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.

French and Spanish

Dinner at Roganic.

Jacques Lassaignes Les Vignes de Montgueux - there was good level of acidity, pretty lean on the palate but still got a little ripeness. However, this is just not the type of Champagne I prefer.

2022 Hiedler Grüner Veltliner Thal - a little green on the nose, and you know it's not a riesling, and in fact smells more like muscat.

2021 Robert-Denogent Pouilly-Fuissé Climat Vieilles Vignes - good acidity on the palate, and more on the lean side, with some lemon citrus on the nose.

2020 Rafael Palacios Val do Bibei As Sortes - this has a nice and toasty nose, with good acidity on the palate.

2012 López de Heredia Reserva Viña Tondonia - this was very fragrant on the nose, with some blueberries that almost started to border on rubber. Nice and ripe on the palate, still got the tannins but there was enough acidity to balance it out. The nose also showed a little bit of savory minerals in the midst of potpourri fragrance.

Domaine des Marnes Blanches Macvin du Jura - this was a little tea-like with notes of jasmine flowers, and also pretty fruity. Very nice and alluring. So happy with this.

Full post on dinner is here.

2011 Vignes du Maynes

Lunch at Seventh Son.

2011 Domaine des Vignes du Maynes Pouilly-Fuissé - ripe and mature.  Definitely showing marmalade on the palate.

Full post on lunch is here.

Pouilly-Fuissé and more

Lunch at Quai des Artistes in Monte-Carlo.

2017 Pascal Renaud Pouilly-Fuissé - flinty, tropical stone fruit, bright and refreshing.

Dinner at a friend's house.

2017 de Berne Grande Recolte Blanc - tropical stone fruit, light-bodied nice summer white.

2016 Léo de la Gaffelière - ripe and sweet.

Full post on the day is here.

Wines for Michelin Gala 2017

Michelin Gala Dinner at the Grand Hyatt Macau.

Mumm Grand Cordon Brut

2012 Château des Quarts Pouilly-Fuissé Clos des Quarts - nice and toasty on the nose.  Very ripe and soft on the palate, almost limp, and no finish other than the feeling of alcohol burning the back of my throat.

2013 Pernot-Belicard Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Champ Gain - nose fairly aromatic, with surprisingly good ripeness.  Minerality came out when paired with the homard bleu, with some acidity at the back.

2012 La Tour Figeac - pretty ripe and sweet, but not quite jammy.  A little smoke in the fragrant and floral nose.  Still rather tannic.  Surprise on the upside.

2012 François Feuillet Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers - pretty heavy, toasty nose, nice and floral, with sweet fruit notes.  Seemed a little cloudy and dirty...

2011 Ogier Côte-Rôtie - lovely floral and lavender notes, with some leather and eucalyptus.  A little sharp from the alcohol.

Jean-Marc Roulot l'Abricot du Roulot

Full post on dinner is here.

Louis Jadot dinner

Dinner at Pierre in Hong Kong, featuring wines from Louis Jadot.

2010 Ferret Pouilly-Fuissé Autour de Fuissé - big nose of toasty oak, heavy smoke, revealing sweet core after the smoke fades.  Almost a little floral.  Acidity strong mid-palate, and almost a little bitter.  Long finish. At 13.5%, definitely felt the alcohol burn going down.  Surprisingly excellent to drink.

2008 Jadot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Clos de la Chapelle - mineral, a little sweet, tropical coconut.  Served a little too cold initially.  Definitely lots of body weight, and acidity was very prominent.  Later on this grew fatter and more buttery.

2008 Jadot Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet - a little ripe, with good acidity balance but slightly acidic on the finish. Toasty, buttery and sweet.  Lovely and elegant.

2001 Jadot Corton-Charlemagne - nose was a little closed at first, with a hint of cheese.  Toasty, and acidic on the finish.

2006 Jadot Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Ursules - a monopole within the 1er Cru Vignes Franches, which was Jadot's very first vineyard holding.  Really ripe fruit, sweet on the nose with a little eucalyptus and some toasty corn much later.  A bit alcoholic.  Light on the front palate but got slightly grippy at the end.

2006 Jadot Clos Vougeot en magnum - meaty, animal, a bit smoky.  A little more tannic.

2004 Jadot Chapelle-Chambertin - more animal, leather, forest.  A bit sharp on the nose.  Acidic on palate.

2001 Jadot Corton-Pougets - a bit more body here.

Full post on dinner is here.

Balinese wedding mix: day 1

Drank these during the first day of a wedding in Bali:

1996 Bruno Paillard Blanc de Blancs en magnum - a little yeasty, but a very lovely wine.  I can drink this all day.

2004 Henri Boillot Chevalier-Montrachet en magnum - lots of toasty corn, a little oaky.  Very nice.

2008 Château Fuissé Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes en magnum - this wine has surprised me on the upside in the past, and it was drinking very well tonight.  After warming up the glass a little with my hands, the floral nose came out and was very refreshing, with a little tropical and marzipan nose along with minerals and a hint of oak.  Ripe on the palate but there's enough acidity to balance it out.

2008 Ponsot Griotte-Chambertin - nose of forest, plum, and almost a little like plum jam that has been cooked.  Palate was a little weak and not as enjoyable.  Sealed with the synthetic cork that Laurent Ponsot showed us when we visited him.

2009 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett Alte Reben - made from very old vines.  Intense petrol and flint in the nose, with a little manuka honey and orange blossom.  A little sweet on the palate and really nice.

1992 Philipponnat Clos des Goisses en magnum - nose of sugar cane and straw, a little lemon.  Ripe on the nose and the palate.  Lovely.

Full post on the wedding welcome dinner is here.

2004 Château de Fuissé Pouilly-Fuissé Tête du Cru

2004 Château de Fuissé Pouilly-Fuissé Tête du Cru - drank over dinner at Villa du Lac in Shanghai. Mineral and flinty nose, with lemon, oily and buttery notes. Kinda ripe on the nose and the palate. Not bad at all.

Full post on dinner is here.