Cellartracker in the flesh with Stefan and Akiko

I contacted Stefan asking for some top tips in Tokyo for bottle shops and he suggested that we catch up for a bite to eat with a couple of BYO's at one of his and Akiko's favourite restaurants. I bought along a Lovedale from my cellar and picked up the Boyd Cantenac in a downtown Tokyo supermarket (I have a sudden desire to move cities...)

• 1998 Mount Pleasant Wines Sémillon Single Vineyard Lovedale

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Aromas of toast, honey, butter, slight ripe apple and citrus notes…also, for me, a little honeysuckle and a tiny touch of kerosene. In the mouth the wine has medium plus acidity, touches of apple and an almost nutty quality. Quite tight and bone dry. On the long finish I also pick up touches of smokiness. Still a few years left here - that kerosene note is a concern though.

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• 1993 Vereinigte Hospitien Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Pronounced aromas of a cornucopia of ripe fruits - peach, apples, pineapple, orange and apricot compote - with floral top notes, some chalky minerality and touches of sweet spices. In the mouth there are flavours of ripe apple, hints of apricot compote and pineapple. The wine has medium plus tangy acidity but this is offset by residual sugar. I'm also picking up some botrytised notes here. Incredibly long. Balanced, complex, intense. Superb. Beautiful. Profound. Perhaps I need to drink more Riesling.

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• 1990 Château Boyd-Cantenac

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Medium plus intensity aromas of saddle leather, beef extract, yeast extract, cedar, black olives, liquorice and an almost soy quality over tiny bramble and blackcurrant touches. In the mouth the wine is juicy with meaty, leathery flavours and very slight black fruit and olive notes. There is still some fine front of mouth tannic grip and the wine is surprisingly full bodied - no thinness here - and carries all on a long finish. Glorious fully mature Bordeaux.

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• 2000 Arnaldo-Caprai Montefalco Sagrantino Collepiano

  Italy, Umbria, Montefalco, Montefalco Sagrantino

  Medium intensity aromas of red cherry, berry and plum. Very slight biscuit and leather notes with cream and spices as well. In the mouth the wine has medium plus acidity with flavours of cherry over plum. The wine is quite savoury and slightly chewy tannin encroaches on the juicy medium plus length finish with cherry and leather notes persisting. Nice.

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The restaurant was superb and both Stefan and Akiko went out of their way to make me feel welcome and exceeding comfortable. Conversation and wine flowed over a series of exquisite courses - an absolutely lovely evening. All of the wines showed well and it was one of those rare nights were wines that would usually shine were eclipsed by wines that were borderline perfect. The Riesling was truly sublime - probably the best riesling I've had in my life and wine of the night for me. And the Boyd Cantenac grew as the evening went on, opening and revealing great breadth of palate. That is not to say that the Lovedale or the Collepiano were in anyway lacking...just not in the same class. Lovely evening.