1985 Krug, 1994 Marc Colin Montrachet, 2008 Armand Rousseau Clos St-Jacques, 1998 Bouchard La Romanée Grand Cru, 1996 Romanée-Conti Romanée Saint-Vivant, 1989 Montrose, 2000 Château Margaux, 1984 Joseph Phelps Insignia

A dinner at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 August 2023, to mark the return of Sir K’s Chinese zodiac. Such an auspicious occasion called for special bottles worth enduring the overnight attack of gastric reflux. All wines were blinded except for the champagne and the Arlaud. Many thanks, Bros!

2009 Champagne Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. Pale. Excellent refreshing zest of clear citrus and pomelo with a tinge of bitter lemon, wonderfully tight and crisp. Well integrated with fine clarity, gaining further intensity with a dash of gun metal and bright minerally elements.

1985 Champagne Krug Brut, courtesy of Kieron. Darkish shade of gold. This maison’s signature dry intensity is still highly evident, now imbued with rich autumnal characters amid yeasty tones from its passage of thirty-eight years though the wine is still amazingly fresh with lively acidity, fleshing out with a distinct white medicinal note (pochai pills!). Drinking beautifully, though I suspect mature bubbly is more of a connoisseur’s drop.

1994 Domaine Marc Colin et Fils Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of Sir Bob. Luminous, ethereal lift of lightly-shaded pears and delicate tangerines though some age is evident on the medium-full palate, marked by grapefruit and mature chalkiness amid cool glacial tones, developing the unmistakable chamfered white tones of Chassagne after some time but still maintaining excellent clarity.

2015 Maison Leroy Bourgogne Aligoté, courtesy of Vic. Pale. Subtle tropical fruit on the nose though there is a distinct note of pineapple on the medium palate that gave away its grape varietal, delivery fresh youthful intensity that gave way after some time to a bright relaxed clarity, just a little short with attenuated depth.

2016 Domaine Arlaud Clos de la Roche Grand Cru. Youthful pinot tint. Lovely nose of soft red fruits, cherries and baked plums. Medium-full. Already highly accessible and harmonious, its deeper vein of fruit and cedar exerting slick acidity with a bit of darkish intensity though the overall impression is one of tranquil restrained elegance, finishing with traces of ember.

2008 Domaine Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er, courtesy of Vic. Classic pinot tint. Rose petals and cherries dominate on the nose and medium palate with delicious depth amid overtones of match-stick incense, displaying excellent freshness and tonal balance without being exuberant, showing a certain restrained poise with a hint of earthiness and spice at the finish.

2011 Domaine Drouhin-Laroze Musigny Grand Cru, courtesy of WCY. Good color. Very developed nose of delicious warm ripe fruit tinged with chocolate and black truffles though the structured palate is somewhat underwhelming, quite amply imbued but missing the breed and layered dimension of the best Musigny.

1998 Bouchard Père et Fils La Romanée Grand Cru, courtesy of Kieron. Classic pinot tint. Delicious alluring bouquet of rose petals and red cherries allied with a medium weight palate that’s still wonderfully fresh, a little forward in sweet cedar and early tertiary characters laid on a cool minerally base. Superbly balanced and elegant, developing greater cohesion and intensity in the glass. Outstanding. This monopole, the smallest Grand Cru plot of all at 0.8-ha, was leased by Comte Liger-Belair to Bouchard from 1976 to 2001; it was co-produced by both from 2002 to 2005 before the former regained complete control again from 2006 onwards.

1996 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, courtesy of Sir Bob. Classic pinot tint, proffering a delicious lift of red fruits and cherries that exert a chamfered intensity with traces of saline minerals on the medium palate, producing excellent mouthfeel. Compared with the La Romanée, this wine is distinctly more masculine, carrying a little more verve within its layered folds. Beautifully elegant. D.R.C. had leased 5-ha of R.S.V. from the Marey-Monge family since 1966 before buying over entirely in 1988.

1989 Château Montrose, courtesy of LF. Deep crimson. Richly layered with glorious fruit now truly infused with tertiary notes of cedar, baked plums, mahogany and a dominant note of soy set against slick reductive tones on an open medium-weight palate that’s still amazingly fresh with agile intensity., superbly integrated with impeccable balance. Still holding at its peak, and seemingly far from over.

1984 Joseph Phelps Vineyards Insignia, courtesy of LF. Deep crimson. Very similar in character to the 1989 Montrose which was paired together. Richly layered with fleshy agility, just slightly autumnal in character with leafy tones, cedar and bramble, its freshness underpinned by lively acidity. The supple tannins ooze just a dash of sweetness that, perhaps, gave away its Napa origins but the wine is still highly integral and very well balanced, tapering to a moderate finish.

2000 Château Margaux, courtesy of Alvin. Deep garnet. Very good presence of fruit, still reasonably fresh and seamlessly layered, exuding rich plummy tones amid open dryish overtones of cigar box and green capsicum laced with sleek acidity. Impeccably balanced with good vigour and cool elegant intensity. A classic 2000.