Zorah, Juyondai, and more

Dinner at a private dining facility.

2000 Henriot Brut - nice and ripe on the palate, with a little sugarcane on the nose.

2011 Kings Farm Chardonnay - very buttery and creamy on the nose, oaky, very ripe and sweet on the palate.

2007 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese - huge nose of petrol and flint, polyurethane.  Such an amazing nose.  Nice bit of acidity with a good amount of sweetness on the palate for balance.  A beautiful wine.

2005 Camus Charmes-Chambertin - nice nose of cherries, a little gamey fowl, and a little metallic iron.

Juyondai Hizoushu (十四代 秘蔵酒), bottled May 2010 - this is a junmai daiginjo (純米大吟醸) koshu (古酒) with at least 3 years' aging, using Aiyama (愛山) rice milled down to a semaibuai (精米歩合) of 40%.  This bottle had been aging in my cellars for the last 6 years, and the extended aging - possibly 10 years or more when you count cellaring before the release - gives the sake a wonderful depth of flavors on the palate.  It is also noticeably viscous and rounded on the palate.  Nose shows a concentration of rice flavors, very rich, with lots of tropical and banana notes.

2002 Frédéric Magnien Charmes-Chambertin - beautiful sweet fruit, more floral than the Camus, with oaky notes and toasty corn.

1985 Tattinger Artist Collection - nose was very caramelized, with heavy amount of toast, as well as something a little savory... almost like salty plum (話梅) that's soaked in Shaoxing wine (紹興酒).  Beautiful.

1997 Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino Rennina, from magnum - sweet vanilla, lots of herbs, and really fragrant.

2012 Zorah Yeraz - really sweet and ripe, with lots of herbs and exotic spices, a little black pepper.  Very smooth and silky on the palate.  Made from vines that are more than 100 years old.

Full post on dinner is here.