Chateau De Panigon, 2011

AOC: Cru Bourgeois, Medoc, Bordeaux
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot 

Color: ruby color

Aroma: medium+, mixture of red fruit and black currant, medium perfume from Merlot, some mineral

Palate: clearly need some decantage, austere and mineral taste only right after opening, after 1 hour of decantage, red fruit from Merlot jump out of the glass (Merlot dominant), some mineral and black currant as well, taste like a 50% 50% Cab and Merlot blend, consider the 2011 is not a very good vintage, this is an easy drinking, classic style (left bank), everyday Bordeaux wine. Not Bad!

Chateau D' Aqueria Tavel Rose, 2013

AOC: Tavel, Rhone 

Variety: Grenache, Syrah, Clairette

年夜飯決定吃小火鍋, 還沒想要買什麼火鍋料馬上就開始想要喝什麼葡萄酒來marriage, 因為火鍋打算用清淡的昆布高湯做底, 馬上想到的其實是 Sauvignon Blanc或 Chardonnay, 但 Annice表示想喝 Rose, 紅色也剛好應景農曆年, 吉祥吉祥, 就帶著 Annice 到 sherry-lehmann找店裏一位看似高手的小光頭推薦, 當我說出大概 $30 左右的 Rose 後, 小光頭毫不猶豫地推薦了這支. 

做完功課後首先應該說說這個 Tavel AOC (河左岸), 它在有名的教皇新堡 Chateau-du-Pape 村(河右岸)的對岸, 隔著 Rhone River 相望, 特別之處在於, 這個 Tavel AOC 只生產 Rose 一種酒, no red, no white, Rose only, 這區所生產的 Rose 通常有較高的 body 和 structure, 不難想像離教皇新堡這麼近, Tavel 用的葡萄也以 Grenache, Cinsault 和 Syrah 為主, Tavel 的 Rose 也是少數有 aging 價值的 Rose, 這個區曾經受到 西班牙國王菲利浦四世和法國路易十四的高度推崇 " The only good wine in the world"

說了這麼多, 結果酒是在大同電鍋旁邊開的

Color: light ruby color to a little 琥珀色 

Aroma: Intense red fruit 混著白酒那種 crispy的酸味感覺, 複雜性蠻高的, 很清爽

Palate: 這可以算是我第一次喝 Rose, Grenache 的甜味! 想不到在 Rose裡面, Grenache 糖果般的甜味還是可以很明顯, 有一種在喝用過濾器把 body 濾掉的教皇新堡的感覺, 加上白酒的酸味和 mineral, 味道複雜性很高, 紅葡萄也軟化了一般白葡萄酒那種非常 crispy, 堅硬的感覺, Grenache 始終給我一種溫暖感, 算是非常容易喝, 好喝的酒!

marriage 的部分,  酒完全不影響湯的味道, 甚至讓湯頭變甜, 但喝完湯再喝酒, 有的時候會突顯 一種不討喜的 mineral 和 crispy, 也有一點腥味從湯裡被放大出來, 不能算是完美的 marriage, 紅葡萄跟大海果然是絕緣體嗎? 火鍋該配什麼葡萄酒, 還得再找找了 

Vosne-Romanee Village "Les Chaladins", Domaine R. Dubois & Fils, 2010

AOC: Vosne-Romanee Village, Cote de Nuits, Burgundy
Variety: Pinot Noir

Color: ruby color to purple hue
Aroma: very delicate and concentrated strawberry and raspberry aroma, plus a little spring flower and perfume.  
Palate: dominated by raspberry, concentration is there, with adequate mineral and earth, bright acidity, a little musk (抹布味?) a wine that is more impressive by its aroma than on palate.

Chateau Ormes de Pez, 2007

AOC: Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, Saint-Estephe, Bordeaux

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

會注意到這支酒, 是因為神之水滴裡有出現, 然後好奇 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel 喝起來如何, 所以到 Sherry-Lehmann 搬回家

Color: 雖然已是 8 年的酒, 仍顯得年輕, Ruby Color

Aroma: 很溫柔的香氣, 但有蠻強的穿透力, 溫柔的黑果實加上野花香, 除了 Hault Selve 以外又在 Cab 裡感受到花香, 很不錯的香氣! 醒酒放著時一直飄散出來, 完全同意漫畫裡的描述

Palate: 剛打開很明顯的味道沒有出來, 醒完之後, background 的 黑色果實, 口感帶著一些透明和高級感, medium+ body, medium+ tannin, 整體而言, 這是一支偏 dry 的酒, 帶點 austere, 果實甜味只偶在 background 出現, 但還算扎實, 不知是否是 Saint-Estephe 的特色, 這支給我既有男性的力道, 又有女性的溫柔的印象, 它不能算是我喜歡的酒, 但也沒什麼會令人討厭的地方, 喝完身體暖暖蠻舒服的, 不知這是否就是亞樹直所感受到的?

           

Cooper Hill Pinot Noir, 2013

AOC: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Variety: Pinot Noir

Aroma: 清爽的 raspberry 香氣, 加上 spring flower, 和 Nuits 那種濃郁, earthy 的香氣不同, 有種清爽芬芳的吸引力. 
Palate: 喝完 Gevrey 再喝這隻, 就能充分的理解新舊世界的差異, 一打開就可以喝的魅力, 單純透明的紅果實甜味(蠻fruity的), Pinot 的酸味, 土壤的味道, 明顯的 mineral, 一切都是如此容易理解, 對於想了解 Pinot 的初學者, 這隻是很好的選擇, 但在 body 和果實味的扎實度來說, 還是輸了舊世界的 Nuits 一截, 這隻最特別之處, 大概就是那明顯的 mineral 了.

Marsannay Village, Domaine Maison Louis Latour, 2012

AOC: Marsannay Village, Cote De Nuits, Burgundy
Variety: Pinot Noir

Aroma: red fruit (rasberry), earthy with a little mineral and violet. 
Palate: 蠻earthy的, with little mineral, red fruit with a little violet, 喝下去跟聞起來的感覺蠻像的, 味道的 intensity 比 burgundy red 好, 蠻標準的 pinot.

Gevrey-Chambertin Village, Domaine Marchand Freres, 2010 V.V

AOC: Gevrey-Chambertin Village, Cote de Nuits, Burgundy
Variety: Pinot Noir

Aroma: 很存粹的紅果實香氣 有時帶一點花香和香水味, 甚至有一點spice(香料)的感覺 

Palate: 濃厚的紅果實甜味(偏草莓而不是 raspberry)加上土壤的味道, 清楚直接的酸味但不 over, 很好的 balance了這支酒, 酒體的濃度高, 味道的複雜性很高, medium+ body, silky 喝下去沒有刺激喉嚨的感覺, 在勃根地算是比較fruity, 陽性的一個村, 這支酒讓我確定 Gevrey-Chambertin是我非常喜愛的一個村

Nuits-st-Georges Village, Domaine Georges Chicotot, 2010

AOC: Nuits-st-Georges Village, Cote de Nuits, Burgundy
Variety: Pinot Noir

Aroma: 剛打開很香, 很明顯的 fresh red fruit 混著泥土的味道(還帶有一點pinot的酸味感覺), 這隻沒有感覺到花香,偏向rustic的感覺, little to no mineral. 
Palate: 有濃縮感的red fruit甜味 雖然是村名酒的等級, 但已經有做出一點濃縮感, 酸味點到即止, earthy, 帶有一點wood味道, 在pinot裡算是較高的body, little to no mineral, a very good village AOC pinot.

Chicotot family who has been involved in growing wines in Nuits-St-Georges since the 16th century.

Chateau La Gatte "La Butte", 2010 V.V

Price: $10-20
AOC: Bordeaux Superieur, Bordeaux
Variety: 100% Merlot

會注意到這支酒, 是因為它是 100% V.V 的 Merlot 所釀造, 這在以 Blend 為主的 Bordeaux 是很少見的, Cuvee "La Butte" 的葡萄田就在 Chateau La Gatte (歷史可追朔至1646) 的後方, 葡萄 Merlot 栽種於 1958 年, 樹齡已接近 60 年, 這支酒常在盲飲中被誤認為有級數的 Saint-Emilion 和 Pomerol, 價錢是平易近人的 $15, 光是這些, 就非買不可

馬上開瓶!

Aroma: 剛打開一倒出來, 我馬上了解為何這支酒在盲飲時常被誤認為 Saint-Emilion, 因為它的香氣幾乎做到了右岸二級酒莊 Magdelaine 06年 和 三級酒莊 Quinault L'Enclos 06年 的程度, Intense 的 Merlot 黑果實香水味和 licorice, a classic bordeaux Merlot aroma, 以五分之一的價錢就做到了.
Palate: 對於想了解究竟什麼是 Saint-Emilion 以 Merlot 為主的 Blend 的人來說是一個 perfect example, 我終於有機會可以釐清究竟在 bordeaux blend 中, 什麼味道是來自於 Merlot, 什麼味道來自於 Cab, 這支有明顯的 Merlot 黑果實甜味 (black cherry or plum, 和 Cab 的 black currant 不一樣), herbal and licorice, 豐富柔軟的單寧, medium+ body, bordeaux Merlot 獨有的 savory, 一樣用 $15就做到了, 實在是超便宜的價錢, 但比起 Cab, structure 少了一些, 少了一些壯麗感, 會讓酒有一點像小品的感覺, 了解了 Cab 的魅力所在, 這支並不 silky, 有時會喝到 very little mineral, 不算 earthy, 下一步就是找一支 100% 的 bordeaux Cab 了.

                     

Chateau Haut Selve, 2010

AOC: Graves, Bordeaux
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Aroma: 一打開有很明顯的 earthy 味道, terroir 的感覺, 和葡萄香味混在一起很有牡丹花香的感覺, 在 Cab 裡很特別. 
Palate: fleshy and rounded, 沒有OAK, 蠻滑順的, 但沒有到 silky 的感覺, earthy (the way I like) with ripe black fruit and savory, floral, little to no spice, a classic bordeaux red, 圖為 reserve 版, 一般版就可以了.   

Chateau Maucamps, 2009

AOC: Cru Bourgeois, Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Aroma: Medium, 剛打開聞得到 creamy, vanilla from oak, sweet black fruit with wood (tobacco), 醒一小時後, vanilla 退去, 帶有一點香水味和 cedar wood.
Palate: 明顯的 black currant, very ripe black fruit, 蠻甜的, wood and tobacco, a little mineral, 中等濃度, 中等強度, 單寧意外的非常適中, 很輕微的澀感, easy drinking style, Merlot 特有甜味不多, more like a classic Cab.  

Sotheby NY Tasting

Sotheby NY tasting
Vosne Romanée 1er Cru "Clos des Reas", Domaine Michel Gros, 2010

AOC: Vosne Romanee 1er Cru, Cote de Nuits, Burgundy
Variety: Pinot Noir
poured into the wine glass and waited for 15mins before drinking, felt that Gros is a scrupulous wine maker, the wine felt rigid, lines and geometric, felt it is pretty hard to open up？ 

Chateau Magdelaine, 2006

AOC: Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classe B, Bordeaux
Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc

Aroma: fantastic red fruit aroma right after opening, very intense perfume
Palate: after decanting, fruit intensity is not particularly high, has both sweetness and acidity, clear licorice? savory, showed some matured wine traits already, tannin was very smooth already, a little sumptuous, but actually not my favorite, no spicy of merlot, not much sweetness of Merlot either, a balanced and savory wine.

Color: the rim showed beautyful amber color, close to matured status

Chateau Corbin, 2007

AOC: Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux
Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc

Color: half amber and half violet, can cellar more time 
Aroma: quite intense red fruit, clear toasted oak (positive), quite elegant.  
Palate: slightly smooth, clear acidity (flavor like decayed cork, but acceptable, not corked), red fruit sweetness was there, medium body, acidity smoothed out after decanting, Merlot red fruit came out (very good Intensity at some point), very fine tannin, Corbin is one of my favorite right bank Bordeaux, must try 2009 again.

Connetable Talbot, 2010

AOC: Second Wine of Chateau Talbot, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Aroma: medium aroma, Merlot based black fruit aroma with some perfume 
Palate: flavors are mixed and indistinguishable right after opening, oak and cork flavors, after proper decanting,  sweetness of Merlot, black currant of Cab, smooth, juicy, mouth watering acidity, medium+ body, on the easy drinking side, alcohol content is not high, an upgraded version of Puygueraud, with additional layers and structure.

Chateau Cabrieres, Cuvee Traditional, 2010

AOC: Chateauneuf du Pape, Rhone
Variety: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre

 
Aroma: medium black fruit with a little flower 
Palate: pretty sweet right after opening, Syrah traits showed up after 30 mins of decanting, became more balanced, 15~20% Syrah, spot on black pepper spiciness, smooth and warm black fruit sweetness, some complexity but lesser than Cab, a little mineral, moderate tannin, very warm and easy drinking Chateauneuf du Pape