2005 Philippe Charlopin-Parizot Red Burgundies @ Artisan Cellars Showroom

Domaine Philippe Charlopin-Parizot is somewhat of a mystery. Amongst several burgundy loving friends, his is a esteemed domaine, one which they passionately search for rather than incidentally purchase. But although many have heard of his name, the coverage he's got through the wine press is surprisingly limited. Considering that the domaine has been around for three decades and growing in size and diversity all these while, this is quite a paradox. My personal encounters with this wine in the past had admittedly been focused on his Gevrey-Chambertin grand crus, namely the Charmes-Chambertin and the Chambertin. All the wines showed deep bright colours and possessed admirable concentration. I have always noted his wines to always evolve positively in the glass. And I have also observed that the wines are progressively becoming more pure and detailed in the recent vintages.

Charlopin's red burgundies are not made in what one would term as traditional in style. This does not mean that he makes over-extracted pinot noirs as opposed to burgundies with character and transparency. For one, it is praiseworthy for Charlopin to insist on making sure he gets as much percentage of old vines in his vineyards as possible, even right down to his village wines. Our tasting tonight confirmed it because none of the wines suffered from shallow fruits lacking natural ripeness. Charlopin, like Fourrier, believes in trapping CO2 released in the bottle to preserve freshness of his wines and prevent reduction. Partially for this reason I took time to air the bottle for no less than an hour before tasting began, and decanted all the grand crus in a semi-wide decanters. Of course the other obvious reason for decanting the grand crus was to allow these phenomenally dense 2005s to relax a little more. I certainly did not relish the thought of chewing oak-scented fruit gum nor expect our guests to enjoy doing that too!

2005 red burgundies are formidable, complete red burgundies, ones whose similar examples I have yet to come across these past decade and more, and if we recall, there were many great vintages produced (think 1996, 1999, 2001 and 2002). While these vintages are excellent and I love them for many different reasons, none by its own merits can match the sheer genius and serendipitously positive natural events that characterised the 2005 vintage. This is why I took a lot of care to prepare for the tasting, trying my darnedest to showcase the wonders these 'babies' will become one day. And I know in our showroom I have full control for at least the preparation and presentation of the wines.

As it turned out, as risky as this little adventure may sound, the wines turned out superbly, particularly at the villages level. Even the grand crus allowed us enough peek into the future. The strengths of the vintage and Charlopin's deft winemaking were positively displayed. The tasting was full and many of us stayed back to try a couple more Charlopin wines in continuation to the enjoyment of the six wines presented at the tasting. The characters of the 3 communes (Morey, Vosne and Gevrey) were distinctly demonstrated, and the step up from villages to grand crus in a comparative tasting like this was illuminating. All the wines were poured into the glass before the tasting began to allow for further expansion of flavours. In the first flight we examined the villages wines, and then moved on to second flight for the grand crus.

As our friends started to stream in, we opened the 2006 Vincent Dauvissat Irancy to serve as apéritif. Coming from the stable of this top Chablis maker, this seemingly 'simple' red wine is full of fresh cut flowers, strawberries and red cherries. Brisk but also juicy, with repeating fresh cherries and slatey minerality in the mouth. An uncomplicated but refreshing red, which makes for both a tasty aperitif as well as easygoing companion at the dinner table (88 points).

The first flight opened with the 2005 Morey-Saint-Denis with its immediate bright red pinot fruits, airy and gently sweet. Pliant, succulent and cool in the mouth, this is a very pretty and understated wine. The 2005 sweetness is already showing through. Elegant and classy but this will age deceptively well (88+ points). A few of our friends tonight adored the quiet elegance and prettiness of this wine. Moving on to the 2005 Vosne-Romanée. Reticent at first but a little while later, ripe dark raspberry nose with hints of star anise and wood spice emerged. Ever changing, revealing sappy dark fruits later on with pronounced Vosne character. We were all thankful we could capture the evolution of this wine throughout the one-and-a-half hour we spent with this wine in front of us; I suppose this is the benefit of a real sit-down tasting with individual glass for each wine. This wine borders of stepping up to the next level (89 points).

When everyone sniffed on 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin "Cuvée Vielles Vignes", nobody was indifferent and the "wows" started popping up around the table. This is definitely a wine of character, with a singular personality and a nonchalant display of gôut du terroir as only a red burgundy from Gevrey-Chambertin can display. Complex, gamey and earthy aromas, quite pungently meaty. The old vines give the wine a creamy texture replete with mineral infused raspberries. Premier cru quality juice, no question about it (90+ points).

As we moved to the grand crus on the second flight, the experience was raised to another level altogether. The first wine, 2005 Clos-Saint-Denis, Grand Cru was deceptively delicious: already luscious and oozing with liqueur like sweetness. Generous and vivacious for a grand cru from this vintage, with predominant pristine strawberry and blueberry fruits one might normally find in a Morey wine. Again, quite creamy in the mouth. Intense but rather fleshy today, this is in need of shedding its baby fats. Firmed up after more than an hour in the glass, hence a good upside potential there (91+ points). Many thought the 2005 Echezeaux, Grand Cru to be simply sublime. Suave spicy berries flavours with a distinct minty coolness in the mouth. Very Vosne-like, there was no rustic-edge characteristics typical of young Ech though. Yet this carried the terroir commendably. There is a positive tension in this wine that I like very much. Very refined and quite effortlessly long. Unlike how I would normally describe an Echezeaux, this will be a beauty. Already showing superb balance and precision (93 points). The 2005 Charmes-Chambertin, Grand Cru took us to a different place. Deeply pitched dark fruits but still very reticent. Intense, brooding and like the Gevrey Vielles Vignes, this came across as rather gamey at first. However, compared to the excellent villages, the concentration of this grand cru went two steps up. Showing a rather wild edge today but turns more refined and airy with extended aeration. Plenty of upside to anticipate (92+ points).

As the tasting went on, we kept going back to each glass over and over again. The advantage of having each wine in each glass with sufficient pour was fully realised as the development of each wine could be studied in the next one and a half hour. The distinction between communes and crus really got everyone rather excited, and before long someone got the ball rolling to contribute a 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin "Bel-Air", 1er Cru from our cellar. Sweet wild raspberries on the nose with almost Chambolle-like spices. Airy, cool and very light in the mouth. Very sleek and elegant. Full of focus and precision thanks to the incisive minerality, and one which impresses with its fineness, not power. Plenty of upside ahead (91+ points). And as they said, good deed begets good deed. Another friend contributed the 2005 Chambolle-Musigny to see how a different commune might taste like. This was quite fine, luscious with ripe red fruits, not unlike a good Chateauneuf du Pape but without the alcohol. It turned spirit-like after a while with focused creamy raspberries flavours. For all the explosive succulent fruits in the mouth this wine is curiously still rather reticent aromatically (88 points). We concluded the night with another contribution by a friend who proudly proclaimed he liked the Gevreys best tonight. His pick of 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin "La Justice" took us back to the pungent minerality of Gevrey earth. Similar meat and game aromatic profile as the Vielles Vignes but with a wilder edge and slightly less powerful. The fruit profile is more red than dark fruits here. Still slightly sullen because of the CO2, but after sitting a while in the glass, like the others, started to put on natural sweetness that is unmistakably 2005 (89 points). My personal thanks to those who contributed these bottles, extending and expanding our tasting experience tonight.

I am reminded that just a weekend ago, we tried Charlopin's 2005 Chambertin, Grand Cru at a friend's house. In fact that bottle belonged to a good friend who, true to the manners of a genuine wine lover, was just happy to share with everyone -- just like our customers and friends who turned up this evening for the tasting. The Chambertin was decidedly formidable. Dark fruits, wild berries and an almost curranty flavours. Roast meat, scorched earth and game were all there too, along with smoke and espresso. What gave interest was the energy of the wine, testimony to superb acidity, as well as the scale of the wine in the mouth. The longer it sat in the glass, the more minerally and brighter the fruits got. A wine of great stature (94+ points).

The Charlopin style marries enlightened winemaking with the burgundian spirit. I was impressed by the fact that there are clear distinctions between different terroirs/communes in spite of the fact that they came from a dense and powerful vintage 2005 wines which, by any account, is still quite young to taste; indeed a well balanced set of wines which deserve more public exposure. Well, at least I know that our friends who attended the tasting have had the chance for this discovery.

PS:

Another friend took 2 bottles of Charlopin's 2005 Marsannay "en Montchenevoy" to dinner the other day and told me the next day that they were delicious... So I know it's not just us at the tasting who were happy with Charlopin's wines...

1997 Brunello di Montalcino @ Artisan Cellars Showroom

The idea of this tasting came out of the blue, really. A good friend had kept several sets of assorted Brunello di Montalcino wines from the much praised vintage 1997. Having done at least one such tasting in the past shortly after the release of the wines, the idea is really to revisit this wines now that it's past ten years after the vintage.

Not one who would let good wines left untasted, I seized the opportunity to quickly gather appreciative wine lovers at Artisan Cellars showroom to look at how the wines taste now. Eleven different wines to be exact. It is, after all, a good chance to test-drive our tasting room for a first full-on sit-down tasting.

There has been many mixed reviews and impressions for the 1997 vintage in Tuscany, and these differing opinions are further accentuated when the wines of Brunello di Montalcino are considered. After all, the wines of Brunello are considered the crown jewel of Tuscany, its reputation having been firmly placed in the world as one of the greatest wines from Italy. Successful branding does not hurt either, no less thanks to Banfi, a persistent and formidable marketing force who helped put the wines of Brunello di Montalcino on the global map, particularly in the United States who now accounts for a third of Brunello exports.

My impression of Brunello's wines had been mixed. I have encountered both ends of the spectrum, from the very ripe, darkly coloured juice made in modern style, to the gentler understated paler red version. While many can be quite impressive, only quite few are exquisite or are truly representative of the terroir. I know tonight we were going to taste both examples with many shades in between.

We divided the wines into two flights. Flight 1 is served by six wines, followed by Flight 2 with the remaining five wines. And as predicted, the impressions I got were a mixed bag with no specific decipherable formula.

1997 Campogiovanni BdM came straight out as rather overripe, veering towards jammy plum, dark spices and espresso. This wine was visibly tired although some may find its sweet plummy fruits and soft tannins attractive. Though still not dead, to me this just lacked energy and past its prime (85 points). I'm sure it was better several years back. Moving on to 1997 Caparzo BdM "La Casa", I found a different symptom of a heavily extracted wine that missed its balance. This lacked any particular flavours and sweetness, tasting dry and funky. Some questioned whether this was corked but it's more like it's oxidised in my view. Hard to tell whether this was any good before, how sad... (NOT RATED). The next glass of 1997 Fuligni BdM broke the spell of the funky bottles fortunately. Mineral-laced raspberries and subtle hints of brown spices on the nose, this showed its Italian roots proudly. Sound acidity gave this wine verve and charm. Not particularly concentrated but this wine has gentle yet persistent sweetness. A lovely, well made wine (90 points).

Unfortunately fate took another unfavourable turn as we moved to 1997 Poggio Antico BdM. Although not quite as way-off as the Caparzo, this displayed the overripe, stewed fruits character on the nose inauspiciously followed by a flavourless dried out palate. What can I say? (NOT RATED). The 1997 Antinori BdM "Pian delle Vigne" was quite impressive and varietally correct on the nose. Lovely redcurrants complicated by hints of spices, it was ripe but not overripe with a neat flavour profile. So neat, it was almost too correct for me. Despite the polish, this wine lacked midpalate which progressively became more obvious with airing. Finishes a little short but nonetheless a well made modern-styled Brunello that hasn't lost its Italian roots (89 points). And, as chance would have it, the 1997 Due Portine-Gorelli BdM stole the show for me and played as a gracious finish to the first flight. Delicate and painfully detailed, this was a wine of finesse and stature. Sweet red raspberries bathed in minerals and a gorgeous red garnet colour with lovely luminosity testament to the healthy acid spine of this wine. I liked this very much and more so as it sat in the glass and gracefully evolved to reveal its multilayered nuances (92 points).

Before I started engaging my first glass, the crowd had already started to "ooh..." and "aah..." on the wines of the second flight. I could see why. This was a stronger flight indeed, in fact, even if the first flight were not so variable. 1997 Pertimali (Livio Sassetti) BdM is honest to goodness. Intense and powerful, this was, however, not a modern interpretation of Brunello. Good purity and depth with deeply pitched dark fruits and a smorgasbord of scorched earth, smoke and dark chocolate. A gutsy yet understated wine that was ever changing in the glass. Superb energy too. I like! (93 points). The 1997 Siro Pacenti BdM was definitely cut from a different cloth. The approach on this wine was decidedly modern but I must say, quite successfully done. A very dense wine, right from the beginning as one sees the colour, with a wide array of spices that complicated the super ripe (though not overripe) black fruits. This wine was actually sweet - I tend to find strongly extracted wines to lack sweetness - and I was rather impressed. An overachiever of this category given the approach they took on for this already very warm vintage (92 points). Strong reduction clouded the 1997 Tornesi BdM at first. With vigorous swirling, this very well endowed and concentrated wine opened up to reveal dark berries and currants, as well as smoky, ashy overtones. This was a brooding monster, a powerhouse in the making. Lacks the delicacy and details the best Brunellos should offer, but a darn impressive showing nonetheless (92 points).

Some wine writers likened Brunello wines to Burgundy, an association that, frankly, I don't quite get as much as, say, how closely an aged Barolo can taste like Burgundies. But the first thing I thought of when I nosed the 1997 Costanti BdM was Chambolle-Musigny. I suppose they're right after all, although I maintain that this similarity was more of an exception than the norm. Pure crushed candied raspberries on the nose, very pristine and disarming, this wine was pure elegance. The red fruits on the nose carried through the palate, streaming intensely sweet flavours which, like good burgundies, seem to float on your palate. Complicating mineral notes of iron and wet soil. Persistent and understated, this wine was definitely classy (94 points). After such a ravishing performance, I wonder what the last wine might bring. This was once noted as the most memorable 1997 Brunellos some of our friends at the table recounted, and so the anticipation was high. The 1997 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona BdM "Vigna di Pianrosso" was no doubt impressive. A wine of concentration and elegance, this started out slightly off-track with gritty, less polished tannins at first. Very deeply coloured and large-framed, this had the backbone, the flesh and the muscles. An imposing modern wine that was impeccably made. Lots of chocolates and espresso but also fresh plums infused with deft mineral tones. This put on more polish on its tannins as well as a little more freshness as it sat longer in the glass. My only qualm was that I had hoped it carried more energy, and I sadly suspect that we caught it just slightly past its best, at least for this bottle... (92 points)

Due to the famously hot 1997 vintage, there were no green wines tonight. However, what I found a little worrisome was that such heat-stressed year had adversely affected the level of acidity. Some wines fell prey to this feature tonight, and when insufficient raw materials are treated with high-extraction techniques, the fruits (or whatever that's left of it) collapse. It is interesting that the selection tonight showed the 1997 Brunello wines are of good pleasure "already" (note that 11 years is hardly long in most Brunello wine's textbook). This is not necessarily a good sign. But at least the tasting has helped us resolve to drink up most of our 1997s save for some of the very best!

Many thanks to our friend who shared with us this wonderful 11-bottle collection (he does not want his name to mentioned, but you know who you are) and to everyone who took time out to join us in such short notice. There would be more wine exploration through thematic tastings such as this, so look out for our future events.

Mini Pichon Lalande vertical @ Aman's

When Aman told me our customer/friend JT was going to be in town, he had already planned to host a small dinner at his home for JT and his wife P. The couple was as delightful company as anyone could hope for, totally unassuming and in love with life as anything. It was a laugh-a-minute evening with this fun couple and another friend MH who brought with him no small bag of comical personal anecdotes, far too many to belie his youthful age. The only times we were not laughing was when we were contemplating the wines. As it turned out, the host had lined up a 'small' selection of Pichon Lalande which spanned across five vintages between 1985 and 2004.

As I was working in the kitchen before the couple arrived, we cracked open a bottle of Diebolt-Vallois Blanc de Blancs NV (non-dosé). I have wired my brain to demand chilled champagne whenever I was cooking in order to quench my thirst and to stifle the heat. This is of course just one of the concocted excuses to justify my endless craving for bubblies. And at this level of champagne, I got a lot more than just a simple quenching. To many people this is a re-education of champagne appreciation. A very small production with wines made entirely from grown grapes (hence the term grower's champagne) from the top terroirs (in this case predominantly Cramant, a grand cru) provided a stage for a new level of quality for non-vintage champagnes. Crisp, airy, limey, and bone-dry yet quite  creamy in the mouth with distinct minerally tones, this was more than a worthy apéritif, it was a lovely drink (90 points). The crowd was obviously enjoying it too. And the experience was upstaged once the Diebolt-Vallois Cuvée Prestige NV (non-dosé) was opened. This had a touch more delicacy and a more floral character. Light, fluffy mousse with ripe grapefruits and pear fruits flavour profile. P was raving the whole night about it. And no one could blame her. It was indeed a beautiful champagne, non-vintage or not (91 points).

The mini vertical of the Pichon Lalande opened with the 2004 Pichon Lalande. This was decidedly sexy and the crowd was lapping it up tonight, and many were impressed by its performance in spite of its less-than-illustrious vintage origin. Clean, vanilla-scented oak, cedar and explosive currant fruits leaning toward blueberries plus notes of roast coffee and dark chocolates later on. Constant coaxing in the glass revealed that underneath the shiny coating, the midpalate and natural fruit concentration were lacking, plus I also detected a miniscule trace of greenness. Still, who can resist this hedonistic juice built for pleasure and gratification such as this? (91 points)

One sniff at the 2000 Pichon Lalande and I had an instant feeling this might well be the Pichon of the night. Such was the grandeur of this wine even at this early point of acquaintance. This wine was indeed monumental and impressive. Amazingly full and forceful at its youth today, but also supremely elegant and poised and as good an example of Pichon Lalande as I can remember. Still purple in colour now, the initial vanilla-scented oak curtain quickly withdrew to reveal dense but fresh cassis fruits and hints of lead pencil. Thick and creamy in the mouth, this wine was hardly heavy, in fact, rather uplifting and fresh in the mouth with great thrust and vinosity (not unlike the 1996 but without the austerity). This just lacked one additional dimension of volume and the indescribable sense of presence and savour of a top growth, but otherwise this was in every way a complete Pichon Lalande waiting to fully reveal its potentials, and one which would enjoy a very very long life ahead (94+ points) Superb wine.

The 1996 Pichon Lalande would always be remembered as one of the most 'atypical' Pichon because of its unusually high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon that went into the wine, as opposed to the usual Pichon which contains rather high Merlot contents especially in the context of Pauillac. The resulting wine was the most Pauillac-like Pichon Lalande of the night, which, at least to me, was probably the most profound. Deep dark red with brilliant luminosity thanks to its superb acidity. Very reticent nose at this point still, with cool aromas of redcurrants and blackberries, complicated by a touch of smoke and tobacco. Austere and cool in the mouth with relentless backbone energy. Superb vinosity, persistent cool sweetness and impeccably balanced in spite of its rather closed disposition at this stage. The dominance of the top quality Cabernet Sauvignon was highly evident here. Continued to evolve throughout the night but remained aloof. Even the younger 2000 was, by comparison, 'friendlier' tonight (93+ points).

As we moved into the '80s, it's as if we were dealing with different members of the Pichon family: the wines have a trace of dirt that the earlier wines did not have. The 1989 Pichon Lalande was a rather muscular, in fact, almost chunky Pichon. The blackberry fruits was both meaty and spiced up by roasted herbs notes. Already enjoyable now, the sweetness of the fruits have now emerged along with the tell-tale heat-stressed vintage's rather dusty finish. An altogether nicely packaged wine with a good balance, although not too gregarious I must say... (91 points)

A lot of 1985 left-bank Bordeaux possess that drying finish effect I found rather distracting. The 1985 Pichon Lalande was in this sense not too different, but fortunately the issues were not too aggravated. A plush wine, very soft and fully mature now, the wine was cedary with hints of wet earth. There was a slight greenness to the fruits however, and it was lacking the better vintages' mid-palate energy and persistence. In comparison with the wines of the 1990's, this came across as slightly 'dirty' but not in a flawed sense. Lovely wine for the dinner table now, and though not seemingly dissipating, there is little point to hold for too much longer as further upside is not to be expected (90 points).

One key 'benefit' of doing a tasting at someone's house was that the possibility for extra wines added at the end of a tasting is indeed rather probable. Tonight was no exception. P's continued and infectious enthusiasm over the Diebolt-Vallois champagnes served before the Pichon Lalande flight rubbed off on Aman, and he asked me to check his cellar to pull out another bottle of bubblies. A dirty job, but someone's gotta do it, yeah right... Well, being a dutiful friend that I am, I stoically obliged. My slippery fingers rummaged through the top shelf of his cellar and landed on a bottle of another Diebolt-Vallois, but this is no ordinary bottle. I glanced at the host, asking for his consent, and he asked me back how was this wine the last time I tasted it, and I told him frankly we should wait no longer. He gave me the thumbs up and a few seconds later, the cork popped on Diebolt-Vallois Blanc de Blancs 1979. This wine got the table pretty much raving mad at this point as the sense of exoticism overwhelmed everyone. Exotic aromas of grilled nuts, truffle and mild cheese came on at first, with slight hints of fino sherry. The wine became fresher as we let it sit on. The flavours became more focused although the petillant bubbles quite rapidly vanished. Deep, dense and sweet, this was, to be quite honest, proving to be a better bottle than the one I opened just a few months back. Lucky me to try this again! (91  points)

A few more friends dropped by at late night, and while they sipped to try what remained of the Pichon bottles, Aman went to his cellar again to pull off MH's favourite drink: Sauternes. Out came 1989 Château Guiraud with its rich and heady bouquet of dried apricots, hazelnuts and orange peel. Already losing its youthful stickiness, this wine was not quite as honeyed as it was marmalade-like. This wine probably had been in this peak drinkability stage for a while and may hold its own for a couple of years more (90 points). MH was smiling endlessly, repeating himself that his night was made by now. A man who really loves his Sauternes and a happy man indeed. P exclaimed, "Dark chocolate! This needs dark chocolates!" and suddenly I remembered I just picked up a couple of bars of my favourite 1er Cru Michel Cluizel darkies from Culina before dinner. She was right. The choc was a lovely companion to the Sauternes, the reticent and deeply seated sweetness harmonized with each other rather nicely. A fitting closure for a very enjoyable evening...

Bubblicious...!

Drinking a glass of champagne always instantly endows one with a sense of well-being. There is something magical and inexplicable about its ebullient perfume, rousing effervescence, and the gentle caress of the mousse... And the entire process around serving of champagnes — no matter how informal the setting — is an occasion unto itself: ice rustling in the bucket, the unwrapping of the foil, the sigh of the cork a-popping and the lush fizz as it is poured into the glass. It is probably because of all these factors that champagne is the de facto drink of ceremonies and celebrations. Even the uninitiated understands this universal notion.

To the discerning wine lover, however, champagne does a lot more than merely accessorise a celebration. They understand that champagne is wine. It just happens to have bubbles in it. In fact these are wines typically made from two of the noblest of grapes, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, whose capacity for complex development is beyond question. Even the third varietal Pinot Meunier, once thought as the blending grape, an undeserved "outsider", has recently proven itself as equally noble by certain Champagne growers who have successfully demonstrated its complex character in single-varietal cuvées. What an exciting time for Champagne as a region, and for the progressive wine lover who are searching for new discoveries. Funny how these rediscoveries lie in the familiar spaces, like the champagne region.

My friend DO once remarked how wonderful his recent Italian trip was as he dined with friends in great restaurants and tried several older Champagnes on the wine list. Although champagne is not a new beverage to him, having a meal significantly paired with serious champagnes, as opposed to using champagnes merely as apéritif (an unjustifiable misnomer in my books!), opened up a delightful rediscovery of the potential greatness of the bubblies of bubblies as proper meal-time companion. He told me that he wanted to set up a champagne dinner as soon as he got back. I couldn't be more agreeable to the idea. And pairing it with Japanese food is a no-brainer; always one of my favourite combinations.

A quick trio of lesser known champagnes were presented to kick off the evening, courtesy of CL. The first wine was NV Champagne Marie Demets "Tradition" from Gyé-sur-Seine. Very soft mousse, rather reticent somewhat stalky nose, evidently high in pinot noir. Slightly syrupy and quite quaffable, I couldn't help but think there was a tad too much dosage in here. Berry-fruity flavours with a slight bitter pith finish. And uncomplicated champagne with very little distinctiveness unfortunately (83 points).

The second installment, NV Larmandier-Bernier 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs, possessed more vigorous bubbles with a markedly meaty nose. Somewhat harsh and nervy now, but without the promise of finesse of substance in the midpalate, in fact, it was strangely flabby around the edges. I find this disturbingly aggressive and unbalanced at this point (NOT RATED).

The last of the trio brought things back on track. The 2000 Larmandier-Bernier Vielles Vignes de Cramant came from one of my favourite terroir — the grand cru Cramant — and in spite of the preceding disappointing performance of the NV Blanc de Blancs, fortunately this delivered. Fine bubbles with a coherent energy unlike the preceding wines. Intense and creamy with subtle pear and green apples flavours. Finished with persistence and minerally stoniness. Although not a prototype of finesse, this still managed to impress with its balance of intensity, texture and length. Still rather nervous today but at least the wine was cohesive (89+ points).

1976 Lanson Brut in magnum hit home a superb showing today. This strengthened the case for the magnum format for champagne. Lanson's straight vintage cuvée is not their prestige champagne, but as this case clearly showed, it doesn't have to be in order to age well and deliver. 32 years young, this charmed everyone with its slightly nutty, honeyed, oatmeal overtones leading to sweet and sappy flavours of passion fruits and lemon candy. Still quite fresh and utterly delicious at this age, and not at all bone dry. The noticeable dosage did little harm to the overall balance, lending a fine texture and polish to the finish. Delectable (91 points).

JC's 1992 Philipponnat "Clos des Goisses" from an underrated and relatively unknown vintage reminded everyone once again that at the end of the day, it is key to rely on the strengths of the producer and the terroir in order to deliver in less-than-illustrious vintages. Mealy, with hints of smoke and meat in the nose, yet it was gracefully elevated with hints of clove and fresh citrus fruits. The trademark Clos des Goisses sleekness and weightlessness reappeared quite readily with a discreet and unsuspecting length and persistence. Finished with a whiplash of sudden energy and power that this clos is well known for. A great performance for the vintage and a testimony to the greatness of this terroir (92 points).

After the first corked bottle of 1990 Dom Pérignon, the second bottle came on with a healthy nose of honey, oatmeal and a touch of wet earth. Very fine bubbles, a la classic Dom, and a fine mousse, still this version was less fresh and captivating than the last bottle I had six months ago as the overall fruit profile was lower toned and the sweetness was a tad too noticeable. A bottle variation I am quite sure... (91 points).

CW said he couldn't locate his 1990 R.D. at the last minute and so decided to bring along a 1990 Bollinger Grande Année which more than sufficiently held its own. Yummy nutty aromas typical of the house. Although its oxidative forcefulness was already quite subdued at this present age, the autolytic and popcorn aromas could still be found. Yet there's an elevated sense of freshness due to its solid backbone. Complex hint of cardamom spice emerged with further airing. I admire this 'humbler' vintage wine which still promises further upside in the time to come (91+ points).

Up next, the trio of Krugs began with the 1985 Krug. A powerful Krug nose which combined smoke, lees, toast, lemon and butter was followed up with a voluminous palate of discreet acacia honey and barley, framed by a taperingly long finish enlivened by faultless acidity. Already rather mature and delicious now I must say (93 points).

The 1990 Krug followed on. Decisively more acid driven than the plush 1985, the high pitched Krug nose was also noticeably riper than the 1985. Definitive autolytic character in the nose, there was now higher pitched hints of lime blossoms and stone fruits and again preserved at the back end with an impressively energetic acid backbone. This reminded me of a tamer version of the 1996 Krug. Drinkable now but have a long long way to go (94+ points).

When DO asked me to taste the champagnes tonight earlier on in order to determine the order of serving, I was quite clear I had to serve the 1988 Krug last, and for a good reason. This was a monumental wine, reminiscent of a great Montrachet. An incredible soaring melange of smoke, minerals, vitamins and stonefruits in the nose which continued to evolve to unveil exotic tones of lime peels and white flowers. Incredible energy and volume in the mouth yet never once asserted its weight on the palate, plus a haunting sense of presence. The wine could be tasted long after it was swallowed or spat — I admit I could hardly spit this wine — and such was the profundity of its inner mouth perfume. A great Krug, a monument to the greatness of champagne, and is in no way close to reaching its peak (96+ points).

JL who joined us late, sneaked in a blind champagne. Pretty, berry-like fruits with very fine mousse and biscuit-y character. Definitely rather high in pinot noir percentage. A soft tone of meat and mushroom complicated the otherwise rather strawberry oriented fruits in the palate. I thought this was rather Dom Pérignon like but probably lost a shade or two in terms of fineness of the bubbles. Very well preserved for this medium-aged champagne I thought when we discovered that it was a bottle of 1988 Veuve Clicquot (91 points).

The food at Akashi, especially in the company of DO, is always top-quality. Price is never cheap but it is always reliable. And tonight, in the company of the champagnes, I would hardly complain.

For those who wonder what wine to drink with sashimi/sushi-oriented Japanese meal I feel morally obliged to suggest that German Rieslings and champagne are probably the most versatile beverage to pair with after sake. Pick a few styles of champagnes to pair with the diversity of the meal courses to match the weight against the umami/fat quotient of each course. The pairing will most likely work out effortlessly. Going tempura? Even more so compatible. At other times I would also team Japanese food with Burgundies (both white and red), but that would call for more specific combinations. High-acid wines like these can handle the zest and sting of wasabi rather admirably.

Littorai 2006 (which are all great), and that's not all...!

We figured that the bottles we received from Littorai have rested enough since its arrival two weeks ago. And so with the opportune arrival of our Indonesian partner in town plus two other wine-loving friends, we decided it was time to uncork a selection of the Littorai wines over dinner last night at A.K.'s place.

I have always found vertical and horizontal tastings instructive, and so for the first round I thought it would be beneficial to taste through a selection of the 2006 horizontally, all with the exception of one 'generic', i.e., non-vineyard-designated 2007 Sonoma Pinot Noir. The comparative older bottles will be saved for another occasion, hopefully some time soon.

Domaine Vacheron's 2006 Sancerre "Les Romains" preceded the Littorai chardonnay to accompany the salad. I've been in the kitchen for more than an hour by now -- and we were still waiting for A.S. and C.L. to arrive -- so any crisp and chilled beverage was not only welcome, it was necessary. And this wine stood up to task admirably. Despite the pronounced acidic and sweet vinegar notes of the dressing, this wine held more than its own. Cool candied lemons and fresh cut grass on the nose and a voluminous, palate-saturating grapefruit coulis flavors asserted itself in the mouth. Slight hints of peanut skins and spiciness due to the oak used, but this could not (and should not anyway) dominate the freshness and intensity of the Sauvignon grape. Delicious stuff with plenty of life ahead.

I went back to the kitchen to ready the pasta and while waiting my partner A.K. could not help resist pouring himself the 2006 Chardonnay "Charles Heintz Vineyard". I saw him sticking his nose inside his glass and smiled. He took a sip and told me I should hurry and try it. Well, not until the pasta is ready, Brother! Fortunately it was fresh pasta, so the distance between my curiosity and tasting the wine was thankfully shortened (5 minutes was all it took).

Admittedly before dinner I had harbored more excitement regarding the Littorai's chardonnays than its pinots. It was, well, just personal. With all the dining and cooking in Singapore's tropical weather, I had taken a slight preference for whites to reds lately: they are just more compatible and versatile with whatever I tend to eat. But then again I am known as the 'Burghead', so no matter what I could never disown my inner pinot tendencies.

The Heintz chardonnay had a ripe yellow fruits nose with warm hints of smoke and spices, enlivened by a touch of talcum powder. This is, make no mistake, a true blue Californian chardonnay, and a proud one at that. However what it did not share with its brethren was a rarely found sense of restraint and balance. Fresh melon and pear fruits with a buttery texture greeted the palate, and although quite fat in texture, this had an uncanny mineral streak somewhere in between and carried no trace of heat -- something I am (over)sensitive to. Although not particularly well endowed with natural fruit concentration nor steely acid backbone, everything was all in the right place in the right amount. A well balanced and unpretentious chardonnay. A lovely drink I can savour all night long.

The 2007 Pinot Noir "Sonoma Coast" introduced itself with a very pretty and high-toned nose of crushed blackberries, cranberries and a hint of cola. Fresh and bracing on the attack, and had a creamy almost candied appeal in the mouth yet despite the lively acidity, the insufficient natural intensity made it finish off really quickly at the back-end. Pleasant and easygoing, this will be best appreciated in the company of food. True to form, this was also the wine that dissipated the most quickly during the night with fatigue setting in far sooner than the other bottles.

We moved on quickly to the three vineyard-designated 2006 pinot bottlings, and things got pretty interesting, especially as we came back to them over and again throughout the evening and discussed the character and virtues of each one.

After the straightforward 2007 Sonoma Coast, the nose of the 2006 Pinot Noir "Hirsch Vineyard" was markedly different. Immediately more intense, flamboyant and confident, candied aromas of raspberries and slight hint of cola. The attack was sweet and the fruits high-toned. At times this gave a minor impression of liqueur-like sweetness, with a good lift and moderate inner-mouth perfume. Very accessible and immediately likable, but somewhat began to lose some grip some two hours or so later.

The 2006 Pinot Noir "Roman" was an altogether a different animal. Compared to the Hirsch which was singing happily, the Roman was more serious and muscular. Very earthy and meaty nose was yet reticent at this point, but the hints of smoke, flint, brown spices, herbs and roasted coffee beans peeked through with some persistent coaxing. No surprises in the mouth either: darker (purple and blue) fruits, with an enticing, distinct hint of blueberries, dark chocolate and licorice. Curiously, for something this ripe and muscular, this was not at all low-toned. In fact, the nose of this wine evolved the most throughout the night, and it was the most steadily improving wine as it sat in the open bottle throughout the four hours or so we spent tasting the wines. In my opinion, the most decidedly Burgundian nose must go to the Roman as it combines well delineated deeply pitched dark fruits with meatier, gamier complicating nuances which some Burgundian terroirs tend to impart (Pommard, Vougeot, even Bonnes-Mares came to mind). A very focused and impressive pinot noir of character. I have to agree with A.S. this was the most 'charactersome' wine of the night. Yes, I like!

In the quick taste-through where I had to decide how to line up the pinots earlier on, I felt that "The Haven Vineyard" might well be the most complete and well-rounded of the featured pinot noirs. Going into the tasting proper the impression was largely unchanged. After the Roman, the Haven was, no doubt, more highly pitched in the nose and flavors comparatively. In a way it was more similar to the Hirsch, probably testament to the same region they both came from. Complex, briary aromas mixing wild berries, earth, flint and mineral notes. The entry on the palate is sweet and persistent, with candied red and black fruits mix, pushed along with a good backbone energy giving an impressive sense of volume in the mouth. Still I had a nagging impression that the wine had not yet come together at this point because it felt somewhat casual and was lacking the thrust and grip at this point -- something I noted the Roman did not lack in spite of the latter's brooding reticence. However there was no doubt that in terms of overall composition, this was the most complete wine for the night, as it had more of everything in more places. A.K. loved this wine immediately, noting the complexity and elegant posture the wine commands. A.S. agreed with me that this was the most complete wine but noted the residual sweetness which marked the finish. Given my lack of experience with this wine, assuming this was not an odd case of bottle variation, I could only predict that this were but a temporary settling-down period for the wine and it would thereafter come together and become more tautly and seamlessly integrated with a little more bottle age.

Another pinot noir was opened to provide a comparative perspective to the fine Littorai pinots we just had. A.K. cracked open his personal bottle of a 2002 Calera Mt. Harlan "Mills Vineyard". Interesting is the word that I would use on this wine. It was a sound pinot, with a good varietal character. But in contrast to the preceding Littorai pinots, it had less energy, clarity, definition and a lightness of touch. It was also decidedly more woody and lower pitched. The flavors were dominated by darker fruits, coffee and chocolates, and a meaty, dusty finish.

I asked around the table of what they thought of the wines overall. Almost unanimously everyone said that the Littorai are varietally typical wines, unpretentious of where it is from, but cut with a cloth of elegance and understatement uncommonly found amongst its peers. Although quite ripe and sporting a degree or a degree-and-a-half of alcohol compared to a typical burgundy, there was no touch of heat nor flabby surmaturité flavors. Ripe yes, overripe no. Accessible yes, but upside potential for aging they are not lacking too. It was strange that just as when I was emphasizing the point of these wines being varietally accurate, A.S. mentioned that just recently he tasted a selection of "top" Californian pinot noirs which, when served blind, he actually thought they were Californian syrahs! Now this statement came from a person who, in spite of his definite old-world inclinations, is above all an acute (and astute) taster -- he rarely gets a terroir wrong, let alone grape varietal. I shook my head in sad agreement and I said, "Man, that was PRECISELY what I thought the last time I attended a major 'cult' Californian Pinot Noir tasting! I guess things haven't changed much, have they?" Interestingly some of those cult pinots sported an alcohol level not necessarily overwhelmingly higher than some of the Littorais tonight, so the ultimate question that set the two camps apart is this: does it have BALANCE? Tonight the case was clearly supported. Irrespective of what one reads on the label, the proof is ultimately in the wine. A respectfully crafted wine from a suitable terroir can achieve balance. I think the Littorai wines tonight showed this attribute quite clearly. Those which tasted like syrahs did not.

Four hours had passed, but the night had to continue with one last bottle. These days there would be no vinous gathering without champagne. In any case the group badly wanted to taste a prestige cuvée from Philipponnat, the most recent vintage 1999 of "Clos des Goisses". The "Clos des Goisses" site is one of the foremost champagnes which, thankfully, up to now is still relatively undervalued. It is planted with 70% pinot noir and 30% chardonnay, on very steep slopes near the river. It is often the ripest site in all of Champagne, and hence tend to carry the highest level of alcohol. The 1999 "Clos des Goisses" sports a 13% alcohol content, not at all common for champagnes, but you wouldn't know. A blend of 65% pinot noir and 35% chardonnay, this got our table abuzz with praises. Very reticent, almost aloof nose which upon patient coaxing revealed hints of lime peel and crushed rocks, all elevated at the highest pitch. Initially I thought this smelled like a stainless-steel-fermented Chablis grand cru less half the weight (as if such a Chablis has any noticeable weight to begin with, but you get my point here). The wine was airy in the nose and in the mouth, with so much latent energy and ripeness it was quite unlike anything I've ever tasted before, and added to that a shadowy presence of gentle flowery perfume. This became a new lesson of understatement and elegance for champagnes and still wines to me. Endless, gentle and precise finish that seemed razor-sharp yet never put any raw pressure to the palate. Quite ethereal, and as good an example as any 1999 champagnes I have ever tasted.

1998 Musigny "++" @ Miele House, Jakarta

When my buddy AS called me to tell me he was going to host a 1998 Musigny horizontal I was somehow not surprised because that is the kind of tasting I expected from this guy. After all he's always up to something trying to pull off some of the cleverest and craziest tasting themes. But as I put down the phone and recalled the line up he was preparing, I suddenly realised this would be one heck of a tasting, especially when considering all the 1998 Musignys would have come from his cellar save for one bottle. That in itself is quite a feat of collecting diligence and not to mention generosity. Minutes later, I was clicking away online and booking myself a ticket. To Jakarta, please!

Indonesia, with its restrictive alcohol import laws and murky regulations for just about anything that requires customs and immigration clearance, seems quite an unlikely place where the world's foremost wines may on occasions be showcased. Still, some of my most memorable tastings actually took place in Jakarta, this vast nation's capital and economic epicentre. The sophistication level of the wine community I have met is not only world class, it is enviably pretty much in the league of creme de la creme. Perhaps it is the fact that it is already so difficult to bring wines into the country, that the general mentality has been to just go all out for the top stuff since they have to go through the same trouble anyway. A perfectly understandable attitude given the circumstances if you ask me.

Still the city's select groups of crazy winos are a painstakingly discreet bunch. The 'showcase' of the finest wines are most of the time a private, small-group affair. I have known of impromptu lunches where Le Pin, Petrus, first growths of the fifties and sixties, Henri Jayer's Echezeaux and Cros Parantoux, Coche Dury's Corton Charlemagnes... were regularly shared with joyful abandon but savoured with passionate respect by these winos. And we are not even talking about organized tastings yet!

Many of my most privileged wine tastings took place in the Miele House in Jakarta. Tasting at the Miele House is always a meticulously executed exercise with the spotlight on the wines alone. As a matter of fact, this is the same spirit we try to emulate when we conceptualised Artisan Cellars' showroom space. And the tasting format we choose also follows the same practice in the Miele House: one wine in one glass (so we can savour its development for as long as the tasting lasts), cool serving temperature and faultlessly bright lights. Every tasting there is an occasion to look forward to.

There are countless figures of speech about the wines of Musigny, as well as notable quotes from prominent characters who waxed lyrical over the virtues and beauty of a glass of Musigny. To many a glass of Musigny is the epitome of the sublime seduction of burgundy. Too many wine writers ascribe the highest praises for the wine of this land, some even going as far as arguing that this may be the most gifted piece of dirt throughout Côte d'Or, producing wines that combine profound power, exquisite delicacy, supreme complexity and irreproachable finesse. I for one, in the spirit of good conscience, cannot possibly disagree with the lofty praises sung for the wines of Musigny because many of the most intoxicating and ravishing wines I had tasted happen to bear this vineyard's label on them. This is a feat that cannot be underestimated considering that this grand cru (a) is not a terribly small parcel of land, by burgundy's standards at least, (b) is tended by more than just a handful of wine producers and (c) churns out consistently top performances relative to the vintage, year after year. In my view, the grand cru Musigny is the most gifted non-monopole (i.e., not single domaine owned) terroir for red burgundies, a vineyard perfectly capable of (and have often proved itself to) producing red wines that are aristocratic, complete and evocative of extreme passion. In fact, the genius of Musigny is not only the collective opinion of burgundy fanatics and expert wine aficionados. Domaines who produce Musigny almost always consider their Musigny as the class of their cellar. All these observations cannot be a mere coincidence.

The Musigny grand cru consists of 10.7 ha of land and in recent record these are the modern day domaines that make its wine: Comte de Vogüé, J. F. Mugnier, Jacques Prieur, Joseph Drouhin, Leroy, de la Vougeraie, Louis Jadot, Drouhin-Laroze, Roumier, Dufouleur Frères, Christian Confuron, Faiveley and Monthelie-Douhairet-Porcheret. The grand cru can be subdivided further into three subclimats: Les Musigny, Les Petits-Musigny and a late addition of an adjoining parcel of the premier cru La Combe d'Orveau (since 1936). Comte de Vogüé is the largest owner of Musigny, controlling about 70% of the total land which includes the monopoly of Les-Petits-Musigny subclimat. Jacques Prieur owns the La Combe d'Orveau subclimat.

The 1998 vintage for red burgundies was first received with mixed reactions by the wine press. One famous American wine publication totally wrote off the vintage, refusing to review wines from this vintage, which, in my opinion, is a gross and an unnecessarily silly mistake. A few others were cautious, and only one (Allen Meadows) was pretty upbeat. As it turned out, like many aspects of judging and appreciating Burgundy, the vintage went through awkward stages of development especially in the beginning as it started out rather austere before it stabilised and eases itself off as a nicely rounded red burgundy vintage overall, albeit not without proviso. One has to always remember that the 1998 vintage was not a generously blessed vintage by any measure, and only with the best producers can one find top quality. But when one encounters a good 1998, they would be gratified by its wines: concentrated, harmonious, pure burgundies many of which are, surprisingly, drinking quite well already. What's more these wines would enjoy a relatively long plateau at its peak. To my observation it is also a vintage where Chambolle-Musigny as an appellation shone above the others as they tend not to be plagued by a drying or sometimes unclean finish which may appear in many of its neighbours' wines.

When we arrived at the Miele House earlier that evening, the table was already set with eight burgundy glasses each seat, in two rows of four, corresponding to the two flights that the wine would be served. Just before we sat down, a lone glass was added to the eight for the apéritif white wine, served blind. I was seated next to TA, one of the most serious and attentive Indonesian taster I've ever met, and NP, a burgundian winemaker whose favourite wine is – without question and as unabashedly declared by himself – Musigny. The Musigny wine is also incidentally one that he has yet to make in spite of the impressive array of top grand crus he has been producing ever since he started making wines.

The white wine apéritif was very ripe and heady with lemon-infused, buttery, wild-yeast fermentation aromas of popcorn-oil as well as some charred toast. Yet in the mouth this wine displayed finesse and delicacy in spite of an energetic thrust and an oily texture. This had to be a Puligny grand cru, I thought. Immensely forceful, this wine finished with an almost tannic structure. Quite alcoholic for an '04 but finished, true-to-form, with a whiplash of malic acidity. Personally I would have preferred a more delicate and linear style, but there is no denying that this is a tour-de-force representation of the chardonnay grapes the like of which cannot be found outside of the best sites in Côte-de-Beaune. This was revealed to be 2004 Louis Jadot, Chevalier-Montrachet "les Demoiselles" (93 points). A lovely start to the evening.

The first flight's four wines were now ready to be tasted. The 1998 Jacques Prieur, Musigny carried off a high-toned, macerated cherries nose with citric hints that reminded me of vitamin-C tablets – rather pretty actually. The wine was fleshy and quite spirit-like. Although still quite sturdy, my trouble with this wine was that it lacked immediate natural sweetness one expects from the terroir. Unfortunately after a little bit of airing, the wine showed signs of tiring and eventually put on a slightly medicinal and herbaceous overtone. There must be better bottles than this because when I first tasted this wine not long after it was released what I tasted then should not have lead to what I was tasting tonight... (88? points).

Like many other '98 red burgundies, 1998 Joseph Drouhin, Musigny already began to give off delicious truffley secondary top-notes floating over elegantly scented blackberries. This came across immediately sweeter and as possessing a lot more volume than the Prieur bottling earlier. Still, there was a sense of slight wooly mouthfeel around the edges (and I noted the same for their 1999 and I don't consider this a flaw, by the way.) Quite a fine Musigny that is just missing out on the final finesse factor. Interestingly, this evolved to continue to give off floral aromatic hints, turning gentler, sweeter and more alluring. Maturing now already and a very pretty wine (91 points).

1998 Louis Jadot, Musigny took the flight into a different space. It started out with a slight reduction on the nose which gave way to smoke and meat aromas. I found this still sullen and quite hard to assess, but lurking underneath the shell was a muscular rendition of this famous terroir. In the mouth this wine played out its earlier impression consistently, delivering powerful flavours full of dry extracts and intense sweetness, driven by an immense acid-backbone energy. Finished off with rather dusty and muscular tannins. This baby still needed a lot more time, because as the night progressed, the wine turned more integrated and oilier in texture with exotic hints of bacon-fat. A brooding, punch-in-the-gut Musigny that remained cool and collected in spite of all the power (92+ points).

I approached the wine with a slight apprehension. It was a privilege, no matter how one looks at it, to be able to enjoy a bottle out of approximately 125 bottles produced each year of the 1998 Faiveley, Musigny. The only worry I had was that it might be extremely unfriendly at this stage like many other youthful Faiveleys I've had. But I was glad my worries are unfounded as soon as I dived into this wine. Wow, what a gorgeous nose! This wine was actually rather harmonious already. Exotic aromatics of dried rose petals and delicious currant-like fruits, complicated by a little truffley hint. Very majestic in the mouth as well, with an awesome presence and gentle rush of waves and layers of intense currant and black raspberry fruits – the same sense of presence that I normally would only get in DRC's wines, so this is clearly greatness in a glass. Continued on effortlessly, putting on more gentleness yet at the same time increased intensity, with complex spice and dark chocolate much later on with an ethereal weightlessness (95 points). A great, great wine, and an exemplary Musigny.

The next flight was prequeled by a bottle which AS intentionally served blind as an intermission before we move on to the next set of Musigny. Many of us got a dizzy spell once we nosed this wine – for both its aromatics and from the mess of trains of thoughts for guessing what this wine might be. There were hints of stalkiness here unlike the previous wines, with cool cherry liqueur nose. Quite delicate and pretty in the mouth, showing a clear and succulent minerality of Chambolle-Musigny's terroir which is often overlooked. Hints of licorice came on later, with a mildly bitter pit-fruit finish which I have come to associate with this producer ever since. Finished with a dustiness which I personally found a little too noticeable, giving an impression of four-squareness hence swaying my guess to the other grand cru, Bonnes Mares. The rest of the table loved this wine though, as it embodied a purity of the feminine charm that got them hooked into Burgundy in the first place. Unveiled to be 1998 Georges Roumier, Chambolle-Musigny "les Amoureuses" (92 points).

Now back to the second flight of wines already poured by this time. The 1998 Comte de Vogüé, Musigny Vielles Vignes was full blown with the tell-tale creamy cherries nose I always associate with the domaine's wine, with suggestions of mocha and brown spices interspersed among redolent raspberry fruits. A touch of toasty new wood was still noticeable but it was never disturbing. The palate was a direct continuation of the nose. Full, ripe and luscious, this wine was hard not to like. Notes of licorice, dark chocolates and plummy fruits emerged later. In spite of the late darker aromas and flavours, this wine's energy never stopped keeping it interesting. As impressive as it always has been (94 points).

I have often remarked that it is possible to know a great wine simply by the nose. Great wines always have an indescribably multidimensional fragrance that, irrespective of its origin and grape type, always manage to create that mix of ethereal fruits and head-spinning savour of flowers, herbs, confectioneries and other earthy notes. I call it simply: "The Nose".

Okay, to cut the long story short, the 1998 Jacques-Frederic Mugnier, Musigny has "The Nose". And it has it in spades: dense yet airy aromas mixing violets, soy, damp earth, crushed crystalline dark cherries... I only took one sniff at it and in two seconds exclaimed to everyone, "This has to be a GREAT wine!" In fact, I thought if I were denied taking a sip of it, I would be just as happy nosing this the whole night, I thought. Right? Well, let's just say that I'm glad I wasn't stupid enough to stop short there because the palate too was incredible. Sweet, cool, airy, totally weightless and like the essence of burgundy. The texture confirmed its greatness: utterly spherical, silky and weaving delicate inner mouth perfume. When tasting wine like this the usually study of a wine's finish becomes an irrelevant exercise because with such a seamless interlace of flavour and perfume in the mouth there is no full stop in the finish of this wine. I could smell and taste this wine long after I spat (or swallowed) it. A numbingly good wine (96 points).

After such a performance the 1998 Leroy, Musigny had a tough act to follow. The wine sported a classic Leroy nose of stalky flowers, dark raspberries and currants. Equally perfumed in the mouth this shot straight with honest sweetness and almost candied fruits. After aeration, this picked up more freshness and shed its initial stalky fragrance. Very persistently sweet with palate-staining weight. Though excellently made this never quite approached the ethereal height of Mugnier's genius of a version (93 points).

A few additions came on board at this point. So now we taste the "++" selection beyond the 1998 Moose...

A bottle of 1990 Comte Georges de Vogüé, Musigny Vielles Vignes was poured next. It had been reported that in spite of the excellent vintage, this iconic domaine failed to produce quality one would typically associate with its name and vineyard. Well, this bottle for what it's worth could not disprove the skeptics, myself included, tonight. The wine came across as somewhat abrasive and loosely held together. And while possessing good power, this had almost no sweetness of fruits. A combination of bad bottle and less-than-stellar vintage performance perhaps? (NOT RATED)

AP who rushed to join us after his dinner appointment was visibly disappointed by the lacklustre showing of the 1990 de Vogüé. Anyway, all of us concurred that we were still hungry, so we called for a large take-away portion of nasi goreng kambing (mutton fried rice). AP called his helper at home to pull out a bottle of 2001 Leroy, Musigny to deliver to the Miele House. We were busy chowing down deliciously savoury spoonfuls of the fried rice but a hush of murmurs instantly fell on the table as soon as the bottle arrived. AS told me once that Leroy's 2001 Musigny was one of the greatest young wines he had ever tasted and so I consider myself warned. Still I could not imagine how this may stack up against the brilliance of Mugnier's tonight.

My skepticism was very quickly dispelled. As soon as the wine was poured, an ethereal effusive fragrance was instantly release to overwhelm the olfactory. An even more airy perfume, with a complex flowery array of violets and rose petals, deeply pitched wild red fruits, incisive notes of minerality and earth so deftly etched in the whole package it felt like I was sniffing vapourised nectar of le Musigny. The taste was nothing short of mindbending too: intensely sweet with beguiling weightlessness, round and silky in texture, with incipient sappiness and illuminating acidity not discernible on the Mugnier's. The finish was once again irrelevant, but yes if it must be told, it was endless with a curiously mouthwatering citric lift at the very back end. Utterly and effortlessly sweet, in fact, sweeter than Mugnier's, something I thought would not be possible tonight. Totally pure and sensuous, this made me a believer of Leroy's genius at work once again. I looked at NP. He leaned back on his seat, transfixed and stared back at me with that "are-you-kidding-me-what-kind-of-wine-is-this" look. I think I could read his thoughts. I grinned back, and we both shook our head in unison. What an unreal wine (97 points)! And a perfect ending to yet another experience of a lifetime.

What can I say now but my big thank you to my Jakarta friends for staging this massive showdown and for inviting me to join in this occasion? I hope this little recollection would do the wines justice. Rest assured they were sipped with a gladful heart, a wanting palate, and a reverential respect for one of the greatest wines of them all: vive le Musigny!