2021 Dormilona Cab

Drinking at home.

2021 Dormilona Cabernet Sauvignon - started drinking 40 minutes after opening. This was sooo young, with lots of oak on the nose. It was a little rough around the edges, and a little sharp on the nose. An hour after opening this wine was very, very sweet, with tons of vanilla.

Bought from Oz Terroirs for HKD 238.

Howard Park and more

Dinner at Forum.

1997 Kistler Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard - very ripe as expected, but not totally oxidized to the point it becomes unpleasant. Caramelized nose with lots of vanilla. The palate was sweet but not over, as it's still got some acidity for balance.

Bought from Winebid for USD 68.

1988 Maximin Grünhaüser Abtsberg Riesling Auslese Fuder 67 - nose of white flowers and petrol. Palate was rounded but while there's some residual sugar, the acidity was quite high. Drinking very nicely.

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

2021 00 Chardonnay VGW - the nose was really buttery, flinty, while the palate was nice and lean with good acidity.

2020 Howard Park Riesling Great Southern - nose of petrol and polyurethane. The palate was still relatively dry but it's also got some ripeness.

2023 Howard Park Pinot Noir Flint Rock - really sweet on the nose, like bubblegum.

2007 Howard Park Cabernet Sauvignon Leston - the nose was minty, earthy, smoky, with grilled meats. There was good sweetness on the palate.

Full post on dinner is here.

Taichung wine pairing

Dinner at JL Studio in Taichung.

2012 Huré Frères Instantanée, dégorgée le novembre 2019 - pretty lean on the palate, since it is, after all, extra brut.

Robert Moncuit Rosé Les Romarines, dégorgée le février 2021 - an interesting rosé made by adding 8% still red wine to 92% chardonnay, hence the color of the final product. A bit flinty on the nose, and nicely balanced on the palate.

2018 Fire Gully Sauvignon Blanc Semillon - much more flinty than expected, with a little muscat on the nose.

2020 Oliver Zeter Chenin Blanc aus Versuchsanbau - very, very floral and fragrant, with white flowers and tropical stone fruits.

2016 Les Vignerons Parisiens Les Templiers - nice and ripe. Sweet and pretty fragrant.

Fang-Tsao Pale Ale (芳草艾爾啤酒) from Taiwind Beer (台風酒造) - really fragrant, light and refreshing. Abso-fucking-lutely my kind of beer.

Caldas White Porto - honey and some apricot on the nose. Amber color was much darker than expected.

Full post on dinner is here.

Aussie shiraz and chard

Lunner at Écriture.

Between Five Bells Yellow - very toasty, very fragrant, sweet on the nose but the acidity on the palate from the savagnin makes one do a double-take. Buttery from the chardonnay in the blend. Two hours after opening this was fucking awesome, with flinty and mineral notes.

2005 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay - nice and buttery as expected, oaky, very flinty and mineral. Drinking beautifully.

2004 Kilikanoon Shiraz M Reserve - served a little more than 1 hour after decanting. Earthy, leathery, minty, sweet on the palate, with a little ripe prunes. More classic shiraz from McLaren Vale.

2004 Kilikanoon Shiraz Attunga 1865 - served a little more than 1 hour after decanting. An amazing shiraz from vines planted in 1865. A much more elegant and fragrant offering from the cooler Clare Valley, and the cooler fruit was very obvious. Not your typical Aussie shiraz for sure. A slight hint of plastic on the palate later.

1990 Penfolds Magill Estate Shiraz - very ripe and sweet, more smoky. More classic Aussie shiraz.

Full post on lunch is here.

Wines for Chindian

Dinner at Le Chefeteria.

2012 Parés Baltà Blanca Cuisiné Brut Nature Gran Reserva - nice and toasty nose, with nutty notes that was pretty nice. Not as full on the palate and a little bitter with a short finish. More about the nose than the palate here.

2020 Kanonkop Pinotage Kadette Rosé - a little strawberry with some flint.

2017 Millton 'Crazy by Nature' Cosmo Red - tons of sweet vanilla with forest pine, very fragrant potpourri. Kinda like Côte-Rôtie but somewhat different. Surprising that it wasn't too sweet on the palate in spite of the nose. A nice surprise.

2018 Santa Maria di Gaetano Bertani Pràgal - definitely got that sweet, raisiny nose reminiscent of Amarone. Smoky, and actually smelled of acidity in the nose.

2018 Hans Herzog Marlborough Viognier - couldn't smell the wine much... thanks to it being initially served too cold, then the smell of garlic in the air...

2019 Xanadu Cane Cut Viognier - nice and sweet but still got that fruity acidity, along with pollen and botrytis.

Full post on dinner is here.

Fuck Him and Napa reds

Dinner at Andō.

2019 L.A.S Vino Chenin Blanc Fuck Him - first whiff was a little pungent and mineral, with some banana tropical notes like pineapple and stone fruit.  Reasonably high acidity on the palate.  Not a bad drink at all.

2002 Arietta Variation One - served 45 minutes after decanting.  Nice and fragrant, a little minty, cool, with woodsy notes.  Tannins are still here.

1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia - served 50 minutes after decanting.  Definitely showed more green pepper, there was still sweet fruit underneath.  Very smooth and elegant now, pretty ripe on the palate but not quite stewed prunes.  Definitely lots of sweetness on the palate.  Opened up really nicely 2 hours later.

Full post on dinner is here.

New World wines for Chinese

Dinner at a private dining facility.

2007 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Art Series - toasty oak, buttery, and ripe on the palate.

2001 Kracher Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese No. 9 Zwischen den Seen, from half-bottle - lots of honey, orange marmalade, really sweet, really grapey.

2003 Kongsgaard Syrah - for some reason I didn't get much out of my glass...

2004 Kongsgaard Chardonnay - nice and mature on the palate.  Sweet on the nose, with marmalade, toasty oak, and butter corn.

2002 Ojai Syrah Roll Ranch Vineyard - more metallic on the nose, still plenty of fruit here.

Full post on dinner is here.

Sherries and friends

Dinner at Kin's Kitchen.

Aubry Brut - toasty and yeasty on the nose, with a nice balance between ripeness and acidity.

Barbadillo Obispo Gascon Palo Cortado - front palate was a little short but the finish was reasonably long.  Nutty, dry on the palate.  Nice.

2007 Leeuwin's Chardonnay Art Series - toasty, mineral, a little caramelized and ripe.

2008 Westrey Pinot Noir Justice Vineyard - eucalyptus, a little smoke, some cherries.

Valdespino Solera 1842 Oloroso VOS - much more nutty, more honey and sweetness, more concentrated.

Lustau Almacenista Amontillado Pata de Gallina 1/38 Juan Garcia Jarana - much more savory on the palate, with a drier finish.  Clearly a more refined and sophisticated wine.

2007 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine de Bois - opened more than an hour before serving.  Ripe and sweet on the nose, minty, pretty concentrated.

2005 Monbousquet - popped and poured.  Earthy and a little smoky.

Full post on dinner is here.