2020 Chacra and Krug

Dinner at Caprice.

2020 Chacra Chardonnay - flinty, tropical stone fruit, much riper on palate than expected but the acidity is there. Still going strong more than 3½ hours later, and the tropical stone fruit notes are still here.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 169ème édition, en demi-bouteille, ID 319028 - nice with marmalade notes, good acidity on the palate.

2019 Pierre-Henri Rougeot Gevrey-Chambertin En Grands Champs - minty, fresh, initially cold fruit. Still kinda young with forest notes, stemmy, black cherries, and strawberries. An hour later the nose was really full of strawberries.

Full post on dinner is here.

2006 Kongsgaard Syrah

Drinking at home.

2006 Kongsgaard Syrah - decanted 15 minutes after opening. Initially served too warm. Really jammy nose with blueberries, leather, potpourri, cedar, eucalyptus notes. Fragrant and delicious Californian syrah. One hour in decanter the nose was beautiful and luscious, but the acidity got higher on the palate and the tannins got a little grippy.

All new sake pairing

Dinner at Godenya.

Iseno Shiroki Junmai Nama Sparkling (伊勢の白酒 純米生活性), 2020-21 - served at 10°C. Seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 65%. Good fruity acidity and fizzy on the palate, with a little lactic acid.

Hoken Nakagumi Junmai Daiginjo (寳劔  中汲み 純米大吟醸), 2019-20 - served at 12°C. Seimaibuai of 40%. Very soft and rounded on the palate, but dry on the finish.

Akai Ito Junmai Ginjo Nama (赤い糸  純米吟醸  生), 2020-21 - served at 13°C. Seimaibuai of 50%. Pretty sweet on the palate.

Asahikiku Daichi Junmai Ginjo (旭菊  大地  純米吟醸), 30BY - served at 23°C. Seimaibuai of 50%. Sweet on the attack, more fermented notes on the palate, with good length on the finish.

Rumikono Sake Yamahai Junmai Yamadanishiki (るみ子の酒  山廃  純米  山田錦), 2017-18 - served at 46°C. Seimaibuai of 60%. Served pretty warm, and I could smell the acidity in the nose.

Maibijin Gaiden Yamahai Junmai Muroka Nama (舞美人  外伝  山廃純米  無濾過生原酒), 2019-20 - served at 11°C. Seimaibuai of 60%. This smelled like one of those drinking vinegars, and almost like that Japanese crab vinegar we have at home. It's got that bit of savory notes like Huadiao, but this also had some fruitiness.

Komagura Haruka Gonen Junmai Koshu (独楽蔵 悠五年  純米古酒), 2015-16 - served at 48°C. Seimaibuai of 60%. Almost smoky, oxidized, and savory. Expected for a koshu (古酒) aged for at least 5 years.

Yamagata Masamune Torotoro Umeshu (山形正宗 とろとろ梅酒)

Full post on dinner is here.

1982 Cave Privée

Dinner at Louise.

1982 Veuve Clicquot Cave Privée, bouteille 2443/3500, dégorgée en mai 2014 - definitely nose of sugarcane and water chestnut water (竹蔗茅根), savory notes like Chinese salted plum, caramelized sugar, and marmalade. Soft and lovely on the palate, with enough acidiy still.

Bought from Sotheby's for HKD 2,800.

2018 J.L. Chave Sélections Saint-Joseph Offerus - huge metallic and minty nose, reminiscent of blood. Very young and tannic.

Full post on dinner is here.

Ganevat Q-roule

Drinking at home.

Anne et Jean-François Ganevat Q-roule - initially pungent sulfur, stinky shit, but floral notes underneath. Improved with additional aeration and floral, violet notes got more prominent.

Maison Stephan x4

Dinner at Écriture.

Francis Boulard Les Murgiers, dégorgée le 7 decembre 2020 - good acidity, a bit metallic on palate like Anjou pear, honey and marmalade on the nose.

2008 Jean-Michel Stephan Côte-Rôtie - 90% syrah and 10% viognier. Served starting 45 minutes after decanting. Nose was so beautiful, fragrant and floral, with sweet strawberries, like a Rayas and maybe a Prieure-Roch. Palate showing leather and gamey notes. 1½ hours in, there was more forest pine but maybe this was a result of the smoked rosemary from a dish. Tannins more evident now. About 3 hours after decanting, the wine was kinda dying on the palate.

2007 Jean-Michel Stephan Côte-Rôtie Côteaux de Bassenon - 40% syrah, 40% serine, and 20% viognier. Served starting 1 hour after decanting. Nose was more farmy, leather, more pungent, almost a little manure. More concentrated and savory on the palate. More than 3 hours after decanting this was lean and savory.

2006 Jean-Michel Stephan Côte-Rôtie Côteaux de Tupin - 100% serine. Served starting 1 hour and 15 minutes after decanting. Really fragrant, almost eucalyptus with leather notes. Lighter-bodied, more elegant, with lavender and floral nose. Very clean and beautiful. Almost 3 hours after decanting this showed some coffee notes and was still beautiful. My favorite wine tonight.

2006 Jean-Michel Stephan Côte-Rôtie Vieille Vigne en Coteaux - 80% old-vine serine planted in 1896 and 1902, 20% viognier. Served starting 2 hours after decanting. Very sharp and alcoholic on the nose, more intense, smoky, leather, savory with black olive notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

Dewazakura Amabie

Drinking at home.

Dewazakura Daiginjo Amabie-sama (出羽桜  大吟醸  アマビエさま) - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 50%. A little sweet on the palate with slight fermented and a hint of savory notes.

Josmeyer Folastries

Dinner at Chaat.

2016 Josmeyer Gewurztraminer Folastries - very fragrant nose with lychee, very floral. Palate was a little flat with a slight hint of bitterness.

Full post on dinner is here.