Mar 2016: 2009 Ch de Marsannay Volnay Clos des Chene, 1993 Guigal La Mouline, 1996 Grand Puy Lacoste, 2001 R Mondavi

Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV, popped and poured over dimsum at Asia Grand, 13 Mar 2016. Somewhat restrained on the nose, but generous notes of white flowers, ripe yellow citrus and buttery characters dominate on the palate with refreshing zest and vibrancy to match the dryness, well integrated with the stony minerality without much of the usual yeasty overtones.

Napoleon Rose Brut NV, popped and poured at Glen after hours, 16 Mar 2016. Good concentration of peaches and grapefruit. Aromatic but rather dry and steely where the cutting acidity can be obtrusive.

2009 Ch de Marsannay Volnay Clos des Chene 1er (courtesy Chee Wee), popped and poured at Glen after hours, 16 Mar 2016. This wine is surprisingly lovely, boasting the fragrance of rose petals, ample in ripe red and dark cherries of excellent purity and definition, beautifully balanced with gentle tannins and fine acidity. Highly enjoyable.

2012 Saint Pierre Chablis, after hours at Radiology’s reception, Mt Elizabeth Orchard, 17 Mar 2016. Generous in lime and citrus notes, highly aromatic, displaying lively acidity with a crisp minerally finish. Very enjoyable.

2007 Caves Jean & Sebatien Dauvissat Chablis Vaillons 1er, after hours at Radiology’s reception, Mt Elizabeth Orchard, 17 Mar 2016. Lovely floral fragrance with a fine aged quality, driven by ample citrus, crème de la crème and varnish. Good presence. Crisp and persistent finish. Quite excellent.

2011 Weingut Friederich Becker Rechenbacher Spatburgunder, after hours at Radiology’s reception, Mt Elizabeth Orchard, 17 Mar 2016. German pinot noir, sporting an easy-going rosy floral fragrance, rounded with good purity of fruit, missing in real complexity and layering.

2011 Weingut Friederich Becker Sankt Paul Spatburgunder, after hours at Radiology’s reception, Mt Elizabeth Orchard, 17 Mar 2016.Supposedly the flagship pinot of this German domaine. Powerful aromas of rose petals and camphor floated easily, rounded and gentle and detailed with good concentration and a mild intensity. Very enjoyable.

2010 Kistler Hudson River Carneros (courtesy of Dr Robert Kwok) after hours at Radiology’s reception, Mt Elizabeth Orchard, 17 Mar 2016.. Lifted aromas of white flowers, melons and peaches. Excellent in concentration with a rich complex of creme de la crème with an oily buttery texture, caressing the palate with quiet intensity and understated acidity. Excellent.

2011 Domaine Martelet de Cherisey Puligny-Montrachet Hameau de Blagny 1er (courtesy of Dr Robert Kwok), after hours at Radiology’s reception, Mt Elizabeth Orchard, 17 Mar 2016.An enticing nose of peaches and traces of pineapples, quite exciting. Rather dry on the palate where white flowers and incense dominate with some sweet and creamy characters, open but a tad short.

2007 Kistler pinot noir (courtesy of Dr Robert Kwok) after hours at Radiology’s reception, Mt Elizabeth Orchard, 17 Mar 2016. Grown from in California from Burgundy grand cru cuttings with an average age of 20 years, this pinot noir is highly aromatic with a  lifted feminine fragrance, displaying rich dark and red cherries on the palate, rounded with an oily texture but lacking layering and detail.

2014 Argento, popped and poured at Shinyeh restaurant on the 85th floor of Taipei 101, 18 Mar 2016. Deep purple, this full-bodied wine is driven by intense ripe fruit with overtones of raisins, prunes, blueberries, dark currants, enamel and traces of burnt, taking its time to open up, revealing some tarry textures with plummy tones and graphite elements but lacking in complexity.

2012 Yalumba “The Y Series” cabernet sauvignon, popped and poured at Shinyeh restaurant on the 85th floor of Taipei 101, 18 Mar 2016. Open and accessible from the start with predominant notes of red plums, tangy orange, grapefruit, fleshy and chewy on the palate with well-managed tannins amidst traces of tobacco, mocha and earthy tones. Enjoyable but its lack of complexity hits home after some time.

2011 Domaine Emilian Gillet Quintaine, served after about 45 minutes of aeration in bottle at a Japanese restaurant in Taipei, 19 Mar 2016. Delicate notes of white flowers, incense and chalk within a fairly narrow spectrum, slightly tight on the palate, good concentration but short, finishing with gentle minerals. Could do with better fruit definition.

2013 Louis Jadot Macon Villages, popped and poured at Otto Ristorante, 23 Mar 2016. Upfront notes of dense citrus and pomelo with traces of lemongrass and green melons matched by chunky chalky minerals, slightly brusque at the edges and stern at the finish. Good to go with robust seafood.

2003 Ch Pavie Decesse (courtesy of John), decanted on-site at Otto Ristorante, 23 Mar 2016. This is a Saint-Emilion done in the modern style, full-bodied with a warm medicinal glow, concentrated and dense with a certain hardness and a mid-palate that needs further resolution, finishing with an alcoholic trail. Could be better.

1996 Ch Grand Puy Lacoste, a bottle I’ve cellared for many years, decanted on-site at Fleur de Sel (genuine traditional French cuisine along fashionable Tras St, Singapore), 26 Mar 2016. Stunning bouquet of dark roses and dark cherries along with attractive traces of earthy pungency, mushrooms, anise, cassis and ash, densely packed, highly complex and seductive. Beautifully harmonious with a slightly feminine predisposition, this medium-bodied wine is layered with red and dark currants framed by velvety tannins that caressed the palate with growing intensity, underscored by saline minerals, savoury tertiary characters and subdued acidity that suggests this wine still has the legs to carry on for another twenty years, at least. Outstanding.

2001 Robert Mondavi cabernet sauvignon (magnum), decanted on-site for about 45 minutes prior to serving at the Grand Hyatt, Singapore, on the occasion of the EMSS AGM, 29 Mar 2016. This wine offers a fantastic bouquet of roses, raspberries and mulberries, superbly aromatic, almost to the point of intoxication. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, open and layered with very good concentration of red and dark berries, peppered with mocha and spice, framed by silky smooth tannins, well-balanced and elegant, ending with traces of graphite and vanillin at its persistent finish. Highly satisfying. At around SGD106 for a magnum, this is a bargain.

Bruno Paillard Blanc de Blancs NV, popped and poured at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 30 Mar 2016. Rather reticent on the nose, but ample and remarkably generous in notes of citrus, melons, green apples and honeysuckle to match the searing intensity and dryness of the 100% chardonnay, turning a shade stern and metallic at the finish. Excellent, but may not suit all tastes.

1993 E Guigal La Mouline (courtesy of Samuel), decanted on-site for almost an hour prior to tasting at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 30 Mar 2016. Displaying an evolved rose tint, this iconic wine offers a bouquet of camphor, rose cordial, raspberries and traces of incense, remarkably gentle, smooth and rounded on the palate, almost placid without any notion of heaviness normally associated with syrah, missing in layering and intensity and somewhat short, perhaps reflective of the weak vintage. One yearns for more character. Will not improve with further cellaring. Still, it has been a privilege to have this with a New York steak.