Last week I was fortunate enough to be invited to a spectacular wine dinner in a city that I had never visited before. It was certainly worth the journey as we enjoyed outstanding food with some exceptionally rare, and great, wines.
The 101 Building, Taipei
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Taipei is the capital city of Taiwan (also known as the Republic of China) and is situated at the north of the Island formerly known as Formosa. Once colonised by the Dutch, it was ruled by the Japanese from 1895 until the end of the Second World War. Taipei is a bustling modern city. Standing above all others, is the remarkable 101 building (named after the number of floors), which was, between 2004 and 2010, the tallest building in the world. The Taiwanese enjoy delicious Chinese food and take their tea very seriously. However we were here to eat a menu with a Spanish flavour and drink wines from France and Portugal.
D+N Innovacion is an exciting modern Spanish restaurant in the heart of the city, where chef Daniel Negreira creates many spectacular dishes. Hailing from Galicia, Daniel has worked in several of Spain's top restaurants including El Bulli, Mugaritz and Arzak.
Daniel Negreira
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For details of the restaurant please click here.
Tonight's menu tasted as good as it sounded on the menu:
Foie Gras on a tree
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The wines were equally spectacular. We started with the youngest wine of the night, a Champagne from 1982, and finished nearly a century earlier, with a Vintage Port from 1885:
1982 Salon Le Mesnil - This has a fairly well developed marmelade colour and a very fine mousse. Very nutty with toasted brioche character. Fully mature. Complex and developed but not exactly fresh. Needs drinking up on this showing. 16
1961 Perrier Jouet Blason de France - A slightly deeper colour and slightly cloudy. A few bubbles but more or less flat. Very nutty and biscuity. More than a hint of sherry. Interesting but not really performing the role of Champagne any more. 15
1961 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne - A significantly lighter colour than either of the first two wines. Clean, vibrant and almost salty and mineral. Bright acidity, still fresh. A touch yeasty but still lively and refreshing with good bight. Very impressive for a Champagne that is over 50 years old. 18
1961 Dom Perignon - A late release from the reserves of DP (apparently shipped for the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981 - from her birthyear, 1961). - a deeper, more golden colour than the Comtes but quite lively with plenty of bubbles. Toasty notes with Vanilla pod and candied citrus fruits. Fine and complex 18.5
The champagnes
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Puligny Enseigneres 2000 Coche Dury - Still quite a light colour. Impressive thickness and viscosity. Big legs. Rich on the palate but mineral. Fat and lean at the same time. Pineapple juice. Still adolescent and not really singing tonight. 16
Musigny Blanc 1964 Comte de Vogué - Light gold colour but bright. Fantastic nose - classic Grand Cru white burgundy. Rich and buttery with a sprinkling of toasted almonds and a touch of caramel. This is fabulous and intense. Superb richness but not flabby. Brilliant. 19.5
Trotanoy 1961 ex Nicolas Cellar - This has a very impressive black colour. Wow - a sensational nose of truffles, tar and liquorice. Deep, sweet, dense and full of black cherries with touches of leather and cigar box. More Graves than Pomerol. Tarry, dense and quite sensational. Could be 10 years old, not 53! 20
Mouton 1961 recorked at Chateau in 1983 - Deep colour. Almost as deep as the Trotanoy. So classically Mouton on the nose. Eucalyptus, mint and cassis. The epitome of mature Cabernet Sauvignon with cigar box exoticism, richness but structure and a controlled long, dry finish. Rich but refined. Very classy. Ultimate Medoc. Sophisticated, precise, long. 19.5
Haut Brion, Domaine de la Passion 1961 - During the 1960's and 1970's, the fruit from this this small 1.5 hectare vineyard within the boundaries of Chateau Haut Brion was harvested, and then vinified, by the First Growth Chateau. A third of the production was kept by Haut Brion and the remaining two-thirds bottled for the owner &ndash Monsieur Allery. Asuming yields of 20 hl/ha the production of this wine would have been about 300 cases. In the 1980&rsquos the wine was re-named Allery Haut Brion and recently the vineyard has been bought by Domaine Clarence Dillon and integrated into the Haut Brion. Black colour. Soaring smoky, tarry nose. Beef jerky, barbecue sauce. Asian spices, tar, bergamot, bonfires and black truffles fill the palate. Liquorice, vanilla pods, dense black fruit. An absolute stunner and tonight it not only equals but beats beats the bottle of 1961 Haut Brion. 20
Haut Brion 1961 - Very, very similar but not quite as sweet. Fantastic wine but maybe half a point less. 19.5
Chambertin 1961 Leroy - Shipped direct from Mme Bize 2 years ago. Typical brick red mature Burgundy colour. Rich but very acid, almost mouth-puckering, very lean after the Bordeaux. Almost refreshing and zingy after their richness and opulence. Good not great. 17
Musigny 1961 Leroy - Shipped direct from Mme Bize 2 years ago. According to Allen Meadows this wine was sourced from de Vogué. Slightly deeper colour than the Chambertin. Wonderful smoky nose. Brilliant Pinot. This is a massive step-up from the Chambertin! Sweet Griotte cherries, vibrant acidity, great sweetness and complexity. Amazing length. Goes on and on. Pure and intense Pinot with earthy notes. 19
The Reds
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1948 Butler and Nephew - This Port house was founded in 1789 but was purchased by Gonzalez Byass in the 1950's and no longer exists. It has a mature colour, of course, but is still very sweet. Big and pruney on the nose with smoky notes. Rich, viscous, almost oily. Christmas pudding, youthful. Blind I would have said 1963. 18
Cockburn Jubilee Vintage 1935
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1935 Cockburn - The cork on this bottle reveals a fascinating story of 3 Kings of England who lived while this great wine was being made. "Jubilee vintage" on one side of the cork refers to the 25th anniversary of the reign of King George V. He was to die in 1936 as the wine matured in barrel. He was succeeded by Edward VIII who then abdicated and George VI became King in 1937 hence 'Coronation bottling' on the other side of the cork. This has a huge raisiny sweetness with a touch of cough mixture. Syruppy. Incredibly sweet still for a wine that is nearly 80 years old. Still has time on its side. Classic Vintage Port. 18.5
Cockburn Coronation Bottling 1937
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1931 Rebello Valente - This bottle was purchased from a customer reserve at Trapps Cellars where it had been stored for decades. With Martinez, the only port apart from the legendary Quinta do Noval declared in 1931. A faded colour, spirity on the nose. But on the palate there is still good cherry sweetness. Kirsch. A bit too much alcohol for the fruit. Heady. 16.5
1885 Unknown Shipper - This bottle of Vintage Port was recently removed from the cellars of a Stately Home in Bath where it had been untouched for generations. Very faded colour. Chocolate Orange on the nose with a hint of nutmeg. Remarkably, this is still sweet on the palate with impressive glycerin. Spirit and fruit in balance after 129 years. Fading, but there is still life in the old girl long after those who made her are long gone. It is fascinating to think what has happened in the world since this wine was bottled in 1887 some 8 years before Taiwan was taken over by the Japanese and over half a century before independence.
Huge thanks to our Taiwanese friends who made this one of the greatest "bring a bottle" dinners of my life.
