Posts Tagged Burgundy
Back to the ‘Old’ world…
Posted by eatbikelove in Wine Tasting Notes on August 27, 2013
Spending over a month in Australia has definitely helped in improving my understanding and appreciation of Australian wines. Interestingly, it has also helped solidify my wine preference. There are lots of very good wines in Australia but, I’ve realised that I am a crazy fan of aged old world wines which focuses more on balance and the wines being velvety smooth.
I do have lots of friends who are big fans of strong and powerful red wines (such as Barossa Valley Shiraz’s) and I can completely understand their preference. Post my trip, I have been checking my wine notes of recently tasted old world wines and I can happily say…”Honey, I’m Home!”
Tasting
Lumiere Histoire 2011
OK… after all this talk of old world wines, what is a Japanese wine doing here :-P. This is an interesting wine from Yamanishi prefecture which I recently tasted with a few friends in Tokyo. Tasted: June 2013.
Nose: Cheesy smell, hidden white flowers, white pear
Taste: medium light body, smooth body, no acidity, no dryness.
Finish: no finish to think off.
I admit, this is not my first choice if I have one.
Champagne Lahaye, Blanc de Noir NV.
Tasted June 2013 when I visited my friends in Singapore. I’ve had this on numerous occasions and it does not disappoint.
Nose: almonds, lemon zest, hint of green apple
Taste: great balance, medium weight, good acidity,
Finish: decent finish of 20 second
A v v nice champagne to go with Chinese food (tasted with Teochew cuisine)
Clos des Papes 2001
Nose: red and blackberries, strong cherry nose, hint of white pepper
Taste: good smooth texture, secondary flavours of berries and plum. Hint tannin
Finish: long finish of 30 second
A very nice GSM blend from this legendary producer. Given its age, all the harsh tannins have receded leaving a lovely smooth texture. Tasted along the champagne with Teochew cuisine. Lovely!
Blain Gagnard Chassgne Montrachet Caillerets 1er Cru 2009
Tasted July 2013
Colour: pale straw yellow
Nose: oily, white apple, pear, white flower, honey
Taste: beautiful silky texture, typical Chassagne body with the fruit taking centre stage. White flowers and good acidity
Finish: white apple and pear finish. c25 seconds.
Lovely wine and keeps on improving in the glass. After lots of swinging, the wine opens up to velvety smoothness.
Cathiard Vosne Romanee Aux Reignots 1er Cru 2008
Tasted July 2013
Colour- dark ruby red
Nose- dense mix of red n black fruits, hint of vanilla, upon opening smells like a Pauillac then reverting back to a Vosne nose.
Taste- velvety smooth with power! Good balance between fruits and tannin. Hint of mint @ finish.
Finish- long minty finish of over 30 seconds.
A very good wine that is bound to put on more weight and improve with age.
Jean Grivot Vosne Romanee Village 2005
Tasted August 2013 in Sydney Australia.
Nose: beautiful red and black fruits, cherries, velvety rose perfume, hint of vanilla
Taste: medium bodied, good fruit, velvety fruit,
Finish: good 20 second sweet fruity finish.
A good wine but shame about paying the WET tax in Australia.
Domaine Tollot-Beaut Chorey Les Beaune 2010
Tasted August 2013
Nose: cowpat at first, then slowly opened up for red fruit, cherries, raspberry,
Taste: acidic taste, red fruits, medium light body, simple structure.
Finish: 15 second finish.
A decent and simple glass of burg. On of those daily wines if you can afford it.
Domaine De la Vougeraie, Gevrey Chambertin Les Evocelles 2009
Tasted August 2013
Nose: red fruit nose, green muskiness from the oak, hint of vanilla
Taste: medium bodied, red fruits, slight hint of acidity
Finish: short finish of 15 second
Interesting wine with the potential to add on weight after a few more cellar age.
Domaine De la Vougeraie, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2007
Tasted August 2013
Nose: red fruits, strawberries, hint to green, velvet texture, hint of mint
Taste: medium full bodied, red fruits, good texture, velvety smooth
Finish: 25 second finish
On a different level to Evocelles even though it is from the 2007 vintage. Good concentration.
Olivier Leflaive Meursault Tillets 2010
Tasted August 2013
Nose: white flower, lemon peel, hint of honeysuckle
Taste: sweet fruits, hint of apricot, slight acidity. Good texture.
Finish: 15 second semi dry finish.
Relatively simple wine given the price. Not sure if I am paying for the wine or for Leflaive???
Sebastien Magnien, Beaune !er Cru, Les Aigrots 2006
Nose: red fruits, strawberries and raspberries, hint of vanilla and lavender.
Taste: red fruits, started out light but gained weight once opened, good texture with a slight acidity
Finish: fruity finish of c20 seconds.
A half decent wine. Shame I only have a bottle.
How to add flavour to wine… and make any wine a Grand Cru!
Posted by eatbikelove in Wine Tasting Notes on June 26, 2013
I recently read an interesting article in the UK’s Guardian stating that wine tasting is junk science.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/jun/23/wine-tasting-junk-science-analysis
This got me thinking… do we really know how to taste wine or is that just a whole bunch of codswallop??? One of my theory about the variation is that wine is ever evolving. Think about it, how many times have you had wine that tasted so tight upon opening but after a nice dinner, it opens up and you regret you drank most of the bottle too soon? Or a wine smelled so fruity and floral upon popping the cork but faded within 20 mins (that is how I got my negative Rioja experience- now thankfully cured).
But I think all the above is just trimmings at the edges. I think there is a quick sure fire way to add flavour to any wine and make it taste better. And the secret is… drumroll… drink it with REALLY GOOD COMPANY!!!
Yes some of you might be disappointed that I wasn’t suggesting adding black pepper to a glass of Syrah to enhance the peppery taste etc. But I do believe that who you drink wine with does make a huge difference and the impression on the wine. Remember Einstein’s quote of relativity: “When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and it’s longer than any hour. That’s relativity.”
So make sure you drink your wines with good company, the wines would definitely taste better!!!
Anyway, here’s some of the wines which I have been drinking in May 2013…
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer 2009
Colour: pale Orange
Nose: lychee, peachy, sweet
Taste: hint of dryness, semi sweet, good velvety texture like 50% of a dessert wine
Finish: short finish of 10 second
Overall a nice aperitif but a bit too sweet if drunk as a main meal, although next time I want to try this wine with some Thai spicy and sour dishes.
Chocolate Block, South Africa Pinotage 2011
Colour: deep red
Nose: merlot nose, red fruits, slight reduction, hint of mocha
Taste: slight acidity, creme de cassis, goos chewy texture, fruity, medium bodied
Finish: short finish of 15 second.
A good simple n fruity wine. Very easy to drink.
Louis Jadot, NSG, Les Cras 1999
Colour: pale ruby red
Nose: red fruits, raspberries, hint of strawberries, slight vegetal and hint of minerality,
Taste: Medium bodied, slight acidity, good weight n balance. The fruits have taken a back seat for the wines but are there. A hint of cherry @ finish
Finish: 15 second finish.
A nice wine which is showing well given almost 14 yrs of age.
New kid in the burg… with prices to match
Posted by eatbikelove in Producer Wine Tasting on June 4, 2013
Olivier Bernstein…a young star that has recently been rising in prominence in Burgundy. What is interesting is that Olivier has managed to amass a selection of very good burgundy vineyards in a very short space of time and he is not originally from Burgundy, an area where tradition and history carries a significant amount of weight. I had the luxury and good fortune to meet with Olivier when he made a short stop in Hong Kong in February 2013 and I must admit, his wines are GOOD! The wines do represent the terrior but unfortunately these come at a price! As always, a tasting is always the best opportunity to decide for myself if these wines are worth it so with no expectations (other than for a good evening) I went along to try Oliviers wines.
There were 8 wines to taste that night as follows:
2008 Puligny-Montrachet, 1er cru Champ-Gains
2009 Corton Charlemagne
2007 Chambolle-Musigny, 1er cru les Lavrottes
2007 Gevrey-Chamberin, 1er cru Les Cazetiers
2008 Gevrey Chambertin
2008 Gevrey-Chambertin, 1er cru Les Champeaux
2009 Charmes-Chambertin
2009 Clos Vougeot
Even better, I got to seat right next to the great man and as a result got to know him and his wines better.
Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t long before we filled up the entire table with glasses. What a sight.
In my honest opinion, Olivier’s wines are good. However, whether I would realistically pay the price he charges for a bottle of his wines is debatable. Perhaps the wines might justify such a high price tag in the future when they age more and develop more complexity. I hope to be able to retaste them at a later date and hope they become even better!
Colour: Pale Straw yellow
Nose: white flowers, hint of violets. Revisited after 2.5 hrs and there were hints of coconut and honey
Taste; slight acidity, good length, hint of minerality
Finish: 20 second finish
Colour: Again pale straw yellow. I was expectign more depth of colour given it was a Grand Cru but maybe it was too young.
Nose: White fruits, fruity and hint of oil. After 2.5hrs, secondary flavours were introduced and you could smell the oiliness of the wine.
Taste: Lemon peel, smooth texture, white flowers, hint of minerality. A lot more concentrated and fruity.
Finish: 30 second finish
Nose: red fruits, very floral
Taste: Red fruits, good balance, slight acidity, hint of vegetal dryness but not overall the fruitiness was still dominant and flamboyant.
Finish: 25 second finish.
Nose: mix of red and black fruit. Hint of cassis, good nose and concentration, hint of vegetal nose
Taste: acidic, tannic and dry on palate. Less concentrated on palate than on the nose. This wine feels more auster when tasted next to the Chambolle 1er. This however, made it great with wagyu steak.
Finish: 30 second finish,
Nose: good perfume, red fruits,
Taste: Very good fruit, good balance,
Nose: 15 second finish of joy
One of the best wines of the night as I think now is the perfect window for this wine whereas the 1er and GC should still be sleeping.
Nose: red fruits, hint of vanilla,
Taste: good balance, smooth texture, red fruity, slight acidity
Finish: 20 second finish,
Nose: good red fruit, slight vegetal, roses
Taste: Good balance, red fruits, slight acidity but really nice as it is opening up. A very good Charmes and definitely the better GC tonight
Finish: 30 second finish
Nose: red perfume, velvet, slight vegetal,
Taste: a bit thin and diluted, good perfume and balance, slight acidity
Finish: 25 second
This wines seems to have all the great ingredients but somehow felt lighter and diluted than the othe Clos Vougeots that I have tasted. Perhaps the wine is way to young to taste at this stage and should put on more weight after another 5 years in cellar.
Pierre Vincent from Domaine Vougeraie in HK
Posted by eatbikelove in Producer Wine Tasting on May 11, 2013
My first post. I thought I should start with a tasting from one of my favourite region and one of my favourite producer, Domaine Vougeraie from Premeaux-Prissey in Burgundy.
Pierre Vincent made a short stopover in HK in April and with my wine merchant BBR, hosted a dinner tasting in HK to showcase his wines. I signed up to join in a flash!
Pierre showcased his selection of excellent white and red wines including the icing on the cake, Musigny! The dinner was hosted in Island Tang where the wines were accompanied with great Chinese food.
This was the wines of the evening:
2009 Clos Blanc de Vougeot 1er cru (Aperitif)
2007 Clos Blanc de Vougeot 1er cru
2007 Corton Charlemagne
2010 NSG, Les Damodes 1er cru
2009 NSG, Les Damodes 1er cru
2007 Corton Clos du Roi
2007 Clos Vougeot
2007 Charmes-Chambertin, Les Mazoyeres
2007 Musigny
Overall, it was a great evening with a great group of wine lovers.
Wine Notes (Tasted April 2013)
Colour: Pale straw yellow
Nose: white fruits, butter, pear
Taste: slight acidity, smooth texture although a bit closed, lighter bodied
Finish: 30 second finish
Good wine but I think is too young to drink now.
Colour: deeper colour, like a young sauternes
Nose: Oily nose, white flowers and lemon peel
Taste: weightier than 09, oily texture, good balance, low aciidty
Finish: 30 second fin
A good wine suitable for drinking now.
Colour: light yellow
Nose: white flowers, mineral, floral, buttery
Taste: slight acidity, light bodied, floral and white flowers, good balance,
Finish: 20sec finish
Good wine and expressive of the terrior.
Colour: ruby red
Nose: vanilla, red fruits, very expressive, cranberry
Taste: good balance, red fruits, medium bodied
Finish: smooth 20 second finish
This bottle is showing very well tonite. Bravo!
Colour- ruby red
Nose: very good perfume, hint of reduction, red fruits with hint of cassis,
Taste: medium full bodied, tannic, hint of vegetal, red fruit takes a back seat to power, complex with potential to develop further
Finish: 25 second fin
Colour: deep red
Nose: A very Vougeot nose! Red perfume, hint of vegetal, red fruits, much more complexity than Corton
Taste: good acidity, red fruits, good balance, good complexity
Fin: 25 second finish
A good wine that expresses the source of the wine. I’ve recently had the 2001 which developed secondary flavours so have confidence that this wine will improve and develop secondary flavours with age.
Colour: deep red
Nose: red perfume, leafy note,
Taste: good medium bodied, sweet red fruits, raspberry, hint of cassis, very easy to drink now
Fin:30 second fin
A very good wine to drink now
Colour: deep purple red
Nose: rose perfume, red fruits, concentrated red fruits, hint of vanilla
Taste: smooth, velvety texture, sweet sweet tannins
Finish: 30 second fin
I was taken aback from this wine. Love the smooth smooth texture and most importantly the balance! What a wine. My Wine of the Night
Nose: Violets, concentrated, hint of cassis n black fruit, hint of reduction, very fruity and hint of vegetal
Taste: oh my good! What a wine! Very dense and concentrated, great complexity, excellent balance, sweet sweet wine full of red fruits,
Finish: 40 sec+ finish
I have been dreaming about this wine since I knew I had a chance to taste it! It most certainly did not disappoint. I think today, the Charmes Chambertin just pipped it but I think in another 5 years, this Musigny will then shed its outer shell and show what it really is made of.
Unsurprisingly, we finished off with lots of empty glasses :-D. What a great night and I look forward to similar tastings to come!
Winston's Wine World 
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