A Cote de Beaune Evening

24 July 2012: A few days ago, Richard and I thought it would be quite interesting (and certainly unusual) to have a Côte de Beaune evening. We stayed with Corton Charlemagne for all the whites - I rather stubbornly pulled the corks of 4 vintages of Corton Charlemagne by the same maker, Michel Juillot.  The vintages were 1992, 1995, 1996 and 1997.  Apart from the 1997 which still showed quite a complex nose of fig, ripe pear, exotic fruit, nutty and mineral character, the others were all destined for the sink.  (Interestingly, we've been enjoying some rather well-made 1993 Mercurey Clos des Barraults in half bottles by this domaine.) We then opened a 2007 Hospices de Beaune Corton Charlemagne Cuvée Charlotte Dumay, élevage by Maison Champy.  Nicely rounded on the palate, with the toasty and spicy oak elements just about coming round to be integrated with the lovely citrus and ripe pineapple notes. Love the tension on the palate, nice finish, but perhaps the concentration, complexity and length were not as impressive as the Cuvée François de Salins.

As for the reds, I had prepared a pair from the 2000 vintage: 2000 Volnay Santenots-du-Milieu, Lafon and 2000 Pommard Les Vignots, Leroy.  The 2000 Leroy Pommard Les Vignots was unquestionably the wine of the evening. It had a most captivating bouquet of truffle, red cherry, raspberry, milk chocolate and coffee notes.  Very supple initial attack, followed by a seductive cascade of flavours, caressing the palate with silk-like texture. The lowish acidity just about gave the wine a fresh lift to the lingering finish.  It lasted quite a while!!  Absolutely at its apogee and a wine definitely offering so much more than its humble appellation level (village).  17.5/20

The 2000 Lafon Volnay by comparison gave a more savoury and slightly meaty bouquet, layered with plum, earthy and black tea notes.  Enhanced by a sensation of warm stones on the palate.  An extremely well-balanced wine, of lowish acidity, velvety tannin and a lovely purity of fruit within an elegantly structured frame.  Classy and sophisticated.  Lovely finish, but not a lengthy one.  Drinking at peak now and will continue to drink well for next 4 - 5 years, if well cellared.  17/20

The other 3 wines we had were 2002 Follin-Arbelet Corton, 1999 Remoissenet Beaune Marconnets and a 1985 Bouchard Beaune-Grèves Vigne de L'Enfant Jesus.  The 1999 Remoissenet Beaune Marconnets had the most tertiary nose, leather, animal and autumn leaves.  Rather lighter in body, with a drying finish.  A rustic style wine, not charming, but well-made nonetheless.   15/20

I quite liked the 2002 Follin-Arbelet Corton with the food we served - intensely flavoured braised eggplant and Chinese mushroom casserole and stir-fried beef with leeks.  Richard said it was slightly oxidised - I am not sure I found the same, but the quality of the fruit was rather inferior to that of the two 2000 wines and the wine tasted a little generic, one-dimensional.  However, there was still a good balance of fresh acidity, velvety tannin and fruit quality, giving a nicely accessible structure to the wine, if somewhat lacking in expressiveness and complexity for its quality level.  Finish was a little short.  15.5/20

The 1985 Bouchard Beaune-Grèves Vigne de L'Enfant Jesus that Shirley kindly brought unfortunately was a little unclean - it suffered from multiple faults, including volatility and bretty.  You could tell that the underlying substance could have delivered a great wine.....sadly not this bottle.

We all learnt something this evening.  I thought the Pommard Village and the Volnay Premier Cru were the biggest revelation.  If they had been served blind, one would quite likely have swapped them around!  I really hope more Burgundy lovers would give the Côte de Beaune reds more opportunity to show themselves as the results could be very rewarding and pleasantly surprising!  Our dinner was a mere amateurish act of discovering these wines. The Côte de Beaune offers such richness of terroirs - one should really spend time to check out Pernand-Vergelesses, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Chorey-lès-Beaune, Monthélie, Auxey-Duresses, Santenay and Maranges! 

1970 Chanson Beaune Clos des Feves

15 July 2012: I've been rather curious about this bottle and finally found the moment to try it. 1970 Beaune Clos des Feves, Chanson.  Level is around upper-shoulder. Medium garnet core, with bricking rim. A very developed nose of coffee, sous-bois, dried rose petals and five spice.  Delicate on the palate, with a silky texture and smooth mouthfeel.  The age of this wine is showing itself by the slightly edgy acidity, which is no longer harmonious with the rest of the wine.  Nevertheless, it promises a lingering finish, with just a slightly drying sensation.  Elegant and rather classy.  Loving it!  16.5/20

We are also enjoying a bottle of 2006 Meursault Les Tessons, Fichet. It has a lovely lemony nose, with hints of exotic fruit, nutty and creamy notes.  Fichet's signature minerality very evident on the palate, complete with vibrant acidity, giving this well-balanced medium/full-bodied wine a racy freshness against the weight and richness of Meursault, and a nice length.  A marvellous demonstration of the craft of a great Meursault maker.  17/20

Celebrating Bastille Day

15 July 2012: We were invited by friends to celebrate Bastille Day at their home.  Our hosts very thoughtfully produced traditional Burgundian fare of gougères (which Sandy the dog couldn't stay away from), jambon persillé, rabbit in a rich mustard sauce (which I declined and was kindly offered Saucisse de Morteau as substitute) and fabulous cheese platter including Comté, Epoisses and Coulommiers.  A quick word on Saucisse de Morteau or La Belle de Morteau: it is a smoked sausage produced in the Massif du Jura.  

We started with a lovely rosé Crémant de Bourgogne made by Parigot-Richard, a family business that is now into its 5th generation. 100% Pinot Noir. It's really delicious, delighting the nose and palate with gorgeous fresh red fruit notes, with a very harmonious texture of creamy mousse and very fine bubbles.  Great finesse and smooth texture, a very well-integrated wine.  36 - 48 months ageing on lees and riddling by hand.  16.5/20  I tasted at this domaine in June and was rather impressed by the quality of its wines. 

Then we moved onto the 1996 Puligny-Montrachet La Truffière, Michel Colin-Deléger.  The nose and colour showing much more maturity than its age.  It was a medium+ golden colour, with notes of toast, smoke, ripe pear, nougat, ginger, herbal and liquorice.  There was still  sufficient acidity to keep the palate from tasting flabby.  Quite a long finish.  Perhaps not the best pairing with the jambon persillé, which needed a more zingy and energetic wine to pair, like a good quality youthful Bouzeron!   Wish I had kept some of the Puligny to go with the Saucisse de Morteau - that would have worked rather much better! 17/20

We then had the 1971 Charmes Chambertin, Camille Giroud that we brought.  Lovely tertiary nose of coffee, autumn leaves, earthy,  Asian spice with some pot pourri.  An old-fashioned masculine Burgundy, with much concentration and density, but not a huge amount of charm.  A well-made wine, and tasting very fresh still,  much younger than its 41 years of age!  Long finish.  Got a way to go, probably drink well for another 10 - 15 years, depending on storage.  We bought this as a late release from the domaine.  17.5/20

The 1996 Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru (cannot remember the name of the climat), Ghislaine Barthod was unfortunately corked.

Next up was 2001 Charmes Chambertin, Nicolas Potel.  Well-balanced in a light-medium frame, somewhat lacking in vinous material and structure.  Dark fruit, a little burnt, and some earthy and spicy notes.  A rustic style wine.   Not too keen on the slightly bitter finish.  Drinking at peak now (and needed drinking up soon probably!).  15/20

The 2001 Yquem in half bottle was a great finish to the dinner.  Luscious, rich and opulent, beautifully balanced by vibrant acidity, keeping the palate fresh and exciting with every sip.  Honey, apricot and orange marmalade, with lots of lovely spicy notes.  A most  exhilarating wine!  19.5/20  (Oops, a Bordeaux bottle got sneaked in!!!)

Always love a good excuse to drink Burgundy wines, and better still with genuine lovers who are passionate about the region and not about the labels!   

A very nice find: 2002 Pontet Canet

12 July 2012: A couple of nights ago, I tasted a bottle of 2002 Pontet Canet (part of a flight of vintages from 1996 to 2006) and it has to be the most under-rated wine that I’ve tasted in a long time.  It had been decanted for over 2 hours.  It was packed with delicious black fruit- blackberries, cassis and plum, with complexities of liquorice and dried herbs.  The medium-bodied wine revealed a lush texture of velvety tannin, with the rich fruit notes balanced by great acidity.  I liked the finish very much.  A delightful accompaniment to the deep-fried pork spare ribs and cashew nuts with spicy salt!  A really fabulous effort for this under-rated vintage, 2002, and in my mind, deserving much more than the Parker rating of 88 points. Apparently, the Château also thinks that this is a much under-rated wine and has been known to be served blind to surprise diners!  17.5/20

The other vintage that showed very well was the 2003 Pontet Canet, which, when paired with the sauteed Angus beef filet with deep fried garlic slices, came out so well!  A rich and intense nose of burnt black fruit compote, smoke and liquorice with warm earthy and meaty nuances.  A powerful wine, concentrated and dense, oozing of seduction and warmth from entry to finish on the palate. Gorgeously textured with ripe velvety tannin and just sufficient acidity to give the finish a refreshing lift.  A very stylish 2003, just perfectly balanced in all aspects!  Drink now and over the next 15+ years.  18.5+/20

The other vintages also came out rather well, with the 2000 just opening up now to reveal a very elegant Pauillac nose of black cherry, cedar, cassis, graphite and liquorice, with just a hint of herbaceous note that rather enhanced the complexity and freshness on the finish.  Still quite tannic, with the oak beginning to find harmony with the rest of the elements.  A good measure of acidity keeping this wine invigorated.  After 3 hours of decanting time, this wine was putting on a very good show of purity, balance and finesse.  A wine that could do with further cellaring to show its best.  17/20

The 1996 and 2006 vintages both showed very classic Bordeaux characteristics. The 2006 was all about purity of sweet cassis, with underlying complexities of graphite and cedar for the 2006 vintage.  Already showing a very refined and linear structure of good acidity and fine-grained tannin but will need quite a few more years of coaxing before the transformation into a classic beauty.  It made a brilliant pairing with sauteed prawns with salty egg yolk - the saltiness of the egg yolk softening the tannin and the acidity cutting through the oiliness. 17/20

The 1996 is a classic style wine, the external austerity belies a lovely concentration, with a muscular tannic structure balanced by a good dose of acidity.  Classic Pauillac nose, cedar, graphite, mushroom and earthy.  Medium-bodied.  Nice finish, but not very long. Definitely needed the decanting time. A wine for the long haul.  16.5/20

The 2002 really was the biggest discovery of the evening....here's what I call value-drinking! 

1982 Pichon Lalande vs 1982 Pichon Baron

7 July 2012: Last week, we were invited to dinner at probably one of the best Cantonese tables in HK. Every dish was excellent but particularly praiseworthy were the braised mushrooms, with beef tendons and goose feet and the crispy chicken. We brought a 1996 Dom Perignon and a 1988 Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne. I was keen to try the 1996 DP given our recent experience with Salon and Krug Clos du Mesnil. The 1996 DP gave a nicely developed bouquet of toast, nuts and caramel, with ripe apples rounding off the aromas. Very fresh on the palate, with layers of citrus fruit and minerals, and a display of crisp acidity and creamy mousse. A very fine wine indeed. Drinking so well at this youthful stage, with a long life ahead (20+ years)! 18.5/20

The 1988 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne seems to have evolved at a snail pace.....we were totally amazed by its crispy freshness! Initially a little tight on the nose, but it warmed up to citrus, grapefruit, liquorice and honey notes. Nicely rounded mouthfeel, with plenty of citrus and mineral notes on the palate and a long finish. Great effort! 18/20


Next up was the 1985 Margaux, opulent and seductive. The nose was immediately very endearing, floral, blueberry, cassis and liquorice. We made a mistake of not having decanted it, so the palate wasn't so exciting initially. It finally got there - it took on more weight and complexity during its evolution in the glass to develop into a seductive and opulent wine (with a drying finish). At peak now, would advise drinking within next 4 - 5 years. 17.5/20

The 1982 Pichon Lalande, still showing a deep ruby hue with hardly any hint of bricking at the rim, towers over the Pichon Baron with its mighty biceps, dense body mass and concentration of richly intense flavours of cassis, blackberry, black cherry, , earthy, tobacco, leather. and cedar. Gamey, chocolate, coffee, liquorice and dried herb notes emerged after a little aeration. Mouthfeel is rich, dense and expansive. Lingering finish. This is a big wine with everything in epic proportions but harmoniously integrated and balanced, just not quite reached its apogee. Try again in 5 - 6 years time, with a very long life (15+ years in best cellaring conditions). 19.5/20

The Pichon Baron, already showing tawny-garnet at the rim, was much more evolved and seduced us with its immediate appeal of smokey, leather, blueberry and violet notes and velvety mouthfeel. Lithe and graceful, elegantly structured, with a good amount of underlying richness. Good length, with a slightly drying finish. Drinking very well now and over next 5 - 8 years. 18/20

Celebrating 4th July

7 July 2012: On 4th July, thanks to Danny for giving us the excuse, we celebrated at Amuse Bouche with a few bottles of Bordeaux (and Bordeaux-style) wines!! The best bottle of the evening was the 2007 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc (estate plantings of around 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon) - so versatile in pairing with different dishes - it beautifully accompanied Danny's pan fried foie gras, Kevin's prawns and avocado and my roasted scampi with sea urchin in creamy mousse! I had it decanted for 40 minutes and it continued to evolve in the glass. Notes of honey, fig, pear, lime blossom, layered with yoghurt and nougat. Gorgeously creamy and viscous texture, well balanced by racy acidity, to give the wine much freshness, at this young age. This wine is going to be an absolutely beauty once it has had more time to let the different elements integrate and harmonise. Love the spicy long finish that lingers in the mouth........until the next drop! A very long life ahead! 18/20
The 2007 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge (63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot plus 7% of Cabernet Franc/Petit Verdot) was already giving a lot of pleasure at this young age. So approachable and easy to drink. Coffee, plum, blackberry, leather and spice. A medium-bodied wine, elegantly structured, offering a supple attack. Lovely finish, but a little short. Drinking very well now, and over next 8 - 10+ years. 15.5/20

The 2009 Le Serre Nuove by Ornellaia (54% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc) was equally gorgeous, but in a very different manner, more voluptuous and expressive of the parched, heat-beaten soil of Maremma from the very dry early summer of 2009. Velvety texture. Notes of plum preserve, liquorice, coffee and spices, with nuances of earth and dried herbs. Already accessible with the hallmarks of a worthy second label. This wine would benefit from a couple more years in bottle for the wine to soften up its rather assertive attack and to let the middle palate fill out a bit.  Drink over next 8 - 10 years. 15.5/20
1990 L'Evangile was rather attractive on the palate, with notes of cedar, sweet baked summer fruits, liquorice, coffee, leather and dried autumn leaves, with some gamey nuances developing later on. The medium-bodied palate didn't have blockbuster style stuffing but it did reward us with a silky texture and nicely complex middle palate of flavours building up to a lingering but drying finish. Not sure if this wine would undergo further development to smooth out the edges. If you have a case, I would advise drinking a few bottles over the next 6 - 8 years and keep back a few to see how they evolve over a longer time. 17.5/20
Sorry, Danny, no Californian cabs - we'll find another occasion to enjoy your cabs......14th July??!!!

A Very Seductive 2000 Charmes Chambertin TVV, Joseph Roty

1 July 2012: Drinking perfectly well now.  Ripe red fruit, layered with smoke, truffle and sous-bois, and some leather notes.  Very compelling and complex bouquet, with an even more compelling palate, with a sweet and rich first impression, expanding into lovely layers of complexity in the mouth and leaving you feeling totally charmed and seduced with its lingering finish.  Drinking well now and will continue to drink well for another 10 - 15 years. This is a very fine example of the 2000 vintage, which many regard as an underperforming vintage. 18/20

A 3-Star Meal at DN-Innovacion, Taipei with 5-Star Wines

Chef Xabier Gutierrez

1 July 2012: A few days ago, Richard and I were kindly invited to a very special meal in Taipei, that would remain for us a very memorable experience.  It was at a Spanish restaurant called DN-Innovación on Songren Road in Taipei. (http://www.dn-asia.com)/

Chef Daniel Negreira



The welcome snack of gorgeous ham and olive-oil drizzed toast



The red squid

The menu was designed and prepared by visiting chef Xabier Gutierrez, the Creative Director at the 3-Michelin starred restaurant Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain.  The executive chef at DN Innovación, Daniel Negreira, completed a stint at Arzak (as well as El Bulli and others) and got to know Xabier well to invite him to come over to Taipei. 


A very tasty mackerel dish, spiced up with a little dried chilli



Boston Lobster on the 'flaxseed' reef



The absolutely fabulous Red Prawn



Line-caught sea bass with leek ashes and truffle juice

All the courses were immaculately prepared and presented, each dish was a unique creation, complete with fresh and intense flavours, colourful and meaningful presentation in 3 dimensions, and original creativity.  In short, they all exuded 3-star quality from beginning to end.  Joe,  our host, added the restaurant's special of Spanish ham and olive oil-drizzled toasted bread at the beginning to get us going.

Smoked Red Tuna with the Smouldering Cinnamon Stick

Black Pork cheek with 'Pineapple'

All the ingredients were imported, except the squid, which was sourced locally in Asia.  The only choice we had to make was in the main course, either Kobe beef cheek or black pork cheek.  We both opted for the pork, which was so richly flavoured and so tender that it almost melted in the mouth. This was accompanied by a 'pineapple' - reconstituted and condensed pineapple juice, shaped as a pineapple.  The red tuna that arrived in a smoking chamber with a cinnamon stick still glowing with its embers was rather spectacular - very tender tuna meat, beautifully smoked, simply gorgeous.  The original menu included a dish called 'Mutant Soup'.  We had it swapped for a piece of crimson Mediterranean prawn, with a fried head and a most tender almost sashimi-like body.  This was divine and paired so well with the 2000 Meursault.

The yummy fruity 'footprint'

We were treated us to the following list of fabulous wines:
NV Jacques Selosse Substance
1996 Salon
1996 Krug Clos du Mesnil
1988 Krug Clos du Mesnil
2000 Meursault Sous Le Dos d'Ane, Leflaive
1976 Meursault Charmes, Charles Bocard
1993 Chambertin Clos de Bèze, Rousseau
1993 Chambertin, Leroy
1993 Chambertin, Rousseau
1991 Chambertin, Rousseau
1959 Chambertin, Rousseau
1962 La Romanée, Leroy
1933 La Romanée, Liger-Belair
1945 Taylor's Port

The selection of red wines

The wine of the evening: 1959 Rousseau Chambertin

The Selosse Substance was our welcome drink, but I think it would pair rather well with the prawn dish! The 1996 Salon stood apart with its purity, class, energy and nervosity.  The youthful bouquet showed citrus, lime zest, green apple, light toast and chalky minerality.  There was something very aristocratic about it, and it's remarkably fresh.  The 1996 Krug Clos du Mesnil by comparison was hefty, rich and mature, and perhaps lacked sophistication, intense with honey, melon, brioche, toast, acacia, nutty and smokey aromas and the palate giving a liquorice aftertaste.  The 1988 Krug Clos du Mesnil very interestingly tasted a lot fresher than the 1996 version, giving the impression of much more energy, freshness and minerality. 

The 2000 Meursault Sous Le Dos d'Ane, Leflaive was nicely well-developed, with a ripe fruit bouquet, layered with cream,  nuts, and mushroom.  Long spicy finish with some torrefaction notes on the finish.  Definitely drinking well now, and for the next 8 - 10 years.  This wine married rather well with the creaminess of the red prawn and provided some needed acidity to balance off the richness of high quality sashimi prawn.

First impression of the 1976 Meursault Charmes, Charles Bocard was an intense and mature bouquet of nougat, honey, caramel, nutty, with some botrytis notes (marmalade, orange peel).  The palate initially lacked weight and intensity to match the bouquet.  After about an hour in the glass, the flavours had intensified and the wine gained sufficient weight to make it much more interesting.  Probably past its peak, but still drinking nicely.

Then 4 rather similar Chambertin wines.  My top wine of this flight of 4 was the 1993 Rousseau Chambertin (19.5/20) - I liked the structure, concentration and velvety mouthfeel, which needed time in the glass to develop.   The 1991 Rousseau Chambertin (19/20) showed more purity of fruit and understated elegance and richness.  The 1993 Leroy Chambertin (18/20) seemed to be a little more savoury and gamey, with a slightly funky character about it.  The acidity was also more pronounced here, but the long finish was rather attractive.  The 1993 Rousseau Clos de Bèze (17.5/20) was somehow less impressive than the others....it seemed a little lacking in concentration and depth and the finish was quite short, even after development in the glass.

The wine of the evening was unquestionably the 1959 Rousseau Chambertin (20/20), which was absolutely drinking at peak now, but with a further drinking window of at least 8 -10 years. Still evident plum and cherry, layered with truffle, leather, smoke, tobacco, star anise, coriander and sous-bois.  We were all astounded by its freshness, structure, complexity and finish.  A wine with an amazing expression of Pinot Noir at its best, from the best terroir, showing an elegance that only the best from Bourgogne could achieve!  The experience of this wine still lingers in our memories.

The 1962 La Romanée, Leroy was harmonious and delicate, with a lovely finish, but perhaps a little weak on the palate compared to the Chambertins.  The 1933 La Romanée was unfortuantely too madeirised to be even called enjoyable. 

Then came the second most memorable wine of the evening.  1945 Taylor's Port.  It was a spectacular port, with a beautiful bright ruby core and a freshness that rather amazed all of us.  Notes of dried cherry, nuts, coffee, caramel.  Spirity finish.  Drinking beautifully now, with a very long life ahead!  Wouldn't be surprised if this port would have another 20 - 30 years ahead, if stored properly!  A classic port, which was simply sensational and impressive!  19.5/20

The evening left us all feeling a little jaded.  We managed our short walk back to the hotel.  I highly recommend the hotel we stayed at: Le Meridien, which literally was across the road from the restaurant, brand new, with very spacious rooms (and bathrooms) and a fabulous gym - it was just missing a proper bar where we could sit to reminisce about the fabulous dinner we just had!  Thank you very much,  Joe! It was a truly memorable experience!