New Year's Day, 2018 - Pokai Parera

Ekatahuna, New Zealand
Tasted Monday, January 1, 2018 by Marc with 286 views

Introduction

Spring rolls

Sushi

Tuna with dashi jelly

Scallops with zucchini noodles

Sweet onion and goat cheese ravioli

Teriyaki with pickles

Venison loin with beets, liquorice, and cherries

Levon verbena peach

Flight 1 (11 Notes)

with Chris, John , Lottie, Moss, Justine, Marc, Bud and Liz

  • NV Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Réserve 91 Points

    France, Champagne

    Creamy texture and a wonderful balance are the hallmarks of this wine. Slightly sweet impression adds to the textural impression. This is outstanding, but less complex than I was hoping for. The wine was aged for a number of years (laid in chalk cellars in 2008 and disgorged in 2013). This would be a brilliant restaurant wine, as it has class, balance and is delicious - matching well with food.

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  • 1976 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 87 Points

    France, Champagne

    A privilege to drink, this 42 year old bottle is still alive and is showing considerable complexity. Still moderately effervescent. There wine is displaying a structure that hints at the heights this wine must have attained at its peak. The nose is showing hints of decay and vegetal notes, but is also very layered and complex. The palate is more appealing - vibrant acids cut through the advanced maturity, while the fruit of the wine is in no way drying out. Tasted after the Heidsieck, this came across as the more complicated (and in some ways, interesting) wine. The fact that this wine has clearly peaked brings the score down for me. This wine would have been extraordinary back in the day. Still, a very good wine with masses of interest.

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  • 1989 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Trilennium Reserve Cuvée 94 Points

    France, Champagne

    Absolutely spectacular champagne! Intense structure, a classic fruit profile that feels as fresh as a daisy, and a level of complexity and class that mark this a a great bottle, allow this bottle to make a fabulous impression at the dinner table. at 29 years of age, this is showing no signs of entering decline, only the multi-layered complexities of bottle age. Incredibly layered and nuanced finish.

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  • 2000 Domaine Weinbach Gewurztraminer Cuvée Laurence 93 Points

    France, Alsace

    Spectacular bottle. Perfect condition. Very sweet, but the richness of the Turkish Delight fruit, the massive texture, and acid balance, all contribute to a memorable wine. Luscious, intense and long.

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  • 2015 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 90 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Beautiful wine. Rich fruit, generous oak, full mid palate and a lingering finish. This is super entry - level California Chardonnay. I love the balance and sophistication of this wine, and really like its modern rendition of a white Burgundy style. Serving this chilled helps keep the wine in focus. I wouldn't age this too long, as it is drinking beautifully right now.

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  • 2000 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot 84 Points

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

    A fine wine that is sadly past its peak. Very deep gold colour, aromas of oxidation, caramel, meal and oak. In the mouth, quite rich, but the caramel notes dominate the chardonnay fruit. It is certainly a good wine at this point, and was an excellent match for a ravioli dish that featured a caramelised element, but I would have drunk this in the first 5 - 8 years of its life.

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  • 1997 Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Campolongo di Torbe 93 Points

    Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

    Wow! A beautiully balanced Amarone, with modest (for its type) alcohol - 16%! Pure fruit quality, classic cut-pear aromas, intense high notes add lift and elegance to the braiding quality of the fruit. Still a baby. Bottles in this condition will be worth cellaring for quite some time, as this will be a fascinating bottle to follow!

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  • 2011 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 92 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

    Gorgeous new world Pinot. generous oak, beautiful ripe fruit, quite an open style. Drinking really well right now. Tasted next to the Jabot 1997 Bonnes Mares, this held up really well, albeit in a completely different style.

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  • 1997 Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares 96 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

    Profound wine that is all about iron grip, intensity, and a tight inner core of fruit that just goes on and on. At 21 years of age (just), this is complex, refined, but absolutely backwards (counter to the general style of the vintage). I love this style of red Burgundy, but tasted next to a younger Williams Selyem, they might as well been made from different grapes.

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  • 1982 Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) 97 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Classic nose, with intense graphite top notes. Perfect balance, gorgeous fruit, serious tannic backbone. This is drinking a a beautiful point of perfection. Medium bodied and a listed alcohol level of 12%. Tastes nothing like its 36 years - it shows extraordinary balance, complexity, allied wiht a freshness of fruit. Green and black olives, cigar box, pencil - this is classic Bordeaux, and another superb example of the 1982 vintage - and not from one of the most revered producers in this vintage.

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  • 2011 Château Rieussec 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Another gorgeous 2011! Very informed by botrytis, this is luscious, very apricot in fruit style, and shows it class though its long and beautifully modulated finish.

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