Ganevat and Muxin

Dinner at Man Ho.

2018 Domaine Ganevat Les Varrons Vieilles Vignes - it took time for the wine to open up, with more ripeness on the nose than expected, together with flint. Lean on the palate with high acidity. More than an hour later the nose began to show toasty notes. Drinking decently.

Bought from Ginsberg + Chan for HKD 1,000.

2020 Jean-Marc Vincent Santenay 1er Cru Le Beaurepaire - this was pretty forward. Nice and fruity on the nose, with a little leather and also a little meaty. Very pleasant and easy to drink.

Bought from Ginsberg + Chan for HKD 800.

1982 Giscours - started to drink more than an hour after opening. Clearly a little tired, as the sweet fruit was gone. Got some sweet grass on the nose, musty, definitely bretty. Not great.

2021 Muxin Rouge - started drinking about 1 hour and 15 minutes after decanting. The nose was pretty open, and this was definitely predominantly cab. Smoky, earthy, mineral. Young and lively. This was much better than the one I tasted last year.

Bought from Ginsberg + Chan for HKD 1,250.

Full post on dinner is here.

Sake, rum, and Matacuy

Dinner at MONO for their Unplugged XIV, a collaboration to MAZ Tokyo.

Miolo Cuvée Tradition Brut - this is always easy to drink, with light acidity on the palate.

Kokuryu Daiginjo Ryu (黒龍 大吟醸 龍), 2024 - such a classic, with lovely, sweet and starchy rice on the nose, a little sharp with acetone and alcohol, and showing slightly fermented notes. Lovely.

2021 Jean Leon Nativa Xarel・lo - very ripe on the nose but very light on the palate.

Mater Iniciativa O Tuber - made of oxalis tuberosa or oca. This actually tasted like white wine to me. The alcohol level was not high. Slightly grippy on the palate with a short finish. Not very complex. Not particularly delicious on its own, but very interesting nevertheless.

2022 Lucien Muzard Santenay 1er Cru Beauregard - nice and oaky on the nose with plenty of coconut butter. Red currants. Rich and interesting, and a bit smoky.

2019 Zuccardi Malbec Concreto - ripe fruit and smoke on the nose. Got the concentration on the palate, but a little chalky. Not great.

Montelobos Mezcal Espadín - very classic. Got that medicinal flavor but still a little sweet on the palate and also on the finish.

Santa Teresa 1796 - so fragrant, with lovely vanilla notes and a long finish.

Distinería Andina Matacuy - really fragrant and herbal. Almost reminds of chartreuse.

Full post on dinner is here.

Silver Heights Emma and more

Dinner at Rùn.

2015 Roebuck Blanc de Noirs - a little bit of minerality with some acidity here.

Bernard Lonclas Blanc de Blancs, dégorgée le 14 novembre 2022 - floral on the nose, or was it the perfume from the room? Medium-bodied, kinda simple on the palate. Showed more sweetness on the palate with the spicy fish maw.

2020 Domaine de Bila-Haut Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Blanc - too over-ripe although there is still some acidity. Showing polyurethane and a little petrol.

2020 Bachelet-Monnot Santenay Blanc - nice and toasty, showing some coffee notes, and very savory on the nose. Lots of popcorn in the really big nose. Very nice.

2019 Craggy Range Pinot Noir Te Muna Road Vineyard - very New World in style, showing lots of new wood with good amount of fruit. Fairly sharp on the nose.

2019 Silver Heights Emma's Reserve, from magnum - very ripe fruit, with lots of forest, very heavy oak, very minty. Actually this was not too tannic for such a young wine.

2018 Domaine de Souch Cuvée Domaine - good acidity but a little bitter.

Full post on dinner is here.

2005 Vincent Girardin Santenay 1er Cru Les Gravieres

2005 Vincent Girardin Santenay 1er Cru Les Gravieres en demi-bouteille - drank at home.  Smoke, earth, herbs, pine needle, alcoholic, game meats, bacon, surprisingly ripe and sweet, with some chocolate notes.  Still pretty tannic and needs a few more years to smooth out.  Not bad.

Vincent Girardin and Chinese food

Dinner at the Chairman (大班樓). The food was paired with wines from Vincent Girardin, and Marco Caschera from the domaine was here.

2007 Vincent Girardin Saint-Aubin Les Murgers des Dents de Chien - really sweet nose with minerals and flint. A little hint of hot and ripeness on the palate. Toasty corn notes at the end. Pretty surprising on the upside.

2007 Vincent Girardin Meursault 1er Cru Les Charmes-Dessus - minerals, steely, citrus lemon, a bit sweet and buttery. Reasonably ripe on the palate with slightly higher acidity than the Saint-Aubin. Definitely feel the difference interroir.

2006 Vincent Girardin Santenay 1er Cru Clos des Tavannes - really sweet and fragrant nose with white flowers and minerals. Very nice. Reasonably sweet and smooth on the palate. A little toasty at the end.

2007 Vincent Girardin Beaune 1er Cru Les Bressandes Vieilles Vignes - smoky with Chinese medicine notes, along with spices and mushroom. Not as open and fruity, rather closed.

2007 Vincent Girardin Pommard 1er Cru Les Grands Epenots Vieilles Vignes - a beautiful wine, with lots of black fruits such as blackcurrant. Very young and vibrant, a little smoky, and sweet on the nose as well as palate. Very enjoyable.

Full post on dinner is here.

1996 Jadot Santenay Clos de Malte

1996 Jadot Santenay Clos de Malte - Ouch!  Definitely too young to drink as tannins are still strong.  There is fruit and acidity underneath, so this should prove to be good after a couple of years.  Bought from Ponti for HKD 219.