Hundred mountains and Glaciers

Dinner at Yong Fu.

DEVO MV04 Brut Nature - the nose was flinty and mineral. The palate was fairly well-balanced, although it was rather flat mid-palate, with some orange marmalade notes.

2023 JiangYu Grechetto - this was very oxidized. Ripe and sweet.

Bai Yue Cheng Qu Long Jian Fu Xi (百越承曲 龙见伏兮) - made with a solera system, with wines up to 30 years being used. Long finish here. Nice.

2023 Domaine des Glaciers Cabernet Sauvignon - started serving almost 3½ hours after opening. Initially the nose was rather muted and only so-so, with a hint of spices and some green capsicum. Then it got more open and fragrant, with smoky notes and some graphite. Some 4½ hours after opening this got to be pretty nice.

2017 Franco-Chinois Petit Manseng - very sweet on the nose, with lots of intense honeydew melon.

Full post on dinner is here.

Krug and Huadiao

Dinner at a friend's place.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 162ème Édition, ID 414082 - started drinking after the wine has been open for more than 1 hour. Really lovely nose of Chinese salted plum. Initially this was served a little too cold, and the nose also showed a little minerality like Anjou pear. The acidity on the palate went up after the wine warmed up.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 4th generation, en demi-bouteille - the nose was much more salty with lots of minerals. Good acidity on the palate, and so very complex. Drinking very well now.

Bought from Sotheby's for HKD 573.

2013 Guigal Condrieu La Doriane - still got the floral notes with some flint and a bit of almond. Sipping after a taste of caviar really brought out oxidative flavors, and this became sweet but slightly bitter.

Wing Lee Wai 30 Year Huadiao (永利威三十年花雕) - very fragrant on the nose with both sweet and savory notes, nice and complex, sweeter and richer on the palate, but the finish wasn't very long.

ManSong Special Edition Light Huangjiu (慢宋•珍藏 清爽型黃酒) - the nose was more oxidized and clearly more dry and savory, and more similar to a Fino Sherry. not much sweetness on the palate, but showing umami instead.

Between Five Bells Yellow - really big and beautiful toasty nose thanks to the chardonnay, with a hint of pineapple. Really high and crisp acidity thanks to the savagnin. Really powerful and beautiful.

Bought from Oz Terroirs for HKD 398.

Jolivet and Clos Venturi

Dinner at Leela.

Bollinger Special Cuvée - good acidity but pretty simple and flat on the palate. Later on this showed a little bit of Chinese salted plums.

2023 Pascal Jolivet Blanc Fumé - nose was very flinty with lots of tropical fruits and stone fruits. More ripeness here than expected.

Chinese yellow wine (雙鍋花雕) - this was so, soooo rich and sweet! I absolutely loved how unctuous and sweet it was on the palate. The nose was very lovely with plenty of savory and fermented notes along with a hint of smoke. I could drink this all day.

2020 Clos Venturi Le Clos Rouge - the nose was very minty with lots of fragrant and exotic spices. So interesting. But also had metallic notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

Prieur and Prieuré-Roch

Dinner at a friend's home.

2004 Inflorescence Côte de Béchalin, dégorgée en Avril 2011 - very rounded on the palate and easy to drink.  I could definitely taste the pinot noir as this was a blanc de noirs.

2013 Jacques Prieur Bourgogne Blanc - very ripe and surprisingly soft on the palate.  Curiously almost a little minty as well as flinty.

2004 Prieuré-Roch Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru - love this wine.  Really nice and toasty nose, with lots of strawberries.  Really sweet and beautiful, with floral and leather notes.

25-year Shaoxing - very smooth.  Definitely savory with salty plum notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

Huadiao and more

Dinner at Tasting Court.

2006 Agrapart Minéral - ripe on the palate but acidity was on the high side thanks to the low dosage.  Nice depth of flavor here.

2008 DuMOL Chardonnay Chloe - very ripe on the nose, very sweet with vanilla oak.  Really ripe on the palate, too.

Huadiao, more than 20 years old - lots of salty plum (話梅), very smooth.  Dry on the attack with a sweet finish.

2006 Albino Rocca Barbaresco Vigneto Brich Ronchi - nose of exotic spices, forest pine, leather, and grilled meats.  Starting to be a little like mulled wine.

2005 Feather Cabernet Sauvignon - very smoky, ripe and fruity.  Still kinda tannic.

2000 Barnett Cabernet Sauvignon Rattlesnake Hill - ripe fruit, minty, and cedar notes.  Still tannins here, but acidity was higher than expected.

1970 Dujac Marc de Bourgogne - for the birthday boy.

Full post on dinner is here.

Riesling and Huadiao

Dinner at Tien Heung Lau (天香樓).

2006 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - I thought this went down easy with Hangzhou food due to its sweetness.

We also enjoyed some Huadiao wine (花雕), which has been blended by the restaurant using something of a solera system employed by sherry producers. The oldest vintage dates back some 20-odd years. Wonderful stuff with served warm.
Full post on dinner is here.

Huadiao and Chateau Musar

Dinner at Tien Heung Lau (天香樓).

We started with a pitcher of their aged Shaoxing wine (紹興酒) - actually Huadiao (花雕) - but this time at room temperature without heating it up. In retrospect perhaps we should have drunk it warm, as heating would help hide the defects and impurities of the wine. Served cold, there was a distinct vegetal nose, and a bit moldy. I can imagine that the wine sat in ceramic jars for years, aging and the top of the wine acquiring its layer of mold (the Spaniards would call it flor).

1999 Chateau Musar - We drank 2 bottles of this. It's so curious that I would have friends bring bottles of this wine twice over the last 3 weeks, since I probably haven't had the Musar red in about 3 years! The wine was wonderful, with a big nose of minerals, sweet red fruit and even a hint of caramel towards the end. I was so happy to have the opportunity to drink this.

Full post on dinner is here.

Tien Heung Lau's house blend

Dinner at Tien Heung Lau (天香樓). Drank a pitcher of their aged Shaoxing wine (紹興酒), which has been warmed up. A lot has been written about the quality this vino, but it really is very good and has a very long finish. The fragrance of the wine also lingers in your mouth...