The theme was something one of the regulars had been wanting to do for a while, the idea is we pick a number and we can only bring wines from that ‘year’ so in this case it was 4. Which gave us 2004/1994/1984 etc. Not ideal vintages in Europe by any means it must be said.
After a number of false starts and a bit of apathy over the whole thing due to timing and attendance numbers, Len persevered and got us all booked in at Bistrode last night. There was only 6 of us so we were sure to have a good portion of each bottle. We also broke a tasting group record by having all 6 in attendance seated and ready to go 6 minutes after the agreed starting time of 6.30pm – the world is surely going to end.
The food on the whole was really good, the oysters were so fresh and plump and full of flavour. The Duck and Balmain bugs were fantastic, the flank steak cooked to perfection and the chocolate crème brulee was so moorish. Our waiter was also good and very attentive. (didn’t get his name, heavy French accent) so can recommend Bistrode for a good dinner, and byo during the week to boot.
Final line up was as follows
2004 Taittinger Comtes BdB
2004 Domaine Leflaive Batard-Montrachet GC
2004 Marcel Deiss Schoenenbourg Alsace GC
1984 Louis Latour Gevery-Chambertin
1974 Chateau Giscours Grand Cru Classe
1964 Biondi-Santi Tenuta il Greppo Riserva Brunello
1994 Guigal La Landonne Cote-Rotie
1994 Bests Thomson Family Shiraz
2004 Tua Rita Redigaffi
2004 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese
2004 Taittinger Comtes BdB – very nice packaging. The bead on this was very fine and vigorous, it had a hugely intense nose which had me reeling on the first smell, I actually pulled my head back such was the power of it, like a slap in the face, with the searing lemon fruit piercing its way up my nose. Very powerful in the mouth, with gobs of acidity to the point where it was almost painful, but oh so good pain. This wine will last for decades. The tension in the mouth was like a taut string being twanged, buzzing in all the corners of it and had your cheeks sucking in to combat it, then it was like “I want more!!” the freshness of fruit, grapefruit, lemons, sherbet all intermingling. Then as it warmed up a bit it started to soften and some malo characteristics started to emerge (not sure if it had any) and started to take on a bit of sweet characteristics. This is right up there with the vintage Krugs.
2004 Domaine Leflaive Batard-Montrachet GC – The nose of this resembled dusty green dried herbs which was a bit strange. With salty caramel notes it came across as a very reserved almost Corton style wine. Quite luscious in the mouth with nice nutty and buttery nuances and a hint of asparagus/iodine. The acid was a little out of balance with it having the upper hand at the moment. It started to show some ripe rockmelon as it breathed a bit with a nice Buttery Caramel™ (sorry in-joke from the night) tending towards iced milk coffee aromas. It probably didn’t have that wow factor I was expecting.
2004 Marcel Deiss Schoenenbourg Alsace GC – Some kero on the nose with a strange sense of dryness also. (on the nose). This was quite sweet, around Spatlese level for my mind. The structure had a nice chewy element to it with some nice orange marmalade characteristics, it was cleansing and not cloying with a nice purity of fruit. What I would call a lively wine, there was also mandarin, vanilla, sugared almonds and a hint of fly spray which was a bit off putting. Most were not enamoured by it, but I didn’t mind it.
1984 Louis Latour Gevery-Chambertin – this was served blind with us only knowing it was an 84. I had it pegged as Italian due to the acid and tartness of it and the funky beetroot characteristics. As we drilled down I then had it at GC level thinking a 30 year old pinot in this condition has to be GC. Imagine our surprise when we found it was a Villages level Gev-Ch by Louis Latour. Lovely leathery and secondary characteristics dominated the palate, a nice softness belied it’s age and how well it must have been cellared. Brambly with a nice astringency, cherry nuances. In hindsight the shortish finish was probably also a good clue to its pedigree but to get this longevity from a Villages Level wine is amazing.
1974 Chateau Giscours Grand Cru Classe – This was past it and flawed. Shame as I could see some really nice fruit underneath it all.
1964 Biondi-Santi Tenuta il Greppo Riserva Brunello – Cloudy in appearance with an almost stewed rhubarb colour, could probably have done with a week standing upright. On the nose you could tell it was a 50 year old wine that old leather and tobacco aroma of a well worn Chesterfield Chair. The tannins were fully resolved, strangely for me it smelt of heat (like when a wine is over 25C), I immediately thought it was fairly warm but upon tasting it was around 18C so it was kind of a weird sensation. Bretty and funky on the palate, there was still some vibrancy in it, dark cherry and nice earthy characteristics. A real treat to have the opportunity to drink something like this which is so steeped in history and pedigree.
1994 Guigal La Landonne Cote-Rotie – Straight up, I’m a massive fan of Guigals offerings on the rare occasions I get to try them. This was simply a beautiful, beautiful nose, forget drinking it, just sit there and savour the nose type of thing. The depth and purity of fruit was overwhelming, so much so that I was trying find out the French translation of “faaark that is good” just so I could ask people to excuse my French 
. My mouth was literally watering just smelling this. A dark garnet colour belying it’s 20 years of age. Blackcurrant, Red Plums and other dark fruits, the tannins were very smooth and quite grippy and took you by surprise, almost sneaking up on you. Great acidity, great balance, great oak treatment, superb. It just had this overall sense of freshness and precision and elegance. No rough finishes, no dropping off at the back palate, just so, so right. A brilliant wine. My WOTN.
1994 Bests Thomson Family Shiraz – This was very confected, almost overwhelmingly so. A real richness on the palate with an almost port like vibe to it. Lots of blackcurrant and cassis/kirsch, brandied pudding, with some interest being provided by some peripheral funky elements. Seemed a tad overdone to my tastes although it may have suffered following the La-La.
2004 Tua Rita Redigaffi – Anything but f*cking Merlot 
Lovely colour and vibrancy has it almost shimmering in the glass. A very rich and austere wine with lashings of Xmas cake, chocolate, blackberry and brandied dark fruits (sultanas, raisins) and bizarrely enough after sitting for a while it started to get this real spicy white pepper, chicken/beef stockcube aroma coming off it. The structure of it was almost like a wall of noise, very tannic although the fruit at the moment is more than capable of holding its own against it. This is a big, big wine, which will last 30 years and be all the better for it. A great wine, simply infanticide drinking it at this point of its life. The ‘poor’ mans Petrus (big call I know). Big fan of this, just the small issue of being able to afford it.
2004 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese – this was a very nice surprise at the end of the dinner, a lush nose of tropical fruits and very linear and precise. Candied oranges dominated the palate with a wonderful acidity, with some nice lemon with a hint of grapefruit, being so young it was quite reserved. It put me in the mind of Robinsons Lemon Barley on a hot summers day and went really well with the dessert and a fitting finish to the night.
Great wines, great company as always and great generosity by all involved.
