Tasting at NK Yong's

Swettenham Road, Singapore
Tasted Saturday, December 11, 2010 by Paul S with 854 views

Flight 1 - WHITE BURGS (2 Notes)

  • 2008 Domaine Leflaive Mâcon-Verzé 89 Points

    France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Verzé

    Leflaive has improved on this property year on year, and this was a very decent white Burg. The nose was particularly attractive, with fleshy white fruit scents wed to chalky mineral, herbs and a little toastiness. Tight at first pour maybe, but it opened up quite nicely with time in the glass. Palate had lots of acidity to go along with lemons and tropical, pineapple fruit flavours and an undercurrant of more chalky mineral. Straightforward, but pleasant enough. Finish was impressively long and sappy too. Rather impressive really, with just a smidgen of heat that threw me off - otherwise, a good effort.

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  • 2007 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 94 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

    Absolutely first-class juice. As good a young BdM Corton-Charlie as I have ever had. Lovely nose for a start. Beeswax, honey, white chocolate, a little toast, some nuts and white fruit, all showing lovely depth and complexity, Surprisingly open I thought. The palate was rather tighter, but with no less quality. It was positively palate staining in its concentrated intensity - and this from a 2007 as well! I got rich layers of yellow fruit and serious mineral just flowing through the mouth from attack into the super-long finish that showed accents of peach and apricot as it faded away into the distance. Still tight, still a bit indistinct, but boy, this is certainly solid stuff. Fresh acid was laced through the whole wine as well, keeping it razor-sharp and super focused. An excellent, excellent wine. I would love to try this in 5 years' time.

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Flight 2 - RED BURGS (7 Notes)

  • 2007 Domaine Michel Gros Vosne-Romanée 89 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée

    A very decent Village. A bit of reductiveness at first, with iodine and rubber band notes on the nose that took a bit of time to blow off. Past that, there where nice Vosne scents of dark fleshy cherries and creme de cassis against a backdrop of spice and florals. Palate was clean and clear, with high acidity setting off nice darkish fruit flavours, more high-toned perfumy flavours, some toast and a touch of stemmy bramble at the finish, where hints of mineral and a dose of spice closed the wine off. A bit too thin on the mid-palate for this to be a really good wine, but overall pretty nice.

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  • 2006 Domaine Michel Gros Morey St. Denis En la Rue de Vergy 90 Points

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

    A very pleasant Lieu-dit. Nose was extremely perfumed, with lots of high-toned flower scents. Palate took on the suggestions of elegance on the nose, coming across light, fresh and transparent, dancing across the mouth in deliciously clear flavours of blueberries and dark cherries. Just a bit lacking in oomph across the mid-palate and into the mid-length finish were there was a little touch of bramble. A bit suprising for a 2006 on this count, but otherwise, a really pleasant, easy drink.

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  • 2006 Domaine Michel Gros Nuits St. Georges Les Chaliots 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges

    I thought this was a very solid expression of NSG. A bit reductive on the nose at first, with some iodine notes, but this faded into the background to show dense scents of mineral, meat and dark fruit. Still quite tightly wound. Palate was a bit tight as well, but there was clearly plenty of substance packed into it, with black fruit, savoury meat and a little herb all with a nice, open balance and riding on some firm, mouth-coating tannins. Finish had plenty of persistence. Where the Vosne Brulees was feminine, this was clearly masculine - a muscular NSG if there was ever one. Should drink very nicely when it hits its stride say in 8-10 years.

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  • 2006 Domaine Michel Gros Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brûlées 92 Points

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

    The best of the red Burgs on show, and one of the more age-worthy ones as well. Nose showed some burnt toastiness, bramble and wood spice to go along with rather buried dark-fruit tones. Palate was still a little tight, but clearly had nice substance, with weighty, rather rich dark cherry flavours spread across a layer of fine, mouth-coating tannins. There was also plenty of earthy depth apparent as the wine moved into a longish finish full of spicy notes. A nicely complete wine, with a nice feminine elegance and freshness to it in spite of its concentration. Still young now, but this should age very nicely over the course of the next decade or so.

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  • 2006 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Maréchale 90 Points

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

    I did not find this as impressive as I did the last time. Could it be because we had tried an old Faiveley rendition of the terroir not too long back This was still a nice wine, but I did not find it special. Nose was as lovely as I remembered it - mushroom, meat, earth, hoi sin suace, some char siew and plenty of dark fruit all seasoned by powdery herb scents. The palate was rather inflicted by an obvious tightness and just a touch of alochol unfortunately. There was certainly quality, with fleshy dark fruit carried on fine, teeth-coating tannins and nice acidity. The finish has a soft silkiness which seemed more Chambolle than NSG. However, it was a bit austere - at an awkward place, or an awkward bottle maybe Good, but not great.

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  • 2007 Domaine Amiot et Fils Morey St. Denis 88 Points

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

    Not bad, but not great either. I liked the nose, which was very nicely aromatic, with high-toned berries seasoned with some brambly vine stems. The palate was less charming though, with the stems on the nose picking up a little bittersweet tone towards the finish. Other then that, fine tannins and fresh acidity formed a good backdrop for meat and dark cherry flavours - not bad, but just a touch on the miserly on the fruit across the mid-palate. A decent enough village, but lacking in one or two places.

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  • 2007 Bonneau du Martray Corton 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

    A rare wine. Very young, but this has a promising future ahead of it. Nose was tight, as would be expected on a young Corton, but there were rich scents bubbling under the surface, with dark, dark fruit, a touch of liquered cherry and some perfumy musk and wilted flower scents. If anything, the palate was even tighter. It was not a blockbuster in terms of sheer power, but I thought there was clearly Grand Cru concentration and complexity, with mouth-filling flavours of cool dark fruit and a meaty depth that belied its elegantly wafting presence. Finish had a nice persistent feel too, with roast meat and a touch of rubber. I liked this - it would be interesting to try it past the 10 year mark.

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Flight 3 - PIEDMONT (4 Notes)

  • 2009 Luciano Sandrone Dolcetto d'Alba 89 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Dolcetto d'Alba

    A fun drink. It had strangely purplish colour, perhaps suitable given the intensely perfumed nose that was redolent with crushed violets, cherries and blueberry jam. The palate was light, fresh and fruity, with a mouthfull more of perfume on the attack - violets and roses just wafted around happily along with more bluberry flavours, all awash with mouthwatering acidity. Finish, like the rest of the wine, was light and flowery. Simple, brainless fun, but pretty well balanced and poised nevertheless

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  • 2007 Luciano Sandrone Barbera d'Alba 90 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba

    Very impressive for its price - this was one step up in terms of structure and complexity from the Dolcetto. I liked the nose, it was a bit tighter than the Dolcetto, but still had nice cherry and strawberry notes along with earth and roasted meats, a touch of rubber and some sweet rose flower accents. The palate had this lovely clean feel that I really enjoyed, with great freshness wed to a sense of presence and weight in the wine's dark fruited cherries and fine tannin structure. Finish was mid-length, closing out with a dose of spice. A really nice effort, and one that I can imagine would do really well with food.

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  • 2007 Luciano Sandrone Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore 90 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Nebbiolo d'Alba

    Pretty impressive - this would make a good earlier drinking option while waiting for the Barolos to come around. Very classic Piedmont nose showed roses and tar along with fresh cherry scents and a touch of earth. The palate was really open for such a young Nebbiolo. Roses galore, cherries, strawberries, a little sweet at the edges I thought, and some milk chocolate flavours on the fleshy mid-palate. A layer of tannins reminded you that this was a Nebbiolo after all, before the wine wound up in a fresh, sour berry finish with another layer of tar mingled in the mouth. A modern rendition, but a very nice one.

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  • 2005 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Le Vigne 91 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    A modern interpretation, but one with plenty of quality on it. Still painfully young, as would be expected, the nose showed deep cherry tones, some wilted rose petals and a little woodiness, along with a slightly distracting shot of glycerol. Really tight on the palate, which was full of fine, but chewy tannins. Otehrwise, there was a very substantial underlayer with rich cherry flavours and wafting tar and rose notes as the wine pulled away in a weighty, persistent finish. Hard to drink at the moment, but this should make a good wine in the next 10-15 years.

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Flight 4 - TUSCANY (3 Notes)

  • 2005 Fontodi Chianti Classico 89 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

    I had quite forgotten that I had tasted it before. No wonder too - this was a decent but rather nondescript Chianti made in the traditional style. nose was funky, with a bit of wet fur, some gamey meat, earth and dusky cherries - tones that were carried on in the palate, where they mingled with fresh, tomato-ish acidty and some dark plum and cherry notes. Finish had a decent length and grip. This would be a very decent food wine I think, but otherwise, I do not think it improved much from one year ago.

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  • 2007 Conti Costanti Rosso di Montalcino 89 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino

    A good Rosso, but I thought this was worlds away from the Brunello. Nose was very open, very flowery, with rose water, cherries and earth. Palate was a lot earthier than the fresh, fragrant nose suggested, but here too there were rose flavours, red cherris and some plums alongside the earthier tones and a spicy finish. Light on its feet, but certainly not thin, this was a pleasant drink.

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  • 2005 Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino 92 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

    Very well done for a less than stellar vintage. The nose here was much deeper than the 2007 Rosso that we had alongside, with roast meatiness, tobacco, earth and cherries and strawberries. Lovely. I really liked the palate too. Fleshy cherries on the attack were held up by lovely fine tannins that gave a little grip and fresh acidity that kept the wine succulent. A touch of Italian herbs on the mid-palate added interested, as did some spice and more fresh cherry fruit in the long, nicely integrated finish. Still very primary, but this was very nice in the balanced, understated Costanti style. Really nice - I have yet to have a bad wine from this house.

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Flight 5 - RIOJA (1 Note)

  • 2003 Palacios Remondo Rioja Propiedad 90 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

    Ultra modern interpretation of Rioja - not my usual tastes, but this was actually not bad at all. Nose was pretty nice, with ripe flavours of dark cherries and raisins, rather Amarone-like, alongside woody tones and some chocolate. More ripness on the palate, with rich cherries and raisins on the attack moving into a finish with lots of coffee and mocha and a whiff of Tempranillo cigarette smoke. Nice balance in spite of all that fruit. Not sure how this will age long-term, but I do think it will benefit from a few more years in the bottle.

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Flight 6 - MOSEL RIESLINGS (2 Notes)

  • 2008 Joh. Jos. Prüm Riesling Kabinett 90 Points

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    Pretty good for a generic Kabinett, but quite a step down from the single vineyard bottlings. Nice nose was very classic Mosel, with scents of pu-er tea, grapefruit and pure slatey mineral. Lovely classic off-dry Kabinett sweetness on the palate too, with some gooseberry and pomelo riding on plenty of dry extract and mineral. Finish was soft and elegant, sliding away with a smack of fruit. I thought this lacked a bit of cut and focus that I have come to associate with Prum's wines, otherwise, a nice drinking Kabinett.

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  • 2006 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 94 Points

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    From a 375ml - this was excellent, the wine of the tasting alongside a BdM Corton-Charlie. Nose was really nice, with lovely whiffs of green tea, grapefruit and tropcial pineapple hints, all mingling around in a deep, complex, heady mix, yet with a light floatiness to it all. The palate relflected the nose quite amazingly as well. It was clearly rich, with some cherries and grapefruit mingling with sweeter peach and pineapple tones on the mid-palate and some red fruit tea past that. Yet somehow, this never seemed too rich or sweet, with lovely balance lent by fresh but hardly noticeable acidity that wound its way through every part of the wine, and structure given by a lovely undertone of mineral that ran the wine all the way into a long, open finish. Really complex, but all this was so well integrated that you really needed to concentrate to taste what was going on - otehrwise, the wine just went down in a round, sumptuously delicious and ultra-friendly package.

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