Muga Reserva 2005

Tempranillo, Rioja Spain. Fresh raspberries and restrained oak on the nose. Silky texture - dark chocolate, blackcurrants, some oak in the background. Acids and tannins, both strong, but expertly judged - in harmony and balance. Mid to full bodied. Q a lengthy finish. Really nothing to fault, excellent from start to finish. Maybe more complexity in mid-palate would make this already great wine super. Fast becoming a big Rioja fan for its QPR (9.2/10).

Beaune Les Teurons 2004

1erCru Burgundy. Funny creature this wine - had it on 2 separate occasions weeks apart with 180 degree contrast. Earlier, the nose was invitingly cool, fruity and peppery. Good complexity and fine texture, a bit of roundness and fresh red fruit that prevents it from being austere. Mint, spice and fruit all in proportion - harmonious yet robust. Lingering finish. Easily high 8.0s.

Just 2 weeks later - highly alcoholic nose which didn't blow away, just a whiff of black fruit. Thin entry, builds a little to a peppery mid-palate, then hard astringency kicks in. Poured the whole thing into a decanter, but did not really improve over the evening. V short finish. Not sure if a long decant is the answer to the wild discrepency between the 2 tastings. Not rated.

La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza 2001

Tempranillo, Spain. The hallmark of traditional Rioja - the oak is well integrated and never overwhelming, aged and ready to drink. Warm candied nose w mint. Fresh raspberries, coffee powder and a touch of herbs making things interesting. Classy, balanced, well-judged. Tannins already resolved and velvety. Mid-bodied. Somehow reminded me of a good class Pomerol. Able to hold its own against wines 3x its price -QPR over the roof (9.3/10).

Wolf Blass Platinum Label 2006

Shiraz - Barossa, Australia. Platinum label Shiraz - the creme de la creme of the Wolf Blass' suite of wines, WB's 'Grange'. Nose of fresh raspberries mixed with oak - 50:50, alcohol v evident, still rather reductive (fr an Enomatic machine, may mean the machine is doing its job too well!). Plenty of minerals, with some black fruits. Weighty mid-palate, q polished. V imposing masculine structure - will no doubt age gracefully. A good wine for sure, but not outstanding. A bit underwhelming since this is the flagship label. Given its pricepoint (maybe half of Grange but still price of a good Medoc Super Second), QPR not fantastic (8.5/10).

Figeac 2008

St Emilion 1GCCB. Cab Franc dominated. Second time tasting this. Generous and complex nose - giving scents of oak, cake and blackfruits all harmoniously interplaying. Nice and open. Silky entry, then builds into a minty and fruity (red) mid-palate. Lush, mid-bodied. Finish still q tannic and bitter. Classy and balanced (8.8/10).

The Holy Trinity 2008

Grenache/ Shiraz/ Mourvedre blend, Barossa Australia. V forward wine, immediately delicious. Right from the cork pull, it's already open for business. Interesting nose of warm berries and a tad of minty, medicinal whiff...not bad. Pleasant entry, q rounded and v full-bodied. Texture is smooth and blackcurrant/ sour plums dominate the palate. Finish is warm and satisfying. Not much complexity or transition between entry/ mid palate/ finish, otherwise it'd be a great wine. Nonetheless, excellent value at its price point of around S$70 (US$55). An unpretentious and solid effort (8.3/10).

Does Money Speak Louder Than Heritage?

Ch Lafite has started putting a Chinese character of 'Eight' on its bottle, and in Red (Chinese auspicious colour) no less. Where has its soul gone? - Its centuries of heritage and fine wine making the French way. Just because the China contingent is responsible for pushing its price up 300% in the last 4 years does not mean it should sell out like this. What's next? LV with Chinese monograms? Mercedes with "Fa" (get rich) bodykits? Absurd.

Tommasi Ripasso 2009

Italy, Corvina Veronese/ Rondinella/ Corvinone blend. Interesting & different grape varieties to try. "Ripasso", I learnt, meant deliberate over-exposing the wine to grape skins for greater intensity. Despite this, colour is q light in a shade of ruby, can easily see through the glass. Smell is v attractive and intoxicating - smoky intense black fruits. On the palate, tobacco, dark chocolate interlaced w pronouced sour cherries. Q balanced and can see the structure. Finish is q mild relative to its other masculine traits. A v forward wine - 2009 and its already drinking beautifully. Good QPR (8.5/10).

Cono Sur Reserva 2008

Chile, Merlot. Wanted to pull a btl from my stash for a company event but was told BYO 'discouraged' due to venue corkage charges. Everyone had to put up w this venue-endorsed wine. Smells horribly artificial and plasticky, like someone just burnt a plastic bag or some volatile acids/ alkaline solution in a science lab. The palate didn't turn out much better either, with out of balance acids and no structure at all. Some pittance fruit. All over the place but to its credit not bad enough to be off-putting (5.9/10). If this is the Reserva, can't imagine what the entry wine tastes like. Tons of good value Chileans around and they chose this.

Le Petit Cheval 2006

2nd wine of Ch Cheval Blanc, St Emilion 1GCCA. Almost wholly Cab Franc. Very tight initially, but once it opened up it sings. Sweet, honeyed bouquet, v inviting. Complex web of warm raspberries, crushed black fruits (currants, plums), mint, polished tannins peppered w Asian spices and long long finish. Supreme breeding, posh and silky. Kaleidoscope of flavors are dancing in the mouth - v complex. Youthful and needs air but unmistakably an aristocrat (9.5/10).

Les Allees de Cantemerle 2007

2nd wine of Ch Cantemerle, Haut Medoc 5GCC. A mediocre vintage and it shows. A v light weight wine compared to the '05 previously tasted. None of the lush mouthcoating tannins and seriousnessof the 'o5. Some ash/ dried leaves aroma and palate is watery although it gained some weight after some time in the glass. Weak structure. Finish is decent but ends q abruptly. Just an okay 'dinner wine', nothing more (7.3/10)

Pichon-Longueville Baron 2005

Pauillac 2GCC. This wine seem pretty shut down at this stage in terms of both nose and palate. A bit of mineral scent. Flavour profile is pretty tight, earthy, stony but some promising complexity peeking. If tasted blind, I'd thought it's a wine a third of its S$200 (US$160) price, poor QPR. But raving reviews all round and it's a super vintage, so might just be in a dumb phase right now (8.2/10). (Photo borrowed fr '04 vintage)

Running with Bulls 2010

Australia Tempranillo. With a name like that, you know you have an Aussie wine. How would the royal grape of Spain perform down under? Not fantastic I'm afraid. Distinct tempranillo scent of incense and a hot alcoholic nose hits you on first sniff, not sublime or interesting. Structure and acids are all over the place, some blackcurrants peeking through but overwhelmed by the plucky tannins and astringency . Saving grace - grew rounder w air, q enjoyable texture and finish was not too bad. Went well w rack of ribs in a Brisbane joint, but credit goes to the excellent ribs. Definitely need food (7.0/10).

Lascombes 2005

Margaux 2GCC. Revisiting this btl to see how it's developing since last tasting a year back. Nose is even lovelier than I remembered - bursting at the rim w amazing aromatics of violets and fresh red fruits, not green or shy at all. It wows you even before you taste a drop. Just on the bouquet alone easily>9.0. The palate has gained weight since last tasted, more rounded and substantial now, althou still relatively light-bodied. Plummy overtones. Tannins still stubbornly bitter. Rather short finish. A great vintage, but only a good wine (8.5/10).

Beausejour Duffau 2008

St Emilion 1GCCB. V expressive nose! Crushed berries, open and accessible. Palate is complex, evolving and has a good grip. Ample fruit and some tobacco flavors giving nice dimensions. Finish is smooth but not as impressive...tapers off gently. Good wine (8.5/10)

Clos Fourtet 2008

St Emilion 1GCCB. Stony, gravelly nose. Nothing much happening, just faint vegetal aromas. V bitter and harsh tannins in the mouth. Q rustic and mouth puckering astringency makes it hard to enjoy...at least for now. Chunky (6.8/10) Note the generous RP92 rating, indeed that good on release or did the wine shut down after bottling?

Renard 2006

AOC Fronsac. Rather cool and agreeable nose of red berries interlaced w mint. In the mouth, sour plums, black tea theme and a tad astringent. Light bodied. A neat frame of tannins already q resolved. Not bad. However, finish is v abrupt. Not shabby but not a repeat purchase either (7.1/10).

Tinto Pesquera 2008

Castile, Spain. Caveat - this is an old review based on memory as I consumed this wine a while back. The nose has decidedly musky, woody, even animal aromas that need getting used to, much less enjoy, becos of the 100% Tempranillo grape? Not enough experience w Spanish wines to comment. For visuals, the colour is in a pinot noir shade of ruby. It is more enjoyable on the palate, presenting robust fruit and wood flavours yet have enough old world restrain not to mistake it for an Aussie red. This is definitely a well-made wine, but I just can't appreciate the gamey nose (7.5/10).

Beychevelle 2008

St Julien 4GCC. An agreeable light and floral nose. The palate is q acidic thou and the tannic struture is also all upfront, and overwhemingly so. Q difficult to enjoy at this moment but can detect the pedigree within (7.8/10).

About the Ratings.....

Unfortunately, there're accusations flying that scores contributed from this blog are 'screwing up the points system' (downwards) in a popular review website. What I can say is, the ratings here are admittedly stricter than the Parker scale, but only so that true 'star' wines are rated 90+ pointers. Don't want to end up w a 'Parker problem'...too many wines rated in the tight range of 85-95 and pretty average wines scoring 80+ out of politeness than anything IMO (70s is 'bad' in Parker-speak).

Overall, my scoring has a wider range:
'Bad to Average' - 5.0-6.9
'Good' -7.0-7.9
'Excellent' - 8.0-8.9
'Stars' - 9.0-10

I reckon this scale is around -5 to -8 fr the Parker scale. Hope no more 'complaints' arise and if they do, I'd urge them to simply just ignore this site & its ratings...and let live.

Clinet 2008

Pomerol AOC. Always one of my favorite Ch. An open nose - leathery, meaty rather than fruit-based, but not in a bad way. On the palate it has some hedonistic elements- v rounded, lush mouthfeel. A tug-of-war going on between the fruitiness that Merlot provides and a very masculine (and bitter) tannic structure, giving the wine much complexity and potential. Assertive finish. Not ready yet, this one is for the long haul (8.7/10). PS: You can literally see how young the wine is fr the dark inky purple drip stain on the label.

Croix de Beaucaillou 2005

2nd wine of Ch Ducru Beaucaillou, St Julien 2GCC. From a blockbuster vintage, expected alot. Nose needs a fair bit of coaxing to open up just so slightly after 20 mins - overtones of earth, forest floor, greens w just a hint of the signature fruitcake scent. Q restrained. V thin entry on the palate, but fortunately builds up quickly into a peppery and complex mid-palate. Good grip. Satisfying and long, albeit slightly bitter finish. Expected a more full bodied wine for '05...this tastes like a '07 esp of Ducru's pedigree (8.0/10)

Le Bon Pasteur 2004

Pomerol AOC. A pleasing affair for all senses. Honey and warm fruitcake on the nose. Sweet and mouthcoating texture carassing the palate. Easy to appreciate. Rounded, soft & mid-bodied. An extremely well made claret in all dimensions - honeyed nose, warm cherries on palate and smooth easy finish, yet not a simple wine w secondary naunces in development. Some bitter tannins at the end. This is the Merlot grape showing its magic at this young age. Solid PQR (8.8/10).

La Conseillante 2008

AOC Pomerol. One of the big and important names of the Right bank. Really amazing nose - fruity, minty, grassy all interplaying and flirting w your senses....V fresh and complex. Bodes well. The minty flavors continue onto the palate. Refinement and balance are the dominant themes. Smooth, carefully calibrated mouthfeel but some bitter tannins kicked in at the end, showing its youth. Long, satisfying finish that lingers on (9.0/10).
(Photo courtesy of snooth.com)

Berthenon 2008

AOC Premieres Cotes de Blaye. Not enjoyable at all. Astringency overpowers all other naunces. V light weight and even 'watery'. No roundness or body. Just the barest hint of fruit in the background, certainly not enough to make it a wine I would pay any money for (6.0/10). Just a very fancy metallic label to trick casual drinkers into purchase.

Terra Rosa 2006

Argentina Malbec. Big fan of this variant - almost always a forwardly fruity and hedonistic experience w Argentine Malbecs and this specimen is no exception. Blackcurrant notes diffuses generously from the glass upon pouring, not much swirling, air or coaxing required. Enjoyable from the onset. V smooth entry. Tannic backbone is there but not overwhelming. Acids in check. Plenty of black fruits and liquorice. Heavy and dense. An enjoyable, measured finish at the end. Label says 'from old vines' and this may well have contributed to the polish. Well made and excellent QPR (8.3/10). (Picked this and another bottle up from a lineup of >50 wines on tasting and sale).

Montrose 1997

St Estephe 2GCC. A supposedly diluted vintage in Bordeaux, but boy did the oenologist overcome the odds w great winemaking. Light orange brick colour indicative of age. Silky entry that builds up into a surprisingly powerful mid-palate. Substantial, assertive and weighty, but all in a classy sort of way. Traditional style w touch of austerity. Still v tannic w lots of life left in it. V fine tannins, almost powdery sendiments. Even after more than a decade of bottle age, still v forceful and impressive. Indeed the 'Latour of St Estephe' (9.0/10).

Montessu 2006

Italy. Started off ordinary enough, but after 30 mins in the glass, develops into an impressive drink. Rounded, full bodied and intense blackcurrants dancing on the palate, an extremely well-made wine. An excellent dinner wine and showing some class and polish (8.0/10)

Aramis 2006

Australia Cab Sauv. Upon uncorking, immediately and eagerly releases an attractive bouquet of intense blackcurrants, v promising start. Smooth upon entry and rounded. Fruit is abundant. V good impression until that point, then an acidity imbalance abruptly kicks in at the last third of the palate. V strong acid killing off the impressive nose, entry and mid-palate. Pity. But still definitely a good dinner wine (7.5/10)

Branaire Ducru 2002

St Julien 4GCC. Nothing much happening here, should have decanted for a few hours. V closed nose, just a whiff of oak and cabernet. Swirling does not yield much more. On the palate slightly better, tannins are smooth and acid in check, but still struggling to find the fruit. Based on the good reviews for this wine, it might just be in a dumb phase at this moment. However, polished tannins and silky mouthfeel is promising (7.6/10).

du Carpis 2007

Bordeaux AOC. Always wary when I see grape varieties being listed on a French bottle - blatant departure from Bordeaux labelling norms and almost always a certain sign that this is catered to non-discerning drinkers who "just want something French". Spot on this time. Sour, watery and acidity all crazily out of balance. To me this is barely wine (5.0/10). Oz Clarke commented that top Bordeaux can be the world's most powerful and seductive wines yet there are hundreds of chateaux riding on the Bordeaux brand name and churning out amazingly mediocre and overpriced wines. A case in point.

Monbousquet 2001

St Emilion GCC (since '06 - before, GC). Before we lose the plot w too many New World reviews, let's get back to our old favs. Nose is a bit shy but just open enough not to be austere - restrained fruit and oak. Palate, on the other hand, is a powerhouse. Assertive attack w very intense dark fruits, bursting into firework of flavours - berries, floral, scorched earth, everything! V intense and pure elements inter-playing, builds up onto a towering mid-palate. Just when it was about to get too jammy, it pulls back beautifully w some discreet spice and lushness. Satisfying long finish. Been a while since I'm this won over by a wine, it must be Bordeaux (9.2/10). Beg to differ from critics of G Perse that his wines are too modern, too extracted - there're still Old World complexity and class to be found in this wine. Definitely not just a brash fruit bomb.

Beringer 2008

California Napa Cab Sauv. Another middle-of-the road wine. The nose is unrelentingly tight. The bottle should be sufficiently areated since many other guests have poured the bottle and my glass was from the bottom third. Vigourous swirling only yielded a hint of black fruits and tar. The mouth is surprisingly rounded and smooth but again not much fruit - what you might call 'elegant' in Bordeaux-speak. No obtrusive tannins or acid, but neither were there much complexity nor weight to impress. Just a decent dinner wine (7.0/10).

G.H. Mumm

Champagne, non-vintage. This is the stuff that F1 Podium winners splash on each other instead of drinking. Understandably....for me. Never a fan of whites and bubbly, this is just lemonly, fizzy alchoholic soda. Not that enjoyable but the bubbles do send the alcohol to your head pretty quickly. No scoring for whites.

Judas 2006

Argentina Malbec. A beauty! Was sceptical as always w the avante garde label but it proved unfounded. Dark, brooding deep purple colour. The nose was still q tight - only some fruity notes peeking, a pity. In the mouth, excellent mouthfill with its roundness and lush texture. Fruitcake and confectionary flavours interlaced w spice coating your palate. Opulent. The extraction and intensity is superb, although there was some slight bitter tannic notes. Would be a 90 pointer if Nose was as alluring (8.2/10). However, at this price point (S$90, US$75), it's way beyond what I'd be willing to pay for a S American wine no matter how tempting.

Duette 2008

Chile Cab Sauv-Carmenere blend. Fresh cut grass on the nose - green, under riped but not in an off-putting way. Despite the greenness in scent, the entry is strong and the mid-palate throws up good, moderately complex fruits. A v full-bodied, heavy wine which turns bitterly tannic towards the end. A v abrupt finish costing it some points (6.9/10)

Rust en Vrede 2007

South Africa Shiraz. Deep purple hue. Immediately accessible nose - deep dark fruits powering through. Mascular and alcoholic. Likewise on the palate, a textbook New World red - overripe, heavily-oaked and over powering flavours of black fruits and scorched earth. Big, tannic and viscous wine w long, assertive finish. Obvious appeal but overdone for my taste. Where are the finesse and secondary flavours? (7.9/10).

Pasamonte Rebel.lia 2008

Spain. Was offered this - think the grape was garnacha. At first glance, the traditionalist in me was already v sceptical w the upside-down funky label. The colour looked surpisingly aged for 2008, or maybe it's the grape. First whiff was greeted by obvious funk I find common in Spanish and Chateauaneuf wines, dislikable. But the palate was not as bad, q rounded w a bit of spice, but overwhemling astringency kicks in at the end. No go - As the label says, I'm rebeling against this (6.7/10).

Laurel Glen Counterpoint 2005

California Cab Sauv. This comes highly recommended, but for me, it's simply too big, too brash. Extremely dense and spicy, leaves no room for the imagination, just burly New World power at its worst. Some odd medicinal flavours coming in at the tail end. The long finish, is however, enjoyable. Buy this for dinner parties where the subtleties of a great Red will be wasted on the indifferent guests who are happier w fruit and spice bombs....and save your GCCs for a more appreciative audience (7.2/10).

Alter Ego 2006

2nd Wine of Ch Palmer, 3GCC Margaux. Aromatically one of the most generous and seductive wines I've come across - living up to Palmer name. Intense confectionary and floral notes w hint of oak - evolving and complex. Silky mouthfeel going for 'elegance' rather than power or density. Light bodied w a hint of spice and still v tannic. Some complexity to keep it interesting. Short finish. Feminine. Typical Margaux - always impressive on the nose, but too thin on the palate for me (8.0/10).

Terrazas Malbec 2008

Argentina Malbec. Ordered in an Indian restaurant hence thought it'd be a stronger wine in that context (trusted the restaurant to 'pre-pair' their wines w menu). But what came was a rather mellow medium-bodied Malbec. Nose was attractive w carrassing warm rich berry scents - v good and promising. On the palate, not as full as I expected from an Argentine Malbec, mouthfeel more like Cab Sauv in a cool year - quite atypical. But roundness improved a bit in the glass, however it never became assertive enough and was easily overwhelmed by the Indian food we had. Acidity also noticeably out of balance. Moderately enjoyable wine for S$80 (US$60+). Will not pay more than $35 retail for it (7.5/10).

Clos des Prince 2001

St Emilion GC. Q a solid right banker - it has all the textbook Bordeaux elements - tannic backbone w a touch of fruit. Not your usual New World fruit bombs. Still dark garnet in colour despite a decade of bottle age. Nose is adequately open - w weak scent of warm berries. Rounded palate, q enjoyable, even trying to impress w some complexity peeking through at the end but not enough to make it great. Finishes off with a ok length. Not a powerhouse but definitely a decent wine for a decent price (7.7/10).

Les Allees de Cantemerle 2005

2nd wine of Ch Cantemerle, Haut Medoc 5GCC. 2005 is a celebrated Bordeaux vintage and it shows. Remarkably expressive nose of dark fruits, although some obtrusive alcohol still evident. In the mouth, attack is intense followed by a rounded texture that is mouth-coating w overtones of sweet blackcurrants. Tannins and acid in check. Keeps building in the mouth and complexity kicking in after 5 secs. A big wine. Powering towards an enormous 15 sec finish. Great value - the Grand Vin should easily at least be 3GCC quality (8.7/10).

Chasse Spleen 2008

Moulis AOC. In the same vein as Sociendo Mallet, Siran, etc. - Performing at GCC level although officially unclassified. Second experiece with the CS 2008, first being at UGC tasting earlier this year. Nose of restrained berries and some cool floral elements. Q austere at first in the mouth, but develops roundness and complexity in the mouth. Medium body Acid, tannins and fruit all in great balance, only slightly bitter tannins at finish. V forward wine, only 3 years old and it's already enjoyable, may be the 50% Merlot that's responsible. Cru Classe standard as popularly asserted? Definitely, easily a 4GCC in quality (8.3/10).

Kaiken Ultra 2006

Mendoza, Argentina Cab Sauv. Dabbling again in the New World. This is an okay specimen, nowhere near great. Very youthful deep purple color. V dense when swirled in the glass, thick legs. First whiff overwhelming alcohol, this remained dominant until the last galss where some black fruits began to peek. Very strong on the palate, to the point of overpowering. Brute tannins dominant, although there are attractive black fruit components in the background. Strong but unrefined finish. Unbalanced and over extracted but still defnitely superior to your everyday supermarket variety (7.3/10).

Separately, my experience w S American & Australian wines has been terrible headaches the day after, even if only a moderate quantity is consumed. Was told it was due to too much sulphites added? Don't seem to have the same nasty experience w good Bordeaux btls....

Pichon-Longueville Baron 2004

Pauillac 2GCC. Bordeaux aristocrat - a 'super second'. Popped and poured - big mistake. Nose is still closed, with only subtle hints of fruits and damp earth. Throughout the night, the nose and palate kept improving steadily from areation - should've given it a min 3 hour decant. In the mouth, very polished tannins and dominant spice. This evolved into nice, rounded creaminess w spicy elements receding to a subtle hint after 2 hours. Black fruits start to surface by the last glass. Tannins are still obvious yet v polished. It's a very classic and complex wine, but should be outstanding if given more air or bottle age. A pity (8.7/10).

Fonroque 1998

St Emilion GCC. Always game to try an obscure label like this. Very dark ruby color not indicative of its bottle age. Rather closed nose - Wet stones. Palate is q thin, but with the 'aged cabernet sauv' taste I favour (although it's primarily Merlot based). I think this is slightly over the hill, the fruit is gone, but still a decent specimen w no offending funk or tannins (7.4/10)

de Fonbel 2006

St Emilion GC. From a half bottle. Colour is still opaque because of youth. Nose is surprising alluring and open - crushed black cherries w some minty naunces. In the mouth, smooth, silky tannins with some fruits. Some acid and bitterness at the end costing it some points. Overall, an elegant and classic Right banker. Good, but some complexity and weight will make it great (8.2/10).

Equus Cab Sauv 2006

Chile. Great new world cab sauv. Very easy to enjoy - Dark purple hue, viscous and dense. Strong (but not complex) aromas of black fruits and lots of alcohol. Sign of youthfulness. Very rounded and full bodied in the mouth with a strong finish. Enjoyable, but quite one dimensional (7.5/10).

Peyre Lebade 2004

Haut Medoc Cru Bourgeois. Passable wine from a passable vintage. Bouquet of mature cabernet, cedar scented but not too strong. Good mouthfeel but could be rounder. Tannins already resolved. More earthy than fruity but still enjoyable. A typical middle of the road, mature Bordeaux (7.6/10) .

Rauzan Segla 2004

Margaux 2GCC. A reputable 'super second'. Killer nose - open and superb nose of berries and violets opening up effortlessly. A Marguax indeed! The style is elegant with subtle balance of acid, red fruits and silky tannins- feminine. Finish is rather short. I personally would prefer a more robust wine, but this wine is gunning for harmony rather than extraction and fruit (8.1/10).