1928 Ch Margaux

1928 Château Margaux: 
Sjatteringer av rødbrunt, det utspilles små toner og nyanser, som glinser likt fargespekteret i stavene på merbauparkett. Tobakk og lær, lukter fra ett herreværelse. En herre som spaserer rolig nedover Karl Johan i bespoke fra Savile Row, detaljene synes bare for de som vet, for de som vet hva de skal se etter. Man kan bare så vidt ane det hele bak kamelhårsfrakken. På bena, Lobb, den sarte og allikevel intense duften av edelt lær, sålene som er litt glatte, så man må tre varsomt, men bestemt. Han er blitt grå i håret, etter over åtti år i flasken. Sedertre fra sigarkassen som ble lukket på vei ut døren henger fortsatt igjen, samt en lett og fin støvete duft av leste bøker. Sitrustonene minner om en lunch under blomstrende appelsintrær ved Middelhavets kyst, kanskje en gang på femtitallet. Duften henger mer igjen som ett minne over av hva som var, enn hva som kommer. Ett glemt måltid, en glemt opplevelse, over en kopp te, kanskje plukket en gang da England fremdeles var ett stort imperie. Blomsterduftene bringer en heller til en frodig engelsk hage enn til indiske høylandssletter i grønt, der de bølger opp og ned åssidene som fremmede organismer i et styrt mønster. Men her er noe feminint også. Kanskje er det minnet om kirsebærets fødsel, som en rosa drøm over hodet på en beskjeden geisha, i fargesprakende kimono. Som den gamle mannen tar hun korte skritt, tripper avgårde, på høye såler, som om hun egentlig skulle ønske hun kunne fly over bakken. Og det er nettopp hva syren gjør. Den flyr, på denne trippende og beskjedne måten. Den tripper over tungen, med en kurv av aromaer, som båret frem av denne geishaen. Silkekimonoen blir til tekstur. Nesten som en vakkert arrangert teaterforestilling kommer forskjellige bilder og visjoner på scenen, forskjellige historier utspiller seg. Og det er en lang forestilling, det fortsetter og fortsetter. Geishaen blir mer og mer modig, viser frem mer og mer. Mannen begynner å huske lunchen han også. Detaljene kommer. Det måtte bare luft til. Oksygen. For å vekke opp alt som har ligget der, i skuffer og bokhyller i alle disse årene. Det blåses støv av, og bringes frem i lyset. Denne ene gangen skal det vises frem. Så aldri mer. Ingen er lik deg, her og nå. Takk for at vi fikk treffes. 98

1928-1990 Château Ausone, five vintages

1928 Château Ausone:
Estate bottled. (served blind) Top shoulder fill (told afterwards). Garnet with orange rim. Redcurrant's, leather, figs, light but very complex nose, Burgundian feel, but more complex than most Burgundies. Floral high-notes, fresh tobacco and cigars. Almost cedary, ads and ads with air. Fresh acidity, tannins gone, leanish body, more fruit and flavour intensity. Mouthwatering, body ads as well with air. Not the longest. Broadbent: 'By the early eighties it had lost a good deal of colour yet, despite of fungi on the nose, was fairly harmonious..... (In 1998) ....on the palate surprisingly full and rich with good length and acidity. Not my favorite '28, but, at best ***'. 95 (Oh, by the way, I was about 40 years off on this blind..... )


1955 Château Ausone:
Mid-shoulder fill, estate bottled. Bright ruby, brick rim. Coffee, heavy, rich, spicy and chocolaty nose with figs, prunes and licorice beneath. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fatter body and not quite as charming, but who am I to complain? Still a great wine, balanced and fairly elegant, long. Broadbent has no notes on this. 93


1961 Château Ausone:
Late château release 2007, fill one centimeter below cork, recorked in 2007 om release. Bright ruby, so pure, so young. Pure blueberries, Christmas spices, leather, you can forget yourself in this nose. Perfect palate, fresh acidity, ripe tannins, superb fruit, intensity is just perfection, meaning not to much, but enough to cover everything in silk and velvet. The balance is beyond, fantastic wine and absolutely amazing length. This is perfection. 100


1975 Château Ausone:
Top shoulder fill. Bright ruby, brick rim. Cherry stones, leather and figs. Leather and tobacco beneath. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, elegant body, surprisingly easy-going for the vintage. Broadbent in 1995: 'dried leaves simile- nose and taste, quite good length but tannic'. This one had more fruit than that and the tannins was polished into it, even if still there. 91


1990 Château Ausone:
Unfortunately badly corked. According to Broadbent starting with: 'Superb, highly impressive in April 1991. Only two more notes, the last at Penning-Rowsell's '10-year' first growth tasting, it was still an odd-man out. Now mature-looking; low-keyed, attractive bouquet; a soft, sweet entry, crisp, fragrant and a very dru 'autumnal' finish'. I haven't tasted any other bottles than this corked one, so I wouldn.t know.

1928 Paterina Gran Reserva

1928 Paternina Ollauri Gran Reserva;

Brown-red with orange rim, oxidized and Madeira light, this was served blind, and with aromas of Madeira or maybe sherry, but to red colour and totally wrong texture and structure, this was any ones guess. Turned out to be a tired old Rioja, the oldest I've tasted, and even if very tired indeed, a very cool experience. Thanks to Wichstrøm!

Andalucia-Malaga 1928-1933

1928-1933 Andalucia-Malaga;

Actually the second time I try one of these, brownish with orange rim, chocolate and coffee, more deep and intense than the last (more nuanced) bottle, good acidity, somewhat rough texture, this one feels to be on the way down, the last still holding out, but this has a longer finish. Think light and not as acidic Madeira in style. 85

1928 Château Margaux

1928 Château Margaux;

Mid shoulder fill, ruby with thin brick rim. Tobacco, cigars, spicy, cedar, compact, licorice, needs a lot of time to open, coffee, caramel, tea, citrus, after two hours some floral notes in the back. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, intense, elegant texture, does not give that much on the palate at first, again after two hours, magnificent fruit, superb balance and exceptional long finish. After four hours, even more elegant fruit, pure violets, even more refreshing in the mouth, better body and texture, a magnificent experience, perfect balance, and it sat in the mouth until the next morning. 98

Broadbent:Eight notes. Slight bottle variation but mainly very good: deeply coloured; sweet, singed, cedary, fragrant bouquet; sweet tanned and tannic. This was the first time in 1976 I used the expression 'iron fist in velvet glove'. .....a mouthfilling powerhouse. Most recent, rather too sweet and caramelly; rich yet still very tannic. 2000 At best *****

Very interesting to see how some notes that is different and atypical like caramel in a read wine actually was still there, but it was not as sweet I found. But it needed many hours in the glass to shine.

From Château Margaux:

1928 Château Margaux

Château Margaux 1928 is an outstandingly great wine and is today perhaps superior to the 1929, since it has, on the whole, aged better. There is more consistency in the bottles, the wine has lost its hardness, but has kept an absolutely extraordinary freshness and richness. It may not have the great finesse of a bottle of 1929, but its freshness is far greater. Without going as far as to say that we still have to wait to drink it, we think its potential for ageing is almost in tact. Like 1870 and 1900, this wine seems to have been made for eternity...

1928 Château Rauzan-Gassies

1928 Château Rauzan-Gassies;
Cork soaked, came out in pieces. B-level fill, pale ruby, orange rim. Floral, anis, redcurrants, strawberries, touch of metal, some pepper. Fresh acidity, lean body, sour cherries, very elegant. Falling a bit apart after 15 minutes, but way beyond expectations, especially after reading Broadbent's scepticism. 89

(Not directly from the chateau, but bought in Saint-Emilion just a few weeks back)

1928 d'Yquem

1928 Château d'Yquem;
Huge expectations, the best wine I've had, 28 Suduiraut, if there is a wine to beat it..... Difficult to read label, cork states quite clearly Yquem, Lur-Saluces, 1928. B/C level fill, above mid shoulders. Pale amber with broad green yellow rim. Nuts, apricots, apple, lemon, raisins, minerals and even schistes. A glorious, layered and transparent in the best sence of the word mix of mature and more youthfull flavours. Perfect balance in a different league, great acidity, such finesse, pineapples comming to join the elegant party, even coconut and papaya, acidity is tender, doing its job gracefully like the queen greeting her guests. Gorgeous length. Minutes again. But this bottle do not beat the Suduiraut, and that is mainly because of the Suduirauts length and even better freshness. The 28's seems to be marvels! 99

Old Malaga

Andalucia Malaga 1928-1933;
Dark brown, thin gold-green rim, lots of sediments. Oxidized, nuts, raisins, fat, citrus and orange peel. Good acidity, very mature, still going strong, cooked fruit, a bit short length and not too complex pulls down. 82

The best wine I have ever tasted!

The best wine I have ever tasted, above all the rest.......increadible, and I can almost feel the aftertaste still.......I did not know what it was, served blind. I nailed the producer.......not even close on the vintage.......

1928 Chateau Suduiraut;
Amber colour, golden hue, some crystals, amazing colour. Caramel, aprikots, creme brulee, pineapples, orange, tangerine, ripe lemons, apples, baked pear, raisins, touch of nuts. So complex, it's another meaning. So fresh acidity, such elegance, just perfect balance, and sweetness/ acidity balance is from another world. Not very sweet anymore, just enough to grace the fruit aromas perfectly, tender body, layered and transparent, this was just beyond anything........and what a length and aftertaste, it lasted not for seconds or minutes, we're talking hours......still ther the next morning. (You just do not brush you're teeth with these flavours going on in the mouth....Increadible! 100