The Auswine Forum

Yes folks, today marks the first day of the official CNY celebrations, centred around Thursday's night NYE celebrations. A week of mind-blowing eating and drinking, think Xmas and multiply by a factor of seven
I am far better prepared this year, and to avoid the plague of having to drink either Baijiu or Chinese red wine, I have taken the liberty of putting aside many many bottle of decent red for all to enjoy ( nice way of saying I don't want your Chinese rice wine or red wine hehe). This has been made far easier this year, as our large apartment has been chosen as the family central meeting place, with dinner here tonight preceding many restaurant family get-togethers over the next week, before the loving hordes return to Northern China (thankfully, I will imagine)
So hopefully, I can remember the wines drunk and write them up. Any one else suffering the same fate, please chime in!!!

1986 Chateau Talbot
Always a Parker favourite, this wine just keeps on keeping on. No change since my first taste back in 1999. Just a delight, pure fruited, long and complex, this simply refuses to age. What a superb start to the week.
Drink: now-2500, 95pts

2003 Noon's reserve shiraz
Went really well (surprisingly) with the pork dishes, but seemed to polarise the relations. Some loved it, some politely left it in their glass. I loved it, sure, it is full-throttle and maybe a little sweet, but genuine Aussie shiraz at it's most powerful.
Drink: now-2020 93pts

2003 Chateau l'Eglise Clinet
Sure, some right bank were not too good in this abnormally hot year, but this might just be the most under-rated and underpriced Bordeaux of the past 20 years. It costs less than 20% of the 09, and is equally good IMHO. An extraordinary nose that leaps out and grabs you, this wine is full to the brim with dark berries, milk chocolate, graphite and liquorice. Left me grinning that i have a good stash, and the only bad thing was it's universal popularity restricted me to the one glass before the bottle was empty.
Drink: now-2025 97pts

2003 Chateau Troplong Mondot
This wine is the other side of the argument with respect to 03 Bordeaux right bank. Other than Ausone, St Emilion really struggled in this vintage, and unfortunately Troplong is no exception. Despite the beautiful pure fruit, this has a clipped finish and a mild green tinge, so typical of the appellation in this year. It went ok with food, and spicy food in particular, but it is not a wine to cellar any further. I plan to finish my remaining 6 bottles in the next 18 months.
Drink: now 88pts

My rare chance of breaking out magnums,methinks this year would be
Paradigm hill 07 cols block Shiraz and 03 paringa estate pinot in magnums

Hi Felix et al, I do have a few CNY festivities this week and I realise that I am a little naive to any wine ideals that might be appropriate. Is there anything we should be bringing along that would be appropriate (apart from good booze of course!!)?

If this is year of the sheep should we be drinking from vintages of past years of the sheep? 03? 91?

Or maybe just find a wine with a sheep on the label.......

Cheers
TA

most of the taboos are now just nonsense, unless you are with a couple of 100 year old women, don't worry about them. But if you must know, you can't wash your hair, eat porridge or clean the house (I like that one) during spring festival. haha Oh, and you can't swear.

as for wine, I discovered a few years ago, if you do not bring your own, here in the mainland at least, you will be subject to drinking countless bottles of Changyu or baijiu, in both cases I think I would prefer to drink my own vomit.

if you are going to dinner during the festival, it is still considered by many to be really bad luck if you break a bowl, plate or glass at dinner, so be careful.

got a big night tonight, dinner with more rels including a wine-savvy uncle from Shanghai who is sure to bring something special, so tonight the first of my big guns will come out to play

oh yea, I brought out some 03's last night, given the year of the Ram thing, but that was just me, I am not aware of any protocol re this!!

Thanks Felix, drink well tonight!!!
Enjoy
TA

dinner at my fave here last night, wild boar to die for. Although the food was superb, the wine was even better:

2002 Bonneau du Matray Corton Charlemagne
I haven't had much luck with this producer, often getting premox instead of wine, but this was singing last night. So much energy, with white flowers, lemon and other citrus and a silken texture. Wonderful stuff
Drink: now-2020+ 95pts

1999 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue Bonnes Mares
arrrrrgh!!! 1999, when will you come around???!!!??? The nose revealed little, even when I resorted to decanting (which I hate to do with Burg) but after three hours in the decanter, the pure, primary fruit arrived to show a wine immensely rich, full-bodied and rather monolithic. Really enormous wine, showing amazing potential, but I opened this infant 15 years too early,
Drink: 2030-2060+ 93+++ pts

1990 Domaine Leroy Richebourg
I privilege to taste this wine, actually, there were just the two of us enjoying this whilst the other guys decided to get into a bottle of Moutai, which certainly was a win-win. Still showing dark, cool fruits, this was full-bodied (perhaps surprisingly so for a 25 year old Burg) but retain freshness, balance and extraordinary length. Stunning, but upon return home I checked wine-searcher, and given that is is over $3k a bottle, then so it should be!!!!! Only mid-February, and I have now two wines contesting WOTY.
Drink: over the next decade 99pts

plenty of Tsing Tao, but happily for me it is now two nights I have avoided Baijiu!!!!!!

2002 Giaconda Chardonnay Estate
Rather advanced gold colour, but certainly not past it's prime. A wine full of interest, age has rendered it's texture "creamy" rather than flinty or mineral. Butterscotch, honey rather than citrus flavour, good length. A fine example of one of Australia's best white wines.
Drink: now-2020 93pts

2010 Luca Syrah Laborde double select
A reasonable Argentinian shiraz, certainly far more taut/linear than we are used to. The restraint might be a function of the young age, though, but I doubt this will ever morph into something memorable. Cheap, even for mainland standards.
Drink: now-2018 86pts

2010 Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne Romanee
Light red, almost pink in colour. Super-fine tannins, very bright red fruits, Vosne spice and mineralogy. This is just delicious to drink now, in it's primary state, and it almost seems a pity to cellar it and lose the pretty fruits on offer now. But it will undoubtedly cellar well, and add even further complexity to what is a basic village wine. What a year 2010 is!!!
Drink: now-2025 93pts

Better than mouton 2000!

michaelkwilson wrote:Gentlemen! I would like to thank you for a fun evening with a great time.

Michael, which gentlemen are you thanking?

last night was the birthday of a cousin of my wife. As promised to him several months ago, I cooked a western meal, centered around some really nice Aussie eye filets I sourced from one of the five star hotels here (at about four times the cost in Aus... but well worth it)
hilarious watching my relations trying to use a knife and fork, sweet revenge for those times years ago when I first entered into the world of chopsticks!!!
well, he loved his first western meal, and now wants me to teach him how to cook some dishes to impress his girlfriend hehe

2006 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay (screw cap)
I make no apologies for pronouncing this Australia's premier white wine, and seriously world-class at that. This can hold it's own, very much so, with just about any 1er from Burgundy, and indeed, outshines many a lesser GC. This is Australia's answer to Puligny, whereas Gioconda feels to me very much on the Mersault side of the road. Under screw cap, this simply refuses to age, and still is a very, very pale yellow/white in colour, looking like a 2 year old chardonnay. Is screw cap the botox of white wine?
Stunning nose of white flowers, peach, tropical fruits, this remains restrained and incredibly focussed. Wonderful length, it hides its 14.5% alcohol without a problem, although it needs to be served at a lower temperature than it's French counterparts. Whilst Shiraz remains our flagship grape variety here, I am stunned how quickly the quality of our chardonnay is advancing.
Drink: 2016-2026 95 points

2005 Amon Ra shiraz
To me, almost along the same lines as the 2003 Noon's reserve shiraz drunk a few nights ago, beautiful, full-throttle shiraz style, but absolutely adored by the masses. Why on Earth do they love this wine so much, but display a serious ambivalence to the Noon's?.... note to self: you do not understand the Chinese palate, do not even contemplate opening a wine store here.
Was a superb match to the slab of beef, again Aussie/Barossa shiraz at it's finest. Ready to go, but no hurry.
Drink: now-2020+ 93points

2004 Cos d'Estournel
I grabbed a case of this and the 04 Montrose in 2012 at a close-out e-tailers sale for, incredibly, the then-equivalent of $74 a bottle
Now, for those who keep saying Bordeaux is poor value, that price is not a lot more than what Pennies are asking for the Bin 407. And we are talking about two second growth Bordeaux, perhaps the premier cabernet growing region in the world, and Chateaux that spare no expense in producing the absolute best wine possible. What is 407, maybe Penfolds fourth-tier wine?? Amazing.
2004 is a much better year than anticipated a decade ago, the wines display a purity of fruit, rounded tannins and are just about ready for drinking. YEP, THEY ARE NOT 05, 09 AND 10, but they still are, in a world-wide sense, wonderful wines.
One sniff and this was clearly Bordeaux, and actually, clearly Cos. Great wine, stuffed full of anise, cassis and dark chocolate, the tannins round and inviting. Such a pure wine, such focus!! The Montrose still needs about 4-5 more years, but this little beauty is ready to go
Drink: now-2024 93 points

Seven wrote:Better than mouton 2000!

they haven't done their homework. In Taiwan, it is the year of the goat, but if you are selling in the Mainland, we call it the year of the sheep.

Last night went to a nice private kitchen in Caueseway Bay in HKG. Free BYO. LeSav.com.

I had a snap but deleted it accidently of some very rare "cult" Italians a 1970 & 1974 Giovanni Moresco Barbaresco. Nice but not great and needed more air. The great mystery of decanting nebbiolo!Pop and pour or Audouzing normal but a school of thought emerging that they can take and need a lot more air than assumed when very old.

The Vernay Condrieu is their top tier, Coteau de Vernon, and needs a few years but shows purity and expression amongst good structure in youth. The disaster that is aged white Burgundy has had me discover the wonders of the white wine world. Condrieu has some great wines and the top stuff always less than 100USD.

1996 Cavallotto Barolo Bricco Boschis "Vigna San Giuseppe" was a pop and pour and showed solid fruit in an exceptional structure and balance. Very good and these guys make profound wine in the riserva tier.

The 1970 Rioja Alta was amazing. Wondeful old Rioja, the next discovery in the wine world? So durable and rarely anything short of exceptional wines in time. I put a few dozen 20 year plus Riojas in the cellar each year. 50 year + wines when well stored.

happy new year to you all!!!!!!!!
Jamie, I have a few magnums of the Bricco Boschis 2001 in the Aussie cellar, when should I give one a test drive?


the big guns came out to play tonight, given the NYE status.
will report more tomorrow, but for now:

1955 Chateau Latour
wow, I could hardly contain my excitement when uncle unveiled this for decanting. But, unfortunately, this wine was well past it's prime (despite perfect provenance... it has sat in a cool cellar in Belgium since it's release)
basically, decaying wood, tertiary fruits, wood polish and forest floor greeted us, not corked, but a wine that needed to be consumed at least a decade ago. Still, a treat to try this immortal wine, and at least I get to keep the empty bottle!!!
drink: now, 91 points (the points are for label and age, in reality, maybe 88)

felixp wrote:1986 Chateau Talbot
Always a Parker favourite, this wine just keeps on keeping on. No change since my first taste back in 1999. Just a delight, pure fruited, long and complex, this simply refuses to age. What a superb start to the week.
Drink: now-2500

Loving that 400+ year drinking window


1998 Veuve Cliquot La Grande Dame- Oxidised. NR Can we have crown seals on champagne now

2007 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières- Lemony fruit entwined with popcorn, leading to a creamy textured mid palate ending with some mineral / salinity. Lovely 93pts

2008 Parusso Bussia Barolo- Modern style. Lots of oak. Lots of fine tannin. Lots of ripe fruit. I'd call it a Parker wine. I liked it but perhaps needing more time for that oak to settle 94pts

2003 Domaine Des Martinelles Hermitage- Nice bit of funk, balanced out with medium fruit weight. Drinking well now but suffered following the Barolo 89pts

2004 Chateau Doisy Daene- From 750ml bottle. A little simple at this stage of development, but a great match with a tart dessert 90pts

yep, Aaron, I reckon the way it is ageing it should still be good to go then

2009 Gros Frere and Soeur Richebourg
I last saw this wine a couple of years ago, and the improvement has been stunning. Still almost black, the nose offers up cherries, plum and a touch of mint. Likewise the palate, but despite this being an incredibly rich wine, there is a nervosity about it that keeps it fresh and lively. Firm but ripe back-end tannins suggest it needs at least another five years, ideally 10.
Drink: 2020-2040 96 pts

1991 Faiveley Chambertin Clos de Beze
aaarh!! corked, first of the week. I hope it remains the only casualty.

1991 Penfolds Grange Shiraz
I feel this wine has always lived in the shadow of it's famous elder brother, but it is a glorious wine that might well challenge the 1990 in the years to come. Still a trace of unabsorbed oak, but the masses of fruit still present should see this resolve in the next decade. Unmistakably Penfolds, unmistakably Grange, this is an Aussie classic. Uncle reckons Grange is the easiest of all great wines of the world to identify blind, and I think he makes a good point. Give it another five years.
Drink: 2020-2050 95+ pts.

1991 J L Chave Hermitage
A very elegant French interpretation of the shiraz grape from 1991 (sheep year), which was also unheralded in the Northern Rhone in the shadow if it's elder brother. Very light on it's feet, rounded complex and of good length, I probably should have had a look at this before the Grange, not after. Still, a truly excellent wine, although I did prefer the Grange.
Drink: now-2025+ 94 pts
and finally the 55 Latour described above. A great night, topped off by the traditional horde of dumplings about 2am, washed down yet again by copious amounts of Tsing Tao. Thank God there is only one of these a year!!!!!!

pretty quiet family lunch today, but couldn't help opening one bottle of red to accompany the pork, mind you, there was also a tortoise dish up for grabs, but I managed to avoid it
2009 La Fleur de Bouard
just one of the most incredible bargains of all time, this was even available in Aus for $40 when first released. Unfortunately, Mr Parker found out about this particular beauty about a year ago, gave it 96 pts, and the price in HK doubled over-night
I must have churned thru at least two cases of this over the past three years, but was keen to surprise my expert uncle blind and see what he thought. Well, his blind guess was pretty darn good, 2009 Right Bank... La Fleur Petrus?
hehe, no, when I showed him the bottle and price tag, he was stunned. I noted him on the computer later this afternoon, and i bet he was sourcing from his Bdx contacts.
rich, luscious wine that is an incredible imitator of a top notch pomerol. Wonderful depth and complexity, loaded with anise, milk chocolate and beguiling soft tannin. Just amazing, for the price, a joke.
Drink: now-2025, 96 pts

Sunday night was the close of our family festivities, simply because half the family needed to return to Northern/Middle China to see the other half of their families etc (same problems we have on Xmas day, as you would well know!!!)
Only two of us were drinking the red by now, I brought along to one of Shenzhen's finest restaurants a 2009 Chateau Le Gay and my uncle decided a 2009 Chateau Ausone would be nice for the occasion. I wrote these up on cellar tracker, but suffice to say that it was a unique drinking experience for me.... to actually sit down and savour half a bottle of Ausone was indeed incredible, although ultimately a bit disappointing from the pleasure-seeking aspect. It needs another 30 years, seriously. The Le Gay was absolutely brilliant, and although it will be long forgotten when the Ausone become a Bordeaux legend, it was just sheer pleasure to drink last night. Holy Moly, 2009 and 2010 Bordeaux are just the two most superb back-to-back vintages from anywhere/anytime, beating 89 and 90 Bordeaux hands down. Whilst 2005 Bordeaux is a extraordinary vintage, and flavour of the month at the moment being 10 years on, in 5-6 years the critics will be running out of superlatives for these two years.
A great way to end a great week, thank God I have 12 months to recover.