Pax and Calcogno

Dinner at Seventh Son.

2003 Pax Syrah Castelli-Knight Ranch - served right after decanting. Floral, smoky, nice and fruity, even two hours later.

2020 Calcogno Ginestra - high acidity on the palate. Flinty and oaky on the nose, and not bad after it opened up.

Full post on dinner is here.

Sul Vulcano Bianco

Drinking at home.

2019 Donnafugata Sul Vulcano Bianco - nose was pretty floral and perfumed, with some flint and mineral. Some ripeness here but still got good acidity on the palate. Later on the nose became ripe and alcoholic.

2017 Pietradolce

Dinner at Old Bailey.

2017 Pietradolce Etna Rosato - flinty with lots of red fruits.

Full post on dinner is here.

Gohgan 7 wines

Dinner at Gaggan in Bangkok, for the 7th edition of Gohgan.

Charles Ellner Grande Réserve Brut, en methuselah - yeasty with good acidity.

Senkin Snowman unfiltered sake (千禽 雪だるま しぼりたて活性にごり酒), 2017 - with seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 50%.  Sweet with fermented rice flavors, but dry and spicy mid-palate.

2014 Sebastien Riffault Sancerre Les Quarterons - really ripe and sweet, with crisp acidity that was just right.  Lovely floral notes. 

2014 Christian Binner Muscat - very aromatic and floral.

2015 Frank Cornelissen Contadino - a little pungent on the nose.  Stemmy and slightly bitter, with lots of ripe fruit.

2011 François de Nicolay Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Fontenys - slightly pungent, a little stemmy and bitter, with good amount of sweet fruit.  Slightly chewy tannins.

Marguet Shaman 14 Rosé - ripe with lots of strawberries.

Full post on dinner is here.

Italians for Italian

Dinner at 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana.

Mattia Vezzola Costaripa Brut - very easy to drink.  A little floral, a hint of minerals, and a little toasty.

2015 Argiolas Vermentino di Sardegna Merì - very floral and tropical fruits, with sweet peaches, and almost a hint of bergamot.

2014 La Monacesca Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva Mirum - aged in stainless steel on less and not in oak.  Actually I didn't find this interesting.  Ripe on the palate with a little acidity.

2012 Duemani CiFRA - nose of sweet fruit with lots of herbs, a bit of cedar.  Nice and fragrant nose.  No aging in oak here.

2011 Pietradolce Archineri Rosso - more leather notes, very fragrant.  A little more tannic on the palate.

2009 Mastrojanni Brunello di Montalcino - this was reasonably fragrant, with a little bit of leather, and softer tannins.

2014 Tasca d'Almerita Capofaro Malvasia di Salina - the berries are harvested around mid-September and sun-dried.  Showing acetone, honey, and stone fruit notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

3-star wine pairing

Dinner at the Hertog Jan pop-up in the Landmark Mandarin Oriental.

R and L Legras Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs

2013 Terre Nere Rosato - a rosé from Mount Etna on Sicily.  Nice and fresh, with honey, peach, a little flint and a little bit of oak in the nose.

2009 Tement Sauvignon Blanc Grassnitzberg - very rich, thick and viscous on the palate.  Nose was a little pungent, with definite notes of polyurethane and plastic, along with a little pipi de chat.  Some lemon and muscat grapes, too.  Very full on the palate, and a pretty nice wine overall.

2011 Joh. Jos. Prüm Riesling Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett - nose was more pungent and in-your-face than expected.  Reasonably sweet on the palate for a kabinett.  Heck, I'll never get tired of drinking German Riesling...

2012 Jean-Marc Pillot Puligny Montrachet Les Noyers Bret - buttery, ripe, and oaky nose.

2011 Leflaive et Associés Monthélie 1er Cru Sur la Velle - very prominent nose of toasty corn, which obscured the fruit a little.  Not bad.

2005 Señorio de San Vicente from magnum - double-decanted 4½ hours prior to serving, and I can definitely see why.  Really ripe and sweet on the nose, with a little pencil lead, vanilla, oak, and later on that exotic coconut butter I love.   Nice and rounded on the palate, very smooth.

Lheraud Pineau des Charentes Collection Perle Rose - wonderful sweet nose, with a little straw and definitely sugarcane.  Minty, too.  Slightly medicinal on the palate, but very sweet and alluring.

Full post on dinner is here.