6/26/2022 - Paul S wrote:

A touch over the hill unfortunately, but still a very charming wine. This had a lovely nose. Red cherries and dried strawberries, roses, a touch of sous bois - all glowing with a beautiful mature sweetness that one seems to only get with great Burgundy. The palate still felt fresh and lively, even though the fruit was not as lush in the mouth as promised on the nose. There was still a noticeably sunny 1985 character to the wine, with notes of sweet red fruit shading into sweeter blueberry territory, and then more mineral and spice on the midpalate, where I felt this was unfortunately starting to thin out slightly. Ditto with the finish. There was still some staying power, but what was left was some dried fruits, and then a skeleton of woody spice, mineral and bittersweet tannins that was just starting to stick out. Still very enjoyable. There was certainly more body and power on this than on the 1985 Charmes Chambertin that we drank alongside side, and a little more juiciness on the attack and the midpalate, but I have a feeling that the wine, while enjoyably good, was but a shadow of what it may have been at peak.

7/19/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Blanc de Blancs over lunch (Summer Pavilion, Ritz Carlton, Singapore): Unlike the straight Durcohe Gevrey village from the same vintage, this bottling from the "Champ" lieu-dit still felt some way from being ready to drink. It did have an amazing nose straight off the bat though - flowers, dried earth, cherries and red berries, with lifted notes of spice and a little hint of mineral running alonside. Lovely stuff. After that, the palate felt a bit tight, even with an hour in the decanter. Unlike the blushing beauty that the straight Gevrey has become, this still felt grippy and a little brooding, with fine-boned tannins and bright-acidity framing masculine notes of spice and earth, and flavours of darker cherries and red berries pulling into a minerally end. There was certainly some sinew and muscle on this. A good wine, but tight and needs time yet. At this point, the straight Gevrey village is a whole lot more enjoyable.

7/19/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Blanc de Blancs over lunch (Summer Pavilion, Ritz Carlton, Singapore): The third BdB on the day - this was actually a pretty nice NV, but suffered from being served after a fabulous 1990 Dom Ruinart, and a young but lovely 2013 Pierre Peters Chetillons. A bit like being a knife at a gunfight. Still though, this was enjoyable. Disgorged in 2020, it had just a smidgen of age to it which showed up in some bready, yeasty notes on the nose alongside fresher green apple aromas. The palate was fresh and lively, with a bright mousse wrapped around flavours of lightly juicy green apples and ripe lemons, and then a nice twist of savoury, almost salty minerally at the end. There was surprising bit of grip on that finish. This was good drinking - quaffable, simple maybe, but with a good depth on it for an NV.

7/19/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Blanc de Blancs over lunch (Summer Pavilion, Ritz Carlton, Singapore): Served blind, this felt way too young, but it was clear even then that it was a lovely Champagne. The nose was quite attractive, with notes of bread and fleshy apples, along with a notes of daisies and talcum powder. It was fresh, lively and pure on the palate, very Blanc des Blancs in character, with a fine mousse and fine acidity framing elegant notes of lemons and fresh apples. There was then a little line of mineral moving into a fine-boned finish that carried just a suggestion of ginger flowers. Very fresh, lively, and fine. An elegant Champagne in line with the best of the 2013s - this should age effortlessly well.

7/19/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Blanc de Blancs over lunch (Summer Pavilion, Ritz Carlton, Singapore): A delicious Champagne, drinking quite at peak at 32 years of age. It had such a lovely nose - red apples, yeast, fresh bread, all laced with just taht little oxidative egde in the form of savoury, ciderish aromas. The palate was soft, rounded, and ripe, but still showed a lovely balance in its mature flavours of honeysuckle, orange blossom and honey, all dancing a round a core of red apples and preserved lemons. The mousse had been tamed after all these years, but there was a lovely bit of juicy acidity to this, all very nicely integrated, though still fresh enough to give the wine some persistence as it glided away into gliding away into a minerally tail. Not super long at the finish, but decent enough. With time, in the glass, all sorts of little complexities started emerging - butter, nuttiness, some saline notes, a bit of mushrooms, all playing against those lovely matured notes of apples and honey. Such a lovely drop this. I am glad we caught it at its apogee.

7/14/2022 - Paul S wrote:

A very solid champagne. It has been a few years since I last had this, and it seems to be aging at a glacier pace. Still though, there has been some development, and if it keeps to this trajectory, the Krug 2004 should be a superb wine at peak. On the day, I thought it was very nice, but it all still felt quite nascent. The palate was a case in point. Attractive enough with its notes of apples and mineral with a hint of brioche, yet coming across a tad muted at first. With time and air, some notes of spice and florals came out to play as well, lending the bouquet just that little bit more complexity. The palate was another story though. Grippy and textural, with a sinewy and musuclar mouthful minerality, along with more subtle notes of apples and fresh lemons, this was very impressive indeed. It had a long, long finish too, powerful and mouthfilling, with notes of spice and savoury mineral. A superbly crafted Champagne with a ton of promise here. While decently enjoyable on the day, I felt that it really needed plenty more time in the bottle yet. I would love to try this again in 10 years' time.

7/9/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Lunch at Bar-a-Thym (Bar-a-Thym, Singapore): Very yummy. This is really drinking well now. The nose was lovely as always, with notes of dark cherries, mineral and flinty spice speaking eloquently of Gevrey. The palate is starting to be really soft and approachable now, with velvet tannins and juicy acidity beautifully integrated into a mouthful of dark cherries, red berries and spice, these drifting into a minerally finish with just that little bit of chew at the back. Yummy. A great Gevrey village.

7/9/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Lunch at Bar-a-Thym (Bar-a-Thym, Singapore): Pretty good. Clearly warm and ripe and a bit blowsy when served at a less than ideal room temperature, this really found its feet when served chilled with a nice bowl of Bouchon mussels in a Thai-inspired sauce. The nose was very Mâconnais, with ripe notes of pineapples and melons, cream and a little kick of minerality. Attractive stuff. The palate was yummy too. The ripeness of terroir and vintage was there in the form of red apples, guavas and pineapple flavours, but these were lined with a lovely bit of very Burgundian acidity, along with a nice shade of minerality pulling away at the finish. There was a nice depth and breadth to the wine, along with a very food-friendly balance. Very young still, so this may get a bit better in the next few years down the road. I enjoyed it even now though.

7/1/2022 - Paul S wrote:

SQ319 - London to Singapore (Singapore Airlines): One of the last few times having DP on Singapore Airlines before they replace it with Taittinger Comtes, and boy was a chuffed to see a 2008 bottle. This was just delicious. I have had good bottles and even better bottles over since release, but the 2008 Dom has been consistently delicious and giving, with plenty of upside to it yet. This bottle had a very attractive nose to it. There as something buttery smelling - not quite as much toasty brioche and nutty notes as the Krug 167 that was served alongside - more like clotted cream maybe, or a delicate butter accent, along with classic DP aromas of sweet apples along with a hint of strawberries, and then little shades of spice and yeast and some mineral just creeping in at the sides. The palate was plain yummy. Round and generous, yet fresh and stylishly sleek and polished, it showed notes of ripe apples seasoned with just a little bit of spice, a shade of buttery toast, and then a bit of mineral and citrus zest as the wine pulled away on a bed of fine mousse and into an elegant and very, very long finish. The fresh, lively character and lovely bright balance I have always enjoyed from previous bottles was here in spades, but there was also a lovely sense of dry extract and a minerally backbone that seems to be emerging nicely. A lovely Champagne, drinking ever so nicely in its relative youth, but with its best years still way ahead of it yet.

7/1/2022 - Paul S wrote:

SQ319 - London to Singapore (Singapore Airlines): Krug 167. 47% Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay, 17% Pinot Meunier. Built around the 2011 vintage. Very yummy. This had a lovely nose, with nutty macadamia notes and toasted brioche mingling with ripe apples. Very alluring and very Krug. This smelt really different from its youth, with the age on the wine and the smaller bottle format on SQ telling in its development. The palate was on one hand rich, ripe and powerful, but on the other, also fresh, sleek and juicy, with bright acidity and a chewy mousse framing deliciously generous flavours of red apples and brioche, all still enlivened by a real energetic burst of mouthwatering lemons on the midpalate. Everything is starting to come into place with this bottle - it felt bright and youthful, but also well integrated and nicely balanced. Great long finish too, with mineral tones pulling away from on the back-palate and into the distance. Super stuff, starting to drink nicely now.

6/30/2022 - Paul S wrote:

At J Sheekey with EN. A neat little Gavi - this was a lovely pairing with a range of seafood dishes, including some lovely langoustines as well as the famous fish pie. This had a nice nose on it, quite maritime, with notes of white fruit and ripe lemons on a bed of saline minerality that brought shellfish to mind. The palate was very pleasant too - creamily textured, with more ripe lemons and plump white fruit - yet very fresh and lively at the same time. There was a good bit of acidity and a nice pull of that shellfish minerality, that was introduced on the nose, taking the wine into a decently long finish that had just that little twist of bittersweet fruit peel. Simple, yet not facile, and very seafood friendly indeed. This was enjoyable.

6/30/2022 - Paul S wrote:

An enjoyable bottle shared with EN over dinner at Helene Darroze at the Connaught. It had a pretty nose. Still rather primary, but quite attractive nonetheless, with notes of sour cherries and red berries garlanded with spice and violet accents. Quite classic Volnay on that front. The palate had a nice shape to it, with fine tannins that still gave a bit of chew, and plenty of bright, juicy 2014 acidity. It was just a little tight at first, but opened up in the decanter through the evening to reveal charming flavours of darker cherries leading into a bright finish with a bit of minerality on it. I liked the purity on the wine, but did think that it felt a little thinner right at the very end. Overall - elegant, food-friendly and very pleasant to drink. This was a pretty good bottle, but several steps shy of being anything special.

6/30/2022 - Paul S wrote:

A couple of bottles over lunch at River Restaurant (Gordon Ramsey's newish outpost at the Savoy) with friends from FC. This was a neat little Chablis that went a treat with the seafood. The nose reflected both the warmer 2019 vintage as well as the Montee de Tonnerre terroir, coming across almost Cote de Beaune-like with its notes of cream and white fruit laced with a little touch of minerality. As the wine warmed up in the glass, sweeter stone fruited accents emerged as well. It was on the palate where I thought this really showed its mettle. This was just perfectly balanced, with white fruit riding on a bed of Chablisienne minerality into a long finish. It had good depth and breadth to it, with the power of the terroir coming out quite nicely. Not the most complex of wines, but this was otherwise a treat to drink.

6/29/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Night out in Covent Garden (Noble Rot and 10 Cases) (Noble Rot / 10 Cases, London): Very nice, but not quite the knock-out I expected it to be. It promised much on the nose, which was just gorgeous, with subtly layered aromas of honey and treacle, candied apples and sweet florals, and then bassier notes of earth, spice and mineral, all this lightly laced with some classic lanolin notes. I felt the palate was still a little too sweet and slightly monolithic after that knockout of a nose. There was enough acidity to keep it balanced, unless paired with Stilton, which was amazing, but nicely balanced, but it just felt a little less finely drawn than I would expect. Nice flavours though - candied apples, honey, straw, and a little hint of molasses moving into a long finish that had a linger of spice bad lanolin. When paired with Stilton and nuts this just sang. I must say though, it was nevertheless sweet enough that finishing a bottle between two people was a bit of a struggle.

6/29/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Night out in Covent Garden (Noble Rot and 10 Cases) (Noble Rot / 10 Cases, London): At 20 years of age, this was drinking absolutely beautifully. It was one of those bottles that show that in a good vintage (like 2002), you can get Burgundy magic even from a humble bottle if you just catch it in that little magical window of peak drinking. What a lovely nose this had - sweet and blushing with notes of roses and strawberries, earthy sous bois and just a little hint of tea leaves. Beautiful, and speaking quite eloquently of the Savigny terroir as well. The palate was every bit as lovely. Soft, silky and caressing, with perfectly integrated acidity: it was just at a beautiful place now. This showed all soft, transparent red fruit - berries, strawberries on the attack and midpalate - very juicy, with a tiny, barely there hint of earthy mineral. This wine was all about that glowingly pure fruit, with just an extra touch of spice and mineral shading the really long finish. Presence and elegance at the same time, this was punching leagues above its weight-class. I savoured every drop.

6/29/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Night out in Covent Garden (Noble Rot and 10 Cases) (Noble Rot / 10 Cases, London): Recently disgorged. This was about the nicest bottle of this Cuvee I have tried so far though. It was quite lovely on an early summer's evening. Nice nose, with red apples and sweet flowers, along with a slightly riper hint of stone fruit aromas, these sprinkled with some spice - anise I thought. The palate was round and ripe, with sweet apples and ripe lemons at the fore, but still came across nicely controlled and balanced, with decent enough acidity and some minerality as the wine stretched away into a surprisingly long finish. Mousse was fine enough, though not what you would call refined. Overall, a delicious Champagne in a rounder, riper style. Not subtle, but certainly but not in-your-face either. Very yummy and quaffable with our food.

1/27/2024 - Paul S wrote:

Perched somewhere in between Burgundy and the new world, this was just a plain delicious Pinot. It had a lovely nose, a little on the sweet, toasty side, but not distractingly so, with notes of ripe, almost cooked cherries and red berries, along with a nice lift of sweet spice and rose, and just a little bit of vanilla and confection at the side. I thought the palate was where this really shone though. Plump and satisfying, yet with a nice juicy balance and a fine structure that kept it always well-cut and defined, this showed a sophisticated mouthful of cherries and red berries patted down with baking spices and a hint of earthiness that pulled the wine into a slightly savoury midpalate and then a lovely long finish with notes of spice and just a hint of the florals picked up on the nose. This was nowhere near as sweet on the palate as the would suggest. Not the most complex wine at this point of its development, but this was impeccably balanced and immensely drinkable, with a good depth to it from attack to finish. Just delicious. It has the chops to age too - it will be very interesting to try this again in 5 to 10 years’ time. 92

11/26/2023 - Paul S wrote:

Pretty good. Decanted for 2.5 hours or so before drinking, this felt just in the cusp of being ready. It has a nicely approachable of cassis, earth and graphite flecked with just the tiniest hint of eucalyptus and spice. The palate was rich and supple. It still had a bit of a bite from bright acidity and firmish tannins, but the structure was clearly beginning to soften and round up, integrating nicely with moreish flavours of cassis and plums patted down with some earth, and then a subtle blush of green herb and spice at a decent finish. I thought it felt just a tad drying on the back palate. There was a bit of the eucalyptus in this that spoke to the wine’s antipodean origins, otherwise this was a nicely polished international styled Cabernet. I thought it lacked a bit of character, but otherwise a very sound, quite yummy drop. Drinkable now after a longish decant, but will be even better in 5-6 years.

6/29/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Lunch at Min Jiang, London (Royal Park Hotel, Kesington, London): We had a few bottles of this in one sitting, and each was very much enjoyed. A very fresh, lively wine, with green apples and gooseberries, both on the attractive nose, as well as the juicy palate. A bit simple maybe, but also sleek and stylish and impeccably balanced. A great food wine.

6/29/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Lunch at Min Jiang, London (Royal Park Hotel, Kesington, London): We had three bottles of the same wine, and this surprised on the upside - a really pleasant drink that went very well with a Peking duck dish. All three bottles were very consistent, starting out with a lovely, lifted nose of cherries and red berries lined with a little touch of spice and some of the stony minerality you would expect from an NSG. The palate was very 2014 - bright, juicy, a touch of the lighter side, with with lovely clear notes of red cherries and berries, all lined again with a nice streak of spice and mineral. Really pleasant, and drinking really easily and cleanly for a Faiveley. Just what you would want from a negociant wine at this level. There is enough structure for it to age nicely in the medium term, but I am not sure that this has a weight and depth for the very long haul. Given how pleasant it is in its youth though, I am not sure why anyone would keep this away for that long.

6/26/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Lunch at Kitchen W8 (Kensginton, London): A decent enough sparkler - pleasant as simple aperitif. The nose was quite neutral, with a touch of white fruit along with a shade of mineral and yeast. On the palate, this came across simple and light, but with a very fresh liveliness to its apple and lemon flavours, all this wrapped in a brightly effervescent mousse. Finish was decent. All in all, not a bad quaffer at the start of lunch, with no pretensions at anything more.

6/26/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Lunch at Kitchen W8 (Kensginton, London): This was lovely. Different from, but every bit as good as the 2011 JL Trapet Charmes Chambertin that we had alongside. The nose here had a richer, lusher feel to it, with deeper aromas of red cherries and berries laced with spice and earth and mineral. A lovely, lush bouquet. The palate was really delicious too - with fine, powdery tannins and a nice amount of fresh acidity framing plush flavours of cherries and red berries, again seasoned with just that little touch of spice and earth at the finish. I thought the backpalate felt a little less full than the wine promised on entry, but otherwise this was an eminently drinkable wine, and showing quite nicely on the day. Lovely stuff.

6/26/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Lunch at Kitchen W8 (Kensginton, London): I really enjoyed this - an early drinking wine that had a nice sense of finesse to it. The nose was very attractive, with a nice drift of cherries and red berries, some minerally, earthy notes, and then a waft of lifted spice notes. Again - a very Gevrey nose. On the palate, the wine showed off the corresponding strengths and the weaknesses of both the Chapelle-Chambertin terroir, as well as the 2011 vintage. It certainly felt a little light for GC, but what it lacked in power, it made up for in lots of charm and elegance, with a really nice sense of transparent purity showing in its notes of red cherries seasoned with some bits of spice mineral towards the finish. A nice step up from the 2009 Arlaud Gevrey 1er Cru Combottes that preceded it. With its limpid balance and silky tannins, this was also very ready to drink on the day. Lovely stuff.

6/26/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Lunch at Kitchen W8 (Kensginton, London): This was quite nice without quite being special. It had a pleasant enough nose that spoke of the terroir in its notes of spice and earth alongside some cherries and berries, with just a hint of meatiness and a bit of mineral on the side. The palate was quite finely balanced for the warm 2009 vintage - sunny but not over ripe, with a decent weight showing in its flavours of red cherries and berries, all structured around of a spine of mineral and fine tannins, with a little kiss of spice and mineral at the finish. While drinking decently on the day, this has good bones for aging, with nice acidity to balance off the weight of wine. I would be interested to see how this evolves over the next 5-10 years.

6/25/2022 - Paul S wrote:

By the glass at Scott's Mayfair in London. Simple but pleasant, this started with a classic nose of ripe lemons, green apples and a little shade of greener gooseberry aromas, all these traced with some mineral and just that hint of cats pee. The palate had a nice feel to it. Soft and creamy yet with a nice spine of acidity and mineral running through its apple and gooseberry notes and into a long dry finish - a nice foil for a buttery sole meunier.

6/24/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Dinner at Clove Club (Shoreditch, London): A rather ripe Chablis, especially for a classic year like 2017, but very pleasant. This had a classic nose of chalk and oyster shell wafting out of the glass alongside sweeter lemons and some more neutral white fruited tones. The palate had a nice feel to it too - fresh, lively, yet with a lovely spine of mineral and dry extract running through its ripe white fruit and cream midpalate, and then on into a slightly spicy, peppery finish. A nicely balanced and surprisingly full and complete Chablis 1er Cru. Good with food too.

6/24/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Dinner at Clove Club (Shoreditch, London): A world away from Burgundy, but very enjoyable in its own right. The nose was attractive in a really ripe and sunny way, with sweet cherries and strawberries seasoned with woody herbs and baking spice, and then just hints of earth and a little whiff of something like burnt rubber at the sides. The palate was enjoyable too. It had ripe, sunny notes of red cherries and strawberries aplenty, but these succulent notes were undercut by more of the woody, brambly notes and more baking spices leading into a decent finish. Simple, but quite yummy and very drinkable indeed.

6/22/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Dinner at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons (Oxfordshire, England): A Tempranillo with modern stylings - this was pretty decent. After an hour or so in the decanter, it showed warmly attractive aromas of plums and cassis on the nose, along with drifts of spice and wild herbs, some capsicum, and that little twist of French oak at the sides giving it a rather international profile. The palate had a rather different, maybe more interesting character to it, with fresh acidity and a little chew of tannins framing spicy, herby flavours alongside those dark fruited tones of cassis and plums first picked up on the nose. Nice finish here too, with spice and smoky herb drifting away into the finish. A pretty wine, which made a good foil for a lamb dish. Still a baby though - this will do well with another 8-10 years in bottle.

6/22/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Dinner at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons (Oxfordshire, England): Enjoyable. This had a nice, fruity Rheinghau nose of apricots, peaches and blood oranges lined with a streak of mineral and a little waft of white flowers. The palate was nicely balanced. Neither the richest nor the most powerful of dry Rieslings, but with a decent weight of stone fruited flavours lined with a nice burst of citrusy, blood orange acidity, this leading into a stonier, more minerally finish. Not super complex, but with enough to hold the interest. The bright acidity made this a good foil for food too.

6/22/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Dinner at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons (Oxfordshire, England): Not bad, but a little imbalanced, with the alcohol sticking out a bit. The nose had some classic Condrieu notes, with touches of beeswax, stone fruit and cream, some white flowers, and then a light dusting of spice. Would have been quite a pretty nose, but it's nicer qualities were somewhat disturbed by a little hot burst of glycerol at the sides. Same thing on the palate unfortunately - nice flavours, on the riper side, with stone fruit and clotted cream, candied almonds, and then a decent amount of balancing acidity. All quite enjoayble. However, the finish was marred with another big burst of alcohol which really distracted from the better qualities of the wine. Not terrible, but not great either.

6/17/2022 - Paul S wrote:

A very nondescript bottle. The nose showed aromas of sweet, slightly candied cherries and red berries, some bramble and a little spice. Quite new-world Pinot-ish. The palate was very simple, almost a little insipid, with high acidity and low fruit - it offered up a semblance of sweet cherries and berries, but in a rather watery, soft fashion. Finished short and spicy. Nothing technically wrong or unpleasant about the wine, but all a bit meh.

6/17/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Decent. The nose showed dark berries and cherries, with not much in greener shades except for a touch of bramble. Still quite primary. I liked it quite a bit more on the palate. There was some substance to the wine, but what struck me most was the juicy clarity this had, with plenty of purity showing in its dark fruited berry and black cherry notes. Nice finish too, long and fresh, with little bits of bramble and spice, and then a chew of tannins coming in on the back-palate. Simple at the moment, and rather too young, but quite a lovely drop nonetheless. This will be interesting to try again in 5-10 years.

6/15/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Dinner at Pun Im (Tanjong Pagar, Singapore): An interesting late harvest PX; made as a white wine with some residual sugar intact. Came in at only 12.5%. The nose showed a fairly unusual melange of yellow fig and peach aromas playing against a savoury backdrop. Same thing on the palate - figs, maybe some orange peel, and then again a distinctly savoury midpalate, all held together in a creamily textured mouthful by a little bit of balancing acidity. It was pretty well integrated and quite well-balanced. Finish had fairly good length too, with a nice hint of bittersweet minerality. Not a brilliant wine, but very interesting and quite drinkable. Decent pairing with the less spicy Thai dishes.

6/15/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Dinner at Pun Im (Tanjong Pagar, Singapore): Pretty decent, without being quite top-shelf. The nose was quite classic German Riesling with sweet notes of honey and dried apricots, some dried muscats maybe, and then a little petroleum signifying a hint of maturity on the bottle. The palate was nicely balanced, with a good freshness lent to its red apple and honey flavours by some nicely-integrated acidity. Decent finish too. At some point, something that reminded me of Jambu Ayer (a Southeast Asian fruit otherwise known as water apple) came out as well. This was drinking nicely on the night. It will develop a bit more in the bottle, but I am not sure this has the chops to improve much further.

6/15/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Dinner at Pun Im (Tanjong Pagar, Singapore): Served blind, this paled in comparison to a nice Champagne that was served just before, but I thought it was nevertheless a pretty decent Aussie sparkling. The nose did come across rather tight and unyielding, showing fairly nondescript aromas of white fruit and mineral. It fared better on the palate. though. This came across very clean and fresh, with a straightforward but quite yummy expression of white fruit and apple flesh traced by a some mineral towards the end. The mousse was not distinctly fine, nor was there much complexity to speak of, but this was nicely balanced and quite a pleasure to sip.

6/15/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Dinner at Pun Im (Tanjong Pagar, Singapore): Third bottle of this consistently good Champagne - it was very nice again. It had an attractive little nose of cherry flesh, apples and cream traced with shades of mineral and spice. On the palate, it was bright and juicy, with more cherry flesh and cream, this time undercut by a nice citrusy lemon note. I thought this particular bottle felt a touch more primary than the previous examples, but it was still nicely drinkable, with good depth and a sense of underlying power from the 75% Pinot Noir in the cepage. Nice long finish too, with lick of mineral and spice, all nicely held up in a fine mousse and fresh acidity. Yummy, and drinking well young.

6/13/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Lunch at Bar-a-Thym (Bar-a-Thym, Singapore): I am not sure whether the sweet freshness of the wine after plenty of heavy food boosted my appreciation of it, but I really enjoyed this simple but very yummy tipple. It had a very nice nose, full of white roses, elderflower and honey notes, these lifted by a little touch of passion fruit and just that hint of minerality. The palate had a rich, creamy texture to it, but was balanced by just enough acidity running through its passion fruit and ripe guava notes, all these leading into a more floral finish. Somewhat simpler on the palate than the nose promised, and length on the finish was decent rather than great, but this nevertheless a really nice drop to end the meal off with.

6/13/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Lunch at Bar-a-Thym (Bar-a-Thym, Singapore): This was a pleasant surprise from a winemaker I always associated with whites rather than reds. It took awhile to get going, but provided really pleasant drinking when it did. The nose was still quite primary, showing mostly dark cherries and berries. It was the palate where the wine showed its quality, with some 2019 weight and ripeness showing in its dark cherry and berry flavours, but also a surprising amount of fresh, lively acidity that gave the wine a nice succulence and energy. Fine tannins, good balance and a very nicely integrated body all gave the wine a very holistic feel, and made for quite yummy drinking too. While quite quaffable on the day, especially with food, this was really still very young, and will continue improving through the next decade and beyond.

6/4/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Sangiovese Night (Martin & Joyce's): A fairly simple, but decently good drink. This had a far richer nose than the previous two expressions of Sangiovese, with dark aromas of plums, spice and earth. The rich, black-fruited character was taken up on the palate too - again with notes of plums and black cherries, this time met with more savoury inflections of earth and spice. All this was carried on a nice stream of fresh Sangiovese acidity into a fairly decent finish. Nothing to shout about, but this was a decent enough drink. It will probably improve over the next 5-10 years as well.

6/4/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Sangiovese Night (Martin & Joyce's): This was delicious - almost Burgundian in its elegant stylings. It had a very pretty nose, with roses and raspberries, a hint of oaky vanilla creme aromas, and then little shades of sweet spice. Very perfumed and feminine. The palate was very young still, with plenty of fresh acidity and a little chew of fine tannins shaping the wine’s otherwise pure, limpid flavours of red cherries and berries. These were met at the finish with a touch of spice and a twist of bittersweet herbs. Neither the deepest nor lost powerful BdM - this was on the lighter side I thought. Blushing and pretty when first poured, it did shut down significantly after two or three hours in the decanter. Delicious stuff when it was showing though. Altogether, a quite lovely drop, which should get better over the next decade.

6/4/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Sangiovese Night (Martin & Joyce's): Excellent, if rather too young. This had a beautiful nose after an hour or so in the decanter, unfolding with lovely notes of black cherries and plums, dried herbs and wildflowers, pepper and other woody spices - very pretty stuff. The palate was certainly drinkable on the one hand, but also marked by youthful structure on the other. Think fine but firm tannins and bright Sangiovese acidity framing delicious flavours of black cherries and berries; these playing against a lovely backdrop of stony minerality and lifted, peppery spice. There was maybe a touch of dried Italian herbs in there as well, especially as the wine stretched into a long finish kissed with just a little hint of dried fruit. Lovely stuff, but with its best years easily a decade or more ahead of it.

6/4/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Sangiovese Night (Martin & Joyce's): Quite lovely. This had a very nice BdB nose of cream and white fruit, some toasty brioche, and a little touch of spice and mineral. A very vinous nose - almost like a white Burgundy. The palate was very delicious too - fresh, lively and vibrant, with plenty of depth for an NV, it unfolded in the mouth with layers of apples and white melons, and then some ripe lemons, all tracing their way into a full, creamy, slightly yellow-fruited finish that reminded me vaguely of sultanas. Delicious. The best bottle of this cuvee I have had so far.

5/30/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Dinner at San Shu Gong (San Shu Gong, Geylang, Singapore): A decently good bottle slightly marred by a noticeable bit of bretty funk. The funk was there straight up on the nose, mingling with savoury notes of leather, meat and earth, and then more lifted tones of red berries, cherries and a little spice. I liked this a little more on the palate. It had both freshness and structure, with a good clarity showing in its red cherry and berry fruit notes, along with a touch of spice from the terroir. Nicely complete feel in the mouth too, with enough weight on it to suggest that this will age well. Pity then that the funk on the nose found its way onto the midpalate as well, coming in and out of the fruit flavours and then into a meatier, slightly spicy finish. The funk really distracted from the wine's better qualities. Otherwise, a pretty nice wine.

5/30/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Dinner at San Shu Gong (San Shu Gong, Geylang, Singapore): A decent wine, but rather disappointing for a 1er Cru. The nose was pleasant enough, and spoke quite nicely of the Morey terroir, with masculine notes of earth, meat and some peppery spice at the fore, and then beyond the savoury notes, some red cherries and berries, and something floral, almost like a touch of violets. The palate was rather less impressive. It had a nice clean feel and a decent balance, but lacked depth and intensity, coming across pleasant but nondescript, with light flavours of red cherries and berries flecked with some woody spice - think pepper and cloves - and maybe a bit of earthiness towards a rather short finish. I thought this was a wine that showed off the the weaker side of 2013 vintage. Clean, bright, and very drinkable, but lacking strength and complexity. It could have been in a bit of a dumb phase, but not one I would rebuy.

5/30/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Dinner at San Shu Gong (San Shu Gong, Geylang, Singapore): The third of 3 bottles, and this was by far the best. An absolutely lovely drop, starting to drink at peak. This had a beautiful nose from the get-go, with wafting aromas of sweet red dates and dried flowers wed to an earthy, mushroomy savouriness; and then some classic Rioja hints of dill and some sweet American oak notes, all caressed by a gentle drift of cigarette smoke. A lovely, complex and quite compelling nose. The palate was mid-weighted, by had a fresh, lively, juicy vibrancy to it that kept me coming back for more. Here, we got sweetly maturing flavours of sour plums and dried cherries, again with those shades of cigarette smoke and savoury earthiness, and a nice touch of spice at the ever so slightly smoky finish. A beautiful complex and delicious wine, with a juicy, transparent feel that made it so very drinkable. A beautiful wine, drinking close to peak.

5/30/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Dinner at San Shu Gong (San Shu Gong, Geylang, Singapore): Another very pleasant 2017 white. This was a half-step behind the Malandes Les Clos that was served alongside, but certainly very enjoyable in its own right. The nose here showed notes of honey, cream and tropical fruit sprinkled with some sweet vanilla accents - rather more Cote de Beaune than Chablis on the nose I thought. The palate though was very fresh, lively and mineral, with a lovely clarity and flow to its white fruited character. Definitely more Chablissiene here. In fact, I thought it was much better on palate than nose. Not great complexity at this point, but it was elegant and easy to drink, with a great sense of balance and a decent finish to boot. Unlike the two 2017 whites that preceded it, I am not sure that this is one for the long-term. Given the lightness on the palate, I suspect it is drinking about as well as it ever will.

5/30/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Dinner at San Shu Gong (San Shu Gong, Geylang, Singapore): This was very enjoyable. Not perfect, and nothing to write home about, but a bottle that went down very easily. It was no slouch in terms of sheer quality either. The nose was a nice marriage of the mineral, stone and citrus lemon aromas one normally associates with Chablis in general alongside riper tropical fruit smells that one sometimes gets from Les Clos. The only thing that threw me off was the overly woody overtone at the fringes of the bouquet, with tons of sweet oak rather distracting from the nicer elements of the nose. That apart, it was quite attractive. The palate was round and full, and very Les Clos in the way it showed a lovely weight, nicely counterbalanced by a spine of bracing acidity. Here, I got a white fruited attack moving into a nice lemon and blood-orange mid plate, and then a lovely line of minerality that came to the fore on the finish along with some of that new oak that was so pronounced on the nose. I really liked the freshness and cut on the wine. Not the most complex Les Clos out there, and there was always that oaky shadow to contend with, but this was all-in-all a really nice wine. While drinking well now, it should improve with a few years in the bottle - unless the fruit starts sinking under the oak.

5/30/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Dinner at San Shu Gong (San Shu Gong, Geylang, Singapore): An old school Puligny; lacking a bit of finesse, but quite yummy in a rather in-your-face way. This started off with a classic Folatieres nose, with notes of cream and light floral accents floating alongside a fresh crunch of green apple and sweeter shades of tropical fruit, before a little touch of earthy minerality came out at the back of the bouquet. Very nice. The creamily textured palate felt a little clumsier than one would expect after such an elegant nose. There was a taste of residual sulphur in there that took a while to blow off. After that one got butter and cream and a some white fruit on the attack, which then gave way to more tropical fruit territory on the midpalate, all coming across more full and generous, than pure and limpid. Like any good Folatieres, this had quite a sunny disposition to it. While not the most cut or defined, it was not imbalanced either, with lots of lemony acidity reflecting the freshness of the vintage, along with a surprising undertone of bittersweet mineral and a touch of spice in the long, full finish. A very full-on wine. Not quite my style - this was neither the most subtle or complex - but it was fairly complete and quite satisfying. I think this needs a bit more time in the bottle too - it should improve as it sheds some baby fat and takes on more complexity.

5/15/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Dinner with Mervyn and Jerming (Casa Esperanza): Always a lovely wine, especially when it has a smidgen of age on it. This is easily a couple of decades or more away from its peak, but boy was it enjoyable even now. The nose was classic VdC, with white tea, chamomile and honey notes floating like a halo around a core of white peach aromas. Just lovely - a beautiful nose tea-like bouquet. The palate was delicious too. Fresh, crisp, juicy and complex, with flavours of honeysuckle, chamomile and white tea dancing around a subtle core of yellow fruit, All perfectly balanced, round and succulent, with a delicious long finish trailing away with a tiny hint of spice. This to me has always been one of the singular wines of the wine world, and always worth seeking out, especially given how the prices are still fairly manageable.

5/15/2022 - Paul S wrote:

Dinner with Mervyn and Jerming (Casa Esperanza): A really interesting bottle. This was surprisingly nice - and drinking beautifully at 16 years of age. I liked the nose - it was bright and breezy, with pretty notes of blackcurrants, violets and spice dancing together on the bouquet. The palate was yummy too. Nothing mind-blowing, but just very pleasant, with yummy flavours of blackcurrants and back cherries lined with a nice bit of spice and a little sprinkle of earth and bramble, all backed by a little shade of savoury meatiness. Yummy, and not altogether simple either - there was a sneaky complexity to this at the end. A nice wine, drinking nicely now, but with plenty of life ahead of it yet.