Ric's Wine Journal

These are wines from a couple of dinners with the boss of Crurated, Alfonso de Gaetano of Napoli (he’d even played football with Maradona), and his top-level management, Paolo Sforza and Ivy Lim at the Michelin-starred Buona Terra, Singapore, on 7th and 28th May, 2025. Started in 2021, Crurated sells wine directly to you from the chateau or domaine, cutting out all middlemen. Several top estates have already consigned volumes of wine to Crurated, including Groffier, Charles Lachaux, Dujac, Camuzet, Cathiard and Clerget, not to mention a whole range of Bordeaux as well. Crurated’s app is dangerously addictive. Everything is at your fingertips: browsing, ordering, one-stop payment, cellaring and delivery. The utilisation of blockchain technology ensures that the movement and provenance of every bottle, with its own unique non-fungible token (NFT), is known to everyone concerned. Another unique feature is that you can even just buy 750 mL from a barrel and customise the bottling as you wish. You can store your wines with them or take delivery, and you are kept informed about the movement of your bottles every step of the way right down to the hour of delivery. Crurated also plans to link up with restaurants such that these NFT-tagged wines can be despatched on an on-demand basis to restaurants without the latter having to bear the cost of stocking up expensive cellars. Once a bottled is purchased, Crurated as well as the estate owner get paid immediately, thanks to blockchain. With such an innovative business model, Crurated is set to disrupt the conventional wine business in a big way. Do yourself a favour and get on board.

2006 Champagne Pierre Peters L’Esprit Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, courtesy of LF. Light golden, proffering lovely dryish density of toast, almonds and wafer that exploded with exquisite intensity and sublime acidity in the mouth, imparting superb energy and aristocratic balance throughout its impressive length.

2022 Charles Lachaux Bourgogne Aligoté Les Champs d’Argent, courtesy of Ivy and Paolo. Pale golden. The cool lift of delicate orchard fruit and morning dew belies its structured racy intensity, boasting very fine definition and seamless integration with excellent length and linearity. Settled down with great clarity amid a certain waxy stoniness that betrayed its non-chardonnay identity.

2015 Maison Leroy Auxey-Duresses, courtesy of Kieron. Light golden. Very lovely bouquet of dense floral hues. Equally generous in delicate citrus with a rounded warmth underpinned by sublime acidity, boasting lithe elegance amid shades of bitter pomelo, firming up with a chamfered chalkiness over time. Superb.

2021 Domaine Jean Chartron Puligny-Montrachet 1er Clos de la Pucelle monopole. Pale. Surprisingly reticent on the nose in spite of the sharp presence of delicate citrus laced with pointed acidity, turning more reductive over time as emerging notes of juicy nutmeg and distinct salinity took hold with fine density and linearity.

2017 Domaine Benoit Ente Puligny-Montrachet 1er Clos de la Truffière. Pale luminosity, exuding a cool delicate lift of concentrated clear citrus and refined chalkiness with considerable restraint. Equally enticing on the medium-full palate, the fruit just a tad backward in favour of sleek acidity, yielding great clarity before turning more highly expressive with glowing tones of white fruits and nutmeg. Excellent.

2015 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Les Pucelles, courtesy of Kieron. Pale. This stalwart opens with an effusive bouquet of tropical fruits and intense white tones laced with vanillin, matched by a sleek fullness from its glorious layers of fruit and acidity that teased with great agility. Almost reductive in feel, leading to an initial impression of Meursault until it began fleshing out with superb inner definition, announcing its class and pedigree with a lush velvetiness. This is a distinct change from the traditional style of Leflaive, more contemporaneous than ever. Outstanding.

2021 Domaine Dujac Morey-Saint-Denis, courtesy of Anthony. Seemingly more evolved in appearance than it really is, proffering a lifted velvety fragrance from the ample presence of supple red fruits dashed with mandarins. Wonderfully fresh and agile and impeccably balanced, imparting exquisite mouthfeel with unmistakable pedigree. A village, but truly a complete wine.

2021 Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux Chambolle-Musigny, courtesy of Alfonso. Bright crimson, proffering a highly enticing exuberance of mandarins, orange peel and red fruits with a deeper vein of dark currants that convey lovely verve and excitement throughout the sleek integral palate. One can understand the appeal of Charles Lachaux in spite of the prohibitive pricing.

2017 Domaine Prieuré Roch Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Vieille Vignes, courtesy of Anthony. Cloudy opaque crimson. Stunning lift of perfumed plummy fragrance amid overtones of icing and nail varnish on the nose that contrasted sharply against a palate of distinct salinity and rustic earthiness with pronounced ferrous undertones, laced with assertive acidity. This is certainly NSG on steroids with plenty of promise, but probably best to give it another 5-6 years.

2012 Domaine de L’Arlot Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Clos des Forêts monopole, courtesy of Vic. Good colour, proffering haw, red fruits and rose petals. Still imbued with youthful freshness and vibrant intensity, yielding fine detail even though it is not the lush weighty sort, finishing with good persistence.

2017 Domaine Yvon Clerget Pommard 1er Les Rugiens. Some early bricking with a sense of elusiveness on the nose, although the palate is almost exuberant in its structured lithe intensity, unmistakably masculine with clean acidity. Came together quite well after more than four hours, a little more lean over time.

2013 Domaine Meo Camuzet Vosne-Romanée 1er Aux Brulées, courtesy of Ivy and Paolo. Deep crimson core, exuding a profusion of perfumed red fruits, rose petals, haw and cherries with a haunting fragrance. Highly integral and fleshy, the darkish plummy fruit a little chamfered in structure amid the pronounced acidity, leading to some degree of astringency in spite of its lengthy persistence. Probably a function of the vintage.

2010 Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Les Champeaux, courtesy of Vic. Displaying an evolved crimson with leathery textures amid an enticing velvety rosiness, this wine is caught at peak maturity, boating layers of warm ripe plummy red fruits supported by fine acidity and ferrous undertones, picking up some verve over time. Excellent.

2009 Domaine Georges Roumier Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Clos de la Boussière, courtesy of Kieron. Bright crimson with a darker core, exuding the signature fragrance of Roumier from the lovely layered expanse of blackberries, currants and cherries and refined acidity that convey youthful verve with effortless grace. Superbly integrated and proportioned. Modest finish.

2021 Domaine Poisot Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, courtesy of Sir Bob. Good colour. Rather alluring in rose petals and effusive floral fragrance. Medium weight. Brightly lit with refined detail, its supple tannins exerting terse tension. Modest finish.

2017 Domaine Tawse Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru, courtesy of LF. Displaying an evolved crimson, this wine sports a highly exuberant bouquet, positively glowing with orangey tones and a dash of leafiness. Equally energetic and tense in the mouth, richly imbued with ripe red fruits within structured tannins that impart a certain spicy sweetness. Racy and delicious.

1995 Domaine Jacques Cacheaux Échezeaux Grand Cru, courtesy of Sir Bob. Clearly well-aged from its mature crimson, proffering sweetish bouquet of red fruits with a warm ripeness amid notes of heated gravel. Still fairly full and youthful with a concentrated teasing verve, structured with well-defined tannins and ferrous undertones. This domaine is famous for its tiny 0.16 ha of the 0.6 ha Vosne-Romanée 1er La Croix Rameau.

2013 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, courtesy of Kieron. Good colour, boasting a deep vein of delicious blackberries, currants and raspberries that exude the distinctive rich luxuriant sheen of a classic Dujac. Equally classy on the fresh exuberant palate, sharply delineated with lean definition that gave off an illusion of fizz, finishing with a dash of sweetness.

2013 Domaine Armand Rousseau Chambertin Grand Cru, courtesy of Anthony. Displaying an evolved crimson, the fruit comes across as mature with plummy and orangey hues, deliciously fresh and full with supple intensity and structured definition from unobtrusive tannins. One would have imagined this to be an older wine, but its brilliant pedigree comes through in this awkward vintage. Very expertly crafted.

2000 Cappellano Otin Fiorin, courtesy of Alfonso. Made from nebbiolo, this Barolo is beautifully expressive with glorious hues of complex red fruits tinged with varnish from its ruby depth. Equally extroverted and delicious on the palate, impeccably balanced and integral in spite of its masculine proportions, gaining in power and intensity in the glass. Almost Burgundian.

Quite an impromptu gathering amongst friends old and new at Shang Palace, Shangri-la Singapore, on 14 April 2025, generously hosted by Sanjay. Many thanks!

2008 Champagne Dom Pérignon. Light golden. Predominance of lemongrass, delicate green fruits and clear citrus within a highly refined sheen of soft bubbles. Whereas the 2008 was drinking superbly some years ago, it is now much leaner and reductive with crisp cutting acidity, proffering good detail and supple intensity with controlled verve, finishing with traces of bitter lemon. Best to lay down for another decade, at least. Truly for the long haul.

2015 Maison Leroy Côteaux Bourguignons, courtesy of Mr Wira. Fairly deep golden. A tad heavy on the nose in apple essence, already showing substantial development. Quite fleshy on the medium-full palate, imbued with a dash of earthiness amid the minerally shine of crushed stones. Good acidity.

2016 Domaine Henri Boillot Meursault 1er Les Perrières, courtesy of Dr Ngoi. Displaying a transparent golden luminosity with a glowing minty nose, this lovely proposition of white fruits and clear citrus is layered with seamless verve, teasing the fullish palate with fleeting intensity of tangy spice tinged with vanillin, boasting great refinement throughout its moderate length. Very elegant.

2017 Domaine des Comte Lafon Meursault, courtesy of LCW. Pale golden luminosity. Fairly effusive in citrus fruit and frangipani with a faint note of vanillin. Beautifully rounded and integral with suave agility, finishing well.

2017 Domaine Jacques-Frédèric Mugnier Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Clos de la Marechale Rouge. Lovely pinot tint. Effusive in cherries and red plums with overtones of haw. Only medium-weight, but highly integral and succulent with a gentle suppleness, boasting very well integrated subtle tannins and acidity. Decent finish.

2017 Domaine Meo Camuzet Clos De Vougeot Pres Le Cellier Grand Cru, courtesy of Soo Kian. Lovely pinot tint. Effusive in delicious red fruits, cherries and haw that impart gentle suppleness with a racy illusion of fizziness. Well balanced with fleshy verve, veering towards feminine character.

2016 Olivier Bernstein Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Lavrottes, courtesy of Dr Ngoi. Predominance of red fruits on the nose and medium-weight palate, cushioned by soft tannins that impart a relaxed feel. Drinking well but not remarkable.

2013 Domaine du Clos de Tart Clos de Tart Grand Cru, courtesy of Sanjay. Lovely pinot tint. Ripe mandarins, peaches and haw dominate with lovely succulence, its tightly knit tannins and svelte acidity imparting pinpoint precision within its lush layers, fleshing out with superb intensity.

2015 Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanée 1er Aux Brûlées, courtesy of Vic. Good colour. Effusive in shades of darkish fruit though the medium palate is distinctly brighter, lit by delicious swathes of red fruits, strawberries and rose petals that impart suave supple intensity. Quite impeccably balanced.

1998 Château d’Yquem, courtesy of Sanjay. Displaying gorgeous golden hues, this wine opens with a profusion of apricot, cinnamon and nectarine with its luscious density, tinged with a dash of orange peel. Superbly fresh and precise, exerting focused intensity that impart superb mouthfeel. Impeccably balanced and proportioned.

2011 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Clavoillon. Pale golden luminosity, proffering clear citrus and floral bloom with a hint of morning dew on the nose. Utterly delicate and agile, boasting sublime acidity underpinned by fleeting ferrous minerals and balsamic spice though one would be hard-pressed to call it Puligny; more like a lean reductive Meursault. Is it because the fruit has begun to recede? Nevertheless, this wine is beautifully poised and elegant, still wonderfully fresh, finishing with a lasting understated glow. An atypical Clavoillon, for sure; certainly not the style of Anne-Claude Leflaive. The only way to ascertain would be to pop another bottle.

2019 Caroline Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Les Vergers, courtesy of LF. Pale luminosity, opening with a mild reduction amid its lovely floral lift. Medium-full. Rounded with refined clarity, laced with a dash of enamel that imparted some racy sweetness before firming up to a steely finish.

2017 Domaine Roulot Meursault, courtesy of Kieron. Pale luminosity. This straight village proffers restrained white tones from its delicate chalkiness, delivering a rounded fullish palate with lean detail and lithe agility that fleshed out with glacial coolness and emerging delicate complexity. Very classy.

2020 Domaine Bachelet-Monnot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Les Folatières, courtesy of Vic. Pale luminosity. Classic Puligny nose, exuding distant floral and minerally notes in equal measure. Very classy on the rounded palate, boasting exquisite intensity from the faultless integration of distilled green fruit, lithe acidity and pronounced minerally base, imparting exciting verve and mouthfeel.

2005 Domaine Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Clos Saint-Jean, courtesy of LF. Classic pinot tint. The enticing bouquet here is wonderfully fragrant in its dense rosy hues, leading to a medium-full focused concentration of fresh red fruits tinged with haw and vanillin. Utterly seamless, not drying out at all. A good reminder that Ramonet makes excellent Chassagne reds.

2015 Lucien Le Moine Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru, courtesy of Kieron. Displaying an opaque pinot tint that hinted at some age, this medium-bodied proposition is imbued with good concentration of velvety fruit shorn of excesses, imparting distilled notes of rose petals supported by a certain earthiness. A convincing effort from this négociant.

2013 Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux Échezeaux Grand Cru, courtesy of Vic. Very deep tint of pinot. Big and structured, infinitely masculine with a certain rustic minerally detail, cushioned by a rounded velvetiness bordering on gruffness. Snapped together with better focus after some time though its darkish demeanour remained rather unyielding.

2007 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru. Classic pinot tint. Delicately poised with a certain restraint of haw and rose petals. The fleshy medium-full palate features decent depth of fruit imbued with a distinct salinity, perfectly integral with lithe elegant tannins and fresh acidity. Not showy at all. Drinking the vintage, probably at its best.

2000 Château Pavie, courtesy of Sir Bob. Decanted on-site. Deep purple, proffering exuberant swathes of delicious black fruits amid the hallowed glow of a maturing claret. Expectedly masculine but well-proportioned, cushioned by pliant chewy tannins that produced a degree of lushness within its fleshy seamless layers, the enamel from new oak still discernible with a tint of cigar box. Still far from peak maturity.

2017 Domaine Yvon Clerget Volnay 1er Carelle sous la Chapelle. Popped and poured at Imperial Treasure Great World, 12 Mar 2025. This unassuming wine opens with attractive plummy red fruits laced with a dominant salinity, beautifully crafted with sublime acidity and subtle tannins that convey great clarity and clean precision within its fleshy freshness, exerting palpable tension. Impeccably proportioned and integral. Only his third vintage then, but Thibaud Clerget’s precocious talent was already evident.

2022 Jean-Marie Fourrier Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Vieilles Vignes, courtesy of SC at Gordon Grill, 13 Mar 2025. Very pale. Effusive bouquet of straw, summer hay and lemongrass that blossomed with elegant grace and roundedness. Medium-full, the fruit turning more backward in favour of a refined clarity, laced with pointed acidity to distract from its distinct austere minerality.

2022 Jean-Marie Fourrier Pommard 1er Les Saussilles Vieilles Vignes, courtesy of SC at Gordon Grill, 13 Mar 2025. Deep plummy red, imbued with generous swathes of ripe raspberries and cherries that exude overtones of haw and varnish, imparting plenty of presence and power though, rather surprisingly, it doesn’t quite plumb the depths, limited as well by a mid-palatal brightness from emerging notes of malt and gravel.

2012 Château Rayas Blanc, courtesy of SC at Gordon Grill, 13 Mar 2025. Dull golden. Superb on the nose, boasting an irresistible complex of apricot, cinnamon and mandarin peel with a hint of diesel. The medium-weight palate is beautifully proportioned with a teasing intensity of pears and pineapples, displaying great definition, peppered with minty overtones throughout its glowing length, finishing on a dominant note of preserved orange peel.

2010 Château Rayas Rouge, courtesy of SC at Gordon Grill, 13 Mar 2025. Dark, big and brooding, slightly medicinal on the nose and rounded palate that boasts sleek acidity and smooth intensity, taking on a surprising reductive pungency as it developed greater suppleness. But this is far from ready, yet to evolve into the seductive rosy temptress that command top dollar.

2018 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Grand Cru, courtesy of SC at Gordon Grill, 13 Mar 2025. Impenetrably deep garnet. There is obviously plenty beneath the dark brooding reluctance at this stage, the wine infinitely masculine and dense, simply austere and unyielding. Likely to outlive most of those at the table.

2019 Domaine Larue Saint-Aubin 1er En Montceau. Aired in bottle for almost two hours ahead of dimsum lunch at Wah Lok, 16 Mar 2025. Clear luminosity. Very lovely on the nose where an oily density of white floral hues and tropical fruits exude exciting detail, underpinned by slick acidity that conferred great verve. Settled down with cool glacial overtones, taking on a refined minerally presence. Highly integral. Excellent.

2017 Domaine Yvon Clerget Pommard 1er Les Rugiens. Aired in bottle for three hours prior to dinner at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 17 Mar 2025. Classic pinot tint. Some secondary development is evident where the concentration of raspberries and dark cherries is giving way towards more plummy characters set against a plush velvetiness tinged with minty spice and a certain minerally brightness and salinity, its gruff tannins offset by a dash of sweetness. Speaks of the terroir but Volnay is where Clerget truly comes into its own.

Rockford Black Shiraz (2012 disgorgement). Popped and poured at Liang Kee, 22 Mar 2025. Classic tones of warm ripe Barossa shiraz replete with liquorice and earthy herbaceous characters laced with lively acidity, finishing with a dash of liquor. Perhaps just past its prime, missing the layered dimensions of the best examples of Rockford’s famous sparkling red.

1996 Champagne Billecart-Salmon Le Clos Saint-Hilaire, courtesy of Kok Hiang at Atout, 27 Mar 2025. Displaying a deep golden luminosity, this wine boasts a rich glowing complex of creme de la creme and mature chalkiness amid yeasty undertones. Still amazingly full and fresh, underscored by gorgeous acidity superbly integrated with refined ferrous elements that impart great precision within the delicate sheen of very fine bubbles, developing a brilliant intensity over time. Outstanding!

1996 Domaine Robert Ampeau et Fils Meursault-Charmes 1er at Atout, 27 Mar 2025. Golden luminosity, exuding faint citrus and orchard fruit. Still imbued with lively acidity that conferred superb freshness on the medium-full palate underpinned by very well-integrated minerality, blossoming with glowing detail and intensity.

1995 Domaine Louis Jadot Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru, courtesy of LF at Atout, 27 Mar 2025. Opaque reddish brown. Quite effusive in mature red fruits with herbaceous overtones. The robust fleshy palate is distinctly masculine in its dense tensile velvety textures imbued with balsamic elements that impart a hint of rusticity. Still far from drying out. This is old school grand cru, built to last.

1990 Domaine Faiveley Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru, courtesy of Jason at Atout, 27 Mar 2025. Still deeply coloured, proffering generous layers of dark plums, currants and black cherries with delicious detail and amazingly youthful intensity. Highly agile and integral. At its peak and will easily hold for another couple of decades. One is truly drinking the vintage.

2021 Peccavi Chardonnay. Popped and poured over lunch at Imperial Treasure Great World, 29 Mar 2025. Luminous pale greenish. Delicate floral hues, citrus and kiwi dominate on the nose with a hint of petroleum. Very well integrated and refined on the medium-full palate, layered with fine density of fruit and lithe acidity that impart an illusion of oiliness.

An all-too-infrequent gathering of the Glen boys at Imperial Treasure Great World, 03 March 2025, that included some who were formerly FICOFI, which seemed an appropriate occasion to pop a D.R.C. from our allocation. Many thanks, everyone, and especially to CJ for hosting.

2009 Champagne Dom Pérignon Rosé, courtesy of CJ. Rose petals and ripe cherries dominate with alluring presence, complementing the crisp incisive intensity that’s almost brutal from its masculine proportions. Not ready.

Champagne La Closerie (Jérôme Prévost) Extra Brut NV, courtesy of LF. Pale. Full-bodied, exuding a clean pointed lift of crisp clear citrus and olives amid medicinal overtones, turning more minerally over time.

2012 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Puligny-Montrachet 1er Pucelles. Dull golden. Notes of yellow citrus and dried orange peel dominate, entering its secondary development with some early apricot. Fullish and sleek though only medium-weight. Probably best to drink now before the onset of autumnal characters.

2010 Domaine Coche-Dury Meursault, courtesy of CHS. Light golden. Delicate lift of lime and clear citrus from its focused depth and velvety concentration, still laced with vanillin within its rounded chalkiness. Superbly balanced and understated, wonderfully fresh with subtle verve, teasing the medium palate with an elusive quality before turning a little dryish even as it fleshed out with richer tone and infinite layering. Outstanding. Do note that it was still a domaine wine in those days, whereas its village Meursault nowadays contains a substantial portion of buy-in grapes.

2017 Domaine Michel Noëllat Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Suchots. Opaque plummy core of supple red fruits gently layered with delicate intensity amid soft pliant tannins, wonderfully fresh and delicious, exuding feminine overtones of rose petals with lovely understated tension. Quite the distilled essence of burgundy. This domaine was founded in the nineteenth century by Felix Noëllat, now run by fifth generation family members Alain and Jean-Marc Noëllat, and the sixth generation of Sebastien Noëllat and Sophie Noëllat-Sirugue.

2014 Domaine du Clos de Tart Clos de Tart Grand Cru monopole, courtesy of Vic. Good colour. Red fruits and strawberries dominate, somewhat lean but highly supple, imbued with fine definition within its soft tannins. Very naturally balanced. Highly integral and unassuming.

2019 Charles van Canneyt Échezeaux Grand Cru, courtesy of Sanjay. Good colour, boasting deep rosy hues from the abundance of delicate red fruits. Medium-full. Softly contoured with a luxurious velvetiness that evoke seductive alluring tension though any notion of inappropriate exuberance is kept at bay through its restrained verve. Drinks very much like an Alain-Hudelot Noëllat, for Charles van Canneyt used to be the winemaker there.

2013 Domaine Anne-François Gros Échezeaux Grand Cru, courtesy of LF. Deep pinot tint. Good lift of delicious fragrance from the darkish palate of ample fruit lit with bright spots, proffering juicy succulence from structured well-defined tannins, developing an energetic biting intensity that conferred thrilling mouthfeel.

2014 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Corton Grand Cru, courtesy of Vic, Sanjay, MH and yours truly. Good colour, exuding a velvety complex of soft red fruits, strawberries and haw on the nose and cultured palate, dressed in silky smooth tannins that is the epitome of noble elegance and superb refinement. Just entering the cusp of secondary development, yet this is every bit the grand cru that it is, and perhaps more, for such is its degree of restraint and control that its pedigree is never in doubt. This is the finest Corton I have tasted. Ex-domaine direct from FICOFI.

2021 M Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Blanc. Popped and poured at Crab At Bay, 08 Feb 2025. Luminous. Fullish, imbued with longans and chalky white tones that impart dryish intensity, underscored by a firm minerally line. Drinking well.

2016 Domaine Thibert Père et Fils Puilly-Fuissé Menetrières. Tasted over dinner at home after some brief aeration, 10 Feb 2025. Pale golden. Concentrated presence of clear and yellow citrus imbued with sleek acidity that exert palpable tension with exquisite intensity, finishing with a dash of understated ferrous elements.

2021 Sangreal By Farr Pinot Noir. Aired in bottle for an hour ahead of dinner at the in-laws, 21 Feb 2025. Classic pinot tint with a brownish hue. Very lovely bouquet of red plums, lychees, haw and rose petals, showing fine precision and supple intensity with a ripe warmth on the medium-full palate, veering towards a tad of sweetness. Highly burgundian. Difficult to place in a blinded tasting.

2015 Fontanafredda Serralunga d’Alba Barolo. Popped and poured from magnum at the Wild Rice Ball, Shangri-la Singapore, 22 Feb 2025. Displaying a clear ruby transluscence, this wine exudes feminine rosy hues and bright cherries, softly contoured with cool restraint and fine acidity that lend a bit of supple intensity. Almost burgundian in character, drinking superbly. Very lovely.

2014 Château La Gaffélière. Popped and poured at the Wild Rice Ball, Shangri-la Singapore, 22 Feb 2025, courtesy of Herr Knut Unger. Fairly deep garnet, proffering a fleshy presence of mulberries, raspberries and dark currants within a sheen of créme and smooth velvety tannins. Classically proportioned and balanced with restrained acidity. Entering its drinking window but still a little tight.

2021 Peccavi Chardonnay. Popped and poured at Kam Boat, 28 Feb 2025. Very pale greenish, exuding a white floral fragrance with a suggestion of oily density. Quite full, generously imbued with notes of orchard and tropical fruit laced with slick acidity and sweetish undertones, imparting a lovely tensile mouthfeel. Huge potential here.

As I’d mentioned in my last post, we encountered another example of Ramonet’s Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Clos du Caillerets monopole, from supposedly an ex-domaine OWC purchased from FICOFI, that was way over-developed for its age. Another bottle that was similarly affected that evening, 17 February 2025 at Imperial Treasure Great World, was the Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru. It may be prudent to drink your burgundy whites before ten years of age. Many thanks, Vic, for hosting.

2017 Domaine de Montille Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru. Pale. Quite effusive in orchard fruit and pears with understated minerals. Quite full, displaying greater depth over time with a teasing intensity underscored by slick acidity, turning a tad reductive though maintaining its structured elegance and linearity, oozing a trace of sweetness at the end.

2015 Domaine Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, courtesy of Kieron. Looking quite developed in its deep golden hues with overtones of ferrous oxide, marmite and musty pochai. Quite slick and supple, displaying a distilled clarity with fine focus, supported by a firm minerally spine that lend a distinct austerity, made even more pronounced by its recessed chalkiness. Fleshed out with greater body and richness over time, though its finish remained modest. I still managed to pick it out as Corton-Charlemagne though its unexpectedly rapid development (last tasted in 2022) is rather alarming.

2017 Domaine Pierre-Yvés Colin-Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Les Chenevottes, courtesy of Vic. Pale. Shut on the nose, while the fullish palate is distinctly reductive, almost austere. Fleshed out well after some time with a sleek rounded profile, more chalky and perfumed in orchard fruits with understated minerals.

2014 Domaine Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Clos du Caillerets monopole, courtesy of Winfred. Another example of a white that has developed far more rapidly than expected, displaying mature golden hues. Not showing much on the nose though the rounded palate is beautifully proportioned, seamlessly integrated with great definition but the dense autumnal tones still weigh quite heavily. Winfred said other bottles from the same case had tasted similarly. Again rather alarming.

2014 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, a unique bottling specially made for FICOFI, courtesy of Winfred. Classic pinot tint, proffering a superb pointed rosy fragrance from the ample layers of darkish fruit and currants, underscored by terse acidity that imparted lovely tension and supple intensity, yet understated on the whole. Wonderfully balanced and delicious, oozing breed and pedigree.

2014 Domaine Tawse Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru, courtesy of LF. Darkish pinot tint. Displaying some evolution with a quiet restraint of cherries and mature red fruits though open with inviting presence, structured with masculine tones that imbue the palate with nervous energy and rasping intensity.

2006 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Chambolle-Musigny 1er, courtesy of Sir Bob. Darkish in colour and tone, exuding a dense racy bouquet of enamel, varnish and heated gravel. Equally concentrated and unyielding on the masculine palate, structured with massive power and presence. Made from younger vines of Musigny Grand Cru, fed on steroids.

2015 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru, courtesy of Kieron. Opaque crimson with a predominance of red fruits. Generously proportioned, richly imbued with red fruits laid on velvety textures, structured with masculine tones and supple power. One for the long haul.

1996 Domaine Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos Saint-Jacques, courtesy of LF. Opaque brownish crimson, exuding a gentle reductive earthiness that belies the outstanding freshness emanating from the ample density of mature red fruits that exude overtones of haw and velvetiness with an elusive quality, underpinned by sleek acidity. Modest finish.

2008 Domaine du Clos de Tart Clos de Tart Grand Cru, courtesy of Vic. Some age is evident from the evolved bright crimson, exuding a delicious lift of rosy hues and red fruits with savoury characters. Generously layered with fine density of fruit, still wonderfully fresh and intense though there is an element of gruffness, probably a function of the vintage. Good length.

A gathering of usual suspects and other generous guests at Chef Chan Private Dining on 05 February 2025, very kindly hosted by Anthony, that kicked off with a decadent yusheng comprising thick slabs of toro and unagi topped with dollops of caviar. The vinous line-up was equally outstanding although I must report that this is the second example of Ramonet’s Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Clos du Caillerets monopole (the other was a 2014 tasted a week apart) that is over-developed for age. You are advised to check the quality of your bottles if you have any of this. Many thanks, gentlemen!!

2015 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Les Combettes. Pale. Balsamic cool tones on the nose. Fullish with vibrant acidity, boasting good focus and precision, imbued with a certain reductive stoniness to its lingering finish of spicy white pepper.

2015 Domaine Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Clos du Caillerets monopole, courtesy of Kieron. Slightly darkish shade of gold. Very Leflaive type of honeyed toast with early autumnal characters on the nose. Its reclusive fruit results in a dryish reluctant palate that is more minerally and acidic, tapering to a glowing finish of ginger bitters. This has developed faster than expected.

1999 Domaine Jean-Claude Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of Anthony. Luminous. Sulphuric nose of damp earth and wet pebbles. Medium-full. Superbly harmonious in its dense minerally detail, seamlessly integrated with the ripe warmth of mature white fruits throughout its excellent length and linearity, underpinned by a trace of salinity. Outstanding.

2001 Bass Philip Au Jardin Les Amis, courtesy of Sir Bob. Deep reddish-brownish core, somewhat opaque, though the nose is quite beguiling in its delicious rosy fragrance, matched by superb acidity that is seamlessly integrated with refined tannins. Still impressively dense and fresh, underpinned by a sandy earthiness not unlike a Nuits-Saint-Georges. Specially bottled for Singapore’s three Michelin-starred Les Amis restaurant.

1993 Maison Leroy Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Les Narbontons, courtesy of Sir Bob. Clear ruby, proffering a restrained rosiness. Medium presence and somewhat slender with slick pointed acidity as if all excesses have been trimmed off, leaving a distinct note of saline. Undeniably elegant. Still amazingly fresh and youthful.

2000 Domaine Leroy Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, courtesy of Anthony. Considerably evolved pinot tint, slightly opaque, but absolutely delightful on the nose where the seductive fragrance of rose petals, haw and complex red fruits work the senses into overdrive. Open with supple succulence, seamlessly layered with ripe fruit and cherries still bright and fresh that boasts superb purity with understated power in spite of its growing stature in the glass, remaining supremely elegant all through to its sweet lingering finish. This is probably the vinous definition of beautiful sex.

2001 Domaine Hubert Lignier Morey-Saint-Denis 1er, courtesy of Vic. Purplish. Deep bouquet of dark cherries and raspberries. Still tight, youthful and intense, structured with tensile presence, its tannins oozing a trace of sweetness. Wonderfully fresh, making up for the somewhat attenuated finish.

2014 Domaine Nicholas Rossignol Pommard 1er Chanlins. Purplish crimson. Nose of cotton candy with a hint of reduction. Generously proportioned with dryish tannins that exert terse intensity. Considerably more open after some time, fleshing out with cool focus and inner detail underscored by a dash of salinity.

2006 Domaine François Lamarche La Grand Rue Grand Cru, courtesy of Alvin. Very dark, generously imbued with the concentrated warmth of ripe darkish fruit amid overtones of heated gravel, producing excellent attack of striking acidity with a spicy lift though the finish is a little abrupt and distinctly austere.

2009 Domaine Philippe Charlopin Chambertin Grand Cru, courtesy of Aaron. Some age is evident from the colour and nose, layered with bright red fruits that impart delicious lift with supple intensity. Highly harmonious within its sheen of silky smooth tensile tannins. Modest finish.

2009 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, courtesy of Kieron. Deep pinot tint. Sharp lift of ferrous ore and red fruits. Medium-full. Fairly exuberant but impeccably harmonious with velvety textures, dressed in sweetish silky tannins that impart a bit of taut tension.

2008 Domaine Comte Liger Belair Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Suchots, courtesy of Sean. Evolved crimson. Good lift of darkish fruit, slightly accentuated. Medium presence. Highly harmonious and integral, very seamlessly structured with smooth sweetish tannins that exert terse supple intensity with superb precision and refined power. Impeccably proportioned and balanced, exuding a certain elusiveness. This is beyond reproach. Outstanding.