Sunday Lunch - Greg & Sayo with friends

The Conservatory, Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong
Tasted Sunday, June 5, 2022 by Goldstone with 139 views

Introduction

Long lunch with 16 close friends to celebrate Greg & Sayo's first return to Hong Kong in 3 years.

Flight 1 - Aperitif (1 Note)

NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 161eme 92 Points

France, Champagne

As an aperitif from 2 magnums. Base is the 2005 vintage but with various slugs going back to the great 1990 vintage. Disgorged in late 2012-early 2013. Very refreshingly saline on the nose. Chalky and pinpoint frizzante on the palate. Nicely buzzy inside the head. A real pleasure. One of the best releases I have enjoyed as an aperitif.....I normally find it needs food, especially Cantonese cuisine, to shine. But this was just great on a Sunday lunchtime as an intro.

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Flight 2 - Pan-seared Hokkaido Scallops (3 Notes)

2012 Gaja Langhe Chardonnay Gaia & Rey 92 Points

Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

Several bottles amongst 16 of us. Lovely light green-gold colour. The nose has a light lemon oil and a kiss of oak. Palate is absolutely gorgeous. Lovely confit lemon. Long time ahead of it but absolutely gorgeous and light Italian expression of Chardonnay right now. On reflection, why wait?

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2012 Cantina Terlan Terlano Terlaner I Grande Cuvée 92 Points

Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Terlano

Two bottles drank between 16 of us over a lovely long Sunday lunch. Medium-deep hay gold colour. Nose is light subtle fresh-mown springtime hay. A warm wind in Provence blowing from lemon tree orchards. Palate is immediately elegant mid-level acidity, nuttiness, some oak, earth and some earth-fused lemon-ness. Very whole and rounded. It is hard to believe this is from the same case I drank from only 24 hours earlier when I scored it 86. This has a lovely freshness in comparison.

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2000 Lur-Saluces "Y" 86 Points

France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur

Two bottles served midway though a long Sunday lunch from a case I bought on release I shared with my mate. Light green-gold almost Sauvignon Blanc colour. Nose is lanolin and not much more except for faint sherbert lemons boiled sweets candy from childhood. Palate is half-burnt almonds. Very little length. Disappointingly unmemorable.

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Flight 3 - Pan-seared Foi Gras in a Quninoa Crust (1 Note)

The Quinoa crust didn't really add anything to the Foie Gras but the d'Yuem was so mesmirising that I don't think anyone noticed.

2001 Château d'Yquem 97 Points

France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

From 375ml. Served with lightly pan-fried foie gras. Very deep but bright-sparlkling and fresh honey yellow gold colour. WOW!....nose is immediately an Andy Warhol painting BLAM! Sensations of the purest honey poured into a tin of Dulux white emulsion paint. There are 10 planes of honey here....like a modernist painting. Palate is pure liquid gold...and immediately sends you plunging down Alice's rabbit hole into deep reveries. So many dimensions of dry and sllightly burnt honey and blow-torched apricots. Amazing length. 97 easy....which is an extremely high score for me and I think I was keeping my scores down today.

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Flight 4 - Rare-grilled Rack of Australien Baby Lamb (1 Note)

1998 Château L'Eglise-Clinet 88 Points

France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

From two double magnums. Surprisingly faded plum colour, semi transparent, but the meniscus is broad and transparent old faded mahogony colour. Nose is surprisingly autumnal - slightly overripe mulberry and red plums but with no residual sugar, dried oak leaves, like a late October Sunday walk through the woods. A bit more fruit emerges with extended time in the glass. Palate is nice medium to high immediate fresh acidity, nice tannic structure but at a tertiary stage, all old plums on the finish. Medium buzz on the finish. This just seems 10 years older than its vintage.

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Flight 5 - French & Italian Cheese Platter (1 Note)

This was superlative....so succulent and perfectly cooked and plated. Bravo!

2014 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 94 Points

Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

A couple of bottles towards then end of a long Sunday lunch between 16 of us. Bright and alive black-red semi translucent colour. Nose is sun-dried tomato blend of sweetness and savouriness. Slightly confit cherry fruit but much less than I normally associate with Amarone. Nice burnt campfire wood element. Palate is freeze-dried blackberry, very dry acidity and tannin but in a sweet/dry way. Still heavily tannic. Heady and lovely reverberance and resonance on the very long finish. Intruiguing and contemplative. The first time I have ever 'got' Amarone and have seen why some friends I respect love it so much.

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