2007 Campomaggio Chianti Classico Riserva, popped and poured over lunch at Imperial Treasure T3, 2 April 2013. My experience with Chianti is severely meagre, but this wine will definitely encourage anyone to explore further. Somewhat nondescript initially, but it rapidly shaped up into a very attractive wine with forward notes of red fruits and dark cherries supported by firm minerality, very well-balanced and open, complete with very decent layering, revealing further notes of savoury wild berries. Good stuff.
2010 Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny by the glass at Lolla, 3 April 2013, supposedly voted somewhere as one of the top ten new dining spots in the world but I’m not quite convinced although, to its credit, this wine was served generously in a large Burgundy glass. As expected, notes of strawberries and red fruits dominate although I’d have preferred the fruit to be more forward, marred in this instance by leafy undertones. Corkage is SGD50 and at SGD52 for a 300g ribeye (excluding side dish) that was rather ordinary, I prefer Da Mario anytime (below).
2010 Vincent Girardin Bourgogne rouge, over dinner at home, 10 April 2013. Popped and poured. I had high hopes that this would be as good as the 2009 but, unfortunately, this wine was almost completely shut with just a bare shade of austere dark fruit showing, obscured mostly by the herbaceous notes of damp forest floor, rather too dark as well to be taken seriously as pinot noir. It didn’t really change very much even after warming up to ambient temperature. For sure, there is a lot of fruit lurking beneath but, perhaps, it needs more time to unwind. Will reserve judgement.
1996 Ch Grand Puy Lacoste (courtesy John) at Da Mario, 11 April 2013. Popped and poured. Highly aromatic from the first pour with a lovely bouquet of violets, cedar and sweet mulberries that led to a beautifully structured wine, made gentler by the passage of time, layered with the slight dryish tone of Pauillac but endowed with generous dollops of glorious fruit, well-integrated, displaying excellent definition with just the right degree of depth, eventually developing velvety tannins that sat very comfortably on the palate. 
For sure, it has evolved quite significantly from a previous tasting some 3 years ago, but it is still on the ascendency, yet to peak. Perfect with the truffled ribeye. Excellent.
1996 Ch Cos D’Estournel, drunk alongside the above at Da Mario, 11 April 2013. Aired for 30 minutes in bottle before serving. Highly reticent initially, almost completely shut. In fact, I couldn’t make out anything on the nose, probably because it had been served too cold, as I had it chilled on site for quite a while since we were dining al fresco. However, one could easily appreciate that it was a lot softer and smoother than the Grand Puy Lacoste, highly elegant and refined, almost feminine, which is unusual for Cos. Totally seamless. Over time, one could make out its bouquet of dark berries with just barely a hint of sweet tannins, underlined by a graphite note that contributed to an austere undertone. I’d say it is significantly better than a previous bottle tasted in February 2012. Excellent, but I think it deserves to be drunk under conditions that are considerably more ideal.
2008 Altesino Rosso di Toscana, a half-bottle off the list of Garibaldi for SGD50, 12 April 2013. Popped and poured. Dark red with brownish-vermillion tinge, fairly generous on the bouquet with notes of ripe berries, raisins, prunes and sweet plums, soft at the edges, medium-full with tannins kept in check. Highly agreeable and certainly better than I expected.
2010 Mazzei Badiola, SGD100 off the list of White Rabbit, 16 April 2013. Popped and poured. Generous notes of red fruits, wild berries, dark currants, orange peel and a touch of herbaceous mint and spice but it’s all over the place and certainly disjointed on the palate, the tannic grip not helping matters. Didn’t really quite gel together even by the end of the meal.
Guerrieri Rizzardi Prosecco Extra Dry, SGD60 off the list of Da Mario, 20 April 2013. Popped and poured. Light to medium-bodied, forward with notes of green and yellow citrus that offset the dryness, supported by understated minerality. Fresh, lively and vibrant, just what’s needed for al fresco dining on a hot day.
2002 Elderton Ashmead cabernet sauvignon (courtesy John), at the ward dinner at Pepper, 22 April 2013. Popped and poured. An exuberant bouquet of raisins, enamel, varnish and creme de la creme leapt out from the glass that translated into a huge wine with creamy textures and sweet tannins, soft but weighty, displaying great density and concentration, carrying notes of dark chocolate, licorice, cedar and a tinge of wood and smoke, the alcohol just barely kept in check, threatening to rear its head after some aeration. It’s great if you limit yourself to just a glass or two, but it can be tiresome beyond that.
1997 Kay Brothers Block 6 shiraz (courtesy John), at the ward dinner at Pepper, 22 April 2013. Popped and poured. Another blockbuster but, thankfully, made mellow by time. Smooth with creamy textures, surprisingly open in the mid-body, layered with ripe dark berries with a sprinkling of red fruits that exuded a lovely warmth, slightly tarry but not unctuous with subdued alcohol levels. Again, you can’t have too much of this stuff in spite of its 16 years.
2010 Domaines Leflaive Macon-Verze, popped and poured from magnum at Edge, Pan Pacific Hotel, Singapore, 24 April 2013. Served a tad too warm, but one could still discern the excellent balance between the delicate notes of white flowers, citrus and melons against the clear crystalline minerality. 
Not as exuberant nor as full in tone and body as the 2009, but it scores better in poise and balance. Very good.
2007 Ch Haut Batailley, decanted on-site at Etna, 26 April 2013. As expected for this weak vintage, this claret is beginning to enter its drinking window, possessing substantial fruit with notes of blueberries, wild berries, raspberries and a touch of violet, soft at the edges, generally pleasant on the palate with a mild grip. Lacks charm and opulence without much of a Pauillac character, but perfectly acceptable at SGD55 during a sale.
2010 Domaine Rapet Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Les Vergelesses, a half-bottle from the list of Brasserie Gavroche, 27 April 2013. Popped and poured. As expected from this plot, this is a darker and slightly heavier pinot noir, darker in tone as well with notes of raspberries and wild berries, supported by understated minerality that began to emerge only after the wine had opened up, allowing more of the salty tone of true Burgundy to come forth, thereby loosening up in texture. It certainly has the potential to be a very good drop. The Frenchie sommelier refused to pour it into a Burgundy glass. Bastard (or should I say Batard).
1994 Ch Larcis-Ducasse, decanted on-site at Burlamacco Ristorante, newly opened by veteran Paolo Colzani (formerly Garibaldi) with a partner, helmed by Ian (formerly Iggy’s), 30 April 2013. I’ve never tasted this estate’s wine before, but I’m quite impressed with the 1994, fully matured in color and glowing with bright red fruits and aromas of rose petals, almost Burgundian in character, beautifully seamless without any tannins in the way, just lacking in opulence, richness and depth that is a symptom of the vintage. But it’s lovely to drink now over lunch. Only SGD88.
Saint Emilion from the Great Vintages
Some brief notes from a seminal department dinner at Edge, Pan Pacific Singapore, 24 April 2013. John came up with the idea of a miniature Right Bank theme, and it turned out the bottles we brought all hailed from Saint Emilion in vintages where the Right Bank did well. These aren’t the usual superstar suspects of that commune but, perhaps, all the better as it may be more representative.
2000 Ch Monbousquet, decanted on-site. Compared to the previous time I had it (most memorable lunch at Saint-Pierre some 3-4 years ago with Kieron), this wine has become noticeably softer and less exuberant, yet more open in the mid-body, achieving a more natural balance where the grapes, at just the right degree of ripeness, offer a seamless blend of red and dark fruits enveloped by secondary nuances of tea leaves, toast and a touch of graphite, displaying excellent definition and delineation all the way to its lengthy finish. 
Monbousquet is a much under-rated estate that easily rivals its more expensive peers in outstanding vintages. Some may be wary about Gerard Perse’s preference for high extraction but at least now we know that it can work well, provided there’s enough bottle age. Excellent.
1998 Ch La Gomerie (courtesy John), decanted on-site. This is only the fourth vintage of this estate, having produced its first bottling in 1995. Some have charged that this garagiste operation favours a very forward, full and unctuous style. Surprisingly, however, it turned out to be highly similar in character to the Monbousquet, medium-full, remarkably well-balanced, the 100% merlot having softened over time, possessing substantial fat in the mid-body with a predominance of red fruits and plums, laced with sweet velvety tannins. This wine is just entering its optimum drinking window but I don’t think it has actually peaked. Excellent.
1990 Ch Canon La Gaffeliere (courtesy John), decanted on-site. Another under-rated estate but absolutely lovely. Awashed with notes of rose petals, cherries, raspberries and redcurrants with traces of violets and cedar, almost Burgundian, soft and totally seamless, holding steady at its peak throughout the entire evening without any sign of drying out, the acidity having receded long ago, ensuring an utterly smooth transition from entry to finish. Excellent
2004 Laurent-Perrier Brut Millesime 2000 Latour-a-Pomerol
These are notes from a very lovely (and decadent) lunch thrown by David at Au Jardin, 14 April 2013, to celebrate his big round number. I don’t think I have ever drunk more on a single afternoon but one musn’t waste all these good stuff flowing freely. Because of some difficulty in locating the restaurant, I was almost drenched in sweat by the time I arrived, but the 2004 Laurent-Perrier Brut Millesime was the perfect aperitif to quench my thirst. After gulping down the first couple of flutes, I began taking serious note of this champagne. It was absolutely beautiful, generous on the nose with notes of delicate citrus and white flowers, displaying excellent density and weight with a lovely deftness and lightness of being, a case in point where the gentle bubbles add to the wine’s complexity rather than detract from it. Very lovely. I could just continue sipping this on and on, which was exactly what happened.
Unfortunately, I felt that the 2010 Chateau Fuisse Pouilly-Fuisse Les Clos, served alongside the Laurent-Perrier, couldn’t quite rise above the bar set by the champagne, the softer tone of Pouilly-Fuisse and its classic leafy notes lacked conviction and complexity, the backwardness of its fruit not matching up to the crystalline minerality.
It would, perhaps, have been quite pleasant on its own to accompany a light meal but, on this occasion, it was completely left in the shade.
Only one red was served, but as it was a free flow of the 2000 Ch Latour-a-Pomerol, I have no complaints whatsoever. Dark impenetrable red, saturated with notes of dark currants, wild berries and a tinge of raspberries poking through, the superbly ripe fruit exuding sweet enticing aromatics while its silky rich texture proved to be simply luxuriant on the palate, matched by excellent depth and concentration. It opened up further, displaying excellent definition, quite unfazed by the traces of vanilla that still remained, becoming even more aromatic over time but barely developing secondary nuances even after all these years, a wine clearly set for the long haul. I must have had almost a full bottle to myself by 3.00 PM, yet it remained absolutely fascinating without ever a hint of palatal fatigue. Outstanding. Thanks, David.
1999 La Conseillante
This is my only bottle of the 1999 Ch La Conseillante, which was brought to Amarone to celebrate Monster’s 14th birthday, 6 April 2013, where we had practically the entire restaurant to ourselves, with Osvaldo the man himself helming the kitchen. Decanted on-site. 
Medium-bodied initially with reticent notes of earth and mild medicinal aromas, rather unresolved in the mid-body. It took a while to open up when predominant notes of red fruits began to emerge and dominate whilst the herbal characters began receding, following which a mild salty minerality developed that firmed up the wine, along with some cedar, violets and blueberries amidst subtle velvety tannins that teased the palate, the whole wine turning into a vibrant, well-integrated, highly attractive proposition with a lasting finish. Typically for a Pomerol, this wine would have been difficult to place in a blind tasting, save ,perhaps, the distinct absence of the dryish tobacco note of the Left Bank. Quite the perfect accompaniment to a quiet meal of spaghetti with bamboo clams and wagyu ribeye, and the wonderful hospitality of Osvaldo and everyone at Amarone that brought the evening to a memorable conclusion.
Notes in brief (March 2013): 2002 Joh Jos Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr, 1998 Rockford Basket Press, 1996 Calon Segur…
2005 Thibault Liger-Belair Nuits-Saint-Georges “Les Saint-Georges” 1er Cru, popped and poured at Amarone, 8 March 2013. As expected from this producer, a slightly more extracted and heavier pinot noir, saturated with blueberries, redcurrants, raspberries and a dash of wild berries as well, though not as heavy compared with my initial experience with this wine back in 2011. Somewhat dark in demeanour. 
It opened up a bit more to reveal some salty minerality with a touch of earth but it still gave an overall impression of restraint at this stage, clearly a wine that can go very far if one has the patience.
1998 Rockford Basket Press shiraz, popped and poured at Porta Porta (Stanley St), 9 March 2013. Still a deep dark ruby after almost 15 years, coming across as a big wine with alcoholic content that seemed higher than the declared 14.0%, stinging the tongue and palate. However, it settled quite quickly after 30-45 minutes, the alcohol dissipating away, allowing the warm ripe Barossa fruit to emerge, displaying notes of raisins, prunes, dark cherries, dark chocolate and a dash of licorice along with secondary notes of cassis, pepper, mushrooms and a touch of forest floor, very well integrated with plenty of body and depth, leaving a trail of sweet tannins in its wake. It really came together by the final pour some 90 minutes later, highly elegant and almost seamless. Excellent.
2009 Awatere River pinot noir, popped and poured at Jade Palace, 16 March 2013. Unmistakably New World right from the first pour, being darker and weightier than usual for pinot noir, with effusive notes of enamel, vanilla and varnish vying for dominance against raspberries and dark cherries which struggled to emerge from the background, rather tight and almost full-bodied on the mid-palate with an unusual streak of density that would definitely require time for resolution, wearing out the palatal senses by the final quarter. It has its attractions, but think I’ll stay away from it for the next 4-5 years.
2006 Ch Grand-Puy-Lacoste, popped and poured from magnum at the wedding lunch of Donovan & Cherry at the Conrad Centennial, 17 March 2013. 
Compared to previous tastings, all similarly from magnum, this wine has gained weight considerably, offering a generous bouquet of predominantly red fruits amd raspberries, imparting a firm and weighty quality on the palate, the sweet tannins building up in definition and intensity over time before settling into a more relaxed wine, displaying excellent concentration and depth, but yet to undergo any secondary development. An excellent bargain.
1996 Ch Calon Segur, decanted on-site at Forlino, 19 March 2013. Beautiful deep crimson with a hint of bricking at the rim, with notes of dark currants, cedar, violets and gravel, fairly intense on the palate before settling into a more relaxed tone tempered by sweet tannins and secondary nuances of plums, tangy citrus and cinnamon that emerged after an hour, the wine transformed into an abolutely harmonious whole. Excellent.
1998 Ch Lanessan, popped and poured at La Barca (still serving the best wagyu truffle Fiorentina in the whole of Singapore), 20 March 2013. Working through a half-dozen of these, and this tasting was, by far, the best Lanessan I’ve had. Generally dark in color and tone but layered with some attractive redcurrants and dark cherries, laced with sweet weighty tannins that shook off the usual greenness and weedy notes that tend to accompany these Medoc wines. Very good indeed.
2011 Oddsocks merlot shiraz cabernet by the glass at Salt Grill by Luke Mangan at ION Orchard, 21 March 2013. A relaxed wine clearly displaying the character of each individual varietal within the blend, soft at the edges, medium-bodied but carrying decent weight, even managing a hint of complexityby virtue of its blend. Not your typical Aussie fruit-bomb. Highly agreeable.
2005 Ch Bernadotte, poured from magnum, at the wedding lunch of Eng Loon and May May, Fullerton Hotel, 23 March 2013. Compared to previous tastings, this wine seemed to be shutting down at this stage, which is about right. 
The bouquet of violets and dark berries is more restrained, while its density on the palate has softened considerably with an added touch of earthiness but again, the previous robustness and exuberance has been replaced by a more subdued demeanour. I’d let it rest for a few years before re-visiting again.
1993 Carpineto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, another bottle of this again at Bedrock Bar & Grill, 25 March 2013. Decanted on-site. Perhaps the best tasting note of this wine so far. Vibrant and lively with a good deal of dark cherries and raspberries framed by subdued tannins, carrying good weight and concentration, offering good layering, not drying out at all. I daresay it’ll continue to hold for quite a number of years.
2008 Muga Riserva, at SGD108 off the restaurant list of Catalunya, situated within The Fullerton Pavillion, 26 March 2013. Popped and poured, coming across as being somewhat simplistic, lacking in punch and depth although, admittedly, it was generous in red fruits with a substantial dose of orangey citrus, peach and raspberries, very well-balanced, open and full without any spot of hollowness. It gained weight after 30 minutes, opening up further to reveal fine unobtrusive tannins, very well integrated but short at the finish. A good accompaniment to the restaurant’s signature suckling pig.
2002 Joh Jos Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese, popped and poured at at Ming Kee Live Seafood, 28 March 2013. Already quite lovely from the first pour, the significant passage of time having sapped some acidity off the edges, resulting in a wine that’s extremely comfortable on the palate with generous notes of apricot, tropical fruits. complex citrus and rose petals that flowed effortlessly. A distinct pomelo character emerged over time, adding a highly contrasting austerity of bitter lemon to the crystalline minerality that further enhanced the wine’s complexity. Quite beautiful. I suspect it has actually yet to peak, so don’t reach for your bottles.
2010 Domaine Louis Latour Bourgogne rouge, SGD70 off the restaurant list of Creperie des Art, 30 March 2013. Popped and poured. Not too promising initially, in spite of the supposed stellar vintage, coming across as a tad thin. It fleshed out more convincingly towards the end of the meal, where notes of strawberries, rose petals, plums and a dash of orangey citrus held firm against a backdrop of earthy minerality, highly even across the palate. Could do with greater fruit concentration and depth.
Bacchus met again, all too infrequently, on 28 January 2013 at Shang Palace of the Shangri-la Hotel, Singapore, where the stellar cuisine never disappoints, the wine service impeccable. For his induction into the circle, Pipin had proferred a blinded bottle as starters. It appeared quite well aged based on the color and complexity of its bouquet, highly perfumed with a powerful glow of orangey citrus and red fruits, beautifully focused and linear, utterly seamless, finishing with a trace of medicinal sweetness. 
Very lovely. Some guessed pinot, others sangiovese, but old Danny boy was on form, correctly guessing a Spanish wine, which turned out to be none other than the 1994 Vega Sicilia Unico. What a start!
The obligatory white that preceded dinner took the form of a 1999 Louis Jadot Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru (courtesy Danny). It was served a bit too cold initially, though a kaleidoscope of nutty flavors, coconut and soft yeasty characters were evident, the wine still rather tight, to be expected from this stellar vintage even at this stage. gradually developing a rich creamy minerality with excellent depth, just a tad steely at the finish. Pretty much like Bonneau du Martray of the same vintage, clearly yet to peak.
The theme for the evening was to be a vertical of the iconic La Chapelle of Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aine, drunk in two flights of three, from the most recent vintage to the oldest. The 2005 Paul Jaboulet La Chapelle, displaying a beautiful deep ruby (as well as a very different looking label from its predecessors), was obviously youthful and racy with notes of rose petals and a hint of enamel, still cloaked in fresh vanillin. Nevertheless, one could still appreciate the superb craftsmanship that imparted a deft lightness, avoiding any hint of wild hedonism, yet to develop any complexity at this stage, taking on a softer velvety texture after some time coupled with an attractive spicy finish. Perhaps best to lay off for ten years? In contrast, the 1997 Paul Jaboulet La Chapelle (courtesy Pipin), showed a dull evolved red consistent with its significantly greater bottle age, producing a powerful nose of herbal medicinal aromas amidst earthy notes, topped by a prominent petroleum-like character that overlay a broad attractive dryness with a touch of spice on the palate, displaying excellent delineation right through its finish. 
Next to this, the 1996 Paul Jaboulet La Chapelle (courtesy Kieron) displayed similar traits of color and flavour with expansive notes of herbal aromas, red fruits and some earthiness of lowish acidity, turning highly perfumed after some time, superbly seamless, developing a progressively prominent medicinal note over time.
The second and final flight consisted of La Chapelle from much older vintages, and it was a revealation to find that these wines are still very much so at their peak. The 1990 Paul Jaboulet La Chapelle (courtesy Li Fern) was still dark and supremely rich on both the nose and palate, generous in its bouquet of earth, aniseed, cassis and other dark fruits and soy, seething with great concentration and depth, still remarkably youthful without seemingly having undergone any significant development. If La Chapelle from a stellar vintage more than twenty years ago still remains relatively unevolved, would that be the same for its modern-day equivalent, the 2005? In contrast, the 1989 Paul Jaboulet La Chapelle (courtesy Vic) was caught almost at its peak, superbly evolved and integrated with an excellent concentration of predominantly red fruits, while the 1988 Paul Jaboulet La Chapelle (courtesy Hiok) was the undisputed star of the evening’s line-up with its array of attractive earthiness, tinge of dryness, dried leaves, mushrooms and cherries, beautifully developed and balanced, displaying superb delineation and focus. Most sublime.
These are notes from an impromptu dinner organised by John at short notice at Jade Palace, 17 Jan 2013. We began with a 1973 Vina Ardanza Rioja Alta (courtesy KP), decanted on-site. Fully matured, displaying a blend of rosy vermillion, yet still carrying very good levels of acidity at the sides that stung the palate initially as the fruit took longer to emerge, offering just notes of pink roses and kumquat initially. 
Then, it underwent quite an amazing transformation over the next 30-45 minutes, where it gained weight rapidly with red fruits and redcurrants becoming more readily apparent, the lively acidity adding to the sense of freshness in spite of its age, staying the course right till the end of dinner.
We followed up with a 2005 Pahlmeyer Jayson (courtesy PS), also decanted on-site. Coming right after the Rioja, this Sonoma County pinot noir was decidedly bolder and weightier, displaying excellent concentration of red cherries and raspberries without the heaviness, well supported by understated minerality but yet to display any significant complexity. John had brought a 1993 Lupicaia that would have been interesting but, unfortunately, the first whiff revealed that it was unmistakably corked. A real pity.
The 2004 Amon Ra, the flagship of Ben Glaetzer, brought up the rear. In spite of having been double decanted and further aeration amounting to about 150 minutes, this full-bodied wine was still saturated with super-ripe fruit with a raisiny quality that still displayed significant levels of vanilla and enamel, heady and hedonistic but undoubtedly well-crafted with textures that are smooth and rounded without any of the unctuous quality often associated with Barossa shiraz in the past. I’m not sure how much longer it needs to be left alone. Definitely one for the long haul.
Notes in brief (Feb 2013): 1986 Lynch Bages, 1986 Leoville Poyferre, 2001 Leoville Las-Cases…
Piper Hiedsieck Brut NV, at the Esplanade Theatre, Singapore, during the intermission of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, 2 Feb 2013. Forward with notes of limey citrus and a dash of smoke supported by stony minerality, lively but dry, straightforward but acceptable.
Moet et Chandon Brut NV (courtesy Ben), at Imperial Treasure Super Duck Paragon, 5 Feb 2013. Pretty much in the same vein as the Piper Hiedsieck, but I fancy the Moet has more body and intensity, well balanced against the fizz.
2001 Ch Leoville Las-Cases, at Imperial Treasure Super Duck Paragon, 5 Feb 2013. Aired in bottle for two hours prior to serving. In spite of that, this wine was still extremely tight, inky dark in color, saturated with ripe dark berries of great intensity, almost dense, offering up notes of dark chocolate and licorice, but brooding and austere in demeanour. It sure took a long time to loosen up, taking on a softer, fleshier character with more of dark cherries appearing, its structure snapping into focus as early notes of secondary development became more apparent in the form of plums, apricot and cinammon, going especially well with the wagyu beef cubes. But, overall, I’d say this wine is still not quite ready, one truly for the long haul. Patience is required.
2011 M Chapoutier Luberon La Ciboise, SGD80 from the restaurant list of The Fullerton Boathouse, 6 Feb 2013, an assemblage of grenache noir and syrah from the Rhone Valley. Clearly youthful and vibrant, buzzing with notes of fresh raspberries, cherries and other red fruits, weighty but very well crafted such that it avoids any notion of heaviness, with textures that are unusually transparent for such a young wine, managing even a hint of layering. Nevertheless, it could not conceal the fact that this is still a fairly straightforward wine, but utterly perfect as a lunch accompaniment.
2008 Ch Moulin Saint-Georges, a half bottle over lunch with the wifey at Les Amis, 8 Feb 2013. Decanted on-site. Lovely deep purple, saturated with blueberries and other dark berries, fairly dense and weighty initially, gradually opening and lightening up in texture to reveal some lovely layering, displaying good structure, focus and delineation. Very good.
2004 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino, aired in bottle for almost an hour at the family reunion dinner at home on the eve of the Lunar New Year, 9 Feb 2013. Rather disjointed at first, almost acerbic. It began to settle after a further 30 minutes with notes of red fruits, licorice, orangey citrus and red plums appearing, supported by unobtrusive firm tannins. My last bottle. A good wine but I don’t think I’ll miss it.
2010 Joh Jos Christoffel Erben Erdener Treppchen riesling spatlese, popped and poured at a family dinner on Chinese New Year, 10 Feb 2013. A very lovely mix of nectarine, apricot, rock melon, tropical fruits and pineapples, seamlessly integrated and beautifully balanced with just the right level of intensity and sweetness, never cloying. Excellent.
2008 Umberto Cesari Liano, popped and poured at Capri, 12 Feb 2013. A blend of sangiovese and cabernet sauvignon. But this wine is far from ready. Huge, dense, almost unctuous in spite of having been aired for two hours prior, saturated with notes of licorice and very ripe grapes, raisiny in texture, marked by a prominent tannic attack although lurking beneath are some very attractive red and dark fruits that never had a chance to break through.
2005 Ch D’Aigulhe, popped and poured at Imperial Treasure T3, 13 Feb 2013. Still not ready to be drunk. Huge, saturated with licorice, raisins, dark currants and a trace of vanilla coupled with a firm tannic spine. Almost New World in style.
2003 Clonakilla shiraz-viognier, decanted on-site at Amarone, 15 Feb 2013. Smooth ripe cool-climate shiraz offset by the discernible viognier, which added a dimension of vanilla and a touch of greenness, well-integrated and balanced, layered with notes of mocha, dark chocolate, licorice and plum, displaying excellent concentration and depth. Quite the perfect accompaniment for the medium-rare Fiorentina.
2009 Jean-Claude Bachelet et Fils Saint-Aubin “Les Charmois” 1er Cru (courtesy Hiok, at his residence). From the bottom half of a bottle already opened for some time. Typically for Saint-Aubin, the wine is most impressive on the nose, a delicate highly aromatic bouquet of white flowers, citrus and white pepper, supported by stony minerality, well focused and linear. Very good.
1986 Ch Lynch-Bages (courtesy Hiok, at his residence). Already decanted for some time. Rather disappointing at my first sip, coming across as medium-full, musty and earthy, metallic and very backward without much fruit. It got better over time, becoming more masculine, sweeter and weightier, still laced with fresh acidity, displaying good definition. But, on the whole, I found it underwhelming. Should we expect more from 1986?
1986 Ch Leoville Poyferre. Decanted on-site at Hiok’s residence. Compared with the 1986 Lynch-Bages, this wine is considerably more forward and sweeter on the nose, displaying notes of blackberries and cedar, tinge of earth. Soft, medium-full, but austere and dark on the palate, distinctly metallic towards the finish, almost angular, amidst that dryish texture of Saint Julien. It loosened up over time, revealing some delicious layering, but, as with the Lynch-Bages, the overall experience was somewhat underwhelming. 
Perhaps our expectations of that vintage is a bit too unrealistic.
1993 Carpineto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva, two bottles (from a fresh dozen courtesy of Mr S Ong) decanted on-site at Otto Ristorante, 22 Feb 2013. Rather quiet and reserved initially, the bouquet dominated by old leather and dusty tannins that eventually cleared, allowing the fruit to come through with notes of brair, earth, cedar, forest floor and dried mushrooms, still quite lively in spite of bottle age. Very difficult to distinguish from an aged Medoc. Soft and fully matured. Will hold for a few more years but I think this is probably as far as it can go.
2002 Petaluma Coonawarra, decanted on-site at Amarone with the family, 23 Feb 2013. Deep dark purple, displaying a great concentration of blackberries and dark currants, exuding lifted aromas of highly-enticing fragrance with a dash of sweetness, distinctively earthy and metallic towards the finish, not unlike a Saint-Julien. One of my favourite reds from Down Under, and I’d suggest cellaring the 2002 for another 3-5 years, at least, when I fancy the rewards will be even greater.
2009 Domain Road pinot noir, popped and poured at Gattopardo, 26 Feb 2013. Possesses a richness and intensity on the mid-palate seldom encountered even for New World pinot, more extracted than usual, saturated with bright cherries, strawberries, raspberries and a dash of dark currants, very well crafted such that tannins are understated and well-integrated, the wine already soft at the edges and quite accessible even at this stage. It loosened up a bit over time, gaining more of earthy notes and graphite minerality all through the depths, but I miss the purity of pinot noir that the Old World masters conjure. Good stuff, but may not suit purists.
1989 Chateau Pichon Baron Longueville 1990 Domaine de Chevalier
These are notes from an impromptu and indulgent dinner at Bistecca, 30 Jan 2013. John had volunteered to bring both reds, and as the restaurant has a strict one-for-one corkage policy, we pulled a sparkling and a white off the restaurant list to precede the reds.
We began with a Bisol Jeio Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOC NV (SGD70) that was quite agreeable, forward with notes of fresh green melons and apples with a dash of malt and yeast without being too dry, refreshing and delightful enough. The 2007 Sugarloaf Ridge chardonnay (Tasmania, Australia), popped and poured, possessed an unique pungency initially, almost akin to bottle stink, that I’ve never encountered before in any white. However, this gave way to the classic chardonnay character of white flowers, cashews, crackers with a dash of tropical fruit, supported by rich creamy minerality that grew in intensity, imparting a solid mouthfeel and a sense of complexity. Most interesting.
Each of us ate two steaks that evening (yes…a 250g Filletto followed by a 350g Lombata…pure madness), paired with both reds (decanted on-site) simultaneously. The 1990 Domaine de Chevalier, caught at its peak, was medium-bodied and utterly seamless, awashed with warm ripe dark berries supported by a mild earthiness as well as secondary nuances of toast, wild mushrooms and cedar that emerged with a powerful glow, a wine crafted with understated sophistication, which is why I have a special affection for this estate. It would have been quite outstanding in its own right, were it not for the 1989 Ch Pichon Baron Longueville that upstaged it. Compared to the Chevalier, the Baron was more immediate and forward, a bigger wine that simply gave you everything at once: a highly aromatic bouquet of red and dark fruits with plenty of secondary notes of cedar, violets, kirsch, cinnamon and a touch of leather, much more forward than usual, much less of the usual dryish Pauillac character, while the kaleidoscope of flavours and layering on the palate was simply quite marvellous, displaying ample depth with excellent concentration but never too dense, highly focused and linear, tapering to a long finish. Superb. Still remarkably fresh and lively, and I believe it may yet evolve further. Great stuff. Well, that was definitely too much good food and too much great wine for an evening that’s unlikely to be forgotten. Thanks, John.
2007 Brokenwood Mistress Block, a bottle purchased directly from the cellar door at Hunter Valley back in Dec 2009, popped and poured at Asia Grand on 4 Jan 2013. Full-bodied with notes of ripe shiraz imbued with characters of raspberries, raisins, dark chocolate and a hint of licorice, dripping with mint and menthol but very well-balanced and proportioned, the tight silky tannins imparting an elegant feel.
1998 Majella cabernet sauvignon, double decanted under temperature control for 90 minutes and aired further in bottle at Imperial Treasure Great World before serving, 5 Jan 2013. 
This wine was worth all that effort, no question about it. The cork was fractured as a result of dessication, but emerged without total fragmentation, giving way to a great deal of bottle stink initially but which disappeared totally after some time. The bouquet is dominated by notes of dark currants, blackberries, violets and cedar that led to a wine of considerable maturity, distinctly medium-bodied, soft and fleshy, the fruit not showing any sign of drying out, not overtly weighty nor exuberant, but very well-balanced. It got better and better as dinner wore on, eventually developing tertiary notes of leather, cinnamon, cassis and tangy citrus that combined to produce a most lovely glow on the nose that was remarkably similar to what one would experience from a well-aged claret, something that I never knew was possible from an Aussie cabernet. Excellent.
2009 Stefan Kollmar Auslese (courtesy Jeremy), popped and drunk over a live telecast of Manchester United against Liverpool, 13 Jan 2013. Quite a lovely bouquet indeed, with notes of peaches, rock melons, fig, pears and pineapples but it didn’t quite live up to expectations on the palate, possessing neither the intensity nor potential complexity expected of an auslese although its balance cannot be called into question.
2010 Siete Soles, a straight merlot from Chile, popped and drunk right after the Stefan Kollmar above, 13 Jan 2013. Yet to shed its heavy cloak of wood, alongside a peculiar note of malt and wheat that thoroughly obscured the underlying fruit. Don’t waste your hepatocytes on it.
2011 Torbreck GSM, SGD90 from the limited (and unimpressive) wine list of The Exchange, 16 Jan 2013. Popped and poured. What impressed was that this wine was crafted such that textures remained open and light, with flavours that reminded me of Beaujolais. Otherwise, it’s just a simple and unremarkable wine, finishing with a stiff tannic spine.
2005 Vincent Girardin Mersault “Les Charmes-Dessus” 1er Cru, over an excellent set lunch at the University Club, 18 Jan 2013. Popped and poured, displaying a lighter tinge of gold, very clear indeed. Not quite as exuberant as I’d have expected from this producer, but there are enough of fig, melons and a dash of vanilla amidst understated minerality and fragrance on the nose and palate, yet to develop any significant complexity. I’d have preferred a little more intensity and character. Perhaps it needs more bottle age.
Adami Dei Casel Prosecco, a glass of which at Oso Ristorante, 24 Jan 2013. Rather pleasant with grassy notes balanced against lively citrus, not too dry, straightforward but efficient.
2009 Gaja Langhe Sito Moresco DOC, at Oso Ristorante, 24 Jan 2013. Popped and poured. Highly attractive from the first pour, medium-full with chewy tannins framing the broad swathes of red fruits, raspberries and wild cherries with a trace of sweetness at the edges, supported by notes of forest floor and earth, imparting a hint of complexity. Soft, rounded and accessible. Very good.
1990 Carpineto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva, decanted on-site at Al Borno, 26 Jan 2013. This was a wine that took quite a while to get going, seemingly backward and lacklustre at the first pour. After some time, notes of blueberries and ripe wild berries began emerging to the fore, the wine firming up, developing a greater sense of depth and intensity. Eventually, the tertiary characters of leather, cinnamon and violets appeared amidst smooth, rounded, velvety textures. Quite excellent.
Ric's Wine Journal 