Notes in brief (Nov 2012): 2012 Cloudy Bay
2000 Pierre Peters Cuvee Speciale “Les Chetillons”, popped at Otto Ristorante, 14 Nov 2012. I’m halfway through half a case, and it gets better and better each time. Rich, with a dominance of burnt toast, a hint of smoke, malt and some yeasty undertones that’s simply begging to be cut right through by the sweet limey citrus and crystalline minerality, very lively at the sides, highly refreshing. In fact, there’s so much going on that it almost overwhelmed the palate. If only the bubbles were finer, but that is nit-picking at a wine that’s almost complete. Excellent.
2006 Domaine et Selection Chablis Vaudesir Grand Cru, a half-bottle off the wine list of Iggy’s, 16 Nov 2012. Popped and poured. Rather reticent at first with some chilly minerality. However, after warming up to the right temperature, it opened up quite nicely with notes of almonds, walnuts with some cream and caramel, supported by stony minerality, lively at the edges. Could do with greater layering and fullness for a Grand Cru, but at SGD59, I don’t suppose one could really ask for more.
2012 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, at Wall St Bistro, 21 Nov 2012. Popped and poured, representing the first time that I’ve returned to this estate after an absence of many many years, largely in part due to a perceived drop in quality, an opinion shared by many oenophiles. But at the current price of SGD40 nett, I can’t see how things can go wrong, and I was right. Generous notes of white flowers, sweet pomelo, citrus, tropical fruits and kiwi fruit dominate the nose and palate with subdued minerality and understated acidity, rounded and well-balanced with a fair bit of complexity, finishing with a hint of apricot. A wine that comes across quite naturally without appearing to try too hard. Quite lovely, I must say, and I think I’ll be getting more.
Charles Hiedsieck Reserve Brut NV, at Changi Airport Silver Kris Lounge, T3, 23 Nov 2012. From the remaining bit at the bottom of a well-aired bottle. Surprisingly aromatic with a highly attractive oxidised note of malt, yeast, tropical fruits and yellow citrus with very fine non-abrasive bubbles, well balanced against the controlled minerality. Good stuff.
2010 Lupe-Cholet Chablis, at Changi Airport Silver Kris Lounge, T3, 23 Nov 2012. Rather lightweight with superficial overtones of cream and vanilla, served too warm. Not good.
Henriot Souverain NV, on board Singapore Airlines Business Class SQ616 to Osaka, 23 Nov 2012. Quite generous with notes of citrus, lime and toast but unfortunately, the balance isn’t quite there, the wine veering on the dry side. Unresolved and almost harsh on the mid-palate.
2008 Ch Preuillac, on board Singapore Airlines Business Class SQ616 to Osaka, 23 Nov 2012. This replaced a 2008 Ch La Garde that was promised in the menu. Surprisingly good for a Medoc, offering notes of dark currants, blueberries and violets, quite open and linear on the palate with good concentration and balance and even a hint of complexity without any leafiness. Very agreeable indeed.
2010 Christophe Cordier Macon-Charnay VV, at the JAL Sakura Lounge of Kansai International Airport, 28 Nov 2012. Dry with stony minerality, rather firm and linear. Carries good weight and decent concentration, but I prefer the fruit to be more forward in the absence of real complexity.
2010 Joseph Drouhin Saint-Veran, on board Singapore Airlines Business Class SQ619, 28 Nov 2012. Medium-bodied with a bright stony minerality, vanilla and cream. Good presence, lively, but somewhat unresolved on the mid-palate.
2010 Marchesi di Frescobaldi Castiglioni Chianti, on board Singapore Airlines Business Class SQ619, 28 Nov 2012. Slightly heavier but open. Generous in red and dark fruits, camphor and medicinal spice. Good presence. Attractive.
A month of outstanding Bordeaux
1999 Ch L’Evangile, at Prive, 6 Nov 2012. My third bottle of this particular wine over the past 18 months, and certainly the best example by far, largely in part, I suspect, because it had been aired in bottle for two hours prior, and extra pains taken to ensure that it was served slightly chilled at the restaurant, in my opinion an essential requisite in the Singapore context given the severe ambient heat. 
Evolved to a brownish red, the wine exudes a powerful complex bouquet of raisins, cedar, cinnamon, dark currants and sweet plums, medium-full on the palate, fleshy with good concentration and depth, shrouded in soft tannins that still wielded structure, sophisticated enough, just missing in outright opulence and lushness but otherwise caught at an exciting stage close to its peak. Perfect with the 220g striploin. Quite excellent.
1990 Ch Sociando Mallet (courtesy John), at Imperial Treasure T3, 8 Nov 2012. Decanted on-site and aired for another 30-45 monutes before serving. This is, by far, the best example of this particular vintage for Sociando, the wine still dark ruby in color and remarkably fresh, exuding powerful attractive notes of old leather, saddle, cassis and cedar amidst fresh notes of violets and blueberries and other savoury characters, excellent in concentration without any sign of drying out. 
And it just got better and better in the glass, becoming broader and more expansive, almost rich and opulent. Easily on par with second or third growths of Bordeaux. Some have claimed that it surpasses Mouton Rothschild for that vintage. Hardly surprising. Superb.
2001 Ch Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, at La Barca, 9 Nov 2012. Aired in the fridge for almost two hours, followed by further aeration on-site. Noticeably more relaxed and fleshy compared to a previous tasting two years ago, revealing notes of violets, raspberries and dark roses tinged with a note camphor towards the finish (no doubt from the more-than-usual quantity of petit verdot that year), missing the richness and opulence of the best vintages. Became somewhat linear and non-descript after some time, the tannins gaining a bit of an attack in spite of 1.4 kg of wonderful wagyu littered with black truffles. 
A wine that hasn’t entirely settled. Best to leave it alone another few more years.
2009 Ch Croizet-Bages, shared with the wifey at Cotton Bleu, 10 Nov 2012. I know this wine has barely been bottled, but I was curious to find out how a 2009 would fare. Prior to tasting, I had it double-decanted for a couple of hours, followed by further aeration for another hour inside the fridge before bringing it to the restaurant. In spite of its youth, it seemed fairly approachable, possessing very tight concentration of dark fruits, slightly tarry and still coated with vanilla from the discernible wood, but the ripeness, definition, balance and absence of leafy notes were hallmarks of an outstanding vintage coupled with expert craftsmanship. If a lower growth could perform so well, I can only imagine that a premier cru would still be untouchable even 20 years from now. Be prepared to handover those to your next generation.
1996 Ch Pichon Longueville Baron (courtesy of Hiok) at his residence, 12 Nov 2012. Decanted for more than an hour by the time I arrived. 
There’s excellent concentration of dark fruits and currants, well balanced against the graphite minerality with plenty of tension and a hint of dryness at the sides, but this wine is still rather tight and backward within a narrow spectrum, yet to unfurl its secondary nuances. Consistent with most Left Bank 1996s which need to be left alone for, what, at least another 5-10 years?
1998 Ch Pichon Longueville Baron (courtesy of John), drunk side-by-side with the 1996 on 12 Nov 2012. I find 1998 to be grossly under-rated and it shows here. Compared with the 1996, this wine is a lot more relaxed and open with quite a generous bouquet of raisins, sweet meat, plums and a bit of burnt toast at the edges. Rounded, smooth and savoury on the palate with plenty of weight, but this is a wine that’s still yet to peak. Excellent.
1986 Ch Rauzan-Segla (courtesy John), decanted on-site at Otto Ristorante, 14 Nov 2012. An unstoppable powerful glow of a beautifully aged claret leapt from the glass with notes of sour plums, cassis, old leather against a background of perfumed violets and faint raspberries, totally seamless without any sign of dryness. 
Clearly still has the legs to last for many more years and, I dare say, preferable to the 1986 Gruaud Larose.
1990 Ch Rauzan-Segla (courtesy John), decanted on-site at Iggy’s, 16 Nov 2012. Still remarkably dark. Highly perfumed with notes of raspberries, dark cherries, red currants, shaded by age with violets, camphor and those indescribable aromatics of a beautifully aged claret, gentle on the palate, medium-bodied, still fresh and vibrant with superb presence, displaying the highest level of finesse and elegance, combined with power in a velvet glove. Wonderful.
1995 Ch Palmer (courtesy John) at Ruth Chris’ Steak House, Marina Mandarin Singapore, 18 Nov 2012. Decanted on-site. A powerful aromatic fragrance wafted over the table as the wine was poured, promising a fantastic experience ahead. However, it seemed rather unsettled on the palate, the fruit backward and obsured by a tannic spine, seemingly tight, lapsing into a withdrawn reticence for some time. Then, gradually, it opened up to reveal sexy supple tannins that danced with a quiet intensity with more of the glorious ripe fruit coming forward, displaying notes of violets, blueberries and dark currants from its layered depths, beautifully structured and perfumed, combining power and elegance effortlessly into a heady complexity. 
This wine blows away all expectations of a 1995, caught at a most exciting stage, still yet to peak. Superb. The perfect accompaniment to the perfectly done 430g USDA prime ribeye.
1995 Ch Leoville-Poyferre (courtesy Ben) at Ruth Chris’ Steak House, Marina Mandarin Singapore, 18 Nov 2012. Decanted on-site. Compared to the 1995 Palmer, this wine shot out of the starting block right from the first pour, at once more open and relaxed with highly inviting aromatics combined with great concentration and intensity with a trace of burnt and dryness at the edges, saturated with dark fruits and currants underscored by some degree of sweetness though without the ferrous quality of the Saint Julien terroir. It settled down without further development before being overtaken by the Palmer. An excellent wine, but I recalled the 1996 Poyferre being more preferable, with better definition and complexity.
1999 Ch Angelus, at Jade Palace, 22 Nov 2012. My third bottle from a half-dozen imported from London, and probably the best so far. Popped and poured. Deep in color, but somewhat unsettled, reticent and uneven at the beginning, rather mineral and ferrous. However, it eventually opened up very nicely, displaying broad swathes of surprisingly ripe fruit (for this vintage) with excellent weight and concentration, the tightly-knit tannins buzzing with a sweet intensity on the palate, the wine rounded and smooth with lively acidity. I note that both L’Evangile and Angelus of 1999 are excellent now. Is it time to call it a Right Bank vintage, coming right after 1998??
1996 Pichon Lalande, 1982 Lynch-Bages…
The wining and dining at the tail end of October continued unrelentlessly, the following being a dinner thrown by F at Cotton Bleu on 29 Oct 2012, an unpretentious bistro run by a French family that excelled in original French cuisine (generous portions, friendly on the wallet), coupled with excellent stemware and wine service where corkage is only SGD20. All wines (except the sparkling) were decanted on-site.
We began with a 2009 disgorgement of Rockford Black Shiraz, its tiny bubbles soft and gentle, imparting a medium-bodied wine with an excellent concentration of dark fruits and red currants coupled with notes of earth, forest floor and plum, yet to develop significant complexity, leading to its signature (mild) liquered finish. Quite excellent, and I look forward to further complexity with age. 
The 2006 Clos du Marquis (courtesy Ben) that followed was my second tasting in as many months, with consistent notes. A weighty bouquet corresponded with notes of red currants and raspberries, the wine medium-bodied, soft and fleshy although the spectrum of flavours and body seemed to be confined within a narrow bandwidth. Undeniably attractive, if just a bit short.
The 1990 Ch Gombaude Guillot (courtesy F), a small estate in Pomerol, was distinctly soft and mellow, very harmonious and almost burgundian in character with some cedar although it could do with greater fruit concentration, especially for this stellar vintage, which could have imparted more depth, layering and complexity. Undeniably pleasurable on its own, but on this occasion overwhelmed by the two lovelies from Pauillac.
The 1996 Ch Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, displaying some browning at the rim, gave off highly complex aromatics of plum, citrus, cassis, soft and medium-bodied, displaying great depth, framed by very finely knit highly supple tannins, beautifully integrated, the whole impression unmistakably feminine. Notes of blueberries and darker fruits began appearing over time, laced with a trace of sweetness, the Pauillac signature of dried tobacco and snuff box appearing only towards the final pour. Very, very lovely. A wine caught at its peak, and will hold for many more years. Next to it, the 1982 Ch Lynch-Bages (courtesy John) was still relatively dark and youthful, highly perfumed, absolutely soft with a lovely opulence, almost lush and burgundian if not for its classic Pauillac character (though perhaps not as dry as expected). A superb end to quite an outstanding line-up of wines, making up for the stiff dinner company.
Notes in brief (Oct 2012): 2003 Dominus, 1998/2003 Pape Clement, 2001 Calon Segur, 2004 Penley Reserve…
2006 Ch Fleur Cardinale, at an office party, 1 Oct 2012. Dark purple, rather restrained. One discerns notes of raisins, a dash of licorice and prunes with a trailing trace of sweetness within a broad swathe of nondescript fruit in this soft and fleshy, medium-bodied wine with tannins well in check.
2001 Ch Calon Segur, decanted on-site at Saint-Pierre, 2 Oct 2012. This wine appears to have evolved faster than I’d anticipated, soft and fleshy with a predominance of red fruits and dark berries, leaning towards some degree of dryness, missing the opulence and lushness that I was expecting from this under-rated vintage. Could certainly do with more soul and joie de vivre. Suggest you start drinking up if you have any.
Bisol Jeio Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOC NV, SGD70 off the restaurant list of Bistecca, 5 Oct 2012. Popped and poured. The bubbles are fairly soft and gentle on the palate, the wine offering notes of green melons, apples and a hint of kiwi fruit, a tad straightforward but perfectly serviceable as an aperitif without any hollowness.
1998 Ch Pape Clement, decanted for an hour at Bistecca, 5 Oct 2012, paired with 1.2kg of Costata wagyu steak. Compared to a previous bottle tasted back in 2006, I’d say this wine has hit its peak and is drinking prefectly well now. It opened initially with notes of fresh violets and dark roses amidst some earthy aura that’s typical of the terroir of Pessac-Leognan, coupled with a mild intensity on the palate. It quickly settled within half an hour into a medium-bodied homogenous entity with a high plummy tone, underscored by a trace of salty minerality that’s utterly smooth and seamless, its tannins barely discernible. I’ve always found Pape Clement to be a bit too extracted and forward, but the 1998 possesses a natural unforced finesse and elegance through classicism. Outstanding.
2008 Sylvain Loichet Saint Aubin En Remilly 1er Cru, an impromptu night cap at Taberna with David and Kieron et al, 9 Oct 2012. Highly aromatic on the nose, layered with notes of walnuts, creme-de-la-creme, roasted cashews, apricot, toast and caramel. None of these, however, translated onto the palate, where the wine was rather severe and stern in character, steely and austere, finishing with a trace of ferrous minerality. Most unusual, but the bouquet is well worth nosing at for the whole night.
2006 Follin-Arbelet Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Les Vercots, tasted right after the Sylvain Loichet above at Taberna, 9 Oct 2012. Decanted on-site. Darker than usual for a pinot. Slightly musty with an austere and brooding demeanour on the whole, definitely too dense on the palate, finishing short. Lacking in charm and sophistication.
2000 Ch Chasse-Spleen (courtesy of John), at Wall St Bistro, 10 Oct 2012. Popped and poured. My initial impression was that it seemed more backward and less full than two previous bottles I’d tasted over the past six months, littered with traces of vegetal greenness. It took almost an hour for the fruit to emerge, medium-full and slightly raisiny in character, supported by earthy minerality with a touch of burnt. It still seemed somewhat unsettled even after 12 years from vintage. 
Best to leave alone for at least another 3-4 years.
2007 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion (courtesy of John), at Amuse, 13 Oct 2012. Decanted on-site. Quite agreeable if somewhat simple, seemingly a watered-down version of La Mission with a good blend of red and dark fruits, slightly earthy, but lacking in development and character. Given the lofty prices of claret nowadays, second wines are no longer good value.
2002 Charles Melton shiraz, shared with Prof Gary Wittert (who’d brought it over from Adelaide back in 2005) at Jade Palace, 12 Oct 2012. Decanted on-site. I must say the initial impression was disappointing, the wine totally shut on the nose and one-dimensional on the palate, the firm tannins not helping at all. It took almost 90 minutes for it to gel into the Charles Melton shiraz that I knew: medium-full with ripe Barossa fruit distinctly from a cooler growing season, weighty but smooth and well-integrated, slightly tarry, displaying notes of dark chocolate, earth and a bit of plum, excellent in depth and layering without any alcohol excess. Delicious.
1998 Ch Lanessan, just a quick mouthful at Crystal Wines’ French Wine Mega Sale, 13 Oct 2012. The vegetal notes that I’d expected never materialised. Instead, this wine exudes predominantly ripe dark berries with very good weight and concentration with a touch of rusticity that’s not entirely inappropriate. At SGD33, I wasted no time in acquiring a half-dozen. Tasted again with consistent notes at a buffet party at home on 27 Oct 2012, the degree of ripeness, with some complexity breaking through, being quite unprecedented for Lanessan. Very good.
2010 Jean Claude Chatelain Pouilly-Fume Chailloux, just a quick mouthful at Crystal Wines’ French Wine Mega Sale, 13 Oct 2012. You wouldn’t have guessed this is 100% sauvignon blanc. The highly aromatic bouquet of white flowers, cream and walnut, generous and rounded on the palate, all seemed to point towards a chardonnay. Tasted again with consistent notes at a buffet party at home on 27 Oct 2012. Good stuff.
2003 Ch Pape Clement, popped and poured at Absinthe, 17 Oct 2012. I wasn’t quite prepared for the powerful lifted aromas that leapt out from the glass, presenting forward notes of blueberries, raisins and a highly exotic note that I couldn’t quite put my finger on, a mixture of fine gravelly minerality, silica, prune and a dash of plum. Most attractive. Although soft and fleshy with excellent definition and delineation, this medium-bodied wine hasn’t quite unravelled itself yet, the velvety supple tannins still poised by the edges, tapering to a long finish. 
But, by far, this is one of the best 2003s I’ve had, managing to better Ch Mouton Rothschild in character. Quite superb, but wait another 3-4 years.
2004 Penley Estate Reserve cabernet sauvignon, paired with a 1.0 kg T-bone done to perfection at Pietra Santa Ristorante, 19 Oct 2012. Decanted on-site. I’ve had a number of Penley Reserves before, but this present bottle was the perfect complement to one of the culinary highlights in recent months. Disjointed initially, masked by a domineering tannic spine. This dissipated very quickly as the wine settled into a rounded medium-full proposition with more and more of cool ripe emerging, combining well with the very finely-knit graphite-like ferrous minerality, merging seamlessly with layer of dark berries, slightly tarry in character, boasting great definition with notes of kirsch, plum and cinnamon, becoming highly complex and lifted by the final pour. A fantastic experience that I never thought would be possible from an Aussie cabernet. Pity it’s my last bottle. Must source for more!
2008 Corte Giara Amarone della Valpolicella (courtesy Ben), at Imperial Treasure T3, 31 Oct 2012. Popped and poured. Dark red, predictably full-bodied and dense, rather spicy initially, settling down rather quickly to reveal saturated characters of forest floor, ripe dark berries, mildly medicinal in after taste and a slight ferrous minerality that was somewhat heavier towards the finish, weighty and structured without any hint of over-extraction with just a trace of sweetness. Quite perfect with the refined Cantonese cuisine. I enjoyed it.
2008 Ch Clerc Milon (courtesy Ben), over a white truffle dinner at Otto Ristorante, 31 Oct 2012. Popped and poured over 60-90 minutes. As expected, this wine was dark inky red with stern notes of dark berries and blackcurrants, the discernible vanilla coat not helping matters, medium-full, finishing with a bit of a ferrous quality. Yet like so many Bordeuax wines over the past decade, the craftsmanship has moved up a notch or two such that the tannins never got in the way, the wine fairly approachable even at this early stage. Clerc Milon has never quite sailed my boat and I don’t think this tasting changes anything, but it is worthy of its position.
2003 Dominus, over a white truffle dinner at Otto Ristorante, 31 Oct 2012. Popped and poured. Compared to the Clerc Milon, this was much more open on the nose and body in spite of its fullness, with predominant notes of ripe cherries, raspberries and red currants, displaying excellent definition and concentration. It didn’t quite have the dryish quality of an aged Bordeaux, being slightly more fruit forward, the earthiness well recessed, but it is simply quite gorgeous and exciting at this stage. Drinking well, but certainly will be even better if left alone for another 5-7 years.
1999 Bonneau du Martray, 2001 Anne Gros Clos Vougeot, 1999 Faiveley Latricieres, 1995 Taupenot-Memre Combe D’Orveau…
The alumni of ex-colleagues have been too busy of late. As such, it was nothing short of a miracle that we managed to meet up for a sumptious dinner at Jade Palace, 23 Oct 2012. The wine theme was supposed to be a traversal of the north of Burgundy, from Fixin down to Nuits Saint-Georges. Again, knowing how little most of the group know about this region, it was quite miraculous that everyone actually brought a burg.
As a preliminary, however, we began with a customary champagne, the 2003 Dom Perignon (courtesy David) which exuded a powerful earthy pungency that blew off after a few minutes, coupled with a high-toned minerality, a wine that was still rather bold, finishing on a slightly steely and austere note amidst other notes of pomelo and a trace of bitter citrus. Of course, we’d drunk it too early. I’d leave it alone for the next 5 years, at least.
Next, we moved on to two whites. The 2010 Fernand & Laurent Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet “Morgeot” 1erCru (courtesy Kieron), presented with a moderately creamy texture combined with notes of sweet melons and almonds, fairly intense, leaning towards some greenness towards the finish that eventually led to notes of bitter citrus before finally showing off its true Burgundian colors as it took on a more creamy sheen. This is excellent, and I can’t imagine how it’d be with further bottle age. As good as that was, the 1999 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (courtesy PS) that followed was even better. Aired in bottle for 3 hours prior, this wine contained all the hallmarks of this famous estate’s Corton-Charlemagne: rich, creamy, deeply layered, laced with the sweetness of apples and coconuts, imbued with excellent intensity bursting through to the long finish. 
I had initial misgivings that this wine would be corked or oxidised based on my previous experiences with this particular vintage of BdM, but this bottle certainly inspires confidence.
KP, not surprisingly, brought a 2001 Jean Grivot Nuits St-Georges “Les Lavieres”, one of the occasional single vineyard village wines. Off-theme, of course, but does it matter when the bouquet is so lovely and enticing, suggesting a deep luxurious wine? It turned out to be rather even on the palate, a rose-scented medium-bodied proposition displaying red fruits and a good level of minerality, though lacking in layering and opulence. But it is, nonetheless, a perfectly good wine, proving the dictum that producers matter most when selecting good burgundy.
Having got that misfit out of the way, we moved from north to south, starting with a 2002 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin “Les Cazetiers” 1er Cru (courtesy Kieron). It dawned on me that I’ve never tasted any wine from this plot from any producer before. It was certainly a shade darker and heavier than the village above, perhaps a reflection of the outstanding vintage, displaying highly lifted aromatics consistent with excellent concentration of red and dark fruits on the palate, with just a tad of spiciness along the edges, eventually settling down into a homogenous wine with more of salty minerality coming through. Not far away in geographical location, the 1999 Faiveley Latriceres-Chambertin Grand Cru, in turn, was another shade darker and heavier than the preceding Jadot, predictably more dense with some lifted notes of fresh red berries at the edges, lightening up considerably after some time, becoming even more aromatic and rosy. This bottle is a lot better than a previous one tasted 3 years ago where it had seemed in danger of drying out.
Moving down further south was the 1995 Taupenot-Merme Chambolle-Musigny “La Combe D’Orveau” 1er Cru (courtesy Hiok). True to the wines of Musigny, this was immeasurably complex right from the first pour, noticeably bigger in style and laced with glycerin, multi-dimensional, deeply layered yet seamless, displaying wonderful definition and delineation. A wine of great purity and, for me, the wine of the night. Outstanding. One would normally approach a Clos Vougeot with some trepidation as this oversized grand cru plot can be so varied and disappointing at times, but the 2001 Anne Gros Clos Vougeot Le Maupertui Grand Cru (courtesy Edward) measured up easily, an equally big pinot with plenty of warmth, depth and layering, warm, highly aromatic and complex and very well defined, rather atypical for the vintage but then, one expects nothing but greatness from Anne Gros and this estate never fails to deliver. A superb pair.
We ended dinner with a half-bottle of the 2001 Ch Lafaurie-Peyreguet (courtesy Kieron) from the restaurant list, at this stage slightly understated, nutty with notes of apricot underscored by nectarine, somewhat lowish in acidity but approachable now, given the stellar vintage for Sauternes. Quite an outstanding evening, and my thanks to everyone for their contribution.
1986: Gruaud-Larose & Leoville Poyferre
A quiet, efficient but excellent dinner at La Barca on 24 Oct 2012, where the 1.2 kg wagyu Fiorentina with truffles is still the best available, period. When I arrived, the 1986 Ch Gruaud Larose (courtesy John) had already been decanted for 45 minutes. To my surprise, this bottle was darker and a lot fresher in appearance and taste compared to a previous tasting back in Dec 2009 (see post). 
There was an abundance of earthy, mild medicinal aromas from a wine that was initially almost full-bodied, full of spice and attack. It softened considerably after some time, with more of wild mushrooms and cassis appearing, very linear with excellent depth and layering but still slightly backward in overall impression in spite of all its 26 years. Side by side, the 1986 Ch Leoville Poyferre (my third bottle from a case imported from Bordeaux Index), decanted on site, was much softer and open right from the first pour, medium-bodied, the red and dark fruits still decent in concentration, yet to dry out, but clearly fully matured and mellow. Although not quite the last word in complexity, the wine still tingled with vibrancy at the edges, fleshing out with more fat in the mid-body over time. Although these wines are drinking very well now, I didn’t quite get a sense of the usual St-Julien terroir, missing in the ferrous minerality, tobacco, toast and cigar box characters, though I fancy the Gruaud-Larose was fuller and has the legs to last longer. My thanks to John for organising this dinner. And oh…have I mentioned that La Barca is now BYO on Wednesdays?
Notes in brief (Sep 2012): 1990 Pavie, 2006 Clos du Marquis, 2006 Grand-Puy-Lacoste
2011 Sileni Hawkes’ Bay pinot noir, SGD70 off the restaurant list of Barossa, 5 Sep 2012, paired with its all-you-can-eat steak buffet. Popped and poured, displaying a very clear lovely rosy tint with attractive aromas of sweet cherries, raspberries and ripe strawberries, very bright and uplifting. The wine is gentle and well-balanced on the palate with just the right weight and presence, just a tad full in light of its youth, finishing with a touch of sea salt. A good drop.
1990 Ch Pavie (courtesy of John), over a succulent prime rib at Lawrie’s, 7 Sep 2012. Decanted on-site. Dull purple with some mild bricking at the rim. Notably restrained. It required quite a bit of patience before notes of raspberries, dark berries, some violet and cedar could be coaxed from the glass. The wine was distinctly mature, soft and medium-bodied on the palate with a touch of ferrous quality at the finish, the fruit rather backward for a 1990 such that it lacked opulence and lushness, almost nondescript without imparting a sense of terroir. To be honest, if I’d tasted it blind, I wouldn’t have known it’s a 1990. Could certainly do with more soul and character.
2006 Ch Clos des Prince, at Jade Palace, 8 Sep 2012. Popped and poured. Deep purple, possessing good weight and concentration although its bouquet was, at best, generic, the wine straightforward and one-dimensional on the palate. Surprisingly though, it opened up some 45 minutes later, revealing more layering within and better definition of flavours, offering notes of blueberries, sultanas and earth, smooth on the palate with unobtrusive tannins. Not bad.
2009 Domaines Leflaive Macon-Verze, paired with home-cooked pasta, 10 Sep 2012. My third bottle in as many months, with consistent notes. Generous flavours of green apples, melons and yellow citrus dominate, well-balanced against the lively acidity, supported by a rich bed of earthy minerality that added a steely note or two to the finish. Very good indeed. As I’d commented before, this is the best vintage for this wine. Will age well.
2005 Ch De La Tour Clos Vougeot Grand Cru (courtesy of David) at Otto Ristorante, 12 Sep 2012. Aired in bottle on site. A heavier shade of pinot, translating into a bigger wine that is consistent with Grand Cru from this plot. Generous with notes of strawberries and dark cherries, medium-full, rather tight and savoury initially but it opened up quite rapidly, lightening up in texture as brighter notes of raspberries began emerging, supported by abundant earthy minerality that eventually tapered to a slightly dryish finish. Didn’t quite achieve the expected level of lushness, however, in spite of its excellent concentration. Nonetheless, this is highly satisfying, a wine that can hold its place amongst good food and company.
2006 Ch Grand-Puy-Lacoste, poured from magnum at La Barca, 14 Sep 2012. Decanted on-site. This wine is drinking superbly now, seemingly having gained more weight and concentration over the past year, throwing off notes of red fruits, cherries and rose cordial that seemed almost Burgundian. On the palate, the wine is rounded in tone and body, framed by subdued tannins, remarkably fresh with just barely a hint of the Pauillac dryness towards the finish. Quite the epitome of elegance and balance, the perfect accompaniment to the outstanding 1.5 kg Fiorentina steak. Excellent.
2006 Clos du Marquis (courtesy of Ben), at Wall St Bistro, 19 Sep 2012. Popped and poured. A lovely shade of purple, exuding powerful aromas of ripe wild berries, raspberries and blueberries with a mild tinge of vanilla, hinting at a dense opulent wine. However, this couldn’t have been further from truth, for the wine was very open and transparent on the palate, almost delicate, gentle at the edges. It gained further in intensity over time, the tight svelte tannins sweeping most attractively across the palate, leaving traces of sweet essence in its wake. This is really good. Distinctly Bordeaux, the only criticism being that it had little, if at all, of Saint Julien in its character.
2006 Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet “Le Boudriotte” 1er Cru, at Al Borgo with Ben and Vic, 20 Sep 2012. Popped and poured. Generous bouquet with aromas of ripe rock melons, green apples and limey citrus. Rich, almost creamy on the palate, well-supported by understated minerality, tapering to a quiet but complex finish. Still far from maturity even though it is very lovely now. Excellent.
2002 Ch Le Hermitage (courtesy of Ben), popped and poured at Al Borgo, 20 Sep 2012. I had not encountered this St Emilion estate before, and so was curious to see how it’d turn out in this vintage that most people try to avoid. It turned out quite well, surprisingly, the wine deep purple in color, made in a fruit-forward style that showed off nicely notes of dark berries, raisins, earth and a trace of licorice, well-extracted and slightly tarry, carrying excellent weight and definition, if not outright opulence. This style of wine thrives well in difficult vintages.
2010 Anselmann riesling eiswein, aired in bottle for almost an hour being served at Asia Grand, 22 Sep 2012. Purchased for less than EUR30 at Frankfurt duty-free. Notes of ripe pear, apricot, melons and orangey citrus dominate, medium-full with an illusion of fizz on the palate, decent in complexity, the sweetness neither overbearing nor superficial. Lively and refreshing. Worth every cent at this price.
2005 Ch L’Arrivet Haut Brion, decanted on-site at Moomba, 28 Sep 2012. Compared to a previous bottle about 3 years ago, this wine seemed to have evolved quite significantly with generous notes of ripe blueberries and dark currants married to fine supple tannins, medium-full yet soft-grained, excellent in concentration and depth without any vegetal trace that commonly plague these peripheral estates, eventually settling into a fleshy and seamless wine. This is the finest example I’ve had from this estate and I’d certainly acquire more if the price is right.
Notes in brief (Aug 2012): 2009 Domain Rd, 1993 Carpineto Montepulciano Riserva, 1983/1999 Leoville Las-Cases…
2000 Ch D’Angludet, at the newly-renovated Prive, 1 Aug 2012. Popped and poured. Compared to a previous tasting some 6 months ago, this bottle seemed rather unsettled. For sure, there’s substantial quality fruit that’s beginning to develop secondary nuances of cedar and violets, supported by a slightly salty minerality but, at the same time, there are traces of vegetal notes at the edges that dampened the bouquet, resulting in a fair degree of unevenness on the palate. However, another bottle (my last) from the same batch tasted just a week later (10 Aug) at Wall St Bistro was much more successful, displaying none of the greenness. A qualified buy, if the price is right.
2007 Ch Les Carmes Haut Brion, my final half-bottle of this wine at Wall St Bistro, 3 Aug 2012. Popped and poured. Deep glossy purple, displaying very good density of ripe raspberries, dark currants and other wild berries, almost full-bodied with well-managed tannins, finishing with just a trace of ferrous minerality. Still hasn’t shed its coat of vanilla. Somewhat one-dimensional at this stage. Give it another 3-5 years and you’ll probably catch it at its sweet spot.
2009 Domain Road pinot noir, at Jade Palace, 4 Aug 2012. This is top quality stuff, almost superb. Popped and poured. One expects, at this stage, the pinot to be more forward and that is, indeed, the case. Saturated with top-drawer fruit with generous notes of ripe raspberries, dark cherries and redcurrants but not over-extracted, coupled with fine supple tannins that are very well-integrated into the slightly salty minerality with excellent depth and transparency, although it doesn’t quite possess the layering of a true Bourgogne. But this is really an excellent pinot noir in its own right regardless of its bargain price and I daresay it will be glorious in another 5-7 years. Buy.
2009 Domaines Leflaive Macon-Verze, popped and poured at Hinoki, 7 Aug 2012. As good as my initial encounter just a couple of months ago in June. Excellent body with subdued minerality, allowing more of the fruit to come forward. Mainly notes of green apples, melons and citrus, lively without the cutting acidity. Very good.
2001 Ch Lafleur-Gazin, at Hinoki, 7 Aug 2012. Aired for an hour in bottle. This is drinking rather well now. Rounded and mellow. Notes of redcurrants, wild berries and a bit of plum with adequate depth, although it lacked the gloss and density of the better known Pomerol heavyweights. More feminine, I’d say, all the better to match the delicate Japanese cuisine.
2001 Beringer Private Reserve cabernet sauvignon, a half-bottle courtesy of Kieron at an impromptu meet-up at our off-site cellarage at Extra Space, Kallang, 9 Aug 2012. I must say I cannot recall the last time I’d drunk a glass of wine at an ambient temperature of 13 degrees Celsius. Aired in bottle for about 30-45 minutes, and drunk over the next hour. Dark inky red, saturated with ripe cabernet, more fruit forward, cloaked in supple discreet tannins with very little of the dryish character of a Bordeaux. Highly enticing on the nose where there is an abundance of plummy fruit amidst dark berries and other notes of dark chocolate, licorice and raisins, although it is still rather tight and it seemed to recoil into its shell after some time. Don’t be mistaken – there is no suggestion of a fruit bomb whatsoever; just a top-notch straight cabernet that needs another decade of cellaring to do it justice.
2004 Ch Latour-a-Pomerol, at Trattoria L’Operetta, 10 Aug 2012. Part of a case imported from Bordeaux Index. Popped and poured. In spite of having spent some time in bottle, this wine is still far from ready for drinking, saturated with loads of ripe dark fruits, slightly tarry, boasting excellent structure and sophisticated tannins, but the wood and vanilla is still way too evident, not helped by the fact that the restaurant is extremely warm, hardly the right setting to appreciate a good bottle in spite of the excellent food. Guess I shouldn’t pop any more of these until 2014, perhaps.
2010 Elderton Merlot, courtesy of Vic at his office, 14 Aug 2012. Popped from screw cap. This is not the estate’s flagship bottling, but it was, nevertheless, most impressive. Saturated with ripe Barossa fruit with its unmistakable warmth and notes of orangey citrus, raisins, chocolate and licorice, very well crafted such that it was never jammy, full-bodied without knocking out your palate. Weighty and layered. If I hadn’t glanced at the label, I’d have thought I was drinking a shiraz, such was its vibrancy and verve. A class act.
2006 Albert Ponnelle Eschezeaux Grand Cru (courtesy of LW at her farewell party), back again at Tratorria L’Operetta, 15 Aug 2012. Popped and poured. Medium-bodied, salty, smoky with a spicy trail arising from a tannic spine, lacking in subtlety. Hardly distinctive, in spite of its supposed lofty origins. To be fair though, as I’d mentioned earlier, the ambient temperature at L’Operetta is far too warm for any kind of meaningful wine appreciation. A pity, as the food is good. I wouldn’t come back again if I’m bringing a bottle.
1983 Ch Leoville Las-Cases (courtesy John) at Imperial Treasure Nan-bei on 15 Aug 2012, shared with PS as well. My second time with this wine in as many months. Decanted on-site; only about a third was remaining by the time I arrived. This is probably the best example of this wine, by far. Rather dark in color, indicative of a slow evolution, still remarkably fresh and lively. There is that powerful hallowed glow of a mature claret all over with complex notes of plum, dark orange, cinnamon and dark currants amidst the dry flavours of mushrooms and tea leaves, beautifully proportioned with excellent depth and layering, laced with just a trace of ferrous minerality that’s unmistakably Saint Julien. This can easily last for many more years. Outstanding.
1993 Carpineto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva, at Imperial Treasure Nan-bei on 15 Aug 2012, shared with PS and John. This is part of a vertical presented to me last Christmas by Steven and Rosy. Decanted on-site, displaying a deep purple with an evolved rim. There were notes of violets, blueberries and some darker fruits on the bouquet as well as palate initially, where it certainly possesed excellent weight and depth although it was somewhat disjointed on the mid-body, the flavours seemingly more concentrated at the bottom, finishing with a dash of spice and pepper. It quickly settled into a more seamless entity, the merlot component emerging to dominate the palate with supple plush tannins, sloshing around in the absence of a cabernet structure while the predominant sangiovese provided a plummy note in the background, together with a trace of salty minerality, reveling in its Tuscany terroir. It remained in this manner for the rest of the evening, remarkably lively, fresh and youthful still. Quite superb.
Henri Giraud Esprit de Giraud NV, at Salt Grill and Sky Bar, ION Orchard, 17 Aug 2012. Popped and poured. It ticked all the right boxes with quite a generous dollop of oxidised yeasty overtones, malt, crackers and toasty oak supported by crystalline minerality of decent weight. Would have been very good if the bubbles had been softer and more open, but at least it wasn’t acerbic. Preferable than the ubiquitous Charles Heidsieck or Verve Cliquot.
1989 Ch Chasse-Spleen, at Onion restaurant, 17 Aug 2012. Popped and poured over 90 minutes. Amazingly full-bodied and almost hedonistic in spite of its bottle age, with the ripe cabernet exuding notes rich in blueberries, blackcurrants amidst velvety sexy tannins. This eventually settled into a more open, medium-bodied and seamless wine with the hallmarks of a mature claret, dominated by an attractive salty minerality. Lacks the last ounce of depth and complexity that a classified growth can summon, but this is very satisfying over a good steak.
Verve Cliquot Rose NV, at ordered off the wine list (not by me!) of Melt World Cafe, Mandarin Oriental hotel, 20 Aug 2012. There are notes of what could pass off as cherries and melons, but I didn’t get a sense of the yeasty oxidation nor depth, the entire wine being just a dry brazen one-dimensional blitz on the palate. Forgettable.
2001 Ch Bernardotte, poured from magnum at Porta Porta (Stanley St), 21 Aug 2012. Soft and fleshy with notes of blueberries and other wild berries, ripe and classic in poise and balance without any of the vegetal characters commonly found in Medoc wines, possessing fairly good definition. Highly attractive and drinking well.
2002 Domaine Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin Champonnet 1er Cru, popped and poured at House, Dempsey, 25 Aug 2012. I find that restaurants nowadays in Singapore are too warm to allow for proper appreciation of a wine’s character, and this instances no exception, perhaps contributing to the attenuated body, dominated instead by a rather sharp tannic attack. However, this eventually settled over time, turning into a medium-bodied wine with some lovely notes of rose cordial and cherries, supported by a bed of earthy minerality, slightly salty, rounded and soft at the edges, almost taking on an oily note in the mid-body after an hour, becoming quite harmonious. 
Undeniably attractive, but would have been better had we drunk it in a cooler environment.
1999 Ch Leoville Las-Cases, decanted on-site at Mag’s Wine Kitchen, 25 Aug 2012. Dark red with just a hint of bricking at the rim, offering loads of dark berries, earth, and sparkling ferrous minerality that was palpable even on the nose, excellent in concentration with generous notes of soy, graphite, traces of plummy fruit and secondary nuances of cassis and dried herbs, brimming with quiet intensity and tightly-knit tannins. This wine has yet to peak, but I like so-called off-vintages that are caught just before they peak, when they are most exciting. Excellent.
2003 Ch Duhart Milon, at Wall St Bistro, 30 Aug 2012. Decanted on-site and drunk over the next 90 minutes. All the signs of a hot growing season are there, the wine displaying a raisiny note with a discernible trace of burnt at the edges although it is full and rounded on the mid-body, the ultra-ripe fruit taking on an unprecedented level of sweetness that goes well with the lowish acidity, the wine somewhat unresolved at the finish although the absence of any alcoholic heat was most welcome. Ultimately, it lacks real distinction, its character atypical for a claret.
2007 Poggio Al Santi Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, SGD69 off the restaurant list of Donna Carmela, 31 Aug 2012. Decanted on-site and drunk over the next hour. Highly attractive on the nose, fruit forward with notes of plum, strawberries and a mix of red fruits and orangey citrus that came on strong with a sharp tannic attack when first tasted, somewhat light-bodied. It settled very quickly, gaining weight, the tannins receding away rapidly to produce a very smooth, rich and even wine, developing some degree of dryness over time. Not bad at all.
Penley Estate: An evening with Kym Tolley
I’ve long been an admirer of Kym Tolley and the wines he makes at Penley Estate, Coonawarra, South Australia, having visited the estate on three different occasions since 2003 and being privileged enough to have had several bottles of the outstanding 1998 Penley Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, in addition to the 2002 and 2004 vintages. When the opportunity arose to meet him in person at a tasting of the wines of Penley Estate at The Marriott, Singapore, 28 Aug 2012, organised by Ponti Wine Cellars, I had no hesitation in showing up. 
Kym turned out to be highly affable, relating how his mother was related to the Penfolds family, which provided Kym the opportunity to helm the estate’s famous Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon before he eventually left to found Penley, the name being a hybrid of PEN (from Penfolds) and LEY (the suffix of Tolley).
2009 Penley Estate Arcadia Chardonnay. Lovely bouquet of melons, white flowers, green apples and fresh citrus, rich on the mid-palate with loads of chalky minerality that was a tad overwhelming, laced with fresh acidity at the sides. Very agreeable and I’d be happy to pair this with a succulent Alaskan crab or any of my favorite Asian dish.
2009 Penley Estate Phoenix cabernet sauvignon. Dark impenetrable red, loaded with ripe cabernet with notes of dark cherries, wild berries, bitter chocolate and a hint of forest floor, coated at this stage by a sheen of vanilla and a trace of emulsion from the new oak – tight, concentrated and weighty on the palate, slightly peppery at the finish. However, one is struck by the immaculate balance, structure and restraint in spite of its youth, surely the result of Kym’s expert craftsmanship. It may not be the estate’s flagship cabernet, but this wine has enormous potential.
2010 Penley Estate Hyland Shiraz. Dark impenetrable red with dollops of racy red fruits and dark currants, with shiraz that is undeniably ripe yet cool in temperament (a hallmark that I’ve noted in Coonawarra shiraz, as opposed to the warm and plummy Barossa shiraz), slightly spicy towards the finish, resulting in a wine that is full-bodied yet elegant without any of the alcoholic heat that tends to accompany shiraz. I don’t usually pay attention to this line, but I must say I’m suitably impressed. Good stuff.
2009 Penley Estate Condor Shiraz Cabernet. This is probably the least satisfactory in the evening’s line-up. There’s nothing wrong technically, the warmer shiraz framed within a discernible cabernet structure, but it just doesn’t gel. Far better to stick with either the straight cabernet or shiraz above.
2005 Penley Estate Special Select Shiraz. Deep purple. In spite of all the relative heavyweights that had coated the palate earlier in the evening, one is immediately struck by the predominant red fruits, bright cherries and rosy fragrance on the bouquet, producing a powerful aromatic lift that carried the deep vein of fruit with it on the palate, medium to full-bodied, structured and elegant, finishing with a controlled mix of mint and other medicinal aromas. Will be quite stunning after another 5-8 years in bottle.
Although the estate’s flagship Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was missing from the line-up, this was a good opportunity to acquaint oneself with Penley’s other wines. I must say I came away with a great deal of newfound respect for the excellent work and philosophy of Kym and his team, for one is struck time and again by the balance, elegance, restraint and ageing potential, which I feel is the most attractive aspect of the wines, and I’ll be sure to catch up with him at Penley on my next trip to Coonawarra.
1999 Bruno Paillard Assemblage, an aperitif recommended by Director of Wines Timothy Goh at Les Amis, 24 Aug 2012, taking on a noticeably heavier golden hue than usual. Immeasurably complex, where the bouquet of toast, malt, light citrus, a touch of pungent yeast and roasted almonds exploded on the palate with bursts of crystalline starlight amidst soft bubbles that were ever so refined and gentle, generous and lengthy, finishing with a twist of pomelo and grapefruit. 
The wine took on an even greater purity and intensity after the bubbles had faded, with an added sweetness and creamy overtone. This is still not the most profound of champagnes I’ve had but it is wonderful.
We followed that up with a 1996 Michel Lafarge Beaune-Greves 1er Cru. Aired in bottle, showing a lovely pinot tint, just a shade darker than usual that promised a fully mature wine, displaying attractive aromas of red fruits and roses, striking an excellent balance between the ripe pinot fruit and the slightly salty, earthy minerality with a good deal of depth and length, absolutely harmonious without any hint of rusticity. I never knew Beaune reds are capable of such elegance and finesse. It may not have that added lushness nor layering of a Chambertin or Musigny, but priced well below SGD200 off the restaurant list, this wine is most satisfying.
Ric's Wine Journal 