Sept 2019: 2016 Ch Peyredon Lagravette, 2005 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon…

2003 Ch Clerc Milon, popped and poured at Otto Ristorante, 05 Sep 2019. Deep garnet red, exuding a dominant bouquet of red plums, dark currants and tangerines marked by a lovely rosy fragrance. Good concentration. Layered with raspberries that yield gritty detail amidst understated graphite minerals, structured with supple tannins. Drinking well.

2010 Ch Le Doyenne, popped and poured at Eat First, 18 Sep 2019. Full presence of blackcurrants, ripe raspberries and violets of considerable depth, structured with superb concentration and power without any jarring angularity across the palate, glowing with overtones of gravelly hot stones and stern minerals as it took on an exciting raciness with the development of svelte sexy tannins before finishing with a trace of bitterness. A real bargain at SGD45.

2015 Domaine Hudelot-Noellat Chambolle-Musigny, popped and poured at Jade Palace, 19 Sep 2019. Somewhat reserved on the nose, just hinting at dark roses. Similarly darkish on the palate, which is well-layered with blueberries, ripe raspberries, violets and dark currants on a base of very fine understated ferrous elements, brightening up towards the finish. Not ready.

2005 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon, decanted on-site at Otto Ristorante, 20 Sep 2019. Bright opaque purple. Powerful aromas of varnish, dark currants, black cherries and wild berries amidst overtones of heated gravel. Fleshy. Softly rounded with supple pliant tannins, revealing good plummy depth with splashes of red fruits, exuding a warm ripe fruity fragrance. It transformed suddenly after an hour into a wine of great expanse and weight, imbued with rich savoury tones before mellowing with relaxed charm and refinement, finishing with a great velvety intensity. Excellent. For once, a Moss Wood cabernet that ages really well.

Rockford Black Shiraz 2006 disgorgement. Popped and poured over dimsum at Asia Grand, 22 Sep 2019. Showing a deep garnet red, this wine seemed rather subdued at first, proffering dark plums, wild berries and black cherries that imparted a bit of stern earthiness while its bubbles appeared to have fizzled out. It then underwent quite a dramatic transformation after an hour, firming up with greater breadth, depth and layering as it developed a greater bubbly presence, traversing the palate with blazing intensity of ripe dark fruits amid undertones of dry mushrooms and herbs. Perhaps it doesn’t quite possess the most complex of finishes that I’ve had with this wine but it can still lay claim as Australia’s finest sparkling shiraz. Drink now.

2016 Kaesler Cabernet Sauvignon, popped and poured at Crab At Bay, 24 Sep 2019. Deep purple. Aromas of sweet dark fruits, blackcurrants, violets and blueberries with traces of vanillin. Smooth, rounded and fleshy, showing good sophistication and excellent ripeness of fruit, developing further notes of mocha and toffee as it turned slightly dryish with true cabernet textures but still forwardly balanced.

2016 Ch Peyredon Lagravette, popped and poured over dinner at home, 30 Sep 2019. Displaying a clear deep purple, this Haut-Medoc opens with delicious aromas of dark berries, violets and dark currants, softly rounded on the palate with good concentration, acidity and inner detail with understated intensity and unobtrusive tannins. One is struck by its lovely warmth and balance that is almost feminine in character rather than any outright power, possessing a level of sophistication hardly encountered amongst the wines of the Medoc in general. At SGD45 off the shelf, this is an absolute steal, even better than Ch Le Doyenne which I’d raved about previously. The magnum bottling should be even better. An unconditional buy. As a matter of fact, any 2016 claret is a buy if the price is right.