Jan 2023: 2013 Leroy Puligny Folatières, 2018 Bertrand Bachelet Maranges Fussière, 2018 Florent Garaudet Monthelie Taupine, 1993 Robert Ampeau Volnay Santenots 1er, 1995 Williams Selyem Olivet, 2001 Solaia, 2017 Mongeard-Mugneret NSG Les Plateaux, 2019 Evening Land Seven Springs

2016 S de Suduiraut. Popped and poured at home, 03 Jan 2023. Pale. Moderate nose of distant green fruits, glycerin and vanillin that impart mild sweetish overtones, well replicated on the medium-bodied palate. Very clean with fine clarity but somewhat narrow in spectrum, the vanillin being a little too prominent.

2018 Domaine Bertrand Bachelet Maranges La Fussière 1er, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 04 Jan 2023. Fairly darkish for pinot. Quite effusive in ripe raspberries and dark cherries with a hint of varnish. Medium-full. Very beautifully contoured with sleek acidity and silky tannins that impart understated intensity with a highly refined presence. Good finish. This is a real find.

2019 Arnot-Roberts Watson Ranch Chardonnay, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 04 Jan 2023. Greenish hues, exuding a weighty bouquet of wildflowers, wet grass and rye. Medium-bodied. Well proportioned, showing good integration and clarity but somewhat narrow with a bit of mid-palate glare. Could do with more stuffing.

Château de Champteloup Crémant de Loire Brut NV, from the list of Cafe & Bar Gavroche, 06 Jan 2023. Pale. Attractive flinty nose with distant floral tones, cool icing and white incense. Excellent fullness and dry intensity with plenty of zest, developing more of lime, pomelo and bitter lemon over time with cutting acidity on a bed of ferrous elements, revealing a bit of subtle detail.

2013 Maison Leroy Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières 1er, courtesy of Alvin at Imperial Treasure Great World, 08 Jan 2023. Pale. Softly contoured with subtle velvety textures. Medium-bodied, but richly layered with exquisite floral characters that struck a perfect balance against the ripe elegance and sublime acidity, so much so that one is left speechless by its regal beauty. Outstanding!

2018 Domaine Florent Garaudet Monthelie La Taupine 1er, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 14 Jan 2023. Deep crimson. Distinct mentholic lift allied with a certain earthiness. Very good presence of fruit with darkish hues, structured with silky oily tannins that exert lovely svelte intensity. Surprisingly rich in layering. Excellent freshness. Almost sexy. Good finish. Highly recommended.

2020 Domaine A et P de Villaine Bouzeron, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 14 Jan 2023. This aligoté proffers a sweet creamy nose with an enticing lift of delicate citrus and fresh morning dew. Medium-bodied, boasting excellent presence of lemons and clear citrus that teased with deft agility and sleek acidity, framed by distant green fruits. A refreshing change from chardonnay.

2005 Fontanafredda La Rosa Barolo. Aired in bottle for ninety minutes prior at the in-laws, 15 Jan 2023. Opaque dull red. Moderate bouquet of preserved red plums and dark rosy hues. The fruit, though fairly ample, is somewhat restrained, allowing the sleek acidity to dominate the medium-full palate against a backdrop of bramble, briar and earthy characters. Another bottle drunk over 29-30 Jan 2023 was similar, though it developed chewy crushed raspberries and red fruits after ninety minutes in the glass.

2018 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Chardonnay. Popped and poured at Corner Grill, 17 Jan 2023. Nose of warm pebbles with a pronounced oily density, giving way to distant buttery notes. Rather full and racy in its gleaming white tones, quickly turning more minerally before settling with a cool relaxed demeanour, retaining its slight austerity. Not unlike a Saint-Aubin.

Bellavista Franciacorta Alma Brut, from the list of Otto Ristorante, 19 Jan 2023. Pale greenish. Delicate lift of pomelo, green fruits and fig with a full excellent teasing presence, showing cool clean refreshing zest and good refinement.

2016 Domaine Philippe Chéron Gevrey-Chambertin Clos des Varoilles 1er. Aired in bottle prior to dinner at Otto Ristorante, 19 Jan 2023. Deep ruby. This wine proffers a generous bouquet of raspberries and dark cherries, leading to an ample palate subtly layered with crushed fruit that impart some velvetiness, settling down with a feminine rosy fragrance and quiet verve. Plenty of promise here. This monopole has been bought over by Prieuré Roch, appearing under its label from 2020 onwards.

1994 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino, courtesy of Sir Bob at Otto Ristorante, 19 Jan 2023. Deep ruby. Very attractive subtle earthy funk on the nose amidst a lovely glowing warmth. Very supple and plump, its fruit having evolved with ripe plumminess on a highly subtle minerally base sprinkled with white ash.

1993 Domaine Robert Ampeau et Fils Volnay Santenots 1er, courtesy of LF. at Otto Ristorante, 19 Jan 2023. Evolved red. Slightly murky though the nose is quite resplendent in its rosy hues of mature red fruits tinged with a gentle pungent earthiness. Medium-full. Still retaining that excellent acidity (always an Ampeau hallmark) and freshness of fruit. Very lively with great verve and integration, developing superb agility with a warm plummy feel.

1995 Williams Selyem Olivet Lane Vineyard Pinot Noir, courtesy of LF at Otto Ristorante, 19 Jan 2023. Evolved murky red. Distinct bold presence of mature dark fruits with a liqueured note, neither complex nor layered initially but it snapped together with superb focus after a short time in the glass, displaying lovely glow and maturity. Good balance.

2001 Antinori Solaia, courtesy of Vic at Otto Ristorante, 19 Jan 2023. Deeply coloured with a floral rosy lift. Medium-full, softly contoured with a slight tannic edge, laced with sleek acidity. Slightly forward, displaying good depth with a bit of velvetiness underscored by a deeper darker vein of fruit amid cedary tones. Beautifully nuanced. Still yet to peak.

2019 Maison de Montille Montagny 1er Les Coères, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 21 Jan 2023. Deep greenish hue. Fairly effusive in green fruits, fig and brioche. Medium-full with an excellent oily density, fanning out with even textures and good detail of delicate tropical fruits and peaches. Good refinement.

2019 Evening Land Seven Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 21 Jan 2023. Darkish pinot tint. Attractive nose of ripe raspberries, mulberries and intense cherries. Medium-full. Beautifully contoured with a rounded supple presence. Subtly layered with excellent fruit and freshness that lingered with quiet persistence.

2016 DeMorgenzon Maestro Red. Popped and poured at Dorothy’s on 23 Jan 2023. Deep purple. Ample presence of dark plums, mulberries and wild berries cushioned by forest floor and earth. A little bright at first before settling with glimpses of crushed red fruits that exert fine intensity, finishing with a spicy dash.

2020 Les Heritiers Du Comte Lafon Macon Chardonnay Clos De La Crochette. Poured from magnum at Barrie’s lunch party, 24 Jan 2023. Gleaming white tones on the nose, marking its entry with fine clarity and clean precision. The fruit is somewhat backward, matching the recessed chalkiness, developing a subtle peppery intensity in the glass.

2017 Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Plateaux. Poured from magnum at Barrie’s lunch party, 24 Jan 2023. Good color. Delicious rosy hues on the nose, displaying superb purity of fruit on the sleek medium-bodied palate with just the slightest hint of sandy floor typical of an NSG. Shows excellent linearity, balance and integration. An astute choice.

2017 Domaine René Cacheaux et Fils Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er. Poured from magnum at Barrie’s lunch party, 24 Jan 2023. Deep ruby. Earthy minerals on the nose in sharp contrast to the layered ripe plummy fruit and refined acidity that exert superb mouthfeel. Just a little bright at first, settling rather quickly with good balance though its finish is short. Drinking very well.

2004 Mount Mary Quinet. Poured from magnum at Barrie’s lunch party, 24 Jan 2023. Dense purple. Medium-bodied. Very supple and fresh, showing very fine cabernet character with a deeper core of tangerines. Rather understated on the whole but all the better for it.

2018 Cristom Vineyards Mt Jefferson Cuvée. Poured from magnum at Barrie’s lunch party, 24 Jan 2023. This pinot noir from the Eola-Amity Hills of Willamette Valley opens with restrained rosy hues though its superb craftsmanship is never in doubt, evident by its slim proportions and feminine character, drinking well with open sleek lines and refined tannins, just a tad forward in fresh darkish fruit but its balance is impeccable. Excellent.

2016 Tenuta San Guido Le Difese. Popped and poured at home, 25 Jan 2023. Comprising 70% cabernet sauvignon and 30% sangiovese, this brownish-red wine opens with aromas of dark plums, ripe wild berries and mint that carry over onto the medium-bodied palate, equally brackish in characters of iron ore, earth and bramble, still a little tight and spicy with understated intensity.

2020 Domaine Moreau-Naudet Chablis Forêts 1er, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 31 Jan 2023. Dense golden greenish hue. Highly attractive bouquet tropical citrus, fresh morning dew and floral characters. Medium-full. Fairly weighty in dense caramelised tones of roasted cashews with a deeper vein of coiled minerality that exude an oily density. Settled down with a laidback glowing intensity, finishing well.

2017 Domaine Alexandre Parigot Pommard Les Vignots, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 31 Jan 2023. Good color. Red plums and mahogany dominate with a dark rosy fragrance, turning a little minty over time while the youthful palate is imbued with a fresh incisive intensity underpinned by a deeper darkish vein of fruit, imparting excellent verve with a trace of paraffin. Impeccably balanced, tapering to a lingering finish.