2019 Henschke Euphonium. Aired in bottle for two hours ahead of dinner at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 02 Sep 2024. Deep purple. Concentrated bouquet of blackcurrants, raspberries and black cherries with a hint of gravel. Creamy smooth, displaying lovely supple balance with a controlled intensity, producing an understated spicy lift. Morphed very well with lithe definition and precision. Excellent.
2016 Antinori Castello Sella Sala Cervaro at Buona Terra, 05 Sep 2024. Pale golden. Some reductive pungency on the nose amid warm pebbly tones. Medium weight, the fruit a tad backwards initially though it fleshed out well with full presence of clear citrus and pomelo. Harmonious.
2017 Domaine Jean Chartron Saint-Aubin Murgers Des Dents de Chien 1er at Buona Terra, 05 Sep 2024. Poured from magnum after about ninety minutes of aeration. Luminous. Restrained bouquet of white floral fragrance with a faint note of vanillin. Good density and intensity of white fruits laced with a distinct salinity, turning more chromatic and agile over the next two hours, developing early characters of nutmeg and spice. Good value.
2018 Jordan Chardonnay. Aired in bottle for about an hour ahead of dinner at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 09 Sep 2024. Pale. This wine opens with a restrained lift of clear citrus tinged with lemon bitters, carrying well onto a medium-full palate layered with subtle intensity. Turned a little more crisp and minerally over time without being too reductive.
2018 Mondot, courtesy of Li Wei at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 09 Sep 2024. Popped and poured, proffering a restrained rosy fragrance with distant currants. Rather mellow and well-balanced, tinged with a slight minerally glare before fleshing out with attractive plush intensity.
2014 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges 1er, courtesy of Vic at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 09 Sep 2024. Aired in bottle for an hour prior, this wine exudes a lovely glow of red cherries and rose petals from the ample depth of fruit. Beautifully ripe and evenly proportioned, dressed in silky smooth tannins that impart elegant restraint. Highly integral. Still far from full maturity but its allure is quite irresistible.
2021 Peccavi Chardonnay. Aired for two hours ahead of dinner at Shao, 12 Sep 2024. Quite effusive in white floral tones, nutmeg and vanillin emulsion, boasting a beautifully nuanced mid-palate laced with gorgeous acidity and well-integrated minerally detail throughout its glowing length and finish. Highly burgundian in every way. Great value.
2019 Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet 1er Champ Gain, courtesy of Sir Bob at Shao, 12 Sep 2024. Lovely luminosity, exuding a light tinge of menthol amid white floral tones whilst the fullish palate recalls raw nutmeg and distant green fruits. Very evenly proportioned, developing a superb teasing intensity of jackfruit whilst maintaining its crystalline clarity. Delicious!
2011 Domaine Martelet de Chorisey Puligny-Montrachet 1er Hameau de Blagny, courtesy of Sir Bob at Shao, 12 Sep 2024. The crumbly cork here has not affected the wine, displaying a golden luminosity glowing with gentle floral hues. The fresh medium-weight palate is structured with fine precision and clarity, exerting an urgent intensity that settled eventually into more relaxed tones.
2017 Domaine Duroche Gevrey-Chambertin Champ, courtesy of LF at Shao, 12 Sep 2024. This wine is distinctly feminine, a tad forward in delightful red fruits and berries that seduce with graceful elegance on the slender palate. Quite impeccably balanced. Modest finish. Doesn’t call attention to itself.
2018 Villaneuva de Avila La Breña, courtesy of LF at Shao, 12 Sep 2024 Pinkish red with some bricking at the rim. Almost shy in its highly restrained rosy fragrance, slightly reductive as well. The slender palate is wonderfully fresh, predominantly driven by soft red flavours that impart a lovely controlled intensity laced with a distinct minerally edge.
2012 Taittinger Comtes de Champage, courtesy of Russ at Hayop, 18 Sep 2024. Luminous golden hue, proffering intense yellow citrus with attractive overtones of brioche and yeast. Quite full but rather slender in spectrum, not too dry, underpinned by a minerally tinge that does not obscure the trace of sweetness from the fruit.
2000 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste. Aired in bottle for well over two hours ahead of dinner at Hayop, 18 Sep 2024. Fairly deep garnet, exuding wafts of dark currants, rose petals, blueberries and raspberries from the glorious expanse of ripe fruit on a plush bed of velvety tannins, now well into its secondary development with overtones of cedar, cinnamon and cigar box, teasing with mild focused intensity that added further to its poised elegance. Very close to peak maturity and will hold.
2021 Louis Jadot Chablis Cellier du Valvan at Changi Airport T3 First Class Lounge, 20 Sep 2024. Light golden. Slightly buttery with a restrained chalkiness, yielding fine clarity. Medium-weight. Modest finish.
Champagne Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blancs, at Changi Airport T3 First Class Lounge, 20 Sep 2024. Pale golden. Light-medium, boasting gun metal flint and white ash with a minerally glint. Moderate intensity, developing a fine density of fig, yellow citrus and distant green fruits. Good balance.
2022 Deep Woods Hillside Chardonnay on board SQ336 SIN-CDG, 20 Sep 2024. Luminous. Lovely bouquet of green fruits and floral bloom, laced with some sweet vanillin. Medium presence. Very clean in feel, exuding understated elegance.
2016 Château Livran on board SQ336 SIN-CDG, 20 Sep 2024. Sandalwood, dark plums and wild berries dominate with a tinge of sweetness. Medium-full, boasting supple intensity and good levels of ripeness.
2021 Sons of Eden Marschall Shiraz on board SQ336 SIN-CDG, 20 Sep 2024. Restrained deep bouquet of ripe plummy fruit doused in vanillin. Full and evenly proportioned, sporting a firm backbone of tensile tannins from the dense Barossa fruit with overtones of licorice.
1996 Château Clinet, from the list of Tan Dinh, Paris, 27 Sep 2024. Still rather deep garnet in colour, proffering a deep bouquet of black cherries, currants and dark roses. Rather sleek and slender at first before fleshing out very well with layers of dense but supple fruit with classic overtones of soy amid a vegetal tinge, structured with silky smooth tannins. Drinking very well.
1990 Château Calon Ségur, from the list of Tan Dinh, Paris, 27 Sep 2024. Opaque purplish core. Opens with a delicious soft darkish fragrance right from the first pour amid a lifted earthy pungency. The sleek medium palate is imbued with ample depth of cool ripe fruit, structured with lively acidity and detailed sweet tannins, yielding fine inner detail of exotic herbs and spices, developing a rounded intensity over time. Good finish. Caught at peak maturity and will hold.
Ric re-visits Domaine des Lambrays
Shortly after my last visit to Domaine des Lambrays in November 2017, the commune of Morey-Saint-Denis was rocked by a couple of power plays where this estate was bought over by luxury consortium LVMH while rival tycoon François Pinault did likewise to neighbouring Domaine du Clos de Tart. Interestingly, master winemaker Jacques Devauges also moved from Clos de Tart to Domaine des Lambrays following the buyouts, the 2019 vintage being entirely his maiden effort at the latter estate. To the consumer, the takeovers translated into immediate price hikes for these two grand crus; each of them now commands almost SGD900 upon release, a three-fold increment. Part of this, as far as Domaine des Lambrays is concerned, is due to the construction of a large brand-new chai (astonishingly within the space of two years during the pandemic) to allow vinification to be carried out according to the parcellaire approach that Jacques favours. Just as he had previously done so at Domaine de l’Arlot and at Clos de Tart, Jacques has divided the 8.8-hectare grand cru into several smaller plots, vinifying each separately as he deems fit before combining them together as the final bottling. As the entire plot slopes upward from clayey soils bordering the D122 Route des Grands Crus towards limestone on higher ground in the west, it makes sense to manage each micro-terroir individually. Indeed, when we tasted each of these micro-cuvée separately from barrel, the differences were palpable. When we met up with Jacques Devauges again on the morning of 26 September 2024 (seven years after he last hosted us at Clos de Tart), he was keen to emphasise that the final bottling is not a blend; nothing has been removed and neither has the proportions been tweaked. The interim sample that we tasted from barrel was superlative. Elsewhere, Domaine des Lambrays has also acquired choice parcels in Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-Saints-Georges, and they were showing beautifully. Clearly, the arrival of Jacques Devauges and the flush of unlimited resources from the new owners have sparked a renaissance for Domaine des Lambrays. Prices are much higher, undoubtedly, but the wines are absolutely compelling, forcing your hand as quantities are so limited. A very big merci beaucoup, Jacques, for your friendship and time in spite of the difficult harvest. Till we meet again.
2023 Domaine des Lambrays Morey-Saint-Denis. Classic pinot tint. Perfumed bouquet of rosy hues with good presence of plummy fruit. Very lithe and lively with tensile acidity. Good verve and length.
2023 Domaine des Lambrays Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Les Loups. Good colour. Dryish nose of malt and rye. Very well integrated and structured with fine minerality and complexity, exuding subtle intensity and sweetness. This cuvée no longer includes “younger” vines of Clos des Lambrays as they have matured.
2023 Domaine des Lambrays Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Clos Baulet. Good colour. Rosy hues with a dash of malt, somewhat restrained. The fruit here is excellent, layered with refined acidity and good complexity, producing fleshy textures with a trace of sweetness. Located right in front of the domaine.
2023 Domaine des Lambrays Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Clos Sorbe. Just across the road from Clos Baulet, from reddish soils rich in iron. Good colour. Lovely lift of rose petals and raspberries. Appreciably fuller, showing plenty of body and layering with rounded elegant tannins. Lovely freshness, finishing with tangy mouthfeel.
2023 Domaine des Lambrays Vosne-Romanée 1er Beaux Monts. Good colour. Somewhat restrained on the nose though the palate is imbued with excellent depth of fruit that recall blueberries, dark cherries and currants. Appropriately weighty, very well integrated with understated intensity and sublime acidity, imparting superb fleshy mouthfeel. Doesn’t call attention to itself. Moderate finish. From a 0.45 ha plot.
2023 Domaine des Lambrays Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er La Richemone. Good colour. Some restraint is evident though the classic Nuits-Saint-Georges character comes through in its minerally earthiness that imbues the darkish fruit. Seamlessly integrated with great refinement and rounded elegant tannins, laced with a dash of sweetness. Excellent.
2023 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru (Plante Bas). Coming from the lower portion of the estate (clayey soils), next to Clos de la Roche. Good colour. Generous in red fruits and raspberries. Ripe and velvety with some sweetness in tow, tinged with earthy ferrous elements.
2023 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru (Milieu). Coming from the middle portion of the estate. Deep colour. Dryish nose of malt and rye, recalling wet pebbles as well while exotic spices and herbs dominate on the palate, displaying good vigour with elegant tension and intensity.
2023 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru (Haut). Coming from the highest part of the estate (ie. westerly) adjacent to Clos de Tart, predominantly from limestone soils. Good colour. Weightier bouquet of red fruits with understated characters on the fleshy medium palate, underscored by a dash of minerally elements. Highly integral, showing good sophistication with aristocratic restraint.
2023 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru. This provisional sample boasts great colour and complexity, displaying a glorious lift of fruit with a full spectrum of flavours. Very generously imbued with sublime acidity and complex layers of fruit and spices on a base of understated minerals with a dash of sweetness in tow, glowing with controlled energy throughout its superb length. Every bit the Grand Cru that it is, and more. This is destined for greatness. Outstanding.
Ric visits Atelier Laurent Ponsot
Those who have been following the recent fortunes of Monsieur Laurent Ponsot would know that he is no longer part of Domaine Ponsot which he had helmed from 1981 to 2015; he is now an independent vigneron, along with his son. Within an astonishing space of less than two years (during the difficult Covid pandemic, no less), Laurent had set up a brand-new ultra-modern purpose-built facility at Gilly-lès-Citeaux, a stone’s throw from Vougeot. From here, Laurent produces a bewildering range of whites and reds, each of which is a blend of several subplots within a lieu-dit or commune, supplied by several different growers. Only the Griottes-Chambertin and Clos-Saint-Denis grand crus are domaine wines. When we visited the so-called Atelier Laurent Ponsot in the early morning of 25 September 2024, we were stunned by the beautifully sleek complex, immensely functional yet aesthetically pleasing with elegant chic, the very anti-thesis of the rustic properties of Burgundy. Cleanliness in a wine-producing facility is key for Laurent. Even now in the midst of harvesting, the entire chai is squeaky clean and spotless. The stainless-steel vats have been carefully re-designed separately for white and reds, for their vinification requirements are different. The latest equipment is also utilised for bottling and for cleaning the barrels. Every aspect of the facility has been thought through by Laurent’s scientific mind and he has left no stone unturned. Only then do we understand why his labels sport those space-age fonts in luminous green: it is all very appropriate. Does it all translate into top quality inside each bottle? It would seem so. The 2022 we tasted (as well as many others that I’ve had in recent years) are perfectly balanced, imbued with palpable terroir character. Throughout much of the past two decades, Laurent has had to contend with difficult people and difficult business matters while making sure that an infamous Indonesian faking wines on the auction market is properly indicted and writing up the exposé in his new book, and still having to do all the usual winemaking without missing a step. He only sleeps four hours per day which, perhaps, explains his prolific capacity. Most people would have been contented to call it a day after all these. But Laurent is only at the dawn of a new renaissance. Merci beaucoup, Monsieur Ponsot, for spending time with us and we wish you every success. Au revoir et à bientôt.
2022 Laurent Ponsot Gevrey-Chambertin de l’Aulhe. Profusion of rose petals and cherries, carrying well on to the medium palate with a dash of salinity amid plummy characters, showing lovely balance. Rounded with lively acidity and understated intensity. Very sleek. A blend of twelve plots from various suppliers.
2022 Laurent Ponsot Chambolle-Musigny Les Sentiers 1er Cuvée du Sorbier. Lovely colour. Cherries and red fruits dominate with lovely freshness and purity. Highly supple and harmonious with a fleshy mouthfeel. Superbly integrated with an undertow of earthy salinity. Great balance. Doesn’t call attention to itself.
2022 Laurent Ponsot Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru Cuvée du Cedre. Great colour. Restrained bouquet of red fruits. Open medium presence, structured with detailed tannins and distinct ferrous elements that impart a slightly dryish finish. Great balance. A blend of ten plots.
2022 Laurent Ponsot Griottes-Chambertin Grand Cru Cuvée du Saule. Good colour. Highly aromatic. Medium-full. Delicious, imbued with certain richness and lithe tannins that impart a fleshy velvetiness. Excellent definition. Domaine-owned but only 0.25 ha.
2022 Laurent Ponsot Meursault Cuvée du Pandorea. Luminous. Effusive in white fruits and floral tones that evoke a very clean feel. Superbly balanced, displaying keen lift and freshness, tinged with a dash of saline. Very correct in character, not reductive at all. Highly harmonious. A blend of fifteen plots.
2022 Laurent Ponsot Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Cuvée du Kalimeris. This wine opens with a certain restrained complexity on the nose, matching the fleshy but understated impeccably proportioned palate. Shows great clarity and definition, opening up with emerging white fruits though one senses a deeper vein of coiled energy. Highly successful.
Short notes from Burgundy 2024
These were wines tasted during my recent week in Burgundy in September 2024, outside of formal estate visits. Only in Burgundy can one find bottles from “renowned” producers at decent prices on restaurant lists. How else would we have been able to afford Comtes Lafon? As burgundy is best appreciated by understanding its terroir, we made a point to drink the wines of the commune we happened to be at. Yvon Clerget’s Clos du Verseuil 1er monopole was a real standout while the Chassagne-Montrachet Blanchot Dessus 1er by Olivier Leflaive (or any producer, really) shone for the whites, with Jean Chartron being a revelation as well. Some estates were still harvesting here and there, even though the weather had turned wet. Yields are dismal for 2024, marked by extensive mildew and rot.
2022 Familie Savary Chablis Fourchaumes 1er, from the list of Une Air de Famille in Auxerre, 21 Sep 2024. Pale. Rounded bouquet of green fruits, somewhat restrained. There is a certain minerally shine on the medium palate though it disappeared after it fleshed out with growing intensity. Drinking well.
2020 Olivier Leflaive Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Blanchot Dessus, from the list of Klima, Puligny-Montrachet, 21 Sep 2024. Pale greenish. Restrained reductive notes of lemon and clear citrus on the nose. The medium palate is wonderfully sleek, imbued with a stylish agility that complemented its minerally intensity and precision, developing greater richness and distant white tones over time with a hint of nutmeg, attaining exemplary balance and delicate elegance all through to its glowing lingering finish.
2019 Olivier Leflaive Pommard Rugiens 1er, from the list of Klima, Puligny-Montrachet, 21 Sep 2024. Quite deeply coloured, exuding a deep rosy fragrance matched by a concentrated spine of ripe raspberries and cherries, wonderfully fresh but still relatively understated in its supple intensity. Fleshed out with pliant detailed tannins and refined balance though a tad forward in fruit. Moderate finish.
2022 Domaine Jean Monnier et Fils Meursault La Barre, tasted at the domaine in Meursault, 22 Sep 2024. Pale. Clean fresh while tones on the nose, slightly reductive. Elegant, understated intensity, structured with clean precision and refined length.
2022 Domaine Jean Monnier et Fils Meursault Genevrières 1er, tasted at the domaine in Meursault, 22 Sep 2024. Pale luminosity. Highly enticing nose of nutmeg and white fruits. Wonderfully sleek, displaying lovely detail and integration with great harmony and balance, made even more elegant through its understated intensity.
2021 Domaine Jean Monnier et Fils Meursault Les Rougeots, tasted at the domaine in Meursault, 22 Sep 2024. Pale. Slightly darkish on the nose but no less complex in its floral overtones, delivering refined power with a distinct salinity and bright minerally intensity, made more pronounced by its high-toned acidity. Modest finish.
2018 Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, from the list of Le Charlemagne, Corton, 22 Sep 2024. Greenish with distant minerally hues, developing a gentle gleam through its concentrated density, seamlessly layered in fruit and minerality. Settled down with a more relaxed tone and exemplary balance after two hours, imparting refined acidity and intensity.
2019 Domaine Follin Arlebet Corton Bressandes Grand Cru, from the list of Le Charlemagne, Corton, 22 Sep 2024. Deep purple. Very lovely on the nose where dark cherries and deep red plums dominate, carrying over onto the palate with concentrated controlled power, gelling together very well with superb harmony and subtle detail. Moderate finish.
2019 Domaine Jean Chartron Puligny-Montrachet 1er Clos de la Pucelle monopole, from the restaurant list of Como Le Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, 22 Sep 2024. Light golden hue, exuding a very elegant delicate floral glow that blossomed with rich detail. The full palate is supported by a distinct minerally spine, imparting a highly focused intensity that leaves a dry puckering mouthfeel with an austere tinge at its modest finish. Exerts its terroir with tremendous authority.
2014 Domaine Tollot-Beaut Corton Bressandes Grand Cru, from the restaurant list of Como Le Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, 22 Sep 2024. Purplish core, slightly opaque. Glowing bouquet of raspberries and dark cherries with a tinge of reduction that gave way to a sharp plummy lift. Medium-full. Expansive but a little darkish, somewhat minerally with medicinal undertones, becoming quite integral over time. Modest finish.
2020 Domaine Des Comtes Lafon Meursault, from the list of Auprès du Clocher, Pommard, 23 Sep 2024. Greenish hue, proffering cool glacial tones amid an evolving complex of dense citrus, opening with a coiled oily density that gradually unfurled its layers with exquisite tension and rounded depth, supported by an undertow of subdued minerals. Quite the epitome of sophistication and chic elegance.
2017 Domaine Nicolas Rossignol Pommard Charmots 1er, from the list of Auprès du Clocher, Pommard, 23 Sep 2024. Plummy crimson. Seductive bouquet of rosy hues and red fruits though the palate is layered with darker shades amidst the predominant red fruits, open with supple sweet tannins that exert lovely tensile presence. Very well integrated and balanced, developing growing intensity over time. Excellent.
2016 Domaine Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin Les Murgers Des Dents de Chien 1er, from the list of Ma Cuisine in Beaune, 23 Sep 2024. Luminous golden hue. This wine opens with a restrained oily density on the nose without any hint of the terse high-toned acidity and intense reductive minerality that leaves a mouth-puckering buzz. A little more open over time with food, but still not for the faint-hearted.
2019 Domaine Yvon Clerget Volnay Clos du Verseuil 1er monopole, from the list of Ma Cuisine in Beaune, 23 Sep 2024. Darkish in colour, opening with muted dark cherries on the nose, leading to a fullish palate of structured tensile tannins that exert supple intensity. Settled quite quickly with well-integrated lighter textures, beautifully balanced, developing a layered lithe agility after an hour. Great potential.
2018 Domaine Jacques-Frédèric Mugnier Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos de la Marechale 1er monopole, from the list of La Cabotte, Nuits-Saint-Georges, 24 Sep 2024. Deep garnet. Equally darkish on both the nose and palate where black fruits dominate with supple density, structured with tensile tannins. Still rather tightly coiled, opening up with emerging cherries though the darker shades still prevailed. Well-proportioned and balanced.
2022 Vincent Dancer Meursault Les Corbins, from the list of Bistrot de l’Hôtel, Beaune, 24 Sep 2024. Pale golden, proffering a gleaming chalky bouquet of fig and chromatic tones amid traces of earthy funk. The high-strung palate is imbued with a bold minerally density underscored by terse acidity and concentrated clear citrus, adding up to a tensile reductive presence that persisted throughout the evening.
2018 Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanée Bossières, from the list of Bistrot de l’Hôtel, Beaune, 24 Sep 2024. Darkly coloured, exuding delicious dark currants and black cherries with a huge tensile presence underscored by a minerally earthiness that imparted an austere undertow. Opened up only at the end of dinner with supple layers of red fruits that is the hallmark of Grivot.
2022 Domaine Sylvain Langoureau Puligny-Montrachet La Garenne 1er, a half-bottle from the list of Le Millésime in Chambolle, 25 Sep 2024. Pale luminosity. Chalky cool glacial tones on the nose. Well-proportioned with excellent concentration of fruit that impart fine precision and dryish intensity.
2016 Domaine Georges Roumier Chambolle-Musigny, from the list of Le Millésime in Chambolle, 25 Sep 2024. Deeply coloured. Dense bouquet of dark cherries and raspberries amid some mild earthy funkiness, leading to a full-bodied weighty palate. Supple enough at first before gaining further power and intensity in the glass, almost closing up. Still not ready.
2022 Domaine Quivy Gevrey-Chambertin Les Journaux. Tasted at the domaine, 25 Sep 2024. Good colour. Dark rosy hues. Lovely density on the palate, imbued with minerally elements. Fleshy and rounded with supple intensity. Well integrated. Modest finish.
2022 Domaine Quivy Gevrey-Chambertin Les Evocelles. Tasted at the domaine, 25 Sep 2024. Slightly darker in colour. Deeper nose of red fruits and haw. Good density and purity of fruit, imparting excellent mouthfeel. Structured with precise tannins. Not heavy. Very well crafted.
2022 Domaine Quivy Gevrey-Chambertin Les Corbeaux 1er. Tasted at the domaine, 25 Sep 2024. Classic pinot tint. Effusive rosy fragrance. Medium presence. Seamlessly integrated with lovely balance and purity. Somewhat understated but very correct in Gevrey character. Modest finish.
2022 Domaine Quivy Gevrey-Chambertin Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru. Tasted at the domaine, 25 Sep 2024. Classic pinot tint. Lifted bouquet of red fruits and rose petals. The slender palate is well integrated with teasing intensity and overtones of exotic spices. Good length.
2021 Château de Chamirey Mercurey 1er La Mission monopole, from the list of Le Richebourg, 25 Sep 2024. Luminous. Soft bouquet of delicious floral tones matched by a fine expanse of citrus and chalk that grew with delicate intensity and layered detail in the glass, structured with cutting precision. Superbly balanced.
2022 Domaine Georges Noëllat Vosne-Romanée, from the list of Le Richebourg, 25 Sep 2024. Darkish pinot tint, proffering delicious red fruits and currants with open detail, its understated tannins never in the way, seducing the palate with delicious intensity. Totally harmonious. Finished well.
2020 Domaine de L’Arlot Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Clos De L’Arlot monopole, from the list of Castel de Tres Girard in Morey-Saint-Denis, 26 Sep 2024. Deep purple. Bold and weighty in black fruits and dark currants on both the nose and palate. Very well extracted with intense darkish fruit and dryish tannins to an overwhelming extent where the NSG terroir is lost, even though it opened up a little with deep velvety layers. I’d have thought this is Vosne.
2022 Pierre Mayeul Santenay 1er, tasted at the domaine, 26 Sep 2024. Pale. Aromatic diesel fumes and lavender. Medium-full. Rather racy with lively acidity sitting on a deeper vein of ferrous elements. Good verve.
2022 Pierre Mayuel Puligny-Montrachet, tasted at the domaine, 26 Sep 2024. Pale. Hint of créme and white flowers on the nose. Rather high-toned with a distinct note of saline, producing some minerally glare.
2022 Pierre Mayuel Beaune Clos des Mouches 1er, tasted at the domaine, 26 Sep 2024. Pale. Hint of petroleum on the nose. The palate is rather lean and reductive, tightly coiled with lively acidity amid overtones of olives. Modest finish.
2022 Pierre Mayuel Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, tasted at the domaine, 26 Sep 2024. Pale. Effusive bouquet of nutmeg and early complex characters with a sense of oiliness, though the palate is only medium-weight, displaying delicate clarity from a distinct minerally presence. Well integrated. Plenty of promise but it is in no hurry to unfurl its potential glory.
2021 Pierre Mayuel Pommard 1er Clos de Verger, tasted at the domaine, 26 Sep 2024. Classic pinot tint. Waxy red fruits with rosy hues. Quite delicate, tinged with distinct saline minerals that a bit of austerity, laced with high-toned acidity.
2021 Pierre Mayuel Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Les Cailles, tasted at the domaine, 26 Sep 2024. Classic pinot tint. Effusive in aromatic red fruits. Good presence. Well integrated with lively acidity, underpinned by a distinct earthiness that is entirely appropriate for NSG.
2022 Pierre Mayuel Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Les Champonnets, tasted at the domaine, 26 Sep 2024. Good colour. Alluring lift of ripe red fruits. Highly supple, its pliant silky tannins imparting delicate textures and fine clarity.
2022 Pierre Mayuel Corton-Marechale Grand Cru, tasted at the domaine, 26 Sep 2024. Deeper in color. Ample presence of dark plums and ripe raspberries with a sense of “wet” pebbles. Generously structured and proportioned with bold darkish tones.
2021 Pierre Mayuel Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, tasted at the domaine, 26 Sep 2024. Rosy hues. Medium weight. Quite intense and fleshy though the fruit is set a little too backward, resulting in dryish tannins with a tinge of austerity.
2021 Domaine Des Comtes Lafon Meursault Charmes 1er, from the list of La Cuverie in Vosne, 26 Sep 2024. Pale golden. Complex nose of jackfruit and white fruits. Sleek reductive quality, underscored by sublime acidity though the fruit was a tad backwards initially. Fleshed out well over time, more richly layered with overtones of créme de la créme. Very evenly proportioned. Highly refined and sophisticated.
2021 Domaine Michel Gros Vosne-Romanée Clos Des Réas 1er monopole, from the list of La Cuverie in Vosne, 26 Sep 2024. Deeper tint of pinot, proffering a lovely profusion of cherries and dark roses. Rather sleek, imbued with inner detail of ferrous elements that impart a bit of minerally shine. Developed superb fullness and depth over time with a focused intensity underpinned by a rich darker vein. Fine finish. Excellent.
2015 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault Clos de la Barre, from the list of Tan Dinh, Paris, 27 Sep 2024. Luminous. Complex bouquet of nutmeg, chalk and white. More oxidative than reductive, laced with some salinity and a high-toned acidity amid cool glacial tones that confer superb clarity and definition. Impeccably balanced with very lovely Meursault character.
Ric re-visits Domaine Henri Gouges
I had the real pleasure of visiting Domaine Henri Gouges again on the morning of 24 September 2024 after six years, where it was really good to meet up again with the highly engaging and knowledgeable Ms Viviana Jaimon. Still located at 7 Rue du Moulin at the heart of the Nuits-Saint-Georges township, the domaine now sports a brand-new reception area where tastings are conducted. Founded in 1919 by Henri, himself a highly influential person in Burgundy at that time, this domaine only features the wines of Nuits-Saint-Georges, making it truly the doyen of this commune. With holdings of only 14 hectares, demand far outstrips supply. This will be particularly acute for the 2024 vintage, where excessive rainfall has caused severe mildew, resulting in very low yields way below 50%. We were delighted to meet Gregory Gouges again (its fourth-generation co-proprietor along with his cousin Antoine Gouges) in the chai where he was busy supervising the morning’s harvest. In spite of his packed schedule, Gregory took the time to show us the work that was going on. The very low yield this year hit us when we saw only one vat of its Vaucrains 1er and one vat of its Les Saint-Georges 1er. The doors of several empty vats were wide open, whereas they would normally have been full. Multiple crates of grapes badly damaged by mildew sat in the open. You could see the pain in Gregory’s eyes when he revealed that there would not be any pinot blanc for 2024 apart from a very tiny production of its La Perrière 1er.
After touring the cellars and viewing its library stock (with bottles down to the 1920s), we proceeded back to its tasting room where Viviana had lined up its entire range of reds and whites, along with generous plates of charcuterie. The maison has acquired grapes from Les Cailles 1er, a choice plot nicely sandwiched between Les Saint-Georges 1er and its own monopole of Clos Des Porrets St-Georges 1er to supplement its range and output. This is a real masterstroke, for this wine has turned out to be an undiscovered gem. Elsewhere, I find the reds of Henri Gouges to be consistently elegant without calling attention to itself, always true to their terroir without being flashy. Even the Clos des Porrets St-Georges 1er monopole and Pruliers 1er showed well, only that they tend to be overshadowed by the excellent Vaucrains 1er and Les Saint-Georges 1er, the latter being truly its flagship. Another real discovery is the range of whites unique to Henri Gouges, for they are made with the mutant grape pinot blanc, whose extraordinary character on the nose and palate is difficult to place but they are truly excellent. This is the first time I’ve tasted the Les Crots Blanc and the Clos des Porrets St-Georges 1er Blanc. Who needs overpriced Bordeaux whites? A huge and heartfelt merci beaucoup, Gregory, for your friendship and for spending time with us in spite of the difficulties with the harvest, and to you too Viviana, for fussing about with your superb hospitality. When wine can stir the senses and emotion between people of different cultures and background as it did during our visit, you know you are experiencing the distilled essence of burgundy. We shall miss you. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before we meet again.
2021 Maison Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Cailles 1er. Classic pinot tint. Unexpectedly superb on the nose where rose petals dominate with a truly beguiling fragrance, tinged with a dash of paraffin. Doesn’t disappoint on the medium palate as well, very well-balanced with a lovely supple intensity that taper to a glowing finish. Non-domaine, but a true gem.
2021 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Porrets Saint-Georges Monopole 1er. Rather shut on the nose, proffering only distant red hues though the medium palate is very subtly layered with fine presence of fruit that exude a distinct minerally shine, morphing together very well into a seamless entity. Modest finish.
2019 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Pruliers 1er. Good colour. A bit of early development of red fruits is evident on the nose. The fleshy medium-weight palate is imbued with supple red fruits tinged with overtones of ash and pebbles, boasting good length, excellent freshness and purity of fruit.
2018 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Vaucrains 1er. Plummy red with some bricking. Medium-weight. Generous presence of supple fruit that show excellent ripeness and purity, rounded with velvety tannins that express juicy succulence. Very well balanced. Good finish.
2018 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges 1er. Superb ruby. Appreciably deeper bouquet of red fruits and plums. Very generously imbued, just a little darkish from its deep but subtle vein of black fruits and currants, displaying elegant intensity. Very impeccably proportioned and balanced, finishing well with palpable sophistication and pedigree. Outstanding. Since the 2019 vintage, the label of this flagship has reverted to its original design in honour of the wine’s centenary.
2021 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Pinot Blanc Bourgogne. Golden greenish. Clean bouquet of leafy tones and green fruits, carrying well on to the medium palate with excellent clarity and freshness, displaying clean precision and understated intensity with a slightly “wet” finish.
2021 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Crots Blanc. Golden green. Quite effusive in chromatic white tones with a dash of mint. Full, fleshy medium presence, showing great balance and detail. Finishes with lingering persistence.
2021 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Porrets Saint-Georges 1er Monopole. Golden yellow. Effusive in yellow citrus and grapefruit. Very clean and lithe, superbly integrated with great length and understated verve with a faint overtone of gasoline fume.
2022 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges La Perrière 1er. Highly luminous, exuding subtle white tones. Medium weight, Superbly balanced with great harmony and sophistication, boasting cool glacial tones and fine clarity from its unobtrusive minerals. Utterly seamless. Outstanding.
Ric visits Domaine Yvon Clerget
Thibaud Clerget represents a select group of young winemakers set to dominate the world of burgundy in the near future, if it isn’t already happening. At only thirty-two, he has already made nine vintages of Domaine Yvon Clerget since 2015 (after completing several years of understudy at Henri Boillot and Hudelot-Noëllat under Charles van Canneyt). This domaine, named after Thibaud’s father, was established centuries ago in 1268 and has been with the family throughout this time. After Yvon’s retirement in 2009, the grapes were sold to Henri Boillot for the next few years until Thibaud was ready to assume leadership. When we visited this rustic property in Pommard on the morning of 25 September 2024, Thibaud had just completed the harvest, notable by now for its severely low yield. He is happy with the quality of whatever precious grapes that are available, now going through alcoholic fermentation where one could hear the quiet buzz of carbon dioxide being released from the open vats. It was good to learn that the domaine has increased its holdings to ten hectares, mostly in Volnay but there are Pommard Rugiens 1er and Clos Vougeot Grand Cru as well. Amiable and approachable, Thibaud exudes the quiet confidence of someone who knows his stuff. He trains his vines in high trellis in the style of Lalou Bize-Leroy and Charles Lachaux. His viticulture is organic but not biodynamic. He uses only 20-30% new oak. It all seems to work, for Thibaud has enjoyed considerable success right from the start. I find the wines of Domaine Yvon Clerget to be consistently pure, highly expressive and integral without calling attention to themselves, not only those that we tasted from barrel, but earlier vintages as well drunk from restaurant lists. We even tasted the newly-harvested 2024 Volnay Les Caillerets 1er undergoing alcoholic fermentation right now: it already tastes so correct even at such an infantile stage. It’s clear Thibaud has a good understanding of his methods and the results they are producing, and he is still improving year-by-year. If Thibaud can get this difficult vintage right, there is no barrier to his success. Volnay may not sound sexy but once you have experienced Domaine Yvon Clerget, you are likely to be converted. Prices are still decent but probably not for long. And, lest I forget, this is the first time I’ve experienced barrel tasting in the cellars using Zalto stemware. Yes, those must-have paper-thin glasses; thank goodness we didn’t smash any of them. Thibaud clearly sets very, very high standards for everything he does. Merci beaucoup, Thibaud!
2023 Domaine Yvon Clerget Volnay. Aromatic red fruits with darker shades on the nose. Medium-full tensile feel, structured with fine precision.
2023 Domaine Yvon Clerget Volnay En Champans 1er. Aged in new barrels. Classic pinot tint. Complex nose of rose petals tinged with ash and paraffin. Medium-weight. Lovely balance and elegance, structured with unobtrusive tannins. Bottled only in magnums.
2023 Domaine Yvon Clerget Volnay Clos du Verseuil 1er monopole. Classic pinot tint. Delicious highly expressive bouquet of rosy hues with a tinge of paraffin. Great balance, exuding delicate elegance and feminine character with harmonious warmth. Beautiful.
2023 Domaine Yvon Clerget Volnay Les Caillerets 1er. From low-yielding 95-year-old vines grown on limestone soils. Highly aromatic. Fleshy medium presence with a deeper vein of fruit. Highly integral. Delicious.
2023 Domaine Yvon Clerget Pommard Les Rugiens 1er. Grown on ferrous soil. Good colour, exuding a feminine glow of red fruits. Medium-weight. Structured with precise tannins that impart refined elegance and linearity. Good finish.
2023 Domaine Yvon Clerget Clos Vougeot Grand Cru. Lovely luminosity. Some reduction on the nose with overtones of spice and ash. Fleshy and elegant, structured with detailed tannins. Impeccably proportioned, showing great balance and linearity. Only 0.5ha.
Joseph Drouhin revisited 2024
It was a pleasure to re-visit Maison Joseph Drouhin for the third time on the morning of 23 September 2024, where we were received by no less than Monsieur Frédèric Drouhin, a highly amiable gentleman without any airs who is the current President of this prestigious domaine since it was founded by his great-great-grandfather Joseph in 1880, still located at 7 Rue d’Enfers in Beaune throughout all these years. Frédèric is highly hands-on in addition to his onerous administrative duties, evident by the fact that he had only just completed harvesting this year’s crop yesterday. The vintage of 2024 is dismal, marred by too much rainfall resulting in mildew that wiped out some 50-80% of vines throughout the Côte d’Or. Nevertheless, this sort of situation isn’t new to Frédèric, having been in the business for so long. We trooped down the steep stairs into the domine’s extensive cellars which are located directly beneath its offices. Originally constructed by the Romans two thousand years ago as a fort (an original Roman wall is still intact), the network of tunnels now holds thousands and thousands of unlabeled bottles covered in thick mould, some in very large formats, that have lain undisturbed for decades. Even Frédèric himself isn’t sure what’s inside them. Popping up again into its original chai where a huge wine press still stands, we proceeded to taste a selection of bottles from Drouhin’s extensive range. As always, the whites of Drouhin are very correctly poised, highly successful in expressing each individual terroir. Frédèric prefers a reductive style for Meursault. He would decant the Marquis de Laguiche Montrachet Grand Cru for 30-60 minutes in a long-neck wide base decanter sitting on ice. His wines are meant for those who appreciate; he doesn’t have time for fashionable young winemakers that charge an arm and a leg for a measly bottle. Merci beaucoup, Frédèric, for spending time with us and may you continue to enjoy further success at Maison Joseph Drouhin.
2019 Joseph Drouhin Côte de Beaune. Pale. Clean nose and palate of grassy elements and white fruits. Well balanced with fine intensity. A blend of declassified grapes of Clos des Mouches.
2019 Joseph Drouhin Meursault. Pale. Nose of fresh morning dew and distilled white fruit, delivering a medium palate of cool delicate elegance with refined acidity and intensity, veering towards a reductive quality. Beautifully linear, finishing with lingering mouthfeel.
2019 Joseph Drouhin Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Garenne 1er. Pale. Highly aromatic. Slightly more fruit forward with a dash of nutmeg. Medium-full, imbued with a distinct minerally presence with sublime acidity, displaying lovely balance and freshness. Good finish. Highly elegant.
2019 Joseph Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches Blanc 1er. Pale. Some salinity is evident on the nose amid delicate floral elements. Very smooth on the entry, boasting a refined presence with teasing acidity that confer lovely freshness and tension. A blend of thirty-five parcels.
2018 Joseph Drouhin Pommard Chanlins-Bas 1er. Classic pinot tint. Already surprisingly open, exuding wonderful freshness with delicious rosy hues, aided by structured detailed tannins. Modest finish.
2017 Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny 1er. Good colour. Highly aromatic with a tensile fragrance though the palate is only medium-weight, rather subdued with soft tannins supported by a minerally spine. Good balance.
2017 Joseph Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches 1er Rouge. Classic pinot tint, proffering a highly integral glow of predominant red fruits already into secondary development. Medium-weight, boasting a concentrated elegance that exert controlled sweetness and intensity.
2016 Hospice de Beaune Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru Cuvée Maurice Drouhin. Slightly darkish in colour though there is a lovely lift of red cherries and rose petals to match an agile medium-weight palate structured with pliant tannins, tinged with a dash of salinity throughout its modest length. Distinctly feminine.
For clarets, one drinks the vintage as opposed to burgundy where one drinks the producer. This was clear when the Jürade de Saint-Émilion du Singapour convened at Buona Terra private dining on 05 September 2024 on a theme of Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé B lined up against Left Bank Second Growths. The supple silky textures of the Right Bank, always laced with a dash of sweetness, was easily identifiable, as was the deeper darker and more structured cabernet of the Left Bank. in the great vintages, both sides were equally superb. The wines, particularly those of the Left, also reflect well the less exalted vintages though the differences were less apparent in those of the Right. Through the extended passage of time, all of them still drink very well, each with its own individual merit. Many thanks, everyone.
2016 Les Cordeliers Brut, a Crémant de Bordeaux from Saint-Émilion, made from sémillon. Controlled intensity of delicate citrus fruit and fig tinged with a dash of sweetness. Rounded and well-balanced, though it could do with a bit more body. Does its job.
1986 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, courtesy of Anthony. Still quite deeply coloured, exuding a powerful bouquet of mature fruit amid distinct overtones of ash, mahogany and dried cherries. Fully developed on the beautifully proportioned palate where lead elements and bell peppers dominate, supported by a firm earthiness that imparted a masculine but relaxed tone, finishing well with a dash of pochai pills.
1999 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, courtesy of Marc. Evolved crimson, proffering a predominance of dark cherries and raspberries that leapt from the glass though it is rather narrow in spectrum on the slender palate, open with a certain dash of sweetness from its refined but gritty tannins that exert svelte intensity. Quite integral, just missing that extra dimension and opulence of the best vintages.
2008 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, courtesy of Ace. Crimson with a deep garnet core. This wine opens with an attractive reductive funkiness amid generous wafts of ripe dark berries, raspberries and violets Carried well onto the fullish palate, still coiled with plenty of verve that teasing intensity. Trace ferrous elements. Fullish. Sleek acidity tannins. Plenty of coiled energy. Teasing intensity.
1995 Château Troplong-Mondot, courtesy of Kieron. Displaying crimson hues, this wine is well into its secondary development, proffering notes of haw and medicinal elements on the nose while the medium palate is imbued with a lovely warm ripeness, softly contoured with glowing tones of mature red fruits that flesh out with superb integration. and understated elegance.
2005 Château Troplong-Mondot, courtesy of Russ. Deep purple, delivering its promise of copious velvety red fruits with a broad ripe expanse on a bed of plush tannins, perfectly balanced by a firm base of ferrous elements and refined acidity to cushion its youthful exuberance, displaying fine complexity and superb delineation throughout its length. Quite exemplary in every way.
2017 Château Troplong-Mondot. Deep purple. Restrained bouquet of dark fruits. Medium-full, the rounded tannins imparting some tension with controlled verve, displaying good balance between the ample of black fruits, understated minerality and refined acidity. Good sophistication.
1993 Château Clos Fourtet, courtesy of Jess. In spite of its brownish crimson appearance, this wine is still wonderfully fresh, exuding a very lovely complex of cinnamon, aged plums and savoury tones laced with ferrous elements within a sleek, highly harmonious medium-bodied proposition. Delicious. Not drying out. Superb!
2003 Château Canon-la-Gaffélière, courtesy of Barrie. Opaque crimson, opening with an attractive reductive funk though the fullish palate is showing well, generously endowed with ripe raspberries, wild berries and currants that exert understated intensity and acidity without any hint of the heat stress of that vintage. Highly harmonious.
2002 La Mondotte, courtesy of Raj. Deep crimson. This wine opens with a lovely complex of ripe wild berries and black berries tinged with a savoury warmth and sweetness. The masculine palate, though, is surprisingly restrained in spite of the bold layers of dark fruit, well-proportioned but rather introspective at this stage. One for the long haul.
2004 Château Rauzan-Segla, courtesy of Melvin. Deep crimson, boasting a full presence of darkish ripe fruit laced with slick acidity that teased with fleeting intensity, underscored by delicate minerality and a slight vegetal tinge that added further attraction, though one would have expected a greater extent of secondary development.
2003 Château Léoville-Barton, courtesy of Bowei. Crimson. Medium-weight. Well into its secondary development. Open with relaxed charm where the fruit, acidity and supple tannins are very evenly proportioned and integral, displaying excellent refinement and impeccable balance.
2008 Château Rauzan-Segla, courtesy of Dolly. Deep crimson, displaying youthful exuberance from its robust detailed tannins that added further dimension to its masculine but balanced proportions, teasing with cool fleeting intensity. Modest finish.
2005 Château Cos D’Estournel, courtesy of Sok Cheng. This wine opens with an elegant restraint in spite of its fullish presence, boasting deep layers of delicious dark fruit well integrated with refined detailed tannins. Very classically structured and proportioned. Highly harmonious without calling attention to itself. This will last for decades.
2011 Chapelle d’Ausone, courtesy of Kieron. Deep garnet core with a crimson rim, proffering delicious wafts of rose petals, haw and red fruits tinged with some sweetness. Well-layered with cool ripe darkish fruit, imparting supple intensity with a certain raciness tempered by a bit of pebbly brightness from its minerally depth. Worthy of sharing the same table as its grand vin, as always.
2019 Domaine William Fevre Chablis Montmains 1er, from the list of 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 06 Aug 2024. Delicious lift of cool icing and floral fragrance. The fullish palate carries huge potential, still rather tightly coiled but there’s no denying the exquisite intensity of dense citrus laced with sublime acidity, displaying superb refinement amid some sweetish overtones. Excellent.
2018 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Vaucrains 1er, from the list of 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 06 Aug 2024. Dark crimson. Superb lift of red fruits and ripe dark cherries. Beautifully rounded and integrated, imbued with ample fruit that impart subtle intensity. Darkly delicious and wonderfully ripe, underscored by a slight earthy trace that became more prominent over time. A brilliant effort.
2020 Domaine Taupenot-Merme Chambolle-Musigny 1er La Combe d’Orveau, from the list of 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 06 Aug 2024. Darkish tint of ripe dark berries that exude subtle fragrance. Beautifully rounded, richly layered with copious black fruits that gleamed with a hint of brilliant graphite beneath its rounded sheen of smooth tannins.
2022 La Vieille Ferme, at Changi Airport T2 Krisflyer Gold Lounge, 8 Aug 2024. Deep purple. Restrained nose of blueberries and dark currants. Medium-full. Good intensity of fruit, a little forwardly balanced, carrying lively acidity. Straightforward though.
2008 Château Maucamps. Aired for two hours ahead of dinner at the in-laws, 11 Aug 2024. Opaque purple. Earthy woody overtones dominate amid a fine concentration of darkish fruit imbued with vegetal elements. Good balance, though it misses the fleshy layering of the best Médoc wines.
2008 Château Larcis-Ducasse. Partially double-decanted at home followed by further decanting on-site at Cook & Brew, 19 Aug 2024. Deep garnet, proffering ripe plummy tones with mandarins amid delicious savoury overtones. Rather full and fleshy initially, the supple elegant tannins and sublime acidity exerting a very lovely taut tension that imparted excellent mouthfeel. Settled down after some time with cool intensity and emerging ferrous elements that lent a trace of austerity, morphing well with seamless integration. Approaching its peak.
2022 Stone Bay South Island Pinot Noir, from the list of Vineyard restaurant, 21 Aug 2024. Good colour. Classic nose of red plums, strawberries and cherries. Medium-full. Good balance and density ripe fruit, offering plenty of freshness and clean vibrancy without trying too hard, laced with refined tannins and acidity just bordering on terse tension.
2003 Champagne Dom Pérignon P2, courtesy of Dr WKW. Popped and poured at Jade Palace, 24 Aug 2024. Tasted blind. Pale golden. Fig, green fruits and pears dominate on the nose. The medium palate is dryish, proffering early notes of yellow citrus and pineapples with a crisp intensity, settling down eventually with fine clarity and precision, underpinned by a minerally tinge. Still wonderfully fresh and vibrant.
2017 Joseph Drouhin Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot 1er Marquis de Laguiche. Aired in bottle for four hours ahead of dinner at Jade Palace, 24 Aug 2024. Pale golden hue. Seemingly reticent at first, taking its time to develop a glacial coolness followed by emerging creamy white tones that speak of Chassagne before unfurling a full integral palate of nutmeg, complex white fruits and slick acidity that teased with elegant intensity. Almost aristocratic.
2002 Domaine Georges Roumier Morey-Saint-Denis Clos de la Bussière 1er, courtesy of Dr WKW at Jade Palace, 24 Aug 2024. Tasted blind. Opaque crimson. Some age is evident from the slight bricking at the rim. This wine opens with deep dark plummy tones that exert a perfumed lift. The medium-full palate suggests a much younger wine, only into early secondary development where overtones of orange peel and cinnamon are seamlessly integrated with the subdued intensity of ripe dark berries, framed by elegant tannins that exude sleek acidity. Modest finish. Wonderfully harmonious.
2020 Xi Ge (西鴿) Estate No. 609, courtesy of George Wei at Jade Palace, 24 Aug 2024. Decanted on-site. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, malbec and cabernet gernischt (genetically identical to carménère) from the Helan highlands of Ningxia, China, and purportedly the preferred wine of President Xi Jinping. Deep purple, proffering a generous bouquet of raspberries and black fruits with overtones of damp pebble. Medium-full. Well crafted with warm supple intensity tinged with a bit of vegetal sternness and earthy undertones, showing good harmony and delineation. Delicious, though one would not mistake this for a Médoc. This estate, styled after Penfolds, owns a massive 2,000 hectares of vines.
2019 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia, courtesy of George Wei at Jade Palace, 24 Aug 2024. Decanted on-site. Deep purple, proffering a generous bouquet of blueberries, violets and dark currants. Fleshy with rounded contours, imbued with ample fruit and sublime acidity that produced superb fleeting intensity with exquisite mouthfeel. Well balanced, just a tad more fruit-forward, settling down after some time with soft velvety tannins. Very expertly crafted.
1998 Château La Gomerie. Aired in bottle for four hours ahead of dinner at Jade Palace, 24 Aug 2024. Darkish purple. Dark currants and ripe wild berries dominate with an open suppleness, tinged with a dash of capsicum. Quite fleshy and generously proportioned, maintaining a darkish tone throughout its moderate length with a poised understated intensity. At its best but far from fading.
2016 Laurent Ponsot Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvée de l’Aulhe. Popped and poured over lunch at Imperial Treasure Great World, 25 Aug 2024. Displaying a very lovely ruby crimson, this wine exudes dark cherries, red fruits and ashes amid earthy balsamic elements. The medium palate is marked initially by a distinct salinity, giving way to cool elegant tones from the refined body of fruit dressed in rounded understated tannins. Totally unpretentious. Drinking well.
2019 Château de Fontenille. Aired briefly in bottle prior to dinner at San Shu Gong (New Bahru), 26 Aug 2024. Deep purple. Quite generously endowed in dark fruits and ripe wild berries with overtones of mahogany and forest characters, though the mid-palate is somewhat unresolved due to its attenuated depth.
2004 Champagne Dom Pérignon P2, courtesy of CJ at Morsels, 27 Aug 2024. Pale. Delicate lift of high-toned lemon and citrus fruit. Barely evolved on the palate, still wonderfully fresh and youthful, revealing excellent clarity as it fleshed out beautifully with a brilliant tone of elegant intensity underscored by faint ferrous elements.
2010 Domaine de L ‘Arlot Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er. Aired in bottle for 150 minutes ahead of dinner at Morsels, 27 Aug 2024. Displaying an evolved pinot tint, this wine boasts an open minty tone on the nose well into its secondary development. The sleek medium palate is dominated by red plums and cherries tinged with paraffin, beautifully integral with elegant restraint and intensity within a sheen of silky smooth tannins throughout its superb length. Doesn’t quite plumb the depths but it is immensely satisfying.
2009 Domaine Pierre Damoy Chambertin Grand Cru, courtesy of John at Morsels, 27 Aug 2024. Very heavily coloured for pinot, delivering a darkish bouquet of black fruits and currants. Well extracted with a warm full ripeness though it doesn’t overwhelm the palate, exerting a supple restrained intensity of dark cherries underpinned by a minerally dash. Fairly harmonious after two hours in the glass but this is far from ready.
Kieron very generously hosted dinner at Shang Palace on 13 August 2024 on a main theme of Bordeaux where the wines, very remarkably, were still robust and singing right down to the 1966. In contrast, the Drouhin Bâtard, at ten years, was way too developed for its age in colour and tone, raising the question whether this venerable domaine is going down the same path of rapid oxidation as Leflaive. I wouldn’t have been alarmed if not for the fact that a recent bottle of 2009 Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche had also fared poorly. You’re advised to pop and check your bottles. Many thanks, and many happy returns!
2006 Champagne Salon, courtesy of Kieron. Pale golden. This wine is still resolutely primal, exuding a superb lift of green fruits, fig and chalky elements with a crystalline tone in stark contrast to its crisp incisive intensity on the high-toned palate, underpinned by ferrous minerals. Wonderfully fresh and vibrant but probably best to refrain from popping another for the next decade.
2000 “Y” d’Yquem, courtesy of Sir Bob. Displaying a very lovely golden luminosity, this dry white proffers a medium presence of orchard fruit approaching early maturity, having shed its previous vanillin sheen to reveal a crystalline clarity beneath its burnished tone of toast and apricot, immaculately proportioned with restrained acidity.
2014 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru. Aired in bottle for two hours in advance. Surprisingly deep golden in colour for a ten-year-old from an outstanding vintage, raising questions about its provenance although this bottle came straight from FICOFI and has never been moved from my cellar. Consistent with its colour, this wine is more developed as well, opening with grapefruit and lychees amid weighty secondary overtones, not unlike a Leflaive. The slick medium-full palate is imbued with a prominent note of raw nutmeg that imparts a distinct spicy lift, settling down quite quickly with elegant restraint and understated verve before turning more agile with a focused intensity, finishing with muted moderate length. Are Drouhin’s whites oxidising faster than usual, like those of Leflaive?
2008 Domaine Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, courtesy of Vic. Pale. Gentle lift of honeysuckle and nutmeg on the nose. The fullish palate is very well integrated but somewhat reductive from its distinct body of highly refined minerals, proffering good clarity with delicate supple intensity that taper with fine linearity to a modest finish. Still incredibly youthful, brimming with controlled verve.
2004 Château Lafleur, courtesy of Vic. Deep crimson. This wine opens with an attractive earthiness amid overtones of warm gravel, laced with a dash of sweetness. Soft and highly pliant though there is a firm structured base of earthy tones supporting the darkish ample fruit that impart fine linearity, turning a little more intense over time.
1976 Domaine Robert Ampeau et Fils Volnay-Santenots 1er, courtesy of LF. Distinctly mature in appearance and feel, displaying an evolved pinot tint with a distant rosy fragrance, boasting a palate still remarkably full and robust, the fruit a little rustic in its autumnal ripeness, producing a gentle sweetness with overtones of lychees. Almost racy.
1982 Château La Mission Haut-Brion, courtesy of Kieron. Crimson core with some bricking at the rim, opening with a hint of capsicum amid a darkish complex of tertiary characters. Beautifully rounded and integral, its tannins much more elegant and refined compared with the 1975, boasting superb verve and plush succulence from its fleshy depth of darkish fruit that glowed with a bit of orangey brightness.
1975 Château La Mission Haut-Brion, courtesy of LF. Good colour. Rather restrained on the nose. The palate is still pretty robust, fairly crisp and somewhat angulated with an open rasping intensity on a floor of raspberries and wild berries, supported by an understated vein of stern ferrous elements. Distinctly masculine, almost rustic, still carrying plenty of verve. Far from drying out.
1966 Château Latour, courtesy of Sir Bob. Good colour. Slightly minty on the nose where dark currants, capsicum and blackberries dominate. The palate is surprisingly full and vibrant, superbly delineated and structured with elegant tannins that exert youthful intensity and fine precision. Richly layered and utterly delicious, exuding darkish overtones laced with lively acidity without any hint of dryness. This could certainly go on for a few more decades, giving the impression that it has not even peaked. Unbelievable!
Ric's Wine Journal 