SQN and La Turque

Dinner at Nikushou.

1996 Tarlant Saga, dégorgée en novembre 2004 - the nose was so oxidized I loved it. So savory and mineral, very very much like Chinese salted plum. Good acidity on the palate despite how ripe this was. So rich. Very, very nice.

2018 Blanc de Lynch-Bages - drank 1 hour after opening. Green apple, a hint of pipi de chat, flint minerals. A little oily with good depth on the palate.

2015 Sine Qua Non Entre Chien et Loup - 44% chardonnay, 40% roussanne, 8% petite manseng, 8% viognier. 15.2% alcohol. Drank 40 minutes after decanting. HUGE nose of toast, with vanilla and marzipan. Really open and fragrant after 1½ hours in the decanter, showing toasty corn and toasted nuts and buttery notes. A little straw, too. Just beautiful!

2001 Guigal La Turque - drank 2 hours after decanting. Acidity was higher than expected. Smoke and grilled meats on the nose, but what happened to the fruit and floral notes? After 2 hours and 15 minutes it showed some cooked fruits like stewed prunes. Some 3½ hours after decanting this showed some lead pencil. So disappointing.

Full post on dinner is here.

2019 Rock Angel

Drinking at home.

2019 Caves d'Esclans Rock Angel - a little flinty with some red fruits.

2019 Raisins Gaulois

Drinking at home.

2019 M et C Lapierre Raisins Gaulois - very floral with violets, almost soapy. A little pungent at first, but cleared up with aeration. Some game meat notes.

Born Chogin and Blanc Sec de Suduiraut

Lunch at Sushi Fujimoto.

Born Chogin Junmai Daiginjo (梵 超吟 純米大吟醸), R2BY - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 20%. Lots of very rich and starchy rice flavors, along with some fermented flavors. Tasting this after the abalone, the palate was kinda short and flat. Later on this got very sweet and round on the palate, with a hint of dryness on the finish.

Full post on lunch is here.

Drinking at home.

2020 Blanc Sec de Suduiraut - tropical stone fruit, flinty, more ripe on the palate than expected but still got good acidity. Very refreshing.

3 Napa reds

Drinks at a friend's home.

1997 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon Vineyard - decanted 1½ hours after opening. Smoky nose with leather and a little woodsy notes. Improved after 45 minutes in the decanter, showing more fruit and sweetness on the palate. This wine needed time.

2004 Harlan The Maiden - decanted 30 minutes after opening, and served 1½ hours after decanting. A little sweeter on the palate, with some exotic spices and stewed prunes on the nose. Improved after 15 minutes, and definitely got sweeter on the palate with more fruit, but still on the cooked or stewed side, along with leather and smoke. A little disappointing.

2018 Cervantes Blacktail - served around 3 hours and 45 minutes after decanting. So young, such a big nose of dried herbs, with tons of vanilla, a little metallic. More than 4 hours after decanting the wine delivered a huge nose of vanilla oak. So Cali.

Caymus, Bonneau and more

Dinner at a friend's home.

2018 Sylvain Pataille Marsannay Rosé Fleur de Pinot - very nice red fruits, definitely some minerality. Good depth on the palate.

2007 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape - drank 45 minutes after decanting. Silky tannins here. A little fruit but not a lot. Certainly no sweet vanilla like before. Not too open and relatively closed, with some leather.

1995 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection - drank 45 minutes after decanting. Very fruit on the nose at first. Around 1½ hours after decanting this was smoky and not too much sweet fruit. Later on minty and became sweet-ish on the palate.

2002 Sine Qua Non Mr. K The Noble Man, from half-bottle - very sweet, very grapey, a little nutty, honeydew melon. Very rich and viscous on the palate.

Rock Angel and Clos Badon

Dinner at home.

2019 Caves d'Esclans Rock Angel - a little flinty with some red fruits. Meh.

2000 Clos Badon - drank 30 minutes after decanting. Nose of animal, leather, a little bretty, smoky, not a lot of fruit, a little more savory mineral. Around 1½ hours after decanting this was minty and more open.

2006 Chacra Treinta y Dos

Drinking at home.

2006 Chacra Pinot Noir Treinta y Dos - very plummy, some oak on the nose, more woodsy, mature and downbeat. Even a little nutty. More acidity on the palate but not quite lean.