Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Champagne 2000

Christina and Dr. Lau's 24th year anniversary dinner at Ah Yat, TST. 

Name of Wine: Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Champagne

Vintage: 2000

Country/ Region: France

Remarks:  light golden colour. strong and energetic sparks. Almost skily smooth. A complete Champagne with excellent stone fruit essence; lacy and lush on the palate; focused and well-balanced; a stunner by any measurement of marquee wines; a great experience. Best Brut drunken so far. 

Rating: 92/100 (MY)  91/100 (RP)

Cape Crest Te Mata Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Christina and Dr. Lau's 24th year anniversary dinner at Ah Yat, TST. 

Name of Wine: Cape Crest Te Mata Estate Sauvignon Blanc

Vintage: 2009

Country/ Region: NZ, Cape Crest

Remarks:  light golden colour. Nice and complex on the nose with guava, pear and mineral tones, with some toast. Palate was fruity with stone fruit and citrus, but also showing the hints of oak. Good length on the finish with nice acidity. Very interesting. nice tannins (see pics) but taste and smell fade after 40 minutes. 

Rating: 86/100 (MY)  89/100 (RP)

Napa Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Happy hour at the Upper House Cafe Gray with Karen, Yvonne and Anthony. Nothing interested me on the wine list other than this wine from Napa Valley. 

Name of Wine: Napa Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

Vintage: 2009

Country/ Region: US, CA, Napa Valley

Remarks:  Intense dark purple color.

Nose: Complex dark berries, cassis and big oak on the nose. 
Taste: well structured and balanced. Big tannins that will smooth out over time. Blackberry and black currant on the palate w smokey oak. Delicate finish but not long lasting. Light notes of dark chocolate.

Rating: 88/100 (MY)  89/100 (RS)

Lawry's Private Label Cabernet Sauvignon

Dinner at The Lawry's to celebrate 7 years 8 months with Yvonne.  Was recommended the private label wines. I chose the Cabernet Sauvignon which is a good paring for roast beef. 

Name of Wine: Lawry's Private Label Cabernet Sauvignon

Vintage: ?

Country/ Region: US, CA

Remarks:  Not those typical house wines you would expect. Rutherford Wine Company has long been recognised as a consistently producing high quality, high value private label wine vendor. Nose: Blackcurrant and a hint of plums. Eye: Dark Ruby. Taste: Medium body with strong tannins. very well balanced with blackcurrant, plums and cherry in the build up. not very strong on the finish. a little sweet.  Very good paring with roast beef. Excellent wine overall. HK$350 per bottle. 

Rating: 88/100 (MY) 

Santa Cristina Antinori Chianti Superiore 2008

Dinner at Craftsteak. pairing with sirlons. 

Name of Wine: Santa Cristina Antinori Chianti Superiore

Vintage: 2008

Country/ Region: Italy > Tuscany > Chianti

Remarks:  Ruby red in colour; on the nose, intense bouquet ofmature fruits; on the palate well structured, harmonious, soft and very pleasing. not complex enough on the finish . intense rasberry, depth, and smooth finish make this a very good choice. Good value. in fact, it was voted the best value old world wine by WS. 

Rating: 87/100 (MY) 

Berrys' Sauternes 2005

Name of Wine: Berrys' Sauternes 

Vintage: 2005

Country/ Region: France > Bordeaux > Barsac ( i was told that the Royal Family in Uk bought the vineyard in Barsac.)

Remarks:  A terrific, fine, perfumed nose with a lifting touch of botrytis acts as the impressive entrée for a wonderfully pure Sauternes of extraordinary length. You can feel the smooth liquid swirling inside your mouth and there is a right balance of sweetness. More than a desert wine for me. Suitable for fore gras too. HK$ 130 for 0.375 L. 

Rating: 89/100 (MY) 

Mud House Waipara Reisling 2010

Dinner at Craftsteak at Soho on SuperMondays. 

Name of Wine: Mud House Waipara Reisling

Vintage: 2010

Country/ Region: NZ

Remarks:  Bright fresh nose of elderflower, fresh citrus with a background of nectarine. This wine shows lovely purity on the palate. The citrus and floral notes mix with fresh green apple. The slightly sweet approach gives way to a lovely crisp acidity. One negative is that the finishing was too short. tanning was not enough, lacked thickness and density. good for ladies. 

Rating: 84/100 (MY) 

Viña Cobos Felino Malbec 2010

Steak dinner at home. Read that its a great pairing for steaks. 

Name of Wine: Viña Cobos Felino Malbec

Vintage: 2010

Country/ Region: Argentina : Mendoza

Remarks:  intense, pure flavors of just-picked raspberries, black plum and graphite unfold in velvety layers. Exotic notes of ginger and white pepper carry through the mid-palate to intermingle with firm tannins and notes of cedar on the finish. 14.3%. Great Value. Perfect paring for steaks. 

Rating: 90/100 (MY)  91/100 (WS) 

Chateau Lafite Rothchild 2006

My first Lafite.  Friend of Dr. Lau has his horse won a race in Happy Valley. Hence, opened this bottle of Lafite to celebrate even though its had not matured yet. 

Name of Wine: Château Lafite Rothschild

Vintage: 2006

Country/ Region: France, Bordeaux

Remarks: haunting, enchanting, mesmerizing. I couldn't quite say it was anything other than the standard blackcurrant/tobacco/pencil Bordeaux mix, but with a wild intensity and staying power. the graphite of pencil smell was strong. with a hint of oak smell.  Finishing was long lasting. excellent tanning. Colour was dark red, which means a relatively new wine. Breathing should have been longer. 

Rating: 91/100 (MY) 92-94/100 (WS)

Masi Costasera Amarone 2007

My Chinese lunar birthday BBQ at home. This Masi Costasera Amarone Classico 2007 was bought by Samson. 

Name of Wine: Masi Costasera Amarone Classico

Vintage: 2007

Country/ Region: Italy > Veneto > Valpolicella

Remarks:  layers of sweet, perfumed fruit. Flowers, berries and spices develop over time as this nuanced, textured Amarone takes shape. High-toned floral notes add brightness on the finish. The 2007 is one of the best Costaseras I remember tasting. The wine can be enjoyed today for its exuberant, generous fruit or cellared for at least a handful of years. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022. excellent paring with BBQ pork and steak.  HK$486.

Rating: 87/100 (MY) 90/100 (WS)

Chateau Grand Pascaud 2008

Mum's Chinese lunar birthday dinner at home. managed to get this wine at Parknshop, after noticing it had a "gold" award won in paris.

Name of Wine: Chateau Grand Pascaud

Vintage: 2008

Country/ Region: Bordeaux, France

Remarks:  Won the Concours des Grands Vins de France Macon in 2010.  

Medium red. Blackcurrants. Caramelly vanillaish oak. Tart. You can taste it lacked weight on texture and finish; a rather dryish short finish. With more air time, structure fades away. not strong tanning. Drink now. not a bad wine for under HK$100. taste per value is great. suitable for large party. 

Rating: 82/100 (MY) 

Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Steak dinner at home. I was recommended this white white wine by iphone app as Yvonne likes sweet and fruity and light whites. 

Name of Wine: Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc

Vintage: 2010

Country/ Region: US,CA

Remarks:  Green apple with a sweet pear aroma. Citris and soft lemon on the palate. Very easy drinkable! Suitable for first timer. Medium weight, light minerality, clean acidity. went well with salad. 

Rating: 85/100 (MY)