Jan 2025: 2017 Roagna Montefico V. V., 2009 Armand Rousseau Clos de la Roche, 2020 Marc Roy Marsannay Champs Perdrix 2005 Episode One, 1995 Ridge Monte Bello, 2014 Louis Jadot Gevrey Clos St-Jacques, 2021 00 EGW, 1996 Château d’Yquem

A bumper crop of tastings to kick off the New Year…

2021 Château La Gamaye Cuvée Prestige. Popped and poured over dinner at the in-laws, 05 Jan 2025. Deep purple. Surprisingly good fleshy presence of quality fruit for a table wine, displaying refined acidity and well-managed but slightly dryish tannins, marked by undertones of wood shavings. Really serviceable.

Champagne Chartogne-Taillet Sainte Anne Extra Brut NV, courtesy of Mr Soo Hoo at Park 90, 08 Jan 2025. Pale. Good lift of yeasty overtones, boasting lovely depth of dense minerally elements and refreshing complex citrus in equal measure within smooth creamy textures. Modest finish.

2009 Domaine Armand Rousseau Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, courtesy of Mr Soo Hoo at Park 90, 08 Jan 2025. Some age is evident from the evolved purple, exuding a highly perfumed bouquet of floral rosy hues and other feminine characters. Medium presence. Highly integral and agile, its utterly seamless layers underscored by striking acidity that impart a touch of exuberance though there isn’t much inner detail beyond its classy elegance. Modest finish.

2021 00 Wines VGR, courtesy of Mr Soo Hoo at Park 90, 08 Jan 2025. Evolved purple. Slightly darkish for pinot, tinged with raspberries and chocolate, displaying controlled restraint though a tad more structured and masculine than the preceding Clos de la Roche. Open with refined clarity and transparency within a slender frame, bringing its dark cherries into greater focus, tempered by ferrous undertones.

2021 00 Wines EGW, courtesy of Mr Soo Hoo at Park 90, 08 Jan 2025. Poured from magnum. Pale, proffering gentle wafts of lime, citrus crème and fig. Creamy smooth and velvety, underpinned by sublime acidity with a tinge of coconut. Fleshed out gradually with excellent concentration of subtle white fruits and polished minerals within its seamless layers, developing a bit of stony chalkiness as it stretched out with subtle persistence. Superbly integral and elegant, so much so that I’d thought it was a Bâtard-Montrachet from the Chassagne side.

2022 Jean-Marie Fourrier Puligny-Montrachet, courtesy of Mr Soo Hoo at Park 90, 08 Jan 2025. Pale. Cool glacial tones amid floral fragrance and green fruits. Quite sharply delineated, accentuated by its high-toned acidity against velvety textures and minerally undertones. Almost reductive.

2017 Roagna Barbaresco Montefico Vecchie Viti, courtesy of Mr Soo Hoo at Park 90, 08 Jan 2025. Evolved crimson. This Barbaresco is highly burgundian in character, proffering delicious red fruits and haw on the nose and medium palate underpinned by refined acidity that impart fine clarity though it’s a tad straightforward, finishing with trailing notes of incense.

2021 Maxime Cheurlin Noëllat Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Feusselottes, courtesy of Monsieur Bernard Delmas at Park 90, 08 Jan 2025. Popped and poured. Rather dark for pinot with a deep crimson core, proffering a forward bouquet of cedar, currants and dark cherries. Well-extracted with a savoury richness and ripe concentration underpinned by a firm minerally spine and pronounced acidity, displaying a controlled restraint in spite of its outsized potential.

2021 Penfolds Max’s Shiraz-Cabernet, aired in bottle for two hours ahead of dinner at the in-laws, 12 Jan 2025. Deep purple. Well-endowed in dark currants and blackberries that offer excellent freshness and fleshy presence with soft tannins and well-integrated acidity. Drinks well.

2021 Domaine Jean Chartron Puligny-Montrachet 1er Clos de la Pucelle monopole. Aired in bottle ahead of dinner at Otto Ristorante, 13 Jan 2025. Pale golden. Pears and tropical fruits dominate on the nose while copious citrus fruits oozed with explosive bloom, painting the concentrated palate with lush density and just the right degree of acidity, developing a bit of chalky shine some time later. Finished with lengthy persistence.

2004 Champagne Dom Pérignon P2, courtesy of MH at Otto Ristorante, 13 Jan 2025. Golden Luminosity. Quite glorious on the nose, boasting fresh citrus and chalky complexity. Beautifully layered with a darkish minerally depth amid dryish yeasty tones, developing an intense expanse of fruit with a rich minerally undertow that stretched with glowing persistence and regal elegance, stamped with impeccable pedigree.

2016 Domaine Pierre-Yvés Colin-Morey Meursault Charmes 1er, courtesy of LF at Otto Ristorante, 13 Jan 2025. Pale, exuding cool glacial tones of white fruits and clear citrus. Quite lush and velvety, caressing the palate with understated intensity and subtle depth. Not as reductive as expected.

2014 Domaine Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos-Saint-Jacques, aired ahead of dinner at Otto Ristorante, 13 Jan 2025. Classic pinot tint. Warm bouquet of red fruits and cherries, wonderfully ripe with a lovely perfumed intensity. There is a bit of earthiness beneath its youthful intensity, layered with a sense of oily density that added further dimension to its refinement. Beautifully balanced with subtle vigour. Moderate finish.

2016 Domaine Clos du Moulin Aux Moines Pommard 1er Clos Orgelot monopole, courtesy of Jimmy at Otto Ristorante, 13 Jan 2025. Purplish pinot tint, proffering a delicious lift of bright cherries and red fruits that matched the forward balance on the tensile medium weight palate. Very well-integrated though on the lean side, structured with velvety tannins that impart understated intensity. I’ve never heard of this producer but it is very good, indeed.

2017 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Chambolle-Musigny 1er, courtesy of CHS at Otto Ristorante, 13 Jan 2025. Rather dark and shy on the nose though the medium-full palate is quite lush and lively with refined acidity, giving way after some time to structured dryish tannins tinged with enamel and vanillin.

2012 Domaine François Lamarche Vosne-Romanée 1er Aux Malconsorts, courtesy of Vic at Otto Ristorante, 13 Jan 2025. Classic pinot tint. Fairly full with a lovely warm ripeness, the darkish fruit tinged with earthy characters within a frame of structured dryish tannins that impart a hint of gunmetal flint.

2014 Domaine du Clos Frantin Vosne-Romanée 1er Aux Malconsorts at Otto Ristorante, 13 Jan 2025. Classic pinot crimson. There is some restraint on the nose though the open medium-weight palate boasts lithe agility with a refined intensity of red fruits and fine acidity. Finished well with a dash of medicinal overtones.

2011 Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, courtesy of Ngoi at Otto Ristorante, 13 Jan 2025. Bright crimson. Very lovely cherries and rosy floral hues on the nose along with other secondary characters. Wonderfully fresh, boasting a delicious intense succulence from the lush layers of fruit that impart superb mouthfeel all the way to its perfumed finish.

1996 Château d’Yquem, courtesy of Sanjay at Otto Ristorante, 13 Jan 2025. Displaying a deep golden lustre, this Sauternes is still remarkably youthful, imbued with tertiary characters of apricot, cinnamon and mandarins that impart a lascivious concentrated intensity amid medicinal overtones. May not have peaked.

2020 Domaine Marc Roy Marsannay Les Champs Perdrix, courtesy of Damien at Jade Palace, 19 Jan 2025. Pale. A high line of delicate citrus and pomelo cuts through the cool glacial tones on the crisp reductive palate, tightly concentrated with a hint of steely austerity. Very cleanly delineated with subtle depth, giving way to a gentle creaminess throughout its unassuming length.

2019 Domaine de la Vougeraie Vougeot 1er Le Clos Blanc de Vougeot. Aired in bottle for three hours ahead of lunch at Jade Palace, 19 Jan 2025. Delicate lime and citrus on the nose. Medium-full, boasting a rounded bloom of white floral tones, structured with sublime acidity that impart focused intensity with excellent verve.

1998 Daniel Moine-Hudelot Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, courtesy of Brian at Jade Palace, 19 Jan 2025. Darkish tint of pinot, delivering a forward bouquet of beguiling fragrance. Highly agile and lithe, still imbued with lovely sweetish fruit at the core with a saline tinge, the superb acidity producing smooth attack. Impeccably balanced. Quite splendid.

2016 Henri et Gilles Remoriquet Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Les Damodes, courtesy of Daniel at Jade Palace, 19 Jan 2025. Deep purplish core, some crimson, producing a fairly sharp lift of plums and abundant red fruits tinged with paraffin. Medium weight and fleshy with structured supple tannins, showing good concentration and detail. Modest finish. Good refinement, but its NSG character doesn’t quite come through.

2003 Château de Fonsalette, courtesy of Alvin at Jade Palace, 19 Jan 2025. Decanted on-site. Evolved crimson. Big and well-developed on the nose with a distinct sweetness. Open with soft tannins, developing supple intensity and lovely tension from the fine acidity with a dash of savouriness.

2013 Domaine Anne Gros Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Les Damodes, courtesy of Alvin and tasted in the presence of Madame Anne Gros at Jade Palace, 19 Jan 2025. Classic pinot tint. Some spice and capsicum amid blueberries and raspberries. Medium presence. Quite fleshy with a distinct salinity though the NSG terroir remains elusive. Modest finish. Only three vintages were produced from 2013-5 before the plot was sold.

2019 Weingut Markus Molitor Graacher Himmelreich Mosel Pinot Noir***, courtesy of Daniel at Jade Palace, 19 Jan 2025. Good pinot tint. Effusive in red fruits and rosy hues with a pointed lift. Medium presence. Quite integral, the fruit unmistakably pinot in character with a dash of minty coolness though one can tell it isn’t a burgundy, not showing much inner detail.

2020 Weingut Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Kabinett, courtesy of Daniel at Jade Palace, 19 Jan 2025. Decanted on site. Pale golden. Effusive with a distinctive note of diesel. High-toned delicate palate though only medium weight, imbued with fairly crisp acidity and fine definition within a slender profile. Good balance. Fleshy, and not too dry. 10.5% abv.

2007 Kistler Sonoma Coast Les Noseliers, courtesy of Alvin at Jade Palace, 19 Jan 2025. Deeply coloured. Predominance of apricot and medicinal characters on the nose. Distinctly autumnal, where the honeyed overtones are still unable to conceal the fact that the fruit has begun to recede although the acidity is still intact, becoming increasingly dominant in intensity.

2016 Bass Philip Premium Pinot Noir, courtesy of Yvonne at Jade Palace, 19 Jan 2025. Aged pinot tint. Gentle rosy fragrance. Lively with sublime acidity. Fullish and vibrant, displaying lovely restraint and ripeness of raspberries and cherries with a bit of tensile quality within its soft tannins, underscored by an increasing salinity.

2007 Henschke Cyril Henschke, courtesy of WCY at Jade Palace, 19 Jan 2025. Evolved opaque purple, opening with broad swathes of black cherries and dark roses tinged with sweet eucalyptus. The cool fruit is expressed at full ripeness with controlled hedonism on a bed of elegant velvety tannins that impart understated structure and intensity. Modest finish. A Bordeaux blend of 75% cabernet sauvignon.

2012 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Puligny-Montrachet 1er Folatieres. Aired for an hour ahead of the family’s CNY lunch at Imperial Treasure Great World, 25 Jan 2025. Luminous. Mandarins and copious citrus fruits dominate with an oily density amid a distinct salinity. Quite sleek and fullish, becoming more minerally over time with a trace of stoniness along with further notes of mature apricot. Drinking very well.

2020 Le Puy Emilien. Popped and poured at the in-laws, 26 Jan 2025. Fairly deep garnet, opening with an unusual reductive earthiness on the nose that didn’t quite go with the weighty palate of raspberries and black cherries underscored by striking acidity. Robust and rustic.

2017 Kenzo Estate Rindo. Aired in bottle for about two hours ahead of dinner at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 27 Jan 2025. Deep garnet. Cool, ripe and delicious with a slightly accentuated nose of red plums and cherries. A tad forward and savoury on the medium-full palate, offering fleshy chewy detail within a framework of smooth refined tannins.

2005 Prince of Hearts, courtesy of Melvin at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 27 Jan 2025. Deep garnet, showing a controlled restraint of dark plums. Fullish with silky smooth textures, beautifully balanced and nuanced with just the right degree of ripeness, developing dryish tones of charcoal ember towards its finish. Almost feminine.

1995 Ridge Monte Bello, courtesy of Russ at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 27 Jan 2025. Deep crimson, exuding a lifted warm earthy pungency expected of a mature cabernet. Very sleek and open with a relaxed gentle presence, dressed in silky tannins that impart a certain plushness. Superb.

2004 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz, courtesy of Kieron at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 27 Jan 2025. Popped and poured after some aeration. Deep garnet. Broad swathes of cool ripe plummy Barossa fruit dominate on a firm base of stony minerals that impart overtones of pochai pills, still laced with substantial vanillin and enamel. Undeniably big and forward but showing controlled hedonism and intensity. Still youthful.

2005 Episode One (Michel Rolland), courtesy of Kieron at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 27 Jan 2025. Decanted on-site. Deep garnet. Came across more like a New World cabernet, displaying an accentuated lift of cedary currants and evolved plummy fruit that lit the open palate with sharp focus, boasting a controlled tensile presence of wonderfully ripe fruit structured with sweet subtle tannins. Highly integral and delicious, its understated intensity adding further sophistication as it evolved with more inner detail. This is the inaugural vintage of a limited production made from a plot within Château d’Arsac (Margaux), each vintage being vinified by a celebrity vigneron.

2020 Château Laffitte Carcasset. Aired in bottle for 3-4 hours prior to dinner at the in-laws, 28 Jan 2025. Deep garnet. There is a huge abundance of deep dark plummy fruit and black currants imbued with a distinct minerally tone that firms up the medium-full palate with a slight austerity, tempered by reasonably supple tannins. Made by the same team from Château Angélus, this is a serious claret that demands years of cellaring.