Dinner with friends March 2018

1996 Lanson Gold Label

Beautiful colour, vibrant towards golden with petite bubbles. Apples, brioche, minerals, plaster, some bread crumbs and citrus, delicate and nuanced nose. Fresh acidity, elegant mousse, lemons, nuanced, some yellow fruits and faint tropical notes, playful and delicate, refined, superb balance, lively and quite mouthwatering. 94

2007 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne

Pale lemon yellow. Citrus, candied lemons, apples, minerals, some vanilla and spices, slightly floral nose. Fresh acidity, apples, minerals, spices, needed more than an hour in decanter to start opening up. Detailed, intense, long. 95

2011 Bouchard Meursault 1er Cru Le Porusot

Pale lemon yellow, green tint. Apples, lime, minerals, chalky, some spices, oyster shell nose. Fresh acidity, fruity, apples, minerals, detailed, elegant, plaster, nuanced, layered, lovely balance, needs three hours in decanter at this stage, long. 93

2011 Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos des Issarts

Bright ruby. Scented, some liquorice, raspberries, floral, nuanced, detailed, elegant nose, layered, seductive, very faint herbal note. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, juicy, red berries, anise, raspberries, elegant texture, lovely balance just a little bit short finish. Or rather, ends a bit abruptly. 92

1983 Château Léoville Poyferré 

Ruby. Anise, spices, tobacco, detailed, some figs, leather, light minty touch nose. Highly scented. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, figs, some cherries, cassis, blueberries, quite a lot of cedar and tobacco, detailed, somewhat lighter bodied, refined, long. Served blind very surprising from this vintage. 94

1996 Château Pichon Longueville Baron

Ruby. Anise, cassis, some cedar, detailed, nuanced, tobacco, detailed, layered, scented, filigree and detailed nose, seductive. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, nuanced, detailed, playful, lovely balance, bright and nuanced, superb balance, my best bottle of this so far. Stunning. 95

1989 Château Branaire-Ducru

Ruby. Scented, red berries, anise, figs, some cedar, some tobacco, nuanced and detailed, layered, intense nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fruity, anise, cassis, figs, dates, anise, elegant. Probably my best bottle yet of this. (Served blind) 94 

1995 Kloster Eberbach Rüdesheimer Berg Schloss berg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese

Amber with tiny crystals. Rich, honeyed, apricots, raspberries, honey, nuanced, playful, apple cake, cinnamon, layered, caramel nose. Intense. Fresh acidity, playful, lively, detailed, intense, playful, nuanced, layered, rich, deep and intense, superb balance yet as rich and caramelly as very few. Dense yet lively and playful. Long. Incredibly long. 97