 2002

MNSC Dinner - Fortune Room

MNSC dinner hosted by Lord Rayas, held at the Fortune Room in the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

1988 Krug
1998 Showket Cabernet Sauvignon
1998 La Sirena Cabernet Sauvignon
1987 Guigal La Mouline
1987 Guigal La Turque
1982 Petit Village
1982 Calon-Ségur
1982 Beychevelle
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...