Sparkling Sake, Kyoto Gin and more

Lunch at Tenkai.

Mizubasho Pure - nice and sweet nose, with a little starchy rice and some banana notes.

2011 Ram's Hill Sauvignon Blanc - mature and oxidized, with honey and something akin to Morinaga milk caramel... and also maybe apricot?

Ki No Bi (紀の美) - had this gin from Kyoto on the rocks.  Definitely prominent nose of yuzu and sansho in addition to the juniper berries.

Full post on lunch is here.

German riesling and Cali cabs

Dinner at Sheung Hing Chiu Chow Restaurant.

2000 von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Spätlese-trocken - nice acidity, with petrol and flint in the nose.

2011 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Kabinett - almost a little green apple.  A hint of fizziness, and slightly sweet on the palate.

2012 William Selyem Pinot Noir Coastlands Vineyard - lots of sweet strawberries in the nose.  Very ripe and lovely.

Drinks at a friend's house.

1997 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red - opened for more than an hour prior to drinking.  A hint of sweet grass, very minty, with cedar and some sweet fruit.  Sharp alcohol in the nose that finally dissipated after about 2 hours.  Smooth on the palate, but still very powerful and full-bodied.

Tesseron Lot 29 X.O Exception - floral, raisins, a little nutty.  Elegant but still powerful finish.

Remy Martin Louis XIII, believed to be from 1980s - very fragrant, floral, very sweet, very smooth on the palate with a slight kick on the finish.

Full post on dinner is here.

MNSC Dinner - Amuse Bouche

MNSC dinner for Dr. Poon's 50th at Amuse Bouche.

Wines for the MNSC tasting portion:

Flight 1: opened 1½ hours prior to serving.

1947 Mouton-Rothschild - very smoky nose, a bit minty, with a hint of sweet grass and a little stinky and bretty.  92 points.

1948 Mouton-Rothschild - pungent, smoky, with toasty notes and a little coffee.  93 points.

Flight 2: opened more than 1½ hours prior to serving.

1952 Petrus - more elegant and focused, with sweet fruit but a hint of medicinal notes.  A little savory with mineral and soy sauce.  94 points.

1962 Petrus, ex-château - beautiful nose, toasty, some fruit here but not too ripe, along with pencil lead and coffee.  A little more cloudy.  96 points.

Flight 3: opened 2 hours prior to serving.

1967 Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Beze - nose really fragrant and beautiful, with a little toast and a bit of forest.  95 points.

1967 Ponsot Clos de la Roche - also very fragrant, more grassy but still fruity.  94 points.

Flight 4:

1981 DRC Romanée-St-Vivant - elegant with a little floral and a little leather notes.  97 points.

1981 Henri Jayer Echezeaux - much more dusty in terms of the nose, but also more floral and fruity later after more aeration.  95 points.

Flight 5: opened as an afterthought and decanted 45 minutes prior to serving.

1959 Mouton-Rothschild - minty, savory, smoky and meaty, with a hint of brett.  Slightly sharp alcohol.  94 points.

1959 La Mission Haut-Brion - very minty, smoky, a little earthy, and a little stinky...  Very savory with lots of soy sauce.  94 points.

Other wines tasting during the evening:

2002 Louis Roederer Cristal, en magnum - pretty toasty.  Nice and ripe on the palate.  Easy to drink.

Jacques Selosse Version Originale, dégorgée le 10 Novembre 2009 - definitely bigger nose than the Cristal, with sharper acidity in the nose, along with caramelized notes.  Almost a little too ripe on the palate.

1997 Salon - very lovely and ready to drink.

1967 Lafleur, en magnum - very savory nose.  My glass  had lots of sediment.

1978 Cheval Blanc, en magnum - opened for 2 hours.  Lots of smoke, coffee, and cedar notes.  Beautiful.

1967 La Conseillante - a little pungent and smoky.

1976 Mouton-Rothschild, en magnum - minty, smoky, and a little earthy.

1995 Kistler Chardonnay Cuvée Cathleen - a little flinty with plenty of toast.  Ripe but not too much.  Fucking beautiful.

1976 Jaboulet La Chapelle, en magnum - smoky, a bit of animal, minty.  Lovely.

1999 Robert Groffier Bonnes Mares - soooo ripe and sweet on the nose, almost like Robitussin or some other cherry-flavored cough syrup...

Full post on dinner is here.

MNSC Dinner - The Pawn

MNSC Dinner at The Pawn, hosted by the Ox.

Jacques Selosse Substance, dégorgée le 7 Decembre 2011 - nice and very toasty, a little straw, lovely nose.  Acidity was a little higher than expected, even though the palate was a little ripe.

First flight: decanted 2 hours prior to serving.

1998 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon - very savory nose with lots of soy sauce notes.  A little sharp alcohol, with burnt rubber, ripe and cooked fruit.  After 2½ hours, nose improved and showed a little sweet vanilla, smokiness, and sweetness on the palate.  93 points.

1999 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon - cooler and more minty.  A little earthy, and definitely a little sweeter.  94 points.

Second flight: decanted 1 hour prior to serving.

1998 Henri Bonneau Cuvée Marie Beurrier - really sweet and fruity, but also a little farmy and medicinal.  A little light on the body.  94 points.

1998 Henri Bonneau Réserve des Célestins - a little more muted on the nose at first, but after opening up it was really sweet, almost a little jammy, with leather notes.  97 points.

Third flight: decanted for nearly 5 hours prior to serving.

1998 Greenock Creek Shiraz Roennfeldt Road - soooo jammy with tons of coconut butter.  Classic Aussie shiraz. 98 points.

2001 Greenock Creek Shiraz Roennfeldt Road - jammy with a little burnt rubber, sharp alcohol, and a little coffee.  98 points.

1996 Greenock Creek Shiraz Roennfeldt Road - lots of coconut, a little more metallic.  Really lovely and rich.  98 points.

Full post on dinner is here.

Churchill and Lafleur

Dinner at Upper Modern Bistro.

1999 Pol Roger Cuvée Winston Churchill - very nice, with a hint of yeast and a hint of floral notes.  Very well-balanced and smooth on the palate, neither too ripe nor too acidic.  Such a pleasure to drink.

2005 Vincent Girardin Meursault 1er Cru Les Charmes-Dessus - overripe and oxidized.  No longer appealing to many, although I found it acceptable.

2007 Lafleur - opened but not decanted for close to 2 hours.  Smoky with some eucalyptus and mint, and slightly earthy.  Some sweet fruit showed up a little later.

Full post on dinner is here.

Egly-Ouriet, Chapoutier, and Leroy

Dinner at Tate Dining Room and Bar.

Egly-Ouriet Brut Tradition Grand Cru, dégorgée en Septembre 2008 - a little caramelized on the nose, lots of salty plum and minerals.  Delicious.

2007 Chapoutier Ermitage L'Ermite Rouge - very fragrant, nice cedar notes, with sweet fruit, smoky, a little vanilla.  Drinking really well.

2004 Domaine Leroy Nuits St. Georges - nose was really floral, really open and beautiful.  Really ripe, and almost overripe, with some toasty corn.

Full post on dinner is here.

Richard Juhlin Blanc de Blancs

Dinner at Frantzén's Kitchen.

Richard Juhlin Blanc de Blancs Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine - nose was a little pungent, and in fact smelled more like apple cider from Brittany with the mineral notes.  Not a fan.

Full post on dinner is here.