Barolo and Portela

Drinking at a friend's home.

2007 Rocche dei Manzoni Barolo Vigna Cappella di S. Stefano - very fragrant, very ripe stewed prunes, but also a little chalky and a bit smoky. Still got the tannins, and the acidity is definitely there.

2019 Alberto Orte A Portela - tasted 1½ hours after opening. Really ripe and kinda exotic.

French and Spanish

Dinner at Roganic.

Jacques Lassaignes Les Vignes de Montgueux - there was good level of acidity, pretty lean on the palate but still got a little ripeness. However, this is just not the type of Champagne I prefer.

2022 Hiedler Grüner Veltliner Thal - a little green on the nose, and you know it's not a riesling, and in fact smells more like muscat.

2021 Robert-Denogent Pouilly-Fuissé Climat Vieilles Vignes - good acidity on the palate, and more on the lean side, with some lemon citrus on the nose.

2020 Rafael Palacios Val do Bibei As Sortes - this has a nice and toasty nose, with good acidity on the palate.

2012 López de Heredia Reserva Viña Tondonia - this was very fragrant on the nose, with some blueberries that almost started to border on rubber. Nice and ripe on the palate, still got the tannins but there was enough acidity to balance it out. The nose also showed a little bit of savory minerals in the midst of potpourri fragrance.

Domaine des Marnes Blanches Macvin du Jura - this was a little tea-like with notes of jasmine flowers, and also pretty fruity. Very nice and alluring. So happy with this.

Full post on dinner is here.

Dom and Rivers-Marie

Dinner at Nine One.

2004 Dom Pérignon - this was drinking very well as it was very smooth and well-balanced. Wonderful nose of toasty brioche.

2010 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Occidental Ridge Vineyard - very ripe and sweet nose, like strawberry jam, along with really fragrant eucalyptus notes.

2021 Corisca Albariño - surprisingly this came with a little bit of fine tannins. The nose showed some oily notes along with petrol. There was some ripeness but the acidity on the palate was pretty high.

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.

Spanish evening

Dinner at the Hong Kong Club.

2019 Rafael Palacios Valdeorras Sorte O Soro - pretty fragrant, some flint on the nose. Good acidity on the palate but starting to show some ripeness on the nose, too.

1925 Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Reserva Especial - pretty fragrant nose and still alcoholic. A bit smoky. Drinking pretty well 30 minutes after opening. Very lovely nose of plums. So, so beautiful after this opened up. Very alluring.

2013 Comando G Tumba del Rey Moro - pretty exotic and interesting. Still alcoholic and sharp, and certainly got plenty of sweet fruit.

1998 Pingus - decanted for about 1½ hours before serving. Nose with vanilla oak and a little coconut butter, minty, smoky, earthy. Very smooth on the palate and drinking very nicely. Could feel the tannins after more than 2 hours in the decanter.

1970 Vega Sicilia Unico - definitely some burnt rubber on the nose, some exotic spices, pretty sweet fruit underneath.

1964 Toro Albalá Marqués de Poley Palo Cortado Selección - very fragrant and certainly savory.

1980 Toro Albalá Don PX Selección - bottled in May 2021. Lots of exotic herbs. So rich, so viscous on the palate. Very, very sweet.

Full post on dinner is here.

2019 Pazo Señoráns

Dinner at Hansik Goo.

2019 Pazo de Señoráns Albariño - nose of tropical stone fruit, flinty, sweet and fruity on the nose. Very easy to drink.

Full post on dinner is here.

Pazo Señorans

Drinking at home.

2009 Pazo Señorans Albariño Rías Baixas - very caramelized and ripe on the nose, and palate also very ripe and kinda sweet, with straw and Chinese licorice notes.

Wines at Smyth

Dinner at Smyth in Chicago.

Charles Heidsieck Rosé Réserve

2009 Añada de Baladiña - thanks to 10 years' of aging, this was not at all fruity on the nose, but it was ripe on the palate.

Ichinokura Junmai Daiginjo Kuranohana (一ノ蔵  純米大吟醸  蔵の華) - lots of banana in the nose, which was also a little sharp and showing slight fermented.  Palate was middle of the road, neither too sweet nor too dry.

2005 Huet Vouvray Sec Le Mont - very toasty, a bit of green apple.  Good acidity.

2014 Dublère Chablis Bougros - the nose was really weird, not like a chard at all... but rather more like pear cidre.

2012 Bruno Clair Vosne Romanée Les Champs Perdrix - WOW!  This was really sweet on the nose, with vanilla and coconut butter.

Billecart-Salmon Demi-Sec - flinty with a hint of anise.  Sweet-ish on the palate.

1979 l'Archiviste Rivesaltes, mis en bouteille le Decembre 2018 - pretty savory.

Full post on dinner is here.

Lambrays Rosé and Musar

Dinner at Estiatorio Keia.

2015 Viña Nora Nora de Neve - more oaky and toasty, and a little more mature and oxidized than expected for an albariño.  Interestingly not caramelized for an oxidized wine.  Acidity still on the high side with a bitter finish.

2016 Domaine des Lambrays La Rose du Clos - flinty, strawberries, with almost a hint of jamminess in the nose.

1998 Musar Rouge - leather, smoked meats, some fruit, minty, almost a little savory.  A little sweet on the palate.  Drinking very nicely.

Musar Blanc, Arietta, and Albariño

Dinner at Uwe.

1975 Chateau Musar Blanc - obviously aged and oxidized when one looks at the amber color.  Caramelized nose with a little acetone and plenty of marmalade.  A little hot and alcoholic.  A lovely treat.

2007 Pazo Señoráns Selección de Añada - flinty, mineral, a little savory.  Toasty.  Still some freshness here with lemon citrus.

2002 Arietta H Block Hudson Vineyards - decanted for 2 hours prior to serving.  Very fragrant nose, a little floral, woodsy, almost tropical with exotic spices, coconut butter.  Absolutely beautiful after 3 hours in decanter.  Silky smooth but still got the concentration and some tannins.  Wow!

Full post on dinner is here.

Bubbly and white

Dinner at home.

Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Sainte Anne Rosé - 60/40 blend between chardonnay and pinot noir, mainly from 2010.  Sooo full of red fruits like strawberries, with some caramel notes.  Just wonderful.

Roses de Jeanne Lieu-dit Les Ursules, 2009, dégorgée à Juillet 2011 - nice and ripe, with a good mousse.  Always love this Champagne.

2009 Pazo Señorans Albariño Rías Baixas - ripe nose with lots of honey, straw, and a little muscat grape.  Sweet on the nose.