Rodez and Guiberteau

Dinner at Amber.

Eric Rodez Blanc de Noirs, Edition 45, dégorgée en Decembre 2023 - nice and lovely on the palate, with a good balance between acidity and ripeness, good depth and a long finish. Classic marmalade on the nose.

2019 Guiberteau Saumur Les Moulins - the nose was surprisingly ripe and sweet, with plenty of toast on the nose. The acidity was still there on the palate, making it nice and lean.

L'abricot du Roulot - the nose was definitely very apricot. Sweet on the palate but not too sticky.

Full post on dinner is here.

From Collin to Sassicaia

Dinner at Wing.

Ulysse Collin Rosé de Saignée Les Maillons, dégorgée en Mars 2021 - lovely notes of red fruits. This was so elegant, really nice and rounded on the palate.

1988 Maximin Grünhaüser Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett - this was really nice and fresh despite the age, and a good amount of acidity made it very lively on the palate. There was a bit of sweetness, of course, and the prominent notes of white flowers were very nice, too.

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

2016 Guiberteau Saumur Brézé - there was a huge, toasty nose, and also very fragrant. Pretty lean on the palate with grippy tannins and good acidity. Later on, though, the nose started to develop a buttery profile.

2005 Sandrone Barolo Cannubi Boschis - a really fragrant nose of spices and also somewhat smoky. It's still got the concentration but now the wine is ready, and drinking very nicely.

2007 Sassicaia - smoky, minty nose with wonderful fruit, where it's jammy but not sugary sweet on the nose, and a little fermented. Really good concentration on the palate. Beautiful wine from a great vintage.

1988 Maximin Grünhaüser Abtsberg Riesling Spätlese - slightly more sweetness on the palate than the kabinett, but still got lots of acidity, and not surprisingly this was more rounded on the palate. Lots of white flowers on the nose, making it very nice and fragrant.

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

Full post on dinner is here.

Guiberteau and Brocard Pierre

Dinner at Table in Paris.

Brocard Pierre L'Égarée - full-bodied with plenty of depth from the pinot. A little bitter and slightly grippy on the palate. Clearly showing that zero dosage.

2020 Guiberteau Saumur Clos de Guichaux - very fragrant nose, with a little flint. Good acidity on the palate.

Full post on dinner is here.

Pairing for Chinese banquet

Dinner at a friend's home.

2004 Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Françaises, bottle No. 0960 - very rich, very deep flavors.

2010 L'Extravagance de Doisy-Daëne, en demi-bouteille - orange blossom water, honey, later some apricot. Really rich and viscous.

1983 Trimbach Clos Sainte Hune - first pour 15 minutes after opening. Soft on the palate and slightly bitter. An hour after opening this was much more flinty and steely, with polyurethane... and starting to cross over to German riesling territory.

1983 Guigal La Mouline - decanted 2½ hours after opening. No more fruit left, only animal and leather, savory and almost bretty. Double-decanted 30 minutes after the first decanting, but there still wasn't much fruit on the nose, only some fruit on the palate. Also showed some smoky Chinese preserved pork. Very disappointing.

1946 Massandra Sherry - served 1 hour after opening. Very oxidized and savory as expected, with lots of salty plum, but still has some sweetness on the palate.

1989 Guiraud - opened a few hours earlier. Nice and sweet with honey, a little marmalade.

1914 Croizet Grande Réserve - with vanilla sweetness. Much softer and more elegant than expected. Apparently this was due to the fact that this vintage was made by ladies when the men went off to war, hence the softer style.

60-year-old Taidiao wine (太雕酒) - really savory, showing lots of salty plum. Sooo rich and so much depth in flavors.

2016 Guiberteau Saumur Brézé - HUGE nose of toast, with plenty of acidity as expected. Was this wine trying to pretend to be a Meursault?

Full post on dinner is here.

Bongwater night

Drinks at LQV.

2018 Guiberteau Saumur Les Moulins - kinda pungent, flinty, not quite sulfur on the nose. High acidity and on the lean side.

Anne et Jean-François Ganevat Kopin!, en magnum - a little metallic, kinda like pear. More fruity and a little rounder on the palate.

Bongwater Friday

Dinner at Neighborhood.

2014 Guiberteau Saumur Brézé - huge nose of toasty oak.  Very ripe on the palate, but still got plenty of acidity and very vibrant on the palate.

2016 Esporão Alentejo Reserva - big, flinty nose with some ripeness on the palate.

2016 Cos Nero di Lupo - minty, eucalyptus, fruity, dried herbs, and a bit leather on the nose.

Full post on dinner is here.

2014 Guiberteau Breze

Lunch at home.

2014 Guiberteau Saumur Brézé - more ripeness than expected.  Still got good acidity, and flinty nose.

Jesus, Dethune, and Guiberteau

Dinner at Frantzen's Kitchen.

Paul Déthune Cuvée à l'Ancienne, dégorgée en janvier 2012 - initially not getting much from the nose, but the palate was pretty nice with good acidity balance.  Slightly dry and a little toasty.  Showed a good amount of maturity and depth of flavors after warming up a little.

1985 Bouchard Vigne de l'Enfant Jésus - definitely TCA with telltale wet cardboard nose.  Madeirized.  Grassy.

2013 Guiberteau Saumur Clos de Guichaux - dry with crisp acidity.  Minerals, a little oak, lemon, and some white flowers.  Long finish.

Full post on dinner is here.

Coche, Rougeard, and Dagueneau

Dinner at Caprice Bar.

2014 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly - lovely wine, with a big and explosive, toasty nose. 

1995 Guigal Château d'Ampuis - decanted for 1½ hours prior to serving.  Lovely nose, with minty, eucalyptus, and floral notes.  Higher acidity and leaner than expected, with less sweetness on the palate.  Didn't have the same power and richness I had expected, so slightly disappointing.

2010 Clos Rougeard Brézé - apparently this bottle was opened 4 days ago.  Very fragrant nose, with a little stone fruit, almost a little acetone, and pretty ripe.

2009 Dagueneau Buisson Renard, en magnum - apparently this was opened 5 days ago.  Classic nose of green apple and muscat grapes, and a little pungent.  Someone thought it smelled a little like durian, but nah...  It's lovely and pure sauvignon blanc.

2002 Coche-Dury Meursault - just.beautiful.  Classic big, toasty nose.  A little buttery.

Full post on dinner is here.