Ric's Wine Journal

These wines were drunk at a dinner hosted by Dr and Mrs Wang Kuo Weng at the NUSS Guild House, Bukit Timah Campus, Singapore, on 23 Aug 2016. Kuo Weng had been very impressed with the 2003 Ch La Mondotte from a previous tasting and wanted to share a bottle with us, along with an old Palmer and D’Yquem. Why not? I came up with the whites, Mrs Wang arranged a customised menu at this lovely restored building and we were set.

2011 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon 1er. Aired in bottle for 7 hours prior in the fridge. The bouquet here is most enticing with lifted aromas of white flowers, peaches, fig and melons, matched by an explosion of minerals, crème, butterscotch, crisp citrus and great acidity all coming together with great exuberance. It went on to develop a perfumed fragrance along with more fat in the mid-body as it warmed up to the right temperature, becoming more open and detailed, displaying superb concentration and depth with further notes of caramel and nectarine, culminating in a great finish of wonderful intensity that seemed to linger forever, displaying the cultured breed of this great estate. Still youthful and far from peaking, but this wine is already so good. Superb.

1989 Ch Palmer. Aired in bottle for about 90 minutes prior. The distinct glow of an aged claret is unmistakable, suggesting violets, rose petals and blueberries with earthy tones and ferric traces, the signature fragrance of Margaux still fresh and alluring. On the palate, the wine has mellowed beautifully, evolving over time to develop lovely characters of red fruits and camphor with mild overtones of ash, still possessing lively acidity and good concentration, not at all drying out but neither the best in definition. The 1989 Palmer is past its absolute brilliance but it is ageing most gracefully and if you’ve never tried one before, it’s still not too late.

2003 Ch La Mondotte, aired in bottle for 3 hours prior. Predictably, this is a big wine done in a modern style, lavish with an abundance of dark fruits, soy and graphite on the nose, very deep and intense on the palate, highly extracted, the fruit warm and ripe with raisiny characters that gave way to a dominant plummy tone with sweet tannins. However, the intense heat of the growing season took its toll on the finish, which is practically non-existent as the flavours simply dropped off as soon as the wine has left the palate, resulting in a lack of balance. Go for other vintages.

2009 Baron Thenard Montrachet decanted in ice

2009 Baron Thenard Montrachet Grand Cru. Double-decanted from 0730h (you read correctly) under temperature control and drunk neat with a generous cheese platter after the main course. This is the way Burgundians treat a Montrachet Grand Cru. Baron Thenard is the second largest owner (after Marquis de Laguiche) of Montrachet (strictly speaking Le Montrachet, as it lies on the Chassagne side) with 1.83 ha of this Holy Grail of chardonnay. Established in 1842, this estate used to sell its wines to Domaine Remoissenet but has now stopped that practice. Served a tad too cold initially, this wine started off with a predominant tone of minerals with some faint citrus, quite ethereal, displaying some early complexity. As it warmed to the right temperature, its feminine elegance became evident, turning more chalky with a luminous glow as it slowly revealed further notes of caramel and clear citrus, taking its time in an unhurried fashion like a seductress, maintaining a balanced and gentle poise throughout without any hint whatsoever of its 14% alcohol. If I have a quibble, it would be the relative lack of detail on the palate compared with the Montrachet of Bouchard (though this lies on the Puligny side), and the wine borders almost on shyness. Though the guests were impressed, I think this wine is becoming a bit shut. It needs further bottle age.

1990 Ch D’Yquem, from a half bottle. This hallowed wine displayed predominant tones of nectarine with a lifted complex of apricot and honey crust shrouded in overtones of white incense, the aged acidity contributing to a mellowed tone, more minerally towards the finish with an easy balance. Excellent but go for a 750 ml bottling if you are bent on getting one as the acidity is fresher.

My thanks to Dr and Mrs Wang for their kind generosity.

The gleaming tone of 2009 Baron Thenard Montrachet

2014 Wynns Shiraz, at the Silver Kris lounge of Adelaide airport, 07 Aug 2016. Ripe dark berries, redcurrants, mocha and chocolate coat the palate with a creamy smoothness, fleshy, oozing with great acidity and sweet tannins, superbly balanced, ending smoothly in a spicy finish. This is simply quite outstanding. One would have thought this was a far more expensive wine had it been blinded.

Philipponnat Royale Reserve Non-Dose Brut NV. Popped and poured over dimsum at Jade Palace, 09 Aug 2016. Tasted thrice in two months, this champagne was showing very well on this occasion, displaying excellent concentration of lime and green citrus, supported by rich chalky minerality topped with delicate crème and further notes of yeast and toast, laced with a dash of sweetness that complemented the minerally balance, rounded with fine intensity that tapered to a lasting finish. Excellent stuff.

2009 Ch Marsau, popped and poured over dinner at home, 10 Aug 2016. Somewhat reticent on the nose, but the palate is awashed with an abundance of black fruits and dark currants, rich and weighty with a touch of graphite towards the finish, structured with fine supple tannins. A good drop.

1990 Penley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, a bottle carried back from the cellars of Penley in Coonawarra, popped and poured at Trattoria, 313 Orchard, 15 Aug 2016. Still dark at its core, this wine opens with dominant medicinal and herbal notes tinged with licorice and dark chocolate amidst some earthy tones, still carrying excellent concentration of dark fruits and currants on the palate with lovely tension arising from the lively acidity and firm tannins, slightly tarry, with further notes of red plums emerging after an hour, rising to an accentuated finish. Very fine indeed, considering this was only the second vintage from this estate. May be cellared for another decade.

2010 Denis Berthaut Fixin Les Crais (courtesy of KP), popped and poured at his residence on 16 Aug 2016. Predominant plummy tone with further notes of roses and cherries, medium-full and rounded with gravelly textures and darker tones on the palate, slightly stern with unresolved tannins though the finish is robust. Would go well with food.

2014 E Guigal La Doriane Condrieu, at Catch Seafood (courtesy of LCW), 25 Aug 2016. Quite a delicate bouquet of floral notes, quite crisp on the palate with flinty minerals and firm citrus, displaying very good concentration and intensity. Perfect for summer.

2014 Egon Muller Scharzhofberger Spatlese (courtesy of LCW) at Catch Seafood, 25 Aug 2016. Fabulous notes of peaches, melons and tropical fruits endlessly teasing the palate with fine detail, racy with lovely acidity and a core of sweet tangerines layered with a tone of burnished nectarine, providing superb mouthfeel and finish. Superb, in spite of its youth. 

2011 J J Prum Kabinett (magnum) at Catch Seafood, 25 Aug 2016. Compared with the preceding Egon Muller, this wine is less exuberant and perhaps a tad more reserved with characters of diesel fumes, slightly drier, smoky and understated which contributed to a sense of austerity, rounded but yet to develop complexity. It fleshed out more over time, becoming fuller and more complex at the finish.

2013 Hudelot-Noellat Chambolle-Musigny at Catch Seafood, 25 Aug 2016 (courtesy of LCW). Rounded with a lovely bouquet of gentle rose petals and earth, quite plummy with a tangy core complemented by crisp acidity. Very fine.

1962 Marchesi di Barolo (courtesy of Dr Liang TS) at Catch Seafood, 25 Aug 2016. This wine is still going strong at 54 years, producing powerful aromas of aged madeira with other medicinal port-like characters, medium-bodied and open, still carrying great acidity with an excellent concentration of warm ripe fruit with nuances of tangerines and cinnamon without any hint of drying out. Amazing stuff.

2012 Gaja Barbaresco (courtesy of LCW) at Catch Seafood, 25 Aug 2016. This wine opens with a superb display of red fruits and red currants with an aristocratic burnished tone, open with excellent concentration and gorgeous acidity, superbly balanced, finishing with mild medicinal overtones. Drinking very well now but will be absolutely fabulous in another decade.

2011 Poderi Aldo Conterno Colonello Bussia (courtesy of LCW) at Catch Seafood, 25 Aug 2016. Big, ripe, almost raisiny with a generous concentration and depth of dark currants and black fruits, quite forward in balance with a sheen of enamel, with further notes of dried leaves coming on later. I’d have thought New World if I’d been blinded. Excellent but needs time to unfurl properly.

1969 Remoissenet Beaune Chevaliers De L’Arquebuse 1er (courtesy of Dr Liang TS) at Catch Seafood, 25 Aug 2016. This old burgundy, most astonishingly, is still very much alive, exuding an earthy pungency with mellow characters of longans, dark plums and incense, still displaying excellent depth of fruit and fresh acidity, very harmonious, finishing well. Excellent.

2015 Cesare Pinot Grigio, at Aura, National Gallery Singapore, at a Parkway event on 26 Aug 2016. Notes of lemongrass and morning dew, somewhat muted, with white flowers and nutmeg on the palate, slightly veiled, soft with subdued acidity, dominated later by grassy elements, finishing with saline minerals.

2009 Potiron L’Or de Vin Blanc Sec, popped and poured at Prive Grill, 29 Aug 2016. A blend of sauvignon blanc, sauvignon gris and semillon. Somewhat reticent on the nose where one discerns green apples and light citrus. More impressive on the palate which is quite minerally with a good concentration of green fruits, lime and mint with pretty good depth and acidity, finishing on a slightly spicy note.

1998 Penley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, decanted on-site at Portico Prime Dempsey, 31 Aug 2016. Powerful aromas of leather with a medicinal and herbal glow on the nose coupled with an equally powerful tone of red plums on the palate, very bright and open with notes of other red fruits, fleshy and solid in concentration with firm tannins that hasn’t quite gelled with the vibrant acidity, particularly at the finish. I’m not sure whether this is the result of a very warm ambient temperature, in spite of air-conditioning, at this dining venue that is simply not conducive at all for wine appreciation.

2011 Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er (courtesy of MH), popped and poured at Brazil Churrasco, 31 Aug 2016. Predominant notes of red fruits and red plums, youthful in disposition with fine concentration and intensity, developing further characters of cherries and camphor but not quite structured as higher-tier premiere cru, finishing with a ferrous trace.

2000 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon, popped and poured at Brazil Churrasco, 31 Aug 2016. The cork was dry and fractured but the wine showed up well, rich in dark currants, black fruits and soy, quite full and open on the palate with good intensity and concentration and lively acidity.

2003 Barossa Valley E&E Black Pepper Shiraz, popped and poured at Brazil Churrasco, 31 Aug 2016. Another case of splintered cork but the wine was excellent, very deep in color with great acidity and intense notes of licorice, dark chocolates and dark plums with a sweet tangy core, refined and quite harmonious in spite of limited aeration, living up to its name with a fine peppery finish. Very good stuff.

2005 Ch D’Aiguilhe, popped and poured at Brazil Churrasco, 31 Aug 2016. Compared with a previous tasting some three years ago, this modern Right Bank has mellowed considerably, far more approachable without any harshness though it is still generously proportioned and fullish, layered with fine concentration of dark fruits and wild berries and early nuances of cinnamon, quite rounded with well-managed tannins but still far from peaking.

2008  La Conseillante (courtesy of Sanjay), aired in bottle for 90 minutes prior to tasting at Brazil Churrasco, 31 Aug 2016. Dominant notes of soy and ripe dark berries, medium-full, opening up quite well on the palate with great concentration and intensity, well-integrated with supple tannins and some early complexity. Very fine, and should be excellent in another decade.

Henschke was founded by Johann Christian Henschke who fled Germany in 1842 in the wake of widespread persecution of Old Lutherans, losing his wife and a few of his children during the long and treacherous sea journey to Australia. He settled in the Eden Valley of the Barossa, bought land and started producing wine in 1868. Today, the estate is still family-owned, helmed by fifth generation descendant Stephen Henschke with the sixth generation ready to take over in due course. I consider Henschke’s Hill of Grace as the pinnacle of Australian wine and truly a great wine by any standard. A true single vineyard shiraz (as opposed to Penfolds Grange, a multi-district blend that varies from year-to-year and you simply do not know how many are bottled annually) made from very old vines, some exceeding 100 years, Hill of Grace exudes complexity, depth and layering, seamlessly combining power and elegance, traits that have filtered to other reds within the Henschke stable.

Although I have visited Henschke’s cellar door several times since 2004, this is the first time arrangements were made for a small group of us to visit the estate on 06 Aug 2016 that included a tour of the Hill of Grace vineyard. Readers familiar with the Barossa will know that Eden Valley lies in the north-eastern sector of the Barossa, almost 500 metres above sea-level, and that Henschke itself is situated at a remote corner of the Eden Valley. Surprisingly, the Hill of Grace vineyard is just a small unmarked patch situated some distance away from the main estate, not at all visible from the paved road leading to the estate’s gates and, hence, naturally protected from nosy wine enthusiasts. Severely gnarled and aged, but still going strong, these are the best old vines of shiraz to be found anywhere in Australia, grown on a bed of clay and limestone. Henschke has the foresight to anticipate, though, that these very old vines are not going to last forever. Thus, cuttings were made from the very best vines of Hill of Grace and replanted in an adjacent plot named Hill of Roses, available only as a cellar door release,  its first vintage being the 2007. The visit culminated in a private tasting. While I found the whites to be gentle and elegant, I wished there was a bit more going on for them. The reds, on the other hand, are truly the calling cards of Henschke and, of course, we wasted no time carting away as many bottles of Hill of Roses as we could (limited to 3 per customer).

Very old vine of Henschke Hill of Grace vineyard

2015 Henschke Julius Riesling. Made from grapes grown in Eden Valley, famed for its cool-climate Riesling. Gentle bouquet with aromas of grassy elements with overtones of malt. Medium-bodied. Dry and minerally on the palate, quite deft and elegant, more open than a Clare Valley riesling, finishing well.

2015 Henschke Joseph Hill Gewurztraminer. Made from grapes grown in the Adelaide Hills. Light straw-coloured, generous in lychees, green apples and green melons, smooth and elegant with a trace of sweetness and well-integrated acidity, displaying good linearity all the way to its finish.

2014 Henschke Louis Semillion, also grown in the Eden Valley. Straw-colored with green apples and melons, more minerally and flinty but smooth with an easy elegance, displaying very good integration of fine citrus and crisp acidity. Could do with more depth.

2015 Henschke Innes Vineyard Littlehampton Pinot Gris. Notes of citrus and peaches dominate with, again, an easy smoothness and elegance aided by subtle acidity, finishing on a mild note of mint.

2013 Henschke Giles Lenswood Pinot Noir. Lenswood lies within a cool, hilly part of Adelaide Hills that is ideal for pinot noir. This wine displays a classic pinot color with aromas of aged roses, cinnamon and plums with further notes of strawberries on the palate, medium-bodied with subtle acidity that is quite appropriate though somewhat restrained and short, missing in complexity.

2012 Henschke Keyneton Euphonium, a blend of 65% shiraz and the rest cabernet. Generous bouquet of sweet herbal elements with medicinal traces, underscored by black fruits, briar and sweet dark plums on the palate of good density and concentration, finishing with traces of spice.

2010 Henschke Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon. Forward balance of cherry wood, plum and cassis on the nose with further notes of mocha and chocolate on the palate, displaying very good depth, concentration and integration, highly elegant with subtle intensity, tapering to a gentle finish. Very fine.

2009 Henschke Hill of Roses. Directly related to Hill of Grace, its breeding is evident where this current vintage, displaying some vermillion at the rim, was highly impressive with deep aromas of red and dark plums, sandalwood, mocha and dark chocolate with a lovely tensile presence contributed by the excellent concentration and purity of fruit, sweet supple tannins and refined acidity, revealing some secondary nuances and early complexity. Poised and elegant without any hint of over-extraction nor manipulation, though it proved to be rather short at the finish, expected from young vines yet to hit full maturity but the results are already remarkably stunning.

2012 Henschke Mount Edelstone shiraz, made from old vines grown in the Eden Valley not unlike Hill of Grace, aged in 32% new oak, mostly French. Readers will note that the Hill of Roses was served first in the line-up even though it costs twice as much. The reason was evident on tasting where the Mount Edelstone shiraz remained superbly poised and restraint in spite of the wonderful depth of glorious dark fruits with characters of sweet dark plums and dark currants illuminated on the palate in excellent definition, highly elegant with superb integration of fruit, acidity, tannins and wood, displaying superb balance and linearity, outstripping the Hill of Roses. This wine will surely turn out to be great over time.

2010 Henschke Hill of Grace. The pinnacle of Australian shiraz was tasted with palpable anticipation. But like all the very best crus of the world, the Hill of Grace is hardly a showstopper, expressing its virtues in a most refined manner with a truly stupendous depth of dark fruits and red currants of fabulous intensity and concentration even greater than that of Mount Edelstone, yet appearing so ethereal through its lovely acidity, great balance and fine detail, not at all hedonistic, absolutely elegant with true finesse, revealing some early complexity at this stage. Truly outstanding but, unfortunately, now priced beyond the reach of most. Go for it if you can but the smart money will be on Mount Edelstone.

We left Coonawarra for the Barossa Valley on 05 Aug 2016, dropping by the charming German village of Hahndorf along the way for some superb German lager, followed by an excellent lunch at Bridgewater Mill restaurant. I didn’t realise this is no longer the cellar door of Petaluma, having changed management several months ago. Nevertheless, the restaurant has been beautifully expanded, the menu and the extensive wine list are most reasonably priced and the food is still excellent – highly recommended. From Bridgewater, it’s just a 90-minute drive through the Adelaide Hills to the Barossa via its south entrance (ie. Lyndoch), where we wasted no time stopping at the cellar doors of Rockford, St Hallett and Torbreck, followed by dinner at the well-known 1918 restaurant in Tanunda. While this time of the year offers lovely cool weather without any annoying flies, it isn’t the best time to visit Rockford, for its fabled Black Shiraz and Basket Press Shiraz are completely unavailable.

2013 Petaluma Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. A bottle at AUD55 over lunch from the list of Bridgewater Mill in the Adelaide Hills, 05 Aug 2016. Deep dark purple, this wine exudes generous aromas of dark currants, blueberries, violets and dark plums, well-replicated on the palate with open transparency, excellent linearity and definition, ending on a minerally note. Excellent.

2013 Rockford Eden Valley Riesling, tasted at the Rockford cellar door, Barossa Valley, 05 Aug 2016. Very classic bouquet, rich in white citrus and white roses with a petroleum quality. Fullish with some fat on the palate to match the crisp acidity, not too dry, supported by understated minerality with a good finish. Eden Valley, situated 500m above sea-level at the highest point of the Barossa, is famous for its cool-climate riesling and this is an excellent example.

2015 Rockford White Frontignac, tasted at the Rockford cellar door, Barossa Valley, 05 Aug 2016. A suggestion of nectarine on the nose, medium-bodied with subdued sweetness with overtones of white flowers, attractive but lacking in complexity.

2013 Rockford Rod & Spur, tasted at the Rockford cellar door, Barossa Valley, 05 Aug 2016. A cabernet-shiraz blend, this full-bodied wine is stern and austere in demeanour, displaying earthy tones with herbal and forest floor characters, peppery with a powerful spicy finish.

2013 Rockford Rifle Range, tasted at the Rockford cellar door, Barossa Valley, 05 Aug 2016. Rockford’s cabernet displays quite a lovely glow of ripe dark plums, dark currants and mocha with overtones of ash, quite full on the palate with excellent tannin structure and detail.

2007 Rockford Shiraz VP (vintage port), tasted at the Rockford cellar door, Barossa Valley, 05 Aug 2016. An abundance of ripe fruit with a warm raisiny quality; rich, powerful and smooth with controlled sweetness, displaying good depth and acidity though without much complexity, ending in a minty finish.

2013 St Hallett Dawkins Shiraz, tasted at the St Hallett cellar door, Barossa Valley, 05 Aug 2016. A single vineyard shiraz, this wine displays dominant earthy tones with forest floor characters pegged to warm ripe fruit with spicy peppery notes, full-bodied with crisp acidity, ending on a medicinal note.

2013 St Hallett Scholz, tasted at the St Hallett cellar door, Barossa Valley, 05 Aug 2016. Also a single vineyard shiraz, this wine is weighty and dense with full-bodied ripe shiraz of good concentration, still tight with predominant characters of forest floor and earth, yet to open up. Needs time.

2014 St Hallett Blackwell, tasted at the St Hallett cellar door, Barossa Valley, 05 Aug 2016. This stalwart of St Hallett carries an abundance of dark currants and black fruits with some graphite elements, herbal tones and notes of dried mushroom, still very tight and a bit hard on the palate at this stage where it has just been newly bottled.

2010 St Hallett Blackwell, tasted at the St Hallett cellar door, Barossa Valley, 05 Aug 2016. With the benefit of bottle age, this wine is much more developed with early secondary nuances of mocha and cinnamon amidst licorice and earthy tones, full-bodied with great acidity and excellent tannin structure with a trace of sweetness, opening up with real sophistication. Excellent.

2013 St Hallett Old Block, tasted at the St Hallett cellar door, Barossa Valley, 05 Aug 2016. In spite of its youth, this flagship of St Hallett offers a bouquet of unexpected complexity and verve, rich in dark currants and black fruits with some tangerine at its core, surprisingly deft and open, very poised and well-defined with a ferrous finish, not at all heavy. Excellent.

2015 Torbreck Viognier, tasted at the Torbreck cellar door, Barossa Valley, 05 Aug 2016. Full-bodied with unusual aromas of glue and agar, crisp on the palate with accentuated notes of green citrus, a tad sharp towards the finish.

2011 Torbreck Kyloe Mataro, tasted at the Torbreck cellar door, Barossa Valley, 05 Aug 2016 Full-bodied with typical characters of bush, undergrowth and wood, dense and undifferentiated with firm sharp tannins.

2013 Torbreck Factor, tasted at the Torbreck cellar door, Barossa Valley, 05 Aug 2016. 100% shiraz from old vines, aged in older casks. A big wine with an abundance of warm lush fruit, densely layered with overtones of varnish, herbal elements and black pepper, displaying good balance.

2013 Torbreck Descendant, tasted at the Torbreck cellar door, Barossa Valley, 05 Aug 2016. A single vineyard shiraz planted in 1994 with cuttings from old RunRig vines, added with 8% viognier in the style of Northern Rhone and aged in casks previously used for RunRig. Oozing with licorice, dark chocolate, medicinal spice and black pepper, densely saturated with discernible traces of lemongrass contributed by the viognier that has not quite gelled with the shiraz yet, warm and earthy, finishing with firm tannins.

2013 Torbreck RunRig, tasted at the Torbreck cellar door, Barossa Valley, 05 Aug 2016. Surprisingly, for such a young wine, this flagship of Torbreck is absolutely poised and elegant, displaying muted aromas, medium-full on the palate with very good integration between the ripe fruit, acidity and oak, displaying fine balance and definition, beautifully structured with sophisticated tannins. Undoubtedly large in proportion but doesn’t call attention to itself. Very similar in expression to Northern Rhone syrah. Highly successful.

2015 Skillogalee Riesling, from the restuarnt list of 1918, Tanunda, Barossa Valley, 05 Aug 2016. Aromatic with dense fumes of varnish and white flowers, full-bodied, endowed with stern minerality and crisp acidity with a hint of barley. Will benefit from another 3-4 years of cellaring.

1994 Henschke Mount Edelstone, AUD260 off the list of 1918 restaurant and decanted on-site, Tanunda, Barossa Valley, 05 Aug 2016. With the benefit of prolonged cellaring, this top shiraz of Henschke (ranked just below its Hill of Grace) displays a stunning complex bouquet of mocha, white chocolate and sweet incense, medium-full with notes of dark cherries and bitter peat that eventually gave way to a deep spicy medicinal glow only possible from aged wines, still maintaining lovely structure and tensile acidity with sweet port-like overtones. Excellent.

Barossa from the air

2014 Saltram Metala Shiraz Cabernet, tasted at the cellar door of Saltram, Barossa Valley, 06 Aug 2016. Dense core of dark red fruits with overtones of sugar burnt. Full, austere and slightly angular with a spicy finish.

2014 Saltram Shiraz, tasted at the cellar door of Saltram, Barossa Valley, 06 Aug 2016. Full-bodied with an abundance of black fruits and dark currants with some bright spots, displaying good overall balance and linearity but lacking in complexity.

2012 Saltram Mamre Brook Shiraz, tasted at the cellar door of Saltram, Barossa Valley, 06 Aug 2016. Classic nose of mocha, licorice and dark chocolate on the nose. Harmonious and balanced but lacking complexity.

2012 Saltram Single Vineyard Marble Road Shiraz, tasted at the cellar door of Saltram, Barossa Valley, 06 Aug 2016. This wine displays an excellent depth of gorgeous black fruits with firm tannin structure, quite well integrated at this stage but with a slightly prominent alcoholic trace at the finish.

2012 Saltram Mamre Brook Cabernet Sauvignon, tasted at the cellar door of Saltram, Barossa Valley, 06 Aug 2016. From a bottle that had evidently been opened and aired for some time, this wine was very open and approachable, displaying distinct and attractive cabernet characters of chocolate, bramble, violets, dark fruits and traces of cinnamon, detailed on the palate with elegant tannins. However, a new bottle that was popped over lunch at Salter’s Kitchen (the estate’s restaurant), was shut and tightly coiled, loaded with soy and graphite characters that proved too overwhelming. This wine has excellent potential but it needs plenty of time to blossom.

2012 Saltram Winemaker Selection Cabernet Sauvignon, tasted at the cellar door of Saltram, Barossa Valley, 06 Aug 2016. From the same vintage as the Mamre Brook above but supposedly higher in the pecking order, this special selection possesses an appreciably deeper bouquet of blackcurrants and violets, but it seems somewhat awkward at the moment with flavours that are rather narrow in spectrum, lacking in distinct cabernet character. Probably needs another few years of cellaring to unfurl its full potential.

2013 Saltram McLaren Vale Pepperjack Shiraz, tasted at the cellar door of Saltram, Barossa Valley, 06 Aug 2016. Peppery and spicy with overtones of white chocolate from grapes that are very ripe and grainy, befitting the rustic character of most McLaren Vale shiraz.

2013 Saltram No.1, tasted at the cellar door of Saltram, Barossa Valley, 06 Aug 2016. What used to be Saltram’s flagship, the No.1 stamps its class with a fine display of decadent chocolate, red fruits, bright cherries and dark plums, open and layered on the palate with fine detail and great succulence, finishing with a long peppery trace. Excellent.

2009 Saltram The Journal 100 Year Old Vine Shiraz, tasted at the cellar door of Saltram, Barossa Valley, 06 Aug 2016. This current flagship of Saltram boasts a complex nose of cassis, licorice, plums and white pepper, medium-full, developing fine tension from the supple tannins and smooth acidity, displaying excellent linearity to its long finish. Excellent, but the smart money should be on No.1.

Penley Estate in Coonawarra was set up in 1988 by Kym Tolley after he left Penfolds, having been the chief winemaker for its famous Bin 707 cabernet sauvignon. The name Penley combines the prefix of Penfolds with the suffix of Tolley. I like Penley’s cabernet, first bottled in 1989, which is made with a real feel for the terra rossa terroir of Coonawarra, never overly extracted, thoroughly age-worthy, fleshy with red fruits and dark currants that develops into a complex open wine with age. I first visited its cellar door in 2003 and I have been back several times since. On this occasion, 04 Aug 2016, Penley has arranged a tour of its vineyard and facilities, led by its winemaker Matt Tilby followed by a tasting of its 2014, 2015 and 2016 cabernet sauvignon from barrel and further tasting at the cellar door. Penley ages its cabernet in 100% new French oak, a great choice for elegance and complexity. Kym has retired and the labels now sport a new modern design featuring Greek mythology. I’m not sure whether the new labels are entirely necessary but, most importantly, I felt reassured that the wines I tasted were still excellent, a clear indication that Penley has remained on track. My sincere thanks goes to Matt and his cellar door team for their time and generosity.

2013 Penley Estate Heritage Tolmer Cabernet Sauvignon, tasted at the cellar door. Forward with characters of plums and dark berries, carrying good weight and concentration with fine tannins, though somewhat austere in demeanour.

2013 Penley Estate Steyning Cabernet Sauvignon Classic. The fruit quality here is truly excellent, fresh, exciting and aromatic, very harmonious with well-integrated acidity and good tannin structure.

2013 Penley Estate Chertsey Classic Red Blend #1. A blend roughly of a third each of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petit verdot, this wine sports a powerful sweet medicinal and herbal lift, rounded with fine acidity and some complexity but short.

2014 Penley Estate Rosebury Shiraz. Lovely deep nose with a hint of black pepper, spice and mocha, displaying good balance and linearity with great acidity and a creamy finish.

2000 Penley Estate Special Select Shiraz, plucked from its museum collection. Great bouquet of black pepper, licorice and dark plums, medium-bodied, savoury and satiny smooth on the palate, highly supple with subtle acidity leading up to a great complex finish. Quite superb.

1989 Penley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, plucked from its museum collection. Dark at its core with a vermillion rim, the very first vintage of this estate exudes powerful lifted sweet medicinal aromas that were almost port-like. On the palate, the wine is soft and rounded with a plummy tone, relaxed and open with a creamy complexity whilst maintaining a lovely tension from the subtle acidity. Caught at its absolute peak. This is great stuff and what a privilege it was to have had the opportunity to taste this.

2014 Penley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, tasted from barrel. Subtly flavoured with earthy tones. Well-integrated with overtones of ash and incense amid slim and supple tannins, showing good presence, already taking shape very well.

2015 Penley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, tasted from barrel. Lovely floral aromas with characters of violets, blueberries, raspberries and dark currants, displaying excellent concentration of cool ripe fruit, great balance and purity with very subtle use of wood. Already excellent at this stage, and I think this will be outstanding in time to come.

2016 Penley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, tasted from barrel. Even at such an early stage, this year’s cabernet is already so good from barrel, forward with violets and cool ripe fruit, displaying excellent ripeness with some earthy tones, exuding great acidity and freshness. Excellent potential ahead.

These notes stem from a brief two-day visit to Coonawarra, 3-4 August 2016, which we drove to straight from Adelaide airport. At the peak of winter, the ultra flat landscape of Coonawarra appears barren with endless rows of vines shorn and stark naked in the cold wind. Lying 382 km southeast of Adelaide (a good 3.5 hours drive), Coonawarra is never exactly a tourist hotspot, generally bereft of attractions (the World Heritage Naracoorte caves are 20 km up north while Mt Gambier is another 50 km south) save for the wineries. But for purveyors of world-class cabernet, the sight of all the well-known estates on both sides of the single road running down this narrow 7 km strip is enough to excite the senses. I first visited Coonwarra in 2003 and every visit since has always been highly anticipated. The same names are there although Yalumba has shut its cellar door, Parker Estate has been spruced up by its new owners, and Kym Tolley has retired from Penley.

2014 Hollick The Gondolier Barbera, tasted at the cellar door of Hollick, 03 Aug 2016. Rather medicinal on the nose with herbal overtones. Full-bodied with very good concentration of red and dark berries, laced with fine acidity.

2012 Hollick Tannery Block cabernet merlot, tasted at the cellar door of Hollick, 03 Aug 2016. Red fruits and wild berries dominate with very good concentration and balance, slightly lean, finishing with fine supple tannins.

2012 Hollick Ravenswood, tasted at the cellar door of Hollick, 03 Aug 2016. This flagship of Hollick exudes a true cabernet bouquet of red fruits, violets, sandalwood and an unusual note of glue that is undeniably attractive. Fleshy, full, and quite open with excellent concentration, very well balanced and sophisticated. Very fine indeed.

2015 Hollick The Nectar, tasted at the cellar door of Hollick, 03 Aug 2016. Nectarine, apricot and cinnamon dominate, ample and smooth with good concentration, though lacking in real complexity.

2010 Parker Estate Terra Rossa cabernet sauvignon, a bottle at AUD55 from the restaurant list of Piper’s in Penola, Coonawarra, 03 Aug 2016. Displaying some early evolution, this wine is vibrant with plenty of red fruits, violets and plums, caressing the palate with a velvety intensity from the full concentration, structured with sophisticated tannins, finishing with traces of spice. Excellent. Worthy of mention alongside the Terra Rossa First Growth.

2015 Parker Estate Chardonnay, tasted at the cellar door of Parker Estate, 04 Aug 2016. Flavourful with an abundance of grassy elements, morning dew and light citrus, quite delicate without the chunky minerality and cream often seen in New Word chardonnay.

2014 Parker Estate Favourite Son, tasted at the cellar door of Parker Estate, 04 Aug 2016. Earthy with good grape quality, slightly austere with some prominent graphite and ferrous trace at the finish.

2014 Parker Estate Shiraz, tasted at the cellar door of Parker Estate, 04 Aug 2016. Lifted notes of anise, licorice and plums, displaying great acidity and subtle intensity, somewhat lean with textures, characteristic of cool-climate shiraz. Very attractive.

2014 Parker Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, tasted at the cellar door of Parker Estate, 04 Aug 2016. Lean with dark berries and blackcurrants, slightly earthy with traces of burnt, well-balanced on the palate though not distinctive.

2014 Parker Estate Merlot, tasted at the cellar door of Parker Estate, 04 Aug 2016. Lovely aromas of bright red fruits and dark currants, male with supple tannins, finishing with a perfumed fragrance.

2014 Parker Estate Terra Rossa Shiraz,tasted at the cellar door of Parker Estate, 04 Aug 2016. Lovely bouquet of cool-climate shiraz, oozing mocha, chocolate and dark berries with lovely warm aromas, lively with great balance, finishing with a subtle dash of spice.

2014 Parker Estate Terra Rossa cabernet sauvignon, tasted at the cellar door of Parker Estate, 04 Aug 2016. Dark deep ruby, displaying an abundance of red fruits and dark currants, surprisingly mellow with good detail and some mild dusty textures from the new wood, just a tad short.

2013 Parker Estate 95 Block cabernet sauvignon, tasted at the cellar door of Parker Estate, 04 Aug 2016. Made from a plot containing clones of original pre-phylloxera Bordeaux cabernet cuttings, and blended with 21% petit verdot. Deep purple, this wine exudes aromas of coconut and malibu, quite full and ample and well-structured with dark fruits and sophisticated tannins at its core, softened by overtones of ash and spice with the petit verdot adding further velvety fragrance. An unusual cabernet that needs more time in bottle to sort itself out fully.

2012 Parker Estate Terra Rossa First Growth, tasted at the cellar door of Parker Estate, 04 Aug 2016. Bright purple, this flagship cabernet exudes heady aromas of ripe fruit and something akin to glue that was most intoxicating. The palate is suffused with red berries, blueberries and violets, highly supple with excellent acidity that gave the impression of a slim profile though certainly not lean, very well-balanced and linear to its finish. Very good now, but I expect it to flesh out with further complexity in another 5-7 years.

2003 Ch Phelan Segur, decanted on-site at Crystal Jade Ngee Ann City, Singapore, on 02 July 2016. Deep purple, this wine exudes an abundance of ripe dark berries and raspberries with a tinge of burnt, the heat wave of that particular vintage reflected in the raisiny quality of the fruit with a pruny character. On the palate, this wine is ample and structured with excellent concentration, just a shade stern towards the finish but opening up beautifully after an hour to yield exciting supple tannins. A fine drop with a long life ahead.

Philipponnat Royale Reserve Non-Dose Brut NV. Tasted twice on 03 and 06 July 2016. Made of predominantly pinot noir and blended with chardonnay and meunier and disgorged in July 2013, this champagne possesses quite a stern demeanour right from the start, rich and concentrated in darker shades of lime, bitter lemon and pomelo with an attractive creamy intensity, veering naturally towards dryness due to its non-dosage (ie. no sweet wine or Cognac is added before bottling) method, but never abrasive, slightly steely at the finish with a bitter-sweet quality.

2004 Ch Cissac, popped and poured after hours at Heart Partners, 04 July 2016. Dull opaque red, this wine offers notes of cool dark berries, blueberries and briar on the nose, somewhat plummy with dryish textures on the palate, medium-full, structured with firm sweet tannins and crisp acidity, fleshy but short at the finish. Immediately recognisable as a Haut-Medoc. A fine table wine but not distinctive. At one time, Ch Cissac was the Bordeaux served on board Singapore Airlines Business Class.

2012 Domaine Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin “Clos des Issarts” 1er, popped and poured at Prive Grill, 05 July 2016. Displaying a deep ruby, this monopole of Faiveley possesses an abundance of red roses and dark cherries, bright and alluring with further notes of plums and earth coming on after some time, surprisingly open and airy, laced with crisp acidity and understated minerality but yet to develop secondary nuances. Needs further cellaring.

2005 Ch Reignac, two bottles popped and poured over dinner at NUSS Guild House, Singapore, 12 July 2016. This wine offered a classic nose of violets, ripe wild berries, blueberries and dark currants without being too effusive, quite open and fleshy on the palate with a hint of prunes amidst dryish textures entirely in keeping with its Bordeaux origin, turning more raisiny towards the finish that, perhaps, betrayed higher extraction in the winemaking. Nevertheless, Reignac has always outperformed its Bordeaux Superieur classification and this 2005 is beginning to drink well.

2001 Elderton Command shiraz, popped and poured over dinner at NUSS Guild House, Singapore, 12 July 2016. It is quite unbelievable that, after 15 years, this stalwart of the Barossa is still stuffed to the brim with ripe warm fruit recalling raisins, licorice, herbs and prunes with overtones of port, full-bodied with acidity still fresh and lively, its massive concentration and layering framed by stout tannins that, I must say, are very expertly managed to give an impression of velvety smoothness.

2006 Pierre-Jouet Brut Rose (courtesy of Li Fern), popped and poured at a Gleneagles event at Gattopardo, 19 July 2016. Notes of honeysuckle, toasted oak, yeast and malt teased the senses with excellent concentration, complexity and balance, producing a deep burnished tone with further notes of cinnamon. Excellent.

2011 Bouchard Pere et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru (courtesy of Sanjay), served after a brief airing in bottle at a Gleneagles event at Gattopardo, 19 July 2016. In spite of the suboptimal aeration, this wine was absolutely singing with effusive notes of aromatic white flowers yet light and ethereal with superb subtle intensity of apricot, nectarine and tropical fruits, creamy in texture, already complex, displaying great linearity all the way to its lasting finish. Feminine and voluptuous, for a white. Absolutely delightful. Wonderful stuff. Bouchard belongs to the top division of burgundy whites.

2012 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay Santenots-du-Milieu 1er (courtesy of Miah Hiang), served after a brief airing in bottle at a Gleneagles event at Gattopardo, 19 July 2016. Ample in dark cherries and fresh roses on the nose and palate, richer and more intense than usual for pinot noir, coupled with traces of kumquat and tangerines held together by velvety tannins. Still rather tight. Will be absolutely gorgeous in another 5-7 years.

2010 Ch Ducru Beaucaillou (courtesy of Keen Wai), decanted on-site at a Gleneagles event at Gattopardo, 19 July 2016. Dark and intense with a complex bouquet of raspberries and red fruits amidst some mild earthiness and traces of soy, displaying excellent concentration and intensity, oozing with controlled sweet tannins. Already accessible, but clearly needs another decade of cellaring, at least.

2009 Ch Branon (courtesy of John), served after a brief airing in bottle at a Gleneagles event at Gattopardo, 19 July 2016. I must admit not having been acquainted with this estate before but it is, indeed, excellent. An abundance of red fruits, earthy minerals and characters of forest floor dominate with sweet svelte tannins and overtones of enamel. Still tight, but this has huge potential.

2006 Ch Grand-Puy-Lacoste, after a brief airing in bottle at a Gleneagles event at Gattopardo, 19 July 2016. Served from magnum, this GPL has finally come into its own, ample in red and dark currants, quite minerally with an austere ferrous trace and framed by sweet tight tannins, drinking well with an exciting verve from its gorgeous acidity. Already quite open, this wine has character and will be even better.

2005 Ch Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (courtesy of CJ), after some aeration in bottle at a Gleneagles event at Gattopardo, 19 July 2016. This is an unusual Lalande, rather dark and austere in tone, almost closed, with dominant notes of dark plums and vegetative elements, tight and unyielding. Needs time, perhaps.

2001 Ch Pavie Decesse (courtesy of Hsiang Sui), after some aeration in bottle at a Gleneagles event at Gattopardo, 19 July 2016. Dark in tone and color with sweet medicinal overtones coupled with soy and herbal elements, rich and smooth with a quiet intensity.

2001 Poggio Salvi Riserva Brunello di Montalcino (courtesy of Li Fern), after some aeration in bottle at a Gleneagles event at Gattopardo, 19 July 2016. Notes of plums, red fruits and tangerines, quite open and fleshy on the palate with good definition, laced with sweet tannins and fine acidity.

1996 Ch Tertre-Rotebouef (courtesy of S S Ngoi), served after aeration in bottle for over an hour at a Gleneagles event at Gattopardo, 19 July 2016. Displaying a fair degree of evolution, this wine was highly lifted, utterly complex and open, its gorgeous fruit exuding sweet tones of glycerine, still fresh with great acidity, gaining in detail and intensity over time, culminating in a mild tannic spine that added further to the excitement and heightened tension. Very classy and sophisticated. Superb.

1995 Ch Boyd-Cantenac, popped and poured at Dragon Pheonix restaurant, Temasek Club, 22 July 2016. This bottle was a poor example of this wine, far evolved beyond its 21 years with a murky pinkish brown color where the fruit has faded terribly, leaving a shell without any decency of a claret, just sweet medicinal aromas with characters of port and sour plums. Probably the result of poor provenance.

2004 Henri Abele, popped and poured over dimsum at Asia Grand, 24 July 2016. Displaying a fruit-forward balance initially, featuring green melons, green apples and white grapes, developing further notes of toast, yeast and rye with better depth after 45 minutes to balance against the dry finish. Neither profound nor as complex as the best vintage champagne, but it works well for a casual lunch.

2013 Cecchi Vermentino Litorale Val Delle Rose, popped and poured at Rubato, 26 July 2016. Notes of morning dew, green apples and peaches with a sweet nose, creamy with good concentration and understated minerality. Drinking well.

1996 Parker Estate Terra Rossa First Growth, decanted on-site at Rubato for an hour prior to serving, 26 July 2016. A bottle that I’d cellared for several years, this famous cabernet blend displayed a sweet bouquet of medicinal and herbal tones, ample in notes of mocha, chocolate and raspberries with a hint of brandied cherries on the palate, open, relaxed and well-structured with supple tannins and fresh acidity still, developing a slightly ferrous and pungent overtone over time that reflects the famous terra rossa terroir of Coonawarra. Quite unique and excellent.

Rockford Black Shiraz 2013 disgorgement (courtesy of Hiok), popped and poured at Rubato, 26 July 2016. Elements of Rockford Basket Press shiraz, from which this famous sparkling shiraz is derived, are readily discernible: the raisiny tone of warm ripe shiraz, licorice, herbal overtones, cinnamon and raspberries with traces of liquer at the finish, slightly sweet-edged with the fizz adding a fresh dimension. Uniquely attractive.

2007 Louis Roederer Cristal, popped and poured at Jade Palace, 27 July 2016. This celebrity champagne possesses a deep burnished tone with a sweet edge, ample in lime, citrus and fig with toasty overtones, crisp not too dry, very well balanced against the chalky minerality with quite a lovely intensity, developing some early complexity over time although it doesn’t quite match the depth and opulence of a Henriot or Dom Perignon.

2009 Ch Le Crock (courtesy of Hiok), popped and poured after a brief aeration at Jade Palace, 27 July 2016. Good concentration of quality fruit though rather generic in character, with overtones of enamel, wood and earthy tones, quite extracted but narrow in spectrum with a slight vegetative hint.

2012 Ch La Grave-a-Pomerol Trigant de Boisset, poured from magnum after an hour’s aeration at Jade Palace, 27 July 2016. This wine displays dominant notes of soy and ripe black fruits on the nose, open with good transparency and concentration, bright and lively on the palate with a sweet subtle intensity, quite linear, tapering towards a dusty finish. Very good value for money.

2000 Ch Monbousquet, poured after an hour’s aeration at Jade Palace, 27 July 2016. Ripe with earthy tones, dark berries and mild medicinal overtones with a trace of sweetness, displaying some evolution at this stage but still tight, medium-full with a fair bit of power. Needs more time to settle down.

2001 Ch L’Evangile (courtesy of Dr Mark Fernandez), poured after an hour’s aeration at Jade Palace, 27 July 2016. Notes of old leather, dried mushrooms and soy dominate with silky textures, quite open and harmonious with some lovely tension mounted by the fresh acidity. Excellent.

2012 Ch Grand Village Blanc, at Time & Flow, Scotts Square, 30 July 2016. Quite unusual on the nose where it was rather meaty with a reductive quality, suggesting ham amidst some earthiness. On the palate, this wine was quite ethereal, displaying great acidity and wonderful purity of fruit, fleshy but not heavy, developing some early complexity with traces of peach and burnt sugar, glowing with subtle intensity. Excellent.

2007 Ch Bernadotte, at Time & Flow, Scotts Square, 30 July 2016. This medium-bodied wine exudes notes of earth, graphite and iron ore at its core, subtly structured with good acidity and fruit quality with traces of enamel from new oak still discernible. Certainly drinking very well and, had it been blinded, I wouldn’t have known it was a Haut Medoc. Very fine, proving that every vintage carries an optimal drinking window.

2012 Ch D’Armailhac, at Time & Flow, Scotts Square, 30 July 2016. A far bigger wine than the preceding Bernadotte, displaying very good concentration of redcurrants and raspberries with fine purity and traces of forest floor, highly accessible in spite of its youth, gaining further intensity and structure, proving to be a superb pairing with the excellent lamb.

2011 Carmes de Rieussec, at Time & Flow, Scotts Square, 30 July 2016. Surprisingly good for a second wine with no shortage of nectarine and apricot, suitably intense with fine acidity and overtones of sweet incense, just missing, perhaps, the detail and complexity of a Rieussec grand vin.

Bacchus isn’t doing too badly this year, having managed to meet twice before a third of the year was over. Burgundy was the theme for dinner on 26 April 2016 at the newly-relocated Saint Pierre, now on the second floor of One Fullerton, Singapore, where it commands an unobstructed view of the iconic Marina Bay Sands (pity, though, that the chandelier lights within the restaurant reflected badly off the slanted windows, actually obscuring the view). It seemed Saint-Pierre has refocused on delivering what matters most to diners: food and service quality, for the restaurant has downsized significantly from its previous incarnations, now just comprising a simple dining hall with limited capacity and a very small adjoining private dining room. On both counts, Saint-Pierre has delivered well with chef Emmanuel Stroobant displaying plenty of flair and imagination. On this occasion, a long table had been set for dinner with a customised menu. As we awaited everyone’s arrival, we began with a 2006 Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque (courtesy of Li Fern), dominated by notes of cinnamon, peaches and toasty oak against a backdrop of stony minerality, very well-proportioned with dry textures, developing some floral fragrance after some time but stern in overall demeanour.

We kicked off dinner proper with a trio of excellent whites:

2007 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru (courtesy of the Tan brothers). Terribly shut initially before gradually emerging from its shell as it warmed up to the correct temperature, its intensity more discernible within a narrow spectrum, eventually blossoming into an effusive expanse of crème de la crème and buttery characters with chalky minerals that are very well integrated, generously proportioned with plenty of fat. Full and voluptuous and very correct on the palate. Superb.

2010 Domaine Henri Boillot Criots-Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru. Quite an impressive earthy pungency on the nose, noticeably lighter and more minerally with a sense of delicacy (reflecting its terroir well, given that this tiny plot lies between Chassagne and Puligny), displaying great suppleness and intensity from the firm concentration of citrus, finishing with traces of bitter lemon. Excellent.

2005 Patrick Javillier Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (courtesy of Li Fern). Typically of this producer, this wine displays aromas of aged crème and cinnamon and wisps of scented white flowers, slightly nutty, but the general impression is one of shy understated tones.

We began the reds with a blinded pairing. The first wine displayed an aged dull ruby with a sweet medicinal trace on the nose that gave it an aged feel, open and quite seamless with good balance but seemingly lacking in structure and layering, somewhat short and minty at the finish. When the wraps were removed, I was surprised that it turned out to be a 1995 Georges Comte de Vogue Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru (courtesy of Hiok). However, this bottle was neither as masculine nor as fresh as another bottle tasted in January 2016 with Jean-Luc Pepin of Comte de Vogue that came straight from the estate’s cellars, proving a point for buying ex-chateau.

The second red, tasted blind alongside the Bonnes-Mares above, was dull red, suggesting significant bottle age, displaying some camphor and bright red fruits on the nose, quite vigorous on the palate with a deep vein of red currants that betrayed its New World origins, becoming more settled and harmonious after some time with a predominant tone of ripe strawberries and a minty finish. I was correct when the wraps were removed: a 1994 Willem Salyem pinot noir (courtesy of Li Fern), an excellent pinot noir with a cult following.

The line-up thereafter was absolutely outstanding:

1996 Georges Comte de Vogue Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru (courtesy of Andre). Notes of heated stones and earthy tones dominate on the nose with a distinct trace of brett that took some time to blow off, revealing predominant red fruits with a masculine tone. Still rather backward, though it gradually built up to an attractive intensity with firm tannins that still await further resolution.

2006 Claude Dugat Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru (courtesy of Timothy Goh). Characteristic of this renowned estate, this wine boasts predominant red fruits with bright tones, ample in cool ripe fruit with good purity, harmonious with well-integrated acidity and subdued tannins that lend a distinct feminine feel, just missing in layering and opulence, which is usually the case with Charmes-Chambertin.

2010 Dujac Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru (courtesy of Chris). Earthy tones dominate with traces of oak still discernible in this young wine, expectedly quite full on the palate with excellent concentration to complement the attractive bouquet of fresh dark cherries and red roses, taking time to blossom, finally singing towards the end of dinner. Highly successful.

2001 Ponsot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru (courtesy of David Ong), a wine that let rip with superb earthy pungency on the nose, distinctive in red fruits and overtones of tangerines, open with excellent intensity, detail and linearity down to its lasting finish. Superb.

2007 Ponsot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru (courtesy of Pipin). Fascinating to compare both bottles of Ponsot from the same plot, separated by 6 years. The 2007 is superbly aromatic and forward with an abundance of camphor, rose petals and red fruits, broad and open on the palate, gravelly in texture with excellent intensity, structure and detail throughout its length though the 2001 possesses greater complexity. Excellent.

2003 Armand Rousseau Chambertin-Clos des Beze Grand Cru (courtesy of Kieron). This legendary estate never disappoints, producing a most beautiful bouquet, full-bodied, sweet and powerful, brimming with warm ripe fruit and tangerines with a medicinal minty trace that, perhaps, betrayed the hot vintage. Otherwise, this wine is absolutely harmonious, its plush tannins exuding a luxurious velvety feel only possible from such breed. Quite outstanding.

1997 Remoissenet Pere et Fils Chambertin-Clos des Beze Grand Cru (courtesy of KP). It would have been fascinating to compare this with the Armand Rousseau but, unfortunately, this wine was corked although there seemed to be a good deal of red fruits and acidity beneath. A pity.

1995 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Echezeaux Grand Cru (courtesy of Daniel). Any wine from this famous estate is guaranteed to raise expectations beyond the roof, even if it is “just an Echezeaux”. This wine was highly aromatic, suggesting rose petals, dark cherries, camphor and raspberries of undoubted power and fragrance. It turned out to be surprising mellow and open on the palate, ample in soft red fruits with overtones of tangerines supported by saline minerals, all held in a lovely balance with understated acidity, complemented by an eventual note of ash as it settled down to a gentle finish. A very fine example of a Vosne-Romanee grand cru, certainly excellent by any standard.

Taking a leaf from lessons learnt in Burgundy, we saved the best whites for last to go neat with an excellent cheese spread. The 1999 Domaine Louis Jadot Montrachet Grand Cru (courtesy of Vic) was most unusual on the nose, recalling pine forest, fig and what seemed like glue that was almost intoxicating on its own, leading to a floral fragrance and characters of aged creme on the palate, still spiked with tight intensity in spite of the understated acidity amidst some restraint. This is a masculine Montrachet, somewhat brooding and quirky, partly because, I suspect, it did not receive adequate aeration and the whites of 1999 are big wines that evolve at a glacial pace.

Paired with the above was the 2003 Coche Dury Mersault (courtesy of Kieron), displaying a complex of distilled citrus and tangerines on the nose with delicious presence on the palate, exuding some fat with characters of aged creme, yet poised and delicate enough due to understated minerality. Quite unbelievable, coming from a village but that is the magic of Coche Dury.

My sincere thanks to everyone for an outstanding evening.

These are tasting notes from a FICOFI event held at the Hong Kong Island Shangri-La on 23 May 2016, where a promenade of wines from top family-owned estates preceded a dinner where all wines were served from magnum bottlings. The likes of Rupert Symington (Symington Family Estate), Laurent Drouhin (Maison Joseph Drouhin), Priscilla Incisa Della Rocchetta (Tenuta San Guido), Charles Perrin (Chateau de Beaucastel) and Egon Muller IV himself were present in person, not to mention the ubiquitous Pablo Alvarez (Vega Sicilia), amongst others. It goes without saying that Philippe and his boys from FICOFI certainly know how to serve up a great party with everyone getting properly hammered by the end of dinner. The 26 wines listed below are not exhaustive as a few were inevitably missed.

2006 Champagne Pol Roger Brut. Lovely floral fragrance with citrus, lime and honeysuckle of fine intensity, opening up with an excellent expanse across the palate. Dry but lively.

2004 Champagne Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. A kaleidoscope of clear citrus, pomelo and traces of malt of subtle intensity, rather minerally with rich creamy chalky textures, superbly balanced. Certainly meets the expectations Britain’s wartime premier who modestly declared he is “easily satisfied with the best”.

2011 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Marquis de Laguiche Montrachet Grand Cru. Rather reserved and shy on this occasion. There is butterscotch, crème de la crème and minerals in a fine balance but it feels rather lightweight and awkward without having quite fleshed out, lacking the ethereal quality and potential complexity of a Montrachet from a top vintage. I suspect this underwhelming display was due to inadequate aeration. The estate’s Sales Director Jean-Paul Dumond had the wine decanted overnight before tasting when I visited Drouhin last year. Deserves a better showing.

2009 Hugel Jubilee Riesling, poured for me on this occasion by Jean-Frederic Hugel, the 13th generation (since Hans-Ulrich Hugel founded this iconic estate in 1639) to take over the helm after his father Etienne’s untimely passing just weeks prior. Highly aromatic, laced with sweet tropical fruits, mangoes and lemongrass with a characteristic lightness, understated acidity and effortless balance that is the hallmark of Alsace. Clear and refreshing. Excellent. Tasted again from magnum at dinner with consistent notes alongside the 2010 Joseph Drouhin Beaune “Clos des Mouches”.

2010 Hugel Riesling Verdanges Tardive. Building on its Jubilee Riesling but with an even more lifted bouquet of tropical fruits and petroleum fumes and, again, that ethereal lightness and understatement so characteristic of Alsace, rounded with superbly-integrated acidity. Absolutely harmonious, so much so that it can be drunk on its own. Outstanding.

2012 Sassicaia. Somewhat shut at this stage but the abundance of red fruits, dark currants,  mulberries and raspberries is simply quite astounding, rounded and fleshy, still cloaked in enamel with overtones of camphor and supported by understated minerals, quite exemplary in balance. With time, this will be an outstanding Sassicaia, the only wine in Italy to be honoured with its very own appellation: Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC.

2009 Tignanello. Bright red fruits, violets and raspberries dominate with controlled intensity, swathed in excellent acidity amidst some earthy tones, medium-full, beautifully balanced and warm with a natural grace, easing towards a sweet lasting finish. A bit too eager to please, but this is a Tignanello of enormous potential.

2007 Ch D’Armailhac. Almost bone dry with dusty textures, sporting red and dark berries with soft rounded tones and good balance and acidity, but neither distinctive nor memorable.

2011 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Chambertin-Clos de Beze Grand Cru. This wine boasts an attractive complex of red fruits, cherries and camphor on the nose and palate, lifted and layered with excellent concentration and subtle nuances, displaying great balance, poise and sophistication.

2012 Macan. A big wine on the nose but surprisingly open, medium-full with bright red fruits amidst swathes of enamel and framed by structured sweet tannins of controlled intensity. Not heavy at all in spite of the immense concentration, though somewhat short.

2007 Egon Muller Auslese. Rich and luscious in nectarine, apricot and tropical fruits of fabulous intensity and controlled sweetness, barely evolved, yet to develop further complexity. Still long way to go. Superb potential.

1995 Egon Muller Wiltinger Braune Kupp Auslese. An intoxicating petroleum quality with understated longans dominate on the bouquet, absolutely harmonious and open with an ethereal lightness on the palate. Fascinating. This is Egon Muller at its best.

Catching up with Egon Muller IV in the gents’

2007 Château de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The nose is marked by forest floor and undergrowth with a mild medicinal trace while ripe dark berries and red fruits coat the palate with fine acidity and balance. A big wine, predictably, but refined and elegant.

2001 Château de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The bouquet here is absolutely enticing, marked by old leather, truffles, mushrooms and some attractive earthy pungency, teasing the senses. Rounded, fleshy and layered on the palate, displaying gorgeous concentration but quiet, not at all heavy, more of mourvedre, perhaps, with some brightness, still retaining great acidity, finishing with great length. Excellent complexity. Yet to peak. Fabulous.

2010 Vega Sicilia Valbuena No.5. Dark red berries, wild berries and mushrooms dominate with velvety textures amidst a vegetal trace, rounded with well-managed tannins though missing in layering. Still youthful.

2005 Ch Clerc Milon. Made by Mouton Rothschild without ever being quite distinctive, this wine is noticeably brighter than usual with red fruits and camphor amidst dry textures that immediately signalled Pauillac, displaying good concentration but lacking in layering and true complexity.

And as if the above weren’t enough to wet the beak, the following wines were served with dinner…

2002 Champagne Pol Roger Cuvée Winston Churchill (magnum). Highly generous and complex bouquet of earthy pungency, yeasty tones, creme and deep citrus, dry but gentle on the palate, open with great definition and detail, tapering to a lengthy finish. Terrific stuff. Paired with Hokkaido sea urchin.

2010 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches Blanc (magnum). Medium-bodied, creamy and chalky and slightly chunky, open and poised, very well-proportioned and balanced with some crisp acidity at the edges, quiet and understated at the finish. Went well with the Scottish langoustine.

The next three wines were paired with some superb duck breast, always a specialty in Hong Kong…

2001 Torres Grans Muralles (magnum). A big wine, dense and saturated with ripe wild berries, licorice, dark plums and vanilla with well-managed tannins, becoming more savoury and sweet over time. Likely to take a very long time to age.

2006 Solaia (magnum). Now managed by the 26th generation since the 13th century, this Super Tuscan, made predominantly with cabernet sauvignon along with some sangiovese and cabernet franc, is still remarkably youthful, displaying earthy tones and dry mushrooms with a medicinal glow, medium-bodied, still unresolved and slightly angular at the finish, yet to develop significant complexity.

2005 Sassicaia (magnum). In contrast to the Solaia above, this wine, just a year older, is already quite evolved with a fair degree of complexity on the nose where plums and blueberries dominate, gentle and open on the palate with earthy tones, chocolate, mocha and tobacco, slightly lean and just a tad short.

The next three reds went with Allaiton lamb medallion laced with black truffle lamb jus…

2002 Vega Sicilia Unico (magnum). As expected from this venerated estate, the 2002 Unico is still very youthful, displaying a deep garnet red imbued with warm ripe fruit, dark currants and raspberries, richly layered and opulent with chewy tannins. Best to lay down for another 10-15 years, at least.

Someone is obviously delighted with Pablo Alvarez’s Unico, while Christine Stiegel of FICOFI looks on

2001 Ch Mouton Rothschild (magnum). This Mouton lived up to all expectations, producing a wonderful earthy pungency from the glorious dark currants and black fruits amidst dry textures immediately classic of the Pauillac character, superbly balanced with great definition and linearity all the way to its minty finish. A classic claret of the top order. A great success.

1989 Château de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape (magnum). Glowing with a beautiful pungency on the nose, this wine still possesses a subtle intensity within its layers that belies its mellowness, open with great acidity and not at all heavy, finishing in a mild herbal lift with sweet subtle tannins. Lovely.

1972 Graham’s Single Harvest Tawny. This wine possesses strong medicinal overtones with excellent complexity, yet open and airy, not overtly alcoholic, still imbued with great acidity with understated sweetness at the side. I must confess my experience with port is limited but this may encourage me to explore this genre further. Served with artisanal cheese platter by Bernard Antony.

2006 Egon Muller Scharzhofberger Auslese Goldkapsel (magnum). Like all the wines of this great estate, this riesling displays an alluring complex of nectarine, apricot, cinnamon and tropical fruits with great composure and absolute control and precision of its sweetness and acidity, understated but lengthy. A classic case where less is more. Outstanding. Served with Pink Lady Apple Textures from Australia.

These notes stem from a dinner at Otto Ristorante on 29 June 2016 courtesy of Samuel who was eager to try his latest acquisition, the 1974 Ch Haut-Brion. But, first, we began with a 2006 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay that I’d cellared for several years. Surprisingly, this Margaret River white was still remarkably youthful, displaying generous notes of pear, crisp citrus and lime of fabulous intensity, lifted with overtones of honeysuckle, cashews and crème, powerful and amply layered, still very tight and tense, yet to fully open, developing a hint of sappy nectarine after some time. Huge ageing potential here even after 10 years that I’ve never come across from Leeuwin. Clearly not ready yet and may require at least another 5 years or more of cellaring.

The cork of the 1974 Ch Haut-Brion was totally soaked through and, predictably, it fractured during extraction. With its ullage sitting at mid-shoulder, I was rather worried but the wine proved to be intact, displaying an earthy pungency characteristic of Pessac-Leognan that was almost peaty, still imbued with dark roses amidst dryish textures, mellow and gentle on the palate where its acidity still held, firmly structured with eventual notes of dark plums emerging from the classic glow of an aged claret. Not the most profound Haut-Brion nor the most delicious, but I’ve never had a bad Haut-Brion and this is another example of how well the wines of this estate can hold up even in average vintages. Thank you, Sam.