Ric's Wine Journal

In a repeat of an all-Château d’Yquem dinner previously held in 2018, Grace very kindly organised another at the same venue on 01 August 2022, getting Nicolas to open his restaurant specially for us (when he is normally closed on Mondays). It is certainly possible to pair Sauternes with an entire meal without necessarily including foie gras, as we did very well with pasta, seafood and Bresse chicken. The wines speak for themselves. The 2009 is truly outstanding, as is the 1996 whilst the 2010 remains stubbornly tight. And do not forget Château Climens; if at all, the leading premier cru of Barsac, given its lighter touch and agility, goes even better with food. Many thanks, Grace and Nicolas, for your immense generosity and to all for your lovely contributions.

2017 “Y” d’Yquem, several bottles courtesy of Dr Ngoi and Winfred. Pale. Profusion of fig and nectarine within an effusive white sheen with a further note of jackfruit on the palate, showing fine density with restrained elegance and understated intensity, opening up with shimmering supple detail in the glass.

2017 Château d’Yquem, courtesy of Dr Ngoi. Poured from magnum. Highly luminous, exuding a superb glow of fresh nectarine and apricot. Wonderfully fresh on the palate, not overly luscious, showing great integral velvety presence in its even tone and linearity. Supremely confident and regal.

2014 Château d’Yquem. Restrained nose of nectarine amidst a distinct note of egg white, slightly reductive. Very cleanly structured and precise, somewhat lean in almonds and golden citrus though it offers fine definition and good clarity, not at all luscious.

2011 Château Climens. Enticing aromas of vanillin, white fruits and incense. Highly slick and agile in its refined acidity, avoiding any hint of heaviness on the medium-full palate already imbued with early secondary characters of fresh lychees and honeyed tones that teased with deft fleeting intensity. Very different in style from Château d’Yquem of the same vintage, distinctly more feminine. A fascinating comparison between the best of Barsac and the best of Sauternes.

2011 Château d’Yquem, courtesy of Peter Tan. Rather elusive on the nose, subtly seductive though decidedly more weighty on the palate with an even expanse of fresh nectarine, peaches and white tones that taper with excellent linearity to a long smooth glowing finish marked by a dash of understated minerals.

2010 Château d’Yquem, courtesy of Edward. Quite deeply coloured. Profusion of nectarine and apricot with a fullish forward intensity, layered with luscious honeyed tones. Still rather tight and primal. Huge potential, but it needs time to sort itself out.

2009 Château d’Yquem, courtesy of Gisela. Luminous golden hue. Superb on the nose, evoking a smoky hedonistic sweetness that contrasted beautifully against the distinct minerally tones within its refined mid-body, displaying intense youthful power with tremendous precision and integration, opening up later with fine clarity. Outstanding.

2008 Château d’Yquem, courtesy of Winfred. Luminous gold. Appreciably more mature than expected with a profusion of apricot and orange peels. Medium-bodied, showing good density, its luscious ripe fruit finely balanced against an equal measure of very refined ferrous elements that finished in a slightly peaty glow.

2003 Château d’Yquem, courtesy of Soo Kian. Honeyed tones and nectarine dominate with a discernible pebbly warmth. Medium-full. Rather weighty, somewhat autumnal in its brooding intensity, displaying a hint of early maturity towards its attenuated finish.

1997 Château d’Yquem, courtesy of Tsun Yan. Poured from magnum. Very deeply coloured, proffering an outstanding bouquet of exotic fumes and petroleum characters. Medium-bodied. Still imbued with great acidity though the fruit, fully mature, is set slightly backward amid medicinal overtones that lent an after note of exotic spice.

1996 Château d’Yquem, courtesy of Sanjay. Poured from magnum. Deeply coloured. Deep effusive glow of mature nectarine, apricot and cinnamon with a dash of orange peel, producing an intoxicating peaty lift. Medium-bodied, displaying lovely integration of fruit and sublime acidity within its layers with a pronounced intensity at its core. Became even more integral and refined after another two hours, smoothening out with tremendous elegance, just a tad short at its spicy finish. Outshone the 1997.

Sanjay very graciously hosted a lovely dinner on 25 July 2022 at Shang Palace, Shangri-la Singapore, generously curating the entire wine line-up as well. It was reassuring to know that standards at this venerable institution have remained undimmed in spite of the untimely passing of Chef Mok last year. Many thanks, Sir !

2004 Champagne Dom Pérignon Rosé. Fairly deep in colour, proffering notes of mandarins and grapefruit with a faint whiff of cordite, showing excellent dry presence and elegant darkish depth as it fleshed out with refreshing glacial tones.

2016 “Y” d’Yquem. Pale but highly enticing in its bouquet of green fruits, distant fig and tropical fruit. Medium-bodied. Seamlessly rounded with cool vanillin, fleshing out with a velvety fullness laced with overtones of jackfruit.

2001 Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc. Deeply coloured. Dense bouquet of cinnamon, cedar, honeyed toast and brioche. The medium-bodied palate offers great clarity with its fruit of mature apricot set rather backward, slightly oxidative in character, improving in balance over time though the finish is short. Time to drink up.

2004 Château Mouton Rothschild. Bright crimson. Lovely glow of raspberries, dark currants and mulberries, exuding a silky earthy pungency. The medium-bodied palate is rounded with fleshy suppleness, rather elegantly placid and smoothly delineated though unexpectedly short.

1970 Château Lynch-Bages. Bright crimson. Distant glow of mature claret with a mild reductive pungency. Still quite lively with a fairly deep core of strawberries, cinnamon and star anise set slightly backward, displaying subtle Pauillac character. Still holding on but I’d drink up.

2000 Château Léoville Las-Cases. Deep purple. Effusive in mulberries, raspberries and dark fruit, effortlessly lifted. Medium-bodied. Seamlessly integrated and open with a fleshy suppleness, evolving into its unmistakable Saint-Julien character with further notes of camphor underscored by austere ferrous elements, tapering with subtle biting intensity to a finish that’s just a little short.

1989 Château Coutet. Deep tea-colored. Lovely effusive notes nectarine and honey. Richly imbued but not too luscious, displaying fine agility with understated acidity, exuding white incense with mild medicinal overtones. Impeccably proportioned and balanced. Very successful.

2006 Mount Mary Quintet. Aired for 90 minutes in advance before dinner at Jade Palace, 02 July 2022. Deep currants and dark plums on the nose with a sense of warm pebbles. Rather full with structured intensity, ample in darkish characters intoned with a bright minerally glare that later gave way to emerging notes of mocha and licorice. More open after two hours as it settled with sweet rounded tannins though it still came across as rather dense and heavy, even for cabernet.

2018 Jordan Chardonnay, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 03 July 2022. Deeply coloured. Exudes fresh morning notes while green fruits dominate on the palate, underpinned by prominent ferrous and minerally elements that impart an austere tinge. Fleshed out eventually with an emerging citrus depth, displaying rounded intensity with good clarity and crisp articulation. Drinking well. Another glass, again at 67 Pall Mall on 16 July 2022, displayed fine clarity amid a tangy intensity with distant notes of chalk and crème de la crème. Worth seeking out.

2011 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert, a steal at SGD89 from the list of 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 03 July 2022. Crimson brown, exuding charred savoury characters, ember and smoked bacon with more of haw and red fruits later. Softened after some time with good inner detail and refined tannins, displaying an open presence with a tinge of menthol at its glowing finish.

2015 Domaine Thibert Père et Fils Pouilly-Loche En Chantone, aired in advance for 90 minutes prior to dinner at home, 04 July 2022. Displaying a fairly deep greenish hue, this wine is generously endowed with high-toned characters of tropical fruits, melons and fig underpinned by pomelo and subtle ferrous elements that added a bit of austere depth, imparting an intense tingling mouthfeel with its exciting acidity. Still youthful but lovely to drink now.

2014 Domaine Thibert Père et Fils Pouilly-Fuissé Vignes Blanches. Popped and poured at Wah Lok, 10 July 2022. Exuberant bouquet of fig and peaches with a glorious floral fragrance that exude a rich oily density on the palate, displaying great clarity and purity with an unassuming elegance, developing understated intensity amid recessed chalky white tones. Drinking well.

2005 Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle, aired for two hours in bottle ahead of lunch at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 11 July 2022. Deep dark bouquet of black currants, wild berries, spice and licorice. Medium-full with a textured mouthfeel, exuding a cool minty glow. Dryish at first, then fleshing out with rounded presence as it gelled very well with seamless velvety tannins that oozed a trace of sweetness, evolving with fine clarity and understated structure. Very expertly crafted without any hint of its 14.5% abv.

2019 Domaine Jean Chartron Saint-Aubin Les Murgers Des Dents de Chien 1er, courtesy of Russ at Nomi, 13 July 2022. Explosive bouquet of morning dew, floral fragrance, pears and fig. Even more effusive after some time with further notes of honeysuckle and dense tropical fruits. Lovely tense fullness with exciting mouthfeel, imbued with excellent acidity and precision with a distinct ferrous edge, imparting bit of stern demeanour.

2019 Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet Meursault Les Chevalières at Nomi, 13 July 2022. Restrained rounded floral fragrance. Medium-full. Zesty with a teasing soft intensity, showing good clarity with elegant depth and precision, fanning out with quiet glow as it morphed into a seamless entity with further detail amid overtones of nutmeg.

2011 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Pruliers 1er, courtesy of Kieron at Nomi, 13 July 2022. Lovely deep ruby. Exudes a gentle restrained rosy fragrance matched by very fine juicy succulence on the medium-bodied palate, basking in a long detailed glowing finish with feminine intensity. Drinking well but still remarkably youthful.

1995 Les Forts de Latour, courtesy of Melvin at Nomi, 13 July 2022. Good colour. Lovely sense of velvety depth on the nose amid deep rosy hues, dark plums and some pungent earthiness. Shows excellent depth and freshness with open svelte intensity, displaying understated secondary characters underscored with savoury swagger. Even better than a previous tasting in 2018. At its best.

2009 Domaine Louis Carillon et Fils Puligny-Montrachet Les Perrières 1er, courtesy of WCY at Imperial Treasure Great World, 14 July 2022. Rich oily density, exuding a sense of opulence in its fabulous bouquet of fragrant floral bloom, yellow citrus, vanillin and white peaches. Medium-full, displaying a layered density and intensity that appeared even more reductive over time with powdery textures that seemed very Meursault-like before settling down with the classic chalky glow of a Puligny-Montrachet.

2015 Domaine Emmanuel Rouget Nuits-Saint-Georges, courtesy of Sir Bob at Imperial Treasure Great World, 14 July 2022. Deep pinot tint with a faintly delicious nose of ripe dark cherries. Medium-full. Highly supple with very fine acidity, imparting lovely freshness and verve even before it gelled together with superb clarity and definition, subtly structured. Excellent.

2004 Domaine Jacques-Frèdéric Mugnier Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos de la Marechale 1er, courtesy of Sir Bob at Imperial Treasure Great World, 14 July 2022. Deep pinot tint with a tinge of brown, showing early secondary cedary characters. Medium-full with supple intensity and acidity though its darkish fruit is somewhat reluctant, laced with a hint of tangerines. Distinctly more minerally at first with a little shiny glare, settling down only after three hours with better integration and balance, finishing with soothing sweet tannins.

2011 Hospices de Beaune Corton Grand Cru vinified by Faiveley for Sir Bob. Aired in bottle for almost three hours prior at Imperial Treasure Great World, 14 July 2022. Good colour. Shy on the nose though the medium-bodied palate is imbued with ample red fruits, subtly shaded with a refined relaxed presence. Fleshed out with delicious tones. Surprising bright and cheerful for Corton.

2014 Weingut Markus Molitor Pinot Noir Brauneberger Klostergarten**, courtesy of Alvin at Imperial Treasure Great World, 14 July 2022. Classic pinot tint, showing restrained warmth with a distant shy fragrance of rose petals and cherries. Very correct in character, highly even and smoothly delineated on the placid medium-bodied palate. Foxed us all into believing it to be a true burgundy.

2000 Château Sociando-Mallet, aired for two hours prior to dinner at Otto Ristorante, 15 July 2022. Still showing a deep garnet red with an effusive glow of mature claret, boasting deep dark plums tinged with a dried herbal vegetal hint. Imbued with darkish characters on the medium-full, fleshing out with a lovely rounded presence and fresh acidity with lovely detail. Highly integral. At its best.

2018 Domaine Olivier Leflaive Chablis Le Deux Rives by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 16 July 2022. Pale greenish. Lovely nose of tangerines, lemon peel and peaches that exert a distinct flinty presence. Medium-full. Well integrated and balanced with understated refined acidity, displaying excellent delineation and length as it gained a slight intensity of pineapples and tropical fruits. A steal.

2014 Tyler Winery Zotovich Family Vineyard Chardonnay by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 16 July 2022. Greenish hue with a restrained floral warmth while lemon peels dominate with a subdued delicate presence, coating the light-medium palate with a high-toned fleeting acidity that teased with shiny minerally elements bringing up the rear. Resembles a Pouilly-Fuissé. Drinking well.

2019 Domaine Larue Saint-Aubin En Montceau 1er. Popped and poured at home, 17 July 2022. Pale greenish hue. Morning dew and distant icing on the nose. The palate is expectedly full and intense, imbued with fresh clear fruits and tangy pomelo that lent a tinge of austerity against the broad sweep of bright citrus.

Chandon Brut NV, at Tanah Merah Country Club, Singapore, 20 July 2022. Fig, distant green fruits, pomelo and icing, rather promising on the nose though the palate is disappointingly straightforward with a dryish intensity.

2018 Stag’s Leap Karia Chardonnay. Aired in bottle for three hours prior to dinner at Eastern House of Seafood, 23 July 2022. Pale golden hue. Imbued with a slick oily density that exudes delicious white fruits with a floral lift, topped with gentle notes of crème. Developed further layering and overtones of nutmeg, displaying refined acidity and understated intensity with unassuming demeanour.

1996 Domaine Robert Ampeau et Fils Meursault-Perrières 1er. Aired for two hours in advance prior to dinner at Kiyose, 26 July 2022. Luminous, proffering abundant fig and clear citrus on the nose with an orangey tone. Full-bodied with excellent density. Still imbued with lovely freshness and sleek acidity amid mild ferrous elements, showing plenty of zest with a lithe high-toned acidity.

Champagne Liébart-Régnier Horti Extra Brut, courtesy of LF at Kiyose, 26 July 2022. A blend that includes less usual varieties of petit arbane, pinot blanc and petit meslier. Pale. Most alluring bouquet of perfumed floral fragrance amid recessed yeasty tones. Full high-toned palate of highly refined bubbles with a keen lift, sporting a most unusual darkish vein. Very well integrated with a dash of white flint.

2002 Château Margaux, courtesy of Sir Bob at Kiyose, 26 July 2022. Deep purple. Rather shy, just hinting at warm gravel. The fleshy open palate is somewhat reductive with a marked presence of capsicum and dark fruits that exert mild supple intensity, a little dryish but agile, developing faint hues of haw. Drinking well but it lacks charm and true complexity.

2002 Château L’Evangile, courtesy of Sir Bob at Kiyose, 26 July 2022. Deep purple. Dark fruits and capsicum dominate with soft red fruits in equal measure, exuding gentle warmth. Seamlessly integrated with lithe agility and subtle intensity.

2017 Château de Meursault Meursault-Perrières 1er, courtesy of Kieron at Kiyose, 26 July 2022. Luminous. Nose of restrained citrus and white fruits. Medium-bodied. Gently weighted with lovely balance and subtle intensity, finishing with fine linearity.

2017 Domaine Comte Lafon Meursault, courtesy of Kieron at Kiyose, 26 July 2022. Pale. Shy, laced with a slight saline presence. The medium-bodied palate is wonderfully layered with plenty of dimension, proffering excellent freshness and clarity with elegant intensity. Very correct in every way.

2018 Domaine Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 28 July 2022. Fairly deep greenish hue, promising green apples, kiwi and fig followed by an emerging floral fragrance Medium-bodied. Rounded and quite ample, layered with a deeper vein of preserved tropical fruit. Good balance, becoming a little more minerally over time. Lingering finish.

2018 Domaine Rapet Père et Fils Pernand-Vergelesses Sous Frétille 1er, aired for an hour ahead of dinner at Daniu Teochew Restaurant, 29 July 2022. Luminous. Shy. Medium-full, displaying an even firm chalky presence amid the fragrance of white floral bloom. Evolved much later with dense white tones and fine inner detail. Excellent actually, but under-rated. Needs plenty of time for proper expression.

2005 Château Chasse-Spleen, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 30 July 2022. Deep crimson. Effusive glow of mature red plums, dark fruits and currants, coating the palate with soft chewy tannins that exert supple intensity, revealing fine inner detail with lovely acidity. Went on to develop early tertiary characters of roast, mahogany and cedar gently laced with licorice. Good finish. Highly satisfying.

2019 Domaine de Montille Saint-Aubin En Remilly 1er, aired for an hour ahead of dinner at Eastern House of Seafood, 31 July 2022. Lightly coloured. Belies a dense effusive bouquet of glorious ripe yellow citrus, tropical melons and pineapples. Richly imbued with superb supple intensity though still fairly tight, finishing with good length. Fabulous potential.

It was very good to welcome our old friend Pablo Alvarez of Bodegas Vega-Sicilia back to Singapore on 21 July 2022 at Imperial Treasure Great World with a superb line-up (a magnum of Lamarche Échezeaux, unfortunately, wasn’t on form). Pablo has always been very generous to people around him, offering on this occasion a 2019 D.R.C. La Tâche. We were quite taken aback to drink this great wine so soon after bottling but then I recalled Pablo had also sent us a four-year-old 2012 D.R.C. Richebourg for our wonderful lunch at Extebarri in Spain back in 2016. Muchísimas gracias, Pablo, for spending your precious time with us, and the same too to everyone for your generous contributions. We look forward to visiting you at Vega-Sicilia next year.

2005 Joseph Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche Grand Cru, courtesy of Dr Ngoi. Poured from magnum. Dull golden. Distant fig, peaches and tangerines dominate with cool elegance on the nose. Medium-full, displaying superb concentration of glorious fruit interpolated with a mature chalkiness that teased with fleeting intensity, holding the palate in a lovely velvety grip as it evolved with an unending spectrum of delicate white tones that oozed with a trace of sweetness. Hasn’t quite peaked, but really lovely.

2003 Marcassin “Marcassin Vineyard” Chardonnay, courtesy of CW. Deep golden. Lightly varnished tangerines and orange peel dominate on the nose, giving an impression of a Rhône white. The medium-bodied palate is slightly reductive with a glowing intensity of white tones, deeper and more refined over time along with lovely emerging acidity, eventually revealing its true chardonnay character with a tinge of sweetness. Excellent. From a 8-ha site where only a third is planted with chardonnay.

2006 Champagne Philipponnat Clos des Goisses Brut, courtesy of MH. Poured from magnum. Pale. Slightly reductive, evoking fig and summer hay with a gentle pungency. Medium-full, yielding a high-toned palate of pale fruits and pears that shone with refined gentle intensity within a soft sheen of very tiny bubbles. Highly integral. Matches Salon every step of the way.

2007 Domaine Marc Sorrel Hermitage Blanc, courtesy of Don Roberto. Deeply coloured. Astounding nose of kerosene and must. Medium-bodied. Seemingly reticent with lean flavours initially, showing good integration and clarity before fleshing out with greater weight and seamless layers. Lovely.

2015 Domaine Hudelot-Nöellat Vosne-Romanée. Aired for three hours in advance. Classic pinot tint, proffering gentle hues of rose petals and raspberries that carried well onto the open palate with a warm ripe supple intensity. Almost feminine.

2015 Domaine Emmanuel Rouget Nuits-Saint-Georges, courtesy of Don Roberto. Lovely clear ruby. Slightly forward balance of red fruits and currants. Highly attractive and alluring with a gentle open supple intensity, the usual minerally streak of NSG on the mid-palate surprisingly restrained. Delicious.

2019 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche Grand Cru, courtesy of Pablo Alvarez. This is the youngest bottle of D.R.C. I’ve had and it is surprisingly accessible even at this infantile stage. Deep purple at its core, this wine exudes deep sweet rosy hues that reflect the wonderful depth of glorious dark fruits and currants at its core. Instead of a tannic monster, the 2019 La Tâche is surprisingly open with supple intensity, just a little tight but it fleshed out convincingly with subtle layers of cool ripe fruit that fan out with lovely dimension, immaculately proportioned and balanced. This is a complete wine in the making.

2012 Domaine Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er, courtesy of Vic. Classic pinot tint. Effusive bouquet of alluring soft rosy hues, leading to an open gentle intensity. Highly supple and integral with a condensed depth. Good length.

2014 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of Sanjay. Pale. White tones dominate with a restrained cool elegance. Medium-full. Open with a gentle suppleness, seamlessly layered with superb purity of fruit, evolving with a slightly prominent note of salinity over time but it has the poise, balance and correctness only possible through its impeccable pedigree.

2001 Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of Don Roberto. Luminous gold, proffering lifted white fruits against a recessed chalkiness while white tones dominate on the palate with a refined elegant intensity. Highly integral, displaying a classic Leflaive tone. Still wonderfully fresh with plenty of verve, now at the peak of maturity where its distilled essence evokes a cerebral dimension. Superb.

2013 Domaine Faiveley Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru, courtesy of Boon. Classic pinot tint, richly imbued with ripe red fruits. Open with feminine character. Gently layered with rosy hues and subdued acidity, exuding a lovely freshness. Superbly integrated. Finished well.

2003 Domaine Armand Rousseau Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, courtesy of Boon. Classic pinot tint. Alluring bouquet of red fruits, cherries and currants amid overtones of paraffin. Richly layered. Wonderfully ripe and delicious as it evolved with further notes of haw and secondary characters. Almost hedonistic, but it exerts fabulous control over its proportions. Superbly balanced.

True to its mission, the Jürade de Saint-Émilion du Singapour conducted a second tasting masterclass (by popular demand!) at Tanah Merah Country Club, Singapore, on 20 July 2022 to promote awareness of Saint-Émilion to club members. Participants were lucky, on this occasion, to be able to taste fairly mature wines in the line-up as four of them were aged at least ten years or older. All bottles were aired for 4-5 hours prior to tasting. All were drinking very well. The lesson here is that even lesser-known wines are capable of ample pleasure given enough bottle age and preparation.

2011 Domaine Du Vieux Mouchet. Deep purple. Some classic mature glow of cinnamon and capsicum on the nose, highly alluring. Lovely fleshy presence with fine acidity. Faintly delicious and juicy, layered with tinge of ferrous elements. Good balance. Decent finish.

2011 Château La Commanderie. Deep crimson. Wild berries on the nose with a vegetal trace. Highly supple with an attractive tannic spine, imbued with ferrous elements in the mid-palate with a structured controlled intensity. Quiet balance. Glowing minty finish.

2012 Château Lapelletrie. Opaque purple. Hint of capsicum and vegetal flare on the nose. Medium-bodied. Fleshy, displaying exciting verve and excellent acidity. Very open and well integrated.

2015 Château Cap De Mourlin. Deep crimson. Soft delicious flavours of haw and red fruits. Open with fleshy supple intensity and exciting acidity. Good refinement and verve. Gelled together very well but it really needs plenty of time.

2005 Château Grand Corbin-Despagne. Deep crimson. Velvety red fruits with a relaxed supple presence, laced with superb acidity. Medium-full. More vivacious over time but still retaining its refined balance. Excellent.

The Jürade de Saint-Émilion du Singapour convened at Praelum on 25 May 2022 for a riotous evening of Spanish wines that produced an unexpected vertical of Vega-Sicilia Unico that I’m sure Pablo Alvarez would have been proud of. Many thanks to all for your immense generosity.

2015 Gramona Imperial Brut. Airy fizz with characters of morning dew, pomelo and clear citrus on the nose. Medium-bodied, displaying a dominance of lime topped with cool icing, oozing with refined intensity.

2010 Temperancia Toro, courtesy of Marc. Interesting bouquet of red fruits, wild berries, bramble and bush. Slightly reductive. Generously proportioned with juicy succulence and structured intensity, showing good control and balance with fine linearity and sleek acidity.

2015 Masdeu De Scala Dei, courtesy of Russ. Good lift of raspberries and dark currants with a hint of burnt. Rounded with excellent presence of fruit on a base of earthy minerals though its tannins are still quite sharply accentuated, finishing with an afternote of medicinal powder.

2014 Otazu Bond, aired for six hours prior. Poured from magnum. Deep plummy tones and dark currants dominate. Medium-full. Considerably more open than before, well-integrated with characters of toffee and licorice but its tannins gained further traction over time, becoming a little too intense and unsettled.

2016 Dominio del Áquila Ribera del Duero Riserva. Deep purple. Medium-bodied. Rather bright and open, imbued with warm ripe fruit, showing good detail and integration.

2016 Quiñón de Valmira, courtesy of Russ. Medium-bodied. Open with a soft velvety depth of red fruits and currants. Darkly delicious, showing good verve and detail. Drinking well. Made of 100% grenache.

2011 La Rioja Alta Gran Riserva, courtesy of Sean. Deep crimson, exuding secondary characters of haw and preserved red fruits. Medium-full but soft, open with good presence of fruit and refined acidity, culminating in a glowing finish.

2008 Vega-Sicilia Tinto Valbuena 5º, courtesy of Kieron. Good colour. Softly contoured, imbued with very fine presence of ripe red fruits that impart a certain velvety warmth, underscored with sweet tannins and understated acidity.

1986 Vega-Sicilia Unico Riserva, courtesy of Ewen. Deep crimson. Surprisingly shut though softly contoured with velvety warmth, imbued with the distilled presence of mature red fruits and mulberries. Beautifully mellow, still fresh and alluring. Good balance.

1990 Vega-Sicilia Unico Riserva, courtesy of Russ. Deep crimson. Ripe raspberries, cherries and red fruits dominate, the superb ripeness shining through the mellow sophisticated tannins, showing excellent integration between the fruit and restrained acidity, laced with a dash of sweetness throughout its lovely length.

1994 Vega-Sicilia Unico Riserva, courtesy of Mr Co. Forward notes of varnish with good lift. Medium-bodied. Still quite generously layered with mature red fruits that have blended well with recessed tannins and secondary characters of cedar and powdered minerals, oozing with a trace of sweetness throughout its length, proffering fine detail. Feminine.

2006 Vega-Sicilia Unico Riserva, courtesy of Jess. Warm, rosy hues of delicious ripe fruit that carried well onto the full-bodied palate. Surprisingly soft and relaxed, very finely balanced with subtle detailed tannins. Superbly integrated.

2008 Vega-Sicilia Unico Riserva, courtesy of Marc. Deep purple. Highly inviting warmth of ripe fruits and currants on the nose and palate. Surprisingly open, distinctly feminine in its juicy succulence and sublime acidity that imparted exciting intensity. Highly refined and beautifully integrated. This is a great Unico in the making.

Champagne Veuve A. Devaux Coeur des Bar Blanc de Noirs Brut, at a MEH Radiology function, 03 June 2022. Refreshing verve, displaying chiseled definition with fine presence of pointed lime, pomelo and citrus. Drinking well.

2017 Laurent Ponsot Chambolle-Musigny Chaumes 1er, at a MEH Radiology function, 03 June 2022. Darkish characters with a good lift of haw, twigs and undergrowth on the medium-full palate. Good integration and presence, structured with smooth tannins but unyielding.

2012 Château Léoville Poyferre, at a MEH Radiology function, 03 June 2022. Some haw on the nose, still largely dominated by new oak vanillin. Medium-bodied. Soft, fleshy and fresh, proffering some detail but short. Drinking well but not distinctive.

2004 Château Madeleine, courtesy of Sir Bob at a MEH Radiology function, 03 June 2022. Poured from magnum. Some bricking, considerably restrained. Soft, rounded, well-integrated proposition with secondary characters of mahogany though the fruit is rather backward. Appears more evolved than expected, considering this is poured from large format. Short as well.

2016 Heitz Cellars Chardonnay, at a MEH Radiology function, 03 June 2022. Served too cold, hinting at only some crème de la crème. Good density of cool tones on the palate, proffering fine clarity with glimpses of clear citrus. Rather reticent.

2018 Domaines Leflaive Mâcon-Verzé, at a MEH Radiology function, 03 June 2022. Poured from magnum. Light-medium. Gently layered with pebbly tones and cool citrus amid some creamy characters, displaying fine clarity and acidity with a hint of nutmeg. Good balance. Drinking well.

Bouchard Aine et Fils Chardonnay Terret, at the Krisflyer Gold Lounge, Changi Airport T3, 04 June 2022. Lifted tones of white fruits and spicy nutmeg. Quite integral, showing good balance and fullness. Does its job.

2020 Rare Cabernet Merlot, at the Krisflyer Gold Lounge, Changi Airport T3, 04 June 2022. Dark currants and bramble dominate with some bright spots. The palate is fairly full and supple with predominant red fruits, structured with smooth sweet subtle tannins.

Champagne Henriot Souverain Brut NV, from the list of The Glencoe Inn, Scotland, on our twenty-eighth anniversary, 11 June 2022. Pale. Forward balance of dense citrus and white fruits with a bright minerally presence that blazed with searing dry intensity.

2020 Diez Siglos Verdejo, courtesy of The Glencoe Inn, Scotland, on our twenty-eighth anniversary, 11 June 2022. Nutmeg and wild flowers on the nose, while fig, olives and green fruits feature on the medium-full palate, displaying good weight and integration. Straightforward but does its job.

2018 Château Montaiguillon, from the list of Rufflets at St Andrews, Scotland, 13 June 2022. Deep garnet, exuding redcurrants and dark rosy hues underpinned by savoury characters with a tinge of undergrowth. A little more fruit forward after some time, fleshing out with smooth rounded silky tannins and refined acidity as it morphed with greater warmth and ripeness, developing an open gentle velvety intensity.

2019 Domaine André Brunel Cotes du Rhone Est-Quest, from the list of Rules restaurant, London, on 15 June 2022. Restrained deep currants on the nose, leading to a full darkish palate structured with youthful tannins that exert dry intensity. A little more open with food as it settled down with some delicious savoury characters.

2019 Château Le Roc, at the Krisflyer Lounge, Heathrow Airport T2, 17 June 2022. Fairly deep nose of delicious dark currants, though the palate is distinctly more lean and minerally, somewhat austere.

2022 Domaine de Castelnau Les Ronces Chardonnay, at the Krisflyer Lounge, Heathrow Airport T2, on 17 June 2022. Morning dew and grassy elements on the nose, imbued with some nutmeg and Asian spice on the sharp medium-bodied palate.

Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut NV, tasted on board SQ317 from LHR-SIN, 17 June 2022. Lovely pungent yeasty overtones on the nose, matched by a refreshing crisp presence of dense white fruits and citrus with a minerally wisp, imparting excellent dry intensity.

2010 Champagne Dom Pérignon, tasted on board SQ317 from LHR-SIN, 17 June 2022. Restrained whiff of yeasty tones, leading to a very refined mouthfeel of seamless chalky ferrous elements, yellow citrus and white fruits. Poised with delicate balance and fine detail with a warm ripe fullness. A tad austere at its distinct minerally finish, but highly successful.

2017 Domaine Albert Bichot Montagny 1er, tasted on board SQ317 from LHR-SIN, 17 June 2022. Luminous. Highly restrained, not giving away much. Medium density. Slightly chalky at first before developing a greater rounded presence with food, proffering cool clarity with mild overtones of nutmeg, showing some early complexity. An astute choice with the advantage of an outstanding vintage, but it needs time to express itself properly.

2016 Château Cap d’Or, tasted on board SQ317 from LHR-SIN, 17 June 2022. Deep garnet. Whiff of raspberries and wild roses. Medium-bodied, fairly smooth and seamless with a hint of briar and capsicum. Exudes gentle feminine elegance.

2013 Champagne Frédéric Savart Le Mont des Chretiens 1er Ecueil Extra Brut, courtesy of Dr Ngoi at his residence, 18 June 2022. Bright and bold with dry intensity and a high-toned acidity.

2013 Château de Puligny-Montrachet Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières 1er, courtesy of Dr Ngoi at his residence, 18 June 2022. Poured from double magnum. Luminous. Medium-bodied. Imbued with white fruits amid a minerally presence and fine acidity but somewhat lean.

2016 Domaine Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1er, courtesy of Dr Ngoi at his residence, 18 June 2022. Poured from magnum. White tones and vanillin dominate on the nose. Medium-full. Structured with the classic chalkiness of Puligny, exerting a lovely gentle tensile presence but a little short.

2018 Domaine Belargus Anjou Les Roueres, courtesy of Dr Ngoi at his residence, 18 June 2022. Poured from magnum. Restrained peppery notes. Medium-full. Very good presence with a powdery texture, imparting an unique mouthfeel. Not too creamy. Highly refined.

2014 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Les Chaffots vinified by Domaine Dujac for FICOFI, courtesy of Dr Ngoi at his residence, 18 June 2022. Poured from magnum. Classic pinot tint. Opens with a gentle feminine rosy fragrance, showing early secondary characters on the medium-bodied palate with understated acidity. Great refinement, as expected, from Dujac. Drinking beautifully.

2017 Hospices de Beaune Beaune 1er cuvée Maurice Drouhin vinified by Joseph Drouhin, courtesy of Dr Ngoi at his residence, 18 June 2022. Poured from magnum. Good presence of rosy fruit at just the right level of concentration. Open with fine seamless integration and understated acidity. Good refinement.

2015 Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru, courtesy of Dr Ngoi at his residence, 18 June 2022. Good colour and presence with a certain structured dryness, exuding a gentle feminine rosy fragrance. Drinking well but somewhat uninvolving.

2014 Domaine Pierre Damoy Chambertin Grand Cru, courtesy of Dr Ngoi at his residence, 18 June 2022. Poured from jeroboam. Classic pinot tint. Surprisingly open with a lovely deep rosy fragrance that carried well onto the palate.

2016 Château Quintus, courtesy of Dr Ngoi at his residence, 18 June 2022. Poured from double magnum. Deep purple. Well-extracted. Massively proportioned with structured intensity, displaying a warm ripeness with a sharp tannic spine but the quality is obvious.

2007 Champagne Delamotte, courtesy of Kieron at Tanglin Club, 18 June 2022. Poured from magnum. Pale. Firm density of fig, citrus and pears, brightly lit with dry intensity. Drinking well.

2009 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon 1er, courtesy of Kieron at Tanglin Club, 18 June 2022. Poured from magnum. Gentle nose of crème de la crème with a recessed chalkiness. Medium-bodied. Displays excellent clarity and cool freshness of morning dew with very refined acidity and great balance, developing caramelised notes after two hours. Excellent.

2009 Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos de la Marechale 1er Rouge, courtesy of Kieron at Tanglin Club, 18 June 2022. Poured from magnum. Dark fruits and currants dominate with an alluring freshness amid a mild herbal glow. Medium-full. Cleanly structured with refined precision and smooth silky tannins, well integrated with understated ferrous elements, gaining further velvety depth.

1996 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, courtesy of Kieron at Tanglin Club, 18 June 2022. Poured from magnum. Incredibly rich bouquet of distilled black fruits, currants and green capsicum that glowed with an irresistible pungent earthiness, well-replicated on the medium-bodied palate with fine clarity and detail.

1996 Château Pichon Baron Longueville, courtesy of Kieron at Tanglin Club, 18 June 2022. Poured from magnum. Deep crimson. Attractive velvety bouquet of cedar, cinnamon and capsicum. Highly supple and fleshy with a refreshing fullness, subtly structured with great balance and clarity. Surprisingly close in character to Pichon Lalande of the same vintage, perhaps just a tad cleaner.

2000 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge at Tanglin Club, 18 June 2022. Dark fruits on the nose amid gravelly tones with a gentle earthiness. Medium-bodied. Softly contoured, well balanced and integrated, developing more youthful intensity and exciting acidity much later.

2017 Domaine de Montille Saint-Aubin En Remilly 1er. Popped and poured at Hillman 99 (Pasir Panjang), 24 June 2022. Dense glossy sheen of white fruits, clear citrus and white floral characters, exuding lovely aromatics. Great clarity on the palate, imbued with a deeper vein of distilled essence. Fleshed out with more rounded presence tinged with a trace of salinity, finishing in a mild blaze of nutmeg and exotic spices.

2020 Shaw & Smith Adelaide Hills M3 Chardonnay, drunk over dinner at home after two hours of aeration, 28 June 2022. Generous swathe of tangy nutmeg and menthol with a white floral lift, carrying well onto the palate with wild grassy elements and slick acidity that opened up further dimension in addition to its excellent depth.

A line-up of Bordeaux Deuxième Cru Classé at the Tanglin Club, Singapore, on 20 June 2022, predominantly aged 21 years or older. In spite of that, several of the wines are still surprisingly youthful. All are drinking well, proving that plenty of pleasure may be derived at this level without blowing silly money. Another noteworthy reminder from this tasting is that clarets really need plenty of time to be at their best, preferably at 30 years, especially those of so-called outstanding vintages. Many thanks to everyone for their generosity, especially to Jeremy and Kieron for organising and to Sir Bob for hosting.

2001 Château Cos D’Estournel. Deep crimson. Youthful nose of ripe plums, dark currants and haw. Considerably brighter with more red fruits after some aeration. Medium-full. Fleshy and highly supple with a sleek streamlined intensity that tapered with fine linearity and decent length. Still yet to reach full maturity.

1999 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, courtesy of Hiok. Opaque reddish brown, exuding an exuberant light fragrance of lifted rose petals. Medium weight. Softly contoured and slightly lean, the fruit having retreated along with melted tannins, coming across as somewhat distant with a dash of sweetness at its short finish.

2000 Château Léoville Barton, courtesy of Kieron. Impressive deep purple, imbued with a warm swathe of ripe black fruits and dark currants. Slightly assertive with understated velvety intensity and acidity. Well balanced and integrated, developing early secondary characters towards the end of dinner. Still far from maturity.

1989 Château Léoville Las-Cases, courtesy of Vernon. Deep garnet, opening with a refined distant glow of dark fruits and currants tinged with menthol and herbal elements. The palate is appropriately weighty with warm ripe fruit, beautifully rounded with an integral fullness that belies its understated intensity and structure, finishing with ease and confidence. At its best.

1988 Château Cos D’Estournel, courtesy of Barrie. Deep garnet with a crimson rim. Rather brooding with restraint on the nose, delivering an intense weighty palate structured with very finely-grained ferrous elements, imparting a deep austere intensity. Impeccably balanced in spite of its masculine proportions, revealing further layers of delicious dark fruits over time.

2007 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, courtesy of Jeremy. Deep purple. Attractive dark fruits on the nose, faintly delicious. Medium-full, imbued with excellent depth of darkish ripe fruit that exert very fine youthful intensity.

2000 Château Ducru Beaucaillou, courtesy of Pipin. Deep garnet. Still quite primal on the nose, suggesting an abundant depth of red fruits and dark plums with a hint of earth and bramble. Generously proportioned with smooth slick acidity, yielding fine supple intensity but this is still tight. Surprisingly masculine for Ducru.

1990 Château Cos D’Estournel, courtesy of Sir Bob. Reddish brown. Rather imposing and intense bouquet, giving the impression of a much younger wine which is further suggested by the deep vein of dark currants and black fruits on the fullish palate that seems unsettled with subtle verve and intensity, exerting superb lift. Contrary to what many would expect of a 1990 Second Growth, the Cos is still years away from maturity.

1982 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, courtesy of Sir Bob. Reddish brown. Mature Pauillac character with a hint of warm gravel, lifted with lithe agility. The palate is seamlessly open where the tannins have completely receded, leaving behind the distilled presence of mature fruit that is still amazingly fresh, perfectly balanced and proportioned within an indescribable lush feminine complex, mounting a delicious elegant blazing intensity as the evening wore on. A complete wine at its very best and likely to continue to hold.

Within a short space of less than ten years since its inaugural vintage of 2013, the Chinese winery Ao Yun (敖云), backed by LVMH, has captured the attention of the oenology world’s cognoscenti. Farmed from four small plots of land situated more than 2000 metres high in the Yunnan Himalayas that feature very steep slopes and deep valleys, Ao Yun (literally meaning “above the clouds”) is essentially a cabernet blend crafted with a fastidious attitude towards precise viticulture and geological study. Each plot is subdivided into a multitude of subplots and, even within each subplot, different types of grapes may be grown according to the soil type. Since 2016, however, a small percentage of syrah has been added to the cabernet to enhance further dimension, a practice that was commonplace amongst the bordelais in the early twentieth century. I had the privilege of tasting three consecutive vintages with the estate’s director and winemaker Maxence Dulou across Zoom on 19 May 2022, organised by the good guys from Wine Clique Singapore. It seems Ao Yun has found its footing, appearing to progress from strength to strength with each successive vintage. Whether they justify their lofty premium remains debatable, for options are plenty at this price point.

2016 Ao Yun. Blend of 77% cabernet sauvignon, 20% cabernet franc, 4% syrah and 2% petit verdot aged in 32% new oak, the remainder from 1-year-old barriques. Deep garnet. Effusive in plummy fruit and currants with an urgent sense of freshness, promising a huge depth of glorious ripe fruit that is delivered on the rounded fleshy medium-full palate with fine intensity, underpinned by a dash of spice, licorice and austere ferrous elements. Weighty and well balanced. Very much like Saint- Julien in character.

2017 Ao Yun. Blend of 77% cabernet sauvignon, 10% cabernet franc, 4% syrah, 3% petit verdot and 2% merlot. Very deep purple. This is a restrained beauty, taking its time to reveal aromas of ripe raspberries, wild berries, mulberries, currants and ground pepper with a lovely lift. Rounded with a distinct minerally mid-body, giving way to more fruit and some eventual forest characters with vibrant sleek acidity that imparted exciting intensity and tension. Weighty with even linearity, culminating in a modest finish. Highly refined.

2018 Ao Yun. Blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 19% cabernet franc, 10% merlot, 7% syrah and 4% petit verdot. Deep garnet. Restrained nose of raspberries and currants with a hint of wet gravel, very Bordeaux-like. The lower proportion of cabernet sauvignon has resulted in open warmer shades of red fruits and dark cherries of subdued intensity on the medium-full palate, seamlessly structured with refined sophisticated tannins from its greater proportion of merlot. Very elegantly balanced and confident. Already accessible even at this stage. Highly successful.

A mini-series of Château Palmer at Imperial Treasure Great World on 02 June 2022 that surprised with its uneven quality, proving that all the present hyped-up prices do not correlate with expectations.

Champagne Agrapart & Fils Terroirs Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs NV, courtesy of LF. Sharp crystalline lift with a sense of white smoke amid mild yeasty overtones, imbued with fine density of ripe yellow citrus that exert superb tension and sublime acidity. Highly exuberant throughout its length, finishing with a sweet teasing intensity. Excellent.

Champagne Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Itération #24, courtesy of LF. Luminous, exuding smooth yeasty tones with a suggestion of velvet. Laurent-Perrier’s high-toned signature is evident throughout, the fruit somewhat backward in favour of a bright dry supple intensity, structured with tight precision. Very classy.

2017 Domaine Bachelet-Monnot Chassagne-Montrachet, courtesy of LF. This wine opens with cool icing and a hint of nutmeg, favouring a minerally density structured with chiseled definition. Took its time to unfold with lovely sleek intensity, more rounded and forward with layered white tones as it gelled together with superb harmony. This is classic Chassagne in every way.

Château Palmer Historical XIXth Century Blend L20.06, courtesy of Sir Bob. A blend of 45% cabernet sauvignon, 45% merlot and 10% syrah. Deep purplish core, proffering a nose of dark currants sprinkled with occasional red fruit tinged with cordite. Medium-bodied. Soft, fleshy and seamlessly integrated but it lacks real weight and depth. More lifted over time with a gentle floral fragrance laced with a medicinal trace from the syrah component though it remained somewhat short and nondescript.

1995 Château Palmer, courtesy of Vic. Deep purplish crimson, opening with a restrained glow of mature claret. Medium-bodied. Highly integral and balanced, still reasonably fresh with a relaxed feminine charm but it doesn’t quite possess the wealth of detail and delicate tension of a great Palmer, a tad short at the finish as well.

2004 Château Palmer. Deep purplish core. Opens with that irresistible glow of a maturing claret, proffering an alluring lift of delicious currants, raspberries and blackberries. Medium-full. Softly contoured and fleshy, warmly balanced with a supple expanse of ripe succulent fruit and sublime acidity that impart exciting mouthfeel. Quite brilliant at this stage, perhaps still yet to peak.