For the love of wine

Tonight, my love, tonight my love is Lascombes. It caresses, it's sublime, its perfection. I sit here and watch a splendid sunset, I see how the colours changes across the Norwegian fjord below, any colour from dull Payne's Grey, running in most shades of darker blues, to different purples, at a fleeting glimpse, even a shade towards pink and even orange. And all this with my love close by. My love changes. My love can be quite different, it's a deep one, somehow, and yet, shallow. Two weeks back, my love was a bottle of La Tache, it was somehow simple, focused, narrow, maybe even skinny, but sublime, the fruit so young and pure. Like youth, maybe a young boy, it felt masculine somehow, someone where beauty was still beyond the personality, where the personality had yet to form fully.

A year ago, I had another love, the 1928 Château Margaux. That's a very different kind of love. That was evolved, complex. Complex beyond words, to be honest. Elegant! That was the sexy, adult (mature) woman. The kind that isn't the one you notice at first, at least not as a younger man. The one with experience, with lot's of interresting stories to tell, the one who's been around. That has taste, and can afford it. The globetrotter, with an interesting career. A very different kind of sexy. Is sure of her self, has self-esteem. And dare to show it.

Then there was a 1945 Pontet-Canet, like a concert-pianist, revealing the secrets as arias (even if not sung), some more beautiful, some more tragic, but something new always occuring. You have heavy-weight boxers like the 03 Harlan Estate, nothing I can fall in love with, not even close, but it's a personality (of some sorts). Fragile Rieslings, some fleeting like freckled schoolgirls running from mockers, others standing there, witstanding everything you throw at them, like blond and beautiful amazons.

For the love of wine, in all (most) shades and types, what is there not to love?

03 Castelneau de Suduiraut

2003 Castelneau de Suduiraut;
(2nd Ch.Suduiraut) Getting more mature and not as fresh as my last bottle in November. Lacking ever more freshness as a result. Drink up now. 83

95 Belgrave

1995 Château Belgrave;
Ruby, garnet rim. Some figs, leather, leaner style, touch rustic on the nose, minerals and a hint of tobacco. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, leaner body as well, a bit short. 87

95 Branaire-Ducru

1995 Château Branaire-Ducru;
Ruby. More mature nose than most 95's, floral, pefumed, dry tobacco, plums, leather and licorice. Fresh acidity, tannins more or less gone, some astringent ones left behind. Falling a bit apart and a bit short. 88

98 Château Mercier

1998 Château Mercier;
Ruby, garnet rim. Fruity and simple nose. Good enough acidity, tannins gone, figs and plums in the finish. Easygoing. 81

07 Carbonnieux blanc

2007 Château Carbonnieux;
Pale lemon yellow. Young, grapefruit, lime, minerals, touch smoky, melon and peach. Fresh acidity, fruitdriven, creamy texture and finish. 91

06 Château de Cruzeau blanc

2006 Château de Cruzeau blanc;
Pale lemon yellow. Some oak and barrel notes, fat of grapefruit and lemon. Leaner body than nose, starting to dry on the palate, can no longer carry the oak. 80

2010 Château Bonnet blanc

2010 Château Bonnet blanc;
Not the type of wine I normally take the time to publish a tasting note on, but this was a surprice. Very fresh, elegant and lively, by far the best Bonnet blanc so far. 83

05 Didier Dagueneau Jardins de Babylon

2005 Didier Dagueneau Jurancon Jardins de Babylon;
Golden, lean nose, steely with tropical fruit behind. Sweet with fantastic acidity, mouthwatering, some smoky notes, pure pineapples, lemon, long finish. 93

97 Rieussec

1997 Château Rieussec;
Golden, again rich and waxy, but with more acidity to keep it fresher. Still the table wasn't impressed. 88

98 Rieussec

1998 Château Rieussec;
Golden, rich nose, wax, quite massive and intense. Lacks acidity on the palate (as usual), making it one of only two unfinished bottles for the whole evening. Can you guess the other bottle? A 97 Rieussec.... This one, 87

1948 Leone de Castris Salice Salentino

1948 Leone de Castris Negrino Salice Salentino vino Rubino;
Black with orange rim. Intense Maderized nose, dark fruits and very mature. Nuts and dried fruits. Leaner palate but nuanced, some acidity drags some fruit with it, keeps on playing like kids on the street on a warm summers day (at least back then when kids actually played in the streets, not shooting each other on the computer). 84

02 Moreau Les Clos des Hospices with extreme Premox

2002 Moreau Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos des Hospices;
Extreme Premox.

Premox 04 Domaine Leflaive

2004 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles;
Slight premox ruining it.

1978 Ch. Margaux

1978 Château Margaux;
(Served blind) Ruby with brick rim. Whif of floral notes, elegant, refined, sweet tobacco, some blackcurrant leafs. Fresh acidity, tannins almost gone, one of the fresher and younger of the 78's I've had, fresh and pure style, long length. 95 (And I've been lucky lately, nailed both estate and vintage).

1986 Las Cases

1986 Château Léoville Las Cases;
Bright ruby, smells like a barrel sample, it's so youthful. Cassis with some floral notes. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fine fruit on the palate, still too young, needs another ten years. 94

83 Palmer

1983 Château Palmer;
Ruby with garnet rim. Very top shoulder, needed a lot of air to open, first atractive, if lean Margaux, floral, perfumed, layered, later on, ever more intense. After a few hours, superb elegance, and layers upon layers. Nose beyond description. Leaner palate, fresh acidity, tannins ripe and feels almost gone, layered but can't quite keep up with the nose. My very best 83 Palmer, but nowhere close to my best 83 Ch. Margaux. 94

1953 Schloss Johannisberg TBA

1953 Schloss Johannisberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese;
Deep amber. What a nose, raisins, dried apples, dried apricots, botrytis, blackberries, pineapples, almost towards licorice as well, extremelly layered and complex, revealing all kinds of subtle and more powerful aromas, quite intense. Fresh and marvelous acidity, playful and perfectly integrated into the texture and body. Viscous, yet light, stunning and extremelly long aftertaste. Tasted at Schloss Johannisberg, from their cellar. The aftertaste lasted well into the lunch after the tasting (drinking of this one). 98+

99 Lafite Rothschild

1999 Château Lafite Rothschild;
Ruby, some coffee, vanilla, cassis, perfumed, floral, gains in depth with air. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, young and almost raw following the 83. Fine and long, but wait another five to ten years, or more. 93

83 Lafite Rothschild

1983 Château Lafite Rothschild;
Botton neck fill, ruby with thin garnet rim. Leather, some starting figs, floral high notes, violets, getting ever more intense with air. Seductive. Medium acidity, tender feel to it, tannins ripe and like snow, balanced, superb texture, good length. 93-94

70 Lafite Rothschild

No, it's not the 1870....

1970 Château Lafite Rothschild;
Very top shoulder fill, ruby, broad brick rim. Fantastic nose, towards rich, figs, prunes, tobacco, leather, very layered and nuanced. Stunning elegance on the palate, elegant acidity, not too high, tannins now gone (unlike the 70 Latour), superb, quite rich palate as well, cedar, perfumed, again tobacco. Long. Must be an absolute optimal bottle. 96

1964 Giacomo Conterno Barolo

1964 Giacomo Conterno Barolo;
Cloudy brick with orange rim. Massive sediments. Tobacco, tar and roses, far behind, leather and a faint hint of VA. High acidity, some tannins, but less than in many 64'2, very balanced for old Giacomo Conterno, where the structure can sometimes override the fruit, long. 89+

01 Comte de Vogüé Chambolle

2001 Comte de Vogüé Chambolle-Musignu 1er Cru;
This one is made from the younger vines in the Musigny vineyards. Ruby, strawberries, some exotic spices, floral high notes. Fresh acidity, elegant texture, lovely nreve to it, somewhat lean. Good length. 89

1976 Angerville Clos des Ducs

1976 Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs;
Bright ruby, thin brick rim. Jammy strawberries, figs, sweet plums and leather. Fresh acidity, tannins gone, extremelly youthful, superb, lacks complexity, but very fresh, lively and young. 88

02 Roulot with Premox

2002 Roulot Meursault 1er Cru Perrieres;
Premox!

93 Clos des Ducs

1993 Angerville Vonay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs;
Garnet. Fruit driven, strawberries, redcurrant's, more open nose than most (younger) Angervilles I've had. Fresh acidity, fruit-driven, sour feel, almost Piedmonteese rather than Burgundy, rustic, tight, almost unripe feel, cool. 89

Failing corks

2004 Joh.Jos.Christoffel Erben, Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Eiswein;
Failing cork (which seem to me to be a problem on Riesling half bottles. When I moved houses last year, I also moved my wine cellar. Of about a 1000 bottles moved, 10 bottles showed some signs of leakage. Two bottles from Domaine Leroy, both the 2004 vintage, made me worry. Unforgiving at this price- and hierarchy level. Both opened, one had some oxidation, the other was fine. Then two bottles from Peter Nicolay in Mosel, can't quite remember what, but probably Spät.- and/or Auslese from between 2000 and 2007 vintage. The remaining six bottles were all different half-bottles of Riesling, from different producers. Now I've found another two, this being one of them (Six months since I moved the cellar)). Cork soaked, (one dried droplet on the capsule gave it away), heavy mould on the outher side of the cork. Lemon yellow colour, nose of oxidized apples, very ripe orange, towards orange marmalade, Coca-Cola, seems closed. Freshens up more on the palate with air, elegant acidity, playful, elegant, lemony crispness to it, but lacks the nuances of an optimal bottle (I've probably tasted twenty bottles of this one), still manages to deliver quite a marvelous and relatively fresh, if heavier, aftertaste than it should. This is a very rare (and very fine) wine, we can't afford to loose any of them to failing corks. This bottle, about 89.

Madeira of the week 12: 1922 D'Oliveiras Boal

1922 D'Oliveiras Boal;
Amber with green hue. Floral, dried fruits, medium intensity and complexity for a Boal. High acidity, more intense palate, figs, cinamon, playful and richer, orange blossoms, long.

88 Les Forts de Latour

1988 Les Forts de Latour;
(2nd Ch. Latour) Ruby with garnet rim. Leather, cigar, figs, cedar, cassis, mature nose. Somewhat lean and restrained as well. Fresh acidity, quite lively, elegant and ripe tannins, starting to loose a bit of fruit maybe, good length. 89

06 Coche-Dury Meursault

2006 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots;
Towards lemon yellow. Flint, citrus, bond-fire, smoke, butter, focused. Fresh acidity, lot's of barrel, narrow, finish all over the place, needs time to setle. 90 for now.

05 Domaine d'Auvenay

2005 Domaine d'Auvenay Meursault;
Pale lemon yellow, flint, minerals, popcorn, butter, citrus, vanilla, lime and oak. Fresh acidity, layered, buttery and creamy, oak just on the high side for now, rich, very long. 93

1964 Heidsieck & Co Gold Top

1964 Heidsieck & Co Gold Top Monopole Brut;
Golden with amber tints. Cork sliped out very easily, almost no hold at all. No bubbles. Dusty, maderized and some oxidized apples. Simple Madeira palate with some dried fruit and coffee. Very tired, almost beyond. 52

1964, and it went Mumm.....

1964 Mumm Cordon Rouge Brut;
Dead as a Dodo. But it came in the original wrapping!

Madeira of the week 11: 1908 D'Oliveiras Boal

1908 D'Oliveiras Boal;
Deep amber, orange rim. Orange peel, citrus, fresher fruit, apricots, quite intense, full style. Fresh and high acidity, lively feel, elegant even, layered, nuanced, long. 94+

96 Belle Epoque Magnum

1996 Perrier Jouët Belle Epoque;
(Magnum) Very pale golden, tiny bubbles. A touch of yeast, minerals, fresh, some apples. Fresh acidity, very elegant texture, refined, almost tender, subtile, mineral-apply finish. Long. 93

07 Cédric Bouchard BdB La Bolorée

2007 Cédric Bouchard BdB Roses de Jeanne La Bolorée;
(Served blind) Straw yellow, watery rim, tiny bubbles. Some brich, yeast, oxidized yellow apples, firmer and more giving with air, lot's of autolysis, fairly rich nose. Fresh but not too high acidity, very apple-peel and apple bitterness. Vinous texture, with air more of rotting leaves and apples on the ground. 89

This wasn't easy to get, I was sure it was Champagne, but with BdBish aromas, but Pinot Noir texture and acidity, I was lost. Turns out this is a 500 bottles only cuvée, made of Pinot Blanc!

97 Léoville Poyferré

1997 Château Léoville Poyferré;
Ruby, starting to mature on the nose, gorgeous and layered, seductive, cassis, leather, some vanilla, cigars, refined. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, a bit lean (the vintage), good length. 89

1927 Cockburn's

1927 Cockburn's Vintage Port;
Garnet with brick rim. Lots of sediments. Massive nose, intense and complex, leaps out of the glass, off the scale. High acidity, alcohol shows through, but such alyers, complexity and superb length. Stunning. 98+

1971 Kloster Eberbach BA

1971 Kloster Eberbach Rüdesheimer Berg Rotland Riesling Beerenauslese;
Towards orange. Mature nose, raisins, nuts, dried apricots, figs. Lovely acidity, nice fruit on the palate still, quite playful, but too short. 87

2001 Yquem, the legend

2001 Château d'Yquem;
The legend continues, golden, superb nose, yet again impossible to describe, everything is just in place, in it's perfect spot, layered and complex beyond words. Superb palate as well, so together, refined, explosive, layered, magnificent, everlasting, has everything, perfection. 100

96 Yquem

1996 Château d'Yquem;
Golden, vanilla, apricots, intense, very complex nose. Fresh acidity, lively, heavy and rich, but starting to let go of the bitterness that for some reason, I've always found on the half bottles, but not the regualr bottles of the 96 Yquem. Very long length, this is getting better and better. 94

1976 Konrad Knodel BA

1976 Konrad Knodel, Guldentaler Schlosskapelle Riesling Beerenauslese;
Golden with orange hue, some alcohol over dried fruits, somewhat oxidized. OK acidity, good enough palate. 75

1976 Baltazar Ress BA

1976 Balatzar Ress, Hattenheimer Engelmannsberg Riesling Beerenauslese;
Golden with orange hue. Botrytis on the nose, but not giving much. Very elegant, lovely acidity, a bit lean but long. One of does 76's that should have been decanted for longer? 86

2003 Harlan Estate

2003 Harlan Estate;
(Served blind) Opaque, garnet rim. Massive with huge fruit, perfumed and alcoholic nose. Medium acidity, massive dry tannins, BIG on all accounts. Alcoholic palate and finish, and I nailed it. Not many wines out there as vulgar as this. 90

90 Serafin Gevrey-Chambertin VV

1990 Serafin Pere & Fils Gevrey-Chambertin Vielles Vignes;
(Served blind) Ruby, garnet rim. Red berries on the nose. Frash and high acidity, high tannins!, pure feel to it, if not that long. 89

1970 Porta Dos Cavaleiros

1970 Porta Dos Cavaleiros, Dao;
(Magnum) Ruby with garnet rim. Floral, forest floor, figs. Fresh acidity, dry, some dust and dark fruits. Interesting more than outright good. 82

96 Serafin Gevrey-Chambertin VV

1996 Serafin Pere & Fils Gevrey-Chambertin Vielles Vignes;
Ruby with brick rim. Leather, licorice, hung-meat, pepper. Not much resembling Burgundy here. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, soon gone, some broth, medicinal in the back, a bit hollow but long. Served blind, I didn't even consider Burgundy on this one..... 83

00 Domaine du Silene des Peyrats

2000 Domaine du Silene des Peyrats, Coteaux du Languedoc;
Ruby with garnet rim. Intense, sweet plums, licorice, some VA and Brett. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, alcoholic finish. Somewhat hollow and oak shines through. Lot's of winemaking faults, still quite agreeable. 80

00 Dom la Janasse

2000 Domaine de la Janasse, Côte du Rhône;
Ruby with garnet rim. Light and hollow nose, overshadowed by oak, some pepper behind. Fresh acidity, oak tannins, rough texture, some cooked fruit, warm finish at only 13,5. Not my cup of tea. 78

04 Delas Les Launes

2004 Delas Crozes-Hermitage Les Launes;
Pale ruby, pink rim. Young, fruity, towards cooked strawberries, some perfume and some herbs in the back. Quite light nose. Eucalyptus. Medium acidity, tannins ripe and almost gone, quite pure feel to it, but a bit simple. 81

89 Langwerth von Simmeren Auslese

1989 Langwerth von Simmeren,Eltviller Sonnenberg Riesling Auslese;
Golden, amber tints. Some petroleum, but remembver this as more intense on former bottles, some botrytis, apricots, ripe yallow apples, canned fruits. Medium + acidity, low for riesling, reflecting the vintage, but in perfect balance with the starting to dry off sweetness. Could be more complex, fine length with air. 90

Le Montrachet

2008 Lamy-Pillot Le Montrachet Grand Cru;
Pale golden, some butter, minerals, elegant, lime for the freshness, grapefruit. Superb texture, elegant, fresh and lively acidity, so much going on, tenderly, refined, creamy, elegance just springs to mind all the time, extremelly long. 96+

1961 Conterno Monfortino

1961 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino;
Garnet with orange rim. Coffee, licorice, dry notes, intense. High acidity, ripe tannins, feels youthfull on the fruit, but seems to start to dry up in the finish. 90

1998 Monfortino

1998 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino;
Ruby, intense, floral high-notes, violets, roses, tar, perfumed, just a faint hint of VA behind it all, lifting it. High acidity, ripe tannins, elegant, but on the other hand feels robust, lovely body, seriously long. 95

1961 Antonio Vallana Spanna

1961 Antonio Vallana & Figlio, Spanna Cinque Castelli Riserva;
Ruby with orange rim. Perfumed nose and a very intense nose of rust. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, slightly metallic, lean. 82

61 Fontana Saverio Barolo

1961 Fontana Saverio Barolo Riserva;
Cloudy garnet, orange rim, sediments. Tar, roses, some VA, quite intense nose. High acidity, high of level of tannins, light, simple bodied and lacks concentration, short. 78

90 Conterno Cascina Francia

1990 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia;
Deep ruby, orange rim, mocca, chocolate, anise, leather and some VA. Unusual nose for a Barolo. Rich palate, high acidity, high of fairly ripe tannins, but surprisingly short. 88

1964 Produttori del Barbaresco

1964 Produttori del Barbaresco, Barbaresco;
Cloudy garnet, diluted rim. Lean and cooked feel on the nose. High acidity, high level of tannins, tired.

1971 Ceretto

1971 Ceretto Barolo Grignore in Serralunga;
Dry and more or less dead.

1967 Cappelano

1967 Cappelano Barolo;
Garnet with orange rim. Sediments. Tar, roses, perfumed nose, anise. High acidity, hig level of tannins, leanish body, still fairly mouthwatering, not that layered, then braking up after twenty minutes. 87

1986 Haut-Brion

1986 Château Haut-Brion;
(Served blind) Ruby, thin brick rim. Gorgeous nose, terracotta, tobacco, superb nose, layers, complex, fine leather, licorice, some ripe plums, so nuanced. Cedar. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, comes with air, the length grows by the minute, extremelly long. 97

This perfect bottle I nailed just on the nose. Sometimes one can be lucky. Thank you Anita for your generosity.

Corked 86 Haut-Brion

1986 Château Haut-Brion;
(Served blind) Severly corked.....

86 Haut-Brion

1986 Château Haut-Brion;
(Served blind) Ruby, very thin brick rim. Cassis, leather, barnyard and brett. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, tight, something behind there, roquefort, touch of fusel, salty minerals, long. 92

I had no idea, Bordeaux yes, left bank yes, trying some estates with a potential brett issue in the 80's, like Montrose and Ducru Beaucaillou. Some spotted this could be Pessac, I had no chance, none of the Pessac typicities was here for me.

97 Bruno Giacosa Falletto de Serralunga

1997 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga;
(Served blind)Ruby with thin brick rim. Slightly of still fermenting sweet morellos. Some rose hips. High acidity, high of ripe tannins, lacks something mid-palate at this stage, but lovely finish. 92

I was on Piemonte....

99 Rousseau Chambertin

1999 Armand Rousseau Chambertin Grand Cru;
Ruby. Stunning nose, this is beyond proper description. Superb, layered, refined. Fresh acidity, after that nose the palate feels a bit simple, until the aftertaste that is. Waves upon waves, incredible length, this one knocking the other wines thus far this evening, off the table. 97+

96 Rousseau Clos de Bèze

1996 Armand Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru;
(Picture is a 99) Ruby, thin brick rim. Perfumed, open, superb nose but has something rustic to it, and maybe some oak just behind the fruit. Fresh acidity, feels leaner than the 99, a bit all over the place, lacking focus (in this context that is) but balanced, long. 93

99 Rousseau Clos de Bèze

1999 Armand Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Béze Grand Cru;
Pale ruby. A bit all over the place first, but quickly sharpening up with air, floral, strawberries, perfumed, stunning nose. Fresh acidity, tannins almost gone, slightly rustic texture anyway, well, rustic for Rousseau, how rustic can it actually be. 94

99 Rousseau Ruchottes-Chambertin

1999 Armand Rousseau Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru Clos des Ruchottes;
Pale ruby, some barrel notes show throug the fruit, edgy nose, some rose hips. Medium acidity, again somewhat rough, at least for Rousseau, not quite the degree of excellence one expect's from this producer. 89

1999 Rousseau Charmes-Chambertin

1999 Armand Rousseau Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru;
Pale ruby, subtle, elegant and pure nose. Strawberries, and a faint hint of exotic spices. Perfumed and seductive. Fresh acidity, superb elegance, just a touch short. 93

99 DRC Vosne-Romanée

1999 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Vosne-Romanée Cuvée Duvault-Blochet;
Pale ruby, some herbs, pepper, towards unripe strawberries, some floral notes hanging over. Medium acidity, soft tannins, good length. 88

99 Leflaive Bienvenues

1999 Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet;
Pale golden, stunning nose, even more nuanced and layered than the Clavoillons a few minutes back, but tighter, not as giving. Fresh acidity, superb elegance, discreet, subdued, towards tender. Very long, not fully unlocking it's secrets to us this evening. 93 for now.

96 Dom.Leflaive PM Clavoillons

1996 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Clavoillons;
Pale golden. Stunning nose, WOW. Just a touch of popcorn to make it somewhat rich, more subdued of butter, minerals and citrus, gorgeous and elegant, layered. Fresh acidity, lively, perfection on balance, superb texture, the only thing was that it could easily be longer. 95

01 Roulot Meursault Perrieres

2001 Roulot Meursault Perrieres;
Golden, rich nose, just a whiff of glue at first (VA?). Apricots suggesting some botrytis, some minerals, not to elegant beside Raveneau and Dom. Leflaive. Fresh acidity, lot's of lemon and some unripe strawberries. Good length. 90

02 Raveneau Montée de Tonnerre

2002 Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru, Montée de Tonnerre;
Pale golden, warm metal like a welding shop at first, needed lot's of air to open. Starting with some butter, minerals, citrus, touch of smoke and slightly perfumed. More focus on the minerals later on, even some apples. Fresh acidity, creamy texture, elegant and lively, long. 93+

89 Krug

1989 Krug;
Towards golden, tiny bubbles. Quite rich nose of apples, minerals, some citrus, yeast, layered and nuanced. Fresh acidity, elegant mousse for Krug, lively, rounded, fresh feel, quite intense, long indeed. 95

1990 Clos des Goisses

1990 Philipponnat Clos des Goisses;
(Magnum) Golden, tiny bubbles. Some oxidized apples, minerals, nuts, quite winy for Champagne. Fresh acidity, very integrated into the texture and balance, almost getting boring to be honest. Leaner mousse, very elegant finish, subtle. 91

Madeira of the week 10: 1900 Barbeito Malvazia

1900 Barbeito Malvazia;
Dark amber, towards brown with golden rim. Intense and rich nose, leaping out of the glass, nuts, fruit cake, dried fruits, almost massive. High acidity, fresh and lively, layered but lacks the extraordinary nuances and complexity of a perfect D'Oliveiras bottle. 95

06 Schloss Lieser BJS Spätlese

2006 Schloss Lieser Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese;
Pale straw yellow, apples, minerals, a whiff of tropical fruit. Very elegant and nuanced nose as well as palate, high acidity, lovely balance, long finish. 91

06 Ramonet Chassagne

2006 Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet;
Towards golden, minerally and lots of butter on the nose, some nuts with more air and something borderline unfresh in the back. Fresh acidity, lots of butter and popcorn on the palate, rich and fairly long. Might be a touch of premox on this one. 87

09 Cantelys blanc

2009 Château Cantelys blanc;
Pale lemon yellow. Fresh nose of lemons, grapefruit, minerals, oysters and a touch of asparagus. Fresh acidity, lively and elegant, towards creamy texture, quite long. 89

1955 Las Cases

1955 Château Léoville Las Cases;
Mid shoulder fill, ruby with towards orange rim. Red berries and somewhat perfumed nose, violets, morellos and figs. Medium acidity, but dies of on the palate. 85 for the nose, 45 for the palate.

1964 Las Cases

1964 Château Léoville Las Cases;
Danish bottling, probably by Vingaarden, Odense. Top shoulder fill, ruby with brick rim. Morellos and warm notes. Feels a bit cooked. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, some fruit still, not an optimal bottle. 68

78 Castillo Ygay

1978 Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay;
Ruby with brick rim. Chocolate, caramel, dusty nose. Highish acidity, tannins gone, one-dimensional, dying quickly. Not the best bottle. 72 while it lasted.

1970 Faustino 1

1970 Faustino 1;
Ruby with brick rim. Tar, roses, intense and richer nose than other bottles, violets and some VA. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, but lacks quite a lot on the palate, short. Palate seems more typical than the nose. 82

93 Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne

1993 Bonneau du Martray, Corton Charlemagne;
Towards golden, minerals, butter, popcorn, apples and smoke. High acidity, fresh, fairly elegant, quite mouthwatering, playful and elegant, splendid finish, long. Seems to have evolved nicely since my last bottle a few years back. 94+

07 Long-Depaquit Les Clos

2007 Long-Depaquit Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos;
Pale gold, butter, hint of flint, fatter nose for a Chablis. Medium pluss acidity, butter and minerals, creamy feel, hint of smoke, good length. 92