2017 Joseph Drouhin Corton-Charlemagne 2018 PYCM Chassagne Abbaye de Morgeot 2006 Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle Les Cras 1998 Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin Cazetiers 1988 Pichon Longueville Comtesse Lalande 1988 Mouton Rothschild, 2000 Rochioli

Sir K ushered in the Year of the Dragon on 17 February 2024 with an impromptu dinner at his bespoke residence where Chef Joseph Yeo was called upon, once again, to display his culinary art on the V-ZUG equipment. In great demand now, Joseph delivers his modern European set pieces with a dash of Oriental influence, allowing the natural flavours to do their work, matching the specially curated line-up of wines served in Zalto stemware by sommelier Marcus. The 2006 Ghislaine Barthod and the 1988 Pichon Lalande were the stars of the evening, proving once again that it’s the producer that matters most. Thank you!!

2008 Champagne Thiénot Cuvée Stanislas Blanc de Blancs, courtesy of Kieron. Luminous. Gleaming tones of dense yellow citrus and chalk in equal measure, imparting excellent fullness with a steely structured sweetish intensity. Not too dry. Very satisfying.

2018 Domaine Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chassagne-Montrachet Abbaye de Morgeot 1er, courtesy of Kieron. Tasted blind. Lifted bouquet of floral fragrance and light summer warmth, matched by a tight focused intensity of delicate citrus with a bit of oily density. Highly integral with lovely length, underscored by a gentle minerally tone. Not overtly reductive for a PYCM; neither does it blaze with the classic white tones of Chassagne.

2017 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru. Golden luminosity. This wine opens with a fair degree of restraint before blossoming with a polished chalky sheen amid traces of diesel. The medium-full palate is subtly layered with various shades of citrus and nutmeg superbly integrated within an understated chalky density, taking its time to unfurl its rounded gentle intensity. Excellent, but patience is required.

2006 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras 1er, courtesy of Kieron. Good colour. This wine opens with a distant fragrance of warm ripe berries and cherries tinged with a dash of mocha, leading to a masculine darkish palate of solid weight and density, already well-developed with secondary characters. Slightly austere but beautifully refined and wonderfully balanced in spite of its proportions. Almost voluptuous.

1998 Domaine Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er, courtesy of Kieron. Good colour. Dark plums and roses dominate with a distant fragrance. Much more expressive and lifted on the medium-full palate, displaying plenty of vigour and exquisite intensity with supple detail. Highly integral and elegant.

1988 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, courtesy of Kieron. Tasted blind. Deep core of crimson. Highly effusive, glowing with a most attractive earthy pungency tinged with capsicum and distinct vegetal overtones (a hallmark of Pichon Lalande), absolutely mesmerising. Still incredibly fresh and voluptuous in spite of its thirty-six years, its rounded lush density imparting superb mouthfeel and vigour. Beautifully integrated with melted tannins. Drinks like a premier cru. Caught at optimal maturity and will hold for many more years. Outstanding!

1988 Château Mouton Rothschild, courtesy of Kieron. Tasted blind. Deep crimson. Rather restrained on the nose in spite of its full maturity although the dryish Pauillac signature is quite readily discernible, further re-affirmed on the open palate imbued with cool dark plummy fruit that impart fine definition and supple intensity though surprisingly lean, the fruit almost a little too backward. A fine drop in its own right but a tad underwhelming for premier cru. Put in the shade by the Pichon Lalande.

2000 Rochioli Estate Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, courtesy of Rama. Opaque brownish red. Considerably bolder and weightier on the nose than usual for pinot, exuding a dominant lift of menthol, licorice and a mild earthiness amid the generous presence of dark plummy fruit and ripe wild berries that saturate the palate with a sharp concentrated intensity underscored by a distinct ferrous density. May not actually have hit peak maturity in spite of its twenty-four years.