Burgundy Dinner

It's funny how every time I tried to defend myself by saying that I could live with RM15k a month, no one would believe me. Maybe it had to do with my expensive palate and my enjoyment activities. My enjoyment is no longer a secret as everyone by now would know that I absolutely love good food, Cuban cigars, expensive chocolates, fine wine & single malts and retail therapy. The dinner at Riverfish on Monday was a good excuse to sinfully indulge in 3 of the above. It was a dinner paired with Burgundy wines. (I have written about the difference between Burgundy and Bordeaux here)

SHREK: 'Burgundy is like an onion'.

DONKEY: "Oh, Burgundy and onions both have layers. Oh. [Sniffs] You know, not everybody likes onions. Cake! Everybody loves cakes! Cakes have layers..."

Burgundy has layers of flavour! So many layers in fact that no-one can tell you everything...

On the macro level it's about knowing that the Burgundy region can be found at roughly 3 o'clock on a map of France and is predominantly about white wine made from chardonnay and red wine made from pinot noir.

I love burgundy. The Bordeaux maybe more popular but you'll never know that you'll love a Burgundy until you have trully tried one. It's after all an accquired taste. I'm proud to say that I've tasted the Grand Crus of Burgundy after some Premier Crus. Grands Crus are the élite of Burgundy. These wines come from the very best slopes and the label will bear only the name of the vineyard, not the name of any village. These wines - both red or white - cost a small fortune but should be the epitome of fine wine.

Chambertin 1999

Gevrey-Chambertin is the largest appellation in Côte de Nuits. Gevrey-Chambertin is also one of the most famous wines in France.

This wine is what I'll call a absolutely cunnilingus (a new word I learnt from a friend) wine. Not only it's lip-licking-good (intended pun), it's also a glass-licking-good burgundy. Honestly, of all the Burgundy I've had, I must say this one is very impressive. It's has got a fruity, licorice and some hints of cocoa. The finish was good and it's certainly worth the 4 figure price tag.

Musigny 2001

Musigny Vielles Vignes from Comte George de Vogue is one of Burgundy's TOP WINES. The nose is a fantastic complex mix of blackberries, spice, cedar, soy, anise and dried herbs followed by full-bodied, multi-layered flavors of amazing length. Very well balanced. This is also a 4 figure price tag bottle. However, I like the Chambertin more than this.

To complete the enjoyment, I had a Cohiba Maduro 5 Secretos paired with the Burgundy. I find the cigar very complex but it did give a smooth draw. Besides some cocoa aromas, there's also some hints of cedar. The size might be small but it will give you a 30-45 minutes of pleasure.

I am very delighted to be able to taste some of the world's best wine that night. It was indeed a honour to be invited for the dinner and I really appreciate the generous friends I have. Therefore, I hope they would make more money in their business so that I get to try the Romanee Conti and La Tache! Hehe.... (I know you guys are reading this!)