Ric's Wine Journal

FICOFI was kind enough to organise a dinner at short notice, featuring the 2015 wines of Domaine du Chateau de Meursault at the newly-anoited one-Michelin star Crystal Jade Paragon on 19 July 2017.  As I have alluded to elsewhere, this vintage has been outstanding for Burgundy reds with the whites just half a step behind. However, apart from Le Corton Grand Cru, I’ve not had the chance to experience the reds of the Cote de Beaune and this was, therefore, an excellent opportunity to sample the efforts of an increasingly important domaine from the south. In spite of its sizeable holdings in the Cote de Beaune (up to Corton) and its magnificent chateau (highly unusual for Burgundy), many seasoned drinkers are actually not acquainted with Chateau de Meursault, whose history may be traced back all the way to the 11th century. I can assure you the whites of this domaine are consistently excellent,  and just in case you tend to feel a little apprehensive about the reds of Volnay and Pommard, the 2015  from this domaine may just make you change your mind, bearing utter sophistication and class without the usually vegetal burliness from lesser growths.

2007 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs. Reticent, though its presence on the palate is quite excellent, well balanced with very good integration of zesty lime and citrus, displaying good intensity of flavours.

2015 Domaine du Chateau de Meursault Meursault Charmes Dessus 1er. Good lift of lemongrass, rye and raw nutmeg on the nose with fine concentration and detail on the palate where white pepper and exotic spices add immeasurably to its racy character, finishing with great persistence. One of my perennial favourites from this estate. A great buy.

2015 Domaine du Chateau de Meursault Meursault-Perrieres 1er. Very clean on the nose, rather shy. More minerally and stern on the palate, quite full with very good concentration, acidity and balance, developing lively detail and fine intensity over time, oozing with sweet citrus. More complete than the preceding Charmes Dessus but requires more patience. Excellent.

2015 Domaine du Chateau de Meursault Volnay Clos des Chenes 1er. Deep clear ruby with a hint of earth and some enamel, quite intense on the palate with lovely concentration and purity of red cherries and red currants. Should develop well over time into a more feminine wine.

2015 Domaine du Chateau de Meursault Pommard Clos des Epenots 1er. Saturated with ripe wild berries and dark currants, full and fleshy, shrouded with a hint of paraffin amidst understated acidity, retaining lovely balance and elegance in spite of its substantial proportions.

2010 Tiano & Nareno Travesia, a 100% malbec from Mendoza, Argentina, where Ch de Meursault has a hand in its winemaking. Deep purple, rounded and full with an abundance of dark berries, raspberries, enamel and bright rosy characters with further notes of toffee and mocha on the palate where the wine is layered with excellent concentration and intensity, very well integrated but short. Still undifferentiated. Bottled only in magnums.

 

These are tasting notes from a FICOFI event held on 07 March 2017 at Golden Peony, Conrad Centennial Singapore, where M. Luc Bouchard, the ninth generation descendant of the Bouchard family, had thrown a generous spread of the 2015 wines of Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils for tasting, on top of a masterclass featuring a 1999-2009-2014 mini-vertical of its monopole Beaune Greves Vigne de l’Enfant Jesus 1er and Le Corton Grand Cru, followed by another few more wines for dinner. I have always had the highest regard for the whites of Bouchard, which are generally under-rated simply because (I think) people tend to view them as “negociant” wines but they forget that Bouchard owns a superb plot of Montrachet Grand Cru, not to mention the very special plot of Chevalier-Montrachet La Cabotte Grand Cru that used to be part of Montrachet in the old days. This year’s tasting again re-affirms my point of view but, this time, more of its reds have been included in the line-up. While Bouchard’s reds have not previously got me excited, this time round, however, they are all showing very well: the mini-vertical and old bottles proving their ageing potential and complexity while the freshly-minted 2015s demonstrate great sophistication and breed.

2014 Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Beaune Greves Vigne de l’Enfant Jesus 1er. This wine is highly aromatic, promising raspberries, bright cherries and red fruits, quite lush, saddled with great acidity amidst subtle tannins that exude fine intensity, finishing well with mild ferrous minerals and a dash of spice. Great potential.

2009 Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Beaune Greves Vigne de l’Enfant Jesus 1er. Lovely nose of rose petals and camphor, highly enticing, mellowing on the palate with subtle intensity in spite of its excellent presence and grip, quite seamless, finishing with lovely acidity amidst dryish textures that persisted with great afterglow. Excellent, but the 2014 may turn out to be even better.

1999 Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Beaune Greves Vigne de l’Enfant Jesus 1er. A rare opportunity to taste this particular wine from a glorious vintage that ought to be fully mature by now. Very open, glowing with ripe dark cherries amidst traces of cedar with other secondary nuances, seamless with lovely concentration, its crisp acidity imparting great vigour and vibrancy, building up to a lifted intensity at the finish. May not actually have peaked.

2014 Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Le Corton Grand Cru. Considerably darker in tone and color, yielding traces of cigar on the nose with dark berries and redcurrants. Well replicated on the palate with superb ripeness, acidity and definition, supported by rich limestone minerality with tannins that are still tight but superbly managed, tapering towards a long minty finish. Excellent.

2009 Doamine Bouchard Pere et Fils Le Corton Grand Cru. Dark roses and glycerin are evident in abundance along with red fruits and dark berries, laying the foundations for a wine of intense power and structure with wonderful lifted fragrance and definition, persisting long after its finish. Excellent.

1999 Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Le Corton Grand Cru. This wine is imbued with wonderful acidity that’s still incredibly fresh, rendering superb crispness amidst ample swathes of dark ripe berries, displaying fine precision though shorn of fat. Still youthful. An over-achieving Corton that is, dare I say, a tad over-extracted.

2015 William Fevre Chablis Le Clous Grand Cru. Rich citrus, layered with great concentration and excellent minerality. Very fresh and lively, imparting wonderful mouthfeel.

2015 Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Meursault Genevrieves 1er. Light citrus with lemongrass and other grassy elements, layered with good presence and acidity, well balanced, finishing with good persistence.

2015 Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru. Green fruits on the nose with characteristic traces of barley, coconut and rye that is the signature of Corton-Charlemagne, gentle on the palate, slightly sweet with recessed fruit quality. Rather shy. Needs time to unfurl its full potential.

2015 Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru. Green fruits and clear citrus dominate with superb freshness, exuding distinct overtones of herbs, lemongrass and nutmeg with traces of ginger, layered with great acidity, finishing well. Excellent.

2015 Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Beaune Greves Vigne de l’Enfant Jesus 1er. The bouquet is filled with aromatic rose petals, cherries and raspberries, showing good ripeness on the palate with fine concentration and acidity, its controlled tannins even managing a hint of delicacy. A close tie with the 2014.

2015 Bouchard Pere et Fils Vosne-Romanee Les Suchots 1er. Well extracted, evident by its deep color and broad swathe of warm red fruits that display superb ripeness and fabulous acidity, almost opulent, very well-balanced with further notes of camphor and earth towards the finish. A big wine, but suits Vosne-Romanee well.

2015 Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Volnay Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot 1er. Highly aromatic, ample in predominant dark fruits on the nose and palate with splashes of red, full-bodied and tight, showing good balance but a little short.

2015 Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Le Corton Grand Cru. Predictably big from this source, superbly structured to contain the generous spread of rose petals and dark cherries in very fine balance, layered with gorgeous acidity and finely detailed minerality, just a tad short for now which should correct with age. This will turn out to be a great Corton.

2015 Bouchard Pere et Fils Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru. Smoke, sweet incense and redcurrants on the nose while red fruits with a deep tangerine core dominate on the palate with great concentration, acidity and intensity of flavours but lacking defining structure and somewhat short.

2015 Bouchard Pere et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Beze Grand Cru. There is a great abundance of complex red fruits of superb ripeness and depth with traces of tangerines on the nose and palate where its great concentration and wonderful acidity conjure a wine of great vigour and excitement, unashamedly masculine and supreme in balance. Superb stuff and will, undoubtedly, be outstanding in time to come.

1999 Champagne Henriot Cuvée des Enchanteleurs, poured from magnum to kick off dinner. Lovely yeasty pungency, rich in complex citrus and floral tones, very open, displaying excellent depth with supple acidity.

2012 Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet La Cabotte Grand Cru. This is a very special plot of only 0.21 ha wholly owned by Bouchard sited just west of Bouchard’s 0.88 ha of Montrachet Grand Cru (on the Puligny side) that, in the 19th century, was classified as part of Vrai-Montrachet. True to its heritage, this wine exudes superb richness of fruit, layered with silky smooth creme de la crème and icing amidst overtones of white flowers and chalky minerals, full-bodied but never heavy, displaying lovely balance throughout its length. Excellent stuff.

2011 Bouchard Pere et Fils Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru.  Lifted bouquet of dark roses leading to a great concentration of dark berries and red fruits with traces of tangerines, richly layered with good acidity but still tight, showing some early development with emerging notes of mocha.

1989 Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Volnay Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot 1er. Fully mature, this wine exudes a wonderful earthy pungency matched with glorious fruit, still fresh, that recalls aged plums and tangerine, gently layered with undergrowth and raw savoury tones, open with very fine acidity and great linearity that tapered towards a subtle finish. Wonderfully complex.

FICOFI ended the first half of this year on a high with the most delectable pairing of Chateau Cheval Blanc and Chateau d’Yquem at the Meritus Mandarin, Singapore, on 06 June 2017, both establishments now under the astute management of M. Pierre Lurton. Looking every bit the dapper ambassador as he mixed around easily with all the members, Pierre truly knows how to position his estates in the best light. Speaking in his considerably thick and inimitable French accent, Pierre still remembers our visit to Cheval Blanc last September, his face lighting up with delight when I showed him (pictured with Dr Ngoi) on my blog post. But when it’s time for him to take the stage, he may turn a little reticent, preferring instead to let the wines speak for themselves since no one really needs any introduction to these two estates. Having taken over the running of Cheval Blanc and d’Yquem since 1998 and 2004, respectively, Pierre is rightly proud to be leading the best estates of Saint Emilion and Sauternes, for he certainly appears very pleased whenever one discusses with him about the superb experiences we’ve had with the wines of both estates.

For this event, Pierre has been very generous in treating us to no less than five vintages of Cheval Blanc (no second wine!) along with the less common Y d’Yquem on top of two vintages of d’Yquem (there was an undeclared 2014 lurking around which I missed). The unique quality of Cheval Blanc is best experienced when the wine has had time to hit full maturity, for it really does take a very long time for cabernet franc to reveal its true potential, when the wine will be transformed into a fabulous kaleidoscope of red fruits, utterly mesmerizing in its ability to present lasting power, elegance, detail and intensity of flavours so seamlessly. On this occasion, however, though the wines were showing well with great potential, I’m afraid we didn’t quite achieve that level of nirvana as the vintages were way too young while the 1988, good as it was, isn’t the best that I’ve had from Cheval Blanc. But one must count one’s blessings and not be choosy; I’m always happy to drink anything from Cheval Blanc and d’Yquem.

1998 Dom Perignon P2. Dense aromas of delicate pomelo, white flowers and clear citrus, displaying good concentration and subtle intensity, noticeably more gentle and placid towards the back palate, understated in finish with some almonds and attractive sweetness.

2015 Y d’Yquem. Dry with dominant aromas of lychees, barley, raw nutmeg and dry apricot, ample in concentration of complex citrus, yellow fruits and creme de la crème, evolving over time towards a rich brilliance. Excellent stuff. First produced in 1959, this dry white of Chateau d’Yquem comprises 60% sauvignon blanc that is slightly botrytised.

2006 Ch Cheval Blanc, poured from magnum. This wine exudes a powerful glow of red cherries allied with lifted tones of dark plums and bright mocha that led to a great concentration of glorious fruit, seamless with lovely intensity and sublime acidity amidst traces of vanilla, displaying excellent linearity throughout its wonderful length. Still youthful, but should be quite superb when ready.

2005 Ch Cheval Blanc. Closed with barely a hint of dark fruits and raspberries though wide open on the palate, layered with excellent concentration of redcurrants and dark berries, well-integrated with great precision and detail yet highly understated, far from any secondary development. Will be outstanding but likely to evolve at a glacial pace. Truly one to cellar for the next generation.

2009 Ch Cheval Blanc. This stellar vintage has endowed this wine with a great abundance of raspberries and blueberries with traces of enamel on the nose, obviously still tight on the palate though the cabernet franc is more evident here than in the preceding two wines as it glowed brighter over time with an emerging tone of red fruits and paraffin from its rich layers and depth, becoming more feminine, finishing with ferrous elements. Superb but, again, another one for the long long haul.

2004 Ch Cheval Blanc, poured from magnum. This wine opens with darker tones of blueberries and raspberries, striking an immediate classic poise in its medium-bodied proposition, displaying attractive subtlety and openness with an excellent streak of lively fruit, very lovely in balance, growing more seductive and exuberant on the nose as dinner wore on. Drinking very well now, something not unexpected of this classic vintage. The best of tonight’s line-up at this point of time, in my humble opinion. Very enjoyable.

1988 Ch Cheval Blanc, poured from jeroboam. Well evolved in color, this wine exudes a very lovely nose, awashed in delicious floral fragrances with sweet incense and ash, rather high-toned on the palate where red fruits, camphor and minerals still hold firm with seamless tannins amidst traces of port-like character, finishing a tad short. Excellent, but still a notch below the Cheval Blanc of 1983, 1982 and 1975.

2007 Ch d’Yquem. From a vintage considered to be on par with 2001, this Sauternes is still primal, richly layered with nectarine, apricot and honeysuckle that exuded gorgeous intensity matched with sublime acidity, perfectly balanced and seamless but going absolutely nowhere. Keep for your next generation.

Just a few isolated notes here and there, but such sophistication and quality…

1999 Valentin Zusslin Pfingstberg Grand Cru, popped and poured at Sichuan Dou Hua (Beach Rd), 05 Jun 2017. Deep dull golden with an abundance of chalk and flinty minerals, densely aromatic with backward characters of aged crème, sweet grapefruit and minty white pepper, notably less of the usual petroleum notes. Still showing well and will hold for many more years.

2012 Maison Joseph Faiveley Bourgogne, popped and poured over dinner with Vic at Jade Palace, 16 Jun 2017. Shy but showing well on the palate where it is layered with clear citrus, firm yellow fruit and stern minerals with recessed chalky tones, displaying excellent fullness and very fine acidity, finishing with some trailing pungency. Punches way above its weight for a Bourgogne.

2012 Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin VV, popped and poured over dinner with Vic at Jade Palace, 16 Jun 2017, after some aeration in bottle. Intense bouquet of red roses, cherries and camphor, displaying very good detail, presence and intensity with a streak of great acidity supported by ferrous and saline minerals though not quite seamless yet. Will be absolutely lovely when ready in another 5-6 years time.

2007 Tignanello, decanted on-site at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 26 Jun 2017. Dark currants, dark plums and black fruits glow with lovely intensity and ample concentration, fleshy with great acidity and tannins that are firm but unobtrusive, gelling very well after an hour to become utterly seamless and supple with better definition and a deeper note of raspberries, finishing with stern graphite minerals. Excellent but still not quite ready. Give it another 5 years.

2010 Valentin Zusslin Pfingstberg Grand Cru, popped and poured at the Tanglin Club, 23 Jun 2017. This wine exudes generous aromas of tropical fruits, tangy citrus, soursop and apricot, excellent in concentration with quiet intensity and that characteristic oily texture these great Rieslings possess, supported by firm chalky minerality but still a tad assertive from its cutting acidity. Keep.

1995 Ch Leoville Las-Cases (courtesy of Kieron), decanted at the Tanglin Club, 23 Jun 2017. A very deep bouquet of earthy pungency, blackberries, redcurrants and dark roses led the way, very lifted, open and agile on the palate where it is rounded and seamless with sublime acidity, almost feminine and most unlike the usual structured manner of Las-Cases, finishing a tad short but drinking beautifully. This wine appears to have turned the corner, for I still remembered a bottle (also from Kieron) that was immensely tight ten years ago at Iggy’s. Lovely.

1998 Ch Mouton Rothschild (courtesy of Vic), decanted at the Tanglin Club, 23 Jun 2017. This wine exudes a lovely earthy pungency from its immensely deep bouquet, boasting freshness, good detail and vibrancy on the palate with lovely acidity, very subtle and classy in its way, already showing good secondary nuances with succulent tones of cedar, tangerines and plummy characters with a bit of dry tarry quality. Excellent.

2007 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz, popped and poured at Jade Palace, 30 June 2017. Deep dark inky red, imbued with briar, wild berries and warm Barossa Shiraz, oozing with copious sweet tannins and layered with licorice, toffee and mocha of immense depth and richness, rounded with good acidity, finishing well with a mild peppery tone. Excellent.

It is not often that one sits down to a French gastronomic dinner fronted entirely by uncommon New World shiraz. Crazy as that may sound, it actually took place on 20 June 2017 at Nicolas. To preserve some decency for the restaurant, the champagne and sticky were French, as was the Rhone white I brought to complete the theme of “Rhone / quasi-Rhone”.  I’m glad we didn’t try to compare against actual Rhone reds. Wine is meant to reflect its origin and to be enjoyed in the company of appreciative people. If these objectives are met, then whatever one is drinking is a very successful wine. The reds here easily exceeded all expectations on both counts and, in spite of their massive proportions, I must say they actually went very well with the delicate cuisine. So do cast off the usual bias and enjoy the wines.

Champagne Gonet Brut NV, by the glass from the restaurant list, poured from a half bottle. Quite reticent initially, proffering only nutmeg and wild flowers on the nose whereas the palate was distinctly more attractive, layered with strong yeasty tones amidst delicate citrus, juicy pomelo, grapefruit and understated creme with mild cutting acidity, becoming more expansive over time, ending in a dry minerally finish.

2004 Paul Aine Jaboulet Hermitage Le Chevalier de Sterimberg. Dull golden, exuding peaches and preserved orange, gradually opening up with a soft floral fragrance with overtones of lychees, glowing with gentle intensity from the firm concentration of fruit before evolving into a more recessed character with dull minerality. Very enjoyable but the grapes of marsanne and roussanne need some getting used to.

1991 R Lopez Heredias Vina Tondonia. Severely corked.

2009 Henschke Hill Of Roses (courtesy of Jonny). Bottled in screw cap, which I actually prefer. Deep crimson, proffering a very deep bouquet of dark berries, red currants and dark plums with sweet cherries. Medium-full, opening up with a lovely glow of velvety red fruits on a backdrop of cigar and tobacco floor, displaying good detail, exuding gentle intensity with touches of spice and some sweetness at the sides, tapering to a short gentle finish. Very lovely, worthy of carrying on the mantle of Hill Of Grace.

2010 Chris Ringland Marvel (courtesy of Kenny). Deep impenetrable red, from which arose a massive wall of jammy velvety dark berries and redcurrants with some incense and mild medicinal overtones. Dense, almost monolithic, infused with spicy herbal tones and stern graphite elements but it doesn’t overwhelm. Yet to evolve.

2005 Chris Ringland Dry Grown Shiraz (courtesy of Kenny). The flagship wine of Chris Ringland but no longer available, I believe. Very deep in color with lifted dark medicinal tones and licorice, almost port-like in character with its massive monolithic structure though not at all jammy. Similar in character with the preceding Marvel, this wine is more open with some early complexity, displaying predominantly red fruits and currants with very well-managed acidity and tannins, delicious with a lovely succulence, certainly very approachable now but still light years from maturity, closing up again to become a massive monolith (cue in sunrise motif of Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra). Better than a 1991 I had earlier this year.

2011 Sine Qua Non Patine Syrah (courtesy of Hiok). Deep impenetrable purple. Very unique bouquet of preserved fruit with sweet plums, red fruits and dark berries that hinted at superb ripeness and extraction. Surprisingly open and rounded, almost feminine with sublime acidity and subtle tannins with streaks of mocha and dark chocolate, displaying lovely definition and linearity, finishing with great persistence. Superb.

2013 Domaine de Bernardins Muscat de Beaumes de Venise. A half-bottle from the restaurant list. Generous aromas of lychees and gentle tropical fruits with some white pepper and nectarine, showing good weight on the palate with lovely balance and subtle acidity though the fruit is somewhat recessed.

 

Some notes from a private dinner on 05 April 2017 at Nicolas, organised by FICOFI with M. Jean-Paul Dumond, Sales Director of Maison Joseph Drouhin, on one of his regular visits to Singapore. Whilst the reds of Drouhin are excellent in their own right, just missing the last degree of individuality and utter complexity that confers absolute greatness, its whites have consistently outshone the reds, truly outstanding examples of white burgundy at its supreme best.

2007 Champagne Delamotte Blanc de Blancs. Broad and expansive with excellent concentration of pomelo, citrus and lime, fleshing out with good intensity and some lovely yeasty pungency, not too dry, finishing with traces of ferrous minerals amidst gravelly textures. Drinking well.

2010 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru. The bouquet here is strikingly dense and aromatic, recalling petroleum fumes, coconut and nectarine that matched very well with the wonderful complex of crème, white flowers and gentle minerals from the lush fruit, quite full with lovely acidity, building up in intensity and structure over time with extended depth and  linearity, finishing well. Quite complete. One of the finest Corton-Charlemagne I’ve ever tasted. Outstanding.

2008 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche Grand Cru. Highly anticipated but still a bit reticent, taking its time on the nose as white flowers, incense and white pepper dominate with excellent presence and subtle acidity, beautifully proportioned with an emerging depth of tropical fruits amidst some early complexity that teased the palate with fleeting streaks of gorgeous delicate citrus, gelling very well over time with further richness, finishing with great persistence. An elegant and demure beauty. Needs time.

2012 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny 1er. This wine is really all about its bouquet, bright with a lifted fragrance of smoke and incense along with a lovely depth of dark cherries and dark roses. Unfortunately, the palate isn’t quite able to keep up, medium-full, open with crisp acidity but lacking in richness and layering, tapering towards a minty finish.

2012 Maison Joseph Drouhin Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru. Dark fruits and delicate tangerines dominate with ample presence, freshness, vigour and fine acidity though lacking in structure, as is usual from this plot of grand cru. Nevertheless, showing well with a feminine predisposition.

2012 Maison Joseph Drouhin Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru. This wine opens with a great lovely earthy pungency with a stirring depth of concealed dark fruits, amply proportioned, lush and delicious with good layering and sublime acidity, growing in sophistication and structure over time but missing in development towards the finish where it is still primal. Should be quite glorious when it reaches maturity.

Some short notes on the current lot of wines served on board Singapore Airlines Business Class. The non-stop service on the brand-new Airbus A350 between Singapore and San Francisco is fabulous and the latest Business Class seats offer acres of space with luxury and comfort to match. The only downside is the quality of wines where I have noticed that, in recent years, its Old World reds are no longer quite as attractive. As usual, do avoid ordering beef on board: it simply cannot be done right.

Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve NV. Yeasty tones with a powerful earthy pungency, bursting with brilliant yellow citrus and lime, displaying excellent dry intensity with emerging floral tones and tropical fruits, finishing with stern ferrous minerals.

2016 Mud House Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough. Green tones and morning dew dominate on the nose with delicate white citrus, very good in concentration, very clean and slightly crisp, gentle on the palate as it wound towards a tight finish.

2014 Wild Horse Winery & Vineyards Chardonnay. From Central Coast, USA. Exotic Asian spices and white pepper dominate with cool mint, displaying some lovely crème and subdued chalkiness.

2012 Ch Peyrabon. This Haut-Medoc has an attractive bouquet of dark fruits and wild berries, dry and earthy with woody dusty tannins that detract from the fruit even though its acidity is quite seamless, a tad stern at the finish. It drank fairly well on my away trip but on the return flight, the dusty character weighed in too heavily.

2013 Robert Oatley Shiraz. From McLaren Vale, South Australia. An abundance of warm ripe wild berries, briar, sweet blackberries and dark currants cover the nose and palate, fleshy with excellent concentration of licorice with a mild herbal tone, rounded and well integrated though its finish is short.

These are wines drunk during a week spent in San Diego, USA, whilst attending a conference there. Mostly American, of course. I note that prices on restaurant lists as well as at retail shops have gone up compared with my last visit five years ago.

2014 Flowers Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, from the list of Greystone Steakhouse, 08 June 2017. Popped and poured. Closed initially though very attractive on the palate with a gentle entry of white flowers, creme and chalk, medium-bodied with dry intensity and lovely concentration, becoming very well-integrated with high-toned citrus that tapered to a lasting finish. Very Old World in feel. Excellent.

2012 Heitz Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, from the list of Greystone Steakhouse, 08 June 2017, decanted on site. Redcurrants and dark berries dominate with a lovely earthy pungency, rich in detail and layering  with further notes of bright red fruits, displaying great structure and biting intensity, still a tad unresolved.

2014 Indaba chardonnay, 09 June 2017, the house pour of Seasons 52. This South African wine is medium-bodied with a  general chalkiness, fleshing out well but undifferentiated and straightforward with overtones of vanilla.

2014 Chateau de Parenchere, 09 June 2017, the house pour of Seasons 52. There is some earthy pungency here on the nose with notes of dark berries, forest floor and bramble on the palate, dry and simple at the finish.

2013 Francis Coppola Black Label 1910 Type Claret, drunk over a late dinner at Operacaffe, 10 June 2017. Dense dark fruits and dark plums dominate with a bright tone, somewhat earthy, medium-full with traces of spice amidst a sweet tannin structure, turning darker with a mild tarry quality before coming together very well about an hour later.

2014 Duckhorn chardonnay, from the list of Water Grill, 11 June 2017. Clear chalky minerals of excellent concentration and acidity with overtones of paraffin, glycerin and white pepper, slightly spicy at the finish. Not the most refined of chardonnay, but cuts through the salty tanginess of seafood perfectly.

2014 Pahlmeyer Jayson Red Wine at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, 11 June 2017 with the wifey to celebrate our 23rd anniversary. Somewhat shut but this Bordeaux blend is imbued with blueberries, ripe raspberries, sweet dark currants and cherries on the palate, rounded and soft, very good in concentration and acidity with emerging graphite elements, drinking well even at this early stage.

2014 Wine Spot Monterey Chardonnay at Silver Kris lounge, San Francisco International airport, 14 June 2017. Chalky with green fruits and creme, quite full with good concentration and intensity but lacks complexity.

2014 Wine Spot Carneros Pinot Noir at Silver Kris lounge, San Francisco International airport, 14 June 2017. Ripe raspberries with some cherries, slightly earthy with burnished tones, displaying good intensity but straightforward.

 

Drinking the wines of Château Margaux in Bali sounds absolutely divine and it really came through on 27 May 2017 at the super-exclusive Soori Resort, masterminded by FICOFI, of course, with the château’s young owner M. Thibault Pontailler in attendance.  The setting was almost perfect, open-air beachfront serenaded by the thunderous waves of the Indian Ocean crashing ashore, dinner by candlelight and a live band to get everyone in the party mood. The only downside was the balmy weather at 30 degrees Celsius, and we’d not anticipated that we would be competing with water flies (naturally attracted at night to any light source) trying their best to sip the wines too but FICOFI had done well to make sure the wines were kept properly chilled.

Following the untimely passing of his father Paul last year (who was General Manager and Winemaker at Château Margaux), Thibault has been thrust as Brand Ambassador for Château Margaux since March 2017. However, Thibault is no stranger to the business as his education and upbringing has always been focused on his eventual role at Château Margaux. For this evening, Thibault has also revealed another side of him that is probably unknown to most: this young man is perfectly at home fronting a live band as he is in the wine cellar.

Champagne Jacquesson 735. Gentle green fruits and green apples with abundant lime and pomelo, forward in balance but slightly muted, broad though without much depth nor complexity, veering towards dryness. 

2012 Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux, poured from magnum. Rather full and creamy with overtones of vanilla icing, very fresh and clean, yielding good power with understated minerality, tapering towards a cool minty finish. Yet to develop.

2006 Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux, poured from magnum. Much more developed with excellent depth on the nose and palate, displaying complex characters of paraffin, white flowers in full bloom and recessed notes of green fruits that fleshed out with broad expanse and body, again finishing with its signature cool minty flourish. Excellent.

2005 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux. Poured from magnum. Wild berries and dark cherries dominate on the nose with dusty smoky tones, slightly tarry on the palate with a bit of Pauillac-like dryness, displaying fine acidity and good concentration with some early evolution though shorn of fat. Still youthful and likely to flesh out with further cellaring. Keep.

1996 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux. Poured from magnum. Very lovely on the nose, filled with an alluring complex of sweet dark cherries and redcurrants with a gentle fragrance. Still quite full and fresh, highly seamless with understated structure, exuding further notes of blueberries, ash and dark plums over time, finishing with good length. Excellent.

2003 Château Margaux. This wine exudes a lovely floral fragrance filled with redcurrants, ripe wild berries and dark cherries amidst some earthiness. Silky and highly supple on the palate with understated tannin structure, quite seamless, still youthful with very good concentration and vigour, getting better in definition with time as it turned slightly dryish with further notes of ash. Very well crafted without any hint of heat stress. Excellent.

1996 Château Margaux. Caught at its absolute peak, this wine exudes a full complex fragrance of smoke and tobacco characters amidst ripe red fruits and dark berries, very similar in character with the 1996 Pavillon Rouge but more substantial with better definition and depth, gorgeous in acidity and balance with lively intensity though still a little backward, imbued with a bit of Pauillac-like dryness. Superb, and will hold for many years to come.

2005 Château d’Yquem. Ubiquitous by now at these FICOFI functions but I’m not complaining although, on this occasion, the overly warm ambient temperature is to blame for its muted display, the usual abundance of luscious nectarine, apricot, brioche and honeysuckle curiously restrained, failing to sparkle with complexity and depth.

One of the lasting memories of our trip to Spain last September was that outstanding lunch we had at Etxebarri that was so generously organised, and paid for, by Pablo Alvarez of Bodegas Vega Sicilia. So when we heard that Pablo would be dropping by Singapore again on a whistle stop, we took the opportunity to reciprocate with a luncheon at Tunglok Signatures, Orchard Parade Hotel, on 31 May 2017 that Dr Ngoi was only too happy to organise and sponsor. Naturally, with Pablo around, Vega Sicilia must be drunk. The wines were all generously supplied by Dr Ngoi, unless otherwise stated.

​Verve Cliquot Brut NV. Refreshingly full-bodied with aromas of white flowers, green fruits, lime and yellow citrus, displaying great body and presence with subtle acidity, not at all dry, finishing with sweet gentle intensity.

2014 Ch Chamirey Mercurey La Mission 1er monopole. Lifted floral fragrance, very full on the nose though distinctly medium-bodied on the palate with good concentration of fruit with well-defined creamy tones and chalky minerals. Yet to develop.

2014 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane (courtesy of CW), made from 100% viognier that produced its signature recessed tone of grassy elements and barley with a hint of paraffin, distinctly feminine and graceful, fleshing out with rounded acidity, great clarity and detail. Excellent.

1987 Vega Sicilia Unico Riserva. Displaying quite a fair bit of evolution, this wine appears to have turned the corner compared with a previous tasting two years ago (also in Pablo’s presence at Nicolas), now much more attractive with a lovely bouquet of red fruits, dark berries, redcurrants and lifted camphor with very good presence and acidity on the palate, structured with sweet gentle tannins, though it receded somewhat into a shell of high-toned red plums after some time. Still very fine, but ought to be drunk.

2004 Vega Sicilia Unico Riserva. Imbued with an abundance of dark cherries, blackberries and dark currants, fleshy on the palate, slightly tarry with lovely understated concentration, remarkably seamless, glowing with fine gentle intensity and finishing with further notes of dark chocolates. Still youthful, of course, and already superb but will be even better.

1981 Ch Petit Village. My first experience with a claret of this vintage. Contrary to expectations, this “minnow” exuded a great lovely earthy pungency, medium-bodied and naturally mellow but still retaining good concentration of predominant red fruits and dark wild berries without any hint of dryness with further notes of mocha. Incredible as it may seem, but I think this wine is likely to hold for another few more years though it is just nice to drink up now.

2004 Domaine Francois Lamarde La Grande Rue Grand Cru monopole. Good color with distinct aromas of menthol, icing, red fruits and dark plums, highly seamless and fleshy with understated concentration, displaying very fine acidity with lovely tension across the palate amidst traces of green and earthiness.

Thank you Pablo, and thank you, Dr Ngoi.