Rod instructed us to all bring a ’61 Bordeaux or older and coordinated an outstanding Monday Table last night. I don’t think I’ve ever drunk that much Bordeaux in a single sitting and today I’m sweating tobacco and cassis. We had to start with a few obligatory Champagnes and White Burgs.
2004 Dom Perignon Champagne: Subtle aromas of green apple, white peach and bread. It is rich but precise and linear in the mouth. It is very long and very good.
1996 Dom Pérignon Champagne: A touch of mustiness from the cork marred would should have been a spectacular bottle. There was some toast and red fruits. It was rich and layered with a strong line of minerally acidity.
2013 Blain-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets: All white peach and spice at first. Once it took on some air there were mildly exotic notes of pineapple and guava. There’s good underlying minerality and a blast of lemon juice to the finish.
2011 Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes: It smells and tastes of pine lime Splice ice block. There is pure, intense white peach fruit and the wine has great shape and posture. It has Grand Cru depth and complexity and is seriously long. Great wine.
2013 Henri Boillot Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet: Very tight but very good. Seriously rocky with pure orchard fruits that are dense and sappy. There’s a touch of vanilla and barrel toast and it is a wine that really builds through the palate. Needs a few years but should be special.
2010 Henri Boillot Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet: Dense, compact and linear. Crammed with sappy orchard fruits. Great drive and a finish that is laden with chalky dry extract.
1948 Château Latour: Very fresh with plenty of tobacco, capsicum and cassis. The palate has some earth and spice and it finishes with fresh tart berry crunch.
1947 Château Cos d’Estournel: This was a Nicolas bottling. The nose was quite volatile and it had an aldehydic nuttiness. The palate was dense and concentrated with a core of cassis and blood plum. There was a black olive saltiness to the wine and it was rich, layered and long.
1947 Vieux Château Certan: Had punchy lift from the V.A and also the nuttiness of the ’47 Cos. There were notes of seaweed, chocolate and black cherries. It was sweet and lush in the mouth and had a suggestion of leather. Tannins were sweet and round and carried the wine’s excellent length.
1934 Château Montrose: This was Danish bottled and absolutely superb. Complex aromatics of meat, compost, tobacco, cherry and blackberry. In the mouth it is fine, elegant and detailed. It has a lacy feel against the gums and finishes crisp and fresh. Length is fantastic.
1961 Château Ausone: Sweet, highly perfumed nose of cherry and cassis. Rich, creamy and layered in the mouth. No hard edges. Very pure and very long.
1961 Château Pavie: Complex aromatics of violets, tobacco, licorice, leather and tar. It is sweet and velvety in the mouth with good depth and persistence. It leaves a savoury footprint once swallowed.
1959 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande: From magnum it was a little muddled on the nose showing plenty of volatility. The palate was deep, rich, sweet and long with a chewy finish.
1954 Hardys Cabernet Sauvignon Claret Tintara: Thrown in as a ringer this showed pretty well. It was very chocolatey. In the mouth it was plump and shapely and there were nuts, raisin and cedar notes. It had good depth and reasonable length.
1943 Château de Rayne-Vigneau: Cork taint ruined what could have been a pearler. There was some crème caramel and a core of something sweet and exotic, but the tca monstered all the aromas and flavours.
1955 Château d’Yquem: A wonderful showing. The nose is all tinned peaches, apricot and lavender. It is rich and voluminous in the mouth with plenty of honey, apricot and vanilla flavours. It has the perfect amount of sweetness and a finish that is fresh and extremely long.
1968 McWilliam’s Vintage Port: Full, sweet, concentrated and dripping with blackberries. Great spirit, great intensity. So fresh and delicious.
