Keller and Le Gallais

Dinner at Gem Garden in Shenzhen.

1989 Le Gallais Wiltinger Braune Kupp Riesling Auslese - decanted before serving. Big nose of white flowers, white truffle, orange blossom water, marmalade, and honey.

2020 Keller Dalsheim Bürgel Spätburgunder Trocken Großes Gewächs - decanted before serving. First whiff showed strawberries and eucalyptus. About 45 minutes later the wine got softer on the palate. The fragrance was nicer after almost 1½ hours, showing more leather.

Bought from Hong Kong Wine Vault for HKD 1,150.

Full post on dinner is here.

Grange des Pères and more

Dinner at Caprice.

Leclerc Briant Rosé de Saignée, dégorgée en Juin 2024 - the nose was a little caramelized, but otherwise it was kind of bland... Not very forward, although there were some minerals on the nose.

2021 Knewitz Chardonnay Reserve - this was more muted on the nose, not very buttery, and with some toasty oak. Leaner and more flinty. Waited a few more minutes and the butter side showed just a tiny little bit, but the palate was still lean and more acidic.

1998 Grange des Pères Rouge - first pour was about 20 minutes after opening. Big nose of leather and animal notes, bretty and medicinal, and definitely savory. After more than an hour in glass, the wine has now finally opened up and showed more fruit on top of the original profile. Second pour more than 1½ hours after opening, and this was even more open and fragrant. Drinking very nicely.

Bought from Sotheby's for USD 208.

2021 Grange des Pères Rouge - served more than 8 hours after opening. Very lively, so fresh and minty with fragrant pine needles. So sweet, so fragrant, so beautiful!

Full post on dinner is here.

Bourgogne and more

Lunch at Mosu.

2015 Bollinger La Grande Année, dégorgée en Octobre 2023 - first sip delivered a dose of high acidity, but the palate also had some roundness. Some toasty notes on the nose.

Gonin Musume Shizen No Manma (五人娘 自然のまんま) - seimaibuai of 70%. Showing lots of savory fermented notes on the nose initially, but so sweet on the palate like Chinese fermented rice lees. Soon after the nose changed and showed tons of caramel, toffee, or dulce de leche. Very fruity with a bit of citrus, and also like Japanese konpeito.

2017 Coche-Dury Bourgogne Chardonnay - initially the nose was not very open despite having been decanted, showing only a little citrus and a hint of green apple. Acidity showing on the palate, and there was some ripeness on the palate with the oak. But totally not what I had expected.

2018 Domaine de la Roseraie Bourgogne Senex - showing animal notes, lots of eucalyptus, dried herbs, big and toasty, and a little farmy that made me think of natural wines. Pretty fragrant.

2022 François Villard Crozes-Hermitage Cour de Récré - this was a lot more fruity on the nose than I had expected, with some acetone. What was really interesting was that it almost started to smell like Oolong tea!

2022 Keller Sylvaner Feuervogel - big nose of petrol, flint, and muscat grapes. Good and crisp acidity.

2015 Bressan Schioppettino - this was really fragrant with tons of herbs, like a chinotto, but also a little savory. This was very, very lovely.

Full post on lunch is here.

Riesling and Rhone

Lunch at Luk Yu Tea House.

2021 Rappenhof Riesling E² - a little flinty on the nose with some lemon. Good acidity on the palate.

2004 Pax Venus - nose was very much oxidized but others felt it was simply natural aging. Notes of pineapple, Chinese angelica, and a little metallic rust.

2014 Gramona Corpinnat III Lustros, disgorged July 2022 - really nice on the palate and nicely balanced. A little acidity here but very smooth, without being too sweet or ripe.

2019 Château-Grillet Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc - the nose was very fragrant and floral, with stone fruits and some flint.

2022 Ogier Condrieu La Combe de Malleval - the nose was really floral and fragrant, with tropical fruits.

2016 Gangloff Condrieu - very alcoholic on the nose with notes of acetone.

1990 Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Kabinett - this was really nice, with plenty of lemon and polyurethane on the nose. Good acidity on the palate, almost bordering on being sharp, with a very long finish. The wine was much more viscous on the palate than expected, and just drinking beautifully.

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

2018 Keller Westhofen Kirchspiel Riesling Großes Gewächs - very big nose of polyurethane. Good amount of acidity on the palate.

2020 Ogier Syrah La Rosine - drunk much too young. Notes of blueberries as well as metallic nose.

2011 Ogier Côte-Rôtie Lancement - this was pretty elegant, very smooth on the palate, with notes of leather on the nose.

Full post on lunch is here.

61s and friends

Dinner at Forum.

Ulysse Collin Les Pierrières, dégorgée en 16 Fevrier 2022 - nice acidity on the palate, as one would expect. Later on the wine showed candied pineapple, a little flint, and minerals on the nose.

2014 Keller Westhofen Kirchspiel Riesling trocken - classic petrol and polyurethane. Reasonably dry but definitely a little soft and rounded by now.

Bought from HK Wine Vault for HKD 940.

1961 Ducru-Beaucaillou - level was high shoulder. Drank 20 minutes after opening without decanting. The nose was more floral and elegant, with notes of leather, a little smoke, and a little graphite. After a little more than an hour the wine was still holding up somewhat, with more prominent nose of smoke. About 1½ hours in the wine was really, really open and showing beautifully, with loads of leather and a big, toasty nose, along with some coffee, too. Very happy with this bottle, and in the end it turned out better than my previous bottle from 3 years ago.

Bought from Vinum for SGD 410.

1961 Pichon Baron - level was high shoulder. Drank 20 minutes after opening without decanting. Definitely smoky on the nose, initially showing well and better than the 61 Ducru, bigger and more concentrated on the palate, but there was perhaps a tiny hint of wet cardboard. Love the complexity here, with lots of woodsy and cedar nose, and still got the fruity cassis.

Bought from Christies for HKD 3,646.

Full post on dinner is here.

SQN and friends

Dinner at The Bay by Chef Fei in Shenzhen.

2002 Duval-Leroy Femme de Champagne, dégorgée 18 Novembre 2020 - this was really nice, ripe with marmalade notes. Drinking after the chilled fish brings out the fatty flavors from the fish. Perfect.

2013 Keller Westhofen Kirchspiel Riesling trocken - served about 30 minutes after opening. Lots of petrol on the nose, with a bit of honey. Much more ripe than expected, and lacking the acidity one is looking for from a großes gëwachs wine.

2007 Sine Qua Non Pictures Grenache - served 1 hour after decanting. Pretty fragrant nose, nice and ripe fruits here with lots of oak. Fragrant and woodsy notes. Drinking pretty well.

2008 Sine Qua Non The Line - decanted 1 hour after opening and served after 2 hours in the decanter. This was more open and a little more flamboyant compared to Pictures, with sweet and ripe fruit of course, almost like blueberry jam.

Full post on dinner is here.

Champagne and SQN

Dinner at Forum Restaurant.

Ulysse Collin Les Pierrières, dégorgée en mars 2021 - nice and open, with some dessicated coconut, a little mineral and flint. Nice acidity on the palate, then some savory notes showed after about 30 minutes.

2007 Taittinger Comte de Champagne Blanc de Blancs - big on the palate. Really lovely nose with a good amount of toast.

2008 Sine Qua Non B 20 - 91% syrah, 6% grenache, 3% viognier. Served 2 hour after opening without decanting. Really big wine, very woodsy, a little metallic, minty. More than 3 hours after opening the nose was even more open and showed more cedar notes. Drinking very well.

2015 Keller Westhofener Kirchspiel Riesling Großes Gewächs - flinty, polyurethane, a bit more ripe on the palate than expected.

Full post on dinner is here.