Nice pair of 1979s

Dinner at Ta Vie.

1979 Ramonet Montrachet - took the first sip a few minutes after opening, and some 15 minutes in the wine was showing beautifully. The nose was savory like salty lemon, marmalade, or vin jaune, with mineral, flinty, toasty, and nutty notes. This was so sweet, so floral, and so alluring some 45 minutes after opening. There was bitterness on the finish, but that wasn't a surprise. Honestly, the nose was just so fucking beautiful.

1979 Rayas Rouge - first tasted some 45 minutes after opening, which was probably a little later than we should have. Lots of savory soy sauce on the nose, with minerals and some sweet fruit underneath. Some smokiness, too. Surprisingly sweet on the palate. Pretty nice, but I had hoped for a little better.

Full post on dinner is here.

Champagne magnums and DRC Assortment

Champagne in the Island Shangri-La Presidential Suite.

2003 B de Boërl et Kroff, dégorgé en Avril 2016 - drank 1 hour after opening. Nice and ripe on the nose along with lovely marmalade notes. Good depth on the palate with a nice dose of acidity. Turned reasonally metallic on the palate together with some caviar. Always a pleasure to drink.

1997 Salon, en magnum - drank 1½ hours after opening. What a beautiful wine! There was so much toast on the nose, and it was so open and fragrant. The acidity was still very high. There were also notes of minerals and juicy red plums. Soooo nice!

1961 Louis Roederer Cristal, en magnum - drank about 1 hour after opening. The nose was very metallic, with lots of Chinese salty plum. Very grippy on the palate. Such a lovely, mature wine.

Dinner at Petrus, with 2001 DRC Assortment case.

2013 Joseph Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche, en magnum - served around 2 hours after decanting. We've got some toasty notes, but overall the nose was not big and powerful. It's sweet and buttery, with lemon and almost a little apricot. A little bit too ripe for its age and considering the format. 93 points.

2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Montrachet - served about 2½ hours after opening. The nose was so much bigger, richer, yet cleaner. This was soooo fragrant. 97 points.

2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Saint-Vivant - started drinking more than 3 hours after opening. The nose was fragrant but there was a hint of earthiness, along with leather. Later on came the toasty notes, and perhaps there was a little bit of stem. Funnily enough, I also thought there were elements of Chinese traditional bone-setting oil (跌打酒)... 94 points.

2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti - started drinking around 3½ hours after opening. The nose was very floral like roses, with exotic spices, as well as a little bit of cherry-flavored [cough] syrup and eucalyptus. 97 points and my favorite wine of the reds.

2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg - started drinking around 4 hours after opening. The nose showed a lovely fragrance, a little floral, definitely cool fruit. Better than the Romanée-Saint-Vivant but not as good as the Romanée-Conti. 95 points.

2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands Échézeaux - started drinking about 4½ hours after opening. This was really fragrant and elegant, not quite floral but lovely nonetheless. A little later the toasty notes came out, and it was a little funky on the palate. Still very fragrant more than 5½ hours after opening. 95 points.

2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Échézeaux - started drinking the first bottle more than 4½ hours after opening. The nose was more closed compared to the others, with more stem, and was definitely corked. The second bottle was much cleaner with a fragrant nose showing eucalyptus. 95 points for the second bottle.

2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche - started drinking almost 5 hours after opening. This was still a little closed, and the nose was kinda meaty. 94 points.

1965 Yquem - nose was showing tons of saffron, honey, marinated prunes, and marmalade. Such a pleasure to drink an aged Yquem!

Full post on the evening is here.

DRC Monty and Champagnes

Dinner at Ta Vie.

2015 Mumm RSRV Blanc de Blancs, dégorgée septembre 2021 - so easy to drink. Nice nose with a little toast, a little savory minerals on the nose, and pretty fragrant.

1999 DRC Montrachet - some oxidation noted around 30 minutes after opening. Got some marmalade on the nose and very, very buttery, with some vanilla oak. Second pour 1 hour after opening and this got better. Another half hour later and this warmed up and got a little bitter on the palate. More than 2 hours after opening there was a little more toast on the nose. A very beautiful wine.

2000 Dom Pérignon P2 - fresher and more lively on the palate, with certainly more toasty notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

Egly Rosé and Monty

Lunch at Amber by Richard Ekkebus.

2002 Fleurot-Larose Montrachet - initially served too cold and the nose was kinda shut. Color was darkish orange, and obviously very ripe. Marmalade with some vanilla on the nose. Much more vanilla about one hour later, and really sweet on the nose after 1½ hours.

Egly-Ouriet Brut Rosé Grand Cru, dégorgée en juillet 2020 - very smooth on the palate, nice and toasty on the nose, with a little bit of yeast.

Full post on lunch is here.

MNSC dinner - Woo Cheong

MNSC dinner at Woo Cheong Tea House, hosted by Lord Rayas.

2006 Joseph Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche - very buttery nose with lots of corn, pretty nice and elegant.

First flight: opened and poured into glass 1 hour prior to serving.

1982 Latour a Pomerol - really lovely, nice and sweet with bacon, smoky, animal, grilled meats, eucalyptus. Fat and sexy at first, but got leaner some 20 minutes in, then turned more bretty and medicinal about 30 minutes in. Rated 95 points but would have scored higher had the wine not gotten leaner and medicinal.

1982 Le Gay - a little more brett and animal, sweeter on the nose, and meaty. Showing well. 96 points.

1982 Guigal La Mouline - this was my favorite of the trio from the start. Really big and toasty nose, the most powerful of the three, with coffee, animal, sweet fruit. Sharper, more focused and precise. Fucking good. 99 points.

Second flight:

1995 Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes-Mares - served more than 2 hours after opening without decanting. A bit green with wet cardboard. I felt this was bouchonée.

1995 Rayas - decanted nearly 2 hours after opening, and served 30 minutes after decanting. A little dusty, more muted at first, then turned more bretty, smoky, and minty. 96 points.

1995 Lafite-Rothschild - decanted nearly 2 hours after opening, and served 30 minutes after decanting. Nose of vulcanized rubber, a bit sharp, but also fragrant with cigar smoke. 94 points.

Full post on dinner is here.

Faiveley Mazis

Drinking at home.

2005 Faiveley Mazis-Chambertin - served 30 minutes after decanting.  Black fruits, plums, forest, leather.  Tannins are still here so slightly grippy on the palate.  Second pour 45 minutes after decanting was slightly better, and gradually opened up.

1997 Remoissenet Montrachet - oxidized and pretty dead on the palate with no finish.

Years of the Ox

Dinner at Forum Restaurant.

1997 Salon, degorgée en 2020 - very fragrant and absolutely floral and really perfumed. Already beautiful right from the start even though it was served a little too cold. A little toasty. Nicely balanced on the palate, even though it was a little more ripe than expected. After an hour there was some coconut, also sugar cane and water chestnuts. Very lovely.

1961 Ducru-Beaucaillou - WOW! Soooo beautiful, soooo fragrant and open just 15 minutes after decanting. Plenty of bacon fat lots of toast, smoke, and lots of sweet fruit. After an hour this seemed to have faded, becoming leaner and showing more brett, more like a classic claret. Good acidity still. After two hours this seemed to improve and fruity notes like cherries were still around. Very, very happy with how this bottle drank tonight.

Bought from Vinum for SGD 410.

1985 Faiveley Chambertin Clos de Beze - lovely and fragrant nose, with bacon, leather, and toasty notes. Soooo floral and elegant. So clean and perfect.

Bought from Sotheby's for HKD 3,267.

2009 Joseph Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche - decanted about 3 hours prior to serving. Nice with just the right amount of caramelized ripeness, with a nice amount of flint, a little sugar cane, vanilla, and coconut candy. Plenty of legs left in this wine.

Full post on dinner is here.

Kususa, Gantenbein and more

Dinner at Ta Vie.

Jacques Selosse Initial, dégorgée le 22 mai 2014 - very yeasty nose, really floral and fragrant.  Great depth on palate.

2015 Gantenbein Riesling - white flowers, a little tropical stone fruit, and flint.  Riper on the palate than expected.  With more aeration, petrol notes became more prominent. 

2008 Petitjean Montrachet - what a surprise!  The nose was soooo fruity and tropical like pineapples and peaches, with some acetone.  I couldn't believe this was a chardonnay.

2013 Kusuda Pinot Noir - lovely nose with plenty of sweet fruit.  Very clean, cool fruit.  Eucalyptus and roses, very floral.

Full post on dinner is here.

Mondavi and Montrachet

Dinner at Ta Vie.

Drappier Quattor - nice body and good depth with acidity a little on the high side.  Lovely floral nose.

1998 Remoissenet Montrachet - lovely nose, with toasty notes which did not seem overpowering.  Nice and aged marmalade notes, almost floral, caramelized and kind of sweet on the nose.

1995 Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Reserve - minty, earthy, smoky.  Nice and ripe fruit, with a hint of acidity on the finish, although tannins were still here.

Full post on dinner is here.