SMD AT BAR-A-THYM - Bar-a-Thym, Singapore (16/2/2021)
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2002 Bollinger Champagne R.D. Extra Brut - France, Champagne
Very nice, and just about coming into its own. This was a step-up from the stellar, but rather too young bottle I had some 2.5 years ago. The nose on this bottle already had a bit of maturity about it, with little notes of honey, yeast, and mushroomy earth, dancing around a core of red apples and riper yellow fruit, and then just a touch of perfumy floral notes along the edges of bouquet. Pretty nice. The palate was very good too. Strong and powerful, with full-on notes of ripe apples touched with notes of honey, a bit of stone fruit, and then a lovely line of minerality - all these couched in a well defined structure of lovely citrus zest acidity and creamy mousse. Really solid. Good full finish too, lots of density to it, but with no lack of cut. Overall, this was a very nice Champagne, just coming into its own; but I would give it another 4-5 years more at least - perhaps longer. On the night, it definitely tasted better after an hour opened than when first poured. (93 pts.) -
2013 Sylvain Cathiard Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Aux Thorey - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
I really liked this. In true Cathiard style, it came across a touch modern and still a bit oaked, but boy was it elegant and oh-so drinkable. The nose was really alluring, with red cherries and darker wild berry shades garlanded with a
of floral perfume. At the sides of the bouquet, there were notes of earth and wet stone mineral as well, and then just a little kiss of herby, woody, oaky spices. Very nice indeed. The palate was really pretty too, especially for an NSG - with gobs of juicy acidity and sweet tannins framing a lovely, pure core of red cherries and ripe blueberries, again seasoned with that nice bit of woody spice. Really, really nice, and with quite a bit of muscular presence to it on the attack and midpalate. Solid finish too, showing a twist of orange peel and a little streak of mineral leading into a slight linger of sweet oak notes. Modern in its styling for sure - but boy this was a stylish, polished, extremely well put together mouthful. It was drinking very well on the night - it will last a lot longer in the cellar for sure, but I am not sure it will improve all that much from this showing. (93 pts.)
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2017 Domaine Jean-Michel Gaunoux Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Very nice indeed. The nose here had a nice nutty, flinty lilt to it, along with notes of burnt butter, white fruit and a little lift of seashell minerality. Almost a bit Chablis-like. We had quite a few guesses of Chablis Grand Cru, particularly Les Clos when served blind, and I could see why with that bouquet. It was on the palate though where this really shone I thought. It had a lovely creamy depth and a broad-shouldered feel to its flavours of ripe white fruit and cream, these sprinkled with a bit of kumquat zest. Really compelling stuff, with lots of energy and verve to it. A lovely streak of minerality than took over on the midpalate and into a long, chalky, seashell finish. A really lovely wine - this is just how I like Burgundy. Lovely definition, laser-focused, with nicely delicious fruit underlined with a seriously grippy minerality. Very good, and drinking well early. I would love to see how this develops over the next few years. (93 pts.) -
2006 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne Domaine - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
This was really, really good. The nose was quite classic Corton-Charlie, with drips of white chocolate, lemon curd and white fruit; a zest of orange peel, and then a nice streak of chalky mineral. Very nice smelling stuff. The palate was lovely too - creamily textured, with a decent, if not quite in-your-face bit of acidity wrapped around a deep core of white fruit - think melons and green apples - and then a nice touch of mineral and lime tracing its way into a long finish. That touch of hollowness I noticed in a previous bottle seems to have filled up as well. Very pleasing, and drinking nicely now. This was very good. (93 pts.) -
2000 Artadi Rioja Pagos Viejos - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja
Significantly better than when I last had this - almost 12 years ago now. It was decently good, but a touch too young even now. The nose showed deep pulls of dark plums and berries, laced with a lovely bit of spice and cigarette smoke. The palate was very solid, but still strikingly youthful, with fine-boned tannins and bright acidity framing a mouthful of dark berries and black cherries, again laced with a nice kiss of spice and a little savoury meatiness - all this resolving into a spicy, smoky, slightly prickly finish. A pretty good wine, very solid - certainly more together and less rough than the last bottle I had - but this really does feel that it is in a slightly awkward adolescent state. I would wait another 8-10 years on this at least. (91 pts.) -
1988 Château Certan de May - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Second time out with this wine, and it remained a really pleasing drop. Very green when it first started off, it tamed down quite quickly to show a nicely classic nose of plums, black cherries and green capsicums laced with a little wreath of cigarette smoke. With time, a nice, loamy earthiness started coming to the fore as well. Quite attractive indeed. The palate was very nice, even a bit youthful, with fine-grained, slightly powdery tannins and a good bit of 1988’s stern acidity, thus running through pure flavours of black cherries, plums and a bit of cassis, and then another lovely chew of greener notes - capsicum, cedar bark and cigarette smoke - all resolving into a nicely round finish. I really liked this. It had the classic firmness and reserve of a 1980s Pomerol, yet with a nice ripe chewiness to it. Delicious, with its best years ahead of it yet. (93 pts.) -
2006 Domaine de la Bongran (Thevenet) Mâcon-Villages Cuvée Botrytis - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Villages
An unusual little half-bottle, this was a pleasing way to end the night. The nose was quite pretty, with blushes of honey, nectar and dried apricots ringed by a perfume wreath of dried flowers. The palate was rich and full, with a nice purity to its flavours of apricots and dried peaches, moving into more tropical pineapples. A decent bit of acidity kept this fresh and drinkable into a sweet honey and nectar finish. Not the most complex drop in the world, but this was very yummy. (92 pts.)
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