Big bottles for birthdays

Dinner at Kiu's Kitchen.

2008 Dom Pérignon, en magnum - this was pretty classic, and already kinda ripe and rounded given some years of aging.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 170ème Édition, ID 221034 - surprisingly the nose was not too tasty, and given I haven't tasted thie edition for a couple of years, I was surprised that acidity here was higher than that from the Dom, although thankfully not to a level that felt sharp.

2021 Catena Zapata Chardonnay White Stones Adrianna Vineyard - crisp with good acidity on the palate and a long finish. Pretty nice.

2008 Bergström Pinot Noir de Lancellotti Vineyard, from magnum - the nose was very open and fragrant, with good hit of fruit like dark blueberries, along with some sweet vanilla oak. Very enjoyable.

2005 Marqués de Riscal Gran Reserva - lots of mint and eucalyptus on the nose, almost menthol, and very sweet and ripe on the nose. There was also tons of oak as well as some smoke.

2004 Peter Michael Les Pavots, from magnum - this was very ripe with lots of nice fruit, also minty and very fragrant with cedar notes. Still got some tannins on the palate after more than 20 years. Drinking well.

1996 Silver Oak Alexander Valley, from magnum - this was more smoky than Les Pavots, and also riper with more fruit and got that coconut butter. Drinking very nicely.

Bought as part of a mixed lot from Christie's for HKD 1,608.

2016 Pahlmeyer - still a little young and slightly punchy.

2022 Louis Latour Chassagne-Montrachet

1990 Climens - tons of saffron on the nose along with acetone, classic marmalade, apricot, and pretty nutty. Very sweet on the palate.

Full post on dinner is here.

1969 Unico

Dinner at A Cut in Taipei.

Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Vieillissement Prolongé, dégorgée en Octobre 2023 - thanks to spending 87 months on yeast, this was pretty smooth and there was very little mousse. Nose was showing lemon, straw, and a little bit of yeast. Also some nutty notes. With a second pour, the nose was definitely more floral and elegant.

1969 Vega Sicilia Unico - initially the nose was showing sweet grass and woodsy notes, already pretty fragrant. About 1 hour in the nose was dominated by stewed prunes. A few minutes later this turned more fragrant with lovely wood. Given another few minutes we had beautiful coconut butter show up, and then a bit more acidity on the palate. Still a lovely wine and drinking pretty well.

Bought from Sotheby's for GBP 339.

Full post on dinner is here.

La Rioja Alta and Bouchard

Gaggan Tirreti Bazaar at Red Sugar in Kerry Hotel.

Henriot Brut Souverain - this was rounded on the palate with good acidity balance.

2023 Chapoutier Condrieu Invitare - sooo floral as expected, and as with Condrieu these days, incredibly ripe and sweet on the nose as well as the palate.

2017 Bouchard Beaune 1er Cru Clos de la Mousse - lots of ripe fruit and plenty of sweetness on the nose, but this was a little like old school bubble gum...

2016 La Rioja Alta Viña Arana Gran Reserva - the nose was so fragrant and so woodsy. Sweet with a little coconut butter underneath the woodsy notes. A bit smoky, too. Very nice.

2021 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese - classic nose of petrol and white flowers. Just enough sweetness to make me happy.

Full post on dinner is here.

Palacios and Cañas

Dinner at Leela.

2023 Alvaro Palacios Camins del Priorat - very ripe and very oaky, with forest and potpourri notes.

2018 Luis Cañas Rioja Reserva - the nose was a little sharp at first, and riper, more intense. Later on the wine got softer on the palate.

Full post on dinner is here.

Champagne and more

Dinner at Yuet Tung Hin.

1975 Moët et Chandon Cuvée Dom Pérignon - pretty amber in color now that it's 50 years' old. Initially there was plenty of Chinese licorice on the nose, but of course there were also savory minerals and marmalade. I love old Champagne and this was drinking nicely for its age.

Bought from Farr Vintners for GBP 140.

Ubusuna Yamada Nishiki (産土 山田錦), 2024 - slightly fizzy on the palate. Lots of banana and plenty of starchy rice notes on the nose. Really fragrant. Lightly sweet on the palate. A lovely sake.

1996 Bruno Paillard Assemblage, dégorgée en Janvier 2006, en magnum - lovely nose with flint and minerals on top of the marmalade. Nice acidity on the palate.

Bought from Sotheby's for USD 396.

2022 Bendito Destino Amphora - the nose was kinda bretty, with animal and leather notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

2015 Marqués de Riscal

Drinking at home in Sanchong.

2015 Marqués de Riscal Gran Reserva - started drinking 20 minutes after decanting. Pretty sweet on the palate, while showing a big nose of blueberries as well as woodsy notes.

Bought from Costco for TWD 1,440.

70 Tonodia and Cali

Dinner at a friend's home.

1970 López de Heredia Viña Tondonia - mid-shoulder. Started drinking 15 minutes after opening. The sweetness was still there on the nose, but initially this was a bit grassy and also a touch of mold. The nose was a little similar to Chinese sour plum drink. Later the funky in the nose dissipated and we were left with the sweet fruit that had been aged and oxidized. Not bad at all.

1995 Caymus Special Selection - decanted 40 minutes after opening, and started drinking after 20 minutes in the decanter. The nose was smoky, a little earthy, with a nice hit of sweet fruit, and showinglovely, really fragrant oak. Almost 2 hours after opening the wine was just showing beautifully. So lovely and elegant now.

Bought from Farr for GBP 87.

2004 Colgin Cariad - decanted 1 hour and 20 minutes after opening and served. The nose was definitely much sweeter with that vanilla, and of course minty. Sweet on the palate, smooth now after 20 years of age, but still got the tannins. Drinking very nicely.

Bought from the winery for USD 275 plus tax.

2013 Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva Asili - swirled in decanter after opening, and started drinking 30 minutes later. The nose was very fragrant with lots of dried herbs and eucalyptus. Could still feel the tannins on the palate.

Spanish night

Dinner at MONO.

Miolo Cuvée Tradition Brut - this was kinda floral on the nose, with a little bit of toast. Crisp acidity on the palate.

1998 Marqués de Murrieta Ygay Gran Reserva Capellanía - the nose was very oxidized, which was not surprising given the dark color of the wine. The nose was like vin jaune or sherry, kinda caramelized on the nose, oaky. But the palate was acidic. About an hour after opening the nose was showing lovely caramelized sugar with a little marmalade.

Bought from Andromeda for HKD 1,300.

1970 Marqués de Murrietta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial - served without decanting about 30 minutes after opening. The wine was showing well, with a little savory notes, minty, with fruit underneath it all. After 45 minutes in the glass the acidity on the palate got more prominent, and almost 2 hours in the acidity was pretty damn high. The nose now started to show some coconut butter. Drinking really well.

1996 Artadi Viña El Pison - started serving without decanting about 1 hour and 45 minutes after opening. Initially the nose was very chalky and farmy, and I thought it might be corked, but the palate was OK if a little savory and soapy. The second pour some 2½ hours after opening shows that the unpleasant nose had faded, and the wine now showed plenty of fragrant eucalyptus in addition to lovely fruit, and still a little savory. About 3 hours in the wine was showing really well with some toasty oak.

2014 Flor de Pingus - started serving some 1½ hours after opening, but the wine was still closed, with just a little eucalyptus and herbs. A second pour another hour later and now the wine was showing beautifully, with more fragrance and fruit.

Ron Zacapa XO - lovely notes of vanilla and caramel.

Full post on dinner is here.

1980 and 2020

Dinner at Plaisance.

2020 Frédéric Cossard Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières - the nose started off being a little metallic, and kinda sweet on the nose like apricot. But DAMN! The acidity on the palate was so high but at the same time the wine was so rounded and fat. There was a lot of ripeness on the nose, but none of that buttery profile that many love about white Burgs. An interesting beast.

1980 Vega Sicilia Unico - decanted about an hour after opening and started drinking 15 minutes after decanting. Initially the nose showed a lot of exotic spices, vanilla, and coconut butter that I have come to love from Unico. What a lovely nose! There was a good amount of sweet fruit, almost like strawberries. So smooth and drinking so very well now.

Full post on dinner is here.

1970 CVNE

Dinner at Ta Vie.

2015 Mumm RSRV Blanc de Blancs, dégorgée en Decembre 2022 - really floral nose that is also yeasty. Pretty elegant.

1970 Compañia Vinicola del Norte de España Imperial Gran Reserva - really nice and fragrant on the nose with cedar, mushroom, and sweet fruits. So nice and beautiful, very elegant, with a bit of leather and black cherries. Starting to show some floral notes but not quite like roses. Around 45 minutes after opening the palate went a little flat, but the nose improved, showing bigger woodsy notes. More than 1 hours after opening the nose was minty and resembled claret a little more.

Bought from Altaya for HKD 1,710.

Full post on dinner is here.

Wine pairing at Jungsik

Dinner at Jungsik in Seoul.

Le Brun de Neuville Double Autolyse, dégorgée en Février 2021 - good complexity here.

Guccione 1920 - a blend of 2019 and 2020. Nose was pretty fragrant with notes of apricot and peach, as well as honey. Very ripe on the nose and kinda ripe on the palate, too.

2019 Els Jelipins Vi de Taula Rosat - a little sulfuric on the nose. Savory, toasty, and definitely bongwater.

2019 Serene Chardonnay Evenstad Reserve - this was really oaky and buttery, with vanilla and flinty notes.

2016 Luis Cañas Gran Reserva - nose came with lots of vanilla and coconut butter, really sweet fruit.

Full post on dinner is here.