Lunchtime wine pairing

Lunch at Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic.

Billecart Salmon Pic - nice and floral nose. Good acidity on the palate with a little bit of ripeness.

2022 Rudolf Fürst Riesling pur mineral - initially the nose wasn't so open, with notes of flint, minerals, and muscat grapes. Good acidity on the palate and a long finish. I could see how this paired well with the Hokkaido sea urchin.

San Francisco Javier Viña Corrales Fino Pago Balbaina, bottled in 2021 - beautiful oxidized nose with green notes, savory and fragrant, and almost a little waxy at the end. Nice and dry on the palate with umami. Just wonderful with the Comté and vin jaune sauce.

2021 Badenhorst Cinsault Ringmuur - very big and open nose, very fruit forward and juicy, with a hint of smoke. Very light and simple on the palate with a short finish.

2021 Les Bruyères Crozes-Hermitage Rouge - a lighter style, more fruity, with nice notes of forest and dried herbs. Really fragrant with tons of eucalyptus.

Full post on lunch is here.

07 Boekenhoutskloof

Drinks at Grand Cafe.

2022 Cecilia Beretta Grigio Luna Pinot Grigio - flinty nose with some stone fruits.

Dinner at Nikushou.

2007 Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon Franschhoek - drank 15 minutes after decanting. The nose was nice and fragrant, with woodsy, cedar notes. Pretty smoky once the nose opened up, and with a swirl of the glass we had sweet fruit coming out, along with some minty notes. Still got the tannins here, and it's drinking really nicely.

Bought from Watson's for HKD 230.

Full post on dinner is here.

Bubbly and pinots

Dinner at Neighborhood.

2019 Klein Constantia Cap Classique Blanc de Blanc - a little tart on the palate. Not very interesting.

2003 Kistler Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - served 15 minutes after opening without decanting. Pretty fragrant nose with nice notes of leather. A bit more acidic on the palate than expected, with some notes of hawthorne.

Bought from the winery for USD 65.

2013 Albert Morot Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Bataillèrre Aux Vergelesses - a little soapy and floral, with notes of black cherries.

Full post on dinner is here.

2007 Boekenhoutskloof Cab

Drinking at home.

2007 Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon Franschhoek - drank 30 minutes after decanting. Smoky nose with lots of tobacco and cigar smoke. Very fragrant nose with lots of cedar. Just showing really well and drinking beautifully like a claret.

2020 Skerpioen

Drinks at Domaine Wine Cellars.

2020 Sadie Family Skerpioen - flinty and mineral on the nose but with ripeness. Initially served without being chilled so the acidity was still there, and remained grippy on the palate. With aeration this showed more floral notes along with a little tropical notes and acetone. Palate got less grippy and more crisp after chilling.

Wines for Chindian

Dinner at Le Chefeteria.

2012 Parés Baltà Blanca Cuisiné Brut Nature Gran Reserva - nice and toasty nose, with nutty notes that was pretty nice. Not as full on the palate and a little bitter with a short finish. More about the nose than the palate here.

2020 Kanonkop Pinotage Kadette Rosé - a little strawberry with some flint.

2017 Millton 'Crazy by Nature' Cosmo Red - tons of sweet vanilla with forest pine, very fragrant potpourri. Kinda like Côte-Rôtie but somewhat different. Surprising that it wasn't too sweet on the palate in spite of the nose. A nice surprise.

2018 Santa Maria di Gaetano Bertani Pràgal - definitely got that sweet, raisiny nose reminiscent of Amarone. Smoky, and actually smelled of acidity in the nose.

2018 Hans Herzog Marlborough Viognier - couldn't smell the wine much... thanks to it being initially served too cold, then the smell of garlic in the air...

2019 Xanadu Cane Cut Viognier - nice and sweet but still got that fruity acidity, along with pollen and botrytis.

Full post on dinner is here.

Dagueneau and Boekenhoutskloof

Dinner at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in London.

2010 Dagueneau Silex - the first glass I was poured didn't seem fresh, and the staff poured me another glass from a different bottle which was nice and fresh.  Surprisingly ripe and sweet on the nose, almost candied pineapple, a little muscat.  Later the nose was more flinty.  Good acidity on the finish, and a little grippy.

2006 Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon - nice nose of graphite, some ripe fruit, smoke, cedar, and woodsy notes.  A little sweet on the palate.  Drinking well now.

Yamazaki 18 Years - very sweet, and almost honey-like on the nose... with some nashi notes. Not too smoky and peaty, with almost a hint of bee pollen.

Full post on dinner is here.

Palladius and Blanc d'Argile

Dinner at Petrus.

Vouette et Sorbée Blanc d'Argile, dégorgée le 20 Octobre 2016 - good acidity on the palate.

2009 Sadie Family Palladius - pretty ripe and not overripe, with only a hint of bitterness at the end.  A little beeswax on the nose.

Full post on dinner is here.

Keller and Boekenhoutskloof

Drinking at home.

2007 Keller Riesling Limestone - nice residual sugar, a little flinty.

2005 Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon - very alcoholic, smoky, oaky, and earthy.  Still disjointed and needs time to integrate.

Boekenhoutskloof Syrah

Drinking at home.

2006 Boekenhoutskloof Syrah - black fruits, smoky, cedar, lovely fragrance.  Good acidity here but still tannic.

2005 Anwilka

Drinking at home.

2005 Anwilka Stellenbosch - alcoholic, a little stinky, smoky.  Still tannic.

Selbach, Monbousquet, Boekenhoutskloof

Drinking at home.

2006 Selbach Riesling Kabinett "Fish" - big nose of petrol and polyurethane, white flowers, and flint.  Aged quite nicely.

2005 Boekenhoutskloof Semillon - initially nice and caramelized nose, a little marzipan.  But ultimately overripe, hot and alcoholic on the palate.  Not enjoyable.

2005 Monbousquet - ripe and sweet fruit, fragrant, lovely nose.  Smoky, plenty of cedar wood, and eventually coffee notes.  A beautiful wine.

Boekenhoutskloof Syrah

Drinking at home.

2005 Boekenhoutskloof Syrah - served 40 minutes after opening.  A little hot and alcoholic, but still reasonably sweet, with a hint of dustiness on the nose.  After 1 hour the pungency faded a little, and the nose softened up a little.  Sweet, ripe fruit, with some dried herbs and woodsy notes.

Leflaive, Cos and Sadie

Dinner at On Lot 10.

2003 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles en magnum - familiar nose of toasty oak, very nice on the nose.  Slightly flat on palate at first, with some sweet ripeness but short finish.  Relatively thick and viscous in texture, rounded on the palate.  Pretty enjoyable wine.

1996 Les Pagodes de Cos - smoky, minty, a little earthy, a little brett, pencil lead.  Drinking exactly as it's supposed to.

2012 Sadie Family 'T Voetpad - a very interesting blend of Semillon, Palomino, Chenin Blanc and Muscat de Alexandrie, from old vines planted between 1900 and 1928.  Cleaner and leaner on the palate, with lemon citrus and good minerality.

Full post on dinner is here.

Graff and Ygay

Dinner at Fook Lam Moon in Hong Kong.

2009 Delaire Graff Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - very young and tannic.  Nose of dried herbs and black fruits.  Infanticide.

1970 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial from magnum - opened an hour before dinner and decanted for 30 mins before serving.  Nose was already open and fragrant, minty, sweet, a little savory, a little wood.  Slightly acidic on palate, as expected.  Not much tannin left.

2007 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Art Series - ripe on the nose, with plenty of toasty oak.  Buttery.

A Chocolate Block

Lunch at Froggie's.

2006 Domaine A Pinot Noir - nose of grilled meats, mint and kinda alcoholic.  Sweet on the palate, and worked well with the cheese and jamon.

2009 Boekenhoutskloof The Chocolate Block - I've never had this wine and was kinda blown away by it.  An eclectic mix of Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Viognier.  The nose reminds me of Côte-Rôtie thanks to the Syrah plus Viognier.  Smoky, grilled meats, alcoholic, floral, sweet and yes, chocolate!  Very nice!

Full post on lunch is here.