Chave and friends

Dinner at Hiyama.

1988 Chave Hermitage Blanc - started drinking around 30 minutes after opening. The nose was initially kinda closed and showed some marmalade and a little beeswax. The second pour some 20 minutes later was pretty cold, and this showed that the wine was weak and short on the palate. The last pour was drunk more than 5½ hours after opening. By now the nose was really open, showing apricot in addition to the marmalade and beeswax. Unfortunately it remained short on the palate.

1999 Chave Hermitage Rouge - started drinking more than 1½ hours after opening without decanting. The nose was kinda nice but felt a little muted. Showing some leather, plum, and a bit of acidity. Some 3 hours after opening this was very nice and fragrant, with woodsy notes.

Drinking at home.

2016 Château de la Gardine L’Immortelle - started drinking some 2½ hours after decanting into the Daniel Ricciardo shoey decanter. The first pour was very muted, almost not showing anything on the nose. After a few minutes in the glass this got a bit funky and stinky, which was actually a bit better. Another hour later the nose yielded some stewed prunes. Was this still tight and needed more time?

1990 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - started drinking 15 minutes after decanting. This was really nice and smoky, showing grilled meats, pencil lead/graphite, and tobacco. Reminds me of a Pauillac.

Full post on the evening is here.

Cayuse and Shafer

Dinner at Metropol.

2012 Cayuse Syrah Walla Walla Special #4, from magnum - decanted and served right away. What a beautiful nose! Big notes of leather and bacon, and that sweet fruit was really stunning. Didn't expect the wine to be so approachable right away, but this was fantastic!

Bought from Fine Wine Experience for HKD 2,600.

2005 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select, from magnum - started serving about after 1½ hours in the decanter. This was really minty and sweet on the nose, and that concentration was amazing. This could go on for another 2 decades easily.

Bought from Sotheby's for HKD 3,100.

Full post on dinner is here.

2013 Cayuse Syrah Armada

Dinner at La Maison.

2013 Cayuse Syrah Armada Vineyard - initially stinky when opened. Back in the bottle after 30 minutes in decanter, and started drinking 1 hour after opening. Showing ripe and sweet fruit, leather, grilled meats. Very fragrant. Ripe on the palate and possibly a little too hot.

Whites and God Only Knows

Dinner at a friend's home.

Fortnum and Mason Rosé Sparkling Tea - really lovely and fragrant.

2020 Dr. Loosen Riesling Dr. L - very fruity and sweet on the nose, almost peach and lychee.

2018 Blanc de Lynch-Bages - flinty with good acidity. A little green apple.

1994 Trimbach Pinot Gris Selection de Grains Nobles, en demi-bouteille - very big nose of honey, a little nutty, with lots of marmalade. Kinda flat on the palate, though... not that complex.

2013 Cayuse God Only Knows - drank 40 minutes after decanting. HUGE nose of alcohol, really ripe fruit on the nose, with tons of eucalyptus and very metallic. Surprisingly not that sweet on the palate.

Yattarna, Dugat, and more

Dinner at TIRPSE.

2003 Penfolds Yattarna - sweet and caramelized nose, but there's still acidity on the palate that was kinda ripe, with additional Chinese licorice notes.  Definitely over the hill.

2002 Claude Dugat Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St. Jacques - decanted for 1 hour.  The nose was kinda strange.  A little plummy with a hint of smoke.  Kinda disappointing.

Drinks at a friend's home.

1999 Gaja Sorì San Lorenzo - opened more than 3 hours prior to serving.  Smoky, burnt rubber.  Still tannic but acidity is there.  A bit minty and eucalyptus with some woodsy notes and a little black pepper.  

2003 Quilceda Creek, from magnum - opened about 30 hours earlier and quadruple-decanted.  Nose of dried herbs and a little Chinese medicine.  Kinda jammy.

Full post on dinner is here.

5 French and Washington

Dinner at Caprice.

Jacques Selosse Version Originale - beautiful nose, with sooo much marmalade, and a little salty plum.  Just delicious.

Unfortunately, the staff didn't realize that the two bottles had different disgorgement dates... so they ended up pouring the second bottle into glasses that hadn't quite emptied.  Victor needs to train them better...

2004 Didier Dagueneau Silex, en magnum - green apple, kinda ripe, a little flinty, pretty nice.  Riper than the the last bottle I opened, but still very lively.  Also worked well with the cheese board later.

1974 Paul Jaboulet Le Chevalier de Sterimberg - very oxidized, very caramelized, lots of beeswax.  Dry and savory on the palate.

2012 Georges Roumier Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos de la Bussière, en magnum - eucalyptus, fragrant, sweet fruit, floral, some smoke and a little animal.  Just beautiful.

2003 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon - unfortunately, this bottle was corked.  Surprised that Victor didn't let us know.  Decanted for 1½ hours.  Definitely showing lots of green bell pepper notes along with that wet cardboard.  Still ripe and sweet on the palate, though.  A shame.

1989 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Émile Sélection de Grains Nobles - really sweet, lots of honey, marmalade, orange blossom water, and acetone.

Full post on dinner is here.

Jolivet, Andrew Will and Araujo

Dinner at Grand Hyatt Steakhouse in Hong Kong.

2010 Pascal Jolivet Pouilly-Fumé - green apple, flint, white flower, muscat.  Acidity mid-palate and finish was quite high.  Together with the lobster, the minerality really came out… perhaps not the best pairing.

2007 Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval Vineyard - minty, really sweet and syrupy, very ripe on the nose.  The alcohol at 14.5% was so sharp that it burned my nostrils.  Blend is dominated by Cab Franc for this vintage (45%).

2007 Araujo Syrah Eisele Vineyard - not surprisingly this wine was really concentrated, really sweet on the nose, with a little vanilla and some smoke.  With a little time it opened up to reveal aromatic coffee and muscovado notes.  The wine showed lot of alcohol at 14.8%, and burned the back of my throat as it went down.  Needs a few more years, or at least another hour in the decanter...

Full post on dinner is here.

Die-Nasty and more

Dinner at Dynasty.

Hanzo Plum Liquor (半蔵の梅酒) - not bad, actually...

2002 Comte Lafon Meursault Clos de la Barre - Anjou pear, mineral, a bit flinty, a little sweet on the nose, a hint of straw.  Two hours later the nose was much more open, with a little almond/marzipan even...

2007 Chateau Ste Michelle Muscat Canelli - initially a little menthol?  Lots of tropical mango, a hint of flint and a tiny bit of effervescence.  Very sweet on the palate.

2007 Chapoutier La Croix des Grives - minty, pine needle and leather.  Pretty concentrated and I definitely felt the alcohol.

2009 Chateau Dynasty Merlot Red Label - smoke, pine needle, a bit sweet... not very complex.  Nose was still a little sharp after double-decanting for 3 hours.

Full post on dinner is here.

A pair of Rhone blends

Dinner at Kin's Kitchen (留家廚房).

2009 Doyenne Métier Blanc - this is a blend of Viognier and Roussanne from Washington, and showed a really big, floral nose that was sweet and vibrant, with tropical fruits and candied pomelo rind. Really lovely.

1998 Clos du Mont-Olivet Selection Reflets - I was disappointed in this bottle. The nose was obviously oxidized and cooked, with ripe strewed fruits and sweetness, along with smoke and very pronounced preserved plums (話梅). Also a little bit of violet on the palate, which actually was pretty flat. Maybe the wine was just a little too warm and could have used a bit of cooling down.

Full post on dinner is here.