"Old world Bordeaux Blend vs. New world Cabernet" dinner at Imperial Treasure, Great World city on Friday night.

Go back to Imperial Treasure, Great World city for a Friday night dinner to make use of the return voucher although end up we gave the equal amount of tips to the waitress because they provided a very good service. I proposed a wine theme called "Old world Bordeaux Blend vs. New world Cabernet" which I thought it will be interesting.
I wanted to do a blind tasting but I was asked to arrange the sequence of wines so I arranged them in such a way that we tasted wines from lower ABV to higher ABV. Clearly the first 3 wines were more subtle and elegant while the last 3 wines with higher ABV was robust and rich. While other companion tasted it blind they would not have problem to identify most of the wines and I have to agree that the differrences in the lineup for new and old world were big. Except that Almaviva may not be easy to recognise.

• 2008 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc Te Koko 89 Points

  New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough

  Bright straw yellow, it has a very elegant nose, though less expressive, showing tropical fruits, subtle grassy note and touch of smokiness impart from the oak. Not a typical Sauvignon Blanc, less upfront but retain good freshness and subtle palate. Lots of grassy notes. Nice prolong finishing with the use of oak.

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• 2004 Pierre Sparr Pinot Gris Mambourg Vin d'Exception 89 Points

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

  Light honey colour, it has a complex nose of ginger, honey and hints of tea leaf. Some aged element on palate, round, subtle sweetnes, tea leaf and oily texture. Medium finish.

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• 2000 Château Sociando-Mallet 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  Decanted for 1+ hours, dark garnet, young and vibrant. Quite an expressive and herbaceous nose, along with tobacco, pencil shaving and earth. Good medium+ bodied, exhibit tobacco, earth and undertones of red fruits and blackcurrants. The herbaceous notes is more restrained on palate than nose. It has fresh acidity that lifted the weight. Nice long finish with velvety tannins. A very nice wines with some development and it is very typical of Haut-Medoc with more dusty palate, a style that close to St Esteph than its Southern conterparts.

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• 2002 Château Pontet-Canet 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Dark garnet with glossy hue. Touch of floral on the nose, elegant nose with subtle notes of black currants, tobacco and cedar oak. A leaner style compare to Sociando Mallet 2000, but with nice balance and elegant palate that contribute by balance acidity. Supple texture, showing blackcurrant, tobacco and cedar. Long aftertaste with soft tannins. This is drinkning nicely now and it can be enjoy alone.

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• 2000 Viña Almaviva S.A. Almaviva 90 Points

  Chile, Maipo Valley, Puente Alto

  Dark brooding red with crimson hue. Lots of tobacco leaf here on the nose, with dark fruits and little herbaceous. The entry is very distinctive with lots of old world character but retain the new world freshness and fruits profile. Blackcurrant, tobacco and dark plum. Long subtle finish with a soft grip. I would think it has developed very nicely, compare other new world cab.

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• 2002 David Arthur Cabernet Sauvignon 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Intense dark garnet red with crimson hue. Powerful nose with sweet prune, blackberry, blueberry, chocolate and spice. Very fruits driven nose which also suggest a high alcohol %. It is a robust wines, medium+ bodied, lots of blackberry, blueberry, blackcurrant, floral with some sweetness on palate. This is very new world, need more times for wines to open up.

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• 2002 Tua Rita Giusto di Notri Toscana IGT 89 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Dark and opaque with youthful hue. A perfume nose, rose, a little oxidative and very singular. Make me wonder if this bottle has any fault or bottle variation. But nothing wrong on palate, developed, with prune, dark fruits and blackcurrant. It is a full bodied wine with nice mid palate and medium length finish.

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• 2000 Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Odyssey 90 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra

  Vibrant dark garnet with crimson hue. Expressive nose, blackcurrant black fruits and just a touch of eucalyptus. It has a strong oaky nose too as this has gone through 40 moths oak aging and not yet fully integrated after 12 years. Definitely a new world in character, lots of fruits on palate, blackcurrant and dark plum. Long spicy finish with chewy tannins. Drinking nicely now but it will be better in 3 years when oak fully integrated.

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