Aug 2018: 2014 Pierre Damoy Clos Tamisot, 1996 Sociando Mallet cuvee Jean Gautreau, 2008 Hudelot-Noellat Romanee-St-Vivant, 2014 Brion Caldwell, 2013 Aubert Laurent…

2014 Domaine Pierre Damoy Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Tamisot, popped and poured at Yan, 03 Aug 2018. This over-achieving village monopole proffers a generous bouquet of old wood, smoke and earthy tones infused with ripe dark fruits, softly focused. Surprisingly open and fleshy though its inner detail was obscured by a bit of minerally glare, softening after some time to reveal more dark plums and dark cherries to the fore, positively glowing, finishing with a trace of austerity. Excellent.

2004 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges La Perriere 1er, popped and poured at Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew ION, 06 Aug 2018. This unusual 100% pinot blanc has a well-aged hue of resin, rye and malt with traces of orange peel, open though its fruit is set rather backward and beginning to dry out, turning more reductive over time with stinging acidity and growing intensity. Very fine but I wouldn’t wait further.

2013 Aubert Laurent, courtesy of Kieron at Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew ION, 06 Aug 2018. Very oaky on the nose but balanced by delicate earthy minerals on the palate, richly layered with notes of peaches, pomelo and white citrus with an aura of smoky incense, not too creamy. Great balance and elegance, finishing with great persistence. Lovely.

2008 Ch Troplong Mondot, courtesy of F at Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew ION, 06 Aug 2018. Deep purple. Highly aromatic, delivering on its promise of delicious dark cherries and black currants with fleshy supple tones ingrained with very fine tannins that stoked the palate with gentle intensity, shaping up towards a glowing finish. Excellent.

2000 Ch La Gomerie, courtesy of Kieron at Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew ION, 06 Aug 2018. One of the original upstarts that kicked off the garagiste movement, this wine of 100% merlot exudes an earthy bouquet imbued with ripe dark berries, highly promising, but let down by a palate that lacked opulence and sophistication particularly for such a glorious vintage, finishing short.

1995 Ch Leoville Las-Cases, at Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew ION, 06 Aug 2018. Great colour, proffering a fabulous earthy pungency on the nose with great elegance on a palate richly layered with dark fruits that oozed gentle sweet tannins on a background of tea leaves, open and smooth, displaying great refinement though it took on a more austere and minerally tone over time. Excellent.

2005 Ch Bellefont-Belcier, courtesy of KP at Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew ION, 06 Aug 2018. Lovely deep purple, rather dense and forward in fruit balance on a bed of dried tea leaves with minty overtones but surprisingly short at the finish. Yet to develop.

2003 Ch Sociando Mallet, courtesy of WCY at Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew ION, 06 Aug 2018. Good color. Classic glow of dark fruits and currants on a cedary floor, highly supple, displaying great acidity and excellent linearity though not quite as layered as the best. Very fine.

1996 Ch Sociando Mallet, courtesy of WCY at Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew ION, 06 Aug 2018. Great color, allied with a wonderful bouquet that is absolutely beguiling, thrilling the senses with a fabulous floral bloom of lovely rosy fragrance. Big, open and infinitely delicious, only just a tad short after all these years. This is what drew everyone to Sociando Mallet in the first place. Superb.

1996 Ch Sociando Mallet Cuvee Jean Gautreau, courtesy of WCY at Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew ION, 06 Aug 2018. This is a special bottling started by its owner-cum-winemaker Jean Gautreau back in 1995, made from the best few barrels (out of more than 1000 barrels per vintage) and aged in 100% new French oak. Compared with the standard bottling above, this special cuvee possesses an equally great bouquet though with appreciably greater depth and definition from the superb layering. Lush, beautifully balanced and integrated. Absolutely stunning.

1996 Ch Saint Pierre, courtesy of WCY at Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew ION, 06 Aug 2018. In spite of the significant bottle stink, this wine is open with dark earthy tones softened by characters of gentle rose petals, somewhat uninspiring.

Laurent-Perrier Cuvee Rose NV, Jade Palace 19 Aug 2018. Dry grapefruit and orangey citrus dominate amidst gentle yeasty tones. Layered with gentle ground minerals. Crisp but slightly stern.

2014 Chateau de Mersault Meursault Charmes-Dessus 1er, 20 Aug 2018 at Osteria Art. Bare tinge of bottle stink. Closed initially but opened up with well-defined dense minerals. Rather sullen and backward though it developed more creamy tones with very even concentration and presence. Going through an awkward phase. Not at its best on this occasion.

2002 Domaine Ponsot Clos Saint Denis Grand Cru, courtesy of MH at Osteria Art, 20 Aug 2018. Mild evolution with a faint rim of bricking. Medium-full. Softly layered with ripe wild berries and raspberries, structured with mild sweet tannins. Relatively dark in tone, exuding quiet intensity and elegance with fresh vivacious acidity. Very fine.

2008 Domaine Alain Hudelot-Noellat Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, courtesy of Vic at Osteria Art, 20 Aug 2018. Dusky red. Full bouquet, richly perfumed with ripe dark plums, currants and minerals. Darker palatal tones of cool ripe fruit on a backdrop of complex earthy minerals tinged with traces with salt, rather subtle, finishing with sexy velvety tannins. Excellent.

2013 Pierre-Yves Colin Morey Chassagne-Montrachet, courtesy of Kieron at Imperial Treasure Paragon, 23 Aug 2018. Clear citrus with overtones of vanilla and icing. Immense concentration, displaying good definition of gentle minerals and white fruit with crisp acidity. Developed a lovely floral bloom over time, becoming more smooth and rounded with chiselled minerality. Excellent.

2000 Ch Monbousquet, at Imperial Treasure Paragon, 23 Aug 2018. Deep ruby. Richly layered with ripe dark currants and black berries tinged with enamel. Big bold presence but not overwhelming.

1995 Les Forts de Latour, courtesy of Melvin Choo at Imperial Treasure Paragon, 23 Aug 2018. Deep ruby. Lovely glow of the classic dryish Pauillac signature tone with some early complexity. Fleshy and rounded with excellent presence of tea leaves and tobacco snuff, finishing with a great flourish of nail varnish. Excellent.

2007 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs, at Matter of Taste, Regent Hotel Singapore, 25 Aug 2018. Toasty earthy yeasty pungency. Very fine bubbles. Abdundant clear citrus, softly layered with great clarity and detail. Excellent presence and persistence.

2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rose at Matter of Taste, Regent Hotel Singapore, 25 Aug 2018. The nose is closed, though the palate is imbued with grapefruit and gentle rose petals with dense earthy ferrous elements in equal measure. Dry.

2013 Muddy Water Pinot Noir, at Matter of Taste, Regent Hotel Singapore, 25 Aug 2018. . Deep colour. Forward. Superb floral fragrance. Excellent presence gently layered with superb tannins, imparting great mouthfeel. Doesn’t bite. Long. Quite excellent.

2014 Magnacosta Tenure di Trinoro at Matter of Taste, Regent Hotel Singapore, 25 Aug 2018. Made from 100% cabernet franc. Earthy rustic dark plums on the nose. Nice entry onto the medium-full palate, ample in ripe wild berries with textures of very finely-grained tannins. Very fine.

2013 Il Pino di Biserno at Matter of Taste, Regent Hotel Singapore, 25 Aug 2018. A classic blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc from the Alta Maremma area of Tuscany. Dark, exuding perfumed wild berries. Full-bodied. Layered with superb fruit that produced quite a bit of spicy tones, structured with silky pliant tannins, displaying great acidity, balance and length. Quite excellent. Drinking well but can keep.

2017 Les Sorcieres Clos des Fees, at Matter of Taste, Regent Hotel Singapore, 25 Aug 2018. From the Cotes du Rousillon. Notes of earthy light rose petals. Fresh and gently rounded. Quite delightful. Great for summer.

2013 Mas de Daumas Gassac, at Matter of Taste, Regent Hotel Singapore, 25 Aug 2018. Lovely bouquet of dense ripe wild berries and red fruits with an attractive oily earthy pungency. Quite open and lively on the medium-bodied palate, somewhat rustic with a dash of vegetal elements.

2014 Domaine de la Janisse Chaupin, at Matter of Taste, Regent Hotel Singapore, 25 Aug 2018. From 100% grenache. Rosy. Rounded with a certain lightness, showing good density intensity yet light footed.

2015 Domaine de la Janisse VV, at Matter of Taste, Regent Hotel Singapore, 25 Aug 2018. Excellent depth, density and richness of wild berries, earthy elements and vegetal traits. Structured with spicy tannins. Well-latered, finishing with a minty glow. Very good.

Philipponnat Royale Reserve Brut NV, at Matter of Taste, Regent Hotel Singapore, 25 Aug 2018. Rich tones of white and yellow citrus, crisp and zesty. Not too dry, oozing with sweet tannins. Plenty of verve.

2015 Carter Cellars Hossfeld Coliseum Proprietary Red, at Matter of Taste, Regent Hotel Singapore, 25 Aug 2018. Impenetrably dark, exuding a full bouquet of enamel and varnish on a deep palate of ripe black fruits, beautifully warm and rounded with tannins that are very well integrated on an earthy cedary floor with just a bare vegetal tinge, finishing well. Quite excellent.

2012 Cameron Fisher Proprietary Red, at Matter of Taste, Regent Hotel Singapore, 25 Aug 2018. Deep full bouquet of sweet dark plums, black fruits and currants. Richly layered, dense and opulent on the palate, subtly structured with seamless subtle ferrous elements and minerals that imparted a spicy peppery finish. Excellent.

2014 Brion Moon Mountain Sonoma County, at Matter of Taste, Regent Hotel Singapore, 25 Aug 2018. Rich dense bouquet of ripe plummy dark fruit with a medicinal tinge on the mid-palate, layered with spice and a touch of liquer. Attractive.

2014 Brion Caldwell Vineyard,  at Matter of Taste, Regent Hotel Singapore, 25 Aug 2018. Dark. Richly perfumed on the nose, exuding dense hedonistic aromas. Superb fruit quality and layering. Highly detailed with excellent power, structure and depth, showing sophisticated handling of tannins. Excellent.

2014 Ridge Monte Bello, at Matter of Taste, Regent Hotel Singapore, 25 Aug 2018. Deep opague purple, exuding varnish and enamel. Full palate of ripe raspberries and cherries, excellent in density and inner detail, highly succulent. Surprisingly open. Not jammy at all. Excellent.

1999 E Guigal La Turque, at Matter of Taste, Regent Hotel Singapore, 25 Aug 2018. Good color. Deep earthy pungency. Dryish, showing good concentration of grapefuit characters but not profound.

2005 Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon, popped and poured at Otto Ristorante, 25 Aug 2018. Deep purple, exuding a dense bouquet of vanilla and enamel with deep-seated fruit. Structured with crisp tight acidity and subdued minerals, layered with excellent depth of delicious dark currants and raspberries amidst licorice and forest notes, developing a rich creamy glow tinged with cinnamon and cedary tones as it sat in the glass. Excellent.

Charles Heidsieck Brut NV, at Changi Airport T3 Silver Kris lounge, 26 Aug 2018. Dense white citrus. Plenty of brio. Generous spread of fine bubbles but one-dimensional in its bold dry intensity. Took a while to develop more depth and layering with richer tones of intense citrus on a firm bed of earthy ferrous minerals.

2017 Antonin Rodet Vire-Clesse L’Epinet, at Changi Airport T3 Silver Kris lounge, 26 Aug 2018. Quite subdued initially, showing just a glimpse of white pepper and bell hoppers. Took some time to reveal good presence of white and yellow citrus on the palate with a clean minerslly glow, finishing on a note of nutmeg. Needs time in the glass.

2015 Devil’s Lair Chardonnay, on board SQ328 Business Class, 27 Aug 2018. Attractive earthy pungency with strong suggestion of oiliness on the nose whilst the palate is imbued with white pepper and Asian spices amidst delicate citrus and chalky minerals with illusion of fizz. Developed greater density over time with excellent concentration and minerality. Highly successful.

2014 Ch Larose Perganson, on board SQ328 Business Class, 27 Aug 2018. Attractive earthy pungency with Asian spices. Medium-full. Supple and rounded. Nicely open with slightly dryish textures, quite ample in juicy black fruits without the usual burliness of Medoc.

2015 Zonte’s Footstep The Lake Doctor Shiraz, on board SQ328 Business Class, 27 Aug 2018. Ripe warm shiraz with characters of dark and red plums. Big, full and creamy but not overwhelming. Excellent in concentration and presence with smooth rounded tannins. Good stuff.

2013 Ch La Pirouette, Lufthansa Senator lounge, Munich airport, 30 Aug 2018. Fleshy, supple and juicy. Good concentration of raspberries, layered with earth, ash and enamel. Very agreeable.

2017 Weingut Huls Riesling, on board SQ327 Business Class, 30 Aug 2018. Green melons and longans dominate, proffering gentle diesel fumes with a fine oily presence. Pleasant with balanced acidity. Slightly sweet.

2015 Heirloom Shiraz, on board SQ327 Business Class, 30 Aug 2018. Good complexity on the nose. Dense in ripe shiraz with overtones of mocha, licorice and earthy incense. Full-bodied, showing excellent presence and acidity, finishing with good sophistication. From McLaren Vale.