Ric's Wine Journal

The great Dr Ngoi very generously hosted a dinner on 02 October 2023 at Imperial Treasure, Great World City, Singapore, in honour of Monsieur Philippe Capdouze’s 60th, certainly a most auspicious occasion. The theme was Vosne and we all duly obliged. An evening of great excesses, no doubt, but it would be sinful not to finish every drop. Merci beaucoup!

2018 Les Treilles. 100% chenin blanc from Anjou. Poured from magnum. Pale. Perfumed floral aromas tinged with a hint of vanillin sweetness. Layered with fine clarity and sleek definition. More effusive in powdery white tones over time with a growing sweet intensity, yielding fabulous detail.

Champagne Chevreux-Bournazel La Parcelle NV, courtesy of Dr Ngoi. Poured from magnum. Light golden. Wet grassy nose, strongly resembling post-rain funk. Medium-full. Very good presence of clear citrus that exert controlled intensity with attractive detail, settling down with relaxed demeanour after some time.

2018 Domaine Michel Noëllat Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts 1er. Good color. Generously endowed with darkish fruit interspersed with reddish highlights. Medium weight. Highly supple, seamlessly integrated with a subtle minerally vein. Impeccably proportioned with elegant verve. Great potential.

2017 Domaine J Coudray-Bizot Vosne-Romanée La Croix Rameau 1er, courtesy of Dr Ngoi. Classic pinot pint. Effusive rosy hues. Medium-full, imbued with an oily density within its seamless depth, exuding feminine intensity throughout its length. Only one of three owners of this tiny 0.6-ha plot.

2018 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Vosne-Romanée La Colombière, courtesy of CHS. Good colour. Vibrant rosy tones and red fruits dominate, superbly structured with silky smooth tannins that exert lovely intensity. Highly integral and feminine, finishing with excellent length and linearity.

2019 Jean-Luc & Eric Burguet Vosne-Romanée Les Rouges du Dessus 1er, courtesy of Jordan. Classic pinot tint. Distilled fragrance of rose petals and red fruits laced with a note of ember that teased with delicate intensity on the medium palate. Good cohesion.

2014 Albert Bichot Domaine du Clos Frantin Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts 1er. Classic pinot tint. Delicious nose of rose petals amid haw and red fruits though the fruit is more recessed on the palate in favour of a more prominent saline note, displaying a furred biting intensity.

2009 Maison Roche Bellene Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts 1er. Slightly darkish tint. Rather reticent in fruit, shrouded by a powdery medicinal quality that obscure its ample depth of dark currants. Medium-full, imbued with supple intensity and power within a frame of sweet resolved tannins.

2013 Claire Naudin (Domaine Henri Naudin-Ferrand) Échezeaux Grand Cru, courtesy of Gisela. Evolved pinot tint. Lovely lift of perfumed rosy fragrance, leading to a highly elegant, seamlessly layered open presence with plenty of feminine charm. From the wife of Jean-Yes Bizot.

2008 Jean-Luc & Paul Argeter Échezeaux Grand Cru. Brownish-red. Heavier presence of orangey-red hues from the ample depth of kumquat fruit. Open with supple intensity, displaying excellent linearity.

2014 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, courtesy of Philippe Capdouze. Classic pinot tint, proffering a well-defined bouquet of raspberries and mandarins with a tint of paraffin. Medium-full. Supple and well-structured with great refinement, developing further complexity with effusive powdery medicinal overtones that teased with gloved power and lithe intensity.

2014 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche Grand Cru, courtesy of Philippe Capdouze. Good colour. Rather restrained on the nose. The attention is clearly centered on the palate, boasting a controlled verve of intense mandarins and kumquat that offer tremendous inner detail with superb clarity of its layers of fruit, refined tannins and sublime acidity even though they are seamlessly integral. The nose came through much later, an effusive beguiling complex of perfumed characters that added further dimension to its length and finish. As always, La Tâche is truly a complete wine.

2010 Domaine Prieuré Roch Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er PURE, courtesy of Winfred. Evolved pinot tint, indicating some age, proffering plummy red fruits, bramble and herbs marked by a sweetish entry on an earthy dusty base. Good rounded presence.

2014 Domaine de L’Arlot Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er, courtesy of Vic. Good colour. Generously endowed with red fruits that impart effusive fragrance and rosy intensity from its subtle depth. Considerably more mellow after some time, revealing early secondary characters against a slightly dryish backdrop. This final effort of Jacques Devauges (before he left for Cos de Tart) has character. Excellent.

2014 Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er, courtesy of John. Good colour. Unusual sharp note of capsicum amid red fruits on the nose. Medium-full. Good concentration, imbued with lovely freshness and purity though the finish is a little short.

2005 Domaine Dominique Laurent Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er. Poured from magnum. Good extraction, displaying a brilliant ruby, leading to a weighty palate of ripe wild berries and bramble that exude a bit of mustiness.

2000 Bouchard Père et Fils La Romanée Grand Cru, courtesy of Sameer. Good colour with a distinct crimson rim, exuding a cool ripeness of mature red fruits with glowing rosy hues. Utterly seamless and impeccably proportioned though the fruit appears rather distant, laced with understated acidity, giving the illusion of a certain weightlessness on the medium palate almost to the point of aloofness, finishing with fine linearity. Highly feminine. You probably can’t tell this is the great monopole grand cru if blinded.

2009 Maison Leroy Vosne-Romanée, courtesy of Nasrat. Evolved color. Nose of warm gravel amid a gentle feminine lift of mature red fruits. Rounded and utterly seamless, yet wonderfully detailed in its subtle layering, imparting regal elegance with effortless grace. Drinking even better than the 2000 Bouchard La Romanée Grand Cru. The old lady certainly knows how to work her magic.

2002 Château d’Yquem, courtesy of Winfred. Dull golden. Wonderfully perfumed bouquet, literally leaping out from its rich luscious depth of nectarine and apricot that shone with brilliant intensity of white tones. Amazingly lithe and agile, only just developing some early maturity. Excellent.

FICOFI held a large-format evening at 1-Atico, perched on the 55th floor of ION Orchard, Singapore, on 22 September 2023 where bottles of jeroboam, imperial and double-magnums abound. Wines in large format generally age better and retain their freshness longer due to a much lower surface-to-air ratio between the wine and the bottom of the cork, lesser micro-oxygenation and the thicker glass which insulates against temperature variation and light penetration. This was evident that evening where the 1976 Bouchard Clos de la Mousse and 1990 Pichon Lalande were wonderfully expressive. Where cost and practicalities are favourable, magnums are definitely the ideal bottling for home cellars. Many thanks, Chee Wee!

2000 Champagne Henriot Millésimé. Jeroboam (3L). Pale. Forward balance of clear citrus and melons amid yeasty overtones, yielding good clarity and precision with clean dry intensity.

2016 Domaine Dujac Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières 1er. Methuselah (6L). Pale. Classic Puligny nose of chalky white tones, a little creamier over time. The medium-weight palate is surprisingly restrained, imbued with a lean cool ripeness of distilled fruit tinged with nutmeg, displaying gentle depth with excellent clarity and precision. Harmonious and impeccably proportioned but almost nonchalant.

2016 Domaine Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet Le Clos du Cailleret 1er monopole. Jeroboam. Light greenish. Surprisingly reticent on the nose though the palate is fairly ample in white fruits, quite harmonious with a plump rounded presence, yielding further notes of nutmeg and olives over time, laced with peppery spice at the sides. I feel that the inaugural 2014 still reigns supreme.

2006 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc. Imperial (6L). Effusive notes of nectarine, varnish, enamel and apricot with powdery textures, layered with structured cool tones that impart fine intensity with a hint of oily diesel on a chalky base.

2016 “Y” d’Yquem. Double-magnum (3L). Pale golden. Effusive forward balance of pineapples, durians and longans topped with a dash of nectarine, underpinned by fabulous acidity that impart tight restrained intensity, developing a subtle base of ferrous elements over time. Still primal but likely to develop very well.

2000 Poderi Aldo Conterno Granbussia Riserva Barolo. Jeroboam. Very dark, boasting an impressive depth of black fruits and currants that still exude youthful intensity amid secondary medicinal tones and bramble, its tannins having softened considerably, yielding lovely fragrance but still far from ready in this super-large format.

1976 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune Clos de la Mousse 1er. Magnum (1.5L). Fairly deep in colour and pinot character at its core, still imbued with good presence of mature red fruits that impart fine vigour in spite of its soft feminine character, glowing with a refined floral fragrance, just a little short.

2016 Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin Mes Cinq Terroirs. Jeroboam. Fresh raspberries dominate amid floral scents, boasting ample presence of cool ripe fruit that exude silky tannins with darkish refined intensity. Seriously good for a blend of five village plots of northern Gevrey centred around Brochon.

2015 Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges 1er. Jeroboam. Good colour. Quite effusive in dried plums and red fruits though the medium-weight palate is rather reserved, showing some early development where soft rosy hues dominate with well-integrated acidity, a tad short. Way too polite and feminine.

2018 Domaine Prieuré Roch Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er. Magnum. Slightly deeper in colour for pinot, delivering forward aromas of raspberries, wild berries and red plums. Very well structured and integrated with soft refined tannins on a dusty minerally base, yielding fine detail.

2014 Domaine Pierre Damoy Chambertin Grand Cru. Jeroboam. Good colour. Arresting bouquet of fragrant red fruits and cherries while haw, rhubarb and sweet enamel dominate on the fleshy medium-weight palate. Well integrated but a little uneven with understated intensity. I always feel that Pierre Damoy is more successful with Clos de Bèze, of which it owns the lion’s share.

1995 Château Clerc Milon. Double-magnum. Good colour. Lovely glow of mature dark fruit amid wisps of capsicum and briar. Very open, supple but lean, seamlessly integrated with soft melted tannins that exude fragrant rosy hues against dryish Pauillac characters. Excellent, not far at all behind the 1989 Mouton Rothschild.

1990 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Imperial. Evolved ruby. Beautifully expressive and captivating bouquet of haw, cherries, mulberries and raspberries. The soft medium-weight palate is distinctly feminine, wonderfully expansive with an inviting velvety warmth perfectly balanced against its distilled minerally detail, displaying regal poise and elegance. Often described as the vintage where the vines shared the grief of the legendary May-Eliane de Lencquesaing at the passing of her beloved husband, it has taken thirty-three years for the 1990 Pichon Lalande to unfurl its true character. Absolutely superb, rivalling the 1989 Mouton Rothschild this evening.

1989 Château Mouton Rothschild. Imperial. Deep crimson. Beautiful glow dark currants, mulberries and raspberries against the dryish textures of Pauillac. Equally beguiling on the plump fleshy palate of medium depth, set with relaxed plummy tones amid delicious haw, stamped with vivid freshness and understated acidity. Boasts great refinement, no doubt benefitting from the super-large bottling. Caught at optimal maturity. Superb.

1988 Château d’Yquem. Double-magnum. Dull golden, proffering mature fruit of apricot and honeyed toast with a glowing placid stillness, perhaps even a little stern and austere in spite of its fresh acidity. Fleshed out better over time with glimpses of tropical fruit and inner detail.

SanMartino 99 Prosecco Treviso DOC NV, from the list of restaurant GEMMA, 01 Sep 2023. Quite effusive in green fruits, melons and peaches. Medium-full. Rather sweetish at first before taking on an increasing dryness with cool structured intensity matched by a moderate depth of ripe fruit. Drinking well.

2020 Albert Bichot Mercurey Blanc, on board SQ392 Business Class from SIN-IST, 03 Sep 2023. Rather muted on the nose though the medium palate exudes a very fine chalky presence with floral accents, yielding good clarity with traces of salinity.

2005 Château Calon Ségur. Aired in bottle for three hours ahead of dinner at Jia He, 09 Sep 2023. Deep garnet. Austere darkish characters on the nose and full palate, concentrated with a deep intensity of black fruits framed by structured tannins and crisp acidity almost to the point of astringency before giving way to cool black berries and dark plums against the dryish backdrop of northern Médoc, fanning out with a spicy ripeness. Good balance.

2016 Claire Naudin (Domaine Henri Naudin-Ferrand) Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Clematis Vitalba, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 12 Sep 2023. Opaque yellowish-greenish hue, proffering yellow citrus and kumquat on the nose. The highly-strung palate is tightly gripped by vivid acidity that impart fleeting intensity, giving way eventually to characters of lemon peel and emergent medicinal tones before gelling together in a structured harmonious presence with darker shades. Very highly rated by critics (is it because her husband is Jean-Yves Bizot?) though I think this wine is likely to polarise opinions. Either you like it or you don’t.

2018 Domaine Henri Rebourseau Gevrey-Chambertin La Brunelle, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 12 Sep 2023. Deep purple. Nose of mahogany, varnish, wild berries and raspberries. Medium weight. Relaxed presence, though there is some intrusive varnish that lead to traces of mint. Gelled very well with an open high-toned intensity, seamlessly integrated.

2016 Château Prieuré-Lichine. Aired in bottle for 90 minutes ahead of dinner at Summer Hill, 14 Sep 2023. Deep garnet. Appears to be much more developed than before, proffering attractive notes of dark berries, raspberries and currants amid leafy capsicum and early cedary characters while its tannins are appreciably softer and finer, carrying decent weight with a balanced fleshy presence. A no-brainer at only SGD99 all-in.

2019 Domaine Larue Saint-Aubin En Montceau 1er. Aired for two hours ahead of dinner at Crab At Bay, 16 Sep 2023. Pale, proffering icing, green melons and fig with floral scents. Excellent fullness of citrus fruit that shone with fine clarity and just the right degree of acidity amid subtle ferrous elements that exert superb tensile presence and freshness, turning a tad creamier over time. Gelled together with harmonious warmth, developing a tinge of olives.

Champagne Gosset Grand Rosé Brut NV, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 19 Sep 2023. Burnished golden hue, exuding gentle aromas of mandarins whilst grapefruit and pomelo dominate on the full palate with dry intensity, almost brash, before fleshing out with a rounded body of emerging citrus and bitter lemon laced with a trace of sweetness.

2018 Domaine Chandon de Briailles Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Île des Vergelesses, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 19 Sep 2023. Darker tint of pinot, proffering a ripe warmth of raisins and sweet dried berries on the nose. Very well-integrated sleek medium presence with the right level of acidity, displaying a bit of waxiness before fleshing out with seamless layers of fruit, acidity and persuasive tannins, all impeccably proportioned with superb cohesion. Delicious finish. Outstanding value.

2021 Coldstream Hills Chardonnay, tasted over 19-20 Sep 2023. Pale. Attractive bouquet of melons, fig, green fruits and lychees. Structured with clean precision though distinctly reductive, dominated by an austere ferrous floor that gradually gave way to tropical white fruits of growing intensity, culminating in a glowing complex.

2020 Beau Paysage Tsugane Chardonnay, courtesy of LCW at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Unusual nose, dominated by cool flavours amid weighty tones of chalk and white fruits. Similarly styled on the medium palate, bright and pebbly, showing white floral tones tinged with saline and vanillin that shone with fresh acidity though there is a certain attenuation to its depth. Reminded me very much of Rhône varietals, but this is a straight chardonnay from the prefecture of Yamanashi in Japan, just south of Tokyo.

2018 Kumeu River Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay, courtesy of Sung Lin at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Luminous. Clean chalky nose with floral scents. Very well integrated and defined presence, structured with chiseled precision and refined intensity, developing further detail of chamfered white tones. Very Puligny-like.

1994 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Aired overnight in bottle, courtesy of HY Lau at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Opaque crimson. Classic Pauillac nose of dried tobacco, wood shavings and tea leaves that leapt from the glass. Open and highly supple, seamlessly layered with darkish fruit laced with crisp acidity that bathed the medium-weight palate in a lovely glow. Distinctly feminine, and still beautifully fresh.

1998 Château Certan de May de Certan. Aired overnight in bottle, courtesy of HY Lau at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Opaque brownish tint. Weighty bouquet of rye and mature dark plummy fruit tinged with medicinal overtones though the palate is only medium weight, displaying supple intensity with receding fruit.

2010 Champagne Dom Pérignon, courtesy of Tan Ying-Hsien, MW, at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Pale, proffering icing and other glacial tones amidst a perfumed floral fragrance. Medium-bodied. Bright and distinctly reductive, displaying dry cutting intensity that confer immediate freshness though it is neither plump nor outright lean, developing a base of austere minerals over time. Unable to disguise its short finish, probably a function of the vintage.

Champagne La Closerie “&” Extra Brut LC20 NV (élevage by Jérôme Prévost), courtesy of Jonathan Chan at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Lovely luminosity. This super-exclusive 100% pinot meunier opens with a reductive pungency amid some yeasty overtones, beautifully layered with crisp citrus and exotic white fruits with rounded darkish tones that fan out with medium intensity within a sheen of delicate bubbles, developing a deeper vein of minerally elements after some time that impart austere undertones.

2013 Bénédicte & Stéphane Tissot Arbois Trousseau Singuiler, courtesy of Juliette at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Opaque red, most deceptively brickened and mature-looking though the wine is undoubtedly youthful, exuding a beguiling red plummy fragrance, highly perfumed, imbued with fresh acidity amid a rounded plump velvetiness within resolved tannins, displaying an attractive juiciness tough the fruit is a little distant. Just a tad short. From the Jura region.

1993 Domaine Robert Ampeau et Fils Auxey-Duresses Les Ecusseaux 1er, courtesy of Tan Ying-Hsien, MW, at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. This bottle opened with a bit of cork taint from its opaque brownish red that, thankfully, blew off to reveal supple autumnal fruit imbued with pronounced acidity. Still holding on, but only just.

2019 Egly-Ouriet Coteaux Champenois Cuvée des Grands Côtes Ambonnay Rouge Vieilles Vignes, courtesy of LCW at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Good color. Opens with some funkiness amid wet gravel, laced with minty tones that spilled over onto an intense medium-full palate of red fruits and cherries imbued with cutting acidity.

2015 Pilliterri Riserva Famiglia Appassimento Cabernet Franc, courtesy of HY Lau at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Deep garnet. Ample depth of dark fruits and currants that exude minty licorice with masculine proportions, structured with tight tannins that exert controlled intensity. Good balance and sophistication.

2007 Château Rayas, courtesy of Alex at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Displaying an evolved crimson, this wine proffered enticing notes of haw and red plums with a chamfered quality, tinged with sweet savoury characters that carried well onto the medium-full palate with excellent vigour and balance, structured with detailed tannins. Quite generously proportioned, finishing with a medicinal dash.

2018 Domaine Rapet Pernand-Vergelesses Sous Frétille 1er. Aired ahead of dinner at Otto Ristorante, 25 Sep 2023. Expansive glow of tropical fruits, particularly jackfruit, amid chamfered white tones. The concentrated palate has a certain crystalline quality, yielding fine clarity and excellent refinement, fleshing out with further chalkiness approaching that of Puligny without the usual plumpness. Excellent value.

1982 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge, courtesy of Kieron at Otto Ristorante, 25 Sep 2023. Popped and poured. Tasted blind. Still displaying an impressive darkish purple, this wine seduces with beguiling red fruits amid some slick earthy pungency that I simply love, leading to a layered palate of crushed cherries and strawberries dressed in soft velvety tannins tinged with a dash of saline, still exuding lovely freshness and tension. Absolutely delicious. Drinking most beautifully at forty-one years and will continue to hold. Outstanding!

2015 Domaine François Lamarche Vosne-Romanée La Croix Rameau 1er, courtesy of Vic at Otto Ristorante, 25 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Purplish hue, exuding a bright sweet fragrance. Quite generously proportioned with intense supple red fruits, structured with detailed tannins, settling down eventually with rounded refinement. Lamarche was one of only three owners of this 0.6 ha premier cru (along with Coudray-Bizot and Cacheaux) but has sold off to Comte Liger-Belair.

2010 Isole e Olena Cepparello, courtesy of Kieron at Otto Ristorante, 25 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Deep garnet. Quite masculine, layered with delicious red fruits and mandarins, rather forwardly balanced with a distinct graphite minerality that initially had me thinking of Saint-Julien. Shed its minerally base after some time, allowing more red fruit to develop with growing supple warmth, laced with a tinge of sweetness entirely consistent with sangiovese. Excellent.

2005 Roc De Cambes, aired in bottle for ninety minutes ahead of dinner at Klara Bistro & Charcoal Bar, 27 Sep 2023. Deep garnet. Excellent density of black fruits and currants, filling the medium-full palate with inky depth. Structured with expertly managed tannins imbued with a dash of graphite minerals, oozing a little savoury sweetness. Took on a luxuriant velvety fullness over time, exerting superb intensity with some early secondary development tinged with mocha and cedar. This François Mitjavile effort has all the hallmarks of a classified growth. Excellent.

2018 Maison Lejeune Pernand-Vergelesses, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 29 Sep 2023. Light greenish hue, exuding morning dew and delicate citrus with a floral lift. Medium-weight. Good density of fruit, subtly layered with lime, kumquat and distant melons coupled with briar, displaying a bit of rustic intensity. Drinking well.

2012 Piero Busso Barbaresco Albesani Riserva, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 29 Sep 2023. Poured from magnum. Clear reddish-brown. Effusive glow of dark fruits, olives and plums laced with traces of mint. Soft, fleshy and rounded, seamlessly structured with silky smooth tannins, gliding very elegantly with restrained power and intensity across the medium palate against a backdrop of mahogany.

2020 Domaine Lafouge Auxey-Duresses 1er Les Duresses, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 29 Sep 2023. Deep ruby. Attractive bouquet of ripe raspberries dark cherries tinged with sweet vanillin. Rounded, fleshy. Darkish. Somewhat austere, introspective. Brightened up. Slick. Excellent mid body. Lovely Beaune character. Darkish undergrowth, Excellent fullness intensity. Bit of minty sweetness. Fanned out with even presence, tad short.

2018 Mondot, aired ninety minutes ahead of dinner at Jia He, 30 Sep 2023. Fairly deep garnet. Bright rosy hues of ripe raspberries and cherries which dominate with lovely freshness. Medium weight. Slightly forward, lightly varnished, structured with soft tannins. Delicious.

A simple dinner amongst some of the usual suspects on a free theme at Imperial Treasure Great World, 11 September 2023. All wines were blinded but, through sheer coincidence, both whites were superstar Meursaults located along the same road while both reds were superbly aged clarets at their peak. Many thanks, Bros!!

2018 Domaine Roulot Meursault Clos des Bouchères 1er monopole. Pale luminosity. Clean lift of distant peach and clear citrus in a chiseled reductive style, the fruit set a little backward in favour of ferrous elements and minerals that lend a distinct austerity. Maintained its lean precise profile even with emergent notes of pineapples and tropical fruit over time, eventually a little more relaxed and introspective. Unquestionably sophisticated though it may not be everyone’s idea of Meursault.

2002 J-F Coche-Dury Meursault, courtesy of Sir Bob. Clear luminosity. Highly enticing nose of ripe citrus with a detailed floral scent. The palate is still wonderfully fresh and plump, imbued with vivid acidity amid pomelo and traces of bitter lemon that teased with lithe intensity, boasting great precision and linearity throughout its fabulous length before developing a chalky white density over time. This is Coche-Dury in the old style that many still prefer. Outstanding.

1986 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, courtesy of Kieron. Decanted on-site. Deep purplish core with substantial bricking, exuding an effusive funk on the nose that gave way to a glorious glow of mature claret. Still beautifully full and fleshy in darkish fruit, subtly structured with very lithe tannins that ooze a bare trace of sweetness, laced with sleek acidity on a slightly dusty floor. One of the finest examples of Grand-Puy-Lacoste.

1983 Château Margaux, courtesy of Sir Bob. Deep garnet with a brownish tint. Some age is evident from the effusive glow of raspberries and dark currants amid characters of bramble and dried leaves. Beautifully rounded and fleshy, its tannins having melted completely, leaving behind quite a glorious depth of fruit tinged with leafy capsicum, utterly seamless and still wonderfully vibrant, shot through with great pedigree. Still going strong at forty years without any hint of drying.

An informal meeting of the Jürade de Saint-Émilion du Singapour at San Shu Gong on 30 August 2023, where even the Saint-Émilion Grand Crus were drinking well. Many thanks, KC, for organising and for the 1966 as well!

2016 Château Cantenac, courtesy of the Wine Council of Saint-Émilion. Shy. Deep crimson. Medium-full. Ample depth of red fruits and black currants that exert structured intensity with sharp definition.

2016 Château Tour Peyronneau, courtesy of the Wine Council of Saint-Émilion. Dark crimson. Big but well-proportioned, gelling together with silky tannins and unobtrusive acidity. Very cohesive and not without charm. Drinking surprisingly well. Many felt the same way.

2016 Château Grand Corbin, courtesy of the Wine Council of Saint-Émilion. Deep ruby. Appreciably more sophisticated. Ample presence of red fruits and dark currants, imbued with overtones of toffee and mocha within a smooth creamy sheen, appearing relaxed and elegant.

2015 Château Chauvin. Ex-château, courtesy of estate owner Sylvie Cazes. Deep crimson. Well extracted, tightly structured with massive proportions, still marked by a dominance of vanillin and paraffin. Not ready.

2010 Château Chauvin. Ex-château, courtesy of estate owner Sylvie Cazes. Deep crimson. Somewhat reductive on the nose. Well extracted but there is some early development, the abundant depth of dark fruits yielding a hint of mocha in spite of its tight tannic intensity. Tremendous vigour. Highly promising.

2018 Mondot. Good colour. Delicious nose of red cherries, carrying well onto the cool ripe medium-full palate with a hint of warm gravel, structured with refined tannins that impart supple intensity. Drinking well. This second label of Troplong-Mondot is an entirely separate 10-ha plot of 100% merlot.

2011 Château Valandraud, courtesy of Marc. Deep crimson, exuding a perfumed fragrance of rose petals and predominant red fruits. Medium weight. Fairly developed now with supple rounded tannins supported by understated minerals. Very beautifully balanced and delicious. Drinking the vintage.

1966 Château La Gaffelière, courtesy of KC. Mature crimson. Still imbued with very good presence of red fruits and plums set against soft autumnal characters of rhubarb and Chinese tea leaves presented in an elegant seamless entity laced with subtle complexity and reasonable acidity, not drying out at all. Supple finish. What a privilege!

The usual suspects again plus a couple of guests at Tang Yun, Tanglin Club Singapore, on 29 August 2023 on a free theme. The stemware isn’t quite optimal but the wines were still brilliant, as was the company. Many thanks!

2019 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet. Keen bouquet of citrus with a mild floral fragrance, developing effusive notes of tropical fruit followed by a transfiguration into the dense white tones of Chassagne. Well-endowed with fruit that shone with fine clarity and a high-toned acidity supported by a deeper base of minerally elements that impart a trace of austerity, yielding good definition.

2017 Domaine Yves Boyer-Martenot Meursault-Charmes 1er, courtesy of Kieron. Lovely luminosity, opening with restrained floral scents on a cool palate of pears and orchard fruit infused with a gentle minerally presence. Rather understated at first, gradually warming up with distilled white tones and further notes of vanillin that teased with refined elegance, yielding good clarity. We all thought St-Aubin.

1998 Vieux Château Certan, courtesy of Sir Bob. Darkish purplish core, exuding a lovely cool fragrance of ripe blueberries, violets and dark cherries against a slightly dryish backdrop of capsicum and cigar box that define the classic glow of a mature claret. The medium-weight palate is highly supple and harmonious with an ethereal feel, very gently layered with melted tannins. Distinctly feminine. We were unanimous in calling it Right Bank.

2003 Château Lafite Rothschild, courtesy of Pipin. Deep crimson. The impression on the nose is that of a very modern style, a gentle predominance of red fruit and currants underpinned by a pungent earthiness glossed with a distinct note of varnish whilst the element of glycerin continued on to a weighty concentrated palate laid with warm velvety textures, very ripe and richly layered, imparting overtones of incense. It reminded me very much about the style of Stephan von Neipperg.

2011 Domaine Rousseau Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru, courtesy of Andre. Some age is evident here with a delightful profusion of soft red fruits and tangerines. The medium weight palate is fresh and lively, a harmonious blend of maturing delicate fruit and sweet sophisticated tannins that yield clean chiseled definition, just a little short.

2012 Domaine François Lamarche Grands Échezeaux Grand Cru, courtesy of Vic. Beautiful pinot tint, displaying a predominance of rounded red fruits and refined acidity that sat in the glass with relaxed charm. Cleanly structured with good power and lean definition, finishing with tapered intensity.

2017 Domaine Henri Magnien Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru, courtesy of Tim. Deep dark pinot tint, exuding delicious ripe fruit with youthful intensity. Distinctly modern profile of well-extracted plummy fruit and mandarins with overtones of ember and gun metal minerals, structured with tight tannins and cutting acidity.

2015 Domaine Marquis D’Angerville Volnay En Champans 1er. Darkly coloured. Ample depth of restrained black fruits and currants that impart youthful dark intensity amid cherries and savoury characters, more harmonious and open with a ripe warmth after some time. Not quite ready yet.

2005 Domaine Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares Grand Cru, courtesy of Kieron. Good colour. Full, rounded and voluptuous, oozing sweet supple tannins from the fleshy depth of soft red fruits that exert cool elegant intensity. Absolutely delicious.

Following the small road (D113A) in a westerly direction from the village of Puligny, one arrives at the epicentre of burgundy whites: firstly, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet on your left, followed by Bâtard-Montrachet whilst across the road lies Les Pucelles 1er on your right, and then the twin pillars of Marquis de Laguiche on your left marking the northerly aspect of Montrachet Grand Cru while across the road on your right would be Le Cailleret 1er, and just upslope further to the west would be the huge swathe of Chevalier-Montrachet. I don’t think one could ever be tired of being there to absorb all that tranquil splendour, knowing the magic that these grapes are capable of imparting to your senses. The next best thing to being there would be to drink these wines with good company, which was exactly the case at a dinner kindly hosted by Vic, Sanjay and Dr Ngoi at Jia He restaurant on 21 August 2023. All the Puligny grand crus were represented, plus a couple of blinded spoilers that turned out to be U.S. chardonnay but it shows that the best New World whites can match burgundy almost every step of the way. Many thanks, Bros, for your generosity.

2016 Domaine de Montille Puligny-Montrachet Le Cailleret 1er. Ripe tropical fruit on the nose, a tad forward, matched by an explosion of fruit that imparted great verve and exuberance, exerting lovely tension and intensity with a deeper minerally vein. Great value, as not many would know that de Montille’s plot of Le Cailleret 1er lies immediately adjacent to the Montrachet of Marquis de Laguiche, separated by the D113A.

2017 Domaine Blain-Gagnard Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of Dr Ngoi. Pale luminosity. Distant notes of orchard fruit with a floral lift. Medium-full. Richly layered with a distinct note of bananas and other exotic tropical fruits, imparting lovely mouthfeel with a poised ethereal elegance. Criots-Bâtard lies on the Chassagne side.

2014 Domaine Faiveley Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of Dr Ngoi. Beautifully luminous with a generous expanse of white tones still tinged with vanillin. Medium weight. Very finely balanced with elegant intensity and freshness, developing further notes of dried plums.

1991 Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of Sir Bob. Heavier golden hue. The wine has evolved into a glowing mature chalkiness and rye amid floral characters. Rather plump, rounded and full in the traditional Leflaive manner, still holding up very well with very fine acidity and freshness that display excellent linearity, supported by a deep minerally vein.

2011 Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of Vic. Lovely luminosity. Rounded delicate presence of fresh white fruit supported by refined acidity that has evolved with secondary characters of rye and malt, fleshing out further with subtle floral characters. Very finely balanced, consistent with a previous encounter only last month.

2005 Domaine Jean-Claude Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of CHS. Pale luminosity. This wine opens with the signature glow of Chassagne (half of Bâtard lies there) tinged with nutmeg, leading to a classic Ramonet palate of chamfered white tones cut with excellent precision and definition, carrying superb integral verve with further notes of distilled capsicum and green elements.

2017 Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru. Pale luminosity. Delicately poised even as it exudes a perfumed profusion of dense orchard fruit, highly alluring in its elegant intensity and deep controlled power that deliver fine attack.

2010 Domaine Amiot Guy et Fils Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of CJ. Pale. Somewhat restrained on the nose, displaying a bright high-toned acidity that imparted a sleek even presence of white fruits and clear citrus, cutting through with refined precision and excellent clarity. From a miniscule 0.08-ha on the Chassagne side.

2005 Aubert Chardonnay, courtesy of LF. Tasted blind. Golden luminosity. Delicious glow of icing and mature chalk and nectarine within a layered density of white tones from the ample expanse of fruit, developing further notes of green capsicum and nutmeg even as it still remained relatively tight. Very burgundian in character, such was its tonal balance even in the wake of all the preceding great whites.

2006 Kongsgaard “The Judge” Chardonnay, courtesy of LF. Tasted blind. Light luminosity. Effusive bouquet of peaches and orchard fruit, just a tad forward with a tinge of sweet vanillin that was its only tell-tale New World signature. Still wonderfully fresh, beautifully layered and elegant with great refinement and understated sophistication, finishing in a peppery glow.

Champagne Christopher Mignon ADN de Meunier Brut Nature NV, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 03 Aug 2023. Luminous golden hue. Zesty bouquet of citrus and mandarins with mild yeasty overtones. Fine density of ripe grapefruit and pineapples that exert refreshing dry intensity, yielding delectable inner detail of nectarine.

2019 Domaine Pattes Loup Chablis Vent D’Ange, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 03 Aug 2023. Golden greenish hue. Fairly effusive in longans and tropical fruits. Medium-full. Quite lively with a lovely rounded teasing intensity, imbued with good inner definition and refined acidity. Gelled together with sleek intensity.

2019 Maison Morey Blanc Saint-Romain Sous le Château, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 05 Aug 2023. Greenish golden. Quite effusive in clear citrus, lime and fresh morning dew, producing good lift. Cleanly structured with refined clarity and definition, very well integrated with controlled intensity of fruit. Great value.

2016 Château Chasse-Spleen, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 03 Aug 2023. Dark crimson. Some early secondary development is evident amongst its excellent expanse of dark plums and wild berries, showing very good refinement without any jarring edges. Quite seamlessly integrated with rounded elegance. Excellent value.

Champagne Bollinger PN TX17 Extra Brut, courtesy of Russ at Jade Palace, 07 Aug 2023. Lovely golden luminosity, displaying full presence of intense clear citrus with light overtones of lemongrass coupled with a yeasty pungency. Brightly lit with cool refreshing zest. Not too dry, fleshing out very well with rounded tones. Excellent.

2019 Domaine Jean Chartron Saint-Aubin Murgers des Dents de Chien 1er, courtesy of Russ at Jade Palace, 07 Aug 2023. A little shy at first, opening with recessed cool white tones that boast fine transparency and clear acidity. Gained traction after an hour, gradually increasing in intensity and detail of pineapples and lychees. Great value.

1990 Vega Sicilia Unico, courtesy of Dolly at Jade Palace, 07 Aug 2023. Decanted on-site. Opaque brownish-red, exuding a deep minty glow laced with a sharp attack of spice. Rather tight and disjointed initially as its crisp acidity cut through the medium-full palate with rasping intensity. Took quite a while to gel together, fleshing out with a lush warm ripeness, boasting a deep core of dark plums and cedary characters. Patience is required.

2002 Château Léoville Las-Cases, aired in bottle for ninety minutes ahead of dinner at Otto Ristorante, 08 Aug 2023. Deep garnet. Rather leathery on the nose along with black truffles and cedar. Medium-full rounded presence, structured with svelte tannins that oozed with some sweetness, displaying sleek intensity from its darkish depth with undertones of mocha and dried mushrooms. Probably at its drinking best.

Rockford Black Shiraz (2012 disgorgement). Popped and poured over dimsum at Wah Lok, 10 Aug 2023. Deep syrah character of ripe dark plummy fruit and black currants in that unmistakable warm Barossa signature. Wonderfully fresh and rounded with just the right level of dry intensity, layered with overtones of raspberries, enamel and that fabulous note of liqueur within a sheen of soft refined bubbles. Better than a previous encounter from the same carton.

2019 Jean Pascal et Fils Auxey-Duresses, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 12 Aug 2023. Deep greenish hue, glowing bouquet of floral aromas, distant green fruits and clear citrus. Good rounded presence, layered with a deeper distilled intensity of fruit and controlled acidity that impart subdued tension.

2017 Xavier Monnot Beaune Les Toussaints 1er, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 03 Aug 2023. Darkish color. Medium rounded presence of cherries and raspberries, softly contoured with a delicious relaxed charm, just a little forward in vibrant fruit, drinking very well with just a tinge of herbaceous inner detail.

2019 Louis Jadot Macon-Villages over dinner at home, 13 Aug 2023. Very fine presence of peaches, green melons and light tropical fruits laced with understated acidity and ferrous elements, displaying cool ripeness with a rounded elegance.

2016 Domaine Rolet Père et Fils Crémant du Jura Coeur de Chardonnay Brut, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 26 Aug 2023. Light greenish hue. Inviting floral elements tinged with nutmeg, preserved olives, lemon and pomelo. Very good rounded fullness, boasting a sheer sheen of very fine bubbles with understated acidity and intensity. Not too dry. Good length.

2019 Domaine Pierre Gelin Fixin, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 26 Aug 2023. Beautifully deep pinot tint. Attractive nose dark plums and rose petals with a savoury dash, delivering excellent presence of cool dark berries within a frame of tightly knit sweetish tannins. Superbly integrated, yielding fine detail though its depth is somewhat attenuated, tapering with excellent linearity to a glowing minty finish. Really excellent.

1999 Domaine Robert Ampeau et Fils Auxey-Duresses 1er Ecusseaux, aired in bottle for ninety minutes ahead of lunch at Imperial Treasure Great World, 27 Aug 2023. Evolved crimson. Quite richly imbued with delicious red fruits and plums with darkish verve, its slick acidity still imparting excellent freshness and tension. Very well balanced with sleek tannins that yield fine definition in a harmonious glow. Much better than a previous bottle tasted in April this year.

1995 Champagne Krug, courtesy of KC at San Shu Gong, 30 Aug 2023. Deep golden. Highly alluring nose of mature citrus, its gently reductive yeasty tones contrasting well against a glazed chalkiness, leading to an open palate marked by lively acidity and freshness of fruit that display refined cohesion and understated intensity within a sophisticated sheen of very fine bubbles. Excellent.

2015 Domaine Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc, courtesy of SCo at San Shu Gong, 30 Aug 2023. Fullish oily presence of olives, nutmeg and pineapples, developing early secondary characters. Well structured with a bit of peppery finish.

A dinner at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 August 2023, to mark the return of Sir K’s Chinese zodiac. Such an auspicious occasion called for special bottles worth enduring the overnight attack of gastric reflux. All wines were blinded except for the champagne and the Arlaud. Many thanks, Bros!

2009 Champagne Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. Pale. Excellent refreshing zest of clear citrus and pomelo with a tinge of bitter lemon, wonderfully tight and crisp. Well integrated with fine clarity, gaining further intensity with a dash of gun metal and bright minerally elements.

1985 Champagne Krug Brut, courtesy of Kieron. Darkish shade of gold. This maison’s signature dry intensity is still highly evident, now imbued with rich autumnal characters amid yeasty tones from its passage of thirty-eight years though the wine is still amazingly fresh with lively acidity, fleshing out with a distinct white medicinal note (pochai pills!). Drinking beautifully, though I suspect mature bubbly is more of a connoisseur’s drop.

1994 Domaine Marc Colin et Fils Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of Sir Bob. Luminous, ethereal lift of lightly-shaded pears and delicate tangerines though some age is evident on the medium-full palate, marked by grapefruit and mature chalkiness amid cool glacial tones, developing the unmistakable chamfered white tones of Chassagne after some time but still maintaining excellent clarity.

2015 Maison Leroy Bourgogne Aligoté, courtesy of Vic. Pale. Subtle tropical fruit on the nose though there is a distinct note of pineapple on the medium palate that gave away its grape varietal, delivery fresh youthful intensity that gave way after some time to a bright relaxed clarity, just a little short with attenuated depth.

2016 Domaine Arlaud Clos de la Roche Grand Cru. Youthful pinot tint. Lovely nose of soft red fruits, cherries and baked plums. Medium-full. Already highly accessible and harmonious, its deeper vein of fruit and cedar exerting slick acidity with a bit of darkish intensity though the overall impression is one of tranquil restrained elegance, finishing with traces of ember.

2008 Domaine Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er, courtesy of Vic. Classic pinot tint. Rose petals and cherries dominate on the nose and medium palate with delicious depth amid overtones of match-stick incense, displaying excellent freshness and tonal balance without being exuberant, showing a certain restrained poise with a hint of earthiness and spice at the finish.

2011 Domaine Drouhin-Laroze Musigny Grand Cru, courtesy of WCY. Good color. Very developed nose of delicious warm ripe fruit tinged with chocolate and black truffles though the structured palate is somewhat underwhelming, quite amply imbued but missing the breed and layered dimension of the best Musigny.

1998 Bouchard Père et Fils La Romanée Grand Cru, courtesy of Kieron. Classic pinot tint. Delicious alluring bouquet of rose petals and red cherries allied with a medium weight palate that’s still wonderfully fresh, a little forward in sweet cedar and early tertiary characters laid on a cool minerally base. Superbly balanced and elegant, developing greater cohesion and intensity in the glass. Outstanding. This monopole, the smallest Grand Cru plot of all at 0.8-ha, was leased by Comte Liger-Belair to Bouchard from 1976 to 2001; it was co-produced by both from 2002 to 2005 before the former regained complete control again from 2006 onwards.

1996 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, courtesy of Sir Bob. Classic pinot tint, proffering a delicious lift of red fruits and cherries that exert a chamfered intensity with traces of saline minerals on the medium palate, producing excellent mouthfeel. Compared with the La Romanée, this wine is distinctly more masculine, carrying a little more verve within its layered folds. Beautifully elegant. D.R.C. had leased 5-ha of R.S.V. from the Marey-Monge family since 1966 before buying over entirely in 1988.

1989 Château Montrose, courtesy of LF. Deep crimson. Richly layered with glorious fruit now truly infused with tertiary notes of cedar, baked plums, mahogany and a dominant note of soy set against slick reductive tones on an open medium-weight palate that’s still amazingly fresh with agile intensity., superbly integrated with impeccable balance. Still holding at its peak, and seemingly far from over.

1984 Joseph Phelps Vineyards Insignia, courtesy of LF. Deep crimson. Very similar in character to the 1989 Montrose which was paired together. Richly layered with fleshy agility, just slightly autumnal in character with leafy tones, cedar and bramble, its freshness underpinned by lively acidity. The supple tannins ooze just a dash of sweetness that, perhaps, gave away its Napa origins but the wine is still highly integral and very well balanced, tapering to a moderate finish.

2000 Château Margaux, courtesy of Alvin. Deep garnet. Very good presence of fruit, still reasonably fresh and seamlessly layered, exuding rich plummy tones amid open dryish overtones of cigar box and green capsicum laced with sleek acidity. Impeccably balanced with good vigour and cool elegant intensity. A classic 2000.

Don Weaver, Founding Director at Harlan Estate, made an appearance again after an absence of five years at a dinner hosted by Vic, Sanjay and Dr Ngoi in Don’s honour at Jia He Restaurant, 21 August 2023, where it was good to see him still sharp and healthy amongst his old friends here. Since its founding by William Harlan in 1984, Harlan Estate has very quickly achieved cult status, no doubt contributed by the limited quantities from just 17-ha of vines planted at altitude with quality that is nothing short of astounding, always generously layered with impeccable balance and structured with sheer sophistication. These qualities were clearly evident in the three magnums of Harlan Estate grand vin spanning three decades generously contributed by Don himself. But real patience is required, for these wines only really come into their own after thirty years. Many thanks to Don, Dr Ngoi and fellow brethren for your immense generosity!

2013 Harlan Estate “The Maiden”, courtesy of Dr Ngoi. Very deep garnet, exuding a forward bouquet of fresh currants and cherries amid overtones of varnish that carried on to the soft medium-full palate, structured with excellent depth of fruit and delicious sweet tannins, producing chamfered velvety textures that cushioned its youthful intensity and attack. Highly refined and open.

2013 Promontory. Poured from magnum, courtesy of Dr Ngoi. Deep dark impenetrable purple, oozing with the sweet intensity of ripe raspberries, blueberries and violets that dominate both the nose and palate amid overtones of enamel. Surprisingly open and accessible, displaying fine linearity (always a hallmark of Harlan) with glimpses of chewy inner detail on a bed of soft subdued tannins, just a tad short. Made from high-altitude single vineyard cabernet sauvignon.

2015 Harlan Estate, courtesy of Don Weaver. Poured from magnum. Deep garnet. The step up in breed and sophistication is immediately palpable. This wine opens with a great expanse of warm ripe fruit, slightly brambly but beautifully integrated with pliant tannins that are highly subtle and refined in spite of the masculine proportions, displaying tremendous breadth and depth across the palate with confident verve yet never at all hedonistic, maintaining absolute control and balance almost to the point of it being a tad cautious, which is simply quite amazing coming from a large format bottling.

2005 Harlan Estate, courtesy of Don Weaver. Poured from magnum. Deep crimson, just beginning to unveil early secondary characters of cedar and mahogany. The medium-full palate has a certain bright pebbly glow, imbued with a prominent note of soy from its dark succulent depth, laced with understated acidity that add to its velvety mouthfeel and spicy finish.

1995 Harlan Estate, courtesy of Don Weaver. Poured from magnum. Deep crimson. This is Harlan Estate grand vin at its absolute prime, boasting a full presence of gorgeous succulent fruit well into its tertiary development that exude lovely velvety tension with predominant red tones, contrasting beautifully against shades of mint and tobacco leaves. Impeccably balanced with a controlled even intensity cushioned by soft rounded tannins, still wonderfully fresh and vibrant. Outstanding!