2012 - Lunch and Midnight drink

An excellent lunch @ Chinois, RWS followed by midnight' session with friends. Life can't goes much better.

• 1995 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Réserve 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Alcohol :: 13%
  Grenache(50%) and Clairette (50%). Opened for 2.5hrs. Beautiful nose that offers complex, highly focus aromas of ripe peach, melon and a touch of marmalade with a melange of sea breeze, saline mineral and clove, very classy. This has very mild spices gently waving around the mouth that give the sense of energy and focus. Very elegance and precise. This is not a blockbuster, but rather subtle and delicate with its freshness and precise layer of complexity. Rich yellow fruits, ginger, melon, peaches and almond nut. Still possesses good structure with excellent intensity that coated the mouth gently but it was so weightless. judt like a ballerina dancing on the palate. Long finished with great persistence. This is truly charming.

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• 1989 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 93 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Alcohol :: 14%
  Vibrant dark ruby core with light rim. It was less expressive and quite acidic when popped and poured. However, after 2hrs of air in the bottle and additional 1.5hrs in the decanter, it fully blossoms. Smoke, pain grille, mushroom, sweet dark plum, blackcurrant and berry, perfumed lavender in the background with mild spice box. I'm surprise this wasn't muscular or tannic, it is delicate with lots of intensity but never too powerful nor tannic, showing great sense of harmonious and elegance. Tannin is there but well integrated with great freshness. Seamless on the palate with long finished lingering with plummy aftertaste. This will drink well for at least another decade.

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• 2000 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  It was too cold, so quite hard to access, especially the aroma. Shy and tight but focus and fresh with layer of yeast, pear and lemon citrus. It has touch of sweetness at the core with saline mineral edge, I thought the sweetness was from the dosage. Full bodied, not the usual muscular Krug that giving huge punch on the entry and mid palate. This was quite elegance. Light on the palate despite the massive acid structure, there was little complexity to give now but with good depth and balance. Sweetness surface at the long, palate staining finish. Again, I thought the dosage have not fully settled down hence the sweetness at the end. Give it another 3-5yrs and should offer better layer / nuances when the dosage fully integrated to the juice. 92-93+

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• 1983 Domaine Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet 90 Points

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

  Alcohol :: 13.5%
  Opened for 5hrs. Medium golden. Honey coated peaches and lemon with almond, raisin and touch of herbs and buttery note. The wine does hold itself together after 5hrs and offers silky smooth mouth feel and it has really great sense of elegance. It builds up when it slides through to the mid palate and finish. Good persistent and long lingering finished with mild spiciness, mineral and nut. Delicious and refine but somewhat lacks of the scale of a really good Batard.

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• 1999 Simon Bize Savigny-lès-Beaune Aux Grands Liards 86 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune

  From Mag. Medium garnet core and light rim. Meaty, earthy, mineral, blackberry and red berry and some ripe tones. Medium bodied, it still possesses a fair bit of tannin started from the mid palate for the bite but there is a little bit rustic edge. Good freshness though. Medium length finish with of mineral and meaty aftertaste. Not bad.

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• 2004 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos de La Bussière 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru

  Alcohol :: 13.5%
  Expressive on the nose with smoke, red Pinot fruits, earth, red floral and touch of earth an herbs. A but lean on the palate but I really like the transparency, purity and freshness here which is what I'm looking for in 2004 vintage. Intense, but also friendly, with a tad of rustic edge too that leads to the medium length finish with medium level of complexity. This was really decent.

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• 2001 Domaine Alain Michelot Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Porêts Saint-Georges 87 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru

  Not really expressive compare to the Roumier, only display some herbs, meat, rustic tint and blackberry fruits. This is monster on the palate. Full bodied, strong tannin structure, mouth coating and palate staining. Not much fruits at the moment, with new wood. Powerful finish with mineral and herbs aftertaste. I'm not sure of the wine has shut down but if it is not, I would be worry this wine will not have enough fruits to fully absorbs the wood and tannin. 87-88?

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• 1986 Château de Fargues Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  This was mildly corked. Not undrinkable but it was simple and the finished is hollowed.

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• 1989 Balbach Niersteiner Pettenthal Riesling Beerenauslese 89 Points

  Germany, Rheinhessen

  Alcohol :: 7%
  4 382 022/03 90. A BA for sure but I wasn't able to get the region right. Ripe, fresh and intense with seductive bouquet of dates, peaches, lemon as well as beeswax, floral and a hint of petroleum. Creamy, viscous, with fantastic freshness and acidic backbone. I really like the freshness and this was as elegance as the wine from Mosel, though a bit light. Medium level of complexity on the palate. Medium length finished with raisin and honey aftertaste. Good but not great.

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• 1975 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage 91 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Opened for 2hrs. Light garnet core. Stunning bouquet of caramel, marzipan with layers of fruits: red plum, red dates, blackberry and raisin. The additional layer of sweet candy and earth added better complexity to it. Medium - Full bodied. Good delineation and sense of elegance with mild flavors of sweet plum, raisin and candy. Still have a touch of rustic edge which I believe with be rounded up with age. Long, grippy intense spicy infused finished with sweet plum and dried herbs aftertaste. Excellent though I thought the 1970 is a more refined and classy. 91-92+

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