I Smell, I Drink, I Spit, I Blog

Here are a a few notes on what I had drunk recently and in the past. A wide variety of wines covering a few regions as it is my belief (like GV of WLTV) that we should expand our palate and not get stuck having aussie shirazs or french burgs or even Lafites (which I unfortunately have never tasted) everyday.

Tasted at Booze 6'O clock club

N.V. Taittinger Champagne Brut Réserve
WADA rated 81pts
Yeasty nose. Citrus and baked bread too. Fast moving medium-sized beads.

N.V. Henriot Champagne Brut Souverain
WADA rated 82+pts
Oyster shells with lemon pith. Gently flowing tiny beads of bubbles. More refined with greater depth of flavours.

N.V. Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut
WADA rated 74pts
Closed on the nose. Simple sun dried lemon citrus.

2002 L'Aventure Optimus, Paso Robles, California
WADA rated 89 to 93pts
Opaque dark red. Brambly crayola nose typical of California terroir. Floral smells mostly of violets. Also smoky , some grape-steminess , some sweet vanilla oak …altogether extremely layered. Palate showed glycerin-laced prunes with hints of graphite. Some alcohol heat showing but still restrained …just on the cliff..not over…and finishing with chalky tannins. However, after decanting , it gradually revealed a different set of aromas of burnt rubber tyres and smoked duck. An extremely focused nose. Amazing strength on the palate with tobacco notes making its appearance. It also gradually gained a vegetal aspect with Chinese tree bark herb nearing the end. I enjoyed the journey. Started out a little rough but when we got past the bumpy roads, we saw the beautiful green meadowed mountains and flower-covered fields that finally leads to a coniferous forest. This needs time to impress and I think a few years of cellaring will bring out its best.

Tasted at Friends @ Gardens with DBF quite some time back but has become a reference point for me in terms of milk chocolaty-ness.

2003 Virginie de Valandraud, St Emilion Grand Cru
WADA rated 80+pts
Dark purple black. Inkish with glycerin and a heavy dose of violets. Milk chocolate and dark plums dominate with thick chewy tannins. Finishes with a herb/roots bitterness. Slightly too cloyingly rich for my taste.

Tasted at Vivo with Ming, Teck, Lyd and DBF

2001 Chateau Malleprat, Pessac Leognan
WADA rated 74+pts
This is damn thick and dark stuff. The cork was coated with black sediment that looked like what you get on old soy sauce bottles. Very inkish and dense on the nose…almost bordering on black soy sauce smells. Fruits are thick and very bashful but not bright. The thickness of fruits and whiffs milk chocolate reminds me of the virgin de valandraud that I had. This has weighty and teeth-sticking tannins. Some problems with alcohol heat that is making me get a headache. However, retasted this after 6 hours of bottle decanting and most of the alcohol had dissipated. The dense fruits had all but gone into a whimper of light cherryish fruits…very linear and not as impressionable when first tasted.

2006 Two Hands Angel’s Share, Mclarenvale
WADA rated 81+pts
Deep brooding dark purplish black. Dark raspberry and blackberries tart. Mini fruit bomb but after decanting revealed at least some balance. Hints of violets and lavender. Some coffee oak and a sprinkle of black pepper on the finish.

Tasted at Liang Kee with Godma and family.

2007 Kaesler Old Vine Semilon, Barossa
WADA rated 78pts
Tight on the nose but could get some white stone fruits and wet stones. Minerally lemon and green apples.

Home tastings!

2005 Yering Station Shiraz Viognier, Yarra Valley
WADA rated 80 to 84pts
Lifted focused nose of glycerin-powered brambles and perfumed lilacs, blueberries and some crayola action too. Light lively blackberries and raspberries with some mineral and spice notes. Just some alcohol heat at the finish but not burning . Leaves a bitter residue in the throat at the finish. Tasted this a day later and it is much rounder with more pronounced bitter spipice and licourice notes. However, on the second day when I tasted this, it amazingly still holds its fruits very well. In fact, this is so much more balanced with bright blueberries, losing much of its bitterness. I suspect this might prove a beauty after 10 years of aging.
Had this with a home cooked meal of butter-tossed couscous with sauteed garlicky prawns served with a side of japanese curry vegetables. It actually did go quite well! The wine was sweet enough to complement the curry but was a lil too ritzy for the couscous.

2007 Paolo Saracco Moscato d’Asti, Piedmont
WADA rated 91pts
Lifted aromas of sweet flowers, ripe lychees, pineapples, peaches and apricots. A white fruit bomb on the nose with a faint touch of petroleum, absolutely expressive. On the palate, it is sweet syrup-soaked canned fruit cocktail with all the fruits that show on the nose. In fact, it is also bubble-gummy sweet. Not only fun to drink, it is also serious in its own right like the Joker (in Batman). It seems sweet but not authentic and is just a sliver away from being cloying. It’s like in titration when we are that one-drop away from turning the blue solution pink. Absolutely the best moscato I have ever had.
This goes quite nicely with a slightly spicy malay food. But the sayur lodeh was a tad bit too much coconut for the moscato. This might be better with char kway teow or some chilli crab.

The Lost World - Can't remember when I drank these

2003 W. Gisselbrcht Riesling, Alsace
WADA rated 84pts
Chrysanthemum yellow. Fresh grapefruit with bitter sweet lemons and some aeroplane fuel. Good acid and balance with typical Alsatian characteristics. Good effort.

2005 Weingnut Johannishof Leser Johanisberg Kabinett Riesling, Rheinsal (WS 92)
WADA rated 85pts
Hints of flowers, pineapples and tropical fruits. Honey pineapples, a little apple and lychee and hints of lemon peel. Feels sweeter than a kabinett. A crowd pleaser with aging potential for 5-7 more years at least.

Tasted at Paul's place

2005 O&R Olivier Savigny Les Beaune, Les Peuillets 1er Cru, Burgundy

WADA rated 84+pts
Deep red. Infused with mushroom and soil on the nose. Thick vapourish nose that is on the move and radiant …very unlike a Savigny but this shows the strength of the vintage. This looks and smells like a nuits. Smell of small blue flowers too. Ripe blue fruits with slight bitter tannins. After a day of bottle decanting, the mushroomy soil has all but dwindled to a whimper. Still thick on the palate but with lighter sweet cherries / red berries.

2002 Sylvie Esmonin Bourgogne
WADA rated 82pts
Medium red. Semi-soil with some ass. Light sour cherries with mandarin oranges on the finish. Quite straightforward at the start but the second round of tasting showed a much rounder wine without the sharp edges. In fact the nose had sort of soupy characteristics with rounder haw berries with a “kum kum” preserved orange peel finish. Not a thinker wine but given the second chance, can prove rewarding.

2005 J. Cacheux Echezeaux Grand Cru, Burgundy
WADA rated 91-94pts
Dark opaque purplish red. The nose is just amazingly layered and complex with rubber tyres, crayola, brambles, some flowers and cherry drops. Dark plums and black cherries dominate. Given the firm structure and almost hot spice-like flavours, this could pass as a cabernet shiraz except for some tell tale bitter roots earth characteristics at the end. Thick and luscious velvety tannins. After an hour or so of decanting, the intense aromas of a forest floor strewn with wild mushrooms show with slight smells of glycerin but no alcohol heat on the palate. More dark chocolates too. This is definitely a cellar wine.

Taste of Burg 04 @ Caveau

My first time tasting in a climate-controlled tasting cellar. Was advised to wear warm clothing as the temperature would be as low as 15 degrees celcius - the ideal conditions in which to have a glass of wine.

The Finest Burgundy Domains: The Classical 2004 @ Caveau (Vinum)

The Whites

Anne Gros Bourgogne Blanc
WADA rated 81pts
Light gold. Very lemon drops with mineral and butter characteristics. Some almonds. Short and linear but pleasant. Modern-styled.

Anne Gros Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits blanc
WADA rated 84pts
Deeper yellow gold. Focused lemons with good creamy rather than buttery mouthfeel. Amore gentle approach. Still short with white nuts on the finish. Also modern in style.

Dujac Morey St Denis Blanc
WADA rated 81pts
Pale gold. Focused lemon with oak nuances. Pretty closed up though. Palate explodes with lemon starbust candy. Good structure. Classic. Could rate much higher if not for the aromatics.

Dujac Mersault
WADA rated 80pts
Gld. Wet wood and wet stones. Sun-dried lemon concentrate with oak showing. Somple and no fuss with some almonds on the back palate. Another modern styled effort.

Leflaive Macon Verze
WADA rated 84pts
Gold. Funky nose of cat's pee, stinky sewage water and overnight cut apples. Good structure and balance with citrus fruits dominating. Finishes with hazelnut mixed with almond skins.

Leflaive Puligny Montrachet Les Folatieres 1er Cru
WADA rated 86pts
Gold. Very typical baygon, almonds, cashew nose. Also reminds me of Indian shop scents...not sure why....maybe indian flowers? Nuts galore with fresh acidity. Excellent mouthfeel that is juicy, rich, opulent and buttery. Medium to long finish.

The Reds

Foilin Arbelet Aloxe Corton Clos du Chapitre 1er Cru
WADA rated 80pts
Brownish hue. Chinese herbs dominate the nose. Old herby cherries. Pretty focused in approach. A walk in the woods.

Follin Arbelet Pernand Vergelesses en Caradeux
WADA rated 79pts
Brownish hue. Brutish oak reminiscent of a wooden baseball bat. Pleasant cherries to plum flavours. Quite dry and with chalky tannins.

Follin Arbelet Corton Grand Cru
WADA rated 81pts
Light red with brown hue. Sawdust in a workshop. Big round cherries tending to plums. Spicy finish.

Sylvie Esmonin Bourgogne
WADA rated 80+pts
Medium red. A walk in the forest strewn with mushrooms. Some leather. Simple sweetish cherries. Very NZ styled.

Sylvie Esmonin Gevry Chambertin
WADA rated 82pts
Medium reddish. Dark meaty aromas with more animalistic characteristics. Stinky ass with mixed ripe cherries, plums and a drop of sweetish strawberries. Also shows leathery notes and finishes with bitter herb.

Sylvie Esmonin Gevry Chambertin Clos St Jacques 1er Cru
WADA rated 87+pts
Dark red bordering purple. Mushroomy truffly ashy earthiness with a mix of chinese and indian herbs. Also has some smelly ass on the aromatics. Lifted dark ripe but not overextracted cherries. Animal notes with wonderful velvety tannins and a ginger root-like finish.

Thibault Liger Belair Hautes Cotes Nuits Clos de Prieure
WADA rated 79+pts
Medium red with some brownish tinge. Soil annd mushrooms. Pretty ripe cherries with bitterness at the finish.

Thibault Liger Belair Nuits St Georges Les St Georges Les St Georges 1er Cru
WADA rated 80pts
Medium red with some brownish tinge. Smelly ass , durians! and chinese herbs. Ripe cherry plums with mushrooms and twigs. Powdery tannins with some alcohol heat. Sharp drop in finish.

Thibault Liger Belair Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru
WADA rated 80pts
Medium dark red. Again some ass and dried herbs. Beautiful fruit balance but showing signs of wateriness. Did had some good weight on the fore but fades too quickly. Disappointed on the finish.

Jean Jacques Confuron Chambolle Musigny
WADA rated 85+pts
Light brownish. This has light brightish small cherries and haw flakes on the nose. Dried preserved plums dominates with a seamless transition from the fore to finish. Very elegant with a leathery mushroomy kick. Yum.

Jean Jacques Confuron Nuits St Georges Les Fleurieres WADA rated 81+pts Light red. Restrained smelliness with floral aspects. Diluted mild cherries. Quite dry with some dried mushrooms and herbs on the finish.

Jean Jacques Confuron Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru
WADA rated 82+ pts
Light red. Dash of "crayola" brambly action. Good plums with nice curvy body. Some spice heat at the finish.

Anne Gros Bourgogne
WADA rated 78pts Lightish red. Candy and flowers. Very pretty like a little girl. Slight sweetness of semi ripe cherries with dried herbs at the finish. But short though.

Anne Gros Chambolle Musigny La Combe D'Orveau 1er Cru WADA rated 79pts Light red. A hilly journey of chinese herbs alternating with mushrooms. Quite unsettled. Another very NZ like on the approach with sweetish straightforward cherries.

Dujac Gevry Chambertin aux Combottes 1er Cru WADA rated 80pts Garnet with brownish hue. Mostly dried herbs with whiffs of hidden red fruits lurking beneath. Rounded fruits composing of strawberrish cherries. Quite modern in style.

Dujac Clos St Denis Grand Cru WADA rated 88+pts Light with brownish hue. Bitter herbs on the top tier with mushroomy oak underlying. Good red fruits that is classily presented. Good acidity balanced by unpretentious all-natural sweetness. Elegance with power befitting the descriptive - "iron fist in a velvet glove". Satisfying lenght with spice on the finish.

Leroy Bourgogne WADA rated 90+pts Very light red with brown tinge. Oh my goodness!!! This is the absolutely first time I am smelling black chicken soup in a wine! (both me and Paul agree) Seriously...I can smell the wolfberries , double-boiled with a minature black chicken with some "yuk zuk" (some flat chinese root herb). I love it already. Light bright cherries and strawberries ...which has the lightness and brightness and sweetishness of NZ pinot...but more...it has something special going on. Very pure, layered, savory...ends with truffly notes....it carries you gently from start to finish ...into the church...down the runway...into the dinner hall...then across the threshold of your new marital home...and gently lays you on the bed...Magic! Simple yet not.

Leroy Nuit St Georges WADA rated 85+pts Same color tone as the Bourgogne. But this is double-boiled winter melon pork rib soup!! (Again both Paul and I concur) In addition, throw in a whiff of red dates and plums. A myriad of flavours whirling in the mouth...cherries and plums...very layered once again. But unfortunately. this time the finish is short. If not for the finish, this wine renders a 90pter!

Encore Tasting - some of us bought a few more bottles for an encore.

2003 Brogan Cellars Pinot Noir, Russian River Vally, California WADA rated 84pts Pleasant dark cherry fruits with smoky and savory undertones. On the sweetish spectrum but not overly. You still can tell it's a new world but there are quite strong appearances of dry earth and dusty mushrooms. Quite long on the finish. It grows on you the more you drink.

2004 Meerlust Rubicon Bordeaux Blend, Stellenbosch WADA rated 86+pts Dark intense blackberries lined by smoky tobacco evolving into a cigar box. Highly infused with great structure and intensity without losing balance. Stunning wine from South Africa. Will like to see this in another 5-8 years.

1999 Château Montus Cuvée Prestige, Madriran WADA rated 86pts A black wine made from Tannat- a varietal that I have never heard before. This is lightly perfumed with some dark blue flowers dominated by leathery notes. You can almost smell a bull in it. Good structure and mouthfeel. Medium length. I will definitely be looking for more Tannats to drink from now on..if i can even find any at all.

Picotin (73+p)

100 Turf Club Road
Tel: +65 6877 1191

Brought my dad here for Father's Day luncheon.

WADA rating: 47 +26.5= 73+ pts
QPI: 7 ($35 per pax for lunch)
WFI: B- (I think its $20 corkage but their list has a few reasonably priced wines, staff is wine-adept)

Converted from the disused horse stables of the now defunct bukit timah turf club, the place is thronged by ang-moh expats and the like. A pretty new establishment, there has been quite a buzz about this place recently and so WADA decided to take a sneak peek. So far we haven't done a full blown dinner but will be planning for one soon.
The cuisine is supposed to be country french but I see pasta and pizza being featured quite prominently ....hmmm... now i am confused.

What's Good

Carbonara Pasta

The thick, creamy and buttery sauce is simply heavenly and comforting. The added touch of pieces of salted cheese tossed in makes it an even more wonderful experience. Little bits of ham hiding within the white jungle of pasta makes this such an interesting culinary treasure hunt on the palate. ..Take a smooth sailing glide along the silk road of creaminess and discover these salty bits along the way. The sauce is not at all cloying like most cream pastas and it is just so so comforting. Yum! This worked suprisingly well with the pinot noir.

Wood-fired Pizza

We had the pepperoni pizza and the slightly-charred crust was deliciously thin except maybe a lil soggy nearer to the center. The sausage slices were ust too salty and packed quite a sodium punch. Maybe we should have taken another topping. It does balance off very nicely with the pinot noir though. This would still be the third best pizza after stiff chilli and buono.

Stable of Desserts - Carrot Cake, Profiteroles and Molten Chocolate Cake

Oooh man..definitely keep your stomach for desserts because everything is delicious. The molten choc cake is bitter sweet and oozes out of the warm choc cake so seductively that I can't imagine anyone not liking this. The profiteroles with ice-cream is just amazing as well. The carrot cake is decent and most probably the healthiest in calorie count among the three.

What's Not

Duck Confit

Delicious herb-infused duck smeared in a sweet savory sauce. Simple and good but not great. The sauce is a little too sweetish. However, the potatoes accompanying the dish was great with the right doneness and saltiness...has some herbs in it too. The duck suprisingly didn't work well at all with the pinot noir.

Other Dishes Tasted

Escargots - Fresh but quite oily. Nothing mind blowing.

Comments

The place is just awesome and exciting. Service is attentive. Food is so far pleasing and comforting. I am looking forward to visiting this place more often.

Wine Pairing Done

2005 David Duband Haut Cote de Nuit

WADA rated78pts

Simple but bright strawberry / raspberry fruits with some earth. Chinese medicine bitter finish. This is very quaffable stuff and a testament to the wonderful 2005 vintage as even a lesser region such as this is punching above its weightclass. Good.

Sideways: Melaka

After the constant reminding from Paul, I am finally writing up about the rest of the melaka roadtrip we did a few weeks back. The first and most memorable part of the trip had already been featured in the Teo Soon Long Chan review done in June. There are definitely more gems in Melaka with regards to good food.

The very first place where we had lunch was at Bibik Neo - a peranakan restaurant.

Bibik Neo
4 & 6 Jalan Merdeka
Taman Melaka Raya
Tel: 06 281 7054

WADA rating: 43.5 +23.5= 67 pts
QPI: 7+ (can't remember how much but its cheap for lots of fresh seafood)
WFI: B (Free corkage!! but BYOG and BYOB)

What's Good
Ponteh Ayam
Lovely chicken bits tossed in a appetizing sourish sauce. An appetite-whetting experience.

Assam Squid
Once again a very appetizing dish that is very over-the-top on the sour factor. Not the most modest of dishes but it works wonders for the appetite. Kudos on the fresh factor too.

Squid with Petai in Sambal Sauce
Hot ! Hot! Hot! After that sourish appetizing dishes, this dish turns up the heat with its exciting array of spiciness that is well balanced off with some lime acidity freshness. The pungent petai adds another extra weight to the mist of aromas. Try this!


What's Not

Ladyfingers in Sambal
Too simple and the dish is not integrated. Its basically just steamed ladyfingers and a plump of sambal chilli.

Other Dishes Tasted

Nanas Prawns - Okay but not impressive. Mild flavours for such a semi- curry like dish.
Duck with Salted Vegetable Soup - Good sourness and mild meaty flavours.

Comments

Nice rustic ambience and authentic furnishings. Doesn't feel like a tourish trap at all. Good value for money and one thing they can do well is bring out the sourishness and spiciness expected of peranakan food. Delightful to visit but didn't blow me away.

Wine Pairing Done

NV Heidsieck & Co. Bluetop Monopole
WADA rated 83+pts
Fresh citrus flavours with green apples. Good length with a gentle grip on the palate that slides away nicely. Off-dry with some sweet apple notes. This is absolutely fabulous with the spicy peranakan food. This champagne not only provides lot of drinking fun but also has a magical cleansing effect that neutralises the heat.

Pairing Suggestions

At first, I thought that a sweet white or rose would pair the best with perankan food but after having champagne with it, I think it is a perfect match. Absolutely lovely and fun.

To Satay or Not to Satay?

In between the Bibik Neo lunch and Teo Soon Long Chan dinner, we managed to squeeze in another stop at an amazing out-of-this-world satay shop. There will be no ratings as this is a very unqiue one of a kind satay. They used to be situated at Jonker st (Chinatown) but have since moved to this obscure coffeeshop in the midst of a residential district. V difficult to find. I can't even remember how to get there.

Made in the traditional hainanese way with pineapple stirred into the sauce, this shouts Yummy yum! Succulent with tumeric dominating. Extremely fragrant with slight sweetness in the meat. Its perfectly marinated to perfection. Whether it be the chicken , pork, chicken heart, pork stomach or whatever intenstines that can be skewered on a stick, they prepare it fresh and all taste superb. The satay sauce is just amazingly quaffable with light savory sweetness from the pineapples and some other fruits and vegetables thrown in. There's a twang to the sauce that goes so mwell with the satay.

Pontini (71p)

WADA rating: 46.5 +25= 71+ pts

QPI: 6 ($100 for the 5 course dinner with wine pairings but heard that the wines were complimentary so I suspect the food alone should cost roughly around $80 thereabout)

WFI: C- ($50 corkage and okay wine list, good stemware, staff know their stuff)

iL Molino di Grace Wine Dinner organised by Top Wines

What's Good

Slow cooked duck magrait with tobacco and vanilla reduction

The duck was the best dish for the night. Lots of interesting aromas on the nose with smokiness and clean banyard. Meat is very well cooked with the right amount of doneness and retaining much of its juiciness. Smoked tea leaves and slight bitterness nuances dominates over a myriad of many interesting flavours going on in the tender duck meat slices.

Slow braised korobuta pork cheek scented with sage and fennel seeds served with melon and pink peppercorn Carnaroli risotto

The risotto is definitely more exciting than the Pork. The melon fruit flavours are subtle but more pronounced once you bite on one of the peppercorns . A very interesting combination of spicy and sweet flavours. Not totally integrated but I thought that the undulating waves of the nose-tickling heat and the mild sweetness brings about more excitement to the dish. I suppose the best pairing would be the IGT, which tasted very much like a good shiraz with ripe sweetness and just a dash of pepper heat.

Abinao bitter chocolate and ricotta cheese tart served with almond espuma

I find this such a lovely delicate dessert that proves contrary to popular belief that a good dessert is one that is snobbishly rich. It is light with a very fresh, slightly buttery biscuity crust holding the semi-sweet, semi bitter chocolate fillings. I especially enjoy the almond espuma foam that comes on the side. Its like almond paste soup emulsified. Yum.

What's Not

Pan roasted foie gras served with Chianti poached pear and licorice jus

Too thick and not seared long enought to give it a crispier texture. Could use some sea salt. Very french and not at all italian. Not half as bad if french cuisine but not half as good if italian.

Other Dishes Tasted

Venison tortelli with morel mushroom sauce and summer truffle

Flavourful meat fillings but a tad bit dry inside and needed some cheese to give it more twang.

Comments

Service is good, staff are friendly in spite of the full house and the dining hall has good vibes going on that enhances the dining experience. Food is supposed to be italian but the approach seemed very french to me with only the tortellini being the most authentic. Maybe it is fusion french-italian. All said, it's not bad at all and just lacks a dash of salt to taste.

Wine Pairing Done

Corte Viola Dedicato Private Label Prosecco NV

WADA rated 74pts

Fresh stonefruits and some pears and white pomelo. Also has something smelly going on ...reminds me of dried sweat in a taxi. Off-sweet.

iL Molino di Grace Wine Pairing

In general, the vibe I get is traditaional wines that are trying to be modern in style …. it's like china trying to embrace capitalism. Wines were wearing varying degreees of makeup.

The chianti classico 04 was done in light makeup with some blush and lipstick like going out for a casual luncheon.

The Ii Margone 03 has slightly heavier makeup with additional eyeliner and some foundation. However, still looking very pretty.

The chianti classico reserva 04 is too heavily done with too much foundation to the extent that it is suffocating the skin beneath. It's like a fat Italian lady wanting to be Marilyn Monroe. So she slaps on a lot of makeup with too much of powder and lipstick.
The IGT is like an opera singer with really thick makeup but at least done with artistic taste. But u know its all a farce and she is putting on a show.

The Margone appeals the most to me and I suspect also for a larger crowd of wine drinkers.

Chianti Classico DOCG 2004 (5 Stars by Decanter)
WADA rated 83+pts
Medium purple. Thick nose of woodshed exuding aura of semi-sweet dark fruits and brambles. Detected hints of coconout shavings and coffee oak at the end of the aroma tunnel. At first the palate tends more to the darker fruits but not long after it evolves with more cherries and plums. Hints of minerality peers out from the thick fruity makeup as the wine sits longer in the glass. Very well-balanced . Good effort although doesn’t last as long in the glass as the latter wines. In fact, tasted at intervals of the 2 hour long dinner and flavour profile didn't evolve much and was very much just tart cherry fruits at the end. Good for drinking now. Finish is short to almost medium.

Chianti Classico Riserva II Margone DOCG 2003 (5 Stars by Decanter)

WADA rated 85pts
Nice opaque purple. Pine wood and very stemy grapey fruit nose. Sweet plummish fruits come to the fore. Nose is focused to the point of being sharp and a tad bit hedonistic. Very full on the palate with darker cherries and berries carrying through. Evolves with more complex dark blueish flowers …some might even say sweet Indian flowers. Dry gripping tannins that is not fine but neither is it overdone. Some menthol (or could be just the alcohol) surfaces after a while. Really love thenose on this as it evolves and alternated quite a bit with some herbs showing through. Underlying chianti minerality veiled by the fruitish layer of makeup. The wine is made just on the verge of crossing the new world barrier for the most part except the finish. It feels balanced on the cliff of parkerisation. Still think many WADEs would like this.

Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2004 (WS85)

WADA rated 79+ to 84pts
Fresh refreshing currants on the onset with blueberries dominating the palate. Some underlying mineral tones. Lifted and focused but a much rounder nose than the second. I thought it to be slightly closed though even though it had been double decanted. It is comfortable and non-intrusive and not over alcoholic or over-oaked. Taste much like a semi edged new world with sweet nose, quite sweet palate but off-dry finish. Maybe a little too much “makeup” is causing it to lose its soul and identity. Tasted this wine over an hour and it seemed closed....maybe this wine really needs a lot more time to develop to its full potential...I don't know...not too much I get out from it right now.

IGT Gratius 2003 (WS90)

WADA rated 81 to 85pts
Thick blueberry nose with almost dark forest fruits. Very thick and blackberryish like a good mclarenvale shiraz. The palate is hedonistic and opulent if not but a little too brutish.Dark choc on the finish. This packs a glycerin-laced V8 punch with the alcohol and style of approach, even though it had been decanted for more than 5 hours. Another almost over the top wine that could be losing itself soon. Reminds me of the 2004 Kaesler Old Bastard I had that was decanted for a whole day…but a more diluted version. All said, this could age really well.

Pairing Suggestions

I actually thought the pairings done were awkward except for maybe the kurobuto pork and the IGT which share similar hot and sweet characteristics. The foie gras and chianti classico 04 didn't quite match up while the margone overpowered the tortellini. The margone seemed better suited for the duck. In all, this set of pairing is a really odd couple - a franco-italiano guy wanting to settle down with an italian gal that prefers to marry an australian.

1st AWFS Wine Dinner @ Buono

1st Inaugural Asia Wine & Food Society Wine Dinner

Hi WADEs,

it has been a dream of ours to have a regular gathering of frens and fellow enthusiasts to come together for a great meal and exquisite wines without burning too big a hole in our pockets.

Over the year, I have had the fortune to be invited to many wine lunches / dinners organised by both fellow WADEs (Not-For-Profit) and professionals (restaurant establishments and companies in the wine trade). I dare say that almost all of those organised by the former easily battered those organised by the latter in terms of both quality & range of wine & food as well as QPI (quality price index).....except for the Burgundy dinner @ Universal Duxton Hill which was exceptional in all sense of the word.

At the same time, there are supposedly NFP wine & dine societies (no names mentioned here) that organise good value dinners too ...that is if you even get invited to them and if you do...whether you can get past the one time pain of paying a hefty $$$$ entrance fee (not to mention the yearly subscription). Of course, once you have been scrutinised by the elders of the Order and allowed entry then you are told that you are now a proud part-owner of the $$$$$$ worth of wines in the Order's cellar....which leads one to wonder if you would even live long enough to taste any of the 61 Latour, 82 Lafite or 2002 DRC, which I guess has to be cellared long enough till the wines hit its maturity or similarly when enough members also hit "maturity" ....such that there are just "enough" people to have a reasonable sip of the precious bottle. To ensure that these precious vintages are not squandered away, it's the cellarmasters' duty to ration out and budget them so that future generations of members can enjoy. ...and i so envy that generation.

Divine intervention made it such that our paths crossed with that of Paul, who shares a similar passion of having good food, excellent wines and great company. The next thing we knew we had fortuitously procured an excellent half-case of vintage piedmont wines from a private collector at an extremely reasonable price. Paul threw in another 3 bots of piedmont whites and I dug out 3 bots of french dessert wines from my cellar and walaah! ...the 1st unofficial inaugural AWFS wine dinner @ Buono restaurant.

Paul and I pre-tasting before the dinner

1st Flight (Piedmont Whites)

Cor de Chasse Gavi 2006 (Cortese)

WADA rated 74pts

Not big on the aromatics dept. Simple uplifted notes of citrus (leaning towards lemon). Pleasant acidity. Not much after though. A no fuss wine.

Mauro Sebaste Roero 2004 (Arneis)

WADA rated 78pts

Definitely past its prime and showing "sng"-ness(vinegarish) on the nose as well as on the deep yellowish gold colour. However, the palate was still suprisingly fresh and very complex. After leaving it in the glass for a good 5-10mins with swirling, the honey-ness surfaced. It tasted like a burg!!! with a play of creamy nutty oak as well as concentrated but balanced lemony acidity. Would really loved to taste this at its best. If not for the oxidation, this would definitely score in the 80s.

Michele Chiarlo Nivole 2006 (Moscato D'asti)

WADA rated 83pts

Apricots and cotton candy on the nose. Palate is structured with varying degress of sweetness of flower nectar , sweetened melons. Has an x-factor that makes you wonder and want more of this very quaffable moscato.

Paired with:

Frittura (Fried Squid)

Excellent soft-crunchy batter that is slightly seasoned with salt and pepper. Very nice with the v freshtomato puree that is spiced up with some chili olive oil. I find this going best with the Moscato to balance off the heat from the tomato dip. But if had without the dip, this goes well with the Gavi that provides the fresh acid balance to the fried squid.

Portobello Mushrooms with Cheese

Although grilled, the portobello retains its earthy juices that coagulate well with the cheese fillings. Yummy and even more so when paired with the Arneis, which was rich enough to handle the earthiness annd cheesy flavours.

2nd Flight (Light Piedmont Reds)

Dezzani Dolcetto D'Alba 2002 (Dolcetto)

WADA rated 83+pts

Boiled sweet winter melon boiled with red dates and slightly sweet cherries on the nose. Light and bright cherry flavours with some licourice bitterness but surprisingly fresh and not as bitter as one would expect an aged dolcetto to be.

Dezzani Monferrato La Guardia 1996 (Barbera blend)

WADA rated 85pts
Cherryish to plummish spectrum of flavours. Still fresh with good acidity that is pleasant. Notes of smoky tar and meatiness shows through. A small calf in the spectrum of animalistic notes.

Dezzani Barbera d'Asti Il Dragone 1990 (Barbera)
WADA rated 90pts
Almost completely secondary notes on the nose of manure! and barnyard horse. It’s just amazingly fresh given its 18 years of age. Complex with wild notes and aged fruits, in particular old plums. This might not be in its prime but it definitely is aging gracefully and still showing signs of being able to give a hard kick to your sense if it has to…like a Sean Connery.

Paired with:

Buono Pizza

Uniquely different with a light cream base, the sausages are juicy and pack a flavour punch gloved by the mild creaminess of the base sauce. Yum. Was very worried it wouldn't go with the reds but fears were unfounded as the cherryish and animalistic notes from the reds gave another dimension to the pizza...like another topping.

3rd Flight (Big Piedmont Reds)

Dezzani Barolo 1999 (Nebbiolo)

WADA rated 88+pts

Absolutely stunning with freshness and integrated roasted mocha beans. Darker cherry fruits lined by skins of leather. Definitely has more structure and *oomph* than the Babaresco but not in a brutish kind of way… more like a noble prince. The finish is beautiful and graceful lasting close to a minute. We decanted for about an hour but yet this wine still shows so much length and strength that I think can go on for another 5years. Blown away? No. Impressed? Definitely yes!

Dezzani Barbaresco Il Barbaresco 1999 (Nebbiolo)
WADA rated 84pts

Perfumed nose of light red flowers, cherries and gunsmoke from an oldskool M-16. Palate is surprisingly lighter and more elegant with cherries and sour plum powder...maybe a touch of meaty notes. Finishes on a rounded sour edge. Elegant soft tannins and I would personify its approach as a minor princess or maybe a lady of noble descent that seldom stays in the sun, therefore has unblemished and fair skin tones.

Moletto Raboso Piave 1998 (Raboso)
WADA rated 87+pts

Amazing density and once again the freshness of the cherryish acidity astounds me. This , in contrast to the Barolo and Babaresco, has slightly denser and darker cherryish – plummish fruit flavours. I thought I smelt a water buffalo in there too. Definitely giving more *oomph* but in a brutish sort of way. Yet, some might enjoy it.

Virgin Hills Shiraz - Cabernet Blend 1994 (Australia Victoria)

WADA rated 80pts

A suprise wine throw in for fun. Another surprisingly fresh though aged wine and AUSSIE!! of all things.Wow! At least , it shows that aussie wines can be cellared. This has simple delicate sweet strawberry nose with a pure beam of ribena blackcurrants on the palate. Not a Wow-ser but just so suprising that its aussie and 14 years old! Good effort!

Wine Spots Cabernet 2003 (Napa)
WADA rated 83pts

Another suprise wine thrown in by Paul (from Thailand). Dark infused dark berries with crayola that I identify with Napa Cabs. Dense blackberry fruits with good grip on the body and just enough amount of coffee oak on the finish.

Paired with:

Mixed Skewer

Just managed to nibble a bit off DBF's plate. Quite salty smoky meats that tasted much better with some raboso to bring together the flavours.

Tornedos of Beef Fillet (Red Wine Jus)

Except for the problems with mixing up our orders for varying doneness of the beef fillet, this is pretty good hearty beef that is not overdone with an overpowering sauce. Natural flavours are accentuated by the wild animalistic notes of the Barolo and the Raboso. Also good with the napa cab, I thought it was too much for the Barbaresco though.

4th Flight (Dessert Wines)

Carmes de Rieussec 2002 (Sauternes)

WADA rated 83+pts

Caramel nose that is slightly burnt. Dried fruits and burnt honey that is carried by some citrus lemon acidity. Pleasant drinking at this stage.

Château Solon 1999 (Sauternes)
WADA rated 82pts
Deep beautiful gold colour. Caramelised apricots and a myriad of other dried sweet fruits that you find during Chinese new year in those octagonal boxes. Has old person zingyness to it.

Cru Champon 2005 (Loupiac)

WADA rated 80pts
Very fresh with morning dew fresh floral notes. Reminds me of a greek sweet wine we had that is all about the white flowers and dandiness. Not big on character but ready to drink now and a no fuss dessert wine.

Paired with:

Molten Lava Cake

Yummy...it's not the best we have had but would rank among the top and as someone put it " you can't go wrong with Lava cake" which I agree too. However, would prefer my lava cake unerupted when served. Too chocolatey and sweet for the wines.

Profiterole

Preferred this over the lava cake as it has fresh cream stuck between the profiteroles that make it more fluffy and more pairable with the wines.

Huat Kee (Teochew) Restaurant (70p)

74 Amoy Street Tel: 6423 4747

WADA rating: 45 +25= 70 pts
QPI: 7 ($40-$50 per pax for a Chinese Banquet style meal with Shark’s Fins and Roasted Suckling Pig)
WFI: B+ (Free corkage, more than adequate stemware, DIY service )
Tasted a few times, most recently being a lavish 60th bdae dinner for my aunt last week.

This must be my eldest uncle’s favourite restaurant because everytime there is a celebratory occasion there’s only one place he suggests…much to the dismay of my cousins. Although…this place really does serve excellent Teochew food. I understand this is also a Lao Zhi Hao (old brand name) restaurant with long history and tradition with a refurbished look under the next generation of management. Excellent business luncheon / dinner place as well as being somewhere that you might want to bring grand-dad or granny to.

What's Hot?

Roasted Suckling Pig
One of the better suckling pigs that I have tried. This is textbook suckling pig done to a perfect crisp with enough gloss and juiciness still evident in the skin. What makes this special is the distinct “nan ru” (fermented beancurd sauce) that covers the under belly, adding a whole new dimension of aromas and salivalating flavours.


Braised Superior Shark’s Fin Soup
I am actually a half-activist for Sharks. I disagree to having it at my wedding but will eat if being served at someone else’s banquet….why let the shark die in vain. Anyway, this shark’s fin soup presents a strong argument for keeping Shark’s Fin on the culinary menu. Perfect consistency. The superior stock is just nice, doesn’t overwhelm and brings out the quality of the fins. Savory with hints of sweetness…most probably due to chicken in the stock. Sinfully, I have to admit I love it.

Braised Goose Web
Silky and soy saucy dark brown sauce perfectly balances against the sinewy goose web and brings the dish together. The sauce really makes the difference here. This is the epitome of teochew braising sauce. Almost shares similar taste profiles as the Shark’s Fin except the sauce here is more bashful and upfront.

Yam Paste (Orh-Ni) with Pumpkin
I don't really fancy Orh-Ni cos its supposed to be fattening with lard mixed in. But this is special .Not overly sweet and the bits of natural sweet pumpkin mixed into the solid, firm. dense milky, purple yam paste makes the difference between Kellog Frosties and the Cornflakes. ..the extra icing on the cake. Aftertaste is not oily but quite refreshing...amazingly so ...


What's Not?

The butter crayfish is bordering on fakey butteriness...feels like the chef ran out of recipes and decided to throw in expiring knobs of overnight butter.

Other Dishes Tasted

Steamed fish (garoupa and promfet) is good here and big on freshness and just enough savoriness in the accompanying sauce.
The cold dish combination is pretty special with some exotic choices like pork jelly , pig's tongue jelly and all other kinds of weird gelatin looking items that is actually quite palatable though I am not a big fan.

Wine Pairings Done

2006 Hardy's Shiraz
WADA rated 75pts
Sweet confectionary nose backed by toasty coffee oak. Quite quaffable and balanced. Just loses out on the finish but for a supermarket wine, this is good.

2006 Pondalowie MT Tempranillo, Bendigo (JH93)
WADA rated 77+pts
Sweet raspberry fruit tart bordering on fake sweetness. Good body and generally a juicy wine. Definitely a crowd pleaser and good as an introductory wine for first time wine drinkers.

2004 Paterson's Gundagi Shiraz
WADA rated 78pts
Some funk at the start...a little corked but it all blew off after sitting a while in the glass. Nice dark chocolate, oak and plummish fruits. Elegance and balanced in its approach.

2004 Chateau Beauchamp, Begarac Sec
WADA rated 63pts
Flat, dry white with some mineral and citrusy nuances but ...that's as far as it goes.

Pairing Suggestions

I would love to have some really good chards here. ..chards with lots of character and depth, preferably off dry with some white fruits. Pinots would work lovely with the food here.