Double Birthday Celebration for Fiona and Me

Oversea Restaurant, Shaw Towers
Tasted Saturday, April 2, 2011 by Paul S with 610 views

Introduction

We gathered at Oversea for a double birthday celebration - a bit early this year. As always, some really nice wines - all blind as usual. I have organised them on varietal rather than order in which they were drank for clarity.

Flight 1 - BUBBLES (1 Note)

  • NV Pol Roger Champagne Brut Réserve 91 Points

    France, Champagne

    This had plenty of bottle age on it (we know that K had kept it in storage for at least a couple of years after he bought it), and was showing wonderfully on the night. I must say that the nose was much better than the palate, but then again, what a nose it was! Really deep, complex, with glorious scents of yeast, chalk, earthy and red apples, all mingling around in a sweet / savoury melange. Woah. The palate was unfortunately more perky than profound, a bit simple really, especially after that nose. No complaints about how it drank though, it was such a pleasure. Super lively mousse, juicy apples galore (both red Fujis and green Granny Smiths!) - absolutely delicious, very fresh, very alive, yet not aggresively acidic. Not much complexity apart from a tiny bit of earthy, yeasty stuff at the very end, but this was just so yummy. A perfect pairing for Har Lok (fried fresh prawns in caramelised soy sauce) too. Fun, undemanding stuff!

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Flight 2 - WHITES (2 Notes)

  • 2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières Domaine 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru

    Very young, but boy was this yummy. Beautiful nose. There was a little layer of oak, but beyond that it had beautiful floral notes, lovely white fruit, a spread of cream and lots of mineral and light honeycomb notes. So pretty. Lovely palate too. There was a nice amount of creamy, buttery Meursault richness, but what I noticed most was how it was so incredibly drinkable with its perfectly integrated acidity, little layers of cream fraiche, gentle lemons flavours and fleshy stone fruit notes, nectarine maybe. All super fresh and lively, the wine danced around the mouth all the way into a lightly honeyed finish with more perfumy florals, all the while with a nice minerality playing away in the background. Deliciously round, broad, generous and very pretty. This was impossible not to like. Wonderful now, I can only imagine how good it will be given some age - if, that is, I can keep my hands off them.

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  • 2000 Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

    Best Sauzet I have had for a long time. This was second of two very different, but very good white Burgs on the night. It was hard to choose between them, but the Sauzet was certainly close to Grand Cru quality. It had a very solid nose – deep reservoirs of scents here: butter, cream, saline seashelly mineral and layers of white fruit. Very impressive stuff. Just as good on the palate too. Glorious depth and concentration, rather rich, but clearly with great complexity. It had layer after layer of white fruit, superb minerality with a nice chalkiness, a lick of butter and a touch of toast at the finish, and all this wed to lovely freshness and great length as the wine wound away. Not subtle for sure – this was screaming “I am a great wine, look at me!” and yet there was so much that was good here that I could not help but like it. A bit show-offish, but this really good, and still very young too. The Meursault on the same flight was drinking better despite being 10 years its junior, but I can only imagine how good this wine will be given a few more years in the bottle. Solid stuff.

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Flight 3 - RED BURGS (3 Notes)

  • 2000 Domaine Maume Mazis-Chambertin 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru

    Excellent - but this really needed some time to show its mettle. After having read some prior notes on CT, I decided to open the bottle to let it breathe some 8 hours before the dinner. That was not enough really. While decently good with the meal, it only started shining on day 2, when E and I shared the leftovers, by which time it was really singing. Very Gevrey, very Mazis on the nose. Bloody, meaty, rusty, with a backdrop of sweet red fruit scents, touches of toast and herby hints. After an overnight wait, this opened up even more to show almost red date like accents along with a lovely flowery perfume to go with the more masculine, meaty tones. When first poured the palate seemed rather tight. There was obviously Grand Cru power and a muscular, meaty Mazis profile that framed rich flavours of red cherries and ripe dates. It was nicely balanced and the tannins had softened into a soft, velvety backdrop. However, the wine still seemed rather primary and a little standoffish at first, showing little beyond the initial notes on the attack but for trickles of spice and mineral towards the finish. However, by day 2, the wine really blossomed, opening up to show deliciously sappy red fruit and a whole lot more complexity - fruit, meat, spice, flower, all wrapped in rustling silk and wed to firm, supple muscle. A beautiful wine. One bottle left and by this showing, it should be held off for a few more years at least.

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  • 1988 Olivier Leflaive Clos Vougeot 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

    Every now and then, a 1988 Burg comes along and reminds me of how good a vintage this was. Not the best maker in the world, but this Clos Vougeot was very nice indeed. The nose was very developed, with some herbal notes, preserved red dates, quite a bit of earth, stewed fruit tea and a bit of meat, all nicely sweet scents. It seemed a bit younger on the palate though. There were some beautiful blueberry notes on the attack, which nicely slid into in a fully resolved, very round mid-palate, where melting tannins made for a silky, slinky feel. Past that, I got some beautiful red fruit and, towards the end, a touch of dried flowers. Pitch perfect balance throughout, and very elegant for a Clos Vougeot, Boy this was good - I thought it was a 1985 at one point given the quality, but all that fresh acidity should have told us otherwise. Drinking beautifully now, I see no reason to wait if you have a bottle.

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  • 1998 Domaine Robert Groffier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

    Good stuff - a bit burly for a Les Amoureuses, but there was plenty of quality here, and it was extremely young. I can only see this getting better with time. It had a really attractive nose, somewhat straddling Chambolle and Vosne. Plenty of sweet spice - cinamon, cloves, Christmas cake, some wood spice notes - along with a wafts of dark cherries and earth. Deep, lovely stuff. The palate was hardly drinking like a 1998. Round, sappy, with lovely melting tannins and juicy acidity framing flavourful dark cherries and fine minerality. Lots of flowers floating around the palate too, yet this was not quite feminine - it had too much structure and muscle for that. Nice finish was fresh, open and floral. Very young, but already drinking well. It is clear that this would have benefited from another 4-5 years in the bottle though.

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Flight 4 - RED BORDEAUX BLENDS (4 Notes)

  • 1984 Carmenet Cabernet Sauvignon 92 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County

    A real surprise! One of only two new world wines on show, but we all were quite convinced that this was a Bordeaux - just could not figure out whether it was a left bank or right bank. Very Cab-led blend though, with 85% CS, 10% Merlot and 5% CF. Opened several hours earlier, it had a really nice, very evolved nose when poured - flowers and red fruit scents nestled amidst damp soil, herbs and a bit of tobacco that started emerging with time. The palate was very impressive. Very old world in its fresh acidity and fine tannins, with a silky glide of dark fruit on the attack panning out into a mid-palate that showed lots of sweet dark cherries and just that touch of green pepper that spoke of the Cab Franc as it moved into a nicely resolved finish that still held plenty of energy. Eminently drinkable and quite at peak I would think. It was not the most complex of wines at its age, but it had a lot going for it with its delicious flavours and elegant proportions. Very enjoyable indeed.

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  • 1982 Château La Lagune 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

    Another excellent wine that took a long time to really strut its stuff. Underwhelming on the night, but it was really good on day 2. When first poured, it showed a plenty of herby notes, wet wood and vine stems on the nose, alongside a bit of tobacco leaf, cassis and a slightly roasted edge. Not bad, but not exactly the most attractive left-bank Bordeaux bouquet either. The palate was rather better. Rich, a bit thick, with plenty ripe cassis and berries, yet these were balanced out by a good amount of acidity and freshness. Given the sweetness on the fruit, the balance and the ripe, round tannins that accompanied the wine, it was not difficult to pinpoint it as a 1982, just that this was a tad disjointed at points, with a bit of heat here and there. There was more of that woody, slightly rustic note towards the finish. I thought it was a St Julien at first, one of the more minor classed growths, but when told it was not, fixed my guess on Haut-Medoc. After that, it could only be a La Lagune. On the night, my impression was that this was a very sound wine, but it certainly did not get my pulse racing. One day later, what a transformation! I could barely recognise it. It had a gorgeous nose, all integrated layers of plums, earth and tobacco. The palate was a lot more resolved as well. Now, the lovely sweet 1982 fruit was really at fore, riding alongside nice dollops of fresh acidity with an earthy undertow. There was still that bit of smoky woodiness at the back end, but it all came together in a very delicious way. Night and day from the slightly grumpy underperforming wine of the night before. Very nice to drink now with a long, long decant, but I would really hold this for a couple of years more if I had any in my cellar.

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  • 1980 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Good stuff. Kudos to Ming for spotting this as a new world - the rest of us where quite convinced it was from a hot year in Bordeaux. Admittedly, the nose was rather big and ripe, with plenty of cassis scents at the forefront, some plum, red fruit and tobacco hints. Very nice actually. The palate had a woody, grainy tannin feel to it. Nothing too harsh though, it was obvious, but had resolved quite nicely. This was accompanied by sweet fruit - ripe cassis on the attack, a very plummy midpalate, and some dark chocolate and spice at the end. This was very different from the Sonoma wine we had earlier, not least given its tannin structure and sweet fruit. While the Sonoma was really a Bordeaux ringer, we really really should have picked this up as a Cali Cab on reflection - especially given that it was also noticeably thicker in texture than the Pomerol on the same flight. Nevertheless, the fact that only one person called it correctly is a testament to how close these 30 year-old Napas were to their Bordeaux cousins. Good stuff.

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  • 1988 Château Certan de May 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    A beautiful, beautiful wine - quite clearly my WOTN. Of all the Bordeaux blends on show, this had the most classically Bordelais nose - cigar, toasty tobacco and spice accents danced alongside plummy fruit and lovely florals. Wonderful stuff. Most on the table called it a left-bank - but I thought it must be a right-bank just on the nose alone (pinned wrongly to St Emilion though). The palate, if anything, was even better. Really classy, great finesse - it was a silky caress of a wine, almost lacy, delicate, with floaty cassis, plum and red fruited flavours interlaced with leather, tobacco and just lovely fresh acidity. A joy to drink. It ended as it began - classily, with a long caressing finish of sweet spices. I could down glass after glass of this. Utter seduction, and drinking incredibly well at the moment.

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Flight 5 - A FLAWED SWEET (1 Note)

  • 1999 C. H. Berres Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese Flawed

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    This should, in theory, have been the perfect pairing with our spicy Thai style chicken dish, but the bottle was unfortunately corked to bits. The nose was all chemical smelling - a potent mix of insecticide, thinner and wet cardboard. The palate was somewhat better. Fresh, friendly, but mildly corked, so that the flavours of the wine all dissolve into anonyminity. Pity. The chicken did not go down well either - no other wine on the day could deal with the sweet chili and spice.

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