Montrachet & Musigny Dinner

19 August 2011:  Somehow came up with this theme....and it got stuck in my head that we needed to have it materialised! And so it did, in Burgundy's finest form......and we were left in a state of sheer awe and admiration for those unique terroirs and talented men and women of this region, and we felt very fortunate to have been initiated into the mysterious and sometimes elusive ways of Burgundy.

My rather hasty notes on the wines we had:

1985 Krug Collection in magnum: Our bottle number was 1579.  A ripe and beautifully complex nose of brioche, ripe pears, toasted hazelnuts and smoke. Tasted incredibly fresh on the palate, well-balanced, and creamy mousse, with extremely fine-textured bubbles.  A very stylish and impressive champagne.  I had it served in white wine glasses. I could easily drink this all night!  19/20

1985 Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles, Louis Jadot: Classy, sensational and full of vigour, much more youthful than expected. Even with half an hour of decanting (I would have preferred slightly longer), the wine continued to develop in the glass. Light golden in colour.  Acacia, honey, fig, guava, hazelnuts, layered with smoke and spicy gingerbread.  Very firmly structured still, even chewy on the palate.  Very long finish.  We were all so impressed by the freshness, intensity and depth of this wine.  With good cellaring, this wine should have a very long life ahead. Eric, thank you for sharing with us! 19/20

1995 Montrachet, Amiot:  A rather reductive nose initially. Slowly opened up in the glass to take on toast, nutty (almonds), mineral, perhaps less on fruit character, and also gained weight and built up a creamy texture in the glass.  Quite taut and unrelenting still, but a weighty and impressive wine, with nice balance and firm structure.  17/20



The 3 whites

2002 Chevalier-Montrachet, Leflaive: I interjected a course in between the seafood and meat, so that we could refresh our palate....and how decadent of Charles to bring us this refreshing interlude!  Very youthful, but already flaunting its richness, opulence and firm structure.  Mineral, honey, fig, melon and toasty/nutty bouquet.  Totally harmonious, so fresh and vibrant.  A wine with a very promising future!  18/20

1995 Musigny, Comte Georges de Vogüé: Black fruit, spicy, with plenty of undergrowth and mineral character. Still showing firm fine-grained tannin and much refreshing acidity.  Underneath the austere and monastic facade, there is plenty of power and concentration. Very enjoyable now, especially with food, which attenuates the tannic structure, this wine would be drinking for many years ahead.  Thank you so much, Patrick and Debra! 17.5/20

1990 Musigny, Joseph Drouhin: Seductive and sensual, richly complex and intensely deep.  This is Burgundy in charm offensive.  Simply irresistible.  A perfume of black fruit, mocha, hint of animal, and starting to reveal a caramelising middle-aged maturity.  Smooth, velvety on the palate, without loosening up its still firm structure.  A wine with poise and finesse, leaving the drinker in a state of complete bewitchment.  19/20

1990 Musigny, Georges Roumier: An epitome of the sheer class and sophistication of Burgundy's best!  A big and bold wine, with incredibly firm structure, phenomenal elegance!  Red fruit and floral, with nuances of earthy and leather. Silky and intense on the palate, showing much depth, concentration and a highly intellectual character.  Simply stunning and awesome! A wine to meditate over......Sadly the 2 bottles generously contributed by George disappeared rather quickly!  Enjoy this wine now,  and over the next 20+ years......it will age gracefully and effortlessly!  19+/20  (I put this just an edge over the Drouhin but I was equally impressed by both wines and admired them intensely!)

The Musignys

What a treat to enjoy these Musigny bottles!  Totally seductive, enticing, velvety and silky, embodying finesse, harmony, concentration and depth, all framed in firm and even bold structure! 

It was time for cheese - so we also opened a bottle of 1995 Corton-Charlemagne, Rollin for those who prefer their cheese with white wine.....I shall taste it again later....but initial impression, very youthful, quite austere, focus on minerality, and certainly would benefit from time in the glass.


This marvellous line-up was followed by the following dessert wines:

1921 Château Filhot: Bright copper-amber hue.  Bouquet of dried apricots, bitter orange marmalade, gingerbread, coffee and tobacco.  Unfortunately, the palate was very much drying out and the wine seemed rather over the hill for most, except me perhaps who found it quite a nice match with the pungent époisses or the savoury tomme de couserans, with a slightly tart finish - yummy!  15/20



21 Filhot & 76 Climens

 1976 Château Climens: Bright gold-amber hue.  Honey, passion fruit, dried apricots and marmalade.  Full-bodied, luscious, and very rich in texture and flavours, rather low in acidity for my liking (I find it somewhat cloying).  If you have a very sweet tooth, then this is a beautifully aged Barsac that is enjoyable now but will most definitely continue to develop into a glorious nectar with 20+ years of cellaring. Might work better with something savoury.....a piece of very aged Laguiole, Fourme d'Ambert or Roquefort to balance off the sweetness and bring out the savoury. 18.5/20

So there ended our rather indulgent evening......definitely a good sign that we already started planning our next vinous gathering!

1999 JN Gagnard Batard Montrachet

9 August 2011: Great wine but perhaps not quite the thing to pair with my lemongrass-infused braised turbot, nor the spicy minced chicken with Thai basil! 

Pale gold. Decanting recommended. A deeply intense nose of lemon curd, acacia, honey, figs, quince, dried apricot, toasted vanila, smoke and cardamon. Weighty and creamy, full of richness and ripe, enlivened by firm acidity. Finishes long and spicy. Perhaps a little heavy handed with new oak but it has integrated well with the ripe fruit and firm acidity bolstering the structure.   A very rich and opulent wine, to be paired with chicken cooked in a foie gras sauce, à la façon de Fernand Point, or poached salmon or veal in rich creamy sauce. Absolutely brilliant now, and will continue to evolve over next 4 - 5+ years. There is no hurry to drink this wine but I love the acidity and for me, it's perfect now!  Drink now to 2020+.  18.5/20

2002 Dujac Gevrey Chambertin Aux Combottes

8 August 2011: We felt that we ought to open a half bottle of this wine to see how it should taste, given the corked bottle the previous Friday.  Gladis, in case you're reading this.....this is what it would have tasted like!

Deep ruby. Bramble, wild berries, plums, violet, smokey, truffle, undergrowth with a hint of sage. Grippy tannin, vibrant acidity, chewy but velvety texture. Robust, masculine, vigorous and youthful. A very good effort indeed. This wine would benefit from 2 - 3+ years of cellaring. 17.5/20

1978 Domaine de Chevalier

6 August 2011: I did all the 'heavy lifting' at home before taking the meticulously decanted bottle of 1978 Domaine de Chevalier to the restaurant, The French Window.  The cork was rather soft and crumbly and all the bits and pieces finally came out after 5 attempts using various implements.  Bright ruby hue.  A familiar bouquet of violet, blueberry (Richard said redcurrant), leather, cigar box, cedar and stony minerality greets the nose with a good deal of intensity. Medium bodied, with the flavours slowly and gracefully filling the palate, leaving a lingering finish, with just a hint of sweet tobacco at the finish.  Quintessential old-fashioned claret, harmonious and unassuming, a great pleasure to enjoy now.  For me, this is drinking at peak now, although it could certainly be enjoyed over the next 2 - 3  years with careful cellaring (be wary of potentially delicate cork condition).  17/20

We thought the cepe bisque was lacking in flavours for a restaurant of this quality. The two fish dishes (grilled turbot and lemon sole) that we had were perfectly executed.  The best part however was the cheese platter -- all the cheeses were nicely matured - 'a point'!  A bit strange to have the cheese served with brioche toast.....perhaps the restaurant could consider serving Poilane toast or the plain bread rolls that came at the beginning of the meal?

BYO dinner at Le Mieux Bistro (or Le Meilleur Bistro?) with a 1979 magnum of Angerville Volnay Clos des Ducs

Spa egg on toast with
chanterelle mushrooms and foie gras cubes

5 August 2011: We had a BYO dinner at Le Mieux Bistro.  As usual, Chef Ricky did a wonderful job with the food.  I was particularly impresssed by the 'spa' egg cooked at 65 degrees, over 45 minutes.....I was told that the hen has been raised in a classical musical environment!  I am sure it added to the delicacy of the dish - the runny yolk soaking into the pan-fried toast, with cubes of foie gras and chaterelle mushrooms adding to the texture and richness of flavours of the dish.  A definite stand-out!  The turbot was also delicately cooked, extremely soft and moist, topped with crispy skin (only criticism: the fish was slightly watery - wasn't sure whether it was because it was previously frozen or the water came from the cooking method).  The porcini risotto was impeccable, made with intensely flavoured stock.  The main course was slightly disappointing, rather ordinary, after all these wonderful small dishes.  Perhaps the chef could consider a menu composed of small dishes!  The dessert platter was interesting but not exciting!  I prefer a dessert platter with flavours and textures that complement each other based on a common theme to give it a sophisticated presentation and an interesting crescendo in flavour intensity/texture (instead of being presented as a helping from the dessert buffet -albeit a tasty one)......I could not quite find the connection amongst the pineapple jelly, baked cheese cake and truffle-flavoured ice cream that appeared on our platter.  Only a minor comment that could be reasonably ignored, as I took little time to hoover up the sweet delights on my plate!



Porcini risotto

 As usual, we had a very interesting selection of wines.  We started with a 2004 Gimonnet Oenophile, an extra brut blanc de blancs which was linear and mineral, and rich and complex with acacia, ripe pear and toasty character at the same time, bolstered by very racy acidity.  Very refreshing! I would recommend this wine with oysters or sea urchin sushi. 17/20

This was followed by a 2006 Serruria Chardonnay from Rupert Wines, Franschhoek Valley.  This bottle seemed to have gone through accelerated maturation, showing slightly carmelised and butterscotch nuances, enriching the honey, nutty, fig, brioche and smokey bouquet. A rich style wine, but well-balanced and an excellent complement to the egg dish! 

Richard and I had brought a magnum of 1979 Marquis d'Angerville Volnay Clos des Ducs and we were very eager to see how it showed, especially as Allen Meadows had recommended a drinking window to 2004 when he last tasted this wine in 2001 (although he probably had a 750ml bottle).  The wine took little time to adjust to the wine glass environment and immediately captivated my imagination.  A seductive perfume rose out of the glass - strawberrries, raspberries and rose petal, nicely interlayered with smoke, coffee and caramel.  On the palate, the wine showed a very elegant structure and a silky texture, no signs of fatigue or any elements out of place.  A very regal expression of the finesse, purity and elegance of Volnay.  Drinking perfectly now and should drink well for the next 2- 3 years, but I would not recommend further cellaring for this wine.  17/20   

Unfortunately, the 2002 Dujac Gevrey Chambertin Aux Combottes was corked....this provoked a few of us to start twirling with vigour bits of polystyrene in the wine glass - apparently a trick to take away some of the cork taint....perhaps this trick did something to the nose, but did it also take away or add something else to the palate??

We also compared 2003 and 2004 Quinault l'Enclos, a rather well-priced (value for quality) Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe.  I rather preferred the 2003, which showed rather well with the ripe tannin, a well-knit structure and concentration of flavours of blackberry preserve, tobacco and chocolate, with a hint of violet and cedar.  The 2004 appeared less generous, showing less ripe fruit and less structure. 

The 1991 Lindemans St George sadly suffered from quite a bit of volatility.

The 2005 Torbreck Runrig, Barossa Valley, South Australia, was a very appropriate match for the lamb dish, which came with a richly flavoured sauce. 96.5% Shiraz and 3.5% Viognier.  Individually fermented parcels, each matured for 30 months in new and seasoned oak, with minimal racking, before assemblage and addition of the Viognier component.  Extremely concentrated and intense in aromas of black cherry, crushed blackberries, cassis, liquorice, black pepper, mineral and smoke, lifted by a heady floral note.  Full-bodied, intensely flavoured, showing plenty of complexity and flavour concentration on the palate. Well-balanced, richly aromatic, powerful and concentrated, velvety texture, enhanced with lively acidity.  Nice long finish with a kick of fruit sweetness at the end. 

We then made a last minute decision to open the 2005 The Stork Shiraz by Hartenberg, Stellenbosch, South Africa (a wine that has been lauded with numerous accolades).  As it was a last minute decision, we had it double-decanted.  100% Shiraz.  26 months in new French oak.  A very rich wine in body, structure and flavours, showing very ripe fruit of black cherries and lots of warm spices. A limited production wine, from the ripest grapes, grown in clay-rich terra rosa soil, and helped by low temperatures and steep slopes.  Very promising! 

Both Shirazes were easily enjoyed now but would definitely benefit from further development in bottle.

Thank you everyone for sharing all these interesting wines!  I am now looking forward to our mooncake and wine matching gathering in September! 

Where Spain delivers great value high quality wines....

24 July 2011: Last night I went with a girl friend to the recently opened Betty's Kitchen  in Hong Kong.  Just the perfect place for 2 girl friends to enjoy a bottle of wine, over some delicious and unpretentious food!  I would describe the food at Betty's Kitchen as hearty bistro-style food, drawn from different national cuisines, French, Italian, Spanish and of course English!  Could the chef be persuaded to add a couple of Asian classics (with a bit of tweaking) into the menu??  (That would be really nice!) Anyway, what really impressed me about this restaurant were the very professional service, the well-priced and thoughtfully designed wine list, and the low-key but chic decor (the lighting just bright enough to avoid an overly serious atmosphere and the well-managed noise level giving the restaurant a lively modern buzz).   

I chose a bottle of 2008 Camins del Priorat by Alvaro Palacios.  I was so happy to see this wine on the wine list as I recently tried it in Barcelona and thought it was a tasty approachable wine, by Alvaro Palacios, whose wine (L'Ermita being the top wine) would normally be rather expensive and need a long cellaring period to be drinking well. 

2008 Camins del Priorat (young vines of 60% Carinena, 30% Grenache, 10% Cab Sauvignon/Syrah)

Blackberries, black cherry, liquorice, chocolate, a hint of eucalyptus and tobacco and layered with vanilla. Palate packed with sweet ripe fruit and nicely structured with ripe tannin and fresh acidity. Velvet texture and a nice rounded finish. Well-made in an elegant but easily approachable style. (And I adore the rather sweet-looking label) Drink now - 2016.  15/20

I thought it was a great choice to have on the list, as it had charming character, without being intimidating, easy to understand and appreciate, and would easily go with any of the dishes on the menu, with the rather velvety texture and soft tannin/acidity.  (I love finding great value and off-the-beaten track wines from restaurant wine lists!  Of course, this pursuit is not always rewarded with nice surprises....and it has brought me some less than pleasant ones over the years!)

Another wine I noticed on the wine list at Betty's was a 2008 Tres Picos, Bodegas Borsao, Campo de Borja.  Campo de Borja DO is in the region of Aragon, southeast of Navarra.  Although Campo de Borja does not enjoy the fame of Priorat, nor boast the famous llicorella soil, its vineyards are found at high altitudes of limestone-based slopes, as high as 700 metres, allowing the indigenous grapes (including some very old vines) to slowly retain fresh acidity and attain a high degree of concentration of flavours and ripeness (expressed in both sugar and phenolic ripenesses). This DO has been producing high quality wines speaking of power, concentration and elegance, at reasonable prices.  Same characteristics are found in the DO of Calatayud, which is right next door to Carinena DO, where the grape of the same wine originated.  These 3 DO's are all in the province of Zaragoza, the capital city of the same name is on the river Ebro.   The 2008 Tres Picos is 100% Garnacha (low-yielding 35 - 40 year old vines grown at 600 - 700 metres high) and definitely worth trying. 

Another wine from this region that I recently tried was the 2008 Las Rocas Vinas Viejas, San Alejandro from DO Calatayud (but not on Betty's wine list).  The vines are low-yielding 60 - 80 years old grown at 800 - 1,100 metres high.  21 days of post-fermentation maceration, complemented by micro-oxygenation before malolactic fermentation. This is a wine with plenty of concentration and finesse, with a rich and mouthfilling palate made of layers of spices, berries and floral, and a nice long finish.  A big wine, not for the faint hearted, but an extremely well-made effort! 

All these wines from Spain are very reasonably priced and definitely worth seeking out if you are interested in characterful wines that speak of their origin!  Happy tasting!

P.S. Just for the record, we shared a duck confit which was perfectly cooked and the spicy Carinena in our wine went rather well with the duck, and the wine had just enough acidity to cut through the fat!  Yummy!

Glorious 1959 Latour

9 July 2011: A quiet evening at home. Perfect occasion to enjoy a bottle of 1959 Latour (VTS).  The wine needed 2+ hours of decanting time to display its finest.  Richard first poured the wine into a small red wine glass for me to guess the wine.  Well, I got as far as 1959 Bordeaux....but failed on the commune.  What was very interesting was that the fruit and much of its character failed to show up on the nose nor the palate when in the small glass and it was very hard to appreciate the wine.  Once in the much bigger Bordeaux glass, the wine went through the most dramatic transformation! 

A deep ruby core, slightly garnet at the rim.  Through the sumptuously rich layers of sweet blackberry compote, caramel, leather, autumn leaves, mineral/wet stones, cigar box and violet, there was a slight hint of volatile acidity, which was barely offensive at this moment of evolution. On the palate, there was no question of the power and concentration of this wine, the richly layered mouthfeel revealed its majestic and well-matured charm, and an unmistakably classic Pauillac character.  The years have mitigated little of its austerity - the wine still needed time in the glass to open up. It still showed much vigour and a firm structure that would suggest still quite a few more years of perfect enjoyment.  The tannin has still not completey resolved, still quite astringent - appealing to those who prefer a lingering dry finish (the classic or old-fashioned palate?).  Simply stunning, a wine to be admired and remembered for a long while!  Drink now and for the next 4 - 5 years for peak enjoyment (or much longer for the larger formats)!  19.5/20