Sep 2022: 2015 Bruno Clair Clos St-Jacques, 2014 Drouhin Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet, 1986 & 1997 Lafite Rothschild, 1982 Nenin, 1985 Mouton Rothschild, 2004 Opus One, 2019 Philippe Chéron Gev-Cham Romanée

2014 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Bourgogne Blanc. Popped and poured at Crab At Bay, 01 Sep 2022. Lime, clear citrus and bitter lemon dominate on the nose and medium-full palate with a high-toned intensity, supported by base minerals and crisp acidity that matched the fruit every step of the way. Very lively.

2016 Laurent Ponsot Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvée de l’Aulne. Aired in bottle for three hours ahead of brunch at Jade Palace, 03 Sep 2022. Classic pinot tint, exuding rosy hues and dark cherries on the nose. The palate is beautifully contoured and rounded, imbued with very good presence of soft ripe fruit that reveal subtle inner detail. Highly integral and seamless, showing excellent refinement and charm, finishing well. The new-age label draws polarising opinions, but I like it. More importantly, the wine is really good.

2015 Domaine Bruno Clair Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er. Aired for more than two hours ahead of lunch at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 05 Sep 2022. Classic bouquet of rose petals, strawberries and haw that exude a lovely feminine fragrance. Fairly open with a soft supple intensity, subtly structured with fine presence and decent depth. Settled down with cool refined elegance and moderate length, developing a blaze of delicious red fruits at its finish. Drinking well but best to lay down for several more years.

2019 Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis Vieilles Vignes, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 07 Sep 2022. Deeply coloured with a distinct oxidative note of malt and rye on the nose that suggests a much older wine. Medium-full, imbued with a tight intensity of dense yellow citrus and dry recessed chalky detail, retaining that oxidative tone throughout its moderate length. Packs good power and precision. Certainly not flabby.

2018 Kuheiji Fixin, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 07 Sep 2022. From a producer of sake. Clean dark tones. Rather reticent, before developing raspberries, mulberries, tangerines and haw later. Medium-bodied, layered with very fine juicy presence, showing good verve and balance amid overtones of mahogany. Drinking well, just a little distant.

2018 Jordan Chardonnay. Aired for two hours ahead of dinner at Yang Ming Seafood, 08 Sep 2022. Good lift of stony minerals and clear citrus, imbued with excellent oily density. Well-structured and integrated, displaying refined intensity amid distant tones of icing and vanillin. Finished with good length.

2017 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay, courtesy of Vic at Yang Ming Seafood, 08 Sep 2022 Pale. Lifted bouquet of morning dew and clear citrus, lighting up the palate with stony detail and layering with dense white fruits bringing up the rear laced with a dash of sweetness, fleshing out eventually with an open glow of peppery white tones. Highly burgundian.

2017 Littorai Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, courtesy of LF at Yang Ming Seafood, 08 Sep 2022. Dark cherries and plums dominate with cool ripeness and refined presence. Very well balanced and proportioned, seamlessly integrated with bright rosy hues. Beautifully nuanced.

2014 DuMol Lia Viognier, courtesy of LF at Yang Ming Seafood, 08 Sep 2022. Rather pale and reticent at first, its fruit slightly recessed, underpinned by sweet chalky undertones. Took some time to flesh out with dense white tones, displaying superb length and linearity.

2016 E Guigal Condrieu La Doriane, courtesy of CHS at Yang Ming Seafood, 08 Sep 2022. Cool placid tones. Also made from viognier but distinctly different, more floral and highly transparent. Very subtly nuanced, taking its time to unfurl its Rhône character of backward white tones and recessed chalkiness.

2016 Domaine Thibert Père et Fils Saint-Veran Champ Rond over lunch at Otto Ristorante, 09 Sep 2022. Clear luminosity. Rather reticent on the nose though chalky tones and yellow citrus dominate with excellent presence and density on the medium-full palate, displaying terse acidity and intensity before turning a little more backward, giving way to a recessed chalkiness with more emphasis on bright minerality.

2008 Joseph Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches 1er Blanc, courtesy of Dr Ngoi at Shinzo, 12 Sep 2022. Poured from 6L Imperial. Pale yellow-green hue, proffering a distant nose of fig, chalk, yellow citrus, pineapples and mangoes with a very refined oily density on the medium-bodied palate, imbued with subtle minerality. Developed glowing white tones before taking a more backward stance with secondary characters, the fruit and chalkiness distinctly more recessed as it finished with moderate intensity.

1986 Château Lafite Rothschild, courtesy of Simon Cheong at Shinzo, 12 Sep 2022. Poured from magnum. Deep crimson core, exuding a jazzy funkiness with characters of varnish, rose petals and truffles that morphed into a superb glow of mature claret. Fleshy and still wonderfully fresh, lighting the palate with structured precision and sharp definition before settling down with a distinct feminine grace, just a tad short at its finish. Slightly past its prime, though still highly pleasurable.

2006 Champagne Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rosé, courtesy of CJ at Morsels, 13 Sep 2022. Deeply coloured, proffering excellent presence of grapefruit and mature tangerines with distinct orangey hues that shone with glowing depth amid a most appropriate dry intensity.

2014 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of CJ at Morsels, 13 Sep 2022. Pale. Somewhat reticent on the nose, though excelling on the palate with a lovely rounded oily density imbued with yellow citrus and bright minerals amid powdery white tones that cut through with fine purity, exuding the classic Chassagne signature as it yielded further supple detail, finishing with lovely persistence. Superb.

2019 Philippe Chéron Gevrey-Chambertin La Romanée 1er at Morsels, 13 Sep 2022. Attractive bouquet of dark roses, cherries and bramble with a gentle minty afterglow. Similarly darkish on the palate though the superb fruit come through with lovely purity and warm ripe opulence, seamlessly structured with silky smooth tannins that yield excellent chewy detail. Highly integral. Very lovely. Not many have heard of Philippe Chéron but it won’t be long before this hits the roof.

2015 Roagna Gallina Barbaresco, courtesy of Dr Ngoi at Morsels, 13 Sep 2022. Fragrant dark roses and varnish on the nose, slightly smoky. Medium-full. Surprisingly open, layered with a subtle depth of predominant red fruits that exert suave supple intensity with lovely refinement. Distinctly feminine. Almost Burgundian. Excellent.

2004 Opus One, courtesy of MH at Morsels, 13 Sep 2022. Deep garnet red with a suggestion of warm velvety ripeness. Medium-full. Highly integral and open, imbued with characters of mocha, chocolate and traces of licorice within its seamless layers, structured with subtle power and mature tannins that taper to a strong minty afterglow. Excellent.

2008 Domaine Dujac Morey-Saint-Denis Mont Lusants 1er Blanc, courtesy of Sanjay at Morsels, 13 Sep 2022. Luminous glow of recessed chalkiness and mature secondary characters laced with superb sublime acidity, displaying sharp definition within a medium-bodied proposition.

2013 Champagne Pol Roger Brut at the wedding of Russell & Dolly, Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, 17 Sep 2022. Lovely deep burnished tone of buttered toast, citrus and wildflowers, displaying fine presence and intensity without being too dry. Drinking well.

2017 Domaine Jean-Michel Gaunoux Meursault at the wedding of Russell & Dolly, Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, 17 Sep 2022. Its relative pallor belies a nose of gentle floral fragrance. Still tight with reductive white tones that offer fine precision and structure, fleshing out with cool detail. Well-proportioned and balanced.

2017 Domaine Jean Grivot Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Pruliers 1er at the wedding of Russell & Dolly, Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, 17 Sep 2022. Darkish pinot tint, delivering raspberries and dark berries with a dash of briar on the medium-full palate laced with sleek acidity, displaying good energy though slightly lean.

2015 Roc de Cambes at the wedding of Russell & Dolly, Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, 17 Sep 2022. Lovely ripe fullness of sun-dried dark fruits, currants and cedar that shone with glowing warmth and savoury succulence, yet to fully shed its overtones of vanillin oak but its class and pedigree is clear. Drinks like a classified growth.

2011 Domaine Faiveley Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru at the wedding of Russell & Dolly, Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, 17 Sep 2022. Poured from magnum. Very attractive on the nose, exuding fresh rosy hues with early cedary characters. Medium-full. Highly supple and lively. Very well balanced with subtle acidity and understated intensity, developing a little sultry exuberance as it tapered with fine linearity to a glowing finish of cherries and distant red fruits.

2017 Thomas Morey Chassagne-Montrachet Les Dents de Chien 1er, courtesy of Kieron at Tang Yun, 20 Sep 2022. Fine luminosity. Lovely floral fragrance of fig and green fruits. Medium-full and fairly rounded showing a very refined sleek density laced with traces of icing and petroleum fumes. Settled down with cool tones and minerally notes amid a dash of oiliness. Drinking well.

2005 Château La Tour Haut-Brion at Tang Yun, 20 Sep 2022. Delicious nose of ripe dark berries and currants amidst that inimitable glow of a mature claret. The medium-bodied palate is layered with a chamfered feel of soft red fruits that confer some degree of rusticity. Took some time to flesh out with fine body and decent length. This is the final vintage of this extinct label, its vines having been absorbed into the fold of Château La Mission Haut-Brion.

2000 Château Trotanoy, courtesy of Melvin at Tang Yun, 20 Sep 2022. Still darkly coloured with green capsicum, wild mushrooms and dried wood on the nose. The palate is beautifully soft and supple with a juicy succulence, very seamlessly integrated, just a little bright within its mid-body, yielding fine transparency though it is a little short. At its best.

1982 Château Nenin, courtesy of Sir Bob at Tang Yun, 20 Sep 2022. Slightly opaque, proffering capsicum and ripe wild berries with a delicious fragrance in soft focus though the rounded palate is somewhat restrained, a tad savoury with a suggestion of bacon bits. Beautifully mature. Nenin is excellent value.

1985 Château Mouton Rothschild, courtesy of Kieron at Tang Yun, 20 Sep 2022. Mature crimson. Very beautiful on the nose, a controlled lift of plums, ember and incense amidst a glorious scent of warm ripe fruit that transcends the softly contoured palate with a splash of savoury and ferrous elements. Still quite full and fresh, seamlessly layered and beautifully proportioned with everything in place. Highly elegant, wearing its considerable power within the proverbial velvet glove. The 1985 Mouton simply gets better and better with each tasting in spite of its thirty-seven years. Outstanding.

1995 Château Langoa Barton, courtesy of Vic at Tang Yun, 20 Sep 2022. Still displaying a deep garnet red, this wine is rather muted, proffering only glimpses of fresh dark fruits and black berries though the palate is highly supple and open, still retaining excellent freshness and power though it veered towards some leanness at the finish. May be easily mistaken for a higher growth. Drinking well.

1985 Château Talbot, courtesy of Sir Bob at Tang Yun, 20 Sep 2022. Opaque dull red, exuding a glowing funkiness from its deep core of dark fruits. Highly agile and supple, laced with sleek acidity though still firmly structured, imparting a certain degree of sternness.

2019 Louis Jadot Domaine Gagey Pernand-Vergelesses Les Combottes, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 24 Sep 2022. Deeply coloured with an inviting bouquet of white floral notes, pollen and honeysuckle. Almost full with a predominance of lime and clear citrus, exerting very good tensile presence and intensity without any awkwardness, developing a little chalky brightness in the glass. Good length.

2019 Philippe Colin Chassagne-Montrachet Les Chênes Rouge, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 24 Sep 2022. Darkish in tone and color with a deep minty lift. Medium-bodied, initially showing a slight excess of acidity though this was properly reined in as the wine opened up with fine integration and bold intensity, allowing its darkish fruit to emerge with unobscured freshness before tapering to slightly sweet gentle finish.

2020 Shaw & Smith M3 Adelaide Hills Chardonnay. Popped and poured at Eastern House of Seafood, 24 Sep 2022. Pale. Generous bouquet of raw nutmeg and grassy elements with a full presence on the palate, displaying fine detail and intensity though it remained rather unyielding throughout the evening, tightly coiled with tense high-toned acidity.

2020 M. Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Les Meysonniers, by the glass at Brasserie Les Saveurs, St Regis Singapore, on 26 Sep 2022. Deep purple. Fairly full and ample in ripe cherries, dark plums and wild berries with a bit of savouriness, laced with licorice and vanillin. Serviceable.

2017 Domaine Lucien Muzard et Fils Santenay Maladiere 1er Blanc, aired for an hour before dinner at Liang Kee, 28 Sep 2022. Pale luminosity. Cleanly structured with good definition and terse acidity, imbued with excellent presence of clear citrus and pomelo, fleshing out with rounded cool tones and subdued intensity.