Just found some notes from way back in 2017 when Mike Grammar visited Singapore and we had a fun little dinner with some friends. Just managed to post these up on CT (4 years late!)
WHEN MIKE GRAMMAR VISITED SINGAPORE - Nicolas Restaurant, Teck Lim Street, Singapore (1/3/2017)
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2000 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Millésimé - France, Champagne
Very good. 58% Pinot and 42% Chardonnay. This had a nice nose of yeast and cream, along with white fruited tones, and then something nice and earthy in he backdrop. With time, some floral notes emerged as well. The palate was very friendly, with a fine mousse and fresh acidity wrapped around rather voluptuous mouthful of sweet fruit - apples at the forefront, a touch of cider almost, and then some sweet lemons and citrus zest chasing behind. There was a touch of mineral and spice about the gently long, open-knit finish as well. Nicely complex and very giving. This may not have the acid structure to last forever, but it was a delight to drink now. Very good. (92 pts.) -
1995 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires - France, Champagne
A clear couple of steps up from the straight 2000 vintage Charles Heidsick (served serendipitously in the same flight), this was a really strong showing from a lovely champagne. We dumped it the decanter half-an-hour before service, and that seemed to help open it up. It had a lovely deep nose when poured, with notes of sweet cream and chalk, white fruit and some florals coming out with time, all driven along by a streak of minerality. Very nice. The palate was marked by a lovely precision and clarity, with a wonderful mineral spine running though white fruited notes, a touch of lemons, all infused with the finest mousse and lovely clean acidity. It a lovely finish too - long and juicy, with some saline, savoury stone notes closing the wine off. Really nice - this had absolutely wonderful clarity, and it was drinking beautifully now. Awesome stuff. (94 pts.) -
2009 Pierre Morey Meursault Les Terres Blanches - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
Not bad, but not great either. This was a real child of the 2009 vintage, coming across rather ripe and certainly advanced. There was lots of ripe, sweet stone fruit on the palate, almost tropical at points, with a bit of honey and toast on the side. Could well have been a new world Chardonnay with that character. The palate was thankfully both less advanced than nose and less sweet than the nose. It was still very forward for a wine of its age though, and certainly on the plump side, with notes of sweet cream and yellow fruit touched with flecks of savoury earth and spice. There was just enough acidity to give it a decent balance, which kept it nicely drinkable. Not bad, just not absolutely great either. This is also probably one that should be drank sooner rather than later. (90 pts.) -
2012 Bouchard Père et Fils Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
A very nice expression of Suchots, but much too young. Opened for a couple of hours before dinner, then decanted for another before service, this still felt like a baby, albeit a rather approachable one. It had a very sweet, forward nose that just exploded out of the glass with violets, blackcurrants and red plums, along with a good dose of cinnamon and other baking spices and a touch of new oak. Still very primary, but quite attractive nonetheless. The palate was marked by fine firm tannins with a good chew, and then a lovely depth of fresh acidity, all making for great textured mouthfeel to its pure red fruited flavours seasoned with a gentle waft of Vosne spice. Like the nose, still really primary, with some new oak sticking out amidst notes of bramble and wood spice at the finish as well. Still though, this had plenty of quality and was enjoyable in a very young Burg way. It really will reward aging though - it has a good backbone and structure - velvety yet firm - along lovely integration and fullness. A very complete wine then, just way too young; this was still a lot about oak and fruit at the moment. I would love to try it again in 6-8 years or so. (93 pts.) -
2009 Le Macchiole Paleo Rosso - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
An unusual Cabernet Franc from Tuscany - and we had two on the night. This was pretty good without quite rocking my world. It sure had an interesting nose - neither Right Bank Bordeaux nor Loire, this had a real savoury base of earthy mushroom, and a hint of soy sauce scents, along with more typical notes of mint and menthol, and some bright red fruit aromas running behind, all this garlanded with sprigs of Italian herb. The palate was a lot less savoury and umami than the nose, with sweet ripe berries at the fore, then some menthol, herbs and spice leading to an interestingly bittersweet finish. There was a nice sense of depth and balance to this, with some powdery tannins adding a good sense of structure. I thought there was just a touch of sparkly spritz in there somewhere, but not quite enough to distract from the overall quality of the wine. Overall, pretty good, and I think it will continue to get better with more time in the bottle. One to try again in 4-5 years. (91 pts.) -
2010 Le Macchiole Paleo Rosso - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Decently good, but not outstanding on the night - this really needed more time in bottle. The 2009 that we had alongside actually showed better. There was a waft of brett on the nose, showing up in a funky, wet fur pong, but these thankfully blew off significantly to show lifted notes of menthol and peppermint, along with red berries, and a pat of earthy. The palate started out with that same funky tone as well, with plenty of earth and soil wrapped around a core of fresh red fruit and then a nice touch of spice leading into the finish. There was a nice verve and energy to it, and a brightness about the fruit that I liked. However, the structure felt just a touch awkward, with mouth-coating tannins and high acidity sticking out a bit. It did get a whole lot better with food though, especially with a nicely pink cut of lamb, which helped the wine to round up significantly and more of the fruit and spice character to show. Overall, not bad, but I have a feeling we caught it in a really awkward phase. Like the 2009, I would love to try this again a few years down the road. (90 pts.) -
1995 Domaine Huet Vouvray Cuvée Constance - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
A lovely wine - this was pick of the night for me. It had a beautiful nose, full of dried apricots, lanolin and spice, nougat and sultana raisins - think the best fruit compote you have ever smelt, and then layer it with extra complexity from those other little Chenin characteristics. It was beautiful to drink on the palate as well; while certainly sweet, it had such a lovely melting balance to, so that it was not cloying at all. Here, we had dried sultanas as a base, and then dried apricots, a little drizzle of honey, some orange peel, all leading into a tremendous undertow of stony mineral that pulls the wine into the lovely, long finish. Here and there, I got flashes of spice, and a lift or two of white tea as well. Elegant, complex and effortless - this was a lovely, lovely wine. While showing very generously on the night, this really is one of those ageless bottles that go on for decades and decades yet. Yummy. (94 pts.)
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