August 2026: 2002 Piper-Heidsieck Rare, 2015 Château de Marsannay Chambertin, 2016 Ponsot Morey-Saint-Denis Alouettes, 2015 Grivot Vosne-Romanée Beaux Monts, 2020 Château La Tour Figeac

2014 The Otazu Bond. Poured from magnum after airing in bottle for almost five hours prior on the occasion of Jonathan’s clinic opening, 01 Aug 2026. Deep garnet. Fairly lifted in red plummy fruit and cinnamon amid a distinct note of exotic Asian spices that continued onto the medium palate, displaying decent layers of darker fruit supported by ferrous minerals that finished in a spicy flourish. A blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot and 15% tempranillo by yours truly, made from the best grapes of Bodegas Otazu classified as Vino de Pago.

2021 M Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage, 06 Aug 2026, at Crab At Bay. Yellowish. Highly enticing bouquet of floral hues, yellow citrus and apricot with a bit of stoniness. Classically proportioned with a cool refreshing presence, its citrus and lemon peel imparting lean intensity amidst a high-toned acidity. Drinking well.

2017 Olivier Bernstein Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Les Cazetiers, courtesy of Dr Ngoi at Imperial Treasure Huaiyang, 12 Aug 2026. Classic pinot tint. Fairly effusive in mature plums, haw and cinnamon. Medium-bodied. Very sleek, boasting lithe supple agility with imperceptible tannins, developing a superb glowing bouquet over time.

2016 Domaine Georges Noëllat Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Aux Cras, courtesy of Mr Nasrat at Imperial Treasure Huaiyang, 12 Aug 2026. Good colour. A little forward in rye, summer hay, raspberries and mulberries tinged with sweetness. The medium-full palate is cleanly delineated and precise, generously proportioned with ripe darkish fruit laced with a high-toned acidity, finishing with a hint of stems.

2016 Domaine Ponsot Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cuvée des Alouettes, courtesy of Sanjay at Imperial Treasure Huaiyang, 12 Aug 2026. Good colour. Some gluey character is still discernible in spite of early secondary development though it fails to distract from the generous depth of cool savoury darkish fruit with undertones of forest notes and mahogany, imparting lovely tensile presence. Excellent.

2015 Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Beaux Monts, courtesy of Vic at Imperial Treasure Huaiyang, 12 Aug 2026. Good colour. Effusive in dense darkish rosy hues tinged with pochai. Medium-weight. Wonderfully fresh and fleshy with sophisticated rounded tannins that impart a rather feminine stance for Vosne-Romanée, supported by a deeper vein of black fruits that yield fine detail.

2015 Château de Marsannay Chambertin Grand Cru at Imperial Treasure Huaiyang, 12 Aug 2026. Aired in bottle for five hours prior. Good colour. Rather restrained initially, yielding just a bare hint of plummy fruit before opening up with a gradual emerging reddish glow. Equally understated on the palate, displaying soft velvety textures with refined acidity that fleshed out beautifully into a gentle integral whole, classically proportioned without calling attention to itself. Very classy. Far better than the 2014.

2012 Domaine Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos Saint-Jacques, courtesy of LF at Imperial Treasure Huaiyang, 12 Aug 2026. Poured from magnum. Displaying a superb purplish ruby tint, this wine was inexplicably shut on the nose though fleshy palate was showing well, classically proportioned and integrated with a cool ripeness of fruit and lovely acidity that confer fine detail.

2017 Domaine du Clos de Tart Clos de Tart Grand Cru. courtesy of Soo Kian at Imperial Treasure Huaiyang, 12 Aug 2026. Good colour, proffering an enticing feminine rosy fragrance whilst the fleshy medium-weight palate is imbued with minerally detail and definition, structured with soft tannins and refined acidity. A true reflection of the vintage.

2007 Domaine Daniel Rion et Fils Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, courtesy of Mr Nasrat at Imperial Treasure Huaiyang, 12 Aug 2026. Classic pinot tint. Opens with some restraint although the fullish palate is rather masculine, boasting an oily tensile density set against well-defined tannins, tinged with a dash of varnish.

2002 Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Rare, courtesy of Dr WKW at Otto Ristorante, 13 Aug 2026. Luminous gold, exuding a very lovely complex of distant chalk, white fruits and crème de la crème that carried well onto the cool plush palate cushioned by a luxurious sheen of very soft bubbles that impart gentle velvety intensity with emerging chromatic tones. One is truly tasting the distilled essence of refined power and elegance. This has great pedigree and sophistication. Superb.

2022 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay. Aired in bottle for five hours prior, tasted over lunch at Otto Ristorante, 13 Aug 2026. Pale. Cool icing and overtones of nutmeg dominate with elegant intensity from the fleshy layers of orchard fruit and subtle chalk, displaying good refinement and delectable acidity with a dash of diesel. Good length.

2023 Billaud Simon Chablis 1er Les Vaillons, served at Coleads 30th Anniversary Gala at Ritz-Carlton Millenia, Singapore, 29 Aug 2026. Delicious green fruits dominate, fanning out with soft floral tones and subtle acidity, displaying fine clarity through its understated layers.

2023 Domaine Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin, served at Coleads 30th Anniversary Gala at Ritz-Carlton Millenia, Singapore, 29 Aug 2026. Darkish in colour, proffering mushrooms and forest characters on the nose whilst mulberries and dark plummy fruit dominate on the medium palate, supported by a firm minerally base.

2013 Arrigo Giovanni Barolo Ravera. Poured from magnum at Coleads 30th Anniversary Gala at Ritz-Carlton Millenia, Singapore, 29 Aug 2026. Opague reddish-brown. Rather plummy in the mouth. Softly contoured with silky-smooth tannins, firming up over time with greater verve and intensity amid a dense minerally presence. Needs food and plenty of time to get going.

2020 Château La Tour Figeac. Aired for five hours in bottle prior to lunch at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 31 Aug 2026. Deep garnet, exuding savoury aromas with a prominent note of cedar and a hint of vanillin sweetness. Fairly taut, exerting lovely tension across the weighty medium-full palate imbued with ripe dark fruits and blackberries. Morphed into a seamless fleshy whole with unobtrusive tannins, maintaining its darkish demeanour. Highly successful. Only Grand Cru Classé of Saint-Émilion, but this is a real gem at SGD73 off the shelf.