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.

Grower Champagne night

Dinner at Tempura Tenon.

2009 Roses de Jeanne La Haut Lemblé, dégorgée en Avril 2013 - nice notes of lemon on the nose, the toast wasn't too strong, and there was a little flint. Good acidity on the palate, and later on the depth of flavors was quite good, with a little bit of savory minerals.

Gaspard Brochet 333.d, dégorgée 10 Octobre 2023 - there was more savory minerals on the nose, with sharper acidity. Very fragrant nose with red fruits. The palate was leaner and kinda tightens up on the finish.

Jérôme Lefèvre Cuvée Playing with Fire, dégorgée en Fevrier 2022 - this was even more oxidized and savory on the bigger, punchier nose, with more sulfur. More tannins and slightly grippy on the palate, and a little bitter on the finish.

2017 Bourgeois-Diaz Les Justices, dégorgée le 23 Septembre 2022 - this was really savory and oxidized on the nose. The acidity was slightly high but not too harsh.

2019 Legrand-Latour Campanien, dégorgée en Juillet 2023 - definitely reductive nose, and very bongwater with the classic flavor profile. No likey.

2020 Legrand-Latour Éocène, dégorgée en Fevrier 2025 - this, on the other hand, was not bongwater. A bit oxidized, with a good balance of acidity, but the palate was flat and one-dimensional.

Jules Brochet Prémices, dégorgée en Juillet 2024 - HUGE toasty nose, bordering on chewing on a piece of oak. Great if one likes toasty wines.

2019 Jules Brochet Éole, dégorgée en Janvier 2025 - also oaky on the nose, with more minerals. Big and savory on the palate, with good acidity, too.

2013 Brigitte Fallon, dégorgée en Octobre 2021 - nice and toasty on the nose. Lots of depth on the palate, really big and savory like Chinese salted plum, almost a little fermented. Not too lean on the palate and the maturity shows a little.

2019 Aurelién Lurquin Les Traverses, dégorgée le 18 Novembre 2022 - initially served too cold and needed warming up. Nose was a little fermented.

2008 Larmandier-Bernier Premier Cru Terre de Vertus

2004 Robert Dufour The Ballad of the Villages, dégorgée le 9 Mai 2022 - flinty, mineral, and savory on the nose, but also a little beeswax and plastic on the palate.

Full post on dinner is here.