The Asian Winehunter

Domaine Leflaive has occupied a special place in Burgundy for the longest time. Regarded as one of if not THE finest white Burgundy estates. There may be healthy debate about who is on top nowadays. Whether that is Coche-Dury or Domaine D'Auvenay, Ramonet, Lafon, PYCM, Henri Boillot, Roulot but you exclude Leflaive at your own peril. What is undeniable however, is that Leflaive owns some of the best vineyards in puligny montrachet for ages and have been fully bio-dynamic for 25 years (since 1997) by this point. So why bring up a very well known domaine whose prices are already sky high?  Well here is where it gets interesting.  Olivier Leflaive is the cousin of the now deceased Anne-Claude Leflaive running Olivier Leflaive Freres. After leaving the domaine to develop his negociant business 5 plots in the below vineyards were placed on an 18 year lease to Domaine Leflaive. This lease ended in 2010 and those very same biodynamic parcels reverted back to Olivier Leflaive (see bel...

It has been quite a while since my previous post - 8 years to be exact. What's gone on all these years? Well, things were a bit hectic to say the least. Back in those days it was not so easy to find information about wines especially in a complex region such as Burgundy. Fast forward to 2021 and we have an abundance of information - almost too much! Correspondingly, wine prices especially Burgundy wines have reached stratospheric levels are and no longer accesible for most people. It is in this environment that we will try to find values, under appreciated domaines and long forgotten ones. We will try to explore this space and try to get ahead of the curve and the rest of the pack so to speak. Stay tuned!

There so many "Romanee" plots in Vosne-Romanee it's hard to keep track - what is real and what is not? We can clear things up with a little bit by looking back in the history books. Aprill 11, 1866 - The Village of Vosne by government decree attaches it's most famous plot "La Romanee" to it's name. Thus Vosne-Romanee is born. So what exactly is this most famous of growths "La Romanee" which predates all AOC codes and even the name of the village it comes from? La Romanee originally belonged to the church - the priory of Saint-Vivant de Vergy. It was not until 1512 after Burgundy was annexed by Louis XI that the priory of Saint-Vivant had to declare their assets or vineyard holdings for taxation purposes. And here we get our first clue through a detailed accounting of "La Romanee". Of the 4 Clos declared were Clos des Neuf Journaux, Clos du Moytan, Clos des Quartre Journaux and Clos de Cinq Journaux . It is this Clos de Cing Jo...

This is a recent barrel tasting right after racking. Quite a few were doing remarkably well despite this but a few were not. Of these I would say the VR Aux Brulee was the most closed but you could tell there was so much swirling underneath. Would not right it off but right now it was closed for business. Of the other wines here were a few that "stood out" from a pack of fantastic wines. 1) Haute cote de Nuit (Blanc). This had a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. Given the prices (~EUR 15?) - something not to miss 2) Fixin Village had a good length and a minerality which was quite attractive. Again something in the value to money camp. 3) Echezeaux - this was singing that day. Red fruits, minerals, stones, mid palate concentration and finish. This might be the "sweet swpot" of the Grand crus. 4) Cros Parantoux - A bouquet of fireworks. Spice, red fruits, minerals, stone/gunflint, backbone, length. Put's many grand crus to shame 5) Richebou...

A wine dinner to remember - 6 People, 3 wines. This was quality over quantity for sure. Instead of posting tasting notes and scores wine lovers probably have a few more important questions in their minds - I'll try to anticipate some of them. 1) Is Domaine Leflaive's Montrachet really that good? Yes it is. 1991 was not THAT good a year and yet this was amazing. And yes IMHO better than a DRC Montrachet because it had more class AND was more true to the terroir. Why? Because this is in my mind this is truly what Montrachet is really about with the power and depth of a Batard Montrachet and the precision and minerality of a Chevalier Montrachet straddling both - this is a complete wine. DRC is a great Montrachet but perhaps one with a bit of alchemy and "MSG" to spice things up. Is it worth that kind of money? Probably not but neither is DRC Montrachet or say a Coche Dury CC... 96+ points! 2) 1961 Musignys. You Leroy lovers are going to be disappointed when I say...

It has been a while since my last post but this extended break over Chinese New Year gave me some time and energy to post a few notes. First up (not pictured) - Ulysses Colin Blanc de Blanc extra Brut. This was certainly bone dry and acidic - more like mineral and steel rather than fruit. Good but maybe not quite the wow factor as Selosse. Next - 2009 Chateau De la Tour Clos Vougeot Vielles Vignes . These old vines are nearly a 100 years old ( turned 100 in 2010). Extremely primal with fruit and cherry compote being the overriding aroma. The minerality is there but is dominated by the fruit today. Almost like something from the barrel. Very good acidity which is surprising given the reputation of '09s as "big and ripe". Very long finish. Extremely concentrated tight and coiled even after double decanting and 6+ hours. Extremely fine tannins but the structure is there - this is a 15+ year wine and wouldn't be surprised if it shuts down soon. This is going to be somethi...

Hi folks, The Winehunter has been quite busy as of late. First order of business is to mention that the Winehunter has gone into the business and therefore disclaimers please. Take what is said with a grain of salt but then again - this should be done in any case. At least for now anyway - this is specialized into the Single Malt whiskey business so.. my tasting notes on wine still count? ;-) Here are some tasting notes from dinner couple of months back: 2002 Coche-Dury Puligny Montrachet "les ensigneurs" . Amazing vitality, minerality and precision but still has enough depth to make this "robust". Needs another 5 years. 92 points 1988 Meo Camuzet Cros Parantoux . Tea,violets, vanilla. Velvety but with energy, multi-faceted. This is Henri Jayer folks - no doubt. 94 points 1943 Latour a Pomerol . Complete but a bit on the acidic side. V Good. 94 points 1937 Clos de Lambrays . Minerals, red fruits, sweet, plums, dried flowers, violets. 94 points.

This is a bit late but better than never. Tasted in Mid-October in the La Morra Cantina during thier 2005 Barolo tastings. This is incredibly taxing on the palate to do in one sitting. I'm not sure if my palate was as sharp especially towards the end after being constantly pounded by one Barolo after another... 2005 Barolo Broccoli Viole - M Marengo Tight, monolithic, tannic, black peppers - 88 points 2004 Brunate - M Marengo Complex, little thiner at the mid palate. Surprisingly drinkable at this age. Yields at 45 hl/ha - 92 points 2005 The Ciabot - Cascina Ballarin Acidic, spicy, rough tannins, peppers? - 88 points 2003 Cascina Monastero Bricco Lucioni Sweet core, concentrated, tannic, good finish - 90 points 2005 Cascina Monastero Bricco Lucioni More Tannic, less concentrated = less pleasureable - 89 points 2003 Cascina Monastero Bricco Priund Sweet core - 91 points 2005 Barolo Enzio Boglietti New style, sweet concentrated core, hard to guess evolution - 90+? points 2005 Annunzi...

Notes from a very recent dinner. 1969 Leroy Grand Echezeaux. Opened in bottle for ~ 1 hour. Plums, bright fruits, wonderful bouquet. Resolved tannins. The nose is better than what showed up on the palate. 94 points 1969 Leroy Musigny . Opened in bottle ~ 1 hour. More reserved but oozing with power, plums and cherries but with more vanilla/cream hints as well (more oak?). On the palate nose matches what went in. Very long finish. Silky tannins. Strangely here Terroir came to the forefront versus Domaine style - it was less typical "Leroy" and more typical "Musigny" (i.e. Power in a velvet glove). On the other hand the GE was "Leroy" with no doubt. Very consistent from start to finish. Really quite good. 96 points 1982 La Tache Fantastically exuberant nose. Red fruit, plums, minerality - this turned heads. On the palate not as good - leaning on the acidic side but wouldn't say thin but perhaps not a "robust" La Tache given the vintage. On equal...

Henri Jayer who died in 2006 left behind a legacy and a future path for Burgundians to follow. He epitomized the phrase "do as little in the winery as possible". This non-interventionist attitude did not mean "do nothing" however, just not in the tanks but in the vineyard. Unfortunately, it is not clear whether he has any equal or successors ( in the form of Rouget or Meo-Camuzet ) to this legacy. There is something about these wines which is unmistakable. Just as Domaine Leroy wines have an unmistakable "fingerprint" so does Henri Jayer. 1990 Echezeaux. George et Henri Jayer. Vinified, produced, elevated and bottled by Henri Jayer. I think we should put the myth to rest that this wine is not qualitatively as good as Henri's own - it is. Coming from a section of Echezeaux located right below Grand Echezeaux it was multi faceted and complex. Needs about an hour of air with smells of plum, cherry, tea, vanilla & cream, herbs and minerals. I have neve...

Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo & Barberesco - typical Italian names for red wines. Why do they all have to start with a "B" - confused already? It doesn't need to be painful. First of all the Brunello doesn't belong in this group because: a) It comes from a completely different region which is Tuscany b) Is a totally different grape varietal from the other two (i.e. Sangiovese). First off, Barolo & Barbaresco are names of actual towns. Both are in the Langhe region in Piedmont. If you can imagine the capital of Piedmont being Alba (yes think white truffles). Barberesco would be Northeast of Alba while Barolo would be Southwest of Alba. To be considered Barolo or Barbaresco they would need reside in the appropriate regions AND be made from the Nebbiolo grape. Let's take a look at the Barolo region first. The Barolo region essentially comprises of a hilly area comprising of 2 valleys interspersed with old towns which are homes to the many wine producers. Tra...

While it's getting easier to find good wine - it's not so easy to find decent everyday drinking wines which won't burn a hole in your budget. Having sampled these wines very recently, I can say that they are indeed very decent everyday drinking wines. In fact - they will last for quite some time if you can keep the corks on them. Both are suited for mediterranian type food from Spain, Italy, Southern France etc.. 2006 Artadi El Seque - Alicante A newly acquired vineyard in Alicante, Spain. 40 acres in brown/limestone soil. The blend is 80% Monastrell (also known as Mataro or Mourvedre), 10% Syrah and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Full bodied wine. Extremely rich and packed. Best to give it a couple hours of air but drinks well right out of the gate. Very nice tannins. The price should be under US$30 - 91pts 2007 Le Macchiole - Bolgheri Rosso This time from Tuscany, Italy. IGT table wine. Combination of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Sangiovese. True to Le Macchiole, the pu...

I wasn't a great fan of Michael Jackson in the later years but there is no denying he redefined the genre over the decades again and again. My favorites still come from the Jackson 5 era and here are some of them:

This time it's not a golden oldie but the complete opposite.  Amazing especially given the circumstances.  Zee Avi is a jazz/folk vocalist & songwriter. The 23 year old Malaysian from Borneo was posting youtube videos until being "discovered" and was offered contracts by several US record companies. More songs on the link below - enjoy!! http://www.myspace.com/zeeavi

Most of you won't believe this but the winehunter bought 2008 Bordeaux En-Primuer. Alright, accuse me of selling out, turncoat whatever - I admit it!! Anway, let's see if this works out. Given the pricing and the vintage there were some relatively good values to be had especially in the early days. Duhart-Milon @ $400/case was to me a complete no brainer. Owned by Lafite, quality has been improving steadily. Pontet-Canet; too hard to resist. The 2003 were yummy, 2008 costs less and should be even better.  On the other hand, some of the top rated wines have shot up tremendously especially after Robert Parker gave higher marks than were expected. 1st growths like Lafite have doubled since initial offering...  Greed is back. Either way, this should be fun to watch and try when it finally gets delivered.

For many, collecting antiques can be a fanatical pastime. For wine lovers, this road is fraught with uncertainty but also wonderful surprises. Last night, we had disappointments but we had some wonderful surprises as well - such is life.  We had 2 vintages which bookended the beginning and the worst parts of the previous large financial disaster - the great depression of the early 20th century. Is this where we are in the latest equivalent of the 21st century? - who knows. 1929 Beaune - Doctor Barolet selection ( H. Villamont) A great many significant events occured in 1929 which would reshape the later parts of the 20th century - a monumental year by any measure. The beginning of the great depression ushered in by the stock market crash in the United States The first public telephone booth call was made The Vatican was established as an independent jurisdiction by the Lateran treaty The first Academy awards were given out The EEG was invented What a surprise on opening this 80-year ol...

What has all this got to do with wine?? Not much I guess. Just in a nostalgic mood this evening (where's that Burgundy from the 60's I've got stashed away?). Anyway - since I'm on a roll here's another one. Sorry - just couldn't get it out of my head after the movie. T-Rex - "20th Century Boy"

When John Fogerty wrote the lyrics to the song "Have you ever seen the Rain", he was referring to the eventual breakup of his brother Tim from the band Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR). This song was released in 1970 and whenever I hear this song it rings nostalgia all over. For people of my generation (you know who you are) this will probably be true as well - for other generations perhaps not. Either way, it also seems like appropriate lyrics for the economic downturn and the credit crisis. By now everyone has seen the rain (or flood or Tsunami). Hopefully the sunny days will come back soon... Creedence Clearwater Revival - Have you ever seen the rain? Someone told me long ago, there's a calm before the storm, I know; It's been coming for some time. When it's over, so they say, It'll rain a sunny day, I know; Shining down like water. CHORUS: I want to know, Have you ever seen the rain? I want to know, Have you ever seen the rain Coming down on a sunny day...

Some thoughts on wine descriptions and your sense of smell. Years ago, I would read all the literature out there. Tasting notes, buy the wine, try it and then read the notes again. We get phrases like "...smells of Lychee, organge zest, pineapple, banana, buttery...." blah blah blah. For every 10 descriptions I would be lucky recognizing and picking up one of them. Perhaps my sense of smell wasn't as acute, taste buds dead, sensory memory lacking?? Maybe there is something wrong with me? Stop right there. Years later and many bottles down the road - I have yet to meet too many people who were truly missing these god-given abilities to taste. People may not know how to surgically dissect and analyze the wine but they surely know if it's good or not very quickly - there is no fooling that. The exceptions were usually people with a flu, Chain smokers, some other overriding impediment or cranial damage. If you enjoy food and can smell and recognize it; you should be abl...

For many who follow the comic book God's Drop or "Kami no Shizuku" - some will know that a limited 8 episode TV series began earlier this year in Japan. The final wine or "Kami no Shizuku" literally meaning "God's drop" was no other than the 2003 Chateau La Puy. Yours truly bumped into this wine by chance recently so here are the tasting notes. 2003 Chateau La Puy. Well, for something which was the wine of God - this is a bit disappointing. On the nose, this had the smell of a Burgundy with a bit of age (15+ years?). Earth, plums, tea - surprising and getting my hopes up as this is totally unexpected for an '03 Bordeaux. On the palate with....Disaster!!! Thin, astringent, slightly coarse tannins; can't believe this is an '03.  Mid-palate and finish is nothing to write home about.  Don't see how this could be construed with something close to perfection and showing "eternal qualities" - anything but. Wine of God - hmmm don...