French and Aussie

Dinner at Sense in Hangzhou.

Augustin Feu - there was some sharp acidity on the nose, with Chinese sour plum. While the palate was on the acidic side it was somewhat tempered.

2023 Bessin-Tremblay Chablis Valmur - the nose was a bit green, and also a little reductive.

2022 Benoit Moreau Volnay 1er Cru Santenots - prominent coconut butter notes on the nose, but this also seemed a little dusty.

2022 Place of Changing Winds Heathcote Syrah - served nearly 2 hours after opening. There was lots of coconut butter and mint, very ripe and sweet, with a little smoky grilled meats and woodsy notes. Definitely too young and still got the tannins.

2009 Coutet - nose of honey, pineapple, apricot, and saffron.

Full post on dinner is here.

Amour and Clos Ste Hune

Dinner at Spring Moon.

2013 Amour de Deutz - this had some nice depth on the palate, and the nose really showed some lovely toasty notes after it opened up.

2009 Lucien Le Moine Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets - the nose was very fragrant, elegant, almost floral, with a light hint of leather. On the palate, though, it's got a real meaty flavor.

Bought from Links Concepts for HKD 570.

1990 Trimbach Clos Sainte Hune - the nose was soooo beautiful, with "white truffle" as Jean Trimbach would call it. There was also some wonderful marmalade, but on the palate now it's kinda bitter and tart. Not as "fresh" and lively as some of the other bottles I've had, although it has been a few years since my last one.

Bought from Acker for HKD 3,456.7.

Full post on dinner is here.

2009 Lucien Le Moine Volnay

Dinner at home.

2009 Lucien Le Moine Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets - drank 20 minutes after decanting. Showing leather, dark fruits, and a hint of floral fragrance. After 40 minutes this was bigger on the palate, and very smooth on the palate after 1 hour, showing silky textures. On the nose now showing a little grilled meats... yeah, definitely on the meaty side now.

Full post on dinner is here.

Volnay and Pommard

Drinking at home.

2002 Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds - drank about 30 mins after decanting. Showing some leather and animal on the nose, with some plum. Medium high acidity with a little tannins still. Kinda disappointing.

1990 Camille Giroud Pommard 1er Cru Clos Les Epeneaux, en magnum - decanted and poured. A little green pepper, probably lightly corked. Very meaty and animal, a little farmy. Disappointing and definitely over the hill.

Secret des Sabon and Taillepieds

Drinking at a friend's place.

2002 Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds - decanted 1 hour after opening and served. Leather and black fruit notes. Not too exciting compared to previous bottles.

1998 Roger Sabon Le Secret des Sabon - decanted 1 hour after opening and served 1 hour after decanting. Smoke, grilled meats, nice and fragrant nose. Decent but far, far away from a 100-point wine.

2019 Chateau Nine Peaks Qi - drank 1 hour after decanting. Really ripe and jammy, metallic and sharp, lots of oak, definitely lots of sweet vanilla, along with forest and potpourri.

3 Burgs

Dinner at Roganic.

2005 Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons - initially served too cold. Some ripeness on the palate but came with good acidity. Somehow expected a little more from this.

2002 Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds - decanted 30 minutes after opening, and served 20 minutes after decanting. Medium-bodied with leather and black fruits on the nose. Not showing as well as the other bottles from the same case.

2005 Nicolas Potel Clos de Vougeot - decanted 45 minutes after opening and served 30 minutes later. This was lean overall, with leather and eucalyptus notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

Hodgepodge French and friends

Dinner at Softbank Kitchen.

2006 Krug, ID 118014 - nice and caramelized nose, with some coconut notes.

Ganevat Les Dentelles - pretty pungent nose with sulfuric notes.  Very, very light in color.

2006 Marcel Deiss Schoenenbourg - very ripe and sweet thanks to the residual sugar and botrytis.  Also pretty plasticky nose.

2012 Gaja Gaia and Rey - pretty ripe nose and pretty toasty.  Sweet on the palate, with notes of Chinese licorice.

2002 Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds - nice and smooth on the palate now.  Really lovely and fragrant.

2012 Liar's Poker Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - very ripe as expected, very metallic, very smoky, with lots of cedar wood and coconut.

Full post on dinner is here.

German rieslings and more

Dinner at The Chairman.

Godmé Extra Brut Grand Cru - nice and toasty.  Slightly bitter mid-palate.

1990 von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Spätlese - nice acidity balance, and nice and rounded on the palate.  Beautiful nose of minerals and lemon.

1986 Domdechant Werner Hochheimer Domdechaney Riesling Auslese - very marmalade on the nose.  Very flat on the palate with a short finish.  Not great.

1980 Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain - minty with sweet fruit, so fragrant with cedar notes.  Tannins were smooth now but wine was by no means diluted, still full-bodied, with good acidity.

1968 Fortia Tête de Cru - decanted for a while.  Really huge nose of iron rust, savory underneath with a bit of black olives, and still some nice fruit here.  Pretty interesting.

2002 Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds - minty with dried herbs.

Full post on dinner is here.

French wines with Frenchies

Dinner at Neighborhood.

1990 Fleury - very ripe and caramelized, yeasty, lovely.  Mature with good depth on the palate.

2010 Lucien Le Moine Corton Blanc - pretty ripe and caramelized, with a little marzipan and lemon.  Good acidity balance.

1999 Rayas Blanc - initially very tight and alcoholic.  Took a while to open up in the decanter.  Damn ripe on the palate, with acetone and a little polyurethane.

2002 Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds - good acidity balance, still some tannins there, but not very open.

2010 Rayas La Pialade - I would have pegged it as a Prieuré-Roch.  Incredibly beautiful and fragrant nose, with plenty of rose and floral notes, almost lychee, leather, and a little smoke.  

Full post on dinner is here.

Mark Haisma tasting

Tasting of Mark Haisma's wines at Ginsberg + Chan.

2014 Mark Haisma Saint Romain Combe Bazin - toasty nose with pain grillé, buttery, quite fragrant.  Some nice acidity on the finish.  A little flinty but somehow not lean and quite fat instead, with some apricot.  A little light on the palate.

2015 Mark Haisma Volnay Peux Bois - sweet, almost a little jammy.  Slightly leather and a little forest.

2015 Mark Haisma Gevrey-Chambertin - more fragrant, more eucalyptus.  Bigger and more intense.

2014 Mark Haisma Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Arvelets - fragrant, nice and sweet, a little leather, some forest, showing better on the nose.

2015 Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Arvelets - good sweetness, more closed than the 2014.  A bit more savory, perhaps.  Possibly bigger.  More toast from new oak.

2014 Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru les Chaffots - beautiful nose.  Very fragrant with sweet fruit, and a little spice.

2014 Mark Haisma Bonnes Mares - more complex, a little leaner but still nice and fragrant, a hint of pencil lead.

2015 Mark Haisma Syrah - Grenache - made with grapes from 35-year-old vines in the Ardeche.  A little savory, a little soapy and floral.