Two Rieslings

Dinner at The Chairman.

1990 Maximin Grünhauser Riesling Herrenberg Kabinett - this was still pretty fresh and lively, with good acidity level on the palate.

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

2019 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - definitely sweeter as a spätlese. Very nice and classic.

2011 Payre Rose Marlène N°3 - pretty smooth now given its age, with nice leathery notes on the nose.

Bought from Ginsberg + Chan for HKD 560.

Full post on dinner is here.

Alsace and Burgs

Lunch at Lucky Ship.

2019 Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Boudriotte - this was very ripe and very buttery, and oaky. Pretty classic.

2020 Trimbach Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg - there was a bit of ripeness on the palate, but also got decent acidity. Some flint on the nose.

Bought from RNG for HKD 598.

Drinking at home.

2002 Weinbach Clos des Capucines Pinot Gris Altenbourg Sélection de Grains Nobles, en Jennie - nose of honey, apricot, and marmalade. Of course this was pretty sweet on the palate, but also came with a good dose of acidity.

Bought from Tatung Atherton.

2008 Peyre Rose Clos des Cistes - started drinking about 1 hour after decanting. This was really fragrant, but perhaps with a hint of chalk at the beginning. Otherwise the woodsy nose came with black fruits, mineral, and a bit savory on the palate.

Bought from Ginsberg + Chan for HKD 616.

1995 Hospices de Beaune Corton Cuvée Charlotte Dumay, élevé par Dominique Laurent - wet cardboard, definitely corked.

Grange des Pères and more

Dinner at Caprice.

Leclerc Briant Rosé de Saignée, dégorgée en Juin 2024 - the nose was a little caramelized, but otherwise it was kind of bland... Not very forward, although there were some minerals on the nose.

2021 Knewitz Chardonnay Reserve - this was more muted on the nose, not very buttery, and with some toasty oak. Leaner and more flinty. Waited a few more minutes and the butter side showed just a tiny little bit, but the palate was still lean and more acidic.

1998 Grange des Pères Rouge - first pour was about 20 minutes after opening. Big nose of leather and animal notes, bretty and medicinal, and definitely savory. After more than an hour in glass, the wine has now finally opened up and showed more fruit on top of the original profile. Second pour more than 1½ hours after opening, and this was even more open and fragrant. Drinking very nicely.

Bought from Sotheby's for USD 208.

2021 Grange des Pères Rouge - served more than 8 hours after opening. Very lively, so fresh and minty with fragrant pine needles. So sweet, so fragrant, so beautiful!

Full post on dinner is here.

Peyre Rose and more

Dinner at the Amex Centurion Gala.

Ruinart Blanc de Blancs - decent acidity on the palate, not as bland as I remembered from drinking many bottles. The nose was actually perfumed, and it wasn't even from the room.

2021 Alain Chavy Bourgogne Chardonnay - some elegant toasty notes on the nose, with a bit of lemon. Interesting that it almost smelled like Champagne.

2021 Coudoulet de Beaucastel - initially the nose seemed a little chalky, but this faded and the nose was almost a little floral.

Drinks at Roucou.

2013 Peyre Rose Les Cistes - this was reall fragrant, a little pungent with earthy tones. A little bongwater-like but I loved the sweet and ripe fruit as well as those floral notes. I could still feel the tannins on the palate a little bit. Later on this showed minty and really nice, toasty notes, and something that wasn't quite coffee-like, but this was so nice.

Full post on the evening is here.

1943 Sisqueille

Dinner at Ambassador Chinese Cuisine Tianmu in Taipei,.

1943 Sisqueille Rivesaltes, mis en bouteille 2012 - nose was slightly sharp and alcoholic, showing notes of grape jelly, nutty, honey, caramel, and Medjool dates.

Bought from Farr for GBP 40.

Peyre Rose and Charles Dufour

Dinner at Caprice Bar.

Charles Dufour Bulles de Comptoir #11 Terrine et Jardin, en magnum, dégorgée Mars 2023 - pretty smooth. The color made it look like it has some age on it, but the base vintage was actually 2020. A little metallic on the nose, somewhat like Anjou pears, along with a little flint. Drinking pretty well and rather elegant on the nose.

2018 Jourdan Les Trois Quartiers - the nose was really fragrant, very nice notes of dried herbs, pine needle, potpourri. After more than half an hour there were some light savory notes around the edges.

2006 Peyre Rose Marlène N°3 - drank after about 1 hour in decanter. Nose was very meaty, smoky, grilled meats, with a little leather, along with black fruits. After years of aging this was now pretty smooth on the palate.

Full post on dinner is here.

Champagne, Valentini, Grange

Dinner at Andō.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 171ème Édition, ID 322022 - very toasty nose, and also pretty yeasty.

2002 Bollinger Grande Année, dégorgée en mars 2011 - the nose was much bigger and much more open, pretty ripe now as the wine has aged nicely. Notes of Chinese licorice, caramelized sugar, and marmalade. Drinking well.

2017 Valentini Trebbiano d'Abruzzo - drank after decanting for more than 45 minutes. The nose was so nice and open, with big toasty notes, along with some flint. In fact, we all felt that the nose could have been mistaken for a Meursault from Coche-Dury.

1998 Grange des Pères Rouge - served about 1½ hours after opening. Very nice and elegant, with plenty of leather along with a little medicinal and savory minerals on the nose. Just so smooth and drinking beautifully.

Full post on dinner is here.

Bættig and Pedres Blanques

Dinner at MONO.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 171ème Édition, ID 122009 - as with last week, this was a little more grippy and "tannic" on the palate. It's full of that classic toasty brioche nose I love about Grande Cuvée. The acidity came out once it's paired with food.

2020 Bessin-Tremblay Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume La Pièce au Comte - the acidity is here but the palate was already rounded, so while it was not quite to the point of being sweet, the sharp acidity was no longer being felt, but all things considered this was still relatively lean. Very aromatic nose and a little tropical.

2021 Bættig Chardonnay Selección de Parcelas Los Primos - noticeably higher acidity on the palate, and leaner. Big, toasty nose. Very nice.

2020 Wa Sud Cuvée Souriez - showing eucalyptus, leather, and a little on the farmy side in terms of the nose. A little soapy on the palate, and finish has that bretty and soapy profile.

2019 Pedres Blanques - the acidity felt higher now, but the wine was still young so it's still grippy on the palate. A little farmy but the nose was pretty fragrant and fruity, with some blueberries.

Full post on dinner is here.

Grange des Pères and Sabon

Lunch at One Harbour Road.

2016 Tellier Les Massales, dégorgée en mai 2022 - pretty lean with acidity on the high side.

2009 Hospices de Beaune Corton-Vergennes Cuvée Paul Chanson, elevé et mis en bouteille par Lucien Le Moine pour El Bulli, en magnum - nice lemon citrus notes, with the typical flint and a slight hint of toast. Later on this showed more buttery notes.

2009 Roger Sabon Le Secret de Sabon - a little savory, still a little tannic and somewhat tight. A little sweetness showed on the palate.

2014 Grange des Pères Rouge - this was beautiful! Fragrant and floral.

Full post on lunch is here.

Silver Heights Emma and more

Dinner at Rùn.

2015 Roebuck Blanc de Noirs - a little bit of minerality with some acidity here.

Bernard Lonclas Blanc de Blancs, dégorgée le 14 novembre 2022 - floral on the nose, or was it the perfume from the room? Medium-bodied, kinda simple on the palate. Showed more sweetness on the palate with the spicy fish maw.

2020 Domaine de Bila-Haut Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Blanc - too over-ripe although there is still some acidity. Showing polyurethane and a little petrol.

2020 Bachelet-Monnot Santenay Blanc - nice and toasty, showing some coffee notes, and very savory on the nose. Lots of popcorn in the really big nose. Very nice.

2019 Craggy Range Pinot Noir Te Muna Road Vineyard - very New World in style, showing lots of new wood with good amount of fruit. Fairly sharp on the nose.

2019 Silver Heights Emma's Reserve, from magnum - very ripe fruit, with lots of forest, very heavy oak, very minty. Actually this was not too tannic for such a young wine.

2018 Domaine de Souch Cuvée Domaine - good acidity but a little bitter.

Full post on dinner is here.