Mix bag for Cantonese

Dinner at a private dining facility.

2011 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese - a little sweetner than I expected, with a little white pepper and flint in the nose.

2002 L'Evangile en magnum - nice and fragrant, with cedar notes.  Sweet on the nose as well as ripe and sweet on the palate.  A little more forest notes on the nose later.

2012 Castello della Sala Cervaro della Sala - very ripe on the nose, very buttery and nutty.  Overripe and a little bitter on the palate.

2007 Olivier Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Referts - a little ripe and oaky, with lemon citrus notes.  A little bitter on the palate.

2009 Le Puy - pretty young, ripe and sweet, with oaky and cedar notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

MNSC dinner - The Pawn

MNSC dinner at The Pawn, hosted by The Ox.

1990 Moët et Chandon Cuvée Dom Pérignon - rich and complex.  Delicious.

First flight:  opened 1 hour and 15 minutes before serving.

1985 Faiveley Chambertin Clos de Beze - really sweet and fruity, almost jammy, fragrant and floral, with a little leather.  Very clean.  96 points.

1985 Faiveley Corton Clos des Cortons Faiveley - nose a little more muted, with a little more toast, slightly more dirty.  Also fruity but just not as clean.  91 points.

Second flight: decanted 2 hours and 45 minutes before serving.

1990 La Dame de Montrose - smoky, a little savory, minty, almost medicinal.  95 points.

1990 Montrose - a little savory, slightly medicinal, smoky, a little hint of grass, earthy, and a little ripe.  Leaner on the palate.  Much sweeter with the second pour.  95 points.

1990 Beauséjour Duffau - a little peppery, somewhat muted, a little grassy.  Opened up later to show more sweetness.  92 points.

Third flight: decanted 3 hours and 40 minutes before serving.

1985 Guigal La Turque - a little exotic, coconut, a hint of leather, sweet and a bit caramelized.  97 points.

1985 Guigal La Mouline - a little ripe and sweet, some leather, bacon fat, rich, with coffee notes.  96 points.

1985 Guigal La Landonne - kind of ripe and sweet at first, then a little muted later.  94 points.

Full post on dinner is here.

1999 Coche-Dury Meursault

Dinner at Neighborhood.

1999 Coche-Dury Meursault - served warm at the request of my friend, which opened up the nose but also meant the palate was less crisp, resulting in a slight bitter finish.  Nose-wise this was classic Coche-Dury, with plenty of toasty oak, roasted corn, and buttery corn.  Always a beautiful wine.

Full post on dinner is here.

Koshinosetsu Getsuka

Dinner at Ebi-no-Hige in Hong Kong.

Koshinosetsu Getsuka Ginjo Namachozoshu (越乃雪月花 吟醸 生貯蔵酒) - slightly sweet upfront but medium dry on the palate.  Clean and easy to drink.

Full post on dinner is here.

Dewazakura Aiyama

Dinner at Imamura.

Dewazakura Junmai Daiginjo Aiyama (出羽桜 純米大吟醸 愛山), released Jan 2011 - aged for four years and now showing a light, yellowish color.  Nose was a little oxidized, and showing similarity to Chinese yellow wine or a French vin jaune.  Slightly mineral and savory on the nose.  Medium palate with a slightly dry finish, with complexity and depth of flavors.  Seemed a little more viscous than expected.  Seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 45%.  Made from Aiyama (愛山), a very special strain of rice which is a cross between Yamada Nishiki (山田錦) and Omachi (雄町).

Full post on dinner is here.

Mixed bag for Cantonese

Dinner at a private dining facility.

2012 Roses de Jeanne Côte de Val Vilaine Blanc de Noirs, dégorgée à Avril 2014 - delicious, smooth and round on the palate.

2011 Keller Westhofen Brunnenhäuschen Absterde Riesling trocken - classic nose of minerals, white flowers and plastic.  Definitely dry on the palate.

1952 Borgogno Barolo Riserva - initial nose of sweet fruit, followed by tea, salty plum, minerals, and smoke.  Still alive and kicking.

2010 Vincent Paris Cornas Granit 30 - ripe nose with wonderful notes of forest and potpourri.  So fragrant and beautiful.

1995 Jos. Joh. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese - classic notes of minerals and plastic, with good amount of sweetness on the palate.  Very round and smooth.

Valdespino Solera 1842 Medium Sweet Very Old Oloroso Blend VOS - classic, with nose that's like Shaoxing wine after soaking some salty plum in it.  Wonderful.

Full post on dinner is here.

Spanish wines for Spanish food

Dinner at Ozone.

2009 Parés Baltà Cava Blanca Cuisiné - rounded on the palate with a slight bitter finish.  Not a fan.

2012 Belondrade y Lurton - fresh, fruity, and tropical nose, with a little minerals.  Completely unoaked, which may account for the very bland palate and zero finish.  Almost like a Pinot Grigio... which makes it a great food wine since it can't interfere with anything...

2012 Vizcarra Ramos Venta las Vacas - nose of ripe fruit, forest, and vanilla.  Still pretty young, but the tannins weren't too harsh.

Full post on dinner is here.

Bordeaux evening

Drinks at Watson's Wine Cellar.

2001 Musar - smoky, earthy, with a little bit of fruit.

2001 Pontet-Canet - ripe and fruity, a little oaky, with that exotic, tropical, coconut butter.

2002 Pichon-Lalande - sweet fruit, coffee, a little smoky.

1999 Gazin - smoky, a little more green, very fragrant, almost floral like violet, cedar.  Drinking very well.

2010 Le Saint Estephe de Montrose - minty, a little metallic, kinda sweet, with soft tannins.

Dinner at ON Dining Kitchen and Lounge.

Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Sainte Anne - yeasty nose.

Full post on dinner is here.