A very convivial dinner last night with most of our Coonawarra Single bottle club. A few cleansing Melbourne Gin Company & tonics got things started. This Aussie gin really is top flight and the cost of entry is well below Hendricks.
2010 Ramonet Chassangne-Montrachet ‘Morgeot’ 1er
Stunning juice. A complete wine with breadth and depth, coupled with laser like precision. Invokes salivation. This could be better than the Ruchottes.
2008 Dujac Clos de la Roche
Beautifully balanced example. Some forest floor and meat nuance to the pretty petit fruits rouge. It has the fineness and acid backbone of the vintage that I love. Sneaky persistence. Lovely wine.
2000 Pichon-Longueville-Baron
Dark, impenetrable. Lovely wine, just starting to hit its straps and display some secondary complexity, but primarily it is about cassis and graphite. Will only improve, but I could get used to drinking this on a regular basis.
2003 Howard Park Cabernet Merlot
This eyeballed the Pichon, stood its ground and was not overawed by its companion’s reputation. It too ws deep, dark and powerful, yet light on its feet. In a similar stage of its development as the Pichon and perhaps the best vintage of this wine that I have seen. 2003 was not the easiest vintage in most of Oz, but the West did very well.
1979 Chateau Reynella Vintage Port
I have been picking up as many of these ports as I can find at auction recently. I would contend that the Reynella VPs of the 70s are amongst the best values in the wine world. This is not the most heralded vintage of this wine, but boy was it good. Black as the ace of spades, dripping with sugar coated Satsuma plums, woven with a thread of liquorice and the most pristine spirit on the finish. Magnificent, with another 50 yrs in front of it.
. I haven’t had a Howard Park in ages, but sounds like I should. PB '00 has been lovely out of the blocks - based on your note I almost wonder whether it’s shutting down a bit!