Chidaine and Gonon

Dinner at Jin Sha in Hangzhou.

2022 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Choisilles - nose was very flinty and tropical, a little ripe on the palate. Also some lemon citrus.

2023 Pierre Gonon Les Iles Feray - this was very interesting with lots of spices on the nose. The wine was very young and full of really ripe fruit, and also kinda metallic and a little sharp on the nose.

Full post on dinner is here.

Sommelier wine pairing

Dinner at Caprice Bar.

2019 Les Poëte Argos - the nose showed mineral and waxy notes, and was a little more oxidized with smokiness. Overall this was really nice and fragrant. This was rounder and riper on the palate, but still had good acidity without being sharp on the long finish.

2018 François Rousset-Martin Perle du Village - showing a very fermented and savory nose, maybe almost at the Chinese fermented beancurd 腐乳 level. Surprisingly this was very clean on the palate. Getting a taste after some lobster made this a little sweet on the palate.

2015 Contrà Soarda Breganze Torcolato - for a sweet wine this was certainly on the light side and not too sweet on the palate. Showing some citrus orange, a bit of acetone, manuka honey, orange blossom water. After opening up a little more this showed more complexity on the nose. And after warming up a little this got bigger on the palate, giving a little more sweetness as well as some bitterness on the finish. With a little more time the nose got pretty intensely sweet, with really ripe honeydew melon.

Full post on dinner is here.

Luminance and Matriarch

Dinner at Roucou.

2023 Jonathan Didier Pabiot Pouilly-Fumé Luminance - nice notes of minerals and flint, but the nose was still very fruity and tropical. Good acidity level on the palate, which was what I wanted.

2007 BOND Matriarch - started drinking 30 minutes after opening without decanting. Very ripe and intense fruit on the nose, very concentrated on the palate. After another 20 minutes we started getting coconut butter and vanilla oak on the nose. Drinking so well.

Full post on dinner is here.

Trimbach and Bain

Drinking at home.

2022 Trimbach Riesling Vieilles Vignes - FUCK! This was just so ripe on the palate! What happened to the acidity? Where is it? Lots of petrol, polyurethane, and truffle on the nose, but even the nose was much too ripe and sweet. There was a touch of vanilla, along with lemon confit, marmalade, and lanolin. OK, so there was some acidity on the finish, but not nearly enough. Not what I wanted from this wine at all.

2018 Alexandre Bain La Levée - the nose was freakishly ripe, with lots of apricot, ripe peach, and a bit of acetone. Very ripe on the palate, but at least this had the biting acidity along with some grippy tannins.

Haut Condissas and La Butte

Dinner at a friend's home.

2020 Domaine de la Butte Bourgueil Le Haut de la Butte - served 1 hour after opening. This was more smoky than expected, with leather notes. After 3½ hours there were more black fruits showing.

2009 Haut Condissas Prestige, en magnum - started serving 25 minutes after decanting. Surprisingly there was a lot of coconut butter on the nose along with black fruits. Another 20 minutes in there were lots of sweet fruits.

Bought from the château for EUR 50 plus shipping.

61 Pichon Baron and more

Dinner at 7 Paintings at the Murray Hong Kong.

Perrier-Jouët Blanc de Blancs - a little mineral with reasonable acidity.

2023 Michel Redde Pouilly-Fuisée La Moynerie - nose of stone fruits, a little flinty, very refreshing and lively.

2019 Reale Primitivo di Manduria Gloria - the nose was kinda corked, with that wet cardboard scent. The palate was pretty ripe, hot, and alcoholic. 

Drinks at a friend's home.

1961 Pichon-Baron - level was slightly below mid-shoulder, with the cork shrunken and fallen in. Initially the first pour was a little pungent on the nose, a little farmy, but also showed plenty of smoke, grilled meats, pencil lead, mint, with black fruits like cassis underneath. The palate was not great, very soft, and perhaps slightly cooked and over the hill. With the second pour after half an hour this was more open with more fruit, and also more smoke. After 1 hour this was really nice and fragrant now, definitely more alive, and still got the fruit and now also capsicum. Palate improved significantly and the power of the vintage is still there. Not in tip-top condition, but drinking very well for its age.

Bought from Christies for HKD 3,646.

de Chanceny Crémant

Buffet dinner at King Sejong Memorial Hall in Seoul.

de Chanceny Crémant de Loire Brut

Full post on the wedding is here.

2022 Rabichattes Pouilly-Fumé

Dinner at 7th Door in Seoul.

2022 Rabichattes Pouilly-Fumé Les Grands Champs - nose was a little flinty, fruity. This was fairly ripe for its age. Unfortunately this was just so flat and boring on the palate.

Full post on dinner is here.

Ganevat, Rostaing and more

Dinner at Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic.

Billecart Salmon Pic, MyOrigin 191220 - we were told the base vintage was 2020 but the website says 2019... This has a lovely fragrance. Good balance on the palate, very easy to drink, but by no means bland or light. Finish was nice and long.

2023 François Cotat Sancerre Monts Damnés - this was soooo fresh, full of green apples and a little bit of vanilla from oak. Sweet and fragrant on the nose. Lovely wine.

Hanatomoe Extended Aging Koshu (花巴 本醸造 長期熟成古酒), 1988, released 2024 - seimaibuai of 70%. This was very fragrant, very savory, with beautiful notes of soy sauce, plus a little nuttiness thanks to oxidation. Absolutely perfect pairing with the mushroom.

2022 Cos Zibbibo in Pithos - pretty fragrant with some interesting spices on the nose. Definitely a little oxidized but not too bad.

2016 Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Ampodium - this was pretty young and soooo fragrant, so floral with a hint of violet, and plenty of cedar. So full of life at this stage, and I would love to revisit in another 5 or 10 years.

Jean-François Ganevat Vieux Macvin du Jura - apparently aged for 8 years. This smelled not like wine but Chinese white tea, with a slight hint of raisins. Very fragrant in the mouth, with a light sweetness, some acidity, and a nice and herbal finish that just lingered on. Such a beautiful wine!

Full post on dinner is here.

Rodez and Guiberteau

Dinner at Amber.

Eric Rodez Blanc de Noirs, Edition 45, dégorgée en Decembre 2023 - nice and lovely on the palate, with a good balance between acidity and ripeness, good depth and a long finish. Classic marmalade on the nose.

2019 Guiberteau Saumur Les Moulins - the nose was surprisingly ripe and sweet, with plenty of toast on the nose. The acidity was still there on the palate, making it nice and lean.

L'abricot du Roulot - the nose was definitely very apricot. Sweet on the palate but not too sticky.

Full post on dinner is here.

Oceanic pairing

Dinner at Plaisance by Mauro Colagreco.

Tempera Eterna I - a sparkling green tea made with sea fennel and lemon. The nose was interesting as it showed fermented and savory notes.

2018 Bisson Spumante Metodo Classico Abissi Riserva Marina - some nice, caramelized notes on the nose. Some acidity here, but there was definitely some bitterness on the palate.

2021 Domaine de Bellevue Muscadet Gabbro Clos des Bouquinardières - nose got plenty of toasty oak, and very flinty. Good acidity on the palate.

2020 Les Quatre Piliers Touraine Bel Air - the nose seemed waxy, more reductive, more intense. It did open up after a while and the nose was a little more buttery.

2022 Antonin Cosnier Pernand Vergelesses 1er Cru En Caradeux - very big toasty nose, and very buttery. Surprisingly beautiful.

2021 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon - very classic Napa cab, with sweet fruit and smoke on the nose, also a little minty. Obviously very young and vibrant.

2023 Santo Stefano Moscato d'Asti - fragrant nose of honey, orange blossom water, and perhaps a little pear juice, even. Very pleasant to drink.

Full post on dinner is here.

Arbois and Austrians

Dinner at Roganic.

Drappier Carte d'Or, en magnum - I could smell the acidity on the nose. The palate was rather soft.

2022 Hiedler Grüner Veltliner Thal - pretty fragrant nose with some stone fruits. Very pleasant and easy to drink.

2015 Michel Brégeon Les Vigneaux Gorges - the nose was nice and flinty, and there was a little fruit on the nose. Got the acidity and was reasonably grippy on the palate.

2019 Coursodon Etincelle - flinty nose, ripe and alcoholic on the palate, and alcoholic on the finish, too.

1986 Rolet Trousseau Arbois, en magnum - the nose was very fragrant, toasty, and a little funky. This was really nice, with lovely, juicy fruit together with that toasty nose.

2022 Kracher Cuvée Auslese - honey and floral notes, with orange blossoms.

Full post on dinner is here.