Had a superb lunch on Friday with some rather special wines.
Meursault 1er Cru Genevrieres 1989 - Remoissenet
Started out a bit dull-edged and fat but really gained cohesion and focus with air. After a couple of hours this had a lovely blossom-scented cut to it. Not complex but balanced and alive.
Chateau Figeac 1905
The cork crumbled into a soggy mess but the wine poured out tawny but far from brown. This was ethereal, haunting and delicate. The aromas kept drifting from mushroomy, to earthy, to oxidised and back again but throughout this had the most glorious silky texture. The fact that it kept evolving for a good couple of hours testified to it still being alive. Really fascinating but more than just interesting - it was actually fun to drink.
Chateau Mouton Baronne Philippe 1945
Today’s Ch d’Armailhac. A stunningly dark colour. This was authoritative, minty, spicy Medoc. Showed the classic gingerbread of old Cabernet. Really bright and still tannic and grippy with a blackcurrant core to it still. Amazing.
Chateau Lynch Bages 1959 (half)
Similarly coloured to the '45. This was very Pauillac and very Lynch Bages in style, with notes of eucalyptus and mint, like a mini-Mouton. Tremendous and, given the company, almost too youthful. Incredible condition for a hand grenade.
Brilliant lunch of the sort that is not frequent enough.
Matthew