Oct 2019: 2016 Michel Niellon Clos Maltroie, 2014 Occidental Elizabeth, 2003 Lagrange, 2014 d’Yquem “Y” …

2003 Ch Lagrange, over lunch at Jade Palace, 05 Oct 2019. Dark. Shut at first, though the palate is layered with a minerally earthiness topped with dark fruits and currants, very fine in concentration with a trace of sternness. It opened up over time to reveal some velvety detail along with some lovely succulent intensity of red fruits, subtly structured. Another bottle popped at Ka Soh on 27 Oct 2019 was highly consistent, quite effusive in sweet dark currants, mulberries and raspberries with rounded plummy tones and lively acidity that finished in a slight mentholic lift. Perennially under-rated, but Lagrange is truly excellent value.

2002 Louis Roederer Cristal, courtesy of CJ at Pistacchio, 11 Oct 2019. Deep golden lustre. Exudes some sharp yeasty pungency with lovely glowing depth. Quite brightly lit with a full presence of clear and yellow citrus infused with flinty minerals that produced excellent tension and dry intensity towards the back palate, mellowing a little over time with recessed chalkiness. May not have peaked.

1993 Dom Perignon, courtesy of Vic at Pistacchio, 11 Oct 2019. Deep golden lustre. Distinct note of gunmetal flint, pomelo and traces of bitter lemon on the nose, smoothly layered with fine concentration of glazed aged citrus on a palate that was rather placid and decidedly subdued, finishing in a persistent white floral glow.

2009 Domaine de Montille Pommard Les Pezerolles 1er, courtesy of Sanjay at Pistacchio, 11 Oct 2019. Slightly dark pinot tint. Open with notes of orchard in full blossom, tangerines, plums. Medium-bodied. Settled quite quickly with more dark cherries to the fore, traversing the palate with teasing intensity and sublime acidity amid darker undertones of raspberries, finishing gently. Another bottle at Jumbo Seafood (also from Sanjay) on 22 Oct 2019 was equally consistent, open fleshy and supple, yielding good inner detail. Delicious.

2000 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard, at Pistacchio, 11 Oct 2019. Impenetrable deep garnet red, proffering a fairly dense bouquet that hinted at diesel fumes. Smooth and fleshy. Quite full and concentrated, rather bright and evenly toned with a faintly sweet medicinal quality that may pass as eucalyptus.

2014 Occidental Bodega Headlands Vineyard Cuvée Elizabeth, courtesy of LF at Pistacchio, 11 Oct 2019. Deep purple. This Sonoma Coast pinot noir possesses a lovely concentration and presence, almost velvety, imbued with an open supple intensity of sweet dark cherries amid dusty traces, finishing with mild mentholic tones. Quite excellent.

2005 Opus One, courtesy of MH at Pistacchio, 11 Oct 2019. Impenetrable deep garnet red. Open, supple and fleshy. Softly rounded with excellent concentration of sweet dark fruits, nicely warm and ripe with a hint of mocha and dark chocolate. Finished with youthful intensity. Not quite ready yet.

2002 Carmes de Rieussec, courtesy of Jimmy at Pistacchio, 11 Oct 2019. Notes of burnt cider, smouldering ember and tropical fruits on the nose along with a gentle dose of nectarine. Possesses good intensity. Satisfying without being cerebral.

2014 Ch d’Yquem ‘Y’ Ygrec, after hours at GEH, 18 Oct 2019. Generous notes of vanillin, cool icing and almonds amid dense aromas of white flowers that permeate all the way onto the palate, still tightly wound with fabulous acidity and concentrated intensity of fruit, deeply layered with exquisite minerally characters with just the right degree of sweetness that culminated in an explosive finish. Brilliant!

2015 Domaine Ponsot Clos des Monts Luisants 1er VV monopole, after hours at GEH, 18 Oct 2019. Rich, highly aromatic bouquet of delectable crème de la crème, white flowers, clear citrus and tropical fruits. Generously layered with great concentration and acidity. Very well balanced, not overtly plump. Excellent.

2016 Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet Clos de la Maltroie 1er, after hours at GEH, 18 Oct 2019. Good lift of clear citrus and grassy elements. Medium-full, displaying excellent fullness and concentration with a distinct minerally streak. Very well-balanced and integrated with understated verve and subtle acidity, finishing well. Excellent.

2016 Laurent Ponsot Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes Cuvée du Tilleul, after hours at GEH, 18 Oct 2019. Darkish in tone and colour, imbued with abundant dark berries, blueberries and raspberries that imparted excellent ripeness, acidity and balance. Superbly integrated with a very fine open intensity. Has tremendous vigour. Finished with great linearity. Excellent but still undeveloped.

2017 Château de Chamirey Mercurey Blanc, off the list of Brasserie Gavroche on 18 Oct 2019. Good colour. Effusive aromas of peaches, apples, apricot, fig and honeysuckle. Very lively on the palate with good density and concentration, underscored by a deeper streak of intense tropical fruit that imparted a lovely floral bloom as it finished with great linearity. Hard to believe this is just a village, given the superb ripeness, layering and potential for complexity. Incredibly great value.

Bruno Paillard Reserve Privé Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru NV, popped and poured at Crab At Bay, 20 Oct 2019. Attractive oxidative nose with some yeasty pungency. Dry with concentrated lime and citrus without much depth nor layering, finishing gently as it became more open over time.

2017 Ashton Hills Piccadilly Valley Pinot Noir, popped and poured over dinner at Asia Grand, 21 Oct 2019. Slightly intense shade of pinot tint, exuding intense savoury characters of roast and smoked leather with very good concentration of red cherries and rose petals on the palate, imbued with sleek acidity amid overtones of rye, loosening up with more earthiness over time as it gained further rounded suppleness and intensity. Very fine.

2017 Domaine Jean Chartron Saint-Aubin Murgers Des Dents de Chien 1er, popped and poured from magnum at Jumbo Seafood on 22 Oct 2019. Took quite a while for this wine to open up with dense white floral tones on the nose, leading to a full minerally palate layered with racy acidity and lovely density of fruit that produced plenty of zest and exciting mouthfeel, finishing with good linearity. Quite excellent.

2016 Schubert Block B Pinot Noir, courtesy of LF at Jumbo Seafood on 22 Oct 2019. Considerably deeper and darker in tone and colour but highly attractive, filled with an abundance of ripe blueberries and dark currants on the nose and palate. Medium-full, rounded with good levels of ripeness without being overly extracted, laced with understated acidity on a raspberry floor amid overtones of smoked meat. I enjoyed it.

2008 Champagne Dom Perignon, courtesy of Jimmy Lim at Jumbo Seafood on 22 Oct 2019. Lifted bouquet of clear citrus, lime and pomelo tinged with green apples. Well replicated on the palate with fine concentration and sharp definition, very well layered and balanced, its very soft fine bubbles exuding a highly refined gentle intensity as it finished with a hint of bitter lemon. Excellent.

2009 Peter Michael La Carriere, courtesy of LF at Jumbo Seafood on 22 Oct 2019. Pale luminosity, marked by clear citrus that exuded a very clean feel at first. It fleshed out over time with a greater presence of almonds and malt against a backdrop of recessed crème de la crème and general chalkiness underscored by shades of wild grass and darkish tones whilst maintaining understated depth and acidity. Distinctly feminine. Excellent.

2015 Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret Echezeaux Grand Cru, courtesy of MH at Jumbo Seafood on 22 Oct 2019. Darkish. Very good concentration and intensity of blueberries, raspberries and dark currants, openly supple, showing good sophistication with rounded sweet tannins that hinted at a feminine stance. Yet to develop though.

2017 Grant Burge Benchmark Sauvignon Blanc Semillion, on 23 Oct 2019 at the NUSS Guild House. Faint nose of light grassy elements. Lively with good presence of clear citrus and minerals. Inoffensive. Nondescript finish.

2015 Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon, on 23 Oct 2019 at the NUSS Guild House. Dark impenetrable purple, proffering a classic cabernet nose of tobacco and dried mushrooms, layered with very good concentration of plumny red fruits and cherries that offer good inner detail. Structured with sweet tannins, adequately supple. Very fine.

2015 Domaine Hudelot-Nöellat Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Murgers 1er, popped and poured at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 28 Oct 2019. Darker shade of pinot, exuding radiant red fruits and cherries with very good concentration, presence and layering underscored by a distinct earthy base, displaying rounded intensity. Structured with pliant understated supple tannins, slightly darkish at first before turning brighter as more of red fruits dominate. Excellent.