Notes from a very nice lunch – every wine was in great shape and was interesting.
2000 Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Brut Millésimé – I liked this a lot. It showed some colour, a nice lemon drop and similar flavours with a sweet entry and medium long finish.
Gaston Chiquet Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs d’Ay – this nv bubble also showed a lot of character and added some nice minerality to the mix. Light in the nose, with some nutty notes.
2012 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu – very nice chard nose, rich in the mouth and probably on the low acidity side, with a rich feel and long finish.
1995 Ridge Geyserville – I’d had this in the cellar since release. It had, of course, lost the youthful zin characteristics, but had picked up some lovely secondary attributes that led people toward the Rhone or Spain. Black olive and raspberry nose, a bit of funkiness, and fairly intense flavours. Good finish and good showing.
1983 Sassicaia – medium to light red colour, an interesting (and for this wine, unusual) hint of smokiness in the nose backed by mature fruit and cedar, smooth and balanced – good bottle.
1999 Domaine Jasmin Côte-Rôtie – unusually dark red for this wine. Some very nice floral high notes to the nose, over a substrate of iron/blood and peppery meat aromas. Smooth medium bodied wine with soft tannins and good length. No rush.
2001 Château Calon-Ségur – integrated dark fruit nose, with elements of vanilla and tobacco. Soft tannin, good acid and a lack of resemblance to typical claret. Better with food.
2006 M. Chapoutier Crozes-Ermitage Les Varonniers – elevated peppery syrah nose, earthy and with hits of blood, fairly full bodied and well balanced. Performed more at the level of an Hermitage than most Crozes.
1991 Cockburns Port – bit turbid, as if it had been jogged to the event, and surprisingly light colour. A sweet nose, a tad hot, and light in colour. Too light and simple for a wine of this vintage, but nonetheless a pleasant luncheon weight Port