Aug 2025: 2010 Philipponnat Les Cintres, 2009 Armand Rousseau Clos Saint-Jacques, 2015 Bruno Clair Clos Saint-Jacques 1er, 2009 Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux Échezeaux, 2014 Domaine Dublère Corton-Charlemagne 2017 Comtes Lafon Meursault Clos de Barre, 2001 Williams Selyem Rochioli Riverblock, 2005 Aubert Chardonnay

2016 Domaine de Montille Puligny-Montrachet 1er Le Caillerets. Aired ahead of dimsum at Imperial Treasure Great World, 02 Aug 2025. This wine boasts a crystalline clarity in spite of its minerally density, highly refined with cool glacial tones and understated acidity throughout its lovely length. Developed bit of oily texture over time. May be half a step behind the 2017 but it is still very fine.

2014 Domaine Dublère Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, courtesy of Kwine at Shang Palace, 04 Aug 2025. Luminous golden hue. Quite glorious with an immediacy of chromatic chalky tones seamlessly integrated with distilled white fruits and exquisite minerality that impart superb tension and density across its full expanse. Settled down with a refined rounded clarity where its initial richness is somewhat reined in, developing a lithe elegance with a tinge of vanillin sweetness throughout its lovely length.

2022 Domaine Fernand et Laurent Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Vide Bourse, at Shang Palace, 04 Aug 2025. Pale, exuding a cool glacial transparency with a delicate minerally presence before becoming gradually more intense with emerging notes of frangipani followed by the classic dense white tones of Chassagne. Plenty of promise here.

1997 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Clos du Château des Ducs monopole, courtesy of Roger at Shang Palace, 04 Aug 2025. Displaying an evolved pinot tint with a brownish core, this wine is simply quite brilliant on the nose, exuding a beguiling fragrance amid leathery autumnal aromas of mature red plums. Medium-weight. Still imbued with very fine acidity, the fruit a tad backward initially, becoming more agile and livelier as its layers unfurl to reveal a distinct feminine grace.

2009 Domaine Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos Saint-Jacques, courtesy of Kieron at Shang Palace, 04 Aug 2025. Displaying some evolution with a deep crimson core, this wine is wonderfully nuanced with a supple density of cherries and red fruits underscored by sublime acidity that exert a clean tensile presence, though such is the degree of expert craftmanship that its exquisite intensity never spirals out of control, yielding great definition even as it turned more minerally over time. Outstanding.

2006 Champagne Dom Pérignon Rosé, courtesy of CJ at San Shu Gong (New Bahru), 05 Aug 2025. Good colour, proffering shades of grapefruit and mandarins though surprisingly reticent. The fullish palate boasts a cool freshness of slick acidity and modest supple intensity with a faint layer of crème. Drinking well.

2015 Champagne Dom Pérignon, courtesy of Lui HF at San Shu Gong (New Bahru), 05 Aug 2025. Rather reluctant on the nose. Gently nuanced with opaque green fruits, rather laidback, yielding fine clarity and modest intensity but it is somewhat underwhelming and lacklustre.

2010 Champagne Philipponnat Les Cintres Extra Brut, courtesy of Vic at San Shu Gong (New Bahru), 05 Aug 2025. Pale greenish. Distant orchard fruit on the nose that belies the refined reductive intensity of concentrated clear citrus and ferrous undertones cushioned by very soft bubbles, producing a flinty lift of match-stick cinder. Drinking well.

2005 Aubert Chardonnay, courtesy of LF at San Shu Gong (New Bahru), 05 Aug 2025. Dull golden. This wine exudes lovely tones of glazed caramel and rye from its refined layers of dense white fruit, evoking elegant complexity. Developed an understated glacial lift amid a trace of sweetness as it fanned out with delicate detail. Superb.

2017 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault Clos de la Barre, courtesy of Sanjay at San Shu Gong (New Bahru), 05 Aug 2025. Pale. Cool glacial tones dominate from the superb layers of fruit and lithe acidity within its slender frame. Still primal in its terse supple intensity laced with traces of mint. Modest finish. Excellent.

2017 Hospices de Beaune Meursault-Charmes 1er Cuvée Bahezre de Lanlay, courtesy of Sanjay at San Shu Gong (New Bahru), 05 Aug 2025. Pale. Green fruits and orchard dominate, producing a rounded teasing quality with attractive detailed intensity. Distinctly femininely. A little withdrawn at this stage compared with previous tastings, though it did flesh out later with balsamic elements. From a barrel with élevage by Bouchard, bottled into 150 magnums.

2015 Domaine Bruno Clair Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos Saint-Jacques, at San Shu Gong (New Bahru), 05 Aug 2025. Good colour, exuding a rosy fragrance of ripe cherries and rose petals though the palate is only medium-weight, rather laidback with considerable restraint in spite of the relative density of fruit, laced with a dash of tea leaves.

2001 Williams Selyem Rochioli Riverblock Vineyard Pinot Noir, courtesy of LF at San Shu Gong (New Bahru), 05 Aug 2025. Displaying a fairly deep crimson, this wine opens with distinct balsamic elements amid rosy tones, matched by sweet velvety tannins that produce keen attack in spite of its gentle roundedness. Shows great burgundian character.

2009 Domaine Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Richebourg Grand Cru, courtesy of MH. Classic pinot tint. Open with a minty plummy nose. Deliciously slick, boasting ample depth of fruit with early secondary traits of cinnamon within supple tannins.

2009 Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux Échezeaux Grand Cru, courtesy of CHS at San Shu Gong (New Bahru), 05 Aug 2025. Deeply coloured. Restrained bouquet of distant plums and tea leaves. Beautifully open and integral with subtle depth, underscored by sleek supple tannins. Gently aristocratic. Not showy.

2019 A.F. Gros Bourgogne Rouge, over dinner at Verandah on 08 Aug 2025. Very good presence of rose petals, cherries and haw, classically structured with understated acidity and refined tannins. Fleshy, rounded and elegant. Highly pleasurable.

2018 St Hallett Old Block Shiraz. Popped and poured over dinner at Verandah on 08 Aug 2025. Deep garnet. Dark cherries and ripe raspberries in equal measure laid on velvety tannins amid a dash of licorice, fairly soft and lush. Drinking surprisingly well.

1999 Domaine Robert Ampeau et Fils Auxey-Duresses 1er Eccuseaux. Aired in bottle ahead of dinner at Tonny, 14 Aug 2025. Good colour, proffering darkish plummy fruit with autumnal overtones. Rather slender with medium presence though the fruit is still wonderfully fresh, structured with sleek tannins underscored by a distinct sweetness that grew in stature and intensity over time. At its best.

2009 Goulée. Aired in bottle for four hours ahead of dinner at the in-laws, 17 Aug 2025. Deep purple. This Médoc made by Cos D’Estournel is richly layered in ripe raspberries, dark cherries, black currants and plums, supported by fresh lively acidity seamlessly integrated with rounded tensile tannins. Well extracted but not overdone, maintaining good balance and refinement all through its long minty finish of 14.5% abv.

2022 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay. Aired for two hours ahead of dimsum at Wah Lok, 24 Aug 2025. This wine opens with a note of white pepper on the nose matched by a deep vein of yellow citrus and pomelo imbued with a distinct salinity. Very cleanly delineated with a supple teasing quality, fleshing out with integral white tones and sublime acidity within a delicate sheen of crème. Highly burgundian.

2010 Château Chasse-Spleen. Aired in bottle followed by decanting on-site at Cook & Brew, 27 Aug 2025. Deep garnet. Intense warm gravel, dark plums and currants on the nose. Quite full. Well-layered with rounded soft tannins imbued with a touch of graphite minerals and vegetal undertones in the best manner, supported by firm acidity. Fine linearity and finish.

2017 Domaine Henri Richard Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Corvées, courtesy of Charlotte and David from the restaurant list of Pura Brasa, 29 Aug 2025. Bright crimson, proffering a generous rosy fragrance from the fleshy supple presence of cherries and red fruits underpinned by slick acidity and pliant tannins. Subtly layered with feminine intensity. Drinking beautifully.

2023 Jean-Pierre et Alexandre Ellevin Chablis, from the list of M&T Bistro, 30 Aug 2025. Pale. Green fruits and leafy mint on the nose. The fruit is rather backward, yielding fine clarity. An easy drink.

2005 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste. Semi-double decanted for three hours ahead of dinner at the in-laws, 31 Aug 2025. Deep garnet. Dark plums, black fruits, currants and herbal spice dominate on the nose, matched by a dense darkish palate underpinned by undertones of forest floor, the austerity offset to some extent by fresh acidity and pliant tannins.