When wine friends meet (part 2)
The day after the UGCB, we decided to meet again for dinner at Nissa la Bella (@nissalabellahk).
A French bistro in Sheung Wan, where Olivier Bollenbach (@olivierboll) and the team took really good care of us. Really lovely food and wines!
Left to right: François, Jerry, Minnie, Dom, Benoît, Olivier, Kim, Ophelia, and Martin.
We had an excellent time, having fun, sharing, and cheering. A great occasion to meet old friends, new people, discover a new place, and drink great wines, too.
Everyone brought some great bottles, and these are the wines we drank for dinner.
Left to right:
Yann Durieux - Love and Pif - Bourgogne Aligoté (2023 ?)
Even though we were all working in the wine industry, directly or indirectly, at that dinner, I was surprised that some of us did not know Yann Durieux.
Yann Durieux is a respected figure in the traditional and natural wine worlds, known for his biodynamic and natural winemaking practices, with a focus on minimal intervention, which allows his wines to express greater purity and terroir.
Yann has been the vineyard manager at Domaine Prieuré Roch since 2008. Prieuré Roch, which has a "cult-like following" among fine wine collectors and connoisseurs, is considered a significant producer in Burgundy.
Then, in 2010, he founded his own domain, "Recrue des Sens," and vinified his first three vintages in the cellars at Prieuré Roch, which attracted the press and critics and brought significant attention to his name, reputation, and wines.
He now owns a few vineyards and makes white wines from Aligoté, Chardonnay, and Pinot Blanc, as well as various red wines from Pinot Noir, all aged in old or new barrels. He also makes an ‘orange’ wine from Aligoté (also from Pinot Gris, available on request)
Unfortunately, since he produces only 3,000-5,000 bottles per vintage, his wines are rare and highly sought after. They often do not receive formal notes or scores from the press or critics because, with such low production, it’s understandable that he cannot send samples to all international critics.
Although more popular now and even trendy in some parts of the world (France, USA, etc.), some people still remain skeptical of natural wines because they often have funky, even faulty, aromas and flavors, along with flaws like a cloudy appearance, effervescence, "funky" or "barnyard" aromas, an unbalanced or unharmonious palate, and possible inconsistency between bottles.
Even at that dinner, two winemakers attended and shared their concerns about the wine. But that was before tasting it; in the end, even they were pleasantly surprised, as Yann Durieux's wines are not like other Natural wines — they are clean, precise, and focused, with a lot to offer and to like.
This wine is crafted with a focus on natural winemaking, including spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts and aging in steel and wooden barrels. It is typically bottled without fining or filtration, and with minimal or no added sulfites.
The resulting wine is a vibrant Bourgogne Aligoté—fresh, clean, zesty, yet generous and complex, with lots of minerality, bright fruit notes, and a long finish. One of the best Bourgogne Aligotés I have tasted in a long time.
Thank you, Martin, for bringing this bottle to dinner. First, because I am a big fan of Yann Durieux wines, and it was nice to refresh my memory since I hadn't tasted his Bourgogne Aligoté in a long time. Second, because it allowed some people to discover it for the first time. Good choice!
Louis-Benjamin - Didier Dagueneau Pur Sang 2019 (Magnum)
This is one of the bottles I brought to dinner. The night before, I had dinner with Martin, Ophelia, and Minnie, and Martin and Ophelia treated us to some nice Pouilly Fumé, which inspired me to bring a magnum of this legendary wine, or should I say "this mythic cuvée" from Pouilly Fumé in the Loire (France).
Didier Dagueneau, a pioneering winegrower in the Loire, was a renowned expert in the Sauvignon Blanc variety and one of the first to apply biodynamic farming on his 11 hectares in the AOC Pouilly Fumé.
I had the chance to meet Didier Dagueneau twice in the mid-90s, and even then, his wines were seen as revolutionary and unusual for the appellation because of their richness, concentration, and complexity, providing a sharp contrast to the typically light, grassy Sauvignon Blancs of that time.
Didier Dagueneau challenged convention by adopting meticulous viticulture—including biodynamic practices starting in 1993—and barrel fermentation, which was uncommon for the region at the time. This led to wines with a distinct, fuller-bodied profile—much richer, more complex, and dense—along with higher aging potential than their peers within the appellation.
Starting in the 1990s, Dagueneau wines gained a cult following, commanding prices similar to those of top Burgundy wines and becoming harder to find due to high demand and limited production.
After Didier passed away in 2008, his son, Louis Benjamin Dagueneau, took over and continued his father's philosophy by crafting complex, layered Pouilly Fumé wines in a very Burgundian style (see this video interview of Didier Dagueneau, courtesy of "Le Média Vin").
Didier Dagueneau's "Pur Sang" is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc from old-vine vines aged 25 to 60 years, planted in limestone, clay, and flint soils. It is considered one of the best cru in the AOC Pouilly Fumé. The vines are farmed using biodynamic practices with organic and ecological methods. The grapes are hand-harvested at peak ripeness. They are then gently pressed, and the must ferments spontaneously with native yeasts for 3 months. The wine then ages on lees for 11 months in oak barrels.
The Didier Dagueneau winery is famous for its relentless pursuit of quality, and the cuvée "Pur Sang" is the perfect example; its name, “Pure Sang”, reflects its purity and unique character.
I arrived at the restaurant about 30 minutes before everyone else and immediately opened the wine, knowing it would benefit from a little air to fully express itself. If it had been a younger vintage, I would definitely have decanted it, but for this 2019 vintage, 30-45 minutes of opening time before serving was plenty to let it open up nicely.
This "Pure Sang" 2019 in magnum is a perfect example of concentration and precision, freshness and structure, and reveals the surprising complexity and depth Dagueneau's wines develop with some age.
In the glass, it displayed a bright, pale yellow color. There is a liveliness in the nose enhanced by yellow fruits and citrus aromas blending with floral and mineral notes. The attack is stunning, clean, fresh, focused, precise, mineral, and zesty. The palate is elegant, chiseled, refined, yet complex and layered, gently coating the mouth, balanced, well-structured, and generously textured, with minerality and freshness that extend the aromatic and flavor profile. The finish is intense, prolonged, and immediately inviting for another glass. This is a magnificent, youthful wine with the potential to age gracefully for many more years (the magnum size likely helps). Gorgeous! And definitely in the Top 3 of the wines drank that night.
NB: Last, but not least, all Dagueneau wines, including "Pur Sang," have been sold under the label "Vin de France" since 2017. Louis Benjamin Dagueneau decided to move his wines out of the "Pouilly Fumé" appellation due to criticism that his wines did not meet the traditional standards of Pouilly-Fumé. Fortunately, this decision did not affect the wine's reputation or quality.
Le Guishu - French Saké Sec/Dry
Following the two previous stunning white wines, Minnie brought us something rather intriguing and unexpected: a French Saké!
I had heard and read about some of these "Sake made in France" brands, such as
- "Le Guishu": a collection of “Provence style French Sake” created in 2016, by Olivier Sublett (of Chateau Beausejour, Saint-Emilion), in parts imported in Hong Kong by "Wine to Love"
- "Wakaze": first created in Japan in 2016 by Takuma, Founder and CEO of Wakaze Sakagura, who opened a second brewery in the suburbs of Paris to share Wakaze with the world.
- "Les Larmes du Levant": the project of its founder, Gregoire Boeuf, supposedly the first French Sakagura entirely dedicated to the production of Sake, yet also created in 2016 (same years as the other Sakagura)
However, I had never heard of the brand "French Saké". Minnie (Wong) imports and distributes it to Hong Kong via her company "Wine to Love", as it is made by "Le Guishu" (it took me a minute to realize it after looking at the capsule, as I was focused on the front label, where "Le Guishu" is not mentioned).
They make 2 or 3 different versions of it: Sec (Dry), Demi-Sec (Semi-Dry), and Semi-Sweet, using French ingredients, like rice from the Camargue region, and blend Japanese brewing traditions with French terroirs to create distinct flavor profiles.
And the one Minnie brought that night was the "French Sake Sec/Dry". Frankly, I did not know what to think or what to expect. But I was really pleasantly surprised. Not too dry, not too sweet either, expressive but not extravagant either, just a gentle, quaffable, agreeable, soft Sake that tasted more like a wine compared to a Japanese Sake, for example. It went really well with the oysters.
Jaffelin Fixin 1er Cru Hervelets 2020
This was the 2nd bottle Minnie brought for this dinner. I had heard of "Maison Jaffelin" but had never had the chance to taste their wine.
Located in the heart of Beaune, Maison Jaffelin has a rich winemaking history spanning over eight centuries. It was formerly known as "Maison du Chapitre" ('house of the Chapter' in English), and its history is closely connected to that of the Collégiale Notre-Dame de Beaune (the Notre-Dame collegiate church in Beaune). Over the years, their cellars have stored the wines of the Collégiale and the Cardinals.
In 1816, "Maison du Chapitre" was renamed "Maison Jaffelin" after being purchased by the Jaffelin brothers, who established their "Maison de Négoce" (Negociant House) to trade wine. Their wines are crafted, aged, and stored in the monastic tranquility of the Chapiter's cellars as they did eight centuries ago.
Fixin is a small village located in the northern part of the Côte de Nuits, just south of Dijon, between Marsannay and Gevrey-Chambertin. The climat "1er Cru Hervelets" sits at the top of an east-facing slope, mainly on chalky-brown soil with hints of marl. This climat is situated next to the lieu-dit "Les Arvelets." The area used to be just fields. « Hervelet », like « Arvelet », is a diminutive of « Arve » in Old French and « Arva » in Vulgar Latin, meaning « fields ».
This Fixin 1er Cru Hervelets is made from handpicked and hand-sorted Pinot Noir grapes. The maceration usually lasts 3-4 weeks, typically with 40-50% of the grapes whole. The wines are then aged for 16-18 months in French oak barrels, about 50% of which are new.
The wine initially seemed a bit closed, but it quickly opened up in the glass. It revealed lovely aromas of ripe, dark cherries and black fruits, such as blackberries and morello cherries, along with earthy and floral notes, and hints of pepper. The palate is juicy and medium-bodied, offering generous black fruit flavors and additional earthy notes. This 2020 vintage is a fresh, vivid, friendly, and juicy wine that is easy to drink, with good balance and freshness, a lovely texture, and an integrated tannic structure. Gouleyant as we say in French!
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 1990
Now, this bottle was the highlight of the night! The treat of the evening, brought by Jerry, Martin's friend, and clearly an avid fine wine expert. What a fantastic wine! No wonder it has been scored 100 points by many critics and journalists multiple times over the past 30 years.
Furthermore, Paul Jaboulet's Hermitage La Chapelle is often recognized as one of the top 100 greatest wines in the world, with its 1961, 1978, and 1990 vintages frequently noted as especially outstanding examples. It is a legendary Syrah from the Northern Rhône Valley that has appeared on many "best wines" lists and is celebrated for its longevity and rich, savory character.
Despite a production of about 7000 cases for the 1990 vintage compared to today's 2,000 cases, there aren't many bottles of La Chapelle 1990 left on the market, as many were drunk in the past 30 years, and the rest are primarily kept in private collections or occasionally sold at auction houses.
The wine currently fetches around 660 Euros on average in retail stores. In auctions, bidding prices start around 500 Euros a bottle, but can go up to 700+ euros if the bottles are from the original release, have good levels and labels, and are still in their original cartons, which are increasingly difficult to find.
Paul Jaboulet Aîné was founded in 1834 by Antoine Jaboulet (1807-1864) in Tain l'Hermitage. It has been part of the Rhône Valley wine industry for nearly two centuries, starting with a small plot of land on the hills of Hermitage before expanding throughout the region. Today, it covers more than 100 hectares (250 acres) of vineyards producing wines from the Northern and Southern Rhône, including Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Condrieu, and Cornas.
In 1834, Antoine Jaboulet started working the hills of Hermitage, growing and cultivating the vines that would shape the future of the estate. When he died, the estate was inherited by his sons Henri and Paul, with the latter eventually lending his name to wines and the company. Maison Jaboulet remained in the Jaboulet family until it was purchased by the Frey family in 2006.
Paul Jaboulet-Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle is the estate's flagship wine and one of the most popular wines from the Rhône, commanding high prices at auction. "La Chapelle" is not the name of the vineyard; it is a trademark named after a 13th-century church built on top of Hermitage, which became the company's property in 1919.
The La Chapelle vineyard is part of the AOP "L'Hermite," located around the small chapel (La Chapelle) at the top of Hermitage Hill, planted with 80-year-old Syrah vines growing mostly in granite soil.
However, the Syrah grapes used to make Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle do not come from the La Chapelle vineyard, but from some of the top vineyards on the hill, including the famous "Les Bessards," "Le Meal," and "Les Rocoules." (see picture/map below, courtesy of https://www.tenzingws.com/)
Map of The Hermitage Hill and all of its lieux-dits - courtesy of Tenzingws.com blog
It was thoughtful of Jerry to bring such an extraordinary bottle. He told me he bought it at auction a few years ago. The bottle was in pristine condition. However, I borrowed Olivier's "Durand" to open the bottle, since after removing the capsule, I noticed the cork showed a slight sign of seepage and was probably wet. And I was right to do so, as even with the Durand, the cork broke and crumbled, and I had to fetch a piece of it left in the neck. Fortunately, I removed it with a bit of patience and skill.
Despite the cork incident, this 1990 La Chapelle was still in perfect condition. Even the dark and intense color still showed some youth. The nose was stunning, expressive, youthful, and sexy, offering attractive aromas of blackberries and dark ripe fruits, mingling with coffee, mocha, earthy, and spicy hints. The palate was smooth, velvety, rich, opulent, and generously suave, with great freshness and fleshy texture, enhanced by present yet integrated tannins, leading to a seamless, long-lasting chewy finish. What a magnificent wine! Definitely the wine of the night!
Château La Cabanne Pomerol 2022
This bottle was brought by François Estager himself (the first person on the left in the header picture), owner and winemaker of this delightful Pomerol. Some of us had already tasted it the day before, during the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) tasting featuring wines from the 2022 vintage at the Regent Hotel, Hong Kong. However, it was great to taste it again with François sitting with us at the table.
Owned by the Estager family since 1952, Château La Cabanne is a historic Pomerol red wine estate situated on the western slope of the Pomerol plateau in the Bordeaux region of France. The estate features a 10-hectare vineyard primarily planted with Merlot (94%) and Cabernet Franc (6%), grown on clay and gravel soils.
La Cabanne is known for producing well-balanced wines with fruity and sometimes earthy, savory notes. The estate underwent extensive renovations after a fire in 2010. The winemaking process includes aging the wine for 15-18 months in partly new oak barrels and involves sulfur-free vinification from a vineyard in conversion to organic farming.
The 2022 Château La Cabanne is composed of about 94% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, aged in about 55% French oak barrels for about 15 to 18 months. In the glass, it displays a dark ruby color. The nose is fragrant and youthful, with aromas of black fruit, chocolate, and earthy notes. The palate is rich, full-bodied, layered, earthy, and savory, with a lush yet fleshy texture, good acidity, fine tannins, and a long, chewy finish. Although very drinkable now, it will benefit from a few more years in the cellar to fully develop, as it is quite powerful at the moment and will continue to improve with additional aging. Nicely done, François!
Château Le Bon Pasteur Pomerol 2022
******work in progress*******
Château Troplong Mondot Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 1988
Bussola Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Vigneto Alto (2019 ?)
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 1er Grand Cru Sauternes 2017
Kim, Ophelia, Martin, Francois, Minnie, Benoit, Olivier, Olivier's wife
After dinner, we went to have a few more wines and finish the night at a great wine bar, called "Think Wine" by Romain Loriot (@thinkwine.hongkong), where we drank:
Granbazan 'Etiqueta Àmbar' Albarino Rias Baixas (2021 ?)
Baptiste Pimouguet, Dominique Noël & Romain Loriot
Then Romain Loriot treated us to an interesting blind tasting of two Cabernet Sauvignons from China.
Jiang Yu Cabernet Sauvignon "6000 Li" Shangri-La Yunnan 2022
Tinnyu "Random Cabernet" Shangri-La Yunnan 2023
Francois, Jerry, Minnie, Dom, Benoit, Olivier, Kim, Ophelia & Martin
Kim, Ophelia, Martin, Francois, Minnie, Benoit, Olivier, Olivier's wife
A beautiful evening spent with some old and new friends.
It was great to see you all and spend this memorable moment with you guys! Loved it! 😁👍🍷🍷🍷
Cheers! Santé!
Dom
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