Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin Singapore Chapitre de l'Orchidee -10th Anniversaire dinner

Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin Singapore celebrated its 10th Anniversary with a 1999 themed-dinner at the Fullerton. Coincidently, it was also the dinner where I got inducted to the Confrerie. Food was so-so, hence no dinner notes. Plenty of good wine to go around though - I lost count, and did not realise that I ended up having 16 or so glasses by the end of dinner!

• 1990 Deutz Champagne Brut Millésimé 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  I thought this was very good. Nose had nice aged touches of meat, umami, portobello mushrooms, kumquats and limes, along with a nice honeyed bass note and a spirnkle of toasted herbs. Palate was still extremely young and vibrant for a wine pushing its 20th year. Nice mousse had a gentle freshness to it. with mouth watering acidity carrying flavours of sweet lemons and pinpricks of spice. Rather rich, but very nicely integrated with no small amount of elegance to it. Finish was long and minerally, a little bittersweet, before more lime notes came in. Very nice.

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• 1999 Domaine Michelot Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 90 Points

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

  Pretty good. Was served a little too warm at first, but the second pour from a colder bottle was very decent. Nice nose, very Charmes, with buttery impressions, smoke, gunflint and a perfumy ring to it. Palate was a little angular, with sharp edges and and alcohol at first. But it was better when colder and with some time in the glass - all the disparate elements coming together. Rich and buttery, with a nice roundness and bright acidity running through flavours of cream of mushroom and touches of spice. Finish reminded me of white bread with some minerality and spice at the very end. A pretty good start.

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• 1999 La Chablisienne Chablis 1er Cru L'Homme Mort 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  A little lightweight, but drinking very nicely. Must say it was rather "un-Chablis" though. Nose showed barely hints of mineral, along with more typical aged white Burg notes of mushroom and earth. A bit muted actually. Palate was clean, a little lean, but very nicelu balanced, with honey notes, pears, ripe lemons and a touch of flowers. Again, just that little minerally backbone was obvious as it moved towards a gently unfolding finish that showed a whiff of smoke. Very balanced, fresh wine - not showy, not obvious, but quite a pleasure to drink.

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• 1999 Domaine de L'Arlot Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos de l'Arlot Blanc 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru

  I did not quite "get" this wine. Nose was pleasant enough, if a little oaked, with snoky toast, some flint and a touch of mushrooms along with neutral white fruit. Very big and rich palate, almost a little in your face. Butter, spice, some alcohol, bright, almost tart acid at points. Some quality in the white fruit expression, but the little sharp edges distracted from that. Everything seemed to resolve surprisingly well towards the finish, which tailed off in a nutty, toasty note. But all in all, a decent rather than good wine.

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• 1999 Domaine Jean Grivot Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Roncières 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru

  Still very tight, but showing a nice quality to it. Tightly-wound nose, with meaty notes, flecks of wet stone and some high-toned cherry gummy, and bit of euclyptus and violets all mashed together in a rather unyielding package. Again, tightly-coiled on the palate. Great balance was obvious though, with fresh acid, good clean dark cherry fruit and some super-fine, but still frim tannins. Finish was surprisingly gentle, but has good persistence and a great resolution with some fresh fruit notes. Masculine, but suave, a nice NSG.

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• 1999 Comte Senard Corton-Clos du Roi 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  Not Grand Cru standard maybe, but very enjoyable to drink. Lots of plump red fruit on the nose, a little buried at first, bit quickly coming to the fore along with high-toned grassy eucalytus notes and a touch of earth. Rather attractive. Tannins on the palate had softened out, so this came across as very early drinking for a 1999 Corton. Nicely balanced, fresh, a touch of nice ferrous minerality, not lacking in concentration, but just a little lean on red cherry fruit expression for a Grand Cru. Finish was decent, with peppery spice, another touch of mineral and finally a little sappiness on the fruit. Simple, but very pleasant.

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• 1999 Comte Senard Corton-Bressandes 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  Head and shoulders above the Clos du Roi. This was rather nice indeed. Tight nose, as would be expected, with just a handful of earth and bits of flintiness. Tight palate too, took a bit of time to open up, but when it did, it showed nice red fruits - cherries and ripe cranberries - certainly more stuffing here than the Clos du Roi. Slightly powdery tannins gave the wine a velvety grip, with some acidity providing a good, but unobtrusive balance. Quite a bit of sappiness, moving into a finish of some lengthm which showed orangey notes along with a dose of spice. Very enjoyable.

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• 1999 Domaine des Chezeaux Griotte-Chambertin 92 Points

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

  I was most upset when I found that this wine was a little corky. Such a small plot, so few bottles, so much quality shining out through under the damp cardboardy smells. I can only imagine how nice it would have been if not for that hint of TCA. Still though, it was still very nice. Apart from the corky notes, the nose was still expressive, with lots of depth in its truffly mushroom nose, meat and damp earth along with some buried fruit. Palate was equally expressive and open, with bright, sappy red cherries balanced by a lovely freshness. Lots of depth and richness here, perfumed by a pretty blush of flowers at the mid-palate, before moving into a long, flavourful finish with a touch of earth and a little grip to remind you that the wine has a long way to go. Great elegance throughout. The TCA had obviously pushed a mute button over the whole wine, with a leanness running through its spine - such a pity. Still though, very much enjoyed.

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• 2006 Domaine des Chezeaux Clos Vougeot 93 Points

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

  Ridiculously delicious. Not the greatest amount of substance (see the Arlot Clos de la Roche that followed for that), but tremendous yumminess. Nose was ultra-expressive,almost un-Burgundian in the way rich cassis fruit just tumbled out of the glass along with sweet kirsch notes think Lakerol gummies - then earth and bramble, all in a very perfumed package. Not a hint of over-ripeness or sickly sweetness though. Palate just had a joyous balance, with clean acid running through a sappy, juicy flavours of red cherries full of Grand Cru depth moving into a gently dissipating finish. Simple maybe, but gorgeous. Perfect now and a great joy to drink. Note to the wise though, it started really fading past the half hour mark.

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• 1999 Domaine Arlaud Clos de la Roche 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

  Excellent. Full of stuffing and breed, but quite a bit too young at the moment. Tight nose, with some oaky, toasty mocha oak notes, but with plenty of depth evident in the way a quiet stream of kirsch notes fought their way through. Slightly more open on the palate, with rich, but clean flavours of cherries and cranberries wrapped in melting tannins and clean acidity. Still very primary, but as with the nose, plenty of signs of buried complexity buried beneath. Finish still showed signs of oak, again, some toast, along with haw flakes and a sprig of herbs. Needs time, but certainly good material.

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• 1999 La Chablisienne Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  I actually liked this a lot more than the others on the table - perhaps because I tasted it before it got overshadowed by a superb Batard. Anyway, this was a bit modern, but with great Chablis character - steely, oyster sheel nose, with a toss of earth and white fruit bubbling along below. Just a touch of toast pointed to an oak regime. Again, steel, mineral and oyster shell on the palate, with rich, weighty white fruit and sappy peach notes. Nicely balanced, but the acid did not make itself felt. Good focus and precision too. Finish was decent, sappy and long, with a touch of mushrooms. This could go on aging for a long time yet. Very nice.

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• 1999 Louis Jadot Bâtard-Montrachet 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

  Quite unanimously, the best wine of the night in a night of quite a few good wines. Glorious nose. Tons of depth in its buttered mushrooms, cream fraiche and white fruit melange. You could just go on taking deep breaths of this. Palate was softly creamy, plush and rich, yet without a trace of the obvious fatness of many Batard's - probably as a result of some superbly integrated acidity that just melded into the flavours of the wine. Great flavour profile too - ripe red apples, peaches, hints of mineral, moving into a super-long finish with just layers and layers and flavour opening up in the mouth in true Monty fashion - mushrooms, earth, rich apples... in a word - secdutive. A very complete wine and giving much joy now.

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• 2007 Domaine des Chazelles Caresse d'Automne

  France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Viré-Clessé

  Not sure how to rate this - it is positively the most grappa-tasting liquer I have ever tried. It tastes even more like grappa than some grappas - and not a very good one at that. Dried figs, mahogany wood and spice on the nose, pleasant enough. Palate was all woody with a strong alcohol burn, lingering off in dry, woody notes. Not altogether pleasant to my tastes.

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• 2001 Nicolas Potel Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  Far better than the last time I tried it. Lovely Vosne nose, fill of dark fruits and savoury, meaty notes. Palate was very yummy - rich dark cherry fruit, nice spiciness, earthy meaty undertones and a grippy structure. Finish was nice and sappy too, with dark cherry flavours showing plenty of persistence. Very good indeed - a totally different experience from the previous bottle.

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• 2002 Domaine des Lambrays Morey St. Denis 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis

  This had obviously been opened for some time when I got to it, but it showed very well indeed - an excellent village I thought. Nose was a little tight, showing some ferrous mineral, perfumed flowers and a touch of red fruit, all in lovely, refined dimensions. Very Clos des Lambrays in style. The nicely balanced palate had some concentration, coming across rather rich and sappy, with simple but pleasing flavours of cherries and plums moving int oa mid-length finish with a touch of toast. A nice Morey.

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• 1989 Robert Ampeau & Fils Volnay 1er Cru Santenots 92 Points

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

  Differing opinions on this one - someone thought it was drinking at peak, another thought it had started to go downhill. I enjoyed it very much. Lovely nose - earth, gentle sous bois notes, some meat, and dark, stewed cherries. Fruit had admittedly gone down a little on the palate, but there was still enough for me to make out some fleshy dried cherry tones, along with fresh acid and a grippy structure, sprinkled over with spice. Finish had decent length, clearly started to fade, but still showing nice flavours of haw flakes, orange peel and tea. A lovely wine in its sunset stage.

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• 1998 Domaine Taupenot-Merme Charmes-Chambertin 93 Points

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

  Just had one big draught of this from the chalice during the Confrerie induction ceremony and slowly savoured it, so no time to take formal notes - this was what I scribbled down from memory a few minutes later. Extremely good, drinking perfectly. Lovely perfumy nose full of red fruits. Smooth and balanced on the palate, with a nice silky length and great depth - again, lovely red fruits and a burst of flowers. Great length. Lovely wine.

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