Sine Qua Non night

Dinner at Jiangsu Club.

2004 Sine Qua Non The Rejuvenators - 56% roussanne, 24% viognier, and 20% chardonnay. The nose was very oxidized, very ripe, and in fact over-ripe. Very fragrant, though, and I could almost smell some almonds along with Chinese angelica. Definitely very hot on the palate, but also somewhat rounded. The finish was slightly bitter when the wine warmed up. There was definitely cork taint here, and it became more obvious about 45 minutes after opening.

1998 Sine Qua Non Backward and Forward - 40% chardonnay, 30% roussanne, 30% viognier. This was obviously more mature, with more oxidation leading to a nutty nose. As the wine opened up the nose got more and more fragrant, with marzipan and a little flint. Still got the acidity on the palate, which was pretty nice.

2005 Sine Qua Non Over and Out - 100% pinot noir. This was sooo nice, so fragrant and almost floral, with lovely spices and eucalyptus notes.

2009 Sine Qua Non Turn the Whole Thing Upside Down - 84% grenache, 11% syrah, 5% mourvedre. Still got the tannins on the palate but this was softer now.

2005 Sine Qua Non The Naked Truth - 90% grenache and 10% syrah. This was bigger on the palate, felt thicker and more viscous, but just felt the concentration of the wine without the tannins.

1999 Sine Qua Non The Marauder - 100% syrah. This was pretty fragrant with lots of sweet fruit. Really smooth on the palate now, although not quite silky yet.

2004 Sine Qua Non Poker Face - 96% syrah, 2.5% mourvedre, 1.5% viognier. This wine was more upfront and lively, and very enjoyable.

2008 Sine Qua Non The Duel Syrah - 93% syrah, 4% grenache, 3% viognier. Good concentration here, but this was the least enjoyable of the three syrahs.

Full post on dinner is here.

Penfolds and Clos Mimi

Dinner at Neighborhood.

Egly-Ouriet Brut Rosé Grand Cru, dégorgée en Novembre 2014 - this has some nice age to it, so it's got plenty of complexity and that savory profile I love so much. Such a treat.

1981 Penfolds Grange, re-corked August 22, 2025 - this was the bottle that was deemed "sub-standard" at the Penfolds Re-corking Clinic, so I figured I'd bring it out and drink it with a couple of Grange lovers. We opened it and decanted it after about 30 minutes, and the nose was definitely still pretty fragrant, with plenty of coconut butter I love so much.

Bought from Sotheby's for HKD 3,100.

2023 Yukidoke Shonai Blanc, from half-bottle - a curious blend of about a dozen grape varietals. In addition to the main ones like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling, there was also Gewurztraminer... which explained why it was so tropical with prominent lychee notes. Very ripe and very sweet on the palate.

2003 Clos Mimi Syrah Brave Oak Vineyard - this has clearly aged and mellowed, and no longer as vibrant as it was in its youth. A little disappointing, to be honest.

Bought from the winery for USD 50 plus tax.

Full post on dinner is here.

Chinese wine night

Dinner at Avant in Shenzhen for the collaboration with Restaurant Marcon and Opus 388.

Le Caractère de Margaine, dégorgée 1 Juillet 2020 - the nose was perhaps a little muted, and most definitely did not resemble Krug... the way it was introduced to us. On the palate there was acidity but also a little grippy tannins on the finish.

2023 Nine Peaks Qi Chardonnay - nose was flinty with some tropical fruits. Tasted hot and alcoholic on the palate.

2020 Muxin Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot - so not impressed with this wine that I didn't even take down any notes...

Hitachigiku 35% Junmai Daiginjo (常陸菊 35％精米歩合 純米大吟醸) - made in Jilin and not Japan. Nose of banana and starchy rice. Not too sweet on the palate as there was some acidity. Lean and kinda dry on the finish.

Full post on dinner is here.

Cayuse and Shafer

Dinner at Metropol.

2012 Cayuse Syrah Walla Walla Special #4, from magnum - decanted and served right away. What a beautiful nose! Big notes of leather and bacon, and that sweet fruit was really stunning. Didn't expect the wine to be so approachable right away, but this was fantastic!

Bought from Fine Wine Experience for HKD 2,600.

2005 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select, from magnum - started serving about after 1½ hours in the decanter. This was really minty and sweet on the nose, and that concentration was amazing. This could go on for another 2 decades easily.

Bought from Sotheby's for HKD 3,100.

Full post on dinner is here.

Cabs and Tuscany

Dinner at Carna.

2006 Casanova di Neri Cerratalto - double-decanted at home. Very big and oaky nose, with tons of sweet fruit along with sweet vanilla. Very concentrated on the palate, and a really lovely wine in the prime of its drinking window.

1985 Antinori Solaia - decanted an hour after opening and started drinking after 1½ hours in the decanter. A little too soft by now, although 20 minutes later this was more fragrant with some woodsy notes. Very soft and supple on the palate. Probaby should have started drinking earlier as the wine may have had too much aeration.

1994 Haut-Brion - decanted an hour after opening and started drinking after 2 hours in the decanter. Big nose of smoke and green pepper, tobacco, and a bit earthy. Really fragrant after about 2½ in the decanter. Still very much alive and going strong.

Full post on dinner is here.

Grange des Pères and more

Dinner at Caprice.

Leclerc Briant Rosé de Saignée, dégorgée en Juin 2024 - the nose was a little caramelized, but otherwise it was kind of bland... Not very forward, although there were some minerals on the nose.

2021 Knewitz Chardonnay Reserve - this was more muted on the nose, not very buttery, and with some toasty oak. Leaner and more flinty. Waited a few more minutes and the butter side showed just a tiny little bit, but the palate was still lean and more acidic.

1998 Grange des Pères Rouge - first pour was about 20 minutes after opening. Big nose of leather and animal notes, bretty and medicinal, and definitely savory. After more than an hour in glass, the wine has now finally opened up and showed more fruit on top of the original profile. Second pour more than 1½ hours after opening, and this was even more open and fragrant. Drinking very nicely.

Bought from Sotheby's for USD 208.

2021 Grange des Pères Rouge - served more than 8 hours after opening. Very lively, so fresh and minty with fragrant pine needles. So sweet, so fragrant, so beautiful!

Full post on dinner is here.

Rousseau and Paillard

Dinner at Yong Fu.

1995 Bruno Paillard Nec Plus Ultra, dégorgée octobre 2006, bouteille 6,254/9,393 - nose was very savory with lots of salty minerals. Very nutty, with a good level of acidity on the palate that was not too lean or sharp. It actually started out more rounded on the attack but got leaner towards the finish. Nice and complex.

Bought from Sotheby's for HKD 2,708.

2004 Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin - very floral and fragrant on the nose, as expected, with lovely notes of black cherries along with fragrant woodsy and leather notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

Ganevat, Rostaing and more

Dinner at Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic.

Billecart Salmon Pic, MyOrigin 191220 - we were told the base vintage was 2020 but the website says 2019... This has a lovely fragrance. Good balance on the palate, very easy to drink, but by no means bland or light. Finish was nice and long.

2023 François Cotat Sancerre Monts Damnés - this was soooo fresh, full of green apples and a little bit of vanilla from oak. Sweet and fragrant on the nose. Lovely wine.

Hanatomoe Extended Aging Koshu (花巴 本醸造 長期熟成古酒), 1988, released 2024 - seimaibuai of 70%. This was very fragrant, very savory, with beautiful notes of soy sauce, plus a little nuttiness thanks to oxidation. Absolutely perfect pairing with the mushroom.

2022 Cos Zibbibo in Pithos - pretty fragrant with some interesting spices on the nose. Definitely a little oxidized but not too bad.

2016 Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Ampodium - this was pretty young and soooo fragrant, so floral with a hint of violet, and plenty of cedar. So full of life at this stage, and I would love to revisit in another 5 or 10 years.

Jean-François Ganevat Vieux Macvin du Jura - apparently aged for 8 years. This smelled not like wine but Chinese white tea, with a slight hint of raisins. Very fragrant in the mouth, with a light sweetness, some acidity, and a nice and herbal finish that just lingered on. Such a beautiful wine!

Full post on dinner is here.