3/13/2013 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

This one was a beauty. From the onset, this wasn't the typical Brunello mould, and it had a lovely garnet colour. Nose started off as mixed black and red fruit, mixed spices/peppers, chocolate with a great freshness which developed into more defined red fruits like dark dark cherries, blackcurrant and then some truffle and stone developed after about an hour and a half. Flavours were also fresh with punchy red and black fruits, mushrooms, mixed flowers. Beautifully balanced and this one definitely has a long life ahead! Just about ok to drink now!

3/13/2013 - kevincheng wrote:

I am a bit torn when I drink Californian wines because I often feel that they are too predictable and uninteresting. This Cab was no exception to that rule and while it had a nice inky almost purple colour, the nose was of mixed dark berries, with some mushrooms and tobacco/ash to finish up. Similar flavours on the palate with a bit more soil and stone towards the end. And that was just that... ALmost everyone guessed this one when tasted blind.

3/13/2013 - kevincheng wrote:

This was definitely an interesting wine to try out and I guessed wrongly that this was a German Auslese. Nose had citrus, apricots and peach with quite a decent amount of minerality in there. Ash, tobacco and spices finished it up. Palate was somewhat syruppy with honey and peaches dominating.. Seemed to lack some acidity and while it was interesting, it wasn't memorable or great.

3/12/2013 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

My first time trying the Exquise and it was interesting to compare this demi-sec to the Initiale which I have had on numerous occasions. The addition of dosage (25gms?) was the main difference with the Initiale. Nose was yellow fruits like lemon, brown sugar, nuts, stone and minerals, with a caramelly finish. Palate had a nice complexity which was actually highlighted by the dosage and there were notes of apple, citrus, flowers and a soft creamy finish. Not quite as exciting as some of Selosse's other offerings but it was an interesting part of the lineup
Bottle was disgorged Oct 2010.

3/12/2013 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

While I am a big fan and drinker of Unico, I have not had a '65 for a while, and this was not the greatest vintage of the 60s for Vega Sicilia compared to the giant years of 62, 68, 70. Nonetheless, for a 48 year wine, the nose was not as tired as I would have thought, and it became more and more pleasant to drink over the course of the 3 hours this was opened. Nose of red fruit (redcurrant, raspberry), cinnamon, tobacco, stone, and a hint of vanilla. Flavours were more developed and robust with bigger red fruits (still some fresh strawberries in there) but this one is well past its prime... drink up! Probably got a few years left before it loses what is left of the freshness.

3/12/2013 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

A blend of 3 Unicos from 1991, 1994, 1998, this was a stunning wine. Blissfully elegant but yet with awesome depth and breadth which made drinking this wine especially enjoyable. Where do i start? Huge nose of chocolate, red cherries, luscious strawberries, tobacco, flowers, coffee, cocoa and a touch of game / barn at the end. Flavours were big! Similar to the nose but with some added spices like star anise, cinnamon, minerality and cigars.. One of the best Reserva Especials i've had of late and this one is still extremely young. I'd revisit this one each year for the next 30-40 years

3/12/2013 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Nose was filled with quite a bit of smoke/ash and an earthiness around a decent amount of semi-ripe red berries. It doesn't have the boldness that i've grown accustomed to of Chambolle's but the palate had a decent amount of juiciness to it (cherries, raspberries and strawberries). Nice balance of acidity on this one but i was just distracted by the strength of the ashiness at the beginning, which didn't fade over the course of 1.5 hours. A 'nice' Chambolle for drinking now and pretty decent for a village wine.

3/12/2013 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Quite a bit of menthol/eucalyptus on the nose but still luscious and fresh. Some tropical fruits on the nose (pineapples, apricot), as well as lemon and apple. Quite 'big' on both the nose and the palate with flavours of ripe yellow fruit and decent amount of minerality/stone to the finish. It was somewhat interesting for a kabinett but it was also not memorable for me. Drink now for another 5-6 years

3/2/2013 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

It's always nice to have dal Forno and this Amarone was a decent expression of one which still has some of the complexity, but is heading into more 'oxidised' territory. Still rich and juicy on both the nose and the palate with plums, black cherries, cinnamon and spices but with a reserved cooked/oxidated flavour to it. Punchy on the palate also, with the addition of chocolate, cider and blackcurrant. Still got legs on this one for a bit longer still!

3/3/2013 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Stunning stunning nose of butter, lemon, honey, and summer flowers on the nose. It was so vibrant on the nose that it blew me away. Flavours were of green apple, some citrus and a hint of butterscotch towards the end. Drank extremely well after about 1.5 hours. This definitely surpasses its 'village' labelling and is comparable to most of the excellent 1er or even GCs of this vintage. still very much drinkable and with another couple years left on this one.

2/16/2013 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

This was a pleasant surprise and one of the better Clos Fourtets i've had. Colour was a lovely deep purple ruby. Tasted from a half bottle, the nose upon opening was of beautiful red fruits, lavender, truffles and a touch of camembert. A bit closed on the palate. Oak, cassis, baked bread. So i waited for 2 hours. Nose opened up with more blueberries and blackberries, with beautiful earthy tones and violets. Flavours of mushrooms, licquorice and coffee emerged alongside red berries. There was a good balance with some decent tannins alongside the acidity. Got another 10 years at least.

2/8/2013 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Some intensely beautiful, dark caramel colour which drips like dark nectar on a beautiful sunny day when poured, with a rich rich intensity.

This sherry is made from the oldest solera of Pedro Ximenez at Bodegas Rey Fernando de Castilla, and has a nose which matches; powerfully oxidative, with dates, raisins, cinnamon, spices, honey, and licquorice. Flavours were similar, but with an even more powerful candied edge, which balanced the chocolate dish I had almost perfectly.

Alcohol of 15% and showing huge depth, this one probably has another 10 years in its prime. Beautiful wine!

2/8/2013 - kevincheng wrote:

Tasted at Gordon Ramsay, London.

Nose was that of very light red berries, but its almost gone. Followed by oakiness, burnt bread and some vegetal tints at the end. Flavours were a bit thin for me, with much of the red fruit seemingly gone. Didn't really have any Corton characteristics anymore..
Drink up!

2/8/2013 - kevincheng wrote:

Tasted at Gordon Ramsay, London.

This started off being a bit subdued, got a little more interesting about 30 minutes in and then flattened out again. All in all, not a bad wine. Some apple and lemon on the nose followed by a light buttery note. The body was quite substantial on the wine but I kind of felt that the flavours didn't follow. Some creaminess and yellow fruits in there, but didn't really bring out anything.

2/8/2013 - kevincheng wrote:

Tasted at The Ledbury, London.

Colour was bright, and you could see that this was going to be a bit too young still. Pretty big on the oak alongside the big red fruits; currants, raspberries on both the nose and the palate, but it needs a bit more substance as it kind of falls into the shadows very quickly. Maybe in 2-3 years, this will be more interesting.

2/8/2013 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Had for dessert wine at The Ledbury.

Dark gold in color with a nose of oranges, honey, pineapple, apricots and even mango in there. Reminded me of some older d'Yquem I have had. Palate was a lovely combination of honey, apricots, jam, even some sweet figs and some nutty tinges at the end. Beautiful wine with a rich acidity which complements the sweetness well. Still has years to go

2/8/2013 - kevincheng wrote:

The bottle would have been opened for an hour or two by the time I got at it. Medium gold in color, with a nose of citrus fruits, honey and green apples. Flavours were also of citrus fruits, particularly lemon zest and some orange. Minerality comes out towards the end and the hints of gasoline coming through. Medium- body and medium+ acidity. Nice drinking standard Kabinett.

2/3/2013 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Full of red fruit when opened, which was full-on and uninhibited. With mixed berries (strwaberries, raspberries) and a bunch of peppers and spices. The nose developed to be more complex after an hour or two with some meaty notes and hints of green pepper. Flavours were fruity with some minerality to it (stone too). Decent amount of tannins still and a slight hint of age to it, but still refreshingly young for a 2000.

1/23/2013 - kevincheng wrote:

Had over dinner at Cut. Quite a subtle nose of minerality, red berries and tobacco. A bit more of an eclectic mix of minerals, stone, ash, ripe strawberries, coca cola and hints of plums. Medium+ body with a medium finish. Needs a bit more time i think but should turn out nicely

1/17/2013 - kevincheng wrote:

The wine has hints of oxidisation which is surprising for this wine. color was a medium yellow with an initial slightly funky nose of pears, apples, and the slight sourness from oxidised wines. But that seemed to fade over the course of the next 2 hours. The minerality and citrus elements kicked in about 45 minutes in and stayed through to the last drop with toasted notes coming through at the end. Flavours were muted, with some citrus in there and mostly pear with a creamy finish. Medium finish with a fair amount of acidity which is a bit distracting

1/17/2013 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

My 2nd time having an Eszencia and this was truly another rewarding experience. We had this at Yoshiyuki in Singapore and with the 6-700gms of sugar/L that this wine has, the depth of the nose and the flavours were exciting to say the least. Still EXTREMELY young, nose of honey, nectar, peaches, orange peel and baked bread. Palate somewhat closed, but honey and nectar were the standouts.
When poured from the bottle, it was like pouring thick honey out, with a lovely balance coming from high levels of acidity. Wait another 100 years before this one is ready i think. Beautiful stuff.

12/28/2012 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Drunk out of a half bottle, this was a surprisingly nice wine for 9 euros. Ruby coloured with nose of ripe cherries, raspberries, star anise and cinnamon and a hint of green peppers and meat at the end. Flavour was more on the punchy, ripe red berries, mixed spices and some oak. Nice wine to drink and has a good medium length to it, soft, rounded tannins which should carry this on for a few years. Drinkable now though!

12/29/2012 - kevincheng wrote:

I have not had much Verdejo in the past, and i was looking forward to something quite interesting. Nose was quite aromatic with yellow and green fruit and hints of spring flowers. Palate was quite simple, but that was that... a simple drinkable wine which fared well with my grilled hake that night.

12/29/2012 - kevincheng wrote:

Mostly Tempranillo with a touch of Graciano thrown in there, the Finca Torrea from Marques de Riscal has had only had a few releases that I know of. A modern style Rioja with a nose of red cherries, strawberries and some mixed spices. Flavours are fresh, with similar notes as the nose, and the addition of tobacco and right at the end, there is a hint of game meats. Alcohol of 14% was well balanced.
Aged 18 months before release and strikes me as being the most modern of all of MdR wines. I'm thinking it'll be good for 5-8 years.

12/29/2012 - kevincheng wrote:

The young Sauvignon from Riscal which is a drinkable wine for sure, and is pleasant enough with its green apples and hints of lemon.. but drink this soon.

12/23/2012 - kevincheng wrote:

First thoughts upon opening were the funky notes on the nose with had red fruits, but surrounded by some weird gameyness to it. This cleared up after about 20 minutes and had a striking amount of red berries, mixed spices and a touch of. tobacco
Flavours were similar on the red berry front, but there were additional notes of marshmallow before the oak comes through. balance is almost there but not quite with the acidity just a bit heavier than it should be for me. Give it a year or two and i think this may peak then, but definitely drinkable now.

12/22/2012 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Nice honey amber colour with medium intensity. Nose of fresh peaches, honey and quince.. with a touch of lemon and orange peel to round it off. Powerful flavours of apricot, honey and jam make this a wonderfully balanced wine. Still 'young' at the moment with many many years left on this one.

12/22/2012 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Ordered at Arzak, Spain. First thoughts, 90s Bordeaux!!!! Nose of cinnamon, plums, and red cherries. For an older Rioja, this was still fresh and approachable. Flavours of oak, very ripe red berries, a bit of game and figs. Tannins were big and chewy with flavours of red cherries and red currant, a touch of vanilla. Oak flavours all around, and it just shouted 90s Pauillac all the way...

12/20/2012 - kevincheng wrote:

Ordered at Botin, Madrid. Definitely modern tinto nose with some strawberries, dark cherries as well as plums on the fruits. There was definitely some oak and star anise in there as well to round things off. Flavours were not dissimilar to the nose with some additional berries in there as well. Nothing to call home about, but a decent wine for the price.

12/21/2012 - kevincheng wrote:

Ordered with our tasting menu at Akelare. The nose was rather restrained but had hints of licquorice, faint strawberries, tobacco and some other typical older Rioja wines. For the first 45 minutes or so, palate still had some fresh strawberry and cherries - which was slightly surprising, and although this was overtaken eventually by a more musty earth tone and minerality, it was generally good for the first hour. Drink up though!

12/14/2012 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Inky dark ruby colour with a nose of dark dark red cherries, blueberries, cedar, licquorice, green peppers and spices. Quite a tart nose in general, but the palate showed a more punchy, tannic and acidic structure. Flavours were of bracken, blackberries, blueberries and jam. A bit of plum, peppers and oak finished it off and there was a tint of sweetness right at the end which made this quite satisfying given the acidity. I think this is just past its peak but still extremely good.

Quite a bit of sediment in the bottle

12/12/2012 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Tasted alongside '98 Sassicaia, '04 Jadot GE and a '10 Le Difese. This was one of the more interesting wines of the night. While it does have a nice whiff of claret to it, the nose of licquorice, oak, spices and dark berries made this a bit more interesting. Flavours were similar to the nose but there was some sort of astringency at the back of the throat which made it a little less pleasant but nonetheless a great wine which will probably fare better in a couple of years time.

12/13/2012 - kevincheng wrote:

Tried alongside a '98 Sassicaia, '04 Jadot Grands Echezeaux. This one was clearly the inferior one when tasted next to these powerful wines, with a very flat profile. Nose was quite herbal with some black berries finishing it up, and the palate was more dark cherries and minerals with the earthiness really overwhelming it. Drink now, or within a few years. Definitely an affordable and accessible wine, but nothing special.

12/12/2012 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Tasted alongside a '98 Sassicaia and a '10 Difese. Nose of mixed purple flowers, eucalyptus plant, red cherries, raspberries and a hint of cinnamon. Flavours were of sweet red cherries, strawberries and some vegetal flavours. Medium acidity with well rounded tannins.

12/12/2012 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Didn't really have much time to decant this, but this was drunk over the course of 2 hours or so. Lovely ruby/ink colour. Nose of menthol, blackberries, cherries, green pepper and a hint of tobacco. Medium intensity on the nose. The cabernet sauvignon really came through on this one and this one screamed so loudly of Bordeaux. Green peppers, black cherries, spices (pepper) and oak flavours were matched with medium acidity and nice rounded tannins. Lovely wine which i am sure would have evolved for the better if i had a chance to taste it over a longer period of time.

6/21/2012 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Tasted at the Domaine. Colour was moving through the medium yellow phase. This was an extremely expressive wine with quite a lot of intensity in the nose. Nose of butterscotch, nuts, lemon and some petrol hints. Flavours were of vanilla, oak, lemon tart and cream soda. The finish was quite mature with a mineral finish. Very exuberant wine and thoroughly enjoyable, but should probably drink up soon.

6/21/2012 - kevincheng Does not like this wine:

Tasting at DRC. The colour was quite dark / brown but this one was recorked in 2009 with some deep cooked plum notes on the nose. It was vegetal and most of the berry fruits (barring a small tiny bit) was gone. Flavours were also quite vegetal with nuts (almonds) and also a tiny tiny bit of red fruit. The finish was quite long but i wouldn't say it was particularly pleasant. The wine is well past drinking and if you have any left, suggest you consume it now!

6/21/2012 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Tasted from the barrel. Just short of the La Tache, but very very close, this had a nice silky elegance on the nose with red and black berries and some minor fresh citrusy scents. Even a touch of baked bread. Very subtle and delicate wine with red and black berries and a slightly gamey finish. Hints of ash and tobacco also.

6/21/2012 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Tasted from the barrel. Now this was where it got exciting for us. I have always preferred La Tache to RC for its rounded brilliance and this year was no exception. This one is holding back a lot right now but a nose of mixed black fruits and spices. Palate was bold and punchy with a slight bitterness to it. Crunchy tannins with a great balance and huge depth. I think this will start showing its true colours after 2020, peaking at 20 years after that!

6/21/2012 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Tasted from the barrel. A nice luscious and silky nose of big red fruits. A hint of fresh truffles and some spices. No other way to describe it as being powerful, but yet subtle at the same time - almost as if its waiting to unleash something on all of us. Flavours were bold with cherries, cassis and strawberries rounding it out.

6/21/2012 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Tasted from barrel. Lovely black and red cherries and plum flavours with big bold floral notes. Flavours were contrasted with fresh, REALLY fresh mixed berries, graphite and hints of chocolate and mint. This was elegant and had quite a bit of finesse. Should bode well for years to come.

6/21/2012 - kevincheng wrote:

Tasted from the barrel. Wines still undergoing fermentation. Nose of dark cherries and fresh red fruits with a hint of jam. Flavours contrasted with burnt toast and black cherries rounded off by red berries (particularly strawberries). Rounded off with limestone. Quite intense and bold flavours.

6/21/2012 - kevincheng Does not like this wine:

Tasted from the barrel. Wines still undergoing fermentation. Strawberries and plum fruit on the nose with a hint of orange peel to round it off. Flavours of plums, cassis and meats, but definitely very tight right now. My least favourite of the day.

6/21/2012 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Tasted from the barrel. Wines still undergoing fermentation. Lovely nose of deep red plums and graphite, which opens up to beautiful gardens of violets. Flavours of chalk, game meats and a decent amount of minerality followed by blackcurrants and menthol.

Quite nice to compare this to some of the classic Corton. This was slightly more interesting than the RSV from just now and being the 3rd Corton produced by DRC ever, it will be interesting to see how this sits in with the other wines from the domaine.

6/21/2012 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Tasted from the barrel. Wines still undergoing fermentation. Lovely pale colour with velvety nose of mixed red berries. Flavours of vanilla, cream, red and black berries, cherries and a hint of lime right at the end. Also has some vegetal hints to it. The wine strikes me as being very delicate and

5/26/2012 - kevincheng Does not like this wine:

Can't say i'm particularly fond of this one. Nose of blackberries, vanilla and cream with some rounded tannins, but flavours were too funky with walnuts, fresh mint and blueberries... Drink last year or not at all. Bad bottle??

6/20/2012 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Tasted pre-release. Made from 80 year old vines, this one had a nose of coca cola, liquorice, and mixed spices. Flavours of minerals, peaches and mixed berries. This came with manuka honey at the end and a short finish.

6/20/2012 - kevincheng wrote:

Big powerful fruits and punchy tannins. Big floral chambolle nose with a long finish.

6/20/2012 - kevincheng Likes this wine:

Tasted pre-release. A bit more acidity that the 1er Cru La Richemone tried just prior to this. Has more acidity, intensity an depth with a nose of pepper and spices. Buttery flavour with mixed red berries. Needs another 10-years at a minimum but this should be great in years to come.

6/20/2012 - kevincheng wrote:

Tasted pre-release. Big tannins but way too young at the moment.. flavours of cherries, and nose of rose and marshmallows