2000 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne, 1990 Sociando-Mallet, 1982 Haut-Brion, 1996 Margaux, 2004 Latour, 1970 Lynch-Bages, Mouton Rothschild 2001 & 1998, 1986 Silver Oak Bonny’s Vineyard

Hiok marked his auspicious completion of the cycle of five zodiac elements with a lovely dinner at Imperial Treasure Great World on 09 July 2024 with a great line-up to match the superb cuisine. All wines were blinded. The clarets were all drinking their vintages superbly while the 1990 Sociando-Mallet stood up to the First Growths. Many happy returns!

2004 Williams Selyem Allen Vineyard Chardonnay, courtesy of Pipin. Dull golden, slightly opaque. Some oxidation is evident, exuding notes of preserved orange peel and apricot with overtones of diesel. Distinctly mature. The fruit is clearly receding, barely hanging on, giving way to a glazed minerally palate with a domineering acidity that tapered to a spicy finish.

2000 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, courtesy of Sir Bob. Golden luminosity. The bouquet is quite sublime, where distilled white tones combine with secondary chalkiness in precise fashion to produce a very lovely glow. The medium-full palate is superbly integrated across the fruit and acidity, yielding refined depth and detail with a bit of minerally finish. Beautifully proportioned. Has breed and pedigree.

2009 Joseph Drouhin Montrachet Grand Cru Marquis de Laguiche, courtesy of Kieron. Dull golden. Somewhat funky on the nose where a damp pebbly note is evident. Surprisingly more developed as well on the palate where the fruit is distinctly backward, giving way to a bright glazed tone. Not quite the usual Montrachet of Drouhin. Probably bottle variation. May not be representative.

2015 Château Mouton Rothschild Aile d’Argent, courtesy of Vic. Lovely luminosity. Powerful nose of green fruits and lychees entirely consistent with the blend of sauvignon blanc-sémillon, just a little oxidative, tinged with a note of petroleum. The fruit, however, appears to be fading off towards the finish on the medium-weight palate though there is an accentuated lift of smooth acidity with notes of vanillin and peppermint to provide enough distraction.

1990 Château Sociando-Mallet. Still fairly deep in purple. Lovely complex of mulberries, raspberries and sweet plums on the nose amid overtones of dark rose petals. Beautifully soft and rounded, imbued with moderate layers of darkish fruit within its melted tannins. Still vibrant and fresh, laced with sublime acidity. Fleshed out with near-magisterial presence, yielding fine detail and subtle nuances entirely consistent with its northern Médoc origin. Finished well. More than just a poor man’s Lafite, just missing the opulence of a true premier cru.

1986 Silver Oak Bonny’s Vineyard Napa Valley, courtesy of LF. Deep crimson. Delicious presence of mature red fruits and berries underscored by darkish earthy elements. A little forwardly balanced though offset by excellent detail and layering, fleshing out with ample depth of black fruit and currants on a bed of subtle velvety tannins laced with a trace of sweetness.

1998 Château Mouton Rothschild, courtesy of Kieron. Deep crimson. Good lift of dark currants and red fruits though the soft fleshy palate carries only medium weight, structured with smooth tannins that are a little sweet, layered with ample fruit amid subtle nuances of green capsicum. Modest finish.

1996 Château Margaux, courtesy of Vic. Deep crimson, proffering a dark plummy bouquet. Rounded and fleshy, displaying a predominance of haw and mature red fruits that coat the open medium palate with a dash of sweetness underscored by subtle minerally elements. More accentuated over time, yielding refined power within its velvety texture. At its peak and will hold.

2001 Château Mouton Rothschild. Deep crimson. Distant dark fragrances amid rosy hues on the nose, displaying medium presence of fruit with overtones of dried mushrooms. Still rather youthful, wonderfully fresh and fleshy, yielding good definition. Highly integral and unassuming.

2004 Château Latour, courtesy of Hiok. Bright purplish crimson. Profusion of red fruits on the nose and palate, still laced with traces of vanillin. The tannins have softened considerably, allowing a distinct stoniness to emerge that exude a bright pebbly quality though there is a certain aloofness that is classically Latour. Entering its drinking window, but best to cellar another 8-10 years.

1970 Château Lynch-Bages, courtesy of Sir Bob. Opaque dull red. Fleshy with a juicy succulence of mature red fruits and mandarins. Still incredibly fresh, replete with very fine acidity, displaying excellent definition throughout its length. Not drying out at all. A complete wine.

1982 Château Haut-Brion, courtesy of Pipin. Mature orangey-crimson. The wine defies all logic, its layers of darkish fruit has not lost any of its glorious tone, still amazingly fresh with a classic core of kumquat supported by sublime acidity that exude lovely verve and agility with superb definition and precision. Immaculately proportioned without calling attention to itself. Wonderfully elegant, and likely to continue to hold its station. Outstanding!

1954 Cosecha Vina Real Compania Vinivola Del Norte, courtesy of LF. Opaque brownish, exuding a pervasive but faint sweetish tinge from characters of plums, peaches and haw that emanate from the mature fruit. Still quite amazingly fresh, displaying fine clarity but the finish is short. Strictly for afficionados of old Rioja.

2019 Château Rieussec. Luminous, proffering a controlled sweetness on the nose lightly sprinkled with malt and lychees. Concentrated and slightly luscious, yet never really domineering, allowing the essence of noble rot to come through, recalling tropical characters of durian and moi chee.