Anything but SQN

Dinner at a friend's home with Julia and Nik Krankl as guests of honor. Theme was "Anything but Sine Qua Non (and Fingers Crossed)". Magnums were requested.

2018 Robert Faivre L'Experte - light on the palate, acidity level was OK.

2023 Agnès Paquet Chassagne-Montrachet Les Battaudes - nose was very oak-oaked with tons of vanilla.

1966 Gruaud-Larose, en double magnum - definitely got that sweet grass on the nose, with smoke and leather, too. So classic.

1994 L'Evangile, en magnum - this had a much bigger nose than the '66 Gruaud-Larose, and it was nice and smoky, with pepper and green capsicum.

2018 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett, from double magnum - there was a nice bit of sweetness on the palate balanced by the acidity. Huge nose of petrol and white flowers. So nice.

2002 Torbreck RunRig, from magnum - this was showing so beautifully, with lots of coconut butter, leather, and smoke on the nose.

1983 Auguste Clape Cornas, en magnum - tasted right after opening and decanting. Toasty nose with leather. Very smooth on the palate now, but a little less lively than expected. Not so much juicy fruit.

1995 Lafleur-Petrus, en magnum - nice and smoky on the nose, with more sweet fruit. A bit savory on the palate.

2006 Torbreck The Laird - tasted a couple of hours after opening. Very ripe and jammy on the nose, really big and so sweet on the palate. Just an amazing fruit bomb that has aged for 20 years. So nice.

1996 Cos d'Estournel, en magnum - still got the sweet fruit on the nose, as well as smoke and fragrant woodsy notes.

2006 Napa Valley Reserve, from magnum - very fragrant on the nose, without too much vanilla, but still got the lovely oak. Still so tannic after almost 20 years.

2006 Dal Forno Amarone della Valpolicella, from double magnum - this was double-decanted at 3pm yesterday... and showing lots of coconut and plenty of ripe fruit. This was such a big wine.

2014 FX Pichler Riesling Smaragd Dürnsteiner Kellerberg, from magnum - definitely got the white flowers and polyurethane, and also some flint.

2010 Alain Voge Cornas, en magnum - obviously fresher than the '83 Clape.

2011 Antinori Tignanello, from magnum - this was OK la...

2015 Eisele Vineyard Syrah - still really young after 10 years, a bit sharp and tannic.

La Rioja Alta and Bouchard

Gaggan Tirreti Bazaar at Red Sugar in Kerry Hotel.

Henriot Brut Souverain - this was rounded on the palate with good acidity balance.

2023 Chapoutier Condrieu Invitare - sooo floral as expected, and as with Condrieu these days, incredibly ripe and sweet on the nose as well as the palate.

2017 Bouchard Beaune 1er Cru Clos de la Mousse - lots of ripe fruit and plenty of sweetness on the nose, but this was a little like old school bubble gum...

2016 La Rioja Alta Viña Arana Gran Reserva - the nose was so fragrant and so woodsy. Sweet with a little coconut butter underneath the woodsy notes. A bit smoky, too. Very nice.

2021 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese - classic nose of petrol and white flowers. Just enough sweetness to make me happy.

Full post on dinner is here.

Egon Múller dinner

Dinner at Palco with wines from Egon Müller, organized by ORD Fine Wines.

2021 Château Belá Štúrovo Riesling - nice, classic nose of petrol and white truffle. A little sweetish on the palate but still got the acidity.

2023 Le Gallais Wiltinger Braune Kupp Kabinett - classic nose with polyurethane and white flowers, a hint of honey, and more elegant. Good acidity on the palate making it more crisp, but also a little more grippy.

2022 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett - this was bigger on the nose, with more flint and petrol. So fragrant and lovely.

2023 Le Gallais Wiltinger Braune Kupp Spätlese - very nice, sweeter on the palate than the kabinett, of course... with some acidity for balance.

2022 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese - this was sooo floral, soooo alluring. Pretty sweet on the palate now. These days auslese are made with 100% botrytis grapes thanks to climate change.

2019 Château Belá Rulanské Modré - the nose was sooooo sugary, and actually a bit sharp and definitely a bit overripe and oxidized. Not great.

2017 Château Belá Cabernet Sauvignon - minty and fragrant nose, with a little bit of pepper and nice fruit that was kinda ripe.

1989 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Beerenauslese - honey and marmalade notes on the nose. Nice and viscous on the palate, but this was kinda weak mid-palate. The finish was long and nice.

Full post on the evening is here.

Prüm and Pontet-Canet

Dinner at The Chairman.

2007 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - nice, classic nose with petrol and "truffle". Just a tad of sweetness to make the palate rounder.

2009 Pontet-Canet - decanted just before serving. Minty and smoky nose, with sweet and ripe black fruits. The became very nice and open after an hour in the decanter, with more fragrant, woodsy notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

Whites and Chinese bongwater

Dinner at Shanghai Fraternity Association.

2022 00 Wines Chardonnay VGW - very toasty nose, and kinda buttery.

2008 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - big nose of petroleum, with a little bit of white flower. There was definitely some sweetness on the palate along with the acidity.

Bought from Sotheby's for HKD 517.

Xiaopu perdue.J - this was soooo bongwater, unfiltered and very cloudy appearance. Pretty sweet and fruity, with notes of forest, leather, strawberries, and raspberries.

Full post on dinner is here.

Ponet-Canet and Matriarch

Dinner at The Chairman.

2009 Pontet-Canet - starting drinking 45 minutes after double-decanting. Pretty nice and open now, with woodsy notes and cigar smoke on the nose after 1 hour. Really fragrant and drinking very well right now.

Bought from Altaya for EUR 98.

2007 Joh. Jos. Prüm Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - big nose of petrol with white flowers. I still like the sweetness level here.

Bought from Rare and Fine Wines for HKD 368.

2003 BOND Matriarch - started drinking about 2½ hours after double-decanting. Very minty on the nose, with smoky and leather notes. Pretty sweet with black fruits on the palate. Very silky smooth now but still got that wonderful concentration. Such a pleasure to drink.

Bought from the winery for USD 85 plus tax and shipping.

2006 La Magia Brunello di Montalcino - smoky with nose of dried herbs, a little wood, and a little sweet fruit.

Full post on dinner is here.

Perdrix and Dom

Dinner at The Chairman.

2017 Domaines des Perdrix Echezeaux - nice and fragrant with a nose of leather and a little wood. Good acidity on the palate.

2009 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett - big nose of polyurethane and petrol, white flowers. A slight amount of residual sugar. So classic.

Bought from Sotheby's for HKD 362.

2015 Dom Pérignon - nice and toasty nose. Good acidity balance on the palate. Classic Dom.

Full post on dinner is here.

Clemens Busch tasting

My friends at Ginsberg + Chan hosted a tasting of wines from Weingut Clemens Busch from the Mosel, and Jay highly recommended that I come and check out the wines. Clemens Busch stopped by Hong Kong on his way home from a long-overdue vacation in New Zealand, and was on hand to conduct the tasting.

Pascal Doquet Diapason Le Mesnil-sur-Oger - good notes of lemon on the nose, but maybe also a touch of honey there, too. Nice acidity balance on the palate.

First flight:

2022 Clemens Busch Riesling (alter)native Trocken - the "natural wine". Nose was very stony and flinty, with plenty of petrol, but also some honey. Thick texture and grippy on the palate, with high acidity... and maybe a little too much for my liking. Also showed more juicy fruit on the nose.

2022 Clemens Busch Marienburg Rothenpfad Riesling Großes Gewächs - the vines are more than 80 years old. Big nose of toast, then also some petrol. Acidity was also high here, but softer than the (alter)native, and more crisp and clean.

Second flight:

2022 Clemens Busch Marienburg Fahrlay Riesling Großes Gewächs - a bit more ripeness on the palate, more rounded, but still dry overall with good acidity. Some flint and lemon on the nose.

2022 Clemens Busch Marienburg Fahrlay Terrassen Riesling Großes Gewächs - the grapes come from 115-year-old vines. The acidity was higher, more grippy on the palate, with a longer finish. There was more petrol and flint on the nose.

Third flight:

2022 Clemens Busch Marienburg Falkenlay Riesling Großes Gewächs - nose was showing fruity notes, with stone fruits like peach. Of course there was flint and a hint of petrol, too. Certainly more complexity on the nose. And we've got the acidity on the palate.

Fourth flight:

2022 Clemens Busch Marienburg Felsterrasse Riesling Große Lage - the grapes come from vines which are almost 100 years old, with a small production of around 1,000 bottles. The nose was much bigger, with bigger punch of the flint. This was clearly more rounded on the palate, still with the acidity but at the same time a little more ripeness.

2022 Clemens Busch Marienburg Raffes Riesling Große Lage - also small production of around 1,400 bottles. This was much more ripe than the Felsterrasse, but still flinty. There was more sugar on the palate, with plenty of acidity and a long finish. The nose here was more showy and powerful.

Fifth flight: finally an off-dry wine.

2022 Clemens Busch Marienburg Riesling Spätlese Große Lage Goldkapsel - the nose was much more floral, together with the familiar petrol. Definitely more residual sugar and sweeter on the palate.

Ducru and Prüm

Lunch at Zhejiang Heen.

2009 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett - very nicely balanced between sweetness and acidity on the palate. Big nose of plastic and petrol, which was just classic.

Bought from Sotheby's for HKD 362.

2004 Ducru-Beaucaillou - started drinking about an hour after opening. Ripe fruit with nice woodsy notes on the nose. Also showed dried herbs and plenty of smoke.

Full post on lunch is here.