2007 Montille Aux Malconsorts Christiane, 1992 Margaux, 2005 Drouhin Montrachet, 2009 Jacques Cacheux La Croix Rameau, 2007 A Rousseau Charmes-Chambertin, 2013 Hundred Acre Kayli Morgan…

The great man marked his happy day on 09 January 2021 with a lavish home-cooked dinner amongst a small group, adhering strictly to social distancing regulations. With a specially curated selection of wines from his deep cellar (drunk from Zalto stemware, no less) to complement the great food and wonderful friendship, it was the perfect evening. Thank you and many happy returns, Dr Ngoi!

Champagne Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Orizeaux Brut NV. Pale. Gently layered with predominant green fruits within a very fine sheen of soft bubbles that exude delicate dry intensity. On the lean side, showing good definition with a subtle minerally shine in the mid-body.

2010 Benjamin Leroux Chassagne-Montrachet Tête du Clos 1er. Stony white tones on the nose amid subtle minerally notes, fleshing out with rounded fullness and intense acidity as more of classic Chassagne characters took hold. Very well balanced but still tight, finishing with lovely persistence.

2005 Joseph Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche Grand Cru. Decanted from magnum. Pale. Slightly more effusive in whites tones though still rather subdued on the whole with an ethereal poise, imbued with lifted sublime acidity amid traces of earthy minerals. Developed a greater sense of chalkiness with a fuller tone of white fruits after further aeration, beautifully balanced and rounded without revealing much inner detail as its feminine restraint persisted throughout the evening.

2011 M Chapoutier Ermitage De L’Orée. Attractive nose of peppermint gum. Rounded with good concentration of white fruits that imparted some fleeting intensity, just a tad forward. Fleshed out with a lovely sheen of crème de la crème amid cool tones, revealing fine inner detail.

2009 Domaine Jacques Cacheux Vosne-Romanée La Croix Rameau 1er. Slightly darkish in colour though its bouquet is marked by alluring perfumed aromas matched with bright harmonious tones of redcurrants, plums and red fruits on the medium-bodied palate, fairly rich in layering, finishing well. One of only three owners of this 0.6 ha premier cru, Cacheux’s ownership occupies just a mere 0.16 ha.

2007 Domaine de Montille Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts 1er Cuvée Christiane. Tasted blind. Displaying a well-evolved crimson, this wine exuded cherries, raspberries and red fruits with a lovely feminine fragrance, superbly balanced with quite a full rounded elegance on the mid-palate, open with early subtle secondary nuances. Very much on song. I’d thought it might be a mature Clos de Tart. Highly consistent with another bottle tasted in November 2020. Excellent.

2007 Domaine Armand Rousseau Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru. Tasted blind. Good colour. Red fruits and dark cherries dominate on the nose and palate with a deeper core of tangerines, exuding a high-toned acidity with fine gentle intensity. Wonderfully balanced. Distinctly feminine. Excellent.

1992 Château Margaux. Poured from magnum. Still darkly coloured, exuding that classic glow of a mature claret amid overtones of fresh earth and undergrowth. Medium-full and highly supple, imbued with stern ferrous minerals that imparted a slightly gruff demeanour that is further enhanced by its darkish tones.

2013 Hundred Acre Kayli Morgan. Bright purple. Layered with a gorgeous abundance of ripe berries, blackcurrants and violets, forwardly balanced with vibrant tension and ample concentration that conferred a certain rasping intensity though it never tipped into uncontrolled hedonism, smoothly contoured with fleshy suppleness and fine inner detail. Already accessible. Excellent.