Ric's Wine Journal

The usual suspects closed out the year with a fabulous line-up on 02 December 2025, very kindly hosted by Sir K at his bespoke residence, paired with Chef Danny’s delectable culinary art. In a year that could have turned out better (for me, at least), one must be mindful of one’s blessings, amongst which are friends who stick with you through thick and thin. Many thanks, everyone.

2006 Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal, courtesy of Kieron. Pale. Gentle overtones of walnuts, yeast and lemon citrus. Slightly burnished with a clean crystalline quality, carrying lovely weight that cut through with fresh incisive intensity. Modest finish.

2017 Comando G El Tamboril Navatalgordo, courtesy of LF. White grenache. Very pale, though there is quite a profusion of white floral notes tinged with petroleum. Structured with surprising transparency in spite of its bold focused acidity, boasting integral detail before tapering to a modest finish.

2005 Kistler Stone Flat Vineyard Chardonnay, courtesy of Sir Bob. Displaying a rather heavier shade of gold, this wine is predictably weighty on the nose with distinct autumnal characters, the fruit and acidity beginning to recede a little in favour of metallic elements, offset by a bit of sweetish undertow that didn’t quite manage to conceal its relative dullness.

2022 Domaine Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet 1er Les Perrières, courtesy of Sir Bob. Clear luminosity with a dense profusion of white tones that exude superb clarity. Slightly reductive at first, boasting refined precision and delicacy before turning more introspective with even greater power over time.

2017 Thomas Morey Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of Kieron. Glacial tones and luxurious crème de la crème emanate from its luminous hues. Only medium weight, but very beautifully proportioned with a focused acidity that impart gentle tension and persistent length. Almost ethereal.

1997 Domaine Jean-Claude Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of Sir Bob. Distinctly heavier in colour where autumnal and metallic characters dominate with reductive tones, matched by a focused concentration of mature yellow fruit etched on the medium palate with defined precision and sharp acidity.

1997 Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of Sir Bob. Displaying luminous hues that belie its age, this wine exudes a certain pebbly warmth on the nose, very beautifully structured with subtle layers of fruit that convey cool glacial tones with a dash of exotic spice throughout its length. Still amazingly fresh and lively. Very lovely.

2011 Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of Vic. Pale luminosity, boasting a tightly focused glowing incandescence of white tones tinged with vegetal capsicum that extended throughout its supreme length with uninterrupted linearity, imparting sleek intensity amid its subtle layers of clear citrus. Superb!

2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Échezeaux Grand Cru, courtesy of LF. Displaying a mature brownish-red, this wine exudes sweetish overtones of caramel and varnish, still imbued with incisive acidity that impart a lovely freshness to its rounded generous proportions. Very well balanced and supple with a distinct undertow of ferrous minerals that convey a tinge of austerity to its minty length.

1994 Château Latour, courtesy of Vic. Still showing quite a deep garnet, this medium-bodied proposition is open and highly supple with transparent textures, imbued with distinct ferrous minerals amid a dash of spice. A little narrow in spectrum, probably a function of the vintage but its pedigree is still evident.

1990 Château Lafite Rothschild. Deep crimson. Capsicum and red plums leap from the glass amid classic overtones of cigar box, complementing the plush refined velvety verve on the fleshy palate, still beautifully fresh and full with a layered feminine elegance. At its best and will hold.

1982 Château Latour, courtesy of Kieron. Utterly complex on the nose, boasting layers of mature black berries and currants imbued with undertones of cinnamon and cedar as well as complex minerals as an integral whole. Still quite full and fresh with a fleshy layered warmth within its classical proportions, evolving in the glass with immortal power and structure over time.

1967 Château Gilette. Generous overtones of jackfruit and complex tangerines emanate from its deep orangey hues, still amazingly fresh with lively acidity. Not too lascivious, developing further notes of apricot and cinnamon amid autumnal tones, distinctly austere at its ferrous finish. Still holding up well, affirming that vintage’s outstanding quality for Sauternes.

Domaine Ponsot is eponymous with the commune of Morey-Saint-Denis, where the domaine is the largest owner of Clos de la Roche Grand Cru (3.5 ha) along with heritage monopoly of Clos de Monts Luisants 1er. Though founded way back in 1872, modern drinkers are likely to have gained acquaintance with its wines from the 1980s onwards when the prolific Laurent Ponsot had been responsible for a very long stretch between 1981 and 2015. Alexandre Abel has been brought in to manage the winemaking since 2017. Even though he had worked previously in USA, Chile, Australia and New Zealand, Alex has wisely followed tradition back in Domaine Ponsot, using only old barrels to enhance the purity of fruit without the influence of new oak. When Alex dropped in to Singapore, Alice of Wine Clique pulled together a two-decade vertical of the domaine’s Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes at Hua Ting restaurant on 05 December 2025. This plot lies within that virtually unbroken longitudinal stretch of Route des Grand Crus starting with Chambertin-Clos de Bèze at the top, followed southwards by Chambertin, Latricières-Chambertin, then a curious hollow in the land where Aux Combottes is relegated to 1er before it’s grand cru again at Morey-Saint-Denis with Clos de la Roche, Clos-Saint-Denis, Clos des Lambrays, Clos de Tart and, finally, Bonnes-Mares. Tasting through the vertical, it is reassuring to note that the style of Ponsot’s Clos de la Roche has remained consistent under the care of Alex, possessing a certain robust tensile verve with a balanced minerality that rewards the patience of ageing, as demonstrated by the supreme 2002. Many thanks, Alice!

2020 Maison Ponsot Saint-Romain Blanc Cuvée de la Mesange. Pale greenish. Gentle aromas of créme and clear citrus with further notes of orchard and dense tropical fruit. Medium presence, displaying excellent clarity and linearity with a subtle focus of pears and glacial detail. Refreshing and highly integral, matched by refined acidity. Modest finish.

2021 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. Very lovely and assured on the nose where raspberries and dark cherries dominate with some ripe pebbly warmth, boasting a concentrated presence of fruit on the palate cushioned by supple tannins. Highly integral and linear with an undertow of earthy minerals tinged with brilliant graphite, yielding subtle sophistication. From a challenging vintage where production was only a quarter of usual. Highly promising.

2017 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. Deep purple. Some reduction is evident amid its dark plummy demeanour. Medium-full, structured with pliant tannins that yield supple detail of haw, red fruits and ferrous elements in equal measure underpinned by slick acidity, exuding a glowing ripe warmth. Modest finish. Drinking very well now. Alex’s first vintage for Ponsot.

2011 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. Still darkish in appearance, matching the darkish hues of black berries and traces of cinnamon with a little funky herbal tinge. Quite generously endowed, structured with firm tannins underscored by ferrous elements that impart tensile verve with undertones of pochai, supported by a high-toned acidity. Surprisingly tight, weighty and masculine for the vintage.

2007 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. Evolved crimson, proffering an alluring fragrance of haw and ripe plums to match the fleshy layers of fruit with very well-integrated subtle minerality. Highly elegant and floral, though it developed a greater tensile presence over time, delivering fine energy that made up for its modest finish.

2006 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. Classic pinot tint, exuding rosy hues with overtones of haw and cinnamon. Still fullish, imbued with striking acidity that impart lovely tension and linearity amid layers of red plums and apples. Modest finish.

2002 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. Displaying a clear brownish-red, this wine stands head and shoulders above the preceding ones, boasting abundant ripe dark berries and currants superbly integrated with refined graphite minerals and sublime acidity that fill the medium-full palate with quiet verve in spite of its generous proportions, gleaming with seamless layers of vibrant detail throughout its lovely length. At its absolute peak and will continue to hold. A brilliant example of this outstanding vintage.

2019 Domaine Chandon de Briailles Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Les Vergelesses Rouge, at Imperial Treasure Great World, 06 Oct 2025. Semi double-decanted for four hours prior. Opaque brownish-red. Nose of dominant plummy tones with a deeper vein of ripe dark berries. Medium-full. Somewhat unsettled, its jarring acidity producing an acerbic edge that didn’t quite gel with its distinct undertones of spice and earthy ferrous minerals. Not ready.

2014 Joseph Drouhin Montrachet Grand Cru Marquis de Laguiche at Imperial Treasure Great World, 04 Nov 2025. Light golden. Lively nose of fresh tangy citrus amid emerging apricot and cinnamon. The fullish palate veers towards some reduction, producing a ferrous minerally glow with a flinty hint that the overlying crème de la crème doesn’t quite conceal, conferring refined precision and intensity all through to its finish of lemon bitters. Barely evolved. For the long haul.

2004 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet, courtesy of Sir Bob at Imperial Treasure Great World, 04 Nov 2025. Luminous golden hue, exuding a distant gleam of chalky white tones. Rather intense with a reductive dryish detail. Still surprisingly zesty, gelling together very well after three hours. One wouldn’t have guessed this is Leflaive. My second bottle in three months, tasted with consistent notes.

2022 Domaine Roulot Meursault 1er Porusot, courtesy of Sir Bob at Imperial Treasure Great World, 04 Nov 2025. Displaying a lovely golden luminosity, this wine is rather reticent on the nose though the supple medium-full palate is highly agile, boasting refined clarity with a smooth placid elegance, just a tad reductive at the sides, becoming a little crispier over time.

2016 Comando G La Breña, courtesy of LF at Imperial Treasure Great World, 04 Nov 2025. The colour and nose here are exactly similar to classic pinot noir except this is 100% grenache, boasting a highly aromatic fragrance of rose petals and red fruits with a hint of paraffin, matched by a tensile presence of ferrous elements and smouldering ember laid on forest floor, cushioned by soft tannins. But it’s all about the nose. A poor man’s Rayas? Perhaps no longer, as Comando G is beginning to command a premium.

2005 Domaine Louis Jadot Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Fuees, courtesy of LF at Imperial Treasure Great World, 04 Nov 2025. Rather dark and distant on the nose though it is surprisingly full and spicy in the mouth, very generously proportioned with sweetish tannins that impart supple intensity with a bit of mid-palatal glare that ends in a bitter acidic finish. Not for the faint-hearted.

1995 Château Troplong Mondot, courtesy of Kieron at Imperial Treasure Great World, 04 Nov 2025. Deep garnet. This wine opens with a distinct funkiness, rather reductive and musty with dominant overtones of dried mushrooms. Quite massively proportioned as well on the palate, marked by enamel, exotic spice, iron filings and dusty tannins that lend wild exuberance as well as austere tones in equal measure.

1989 Château Troplong Mondot, courtesy of Kieron at Imperial Treasure Great World, 04 Nov 2025. Still rather dark. Fairly well-evolved, imbued with soft tannins that impart a soothing verve, tinged with herbal overtones of aniseed and pochai.

2009 Champagne Dom Pérignon Rosé, courtesy of CJ at Hua Ting, 10 Nov 2025. Deep orangey hues, proffering an alluring fragrance of soft red fruits, cherries, tangerines, and grapefruit with a lovely cool presence within a sheen of refined tiny bubbles, imparting dryish precision with a gentle supple intensity, tinged with a dash of ferrous ash. Quite remarkably different from a previous encounter eight months ago where it was brutally incisive.

2017 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Les Caillerets, at Hua Ting, 10 Nov 2025. Pale yellowish-greenish. Somewhat reluctant, requiring quite a bit of coaxing before some frangipani and white citrus became apparent. Medium-full, displaying a crystalline clarity amid cool glacial tones with a bare hint of salinity within its subtle layers. Doesn’t quite show the classic whiteness of Chassagne. May just be emerging from a period of shutdown.

2005 Aubert Chardonnay, courtesy of LF at Hua Ting, 10 Nov 2025. Luminous gold. Lovely burnished bouquet of crème, lacquer and paraffin. Surprisingly bold and masculine, imparting fine precision and controlled intensity on the fullish palate with a distinct note of liquor, finally developing a rounded velvetiness.

2009 Domaine Baron Thenard Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of Vic at Hua Ting, 10 Nov 2025. Luminous gold. Very classy, imbued with crème de la crème and a chiseled chalkiness that gleamed with impressive richness, painting the medium-weight palate in subtle minerally shades that fan out with excellent length and linearity towards a glowing finish. This is excellent stuff.

2011 Domaine Pierre-Yvés Colin-Morey Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, courtesy of MH at Hua Ting, 10 Nov 2025. Clear luminosity, proffering a keen detail of citrus and other yellow fruits on the nose while the high-toned palate is layered with an oily density, laced with slick acidity amid a hint of petroleum.

2019 Domaine Arlaud Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, courtesy of CHS at Hua Ting, 10 Nov 2025. Good colour. Highly integral presence of intense dark cherries, raspberries and violets that fan out with a warm supple succulence. Very ripe and generously proportioned with refined acidity though the finish is surprisingly restrained.

2004 Marcassin Blue-Slide Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir, courtesy of LF at Hua Ting, 10 Nov 2025. Good colour. This difficult-to-find bottling boasts an alluring bouquet of haw, rose petals red fruits, hinting at an elusive velvetiness. Medium-bodied. Highly supple and integral, still wonderfully fresh and agile, imbued with a tonal presence of tea leaves. Utterly convincing.

2015 Roagna Pajè Barbaresco. Aired in bottle for four hours prior to dinner at The Tavern, Tanglin Club, 21 Nov 2025. This wine exudes a modest rosy fragrance on a backdrop of dusty tannins, framed by dryish textures that add precision to its measured depth and feminine intensity, developing a gentle minerally earthy glow over time.

2003 Domaine Hubert Lignier Morey-Saint-Denis, courtesy of Vic at The Tavern, Tanglin Club, 21 Nov 2025. Purplish. Quite dark. Raspberries and blueberries dominate with a warm ripeness. Highly supple and integral with a feminine roundness, imbued with subtle depth and power, finishing with lovely length and linearity.

2000 Château Margaux, courtesy of Sir Bob at The Tavern, Tanglin Club, 21 Nov 2025. Popped and decanted on-site. Still deep garnet, proffering a herbal bouquet of mentholic and balsamic elements. Highly sleek and agile, the darkish fruit having developed distinct notes of capsicum with a spicy tinge, teasing the medium-weight palate with lithe fleeting intensity that impart supple tension and elegant precision. Quite impeccably balanced, though one senses it still has quite a bit more to unfurl. Needs another 8-10 years to hit peak maturity.

Champagne Devaux Coeur des Bar Rosé, courtesy of Wine Clique at its HQ on 25 Nov 2025. Very attractive bouquet of grapefruit, orange peel and must. Wonderfully fresh, delivering excellent presence and crystalline clarity with a light touch of yeast, boasting crisp precision.

A gathering at Tonny on 23 September 2025, an unassuming restaurant tucked away in Lorong 3 Geylang, Singapore, that serves great food with a friendly BYO policy, really, as long as you bring your own stemware as well. Sir Bob opened the evening with two blinded reds that one could tell came from Comte Georges de Vogüé, except that we hadn’t expected one of them to be the latest bottling of its Musigny Grand Cru, proving that current burgundy wines are trending towards earlier drinkability, a far cry from the stentorian efforts of yesteryears that require upwards of at least twenty years before becoming approachable.

Champagne Krug Grande Année 170th Edition, courtesy of LF. Pale. Notes of fresh lime and pomelo dominate, displaying tensile presence within a sheen of very soft refined bubbles, imbued with traces of ferrous elements. Made mainly from 2014 as its base vintage.

2016 Laurent Ponsot Meursault-Charmes 1er Cuvée de la Centaurée. Dull golden, evoking tangy citrus amid cool glacial tones of crème de la crème. Cuts across the palate with fine precision from its crisp minerality, quite appropriately reductive at the edges as the layers fanout with lovely depth and measured intensity, developing a bit of waxiness over time. Ponsot’s independent production continues to polarise opinions, although I must say his whites are often compelling.

2013 Domaine Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet 1er La Garenne, courtesy of Vic. Clear golden with an exciting profusion of yellow citrus. Very lively and supple, though there is a certain restrained intensity that produces lovely elegance and tension.

2018 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er La Perrière, courtesy of Kieron. Dull golden. This wine proffers a glazed tone with some waxiness within a cool rounded medium-weight palate, yielding refined clarity with some wet gravelly detail after an initial fleeting attack upon its entry. Came together well with aristocratic poise. One could tell it wasn’t quite chardonnay but this pinot blanc truly performs well above its station.

2019 Domaine Jean Chartron Saint-Aubin 1er Les Murgers des Dents de Chien, courtesy of Kieron. Clear golden. Medium-full. Crisp and superbly integral, where the sublime acidity doesn’t get in the way, displaying sophisticated detail with understated depth. A real gem.

1996 Domaine Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos Saint-Jacques, courtesy of LF. Deep crimson, proffering savoury overtones from its fleshy depth of mature fruit tinged with kumquat and tangerines, the acidity still fresh and lively through its minty length,laced with sweetish undertones.

2006 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Chambolle-Musigny 1er, courtesy of Sir Bob. Popped and poured. Some crimson, proffering secondary characters of mandarins and rosy haw amid overtones of velvet and forest floor. Fairly open though the fruit seems somewhat reluctant, allowing the slick acidity to dominate with refined supple tension. Made from youngish (below 25 years) vines of Musigny Grand Cru that are declassified to 1er.

2023 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes, courtesy of Sir Bob. Popped and poured. Fairly deep in purple, this wine is highly aromatic in dark currants and raspberries with sweetish whiffs of crème de la crème, buzzing with vibrant intensity from the structured rasping tannins and refined acidity that produce terse tension although some degree of suppleness is already evident, laced with a dash of vanillin and savoury undertones. Superbly integrated and proportioned even at such an infantile stage. The modern style of Vogüé under Jean Lupatelli is poles apart from the sterner efforts of François Millet, much more accessible though the basic DNA of this great estate still comes through. Still, I’d prefer to drink these expensive grand crus when they are more appropriately mature.

2020 Thomas Morey Saint-Aubin 1er Les Castets, courtesy of Kieron at 67 Pall Mall, 01 Sep 2025. Light greenish. Classic Saint-Aubin bouquet of cool glacial tones amid lemons and clear citrus. Well integrated with very good depth of fruit, imparting fine clarity with a teasing intensity.

2021 Caroline Morey Beaune 1er Les Grèves, courtesy of Kieron at 67 Pall Mall, 01 Sep 2025. Surprisingly evolved in colour, looking like a 15-20 year-old pinot. Decidedly delicious on the nose with an effusive rosy fragrance, the fleshy palate wonderfully fresh and subtly nuanced in red fruits with a hint of tangerines within its gentle layers, producing a quiet focus. Became even more highly expressive as it sat in the glass. Utterly beguiling.

2021 Claude Dugat Gevrey-Chambertin, courtesy of Kieron at 67 Pall Mall, 01 Sep 2025. Classic pinot tint. There is just a bare hint of earthiness amidst the domineering presence of cherries and rose petals, producing an open supple intensity and freshness throughout its lovely length that is almost exquisite. Gelled together very well with a bit of mid-palatal shine, becoming even more plummy and expressive.

2020 Bric Turot Prunotto Barbaresco, courtesy of Kieron at 67 Pall Mall, 01 Sep 2025. Crimson. Racy bouquet of tropical fruits and mint, leading to an exuberant supple intensity throughout its flowing length, tempered by just a hint of vegetal stems within its subtle tannins. Settled down with a lovely feminine grace.

2022 Domaine Michel Gros Vosne-Romanée 1er Clos des Réas monopole, courtesy of Kieron at 67 Pall Mall, 01 Sep 2025. Deep purple. Big, intense and racy, almost New World in its heady mix of vanillin, haw and ultra-ripe raspberries. Obviously well extracted but still immaculately proportioned with supple tannins to yield controlled power and refined intensity, just a tad austere with some gritty detail towards its finish.

2011 Williams Selyem Precious Mountain Pinot Noir. Aired in bottle ahead of dinner at Kai Garden, 04 Sep 2025. Brownish Red. Full presence of ripe plummy fruit, cedar, balsamic elements and forest notes, laced with slick teasing acidity that produced sharp attack with fleet focused intensity. Well-proportioned with smooth rounded tannins, finishing with moderate length amid overtones of eucalyptus, mint, licorice. For the long haul.

2006 Champagne Dom Pérignon P2, courtesy of CJ at Kai Garden, 04 Sep 2025. Pale golden, exuding a bit of barnyard aroma amid floral hues. There is a certain elusive quality in its delicate lift of fruit, very subtly nuanced with ferrous elements that add to its controlled refined intensity. Superbly balanced, turning a little more crisp over time. Modest finish.

2017 Bentrock Santa Rita Chardonnay, courtesy of LF at Kai Garden, 04 Sep 2025. Pale yellow. Distant notes of summer hay on the nose, though the full palate is well endowed with fleshy layers of distilled citrus, proffering excellent balance and clarity. Very well proportioned. Moderate length. Drinks like a burgundy premier cru.

2019 Le Petit Cheval, courtesy of Sanjay at Kai Garden, 04 Sep 2025. Pale. This dry white of Château Cheval Blanc is surprisingly relaxed and elegant, only medium weight, proffering great clarity with a tinge of salinity that produced a bit of mid-palatal shine.

1994 Pahlmeyer Merlot, courtesy of LF at Kai Garden, 04 Sep 2025. Deep purplish core with a crimson rim. Earthy herbaceous aromas dominate on the medium-full palate that is wonderfully supple with a tensile quality, richly imbued with deep plummy fruit and soy that produce superb lift and linearity throughout its integral length. Still remarkably youthful.

2015 Castello di Amarone Butala Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, courtesy of Lui HF at Kai Garden, 04 Sep 2025. Deep garnet. Concentrated presence of raspberries, blackberries and dark currants in generous proportions, producing an intense brooding tone though there is already a certain lushness.

2007 Sine Qua Non Dangerous Birds, courtesy of LF at Kai Garden, 04 Sep 2025. Impenetrable deep garnet, opening with a pebbly warmth that led to a sharp attack and rasping intensity on the medium-full palate, replete with overtones of tobacco snuff. Modest finish. Made of 100% syrah.

2013 Sine Qua Non Jusqu’ à l’os, courtesy of MH at Kai Garden, 04 Sep 2025. Deep garnet. Generous presence of red fruits and strawberries that exude a certain warm ripeness with early secondary characters. Open enough at this stage, yielding good detail and sweet supple intensity within its robust structure, but shorn of all opulence.

2017 Hundred Acre Kayli Morgan Vineyard, courtesy of CHS at Kai Garden, 04 Sep 2025. Deep crimson, boasting a concentrated focus of delicious red fruits amid a dash of vanillin within its lush velvetiness, supported by an even deeper vein of darkish fruit. Subtly vibrant without any hint of its 16.1% abv. Predominantly grenache.

2014 Domaine Thibert Père et Fils Pouilly-Fuissé Les Cras. Popped and poured at Eastern House of Seafood, 07 Sep 2025. Pale yellowish. This wine opens with a profusion of intense yellow citrus and white flowers that produce initial exquisite intensity. Settled down with greater clarity as the fruit gave way to a more austere ferrous presence.

2017 Domaine de Montille Saint-Aubin 1er En Remilly. Aired four hours ahead of lunch at Otto Ristorante, 09 Sep 2025. Pale yellowish. Delicate intensity of clear citrus and lime that impart a high-toned palate amid cool glacial notes underpinned by understated chalky and ferrous elements.

Rockford Black Shiraz (2023 disgorgement). Popped and poured at Asia Grand, 12 Sep 2025. Deep garnet, imbued with the unmistakable shiraz character of darkish rich plummy fruit laced with black currants and licorice. Well layered with a velvety intensity, just a little sweetish as it fans out with a liquored finish amid a deeper vein of black fruits. A Barossa classic.

PengWine Emperor III Blend NV at New Ubin Seafood, 13 Sep 2025. Very deep crimson. Some forest floor and dried mushrooms on the nose whilst currants and plummy red fruits dominate on the fleshy palate with a dash of earthiness, structured with smooth rounded tannins that impart controlled fleeting intensity. Well-proportioned with fine length and linearity. Wax seal.

2017 PengWine Royal at New Ubin Seafood, 13 Sep 2025. Deep crimson. Somewhat subdued on the nose though quite generously proportioned with a firm minerally line cushioned by soft tannins, yielding rustic detail though the mid-palate is unresolved with a high-toned brightness.

2014 PengWine Royal at New Ubin Seafood, 13 Sep 2025. Deep crimson. Hint of velvety red fruits on the nose. Distinctly juicier and more succulent than the 2017, showing better resolution with tannins that are structured but pliant, well integrated with its subtle minerality.

2018 PengWine Rockhopper Gran Reserva Carmenere at New Ubin Seafood, 13 Sep 2025. Deeply coloured. Distant bouquet of warm red fruits that belie the lush velvetiness on the full palate, tinged with a hint of capsicum. Very well balanced. Modest finish.

2018 PengWine The Humboldt Cabernet Gran Reserva at New Ubin Seafood, 13 Sep 2025. Deep crimson. Velvety lift of ample red fruits and dark currants. Quite delicious and integral. Well balanced with a hint of sandiness.

2019 Henschke Keyneton Euphonium. Popped and poured at the in-laws, 14 Sep 2025. Very deep purple, proffering an attractive density of ripe raspberries, blueberries and violets on the nose and palate, structured with soft velvety tannins that impart a rich luxuriant mouthfeel to the ample fruit, quite impeccably balanced against the refined acidity. Delicious and irresistible now, yet will keep for decades. Highly satisfying.

2020 Domaine Morey Coffinet Saint-Aubin 1er Les Frionnes, after a brief aeration at Xin Cuisine, 20 Sep 2025. Clear pallor. Charming complex of light citrus, wildflowers and orchard fruit matched by a cool relaxed placid elegance that yield great clarity, the fruit quietly concentrated, gradually developing a gentle floral bloom over time.

2020 Turkey Flat Shiraz, semi-double decanted for an hour prior to dinner at the in-laws, 21 Sep 2025. Deep garnet. Somewhat more introverted now even though the deep fleshy Barossa fruit is clearly evident, replete with the obligatory dash of licorice and balsamic spice, controlled with immaculate precision and balance within a sheen of ultra-smooth tannins that impart a certain cool elegance.

An evening at Buona Terra very generously hosted by Sir Bob on 25 September 2025 where he had also procured a bottle of the latest white of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, its Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru. All wines were tasted blind. The whites stole the show; without knowing the labels, the honest palate truly senses that each of them was excellent in its own way, proving once again that quality exists across all price points. Many thanks, Sir!

Champagne Ruinart Brut NV, courtesy of Sir Bob. Clear golden. Gentle notes of yeast and gun smoke minerals unfold with a relaxed rounded crystalline clarity, yielding lovely detail with understated acidity. Grew in stature over time. Moderate finish.

2004 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet, courtesy of Sir Bob. Clear golden. Distant notes of caramel and frangipani on the nose and beautifully rounded palate, coiled with agile intensity with a high-toned acidity. More reductive over time, displaying sharp delineation of complex but subtle minerality. Remarkably youthful after twenty-one years, even more so for Leflaive.

2017 Claire Naudin Clematis Vitalba. Aired for four hours ahead. Displaying a clear golden lustre, this wine opens with notes of distant chalk and cool floral hues from the fleshy density of lithe citrus, developing a tangy focus and growing salinity amid a backdrop of recessed chalk and austere minerals in equal measure. Held its ground against the Leflaive and D.R.C.

2019 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, courtesy of Sir Bob from the restaurant list. The initial impression is a wine of considerable age, dull golden with an oxidative nose of floral orchard and beeswax amid an understated chalkiness, leading to a darkish rounded cool elegance in the mouth. It firmed up quite quickly with sharper definition, fuller and more effusive as its generous tone teased the palate with a superbly-controlled ebb and flow, coiled with tight balsamic tension underpinned by a persistent gluey undertone, staying the course for the rest of the evening without any further evolution. The only concern was that it seemed more evolved than expected for a young Grand Cru. A bottle problem? Difficult to say but, for sure, we couldn’t quite pin it down as Corton-Charlemagne; a couple of us felt this same wine had tasted very differently during its launch at a FICOFI event. Made from seven plots totaling seven acres (2.83 ha) leased from Bonneau du Martray, the 2019 is the inaugural vintage.

2019 Cyprien Arlaud Vosne-Romanée Aux Réas. Deeply coloured. Only the village version (as opposed to the Michel Gros Vosne-Romanée 1er Clos de Réas monopole) but this is so expertly crafted, boasting a velvety warmth and density of ripe dark cherries, rose petals and haw with a deep core of rubies within a sleek body of lithe tannins underpinned by a dash of tarry undertones. Beautifully integral, displaying refined intensity and precision.

2021 Domaine Ponsot Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cuvée des Alouettes, courtesy of Dennis. Deeply coloured. with quite an exuberance of red fruits and haw laced with tangy spice. Quite full and harmonious on the palate though the fleshy tannins took on a slightly angular stance amid a backdrop of warm gravel.

2022 Domaine Méo Camuzet Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Chaumes, courtesy of Jonny. Deep purple. Forward balance of blackberries and raspberries with a warm ripeness. Rounded and highly supple, well-integrated with unobtrusive tannins and refined acidity.

2005 Domaine Louis Jadot Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, courtesy of Kieron. Very deep crimson. Highly aromatic in perfumed rosy hues still tinged with vanillin and enamel from the excellent density of velvety red fruits underpinned by a high-toned acidity, structured with lithe tannins that yield subtle detail with a dash of spice and earthy pungency.

These were tasted at a lavish dinner generously hosted by the great Dr Ngoi at Imperial Treasure Great World, 10 September 2025, to celebrate the birthdays of several close friends, always a great opportunity to pop large formats and to sample a wide range of good stuff. I’m always reminded after such tastings that price seldom equates drinking pleasure but I am grateful for the privilege, nonetheless. Thank you, Sir!

1998 Champagne Krug, poured from double magnum. Light golden. Predominant nose of pines, walnuts and summer hay amid subdued yeasty overtones. Still wonderfully fresh and full, boasting a delightful intensity of lime and pomelo well integrated with subtle minerality that stretched with supple length. Will last several more decades.

2011 Domaine Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Les Referts. Courtesy of SC. Poured from magnum. Pale golden. Profusion of rye, malt and dried coconut on the nose. Refreshingly cool with a rounded opulence, generously proportioned with clear citrus and understated acidity amid an open chalky glow.

2023 Vignoble de Pauline de Plain de Lugny Auxey-Duresses. Good colour, proffering red fruits with an effusive rosy fragrance. Medium-weight and supple, tinged with a dash of waxiness. Drinking well but short.

2009 Domaine Louis Jadot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, courtesy of yours truly. Poured from magnum. Great colour. Lovely lift of red fruits and plummy notes, leading to a lovely rosy depth with a deeper vein of subtle fruit. Very wonderfully nuanced, revealing lovely detail. Grew a little tighter with time and food, its acidity drawing some tension. Glowing finish.

2012 Château de Fonsalette. Great colour. Subtle intensity of cherries and rose petals. Highly agile on the medium palate where overtones of ash and incense dominate with a certain waxy texture, yielding quiet detail. Open with supple succulence, developing greater intensity amid a darkish vein of delicious fruit.

2022 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny 1er. Purplish. Subdued bouquet of raspberries and dark cherries that impart a rosy depth. Surprisingly supple and charming for such a young premier cru, its super-smooth tannins barely tangible. Already drinking so well, laced with just a hint of paraffin. Delicious.

1998 Château Certan De May de Certan, courtesy of SKY. Poured from double magnum. Good colour. Tertiary characters of capsicum, stems and herbaceous tones leap from the glass. Wonderfully fresh, just entering full maturity. Deliciously slick with a fleshy warmth and melted tannins that impart a certain elusiveness. Under-appreciated by many.

1996 Château Palmer. Evolved crimson. Effusive glow of early tertiary characters with herbaceous overtones matched by a lush creaminess. Highly integral and fleshy, underscored by sublime acidity and imperceptible tannins that produce supple intensity. Minty finish. Has distinct pedigree.

2017 The Maiden, courtesy of CHS. Very deep purple. Generously proportioned with a gravelly warmth of ripe raspberries and enamel, laid on sublime acidity and sophisticated tannins that produce silky smooth intensity. This second label of Harlan Estate is accessible now, yet will keep for decades.

1999 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands Échezeaux Grand Cru, courtesy of Trijono. Poured from magnum. Quite an opaque purplish core with some crimson at the rim, opening with a gentle darkish tone of wild berries amid balsamic elements. The medium-weight palate is still fresh and lively, rounded with quite a generous depth of cool dark fruits and refined acidity that impart subtle verve and fleeting intensity, though unexpectedly short.

The great SC hosted an excellent dinner on 15 September 2025 featuring Shanxi (山西) cuisine, right at the heart of Singapore at the Fenjiu (汾酒) Flagship Store. The robust flavours of northern China, spicy at times with a pastoral touch, may be challenging for wine pairing but the trio of Grand Crus that evening managed to negotiate the tricky palate. Many thanks, Sir!

2008 Champagne Dom Pérignon, courtesy of SC. Pale golden. Delicate lift of floral hues and light minerals. Almost shy with feminine restraint at first, taking its time to develop a focused high-toned intensity of clear citrus underscored by a distinct austere minerality. Still tight and somewhat restrained in depth but its distilled essence comes through.

2005 Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of SC. Clear golden, opening with distant yellow citrus that developed into effusive gleaming tones though it is rather slender with medium presence, underpinned by unobtrusive minerality that yield refined clarity and precision amid a bright chalky glow.

2016 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru, courtesy of SC. Poured from magnum. Deep ruby, exuding a gentle deep rosy fragrance. Medium weight. Very classically proportioned with refined depth and layering, structured with supple tannins and slick acidity that impart fine definition and smooth intensity. Not the opulent sort.

2009 Domaine Armand Rousseau Chambertin Grand Cru, courtesy of Boon. Evolved crimson. Predominance of rose petals and red fruits well into secondary development, wonderfully fresh and delicious with a controlled succulence from its lovely depth of fruit. Classically proportioned with elegant silky tannins. Doesn’t call attention to itself. You may not even realise what you’re drinking.

La Vigne d’Or of Singapore marked its tenth anniversary with a la paulée gala at Clifford Pier, Fullerton Bay Hotel, on 23 August 2025 where proceeds went to IDHealth, a community-based healthcare service for the intellectually disabled. Prior to dinner was a tasting promenade featuring a 2019 mini-horizontal of Meursault 1er Poruzots as well as a vertical of six vintages of Paul Jaboulet Aînè Hermitage La Chapelle, generously contributed by various individuals. This iconic Rhône has had its ups and downs since its seminal bottling of 1961, though it appears to be finding its feet again over the past decade with robust but sophisticated age-worthy efforts. Many thanks, Sandy!

2019 Domaine Vincent Bouzereau Meursault 1er Les Poruzots. Racy profusion of floral notes, almost beguiling. Layered with lovely fruit and slick acidity, pampering the palate with a certain lacquered tone. Highly integral and superbly balanced. Far from the steely reductive style that is the current rage. One of the very best examples of Poruzots. Reminds me of the domaine’s same wine of 2023.

2019 Antoine Jobard Meursault 1er Poruzots. Light greenish. Dryish lift of summer hay with stony overtones that render a bit of reduction, though the easy-going palate is most subtly nuanced with refined acidity and understated minerals that impart a bit of pebbly quality.

2019 Domaine Rémi Jobard Meursault 1er Poruzots. Pale. Very sleek, exuding subtle floral hues with a hint of reduction from its expanse of chalk and exquisite intensity of lime and clear citrus that lit the palate with refined clarity.

2015 Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. Orangey crimson, exuding a lovely perfumed fragrance with a bit of waxy tone. Very lively, its darkish plummy presence underscored by incisive acidity that produce sharp attack and intensity.

2011 Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. Strong note of enamel and caramelised crème on the nose that belies its slender linear structure, displaying with fine balance and clarity as it stretched out with a minty glow.

2005 Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. Brownish red. Very good presence of ripe plummy fruit that has evolved with subtle shades, underscored by rounded velvety tannins and well-integrated acidity. Excellent balance. This may turn out to be a reincarnation of the 1991.

2001 Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. Brownish hues. Rather reticent. The fruit is surprisingly recessed, while the angular tannins that I recall are now quite imperceptible, resulting in a relaxed rounded palate. Modest finish.

1991 Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. Fully mature in colour and tone with striking autumnal overtones that recall traditional pipagao. Still wonderfully full and lively, imbued with superb acidity and enough heft in its fruit to produce slick teasing intensity, making up for its modest finish. At its very best.

1982 Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. Poured from magnum. Brownish. Distinctly autumnal, exuding sweetish overtones of caramel, cinnamon and nougat. Still holding out reasonably well, displaying a placid feminine elegance and clarity with just enough fruit to match the refined acidity. Modest finish.

And at dinner…

Champagne Olivier Horiot Les Riceys NV. Clear golden. Nutty yeasty characters with overtones of brioche and honeysuckle. Lovely tension and intensity.

2017 Domaine Paul Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er La Romanée, courtesy of Bernhard. Pale, proffering faint teasing floral hues. Relaxed medium presence of delicate citrus, yielding fine clarity with a growing intensity that led to a distinct salinity at its modest finish.

2017 Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin Mes Cinq Terroirs. Deep crimson. Very lovely perfumed bouquet of red fruits and fresh floral hues, yielding refined detail. The medium-weight palate is beautifully nuanced in velvety red fruits and haw laid on lush tannins. Good finish.

1990 E Guigal Hermitage, courtesy of Melvin. Light purple. Gentle palate of mature red fruits marked with overtones of cinnamon and distinct balsamic elements. Fairly lush, still imbued with fresh acidity, tapering to a modest sweet finish. Delicious.

2012 Champagne Pierre Peters Cuvée Spéciale Les Chetillons Grand Cru, courtesy of Hui Jian. Pale golden. Generous in clear and yellow citrus, dried pears and peaches that produce a deep burnished glow. Wonderfully fresh and crisp, layered with superb definition. Immaculately proportioned. Highly inviting.

2022 Alex Moreau Chassagne-Montrachet 1er La Maltroie, courtesy of Robin. Somewhat restrained on the nose though the medium palate is open with lovely white tones. Very evenly proportioned and elegant, stretching out with excellent linearity.

2006 Soldera Case Basse, courtesy of Kok Hiang. Good colour. Warm expanse of delicious red fruits and haw. Very subtly layered and impeccably proportioned, just entering its secondary development. One for the long haul. From 100% sangiovese.

1982 Château Pontet Canet. Still deeply coloured with a profusion of forest floor, stems and vegetal notes. Quietly supple and fleshy, not drying out.

1982 Château Lagrange. Saint-Julien. Still deeply coloured, proffering a complex bouquet of vegetal notes, balsamic elements, earth and mature dark berries. Relaxed and fleshy with rounded contours, its acidity still amazingly fresh, imparting fine tension.

2013 Domaine Chantal Rémy Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru. Red fruits dominate with dense rosy hues. Well-structured with supple tannins, exerting a focused intensity throughout its glowing length.

2001 Domaine François Lamarche La Grand Rue Grand Cru, courtesy of Bernhard. Brownish crimson. Medium presence, the maturing fruit and tannins highly integral, producing quiet elegant charm.

2004 Domaine Bouchard Pére et Fils Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, courtesy of Peter Tan. Distilled presence of mature darkish plums and cherries, imbued with a lovely freshness underpinned by excellent acidity that impart fine definition.

1996 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Grand Cru, courtesy of Dr Kuang He. Deep garnet with some crimson at the rim. Generously layered in red fruits and dark cherries that carry an aristocratic air. Very subtly nuanced with undertones of earth and incense, effortlessly poised with supple grace and elegance. Modest finish. Highly successful and still going strong.

1994 E Guigal Côte-Rôtie, courtesy of Melvin. Evolved crimson. Fully mature with autumnal characteristics of red plums, wild berries, herbs, ash and bramble, the wine still full and amazingly fresh with superb acidity that teased with fleeting attack.