DINNER AT CHAOSHAN - (2/2/2026)
First dinner after a couple of weeks in reservist with an eclectic mix of wines - have to say whites outshone the reds tonight. Clear favourites for me were the Egly, Donnhoff and Clonakilla.
- NV Egly-Ouriet Champagne Grand Cru VP - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
2016 base. Disgorged July 2024, 1g/l dosage. Pleasurable and expressive with a perfect balance between house and grower style as usual with Egly. Very generous brioche with the extended less ageing but with crisp, linear citrus fruit. Outshone the Bereche alongside. (93 pts.) - 2014 Domaine Les Monts Fournois Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Montagne Verzenay - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Similarly powerful and ripe but a little coarse compared to the bottle a couple of weeks ago. Lacked the poise of the Egly alongside. (90 pts.) - 2022 Walter Scott Chardonnay Freedom Hill Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Mount Pisgah
My extra, opened the night before into a Voss since these wines can be reductive and marked by acidity. Matchstick reduction on opening that dissipated but the elevated acidity remained the next day. Very energetic citrus-driven fruit that was enjoyable but reinforced by view that early-picked Chardonnays bring tension at the expense of complexity. From what I gathered at the table, a love it or hate it wine. (91 pts.) - 2014 Aubert Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons - USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
These wines are hit or miss for me but this was a miss. Ripe and round with tropical fruit that included banana. Buttery oak, waxy texture and noticeably high alcohol - very much a caricature of new-world Chard. (87 pts.) - 2016 Bodega Catena Zapata Chardonnay White Bones Adrianna Vineyard - Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco, Gualtallary
Completely different from the 2022 White Stones we had last year which we mistook for Burgundy. This leaned into a strange hybrid character - good minerality that made me think Austrian and others Chenin (because of the ripe and slightly sweet nature). Enjoyable but no recognisable Chardonnay characteristics. (90 pts.) - 2022 Fattoria Petrolo Boggina B - Italy, Tuscany, Val dâArno di Sopra
Guesses were all over the place from Rhone whites to new Spain but glad I came closest with the Valentini guess because of the overt floral aromatics, slightly waxy texture and tropical notes. Just lacking that final bit of verve and energy of the best Valentinis I tried but a good discovery. (92 pts.) - 2009 DĂśnnhoff HermannshĂśhle Riesling GroĂes Gewächs - Germany, Nahe
Havenât had a Donnhoff of this age but managed to guess the producer (with the help of the white capsule) and correctly placed it as a warm late '00s vintage. Powerful and dense citrus fruit with a touch of sweetness. Excellent balance between richness and freshness. An outstanding GG and my favourite white of the night. (93 pts.) - 2017 Digioia-Royer Chambolle-Musigny Les Fremières Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, CĂ´te de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny
Guessed Gevrey from a warm vintage. Rather masculine in profile with dark blue fruit and firm structure. Not my preferred expression of Chambolle. (89 pts.) - 2000 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier - Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Canberra District
Wow the last time I guessed top-class Vosne and this time I guessed Rougeard (because of the overt greenness) but the commonality was a superb texture that was pure silk with restrained and elegant dark cherry fruit. My favourite red of the night. (94 pts.) - 2013 Saxum Terry Hoage Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles Willow Creek District
My contribution, opened into a Voss bottle the night before. A surprisingly refined nose with floral lift for such a high-octane wine. Palate had obvious alcohol on entry but settled into an elegant dark red-fruited profile rather than the black fruit I feared. Good depth and freshness and thankfully not thick or syrupy. Still a little too alcoholic for my taste but drinking well now. (91 pts.) - 2015 Roagna Barbaresco Pajè - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
Most including myself guessed an older Bordeaux because of the soy and tertiary notes. Didnât have the purity or lift of Roagna so will chalk it down to an advanced bottle. NR (flawed) - 2004 Bodegas VinĂcola Real Rioja 200 Monges Reserva Seleccion Especial - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
Clear American oak with coconut and some dark tobacco notes that quickly led most including myself to Rioja. Definitely in a more modern and extracted style that tasted much younger than its age but not convinced that the fruit will outlast the structure. Not a fan of such a style. (88 pts.) - 2007 Domaine du Vieux TÊlÊgraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
What a ripe, alcoholic mess, poured this out after a sip. My first '07 CdP and I can understand why these are such a meme. (70 pts.) - 2000 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, MÊdoc, Pauillac
Guesses were all over the place but mostly in new-world, I called late '00s Almaviva (when revealed to be Bordeaux I guess a big vintage like '05). Rich and dense blackcurrant and cassis, very unyielding and completely unintegrated. Apparently this was opened 24 hours prior and while others paid respect to the label, this was tannic as fuck and undrinkable to me.
