Ric's Wine Journal

I found myself back again at Au Petit Salut last evening, 24 June 2009, but this time upstairs at their private dining lounge, on the occasion of a colleague’s success (I shan’t elaborate). We had liaised ahead with the chef Karl (who had also handled the private dining affair at Monk’s Hill back in 2006 when I celebrated my promotion), who had prepared a special menu. The private dining lounge was spacious, and immediately exuded a very welcome feel with its sophisticated use of understated colors and furnishing.

While Karl kept himself busy with a continuous flow of various amuse-bouches, we began with a 2000 Dom Perignon that started the evening off perfectly, the nose already very open, with just the right mix of citrus, minerality, zest and body. Certainly not the sort of heavyweight champagne exemplified by Krug; this had a touch of delicacy that did not intrude into the subsequent whites.

The superb double entree of Hokkaido scallops carpaccio and angel hair pasta (with mud crab and scampi tail) served as the perfect foil for the pair of New World chardonnays that followed: 2005 Talbott Diamond Estate Monterey County (Kieron) and 2002 Giaconda. Both were light-golden in color, with the latter being heavier in tone. However, in terms of flavours and complexity, the Talbott appeared to have the edge, displaying lifted aromas of peach, caramel, and notes of freshly roasted cashews. Amazingly complex, yet showing off its nuances in the most elegant and subtle manner. Fantastic purity, superb balance, not a hint of oak anywhere, ending on an understated note of lychee that lingered almost indefinitely. The Giaconda was similar in some respects – excellent body, creamy, soft, pure, with sophisticated handling of wood, ending on a strong lychee note, but overall, less exuberant than the Talbott. I couldn’t help but noticed a whiff of “yeast” at the beginning, which blew off. Both gained greater complexity and weight in the glass, although the Talbott nose faded slightly over time. One would be hard-pressed to identify these as New World chardonnays in a blind tasting. Absolutely superb, but the Talbott definitely held the edge. I’d venture to say it’s even better than Kistler. Period.

For the main course of Black Angus ribeye, we paired the 1993 & 1995 Tertre Roteboeuf (the latter courtesy of PS). The wines from this St-Emilion estate, attaining almost cult status, may seem rustic in their youth, but this pair had developed beautifully with time. 1993 may have been a wet year, but the hallmark of a great chateau is its ability to make good wines even in weak vintages, as this 1993 can attest to: bright red, aromas of mature red and dark fruits, good body, soft, just lacking the richness and intensity one would find in an excellent vintage, as exemplified by the 1995, which was darker, throwing off a bouquet that was immediately biger and layered with luxuriant dark fruits, chocolate and coffee. Full-bodied, mouth-filling, wonderful depth, ending with fine sophisticated tannins and a savoury finish. I was glad to have the opportunity to taste these two.

We ended the evening with the 1996 Leoville Poyferre (Kieron) to go with the delectable selection of cheese. You cannot mistake the powerful, penetrating nose – laden with graphite, tobacco, cigar, and so-called notes of lead pencil shavings in great abundance – as anything apart from classic St Julien. You would not even have mistaken it for a Pauillac. Absolutely intense and huge, ending on a savoury note. Clearly has plenty of legs left. I’d leave it – as a matter of fact, any 1996 – alone for another 10 years, at least.  Superb.

This had been a superb evening of wining and dining, and I’m infinitely grateful to the host for his kind generosity. The only letdown was the coffee, which led to some dyspepsia overnight, but that was, nonetheless, worth the evening’s experience!

This month of June, being our anniversary month, will see a series of wines from 1994 being drunk at various dinners. As this Tuesday of 2 June 2009 was just too good to waste away, I returned to Otto with the missus in tow. Paolo, who still remembered the previous week’s Masseto, settled us in. We opted for the degustation menu, comprising Hokkaido scallop carpaccio, asparagus with truffles and egg, prawn pasta, tenderloin beef and warm chocolate cake, to go along with a 1994 Chateau Clinet. This wine was noticeably darker compared with a previous bottle I had last year at Kome, almost dark brown with a bit of lightening at the rim. There was quite a bit of bottle stink initially, which took a good 45 minutes to blow off. The nose was unmistakably characteristic of an aged Bordeaux, with mellow red fruit characters that followed through on the palate with a trace of sweetness. The wine was still cloaked within some tough tannins, but this melted away in the glass, eventually becoming quite harmonious with the predominant merlot fruit coming to the fore.  Medium-bodied, moderate finish. This bottle is much tighter than my previous one. Can be kept for another few more years but the fruit is beginning to dry out, and based on the 2 differing samples I’ve had, I suspect there may be quite a bit of bottle variation. I suppose it’s not Clinet on top form, but at current prices (I noticed the prices of Clinet in recent vintages have dropped), it’s worth exploring.

On June 11th, we celebrated our 15th anniversary at Au Petit Salut. I must say the food quality is excellent at reasonable prices for this level of dining, but service quality, although improved, lacks the kind of personalised touch that epitomises Les Amis and Iggy’s; even the folks at Otto do a better job. I brought along the 1994 Cos D’Estournel, which is the second time I’m having this wine. It exhibited an evolved reddish-purple, tapering away at the rim. The nose revealed notes of cherries with an underlying layer of darker fruits that carried onto the palate. Medium-bodied, soft, good depth, finishes with a touch of cigar and tobacco note. Unlike most 1994 Left Bank cabernet that is drying out, the fruit quality of the Cos is still excellent, just lacking the final coat of power and finesse one would find in an outstanding vintage. My records showed I paid SGD143 for this, which I feel is worth every cent.

What does one do when a dear friend and colleague – an Englishman, no less – has endeared himself so much to his Singaporean friends and embraced local culture and way of life so whole-heartedly that he has decided to settle down with a Singaporean girl? You buy him a nice dinner, of course, with a stellar line-up of wines to match the food and company, which was exactly what took place this evening, 25 May 2009, at Otto. It turned out the chef was formerly from Pontini’s, who still remembered Fatty, much to our annoyance. Paolo arranged a customised menu for us in a private room and we were set.

We started off with a 2006 Kistler “McCrea” Chardonnay, as promised in one of my previous posts. I discovered that this bottle was originally purchased by a very well-known Mr HY Lee, but stored with Don. We duly toasted our thanks to HY. Clear straw colour, rich buttery nose of citrus, lime and minerals. Excellent depth and oak integration, rounded, layered with notes of vanilla and caramel. Very long. Went especially well with the asparagus with summer truffles.

We proceeded to a pair of Californian reds to go with the Tomino cheese (laid on a piece of toast with ham) and the anelletti pasta stuffed with braised veal cheeks (basically an Italian wanton). The 1992 Dominus (Hiok) was outstanding: still deep purplish-red with some lightening at the rim, lively expansive nose leaping out from the glass, smoky, intense, brooding at times. Fully mature but still very much alive and kicking. Beautifully integrated. Tinge of sweetness around the edge. This is showing a lot better than the last time I had it over a year ago at Jade Palace. Could easily have been mistaken for an aged Bordeaux.

Ed brought a 2000 Caymus Special Selection: impenetrable red, intense, powerful nose of sweet berries. Full-bodied, structured, yet supple. Hard to believe this is cabernet sauvignon, given the velvety texture. Long, long finish, without any trace of alcoholic heat or greeness. Still primal, but obviously will age well. Excellent.

Next we paired two classic Italian reds with the main course of tenderloin beef (perfectly medium-rare) followed by a cheese platter. The 2002 Masseto (me & KP) exhibited a deep dark red, with notes of rich, luxurious 100% single vineyard merlot laced with a tinge of sweetness. Full, velvety, delicious, smooth, powerful yet supremely elegant, with remarkable focus and precision from start to its mouth-puckering finish. Absolutely outstanding. I really don’t understand why the 2002 vintage in Tuscany was considered “weak”, or why this is rated only 88 points by Wine Advocate. I still remember the day when I cleaned off 4 bottles of this from Bottles & Botttles at only SGD280 each. Otto is selling the 2003 and 2004 vintages at SGD2,600 and SGD2,400 respectively. Fantastic.

The 1996 Gaja Sperss (Vic), still deep purple with only a hint of lightening, displayed an expressive nose full of sweetness and fragrance. Plenty of Old World feel, musky, medium-full, poised and elegant, very much like a mature St Julien. Superb.

To round off the evening, Chris obliged us with two half-bottles of 2005 Masi Recioto Amabile, tasting very much like an Amarone without the overbearing power, with just the right balance of sweetness and plenty of rich red fruit. Somehow, I still prefer Old World botrytis semillon for dessert.

This had been a most satisfying evening of fine wining and dining amidst great camaraderie and loads of unprintable good humour. Six wines for six. And with the excellent food and service amounting to only SGD138 per head (for 5 persons; free corkage), we’ll definitely be back at Otto for more of these.

Every May for the past few years, I’d receive an invitation from Fatty for the SMA Dinner. I guess it’s his way of asking us not to forget him. Anyway, how can one say no, especially since, from past experience, I’m well aware that the SMA Dinner is one of the major legitimate alcoholic congregations under one roof. It’s also one of the best opportunities to taste a wide variety of excellent wines in one single evening. This year, on 16th May at The Fullerton where the Prime Minister (as guest-of-honour) drank Torres wines (probably arranged by someone keen on committing political suicide), we drank the following……

Kieron started us off with a 2001 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc. This had a lighter shade of straw, with floral, lime and citrus notes. Somewhat uneven at the beginning, but it soon opened up after a few minutes, gaining weight and complexity and, finally, taking on a creamy note. Quite excellent. Although Graves is known for its limited production of whites, I’d never felt compelled to buy, much preferring to spend on Burgundy whites instead. This may just change my mind.

We moved on to a pair of 2002 Aussie reds: Brokenwood Graveyard (me) and Veritas Hanish (Kieron). The former was deep red with a nose of sweet plums, raisins and cinnamon. Medium-full, somewhat dense and 4-square, refusing to open up, unlike the 2001 which I brought at last year’s dinner. Still a very good wine. The Veritas, on the other hand, shows up the Graveyard’s deficiencies: it was much deeper red, exhibited notes of liquorice, spice and rich dark fruits, full-bodied, with much finer tannins. Gained more weight and intensity after sitting in the glass, yet was never out of control. Unmistakably Barossa, in the most positive manner. 

Someone then passed over a 2004 Faiveley Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuees, a medium-full effort which, after the above opening heavyweights, was refreshing for its notes of fresh cherries and raspberries.

Hiok then conveniently pinched a 2002 Pichon Lalande from the neighbouring table. I was eager to try this as I had purchased 2 bottles cheaply from BDXV back in early 2005. It was clear purple, and smelt of  blackberries and chocolate. Medium weight, smooth and straightforward but lacking complexity, symptomatic of the vintage. I’d say the 2002 Leoville Poyferre is better. Nevertheless, this was drinking well, but I wouldn’t pay today’s prices for this wine.

Next, Fatty came over with a bottle of 1986 Rauzan-Segla, asking us whether it’s corked. We always knew his olfactory function was never reliable (perhaps due to his persistent digging, or vice-versa) and this confirms it. This aged wine showed some bricking at the rim, but it was well and alive: light-medium, supple, mellow, and delicate. Perfect example of an aged Margaux. Somewhat short, though. Fatty conveniently left his lipaemic-stained wine glass on our table, much to Brenda’s disgust.

The Professor then ambled over to our table, holding a glass of white. He didn’t know what it was, kept saying “Kiss-something”. We pricked our ears. It’s a Kistler Chardonnay (from McCrea vineyard)!! We duly got him to smuggle a glass over: from 2006, clear light-yellow, gorgeous nose of smoke, some excellent oak and pineapple. Lush and rich. Lovely.

The formalities with the PM were almost over but we’d barely started on our own wines. I felt the 1998 Grand Puy Lacoste (me) that followed was still somewhat disjointed: quite a promising nose of fresh dark fruits and cigar, but it came across on the palate as still being rather green without much depth, with noticeable alcoholic trace all over. Rather short as well, although it all came together after about an hour. I’m quite sure some of this negative perception is due to the preceding tasting order (how can one move back after a beautiful aged Bordeaux and a Californian white?). I’d still buy this stuff if it goes on sale below SGD100.

In contrast, the 1996 Grand Puy Lacoste (Hiok-GPP) was, predictably, brilliant and beautiful, already revealing layers of rich flavours, yet still too young to drink. Superb.

We pressed on to the 1995 Cos D’Estournel (Hiok): clear deep purple, low acid (characteristic of that vintage) medium-full, good body, totally harmonious but somewhat short on the finish.

The 1996 Monbousquet (Selina), displaying an evolved color, was lovely, rich, with excellent depth. Entirely consistent with the allure of St Emilion. Long. Showing far better than the last time I had it 3 years ago at Hiok’s Bar.

By now dinner was over, the PM had left, and naturally, all the alcoholics gravitated towards the table with the most bottles: ours (see picture). Fatty proferred a 1982 Leoville Barton, which, surprisingly, was already over the hill, an opinion shared by Kieron. Although fully mature and tasting every bit like an aged Bordeaux, it was short and lacked the power and precision one expects from a 1982 (the Leoville Poyferre example we had last month is testimony to that).

Someone planted a 1996 M Chapoutier La Sizeranne Hermitage on our table: clear red, nose of sweet saccharine mint, but curiously, the palate was dominated by a persistent salty note.

Someone else found a 2005 Armand Rousseau (was it Gevrey-Chambertin?…I was beginning to lose focus) that showed intense notes of cherries and red fruits, yet was beautifully contoured and refined. Hasn’t developed further complexity, but for sure it’s headed for greatness.

A pair of Sauternes rounded off the evening. The 1989 Rieussec had taken on a heavy golden color. Having had this at Saint-Pierre last year, I can’t help but feel that it’s already past its peak: honeyed nectar, almost coying but beginning to lose its acidity and freshness. No wonder Carrefour has been desperately trying to get rid of it at SGD150. In contrast, the 2002 Rieussec, which was light-golden, showed better balance and poise, a real bargain.

Surprisingly, in spite of all the above, I didn’t feel drunk at all (thanks to disciplined tasting), such that I was well aware that someone was passing an unopened bottle of 2006 Kistler “McCrea” Chardonnay (same as above; originally meant for the VIPs) around the table. It came to me and I ensured that it never moved further, dropping it out of sight, oblivious to all except the sharp-eyed Hiok. Rest assured, a full tasting note of that will appear late 25th May.

We were kicked out at 2345h when the weary Fullerton staff had already completed laying the tables for next day’s event. Well, 16 tasting notes in one evening was good fun, but next year, the SMA should hold the dinner back at The Regent, where the stemware is far better than what was offered at The Fullerton.

My mobile rang while I was personally administering an injection to somebody. Someone, suddenly, had this brilliant idea of lunching at Les Amis as he wanted to try the efforts of its visiting Vietnamese chef Nam Nguyen (formerly of The Lighthouse at Fullerton) and had the good sense to call me along. Why not? These things don’t happen everyday. We arrived in good time and was led by Timothy himself to a spacious private room on the upper floor. The 4-course menu definitely looked better than the 3-course, but we had time only for 3 courses. A quick decision was made to opt for the former, leaving out the trout.

We began with an amuse-boushe consisting of a single, very fresh oyster dipped in a aperitif that exhibited complex flavours of lime and citrus with notes of apricot that ended in a very long minty finish as the whole preparation, including the oyster, glides down the throat in one single gulp. What a perfect start.

This was followed by the first course of scallops, akami, botan shrimp and raw foie gras topped with a liberal sprinkling of spring truffles. The aroma was to die for. The perfect foil to this simple yet highly imaginative dish was a Chassagne-Montrachet from Domaine Dujac (in our delirium we didn’t catch the vintage…2006?), which was soft, medium-bodied, with just the right blend of fruit and minerality that never once threatened to overwhelm the seafood.

We opted for a half bottle of 2001 Chateau D’Aiguilhe to go along with the lovely loin lamb (served with caramelised prawn and aubergine with salted fish) that was our main: deep purple, excellent bouquet of red fruits and currant, medium-full, lush, excellent mouthfeel, long. Really excellent, quite a perfect accompaniment. Just shows that you don’t need to break the bank to drink a superb wine.

The dessert (marinated mango plum, roses, peach e’spuma with apricot sorbet), petit fours and coffee that followed ended the meal perfectly. Les Amis can be pricey, but on this occasion, where the service was at its usual efficient best, the food delightfully delicate, and the company excellent, I’d say it’s a bargain.

Just when we thought our famous office “End-of-the-Week” Happy Hour had ceased to exist, more stress (thanks to a never-ending shitload of work) suddenly produced 2 impromptu back-to-back after-hours drinks 2 Mondays in a row. Last Monday at 6, I received a unexpected SMS to appear at Hiok’s Bar, where a bottle of 2001 D’Arenberg Dead Arm stood breathing. How generous. From the impenetrable red arose a powerful bouquet of sweet plums and quietly luxuriant dark fruits. Typically big, but manages to achieve a fine balance between notes of toasty oak, raisins, mint and spice without any alcoholic heat. Very long minty finish. This has evolved beautifully since the last time I tasted it in May 2007, and it’s certainly much better than the 2000 vintage that I had 3 weeks ago. Excellent stuff. Does it deserve 98 points by Parker? I don’t really care; at only SGD62 (when we bought it direct from the distributor in 2003), I’ll buy it anytime.

Exactly a week later, some sort of telepathic trigger must have caused 4 of us to suddenly crave for a drink after a shitty Monday. This sort of divine spark called for a memorable drop: the 1998 Barossa Valley E&E Black Pepper Shiraz, which I’d just brought out from my cellar yesterday. It hit all the right notes immediately after being popped and poured: deep garnet red, barely a hint of bricking in spite of its 11 years, beautiful sweet notes of plum, dark berries, chocolate and American oak (it’s actually oaked in French as well) on the nose and palate, full but supremely elegant, receding tannins and a long cool finish. It gained more weight after an hour, becoming more rounded and harmonious. The quality of the fruit from the old vines is clearly evident, and I feel this is what sets Barossa shiraz apart from McLaren Vale. But one needs time for these stuff to come together. Most people tend to pop them way too early, but I’ve deliberately stashed away my Aussie top drops, to be forgotten for a long time. Some would say that the drinking window for Aussie wines starts at 7 years but, from my experience, I’d say 10 years. This is drinking superbly now, but definitely still has a long life ahead. Who says Aussie shiraz don’t age well?

An annual family function, 17th April 2009, at Imperial Treasure Crowne Plaza, Changi Airport. The customised menu was superb, as to be expected, since it was crafted by the boss Jimmy Leung himself.

The 2006 Pikes “The Merle” Reserve riesling tasted fresh and crisp, with the right mix of fruit, minerality and acidity. Less dry than the 2002 I had previously at Dr Jaya’s housewarming a few years back, which is a welcome change. Went well with the roast duck & Alaskan crab with truffle egg white. I had initially thought of cellaring this for several years, but what’s the point? Drinking well.

The 2002 Penny’s Hill Footprint was the pioneering vintage of this flagship shiraz. I had carried it back personally from the cellar door in 2004. Ruby red core with some lightening at the rim. Characteristic bouquet of sweet plums and strawberries, which carried over to the palate – full-bodied yet soft, almost seductive, rich fruit but without the kind of glycerin overcoat or alcoholic heat that mar most Aussie shiraz. Silky tannins. No trace of wood. Quite lengthy. 2002, of course, was an outstanding cool vintage for South Australia. It’s good to know that McLaren Vale is capable of producing such sophisticated shiraz that’s quite different, and in some ways, preferable to so many other Barossian shiraz wines. Unfortunately that was my one and only bottle.