MNSC Dinner - Cathelin, Cros Parantoux and more

MNSC dinner at the Hong Kong Club.  Dr. Poon hosting.

1982 Laville Haut-Brion - beautiful, open and explosive nose.  Lots of toast, flint, petrol, with sweetness and a little marzipan.  Wow!  An incredible wine.

First flight:

1990 Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape - very sweet nose, fresh, strawberries, forest, a little smoky.  Second pour was sweet and beautiful.  95 points.

1990 Ponsot Griotte-Chambertin - a little herbal medicine, sharp and alcoholic, with black fruits.  Softened a little in glass.  Second pour was still sharp.  96 points.

1990 A.-F. Gros Echezeaux - this was clearly a Burgundy, with orange and eucalyptus.  Surprising a little tannic.  93 points.

Second flight:

1991 Rostaing Côte-Rôtie La Landonne - amazing nose, absolutely beautiful, medicinal, mineral, huge toasty nose, very smoky.  95 points.

1991 Chave Ermitage Cuvée Cathelin - sweet, bubble gum, forest, sous bois, minty, sweet grass.  Beautiful!  98 points.

1991 Rouget Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux - very toasty, smoky, burnt rubber, toasty corn.  Somehow not coming together.  92 points.

Full post on dinner is here.

1999 Selbach-Oster Auslese

Dinner at Sushi Kato in Hong Kong.

1999 Selbach-Oster Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese - petrol, flint, sulfur.  Medium acidity with sweetness.

Full post on dinner is here.

Balinese wedding mix: day 2

Drank these wines on the second day of wedding celebrations in Bali.

2009 Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet - pretty nice, a little toasty.

2008 Ponsot Griotte-Chambertin - forest, leather, dried herbs and plum.

1982 Latour à Pomerol en magnum - very sweet, grassy, earthy with nice fruit.  Soft on the palate.  Later on a little soy sauce and tea in the nose.

2006 Roulot Meursault Les Vireuils - Nice nose… notes of toasty corn but it was soft and subtle.  Very lovely with flint and minerals.

1971 Petrus en jeroboam - nose was so sweet, with coconut butter, so strong and powerful with plum notes.  Palate was OK, but not great.  Later on exotic spices and a hint of savory minerals.

2002 Dujac Charmes-Chambertin - minty, ginger flower, galangal, a little meaty, black fruits and black olives.

1983 Margaux - sweet, ripe fruit, grassy, smoky, really lovely.  Minty, mineral and earthy.

2004 DRC Romanée-Saint-Vivant - nose was very open, minty, fragrant and floral, dried herbs.  Drinking very nicely now.

2006 Méo-Camuzet Clos Vougeot - forest, potpourri, mint and black fruits.

Full post on dinner is here.

Balinese wedding mix: day 1

Drank these during the first day of a wedding in Bali:

1996 Bruno Paillard Blanc de Blancs en magnum - a little yeasty, but a very lovely wine.  I can drink this all day.

2004 Henri Boillot Chevalier-Montrachet en magnum - lots of toasty corn, a little oaky.  Very nice.

2008 Château Fuissé Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes en magnum - this wine has surprised me on the upside in the past, and it was drinking very well tonight.  After warming up the glass a little with my hands, the floral nose came out and was very refreshing, with a little tropical and marzipan nose along with minerals and a hint of oak.  Ripe on the palate but there's enough acidity to balance it out.

2008 Ponsot Griotte-Chambertin - nose of forest, plum, and almost a little like plum jam that has been cooked.  Palate was a little weak and not as enjoyable.  Sealed with the synthetic cork that Laurent Ponsot showed us when we visited him.

2009 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett Alte Reben - made from very old vines.  Intense petrol and flint in the nose, with a little manuka honey and orange blossom.  A little sweet on the palate and really nice.

1992 Philipponnat Clos des Goisses en magnum - nose of sugar cane and straw, a little lemon.  Ripe on the nose and the palate.  Lovely.

Full post on the wedding welcome dinner is here.

1970 Warre's

Dinner at STAY in Taipei.

1970 Warre's Vintage - I opened the bottle 3 hours before dinner but did not decant.  The wine was finally decanted just before we got our desserts, and it was still pretty sharp and alcoholic at first.  It improved in glass as the alcohol faded a little, although it was still very much on the palate.  A little nutty, pretty concentrated and grapey.

Full post on dinner is here.

Gisaemon Junmai Ginjo Nama

Dinner at Hwa Tze Xun (花彘醺).

Gisaemon Junmai Ginjo Nama (義左衛門 純米吟醸 生) - unpasteurized before bottling.  Seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 60%.　Nose of ripe rock melon, fermented rice (酒釀), banana.  Light and smooth on the attack, but shows concentration and flavors mid-palate, and builds up to a strong finish.  I am reminded of the expression コクがある.

2006 Cuilleron Saint-Joseph

Entertaining at home.

2006 Yves Cuilleron Saint-Joseph Saint-Pierre - unfortunately this was a little too ripe, showing flavors of marmalade and bitterness. Oh well…

Full post on dinner is here.

2003 Chapoutier L'Orée

Dinner at Paris 1930 in Taipei.

2003 Chapoutier Ermitage L'Orée - really ripe, showing lots of caramelized sugar, honey, a little mineral, marmalade.  Rather alcoholic nose.  Ripe on the palate and hence a little bitter.  Rolf was right to keep it very chilled to make it more palatable.

González Byass Solera 1847 - Rolf was kind enough to pour me a glass to go with the mignardises, since there were a few pieces of chocolate truffles.  I love oloroso sherries, and this one had the extra dulce designation so it was really sweet.  Love the nutty and fig notes.

1982 Dalva Colheita - a glass that Rolf invited me to share at the end of the evening after all the other guests have gone and we were on our way out.  I love tawny ports for their nose, a result of long-term oxidation.  I promised to repay Rolf for his generosity by sharing something special in return...

Full post on dinner is here.