Ric's Wine Journal

Probably the first château one sees when driving into the village centre of Saint-Émilion is Château Clos Fourtet, announced by a pair of stone pillars holding up its wrought iron gate. Indeed, there is an ancient low wall surrounding the entire property, a reminder of its role as a defensive fort during The Hundred Years War (1337-1453) – hence its name Clos Fourtet. The estate has holdings of 22 hectares after absorbing an adjacent 2-ha of what used to be Château Les Grandes Murailles, a plot just immediately after that tall wall of ruins. The estate was bought over by Philippe Cuvelier in 2001 (who also owns Château Poujeaux) and has been biodynamic since 2011, planted with 85% merlot on soils of clay and limestone, the former being cool soils that helps to retain moisture whilst the latter adds power and freshness to the wine. Members of the Jürade de Saint-Émilion du Singapour were privileged to have visited the château twice, in June 2019 and on 05 June 2023. There is an amazing system of underground caves under the property that stretches 12 kilometres, where countless bottles of back vintages of Clos Fourtet all the way to the early twentienth century lie quietly at stable humidity and temperatures of 12-14 degrees Celsius. Like many other estates, the château has raised its game since the new millennium. Its wines in the last decade have garnered critical acclaim for their excellent precision, layering and sophistication with restrained power, proven by an encounter I had with its 2020 at Vinexpo Asia just a couple of weeks earlier. This has transformed the château into a Premier Grand Cru Classé. Do visit if you can.

2005 Château Clos Fourtet, comprising 86% merlot, 8% cabernet sauvignon and 6% cabernet franc aged in 60% new oak Deep crimson. Bit of warm alcoholic breath on the nose amid deeper notes of ripe plums, cherries and currants, already displaying early secondary characters of cedar and mahogany. Fleshy and sleek, structured with sublime acidity. Well integrated with very fine inner definition, layered with darker shades of fruit. Not overtly deep nor opulent, finishing with good linearity and sweet tannins without betraying its 14.5% abv. Tasted June 2019 at the château.

2009 Château Les Grandes Murailles. From a 2-ha plot of 100% merlot producing 5000 bottles, aged in 100% new oak. Brilliant crimson. Superb seductive fragrance of delicious dark cherries. Fairly rich as well in bright red fruits, cherries and currants on the softly-rounded, fleshy medium palate, very subtly structured with very fine depth, exuding lovely gentle intensity. Finished well. 14% abv. Tasted June 2019 at Château Clos Fourtet.

2017 Château Clos Fourtet, comprising 86% merlot, 10% cabernet sauvignon and 4% cabernet franc. Deep bouquet of sweet berries, mulberries and raspberries. Excellent fullness, exerting good tensile presence with a distinct minerally mid-palate. Slightly assertive in acidity but it helps with the freshness. Good balance. Tasted June 2023 at the château.

A few members of the Jürade de Saint-Émilion du Singapour paid a visit to Château Troplong Mondot on 07 June 2023 where we were hosted by its Sales Director Ferréol du Founot, who still recalled my first meeting with him at the week-long Troplong Mondot residency in Singapore in February this year. Quality at the estate grew from strength-to-strength under the stewardship of Christine Valette who made the wines from 1980 till her untimely passing in 2014. Although the Valette family sold in 2017 to the French insurance giant SCOR, quality has continued to soar under the guidance of its CEO Aymeric de Gironde who came over from Château Cos D’Estournel in 2012. The estate has 37 hectares under vines – 27 for its grand vin with another 10 at a separate location for its second label Mondot. Planted nowadays with 73% merlot, 16% cabernet franc and 11% cabernet sauvignon (average age close to 30 years), the key to Troplong Mondot’s success lies in its terroir, sited on a gentle mound 110 metres above sea-level where there is a substantial deposit of clay covering the usual limestone. This elevation facilitates even drainage during wet months while the clay helps to retain moisture during the hot months, preventing heat stress. The harder clay also forces the roots of the vines to dig deeper, resulting in greater power and complexity to the wine. The entire estate has been completely renovated under the new owners, boasting state-of-the-art facilities, a futuristic cellar (you walk high above it on a glass bridge), beautifully manicured grounds, guest accommodation as well as a one-Michelin star restaurant Les Belles Perdrix, a real gem helmed by Chef David Charrier. It even has a mini vegetable farm, growing its own greens for the restaurant. A staple of Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé for many years, Trolong Mondot is now knocking on the doors of Angélus and Figeac. We didn’t get to taste the 2022 in barrel but it must be outstanding, given how well estates big and small have performed for this vintage. Don’t miss this fabulous address when you visit Saint-Émilion.

2018 Mondot. Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. Made truly as a separate wine in its own right since 2017 from a 10-ha plot of limestone soils, comprising 100% merlot aged in 60% used oak and 40% steel vats. Deep purple. Highly aromatic in red cherries and raspberries with an effusive rosy velvetiness. Medium presence. Beautifully extracted at just right level, producing juicy succulent mouthfeel with great purity and freshness, tinged with a hint of cigar box. Elegant balance. 40,000 bottles annually as a late release.

2019 Château Troplong Mondot. Decanted on-site. Good colour with a bit of crimson at the rim. Good gentle complexity of fig, capsicum, dark fruits and currants, exuding great freshness. Softly contoured, imbued with superb acidity and elegant velvety tannins that impart delicate agility. Impeccably proportioned and balanced, finishing with just a hint of earthiness without betraying its 15% abv. Compared with my first encounter in Singapore in February 2023 where it was brimming with nervous tension, this wine has settled into its groove. Will prove to be outstanding.

2011 Château Troplong Mondot, over lunch at the château’s Les Belles Perdrix, 07 June 2023. Very deep crimson, proffering impressive swathes of ripe raspberries, cherries and currants though, surprisingly, the palate is only medium weight, tightly structured with ample fruit and fresh acidity that took ninety minutes to open up with further detail and supple intensity. Not quite ready.

Some wines tasted during my trip to Saint-Émilion in June 2023…

2016 Château Malartic-Lagravière Rouge, by the glass at Vignobles et Châteaux, 04 June 2023. Very deeply coloured. Medium-full even presence, structured with soft tightly knit tannins that exert excellent intensity and tension with fine precision.

2016 Virginie de Valandraud Blanc at Thunevin Girondins, 04 June 2023. Pale greenish. Bit of diesel fumes on the nose. Less weighty than the grand vin but still imbued with good presence of white tones. Good balance.

1994 Château Monbousquet, only €90 from the list of restaurant L’Envers du Decor, 04 June 2023. Still fairly dark. Nose of sandalwood and mahogany with a hint of menthol. Darkish velvety textures. Very good supple presence of mature dark fruits, cedar and cinnamon, displaying rustic attack with a glowing minty finish.

2020 Château Des Landes Cuvée Prestige. From the satellite region of Lussac-Saint-Émilion. Tasted during a masterclass at Maison du Vin, 05 June 2023. Clear purple. Fruit forward with a deeper core of strawberries and cherries while some enamel is discernible along with sweet cedar. Medium-full with refreshing acidity, showing controlled intensity and linearity amid a certain rusticity. Modest finish. Comprises 80% merlot, 15% cabernet sauvignon and 5% cabernet franc. Owned by Nicholas Lassagne.

2019 Château de Puisseguin Curat Gemme Rouge. From the satellite region of Puisseguin Saint-Émilion. Tasted during a masterclass at Maison du Vin, 05 June 2023. Deep crimson. Distinct nose of diesel with reductive oaky flavours but subtly shaded. Concentrated layers of darkish fruit, well-integrated with very fine intensity. Modest finish. Very successful. Comprises 65% merlot, 15% cabernet sauvignon and 20% cabernet franc aged in 50% new barrels. By Jean-François Robin.

2018 Château Guillemot. Tasted during a masterclass at Maison du Vin, 05 June 2023. Deep ruby. Shy, just a glimpse of briar and wild berries. Supple rounded medium presence of cherries, imparting subtle intensity and fresh but understated acidity. Good clarity and balance. Modest finish. From an 8-ha plot owned by Valerie Arnathau, comprising 80% merlot, 5% cabernet sauvignon and 15% cabernet franc.

2016 Château Boutisse. Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. Tasted during a masterclass at Maison du Vin, 05 June 2023. Deep purple. Fairly effusive in ripe raspberries, still imbued with some varnish. Medium weight. Fleshy with fresh supple tannins, yielding fine detail with a hint of mocha. Good length. Comprises 70% merlot, 20% cabernet sauvignon, 5% carmenere and 5% cabernet franc aged in 50% new barrels. A 21-ha estate owned by Xavier Milhade.

2015 Clos de la Cure. Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. Tasted during a masterclass at Maison du Vin, 05 June 2023. Deep garnet with a hint of bricking. Lovely perfumed aromas of red fruits and fig. Carries itself with effortless grace on the medium palate, seamlessly integrated with superb suppleness and balance. Just the right level of ripeness. Understated acidity. Modest finish. Very successful. Comprises 75% merlot and 25% cabernet franc fermented in cement vats, aged in 50% new barrels. A 7-ha estate owned by Pierre et Alexis Bouyer.

2014 Château Larmande. Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé. Tasted during a masterclass at Maison du Vin, 05 June 2023. Good colour. Roast meat and other savoury notes amid overtones of cashews and dried fruit mix. Medium-bodied. Fleshy and soft, exuding delicious charm from its gentle restraint. Modest finish. Drinking the vintage. Comprises 65% merlot, 5% cabernet sauvignon and 30% cabernet franc. By Veronique Corporandy et Olivier Brunel.

2015 Château La Mondotte. Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé. Tasted blind during a masterclass at Maison du Vin, 05 June 2023. Very deep impenetrable purple. Restrained, reductive dark tones of austere minerals amid an exuberance of ripe wild berries, still touched with varnish. Full saturated palate of ample red fruits graced with fine acidity and well-managed understated tannins. Modest finish, just a little gamey with a herbaceous tint. Very modern style. Still primal. Comprises 80% merlot, and 20% cabernet franc aged in 100% new barrels. From a 4.5-ha plot owned by Stephan von Neipperg. I nailed it.

2005 Château Laniote. Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé. Tasted over lunch at Clos du Roy, 05 June 2023. Deep crimson. Intense savoury tones on the nose with a suggestion of heated earth, leading to a warm ripeness of wild berries accompanied by some alcoholic heat.

2006 Château de Ferrand. Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé. Tasted over lunch at Clos du Roy, 05 June 2023. Crimson hues. Savoury tones tempered by floral notes. Good attack and intensity, laced with sleek acidity. Modest finish.

2000 Château Grand Corbin-Despagne. Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé. Tasted over lunch at Clos du Roy, 05 June 2023. Evolved crimson. Tertiary glow of mature red fruits. Supple medium-full palate, open with moderate intensity. Good balance. Quite integral. Modest finish.

Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvée, pre-dinner aperitif at Château Angélus, 05 June 2023. Dull golden. Full rich creaminess overlaid with chromatic tones, imparting superb freshness and sweet intensity. Not too dry.

2017 Château de Buxy Montagny 1er Les Bassets, over lunch at La Terrasse Rouge, 06 June 2023. Golden green. Bold bouquet of green fruits, grassy elements and morning dew. Good freshness, though the medium palate is rather straightforward and rustic.

2000 Château La Dominique, over lunch at La Terrasse Rouge, 06 June 2023. Deep garnet still. Effusive in rose petals and cherries. Very soft tannins, complementing the lush expanse of fruit, yielding lovely elegant detail. Almost voluptuous in its supple intensity. Great balance and length, finishing on a note of spicy capsicum. Excellent.

2019 Château Latour-Martillac Blanc, from the list of Logis de la Cadène, 06 June 2023. Light greenish hue, delivering lithe chromatic white tones that light the palate with elegant charm. Very subtly chalked with agile density, opening up with soft contours, retaining very good definition all the way to its glowing finish.

2015 Domaine François Lamarche Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er, from the list of Logis de la Cadène, 06 June 2023. Classic pinot tint of cherries and floral fragrance. Medium weight with a predominance of red fruits supported by a deeper vein of currants that eventually impart intense darkish shades laced with very fine acidity, finishing with overtones of incense.

2019 Domaine François Carillon Saint-Aubin Murgers les Dents de Chien 1er, from the list of Les Belles Perdrix, 07 June 2023. Light greenish. Effusive complexity of delicate green fruits tinged with varnish, teasing the layered palate of white tones with fleeting fullness and intensity of delicate citrus, replete with a sense of oily density. Lengthy finish of white incense.

2011 Château Cheval Blanc, comprising 53% cabernet franc and 47% merlot. Deep crimson. Early secondary development of red plums and other complex red fruits with a lovely glowing presence. The tannins are still tightly structured with fine detail and excellent precision, imbued with considerable ferrous elements that lend a distinct austerity to the mid-palate. Fairly well integrated but doesn’t quite display the depth and layering of the best years, a little “stemmy” too at the finish although the grapes are completely de-stemmed. Tasted on 06 June 2023 at the château.

2011 Château Figeac. Bright purple. Highly aromatic in cherries, raspberries and red currants. Beautifully structured with excellent presence, the tannins beginning to loosen with svelte supple intensity. Wonderfully fresh and energetic, showing great integration though the cabernet franc component is still discernibly coiled with a hint of varnish. Finished well with traces of graphite. Tasted at the château on 06 June 2023.

Château Mangot may be counted as one of the unsung châteaux of Saint-Émilion. Founded in the mid-sixteenth century, its modern success is due to the untiring efforts of brothers Karl and Yann Todeschini. Located far east of Saint-Émilion village, the château has some 30 hectares under vines in an uninterrupted stretch covering various elevations and ecosystems, planted with more than 80% merlot. When the Jürade de Saint-Émilion du Singapour visited late on 07 June 2023, Karl himself was on hand to welcome us. The château itself has been thoroughly modernised since 2001, sporting a clean spacious chai with rows of gleaming stainless-steel tanks for fermentation. Interestingly, while Karl utilises biodynamic methods, he is equally unconventional in some ways, ageing his wine in a mix of barrels, amphorae vats as well as stainless steel tanks as he deems fit. The examples tasted are a testament to the quality of its wines, proven beyond doubt by its recent elevation to Grand Cru Classé. Its 2016 grand vin is really outstanding while its special cuvée of Todeschini Distique is one truly for the next generation. Merci Karl, for your time and generosity.

2022 Château Mangot. Deep purple. Cool darkish tones tinged with varnish on the nose. The fullish palate is imbued with ripe fruit and distinct minerals in equal measure, layered with earthy textures amid a distant note of rye, underscored by understated acidity and slightly dryish tannins that impart subdued intensity. Tasted from barrel at the château.

2022 Mangot Rosé. Beautiful pale pinkish hue, featuring light red fruits coolly balanced against a light minerally presence. Highly refreshing, laced with some underlying sweetness to counter the relative austerity. Tasted as a pre-dinner aperitif at the château.

2022 M de Mangot Blanc. From a small 1.5-ha plot in Castillon, comprising almost equal portions of chardonnay, colombard and roussanne. Very light golden luminosity. Nose of distant green fruits, morning dew and wet gravel, more forward over time. Lively but balanced with rounded acidity and a tinge of nutmeg. Very well proportioned with medium presence, developing glowing white tones with growing intensity of fruit over time. Excellent. The 2020 is its inaugural vintage, some 3000 bottles produced. Tasted over dinner at the château.

2018 Château La Brande. Poured from magnum. From vines planted on red clay in Castillon, comprising 75% merlot and the remainder cabernet franc. Very deep garnet. Opens with distant raspberries and mulberries, displaying good energy on the fleshy medium with open detailed tannins though it doesn’t quite plumb the depths. Tasted over dinner at the château.

2016 Château Mangot. Poured from magnum. Comprising 80% merlot, 15% cabernet franc and 5% cabernet sauvignon. Very deep garnet. Promising nose of ultra-deep currants and ripe black fruits with plenty more lurking beneath. Very amply endowed and full with a lithe warm ripeness, traipsing across the palate with great verve and agility. Subtly structured with unobtrusive silky tannins, boasting sublime acidity with fine linearity and precision. Highly successful. Tasted over dinner at the château.

2016 Todeschini Distique 9. Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. Poured from magnum. Impenetrable deep garnet. Effusive nose of mocha, incense and black fruits and currants. Full-bodied. Quite seamlessly integrated although there is a spicy edge. Distinctly masculine with a dark terse palate, structured with sophisticated but slightly dryish tannins. Undisputedly powerful but certainly not over extracted. Needs another two decades of cellaring. Dubbed the Figeac of the East, this wine comprises 40% cabernet franc, 30% cabernet sauvignon and 30% merlot from vines grown on clayey chalk, its inaugural vintage being the 2008. Only 9000 bottles annually. Tasted over dinner at the château.

The Jürade de Saint-Émilion du Singapour had the distinct pleasure of visiting Tertre Roteboeuf again on 07 June 2023. Located at a high vantage point on clay and limestone soils, this small estate has expanded to just a shade over six hectares, having recently acquired a small parcel downslope. We were hosted by Henri, son of the legendary François Mitjavile, who seems contented to continue the work of his father without being too disruptive, which I guess is not a bad thing at all for lovers of this estate. François himself did make an appearance later in the cellars, still looking hale and hearty, and it was especially touching to see the close affection between père et fil. François had expounded at length regarding his philosophy about Tertre Roteboeuf during our previous visit which I shan’t repeat here. Henri fulfilled our request to pop a back vintage (we chose the 1985) that is still very much at its peak, while an extended tasting across its range of current vintage proved this estate to still be in very fine form. Merci beaucoup, Henri, for your time and generosity, and to François for gracing our visit and we wish you good health ahead.

2022 Domaine de Cambes. Barrel sample comprising 80% merlot and 20% cabernet franc, made at a location two kilometres from the Côtes de Bourg. Deep purple. Some bush and bramble on the nose, slightly reductive with a distinct humid note that is a nod to its terroir by the river. Concentrated and fleshy, imbued with a savouriness and fine acidity on an earthy base.

2022 Roc de Cambes. Barrel sample comprising 80% merlot and 20% cabernet franc planted on the slopes of the Côtes de Bourg. Deep purple. Fruit forward with a suggestion of heated wet stones, pampering the palate with plush intensity of red fruits on the back of structured dryish tannins, showing good definition.

2022 Tertre Roteboeuf. Barrel sample. Aromatic floral glow of red roses and red fruits. Beautifully ripe, concentrated and savoury, yet impeccably balanced and proportioned, structured with plush tannins that impart velvety textures and good power. Absolutely harmonious. Has just the correct level of extraction. Finished well with glowing intensity. A glorious Tertre Roteboeuf to be.

2017 Tertre Roteboeuf. Deep ruby. Distilled red fruit and rosy hues. Considerably more gentle, highly supple and fleshy with understated soft tannins and acidity yet imbued with tactile intensity. Highly integral. Very harmonious throughout its length, underpinned with just a hint of wild game. Held its ground in spite of coming after the 2022. Highly successful.

1985 Château Tertre Roteboeuf. Deep crimson still. Freshly popped, this wine opens with an attractive funk along with tertiary characters of dried longans and mature wild berries. Still ample in fruit that is a little more forwardly balanced, displaying youthful suppleness and cool easy charm. Absolutely harmonious, developing further overtones of glutinous rice leaves. Superb!

The Jürade de Saint-Émilion du Singapour has had the distinct privilege of visiting Château Angélus twice, first in June 2019 and, almost four years to the date, on 05 June 2023, the bells obliging us with their rendition of Majullah Singapura on each visit. In between, the château has increased its holdings to 40 ha while Stephanie de Boüard-Rivoal has taken an increasing role in setting the château’s future direction from her father, Hubert de Boüard de Laforest, producing a dry white for the first time with the 2020 vintage. For our second visit, the château honoured us with a tasting of the 2017 vintage followed by a private dinner at its tasting room hosted by its Manager for Asia, Ms Bong Grelat-Tram, where we had the privilege of tasting again the impossible-to-find 2020 Angélus Grand Vin Blanc (retailing at €1000 at its restaurant Logis de la Cadène) in as many weeks, as well as the increasingly rare 1988 Château Angélus. All the wines were drinking superbly, a testimony to the château’s rightful place at the top tier of Saint-Émilion. But, of course, Château Angélus has famously removed itself from the Saint-Émilion classification of 2022 (along with Ausone and Cheval Blanc), meaning that 2021 will be the final time one sees Premier Grand Cru Classé A being printed on its label, which will forever be included amongst other interesting trivia about the château: the year when the article L’ was dropped (1989), when church cloisters were removed from the label (2001), when the bottles were embossed with ANGÉLUS (2000). We popped the question to Ms Bong, and it seems the reason is, quite simply, that the château has been there and that it is time to free itself of undue obligations to gain the freedom of deciding its own direction. From its track record under Hubert, and now with fresh visions and goals from Stephanie, one can be sure that the château will continue its unerring course towards even greater heights. Many thanks, Hubert and Ms Bong, for your time, generosity and kind hospitality.

2011 Château Angélus. Deep impenetrable purple. Effusive bouquet of concentrated dark plums, ripe blackberries and dark cherries. Big, ripe and well-extracted, imparting dense layers of warm dark fruits and currants on the rounded medium-full palate that exert taut tension and clean acidity, finishing with traces of licorice. Tasted June 2019 at the château.

2017 Le Carillon d’Angélus. Deep purple. Restrained at first, gradually yielding notes of haw and rosy hues from its discernible cabernet franc. Generously proportioned and full, gelling together very well with supple intensity and superb freshness, turning a little more perfumed with more juicy succulence though there is a hint of stems at the finish, underpinned by very subtle minerality throughout. Highly successful, considering the difficult frosty vintage where the château decided to only pick the first-generation grapes. Tasted June 2023 at the château.

2010 Le Carillon d’Angélus. Deep purple. Fairly effusive in black fruits and dark currants. Medium-full. More forwardly balanced, structured with seamless tannins that exert supple intensity though it doesn’t plumb the depths. Distinctly masculine. Comprises 40% cabernet franc and 60% merlot. Tasted over dinner at the château, June 2023.

2017 Château Angélus. Impenetrable deep purple. Distant ripe fruit of black currants and violets, imparting delicious cool tones. Softly contoured. Medium presence. Very well balanced and supple, graced with understated acidity and seamless smooth tannins that confer delicate elegance. Good delineation. Modest finish. Very fine indeed. Already highly accessible. Tasted June 2023 at the château.

2020 Angélus Grand Vin Blanc. Pale. Nose of crème de la crème with a hint of tropical fruit and distant icing. Medium presence. Very precisely layered with delicate agility and excellent clarity where the various grape varietals are clearly discernible. Has a certain cool aloofness. Tasted over dinner at the château, June 2023.

2015 Château Angélus. Deep garnet. Effusive in dark fruits. Very ample with masculine proportions. Great depth and tight intensity of fruit that exert superb acidity and tension, held together with controlled hedonism. Perfectly balanced. Still primal. Tasted over dinner at the château, June 2023.

1988 Château L’Angélus. The final vintage to feature the article L’. Deep crimson with bricking. Beautiful tertiary characters on the nose with distinct capsicum and mature ripe berries, exuding exalted lift with overtones of black pepper. The fleshy medium-full palate is still very lively and supple, totally seamless by now, delighting with fresh dark currants tinged with cigar box that finished with a bit of spicy glow, displaying great energy and balance throughout. At its best and will hold. Tasted over dinner at the château, June 2023.

2015 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance. A muscat from Stellenbosch, South Africa, where the château has some holdings. Luminous gold. Effusive in nectarine, honeyed tones and brioche supported by superb acidity. Not too luscious. Well balanced. Tasted over dinner at the château, June 2023.

I first met Monsieur Hubert Boüard de Laforest, owner of Château Angélus, at the turn of the new millennium at Carrefour, Singapore, (before it closed down) where he had very kindly autographed a couple of bottles of the 1994, a vintage special to me. When I met up with Hubert again a couple of weeks ago in Singapore, he still remembered the event and he even went on to say that he is especially fond of the 1994 (followed by the 2001 and 2007). Of course, most people are aware of the difficulties of the first few vintages of the Nineties, but these wines from so-called “off years” can still spring a surprise Indian Summer many years down the road. Aired in bottle two hours ahead of dinner at Saint-Pierre, Singapore, on 30 May 2023, the 1994 Château Angélus is still very deeply coloured, darkish purple at its core with just a bare tint of crimson. The bouquet is simply gorgeous, leaping out of the glass with a stunning complex of mature raspberries and black fruits underscored by some reductive pungency and brilliant graphite that teased with sexy lift, delivering its promise with a layered depth of delicious dark fruits on the medium-full palate. Still remarkably vibrant and seemingly half of its twenty-nine years, this wine kept evolving with emerging notes of mocha, cinnamon and rhubarb, boasting superb acidity and sophisticated tannins that exert smooth intensity and attack, maintaining its poised elegance and cool ripeness throughout before finishing in a lengthy spicy glow. Outstanding! One can truly understand Hubert’s special affection for it. Quantities of the 1994 must be really scarce by now. Catch it at its peak now if you’ve any, though it can easily keep for another decade.

2021 Domaine Ellevin Chablis 1er Vaucoupin, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 06 May 2023. Light greenish. Clean bouquet. Delicate high-toned palate imbued with refined acidity and tension amid grassy floral elements on a subtle minerally floor, displaying crisp freshness. Slightly narrow in body but quite integral. Modest finish.

2020 Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 06 May 2023. Light greenish. Very lovely nose of complex citrus and olives with a dash of flinty smoke. Medium-full, displaying exciting depth and layering with excellent clarity, trailed by that same afternote of gun smoke. More reductive over time, revealing structured chiseled tones with a chamfered edge. Excellent.

2020 Domaine Jean Fournier Marsannay Les Longeroies Rouge, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 06 May 2023. Deep dark ruby, exuding ripe dark fruits, black cherries and currants with considerable restraint. Well-extracted medium-full presence of cool darkish tones, fleshing out with open supple intensity and clean precision with a glowing warmth. Good finish.

2020 Domaine Sébastien Dampt Chablis 1er Beauroy, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 09 May 2023. Malt, rye and wet gravel on the nose, followed by tensile clean floral tones with boiled nuts. The palate displays abundant green fruits with a twang of tropical fruit that dance with agile supple intensity before turning somewhat reductive with chromatic tones. Lingering finish. Great value.

2019 Domaine Maratray Dubreuil Pernand Vergelesses 1er Les Fichots, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 09 May 2023. Restrained darkish tones belie a dominance of minty medicinal spices underpinned by excellent acidity on the fullish palate, laid on a distinct earthy floor with some vegetal tint. Cleanly structured. Still rather tight.

2005 Château Duhart-Milon. Aired in bottle for ninety minutes ahead of dinner at Summer Hill, 11 May 2023. Deep garnet. Dark ripe berries, black fruits and currants, well into secondary development with further notes of cinnamon, cedar, truffle and star anise. Fleshy and open with delicious savoury characters, very lively in its supple intensity and exciting acidity. Can’t believe it only cost SGD98 all-in during en primeur back then.

Ridgeview Bloomsbury Brut NV, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 13 May 2023. Very pale light greenish. Gentle nose of floral aromas, distant green fruits and honeysuckle. Excellent presence of citrus and lime that sparkle with dry intensity, cushioned by streamlined acidity that merge seamlessly with a subtle chalky glow. Lovely.

2018 Freemark Abbey Merlot, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 13 May 2023. Deep purple. Aromas of bush, bramble, dark cherries and ripe wild berries. Medium-full, displaying cohesive presence of dense velvety fruit laced with understated acidity amid overtones of earth and enamel. Gelled together with chewy red fruits and gritty detail.

2017 Varvaglione Papale Primitivo di Manduria. Popped and poured at Eastern House of Seafood, 13 May 2023. Dark crimson. Robust presence of well-extracted dark fruit with characters of roast and barbecued sweet meat, fairly well-balanced and rounded without any pretentiousness.

Rockford Black Shiraz (2012 disgorgement). Popped and poured over dinner at home, 16 May 2023. Deep purple. The fizz is there but I’m afraid this has just passed its prime, missing entirely its fabled liquored finish though the raspberries and dark cherries are present with a dash of savouriness but the complexity isn’t quite there, coming across as a tad too simple and straightforward. From a freshly opened carton carried all the way from Rockford’s cellar door in 2012.

1996 Champagne Dom Pérignon Rosé, courtesy of Mr Oei HL at The Pines, 18 May 2023. Deep orangey hue, proffering grapefruit and tangerines amid soft red fruits. Open with refreshing zest, still imbued with bubbly freshness and energy, caressing the palate with refined youthful intensity without the cutting dryness that sometimes tend to characterise rosé. Excellent. I had the dubious benefit of being served a second glass filled with cut strawberries; definitely not my idea.

1990 Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Musigny Grand Cru, courtesy of Mr Oei HL at The Pines, 18 May 2023. Aged crimson. There is just that bare whiff of cork taint amid distinct mature tones of leather, cherries and tangerines topped with a bit of mustiness but the palate is still undeniably fresh and energetic, highly supple in red fruits, mandarins and sauteed mushrooms. Gelled together with excellent tension and cohesion, turning a little darkish and introspective after some time, yielding fine definition as it finished with a minerally splash.

1982 Château Cheval Blanc, courtesy of Mr Oei HL at The Pines, 18 May 2023. Deep garnet with some bricking at the rim. Rather restrained though the open palate is well-layered with supple depth and intensity of darkish fruit, very well-integrated with tertiary tannins glowing in graphite brilliance tinged with a dash of cedary sweetness. Gained in stature over time, becoming bigger and tighter, giving the impression of a predominance of merlot even though this vintage contained 60% cabernet franc. May not actually have peaked.

2020 Domaine Vincent Dampt Chablis Vaillons 1er, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 19 May 2023. Light greenish. Attractive nose of green fruits with floral grassy elements. Medium palate of dryish structured intensity laced with a splash of oily density and spicy acidity, imbued with a distinct minerally austerity throughout.

1979 Domaine Emile Bouley Volnay-Santenots 1er, courtesy of Sanjay at Putien, 25 May 2023. Poured from magnum. Well evolved. Dusky but still amazingly clear, exuding a powerful reductive bouquet of over-ripe plumminess, earth and sweet incense. Gelled together very well with great presence, highly seamless with bright orangey tones laced with slick acidity. Modest finish.

2019 Jean Féry et Fil Vosne-Romanee Aux Réas at Putien, 25 May 2023. Bright crimson. Very lovely bouquet of deep rosy fragrance, red fruits and haw. Rounded with superb presence and depth of fruit, very well integrated with smooth tannins on a discernible base of subtle ferrous elements, displaying very fine purity. A tad forward but perfectly appropriate. Modest finish. Shows true Vosne character.

2006 Champagne Philipponnat Clos des Goisses Brut, courtesy of Jimmy at Putien, 25 May 2023. Luminous golden hue. Nose of dense citrus amidst a gleaming chalky glow. Open with delicate detail and excellent dry intensity, tinged with a trail of gun smoke. Modest finish.

2018 Domaine Pierre Yves Colin-Morey Puligny-Montrachet 1er Les Champs Gains, courtesy of CHS at Putien, 25 May 2023. Pale, proffering faint floral tones with a fair opulence of dense citrus on the rounded palate. Surprisingly neither chiseled nor reductive, displaying fine precision with a distinct note of saline, vanillin and cool icing topped with emerging lychees. Excellent.

2018 Domaine Comtesse de Cherisey Meursault-Blagny Le Genelotte monopole at Putien, 25 May 2023. Pale. Effusive in citrus and lime with dense floral characters. Richly layered with rounded depth of cool fruit, displaying refined acidity with a slightly chamfered quality. Good finish.

2006 Domaine Hubert Lignier Morey-Saint-Denis 1er at Putien, 25 May 2023. Evolved crimson. Plummy red fruits dominate with mature tones on the medium-full palate laced with high-toned sleek acidity, exuding lovely fragrance.

2015 Domaine Faiveley Chambolle-Musigny Les Fuées 1er, courtesy of Hock Foong at Putien, 25 May 2023. Opaque darkish crimson. Raspberries, briar and red fruits on the nose, matching the darkish expanse of cool ripe fruit and currants on the palate, displaying fine acidity and good purity with some early secondary development.

2016 Clos Saint Vincent, by the glass at Joséphine, 26 May 2023. Full-on nose of blueberries, dark plums, bramble and earth. Weighty with tight intensity, structured with tannins that are slightly angular though it fared much better with food, proving to be quite an excellent accompaniment. Lingering minty finish.

2019 Wasenhaus Spätburgunder, drunk with dinner at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 29 May 2023. Classic pale pinot tint. Effusive deep rosy fragrance, boasting very fine concentration of fruit imbued with an oily density, exuding fresh gentle intensity of red roses and cherries that shone with excellent purity, just a tad forward. Fanned out with rich rounded tones, developing further notes of sweet incense with an emerging sandy base. Good sophistication. Very burgundian.

2007 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, courtesy of LF at Imperial Treasure Great World, 31 May 2023. Pale. Lifted white citrus with powdery textures amidst the density of incense and floral characters. Dryish with subtle supple intensity within a sheen of very soft refined bubbles. A little more accentuated over time with emerging notes of pomelo.

2019 Domaine Bernard Moreau Chassagne-Montrachet at Imperial Treasure Great World, 31 May 2023. Pale. Rather restrained initially, eventually yielding subtle tropical fruits, bananas and creamy white tones. Developed more layering with a hint of oily density and salinity, displaying excellent clarity with understated acidity and elegance as it took on a brightish hue.

2018 Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet Les Chaumees 1er, courtesy of Raymond at Imperial Treasure Great World, 31 May 2023. Faint white powdery tones. Subtly layered medium palate, showing fine clarity with a hint of oiliness. More rich and creamy after some time with a dash of nutmeg.

2018 Domaine Harmand-Geoffroy Gevrey-Chambertin Les Bossiere 1er, courtesy of Raymond at Imperial Treasure Great World, 31 May 2023. Good colour. Classic pinot tint, displaying fresh plummy fruit with fresh supple intensity. Good balance.

2006 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Chambolle-Musigny 1er, courtesy of Sir Bob at Imperial Treasure Great World, 31 May 2023. Good colour. Delicious nose of black currants, ripe raspberries and cherries with a discernible trace of vanillin still. Quite voluptuous. A tad forward but this is so open and enticing, boasting silky smooth tannins and intense purity of fruit. Moves across the palate with great ease and fluidity.

2006 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Monthelie Les Duresses 1er, courtesy of Sir Bob at Imperial Treasure Great World, 31 May 2023. Evolved red, displaying a certain restraint though the soft medium palate is decidedly feminine in intensity. Open and beautifully supple with lovely depth and purity, finishing in a cool minty glow though it began fading after an hour.

2015 Cristom Vineyards Willamette Valley Eola-Amity Hills Jessie Vineyard, courtesy of LF at Imperial Treasure Great World, 31 May 2023. Classic pinot tint, looking like a much older wine though betrayed by the forward balance of delicious red fruits on the palate. Excellent in concentration with a supple youthful intensity, yielding great detail with traces of sweet incense, finishing with a splash of earthy minerals.

2017 Domaine Arlaud Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, courtesy of Alvin at Imperial Treasure Great World, 31 May 2023. Evolved purple. Lifted bouquet of red fruits. Quite full and fairly open, structured with svelte tannins imbued with an oily density that impart fleeting intensity underpinned with austere minerals. More powerful and pure over time, rounded and seamlessly integrated. Shows real class and sophistication.

67 Pall Mall, Singapore, hosted an exclusive Bordeaux tasting on the evening of 24 May 2023 for its shareholders in the wake of Vinexpo Asia featuring a good spread of estates and vintages. From what I’ve observed, it appears the smaller estates have, nowadays, caught up with the usual big boys; that’s where the smart money ought to be. Many thanks, Sir K, for the invitation!

2017 “Y” d’Yquem. Poured from magnum. Pale greenish. Distinct note of durian with some barnyard pungency which I find highly enticing. Medium-bodied, the clear citrus fruit set somewhat backwards, displaying good clarity with a delicate agile quality graced with refined acidity. Developed a certain waxiness over time, exuding lovely intensity with a dash of vanillin. 

2015 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc. Pale. Wonderfully fresh, displaying cool clarity. Excellent full presence but very subtly layered, finishing with traces of white pepper.

2010 Vieux Château Certan. Deep crimson. Restrained nose of cool ripe fruit and mahogany with emerging early secondary characters. Full darkish palate. Very generously endowed with black fruits, its supple tannins exerting superb tensile presence with sublime acidity, finishing on a minerally note. Far from ready but this has the potential to be one of the vintage’s greatest.

2010 Château Montrose. Very deep garnet. Full presence of dense black fruits, currants and cedar laid on velvety tannins, showing some early secondary development. Wonderfully layered and beautifully nuanced, boasting great balance and amazing agility in spite of its full weight. Exudes superb freshness with sublime intensity, conveying tremendous verve. impeccably proportioned and authoritative. This is Montrose still done in the old style. Outstanding, re-affirming the greatness of this vintage.

2009 Château Petit-Village. Deep crimson. Glowing effusive presence of black currants and dark fruits, wonderfully ripe with a surprisingly deep savoury core that exude great freshness and energy. Fleshy and highly integral. A great success from this under-rated estate.

2009 Château Pontet-Canet. Very dark, proffering deep luxuriant tones of dark fruits, currants and black berries. Beautifully ripe. Structured with refined detailed tannins that exert fine tension with an enticing warmth. Excellent sophistication.

2008 Château Clos Fourtet. Darkish tones dominate on the nose and fullish palate, glowing with ripe raspberries on a structured bed of relatively firm tannins and graphite elements amid overtones of toast and savoury roast. Yet to loosen up with true secondary development.

2006 Château Léoville Las-Cases. Deep purple. The leading estate of Saint-Julien opens with bright pebbly tones (a consistent characteristic of this vintage) against a backdrop of darkish tones and early cedary characters. Generously imbued with black fruits and currants framed within structured dryish tannins on a bed of firm minerally elements. Unsurprisingly stern throughout its length. Still not ready.

2005 Château Figeac. Deep garnet. Restrained glow of dark plummy fruit amid overtones of briar and earth. Equally darkish on the full palate, structured with supple pliant tannins layered with a deep core of glorious fruit. Still rather youthful, evolving at a glacial pace.

2003 Château Cos D’Estournel. Poured from double magnum. Deep garnet. Rounded with darkish intensity, boasting great detail, layering and clarity from its fleshy medium-bodied presence. Very well integrated without any alcoholic flash. Just entering its drinking window.

2000 Château Calon-Ségur. Deep crimson. Good lift of cedar and mahogany underscored by a firm note of soy, exuding early secondary development with a gentle glow. The palate is beautifully structured and balanced but the feel is somewhat underwhelming, the fruit a little too placid with understated acidity. Modest finish.

1996 Château Valandraud. Mature brownish red. Prominent note of glycerin and ripe plummy tones from the mature fruit. Medium-bodied. Very well-layered though rather placid with rounded tannins and subdued acidity, finishing on a note of sweet incense.

The Jürade de Saint-Émilion du Singapour had the distinct honour of hosting the Jürade’s Commandeur, Monsieur Hubert Boüard de Laforest, to dinner at Imperial Treasure Great World, Singapore, on 20 May 2023 where, naturally, a vertical of Château Angélus would be lined up. Hubert had sent over his personal stash of the château’s brand new highly exclusive grand vin blanc, the Le Carillon as well as three vintages of its grand vin while we chipped in another three. Looking relatively youthful and relaxed and ever the consummate professional that he is, Hubert turned on his charm throughout the evening, regaling us with countless anecdotes about himself and the château, as well as how Angélus became linked with the James Bond franchise (featured in three films: the 1982 in Casino Royale, 2005 in both Spectre and No Time To Die). Hubert expressed a special affection for the Angélus of 1994, 2001 (which he feels is a better vintage for the Right Bank than Left) and 2007, whilst letting on as well that the reins are gradually being handed over to his daughter Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal, who has certain ideas about doing things to move the estate forward. Merci beaucoup Hubert for your time and generosity, and we look forward to seeing you again very soon at Château Angélus.

Champagne Benoît Déhu Cuvée de La Rue des Noyers, courtesy of Russ. Rather weighty and reductive on the nose, contrasting against the clean full palate of pears and apples that shone with sleek high-toned acidity, developing with greater expanse over time.

Champagne Henri Giraud Aÿ MV17 Grand Cru Brut, courtesy of Lawrence. Pale golden. Slightly reductive with an attractive elusiveness, leading to a cool lift of complex citrus that teased with dry intensity amid sultry sexy tones. very open and agile, structured with superb depth and clarity. Exudes lovely refinement and sophistication. Excellent.

2020 Angélus Grand Vin Blanc. Ex-château. A new initiative from Hubert’s daughter Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal, made from a tiny 1.2 ha comprising 50% chardonnay with equal parts of semillon and sauvignon blanc, aged in 50% new oak from Burgundian coopers. Pale. Gentle lift of vanillin oak amid some waxiness, leading to beautifully nuanced white tones of nutmeg and Asian spices infused with a full oily density, held together with sublime tension and cohesion. Very beautifully balanced with understated elegance, developing lovely complexity in the glass with a dominance of yellow fruit. This is its inaugural vintage, only 2000 bottles produced; even Hubert has only been allocated three bottles for his personal stash and we have actually popped those three this evening. At risk of blasphemy, I’d say this is as good as any true burgundy. What a privilege this has been. Outstanding!

2012 Le Carillon d’Angélus. Ex-château. Deep purple. Quite a heavy bouquet of raspberries and mulberries though the palate is only medium-weight, softly contoured and fleshy with pliant supple tannins. Very elegant, displaying youthful agility with lovely balance. Made from younger vines from differing plots within Angélus, gently extracted and vinified differently from the grand vin using 30% new oak.

2016 Château Angélus. Ex-château. Deep ruby, exuding a copious warmth of ripe raspberries, black fruits and currants that sparkle with rich graphite detail. Wonderfully tense with a cool ripeness, tightly coiled within supple understated tannins that slowly dissipated to yield excellent detail on a subtle minerally base. Modest finish. Highly promising.

2011 Château Angélus. Ex-château. Very deep garnet with a predominance of black fruits and currants. Well-extracted but softly structured. Considerably less layered and firm though there is still plenty of stuffing lurking beneath that obvious sheen of vanillin, displaying good integration with relaxed charm.

2007 Château Angélus. Ex-château. Deep crimson. This wine has developed very well in spite of its difficult vintage, proffering delicious red fruits, haw and currants whilst there is a certain refined velvetiness to its tannins, cushioning the fair abundance of fruit that now display early secondary characteristics. Good balance and sophistication. Little wonder that Hubert has professed a special affection for this wine.

2006 Château Angélus. A blend of 47% cabernet franc, 50% merlot and 3% cabernet sauvignon. Deep crimson. Delicious in blueberries, haw and red fruits that exude lovely lift. Suitably weighty. Slightly forward, still quite tightly coiled, exerting refined intensity with a cool tensile presence. Good finish, but it needs another decade of cellaring.

2004 Château Angélus, courtesy of Chancellor Melvin. Still rather dark and restrained though the open palate is wonderfully fresh and supple with an even presence of cool ripe fruit, structured with smooth velvety tannins that yield superb detail. Very well balanced, developing a gentle intensity with further notes of soy. This must qualify as one of the best wines of that classical vintage.

2001 Château Angélus, courtesy of Kieron. Purplish crimson. This under-rated wine opens with a savoury expanse of ripe fruit and currants well into their tertiary development, exuding lovely complexity with a dash of earthiness. Superbly integrated and wonderfully fresh, proffering excellent detail of soft gritty tannins that add further dimension to its lush succulence, finishing well with superb linearity. Outstanding. Hubert spoke of a personal preference for this vintage over the much-vaunted 2000. Enough said.