Feb 2021: 2000 Domaine de Chevalier, 1996 Léoville Poyferré, 2017 Sandhi Bentrock

Champagne Ernest Rapeneau Extra Brut NV, courtesy of Jimmy at his residence, 05 Feb 2021. Brightly lit with very good concentration of crisp clear citrus, forwardly balanced with a pleasing dry intensity.

Champagne Moët & Chandon MCIII NV, courtesy of Jimmy at his residence, 05 Feb 2021. Delicate lift of incense and ferrous elements, whilst generous white fruits and clear citrus dominate with tight intensity on the palate amid distinct overtones of cordite. Quite seamlessly integrated and lovely.

2017 Sandhi Bentrock Chardonnay, courtesy of LF at Jimmy’s residence, 05 Feb 2021. This wine opens with distant cool icing, fresh green fruits and delicate citrus, imbued with classic white floral and creamy tones amid further overtones of white pepper and nutmeg, very seamlessly integrated with minerally elements in equal measure that gave off a peculiar oily bright shiny characteristic on the mid-palate. Rounded with lovely fullness. Excellent.

2006 Champagne Dom Pérignon Rosé, courtesy of CJ at Jimmy’s residence, 05 Feb 2021. Grapefruit and orange peel on the nose with an appropriate hint of gun smoke, quite sharply accentuated. Distinctly more minerally on the fullish palate that is almost creamy smooth, exerting very fine dry intensity and fresh acidity that exude a cool clean feel. Very lovely.

2006 Aubert UV Vineyard Pinot Noir, courtesy of LF at Jimmy’s residence, 05 Feb 2021. This wine from the Sonoma Coast exudes a forward nose of small sweet dark berries, wild fruit and raspberries. Well-extracted with a rounded warmth and ripeness, still exerting a distinct alcoholic trail that adds to its tough angular intensity.

2010 Champagne Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé. Popped and poured at Shang Palace on the occasion of Mom’s 90th, 06 Feb 2021. Some early complexity on the nose, showing grapefruit, orange peel and yeasty tones with some earthy pungency. Excellent concentration of fruit with a lovely smooth presence, developing very fine ferrous aromas and minerally characters over time. Not too dry. Excellent.

1996 Château Léoville Poyferré, aired in bottle at Shang Palace on the occasion of Mom’s 90th, 06 Feb 2021. This wine opens with plenty of verve and tight intensity in spite of its twenty-five years. Still immensely dark, imbued with fine density of black fruit and currants tinged with capsicum, gradually opening up with greater dimension and detail, structured with supple tannins. Evolving at a glacial pace, still yet to peak. Excellent.

2016 Meerlust Rubicon, popped and poured at home, 10 Feb 2021. Deep ruby. Generous bouquet of raspberries, violets, cherries and dark currants that exude a lovely floral fragrance. Open with excellent presence and inviting depth, revealing layers of fruit with controlled intensity amid supple tannins. Very well balanced, finishing with fine linearity. This wine can take its place in any line-up. Excellent.

2008 Champagne Delamotte Blanc de Blancs. Popped and poured over lunch at Otto Ristorante, 11 Feb 2021. Light golden hue, exuding an attractive bouquet of green fruits and citrus with distinct but subtle ferrous elements. Smoothly contoured with very fine bubbles, showing excellent presence, zest and integration with good clarity and some early subtle nuances. Developed glowing intensity and structure as it finished with slightly darkish tones. Drinking well, just missing the fabulous detailing that its sister estate Salon has in spades.

2016 Serafini & Vidotto Il Rosso dell’Abazia, popped and poured at the in-laws, 11 Feb 2021. Deep garnet red. Not revealing much on the nose though the palate is firmly laden with dark raspberries, black fruits and wild berries underscored by some tough intensity, rather unyielding as well. Probably needs plenty of time to come around.

2004 Rockford Black Shiraz. Popped and poured over Lunar New Year dinner at Mom’s place, 12 Feb 2021. The fizz has faded somewhat, allowing more of the Basket Press characters of black cherries, dark currants, licorice and dark plums to emerge with very good presence within a thin sheen of fine bubbles, laced with a dash of sweetness and just a hint of its fabled liqueured depth. No longer what Black Shiraz can truly offer but still enjoyable.

2016 Tenuta Lena Di Mezzo Monte Del Frà Amarone della Valpolicella. Popped and poured at Dorothy’s place, 13 Feb 2021. Deep garnet red. Attractive high plummy nose. Medium-full. Forward in wild berries and bright red fruits trailed by a distinct alcoholic wake before gelling together after some time, turning fuller with richer velvety textures tinged with traces of earth and licorice.

2000 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge. Decanted on-site at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 14 Feb 2021. Deep garnet red, proffering dense black fruits and black currants infused with substantial ferrous elements that imparted a stern profile. Took an hour to gradually open up with a classic glow of mature claret as it morphed into a seamless lush entity, almost velvety, glittering with graphite detail and slick acidity amid intense supple tannins before revealing further notes of earth and mahogany. Still rather youthful. For the long haul.

2015 Domaine Paul Pillot Santenay Vieilles Vignes. Popped and poured from the restaurant list of Madame Fan, 16 Feb 2021.  Lovely deep ruby, proffering red fruits and ripe wild berries. Generous intensity of dark fruits on the palate, rather sharply accented with a very clean feel, softening a little to reveal some inner detail and velvety warmth after an hour. Promising, but I don’t think we gave it enough time. Probably not ready as well.

2017 Louis Jadot Mâcon-Villages. Popped and poured at home, 24 Feb 2021. Consistently impressive in its open white tones filled with excellent minerally detail. Very correctly nuanced, displaying excellent presence, balance and proportion with refreshing zest, developing further overtones of nutmeg, olives and white pepper. A wine to be enjoyed now while your 2017 grand crus bide their time.

2015 Eileen Hardy Chardonnay, tasted over two days 27-28 February 2021. This wine possesses an oily richness within dense minerally textures, packed with tight concentration of peaches, citrus and orchard fruit that saturate the palate with lithe intensity underpinned by very fine sleek acidity, finishing with a slightly stern trace. Not for those who prefer their chardonnay to be more delicate.