Dinner at Cafe de HK

Cafe de HK, Balestier Road
Tasted Friday, June 1, 2012 by Paul S with 816 views

Flight 1 - WHITES (3 Notes)

  • NV Ulysse Collin Champagne Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut (2008) Les Maillons 91 Points

    France, Champagne

    A really young Blanc des Noirs Extra Brut sounds like a recipe for punishment, but in spite of the fact that it was really too early to be drinking this, it was actually quite enjoyable. It had a nice little nose, with a smoky, flinty lilt to it along with slightly browned apples with a whiff of cherries and strawberries alongside and some earthy, meaty notes. Interesting and complex here at least. Unsurprisingly, the palate was there less developed than the nose, certainly less complex, with primary lemony flavours at the fore with just a touch of cherry and strawberry floating about at the very extremes of the wine. The bead was very gentle, barely making itself felt, but there was nevertheless a masculine strength to the and a great sense of zip, with a mouthwatering freshness to its citrussy, lemony flavours. It was way too young, so that the acidity was a little tart at points, especially without food, but I did like the fine lines on the wine, particularly at the finish, where it showed a lovely minerally focus and definition. This was so young that I found it a bit difficult to assess properly, but it is a well-made champagne that should age very well.

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  • 2008 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 91 Points

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    Not much has changed on this over the past half-year - it still showed as a young, rather unyielding Kabinett. Good, but not exceptionally so. It really does deserves a few more years of age. The nose, at least, was a bit more open. After some 4 hours in an open bottle, all traces of sulphur had blown away. There were some petrol nuances on the nose already, along with nectarines and white peach scents, white flowers and the slightest touch of Sonnenuhr vanilla making its way to the surface. Nice, but a little tight. I liked the palate quite a bit. There was great purity to its sweet lemon and white peach notes laced with the same floral tones picked up on the nose, and then a great burst of citrussy acidity that was somehow knitted wonderfully into the bones of the wine. All that racy acidity made it quite a wonderful foil for a whole range of dishes on the table. Unfortunately, it was just a bit on the simple side at the moment - four or five more years before it really hits its stride in my opinion. This will be one very long-lived Kabinett.

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  • 2010 Jean-Jacques Vincent Pouilly-Fuissé Le Clos Château de Fuissé 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Fuissé

    This was a very good Mâcon indeed. It had a very expressive nose, full of flowers and tropical fruit, beeswax and honey, and some almond aromas floating around there somewhere. Very attractive. The palate carried the same dulcet tones, with a sweet, honeyed glow to its tropical fruit - think pineapples and melon with sweet melons in the background. This had all the typical warm, friendly fruit of the Mâconnais, and yet it was very nicely balanced by some lovely juicy acidity. It was an extremely enjoyable from attack to finish, where it tailed away with a touch of kumquat and a little kiss of chalky mineral and spice. Delicious. It should keep improving over the next few years, adding some of the complexity that seems to be missing in its youth - but, really, why wait when it is so extremely yummy even now.

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Flight 2 - REDS (6 Notes)

  • 1961 Fontanafredda Barolo 94 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    This was a stellar wine. Really funky when first popped and poured, it had all sorts of barnyardy aromas, with chicken feathers and wet mud galore, but with time, it opened up beautifully into an umami-laden bouquet, with mushroom notes layered over a lovely sweet scents of preserved cherries and dried berries, with whiffs of smoky tar and wilting roses bringing up the rear. Very pretty in spite of the funk - so much so that quite a few of us guessed this as a Babaresco instead. The palate also started off with a layer of funky wet earth and poopy notes. Thankfully, this peeled off gradually to show really, clean lively flavours of dark cherries and berries, all still displaying a lovely amount of depth and purity. For a wine over 50 years old, this was so very alive - blessed as it was with generous proportions of sprightly acidity and fine-boned tannins. Quite amazing. If not for the tertiary notes on the wine, you would think that it was something decades younger. The finish was so very youthful too, there was just such lovely purity on it, showing with a little waft of smoke and tar and flowers floating over a bed of fine tannins. Lovely stuff, this bottle could easily have gone on for many years.

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  • 1996 Louis Latour Corton-Grancey 90 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

    Not a bad wine, but definitely underperfoming for what it is. Served blind, the table almost unanimously called it a new world Pinot given its surprisingly sweet cherry and ripe raspberry aromas on the nose - almost a bit candy-floss-like at points - and then slightly green brambly, vine stemmy notes, along with a toss of earth. The palate was rather better than the nose, and really was not a bad drink, just not all that impressive either. It was dominated by sweet, slightly bubblegummy flavours of cherries and berries underlined with firmish Corton structure and a little bed of earth and spice. This had decent depth, but seemed to be lacking a bit of energy and was a bit muddled on the midpalate and finish. Surprising for a 1996, and disappointing for a Grand Cru.

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  • 1990 Mount Helen Cabernet Merlot 90 Points

    Australia, Victoria, Strathbogie Ranges

    Pretty good. No one was in any doubt that this was a new world Bordeaux blend, but what shocked us was how old it was when it was unveiled - it nosed and tasted far, far younger - starting with a bouquet still loaded with sweet vanilla French oak notes (more French oak aromas indeed than one would expect from a respectable Bordeaux), rich cassis and sweet blueberry tones, toasty mocha and tobacco and, finally, some telltale eucalyptus hints. The palate too was far younger than its 22 years. It had a rich, sappy depth, with a ripe sweetness to its cassis and blackberry flavours that spoke of its new world origins. Acidity was decent rather than lively, but balance was alright, with some plush tannins, just about softening up, that lent the wine a sense of structure as it entered into a smoky, spicy finish with touches of earth and green eucalyptus notes. This was quite a pleasurable, nothing really complex or compelling, but a good wine that was amazingly youthful for what it is.

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  • 2008 Château Poujeaux 88 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Moulis en Médoc

    I did not think this was great. Pretty well-made for sure, just rather uninspiring in its youth. It had a sweet nose, even sweeter than the Aussie Cab that preceded it, with lots of plums and cassis and blueberries at the fore, along with greener notes of raw tobacco, vine stems and a bit of earthy aromas tossed in. A bit green smelling actually. The palate had a lot of weight for 2008, almost as if the grapes had been pushed to their natural limits both on the vines and in the chai, with sweet, ripe tones of berries and cassis dominating its flavours. Thankfully, there was a nice, juicy acidity and a certain finesse in the tannin structure that still marked it out as a Bordeaux rather than a new world. While rather too sweet and extracted for my taste, this was certainly a well-made wine. I do not like it much now, but I do think it will improve remarkably with time. I am not sure I will ever like it all that much given the stylings on it though - this seems very much one for those who like their Bordeaux on the modern side. Perhaps one to revisit in five years to gauge its progress.

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  • 1994 Clos du Marquis 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Good stuff. Not quite as impressive as the last bottle I had, but this was still probably the best of the three Bordeaux blends that we had on the night. Quite an achievement for a second-wine from a weaker vintage. A few of us guessed it as a 1994 left-bank, but none of us could really figure which house it came from given its qualities. Indeed, it had a classic left-bank nose, with wafts of tobacco and cigar smoke, cassis and tea leaves. This palate was marked by fine tannins, still quite firm here, and clean acidity that led into light-footed cassis flavours that had a nice, fresh purity to them. There was a good, firm sense of structure at the finish along with a lick of tobacco, cigar and spice. This was at a very nice place now. It lacks some the strength and presence you would expect of a Las Cases, or indeed of some of the top 1994s, but this was a real pleasure to drink. A step-up in class if not in sheer quality from the previous two Bordeaux blends.

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  • 2005 Elderton Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz/Merlot Ode to Lorraine 89 Points

    Australia, South Australia, Barossa

    This was a huge mother of a wine - still a bit difficult to drink a good seven years after vintage. There was huge depth on the nose, with gobs of plums and sweet, ripe berries along with a twist of licorice. I feared for the palate after that. However, while as huge as the nose suggested, it was actually pretty balanced, with enough acidity and some thankfully firm tannins undergriding big, plus-sized flavours of cassis and plums and berries and a drizzle of cherry syrup spiked with some eucalyptus. Not my style for sure, but there was admittedly quite a bit going on in there. Just a bit too much fruit and glycerin all round for me. Saying all that though, it is certainly not a bad wine. I would bet this would be immensely more drinkable in say 10 years time.

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Flight 3 - SWEETS (2 Notes)

  • 2000 Schloss Schönborn Hattenheimer Pfaffenberg Riesling Beerenauslese 87 Points

    Germany, Rheingau

    This was aged a good 20 to 30 years beyond what it should be. It had a very old amber-brown hue, and the nose too was all honey and caramel and dried figs and apricots. Nothing like what you would expect from a young BA. The palate thankfully was not undrinkable. There was a nice honeyed tone on the attack, but this gave way to a river of high acidity streaming through citrussy flavours of orange peel, sweet lemons and green apples, very bright indeed, so much so that it finishes almost a bit sour, like sucking on limes and sour plums. A bit strange. It had a nice freshness, but it really was too skinny for a BA, again drinking as if it had been aged far beyond its time. Not great.

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  • 2001 Château Rabaud-Promis 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Decently good, but not great given the context of its vintage. From a blind 375ml, this tasted for all the world like a 2001 in its great structure and balance, but one that suffered from a strange lack of conviction. The nose was very honeyed, with nice apricot and honey tones and a bit of lanolin, but these were accompanied by a slightly watery, iodine hint at the edges that threw me off. The palate started off nicely as well, with a burst of spice and some lovely bright 2001 acidity running through yummy flavours of apricots, honeyed figs and lemons, all with a sweet golden botrytis glow to them. Unfortunately, the wine was rather weakened by a watery, metally twang at the finish. Good on the attack, poor at the end. A real pity. This was overall a nice wine otherwise - I do hope that this particular bottle was flawed in some way and that other examples are better.

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