Was hammered by the flu most of last week, so I was on the wagon for five of the past seven days. The best of the two days of imbibing -
'67 Roederer Rose - cork came out cleanly with sounds of a fair amount of CO2 for its age. Poured the first glass and it smelled extremely funky but it quickly blew off. Brownish orange in color with a vibrant mousse for a 40+ year old champagne. Fruit is there, but holding on by its fingernails, the fruit smells and tastes like a melange of poached apricots, plums and lychee. Mature notes of honey and marmalade. Good acidity. Could be longer on the finish. Consistent with the other bottles of this that I’ve drank and better than the two bottles of '67 Cristal, the only other champagne I’ve had from the vintage. Excellent plus.
'55 Haut Brion - my favorite first growth for its consistency and ability to hit the very high notes as well. I’m a big fan of this vintage which generally sells for much less than more heralded vintages like '59 and '61. Typical HB dark color, with a hint of reddish brown on the rim. Smoke, hickory, tobacco and red fruits on the notes, velvet feel on the palate and a delicate and soft, but not, short finish. My stocks of '50’s Bordeaux are starting to get too low for comfort, but hey, I bought 'em to drink 'em and that’s what I’m doing. Staggering minus.
Looking forward to a germ free week and some catching up on the wine drinking front.
Happy Fathers Day to all of us Dads out there !!
