Seeking brilliance in the class of 1973

30 April 2017:
Richard and I were invited to a birthday feast in Taipei. It was a veritable feast in every sense, food and wine, at Ephernité, one of the latest culinary sensations in Taipei, run by a Taiwanese couple with French background.  The name of the restaurant "Ephernité" is coined from two words: "éphémère" and "éternité", combining two contrasting temporal concepts in this cosy yet minimalist-decor space where we get to appreciate high quality cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. Chef Vanessa spent her formative years at L'Astrance in Paris where she honed her skills, in particular her pastry skills, before she and Claude returned to Taiwan to incorporate local ingredients (as much as possible) into her fusion style of cooking. With his Taiwanese roots, Claude, born and raised in France, looked after the wine service with extreme professionalism and dexterity. Thanks to our generous host, aka birthday boy, the wine selection was curated exclusively to celebrate the class of 1973 (with a couple of outsiders!)

The class of 1973

The Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs was the most expressive of the 3 champagnes from the vintage. It showed biscuity and smokey mature character but retained a great balance, precision and persistence. I would score this 19/20.  The Taittinger Comtes de Champagne showed clarity and elegance but seemed a little subdued. The Krug flaunted nuances of hazelnuts, toast, coffee and caramel, perhaps a touch overly oxidative.

Of the 3 white Bourgogne wines, the DRC Montrachet was the most complete (white) wine of the evening, with layers of complexity, harmony, richness and weight but balanced by a gracefully mature level of energy. The finished lasted incredibly long.  I gave this wine 20/20.  The Meursault Perrières, Leroy was structurally very sound, and showed exceptional crystalline purity.  It still showed incredible citrus character overlaying an age-defying minerality and linearity. There was much less expression of the Meursault character which we were somehow expecting. I scored this 17.5/20. The Musigny Blanc unfortunately suffered from cork taint character.

The Petrus, though served from a magnum, failed to show greatness, class or structure. It was marred by a little too much volatile acidity and caramelised note for my preference. The Vega Sicilia Unico also showed mild level of volatile acidity, but that rather lent to its vibrancy.  It was a well-balanced wine with elegance but it lacked expression and character.

The La Romanée was unfortunately served in a pair together with the beautifully matured Chambertin Clos de Bèze which showed remarkable energy and character, with silky texture. We loved the sous-bois, soya sauce, cardamom and mushroom notes that layered the flavours.  This was one of my top two red wines of the evening.  Very happy to score this 18/20.

Of the three red bottles from DRC, the Romanée-Conti was the hands-down winner.  It had an elegant richness, complexity profile and persistence that the other representatives of the vintage failed to deliver.  On the palate, it was harmonious, wonderfully complex and lingered on the palate. I scored this 19/20.  La Tâche suffered from the same fate as the Musigny Blanc, ie cork taint.  The Romanée St Vivant smelt and tasted quite maderised, with copious level of volatile acidity and a dry finish which suggested it should have been drunk a long while ago. 

The olive brown-hued 1875 Sercial was a great pair with the cheese selection.  The oxidative character of liquorice, roasted nuts, coffee and balsamic worked very well with the aged Comté.

Finally, we finished with a 1949 Suduiraut, which showed an amber hue, with honey, apricot, rye toast notes, a lively acidity that balanced the richness but without the heavy cloying character.  Long finish. I scored this 19/20.

1973 is often a forgotten vintage in vinous speak.  Luckily for us, we have a generous friend who enjoys celebrating his birth year with his friends, giving us the opportunity to taste and re-taste this forgotten but not forsaken vintage.  The top performers from this vintage have remained some of our most memorable wine experiences.  

To our generous host, a big thank you for sharing such memories with us!!

We look forward to returning to this high quality neighbourhood restaurant, with relaxed atmosphere, on our next visit.  In the meantime, we wish Claude and Vanessa an enchanting wedding in France this summer!

Here is our menu and wine selection (with photos of some of the dishes):

1973 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs

1973 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

1973 Krug

Amuse- bouche

- crystal caviar 魚子醬

- tête de cochon 豬頭皮肉凍

- gazpacho de pastèque 西瓜冷湯

- mousse de foie de volaille 雞肝醬慕絲



Entrée 1:

Hokkaido scallops salad 北海道干貝沙拉

Hokkaido scallop salad

1973 Meursault Perrières 1er Cru, Leroy

1973 Musigny Blanc Grand Cru, de Vogué

1973 Montrachet Grand Cru, DRC


Seafood:

Grilled uni risotto with white asparagus 白蘆筍海膽燉飯

Grilled uni risotto with white asparagus

Fish:

market fish/ lobster/ pineapple mousse 市場鮮魚及薔薇龍蝦



1973 Petrus (en Magnum)

1973 Vega Sicilia Unico



Meat 1: Os à moelle Bordelaise 巴西里烤牛骨髓



Summer truffle and porcini Tagliatelle 松露野菇寛扁麵



1973 La Romanée, Albert Bichot

1973 Chambertin Clos de Bèze, Rousseau


Meat 2: Tealeaves smoked Pigeon/ foie gras/ farm vegetables 茶燻乳鴿/ 茶樹蜜鴨肝/ 時蔬

1973 Romanée St. Vivant, DRC

1973 La Tâche, DRC

1973 Romanée-Conti, DRC



Meat 3: Japanese wagyu ribeye/ sauce bourguignon

鹿兒島黑毛和牛肋眼/ 勃根第牛肉醬汁


Assortiment de fromage: 起司盤

truffled Camembert /crottin de chavignol/ Comté 18months/ Blue cheese/ Brie


1875 Sercial Madeira Reserva, d’Olivera

Desserts: 甜點

grilled fresh peaches/ thym/ dacquoise

So pretty ....and tasty too!

1949 Suduiraut 

Birthday cake: 生日蛋糕

chocolate raspberry birthday cake



Mignardises: 小茶點三式

Seasalt caramel macaron/ madeleine/ pâte de fruits

A pre-Christmas feast with 1955 Veuve Clicquot and 1970 Vega Sicilia Unico

15 December 2015: A feast that served to celebrate a few milestones....a good friend joining the prestigious ranks of Masters of Wine, another good friend passing his 60th year (a bit earlier in the year), and a little pre-Christmas celebration for the rest of us.

We began with 1996 Krug Clos du Mesnil. It effused a rich and intense bouquet of ripe pear, Brazil nut, caramel, shortbread and buttered toast, laced with bright vibrant acidity, and a long rich finish. It seemed quite a bit more evolved than the 1998 we had recently. 18/20

The man and wine from same vintage!

1955 Veuve Clicquot: We were all a bit concerned when the cork came out with hardly a 'pop'! Gentle bubbles of such creamy texture slowly meandered their way through the glasses, carrying a most refined bouquet filled with hazelnut, smoke, toast, liquorice and ginger, that belied its age. Remarkable freshness filled the palate and left with a long complex finish. A perfect harmony, faultless with its notes. An almost ageless example of Champagne, like its same vintage personality who gave us the excuse to open such a great bottle. 19/20

2002 Chevalier-Montrachet La Cabotte, Bouchard (magnum): Apple, almond and citrus notes initially made up the bouquet, but it wasn't quite followed by the crisp, taut tension on the palate that we would expect for this wine. Saline finish, though lacking in length and vibrancy, evidence of premature oxidation? A little bit disappointing. 16.5/20

1970 Latour (magnum): Decanted for 1.5 hour before we tried it (there was no need to decant, except to facilitate the service, without getting sediments into our guests' glasses!) A garnet hue. Glorious bouquet of tobacco, cigar box, cedar, earth, still flaunting some fruity notes of blueberry. A classic claret that has reached the pinnacle of its enjoyment window, and possibly on the verge of its gradual decline (in magnum or larger formats). Drying sensation at finish. Drink now and over next 5 - 8 years (large formats). 17.5/20


1970 Vega Sicilia Unico (magnum): Decanted for 1.5 hour. Ruby hue, just showing some garnet at the rim. Plum, dark cherry, tobacco, fig leaf with chocolate notes, complemented with a remarkable freshness that kept up its youthful state. Perfectly retained structure, with a rich and luscious texture, leading to a finish that went on and on. A superb effort. Drink now and over next 12 - 15 years. 19/20

1954 Rivesaltes, Cazes: a rich enticing Christmassy bouquet of date, prune, walnut....with smooth silky texture....just seemed lacking in concentration and character when compared to the next wine!  But a beautifully aged Vin Doux Naturel from a tricky vintage, and perfect with the chocolate rum-raisin cake that I made, courtesy of Susan Jung's recipe posted in the SCMP. 16.5/20  

1945 Sandeman's Vintage Port: the spirity finish didn't detract from its slightly superior quality compared to the previous wine. Characterful, with dried fruit, nutty and caramel notes. Probably more enjoyable 10 years ago....now seemed rather lacking in fruit, the experience overcome by the alcoholic finish! 17/20

And just a few more days to Christmas!  

1985 Vintage

14 February 2014: This would go down in my book as a very memorable Valentine's Day. 7 of us (less one who couldn't make it last minute) came home for supper. A friend kindly donated a 1985 Salon (and a 1991 Dominus) to dinner and this inspired me to organise the red wines around the theme of 1985 vintage around the world.....or as much as possible.

1996 Bollinger La Grande Année Rosé: Lovely salmon colour. Raspberry, dried strawberry, candied fruit, toast, a hint of savoury and earthy note at the finish. Creamy mousse caressing the palate, with the gentle prickling of fine bubbles. Gorgeous ripe fruit, balanced by a vibrant freshness. Persistent finish. Very impressive! Drink now but certainly can hold for a long while yet....6 - 8+ years, properly stored. 17/20

1985 Salon: Medium gold. A mature bouquet of coffee, caramel, nougat, honeycomb, shortbread, and hints of smoke. Some minerality on the palate. Creamy texture, with very fine bubbles. Still displaying an elegant vibrancy. Long finish. Classy! 17.5/20

1985 Clos Saint Denis, Dujac: Medium garnet. Notes of coffee, mushroom, dried flowers. Its refined structure still held extremely well within a mid-weight frame, with silky texture. A wine of unequivocal finesse and charm. This bottle would suggest that it still has cellaring potential for a while (5 - 6 years?)...if well kept. 18/20

1985 Backus Vineyard, Joseph Phelps: Deep garnet. Notes of dried fruit, black cherry, herbal, liquorice, with a distinct stoney minerality on the palate. Medium bodied, with the backbone of bright acidity and fine moderate tannin. Still showing tremendous balance and harmony, in a subdued manner. We were all taken by how elegant it stood up next to the Bordeaux! 18/20


1985 La Conseillante: A deeper colour than the Backus. A rich and intensive bouquet of over-ripe fruit, prune, mocha, kirsch and plum. The full and voluptuous body flaunted a lush and rich texture, laden with intense flavours. Lowish acidity. Well balanced but quite a boisterous wine, leaving not much to the imagination! A big and powerful wine that falls short on finesse. 17.5/20

1985 Vega Sicilia Unico: The epitome of elegance, harmony and completeness. Beautifully proportioned in every aspect. Gorgeous aromas of red fruit, black cherry, spice with earthy and savoury notes. Medium-bodied. Still sufficient acidity giving a refreshing lift to the finish. Plenty of character and verve. A very complete wine! This bottle didn't suggest a need to drink up soon....18.5/20

1991 Dominus: Deep ruby. This did not seem to have aged very much! Still lots of primary fruit character of cassis, sun-kissed bing cherry, kirsch, herbal and liquorice. Full-bodied, intensely flavoured, concentrated, with a mouthcoating texture of firm but very ripe tannin. Fresh acidity, but the wine clearly needs another 8-10 years of cellaring time. There was a bit left over in the bottle and it was still drinking very well the following day! This was not a charmer at this stage, perhaps my rating would be improved in a few years' time when this wine had settled into middle age! 17.5/20

1963 Fonseca: A rusty ruby/tawny colour. Bright cherry fruit, with nutty and savoury notes on the palate. Medium bodied, just a slight spirity finish, to an otherwise very harmonious port. Drink now or over 10 - 15 years. 17/20

What this tasting missed was a representative of the vintage from Australia! But overall impression of 1985 now, the best still have many years ahead and it certainly was a very good all round vintage, at least in the Northern Hemisphere!

Happy Valentine's Day, 2014!

La Rioja Alta Dinner

1 Feb 2013: La Rioja Alta, based in Logroño, was the result of post-phylloxera Spain, formed in 1890 when five families of growers got together. From its original holdings in Rioja Alta, they have expanded to own vines in Rias Baixas and Ribera del Duero.  This tasting at Fofo Restaurant (HK) shows that the wines have not only upheld the traditional values, but have also finetuned to modern palates.  Chef Alex did a fine job with the food-wine pairing and came up with some very interesting dishes.

Snapper Ceviche with green peas and beetroot ice-cream

Snapper ceviche, green peas, confit piquillos, roast nuts and beetroot ice-cream
2011 Albariño, Lagar de Cervera



Salt Cod with wild mushrooms and red pepper puree

 Cod fish with wild mushrooms, piquillo pepper purée
2004 Viña Arana Reserva, La Rioja Alta
2004 Viña Ardanza Reserva, La Rioja Alta

Iberico pork cheek, 'mojo picon' potato and chili cream with vegetable garden
2000 Gran Reserva 904, La Rioja Alta
1998 Gran Reserva 904, La Rioja Ala

Pigeon, foie and morel rice
1995 Gran Reserva 890, La Rioja Alta

My brief tasting notes as follows:
2011 Albariño, Lagar de Cervera
Lemon-straw colour.  Fresh tropical and citrus notes of grapefruit, lime, pineapple and peach, with some herbal nuances on the palate.  Medium body, with a refreshingly zingy finish.  Pairs very well with the refreshing snapper ceviche and beetroot ice cream! 16.5/20

2004 Viña Arana Reserva, La Rioja Alta
95% Tempranillo; 5% Mazuelo.  Aged for 36 months in 3-year-old American oak casks.  Deep ruby.  An intense and overt bouquet of black cherry, forest berries, violet, coconut, vanilla and some notes of cinnamon.  Velvety texture of integrated ripe tannin, fleshy with juicy fruit and the freshness of the vintage.  Finishes long.  Very approachable now and perfect for pairing with food.  This was interesting paired with salted cod with red pepper purée - the salt brought out the fruit and made the integrated tannin and acidity even more mellow.  16/20

2004 Viña Ardanza Reserva, La Rioja Alta
80% Tempranillo; 20% Garnacha (from old vines in Rioja Baja). Tempranillo aged for 36 months and Garnacha around 30 months in seasoned American oak.There is more of the old world character and elegance here, combined with a fine structure of firm but well integrated tannin and a good level of acidity.  A graceful bouquet of black cherry, blackcurrant, cloves, chocolate, with nuances of incense, gaining in intensity and weight with some aeration.   The ripeness and richness of the fruit is well carried by the firm structure and elegant freshness.  Would go well with roasted or grilled meat, or even game (would have gone well with the pigeon and morel rice too!). 16.5-17/20

2000 Gran Reserva 904, La Rioja Alta
90% Tempranillo; 10% Graciano. Aged for 4 years in seasoned oak.  Lightly filtered before bottling.Compared to the 1998, this was much more accessible and a very good match with food.  A very Rioja bouquet of raspberry, strawberry, plum, white pepper, cedar, leather, with spicy and earthy notes.    A beautifully balanced wine, with a supple mouthfeel and refreshing acidity.  The middle palate took a bit of aeration to round out.  Drinking perfectly now and can continue to age for a long time.  17.5/20

1998 Gran Reserva 904, La Rioja Alta
90% Tempranillo; 10% Graciano. Aged for 4 years in seasoned oak.  Gently filtered before bottling.A more evolved nose of violet, cloves, nutmeg, milk chocolate, mocha, leather, with nuances of coconut and vanilla. Harmoniously balanced, but less generous mouthfeel than the 2000 vintage.   More subtle in complexity and length.  Drinking well now and will continue to age well.  17/20

1995 Gran Reserva 890, La Rioja Alta
96% Tempranillo; 3% Graciano; 1 % Mazuelo. Aged for 6 years in casks.  No filtration before bottling.Flagship wine of the estate.  This is embodiment of the class and essence of traditional style Rioja.   An unmistakable bouquet , intense and complex, plenty happening: black cherry, forest berries, cloves, nutmeg, leather, mocha, incense, sage, chocolate, game, with a savoury note on the palate.  A very supple entry followed by a luscious mouthfeel and explosively intense flavours, with just perfectly balancing acidity.  Finishes long and complex.  Still rather youthful given the time it has spent in oak.  A great Rioja for long term cellaring - 15+ years.  The savoury, gamey flavours paired rather well with the umami-loaded pigeon, foie and morel rice. 18+/20    

A Vega Sicilia Unico evening (with other interesting additions)

7 Dec 2012:  I was treated to a superb Spanish meal (complete with Spanish wine too!) at DN-Innovación in Taipei.  Chef Xavier Gutierrez (from Arzak) and chef Daniel Negreira (from DN-Innovación) joined forces to create a special menu for us. 

'SALT'

I particularly liked the dishes "Salt" where a piece of raw prawn was placed on top of some spicy sauce and on top of a bed of hardened salt.  A dip had been made in the salt bed whereby the green tea sauce was to be poured.  We had to wait a minute for the green tea sauce to take up some of the salty content before dipping the prawn in. The sweetness of the raw prawn married very well with the slightly saline green tea sauce, an ingenious creation!  This went beautifully with the 1975 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne or the 1946 Castillo Ygay Blanco Reserva Especial, which had taken on a quality not dissimilar to an aged Sercial! My other favourite dish would be the duck tiramisu!  The combination of almond and the taste of duck was unique and paired very well with the 1966 Vega Sicilia Unico!



Ladybird

 Dessert was a bright red ladybird, which was almost too pretty to be devoured!




The Vega Sicilia Line-Up

 As for the wines:
1975 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne: Amber hue.  Mature aromas of honey, hazelnut, mushroom and gingerbread greeted the nose. The palate was an elegant presentation of fine, persistent bubbles, with lively acidity, keeping the delicious flavours alive and the palate refreshed.  Long spicy finish.  A very fine aged champagne and would make a perfect pair with a number of the dishes, including the prawn described above, but also the little red "Bucket" - which contained mushroom dust/mousse and foie gras! 

2004 Que Bonito Cacareaba, Benjamin Romeo: A limited production white Rioja by Benjamin Romeo (Bodega Contador). About 5,000 bottles produced per year.  Mainly Garnacha Blanca, with the balance made up of Viura and Malvasia.  Very low yields.  Hand harvested.  Barrel fermented, followed by 8 months of ageing in new French oak barrels.  Pale golden robe.  A honeyed, spicy and citrus nose, with nuances of herbs, quince, honeysuckle and beeswax.  Full-bodied, unctuous but balanced by good level of acidity. Still tasting relatively youthful and fresh.  (www.bodegacontador.com)

1946 Castillo Ygay Blanco Reserva Especial: Viura and Malvisa blend. Deep amber colour. A mature white Rioja, with notes of honey, caramel, toasted hazelnuts, mushroom, smoke, and some rancio character.  Light-bodied.  Still reasonably balanced, with a slightly tart finish.  Almost like an aged Sercial.

1973 Vega Sicilia Unico: Ruby colour, with no sign of bricking at all.  A gorgeous nose of plum, star fruit, nutmeg, tea leaves, leather and chocolate. A very elegant wine, still full of vigour, with silky tannin, vibrant acidity and a long finish. Drink now and over next 10+ years. 

1966 Vega Sicilia Unico: This seemed to have been made in a much more rustic style. Deep garnet colour.  Full-bodied, velvety, with richness from super ripe fruit.  Almost port-like, displaying notes of prunes, dates, Turkish coffee, Christmas pudding and hints of madeirisation. Finishes long.  More like a fortified wine.  Drink now.

1959 Vega Sicilia Unico: Garnet colour. Madeirised notes of prunes, fruit cake, marmalade, almost reminding one of a Scotch whisky, with just a hint of volatile acidity. Slightly tart finish.

1938 Vega Sicilia Unico: Pale garnet.  Notes of caramel, toffee and nutty notes, with slight hint of leather. Silky texture, savoury finish.

1963 Taylors: Deep ruby.  Still very youthful.  Quite spirity initially.  Sweet and velvety nectar, tasting of nuts, toffee, fruitcake and stewed prunes, balanced by vibrant acidity.  Long long finish.  Gorgeous!

This was the first of two evenings....and I couldn't wait!  Thank you so much to a very generous host!