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.