Dinner at Sra Bua

This was E and my first dinner with the group (Mr and Mrs Alex H. M&M and C&C) for a short weekend trip to Bangkok. We had an unexpectedly Bordeaux-themed line-up at this highly rated restaurant. Food was very fusion-ny, but surprisingly good, well worth a visit. Bottles were brought up from Singapore and (unusually for us) served non-blind.

• 1996 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  A lovely, mature white Graves, this was a surprisingly good pairing with some of the mildly spicy food on the table. It started out with a really complex nose, with minerally seashell scents weaving amidst aromas of custard apple, vanilla cream, lanolin, and a hint of spice. The palate was marked by the strikingly high acidity of the vintage, which gave the wine a lovely focus and laser-like precision, but also made it a bit stern at points, especially given how this was not the most powerful DDC blanc. Thankfully, there was enough depth in its citrussy flavours of kumquat, lemons and green apples underscored by chalk and cream to make keep it interesting and very drinkable. I must say it came truly alive only with some food though, with the light meats pulling the wine together very well. Nice finish too, with a linger of seashells and a wash of spice. All in all, a very nice wine just ripe for the drinking.

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• 1999 Château Pavie Decesse 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  A classy, sophisticated wine - this was surprisingly impressive. A little one-dimensional at first, it opened up really nicely after an hour in the decanter, revealing a lovely, complex nose of earth, meat and leather, alongside gentle spicy notes and dark plummy fruit - really nice. The palate was drinking wonderfully well, with soft, silky tannins and impeccable balance lent by round, supple acidity. Great flavours to - with plums and cassis, a patina of earth, a touch of mint and whiffs of tobacco echoing the quiet complexity on the nose. So nicely integrated and friendly, it was superbly drinkable right from the attack and into the smooth finish with its touch nice spicy note. Really enjoyable.

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• 1999 Château Climens 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  This was a good, but a bit disappointing for what it is. I did like the nose though - dried apricots and peaches, sticky preserved mangoes and sweet kumquat, all seasoned with hints of sweet spice - really quite lovely. However, the palate was at least a couple of steps behind. This was not a powerful wine - it lacked the creamy depth of the best Climens vintages - although I must say it was quite nicely put together, with a clear spine of acidity and mineral underlining pure flavours of honeyed pears, apricots and apple, before moving into a drifting finish with just a hint of spice. A bit one-dimensional and lacking conviction, but it was a pleasant drink nonetheless, and a good accompaniment for our desserts. Should put on a bit more complexity with a bit of time though,

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