Ric's Wine Journal

2000 Château Sociando-Mallet. Aired in bottle for ninety minutes ahead of dinner at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 01 July 2024. Still quite deeply coloured, exuding a lovely glow of mature Médoc. Medium-weight with fleshy contours, imbued with a soft presence of cedar and dark currants. Well-balanced and lively, displaying fine definition with understated acidity and elegance, finishing in a mild spicy lift with a distinct salinity. Highly rewarding but will not improve further.

2005 Château Duhart-Milon. Aired in bottle for three hours with further decanting on-site at Cook & Brew, 06 July 2024. Deep crimson. Lifted bouquet of red plums and dark currants. Medium-full. Rather sleek and slender at first, gaining more weight and depth as it became more open with a hallowed glow of green capsicum, cedar and snuff box. Morphed together very well with delicious understated verve, veering a little towards some savouriness.

2021 Coldstream Hills Chardonnay. Popped and poured at Eastern House of Seafood, 20 July 2024. Pale. Green fruits, melons and fig dominate with refreshing zest from the open concentrated intensity of fruit, displaying a chalky glow with chiseled precision. Good balance and finish.

2019 Domaine Roc des Boutires Pouilly-Fuissé Aux Bouthières. Partially decanted for ninety minutes ahead of lunch at Asia Grand, 21 July 2024. Lovely luminosity. Well-integrated with gleaming chromatic tones from its excellent chalky precision. Fairly intense at first though not the reductive sort, eventually settling down with a refined cool elegance, developing a glowing finish tinged with a dash of spice. Quite classy. One can see why this plot is now 1er cru within the newly-classified Pouilly-Fuissé.

2000 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge. Partially decanted for about two hours ahead of dinner at Otto Ristorante, 24 July 2024. Beautifully perfumed nose of black fruits, dark currants and distinct capsicum with a ripe warmth. Medium-full. Subtly nuanced within its soft fleshy contours, underscored by great acidity and understated minerally and medicinal elements, developing an intense succulence over time. Nearing its peak.

2019 Château Thieuley Cuvée Francis Courselle, tasted at Vintage warehouse, 29 Jul 2024. Green fruits, fig and distant tropical fruits on the nose. Clean and refreshing with good intensity of fruit, recalling lychees. Quiet finish. A blend of sauvignon blanc and semillon made by pair of sisters.

2018 Sebastien Carreau Le Terrier Malbec, tasted at Vintage warehouse, 29 Jul 2024. This Blaye-Côtes de Bordeaux displays a deep crimson with a ripe plummy savoury nose. Subtly structured and soft though it is packed with ample fruit that impart very good intensity with a minty finish.

2020 le Puy Emilien, tasted at Vintage warehouse, 29 Jul 2024. Deep crimson. Perfumed lift of red fruits leading to a soft medium palate. Perfectly balanced with refined acidity and earthy tannins that impart a slight bitter note. Drinking very well. No new oak here.

2019 le Puy Barthélemy, tasted at Vintage warehouse, 29 Jul 2024. Deep crimson. Considerably weightier on the nose than the Emilien, matched by a layered palate yielding good detail with chewy gritty tannins that impart robust intensity.

2014 Château La Gaffélière, tasted at Vintage warehouse, 29 Jul 2024. Good colour. Lovely aromas of darkish fruit entering early secondary development, evoking feminine characters. Seductively supple with refined intensity and acidity. My second tasting of this wine in as many weeks.

2017 Les Fiefs de Lagrange, tasted at Vintage warehouse, 29 Jul 2024. Highly aromatic with a forward nose of currants and dark fruits, displaying good power with structured intensity.

2017 Château Giscours, tasted at Vintage warehouse, 29 Jul 2024. Dusky red. Powerful nose of ripe velvety fruit laced with a trace of sweetness, delivering well on the structured palate with supple intensity and attractive mouthfeel.

2014 Château Pontet Canet, tasted at Vintage warehouse, 29 Jul 2024. Richly imbued with black fruits and dark currants that impart darkish tone and colour with a brooding quality. There is a trace of sweetness on the supple medium-full, subtly structured with a lovely tensile presence though the Pauillac signature isn’t quite apparent.

2014 Château Ausone, tasted blind at Vintage warehouse, 29 Jul 2024. Crimson with a bit of evolution. The nose is a little forward but few will complain given how well the fruit blends with attractive savoury characters offset by a dash of haw and sweetish oak. Softly contoured with a rounded cool elegance, this wine exudes subtle intensity. Highly supple and integral. Doesn’t proffer much inner detail though its pedigree is unmistakable. Modest finish.

1990 Château Figeac, courtesy of Dr Ngoi at Yang Ming Seafood (Ubi), 29 Jul 2024. Poured from magnum. Brownish. Restrained nose of mature fruit with overtones of lychees. Still quite wonderfully sleek, the fruit distinctly autumnal but still fresh, dressed in silky smooth tannins with supple acidity that produced a bit of spicy lift towards its modest finish. Unlikely to improve any further.

2018 Mondot. Aired in bottle for three hours ahead of dinner at Summer Hill, 30 Jul 2024. Opaque purple. Attractive nose of blueberries and dark currants. Medium presence. Quite fleshy with slightly dryish textures initially, producing terse mouthfeel. Developed a surprising juicy intensity after some time that went well with the overall cool ripeness, proffering fine detail. Fairly delicious. Drinking well.

This black-tie event, jointly organised by several food and wine commanderies in Singapore, took place on 15 July 2024 at Riviera restaurant to commemorate Bastille Day, where the French Ambassador was in attendance. A broader agenda was to celebrate L’Art de Vivre, loosely interpreted as the French way of living where the arts, its exquisite cuisine and its wines are pivotal cornerstones of French culture. The food was good and the wines were drinking well, leading to a gradual swell in riotous banter punctuated by several rounds of ban bourguignon as well as proclamations of the slogans of each commanderie, proving beyond doubt that the French really know how to live it up. Many thanks, Nicola, for organising.

Champagne Nicholas Feuillate Réserve Exclusive Brut NV. Light golden, proffering a lovely complex of cool icing, vanillin, fig and melons with a plush crystalline quality, displaying excellent body and presence that impart refreshing zest. Not too dry, developing further overtones of lime with exquisite intensity.

2011 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 1er Vau de Vey. Poured from magnum. Pale luminosity. Notes of olives, nutmeg and baked apples on the nose, underscored by a trace of earthiness as well as early secondary characters. There is a sense of fizz on the medium-full palate, dominated by a fine presence of evolved citrus laced with a minerally edge.

2014 Domaine François Gaunoux Pommard 1er Les Grands Epenots. Darkish in tone and colour, marked by raspberries and dark wild berries. Medium weight. Quite fleshy and assertive, the robust acidity imparting a tinge of menthol with some bright spots within its rustic character, proffering a glimpse of its inner layers.

2014 Château Malarctic-Lagravière Rouge. Deep garnet. Ample presence of juicy black berries and dark fruits topped by a smooth sheen of créme de la créme. Developed further cool ripe plummy tones with an elegant supple intensity. Classically structured and integral.

2014 Château La Gaffélière. Deep garnet. Some restraint on the nose though the full palate is ample in black fruits, well extracted with terse acidity that add up to a structured tensile presence. A lot more reflective of the vintage after a couple of hours, settling down with better balance and cool elegance. Still infantile.

2018 Château Bastor-Lamontagne. Golden luminosity. Hint of petroleum on the nose. The firm palate is imbued with glazed citrus and peaches, displaying moderate sweetness and intensity with distinct ferrous undertones.

Domaine de Pellehaut Ugni Blanc Armagnac, 30 ans d’Age. Clean powerful lift on the nose, leading to a sharp attack of cutting intensity and acidity. Strictly for connoisseurs.

Hiok marked his auspicious completion of the cycle of five zodiac elements with a lovely dinner at Imperial Treasure Great World on 09 July 2024 with a great line-up to match the superb cuisine. All wines were blinded. The clarets were all drinking their vintages superbly while the 1990 Sociando-Mallet stood up to the First Growths. Many happy returns!

2004 Williams Selyem Allen Vineyard Chardonnay, courtesy of Pipin. Dull golden, slightly opaque. Some oxidation is evident, exuding notes of preserved orange peel and apricot with overtones of diesel. Distinctly mature. The fruit is clearly receding, barely hanging on, giving way to a glazed minerally palate with a domineering acidity that tapered to a spicy finish.

2000 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, courtesy of Sir Bob. Golden luminosity. The bouquet is quite sublime, where distilled white tones combine with secondary chalkiness in precise fashion to produce a very lovely glow. The medium-full palate is superbly integrated across the fruit and acidity, yielding refined depth and detail with a bit of minerally finish. Beautifully proportioned. Has breed and pedigree.

2009 Joseph Drouhin Montrachet Grand Cru Marquis de Laguiche, courtesy of Kieron. Dull golden. Somewhat funky on the nose where a damp pebbly note is evident. Surprisingly more developed as well on the palate where the fruit is distinctly backward, giving way to a bright glazed tone. Not quite the usual Montrachet of Drouhin. Probably bottle variation. May not be representative.

2015 Château Mouton Rothschild Aile d’Argent, courtesy of Vic. Lovely luminosity. Powerful nose of green fruits and lychees entirely consistent with the blend of sauvignon blanc-sémillon, just a little oxidative, tinged with a note of petroleum. The fruit, however, appears to be fading off towards the finish on the medium-weight palate though there is an accentuated lift of smooth acidity with notes of vanillin and peppermint to provide enough distraction.

1990 Château Sociando-Mallet. Still fairly deep in purple. Lovely complex of mulberries, raspberries and sweet plums on the nose amid overtones of dark rose petals. Beautifully soft and rounded, imbued with moderate layers of darkish fruit within its melted tannins. Still vibrant and fresh, laced with sublime acidity. Fleshed out with near-magisterial presence, yielding fine detail and subtle nuances entirely consistent with its northern Médoc origin. Finished well. More than just a poor man’s Lafite, just missing the opulence of a true premier cru.

1986 Silver Oak Bonny’s Vineyard Napa Valley, courtesy of LF. Deep crimson. Delicious presence of mature red fruits and berries underscored by darkish earthy elements. A little forwardly balanced though offset by excellent detail and layering, fleshing out with ample depth of black fruit and currants on a bed of subtle velvety tannins laced with a trace of sweetness.

1998 Château Mouton Rothschild, courtesy of Kieron. Deep crimson. Good lift of dark currants and red fruits though the soft fleshy palate carries only medium weight, structured with smooth tannins that are a little sweet, layered with ample fruit amid subtle nuances of green capsicum. Modest finish.

1996 Château Margaux, courtesy of Vic. Deep crimson, proffering a dark plummy bouquet. Rounded and fleshy, displaying a predominance of haw and mature red fruits that coat the open medium palate with a dash of sweetness underscored by subtle minerally elements. More accentuated over time, yielding refined power within its velvety texture. At its peak and will hold.

2001 Château Mouton Rothschild. Deep crimson. Distant dark fragrances amid rosy hues on the nose, displaying medium presence of fruit with overtones of dried mushrooms. Still rather youthful, wonderfully fresh and fleshy, yielding good definition. Highly integral and unassuming.

2004 Château Latour, courtesy of Hiok. Bright purplish crimson. Profusion of red fruits on the nose and palate, still laced with traces of vanillin. The tannins have softened considerably, allowing a distinct stoniness to emerge that exude a bright pebbly quality though there is a certain aloofness that is classically Latour. Entering its drinking window, but best to cellar another 8-10 years.

1970 Château Lynch-Bages, courtesy of Sir Bob. Opaque dull red. Fleshy with a juicy succulence of mature red fruits and mandarins. Still incredibly fresh, replete with very fine acidity, displaying excellent definition throughout its length. Not drying out at all. A complete wine.

1982 Château Haut-Brion, courtesy of Pipin. Mature orangey-crimson. The wine defies all logic, its layers of darkish fruit has not lost any of its glorious tone, still amazingly fresh with a classic core of kumquat supported by sublime acidity that exude lovely verve and agility with superb definition and precision. Immaculately proportioned without calling attention to itself. Wonderfully elegant, and likely to continue to hold its station. Outstanding!

1954 Cosecha Vina Real Compania Vinivola Del Norte, courtesy of LF. Opaque brownish, exuding a pervasive but faint sweetish tinge from characters of plums, peaches and haw that emanate from the mature fruit. Still quite amazingly fresh, displaying fine clarity but the finish is short. Strictly for afficionados of old Rioja.

2019 Château Rieussec. Luminous, proffering a controlled sweetness on the nose lightly sprinkled with malt and lychees. Concentrated and slightly luscious, yet never really domineering, allowing the essence of noble rot to come through, recalling tropical characters of durian and moi chee.

The Jürade de Saint-Émilion du Singapour gathered only for the second time this year at Shang Palace on 02 July 2024 to peruse through a Château Pavie vertical, bringing back memories of our visit to this Premier Grand Cru Classé “A” in June 2019. Thrust into the spotlight largely after being bought over by Gerard Perse in 1998, the evening’s line-up, most appropriately, began from that seminal vintage. From the tasting, it is clear that the current identity of Pavie only really took off from 2000 onward, coinciding with a change in bottle shape that same year. The modern style of Pavie tends to polarise opinions but every bottle will have its eventual day. Patience, as always, is key. A big merci beaucoup to all, and to Kieron for organising.

Nyetimber Classic Cuvée, from the restaurant list. Pale. Fig, green melons and longans dominate with biscuity overtones, revealing some inner detail of tropical fruits underscored by a minerally prominence that conferred a certain austerity. Brightened up after some time with a powerful controlled intensity of lime and clear citrus, attaining a crystalline quality within a sheen of soft bubbles.

2011 Château Pavie, courtesy of Marc. Deep purple. Somewhat upfront with a bold presence of sweet vanillin and dark currants though the fleshy palate is only medium-full, softly contoured with a fair bit of velvety detail. Surprisingly mellow and elegant, firming up with a tinge of mocha and mint after some time. Well proportioned. Yet to develop secondary characters but this is quite promising.

2008 Château Pavie, courtesy of Dolly. Bright purple with a crimson core of bright plummy fruit laced with vanillin, opening with a tinge of spice on the fleshy palate before settling down with a quiet tensile presence. Very evenly proportioned, gaining further structure and power as it firmed up with exciting tannins. Good length. Very promising; may turn out to be a classic.

2006 Château Pavie, poured from a pair courtesy of Mel and Sok Cheng. Opaque purple. Lovely glow of ripe raspberries and dark currants, displaying faint secondary characters of earth, cedar and cinnamon. Medium weight, where its soft fleshy contour belies a wine still quite tightly structured across its robust tannins, refined acidity and depth of fruit.

2005 Château Pavie, courtesy of Kim Leng. Displaying a bright crimson, this wine is noticeably more developed than expected, exuding a deep funky pungency though the medium-weight palate is imbued with a controlled intensity of predominant red fruits, suitably ripe with a rounded warmth. I would say its character is consistent with my observations of the 2005 vintage on both Banks, sleeker and more developed than the 2000, as evidenced below.

2003 Château Pavie, courtesy of Kieron. Very deep garnet. This wine opens with a quiet restraint, almost brooding, though it is highly supple and mellow at the right level of ripeness. Very well proportioned and balanced, structured with very refined tannins without any hint of the intense heat stress of that vintage. Highly successful.

2000 Château Pavie, poured from a pair courtesy of Bowei (aired since 0800h!) and Russ. Opaque crimson, proffering a lifted glow of mature plummy fruit. Open and irresistibly delicious, imbued with transparent velvety textures that exude subtle fragrance from the glorious depth of fruit. Very correctly nuanced, almost to the point of being ethereal. However, it grew tighter over time, developing further layers of fruit. Compared with the 2005, the millennial vintage seems almost unevolved. Truly one for the ages.

1999 Château Pavie, courtesy of Jess. Opaque crimson. Alluring lift of haw, red fruits and rosy hues. Surprisingly taut and tensile on the palate, caressed by lovely fruit that impart disarming elegance and charm, underscored by a dash of menthol. Highly successful.

1998 Château Pavie. Opaque brownish red. Already into early tertiary development where complex dark fruits and currants are interlaced with characters of capsicum and sandalwood and overtones of Chinese medicinal elements. Medium-full. Evenly proportioned with lovely tension, exuding an exquisite controlled intensity. Aristocratic.

The usual suspects convened at Imperial Treasure Great World on 25 June 2024 for an excellent Haut-Brion vertical comprising wines mostly from the previous century. If there is an irrefutable truth, it would be that there is no such thing as a bad Haut-Brion, as borne out by that evening’s line-up and all those glorious drops I have had over the years. Merci beaucoup, gentlemen!

Champagne Ullens Brut NV. Luminous gold. Cool lift of gentle yeasty tones and white incense. Good balance. Dryish with crisp refined intensity, developing chromatic chalky tones over time with a minerally tinge.

2008 Champagne Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, courtesy of LF. Lovely golden hue, exuding a lovely rounded bouquet matched by a crisp clear expanse of white tones within a sheen of very soft bubbles, glowing with a distilled chalky intensity. Highly refined, boasting aristocratic breed.

2018 Domaine Marc Morey et Fils Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1er, courtesy of Vic. Pale. Delicate lift of faint white floral bloom, slightly tropical, with a lovely rounded presence that offers fine clarity. Better in definition over time, well balanced with seamless white tones and cool icing.

2018 Hubert Lamy Chassagne-Montrachet Le Concis du Champs, courtesy of Kieron. Pale luminosity, proffering a general restraint with a distant salinity on the medium palate. Distinctly reductive, though it opened up with greater detail and more yellow fruits to the fore. Good balance, not heavy at all. Drinking well.

2006 Château Haut-Brion, courtesy of Sir Bob. Aired for six hours prior with further decanting on-site. Deep purple. Highly enticing bouquet of deep dark delicious currants amid traces of vanillin. Rather fullish, entering into its secondary development with early notes of kumquat, structured with svelte tannins and sublime acidity that impart sweet juicy succulence and supple intensity. Highly integral, but still youthful. Huge potential here.

1998 Château Haut-Brion. Aired in bottle for almost three hours. Deep crimson. Very inviting nose of red currants, mulberries and dark fruits, still laced with a hint of vanillin. The medium palate is open and highly supple, its sleek acidity and smooth unobtrusive tannins imparting refined intensity with a delicate lift, developing further plush textures with a characteristic inner core of kumquat. Superbly integral, though probably yet to attain peak maturity.

1995 Château Haut-Brion, courtesy of Kieron. Lovely crimson. The bouquet is absolutely stunning in its highly aromatic feminine fragrance coupled with a certain pebbly warmth. Utterly beguiling, though the open medium-weight palate is considerably more restrained, very beautifully integrated across the superb depth of fruit, slick acidity and silky tannins into an irresistible svelte succulence, maintaining a controlled verve and intensity throughout its glorious length. Probably out-drinking the 1996 at this stage. Outstanding!

1994 Château Haut-Brion, courtesy of Vic. Evolved crimson. Somewhat funky on the nose at first though the fleshy palate is absolutely pristine in every way, still rather fullish, boasting immaculate balance with an open intensity of ripe blueberries and dark currants that offer superb detail and refinement. It turned much more minerally after several hours with a prominence of earthy ferrous elements, the fruit distinctly darker in tone. Doesn’t quite possess that plush succulence of the best vintages but it is always a pleasure to re-visit this cult vintage of Haut-Brion. At its best but will not improve further.

1990 Château Haut-Brion, courtesy of Sir Bob. Displaying beautiful translucent hues of crimson, this wine opens with fragrant rosy tones that merged seamlessly with the subtle earthiness and tertiary characters caught at full maturity. Highly integral and agile, displaying elegant verve within the fluid layers of fruit. Still wonderfully fresh and vibrant. At its best and will continue to hold for many years.

1988 Château Haut-Brion, courtesy of LF. Orangey-crimson. Rather restrained at first though it evolved quite rapidly with an irresistible earthy pungency. Very elegantly agile, subtly layered with great fluidity that tapered with a bit of svelte intensity towards its fine finish. Still remarkably fresh. Doesn’t yield that much inner detail but it is highly integral, avoiding any hint of vegetal burliness that is often a symptom of this vintage.

2021 Joseph Drouhin Bourgogne Rouge Laforêt from the list of Taverne du Passage, Brussels, 04 June 2024. Classic pinot tint. Medium presence of raspberries and wild berries, structured with well-delineated acidity though there is a slight stemminess. Fleshed out with keen attack and intensity with well-integrated rounded tannins, revealing a bit of inner warmth amid overtones of citrus fruits and soft rosy hues.

Pronol Cuvée No.56, at the Diamond Lounge of Brussels Airport, 06 Jun 2024. Pale luminosity. Airy nose of fig, green melons and leafy mint. Medium-weight, displaying refreshing zest with a dryish attack and intensity. Fine clarity.

Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Essentiel Brut NV, on board SQ303 BRU-SIN, 06 Jun 2024. Clear luminosity. Rounded nose of brioche and almonds. Very fine presence of citrus fruit, hazelnut and subtle minerally elements, well-integrated with good refinement and intensity. Not too dry. Flinty finish.

2022 Vickery Watervale Clare Valley Riesling, on board SQ303 BRU-SIN, 06 Jun 2024. Pale. Distinct nose of diesel. Medium weight, displaying an oily density laced with subtle acidity. Good balance. Modest finish.

2021 Joseph Drouhin Saint-Véran, on board SQ303 BRU-SIN, 06 Jun 2024. Luminous golden hues. Lovely nose of crème and chalk, a tad sweetish. Fleshy, medium presence of white fruits tinged with a dash of salinity, displaying good clarity. Modest finish.

2019 Château Croix-Mouton, on board SQ303 BRU-SIN, 06 Jun 2024. Deep garnet. Restrained bouquet of mulberries and sandalwood though the slender palate is open with a fleshy density of ripe fruit, replete with that classic Pauillac dryness. Highly integral. Modest finish. Drinking well. An astute choice.

2021 Teusner Wark Family Shiraz, on board SQ303 BRU-SIN, 06 Jun 2024. Impenetrable deep garnet, exuding classic tones of warm ripe Australian shiraz tinged with licorice and dry tobacco. Fairly integral and balanced, far from being hedonistic.

2016 Domaine Thibert Père et Fils Pouilly-Fuissé Les Ménétrères. Popped and poured at Crab At Bay, 08 Jun 2024. Pale greenish. Aromatic lift of cool melons and fig. Medium-bodied. Well-balanced and integrated, showing excellent Pouilly-Fuissé character of delicate intense citrus laced with lively acidity, finishing with a hint of minerally austerity.

1994 Château Latour. Aired in bottle for 150 minutes ahead of our 30th anniversary dinner at Imperial Treasure Great World, 09 Jun 2024. Brownish crimson. Lovely tertiary glow of mulberries, roasted walnuts, cinnamon, cedar and dark currants, imbued with lively acidity that impart exciting verve with a well-defined Pauillac character of tea leaves. Settled down quite quickly with clearer textures, morphing into a seamless entity with emerging sweet tannins that evoked some juicy succulence with a dash of delicious currants at its modest finish. Doesn’t quite possess the layering and additional dimension of the best vintages but this 1994 is still very very fine and will hold for many more years.

2013 Champagne Dom Pérignon. Popped and poured at Corner Grill for our 30th anniversary, 11 Jun 2024. Pale classic tone, proffering a generous bouquet of peaches, fig and melons. Equally ample on the full palate, dominated by a sheer density of clear citrus that impart crisp intensity and tensile acidity, layered with subtle minerally shades. Almost abrasive at this infantile stage, but clearly set for the long haul.

2019 Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet La Maltroie 1er. Aired in bottle for 150 minutes prior to dinner at Jade Palace, 13 Jun 2024. Pale. Attractive nose of vanillin and powdery white tones that is classic Chassagne. The medium palate is beautifully nuanced with icing and floral fragrance tinged with a distinct salinity, yielding fine clarity with a bit of brightness throughout its sleek length, finishing in a spicy peppery glow with a hint of green capsicum.

2020 HDV Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay, courtesy of Mr WB Tay at Jade Palace, 13 Jun 2024. Popped and poured. Pale luminosity. Rather restrained on the nose initially, only hinting at an oily density while the palate is imbued with a core of warm ripe fruit that exude a subdued lift. Gradually evolved with emerging white tones within smooth rounded satiny textures, yielding further notes of nutmeg and green capsicum as it unfurled with greater depth and layering, boasting controlled verve and elegant reserve. Highly burgundian, matching the preceding Chassagne every step of the way. Excellent.

2008 Château Haut-Bailly, courtesy of Vic at Jade Palace, 13 Jun 2024. Deep garnet. Warm bouquet of incense, heated gravel and earthy minerals. Medium-weight. Rounded and fleshy with early secondary characters, showing good balance and refinement, structured with subdued tannins that confer a certain delicate velvetiness. Drinking well.

2017 HDV Belle Cousine, courtesy of Mr WB Tay at Jade Palace, 13 Jun 2024. Deep garnet. This blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot opens with sweet savoury tones that lead to a fleshy medium presence of dark fruits and currants, yielding fine detail within a sleek profile. Quite impeccably proportioned and balanced with a ripe supple moderate intensity, laced with sweet vanillin. Far from hedonistic. Highly successful.

2021 Coldstream Hills Chardonnay. Popped and poured at Eastern House Of Seafood, 15 Jun 2024. Pale. Cool minty lift amid intense delicate tones of clear citrus and green melons laced with high-toned acidity, yielding some inner detail. On par with a Pouilly-Fuissé.

2020 Turkey Flat Shiraz, aired in bottle for two hours prior to dinner, 16 June 2024. Deep purple. Richly imbued with ripe raspberries, mulberries, black cherries and currants on the nose and palate. Beautifully balanced and supple with a tinge of salinity, displaying controlled acidity and modest intensity amid overtones of licorice. Far from the unctuous hedonism commonly associated with Aussie shiraz.

2016 Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Bas de Combes. Aired for ninety minutes in bottle ahead of lunch at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 17 Jun 2024. Dense velvety nose of ripe raspberries and mulberries. Rather fullish at first with keen acidity. Evolved into a sleeker lighter-textured proposition over time with moderate supple intensity, developing overtones of mandarins, red fruits and cherries with brighter hues. Approaching its drinking best. Punches above its station.

2009 Champagne Corbon Avize Chardonnay Grand Cru, courtesy of CJ at Putien (Kitchener), 19 Jun 2024. Pale luminosity. Effusive lift of dense yellow citrus with a lovely airiness. The fullish palate is infused with a distinct salinity amid moderate minerally elements, a little forward in its chiseled precision and dry intensity, yielding good clarity.

2012 Champagne Penet-Chardonnet Verzy Grand Cru Les Blanches Voies, courtesy of CJ at Putien (Kitchener), 19 Jun 2024. Pale luminosity, proffering a perfumed floral lift with a hint of rye and olives. Quite brightly lit with an initial focused intensity of white fruits, but it turned rather introspective and shy after some time, leaving a bit of minerally glare.

Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Rosé de Saignée Extra Brut 1er, courtesy of LF at Putien (Kitchener), 19 Jun 2024. Pale rosy hue of grapefruit and mandarins. Rather lightweight. More open over time with a trace of sweetness but it could do with more fruit.

2013 Antoine Jobard Saint-Aubin Sur le Sentier du Clou 1er, courtesy of Hock Foong at Putien (Kitchener), 19 Jun 2024. Dull golden hue, proffering early oxidative tones on the nose whilst the medium-full palate is marked by dominant high-toned acidity, leading to an intense reductive character. Became highly introspective and backward over time, leaving glacial overtones of icing and vanillin that created some glare.

2016 Domaine Daniel Rion et Fils Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Hauts Pruliers 1er. Aired in bottle for ninety minutes ahead of dinner at Putien (Kitchener), 19 Jun 2024. Good colour. Lovely nose of ripe raspberries and red cherries with a delicious lifted warmth. Medium-full. Open with supple intensity and smooth rounded tannins, underscored by a subtle plummy vein. Immaculate balance.

2017 Domaine Philippe Chéron Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos des Varoilles monopole, courtesy of LF at Putien (Kitchener), 19 Jun 2024. Bright crimson, showing a certain restraint with a cool velvety ripeness. The copious fruit is a little darkish, imbued with sleek acidity and a note of soy, cushioned again by that lush velvetiness that impart power and concentration. Deserves several more years of cellaring. Great potential.

2017 Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos de la Marchale 1er, courtesy of CHS at Putien (Kitchener), 19 Jun 2024. Dull purplish tint, boasting a lifted elegance that carried subtle verve. Relaxed and open with that classic NSG earthiness. Medium weight. Very evenly proportioned with a fleshy delicious intensity though it faded towards its short finish.

2016 Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune Grèves Vigne de L’Enfant Jesus 1er, courtesy of Dr Ngoi at Putien (Kitchener), 19 Jun 2024. Good colour. This monopole of Bouchard boasts an excellent presence of ripe red fruits and cherries, slightly forward but undeniably delicious with a dash of sweetness. Well extracted with a focused cool intensity. Still youthful.

The usual suspects gathered at Buona Terra on 21 May 2024 on a theme of “burgs to impress”. The line-up turned out to be quite stunning where even a village could hold its ground against more exalted drops. All wines were blinded. Thank you all for your immense generosity, and to Gabrielle for the expert wine service.

2011 Domaine Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru. Pale. Nutmeg and intense clear citrus dominate amid a tinge of green capsicum that exude glowing freshness. Medium-full. Seamlessly integrated, blossoming later with exquisite intensity of dense pineapples and orchard fruit on a minerally base, settling eventually with a rounded warmth. Modest finish. A faithful representation of the vintage for burg whites.

2005 Domaine Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of LF. Some age is evident from the dull golden hue. The lovely bouquet of cane sugar with a laidback chalkiness is most unusual for PYCM; in fact, it resembled a classic Leflaive nose! Beautifully integral, displaying exquisite intensity with a glazed creaminess of early maturity that extend all the way to a glowing finish of charcoal and ember. We tend to drink PYCMs way too young; will they all mature in this manner?

1991 Domaine Leflaive Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of Sir Bob. Lovely luminosity. Unusual nose, rather distant and shy, just a suggestion of freshly struck matchstick. Distinctly reductive with a deep minerally vein supporting the structured white tones. Clearly mature but still wonderfully vibrant and full, evolving with fleeting intensity of nutmeg and green notes before moving on to longans and lychees, boasting excellent inner detail with aristocratic character throughout its length. Superb.

2020 Frédéric Cossard Morey-Saint-Denis Les Mont Luisants 1er, courtesy of Gabrielle. Bright crimson, opening with an illusion of fizz from the ample presence of juicy red fruits underpinned by a distinct earthiness. Very correctly nuanced. Bears a certain resemblance to a Prieuré Roch.

2021 Kei Shiogai Gevrey-Chambertin, courtesy of Anthony. Good colour. Alluring hues of rose petals and cherries with a vegetal tinge that taper with a focused soft intensity on the rounded medium palate, displaying an attractive fleshy presence with lovely balance and precise acidity tempered by an understated sweetness. Beautifully smooth and polished. From a Japanese who had done time at Armand Rousseau and Roulot.

2014 Domaine Comte Liger-Belair Vosne-Romanée, courtesy of Anthony. Lovely pinot tint. Focused bouquet of ripe berries and darkish rosy hues though there is considerable restraint. Softly contoured with an alluring feminine intensity, where its youthful freshness is tempered with a certain elegance. Very well-proportioned and balanced, displaying fine definition. Drinking beautifully. Easily on par with any premier cru.

2015 Domaine Georges Noëllat Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Cras 1er. Dark in colour and tone. Effusive in black fruits with a splash of menthol and mocha. Powerfully structured though there is a certain supple warmth. Still tight and unyielding. Maxime Chuerlin may have overdone it somewhat for it resembles more of Vosne-Romanée to the north. Really took a long time to open up just a little. Not ready. The domaine’s NSG Aux Boudots 1er of the same vintage is much more persuasive.

2006 Domaine de Montille Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts Christiane 1er, courtesy of Alvin. Classic pinot tint. Open with alluring soft textures where the excellent fruit is rooted by an earthy minerally vein. Rounded and elegant with very good refinement, yielding fine detail though the finish is modest. This special plot of de Montille actually slips into the southern end of La Tâche, separated from the grand cru only by a fault in the land. But it makes a difference.

2016 Domaine François Lamarche Grands Échezeaux Grand Cru, courtesy of Kieron. Darkish pinot tint, proffering a concentrated bouquet of intense dark berries with a tinge of green capsicum that carry well onto the medium-full palate, boasting precise definition of fruit, tannins and refined acidity that impart subtle intensity.

2014 Domaine du Clos de Tart Clos de Tart Grand Cru monopole, courtesy of Vic. Good colour. Very very lovely on the nose, boasting a glorious lift of top-drawer red fruits with a hint of nail varnish. Slightly velvety in texture from its detailed tannins and overtones of paraffin. Utterly beguiling and seductive. Highly elegant. Delicious.

1996 Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Musigny Grand Cru, courtesy of LF. Dull opaque pinot tint, igniting the senses with a soft exquisite intensity of mature raspberries amidst an autumnal complex. Beautifully integrated and glowing with a certain richness and precision in its inner detail. Impeccably balanced, displaying a flowing noble elegance that is a reflection of the great man himself. Outstanding.

2018 Chain Of Ponds Adelaide Hills Morning Star Pinot Noir. Tasted from two different bottles on 01 May and 05 May, 2024. This single vineyard offering displays a slightly darkish hue for pinot though the nose and medium palate are quite correct with a fair abundance of dark cherries and rose petals, just slightly darkish in tone, tinged with a dash of plums that lend further weight, structured with smooth rounded tannins and refined acidity. Good balance. Has potential for further development. For those who are familiar with the area, this winery is just a stone’s throw from Gumeracha where the giant rocking horse is.

2010 Champagne Dom Pérignon, courtesy of Dr WKW at Imperial Treasure Great World, 08 May 2024. Displaying a lovely luminosity, this wine boasts an effusive lift of clear and yellow citrus. Appropriately tight and reductive with a coiled density of fruit that exude delicate intensity, beautifully detailed, seamlessly layered with distinct minerally elements and lemon bitters that impart a hint of austerity. Not quite as opulent as the 2002, 2004, 2006 or 2008 but its pedigree is obvious.

2018 Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet 1er Hameau de Blagny. Aired in bottle for more than two hours ahead of dinner at Imperial Treasure Great World, 08 May 2024. Pale luminosity. Gentle glowing floral fragrance, somewhat distant initially, showing a certain restraint in fruit and overall chalkiness. Took another two hours to flesh out with a slick oiliness, covering itself with glorious white tones that exert delicious intensity and exciting detail. Excellent, but patience is required.

2019 Cyprien Arlaud Vosne-Romanée Aux Réas. Aired in bottle for more than two hours ahead of dinner at Imperial Treasure Great World, 08 May 2024. Deep purple. Rose petals dominate with a hint of varnish on the nose. Highly integral at just the right level of extraction, producing a rich creamy tensile mouthfeel from the controlled intensity. Only village, but excellent.

2006 Fontanafredda Barolo La Rosa. Aired in bottle for four hours prior at the in-laws, 12 May 2024. Dull crimson. Lovely bouquet of red fruits matched by an open supple intensity, imbued with a plummy quality laced with exciting acidity. Very well balanced with refined tannins, yielding fine detail with a deeper darkish vein of fruit. No longer has that tough rusticity previously encountered.

2021 Peccavi Chardonnay. Aired in bottle for five hours prior to dinner at home, 19-20 May 2024. In spite of that, this Margaret River white was still tightly chiseled, quite intensely reductive in its minerality. It loosened up with food, becoming much broader and fleshy, boasting dense layers of white fruits and orchard with traces of vanillin whilst the nose took on an attractive floral note but still far from ready. One of my perennial favourites, I’d rate this on par with Leeuwin Estate’s Art Series Chardonnay (but at less than half the price), both requiring years of cellaring in order to do justice to their quality.

2022 Penfolds Rawson’s Retreat Chardonnay at Krisflyer Gold Lounge, Changi Terminal 3, 24 May 2024. Pale. Floral scents leading to a tight intensity of fresh citrus layered with ferrous minerals and cutting acidity amid light creamy overtones. Does its job.

2023 Peacock’s Heritage Chardonnay at the SAS Lounge, Copenhagen Lufthavnen, 28 May 2024. Pale golden hue. Keen nose of fig, nutmeg and clean white tones though the palate is only light-medium in weight, proffering some exotic spices laced with faint minerality that finished well in a peppery glow. Does its job.

2023 Vallado Duoro from the restaurant list of Cervejaria Pinóquio, Lisbon, Portugal, on 29 May 2024. Popped and poured. Pale greenish floral hues. Keen attack and intensity of green melons and fig underpinned by crisp acidity. Fleshed out with excellent body and gritty minerally subtlety after an hour. Great value at only €28.

A lofty theme of Grand Crus from producers or communes beginning with the letter “C” at a charity dinner in aid of A.B.L.E. on 17 May 2024 at Imperial Treasure Asia Square, Singapore. All wines were blinded. Dinner was preceded by a mini promenade of premier cru poured mostly from magnums. Many thanks, Sir K, for hosting!

2018 Julien Guillot Mâcon Cruzille Aragonite Clos Des Vignes Du Maynes. Poured from magnum. Pale with a musky opacity, proffering fresh pears and fig. The slightly stony palate is well integrated with subdued acidity, but a little awkward to me. Modest finish.

2021 Domaine Chavy-Chouet Puligny-Montrachet Les Ensignières 1er. Poured from magnum. Pale greenish. Aromatic lift of pineapples and honeysuckle though the fruit is rather backward and lean on the medium palate, resulting in a bit of minerally glare offset by cool acidity.

2021 Domaine Rossignol-Trapet Gevrey-Chambertin Petite Chapelle 1er. Poured from magnum. Classic pinot tint, exuding perfumed rosy aromas from the integral delicate presence. Very well proportioned and balanced, yielding superb clarity. Distinctly feminine.

2017 Domaine Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet Clos Saint-Jean Rouge 1er. Poured from magnum. Good colour. Hint of varnish amid delicious detail of cherries and strawberries, exerting supple mouthfeel and intensity.

2012 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er, courtesy of Andre. Classic pinot tint. Darkish and distinctly austere. Equally dense in black fruits and minerally elements, the latter somewhat distracting even though the medium-weight palate is fairly integral. Probably a function of the vintage.

2016 Domaine Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin Cuvée Marguerite 1er. Light golden. Effusive bouquet of brioche and floral elements, endowed with a generous density of clear citrus dripping with crisp acidity that impart a concentrated focused intensity, culminating in a long minerally glow.

2009 Domaine Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, courtesy of Kieron. Lovely luminosity. Abundant in rich yellow citrus, orchard fruit and pineapples that impart exquisite intensity, topped with overtones of icing and paraffin. Highly supple, underscored by superb subtle acidity that yielded fine transparency, finishing with a dash of coconut. Still far from full maturity.

2017 Domaine Comte Senard Corton Blanc Grand Cru. Restrained bouquet of white fruit. Rather understated on the whole, the fruit concentrated but pensive, displaying good clarity and integration with a lean focus. It gradually evolved with a lengthy presence of nutmeg and spices though its shy demeanour persisted.

2018 Domaine Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, courtesy of Ewen. Effusive in tropical fruits and yellow citrus, matched by a slightly reductive medium-full palate laced with a subtle ferrous tinge. More delicate and minerally over time, maintaining its lithe exuberance as it fleshed out with integral intensity. Excellent.

2014 Domaine Follin-Arbelet Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, courtesy of Barrie. Luminous golden hue. Resolutely shut even though the sleek fullish palate is endowed with a fine density of yellow citrus underscored by lively acidity that impart exciting verve.

2018 Philippe Chéron Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru. Deep purple. Delicious bouquet of dark currants and black berries that exude a dash of sweetness. The concentrated palate is darkish and structured with supple intensity, yielding youthful power with a further tinge of saline though yet to unfurl its potential layers. Well-extracted but not over the top. Not ready.

2011 Domaine Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru, courtesy of Kieron. Some age is evident from the classic pinot tint. Beautifully integral, teasing the palate with elegant layers of darkish fruit imbued with refined minerality, exuding real finesse and controlled power in equal measure as its Chambertin character shone through with effortless grace. One cannot ask for more.

2001 Domaine Meo Camuzet Corton Clos Rognet Grand Cru, courtesy of Barrie. Some age is evident from the colour, though still quite robust though. The faint gentle rosy hues on the nose belies an open medium-full palate of vibrant intensity, highly integral and with exciting tannins that extend well beyond its supple length with tingling mouthfeel.

2017 Domaine Armand Rousseau Chambertin Grand Cru, courtesy of Kieron. Vibrant pinot hues, proffering a soft alluring fragrance from a velvety bed of red fruits, rose petals and ripe raspberries. Beautifully layered with great focus and definition, underpinned by a distinct minerally presence that exudes strength and refined intensity from sophisticated tannins that are perceived rather than felt. A wine that speaks to you about its terroir and vintage. Quite unbelievable that such a youthful Chambertin is already drinking so well. Superb, yet unassuming.