1988 Dominus
It has become really difficult nowadays to find time to meet up with old friends and colleagues. Fortunately on this day, 23 May 2014, both Kieron and myself could avail ourselves at the St Regis, Singapore, not least because one of us had proferred a 1988 Dominus while the other had offered to cover the meal. Decanted on-site. 
Drinking a Dominus never fails to lead to an attempt to discover how much of a resemblance it has to a Bordeaux, given that Christian Mouiex of Ch Petrus has a direct hand in crafting Dominus but, on this occasion, I just felt that the latter was simply quite unique on its own, still displaying a deep purple after all these years with only some gentle bricking at the rim. Generous aromas of dark plums, dark berries, blackcurrants and raspberries dominate initially, replete with some medicinal and herbal overtones, the wine rather sullen, tense and angular on the palate, as if it had been rudely awoken from a deep sleep. After 30 minutes and some food, however, it underwent a complete transformation, suddenly becoming open and relaxed with sweetened tannins, the herbal notes having wafted away, allowing drier notes of tea leaves, snuff and tinder to emerge although I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it mirrors a Bordeaux, missing the hallowed glow that can only come from a true claret. A further development was to come towards the end of the meal almost 90 minutes later where an increase in weight and depth was easily appreciable, along with notes of cassis, violets and cinnamon with tannins exerting a puckered intensity on the palate, adding immeasurably to the impression that this wine still has the legs to develop further, albeit with roots firmly embedded in the New World. Excellent, but not a compelling buy.
I encountered a trio of clarets from 1996, now almost 18 years post-vintage where it seems most of them are on the verge of tertiary development, although it is clear some have not entirely shed their backwardness:
1996 Ch Calon Segur (courtesy of Chris), at the SMA dinner, Regent Hotel, 10 May 2014. Aired in bottle for two hours. Highly evolved on the nose with notes of dried plums, black fruits and the indefinable lovely glow of an aged claret with excellent linearity on the palate, although somewhat narrow in spectrum, lacking in mid-body fat and rather dry in mouthfeel. Perhaps I already had too much to drink on that evening by the time I came to the Calon; it may perform much better on its own.
1996 Ch Pontet Canet, popped and poured at Anu & Ravi’s wedding, Holiday Inn Orchard, 16 May 2014. The classic Pauillac signature is loud and clear, represented by notes of dried tobacco leaves, snuff box, pencil shavings and mushrooms, the dryness of its terroir ensuring that the wine remains medium-bodied with its flavours confined within a narrow spectrum. Some will like this style, but on this occasion, its deficiencies were shown up by the Pichon Baron (below) from the same vintage.
1996 Ch Pichon Longueville Baron, popped and poured at Anu & Ravi’s wedding, Holiday Inn Orchard, 16 May 2014. We drank this rather quickly, but who could resist its generous aromas of ripe dark cherries and blueberries and raspberries emanating from a medium-full wine with much more presence and depth of fruit than the Pontet Canet above, still remaining fresh and vibrant after all these years, hinting at further developmental potential whilst enticing one to partake all its goodness at this stage. This bottle is far better than another tasted in February 2014, which, I suspect, suffered from poor provenance. Keep!
2005 Barossa Valley E&E Black Pepper Shiraz, decanted on-site at Burlamacco Ristorante, 1 April 2014. Highly attractive bouquet of dried plums, dark cherries, licorice, vanilla and enamel that carried well onto the palate with excellent weight and density, slightly waxy in texture, though not quite as open as I’d hope it would be, mildly tannic at the finish, yet to develop true complexity. 
Hopelessly over-priced in Singapore, but worth cellaring if you purchase it duty-free in Australia.
2010 Winemakers’ Reserve cabernet sauvignon, popped and poured at Foo House, 5 April 2014. This is a supermarket wine that punches way above its weight. Instead of some thin weedy juice, one is pleasantly surprised by the fullness and weight on the palate, the wine appropriately soft at the edges with well-integrated tannins that add attractively to its structure, open enough in the mid-body, offering notes of red plums, tangerine and grapefruit. Not bad at all.
1998 Vega Sicilia Bodegas Vinedo Tinto Valbuena N0.5, popped and poured at Jade Palace, 6 April 2014, on the occasion of Monster’s 15th. Displaying a brighter tint of red than usual, the initial impression was dominated by medicinal aromas that lightened up rather quickly to yield notes of red plums, bright cherries, tangerine and kumquat, the latter contributing to the high-toned presence on the palate. Medium-bodied with good concentration of fruit without plumbing the depths, though the tannins have yet to settle completely even after 16 years. Undeniably likeable, though ultimately lacking in distinction.
2004 Ch Latour-a-Pomerol, popped and poured at Asia Grand, 19 April 2014. Dark inky red, weighty with excellent concentration of ripe dark berries and blackcurrants, racy and medium-full, structured with silky tannins and notes of graphite towards the finish. 
However, this wine is still very much on the ascendancy and it’d be a real shame to drink the entire case at this stage. Keep.
1998 Clos Badon Thunevin, decanted on-site at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 21 April 2014. As suggested by the deep purple, this wine is made from fruit harvested at full ripeness and aged in significant new oak, which translates into a medium-full presence with notes of raspberries, raisins, cedar, dark fruits and traces of vanilla although mellowed and softened by the passage of time, weighty with a creamy texture but not overbearing, tapering towards a stern and slightly metallic finish. Expectations are high for any wine crafted by the maker of Ch Valandraud and this wine does not disappoint, especially if it’s going for only SGD76.
2009 Ch Fuisse Tete De Cru, two bottles bought off the restaurant list of OCF (hosted by Troy), 22 April 2014. I’m normally not a fan of Pouilly-Fuisse but as the restaurant has a strict 1-for-1 policy, this was the most affordable Burgundy on the list at SGD125, taking a chance that the outstanding vintage of 2009 will add more weight and body to the usual narrow spectrum of this region’s whites. I was right. Notes of clear citrus and white flowers emanate from the glass with a hint of caramel and walnut. On the palate, this wine is noticeably more generous in proportion than usual for Pouilly-Fuisse, although the fruit is still rather firm and tight at this stage, the sharp citrus threatening to upset the balance towards the finish. Not bad at all, but still pricey.
1986 Ch Leoville Poyferre, two bottles decanted on-site at OCF (hosted by Troy), 22 April 2014. Regular followers will know that I’ve been drinking through a case of this over the past 3 years. On this occasion, it was, by a significant margin, at its best. Displaying an evolved vermilion with a dash of green on the nose, the wine was utterly soft and velvety, bereft of wood and tannins although still retaining adequate acidity and weight, allowing the purity of fruit to come through easily with an abundance of red fruits and redcurrants, underlined by sweet cedar and glycerine. However, there is no doubt though that this wine has just gone past its peak, as the fruit tended to trail the acidity and alcohol towards the finish. Still quite excellent, but it is not on par with Leoville Las Cases.
2011 Schlumberger Brut, popped and poured over lunch with David at Jade Palace, 23 April 2014. During my visit last week to the Salzburg Easter Festival, this sparkling wine was sold during intermissions at EUR8 per miserable flute, only for me to discover that it costs only all of EUR10 from Munich duty-free. OK, it’s nowhere near Louis Roederer, but it is stuffed to the hilt with brilliant citrus, lime and pomelo although it is too congested on the palate, firm and minerally, not helped at all by the brazen dryness, finishing in a stern and austere mood that’s the contribution of its weissburgunder (pinot blanc; others being chardonnay and welschriesling) but one that is highly consistent with the typical Austrian temperament.
2009 Domain Road pinot noir, popped and poured at home, 24 April 2014. This New Zealand pinot appears to have turned the corner, much more relaxed and open on the palate compared to a previous bottle just a couple of months ago, although I don’t think anything can ease its tendency towards heaviness in texture and weight with notes of cinnamon and prunes rather than delicate red fruits. A true bourgogne or village from a good producer will serve you better.
2004 Ch Bernadotte, two bottles from the same case popped and drunk over three hours at Ben’s opening party of Arden Endocrinology, 26 April 2014. Very dark in color, medium-bodied with predominant notes of dark fruits and blackberries laced with some sweet cedar ten years after vintage, though rather stern and unyielding towards the finish where a trace of green may be discerned. One wishes for the fruit to be a bit more forward and open. But at SGD35, I maintain that this is a very well-crafted (by the makers of Pichon Lalande) Haut Medoc that may be more rewarding with further cellaring.
2004 Ch Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, again two bottles from a case recently imported from Bordeaux Index London, decanted and drunk over three hours at Ben’s opening party of Arden Endocrinology, 26 April 2014. The raison d’etre is obvious, for this afforded a direct comparison between it and the Bernadotte above, both being made by the same team. The bouquet is immediately glorious right from the first pour, exuding powerful aromas of cedar, cinnamon and sweet meat from the wonderful concentration of ripe dark fruits and redcurrants beneath. 
On the palate, the wine is medium-full and generous in body but soft at the edges with a sappy texture, again marked by an attractive level of sweetness though it has yet to display any significant secondary characteristics, eventually developing quite a bit of tannic spine after some time even though the wine had become more relaxed. Quite excellent, but needs further cellaring.
2004 Solaia, decanted on site at Otto Ristorante, 30 April 2014. A very generous contribution by John and what a way to end the month. Deep purple with effusive aromas of blueberries, plum, raspberries and dark currants that leapt right out of the decanter. In spite of some bottle age, this full-bodied wine hardly seems to have evolved at all, fully extracted, weighty and upfront, displaying a rich concentration of glorious ripe fruit along with traces of vanilla and new oak with powerful medicinal aromas bringing up the rear, approaching a level of hedonism that could almost be mistaken for New World although it has certainly become accessible and fairly well-integrated at this stage. I am reminded of its close resemblance to a young Pingus. Fascinating to taste now but hardly ready. Don’t touch it for another ten years, dare I say.
Pichon Lalande: 1983, 1986, 2000 & 2001
This came from a dinner at Jade Palace on 19 February 2014 hosted by Ms Angelina Teh of Bordeaux Index London, and since Angelina had promised a 2000 of the outstanding estate Ch Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (the full name always sounds so much better), we decided on a vertical. All bottles were popped and decanted on-site, blinded by the wait staff and tasted simultaneously over two hours.
The bottle marked with a Green dot displayed a fully evolved color and a powerful bouquet of seductive red fruits and rose petals that were quite lovely with notes of camphor and tangerine on the palate and a dash of sweet cedar that emerged later, rounded with silky smooth tannins amidst mild salty minerality, finishing with good length. 
Over time, however, it became overwhelmed by the others in the line-up and began fading towards the end of dinner. Surely the 1983 (courtesy of Pipin), we thought.
Next up was an Orange dot that was even more evolved in color, certainly a very open and relaxed wine but definitely leaner and more reticent than the first bottle above, somewhat earthy with a mild pungency and a persistent vegetal character, not helped by the backward quality of the fruit. However, it rebounded strongly after two hours of food and aeration, becoming more tannic and firm than it had ever been. The 1986?
The Yellow dot was vermillion in color, producing a beautiful effortless glow of red fruits although it was lowish in acidity and rather lean and mildly vegetal with subdued tannins. It snapped together after thirty minutes and with food, the classic dry Pauillac signature appearing at the sides although, at one point, its vegetal character became quite pronounced before disappearing completely, replaced thankfully by a broadening on the palate with more succulent fruit to the fore. Was it the 2001, with its large proportion of petit verdot?
The final bottle was clearly the most masculine, boasting a dark inky red rich in blackberries and redcurrants supported by wonderful minerality with traces of graphite, rounded with just a trace of vegetal character though unobtrusive. It mellowed after some time, allowing one to focus on its great concentration and depth, framed by silky tannins that added a great deal of sophistication to its structure and lengthy finish. We were unanimous in declaring this the 2000, and what a great and long-lived 2000 it will turn out to be. In fact, we were all totally in agreement with what we thought we’d drunk. Well, it turned out, as usual, that we were quite off the mark. Sure, we got the 1983 and 2000 correct, but the Orange was actually a much younger wine – the 2001 – which had been thoroughly beaten by a much older 1986 (Yellow, courtesy of David, in absentia). Wow. It’s surprising that the 2001 has become so wayward and this tasting seemed to confirm my poor impression of another bottle of the same just a week before (see Feb 2014). For sure, there is a certain consistency about Pichon Lalande: its ever-present trace of vegetal notes and its ability to mellow quickly, displaying a harmonious core of tangerine and dark berries with soft edges that contribute significantly to its feminine appeal. Thanks to everyone, in particular Angelina, for a wonderful evening.
1989 Ch Canuet, popped and poured at Burlamacco Ristorante, 4 March 2014. I took a chance on this, figuring that 1989 was excellent for the Margaux commune and that I don’t stand to lose much for SGD89. It turned out very well, in fact, its cork pristine and the wine still displaying a healthy glow of cedar, old leather, earth, bramble with a dash of tangerine and herbal aromas, clearly dipping in acidity although it didn’t fade away. A cheap glimpse into the magic of a fully mature claret but, ultimately, not quite memorable.
2005 Ch La Tour Carnet, popped and poured at Burlamacco Ristorante, 4 March 2014. Coming after the above, this was much more satisfying, the wine already beginning to mellow with early development of secondary nuances, medium to full bodied, excellent in weight and concentration with an abundance of ripe dark berries, cedar and earth without any sign of green. I wouldn’t say its elegant, though.
Verve Cliquot Yellow Label NV, popped and poured at Rang Mahal, Pan Pacific Hotel, Singapore, 5 March 2014, with faculty from The Mayo Clinic. Fairly generous, ticks the right boxes with notes of toast, cashews, a dash of yeast and excellent concentration of citrus characters supported by dense chalky minerality, just a tad dry at the finish. Pretty decent.
2011 Dr Loosen Wehlenur Sonnenuhr spatlese, popped and poured at Rang Mahal, Pan Pacific Hotel, Singapore, 5 March 2014, with faculty from The Mayo Clinic. 
Immediately pleasing with its understated sweetness along with notes of melons, apricot and tropical fruits, medium-bodied. Typically for Dr Loosen, though, the wine lacks concentration and complexity, made for early consumption.
Mansard NV, popped and poured at Tung Lok Signatures, Orchard Parade Hotel, 6 Mar 2014, with faculty from The Mayo Clinic . This champagne from Epernay, even though offered at a one-for-one deal (SGD128), is certainly not bad at all. Generous in body and saturated with yellow citrus and pomelo, its lively acidity cutting through the dense Cantonese cuisine with ease, its dryness just a tad overdone at the finish where notes of toast and gentle oak contrive to put up some semblance of complexity.
2008 Christian Moreau Pere et Fils Chablis “Les Clos”Grand Cru, two identical bottles drunk at Tung Lok Signatures, Orchard Parade Hotel, 6 Mar 2014, with faculty from The Mayo Clinic. Aromas of white flowers with some cream and vanilla, medium bodied and rounded, somewhat lean in fruit and minerality. Could do with greater presence and depth. I’d expected more from a Grand Cru.
2004 Ch Bernadotte, poured from two magnums after airing in bottle for over an hour at Tung Lok Signatures, Orchard Parade Hotel, 6 Mar 2014, with faculty from The Mayo Clinic. Rounded, soft and fleshy, perhaps more promising on the nose where generous notes of violets and blueberries dominate, translating only to an earthy medium-bodied wine that could do with more opulence and layering. The 2005 is preferable.
2009 Meo Camuzet Gevrey-Chambertin, two identical bottles drunk at Tung Lok Signatures, Orchard Parade Hotel, 6 Mar 2014, with faculty from The Mayo Clinic . Aired in bottle for over an hour. Lovely clear cherry red displaying excellent purity of fruit that has the right amount of weight and finesse with overtones of rose petals and ripe strawberries supported by mild minerality, slightly forward yet delicate enough without the usual obligatory saltiness. Very fine.
2008 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin, a magnum decanted on-site at Otto Ristorante, 11 Mar 2014. Lovely purplish-violet in color with generous aromas of raspberries, rose petals and red cherries with a dash of camphor and violets, just the right level of extraction for a village wine that strikes a good balance between weight, depth and delicacy, the ripe fruit supported by understated minerality, replete with some fat in the mid-body. Admittedly, not much in terms of actual complexity at this stage, but it went really well with the medium-rare wagyu ribeye. Good stuff.
1990 Ch Cordet, an unclassified growth from the commune of Margaux. Would you take a gamble on a bottle of this wine for SGD69 off the shelf? Of course. Popped and poured at Jade Palace, 14 Mar 2014, its cork looking absolutely pristine. Distinctly medium-bodied, fully matured in color and on the palate. Slightly dry at first and low in acidity, very soft with primary notes of rose cordial and earthy minerality, eventually, gaining in intensity after an hour and with some food, broadening with further notes of violets, rose petals and a dash of tangerine, becoming fuller in body with transparent textures. Quite lovely, really.
2009 Domaines Leflaive Macon-Verze, popped and poured at Alex Wong’s residence, 23 Mar 2014. As with most Maconnais wine, this is somewhat lean with an even mix of clear citrus, pomelo and some grassy element, slightly soft at the edges, missing in mid-body fat and complex minerality that would have added so much more depth and character to the wine. Disappointing.
2010 Ch Loudenne (magnum), popped and poured on two separate occasions just a few days apart: first at Alex’s residence on 23 Mar 2014, again at the EMSS AGM at the Grand Copthorne Singapore, 25 Mar 2014, with consistent notes. Having been won over by this estate’s 2009 on board Singapore Airlines Business Class, I wasted no time in snapping up half-dozen magnums of the 2010 at only SG81 per magnum when I chanced upon it on offer at a local wine retail chain. I can hardly think of a better deal and I wasn’t disappointed. Dark purple. Fairly generous with aromas of ripe blueberries, raspberries violets and briar, medium-full and certainly benefitting from the excellent growing conditions although notes of enamel and new leather were still discernible. Very well crafted without any hard edges at a level of sophistication well beyond most cru bourgeois of the Medoc with superb integration of fruit and tannins, finishing with a tinge of graphite. I certainly couldn’t detect any hollowness nor any trace of vegetal character. It became slightly more relaxed after some time, putting on a bit more weight and opening up a little more, becoming broader and fuller with added notes of cedar. Very fine. This is a connoisseur’s red.
2005 Ch Lalande Borie, two bottles from the same batch tasted on two consecutive nights, both popped and poured, first at the Grand Copthorne Singapore, 25 Mar 2014, then again at Top Seafood, 26 Mar 2014, with consistent notes. 
This is a very relaxed wine right from the first pour, very open and layered, slightly leathery in texture and saturated with ripe dark berries entering into a new phase of development, evidenced by more complex characters of mocha, cedar and cinnamon. Very good.
2009 Matanzas Creek Winery (courtesy Jeremy), popped and poured at Top Seafood, 26 Mar 2014, basically a coffee-shop (in Singaporean parlance) off Sixth Ave with cheap but excellent Chinese cuisine, but you bring your own wine and stemware. This sauvignon blanc was rather out of sorts, trying too hard with notes of nutmeg, spice, lemongrass, citrus and tropical fruits. Just too over-the-top for me, with some steeliness creeping in after some time.
1983 Ch La Fleur (courtesy Hiok), popped and popped at Top Seafood, 26 Mar 2014. Not to be confused with Lafleur of Pomerol. Uneven at first, the wine fading at the sides while struggling to maintain its core of fruit that is clearly past its peak, lowish in acidity with herbal notes and tertiary characters of old leather, cinnamon and a dash of apricot. It firmed up after some time and held course for the rest of dinner, but the 1986 below is far preferable.
1986 Ch La Fleur (courtesy KP), popped and popped at Top Seafood, 26 Mar 2014. Still very fresh and almost full-bodied after all these years with notes of raisins and cedar, still lively with a rising tannic spine towards the finish. Compared to the 1983, this is much firmer and broader right from the outset. Very good.
2010 Henri Boillot Savigny-Les-Beaune Le Lavieres 1er, at Crystal Wines’ sale on 29 Mar 2014. Attractive nose of raspberries and dark cherries with a good dose of earthy minerality, slightly salty in texture, certainly generous in body with a fair amount of fat, well-integrated. Very good. I bought two bottles.
2009 Ch German Marbuzet, at Crystal Wines’ sale on 29 Mar 2014. As expected from Saint-Emilion, a wine of good density and weight, medium-to-full bodied with predominant characters of dark wild berries, but just a bit too stern and steely for my liking.
2008 Frank Phelan, at Crystal Wines’ sale on 29 Mar 2014. Second wine of Phelan Segur. Touch of green and forest floor and earth. Supple with excellent mouthfeel, lacking in charm but otherwise correct.
2005 Ch Preuillac, at Crystal Wines’ sale on 29 Mar 2014. Disappointingly short on the nose and palate. Perhaps it deserves a re-tasting?
2009 Bernadotte, at Crystal Wines’ sale on 29 Mar 2014. Regular readers will know this is one of my trusted favorites in good vintages. The 2009 has fleshed out significantly since its release two years ago. Great color – glorious deep purple. Notes of heated stones, saturated with ripe dark and red berries, a touch of briar, raisins and toast. Mildly tannic and laced with lively acidity, yet to shed its cloak of enamel. Great potential. This wine will be long-lived. Get some magnums for keeps if you can.
2010 Fleur de Clinet, at Crystal Wines’ sale on 29 Mar 2014. Although a second wine, I must say I was quite taken by its weight and fullness, displaying attractive dark ripe berries with some bright spots and a touch of earthy forest floor. But second wines are getting ridiculously expensive.
2002: Cos DÉstournel & Leoville Las-Cases
This was a blinded tasting at Jade Palace, 9 Mar 2014, with the renowned thyroidologist Dr Robert Levine who also possesses extensive experience in Bordeaux along with a remarkable palate and, hence, came about this dinner. 
Both bottles had been purchased shortly after bottling and stored in my cellar thereafter, and both were decanted on-site at the restaurant and tasted simultaneously. The 2002 Ch Cos DÉstournel, deep dark red in color, bolted off the starting block with an abundance of black fruits that hinted at a full-bodied wine, beautifully structured with a firm ferrous tone, framed by sophisticated svelte tannins. It loosened up very quickly, becoming much softer and more relaxed for a stretch of time that allowed more nuances of sweet dark berries to emerge amidst traces of cedar before growing again in intensity with early secondary characters appearing. This wine has evolved significantly since my last tasting note in January 2012 (see post), having shed its heavy cloak of wood and dusty tannins, managing on this occasion to put on some charm and warmth, just missing in outright opulence. Clearly, it carried enough typicity about itself, for Bob was spot-on in declaring “it tastes like Cos!”.
In contrast, the 2002 Ch Leoville Las-Cases, which I’d never had, took its time to develop. Very dark and opague. I thought it seemed more reticent on the nose at the first pour compared to the Cos (although Bob thought otherwise) but its bouquet was soon dominated by dense black fruits laced with the tell-tale graphite quality of the unique Saint Julien terroir. 
Like the Cos, it too underwent a period where it became softer and more accessible, with textures that were more layered and open, although its stern demeanour remained. Then came a spectacular transformation where the contrast between the gorgeous black fruits and the tight sexy tannins snapped into focus, striking a wonderful harmonious balance, growing in breadth and seductiveness with traces of sweetness creeping in, displaying a level of concentration, depth and sophistication that only estates with true class and breed can produce. In my opinion, Leoville Las-Cases is truly a premier cru, and its quality in this so-called off year is testimonial to that.
Both wines are yet to peak. While the Cos is drinking very well now, my vote goes to the Las-Cases which has, at least, another two decades ahead of it.
Feb 2014: 1986 Tour du Haut Moulin, 1986 Gruaud Larose, 1996 Pichon Baron, 2005 Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay…
2006 Peccavi chardonnay, popped and poured at Roland restaurant, 2 Feb 2014. An abundance of cream and buttery notes with a touch of light citrus and pomelo, coupled with crisp minerality. Leaner compared with its Margaret River cousin the Leeuwin below and certainly more transparent as a result. A good drop.
2009 Domain Road pinot noir, aired in bottle for about 45 minutes prior to serving at Roland restaurant, 2 Feb 2014. Consistent with previous tasting notes, this pinot from Central Otago is a bit too dark and dense for its own good, imparting a certain heaviness on the palate that cannot be camouflaged by notes of dark cherries, raspberries and wild flowers.
2005 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay, aired in bottle for 30 minutes prior to serving at Imperial Treasure T3, 6 Feb 2014, on the occasion of Mom’s 83rd birthday. Highly aromatic, generous dose of crème de la crème, rich buttery spread, cashews and a touch of vanilla, supported by crisp minerality and fresh acidity on the palate, turning a tad stern with a dash of steeliness creeping in at the finish after some time. In spite of its relative opulence, I feel it still lacks the last ounce of real complexity and typicity that comes so easily with actual Burgundy.
1986 Ch Gruaud Larose (courtesy of Ellen), at Parkway Pantai’s Lunar New Year dinner at the Pan Pacific hotel, 7 Feb 2014. Dull dusty red in color, fully matured, but now displaying a certain awkwardness and disjoint. The bouquet is certainly quite enticing with notes of toast, sultanas, old leather, cinnamon and cedar all served up in a generous glow, but doesn’t quite live up to its promise on the palate where the fruit is alarmingly short, just a shell of spicy alcohol and acidity. 
Perhaps this bottle hasn’t been properly stored, for I don’t recall this wine to be in danger of fading when I last had it in 2012. Will reserve judgement.
1996 Ch Pichon Longueville Baron (courtesy of Ellen), at Parkway Pantai’s Lunar New Year dinner at the Pan Pacific hotel, 7 Feb 2014. Popped and poured. The initial bouquet is dominated by an overwhelming earthy pungency that blew off quite quickly, allowing the classic Pauillac signature of snuff box, dried mushrooms and tea leaves to appear. The fruit, a good balance of red and dark berries with a touch of camphor, is still rather backward, the wine stern and structured, veering towards a slight excess of dryness, robbing it of opulence and charm. But this is still very fine, nonetheless.
2001 Ch Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (courtesy of Ellen), at Parkway Pantai’s Lunar New Year dinner at the Pan Pacific hotel, 7 Feb 2014. Popped and poured. Something distinctly distressing about this bottle, the wine appearing much more evolved than expected for a 2001, dry and weedy and alarmingly short of fruit. I don’t recall the 2001 Pichon Lalande being in danger of fading the last time I had it 3 years ago. Must be a poorly-kept bottle.
2007 Meo Carmuzet Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru (courtesy of Ellen), at Parkway Pantai’s Lunar New Year dinner at the Pan Pacific hotel, 7 Feb 2014. Popped and poured. Notes of strawberries and cherries dominate along with some earth and leafy overtones but, again, the fruit is rather backward and uninspiring, rendering the wine almost nondescript. Not befitting of its Grand Cru status.
2008 Reynella Basket Pressed shiraz, popped and poured at Bistro 103, 8 Feb 2014. I’d been searching for this McLaren Vale single vineyard shiraz ever since I tasted it at the cellar door of Hardy’s back in Dec 2012, but absolutely to no avail in Singapore. I finally chanced upon it at duty-free at Jakarta international airport. Full-bodied and dense, displaying an excellent concentration of red plums, licorice, dark currants, black pepper and roasted meat, rich and savoury and utterly smooth with very fine tannins, slightly spicy towards the finish. Very well crafted, though I’d say it’s still a notch below the Elderton Command shiraz as well as Hardy’s own Eileen Hardy shiraz, but the latter sells for twice the price. Very good.
2010 Denis Mortet Bourgogne Rouge de Noble Souche, popped and poured after hours at Arden Endocrinology, 12 Feb 2014. This wine has some good things going for it, in spite of its generic status. It took quite a while for the fruit to emerge but when it did, there was enough of fragrant red cherries and strawberries to balance against the rich salty minerality, though there wasn’t much in complexity and depth. Definitely agreeable at below SGD50.
2006 Ch Smith Haut Lafitte, decanted for 2 hours prior to tasting at home to an afternoon of music from the great masters, 16 Feb 2014. Dark red with very good concentration and balance of predominantly dark berries and blackcurrants with occasional bright notes, the wine largely tempered by a distinct ferrous minerality that, I suppose, is the contribution of the Pessac-Leognan terroir. It became more relaxed and open with further aeration, with eventual notes of raspberries, coffee and mocha emerging, rounded and supple. A good drop, provided the price is right.
2005 Kilkanoon cabernet sauvignon, a glass courtesy of SS, to go with a USDA ribeye at Pasar Bella, Turf City, 21 Feb 2014. Dark and opague, disjointed notes of licorice, mocha, twigs and more than a touch of green and wild berries. I don’t think Clare Valley is suitable for cabernet.
2000 Ch Grand Corbin at Imperial Treasure T3, 25 Feb 2014. Popped and poured. Deep purple. Generous with aromas of blueberries, soy, violets and herbs, quite full on the palate where the excellent ripeness of the grapes make a delicious impact, laced with sweet glycerin and some earthiness, that led to a long and lasting finish, albeit with a touch of ferrous austerity, gaining in breadth and depth of fruit after an hour with further aeration and food. At SGD89, this is excellent value.
1986 Ch Tour du Haut Moulin, popped and poured at Foo House, 26 Feb 2014. At only SGD65, with its capsule and fill level looking quite pristine, it was definitely worth a gamble. Its cork was dessicated, but the wine turned out fine. Dull dusty red and, as expected, lowish in acidity and alcohol with tannins that had dissipated long ago, but the fruit was still quite well and alive, offering notes of tangerine, red plums and cedar, rustic in feel and texture. 
Somewhat soft, but it put on weight very well over the next hour, snapping into focus and broadening in intensity although the fruit was beginning to fade. A good drop, by any standard.
2009 Ch Macay, popped and poured at Iroha, a teppanyaki establishment run by chef Akimasa Sekiguchi and his wife at 392 East Coast Road. I had high hopes for this Cotes de Bourg, having had a strong 2007 before. However, the 2009 was far too backward, resulting in a medium-bodied wine dominated more by graphite minerality and wood. Certainly, it grew in intensity with more of raspberries and dark cherries emerging to match the acidity, but it could do with more body, concentration and weight. In spite of the stellar vintage, this came across more like a second wine of a lesser growth.
Hugel & Fils in Singapore
I had the opportunity to attend a lunch organised by the Alsace Wine & Gastronomy Society, courtesy of its founder Julian Teoh, on 11 Jan 2014 at Bar-Rouge, Amara Hotel, Singapore, featuring the wines of the famous Alsace producer and negociant Hugel et Fils with its proprietor Etienne Hugel, and his lovely Japanese wife, in attendance. 
Stephan (and his mother!) conjured up a meal that would have been perfect for any table in the south of France and we were set.
To start the afternoon rolling, the 2008 Hugel Pinot Gris Jubilee was served as the aperitif while we waited for everyone to arrive, muted with a faint grassy note though it was much better on the palate, displaying good weight with notes of tropical fruits and burnt sugar although it still came across as somewhat simple.
Once we were seated, Etienne poured an unusual entity in the line-up, a 2008 Hugel Pinot Noir Jubilee that was quite correct in color but otherwise nondescript, with just faint notes of red cherries that was really unremarkable. Stick with real Burgundy. 
This was followed by the 1998 Gewurztraminer Hommage a Jean Hugel that was most promising on the nose with an abundance of lychee and honey though its acidity was beginning to slip, lacking complexity and depth initially although this was soon corrected with food.
The real charge began thereafter with the 2009 Hugel Riesling Vendange Tardive, which was a notable step up in sweetness compared to what had been tasted earlier, delicate in minerality, remarkably balanced and smooth with some lovely complexity at the finish. Excellent. The 2012 Hugel Lentil that followed was considerably lighter in body, grassy with refreshing crisp citrus, becoming weightier after some aeration.
The highlight of the afternoon was a quartet of Hugel Riesling Jubilee which provided scope for some fascinating comparison. The 2007 displayed subtle hints of tropical fruits and floral notes, painting the palate with broad bold strokes of great concentration and intensity, already fairly open with a lovely breadth and depth, superb potential but still far from ready. The 2010 was similarly intense but tighter with an abundance of nectarine and a dash of apricot. The 2001, with the advantage of bottle age, was, not surprisingly, the best of the lot, most enticing with lifted aromas of sweet nectar and honey, open with complex minerality and a wonderful mouthfeel, tapering to a long lasting finish. Drinking superbly. Holding its ground alongside the rest was the 2005, again excellent in concentration, smoky with notes of burnt sugar and tropical fruit amidst its crystalline minerality, growing in intensity over time with a mild steely note towatds the finish.
Perhaps the best was left till the end. The 2009 Hugel Riesling Selection de Grains Nobles was lively and deep with primary characters of apricot, burnt caramel, honey and nectarine, rematkably balanced and long and obviously will require considerable cellaring to develop its full potential. And finally, the piece de resistance, in the form of the 1999 Hugel Riesling Selection de Grains Nobles, displaying a deep luscious golden hue, was still laced with just the right degree of subtle acidity in spite of considerable bottle age, multi-dimensional with dominant notes of deep honey and caramel, absolutely superb in its purity, depth and length. Quite sensational, bringing the afternoon to a very satisfying conclusion. Thanks, Julian.
One Or 100
I had the privilege of attending a fund-raising dinner at Gardens By The Bay, Singapore, 28 Nov 2013, part of The Giving Tree project organised by NUHS in aid of the less fortunate. Given that the evening’s theme was all about giving generously, and this being a black-tie event, I didn’t think it was too difficult for like-minded members of Bacchus, conveniently placed at the same table, to match the lofty wine theme of “One Or 100”, meaning a Bordeaux First Growth (or its recognised equivalent, non-Bordeaux estates accepted as well) or a wine rated 100 points by Robert Parker Jr. No other planning was done and when I showed up, it was good to find that everyone had matched up perfectly. In fact, w
hat a stunning line-up it turned out to be, and it was no surprise that even people like Ignatius Chan (of Iggy’s fame), Timothy Goh (Les Amis) and Angelina Teh (Bordeaux Index) all gravitated to our table. All wines were aired in bottle between 30-60 minutes prior to tasting.
As Vinum Fine Wines was one of the proud sponsors of this event, it was not surprising to find a free flow of one of their agency brands, Bruno Paillard Premier Cuvee Brut NV, as the aperitif. This was quite lovely, displaying subdued citrus with measured notes of nutmeg, white roses, vanilla and sweet pomelo, very well-balanced with further notes of toast and yeast appearing much later.
We began south of Bordeaux city with the 1999 Ch Haut Brion (courtesy Vic) which, to our surprise, still appeared primal, utterly rich with a smooth intensity that yielded a superb mouthfeel with traces of vanillin oak still discernible amidst the sophisticated fine supple tannins, already quite open at this stage and becoming accessible now, growing in complexity over time as further notes of bright cherries and raspberries emerged, lifting its aromatics to greater heights. Totally under-rated, and I’d suggest you get a case of this if the price is right. A superb start.
It was a distinct pleasure to taste the next two wines together. I’ve heard and read so much about the 1998 Penfolds Grange (courtesy Danny) ever since I got hooked on wine but this was the first time I’ve had a chance to experience it. Contrary to popular belief, Aussie reds can age really well and this bottle of Grange proves that point. A deep and generous bouquet of menthol, mint and herbs from the wonderfully ripe shiraz led to an expansive canvas of dark plums and tangerine on the palate, utterly rich and opulent, the expert craftsmanship ensuring the wine remained at ease in spite of its hedonistic qualities, tapering to a long and lasting finish. Purists will object to the multi-district blend of shiraz that Penfolds favours for its Grange, but one could easily be persuaded that it works. Truly one of the very best examples of Aussie shiraz that I’ve had, masculine and lithe as opposed to the enticing grace and elegance of its great rival, Henschke’s Hill of Grace. Great stuff. 
Tasted alongside, the 1998 Vega Sicilia Unico was just as effusive on the nose, but distinctly more Old World in character with complex characters of cedar, cinnamon, red plums and kumquat, medium-full and beautifully layered and open. Highly distinctive, leaving a more lasting impression thanks to its ever-evolving complexity over time compared to the Grange. Really excellent.
The next three wines were truly outstanding. The 1995 Ch Mouton Rothschild (courtesy Pipin), exhibited an ample lovely pungency of mushrooms, snuff box and earth, leaping out of the glass along with a powerful glow of tea leaves and dried plums only possible from a Bordeaux breed of distinction. The palate is saturated with ripe dark berries, black fruits and a dash of red plums, superbly balanced, matched by sophisticated tannins to produce great structure and definition all the way to its lasting finish. A great Mouton, which made it all the more difficult to believe that it could be so different from a similar bottle tasted back in 2011 at a Mouton vertical (see Feb 2011). Paired with this was the 1996 Ch Latour (courtesy Hiok), which had the advantage of having been double-decanted prior to dinner. Well, there isn’t much about this estate that hasn’t been said or written about, safe to say that it outshone the Mouton in breadth and depth. 
Whereas the Mouton had seemed exuberant, perhaps even hedonistic in the French manner, the Latour was the perfect study in understatement, layered with glorious black fruits, dark currants and complex minerality of unfathomable depth, yet poised and relaxed on the palate, utterly natural and effortless in establishing its identity whilst further nuances of cinnamon and cedar continued to unfold over time. Truly outstanding.
And, finally, for the piece de resistance, a wine that hit the target for the theme on both counts, the 1986 Ch Mouton Rothschild (courtesy KP), a wine that, thanks to the generosity of fellow Bacchusians, I’ve had the privilege of tasting on several occasions, never failing in its consistency. In spite of its age, the 1986 Mouton tastes only like all of 10 years, complex, big and open, superbly balanced, yielding gorgeous definition with great depth of redcurrants, dark berries and a touch of tar, remarkably smooth and effortless in expression, its Pauillac signature remaining understated. The perfect wine? Perhaps, but this has been a perfect line-up for a wonderful evening of dining and camaraderie. Thanks, Kieron, and to everyone at Bacchus for their contributions.
Ric's Wine Journal 