2017 Stephan

Dinner at Chouchou.

2017 Stephan Côte-Rôtie - lots of fragrant mint and eucalyptus. Definitely meaty. After more than an hour, the nose was still pretty fragrant.

Full post on dinner 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.

Christie's tasting

Christie's pre-auctin dinner at the Hong Kong Club.

Jacquesson Cuvée N°748, dégorgée en Mars 2025 - this was actually very floral and elegant, with a nice little yeasty nose.

First flight:

2010 Chapoutier Ermitage Le Méal Blanc - the nose was waxy, very ripe and definitely on the bitter side. This was more expressive and open on the nose, more opulent, but the palate was kinda boring.

2016 Chave Hermitage Blanc - there was also some bitterness on the palate, but the nose was much more fresh, with flinty and citrus notes, but leaner on the nose. More than 2½ hours after opening, the nose was becoming buttery.

Second flight:

1989 La Mission Haut-Brion - this was so, soooo beautiful! Big nose of tobacco, smoke, nice fruit but so elegant, so fragrant. Plummy on the nose but without the cooked fruit or the acidity on the palate. This was still so lively at its age, showing the beauty of the vintage. What a stunning wine, and certainly my favorite tonight.

1982 Léoville-Las Cases - this was clearly more mature, more ripe on the nose with sweeter fruit. This was so interesting, and we've got green capsicum... which wasn't a surprise. The wine was silky smooth on the palate, but the finish wasn't very long. The nose also showed some smoke and grilled meats, and 2½ hours after opening, the nose got even more smoky.

2001 Dominus - pretty minty, and very much sweeter on the palate.

Third flight:

2015 Chave Hermitage Rouge - this was still very young, and still showing lots of metallic and iron notes on the nose, and also very sweet. Then it became a bit grassy on the nose, and of course it was still kinda tannic on the palate.

1995 Chave Hermitage Rouge - this was sooooo nice, so beautiful. with classic notes of bacon and game meat. On the palate this was so fragrant and complex, with potpourri and herbs. Surprisingly, more than 3 hours after opening this kinda fell off a cliff.

2015 Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque - this was much riper compared to the Chave, very sweet, with big nose of potpourri and herbs. Kinda hot and alcoholic on the palate. This became so, so nice after more than 2 hours as coffee and caramel notes developed.

Fourth flight:

2001 Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin - this was really nice and open, especially as it was sweeter on the nose than expected, and there was that bacon... So fragrant but still had the signature barnyard notes, although not strong and offensive, and definitely got a little brett. Still so nice, though.

2003 Pierre Usseglio Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de Mon Aïeul - this was definitely overripe, and started to remind me of cough syrup with its alcoholic profile, and stewed prunes on the palate. Really, really sweet and jammy.

1990 Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin - this was such a big wine with that signature barnyard nose, soooo bretty, and pretty savory. Not my thing.

Fifth flight:

2007 Sandrone Barolo Le Vigne - kinda fragrant and woodsy, pretty fragrant, minty, with lots of dried herbs.

2004 Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Monprivato Cà d'Morissio Riserva - there was still a little hint of sharpness on the nose. Weakest of the trio in this lineup.

2003 Gaja Barbaresco - nice and fragrant. OK lah...

Full post on dinner is here.

Stephan Les Binardes

Drinking at home.

2018 Maison Stephan Côte-Rôtie Les Binardes - lovely nose of leather, fragrant wood, and very ripe fruit. Love the after palate with that bacon fat. The alcohol was still sharp on the nose, and the wine was hot going down the back of the throat. The wine also showed plenty of floral notes like lavender, and I enjoyed how ripe and sweet this was. But in reality the wine was just too young and still rough around the edges.

Rasteau and Côte-Rôtie

Dinner at Chouchou.

2008 Gourt de Mautens Rasteau - popped and poured. Pretty nice and floral on the palate, and a little soapy. There was also a hint of funkiness, but pretty enjoyable.

2006 Jean-Michel Stephan Côte-Rôtie Côteaux de Tupin - started drinking more than 1½ hours after opening. This was definitely showing very well, with plenty of fragrant, woodsy notes. Drinking beautifully, and exactly how I was hoping it would be.

Full post on dinner is here.

La Mouline and Mortet

Dinner at Caprice.

2019 Lemaire Les Terres Jaunes, dégorgée en Mars 2022 - seemed to have some age on it, pretty nice and smooth on the palate, but maybe a little less lively. Nose was a little caramelized but not too heavily. Later on the palate improved, became a little grippy and lean.

1993 Fiorano Bianco - this was pretty oxidized and the color was fairly dark. There was a little flint on the nose, and there were some notes of straw, but pretty flat and boring on the palate.

1998 Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin Combe-du-Dessus - started serving some 2½ hours after opening without decanting. Still got that toasty popcorn on the nose, very fragrant and floral. So lovely now and a pleasure to drink.

1995 Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline - started serving around 3 hours after opening without decanting. Got that eucalyptus and bacon on the nose, with a hint of toast, and even some pencil lead along with some cool fruit. Drinking really nicely now. About 4½ hours after opening this was really beautiful, and the violet notes really came out after dessert.

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.

90 Montrose and friends

Dinner at Flower Drum.

2020 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc - nose of green apple and muscat. Drinking well with a little ripeness to balance the acidity.

Bought from Altaya for EUR 112.

1981 Guigal La Landonne - all sediment poured into decanter. Started drinking around 40 minutes after decanting. Kinda meh. With the char siu the after taste was pretty metallic and a little funky. Got better after 1 hour in the decanter, and now I could smell the acidity, and the acidity also started to show on the palate. Still got sweet fruits like plum on the nose. After 1½ hours the nose was now better than the palate. Just kinda disappointing.

Bought from Sotheby's for GBP 195.

1990 Montrose - all sediment poured into decanter. A little bretty just after decanting. Started drinking about 1 hour and 45 minutes after decanting. Very lively. Around the 2-hour mark the nose was very smoky, showing lots of tobacco, leather, mineral and savory notes. Really nice and fragrant. Maybe not performing as a 100-point wine tonight but very delicious nonetheless.

Full post on dinner is here.

Bongwater night

Dinner at Neighborhood.

2005 Inflorescence La Parcelle Côte de Béchalin, dégorgée en avril 2012 - the nose was really nice and toasty, very fragrant with nice notes of marmalade, toasty corn, and amazingly very nice and perfumed with floral notes.

2020 Nicolas Joly Clos de la Coulée de Serrant - still flinty on the nose but more ripe on the palate thanks to the grapes being harvested late.

Bought from Pillariwine for HKD 748.

2008 Jean-François Ganevat Cuvée Prestige - the nose was really oxidative, very savory on the nose, very much like the vin jaune from Jura.

Bought from Andromeda for HKD 680.

2020 Frédéric Cossard Skin-Contact "Rafling" - the color was orange and cloudy. Very ripe on the palate, more like a cider than wine with the tannins and the mouthfeel. Good depth on the palate and plenty of acidity.

2009 Hospices de Beaune Corton-Clos du Roi Cuvée Baronne du Bay, elevé et mis en bouteille par Lucien Le Moine pour El Bulli, en magnum - started drinking about 2 hours after decanting. Drinking really nicely now with some vanilla oak, so, sooo sweet that I could have taken it for a Californian pinot, with lots of coconut butter, too. Also blueberries. Tannins were still here on the palate. A lovely wine.

Bought from Sotheby's for HKD 1,838.

2013 Jean-Michel Stephan Côte-Rôtie Côteaux de Tupin, en magnum - started drinking about 2½ hours after decanting. Meaty and leather notes on the nose. The wine then really opened up some 3 hours after decanting, and became soooo floral with lots of violet. Beautiful!

Bought from Midfield for HKD 2,300.

Full post on dinner is here.