Dom P2 and Italians

Dinner at Estro.

2000 Dom Pérignon P2 - this was definitely corked with that wet cardboard smell. The palate was definitely flat, with some acidity mid-palate, but the finish was definitely bitter and short. Some toast on the nose, but really not enjoyable.

2008 Di Meo Greco di Tufo Vittorio Riserva - aged for 12 years in the tanks and then another 24 months in the bottle, the nose showed a little bit of exotic spices, definitely flinty, oxidative, and definitely heavily toasted once the wine is in the mouth.

2017 San Valentino Sangiovese di Romagna Superiore Riserva Terra di Covignano - nice nose with some spices and dried herbs, and fragrant eucalyptus.

Full post on dinner is here.

Chavost and Fourrier

Dinner at Jean May.

2008 Chavost Terroir du Cœur - good acidity with good depth on the palate, and good ripeness to pair with that acidity. Lots of plum and lemon marmalade, as well as Chinese salted plum. Pretty nice.

2015 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champeaux Vieilles Vignes - started drinking more than an hour after opening. Nice and fruity nose. Some toasty oak came out a little later, along with black cherries. Drinking very nicely.

Full post on dinner is here.

2022 Felettig

Dinner at Henry for the collaboration with Born and Bred.

2022 Felettig Bourgogne Pinot Noir - initially the nose wasn't very open. The palate was still kinda tannic since the wine was young. Later there were notes of leather and blueberries, then a bit of dried herbs and eucalyptus with more aeration.

Full post on dinner is here.

Drappier Rosé de Saignée

Dinner at Leela for the Leela x Yong Fu collaboration.

Drappier Rosé de Saignée - lots of juicy red fruits here, like strawberries and red currants.

Full post on dinner is here.

Dewazakura and Tamaasahi

Dinner at a friend's home.

Dewazakura Junmai Ginjo Dewasansan Muroka Nama Genshu Puppy (出羽桜 純米吟醸 出羽燦々 無ろ過生原酒), from isshobin - seimaibuai of 50%. Sweet on the attack but definitely dry on the palate. The nose showed slight fermented notes.

Tamaasahi Junmai Shortcake (玉旭 純米 Shortcake) - kinda fruity with the lactic acid. Pretty easy to drink.

Starck and Ducru

Dinner at House 102 in Foshan.

2009 Louis Roederer Brut Nature, dégorgée en Mai 2016 - nose was pretty nice with some ripeness and savory minerals. There was good acidity on the palate thanks to zero dosage, but also a little Chinese salted plum with the savory profile, and a nice, long finish.

2004 Ducru-Beaucaillou - started drinking after about 1 hour and 15 minutes in the eto decanter. Nice nose with lots of smoke, very meaty, lots of wood, and still got the fruit. Definitely some sweetness on the palate, and very silky smooth.

Full post on dinner is here.

All-Japanese dinner

Dinner at Sushi Kissho by Miyakawa in Macau.

2019 Hirakawa Les Amitiés Rosé Sélection - nice nose of red fruits, along with a little flint and minerals.

Wa 8 Gold Label Junmai Daiginjo (和８ 金ラベル 純米大吟醸) - seimaibuai of 28%. Very sweet on the nose, with lots of starchy rice notes. Smooth and easy to drink.

2021 Mongaku Valley Tochi - definitely got that bongwater feel... Riper on the palate than expected, with plenty of marmalade, and also flinty.

Kameizumi Shuka Chosun Manju Junmai Daigonjo Genshu (亀泉 酒家長春 萬壽 純米大吟醸 原酒) - seimaibuai of 35%. Classic banana on the nose. Nice and balanced on the palate, if veering ever slightly to the dry side.

Meiri Shurui 100 Years Premium Umeshu (明利酒類 百年梅酒 プレミアム) - served on the rocks.

Full post on dinner is here.

2000 Torbreck Descendant

Drinking at home.

2000 Torbreck Descendant - I could smell the wet cardboard even before the cork was fully extracted. The wine was fine on the palate, not dead or flat, and was, in fact, alcoholic and hot going down. There was some ripe, fruit fruit on the nose, but the wine was definitely corked. This got worse as the wine opened up.

1980 BV and Fermier

Dinner at Table by Sandy Keung.

2023 Fermier Denen Chardonnay - the nose was very fragrant with lots of tropical fruits and flint. Really ripe and sweet on the nose, and we've got ripeness on the palate, too, along with a small amount of acidity. Absolutely lollywater...

1980 Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve - this bottle was in excellent condition with level into neck. Started drinking after around 45 minutes in decanter. Very fragrant nose with lovely notes of leather. The wine was still very much alive, perhaps I wouldn't call it vibrant but certainly very good. Minty with a little smoke. After 1 hour and 15 minutes in decanter, this was showing savory notes like soy sauce. I had my second pour some 2 hours after decanting and the nose was really smoky by then. Drinking pretty damn well tonight, and I'd say better than the 1976 I had earlier this month.

Bought as part of a mixed lot from Christie's for HKD 938.

2022 Fermier Pinot Noir - really sweet and candy-like on the nose, with a little bit of leather. So sweet like strawberries, or was it cherry-flavored cough syrup? Someone thought this was like watermelon-flavored Jolly Rancher...

Full post on dinner is here.

2020 Cossard Chard

Drinking at home.

2020 Frédéric Cossard Chardonnay - definitely got that flinty and mineral nose, and very ripe both on the nose and on the palate, although there's plenty of acidity, too. Lots of white flowers on the nose, and almost a little honey.

2004 Pax Moriah

Drinking at home.

2004 Pax Cuvée Moriah - started drinking 10 minutes after decanting. Very ripe and jammy, lots of blackcurrant. A little alcoholic thanks to coming in at 15.9%. Plenty of vanilla oak and blueberry. Second pour after 1 hour in decanter, still going strong, very alcoholic on the nose now. Very sweet. It's amazing how I could still feel the tannins on my tongue after 20 years. Delicious.

Bought from the winery for USD 50.

2022 Blue Mountain

Drinking at home.

2022 Blue Mountain Chardonnay Estate Cuvée - flinty, vanilla, surprisingly buttery, very oaky, nose was very alcoholic with lots of aromatics. Really ripe and the oak is very obvious and in-your-face. There was some acidity on the back end but overall this is much riper than expected.

Oceanic pairing

Dinner at Plaisance by Mauro Colagreco.

Tempera Eterna I - a sparkling green tea made with sea fennel and lemon. The nose was interesting as it showed fermented and savory notes.

2018 Bisson Spumante Metodo Classico Abissi Riserva Marina - some nice, caramelized notes on the nose. Some acidity here, but there was definitely some bitterness on the palate.

2021 Domaine de Bellevue Muscadet Gabbro Clos des Bouquinardières - nose got plenty of toasty oak, and very flinty. Good acidity on the palate.

2020 Les Quatre Piliers Touraine Bel Air - the nose seemed waxy, more reductive, more intense. It did open up after a while and the nose was a little more buttery.

2022 Antonin Cosnier Pernand Vergelesses 1er Cru En Caradeux - very big toasty nose, and very buttery. Surprisingly beautiful.

2021 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon - very classic Napa cab, with sweet fruit and smoke on the nose, also a little minty. Obviously very young and vibrant.

2023 Santo Stefano Moscato d'Asti - fragrant nose of honey, orange blossom water, and perhaps a little pear juice, even. Very pleasant to drink.

Full post on dinner is here.

2004 Maiden and 2010 MNSC

Dinner at Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine in Tsim Sha Tsui.

2010 Hospices de Beaune Beaune 1er Cru Cuvée Rousseau-Deslandes, mis en bouteille par Lucien Le Moine pour MNSC - started drinking after 10 minutes in the decanter. The big familiar toasty nose showed up right away, along with wonderful fruit that was not quite jammy like a Cali, but fresh and lively nonetheless. Delicious.

2004 Harlan Estate The Maiden - started drinking after 45 minutes in the decanter. Initially the nose was a little more muted than expected, with perhaps slightly more Asian spices. Second try showed a bigger nose along with stronger alcohol, now opening up more and packing a punch. Got that big, woodsy nose with smoke and grilled meats. This was really nice now. Plenty of sweet fruit left, too... and got the sweetness on the palate.

Bought from the winery for USD 150 plus tax.

Full post on dinner is here.

1943 Sisqueille

Dinner at Ambassador Chinese Cuisine Tianmu in Taipei,.

1943 Sisqueille Rivesaltes, mis en bouteille 2012 - nose was slightly sharp and alcoholic, showing notes of grape jelly, nutty, honey, caramel, and Medjool dates.

Bought from Farr for GBP 40.

1976 BV

Dinner at LALA.

1976 Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve - started drinking 10 minutes after decanting. Very smooth on the palate 20 minutes in, with smoke and stewed prunes on the nose. With saucisson this brought out the metallic flavors on the palate. Additional woodsy and a little meaty notes showed up, and this was really fragrant after an hour in the decanter, with more toasty notes. Perhaps there was a whiff of brett about 1½ hours in. While this was still drinking well for its age, it's clearly not as "fresh" and lively as the slightly younger bottle tasted just a day before.

Bought as part of a mixed lot from Christie's for HKD 938.

Full post on dinner is here.