CNY drinks

A fun but tiring couple of days of CNY visits with baby in-tow ended with a welcomed quiet evening at a good friend's, with bak kwa, keropok and Alex's home-cooked clay pot abalone(!) and 4 bottles of wine amongst the two of us.

• 2002 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  Borderline premoxed. The nose was matured to the point of being over-advance, with lots of honeyed notes and slightly dried fruit aromas reminiscent of kumquats and fig peel, with some spice and an earthy, salty, slightly dirty undertone - all haunted by just the lightest hint of oxidative smells at the very edges of the bouquet. Thankfully, the palate was rather fresher than nose suggested. Here, more citrussy lemon notes dominated attack, before fleshy yellow fruited tones came midpalate. There was very high acidity and a real sense of energy in the midst of a nice weight. Decent finish too, with warm spice and a little flinty mineral nestled amidst some buttery notes. Like the nose though, there was always just a hint of oxidation lingering around. Still very drinkable, even enjoyable, but definitely not as good as the clean bottle I had a few weeks but - I thought it would be unfair to rate this.

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• 2012 Chard Farm Pinot Noir The Tiger 91 Points

  New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago

  This was a nice little NZ Pinot. Clearly new world, but nicely put together. It started out with a sweet, perfume nose of cherry and red berry aromas with a touch of cola about, a nice floral perfume, some stalky herbs, earth and a touch of oak spice. The palate was very Pinot-driven, with red cherry and lingonberry fruit at the fore. It may have lacked some of the complexity and sense of terroir of a good Burgundy, but there was an admirable clarity and focus to the whole package - it was nicely balanced and well-proportioned, with fine-boned tannins and well-integrated acidity giving it a solid backbone. It then finished was a streak of mineral and brambly, bittersweet herb, and just that little cola-ish note. Young, a bit un-nuanced, but well-made and very drinkable. This will drink nicely over the next few years.

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• 2001 Camus Pere & Fils Mazoyères-Chambertin 91 Points

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

  Not a bad wine, but not quite a Grand Cru experience. I did think it had a lovely nose, with lots of wood spice and menthol, dark cherries and lighter red berry aromas, a little floral lift, all on an earthy, forest floor backdrop. A very pretty, high-toned expression. Unfortunately, the palate was rather leaner than nose suggested. It was still pleasant though, with a stream of gentle minerality and spice snaking its way through clear, cool fruit expressions of dark cherries and wild berries alongside a clear spine of fine acidity and refined tannins. It Finished with a nice juicness that cedes way to a little bittersweet bramble at the end. Very enjoyable, even though this lacks some depth for Grand Cru. At a good place for drinking now. While not great, it exceeded my expectations for a Camus wine.

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• 2001 Juniper Estate Juniper Crossing Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 88 Points

  Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

  This was one of those many modern "international style" Cab blends that were produced by new world wineries around the turn of the last century. While many of them were decently made, I never quite enjoyed them. A decade or so down the road, I like them even less. There was a huge nose on this still, with glycerol fumes wafting around a blast of fruit - blueberries, blackberries, cassis, plums - and then very Margaret River shades of peppermint, eucalyptus and menthol, all still spiked with a hit of woody oak. Not quite my thing. The palate was as big as the nose suggested, with sweet black-fruited flavours of plums and cassis with a slight candied edge to them. For all that though, some juicy, slightly tart acidity and decently shaped tannins kept the wine balanced throughout. It then finished with a bit of tastiness and an echo of the menthol and eucalyptus accents picked up on the nose. This somehow comes together in the end, but really not my style of wine.

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