5/9/2023 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Appearance : med ruby,legs with petillance.

On nose : very pleasant, strong and pungent intensity, red ripe fruit, red cherry, very significant and nicely integrated with tobacco leaves, lichorice, ansine, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla oak

On palate : medium+ intensity flavour, med+ acidity, very ripe juicy cherry, strawberry cake, very subtle of cloves and herbs, sweet tannin, medium+ body, high alcohol but not throat burning, med to med+ finishing.

This is a very typical extremely high CP value of a Italian made with late-harvest Barbara. It has a feel of Amaroni as it is dry naturally dry on the vine to traditional “Appassimento” technique. As a 2020, one can taste the freshness of the ripe red fruit and the vivid structure of the herb as the backbone. For me, I love it very much and extremely high CP value. Highly recommend to all Italian wine lovers, cheers!

11/14/2022 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Appearance : deep ruby, legs and petillance

On nose : high intensity, dark fruit : ripe dark cheery, tobacco, lichorice, ansine, pleasant American oak

On palate : med+ flavour intensity, med+ acidity, full body with high alcohol but not throat burning, very pleasent tobacco and lichorice flavour, one may found the subtle vanilla oak and full body with very good and substantial finishing.

It is a very high CP value wine which is just less than £14. A very typical example of the Rioja. Highly recommended for Tempranillo lovers! Cheers!

6/23/2022 - HL Pong wrote:

Appearance : very deep ruby, with legs and petillance

On nose : med+ intensity, ripe cherry, dark cherry, lichorice, sweet tobacco, marshmallows, vanilla oakiness, very pleasent and you can smell the sweetness of the wine.

On palate : med+ intensity flavour, med acidity, some sweetness like syrup which is not expected for a 100% Sangiovese, very ripe red cherry, grapy, cherry liquor, lichorice and a hunch of cinnamon, med+ tannin, fine and one can find that is resolved by time, high but warm alcohol, no burning but smooth with medium+ finishing.

It is unexpectedly sweet for a 100% Sangioves. One may found that it is a late harvest wine with low temperature fermentation. That’s the reason why the wine got an impressive sweetness. Best match for some strong flavour cheese dishes. Cheers!

4/10/2022 - HL Pong wrote:

Open up and air for 2 hrs

Apperance : light ruby with legs and petillance

Nose : medium+ intensity, subtle of red fruit : raspberries, lichorice, very significant sweet tobacco, pine, pleasent vanilla oak, wet leafiness, the wine is developing

On palate : dry, medium+ acidity, med body and alcohol, raspberry, lichorice, sweet vanilla oak, significant warm spiciness after taste.
After 4 hrs, it developed into a bit bitter aftertaste and savoury finishing. Med to med+ finishing.

The taste is the best in the beginning of the 2 hrs. This wine is a good one, where it is a good example of the feminine side of the Chassagne Montrachet. Not very complex but still enjoyable with game, duck or chicken. I will suggest to drink it now or keep it for 3 more years. Cheers!

1/9/2022 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Bottle air for an hour.

Appearance: pale ruby, with thin legs and petillance

On nose : pronounced intensity, red fruit : sweet cherry,
Very significant cherry liquor, sweet tobacco, lichorice, excellent oakiness with wood and some leafiness . Very complex and pleasant.

On palate : med intensity flavour with sweet cherry, sour raspberries on front palate, med tannin, med alcohol, some leafiness and earthiness on mid palate and some spiciness at the back and bitterness aftertaste.

This wine evolved well in the first 2 hrs and good match with game or birds, such as roast turkey with gravy. However it started to decline in the 3rd hr. Frankly speaking with the price of UK$39, it has a very high CP vlaue. My wife loves it and we drink it with pleasure as we I cooked the roast turkey for dinner. I definitely recommend for Volnay lovers as the oakiness and the wood aroma is very impressive. A very classical wine from Clos Des Chenes. Cheers!

11/14/2021 - HL Pong wrote:

Open and air for an hour

Appearance: med ruby, with legs and petillance.

On nose : med+ intensity, dark fruit : cherry, plum skin,
Lichorice, tobacco, a hint of pine, follow with vanilla french oak.

On palate: med+ intensity flavour, med acidity, red cherry, cranberry, lichorice, tobacco, with savoury and med body and high but not throat burning alcohol. Med finishing.

It is bought from Costco and good CP value. As a Grand Cru in St. Elilion, it is definitely smooth and full of the left bank characters. Doubtlessly, it is a good wine and you paid what you get at this point.
It could be aged for 3 more years to have more depth. Cheers!

8/10/2021 - HL Pong wrote:

Appearance: deep inky ruby with beautiful legs

On nose : high intensity, dark fruit : blackberries, plum, red fruit : red current, Mediterranean herbs, lichorice, leather, tocacco with vanilla oak, very pleasent.

On palate : medium+ intensity flavour, med+ acidity, ripe black fruit : blackberries, plum and red cherry, raspberry sourness, very enjoyable herbal flavour, very high but warm alcohol, med+ tannin with med+ finishing and savoury aftertaste.

Though it is from 2018, this wine is very approachable now and full of Mediterranean style. My wife loves it and it is a very pleasant wine. One may found that it is comes from a very hot, with abundant of sunlight but dry climate which made the wine in such a ripe, full of Mediterranean style and beautiful integration. No regrets! Cheers!

1/16/2021 - HL Pong wrote:

Decant for 45 mins

Appearance : med ruby with legs and petillance,

On nose : high intensity, very prominent red fruit : raspberries, red current at the beginning, red flora, very fruity and blossom feeling, beautiful French oak, after an hour later, the fruitiness was gone and developed into tobacco leaves, black pepper spiciness and lichorice, I love the development.

On palate : med + intensity flavour, med+ acidity with very significant sour raspberries, lichorice, later on it developed into very elegant tea and tobacco leaves and warm black pepper spiciness. Med+ body with very comfortable aftertaste, Med alcohol and med+ finishing.

I can say the wine is full of elegancy. The Cote Rotie is the only place that u can find on such beautiful juice made by Syrah! It is a remarkable and unmistakable flavour where the elegancy cannot be found in new world! I recommend to all Syrah lovers and u can keep for 5 more yrs but still very enjoyable now to open ! No regrets, cheers!

1/9/2021 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Appearance: Golden lemon, fine but dissipated bubbles with legs.

On nose: Med+ intensity, Curtius: lemon, white flower: honeysuckle, brioche, some buttery, and a hunch of woodiness.

On the palate: med+ acidity, very gentle touching without any sharp edging. The unmistakable signature creaminess, citrus, white flora followed with some biscuits on the mid-palate. Med+ finishing with light savory and mineral.

I am not a Fan of Krug but still, this is a bottle of lovely champagne. The gentle mouth feeling brings me some memories of the old folks of colleagues chatting happily together. Realy want to have one more zip after another. Cheers!

1/10/2021 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Air for an hour,

Appearance: medium ruby, with legs and petillaiance

On nose : med+ intensity, red fruit: ripe raspberry, cranberry, red flora, tobacco, prominent licorice, tea leafiness, subtle French vanilla oak, very pleasant and still developing. After an hour, it turned to some thyme more leafiness aroma.

On palate : high acidity and strong intensity flavor with good structure, red fruit and flora on front palate and then lichorice and leafiness follow through on mid palate. Med+ but fine and carpets like tannin with Med+ alcohol and med+ body, med + finishing with an enjoyable mineral aftertaste.

This premium wine is surely at the peak now, which is full of intensity and elegance with great balance. A mixture of calmness, comfort, and potential. It was loved by everyone in our tasting gathering. Enjoy and open now! I found that I was lucky to buy it 5 years ago with $HKD 1000 only! Cheers!

1/2/2021 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Air for 1.5 hrs

Appearance : medium ruby, with beautiful legs and petillance

On nose : medium+ intensity, red fruit : sour cherry, very significant tobacco, lichorice, red rice, floral: rose petal, leather, vanilla oak, very comfortable aroma

On palate : high acidity, high and fine tannin, sour cherry, tomato leaf, tea leafiness on front palate, lichorice, tobacco, high alcohol(14% abv), but not throat burning to the mid palate. The acidity sustain aftertaste with subtle of mineral and savoury. Full body with Med+ finishing.

This wine should be opened 5 more years later and lots of potential as the acidity and the tannin provide a very prominent backbone of this wine. This is a premium quality and elegant wine. U may still enjoy now but just like a shy girl with a bit make up, approachable now. One may find that red rice can be matched with this wine wonderfully. Last but not least, pan fried pork chop is a good choice as well!
Cheers!

12/24/2020 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Air for 2hrs,

Appearance: deep ruby, with beautiful legs

On nose : pronounced intensity, dark fruit : plums, ripe blue berries, violet flora, lichorice, an hr later it came up with soy source, but it developed into truffle after an hr later, tobacco, cedar wood, vanilla oak, very complex, it has a lot of development still.

On palate : rich flavour intensity, dark fruit, pine wood, truffle on front palate, fine but substantial tannin, and med+ acidity on med palate, savoury and a light dark chocolate bitterness with high alcohol at the back. Long finishing, opulent and juicy aftertaste

I will say this is a premium one and I do not feel regret to open it now. As everybody knows that 05’ is an extraordinary vintage and I believe this wine has a lot of room to go. I would say this wine just like a 20yrs marriage, substantial with fulfilment. This is my 2nd bottle and it is much better than the one that I opened 2 yrs ago. No regrets, Cheers!

12/18/2020 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Open up for 2 hrs,

Appearance : Light ruby with legs

On nose : pronounced intensity, red fruit : raspberries, black fruit : Chinese blue date, clove, lichorice, dry leafiness, vanilla oak, some spiciness, very complex.

On palate : med flavour intensity, med+ acidity, then follow with unexpected med+ tannin, black fruit on front palate but a bit hollow and empty feeling on mid- palate. Some bitterness and savoury leafiness aftertaste, a hint of spiciness and med finishing.

As a Grand Cru from Clos Vougeot, I would say grapes may be collected from the upper part of the clos. The flavour is not that intensive and concentrated. The aroma is much better than on palate. May be it is too young to open. Keep it for 5 more years to see any further development. Cheers!

11/30/2020 - HL Pong wrote:

Appearance : pale ruby with legs

On nose : med+ intensity, red fruit : red current, raspberries, red flora, tea leaves, green pepper spiciness, French oakiness, quiet complex.

On palate : med intensity flavour, high acidity, red current, tea leaves and dry leafiness dominated, savoury and some bitterness aftertaste with med finishing.

A enjoyable wine with no hardship but a bit simple on palate. I will say it is a well made Pinot from new old where all the flavour is coming fast but not long lasting. Cheers!

10/19/2020 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Bottle air for 5 hrs

Appearance : light ruby, with beautiful legs

On nose : medium+ intensity, red fruit : raspberries, prominent red flora, rose, black date, herbaceous, a hint of spiciness and vanilla oak.

On palate : much more intensity than on nose, dry and high acidity, some raspberries, very fragrant red flora, tea leaves, silky tannin, med+ finishing with some mineral aftertaste.

A good wine best match with smoke duck breast. The flavour of the smoke was raised and cohere lovely. Should be hold for 5 more years and I believe the wine can go further development. It is a bit expensive which cost me $HKD 1080

9/14/2020 - HL Pong wrote:

Bottle air for 1 hr,

Appearance : med ruby, with legs.

On nose : med+intensity, red fruit : cherry, at the first hr, medicinal quiet noticeable, after an hr, it changed to a very significant tobacco and cloves, black tea, a hint of vanilla oak.

On palate : high acidity with fine and round med tannin, red fruit : cherry, plum skin, very pleasent tobacco leaves on mid palate, high but warm alcohol(14% abv), some spiciness and medicinal flavour aftertaste. Med+ finishing.

This is a premium quality wine and I love it so much. A very balance and the character of the wine is well integrated together. U may drink it now and wait for 3 more yrs but I will choose to open it at this moment. U can enjoy from the primary to tertiary flavour. This wine gives u a very balance and pleasent feeling with a very good quality of Italian style of Bordeaux. No regreats for Gaja!

8/23/2020 - HL Pong wrote:

Open up for half hrs, and drink over 4 hrs

Appearance: med ruby-purple with legs

On nose: med+ intensity, red fruit: cranberries, raspberry, red flora, orange peel, and some spiciness, after 2hrs later, it develops into wet stone and mineral, black tea leafiness and tobacco with a hint of vanilla oak. Lovely and pleasant development.

On palate : Med intensity flavor, high acidity, red fruit-forward, cranberries, raspberry, orange peel, with a very good structure given by the red fruit acidity, lingered with soft tannin and med alcohol. It brings you some mineral and leafiness at the back with med finishing. After 3 hrs, the structure was still there but the flavor had declined a lot.

This wine is surely a new-world style, not much elegancy but it does give us a contented aroma and doubtlessly it has a smooth and easy drink character. My wife loves it but I still prefer the old-world elegancy pinot from Burgundy. I think it could be drunk now or hold it for 3 more years.

8/9/2020 - HL Pong wrote:

Appearance : pale lemon with light green rim and legs

On nose : medium + intensity, ripe citrus : lemon, gooseberry, pungent patroleum, some buttery, mineral and some green pepper spiciness. Overall. The aroma is ripe and secondary aroma significant.

On nose palate : high acidity, ripe citrus on front palate, gooseberries, passion fruits, med body and med alcohol, med+ finishing with savoury mineral and bitterness flavour aftertaste.

After open up for half an hour, it has a better performance. It become more integrated. Frankly speaking, despite of the complexity of the aroma and flavour on palate, it does have some sharp corner in some aspect. Surely, it is not my favourite Sauvignon Blanc style as this wine is too intense and a feeling of upsurge but lack of balance. Just my opinion for reference. Cheers!

8/5/2020 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Appearance: light ruby with legs

On nose : med+ intensity, red fruit: cranberries, red current, very significant tobacco leaves, green pepper spiciness, a bit of vanilla oak and woodiness.

On palate : dry, med+ acidity, med+ intensity, red fruit skin, tobacco leaves, dry leafiness, med tannin and alcohol(13% abv), some elegancy could be found with med body and med finishing.

Not a complex one but this wine can give you some content and fulfilment. It is a very comfort drink! I would say it has premium quality, even better than some Coton Grand Cru! This wine has a very high CP value as it cost HKD $295 only! 2014 is not a bad choice for Givry, No regrets! Cheers!

7/23/2020 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Appearance: Deep ruby with legs and petillance.

On nose : med+ intensity, red fruit : red cherry, plum skin, dark fruit : dry black date; After half an hour, it turns to Floral: violet, a hint of French vanilla oak, balsamic, tobacco, cloves, a very complex aroma.

On palate : dry, med+ acidity, red and dark fruit, sweet black date can be found on front palate, sweet tobacco, med alcohol(13% abv), med body on mid palate, with med+ body and very fine tannin and med+ finishing.

A very special Sicilian wine. The grape,Nero d’Avola which is the King of Sicilian red grape varieties. This is the first time that I taste. The character is quite similar to Sangiovese. Full of Italian style with great acidity and balsamic aroma! Cheers!

7/14/2020 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Appearance : medium gold, with legs.

On nose : Med intensity, tropical fruit : peach, stone fruit : pear, very flinty, very lovely oakiness.

On palate : off dry to sweet, high acidity, tropical fruit : passion fruit, peachy, fruity flavour on front palate, medium body with low alcohol on mid palate, some spiciness, a hint of mineral with well structured acidity and med+ finishing.

It is a very good wine and all ladies love it in the wine party. Good match with fried chicken wings. It is a very balanced wine, no regrets! Cheers!

7/3/2020 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Air for 3 hrs and put in fridge for 1 day.

Appearance: medium ruby with legs

On nose : med+ intensity, red fruit : cherry, plum skin, dry sweet red date, dark fruit : blue date, tobacco, vanilla oak, lichorice, very pleasent aroma.

On palate : med+ intensity, red fruit : plum skin, and dark fruit on front palate, a very good structure with med+ intensity flavour, high but fine tannin on med palate. Sweet Tobacco leaves and savoury and white pepper spiciness with high alcohol(14.5% abv), full body and very contented.

It is a signature example of the Sangiovese in the style of Brunello Di Montalcino. Good match with steak and roasted pork. I love this wine and no regrets for Frescobaldi! Cheers!

6/20/2020 - HL Pong wrote:

Appearance : pale ruby, with legs

On nose : pronounced intensity, red current, sour cherry, dark fruit skin, very significant tobacco leaves, lichorice, old pine oakiness, lovely aroma could be found.

On palate : med+ acidity, med to med+ intensity, sour red current, tobacco smokiness, tea leaves, med+ intensity on mid palate, med tannin and med alcohol and med body with some elegancy. Med+ finishing with some bitterness and subtle of spiciness aftertaste.

Overall speaking, this is a very good wine. Still a bit young. For me, the aroma is better than on palate. This wine is certainly able to have further development for the coming 5 years. I will wait for at least 3 more years to open my 2nd bottle. Cheers!

6/7/2020 - HL Pong wrote:

Appearance: mid garnet with legs and some residual

On nose : mid+ intensity, dark fruit : cherry, sweet red flora, mint, leather, sweet tobacco leaf, black pepper, roasted nuts, some spiciness, balance and elegant

On palate : med+ flavour intensity, med acidity, sweet dark fruit : cherry, leather, tobacco leafiness, very smooth and fine tannin, med+ body, high alcohol but not burning, soft black pepper spiciness and mineral savoury with med finishing.

I am not a Grenache lover but this wine is an exception and this is absolutely an elegant one. The leather flavour is so balance with the sweet tobacco leafiness. I love the elegancy of this wine as the wine is really in premium quality. This wine is best match with lamb chop and I suggest to drink it now and enjoy the peak. No regrets, Cheers!

5/31/2020 - HL Pong wrote:

Appearance: deep ruby with legs

On nose : mid+ intensity, red and dark fruit : cherry, red flora, tobacco, eucalyptus, lichorice, pepper spiciness, a hint of cooked red rice.

On palate: dry, med+ acidity, med to med+ intensity flavour, red and black fruit : cherry on front palate, mid body with a bit hollow feel on mid palate, high but fine tannin, pepper spiciness, some bitterness and lichorice with high alcohol(14% abv) and med finishing.

Not a complex one but it is still in balance. Doubtlessly, It has a right bank Bordeaux character but a bit uncontented. I suggest to drink it now instead of aging as u still can enjoy primary to territory flavour in his moment. Cheers!

5/17/2020 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Appearance: pale ruby with legs

On nose : Med+ intensity, red fruit : raspberries, sour cherry, subtle of vanilla oak, tobacco leaves, dry leafiness, green bell pepper and some spiciness, moderate complexity.

On palate : dry, med+ acidity, red fruit: sour cherry skin, lichorice on front palate, leading to round and smooth tannin and med body, med alcohol(12.5% ABV) on med palate, savoury, leafiness and a hint of bitterness aftertaste with med+ finishing.

This is is quite a text book style of Vosne-Romanée, marked by finesse and perfume which, together with some power on mid palate. One may distinguish the significance and the elegancy of the wine is certainly from Vosne-Romanée. I love this wine and it is certainty be recommended for burgundy lovers. A high CP value one cost only $550 HKD. No regrets, Cheers!

5/3/2020 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Open up and bottle air for 1hr

Appearance : pale ruby with legs

On nose : med+ intensity, red fruit : red currant, black fruit : black current, subtle of vanilla oak, significant tobacco, dry leafiness, licorice, wet earth, light spiciness, flesh and complex.

On palate : dry, high acidity, med intensity flavor, red fruit-forward, med alcohol and med body with dry leafiness and elegancy on mid-palate, red fruit sour and savory with med and fine tannin aftertaste. Med to med+ finishing.

It is a very good wine. The red fruit and the tobacco are well balanced with the oak elegancy. I was impressed a good wine can be made by the smallest area in Côte Chalonnaise. For sure, Givry is the most famous one in this area. The wine is very promising. This wine can be opened and enjoy now but there is no doubt to still keep it for 3 more years!

4/27/2020 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Air in bottle for 1.5 hrs

Appearance: deep garnet with beautiful legs,

On nose: med+ intensity, dark fruit: plum, cherry, vanilla oak, licorice, leather, black pepper spiciness. After an hour later, it developed into sweet tobacco leaves, very jammy, complex and elegant,

On palate: a bit off-dry, high acidity, juicy dark fruit-forward, elegance with leather and mint flavor, med+ body on mid-palate, warm alcohol (15% ABV) but not throat burning, med+and fine tannin, black pepper spiciness with med+ finishing.

It is certainly a premium grade CDP and it is a good match with french style lamp rack. I love this CPD and it has good CP vale as well, only (HKD $350). The elegance of old-world GSM is perfectly embodied by this wine. No regrets, U can open now and wait for 3 more years for further development, but I would choose to open it now to enjoy from the primary to tertiary flavours, Cheers!

4/25/2020 - HL Pong wrote:

2009 disgorgement.

Appearance: golden yellow, with big and vivid bubbles.

On nose: med to med+ intensity, citrus: lemon, stone fruit: yellow apple, apricot, a hint of bready and yeasty aroma

On palate: med+ intensity flavor, very balanced acidity, with lemon, apple, lemon curd on front palate, leading to comfort and very pleasant touch on mid palate. Med alcohol with med+ body, vanilla, and pistachio savory flavor with only a little bitterness aftertaste.

It is surely a very balanced champagne in all aspects as I suspected that is because of the blend of 3 types of grapes : Pinot noir(40%), Meunier(20%), Chardonnay(40%) matched perfectly. My wife loves it so much and so do I. Really decent with finesse and delicacy. Cheers!

4/14/2020 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Air bottle for 1.5 hrs,

Appearance : pale ruby with legs and petillance

On nose : med+ intensity, red fruit : dry raspberries, cherry, deep red flora, sweet tobacco leaves, subtle wood toasted, after an hour, it developed into lichorice, lovely leafiness, some mushroom, very pleasent!

On palate : dry, med intensity flavour, high acidity, sweet dry raspberry on front palate, med body, elegant, tea leaf and sweet tannin on mid palate, med alcohol with savoury and black tea aftertaste. Pleasent, good structure with med finishing.

There is no regret for us, every time I enjoy Comte Armand, for the clos des epeneaux, never disappointed. it is a highly rated vineyard in Pommard. It does have elegancy and with complexity. I love this wine so much and it is best match with roast duck or pigeons. This wine is surely that can be waitted for 5 more years but u can sill enjoy the fruitiness now!

4/10/2020 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Appearance : deep ruby with legs and little petillance

On nose : high intensity, dark fruit : cherry, black plum, lichorice, tobacco, leather, salty mineral, vanilla oak, black pepper, quiet complex.

On palate : high intensity flavour, a bit off dry, high acidity, sweet dark fruit dominated on the front palate, med+ and sweet tannin and full body on mid palate, high alcohol but not throat burning(14.5% abv), with warm black pepper spiciness and salty mineral aftertaste, med and pleasent finishing.

This is a very good wine, just only that the finishing is not as long as I expected. Overall speaking it is an elegant one but still can be distinguished from the old world. I matched with my home made crispy Chinese style BBQ pork belly and prime cut steak in my Good Friday dinner. I suggest to drink it now as you can enjoy the sweet fruitiness and the complex aroma. Cheers!

4/5/2020 - HL Pong wrote:

Appearance : pale amber with slow legs

On nose : med+ intensity, salty mineral, soy source, then come up with honey, syrup, orange peel, the aroma is not that pleasant as the fruitiness is not that significant.

On palate : luscious, med+ acidity, honey, orange marmalade, full body, prominent citrius acidity aftertaste with med+ finishing.

The taste on the palate is much better than on nose. This wine is a good wine and best match with blue cheese. Enjoy the wine now instead of ageing any longer!

4/2/2020 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Appearance: pale gold with legs

on nose : med+ intensity, citrus : ripe lemon, gooseberry, flora: honeysuckle, grassy, waxy, subtle of honey, wet stone, very pleasant and complex.

on palate : dry, high acidity, med flavor intensity, citrus: lemon, gooseberry, flora : chamomille, it brings you the medium body, medium alcohol (abv 13%), mineral and salty shell on mid-palate and bitterness and savory aftertaste with long finishing.

The wine has a very prominent structure with the very significant citrius acidity as the backbone. This is a very good wine only one may complain that a bit simple on the palate than on the nose.

But after leaving the wine into the fridge for a day, it developed into more territory flavour, buttery, lemon cake and some flinty oak. I love that more than drinking on first day. I believe it still have 3-5 more years to develop to the peak but u can still enjoy the beautiful juice right now!

3/7/2020 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Appearance : pale lemon with legs

On nose : pronounced intensity, citruis: ripe lemon, stone fruit : apple, white floral : honeysuckle, grassy, cotton candy, a hint of green bell pepper, mineral,

On palate : dry, high and convincing acidity with lemon zest, green bell pepper, mineral, med body and med alcohol(13%) with bitternesses and savoury flavour and med+ finishing.

This wine is obviously a Sauvignon blanc on blind tasted, very pleasent and comfort. Good match with Oyster and Mussels. This is surely a premium wine, I suggest that it should be opened now to enjoy the peak of the wine!

2/25/2020 - HL Pong wrote:

Bottle air for 4hrs, drink and wait for the changes.

Appearance : light ruby, with legs and petillance

On nose : med intensity, red fruit : raspberries, a hint of violet, mint, tobacco, thyme, pine tree, green pepper at the end. The aroma is evolving within these 5 hrs.

On palate : dry, high acidity, med intensity flavour, subtle of red fruit, tea leaves, hollow on mid palate, bitterness and savoury, med to short finishing, very disappointed on the flavour with med alcohol and med to med- body.

Not really similar to the impression of Dugat Py that I have. As a VV wine from Gevery Chambertin, It is lack of intensity and power and if u have it, drink it now, not recommended for aging any more.

2/7/2020 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Appearance : golden yellow, with slow beautiful legs.

On nose : pronounced intensity,white flora : elder flower, butter, honey, subtle of sweet baked cookies, pleasent but not too complex.

On palate : high acidity, luscious, honey and white elder flower juice
on front palate and full body on mid palate with med- alcohol(9.5% abv). Unexpected long finishing with a very good acidity.

This is a premium ice-wine as the structure is fully built by the lovely acidity which can hold the body of the wine. U won’t feel too heavy on palate. My wife loves it, under the threat of the corona virus, she said that this wine brought a bit refreshing happiness to her. Drink it now! Cheers!

2/2/2020 - HL Pong wrote:

Appearance: pale ruby, with legs and petillance.

On nose : pronounced intensity, red fruit : sweet cherry, french oak vanilla, very pungent tobacco leaves, lichorice, thyme, pleasent and comfort, but not that complex.

On palate: med+ intensity flavour, med+ acidity, red fruit forward, cherry and plum skin, lichorice, tea leaves full body as high alcohol could be found. Med finishing with high tannin.

This is not a complex one but still have some structure in it. For blind testing, it is still a significant Italian style wine. I will say that it just like chatting with an old friend with pleasures. I would choose to drink it now as you can enjoy primary, secondary and territory flavours in balance.

12/25/2019 - HL Pong wrote:

Air for 45 mins

Appearance: mid ruby with legs

On nose : mid intensity, red fruit : sweet cherry, plum skin, lichorice, tobacco, hint of vanilla oak, tea leaves, Pleasant on aroma.

On palate : dry, mid- intensive flavour, watery, lack of complexity, some red cherry, salty mineral, mid+ tannin, mid alcohol(13% abv), light body with short finishing.

This is the worst year so far that have I tasted for this wine. Lack of flavour and complexity on palate. The aroma is much better than on palate. Not recommend for ageing and finish it up as soon as possible.

12/24/2019 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Decant for 45 mins,

Appearance: mid garnet, with legs and petillance

On nose : black fruit : plum, very obvious eucalyptus, tobacco, spiciness, tea leaves, a hint of vanilla

On palate : dry, mid acidity, midium intensity flavour, mid tannin, midium body, mid alcohol, black fruit, wet forest, some spiciness, salty mineral with smooth and mid finishing.

This wine is a bit over peak, lack of fruitiness but with territorial aroma and flavour, very smooth, no hardship at all with great balance. This wine is best match with salty cheese, I think this wine gives u an impression of chatting with an old friend. An easy drink, cheers!

11/13/2019 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Open up for 30mins, very approachable

Appearance : med garnet with lots of petillance and residual

On nose : med+ intensity, black fruit : black berries, plum, deep violet flora, sweet vanilla oak, pine, tobacco, eucalyptus, clove, a hint of spiciness, surprisingly good complexity.

On palate : dry, med acidity, med+ to high but fine wse tannin, very intensive black fruit : plum skin on front palate, med+ flavour intensity with med+ alcohol on mid palate and med+ body and tea leaves and med length finishing.

Obviously an old wine when u firstly encountered on the palate. Surprisingly a complex aroma but not much development on palate. As a whole, it is still a premium wine. On may find that the elegancy reflect that high altitudes of the growth of the grapes. 80% Malbec and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon from 3100 feet of the sea level. Made by the winemaker Jean-Michael Arcaulate from Cheteau Clinet.

11/7/2019 - HL Pong wrote:

Appearance: Pale brown, with legs and petillance

On nose: med- intensity, not much fruit, territory aroma: some earthiness and leafiness.

On palate : high and sharp cut acidity, med+ tannin, no fruit flavour, only sour and sour taste with light body and a little bit leafiness and bitterness.

This wine is obviously over peak and I believe that is corked. Just want to see whether an old wine can stand still or not.

10/15/2019 - HL Pong wrote:

Appearance : pale ruby, with legs

On nose : medium+ intensity, red fruit : cranberry, strawberry, leafiness, peppery spiciness, subtle
Of vanilla oak.

On palate : dry, a bit rustic, med acidity, medium intensity, med body, sweet cherry candy, cranberry, peppery spiciness, med alcohol, soft tannin, with unexpectedly long finishing.

Overall speaking is a good wine, much more complexity than the “Yarra Valley”. This wine got very significant cherry sweetness on front and mid palate. As a new world Pinot, I fully enjoy this. I suggest to drink it now in order to enjoy its remarkable red fruit flavour. Good match with marinated chicken or duck. Cheers!

9/30/2019 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Descant for 1.5 hrs.

Appearance : med ruby, with legs

On nose : med+ intensity, mostly secondary aroma : sweet vanilla, tertiary aroma: thyme, leather, peppery spiciness

On palate : dry, med acidity, red and black fruit: cherry, lichorice, tea leaves, leather, herbal tea, sweet and very fine tannin, with med finishing.

It is good match with lamb chop, very complex and it is a very typical CDP, everyone loves it. Sweet tannin and herbal taste is the significance. Good structure and very lovely! Drink it now to enjoy the peak of this!

9/30/2019 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Decant for 1hr

Appearance : pale ruby, with beautiful legs

On nose : med+ intensity, red fruit : red cherry, star anise, tobacco, black pepper, tea leaves, mineral savoury

On palate : dry, med+ acidity, ripe sweet red cherry, dark chocolate, sweet vanilla, peppery spiciness, sweet and fine tannin, tea leaves, fruit on front palate, savoury and dark chocolate bitterness, med+ finishing.

It is very pleasant, good match with steak, dark chocolate is significant and structured, everyone loves its complexity. A very typical and lovely Sangiovese. Enjoy it now or keep it for 3 more years. Cheers!

9/14/2019 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Decant for an hour.

Appearance ; pale ruby, with legs and petillance

On nose : med intensity, red fruit : strawberries, sour cherry, apple skin, pepper spiciness, thyme, tea leaf, a hint of mocha. With depth but not too complex, pleasant and comfortable.

On palate : dry, med+ acidity, red fruit on front palate and then with remarkable sweet and fine med tannin, med body with med alcohol on mid palate, tea leafiness and savoury aftertaste with med finishing.

This wine is a good one but not a very complex one. The sweet and fine tannin is impressive. This one is certainly an old world style Pinot and the elegancy of that is the signature of it. I suggest to drink it now as the complexity of the wine is not that significant. Cheers!

9/2/2019 - HL Pong wrote:

Appearance : Pale gold with finesse fine bubble

On nose : medium+ intensity, stone fruit : apple, pear, nectarine, some yeasty, toasty and subtle of biscuits.

On palate : dry, high acidity, medium intensity, medium body and alcohol, with stone fruit with apple, pear, some tropical fruit, yeasty creamy mousse.

This champagne has a very clean feel on front palate, no pressure with easy and comfort med+ finishing and savoury aftertaste. I would say this is surely one of my favourite NV champagnes. Cheers!

7/23/2019 - HL Pong wrote:

Appearance: pale ruby, with legs

On nose : med intensity, fruity impression, red fruit : cherry. Mushroom, a bit rustic, nosome red flora aroma and some spiciness, not very complex indeed.

On palate : med+ intensity, high acidity, red fruit, mushroom, subtle soy sauce, some leafiness and spiciness, med body, med tannin, med+ alcohol with unexpected ted long finishing but without complexity.

The wine is too young but James sucking rated 95pts and I will say that it was overrated. The palate of this wine is much better than the aroma. The aroma is light and lack of complexity. In the name of Giant step, I truely believe that is a low grade wine. Drink as a table wine is still acceptable.

7/17/2019 - HL Pong wrote:

Appearance: pale ruby to garnet, with legs and petillance.

On nose : med+ intensity, subtle of red fruit raspberry, green pepper, significant spiciness, a bit rusty, eucalyptus with oakiness, horse saddle, earthiness. It comes up to the side of territory aroma.

On palate : Full intensity flavour, high acidity, med+ alcohol, full body, not much red fruit but strong eucalyptus with spicinesson mid palate. Tannin is ripe and fine. Mineral and savoury with long finishing.

One can feel that the wine is strong and wide with depth on palate. The wine is developing on every sip of the juice. Drink now or hold it for 5 more yrs.

6/15/2019 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Appearance : medium to dark ruby with petillance

On nose : med+ intensity, red fruit : plum skin and cherry, lichorice, ansine , salty mineral, After 3 hrs it change to tobacco, green pepper spiciness, subtle is french oak vanilla. Feeling good and pleasant.

On palate : med intensity flavour, high acidity, medimu+ tannin. On front palate Is full of red and black fruit skin and the acidity is the first impression then black tea, lichorice on mid palate. Meanwhile the bitterness and savoury mineral driven and came up to the aftertaste. High alcohol(14.5% abv) but not hot burning, firm with fine tannin, med+ finishing.

It integrates well and the textbook style Tuscan acidity is the signiture of this wine. Drink it hold for 3 more yrs. Good value for money too! Not a very impressive one but still a very good Brunello Di Montalcino.

5/1/2019 - HL Pong Likes this wine:

Open up for an hour in a BYOW restaurant.

Appearance : deep ruby with legs

On nose : med+ intensity, red fruit : plum, cherry, black fruit : casis, blackberry, vanilla oak without overwhelming, lichorice, herbs, truffle, very deep and fruit dominated. A modern style Barolo for sure!

On palate : medium+ flavour intensity, high acidity, high and grainy tannin, subtle of sweet red and black fruit are on the front palate, black tea, coffee, mahogany and vanilla mocha on mid-palate and light bitterness full body with high alcohol aftertaste, long and pleasent finishing.

This is good match with steak, ibérico pork chop or lamb chop. Dispite of the grainy tannin and full body, it is not a big monster indeed. In some sense you we’re still impressed by the elegancy of the aging potential and it is very energetic . I recommend to hold for 3 more years or u may open if u can wait for it. No regrets!