Daimon sake tasting

Tasting at Daimon Brewery in Osaka-fu, hosted by Toji Daimon Yasutaka.

Daimon Rikyubai Tokubetsu Junmai Seizanryokusui (大門利休梅 特別純米 青山緑水) - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 60%. I could definitely taste the alcohol, and there's that starchy rice flavor. This was simple and more dry on the palate.

Daimon Rikyubai Junmai Ginjo Shizuka (大門利休梅 純米吟醸　静香) - seimaiuai of 55%. This was certainly more fragrant on the nose, and for some reason it smelled of adzuki bean paste. Sweeter and more rounded on the palate.

Daimon Rikyubai Junmai Daiginjo Hanzaemon (大門利休梅 純米大吟醸　半左衛門) - seimaibuai of 50%. This was darker in color. Definitely more complex, savory and umami on the nose, with more fermented flavors. Still got some sweetness on the palate along with that savory profile. My favorite of the range.

Daimon 55 Junmai Ginjo (大門 55純米吟醸) - seimaibuai of 55%. Cleaner and sweeter on the palate, but turns dry mid-palate to the finish. Also smelling like adzuki beans to me...

Daimon 45 Junmai Daiginjo (大門 45純米大吟醸) - seimaibuai of 45%. WHY DOES EVERYTHING SMELL LIKE ADZUKI BEANS TODAY???　Definitely sweet on the nose.

Daimon 35 Junmai Daiginjo (大門 35純米大吟醸) - seimaibuai of 35%. This was the sweetest and most sugary. Someone said it was like strawberry shortcake...

Daimon flower yeast sake - a very special brew made in a tiny amount using yeast extracted from the flowers of the pearlbush on the family estate. This came from the tobin as it hasn't been bottled... This was much sweeter on the nose and the palate. Really smooth. Really elegant and beautiful.

Daimon Rikyubai Tokubetsu Honjozo Iwafune (大門利休梅 特別本醸造 磐船) - seimaibuai of 60%. Definitely more alcoholic, more basic and simple. In comparison to the others, this seemed rather crude - which it was meant to be.

70 Biondi-Santi

Dinner at Ta Vie.

2015 Mumm RSRV Blanc de Blancs, dégorgée en Decembre 2022 - got a nice and toasty nose, with a good balance on the palate where the acidity was slightly higher than expected but the wine was still rounded on the palate.

1970 Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva - served without decanting. Initially this was OK but after 20 minutes this was starting to fade in the glass, with a short finish. Nose was fairly woodsy but it wasn't cedar, and there were stewed black fruits. After about 30 minutes the nose was more open with more woodsy fragrance. After 1 hour this was not as good as before, with the acidity higher on the palate and the wine starting to feel a little thin. Not as good as the other bottle I opened 4 years ago.

Full post on dinner is here.

All Aussie

Dinner at Ming Court in Wanchai.

2021 Bellebonne Natalie Fryar Vintage Rose - nose was kinda muted, although some would call it 'pretty'... with a little flint but not too heavy, along with some red fruits.

2023 Silkman Semillon Blackberry Vineyard - nose was big and punchy, with big, powerful flint, more mineral. Lean and thin on the palate, but the acidity came out on the finish and this got grippy at the end.

Chardonnay flight:

2023 Mayer Chardonnay - really big and oaky nose, very punchy. Nutty with coffee and flint. On the palate, though, this was much more muted and mild than expected. Light and with a short finish. The acidity was not high at all, with some lemon.

2022 Place of Changing Winds Larderdark Chardonnay - the nose was big and fragrant, felt more opulent, toasty, nutty, and rich, with some white flowers.

2019 Sorrenberg Chardonnay - this was the most vanilla and buttery, and also flinty.

2020 Tony Bish Zen Chardonnay -this was the one with the most punchy nose, got the biggest toast, with some butter underneath. This was actually mostly lean on the nose, but on the palate it was softer than expected... starting out lean but also a little rounded.

Pinot noir flight:

2024 Dr Mayer Pinot Noir - definitely got that bubblegum nose, and a bit earthy. Lighter than expected.

2022 Place of Changing Winds Pinot Noir Between Two Mountains - this was more minty, with cooler fruit, along with a little farmy notes. Good concentration here and really nice.

2023 Aphelion Rapture - nose was like cherry-flavored cough syrup. Didn't like this. There was a bit of leather and dried herbs which reminded me of some Italian wines.

2023 Aphelion Brini - this had a bigger nose, very minty, and really smelled like cough syrup.

Shiraz flight:

2022 Piggs Peake House of Bricks Shiraz - this was such a classic Aussie shiraz with lots of vanilla, lots of oak, and was just really big and punchy.

2021 Place of Changing Winds Harcourt Syrah - this was more open and fragrant, with really woodsy and cedar notes, and also plenty of juicy fruit.

2012 Torbreck Run Rig - nose was showing plenty of vulcanized rubber and some eucalyptus.

2021 Standish Lamella - really sweet on the nose with dried herbs.

Full post on dinner is here.

Morgassi Superiore

Drinking at home.

Morgassi Superiore Cortesia di Morgassi - very nutty, a little honeydew melon. A little bitter on the palate now, like marmalade that has been aged.

Brochet and Auslese

Dinner at Sheung Shing.

2018 Emmanuel Brochet Le Mont Benoit - lovely nose with plenty of savory minerals. Lighter on the palate and on the refreshing side.

1998 Maximin Grünhauser Abtsberg Auslese Fuder 215, from half-bottle - definitely sweet but also got the acidity, with lovely orange marmalade notes, and some minerals. Good viscosity on the palate, but perhaps a little too oxidized.

Commaraine and Durieux

Drinking at a friend's home.

2022 Domaine de la Commaraine Pommard 1er Cru Clos de la Commaraine - cool fruit, minty, eucalyptus, stemmy, nice leather notes along with plum, good amount of fruit and good concentration. Really fragrant with dried herbs. Lots of sweetness came out after 1½ hours or so, with some caramelized sugar.

2019 Yann Durieux La Tête de Ponts - very fragrant and open, a little more floral, a bit more bongwater, with higher acidity on the palate.

Pélican and friends

Dinner at Fumée in Shenzhen.

Christophe Mignon ADN de Meunier Brut Nature, dégorgée le 20 Mai 2020 - initially this was served much too cold, a common mistake, so there wasn't much showing on the nose except for a little minerals. Got a little better once it warmed up with a little more depth on the palate.

2018 Domaine du Pélican Arbois Grand Curoulet Chardonnay - really big toast on the nose. Also got some notes of coffee. This was soooo nice, so fragrant and beautiful.

2022 Mamaruta Constellations - definitely smelling like bongwater, a little reductive, definitely kinda savory. Later on the toasty notes come out but also kinda like German weißbier on the nose.

2017 Pieropan Recioto di Soave Classico Le Colombare - notes of marmalade, and a little bitter on the palate.

Full post on dinner is here.

Delamotte

Lunch at Ho Hung Kee.

Delamotte Brut - light on the palate and easy to drink.

Full post on the lunch is here.

2020 Cossard Chardonnay

Drinking at home.

2020 Frédéric Cossard Chardonnay - flinty nose with notes of green apple like Granny Smith, with some ripeness on the nose. Acidity on the palate was towards the high side.

Champagne and syrah

Dinner at Peking Hotpot.

2015 Louis Roederer Cristal - nice acidity on the palate. Easy to drink, but not a whole lot of character at this stage.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 161ème Édition, en magnum, ID 113017 - beautifully aged, with classic toasty nose, good depth on palate with lemon and marmalade.

2005 Pax Syrah Kobler Family Vineyard - started drinking about 1 hour and 45 minutes after decanting. The nose was kinda muted now compared to what I know this wine could be, but still showing some fragrant, woodsy notes with good concentration. Nice but not explosive.

Full post on dinner is here.

89 Cos

Drinking at home.

1989 Cos d'Estournel - started drinking 30 minutes after decanting. Very silky smooth on the palate. Smoky nose with some cassis, a bit of leather, some grilled meats, a little wood, and a really nice fragrance. Still got the silky tannins on the finish. A little sharp on the nose after 1 hour, but w hours after decanting this was more elegant and rounded on the nose. Started to get minty some 2½ hours after decanting, with a slight hint of green capsicums. After 3½ hours we've got some fragrant, toasty coffee coming out. Drinking so well right now.

2004 Mordorée CDP

Dinner at La Maison.

2004 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Reine des Bois - lots of leather, animal, a bit of smoke, and cassis. Pretty fragrant on the nose, and sweet on the palate with juicy fruit. Definitely a little rustic on the nose. More than an hour after decanting it became a little more open, and then showed a little bit of farmy notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

40-year old Napa

Dinner at the Fortune Room at the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

2021 Chacra Chardonnay - a little riper on the palate than expected, but there's still decent acidity on the palate and also on the finish.

1984 Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve - plenty of vanilla on the nose, but there was also a hint of dust so not the cleanest. Also got notes of leather, and the fruit seemed lightly stewed. Not bad, but also not so fresh and lively.

1984 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - this was fresher in terms of condition, with plenty of mint, and also a little green pepper like shishito. More concentration on the palate.

Full post on dinner is here.

Peyre Rose and more

Dinner at the Amex Centurion Gala.

Ruinart Blanc de Blancs - decent acidity on the palate, not as bland as I remembered from drinking many bottles. The nose was actually perfumed, and it wasn't even from the room.

2021 Alain Chavy Bourgogne Chardonnay - some elegant toasty notes on the nose, with a bit of lemon. Interesting that it almost smelled like Champagne.

2021 Coudoulet de Beaucastel - initially the nose seemed a little chalky, but this faded and the nose was almost a little floral.

Drinks at Roucou.

2013 Peyre Rose Les Cistes - this was reall fragrant, a little pungent with earthy tones. A little bongwater-like but I loved the sweet and ripe fruit as well as those floral notes. I could still feel the tannins on the palate a little bit. Later on this showed minty and really nice, toasty notes, and something that wasn't quite coffee-like, but this was so nice.

Full post on the evening is here.