French and Spanish

Dinner at Roganic.

Jacques Lassaignes Les Vignes de Montgueux - there was good level of acidity, pretty lean on the palate but still got a little ripeness. However, this is just not the type of Champagne I prefer.

2022 Hiedler Grüner Veltliner Thal - a little green on the nose, and you know it's not a riesling, and in fact smells more like muscat.

2021 Robert-Denogent Pouilly-Fuissé Climat Vieilles Vignes - good acidity on the palate, and more on the lean side, with some lemon citrus on the nose.

2020 Rafael Palacios Val do Bibei As Sortes - this has a nice and toasty nose, with good acidity on the palate.

2012 López de Heredia Reserva Viña Tondonia - this was very fragrant on the nose, with some blueberries that almost started to border on rubber. Nice and ripe on the palate, still got the tannins but there was enough acidity to balance it out. The nose also showed a little bit of savory minerals in the midst of potpourri fragrance.

Domaine des Marnes Blanches Macvin du Jura - this was a little tea-like with notes of jasmine flowers, and also pretty fruity. Very nice and alluring. So happy with this.

Full post on dinner is here.

1995 Corton

Drinking at home.

1995 Hospices de Beaune Corton Cuvée Charlotte Dumay, élevé par Dominique Laurent - decanted 45 minutes after opening, and served more than an hour after opening. This wine is definitely over the peak. Acidity is high as expected, and palate is thin. Some cooked fruit here.

Bought from Christie's for HKD 774.

Trimbach, Brochet, and Matriarch

Dinner at The Chairman.

Emmanuel Brochet Rosé de Saignée - opened 2 hours earlier. The nose was VERY toasty, with red fruits. Very punchy nose. Underneath the toast there was perhaps a hint of bubblegum.

2013 Trimbach Pinot Gris Réserve Personnelle, en magnum - a little hint of plastic on the nose, also a little floral. Good acidity mid-palate and on the finish, but also slightly sweet. There was a hint of marmalade, and a little bitter, too.

2007 BOND Matriarch - started drinking 1 hour and 45 minutes after decanting. Really sweet fruit on the nose, with tons of vanilla and coconut butter. Nice, woodsy notes, too.

Bought from the winery for USD 125(?) plus tax.

Full post on dinner is here.

1940 Pichon and Kistler

Lunch at Rong Rong Yuan in Taipei.

2021 Kistler Chardonnay Sonoma Mountains - profile of the classic Cali chard... got the ripeness but still got acidity on the palate, and that buttery profile.

Dinner at YMS by onefifteen in Taipei.

1940 Pichon-Lalande, rebouché au château en 1991 - started drinking without decanting 10 minutes after opening. Nose was a little stinky and funky at first, showing smoky and woodsy notes. Naturally the acidity was on the high side after 85 years. With a fresh pour ater 50 minutes, this was lighter on the palate now, but the nose was still OK. Almost 2 hours in the nose was showing metallic notes, and the palate got flatter - which was not a surprise. This would be due to both the extended aeration plus the fact that sediment had been stirred up into the wine.

Bought from Altaya for HKD 3,500.

Full post on dinner is here.

2001 Arietta H-Block

Dinner at Izmir Turk Kitchen in Taipei.

2001 Arietta Hudson Vineyard H-Block - served undecanted. Nice sweet fruit like cassis on the nose, a little black plums, with light, woodsy notes. Drinking fine but not amazing.

Bought from the winery for USD 75 plus tax.

Full post on dinner is here.

2020 Angelus and Ygrec

Dinner at Caprice.

2020 Ygrec de Yquem - nose of lemon citrus, honey, with very good acidity to balance the small amount of ripeness on the palate. I could definitely smell the sauvignon blanc in the blend.

Bought from HK Wine Vault for HKD 1,300.

2020 Angelus - drank about 2 hours after decanting. Definitely still a very young and vibrant wine. Very ripe and a little jammy, with prominent notes of forest and potpourri, along with vanilla and mint on the nose. Still needs time to develop, but enjoyable now.

Bought from Altaya for EUR 295.

2014 Yauem, en imperial - lots of polyurethane and saffron, as well as orange and acetone. Soooo lovely and viscous on the palate.

2020 DRC Corton-Charlemagne - good acidity as well as good ripeness, with a little honey on the nose and a bit of polyurethane. This did not smell like a white Burg at all, with none of the buttery and oaky profile. After a little more time, the toasty notes finally came out, along with some flint. When the wine got warmer in the glass, the ripeness became more obvious.

1989 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl Sélection de Grains Nobles - nose of saffron, honey, marmalade, and lovely nutty notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

Legras and BV

Dinner at Locanda.

Legras et Haas Intuition, dégorgée en Octobre 2023 - the nose had a nice and lovely fragrance. The dosage of 6g/l makes this a Brut, but I kinda felt the palate veered towards the sweet side.

1994 Beaulieu Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve - started drinking more than 1½ hours after decanting. Nose was nice and smoky, with pencil lead and black fruits. Very smooth tannins on the palate after 30 years. There was also a hint of earthiness a little later.

Bought as part of a mixed lot from Christies for HKD 938.

Full post on dinner is here.

1982 Cave Privée

Dinner at Sushi Fujimoto.

1982 Veuve Cliquot Cave Privée - the nose was nicely oxidized with savory mineral notes, and also reminded me of Chinese salty lemon. There was good acidity on the palate.

Bouteille 2490/3500, dégorgée en mai 2014

Bought from Sotheby's for HKD 2,800.

Full post on dinner is here.

Laherte and Arietta

Dinner at Medora.

Laherte Rosé de Meunier, dégorgée en Mars 2023 - this always has a good level of acidity in addition to those juicy red fruits.

Bought from Altaya for HKD 460.

2001 Arietta Hudson Vineyard H-Block - started drinking 1 hour and 15 minutes after decanting. Still pretty concentrated on the palate, although the tannins have become softer now. Still got some of the vanilla oak.

Bought from the winery for USD 75 plus tax.

Full post on dinner is here.

2020 Larrivet Haut-Brion Blanc

Drinking at home.

2020 Larrivet Haut-Brion Blanc - fairly big on the nose, with some notes of muscat grapes. A little ripeness on the palate but not too sweet, and still got enough acidity. Later the nose showed some nice and toasty oak, with a little flint.

Bought from HK Wine Vault for HKD 345.

2002 Descendant

Drinking at home.

2002 Torbreck Descendant - started drinking 10 minutes after decanting. Definitely woodsy on the nose, showing very nice fruit in the air while decanting. It's amazing that the tannins were still there on the back end after more than 20 years. The nose showed blueberries and the grape skin. Very fragrant about 45 minutes in.

Bought as part of a mixed case from Christies for HKD 396.