La Rioja Alta and Bouchard

Gaggan Tirreti Bazaar at Red Sugar in Kerry Hotel.

Henriot Brut Souverain - this was rounded on the palate with good acidity balance.

2023 Chapoutier Condrieu Invitare - sooo floral as expected, and as with Condrieu these days, incredibly ripe and sweet on the nose as well as the palate.

2017 Bouchard Beaune 1er Cru Clos de la Mousse - lots of ripe fruit and plenty of sweetness on the nose, but this was a little like old school bubble gum...

2016 La Rioja Alta Viña Arana Gran Reserva - the nose was so fragrant and so woodsy. Sweet with a little coconut butter underneath the woodsy notes. A bit smoky, too. Very nice.

2021 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese - classic nose of petrol and white flowers. Just enough sweetness to make me happy.

Full post on dinner is here.

Krug and Huadiao

Dinner at a friend's place.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 162ème Édition, ID 414082 - started drinking after the wine has been open for more than 1 hour. Really lovely nose of Chinese salted plum. Initially this was served a little too cold, and the nose also showed a little minerality like Anjou pear. The acidity on the palate went up after the wine warmed up.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 4th generation, en demi-bouteille - the nose was much more salty with lots of minerals. Good acidity on the palate, and so very complex. Drinking very well now.

Bought from Sotheby's for HKD 573.

2013 Guigal Condrieu La Doriane - still got the floral notes with some flint and a bit of almond. Sipping after a taste of caviar really brought out oxidative flavors, and this became sweet but slightly bitter.

Wing Lee Wai 30 Year Huadiao (永利威三十年花雕) - very fragrant on the nose with both sweet and savory notes, nice and complex, sweeter and richer on the palate, but the finish wasn't very long.

ManSong Special Edition Light Huangjiu (慢宋•珍藏 清爽型黃酒) - the nose was more oxidized and clearly more dry and savory, and more similar to a Fino Sherry. not much sweetness on the palate, but showing umami instead.

Between Five Bells Yellow - really big and beautiful toasty nose thanks to the chardonnay, with a hint of pineapple. Really high and crisp acidity thanks to the savagnin. Really powerful and beautiful.

Bought from Oz Terroirs for HKD 398.

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.

Riesling and Rhone

Lunch at Luk Yu Tea House.

2021 Rappenhof Riesling E² - a little flinty on the nose with some lemon. Good acidity on the palate.

2004 Pax Venus - nose was very much oxidized but others felt it was simply natural aging. Notes of pineapple, Chinese angelica, and a little metallic rust.

2014 Gramona Corpinnat III Lustros, disgorged July 2022 - really nice on the palate and nicely balanced. A little acidity here but very smooth, without being too sweet or ripe.

2019 Château-Grillet Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc - the nose was very fragrant and floral, with stone fruits and some flint.

2022 Ogier Condrieu La Combe de Malleval - the nose was really floral and fragrant, with tropical fruits.

2016 Gangloff Condrieu - very alcoholic on the nose with notes of acetone.

1990 Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Kabinett - this was really nice, with plenty of lemon and polyurethane on the nose. Good acidity on the palate, almost bordering on being sharp, with a very long finish. The wine was much more viscous on the palate than expected, and just drinking beautifully.

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

2018 Keller Westhofen Kirchspiel Riesling Großes Gewächs - very big nose of polyurethane. Good amount of acidity on the palate.

2020 Ogier Syrah La Rosine - drunk much too young. Notes of blueberries as well as metallic nose.

2011 Ogier Côte-Rôtie Lancement - this was pretty elegant, very smooth on the palate, with notes of leather on the nose.

Full post on lunch is here.

Rhone and more

Dinner at Odajima in Tokyo.

2021 YUKIDOKE Shonai Chardonnay Barrel Aged, from half bottle - very fragrant, lots of tropical fruits here, definitely oaky, flinty, much sweeter on the nose.

2021 YUKIDOKE Shonai Chardonnay Unwooded, from half bottle - a little bit of flint. Much more soft and elegant.

2003 Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc de L'Orée - very oxidized and overripe, lots of acetone and pineapple notes.

2013 Chave Hermitage, en magnum - drank 30 minutes after opening. Really fucking beautiful, so floral with lots of sweetness. Still amazing some 2 hours after opening.

1998 Henri Bonneau Réserve des Célestins - drank nearly 2 hours after opening. Still very fragrant, a little sweet on the nose, with very nice leather notes.

Chavost Blanc de Chardonnay - very moussy nose, with some apple, a hint of minerals and iron like an apple that has been oxidized. The nose got more toasty with time.

1999 Guigal Condrieu Luminescence, en demi-bouteille - sharp alcoholic nose, with acetone, honey, and apricot notes. Later on kinda metallic like La France pear.

Full post on dinner is here.

Hodgepodge for hot pot

Dinner at a friend's home.

Jacques Selosse V.O. - marmalade on the nose with lovely toast.  Good ripeness.

Hanamura Junmai Daiginjo Aiyama (花邑  純米大吟醸  愛山), R2BY - very ripe, lots of fermented rice in the nose.

2015 Bernard-Bonin Bourgogne Blanc Initiales B.B. - acidity on the high side, and pretty lean on top of ripeness.  Very fresh.

2012 Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chenevottes - a lot more ripe and rounded on the palate.

2006 Kongsgaard Syrah - really ripe and jammy upon opening.  Served 1½ hours after decanting.  Not as sweet as expected on the palate.  Minty and metallic.  Acidity was higher than expected, and tannins were still here.

2010 Two Hands My Hands - served 3½ hours after decanting.  Still plenty of vanilla in the sweet nose, but not as sweet and jammy on the palate.  Finally really ripe and sweet after 4 hours, with lots of woodsy notes.

2003 Guigal Condrieu Luminescence - apricot, metallic, Anjou pear, and honey on the nose.  On palate showing marmalade and a hint of bitterness.