1982 Philipponnat

Dinner at Locanda.

1982 Philipponnat Réserve Millésimée, dégorgé en Août 2007 - initially this was very soft on the palate, maybe a little on the flat side without lots of bubbles. Showing nose of marmalade and aged tangerine peel. Acidity was a little on the high side but not too much, with a little bitterness on the finish. As the wine got a little warmer, the finish also grew longer. Acidity remained high and got a little sharper over time.

Bought from Sotheby's for HKD 1,354.

2014 Tenimenti d'Alessandro Syrah Cortona Borgo - lots of eucalyptus on the nose with a big whiff of spices. Really fragrant. So interesting that this really smelled of cool, black fruits on the nose with some black pepper. Nice acidity on the palate.

Full post on dinner is here.

82 Latour a Pomerol and Les Pavots

Dinner at Wagyumafia.

Sharaku Junmai Ginjo (寫楽 純米吟醸), R5BY - seimaibuai of 50%. The nose showed a lot of musk melon and banana, along with a very sweet, starchy rice profile.

Hakuryu Shin (白龍 真) - a little fruity with some lactic acid on the palate. Also showed starchy, fermented rice notes.

1982 Latour à Pomerol - started drinking 30 minutes after decanting. Initially this was only so-so, perhaps the wine was a little tired? Showing earthy notes without too much sweetness, maybe the nose had a hint of stewed fruits. Later on the wine opened up to reveal smoky and leather notes, and now was showing itself to be an old claret. Finished the wine about 1½ hours after decanting, and it still wasn't showing much sweet fruit.

Bought from Sotheby's for HKD 2,246.

2007 Peter Michael Les Pavots - decanted about an hour after opening, and started drinking 30 minutes after decanting. Initially the wine wasn't very open and needed to wake up in glass. It was sweeter on the palate for sure, showing its character as a Californian, but not to the point of being ripe or jammy despite being from a stellar vintage.

Bought from Altaya for HKD 1,320.

Full post on dinner is here.

2003 Pax Kobler

Drinking at home.

2003 Pax Syrah Kobler Family Vineyard - started drinking 45 minutes after decanting. Initially the nose was a little chalky. Really big nose with the second pour, very jammy with lots of exotic spices and dried herbs. Still very rich and concentrated after more than 20 years, with mint and eucalyptus on the nose. After more than 2 hours in the decanter, this also showed some sandalwood notes.

Bought from the winery for USD 60 plus tax.

Laherte and Lucien Le Moine

Dinner at Yong Fu.

Laherte Les Longue Voyes, dégorgée en Decembre 2021 - this was definitely big on the palate. Very well-balanced, and clearly showing some aging. Nice and yeasty nose, without big toasty notes.

Bought from Altaya for HKD 555.

2010 Hospices de Beaune Beaune 1er Cru Cuvée Rousseau-Deslandes, mis en bouteille par Lucien Le Moine pour MNSC - very fragrant nose. It's minty with typical toasty notes without being overpowering.

Bought from Altaya for HKD 590.

Full post on dinner is here.

Takahiko and friends

Lunch at Andō.

Krug Rosé, 28éme édition, ID 123009 - very fragrant nose with lots of red fruits, so sweet on the nose with a little caramelized sugar around the edges. Good acidity on the palate with a long finish.

2021 Takahiko Yoichi-Nobori Passetoutgrain - lots of exotic spices on the nose, ripe and fruity, more like Chinese sour plum drink (酸梅湯) with a hint of savory notes. Then we got sweetness on the nose like candy and bubblegum, and the fragrance was just sooo alluring. I could totally understand why so many people love this wine.

2005 Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon - very minty and smoky on the nose. A pretty nice cab.

Full post on lunch is here.

Ausone and Cos

Dinner at Mian.

Pol Roger Brut Réserve, dégorgée en September 2023 - the nose was surprisingly fragrant and floral, with some classic yeasty notes.

1982 Cos d'Estournel - what a classic claret from a fantastic vintage! Smoky, a little earthy, and still got the sweet fruit. Smooth and silky on the palate now, and still going strong after more than 4 decades.

2005 Ausone - decanted 1½ hours after opening, and tasted 30 minutes after decanting. Very fragrant nose with lots of coconut butter and vanilla, and also lots of oak. Very ripe and sweet on the palate.

2020 Frédéric Cossard Puligny-Montrachet - the nose was metallic and reminds one of Anjour pear. Pretty nice on the palate, more towards the lean and acidic side but well-balanced.

Full post on dinner is here.

2004 Pax

Drinking at home.

2004 Pax Syrah Walker Vine Hill Vineyard - double-decanted and stoppered for almost 4 hours before serving. The wine was too warm when initially served, resulting in it being hot and alcoholic on the palate. Still very sweet and fruity, with really nice notes of a blueberry jam along with dried herbs. Drinking nicely.

Bought from the winery for USD 50 plus tax.

Krug and friends

Dinner at Deng G.

Elise Bougy Chetillon de Haut, dégorgée en Decembre 2023 - the nose was pretty fragrant at first, then got more toasty with time. Crisp on the palate with pretty high acidity thanks to being blanc de blancs. Drinking nicely.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 170ème Édition, ID 221035 - the acidity on the palate was higher than expected. The nose still got those toasty notes, but not the brioche profile I love so much. The palate was on the lean side, and not as rich as I normally love. After about 20 minutes, the palate had softened up a little.

Bought from MHD for HKD 1,660.

2021 Camille Thiriet Bourgogne-Aligoté du Jardin - this was a little mild on the palate at first, and in fact bland and boring. Nose showed a little toast but not much more interesting than that.

Krug Grande Cuvée, 172ème Édition, ID 123003 - toast nose, and the palate wasn't so acidic.

1994 Maximin Grünhaüser Abtsberg Riesling Auslese - lots of vanilla and marzipan on the nose at first, which was a surprise. Got the marmalade, too, after 30 years. This was ripe and rounded on the palate, but the acidity was high enough to balance it. The sweetness was nice enough to temper the heat in Sichuan cuisine.

Bought from Mayfair as part of a mixed lot for HKD 316.

2018 Wine Spots Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville - really ripe and sweet on the nose, with mint and spices, very fragrant.

Full post on dinner is here.