Aug 2019: 1990 L’Evangile, 1989 Soutard, 1998 Parker Est Terra Rossa First Growth, 2014 DuMOL Isobel/Ryan, 1998 Ch Pavie, 2007 Amuse Bouche, 2008 Roger Coulon, 2014 Comte Lafon Meursault-Goutte D’Or, 2007 Faiveley Corton-Charlemagne, 1986 VCC…

Truly a month of glorious excesses…

1998 Parker Estate Terra Rossa First Growth, popped and poured at Kai Garden 02 Aug 2019. Deep garnet red. Lifted bouquet of dark plums and complex red fruits. Highly supple. Excellent presence, weight and acidity with very good integration of cool ripe fruit, developing further notes of chocolate and mocha that culminated in a sweet lengthy finish. Still coiled with tight tension. Will easily last another couple of decades.

2006 Dom Perignon, courtesy of CHS at Mei-I, 06 Aug 2019. Intense nose of pine, complex citrus and pomelo. Forward in fruit balance with a full presence on a backdrop of highly subtle recessed minerals, displaying an attractive burnished dryness amid overtones of heated iron filings, finishing with lovely gentle intensity with just a trace of minerally glare. Quite excellent.

1995 Dom Perignon Second Plenitude, courtesy of LF at Mei-I, 06 Aug 2019. Surprisingly closed on the nose though superbly refined on the palate, this P2 is imbued with subtle fruit and delicate creamy minerals that confer gentle complexity beneath its smooth sheen of very fine bubbles, finishing with seamless quiet elegance even as it developed a greater intensity of citrus over time. Superb.

2016 Domaine du Roc des Boutires Pouilly-Fuisse Aux Bouthieres at Mei-I, 06 Aug 2019. Poured from magnum. Somewhat reticent, proffering just glimpses of nutmeg and olive on the nose but really superb on the palate where it was rounded and smooth with very lovely fruit without any jarring prominence, very seamlessly integrated with gentle depth, exuding an almost sake-like ethereal presence. Turned a bit more chalky over time, finishing with great linearity amid traces of salinity. Excellent.

2014 Domaine Arnaud Ente Bourgogne, courtesy of LF at Mei-I, 06 Aug 2019. Closed, only glimpses of distilled fruit. Dry with an abundance of white floral tones and clear citrus on a gentle bed of crème, traversing the palate with clean precision without any plumpness. Developed further delicate intensity of clear citrus with time. Excellent.

2007 Domaine Faiveley Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, courtesy of Dr Ngoi at Mei-I, 06 Aug 2019. Appearing to evolve faster than the exalted vintages, already displaying a dull golden hue with an aged feel though undoubtedly quite beautiful in its lovely depth of delicate chalky and minerally intensity, open with just a hint of caramel towards the finish. Excellent.

Louis Roederer Premier Brut NV, popped and poured over dimsum at Asia Grand 11 Aug 2019. Forward balance of yellow citrus, lime and pomelo with further notes of green melons. Excellent ripeness. Open with very fine bubbles that conferred a certain lightness and subtlety amidst crystalline minerals that grew in dry intensity over time. Perfect for lunch.

1998 Piper Heidsieck Millesime Rare, courtesy of SKY’s private cellar at Les Amis, 12 Aug 2019. Poured from magnum. Delicate lift of complex minerals amid deep toasty tones. Rather full with an attractive fresh dryness and bold minerality on the palate, very richly layered and detailed, leading to a certain sternness that eventually gave way to a deep delicious glowing creaminess. Excellent.

1986 Vieux Château Certan, courtesy of SKY’s private cellar at Les Amis, 12 Aug 2019. Poured from double magnum. Still darkly coloured with just a slight evolution at the rim. Exudes a rich deep core of aged fruit underscored by a tangy saline complexity, open with lovely ripeness and delicate intensity. Highly supple, showing good linearity all the way to its soft gentle finish amidst delicious melted tannins. Caught at its peak. Superb.

1990 Ch L’Evangile, courtesy of SKY’s private cellar at Les Amis, 12 Aug 2019. Poured from double magnum. Deep garnet red. This wine opened with a very slight bottle stink on top of a highly prominent reductive tone of earthy pungency coupled with a distinct graphite ferrous minerality. Beautifully open and rounded with great suppleness, well mellowed with the passage of time, displaying subtle intensity with a lovely focus on deep dark currants with emerging notes of dark chocolate and mocha, gaining in further intensity over time as it finished with traces of black pepper and exotic spices. At it’s absolute best. Excellent.

2008 Roger Coulon Blanc de Noirs, courtesy of Kieron at Imperial Treasure Great World, 14 Aug 2019. Lovely deep toasty nose with a burnished yeasty tone. Accentuated delicious expanse of creamy minerals, beautifully layered with complex citrus, lime and overtones of rye within a delicate sheen of gentle bubbles. Became fuller and more minerally over time, exuding fabulous presence with an open dry intensity that lasted with glowing persistence. Outstanding. A blend of pinot noir and meunier.

1995 Ch Latour-a-Pomerol, courtesy of Kieron at Imperial Treasure Great World, 14 Aug 2019. In spite of its evolved red, this wine exudes a very attractive youthful bouquet of dark fruits. Medium-bodied and fleshy, layered with earthy minerals. Quite seamlessly integrated, rounded with mellow intensity as further notes of tobacco snuff emerged over time. Good finish. Quite excellent.

1995 Ch Branaire-Ducru, courtesy of Sir Robert at Imperial Treasure Great World, 14 Aug 2019. Compared with the preceding Latour-a-Pomerol of the same vintage, this Left Bank wine is considerably darker in colour and tone, larger in proportion and more savoury, very earthy with a growing prominence of Chinese medicinal herbs on the nose. Rather stern on the palate, imbued with mature red plums and dates along with a bit of minerally glare, finishing well with gentle intensity. Very fine.

1990 Ch Rausan-Segla, courtesy of Timothy Goh at Imperial Treasure Great World, 14 Aug 2019. Dark opaque murky red. Softly mellowed though it still glowed with some residual intensity of dark plums and currants amid sweet tannins, imbued with a dense ferrous core amid gritty textures at the mid-body. Still holding well.

1994 Ch L’Evangile, at Imperial Treasure Great World, 14 Aug 2019. Evolved vermillion. Somewhat reticent at first, gradually opening up with soft gentle hues of dark cherries and gentle tea leaves, almost delicate in its seamless mellowed intensity and subtlety. Highly supple, exuding lovely presence. Still showing well.

1998 Ch Pavie, courtesy of David Tan at Imperial Treasure Great World, 14 Aug 2019. Deep garnet red with faint vermillion hue at the rim. Effusive in dense dark plums and soy on the nose. Slightly more extracted than usual, still rather bold and concentrated with very good intensity. Very well integrated, finishing with traces of burnt. Excellent.

2009 Goulée, popped and poured at Otto Ristorante, 17 Aug 2019. Freshly cracked from a 6-bottle OWC that I’ve cellared for years in London. This Médoc made by Cos D’Estournel is very dark and well extracted, proffering dense blackberries, violets and kirsch on the nose with a hint of prunes. Full, fleshy and undeniably modern, richly layered with dark plums that display lovely ripeness. Softly rounded with very well integrated subtle tannins underscored by a hint of earthy minerals, exuding fabulous intensity with a minty finish but still rather taut, eventually receding into a tight shell with overwhelming dark intensity. Weighing in at 14.5% abv, this wine is clearly not ready.

2005 Amon-Ra, popped and poured at Jade Palace, 18 Aug 2019. Very deep inky purple. Exuding powerful aromas of soy, cedar and cinnamon, this Barossa shiraz is still quite a behemoth, layered with dense ripe fruit and dark currants on a medium-full palate. Distinctly pruny, coiling up with sharp intensity in spite of its supple acidity. Still hasn’t quite settled.

2014 Domaine Thibert Pouilly-Fuisse Les Cras, popped and poured at Crab At Bay, 22 Aug 2019. Delicate floral lift. Rather full. Great presence of stony white citrus with overtones of nutmeg, slightly bright, exuding delicate intensity. Lovely glowing finish. Excellent but yet to hit full potential.

2014 Olivier Leflaive Saint-Romain Sous Le Château, from the list of Gaston, 24 Aug 2019. Ample in clear citrus on the nose, rather delicate with fine focused intensity. More minerally and lightly textured on the palate, almost flinty, displaying very fine concentration and lasting presence within a narrow spectrum of flavors.

2006 Perrier-Jouet Belle-Epoque, courtesy of LF after hours at SS ENT, 28 Aug 2019. Brilliant gleaming hue, proffering generous tones of apricot and cinnamon with dry chiselled minerality on the medium-full palate imbued with grapefruit. Finished with gentle length and fine linearity. Excellent.

2013 Peter Michael La Carriere, courtesy of LF after hours at SS ENT, 28 Aug 2019. Lovely luminosity. There is an effusive oiliness on the nose with a restrained depth that led to a broad expanse of white fruits and chalkiness on the palate, imparting excellent concentration and mouthfeel in spite of its subdued intensity, deeply layered but highly understated, finishing with gleaming persistence. Excellent.

2014 DuMOL Isobel Charles Heintz Vineyard, courtesy of LF after hours at SS ENT, 28 Aug 2019. From Sonoma Coast. Luminous but reticent. Distinctly more minerally on the palate with more high-toned salinity, somewhat narrower in spectrum although its depth of white fruits and clear citrus is never in doubt, finishing long with lovely intensity amid overtones of paraffin. Excellent.

2014 DuMOL Ryan Widdoes Vineyard, courtesy of LF after hours at SS ENT, 28 Aug 2019. This Russian River pinot noir displays great colour with effusive aromas of red fruits and cherries. Softly rounded and fleshy with understated acidity shrouded by a thin sheen of paraffin, very well balanced, building up in fine concentration and intensity towards its persistent finish. Excellent.

2014 Williams Selyem Russian River Pinot Noir, courtesy of LF after hours at SS ENT, 28 Aug 2019. Lifted tones of delicate rose petals and haw flakes on the nose. Medium-bodied, imbued with high-toned gravelly minerals within a narrow spectrum of flavours that tapered to a smooth gentle finish though, on the whole, this wine shut down rather quickly. Not ready.

2013 Kistler Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, courtesy of LF after hours at SS ENT, 28 Aug 2019. Darker in hue and tone with a predominance of dark cherries and roses, softly rounded with lovely warm ripe tones in a medium-bodied proposition. Open and fleshy. Drinking well.

2014 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir, courtesy of LF after hours at SS ENT, 28 Aug 2019. Poured from magnum. Dark deep pinot tone. Fresh and fullish, slightly forward, showing lovely concentration, depth and intensity with subtle salinity. Beautifully proportioned and balanced. Huge potential. Excellent.

2012 Peter Michael Les Pavots, courtesy of LF after hours at SS ENT, 28 Aug 2019. Dark. Amply layered with warm ripe red fruits and currants, quite excellent in concentration, underscored by subtle earthy tones and stern minerals amid vegetal traces though there are certain bright spots. Rounded with good balance. Needs more bottle age.

2007 Amuse Bouche, courtesy of LF after hours at SS ENT, 28 Aug 2019. This wine is made by Heidi Barrett who also made Screaming Eagle. Displaying a deep garnet red, this wine opens with an effusive glow of complex red fruits, openly layered with delicious dark plums and currants that traverse the palate with seamless supple intensity amid traces of stern ferrous elements. Still highly youthful. Unmistakably Napa. Excellent.

2004 Mount Mary Quintet, after hours at SS ENT, 28 Aug 2019. Poured from magnum. Deep garnet red. Medium-full. Generous in dark plums, displaying fine concentration and intensity with traces of saline minerals but somewhat sullen and narrow in spectrum, not helped at all by its overall darkish tone and character.

2014 Domaine des Comte Lafon Meursault-Goutte D’Or 1er, courtesy of CJ after hours at SS ENT, 28 Aug 2019. Superb exuberance of dense white floral tones with a lovely chalkiness. Very good in concentration, displaying great definition and inner crystalline detail on a superb minerally base, exuding cool delicate presence. Excellent.

2008 Dom Perignon, courtesy of SC at the wedding of Charles & Melissa, Ritz-Carlton Singapore, 31 Aug 2019. Delicious bouquet. Slightly forward in green fruits, melons and yellow citrus, layered with rich inner detail. Very lovely in its open velvety intensity, oozing with exquisite length and sweetness. Huge potential. Most excellent.

2015 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon 1er, courtesy of SC at the wedding of Charles & Melissa, Ritz-Carlton Singapore, 31 Aug 2019. Delicate lime and clear citrus amid gentle floral tones on the nose and palate, imbued with early complexity. Subtly layered with creme de la crème, displaying wonderful integration and delicate detail. Became more minerally over time, developing a lovely dry glowing intensity throughout its length as it finished with great sensual elegance. Outstanding.

1989 Ch Soutard, courtesy of SC at the wedding of Charles & Melissa, Ritz-Carlton Singapore, 31 Aug 2019. Poured from magnum. Still dark. Softly rounded with an open dry earthy pungency that led to a soft open intensity of dark currants and blueberries, layered with a gentle depth of light cherries amid understated graphite tones, finishing strongly with a lifted note of soy. Still imbued with remarkable freshness and acidity. Caught at its peak. Excellent.

2000 Ch Grand-Puy-Lacoste, at the wedding of Charles & Melissa, Ritz-Carlton Singapore, 31 Aug 2019. Poured from magnum. This wine opens with sweet mocha on the nose. Medium-full. Open with even concentration, gently rounded with understated intensity amid early cedary tones with the classic Pauillac signature coming on late.

A Les Amis creation on 12 Aug 2019, just before its promotion to 3 Michelin stars