MNSC - Country Club

MNSC dinner at the Grill Room of Hong Kong Country Club.

1996 Salon - more lemon citrus than mature marmalade. This was much fresher, more elegant. The acidity came out strong on the second sip, which was just as expected.

1996 Moët et Chandon Cuvée Dom Pérignon - very nice and toasty nose. Good acidity on the palate together with nice maturity, and this was drinking very nicely. Not surprisingly this was the more forward of the pair.

First flight: served 1½ hours after opening without decanting.

2001 Georges Roumier Chambolle-Musigny - this was a little dusty but also had the toasty popcorn on the nose. Farmy with some sweetness later. 95 points.

2002 Georges Roumier Chambolle-Musigny - nose of leather, and clearly more rustic. 95 points.

2003 Georges Roumier Chambolle-Musigny - nice sweet red fruits on the nose. Pretty soft. 94 points.

Second Flight: served after 2½ hours in the decanter.

1994 Beaucastel Hommage a Jacques Perrin - this was the more bretty of the two. But surprisingly I preferred it. 96 points.

1995 Beaucastel Hommage a Jacques Perrin - nice and smoky. So classic. 95 points.

Third Flight: served after 3½ hours in the decanter.

1999 Beaucastel Hommage a Jacques Perrin - this was very oxidized and very ripe. 95 points.

2000 Beaucastel Hommage a Jacques Perrin - this was sooo beautiful, with a sweetness that included some grassy notes. Smoky and meaty, too... and then a bit floral about 20 minutes later. 99 points.

2001 Beaucastel Hommage a Jacques Perrin - the nose had plenty of coconut butter, with good ripe fruit but not quite jammy. A great wine with good concentration. Almost a bit of Chinese medicine and minty. 97 points.

Full post on dinner is here.

2019 La Clarté HB

Dinner at Zhuhai in Shantou.

2019 La Clarté de Haut-Brion - initially this was kinda ripe, but after cooling in an ice bucket for more than 30 minutes this tasted leaner on the palate. On the nose we've got a bit more pipi de chat, with fragrant nose of lemon citrus and a bit of oak and vanilla.

Full post on dinner is here.

Giraud Ennéade and Lafite

Dinner at Xinrongji.

1993 Henri Giraud Fût de Chêne, from Ennéade Collection Case #237 - the age on this was obvious as the wine was just softer on the palate. Nice nose of marmalade with a hint of straw. The acidity on the palate was pretty high, even with all the ripeness. Very nice.

2017 Clemens Busch Marienburg Rothenpfad Riesling Reserve - this was so classic... The nose was so open and fragrant. The wine was pretty soft on the palate, and actually very elegant. The white flower notes on the nose were so nice, and the palate was sooooo soft and supple. About 2 hours after opening, the nose was very caramelized and very sweet.

1975 Lafite-Rothschild - the nose was smoky as expected, but there were also obvious grassy and wet cardboard notes, along with a hint of funky, stinky notes. Oh well. With all the age and sediment of this wine, no one had suggested that we decant the botte... so naturally we got all the sediment in the glass.

Full post on dinner is here.

Magnums and Don PX

Dinner at Caprice.

Henri Giraud Fût de Chêne MV10, en magnum, dégorgée le 18 Novembre 2016 - a light perfume fragrance with lemon notes on the nose. Ater some aging, this was now softer on the palate but still got the acidity.

2011 Ponsot Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos des Monts Luisants Pressée du Centenaire, en magnum n°562 - served 1½ hours after opening. Not too ripe on the palate, and still got a good level of acidity. On the nose one could tell there is some age on the wine, as it showed caramelized sugar along with straw.

2011 Joseph Drouhin Chambertin Clos de Beze, en magnum - served some 2 hours after opening. Very nice and fragrant, with eucalyptus along with black cherries.

2003 Henri Bonneau Cuvée Marie Beurrier, en magnum n°222 - nose was showing nice leather and woodsy notes. Surprisingly savory on the palate, and almost a little bretty. Still kinda tannic.

1946 Toro Albalá Don PX Convento, botella N.534 - the nose was so fragrant and complex. Very sweet on the palate, with honey, prunes, and spices. Really ripe and rich. I absolutely love this wine!

Full post on dinner is here.

RSRV dinner

Dinner at Ta Vie with Champagne RSRV.

2015 Mumm RSRV Blanc de Blancs, dégorgée en Mai 2023 - nice with a little toast on the nose, then we also got a little bit of floral perfume, perhaps from the restaurant's own environmental scent. The acidity on the palate was, naturally, higher.

Mumm RSRV Cuvée 4.5, dégorgée en Septembre 2023 - the nose was bigger, I guess from the pinot noir? Definitely more rounded on the palate compared with the blanc de blancs.

2013 Mumm RSRV Cuvée Lalou, dégorgée en Septembre 2023 - the nose was floral and more elegant. There was more depth on the palate here, with a longer finish.

2018 Mumm RSRV Blanc de Noirs, dégorgée en Mai 2023 - very well balanced despite the relative young age.

Full post on dinner is here.

2016 Ferrando Colombis

Drinking at home.

2016 Isabel Ferrando Châteauneuf-du-Pape Colombis - started drinking after 1 hour in decanter. Decent amount of ripe, black fruits on the nose. Not overpowering or overripe. One could feel that the tannins were still around, and the wine was grippy on the finish. Woodsy notes along with some spices on the nose. After 2½ hours in the decanter the wine was slightly softer, but still kinda tannic. By now the nose was also a bit minty with some leather notes. Pretty nice, and would love to see how this ages.

2022 Feel Good

Drinking at home.

2022 Frédéric Cossard Feel Good - a little fuzzy, metallic on the nose that was also pretty reductive. Good acidity on the palate.

Chevalier and Bonneau

Dinner at Neighborhood.

1992 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc - nose of lemon with a hint of flint. Surprisingly not too oxidized despite the age, and still got very good acidity on the palate.

2010 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape, en magnum - nice nose of leather with a bit of fruit. A bit farmy, though, and kinda bretty on the finish.

Full post on dinner is here.