1976 J.Mommessin - Clos du Tart
At 40 years old, I had wanted to try this rare wine for a while, so stood it up for 12 hours prior to opening. My trusted source who sold me this bottle had remarked that it was missing the vintage label on the neck but he could vouch for the year. The long cork came out cleanly and revealed the vintage to be…1976!
The label refers to the alcohol level as 13.3%. The colour is a deep cherry red with some bricking at the rim. A few sniffs reveal deep and ultra fine nuances of Asian spices and cooked meats. The slightly sweet but mostly savoury mouthfeel is so finely textured that its silliness glides effortless around my mouth. It is the kind of wine that, served visible or blind, makes you stop and concentrate. Clearly Grand Cru quality, it manages to both entertain and stimulate the brain. There is still a slight chewiness to its body and a very fine thread of acidity that tingles the tongue. It opens up slowly over two hours and showed no signs of decline.
