2016 Ganevat En Billat

Drinking at home.

2016 Ganevat En Billat - this was classic Fanfan. We've got floral notes on the nose along with the leather, and of course there were slight hints of pungent, farmy notes. There were also juicy, dark fruits, with some woodsy fragrance. About 1½ hours in some toasty notes came out, like popcorn.

2022 Guy Wertz

Dinner at Lucky Ship.

2022 Frédéric Cossard Bain de Bulles Guy Wurtz - the nose was very floral, and it was also very obviously lychee... not surprising given the grape varietal used. Palate-wise this was a bit like apple juice or apple cider.

French and German whites

Dinner at Wildyeast in Hangzhou.

2019 Ulysse Collin Les Pierrières, dégorgée le 5 Fevrier 2024 - this is a blanc de blancs so acidity was fairly high. Always a nice drink.

2022 Keller Oberer Hubacker Riesling - classic riesling with a huge nose of petrol, along with crisp acidity. Love Keller.

2022 Dugat-Py Meursault Très Vieilles Vignes - the nose was, surprisingly, not so toasty but very nice and fragrant. Later on the nose turned very buttery with plenty of vanilla.

Full post on dinner is here.

2025 Vastira

Lunch at Ru Yuan in Hangzhou.

2025 Jinyu Yunlai Petit Manseng Vastira - flinty and mineral on the nose. Acidity was nice and high, but there was some ripeness on the front palate. Lovely lemon notes.

Full post on lunch is here.

French and Aussie

Dinner at Sense in Hangzhou.

Augustin Feu - there was some sharp acidity on the nose, with Chinese sour plum. While the palate was on the acidic side it was somewhat tempered.

2023 Bessin-Tremblay Chablis Valmur - the nose was a bit green, and also a little reductive.

2022 Benoit Moreau Volnay 1er Cru Santenots - prominent coconut butter notes on the nose, but this also seemed a little dusty.

2022 Place of Changing Winds Heathcote Syrah - served nearly 2 hours after opening. There was lots of coconut butter and mint, very ripe and sweet, with a little smoky grilled meats and woodsy notes. Definitely too young and still got the tannins.

2009 Coutet - nose of honey, pineapple, apricot, and saffron.

Full post on dinner is here.

Chidaine and Gonon

Dinner at Jin Sha in Hangzhou.

2022 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Choisilles - nose was very flinty and tropical, a little ripe on the palate. Also some lemon citrus.

2023 Pierre Gonon Les Iles Feray - this was very interesting with lots of spices on the nose. The wine was very young and full of really ripe fruit, and also kinda metallic and a little sharp on the nose.

Full post on dinner is here.

Bongwater central

Drinks at La Cabane Bistro.

Brasserie Cantillon Ashanti - lambic with acidity and not bitterness. Lots of floral lavender here.

2017 Marie-Courtin Efflorescence - nose of caramelized apple, along with some nutty notes.

2022 Gramenon Côtes du Rhône L'Emouvante - definitely a Rhône syrah, with some smoke, leather, some fragrant eucalyptus, and black fruits.

2021 Calvez Bobinet Ruben - a bit funky on the nose, and definitely a cab franc.

Henin and Chavost

Dinner at Lucky Ship.

Romain Henin Le Gamin du Terroir, dégorgée le 16 Septembre 2025 - this was a little warm at first so there was a bit more body than I was expecting. It drank much better than I had expected, but still too young and the palate felt too diluted.

Chavost Eurêka! - the acidity was higher, and this was nicer with a longer finish.

2002 Konsgaard Syrah - started drinking 1 hour after opening without decanting. The nose was very fragrant, with mint, eucalyptus, and woodsy notes. Drinking well as expected.

Full post on dinner is here.