Magnums and Don PX

Dinner at Caprice.

Henri Giraud Fût de Chêne MV10, en magnum, dégorgée le 18 Novembre 2016 - a light perfume fragrance with lemon notes on the nose. Ater some aging, this was now softer on the palate but still got the acidity.

2011 Ponsot Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos des Monts Luisants Pressée du Centenaire, en magnum n°562 - served 1½ hours after opening. Not too ripe on the palate, and still got a good level of acidity. On the nose one could tell there is some age on the wine, as it showed caramelized sugar along with straw.

2011 Joseph Drouhin Chambertin Clos de Beze, en magnum - served some 2 hours after opening. Very nice and fragrant, with eucalyptus along with black cherries.

2003 Henri Bonneau Cuvée Marie Beurrier, en magnum n°222 - nose was showing nice leather and woodsy notes. Surprisingly savory on the palate, and almost a little bretty. Still kinda tannic.

1946 Toro Albalá Don PX Convento, botella N.534 - the nose was so fragrant and complex. Very sweet on the palate, with honey, prunes, and spices. Really ripe and rich. I absolutely love this wine!

Full post on dinner is here.

Krug and friends

Dinner at Deng G.

Elise Bougy Chetillon de Haut, dégorgée en Decembre 2023 - the nose was pretty fragrant at first, then got more toasty with time. Crisp on the palate with pretty high acidity thanks to being blanc de blancs. Drinking nicely.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 170ème Édition, ID 221035 - the acidity on the palate was higher than expected. The nose still got those toasty notes, but not the brioche profile I love so much. The palate was on the lean side, and not as rich as I normally love. After about 20 minutes, the palate had softened up a little.

Bought from MHD for HKD 1,660.

2021 Camille Thiriet Bourgogne-Aligoté du Jardin - this was a little mild on the palate at first, and in fact bland and boring. Nose showed a little toast but not much more interesting than that.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 172ème Édition, ID 123003 - toast nose, and the palate wasn't so acidic.

1994 Maximin Grünhaüser Abtsberg Riesling Auslese - lots of vanilla and marzipan on the nose at first, which was a surprise. Got the marmalade, too, after 30 years. This was ripe and rounded on the palate, but the acidity was high enough to balance it. The sweetness was nice enough to temper the heat in Sichuan cuisine.

Bought from Mayfair as part of a mixed lot for HKD 316.

2018 Wine Spots Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville - really ripe and sweet on the nose, with mint and spices, very fragrant.

Full post on dinner is here.

Free corkage for 5

Dinner at Sagrantino. Going for the last time.

2003 Pazo de Señorâns Selección de Añada - surprisingly nice acidity after all these years. The nose was nice showing how it developed with age, without showing oxidation or caramelization. There was a nice fragrance with toasty oak and notes of honey along with some ripeness. The acidity on the palate, though, was still there with some tartness on the finish. After about 2 hours the wine showed some metallic notes on the nose.

Bought from Links for HKD 488.

2022 Les Fauvettes De l'Aube à l'Aube - this was definitely bongwater. Nose of ripe and sweet strawberries, a little farmy and bretty but on the sweet side, not really savory. Later on we also had blueberries on the nose.

1970 Penfolds Dalwood Hermitage - started drinking around 1 hour after opening. Nose was very savory as expected, a little bretty, animal, with plenty of soy sauce. About 3 hours in this was so, so bretty.

Laherte Les Longue Voyes, dégorgée en Decembre 2021 - nice and caramelized on the nose.

Bought from Altaya for HKD 555.

2019 Chanterêves Bourgogne Aligoté Les Chagniots - toasty nose with some ripeness. There was some acidity on the palate along with buttery notes.

Chave and Stephan

Lunch at Flower Drum.

1989 Maximin Grünhaüser Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese - right away we have nose of white flowers. The palate was initially soft and gentle, but with good amount of acidity on the back. There was also a little bit of caramelized sugar as the wine opened up. Delicious.

Bought from Mayfair as part of a mixed lot for HKD 316.

2008 Jean-Michel Stephan Côte-Rôtie - decanted 30 minutes after opening and started drinking 45 minutes after opening. On the nose there were some sweet fruits, a bit of leather, with a lovely floral nose showing violets. The nose was almost Burgundian and alluring. Around 1½ hours after opening, the wine was drinking really nicely.

Bought from Midfield for HKD 850.

2013 Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage - decanted around 2 hours after opening and started drinking around 2½ hours after opening. This was a much bigger wine, with much more concentration. Notes of grilled meats, and definitely a little bretty. Showing earthy notes some 3½ hours after opening.

2020 Marthe Henry Boillot Bourgogne Aligoté - toasty notes on the nose. Definitely tart and grippy on the palate, with acidity on the high side but not too sharp. Definitely an aligoté.

Full post on dinner is here.

Le Chêne Saint-Etienne and more

Dinner at Arbor.

R.H.Coutier Cuvée Henri III, dégorgée en Janvier 2024 - yeast nose that was nice and caramelized.

François Rousset-Martin Aligoté Aligatõ, vintage unknown - big toasty notes on the nose, reductive and definitely smelled like a natural wine, and for sure this was aligoté. Very soft on the palate at first but then comes the grippy acidity. After a while this was surprising as it was a bit buttery on the nose the way a white Burg would be.

2003 Henri Bourgeois Sancerre Le Chêne Saint-Etienne - a very interesting wine. Very minty on the nose, and in that sense this seemed more like a cab franc from Loire. Pretty smooth on the palate now, but the nose was much more gamey, animal, and leather.

Full account of dinner is here.

White wines for Chinese

Dinner at Wing.

2002 Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill - I didn't get much from the nose, which was disappointing, but this had a beautiful palate. Still young and vibrant, not too oxidized given the age, and well-integrated on the palate.

Henri Giraud Fût de Chêne MV10, en magnum, dégorgée le 18 novembre 2016 - nose was really open, with a very nice mousse. Very fresh and lively. Drinking so well.

2011 Maison Leroy Bourgogne Aligoté - really, really big nose of toast. A bit heavy and pungent.

2019 De Montille Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières - nice and toasty nose, very classic, very buttery and creamy.

2019 Penfolds Yattarna - even bigger toasty nose, much more intense. A little bit of ripeness and buttery on the palate, but the acidity was still here. Still young.

Full post on dinner is here.

2018 Remoriquet Aligoté

Dinner at Vivant.

2018 Remoriquet Bourgogne Aligoté - on the lean and skinny side, some flint and mineral on the nose. Initially softer on the palate without much acidity, but this became more prominent. After an hour some ripeness and acetone showed up on the nose.

MNSC dinner - Woo Cheong

MNSC dinner at Woo Cheong Tea House.  Pineapple hosting.

1986 Ponsot Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Monts-Luisants Vieilles Vignes - so toasty, with a little coffee, beautiful and buttery nose. Palate was still dry and acidic.

First flight: served some 2½ hours after opening without decanting.

1976 Robert Chevillon Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Saint-Georges - a bit smoky, acidity was pretty high. 91 points.

1976 Robert Arnoux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots - a hint of smoke at first. Around 3 hours after opening this started to open up and showed toasty, cedar, and woodsy notes. 95 points.

1976 Bouchard Musigny - much riper, acidity was very high. Almost showing a little coconut butter. 94 points.

Second flight: served 4 hours after opening without decanting.

1976 Ausone - classic claret with a bit of smoke on the nose. 93 points.

1976 Lafite-Rothschild - some exotic spices, sweeter and more ripe. 94 points.

Third flight: served 4½ hours after opening without decanting.

1976 Henri Jayer Richebourg - this was off and the nose was maderized, with savory notes and clear oxidation. What a shame!

1976 Henri Bonneau Réserve des Célestins - pretty open, toasty and very minty. 93 points.

Full post on dinner is here.