2005 Pax Kobler

Drinking at home.

2005 Pax Syrah Kobler Family Vineyard - started drinking 25 minutes after decanting. Very, very jammy, ripe, and sweet on the nose. Medium acidity on the palate, balanced by the sweetness that still remained. Still full-bodied and the tannins were kinda there. A little metallic on the nose. Almost 1 hour in this was soooo fragrant and woodsy. So nice!

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.

Big bottles for birthdays

Dinner at Kiu's Kitchen.

2008 Dom Pérignon, en magnum - this was pretty classic, and already kinda ripe and rounded given some years of aging.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 170ème Édition, ID 221034 - surprisingly the nose was not too tasty, and given I haven't tasted thie edition for a couple of years, I was surprised that acidity here was higher than that from the Dom, although thankfully not to a level that felt sharp.

2021 Catena Zapata Chardonnay White Stones Adrianna Vineyard - crisp with good acidity on the palate and a long finish. Pretty nice.

2008 Bergström Pinot Noir de Lancellotti Vineyard, from magnum - the nose was very open and fragrant, with good hit of fruit like dark blueberries, along with some sweet vanilla oak. Very enjoyable.

2005 Marqués de Riscal Gran Reserva - lots of mint and eucalyptus on the nose, almost menthol, and very sweet and ripe on the nose. There was also tons of oak as well as some smoke.

2004 Peter Michael Les Pavots, from magnum - this was very ripe with lots of nice fruit, also minty and very fragrant with cedar notes. Still got some tannins on the palate after more than 20 years. Drinking well.

1996 Silver Oak Alexander Valley, from magnum - this was more smoky than Les Pavots, and also riper with more fruit and got that coconut butter. Drinking very nicely.

Bought as part of a mixed lot from Christie's for HKD 1,608.

2016 Pahlmeyer - still a little young and slightly punchy.

2022 Louis Latour Chassagne-Montrachet

1990 Climens - tons of saffron on the nose along with acetone, classic marmalade, apricot, and pretty nutty. Very sweet on the palate.

Full post on dinner is here.

2005 Grand-Puy-Lacoste

Dinner at GYU+bar by miyoshi.

2005 Grand-Puy-Lacoste - classic Pauillac nose with smoky and earthy notes, and still got the core of sweet fruit like cassis without being too ripe and jammy. Some 40 minutes after decanting the wine was working so well with the char shu. the aromatics were so lovely with notes of cedar. This wine was just drinking beautifully.

Bought from Christies for HKD 3,646.

Full post on dinner is here.

MNSC dinner - Roganic

MNSC dinner at Roganic, hosted by Lord Rayas.

2020 Dominio del Águila Albillo Viña Viejas - good acidity on the palate. Nice, toasty, and flinty on the nose, a bit like savagnin, a bit reductive on the nose. There was some ripeness on the nose but still more flinty and lean.

First flight:

2022 Dugat-Py Gevrey-Chambertin Les Evocelles Très Vieilles Vignes - opened 4 hours before serving. Really ripe on the nose with red fruits, a little forest, and pretty sweet. There was also a hint of leather as well as some metal. Nice strawberry notes, too. 96 points.

2022 William Kelley Beaune 1er Cru Les Chouacheaux - served without decanting 5 hours after opening. The nose was more metallic, but curiously a little bit of osmanthus flowers? Sharper on the nose and seemed younger. Loads of black cherries. 96.5 points.

Second flight:

1983 Lafleur - served without decanting 6½ hours after opening. Very lovely and fragrant at first, but the nose suddenly became very muted. A little minty and a little orange. 95 points.

1986 Lafleur - aired for 30 minutes before being stoppered and vacuum pumped. Allowed to breathe again 2 hours later for another 3½ hours before serving. A little sweet grass and wet cardboard on the nose on top of the fruit. 93 points.

Third flight:

2005 Rayas Rouge - decanted 7 hours prior to serving, and double-decanted back to the bottle after 1½ hours. Very funky and farmy. 95 points.

2005 Pignan - served without decanting 7 hours after opening. The nose was very fragrant with gamey leather notes. A little soapy almost. Sweet on the palate. 98 points.

Full post on dinner is here.

SQN and friends

Dinner at Caprice.

2015 Vincent Dancer Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières - started drinking some 3 hours after opening. This was sooo beautiful! There was a nice balanced level of toast on the nose, which wasn't too big and heavy but just right. Nice and buttery with a dose of lemon citrus and minerals. There was acidity on the palate, but once again it was nicely balanced with ripeness. What a wine!

2001 Sine Qua Non Albino - the nose was nice and floral, with lots of honey, marmalade, and some straw. Very ripe both on the nose and on the palate, but a little hot and alcoholic on the palate. A really lovely wine.

2006 Hundred Acre Ark Vineyard - decanted some 30 minutes after opening, and started drinking a little more than 1 hour after opening. Minty, a bit earthy, and actually a little savory on the nose. Definitely showing cool fruit, and surprisingly not as jammy as expected. Really opened up after 2 hours, and showing smoky notes, too. Delicious.

2005 Sine Qua Non Atlantis Fe₂O₃ Syrah 1c - decanted around 1½ hours after opening, and started drinking more than an hour after decanting. A bit smoky on the nose, and there was almost a hint of brett. Savory and a bit stinky on the nose. Pretty smooth and drinking well, but this was one of the least SQN reds I remember drinking. Totally lacking the typical punchy character and jammy fruit, and leaning more towards a French syrah.

1955 Toro Albalá Don PX Convento Selección, bottle 004, from imperial - this was so complex with lots of spices and herbs on the nose. Viscous texture and sweet on the palate.

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.

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.

Pinots for mushroom

Dinner at Neighborhood.

2009 Dom Pérignon Rosé - very nice nose of strawberries, nice and toasty, so refreshing.

Kamoshibito Kuheiji Inoné 5 Stars (醸し人九平次 いのね 5つ星), 2022 - this had a HUGE nose, really rich in starchy rice and very sweet. The attack was fresh and fruity but there is much more depth mid-palate and turns a bit dry on the finish. Really good shit.

2018 Gonet-Médeville Ambonnay Cuvée Athénaïs, en magnum - started drinking some 50 minutes after opening. Really nice and fruity on the nose, with eucalyptus, pine needles, and a bit of woodsy fragrance.

2005 Faiveley Mazis-Chambertin - started drnking about 2 hours after opening. Nose of leather with a bit of funk, maybe a little sulfur.

Bought as part of a mixed lot from Sotheby's for HKD 827.

2004 Kistler Pinot Noir Cuvée Catherine - first tasted just before we got to 2 hours after opening. Surprisingly big and toasty nose. Obviously the fruit was very sweet and ripe. Still going strong after another half-hour. This was fairly different from the two previous bottles I had opened in the past, and this was much more masculine and in-your-face, without the elegance I was expecting.

Full post on dinner is here.