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.

Trimbach, Brochet, and Matriarch

Dinner at The Chairman.

Emmanuel Brochet Rosé de Saignée - opened 2 hours earlier. The nose was VERY toasty, with red fruits. Very punchy nose. Underneath the toast there was perhaps a hint of bubblegum.

2013 Trimbach Pinot Gris Réserve Personnelle, en magnum - a little hint of plastic on the nose, also a little floral. Good acidity mid-palate and on the finish, but also slightly sweet. There was a hint of marmalade, and a little bitter, too.

2007 BOND Matriarch - started drinking 1 hour and 45 minutes after decanting. Really sweet fruit on the nose, with tons of vanilla and coconut butter. Nice, woodsy notes, too.

Bought from the winery for USD 125(?) plus tax.

Full post on dinner is here.

2020 Angelus and Ygrec

Dinner at Caprice.

2020 Ygrec de Yquem - nose of lemon citrus, honey, with very good acidity to balance the small amount of ripeness on the palate. I could definitely smell the sauvignon blanc in the blend.

Bought from HK Wine Vault for HKD 1,300.

2020 Angelus - drank about 2 hours after decanting. Definitely still a very young and vibrant wine. Very ripe and a little jammy, with prominent notes of forest and potpourri, along with vanilla and mint on the nose. Still needs time to develop, but enjoyable now.

Bought from Altaya for EUR 295.

2014 Yauem, en imperial - lots of polyurethane and saffron, as well as orange and acetone. Soooo lovely and viscous on the palate.

2020 DRC Corton-Charlemagne - good acidity as well as good ripeness, with a little honey on the nose and a bit of polyurethane. This did not smell like a white Burg at all, with none of the buttery and oaky profile. After a little more time, the toasty notes finally came out, along with some flint. When the wine got warmer in the glass, the ripeness became more obvious.

1989 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl Sélection de Grains Nobles - nose of saffron, honey, marmalade, and lovely nutty notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

Tar and Roses

Dinner at Catch.

2024 Tar and Roses Pinot Grigio - acidity was OK, and this was not totally bland. There was lemon and some tropical fruit on the nose.

Henri Bonneau and friends

Dinner at YAKITORI MOE in Tokyo.

2017 Ultramarine Blanc de Blancs, disgorged November 16, 2021 - nose was very toasty and buttery.

2022 Yukidoke Shonai Pinot Gris - pretty fragrant on the nose.

2007 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape - drank about 1 hour after opening without decanting. Nice nose of prunes, spices, with meaty notes. Still got the tannins around but with good acidity balance.

Bought from Sotheby's for HKD 1,033.

2007 Henri Bonneau Réserve des Célestins - drank about 1½ hours after opening without decanting. The nose was definitely a little farmy but also more fragrant, more savory notes along with some leather. Tannins were very silky on the palate. More than 2 hours after opening the nose opened up and showed beautiful floral notes that reminded me of certain kinds of soap.

Bought from Capitale for HKD 2,100.

1998 Henri Bonneau Réserve des Célestins - drank a little before 2 hours after opening without decanting. The nose was definitely more fruity and sweet, but not quite to the level of being jammy. Sweet on the palate, too. This was rich and really lovely.

1986 Henri Bonneau Réserve des Célestins - Drank about 1½ hours after decanting. Definitely more farmy on the nose, but this wine was so elegant and lovely, very alluring.

Full post on dinner is here.

Sake et vins

Dinner at Nikushou.

Kikuhime Ginjo Kukurihime (菊姫 吟醸 菊理媛), 28BY? - seimaibuai of 50%. The alcohol was kinda sharp on the nose, but this opened up and the alcohol faded. Definitely on the drier side.

Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Nakatori 35 (磯自慢 純米大吟醸 中取り 35), 2019 - seimaibuai of 35%. Sweet nose of starchy rice. Really smooth on the palate with a nice and sweet attack.

1987 Trimbach Clos Sainte Hune - the first bottle was really fragrant and showed white flowers and lemon on the nose, with good acidity. The condition of the second bottle was even better so the wine was definitely more fresh, with crisp, sharper acidity on the palate. This was just fucking beautiful with huge nose of white flowers and a little flint.

Bought from Sotheby's for HKD 3,333.

1992 Calera Pinot Noir Selleck Vineyard - there was some acidity which came through the nose, which was showing some complexity, almost like how ketchup would smell with a tiny bit of savory notes. Still got some sweetness on the palate and the fruit.

1975 Beychevelle, en magnum - drank around 2 hours after opening without decanting. The nose was showing beautifully with some capsicum, smoke, mint, leather, and earth. Drinking pretty well now.

1974 Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon Vintage Selection - pretty smoky on the nose, and pretty savory with black olives as the wine developed tertiary flavors. Still very much alive.

1984 Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill - drank some 2½ hours after opening without decanting. Still got the nice fruit, and the nose was meaty and woodsy like cedar. Still going strong, which wasn't a surprise to anyone who's had older Diamond Creek.

Henri Giraud MV17, dégorgée le 22 Septembre 2021 - lovely now with some maturity, giving off savory notes like salty preserved lemon, along with some marmalade. Delicious.

Katsuyama Junmai Daiginjo Shoryu (勝山 純米大吟醸 昇龍) - seimaibuai of 35%. Nice and fragrant with lovely nose of banana and floral notes.

1999 Hugel Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles, en demi-bouteille - the nose was really floral, lots of lychees, orange blossom water, and honey. Very rounded on the palate.

Bought from HK Wine Vault for HKD 495.

1999 Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Clos Jebsal Sélection des Grains Nobles, en demi-bouteille - the texture was really viscous. Very sweet on the palate with honey and sapodilla notes. On the nose there was a slight hint of minerals like oxidized Asian pear, medjool dates, and some nutty notes.

07 Boekenhoutskloof

Drinks at Grand Cafe.

2022 Cecilia Beretta Grigio Luna Pinot Grigio - flinty nose with some stone fruits.

Dinner at Nikushou.

2007 Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon Franschhoek - drank 15 minutes after decanting. The nose was nice and fragrant, with woodsy, cedar notes. Pretty smoky once the nose opened up, and with a swirl of the glass we had sweet fruit coming out, along with some minty notes. Still got the tannins here, and it's drinking really nicely.

Bought from Watson's for HKD 230.

Full post on dinner is here.

Trimbach and Egon Müller dinner

Dinner at Caprice featuring 19 wines from Domaine Trimbach and Weingut Egon Müller. Both Jean Trimbach and Egon Müller IV are in attendance.

2017 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile, en magnum - nice nose of petrol, or as Jean Trimbach insisted, "white truffle". Wow! The high aciity was very unexpected and kinda gave me a shock. But this was really nice.

2015 Egon Müller Riesling Scharzhofberger Kabinett - really nice nose of petrol. Good acidity on the palate but also got plenty of fruity sweetness.

2015 Egon Müller Riesling Scharzhofberger Kabinett Alte Reben - this was a much bigger wine compared to its sibling, with more acidity which made it much more lively on the palate.

2012 Trimbach Riesling Grand Cru Geisberg - very fragrant nose with honey, apricot, and almost orange blossom water. There was also a hint of acetone.

2012 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile - lighter in color compared to Geisberg, it was also leaner on the palate, not as fruity, with good acidity. Beautiful nose of white flowers put a smile on my face.

2022 Le Gallais Riesling Wiltinger Braune Kupp Kabinett - a little effervescent and tickled the tongue. Very obvious orange notes, as if I were drinking Apero or Martini Rosso without the bitterness. Very fruity.

2022 Egon Müller Riesling Scharzhofberger Kabinett - nice nose of white flowers and petrol. Got some fruity flavors here but they were much more tame compared to Le Gallais.

2022 Egon Müller Riesling Scharzhofberger Kabinett Alte Reben - nose was much more pungent with plenty of sulfur. But also strangely fragrant at the same time. Ripe and funky on the palate, with a little bit of fruity acidity.

2016 Trimbach Riesling Clos Sainte Hune, en double-magnum, bouteille N° 122/300 - floral notes showed after the wine wrmed up a little. Good balance here between the ripeness and the acidity. As I was told at the domaine in November, double-magnums are only bottled in years where a new member of the Trimbach family is born. So privileged to have tasted this out of double-magnum.

2009 Trimbach Riesling Clos Sainte Hune, en magnum - this wine was showing very nicely, and much bigger on the palate than its younger sibling. It's got good acidity but there's almost a little bitterness, too.

2009 Egon Müller Riesling Scharzhofberger Spätlese - this was such a fragrant and alluring wine, so ripe and fruity.

2007 Egon Müller Riesling Scharzhofberger Spätlese - really fragrant and floral, almost like jasmine. So, so beautiful.

2016 Trimbach Pinot Gris Réserve Personnelle, en magnum - the nose was fairly muted, and slightly bitter mid-palate. Tasted a little better with the duck.

2015 Trimbach Gewurztraminer Cuvée des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre - very beautiful notes of lychee. So ripe and sweet, so floral and sexy. This reminded me why, before I started learning about wine, my first love was gewurztraminer.

1989 Trimbach Riesling Clos Sainte Hune Vendages Tardives Hors Choix - pretty ripe and sweet, with honey, marmalade, apricot, pollen notes. Not too sweet but just sweet enough thanks to the late harvest. Still got a bit of acidity, along with some bitterness on the finish.

1989 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile Sélection des Grains Nobles - this was much richer, with lots of honey and floral notes, almost like very ripe honeydew melon, with a bit of plastic on the nose.

1999 Egon Müller Riesling Scharzhofberger Auslese - nose was a little funky, with the classic petrol notes. Not too ripe but there was some ripeness here.

1997 Egon Müller Riesling Scharzhofberger Auslese - very nice nose of petrol. A little riper than I expected, with a beautiful nose of white flowers. Still got the acidity.

2018 Egon Müller Riesling Scharzhofberger Trockenbeerenauslese - what a treat! You can smell the viscosity of the wine. Ripe honeydew melon and acetone on full blast. So, so beautiful. So viscous on the palate that it's fun to swirl the wine around in the mouth. Tons of sugar here but it's still got the acidity. What a fucking beautiful wine!

Full post on dinner is here.