2010 Calera

Dinner at Madera in Menlo Park.

2010 Calera Pinot Noir de Villiers Vineyard, from half-bottle - very jammy, some metallic notes.  Unfortunately very one-dimensional.

Full post on dinner is here.

Katsuyama Ken

Dinner at Sumika in Los Altos.

Katsuyama Junmai Ginjo Ken (勝山  純米吟醸  献) - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 50%.  Sweet on the attack but dry in the middle.

Wines at Smyth

Dinner at Smyth in Chicago.

Charles Heidsieck Rosé Réserve

2009 Añada de Baladiña - thanks to 10 years' of aging, this was not at all fruity on the nose, but it was ripe on the palate.

Ichinokura Junmai Daiginjo Kuranohana (一ノ蔵  純米大吟醸  蔵の華) - lots of banana in the nose, which was also a little sharp and showing slight fermented.  Palate was middle of the road, neither too sweet nor too dry.

2005 Huet Vouvray Sec Le Mont - very toasty, a bit of green apple.  Good acidity.

2014 Dublère Chablis Bougros - the nose was really weird, not like a chard at all... but rather more like pear cidre.

2012 Bruno Clair Vosne Romanée Les Champs Perdrix - WOW!  This was really sweet on the nose, with vanilla and coconut butter.

Billecart-Salmon Demi-Sec - flinty with a hint of anise.  Sweet-ish on the palate.

1979 l'Archiviste Rivesaltes, mis en bouteille le Decembre 2018 - pretty savory.

Full post on dinner is here.

2010 Fourrier Clos St Jacques

Dinner at Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare in New York.

Pierre Peters Blanc de Blancs Cuvée de Réserve, dégorgée Mai 2019 - a little over-ripe, some acidity here.  Somehow this just wasn't great.

2010 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St-Jacques - really fragrant with leather and eucalyptus notes.  One hour later the nose was pretty metallic, and two hours after opening it showed toasty notes.

Full post on dinner is here.

Dassai 23

Dinner at Torishin in New York.

Dassai 23 Junmai Daiginjo (獺祭  純米大吟醸  磨き二割三分), 30BY - surprisingly not as light and sweet as expected. 

Juyondai and Next5

Drinking at Stag in Kikakyushu.

1957 Blandy’s Bual – nice and savory on the palate, kinda like Shaoxing (紹興酒) that has had salted plum (話梅) soaked in it. Only medium sweet since it’s Bual.

The Strathconon 12 Years Old – apparently this was from the 1970s and 1980s, and are no longer made today. Wasai-san had to peel off some Scotch tape he used to seal up the bottle to slow down the evaporation. This was certainly smoother and milder, and I could kinda taste the effect of age on it. A little sweet and grassy on the palate, but not too much.

Drinking at Shuho (酒峰) in Fukuoka.

Next Five Hyouge Mono 2018 Kimoto Junmai Daiginjo (生酛 純米大吟醸) – I had seen others post about Next Five, but this was my first opportunity to try it. This particular bottling was apparently done as a collaboration with a manga (漫画).  Seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 45%. Very smooth and soft, with a sweet attack but a bit dry mid-palate. Sweet nose with a little banana. Nice depth on the palate.

Juyondai Junmai Daiginjo Tobingakoi Shichitare Nijikkan Ryugetsu (十四代 純米大吟醸 斗瓶囲い 七垂二十貫 龍月), 23BY – seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 40%. Pretty smooth. Sweet on the nose but not on the palate.

Juyondai Junmai Daiginjo Tobingakoi Shichitare Nijikkan Ryugetsu (十四代 純米大吟醸 斗瓶囲い 七垂二十貫 龍月), 24BY – seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 40%. Bigger nose, with more fermented notes.

Juyondai Junmai Daiginjo Tobingakoi Shichitare Nijikkan Ryugetsu (十四代 純米大吟醸 斗瓶囲い 七垂二十貫 龍月), 25BY – seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 40%. Nose was a little sharp with starchy notes.

Jyuyondai Nakatori Daiginjo (十四代 中取り 大吟醸), 25BY - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 35%. More complex nose with banana notes. Pretty smooth but still got some depth on the palate.

Jyuyondai Nakatori Daiginjo (十四代 中取り 大吟醸), 26BY - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 35%. Even sharper on the nose. Smooth and sweet on the attack, and generally nice and rounded on the palate.

Jyuyondai Nakatori Daiginjo (十四代 中取り 大吟醸), 27BY - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 35%. Very big nose, and this was more “typical” and classic in terms of Juyondai.

Jyuyondai Nakatori Daiginjo (十四代 中取り 大吟醸), 28BY - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 35%. More powerful and complex nose. Very smooth. A little sweet on the attack but dry in the middle.

Jyuyondai Nakatori Daiginjo (十四代 中取り 大吟醸), 29BY - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 35%. Fragrant nose with banana notes. Very smooth and light. Very clean.

Full post on the evening is here.

2005 Te Koko

Drinking at home.

2005 Cloudy Bay Te Koko - still plenty of flint, green apple, not overly oxidized and just a little honey.  There is ripeness on the palate and some sweetness, but the acidity is still there.

More crazy sake in Tokyo

Drinks at Tamanegiya (酒たまねぎや) in Tokyo.

Miinokotobuki Miyabi Selection No. 1 Nakatori Junmai Daiginjo (三井の寿 中取り純米大吟醸), 30BY – seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 40%. Lots of banana in the nose, and showed fermented flavors a little later.

Azumaichi Junmai Daiginjo Tobintori Show Selection (東一 純米大吟醸 斗瓶取り 選抜酒), 27BY – seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 39%. More elegant, a little more pure. Sweet attack followed immediately by a big, strong, and spicy palate while the nose was soft and elegant.

Hatsukame Show Selection (初亀鑑評会), 30BY – apparently this changed to being a junmai daiginjo (純米大吟醸) last year. Master took 34 of the 36 bottles made. More acetone in the nose, with a hint of sharpness. Slightly sweet on the palate.

Isojiman Daiginjo 28 Nobilemente (磯自慢 大吟醸 ノビルメンテ 28), 30BY - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 28%. More intense nose, more depth on the palate. Nose also showed sweetness and banana, but a little sharper, and seemed more complex.

Isojiman Nakatori Junmai Daiginjo 35 (磯自慢 中取り 純米大吟醸35), 26BY – seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 35%. Tons of fruity notes like banana and musk melon in the nose. Lovely and really sweet and smooth on the palate.