2004 Domaine Leroy Bourgogne

The color is the orangy, brownish, cloudy, murky color that one associates with Leroy.

Wowwww.... the nose is what remembers from this mind. The smell of the wine kept on lingering in my mind for over 2 days. Orangy, rich cheeries, peppery spices, floral and superbly feminine.

Of course, with Lalou Bize-Leroy declassifying the wine in 2004, this Bourgogne probably is the most expensive Bourgogne with taste to match.

The taste is with medium acidity, cherris, some fitz and nice and tight finish.

A simple girl can sometimes become a fine princess, and one will fall for her, not becoz she is a princess, but just because she is a simple girl.

Leroy Website

Chinese blog on 2004 horizontal tasting

2007 Schloss Vollrads Riesling Kabinett trocken

Had this from the selection of Shanghai Garden. It caught our eye as we visited the vineyard in 2008, and rieslings, with their high acidity, go well with shanghai food, especially for the fatty foods. This Kabinett tastes of honey, apple and is creamy. Acidity is decent but not too high. Finish is enjoyable and long enough. Excellent wine for the price, and goes extremely well with the food.

2004 Bodega Norton Perdriel Single Vineyard Blend

Good wine with blend of Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Very high scores with RP and WS. You can taste the Malbec, but blends so well with the other grapes and french oak. When you would be expecting something really powerful, this wine shows surprisingly good finese and elegence.

The Bodega Norton is owed by Swarovsi, the crystal family and the wine shows that what good management, innovation and persistance can create exceptional wine. This vineyard shows great promise for the future.

More on Bodega Norton

Fact Sheet

2001 Château Haut Baradieu Cru Bourgeois

Good Cru Bourgeois from St. Estèphe , although it does taste much more of red fruit with herbs. Tasted more like a burgundy for this one as the spices and complexity was missing. Still very enjoyable and classy with good structure and enough power that feels just right. Tastes better than most of the 2nd wines of St. Estèphe Cru Classe.

Drank with lamb shank at Le Bistrot, Macau

2003 Barossa Valley Estate E&E Sparkling Shiraz

This sparkling Shiraz is the best I have tried to date. At over HKD4XX per bottle, it is certainly not cheap but certainly worth it. Very concentrated, black current, peppery, oaky and chocolate. Chilled and well balanced, and does not feel watery or just like grape juice. Nice round finish. Too bad someone drank my only bottle left at my wedding party!

2002 Chevalier de Lascombes

Simple, easy to drink, and not particularly good. Never have been a particular fan of Lascombes, and this second wine is probably not worth its price.

2006 Tamaya, Late Harvest Sweet Goat

An inexpensive sweet wine from 90% Muscat, with the rest made up of Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Viognier. Concentrated enough for a late harvest, with almonds and apricot. Price at HKD140.00

2004 Robert Keenan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain

Quite a good Cab. Good intensity, full bodied, purple red with cedar, minerals and spice. At 400, quite a good price.

Parker notes on producer website

2000 Château Pontet-Canet

Opened as second wine for the night. Tannins still in early stages. Too early to drink, harsh, with too much everything.

1997 Penfolds Grange

Opened 2 bottles on wedding on freezing roof, but best condition to drink as temperature around 12 Celsius. Decanted and drank after around 1 hour. 96% shiraz and 4% cab. Well structured, all kinds of black fruits and red fruit, minty cool feeling, oak, red to purple, well integrated tannins, but clearly young. Wonderful way to spend the evening with good friends with something complex yet refreshing.

1997 Château Suduiraut

Medium sweet, touch of botrytis, apricot, honey and good balance. Good acidic and long finish. Stone throw from d'Yquem, though hardly in the same league. Light yellow, excellent time to drink this wine.

2005 Antis Malbec

Wine from Mendoza and the Vistalba District of Lujan de Cuyo. Situated at altitude of 1050M. Purple in color, dry, chocolate and black fruit. Malbec wines show good value and good well with Pizza.

2004 Castello di Pomino (Frescobaldi) Pomino Benefizio

Truly surprised with this white wine from Frscobaldi. Dark golden color with peachy, honey and complex wine. Pomino means "Little Apple" and the wine is a great chardonnay blend that is oaked. The white wine shows great history and character, and goes well with strong, oily foods.

Frescobaldi History

2001 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Sperss

Great structure and with elegance. Nice tannins is long finish. Cherry, floral and minty. Nice balanced acidity, but I really need to try a older Sperss to really know why Gajas are rated as they are.

1997 Gaja Langhe Darmagi

First time trying the Cabernet from Gaja. Super rich nose, with leafy, tobacco, licorice and strong blackberry. Smooth, strong structure with reasonable finish. Powerful wine, and very different from Gaja's Barolos and Barbarescos, but very enjoyable. Tannins well dissolved. Probably about right time to drink it now.

Darmagi means "What a pity"? since they converted the vineyard from Nebbiollo in 1978?

2000 Chateau Musar Blanc

Make from native grapes of Merwah and Obaideh from Lebanon, the white Musar is truely a treat if not an acquired taste. Smoky, complex with strong, ripe fruits. Unique and no need to chill. Needs very strong food to go with it. Once you have it, you will recognize it next time.

1999 Hetszolo Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos

Honey, floral, apricot. Sweet, but not over the top. Very well balanced and good Tokaji. Does not feel as strong and concentrated as a 5 Puttonyos, but still provides great value and an excellent finish to the night.

2005 Fontodi Chianti Classico

Good value for money. With Strawberry, cherry, jammy and refreshing acidity. Tannin and structure is reasonable. Good with antipasto like we had that night.

2005 Forest Hill Block 9 Shiraz

I like this Shiraz a lot! At 14%, it has strong alcohol content, but not over the top of taste nor flavor. Well balanced with berries and touch of leafy and cedar with excellent finish.

http://www.foresthillwines.com.au/foresthillredwines.htm

2007 Wolf Blass Chardonnay Yellow Label

Citrus, pear and oak. Well balanced and refreshing. Always consistent from Wolf Blass. Not fat, and tasted well both chilled and more closer to room temperature.