Organised a French vs Oz wine dinner with some age for a group of casual wine drinkers to show that these wines need a lot of time. Most wines showed well but my preferences diverged from the group as the others mostly preferred the more masculine and darker-fruited wines such as the '98 Latour a Pomerol and '03 S-M, whereas I liked the more elegant and textural wines. My top 3 were the '98 John Riddoch, '86 Beychevelle and '00 Lake Folly (an excellent discovery) in that order.
- NV Philippe Gonet Champagne Brut RĂ©serve - France, Champagne
30% Chardonnay, 60% Pinot Noir, 10% Meunier. Slightly nondescript at first but better as the ripe, red fruit became more expressive with air. Good for fans of rounder, Pinot-dominant champagnes. (90 pts.) - 2022 Etienne Sauzet Chardonnay Bourgogne - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne
Drank the previous night and brought the leftovers to dinner. Some reduction at first but this had pure, crisp citrus fruit with excellent weight for its level. Superbly balanced and a fantastic QPR, sometimes I prefer no-fuss BBs for their simplicity and pleasure. (92 pts.) - 1986 Château Beychevelle - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Cork had a horrible TCA smell but thankfully the wine was untainted. As usual with Beychevelles, beautifully understated and elegant that was very much my alley. Sensual and balanced, still very youthful with some unresolved tannins. The best Bordeaux of the night for me and second overall. (93 pts.) - 1994 Penfolds Bin 389 - Australia, South Australia
Similar to the '98 that I opened a couple of weeks ago. Best on first pour as it still had structure despite the plummy fruit, but became port-like with air. These probably aren’t meant to age. (87 pts.) - 1998 Château Latour à Pomerol - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Probably Merlot-dominant with the slightly plummy, fig-dominant fruit and some mocha overtones. Most preferred this but I thought this was a little modern with some rough tannins. I felt that the John Riddoch alongside was the much better wine as this was glossy without any real depth. (90 pts.) - 1998 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon John Riddoch - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
Consistent with the previous experience but I gave this a lot more time after the person who brought this the last time said that this was still going strong after a few days. Opened at 12pm for dinner, this was still reticent on the first pour that made the others prefer the '98 Latour à Pomerol alongside. But to me this was the superior wine with better purity of fruit and much more refined tannins. Incredibly silky and textural for a Cab, with only the slightest hint of sweetness that gave it away as a new-world. Definitely convinced that this is one of the best new-world Cabs around. (94 pts.) - 2000 Lake’s Folly Red Blend - Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Petit Verdot, 8% Shiraz, 7% Merlot. First time trying this producer and very impressed; cool-climate restraint with sweet, sappy dark red fruit. Not quite as elegant or complex as the John Riddoch but very pleasurable. Again I was in the minority that preferred this compared to the Bordeaux alongside. (92 pts.) - 2003 Château Sociando-Mallet - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Masculine, dark red fruit that was slightly over-extracted for me despite being well-managed for '03 without any excess heat. Curiously lost some structure and became one-dimensionally sweet with air. Others liked this more than I did. (89 pts.) - 2002 Greenock Creek Shiraz Seven Acre - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Unsurprisingly the most Parkerized wine of the line-up with minty, eucalyptus notes combined with dark liquorice notes. A huge wine that lacked finesse, a glass was fine but this was the only wine that I didn’t return to. (88 pts.) - 1990 E. Guigal Hermitage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Not the best bottle of this wine as the acidity dominated the fruit, but the Burgundian nature of this wine also meant that it suffered coming after the larger-scaled Cabs. More resolved than previous bottles. (91 pts.) - 1988 San Felice Vigorello Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
A mix of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Was quite sure that this was an Italian but guessed Amarone at first because of the sweet fruit and lack of acidity. Guessed modern Tuscan on the second try but thought this was from the early '00s. Surprisingly youthful but not much else to this wine, another example of modern wines not developing complexity or nuance with age. (88 pts.)
First time at one of the most difficult to book home dining spots in Singapore and wasn’t disappointed. Strong flavours whilst remaining delicate at the same time which I thought was quite unique. My favourite dishes were the courgette with yoghurt, harissa and mint, and the aged duck (possibly the best I’ve had in my life). The smoked flavours were subtle rather than overpowering, and the duck was perfectly cooked (not sous-vide thankfully). A very satisfying meal.
- 1995 Henriot Champagne Brut Millésimé - France, Champagne
48% Chardonnay, 42% Pinot Noir. Thought mid-'90s house like Bollinger because of the oxidative, red-fruited dominant style. Didn’t have the complexity of the Cuvee des Enchanteleurs but pleasurable enough, though I am not a fan with champagnes with overt hazelnut notes. (90 pts.) - 1990 Bruno Paillard Champagne Le Mesnil - France, Champagne
Thought this was more youthful compared to the '95 Henriot with much more depth, but when told this was older it was obvious that it had to be a '90. 6264 bottles and 1208 magnums produced, disgorged in Mar 2014. Superb complexity that rivalled the '90 LGA I had a few weeks ago, powerful but balanced with superb energy. Always impressed whenever I have this producer (especially the NPU). (94 pts.) - NV Champagne Oudiette Champagne Les Hautes Sources Souris - France, Champagne
1590 bottles produced from base 2021 (81%) with reserve perpetuelle from '18-'20. Disgorged 15 Oct 2024, 1.5 g/l dosage. I recognised the maker from the foil but was surprised that this was a BdN since it had more citrus fruit. Superb precision and drive that I love in champagnes; a clear crowd favourite and I can see why. (93 pts.) - NV Benoît Lahaye Champagne Grand Cru Brut Nature - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
My contribution. Disgorged Feb 2023, this was much more oxidative than the Oudiette alongside with a pale salmon pink colour and red fruit on the palate that made it obvious that it was a Pinot-dominant blend. A little strict at first (perhaps because of the zero dosage) but became more expressive and weighty with air, not the most elegant or refined Lahaye that I’ve had. (90 pts.) - 2014 Domaine Georges Vernay Condrieu Les Chaillées de l’Enfer - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
Brought for a friend. Dark golden hue but wine was still fresh. Aromatic nose with honeysuckle and orange peel notes, palate was opulent and concentrated but with good acidity for a Condrieu. Nothing over-the-top or flabby, showed why the only northern Rhone white that I drink is Vernay. (93 pts.) - 2019 Wittmann Westhofener Brunnenhauschen Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Rheinhessen
Brought for a friend. Heavy petroleum on the nose which put off some but I was fine with it, probably explains why many people don’t drink Riesling here. Similar to the Vernay in terms of the massive concentration but presented in a very different way, this was incredibly tensile and had electrifying acidity. Chiselled and pure yellow stone fruit, this seemed good to go. (93 pts.) - 2007 Domaine Latour-Giraud Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
Guessed Chassagne from a cooler vintage like '08, didn’t have the weight of a Meursault but made sense on reveal since it was a Perrières. Gentle fruit that developed some honey notes with age but lost a little verve, would drink up. (90 pts.) - 2002 Nicolas Potel Clos de la Roche - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
I have had mixed experiences with Potel’s wines but this hit it out of the park tonight. Guessed '02 Chambolle because of the attractive nose with stemmy, lifted dark fruit and the vibrant palate. Silky and sensual with slight earthy notes, a classically-proportioned red Burgundy that was unanimously enjoyed by all. The person who brought this said that he bought a case of this after it showed very well against other big hitters in a CDLR tasting a few years back, and I could see why. (94 pts.) - 2012 Domaine Franco-Chinois Marselan Reserve - China, Hebei
Thought Australian Shiraz from early '10s at first but when revealed not to be US or Oz guessed this as a Chinese wine given that it drank like a wine that was trying too hard. Very international profile with a huge dose of unintegrated oak and artificially smooth tannins, had a dark mocha note that I dislike in wines. (80 pts.)
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