June 2026: 2022 Roulot Meursault Narvaux, 2015 Jean-Marc Roulot Puligny Folatières, 2010 J-F Mugnier NSG Clos de la Marechale, 2022 Atomique³ Le Basalt Chardonnay, 2023 Roses & Arrow Eola Springs Pinot Noir

Champagne Saint Louis NV at the club lounge of the Grand Hyatt Chengdu, 02 Jun 2026. Pale. Lively presence of distant green fruits and stony minerals within a sheen of soft bubbles, displaying fine intensity with good balance and structure. Drinking well.

2025 Penfolds Rawson’s Retreat Chardonnay, on board SQ843 TFU-SIN, 06 Jun 2026. Served in a paper cup in Economy Class (shame on you Singapore Airlines…totally unacceptable!!). Aromas of peaches, pears and yellow citrus amid a general chalkiness, showing good chardonnay character with just the right level of intensity, if somewhat faceless given Penfolds’ house style of multi-district blending.

Rockford Black Shiraz (2023 disgorgement). Popped and poured at Imperial Treasure Great World, 11 Jun 2026. Impenetrable deep purple, proffering classic notes of mocha, currants, black cherries and barbecue with a dash of licorice. The bubbles are baby soft, cushioning the weight of ample fruit laced with just the right degree of acidity amid a bare hint of sweetness. Opened up after some time to reveal its fabled notes of liqueur between lithe fleshy layers, conveying immediate delicious freshness.

2015 Jean-Marc Roulot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Les Folatières, courtesy of Vic at Jinjo, 12 Jun 2026. Light golden. This wine opens with a weighty mature chalkiness richly coated with crème de la crème, boasting very subtle layers of fruit laid on sublime acidity with overtones of nutmeg. Superbly integral with a feminine roundness that stretched with lovely length, finishing in a splash of diesel. Superb.

2022 Atomique³ Le Basalt Chardonnay, courtesy of Tristan Sjoberg at Jinjo, 12 Jun 2026. Very pale. Reductive though persuasive on the nose, perhaps more Puligny than Meursault. Highly supple, boasting keen citrus with a sharp lean definition that impart great balance and clarity with subtle acidity. From Willamette Valley, made by the same team at Roses & Arrow in collaboration with Jean-Marc Roulot.

2022 Frédèric Cossard Puligny-Montrachet, aired in advance before dinner at Jinjo, 12 Jun 2026. Light golden. Gentle whiff of longans and white fruits with a floral undertow, imbued with a cool supple glacial intensity though there is a distinct salinity as well, developing further notes of tangerines.

2022 Domaine Roulot Meursault Narvaux, courtesy of Sir Bob at Jinjo, 12 Jun 2026. Popped and poured. Pale luminosity. Good lift of subtle shades of nutmeg and balsamic elements. Smooth and seamlessly integrated with lean chiseled definition, fleshing out with a minerally tension amid cool tones.

2010 Domaine Jacques-Frédèric Mugnier Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Clos de la Marechale monopole, courtesy of Sir Bob at Jinjo, 12 Jun 2026. Classic pinot tint. Quite effusive in delicious currants and raspberries on the nose and medium-full palate, displaying a pointed acidity offset by the cool ripeness of fruit tinged with mandarins.

2023 Roses & Arrow Eola Springs Pinot Noir, courtesy of Tristan Sjoberg at Jinjo, 12 Jun 2026. Popped and poured. Rather darkish in demeanour from its abundant black fruits and dark cherries. Very expertly crafted with a rounded fleshiness in spite of the bold presence of fruit, dressed in supple acidity with imperceptible tannins and a bit of earthy undertow. Great balance. Moderate length. Maiden vintage, made from vines planted only in 2019.

2023 Cordero di Montezemolo Barbera d’Alba, by the glass at Locanda, 20 Jun 2026. Deep garnet. Intense red fruits with darkish overtones on the nose and palate. Imbued with supple concentration of fruit within a svelte tannin structure that impart plenty of lovely tension with a sweetish undertow. Modest finish.

2021 Peccavi Chardonnay. Popped and poured at Astoria Brasserie, 24 Jun 2026. Pale luminosity. Quite effusive in peaches, kiwis and green fruits, boasting rich luxuriant layers on the palate with a distinct note of earthy reduction, imbued with just the right degree of vivacious acidity. Utterly delicious, developing further dimension as a dash of keen citrus crept in, stretching out with lush persistence. This is my favourite Margaret River chardonnay, better in value and drinking pleasure than Leeuwin Estate.

2023 Château Rousseau Cuvée Tradition, 30 Jun 2026 at Summer Hill. Very deep purple. Darkish in demeanour with a predominance of black fruits, earth and ferrous undertones that impart a distinct austerity. Fairly well integrated, developing a sheen of graphite minerals within svelte tannins with a bit of sweetish undertow.