Hsien Min's Birthday Dinner

Nouri
Tasted Tuesday, July 9, 2019 by Paul S with 53 views

Flight 1 - WHITES (3 Notes)

  • NV Jacques Selosse V.O. Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 93 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

    Probably the last impressive bottle of Selosse VO I have had over the years, but this was still nevertheless a lovely champagne. It had a nice nose of yeast, a bit of biscuits, ripe red apples and just a little kiss of mineral and spice. Really attractive stuff. The palate had a nice snappy liveliness to it, with a lemony spine running through more rich Apple flavours, slightly browning this time, and than a bit of kumquat peel and just a kiss of spice leading into a detailed, minerally finish. This lacked some of the sheer awesomeness of depth, power and balance I have always found in previous bottles, but take nothing away from it - it was still a great drop, and a very nice start to the evening.

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  • 1999 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bourgogne Blanc 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc

    Lovely stuff. I really could not place it when blind, and no wonder! This was the illusive white Musigny. It had a very attractive noes, with sweet white peach, fresher green apples, then notes of honey, white flowers, and a little drift of lanolin and fresh rosemary, all linked together by a spine of flinty mineral scents. A very floral nose - almost perched somewhere between Burgundy and the Loire valley. The palate too: it had an oily, almost waxy texture, along with a suspiciously Chenin Blanc-like lanolin lilt, and then a lovely spine of mineral pierced through a core of apple fruit, and again that sweeter peachy tone. I was really take by this. Bone dry and impeccably balanced in spite of the ripeness of its fruit, and showing a superb minerality, this was a wine of great finesse. Drinking nicely on the night as well.

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  • 1975 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 92 Points

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    A charmingly mature Auslese. Nothing earth-shaking, but very pleasant indeed. When poured, the wine had a lovely deep amber colour; almost the colour of an onion consommé I thought. The nose was lovely - orange blossoms, apples, honey, caramel, and a sparkling of orange zest around the sides. Such an inviting bouquet. The palate was still a rich, thick mouthful, with red apples and honey lifted by some blood-orange freshness, and another sprinkling of that orange zest picked up on the nose. For all it's richness, this always remained properly balanced, even gently mouthwatering on the sides of the palate, enlivened as it was by clear, clean acidity and lick of minerality at the long finish. Very yummy, if perhaps lacking some of the complexity that the best vintages show at this age. Still though, a good wine at a very nicely mature place.

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Flight 2 - PINOT NOIR (3 Notes)

  • 1975 Jean-Claude Boisset Clos Vougeot 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

    An old charmer. This had a beautiful mature Burgundy nose - a little earthy forest floor, dark cherries and boysenberries, gentle spice and meat, and then a lilt of lovely violet flowers. On the palate, previously firm tannins had softened, but enough remained to still give the wine a nicely structured feel. Nice acidity too, running through old school, mature Burg notes of sweet cherry, raisins, preserved haw flakes that gave way to a more earthy, mineral finish. Certainly on the more old-school, rustic side, but this was charming wine for its vintage, and still showing pretty strongly.

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  • 2007 Camus Pere & Fils Latricières-Chambertin 92 Points

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

    Not quite my style, but this had a bit of quality to it. It had a sweet nose, with plenty of red cherries at the fore, but also a nice pull of wet stony mineral and a little spice that centred it back to Burgundy. Pretty nice actually. The palate still showed very young, with plenty of bright. almost citrus lemon-like acidity punctuating more sweet notes of red cherries flecked with little suggestions of earth and spice and, at the finish, a linger of nutty new oak notes. In spite of the sweetness and obvious oak, there was actually quite a lovely clarity and balance to the wine, and pretty good depth for a Latricieres as well. I was quite surprised by the quality on this, given some of my less than sanguine experiences with Camus wines in the past. Still a bit too modern in stylings for my liking, but this was otherwise quite a yummy that should continue to improve in the mid-term.

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  • 2016 Bell Hill Pinot Noir 93 Points

    New Zealand, South Island, Canterbury

    This was a very neat New World Pinot, clearly besting two Grand Cru Burgundies on the night. The nose was very expressive - showing very NZ hints of earthy herbs and flowers dancing around some sweet, almost candied aromas of red fruit and cola, with perhaps a little hit of rubber in there as well. Clearly New World Pinot on that nose, but very attractive in that mold. The palate was where this really impressed me. The red fruit was still there aplenty, but whatever sweetness the nose suggested was abated here by a lovely sense of clarity and balance. Excellent stuff. On the midpalate and beyond, little secondary notes of and earth and smoky rubber, spice and mineral emerged, especially as the wine pulled away in a beautifully defined, detailed finish, where just a hint of stems came out to play. Lovely stuff. This does not pretend to be Burgundy, and did not need to. Very nice indeed, with its best years ahead of it yet. I would love to try this again in 5-6 years' time.

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Flight 3 - BORDEAUX (2 Notes)

  • 1975 Château Haut-Brion 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    This was a tremendous 1975 Bordeaux - probably the best example I have had from the vintage. What a lovely, lush nose it had - cigar box, spice and forest floor; earthy tobacco, cassis and plums; smoky, roasted meats - just a gorgeous Haut-Brion bouquet. The palate shared that same lovely, lush feel - a real surprise for a 1975 - with beautifully pure tones of cassis and plums wreathed in curls of tobacco and earth; and then fine velvety tannins pulling the wine into a glorious, still grippy finish of spice and cigar box. At once profound and hedonistic, yet impeccably clear, pure and beautifully balanced, so that it always remained friendly and giving - this was a wine that put a smile on everyone's face. A brilliant bottle from less than brilliant vintage.

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  • 1975 Château Haut-Bages Libéral 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Surprisingly good, even if it was put in the shade by a lovely bottle of 1975 Haut Brion served on the same flight. I liked the nose on this, with its drifts of smoke and bacon, sweet cassis, earth and tobacco. Nice. The palate showed of the strength of structure and the clarity of a good Pauillac, with the shadow of powdery tannins and a nice freshness showing in its notes of cassis and lifted spice, along with some meat, earth and a little twist of orange peel at the finish. Not the most complex of wines at its age, but this was very enjoyable - a clean, direct, pure and very balanced expression of its terroir. Nice stuff. Quite ageless, but drinking enjoyably on the night.

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Flight 4 - A SWEET END (1 Note)

  • 1995 Château d'Yquem 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Always enjoyable. This did not quite hit the heights of some of the really strong vintages, but it was such a nice way to end the dinner. It had a lovely d'Yquem nose, with dried apricots, honey and coconut husks, along with some ferrous, iron mineral and a little bit spice. The palate was rich and thick, almost oily in texture, with lovely drizzles of honey and nectar, some dried apricots, and then more of those very d'Yquem toasted coconut and caramel notes, all riding along a rivulet of deeply interwoven acidity into a super-long, spice inflected finish. Lovely stuff, drinking quite well at the moment. Not the most exciting d'Yquem, but certainly a very yummy one.

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