A hectic weekend before a quick getaway to HK/SH!
EUGENE’S BIRTHDAY - (8/12/2023)
Some champagnes / Italians for a birthday celebration.
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2002 Deutz Champagne Cuvée William Deutz - France, Champagne
Crisp and vibrant fruit which was clearly from a great vintage. Thought 96 as the acidity could be felt despite the distractingly high dosage. (91 pts.) -
2004 Pommery Champagne Cuvée Louise Brut - France, Champagne
Guessed mid-00s house. Toasty brioche notes on the nose, powerful but curiously lean. Described this as an anorexic Krug. (91 pts.) -
1995 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Millésimé - France, Champagne
Clearly a house champagne from the mid-nineties. Slightly oxidative with sherry qualities starting to develop, but still had enough tension to be enjoyable. Thought it was Pol in style, so not surprised it turned out to be a CH. Liked the aristocracy of this. (92 pts.) -
2008 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon - France, Champagne
Incredible freshness to this. High but not austere acidity, blood orange and raspberry notes. Lovely minerality and drive. Fantastic showing. (94 pts.) -
1961 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Some debate if it was corked at first but thought it was a combination of the musty old wine smell and the box that the restaurant glasses were kept in. Took time to come into balance, but this was so harmonious and effortless after an hour with soft, slightly sweet tannins. Amazing example of an aged Barolo. (94 pts.) -
1968 Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
We weren’t sure if this was an Italian - some thought Bordeaux while others including myself felt this was Spanish. Some spice but barely any fruit, felt this has been in terminal decline for some time. (89 pts.) -
1994 Prunotto Barbaresco Montestefano - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
My contribution. Vibrant and ripe for a weaker vintage, but fruit wasn’t as forthcoming and delineated as a better vintage would have been. High VA gave freshness but mostly tertiary mushroom notes after time in the glass. A good example of Prunotto before they went modern. (91 pts.) -
2002 Fattoria Galardi Terra di Lavoro - Italy, Campania, Roccamonfina IGT
My extra. Was looking forward to trying this as this producer had a reputation for long-lived wines but unfortunately it was stewed despite the perfect cork. NR (flawed) -
2014 Azienda Agricola San Giuseppe Rosso di Montalcino Stella di Campalto - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino
Guessed 2013 traditional Nebbiolo maker in a modern, clean style like Rinaldi or Roagna; but once it was revealed to be a Brunello it could only be Stella. Precise with wonderful purity of dark red fruit. Thought the precision made it stand out from the other wines tonight. No Brunello made in ‘14 so no ordinary Rosso here. (94 pts.) -
2011 Pian dell’Orino Brunello di Montalcino Vigneti del Versante - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Elegant but bigger-boned and riper than the 2012 that I loved last year. Not as pretty or refined as I would have liked. (90 pts.) -
2005 Antinori Chianti Classico Marchese Antinori Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG
Modern, extracted Chianti with some greenness. Worst of both worlds, hard pass. (76 pts.) -
2014 Roagna Barbaresco Albesani - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
Still tight and tannic with plummy notes. None of the textbook Roagna elegance and lifted aromatics, so suspect this was not the most representative bottle. (89 pts.)
WINE JOURNEY TASTING - (9/12/2023)
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2013 Champagne Du Goupil Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Archetypal grower BdB. Linear with tension, dominated by green apple fruit. A little austere for me. (89 pts.) -
2020 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Noirs Côte de Val Vilaine - France, Champagne
Ripe citrus fruit that was so chiselled and precise. Hint of sweetness and exotic fruit in this vintage, but still finely balanced. Was recounting my first VV that I was so impressed by a few years ago (for S$90!); always a treat to taste this producer. (92 pts.) -
2021 Fedellos do Couto Conasbrancas - Spain, Galicia, Ribeira Sacra
Nutty and aromatic, low acidity that reminded me of a Rhone white. (87 pts.) -
2019 Domaine de la Roseraie Bourgogne Blanc - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne
Lean and tensile white orchard fruit, almost Puligny-like. (89 pts.) -
2017 Château de Charodon Meursault - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
Serious and hefty, easy guess as Meursault. Granny apple on both nose and palate, good balance to a white Burg made in an old-school style. (91 pts.) -
2020 Fedellos do Couto Lomba dos Ares - Spain, Galicia, Ribeira Sacra
New-school, fruit-forward Grenache which I am not the biggest fan of. But still more balanced and less candied than the Comando Gs that I’ve tried, which was a good thing. (88 pts.) -
2020 J&J Archambaud Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits
Some (including myself) struggled to identify this as Burgundy at first. After time in the decanter, the ‘19/20 Burgundy characteristics of jammy, sweet purple fruit emerged which I am very much averse to. (85 pts.) -
2018 Château de Charodon Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Was immediately in Vosne for this. Very classic and well done for a ‘18, felt more like a ‘17. Spicy, dark red fruit with good restraint and delineation. Very impressed; was interesting to hear that the winemaker is following more traditional methods, e.g, two winters in barrel, instead of more in-vogue methods to make more crunchy, fruit-forward wines. (93 pts.)
TOP 1ERS FOR AK’S BIRTHDAY - (9/12/2023)
Another wonderful celebration for the ever generous AK who brought along five top class bottles. Always grateful for such occasions where I get the chance to drink Burgundies from great makers with some age.
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1999 Perrier-Jouët Champagne Belle Epoque - France, Champagne
Late library release from 2018. Haven’t heard much discussion about the ‘99 vintage in champagne but the ones I’ve tried have been great and they seem to be at peak. Not a house I am familiar with, made in a crowd-pleasing style that reminded me of Piper. Good balance between richness and sweetness, some nougat and almond notes beginning to develop. (92 pts.) -
1999 Domaine Marc Morey & Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru En Virondot - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
Thought this was from a cooler vintage like 2007, so was surprised that it turned out to be much older. Absolutely pristine bottle, serious and hefty but with so much freshness and focus. Superb length. A wonderful example of an aged Burg white from an under-the-radar maker. (94 pts.) -
2004 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
No greenness here whatsoever. Alluring, sensual nose that was quintessential Vosne. Brilliant, pure dark red fruit that I thought it must have been from a strong vintage like 99 or 02. Loved the intensity and verve on this. Pascal’s wines can be (unfairly) maligned but maybe it was just a matter of waiting for them to blossom? Absolutely stunning and the unanimous WOTN. (96 pts.) -
2006 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cuvée Duvault-Blochet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Assemblage from DRC’s GC plots that didn’t make the cut. Still very Vosne but more masculine and blue-fruited than the Arnoux alongside. Rather stemmy that I felt this was almost a textbook Dujac. Weaker vintage showed here as the tannins weren’t as refined and more drying compared to the A-L alongside, but will bet on this improving with time given the massive concentration and quality of underlying material here. (93 pts.) -
2006 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Vieille Vigne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
In the flight of the first four wines, there were 3 Vosnes and 1 Gevrey. Most felt that the Cathiard was the Gevrey but the minority (including myself) said that this had to be the Gevrey since it was the outlier stylistically. Slightly cloudy in appearance, especially compared to the three Vosnes that were brilliant ruby red in colour. Older style of Fourrier with more earthy and rustic notes before he transitioned to the high-toned, less dense style of today. Guessed ‘08 based on the colour and high acidity. Quite integrated and resolved but the fruit did become more expressive with air. (92 pts.) -
2006 Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
This was such a tannic beast that my first instinct was Cathiard Malconsorts. Stylistically similar to the DRC, unintegrated oak with massive blue fruit. Lovely structure and salinity to the wine, but badly needs more time. Wished I had the chance to revisit at the end of dinner but couldn’t find the bottle; the '05 Orveaux last month took a whole 10 hours to truly come into its own. (93 pts.) -
2009 Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Guessed ‘00/01 Chambolle because of how mild the fruit was, or as someone put it, polite. Very much in the zone now with slightly candied, sappy red fruit. Charming, and one of my perennial favourites that I still can afford to buy today. (93 pts.) -
1996 Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champeaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Preferred this between the Mortet pair. Slightly funky, sauvage nose but in contrast the palate was so precise and mineral. Intense, dark red fruit with some iron notes. Texture was seamless and ethereal; truly an iron fist in a velvet glove. One of my favourites on the night. (95 pts.) -
2002 Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St. Jacques - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Dense, brooding dark fruit. Powerful, but not as elegant as the last time I had this or the ‘96 Champeaux alongside. Slightly too ripe and glossy with cherry liquor notes that was almost new-world like. (91 pts.) -
1995 La Pousse d’Or Volnay 1er Cru Clos des 60 Ouvrées - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru
My contribution. Glad it showed much better than the previous time I had this, so fresh that a few guessed 2017-19! Sensual, beguiling nose that showed the magic of Gerard Potel. Silky, seamless palate with refined tea-like tannins that led most to guess CdN. As good as the bottle that went head-to-head with Rousseau last year; unfortunately now I am down to my last bottle. (95 pts.) -
2001 Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brûlées - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Some bricking. Guessed 2009 Vosne because of the spice and warm fruit that bordered on being too alcoholic. Serviceable but like most Grivots from this era, lacked the extra gear of the better makers on show today. (91 pts.)
