LeDomduVin: 中秋節快樂 Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

中秋節快樂 

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

One of the Directors in my office brought these 3 wines today to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with the team. 

A very nice gesture before the 3 days weekend 😄👍🍷 

Champagne Delacourt Brut Blanc de Blancs 2015 (Mark & Spencer Selection)

I had never tried M&S Delacourt Champagne Brut Vintage before, and I must admit it was quite nice. Fresh, gentle, friendly, and easy-going, offering pleasant, toasted brioche, vanilla, and apple aromas with citrus peel nuances. The palate is soft yet rich and generous, harmonious and balanced, dry but not too dry, with a medium to long finish. This 100% Chardonnay crowd-pleaser is crafted by cellarmaster Elisabeth Sarcelet, (Cellar master at Castelnau from 2013-2021). Well-crafted and inoffensive, as I like to say, ideal for any occasion.

Chateau Pape Clement Pessac Leognan 2016

A blend of 60% Merlot, 36% Cab Sauv, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Cab Franc, this 2016 Pape Clement is a powerhouse that is still way too young to drink in my opinion. Rich, generous, and ample, it offers plenty of perfectly ripe, dark, sweet berries and fruits mingling with earthy, oaky, spicy and savoury notes. Balanced and greatly textured and structured, thanks to enough acidity to keep it vibrant and refined integrated, yet present tannins that will need a bit of time to mellow down. A great wine with a lot of character and personality. I would have decanted it and let it breathe at least 3 hours before serving it... but they shugged it right after opening. 

Chateau Lynch Bages Grand Cru Classe Pauillac 2009

Now, amongst these 3 wines tasted today, it was my favourite. More my jam and a bit older, too. Beyond its attractive dark robe, Lynch-Bages 2009 displayed distinct aromas of dark, ripe cassis, plum and black fruits entangled with floral and earthy notes and scorched soil nuances, characteristics of a sunny vintage like 2009. The palate is soft, gentle, smooth, and silky, with present yet delicate tannins. It is rich and powerful, well-balanced, and structured. The finish is incredibly long, ripe, dark, plummy, and earthy. The wine shows great ageing potential. Loved it.

Cheers! Santé

Dom

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LeDomduVin: Red vibes

Red vibes

Not sure why this picture (which I took on Monday night) reminds me of both Christmas and Japan at the same time.

It is probably the red and white colors of the Lynch Bages label and the presence of this bottle of sake with letters reminding me of snow, and the red background, that have influenced my mind to associate it with the colors of Santa Claus, as well as those of the Japanese flag, maybe...

Maybe also because it is late November, Thanksgiving is around the corner, and Christmas will follow shortly after.

The older I get the quicker time seems to fly... Yet, time flies when you're having fun, they say, and I believe it to be true.

Time is just a notion, it is in your head. So, as long as the spirit and the mind remain young, curious, alert, enthusiastic, positive, and avid for more, enjoying the passing of time will never be a problem, nor a waste of time.

Time is both the witness of the perpetuation of traditions and the protagonist of progressive changes.

And, IWA 5 Sake is a great example of it, as Sake has been produced for roughly the past 1300 years, first for the Emperor, around 700 AC, then breweries mushroomed between the 14th and 16th centuries, and it became a thriving business between the 16 and 19th centuries. Slowed down during the 20th, and became fashionable over the last 15-20 years due to international interest in Japanese culture and traditions, as well as food and beverages.

And, Dom Perignon, long-time Cellar Master, now retired, Richard Geoffroy, jumped on the bandwagon, by spawning a true gem of a refined sake combining his interpretation of classic Japanese sake with the luxurious French savoir-faire and skills he acquired while making Champagne. The result is stunning.

For wine (and other alcoholic beverages...), (like for humans too), time is crucial for its development and "bonification".

Like this Chateau Lynch Bages 2000 has now reached the beautiful age of 22 years old, and is much better now than 10 years ago, yet still remains so young in the palate.

Make Time your ally!

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

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Unless stated otherwise, all right reserved ©LeDomduVin 2022 on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).