Started the new year with a really nice Chinese dinner (and lots of dim sum) at one of our favourite restaurants in Singapore.
2008 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese
Another outstanding bottle, pretty much along the same lines as the one I had last week with the same dazzlingly bright Mosel fruit and slate flavours around a spine of really good acidity, and some faint herbal elements emerging with air. Between the screwcap and the very reasonable (even here!) pricetag, this is a wine I definitely need to find more of.
1999 Mount Langi Ghiran Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
Drinking beautifully right now, combining ripe blackcurrant and plum flavours with more developed black tea, tobacco leaf, leather and cedar notes in a seamless and elegant package. There's a spine of still-grainy tannins and really good acidity underneath that keeps it very fresh and light on its feet, making it feel more like a Cabernet Franc. Really fantastic, and I ended up drinking even more of this (thankfully there were 2 bottles on the table) than the Christoffel! (Additional NY resolution: Drink more from Mount Langi!)
2004 Cloudy Bay Riesling Late Harvest
I've had this wine a few times in the past 3-4 years, and now it's started to show some signs of development. There's the same ripe peach, pineapple and mango fruit I remember, but now combined with more advanced smoky, earthy and spicy elements. Very tasty, though it did start to feel a little heavy after the first glass without the acidity to really balance the richness. I'll be interested in seeing how the other half-bottles I have of this develop in the next few years (especially as it's under screwcap).
