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.

January 30, 2019

Lynch Bages, Kokuryu and more

Dinner at Nikushou.

2015 Jobard-Morey Meursault Les Narvaux - pretty toasty nose, with a nice dose of acidity and some ripeness on the palate.

1996 Lynch-Bages, en magnum - served 1 hour and 45 minutes after decanting.  Breathed a little too much so that the sweet fruit that was present after opening was gone.  Just smoky, with a hint of earthiness, and green peppers.  A bit too flat on the palate, but the nose was pretty fragrant.

Gikyo Junmai Ginjo Genshu 60% (義俠 純米吟醸原酒), 30BYseimaibuai (精米歩合) of 60%. Sweet on the attack but turned pretty dry and spicy.  Later on much drier on the palate.


Kamonishiki Junmai Daiginjo Namazume Genshu Version 7.5  (加茂錦 純米大吟醸 生詰原酒 Ver 7.5), BY29 - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 50%.  Much stronger fermented rice nose, with lots of banana.  Really sweet on the palate, with some dryness and spiciness on the finish.


Kokuryu Shizuku (黒龍しずく), 29BYseimaibuai (精米歩合) of 35%.  Really sweet nose with some fermented rice notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

January 27, 2019

2009 Stigler

Drinking at home.

2009 Stigler Ihringen Winklerberg Backöfele Spätburgunder Großes Gewächs - sweet nose with more red fruits than black fruits.

January 26, 2019

De Villaine La Digoine

Drinking at home.

2008 A. et P. de Villaine Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise La Digoine - nose of dried herbs, some black cherries, nice sweetness on the nose.  Still a little grippy on the palate and the nose was better than the palate.

January 22, 2019

Henri Giraud and Arietta

Dinner at The Chairman.

1999 Henri Giraud Fût de Chêne - nose was salty and mineral, like salty plum, with a hint of Chinese licorice.  Beautiful wine showing its age.

2004 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - polyurethane, flinty.  Nice acidity and ripeness.

2006 Arietta Quartet - lots of eucalyptus, potpourri, a little coconut and vanilla.  A little smoky with grilled meats.  Beautiful.  A little sweet on the palate but not too intense.

Full post on dinner is here.

January 19, 2019

La Benjamine and more

Lunch at the HAKU x Central event.

Bulles de Comptoir #6 La Benjamine 2.0, dégorgée le Janvier 2018 - very ripe.

Full post on lunch is here.
Drinks at the Sotheby's auction.

2016 Penfolds Bin 16A Chardonnay - very toasty, pretty buttery, tons of oak.  Good acidity.

2014 Domaine Fourrier Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes - forest, smoke, good fruit.  Unfortunately a little grippy and bitter on the palate.

Drinking at home.

2006 Keller Riesling Spätlese - very big nose of polyurethane.  Sweeter on the palate than expected.

January 18, 2019

Penfolds wine dinner

Dinner at Sotheby's featuring the wines of Penfolds.  Chief winemaker Peter Gago in attendance.

2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs - nice and toasty nose, lovely, with flinty, mineral, and lemon notes.  Nice and ripe on the palate with some acidity upfront.

2010 Penfolds Yattarna - initially the nose was a little weird, but pretty flinty and mineral, kinda toasty.  A little flatter on the palate than expected, with low acidity.  Soft and gentle.  Preferred this over the 2012.

2012 Penfolds Yattarna - more acidity, leaner, more length.  Toastier on the nose.  Worked better with food.

1990 Penfolds Bin 389 - coconut butter, vanilla, minty, smoky, grilled meats.  Beautiful!  Incredibly there was still a hint of tannins, but otherwise found some acidity on the palate.  Incredibly classic and straightforward - arguably the least "Aussie" wine of the evening.

1996 Penfolds Bin 389 - more stewed fruit, more exotic spices, definitely more 'sexy'... but perhaps 'alluring' is a more suitable description.  It really was something.

1996 Penfolds St. Henri - plastic notes upfront, really exotic nose with potpourri and herbs.  Very rounded and elegant.

2004 Penfolds St. Henri - minty, some potpourri, with some ripe fruit, but more closed and not showing much.

1996 Penfolds Bin 707 - very smoky, toasty, peppery, pencil lead.  A bit leaner than expected.  About 2 hours later showed green capsicum notes.

1998 Penfolds Bin 707 - big, smoky nose.  Riper, with lots of pencil lead.  More concentration here compared to 1996.

1991 Penfolds Grange - still too young, alcoholic, almost like paint thinner, with some forest notes.

2004 Penfolds Grange - nose really not open as this was much too young.  Eucalyptus notes with some pencil lead, along with some cool fruit.  Very alcoholic.

Penfolds Grandfather Rare Tawny - obviously a little sharp and alcoholic on the nose, with a nice touch of nuttiness.  Very nice.


Drinks at an afterparty.

2011 Jean-Michel Stephan Côte-Rôtie Vieille Vigne en Coteaux - pretty pungent nose, reductive, animal, leather, potpourri, and highly aromatic.  From vines planted in 1896 and 1902.

Full post on the evening is here.

January 17, 2019

Big bottles for birthday

Dinner at the Sports Club.

2009 Pol Roger - good acidity, some ripeness, very lively on the palate.

1995 Krug, ID 109095, en magnum - lovely acidity and slightly lean.  Notes of straw with a little toasty oak.  Beautiful and elegant on the nose.  Later on the acidity got pretty high, with a lot of depth on the palate.  Plenty of salted plum, too.

2002 Champy Mazis-Chambertin, en jeroboam - nice, with a little ripe and stewed black fruits, along with leather and eucalyptus.

2014 Roulot Bourgogne Aligoté - very toasty.  Lean and acidic.

Full post on dinner is here.


January 12, 2019

Wines for barbecue

Dinner at a friend's home.

Henri Giraud Fût de Chêne MV10 - flinty, lovely, with nice ripeness on the palate.

2016 Landerau Clairet - lots of red fruits, and pretty nice on the palate.  A little hint of sulfur on the nose.

2006 Louis Roederer Brut Nature - beautiful nose of minerals.  Very lively with good acidity.

1989 Haut-Bailley - smoky, earthy, graphite, leather, grilled meats, riper and beautiful on the nose.

1982 Gruaud Larose - so fragrant, smoky, slight notes of green peppers.

Dewazakura Daiginjo Manrei (出羽桜  大吟醸  万禮), 29BY, from isshobin (一升瓶) - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 35%.  Aged for 3 years prior to release, which explains how smooth and round this was on the palate.  Very nice fermented rice notes, with some banana.  Sweet on the palate.

Sawaya Matsumoto Shuhari Special A Region Naka Tojo Yamadanishiki (澤屋まつもと 守破離 特A地区 中東条 山田錦), 28BY - tons of banana, a hint of musk melon, almost a bit fizzy on the palate, a bit dry mid-palate on top of the sweetness.

January 11, 2019

Ganevat and Rubicon

Dinner at Neighborhood.

2014 Jean-François Ganevat Les Grands Teppes Vieilles Vignes - minerals and enough ripeness on the nose.  Damn! That acidity on the palate!  It's not lean or steely, though... still round and ripe.  A little flinty.

2014 Inglenook Rubicon - decanted for more than 30 minutes.  Very sweet on the palate.  Lots of mint, green pepper, forest, with exotic spices, coconut butter, vanilla, and almost a hint of leather.  So Californian.

2015 Andre Perret Merlot - ripe with stewed black fruits.  Pretty alcoholic.

Full post on dinner is here.

January 8, 2019

Weight Stone Gris de Noirs

Lunch at The Chairman.


Weight Stone Gris de Noirs Cuvée Classique N° 15, dégorgée en Octobre 2018 - nose smells like... Kyoho or other grapes for eating. Some acidity here on the palate.

Full post on lunch is here.
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