St Bettys restaurant is crafting some of the most exciting tucker in HK these days. This great new eatery was the site of a gentle Thursday night get-together … We kicked off proceedings with delicious little truffled arancini, washed down with 96 Ramonet Montrachet…and that set the tone for the rest of the evening.
The food was sublime (thanks Shane). The Côte de Boeuf deserves special mention (and too the Essex carving skills), but on to the wine:
1996 Ramonet - Montrachet
Browned butter, oily, nose a little vegetal. Waxy, lovely thick lemony ping full of minerality. The drive, power and class of an Aston. Open for business.
95 pts, DR
2001 Kistler Vine Hill Chardonnay (served blind)
Bags of acidity and a really concentrated lemon edge to this tightly-knit little beauty. Big structure, yet kept alive with this racy acidity which really plants the pure fruit firmly across the whole palate. Not at all over worked - this is damn good.
92 pts, DR
1989 DRC - Romanee St Vivant
Smokey, dried meats. A piercing room-filling perfume of floral violets. The fruit is still a little caged. Once the edges soften, this should be lovely. Still a little youthful, but showing real promise.
93 pts DR
1985 Jadot - Bonnes Mares
A more masculine, brooding nose of Bonnes Marres. Structure is flawless - the sturdy walls of powerful pinot fruit have softened over time. Classy juice, we all took notice of this. Old Jadot rocks.
95 pts, DR
1988 Roumier - Bonnes Mares
Another nose that draws you in. Really floral, fresh light fruit. Palate a little blunted right now, pinched by tannins which takes the shine off a little. Fruit quality is right up there though, fresh as a daisy.
91 pts, DR
1990 Mongeard Mugneret - Grands Echezeaux
Showing beautifully. Soft, round fruit, nice bit of punch on the mid-palate and a mellow but sustained follow through. Effortless. A domaine that slips under the radar.
93 pts, DR
1990 Anne et François Gros - Richebourg
Real power here. The waft of ripe dark fruit means business. Incredibly youthful on the palate, but still needs time both in bottle and glass. Masculine Burgundy, yet with the finesse and soft edges required to pull it off.
92 pts, DR
1993 Leroy - Pommard les Vignots
This took a bit of time to coax out of its shell, but then it really started to impress. I am a big fan of Pommard, and when you combine that with the winemaking ability of domaine Leroy, this is the end result. Power, sex-appeal, fragrance, a bit of everything in generous portions. Lovely length too…it simply cruises on the palate.
94 pts, DR
92 Dom Perignon Oenotheque Rose
Wound up and intense…a coiled spring. It did finally relax after about 20 mins in the glass and started to open up. Plenty of punch here and precision. Built for the long haul, this should be revisited in about 3-5 years.
92 pts, DR
Thanks to all concerned for their generosity and comedy value!