2005 Chateau Cana Cote de Bourg

2005 Chateau Cana, Cotes de Bourg, Bordeaux, France

This wine is tasted with  my buddy in Hong Kong, Edmund Liew and Stephanie. Quite an interesting wine with powerful body and tannins, get to know this wine from a Iberico restaurant (OLALA) owner Mr. Chow, it was a  honour to drink it with him and the best thing is it's in the house!  Chateau Cana is a joint venture form a Chinese owner and a French winemaker. In dealing with french terroir and winemaking technique,  the wine is a symbol of partnership and modern wine market needs.  The best part of this wine is they serves us in 2 ways, 1 in the glass being poured from the bottle and the other way is Mr.Chow style, where he recorked back the bottle and shake it upside down for a few seconds. He claimed that its better in taste and aromas! I dont know whether it really works but this wine is really good with Iberico hams... plummy character with high intensity and structure tannins. Very good particularly in expression of its Cabernet Franc characteristic. Excellent to be drink with good food ( meat).

tasted in 5 November 2010 in OLALA Restaurant Hong Kong- Han

1985 Chateau Haut Brion

Chateau Haut Brion 1985

It was the year I was borned! and I'm drinking it yesterday! I was born in 1985 November 14, so it was quite memorable to have the wine with the same year.
Leather touch and meaty notes of flavors, it feels like you are drinking a meal, supple tannins surprisingly, but lacking in the nose. Plum flavors and starting to lose its color already. Persistent finish and longevity, its a wine on its own class! Perfect!

Han- 14 Nov 2010

2002 Bodegas Y Vinedos Vega Sicilia Tinto Valbuena 5

Tinto Valbuena no 5
 Yes this is from Bodega Vega Sicilia, Spain, a 100% Tempranillo, matured in oak for at least 18 months before release, I remembered a tasting hosted by the winemaker itself in Hilton Kulala Lumpur few months back, there's a tasting on this wine but vintages is 2004, and we do tasted some flagship wine from the Bodega and also its Pintia and Alion.  I personally prefer Alion  the most!

Tinta Valbuena has a very plummy character and its denominates a oakiness in its nose and palates. vanilla and cigar box in the second nose and in the palates, its smooth and silky tannins with touch of mineral. Medium plus body with plum and vanilla oakiness contibutes to quite a long finish.  Bodega Vega Sicilia sets a benchmark for wines in Ribera del Duero! Salute!  wine tasted on 8 Oct 2010- Han

~Les Forts de Latour 2005~

Les Forts De Latour 2005 ( second wine of Chateau Latour)

Its not easy to become a second wine! You must have the guts, the talent and the finesse.  This wine being the second wine of Chateau Latour( 1st Growth in 1855 Bordeaux Classification)  has its depth and finesse and I can say that this is the best second wine amongst the rest of the second wine from the first growth. This is also the door for you to try Pauillac or Chateau Latour in an afforable way!
2005 is a very big and good vintage in Bordeaux especially in Pauillac and St Julien.  The wine here has a very dark red color (potential ageing for another 10 years), gives a very aromatic blackcurrant notes with cassis,eucalyptus cigar box notes and deep espresson of minerality. The palates shows a very tannic and a med plus body with plum, mineral a lingering spice and end with a very long finish. this is very complex and interesting wine to be drunk with meal (barbeque stuff).  93/100 Han  wine tasted on 3 Oct 2010

Gaja Spress Barolo 2005

Gaja Spress Barolo 2005
It might be still young to be drunk, but my customer insisited to drink it, so after 30 mins of decanting, the wines starts to shows its potential, plum, cassis, capsicum, raspberry, minearity touch with a scent of rose floral. secondary nose is cigar wood box and touch sweet spice. A very complex nose and a high vicosity wine. On the palate, expression of mineral and oaks, red fruit character as mention burst in the palate with a medium plus tannins end with a very long finishing.

Best to drink with a meal, preferably meat with high marbling score. meant to be drunk for another 5 to 8 years. - HAN ( tested on 13 september 2010)

Chateau Malartic Lagraviere 2003

Chateau Malartic Lagraviere 2003

An old and historic place for wine?

Malartic is in remembrance of a governor of Ile de France which known as Mauritius today.

Tasting notes:

Dark red in color with plum and cassis strike to nose on first sniff, secondary nose of capsicum , cigar box and fresh earth. The palate offers ample tannins( quite youth) with sweet spice and dark fruit characters stay on your palate before finish with an oaky touch. This could be attractive and nice to drink with a meal with red meat now or 3 more years...

tasted today 07 September 2010- Han

Cuisine and Wine Asia Magazine

Oremus Tokaji 5 Puttonyos 2000

Oremus Tokaji 5 Puttonyos

Sweet Indulgence!

This coppermine gold wine came from the east:- Hungary

they claimed it as the wine for the king and the king of sweet wine!

With exciting nose of sweet fruits, it brings out some oxidation and orange marmalade character. honey and dried apricots are the common in this particular dessert wines. Once you drink it with dessert( make sure your dessert is sweet enough), your palate will lingers with sweet ripe fruits liquid and a soft touch of ginger. Very promising body and length and its so easy to drink!

Having it lingers in my mouth for couple of minutes in 22nd August 2010- Han

Armand Rousseau Clos St Jacques Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru

Armand Rousseau, Clos St. Jacques, Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru 1996

Premier Cru at Grand Cru quality and price!

the silky texture and bundles of flower and strawberries fruit lingering in your nose and palate. Surprisingly the wine has a persistent body and silky tannnins that you can feel its tackle trough your throat once you drink it. Fantastic wine just like a lady in a glass!

Chateau Petrus 1964~~

Chateau Petrus 1964

The KING of Pomerol!

I dont have the chance to try this but Ibelieve this is the dream of every person to drink this! highly priced and classified as the best in Pomerol, it is the wine of a lifetime!

Chateau Pichon Lalande 1996

~Chateau Pichon Lalande 1996~

2nd Growth of Pauillac Bordeaux 1855 Classification

despite an average vintage of Bordeaux(1996) the wines shows a stunning tannis and juicy fruits in the palate. Plum, cassis, leather, oakiness are found on the notes and it shows a woddy tannins and medium plus finish.

Domaine Jean Louis Chave Hermitage 2001

Domaine Jean Louis Chave Hermitage 2001

Family owns JL Chave no doubts the best syrah in the Rhone region!

This 2001 has a lively deep purple color, very promising color in depth.

a plush of sweet fruits and spice on the nose, with herbaceous notes in dominant. it also shows a cigar box nose in the second nose. the palate consists of sweet cherry and sweet spice like cinnamon and clove. a lingering finish with a succulent tannins.

definetly a wine with game and red meats. to be adventure with charendais duck from france.

Chateau Langoa Barton 2001

Chateau Langoa Barton 2001

this family owns chateau has a different taste from its sister property, Leoville'.

Granted 3rd growth from Bordeaux 1855 Classification, it derives a fruity and plumpy wines with firm tannins and promising finish. first notes on the wines is dark fruit character, blueberry,jammy, second nose is herbal like texture with predominantly cinnamon and capsicum.

the palate has a strong tannins and dark fruits punch with plenty vanilla oaks. strong finish and recommend to be drink with meats.

~Chateau Trotanoy 2004~

~Chateau trotanoy 2004~

Vibrant and young red with full potential to age.

it has a deep purple color, violet notes on the nose with aromas of pepper and spice and obvious oak. On the palate is full of dark plum character, cassis bunches of blackcurrant juices, astringency and a very long and lively finish.

An espression for the typical wines from Pomerol.

~Comte Lafon Meursault 1999~

Domaine des Comte Lafon Meursault 1999

A rich and creamy Chardonnay!

golden yellow in color with a nutty and vanilla aromas, this wine is best with any cheese ( except blue cheese?) the oakiness of the wine mellows the acid in the Chardonnay, is a round and creamy style with a toast flavors, vanilla, hazelnut, walnut and groundnut characters. a persistent body and superb finish.

Meursault is part of Burgundy and anything falls under this appelation must have a oak influence in its wine to fit the appelation( unlike chablis which is not oak ageing).

recommend to drink this wine now or 5 years from now.

~Dujac Vosne Romanee les Beaumonts 1er Cru 2000~

Domaine Dujac Les Beaumonts 1er Cru Vosne Romanne

Beautiful Pinot with seductive aromas!

The color is red with a rose hue, it is lively and brilliantly clear.

The first nose reminds the exotic flowers bouquet, second nose is pungent with light red fruits, a ripe strawberry notes, fresh blossom scents and cherry. there is a touch of bay leaves and a vanilla scents.

Dujac will never let you dissapointed with his Pinot, the palate is full with red fruits aromas, touch of fine acid balance with a medium bodied alcohol and I could find a sweetness in the end of the palate. A very interesting wine to be drink it with fruits and a roasted duck!

~Chateau Palmer 1989

Chateau Palmer 1989

tasted on 26 March 2010

the color reminds me of the discolored red rose,pale red turning to brown with onion skin hue. the nose has a ripe red fruit flavors, indicates a very warm year, blackcurrant, cherry fruit a touch of vanilla, cedar wood, wineleaf and mineral.
the palate shows a elegant style of left bank bordeaux, margaux has the most elegant amongst all, medium palate, soft tannins with ripe fruits flavor that brings a little sweetness in the finish.
good to enjoy now!

~Cilantro restaurant~

Chateau Lascombes 2000

Chateau Lascombes 2000

tested on 24 february 2010

The color of this wine is really intense and leading to a ruby red hue, vicosity is high probably the wine is ripe enough to offer a high alcohol volume.

deep brilliant purple with hint of herbacous notes, ripe berries flavor, oak and liquorice. on the palate was a firm tannins with a touch of acidity, a sign of value to store for another 5 years or more. a long finish and ripe fruits flavor.

(acidity is the backbone for the wine to be mature in the bottle for longer period and this also contibute to sendiments in the bottle which will settle in the bottom of the bottle in time)

chateau lascombes has a winemaker tradition to mature its wine in 100% new oak for 18 to 24 months. this contribute to the silky texture and vanilla flavours which found in younger vintages.

hunger for more wine

han

~Cos D Estournel 1990~

Chateau Cos D Estournel 1990

I was surprised by its deep purple color(must be a very big vintage)- full currant aromas, blackberries,touch of herbacous with minerality hint. taste full bodied with presence of tannins and touch of acidity. finishing was long. still consider to be young and may be enjoy for another 5 to 8 years.

vins tatsted on 24/02/2010

han~

Chateau L'Angelus 1989

~Chateau L'Angelus 1989

St Emilion Premier grand cru classé B

tested on 13 Feb 2009

garnet red on color, blackcurrant, plum, cassis in dominant, herbs like clove and cinnamon, oaky touch with soft minerality probably because of ancient sand soils, the finishing is long with a mellow tannins. pretty good, 9/10

sommelier- han

2002 Jean Jacques Confuron Chambolle Musigny

Young and lively Pinot!

Lively vibrant red with red fruits predominantly, cherry, strawberry, a touch of fresh herbs. lighter body with a touch of acidity and red currants and strawberry, it was like drinking grape juice! can say no tannins was detacted and the wine was tested 29 Dec 2008.

working for wine- han~

~hola, I'm han blogging on wines that I had tried and just my little personal opinion on wines which i might think it is good to drink, some say not, but what i want to say is wine is a very subjective things, people have different preferences.