Her Mir Tage

9.7

DRC Richebourg 2017: A fragrance untainted by the world～

The 2017 DRC Richebourg is a perfume explosion—a captivating interplay of woody clove and spice, both flamboyant and impeccably controlled. As we tasted, I asked my friends if they knew of a perfume that echoed this wine's aroma. They replied they had never come across one, but would purchase it without hesitation if they did. To my nose, the closest relative would be L'Artisan Parfumeur’s Dzongkha.

It offers that bracing, airy coolness with smoky, peppery spices, laced with the subtle sweet-herbaceous touch of magnolia and clove—reminiscent of the complex scent that washes over you the moment you push open the massive door of an ancient, solitary temple: the crisp, thin air of the high altitudes meeting the first ethereal wisp of incense smoke. Then unfolds layers of ancient wood, the dust of old books, musk, and earthy vetiver. The overall character is intensely crystalline, spiritual, and weightless—evoking visions of high plateaus and vast wilderness, of isolated lamaseries. Some DRCs also possess a temple-like quality, but theirs is a temple down here among us, bustling with devotees and heavy with the common smoke of popular devotion— a more earthly presence. — 10 days ago

Her Mir Tage

9.6

Henry Jayer certainly live up to his name!

The wine possesses a profound, healing, oriental herbal bouquet. It's not like fresh mint or basil; it's more like opening a traditional apothecary cabinet filled with premium Chinese Angelica Root (Dāngguī), Astragalus (Huángqí), and dried lily bulbs, or walking through a damp forest after the rain, with scents of ginseng, licorice root, and dried citrus peel warming the air, all interwoven with the luxurious undertones of black truffle and moist earth. It's an aroma that evokes serenity, warmth, and nourishment.

Upon first opening, it presented an aroma of traditional Chinese herbs. After breathing in the glass for half an hour, the wine truly began to unfold, releasing intense notes of red fruits, woody fragrances, and those distinctive herbal nuances. The body is a remarkable fusion of elegance and power. Despite its age, the 1988 vintage retains a finely structured and layered profile, with a clean palate and velvety, silky-smooth tannins. The finish is exceptionally long, evoking the delicate scent of morning dew on bamboo leaves. Overall, it’s an utterly captivating wine that leaves one truly enchanted.
— 18 days ago

Her Mir Tage

9.5

Look at this mesmerizing color!

I’ve opened two bottles of Dom Pérignon 1990 before—one of them was in excellent condition, with rich brioche and yeasty notes. If not for the faint remaining bubbles, it could almost pass for an aged Bâtard-Montrachet.

This time, I opened a 1983 vintage, and this bottle has been kept perfectly—the fill level is high, with no oxidation. Upon opening, the tertiary aromas were enchanting: toffee, smoky notes, coffee, and a touch of mineral coolness, like standing on a rain-soaked Scottish cliff in the middle of a downpour.

After 30 minutes, secondary aromas emerged, adding layers of complexity: warm brioche and a hint of aged cheese. It felt like the sky had cleared after the rain—like stepping into a Scottish horse ranch, the tones warming up just like the wine’s golden hue, exuding creamy, toasted nuttiness.

Primary fruit aromas were gone, but the interplay of secondary and tertiary notes was already captivating enough. A well-preserved old Champagne like this is always a delightful surprise. I love its golden, diamond-like brilliance, its rich texture, and its perfectly balanced acidity. The more I drank, the more I craved—now I regret not buying an extra bottle. — a month ago

Her Mir Tage

9.0

Domaine Armand Rousseau Père & Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru 2012

For my first time tasting Domaine Armand Rousseau Père & Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, the sommelier said that if Chambertin is the King, then this wine, Clos de Bèze, is the Queen. The 2012 vintage is relatively easy to approach and didn't require a very long decanting time—two hours was sufficient.

The 2012 growing season was quite challenging, with a severe cold spring, but the summer was warm and hot. As a result, the fruit profile of this wine is quite expressive.

For the first hour, the reduction notes were very strong. It only started to open up in the second hour. The aroma is quite elegant. Since we were dining at a restaurant, the sommelier was very meticulous in controlling the temperature of the glassware, adjusting the wine's condition to a optimal state.

I didn't get very exuberant fruit notes. The overall state of the wine was restrained and elegant—like a lady around 30 years old. Not only is her beauty present, but there's also a feeling of poise and steadiness. Everything was in balance: the aromas, flavours, and acidity.

Notes of cherry, blackberry, liquorice sweetness, a hint of mint, and some dried flowers. There was a slightly creamy texture on the palate. The body was rounded but not quite what I would call voluptuous.

I didn't find any particularly stunning or breathtaking flavours or aromas. I can only say that this wine's performance was... correct. I had originally hoped for more complex layers, but unfortunately, I felt its expression was relatively simple, not very complex. It was just quite elegant and graceful.

This wine is exceedingly expensive. For a similar quality presentation, I believe there are other options at perhaps half the price that could deliver a comparable experience. — 12 days ago

Her Mir Tage

9.0

Cloudburst- Australia Cult Wine-2020Malbec

I had the opportunity to taste multiple wines from Cloudburst, a cult winery in Margaret River, Western Australia. While the region is renowned for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, and the winemaker's 2020 and 2022 Chardonnays were excellent, the highest score of the night went to the 2020 Malbec.

The 2020 Malbec presented a nose of ripe banana and a distinct greenness, evoking the scent of summer fruit in a lush, "Wizard of Oz"-like landscape. This wine definitely needed time to open up; it took a full two hours for its true character to emerge. When it did, it revealed very soft and rounded red fruit flavours, a hint of spiciness, and was perfectly balanced with well-defined layers and silky tannins. There was a remarkable contrast between the aromas on the nose and the flavours on the palate.

Of course, I also loved the winemaker's Chardonnays. The 2022 vintage was leaner in style, with explosive aromas of toasted sesame and a pronounced mineral drive. The 2020 vintage was richer and more rounded, offering secondary notes of brioche, cheese, cream, and toffee, all leading into a very long finish. If I were forced to choose just one more bottle to buy, it would undoubtedly be the 2020 Chardonnay. — 18 days ago

Her Mir Tage

8.7

This bottle tastes a bit bitter when opened. I'm not sure if it's due to storage issues. It's a 15-year-old wine, but the color is rather pale and the aroma is not rich enough. It's not particularly impressive. — a month ago

Her Mir Tage

9.0

Takahiko Soga Yoichi Nobori 2015

Domaine Takahiko has two main product lines:
- Nana-tsu-mori: Made from estate-grown Pinot Noir.
- Yoichi-Nobori: Sourced from purchased grapes, usually blends.

This Passetoutgrain is a Pinot Noir and Gamay blend (they also have another cuvée, Ô Lie- a Pinot Noir and Zweigelt blend—which I haven’t tried yet).

My Experience with Nana-tsu-mori
I’ve tried two vintages, both underwhelming:
- 2021: Opened with a distinct animalic/funky note(like barnyard), not the cleanest, but the flavors were interesting—red fruit and a chilly, austere vibe.
- 2018(bought in Japan): Watery and collapsed, with no structure. No idea what went wrong.

Yoichi-Nobori 2015 – A Better Experience
- Aromas: Fragrant at opening, though the bouquet faded after ~2 hours.
- Appearance: Classic natural wine hue, similar to Domaine Prieuré Roch.
- Palate:
- No wateriness(a big plus!).
- Rich fruit, well-structured and layered-like sour plum soup with a hint of licorice and mint.
- A touch of greenness, followed by umami on the finish.
- Acidity:Moderate, well-integrated.

Final Thoughts
This domaine’s wines are hit-or-miss, wildly inconsistent. Given their secondary market prices(which rival grand cru Burgundy), they’re only worth buying at allocation prices. — 2 months ago

Her Mir Tage

9.6

The Legendary 1990 and 2005 Vintages, and the 'Rouge' Aroma They Revealed!

I was meeting friends for a tasting, and I said I would bring a wine with a "rouge aroma" (*Yānzhī xiāng*). My friend also promised to open one with the same scent. If it's a cool vintage, a DRC might not reveal that distinctive rouge scent, but it's more common in warmer vintages, especially older ones from hot years. Of course, 2005 is a legendary vintage—it was warm but with significant diurnal temperature variation, resulting in balanced acidity and concentration, which also creates a very strong structure.

Thankfully, the 1990 Clos de Tart, despite having a very low fill level, wasn't spoiled. Its condition wasn't as potent as a previous bottle I had opened. This one took about 1.5 hours to fully open up in the glass. When it did, it revealed that signature Jiangnan "rouge" scent—very soft, enchanting, and feminine—along with some notes of dried longan. The fruit was balanced, though the acidity was relatively weak.

Today, I'll mainly write about this DRC. Its structure is incredibly powerful. For the first two hours, it was very closed. I believe this wine needed at least four hours of decanting, primarily because the 2005s, despite being a warm year, aren't that easy to open up. The aromas only started to slowly emerge around the third hour, and we were using large decanters and glasses, waiting for a long time. Initially, for the first half-hour after opening, there was a reductive note that was a bit funky. Later, after it opened up, the nose was primarily an interplay of cypress pine, violets, and that rouge scent intertwined. Honestly, this wine felt androgynous to me—it evokes an image of a knight and a princess playing in a forest. It wasn't overly soft, and its layers were incredibly complex.

On the palate, it was abundant: primarily black fruit, sour plum, sandalwood, coffee beans, a hint of dark chocolate, and a touch of earthy notes. The tannins weren't very soft—but then again, I'm so accustomed to drinking old wines. I feel this wine will need another 10 years to truly reach its peak. Its structure is exceptionally strong, unfolding layer by layer, with beautifully balanced acidity.

Comparing these two wines, their styles are completely different. One could say it's a contrast between an iconic Eastern beauty and a Western princess. I personally adore the soft and elegant style, but the 2005 is a wine with immense structure—it possesses a feminine power that is very potent, almost like the vision of a woman holding authority in a man's world.

Drinking such magnificent wines brings me great joy! — 12 days ago

Her Mir Tage

9.2

Is the Parker 99-point 2009 VCC Worth Its Price?

From a scoring perspective, you might feel slightly disappointed upon opening it, but in terms of price, it likely aligns with expectations.

Having previously tasted a Parker 95-100-point Côte-Rôtie La Landonne, I found its complexity and aromatic depth more impressive than this wine—though the 99-point VCC is the highest score this estate has ever received from Parker.

After 30 minutes of decanting:
The wine showed dark fruit aromas (blackberry), along with primary, secondary, and tertiary notes—cigar box, leather, and truffle-but the tannins were still tight, indicating it wasn’t fully open.

After 2 hours of decanting:
The wine began to unfold, not with explosive aromas but with a refined, lingering profile.Beyond the initial notes, ripe plum, vanilla, and graphite emerged. However, compared to an older vintage of VCC I’ve tried (which had a rich dark chocolate character), this bottle lacked that particular depth.

The tannins turned silky and smooth, making it very approachable, while a savory umami note complemented the medium acidity. The body was beautifully clean and well-structured. — a month ago

Her Mir Tage

9.0

First Time Trying "Calon Segur" 1995 – Tasting Notes

Background:
- Wine:Château Calon-Ségur 1995 (Third Growth, Saint-Estèphe)
- Blend:Bordeaux Blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot)

Tasting Notes
Appearance
- Color:Ruby-red with a "pigeon blood" hue, still vibrant for its age.

Nose (Aroma)
- Initially:Tight and powerful upon opening, dominated by cedar, oak, and smoky notes, with subtle earthy undertones. Fruit and floral aromas were restrained.
- After 30 mins of decanting:Began to open up—blackcurrant, raspberry, and a savory, almost "natural wine" minerality emerged.
- After 1 hour:Evolved further with liquorice, dark chocolate, and a touch of tobacco.

Palate (Taste)
- Tannins: Softened nicely but still present (typical of aged Bordeaux).
- Acidity:Noticeably high, giving freshness but slightly dominant early on.
- Flavor Profile:Balanced but not overly complex—black fruits, earthy notes, and oak spices in harmony.

Structure & Finish
- Body:Medium-full, elegant but not heavy.
- Finish:Moderate length, ending with lingering cedar and dark fruit.

Impressions & Comparisons
- Balance:Very well-integrated—no single element overpowers (aroma, flavor, acidity all upper-medium tier).
- Lacking Distinction? In a blind tasting of Bordeaux, this might blend in—no standout "wow" factor(e.g., missing the rose petal florality sometimes associated with "Calon’s romantic charm"). — 2 months ago