MNSC - Country Club

MNSC dinner at the Grill Room of Hong Kong Country Club.

1996 Salon - more lemon citrus than mature marmalade. This was much fresher, more elegant. The acidity came out strong on the second sip, which was just as expected.

1996 Moët et Chandon Cuvée Dom Pérignon - very nice and toasty nose. Good acidity on the palate together with nice maturity, and this was drinking very nicely. Not surprisingly this was the more forward of the pair.

First flight: served 1½ hours after opening without decanting.

2001 Georges Roumier Chambolle-Musigny - this was a little dusty but also had the toasty popcorn on the nose. Farmy with some sweetness later. 95 points.

2002 Georges Roumier Chambolle-Musigny - nose of leather, and clearly more rustic. 95 points.

2003 Georges Roumier Chambolle-Musigny - nice sweet red fruits on the nose. Pretty soft. 94 points.

Second Flight: served after 2½ hours in the decanter.

1994 Beaucastel Hommage a Jacques Perrin - this was the more bretty of the two. But surprisingly I preferred it. 96 points.

1995 Beaucastel Hommage a Jacques Perrin - nice and smoky. So classic. 95 points.

Third Flight: served after 3½ hours in the decanter.

1999 Beaucastel Hommage a Jacques Perrin - this was very oxidized and very ripe. 95 points.

2000 Beaucastel Hommage a Jacques Perrin - this was sooo beautiful, with a sweetness that included some grassy notes. Smoky and meaty, too... and then a bit floral about 20 minutes later. 99 points.

2001 Beaucastel Hommage a Jacques Perrin - the nose had plenty of coconut butter, with good ripe fruit but not quite jammy. A great wine with good concentration. Almost a bit of Chinese medicine and minty. 97 points.

Full post on dinner is here.

Chave and friends

Dinner at Hiyama.

1988 Chave Hermitage Blanc - started drinking around 30 minutes after opening. The nose was initially kinda closed and showed some marmalade and a little beeswax. The second pour some 20 minutes later was pretty cold, and this showed that the wine was weak and short on the palate. The last pour was drunk more than 5½ hours after opening. By now the nose was really open, showing apricot in addition to the marmalade and beeswax. Unfortunately it remained short on the palate.

1999 Chave Hermitage Rouge - started drinking more than 1½ hours after opening without decanting. The nose was kinda nice but felt a little muted. Showing some leather, plum, and a bit of acidity. Some 3 hours after opening this was very nice and fragrant, with woodsy notes.

Drinking at home.

2016 Château de la Gardine L’Immortelle - started drinking some 2½ hours after decanting into the Daniel Ricciardo shoey decanter. The first pour was very muted, almost not showing anything on the nose. After a few minutes in the glass this got a bit funky and stinky, which was actually a bit better. Another hour later the nose yielded some stewed prunes. Was this still tight and needed more time?

1990 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - started drinking 15 minutes after decanting. This was really nice and smoky, showing grilled meats, pencil lead/graphite, and tobacco. Reminds me of a Pauillac.

Full post on the evening is here.

Champagne, Burg, and Rôtie

Dinner at Wing.

La Closerie Grand Cru - the nose was nice and toasty, and showing some notes of straw. The wine had really good depth on the palate, with good acidity but not too lean. This was beautiful.

1995 Krug Collection, N°534 - pretty nice with lots of vanilla on the nose. Also lovely marmalade on the nose thanks to a good amount of age, which has made it very elegant but still retained freshness. The acidity was on the high side and almost a little grippy on the palate.

2023 Dugat-Py Bâtard-Montrachet - the nose was like those banana rolls I grew up eating. This was definitely fruity and sweet on the nose, almost like bubblegum... with only a hint of toasty popcorn. Definitely got that classic sweet and buttery feel on the palate. Later on the nose also turned a little flinty.

2005 Georges Mugneret Clos-Vougeot - lovely nose of eucalyptus and mint, a little oak, with lovely fruit like black cherries and a bit of smoked meat. Still a pretty big wine with plenty of tannins on the palate.

2020 Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Clos-Vougeot - served around 4 hours after opening. This was much more closed, but showing some sweet fruit like blueberries. Pretty nice and open after another 1½ hours and beyond.

1999 Guigal La Turque - tasted about 45 minutes after opening without decanting. This was really fragrant with tons of coconut butter, which was pretty surprising. Stoppered for about 1½ to prevent the wine from over-breathing, but unfortunately it became muted even with the cork stuck back in. I blame this on the restaurant sommelier insisting to pair this wine with the goose dish, but actually serving this only after the dish had been served.

Bought from Bordeaux Index for GBP 300.

1995 Comte de Vogüé Musigny - served more than 5 hours after opening. There was a little toast and some eucalyptus on the nose.

Full post on dinner is here.

99 Dead Arm

Drinking at home.

1999 d'Arenberg The Dead Arm - started drinking 5 minutes after decanting. First whiff showed very sharp alcohol on the nose, along with very, very ripe fruit like cassis and stewed prunes. This all melded well with fragrant woodsy notes, and was so lovely in the mouth. The acidity was slightly on the high side now. About 30 minutes in the nose was showing more vanilla, and the palate got sweeter. About 2 hours in the nose got a little minty. To be honest this wine is now a little bit past its peak, but still very enjoyable to drink.

Bought from Wine Cave for HKD 557.

Penfolds and Wendouree

Dinner at Neighborhood.

1999 Howard Park Chardonnay - this was really nice and buttery. Ripe on the palate but still got a good amount of acidity, with a little bit of bitterness on the finish. Drinking so well now.

1996 Wendouree Shiraz Mablec - the nose was so fragrant, a bit smoky, with exotic spices like anise. Very nice and soft on the palate now, very silky, and not at all diluted or weak. So happy I got a chance to taste this.

1981 Penfolds Grange - started drinking 1½ hours after opening without decanting. This has opened up nicely, showing the coconut butter along with oak, leather, and gamey notes. So classic. Drinking so well at 45 years of age.

2002 Penfolds Bin 707 - started drinking more than 2 hours after opening without decanting. There was a slight hint of metallic nose, sweet fruit, some green capsicum, and a hint of savory notes. Very nice and smooth on the palate.

1996 d'Arenberg Riesling The Noble, from half-bottle - classic honey, honeydew melon, marmalade, saffron, orange blossom, and even a hint of coconut butter.

Full post on dinner is here.

Grange and Jubilation

Dinner at Yong Fu.

2017 Darviot-Perrin Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières - this was initially served too cold and needed a little warming up with the hands. There was good ripeness on the palate, with lemon citrus, and also got those flint and toasty notes, but thankfully not too heavy.

1991 Penfolds Grange - this was opened prior to arriving at the restaurant. Showing that classic coconut butter and jammy nose. With aging this has developed tertiary notes on the nose, and was now so fragrant with spices and this lingered in the mouth. Also prunes but not unpleasant nor too acidic on the palate. Finally showing some notes which reminded me of hawthorn. Drinking nicely.

2004 Colgin Jubilation - started drinking after 1½ hours in the decanter. This was much riper and much sweeter on the nose as well as palate. Pretty fragrant on the nose, and so soft on the palate now... but not diluted or weak. Pretty elegant and feminine.

Bought from Winebid for USD 284.

1999 Hugel Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles, en demi-bouteille - the nose was so floral, so much lychee, so much honey here... and definitely nutty, too.

Bought from Hong Kong Wine Vault for HKD 495.

Full post on dinner is here.

Wines with UNO

Drinking at a friend's home.

2015 Maison Leroy Bourgogne - tasted a couple of hours after aerating. Nice and fruity, jammy, and a little plummy.

2005 Kongsgaard Syrah - drank almost 2½ hours after opening. Very ripe, sweet, and jammy on the nose. Lovely nose of leather and mint. Sooooo fragrant. Fantastic!

Bought from the winery for USD 150 plus tax.

1999 Avignonesi Vin Santo di Montepulciano Occhio di Pernice - this was really thick and viscous, like pouring syrup into a glass. Nose showing smoky, nutty, honey, and medjool dates. Lovely.

2019 Méo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Chaumes - a little pungent on the nose, with some exotic spices.

La Turque vertical

Dinner at Nine One.

2019 Georges Vernay Condrieu Coteau de Vernon - very floral and pretty ripe on the nose, plenty of lychees just like viognier. A little flinty, too.

2018 Clos Saint-Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc - started out pretty soft and ripe on the palate, but later the palate became really ripe.

First pair:

2000 Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque - started drinking about 1 hour after opening without decanting. Pretty soft on the palate now. This was pretty muted, so while it was OK it wasn't the classic La Turque I would have wanted.

2001 Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque - started drinking about 30 minutes after opening without decanting. A little smoke on the nose, and the acidity was higher than the 2000. About 1½ hours after opening some savory notes started to appear on the nose.

Second pair:

1998 Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque - started drinking almost 2½ hours after opening without decanting. Some grilled meats.

2006 Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque - started drinking nearly 2 hours after opening without decanting. The nose showed a little smoke and grilled meats, a hint of savory notes, and ripe fruits like cassis. Some half hour later the wine was showing a nice level of ripeness, but also started to reveal some stewed fruits.

Third pair:

1991 Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque - started drinking a little more than 2 hours after opening without decanting. Very smooth on the palate now. Finally, a beautiful bottle of wine showing the classic floral notes along with bacon fat, and lovely sweet fruit.

1999 Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque - started drinking around 3 hours after opening without decanting. The nose was a little smoky with a hint of chalk, along with some ripe fruits, which was nice.

Bought from Bordeaux Index for GBP 300.

Full post on dinner is here.