June 2024: 2019 Château Croix-Mouton, 2020 HDV Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay & 2016 Daniel Rion NSG Les Hauts Pruliers, 2017 Philippe Chéron Gevrey Clos Varoilles, 1994 Château Latour

2021 Joseph Drouhin Bourgogne Rouge Laforêt from the list of Taverne du Passage, Brussels, 04 June 2024. Classic pinot tint. Medium presence of raspberries and wild berries, structured with well-delineated acidity though there is a slight stemminess. Fleshed out with keen attack and intensity with well-integrated rounded tannins, revealing a bit of inner warmth amid overtones of citrus fruits and soft rosy hues.

Pronol Cuvée No.56, at the Diamond Lounge of Brussels Airport, 06 Jun 2024. Pale luminosity. Airy nose of fig, green melons and leafy mint. Medium-weight, displaying refreshing zest with a dryish attack and intensity. Fine clarity.

Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Essentiel Brut NV, on board SQ303 BRU-SIN, 06 Jun 2024. Clear luminosity. Rounded nose of brioche and almonds. Very fine presence of citrus fruit, hazelnut and subtle minerally elements, well-integrated with good refinement and intensity. Not too dry. Flinty finish.

2022 Vickery Watervale Clare Valley Riesling, on board SQ303 BRU-SIN, 06 Jun 2024. Pale. Distinct nose of diesel. Medium weight, displaying an oily density laced with subtle acidity. Good balance. Modest finish.

2021 Joseph Drouhin Saint-Véran, on board SQ303 BRU-SIN, 06 Jun 2024. Luminous golden hues. Lovely nose of crème and chalk, a tad sweetish. Fleshy, medium presence of white fruits tinged with a dash of salinity, displaying good clarity. Modest finish.

2019 Château Croix-Mouton, on board SQ303 BRU-SIN, 06 Jun 2024. Deep garnet. Restrained bouquet of mulberries and sandalwood though the slender palate is open with a fleshy density of ripe fruit, replete with that classic Pauillac dryness. Highly integral. Modest finish. Drinking well. An astute choice.

2021 Teusner Wark Family Shiraz, on board SQ303 BRU-SIN, 06 Jun 2024. Impenetrable deep garnet, exuding classic tones of warm ripe Australian shiraz tinged with licorice and dry tobacco. Fairly integral and balanced, far from being hedonistic.

2016 Domaine Thibert Père et Fils Pouilly-Fuissé Les Ménétrères. Popped and poured at Crab At Bay, 08 Jun 2024. Pale greenish. Aromatic lift of cool melons and fig. Medium-bodied. Well-balanced and integrated, showing excellent Pouilly-Fuissé character of delicate intense citrus laced with lively acidity, finishing with a hint of minerally austerity.

1994 Château Latour. Aired in bottle for 150 minutes ahead of our 30th anniversary dinner at Imperial Treasure Great World, 09 Jun 2024. Brownish crimson. Lovely tertiary glow of mulberries, roasted walnuts, cinnamon, cedar and dark currants, imbued with lively acidity that impart exciting verve with a well-defined Pauillac character of tea leaves. Settled down quite quickly with clearer textures, morphing into a seamless entity with emerging sweet tannins that evoked some juicy succulence with a dash of delicious currants at its modest finish. Doesn’t quite possess the layering and additional dimension of the best vintages but this 1994 is still very very fine and will hold for many more years.

2013 Champagne Dom Pérignon. Popped and poured at Corner Grill for our 30th anniversary, 11 Jun 2024. Pale classic tone, proffering a generous bouquet of peaches, fig and melons. Equally ample on the full palate, dominated by a sheer density of clear citrus that impart crisp intensity and tensile acidity, layered with subtle minerally shades. Almost abrasive at this infantile stage, but clearly set for the long haul.

2019 Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet La Maltroie 1er. Aired in bottle for 150 minutes prior to dinner at Jade Palace, 13 Jun 2024. Pale. Attractive nose of vanillin and powdery white tones that is classic Chassagne. The medium palate is beautifully nuanced with icing and floral fragrance tinged with a distinct salinity, yielding fine clarity with a bit of brightness throughout its sleek length, finishing in a spicy peppery glow with a hint of green capsicum.

2020 HDV Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay, courtesy of Mr WB Tay at Jade Palace, 13 Jun 2024. Popped and poured. Pale luminosity. Rather restrained on the nose initially, only hinting at an oily density while the palate is imbued with a core of warm ripe fruit that exude a subdued lift. Gradually evolved with emerging white tones within smooth rounded satiny textures, yielding further notes of nutmeg and green capsicum as it unfurled with greater depth and layering, boasting controlled verve and elegant reserve. Highly burgundian, matching the preceding Chassagne every step of the way. Excellent.

2008 Château Haut-Bailly, courtesy of Vic at Jade Palace, 13 Jun 2024. Deep garnet. Warm bouquet of incense, heated gravel and earthy minerals. Medium-weight. Rounded and fleshy with early secondary characters, showing good balance and refinement, structured with subdued tannins that confer a certain delicate velvetiness. Drinking well.

2017 HDV Belle Cousine, courtesy of Mr WB Tay at Jade Palace, 13 Jun 2024. Deep garnet. This blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot opens with sweet savoury tones that lead to a fleshy medium presence of dark fruits and currants, yielding fine detail within a sleek profile. Quite impeccably proportioned and balanced with a ripe supple moderate intensity, laced with sweet vanillin. Far from hedonistic. Highly successful.

2021 Coldstream Hills Chardonnay. Popped and poured at Eastern House Of Seafood, 15 Jun 2024. Pale. Cool minty lift amid intense delicate tones of clear citrus and green melons laced with high-toned acidity, yielding some inner detail. On par with a Pouilly-Fuissé.

2020 Turkey Flat Shiraz, aired in bottle for two hours prior to dinner, 16 June 2024. Deep purple. Richly imbued with ripe raspberries, mulberries, black cherries and currants on the nose and palate. Beautifully balanced and supple with a tinge of salinity, displaying controlled acidity and modest intensity amid overtones of licorice. Far from the unctuous hedonism commonly associated with Aussie shiraz.

2016 Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Bas de Combes. Aired for ninety minutes in bottle ahead of lunch at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 17 Jun 2024. Dense velvety nose of ripe raspberries and mulberries. Rather fullish at first with keen acidity. Evolved into a sleeker lighter-textured proposition over time with moderate supple intensity, developing overtones of mandarins, red fruits and cherries with brighter hues. Approaching its drinking best. Punches above its station.

2009 Champagne Corbon Avize Chardonnay Grand Cru, courtesy of CJ at Putien (Kitchener), 19 Jun 2024. Pale luminosity. Effusive lift of dense yellow citrus with a lovely airiness. The fullish palate is infused with a distinct salinity amid moderate minerally elements, a little forward in its chiseled precision and dry intensity, yielding good clarity.

2012 Champagne Penet-Chardonnet Verzy Grand Cru Les Blanches Voies, courtesy of CJ at Putien (Kitchener), 19 Jun 2024. Pale luminosity, proffering a perfumed floral lift with a hint of rye and olives. Quite brightly lit with an initial focused intensity of white fruits, but it turned rather introspective and shy after some time, leaving a bit of minerally glare.

Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Rosé de Saignée Extra Brut 1er, courtesy of LF at Putien (Kitchener), 19 Jun 2024. Pale rosy hue of grapefruit and mandarins. Rather lightweight. More open over time with a trace of sweetness but it could do with more fruit.

2013 Antoine Jobard Saint-Aubin Sur le Sentier du Clou 1er, courtesy of Hock Foong at Putien (Kitchener), 19 Jun 2024. Dull golden hue, proffering early oxidative tones on the nose whilst the medium-full palate is marked by dominant high-toned acidity, leading to an intense reductive character. Became highly introspective and backward over time, leaving glacial overtones of icing and vanillin that created some glare.

2016 Domaine Daniel Rion et Fils Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Hauts Pruliers 1er. Aired in bottle for ninety minutes ahead of dinner at Putien (Kitchener), 19 Jun 2024. Good colour. Lovely nose of ripe raspberries and red cherries with a delicious lifted warmth. Medium-full. Open with supple intensity and smooth rounded tannins, underscored by a subtle plummy vein. Immaculate balance.

2017 Domaine Philippe Chéron Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos des Varoilles monopole, courtesy of LF at Putien (Kitchener), 19 Jun 2024. Bright crimson, showing a certain restraint with a cool velvety ripeness. The copious fruit is a little darkish, imbued with sleek acidity and a note of soy, cushioned again by that lush velvetiness that impart power and concentration. Deserves several more years of cellaring. Great potential.

2017 Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos de la Marchale 1er, courtesy of CHS at Putien (Kitchener), 19 Jun 2024. Dull purplish tint, boasting a lifted elegance that carried subtle verve. Relaxed and open with that classic NSG earthiness. Medium weight. Very evenly proportioned with a fleshy delicious intensity though it faded towards its short finish.

2016 Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune Grèves Vigne de L’Enfant Jesus 1er, courtesy of Dr Ngoi at Putien (Kitchener), 19 Jun 2024. Good colour. This monopole of Bouchard boasts an excellent presence of ripe red fruits and cherries, slightly forward but undeniably delicious with a dash of sweetness. Well extracted with a focused cool intensity. Still youthful.