Lars Wichstrom
Lars Wichstrom
Hi, my first post here, from a gathering last weekend. Please bear over with it being somewhat lengthy.
Friday
Mixed Opening
1979 Vereinigte Hospitien Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese "Sanctus Jacobus". Golden, high viscosity; mature yellow apples, some sweetness, light apricot; similar in the mouth, a bit short, good acidity, on its way down still a pretty drink. 85p
Clos du Marquis 2003. (Blind) Dark with a short and watery brim, no blueness; blackcurrants and blueberries, some pepper, fresh; in the mouth it is very tight and dry, not very generous, tobacco and herbs. Guessed Pauillac, for example not entirely convincing example of Ch“teau Pichon-Longueville Baron 1995. Big surprise what the vintage was revealed.89p
Nicolas Potel Clos de la Roche 1989. (Blind) Clearly developed color: light and more brown than red, light viscosity; some cellar notes, dusty, mushrooms; fine freshness in the mouth, fragile, OK length, some red/light berries, but rather tart. A dissappointment. 86p
Negro G. Giovenale Barolo 1958. (Blind) Old Nebbiolo color; acidic smell, rosehips otherwise quite maderized; in the mouth it was quite intense and long, slightly bitter, but definitely over the hill. 76p
4 Blind Reds
2007 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia. (Blind) Medium dark color; warm fruit and plentiful tannins, bark, quite intense, some sweetness, a bit short. A rather bland wine, but develops slightly in the glass. 84p. Big surprise when its identity was revealed. Serious cellaring is needed here!
1999 Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici Riserva. (Blind) Dark young color; decent dark berry fruit, good tannins, tendency towards complexity, a little whiff of sweetness, a bit watery. 86p
Cantina di Castelnuovo Berardenga, Chianti Classico Riserva 1995. (Blind) Dark color; mature berry sweetness; from the smell I would never had guess what was coming. In the mouth there were very high acidity and the highest level of tannins I have experienced in any wine. Everything was glued together, and it took some minutes to get the parts in their right place. Try in 50 years.
1993 Chateau Musar. (Blind) Light and mature color; wild strawberries and flowers, mature tertiary aromas leaning towards old logs; wonderful sweet fruit, fresh and complex, easy drinking and mature, not much VA. Pegged this as Musar 91 or 92.
1988 Across Europe
1988 Faiveley Mazis-Chambertin. Shy earthy nose, some flowers and red berries; some tannins are still there, moderate length, red and dark berries, fine sweetness, but somewhat unfocussed. 89p
1988 Ch“teau Cos d'Estournel. Dark without any noticeable signs of maturity; Bell peppers and blueberries on the nose, some tea or herbal elements; Softer in the mouth than expected, nice acidity, comforting and round. 91p. This was blind to the rest of the pack, and they landed on a good Chinon, due to identifying this as mainly Cabernet Franc.
1988 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. Spicy with some mint, slightly floral; warm fruit, more spices in the mouth, round and pleasing. Lacking a bit in length, should have been more focused, fades in the glass. Not an optimal bottle.
1988 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia. A surprising combination of fresh candy and red unripe apples on the nose; fresh and long, some cool flowers. The acid and tannins are pronounced. Very fine wine. 93p
1988 Ch“teau de Beaucastel. Mature smell with some cellar notes; long and pleasant in the mouth, warm and raisiny, again a bit unfocussed. Not an optimal bottle.
1988 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino. Some tart fruit, decent, some spiciness, but on its way down.
3 Sweet Germans
1976 Dr. Heinrich Nägler Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling Auslese. Wonderful dark golden; mature golden apples, fresh, pronounced smell of orange; fine freshness and sweetness in combination, intriguing taste of mature oranges, balanced, could have been a bit longer.
2006 Schloss Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Beerenauslese. Light golden; fresh apples, sweet, intense and medium rich. Very fine start to the taste curve, but tails off a bit too soon. Complexity is not there yet. A like my BAs with more age. 92p
2005 Wegeler Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Beerenauslese. Tropical fruit, pinapple; powerful and sweet, but not very refined. Not cloying, but one-dimensional. 90p
2007 The Foreign Affair Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine. (Blind) Quite dark with a watery brim; warm and primary smell; raisins and dark berries in combination, good freshness, moderately sweet. 90p
Two VPs from 1963
1963 Fonseca. Oporto bottled. Wonderful fill, good cork. Tawnyish color; smells of herbs, caramel and spices what an incredible and complex nose! The mouth reiterates the smell, except for even more structure and toughness than I expected, combined with warmth and elegance. Long, intense, and elegant - no sign of an alcoholic finish. 97p
1963 Ferreira. Bottled by the Norwegian wine monopoly. The uncle of a friend bought a pallet of these upon release, and they have only moved once. Somewhat anonymous smell; Younger than the Fonseca, pronounced raisin, wonderful dark berry fruit, pleasing. However, I have had better, i.e. more complex, bottles of this. 92p
Some sleep, and here you go:
Saturday
Some fizz
1985 de Venoge Brut. Quite developed color clear golden; a little mouse, tiny bubbles; nice tart taste, yellow apples, some brioche, tight, moderate body, intense and long. Very fine wine. 93p
1985 Charles Heidsieck Cuvée Charlie. (Blind). Light, good fizz, tiny bubbles; a hint of rowanberry, but at the same time something creamy, glorious acidity, tight, very intense, complex. Guessed 2002 BdB! Actually there is still some positive development ahead. 96p
5 Reds (blind)
2001 Antinori Tignanello. Very dark but not blue, heavy viscosity, thin brim; a lot of dark berries, eucalyptus, spices; soft fruitiness mixed with plenty of tannins, appears more developed on taste than on smell; good length. At the moment, not very complex.
1985 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. Light brown, rather long brim; shy nose, some spices and good acidity; moderate body, pronounced acidity in the mouth, tannic, elegant. Guessed Medoc 1986. 93p
1996 Ch“teau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Dark with relatively long brim; Fine earthy smell, some flowers and dark berries; moderat body and length, tannins most present, dry and tight. A good wine, but demanding. Guessed Pessac-Léognan mid 90’s. 92+p
1999 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Ornellaia. Dark, a hint of blue; some spiciness on the nose, dark berries; pronounced tannins, very fine length and intensity, primary. Guessed Bordeaux 2008. 91+p
2003 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Sassicaia. Very dark; heavy wine, masses of everything, yet balanced and complex. 92+p
1966 Medoc
1966 Ch“teau Lascombes. Top shoulder fill. Moderate depth, long brim; slightly maderized nose; Good structure, fine acid, good length, a little fruit and tannins left, floral. Liked this better than others. 90p
1966 Ch“teau Léoville Barton. In neck. Wine Society botteling. Slightly darker than Lascobes; Shy nose, some spices and decaying logs; rather light in the mouth, refreshing, moderate body, the acidity carries the wine. 91p
1966 Ch“teau Léoville Las Cases. In neck fill. Yet another twist darker; smells of bark and underbrush; this is also on the light side, refreshing but rather forgettable. 91p
1966 Ch“teau Mouton Rothschild. Top shoulder fill. Surprisingly dark; nice acidity in the mouth, plenty of tannins left, fine but light fruit, some underbrush and logs as well. 93p
1966 Ch“teau Latour. Oxydized.
5 Blind Whites
2009 Closson Chase Chardonnay Sans Chêne Closson Chase Vineyard (Ontario, Canada). Very light, a hint of yellow; fresh nose, some greenness combined with depth; fresh, long and intense; slightly tropical, plus lemon. 90p
1996 Ch“teau La Tour-Martillac Blanc. What is this?? Golden color leaning towards the dark; smells of hermetized apricots, a bit pinapple; similar in the mouth, shortish. 86p
2006 Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Gräfenberg Riesling Erstes Gewächs. Fresh and clean on the nose, some minerals and lime; wonderful structure and length, intense, some spiciness, and some botrytis? Great wine.93p
2007 Maison Albert Bichot Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Domaine Long-Depaquit. Oyster shells, minerals; fine intensity and length, but the complexity and intensity are wanting. Slightly disappointing. 91p
1993 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne. Fantastic mature nose; great intensity and length, round and fresh, complex and comforting. Easy drinking. 94p
4 Half Blinds
1970 Faustino Rioja Gran Reserva I. Fine fruity and spicy nose; tart, some tannins but also very good fruit, a hint of sweetness. Guessed Ribera mid 90’s (!) 91p
1978 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. Warm and sweet fruit and intriguing nose; fairly high acidity, but little tannins, almost some cooked fruit. Have had much better bottles of this, which is strange given that this has spent most of its life either in cask (240 months) or at the same retailers’ cellar as my other bottles. 85p
1955 Ch“teau Léoville Las Cases. Oxydized
1964 Ch“teau Léoville Las Cases. Oxydized
5 Half Blinds
1967 Cappellano Barolo. (Semi Blind) Wonderful old Nebbiolo color with residual red; gorgeous nose with rosehips and blackthorn; some spiciness in the mouth, fresh with plenty of tannins, clear fruit, intense. 94p
1971 Azienda Ceretto s.r.l. Barolo Grignore. (Semi Blind) Good fruit, but some cellar smell after a while in the glass; fine berry fruit and freshness, not very complex. 91p
1990 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia (Blind) Rather dark, long clear brim; wonderful sweet nose, some smokiness; in the mouth it is both opulent and elegant at the same time, a little licorice, flowers. Bravo! 95p Much better than a recent previous bottle that was more closed. We had the 1988 also, which was good, but much tighter and the 2007 which was completely shut down.
1961 Fontana Saverio Barolo (Castiglione Falletto). (Semi Blind) A little and shy nose, with classical ‘roses and tar’ as well as some flowers; fresh, long and intense. Good wine. The producer is no longer operational. 91p
1964 Produttori del Barbaresco (normale). (Blind) Fresh and intense, classical, but short and plain. 88p
3 Reds
1961 Antonio Vallana e Figlio Piemonte Nebbiolo Spanna Cinque Castelli. Powerful red berry fruit, spice, mint; gorgeously long and complex, still a lot of fruit left, spicy (!), wonderful acidity, long and intense. Bravo! 95p
1998 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino. Perfumed, intense and smoky smell; a lot of clean berry aromas, complex; in the mouth it is round and warm, dark berries, very strong until the mid of the tasting curve, then falls off a bit, but still fine length. 94+p
1961 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino. A tiny hint of oxidation on the nose; rosehips and roses, still some fruit left, noticeably but fine graded tannins, surprisingly moderate acidity, elegant, younger than I expected. 95p
4 Blinds
2008 Domaine Lamy-Pillot Le Montrachet. Spicy, fat, minerally and citrusy nose; gorgeous lime fruit, intense, playful, a lot of sweet berry fruit (still on a definite tight side), complex even it is obviously very young. Guessed 2008 high end Central Burgundy (pat my own back). 97p
1970 Caves São João Dão Porta dos Cavaleiros. (Magnum). Corcked.
1990 Serafin Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes. Fantastic nose: long and spicy; deep fruit, long and intense. Guessed Vosne-Romanee mid 90’s.
2003 Harlan Estate. Everything is massive: oak, fruit, tannins, acid. Some cooked fruit, falls rapidly off the cliff, taste wise. Impossible to finish a glass. Extraordinary unbalanced and inelegant. 74p
6 Sweets some blind
1976 Balthasar Ress Hattenheimer Engelmannsberg Riesling Beerenauslese. Mature oranges and orange marmalade, spice and acid on the nose; fresh, long the aromas almost duplicates the fantastic nose. 93p
1976 Weingut Konrad Knobel Guldental Riesling Beerenauslese (Nahe). Deep mature orange smell; some spiciness, great balance, fresh and long and of course very sweet, far from cloying. 94p A gem at 5 Euros.
1996 Ch“teau d'Yquem. Oranges and marmalede, some spiciness and varnish; rich sweetness, fine acidity to balance, intense long, deep and complex. 95p
2001 Ch“teau d'Yquem. My first one. I was most anxious if this would live up to the hype. Worried when sniffing it. Yes, it was good, but not extraordinary. Tasting it, I just had to laugh. Such a combination of intensity, richness, lightness, and balance! It is somehow almost cool. Imagine what this will taste like in 20-50 years! 99p
1971 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Beerenauslese. (Blind) Fresh and long (a bit unfocussed at this moment, not the wine), some bitterness, rich and intense. 94p
1927 Cockburn (believed). (Blind) This was the last one of 40+ wines this evening, and probably did not get the attention it deserved at 4 AM. Very raisiny on smell; wonderful length, surprisingly it still has some berry fruit but it is residing, making way to the alcohol. However, still elegant and complex. 95p
Friday
Mixed Opening
1979 Vereinigte Hospitien Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese "Sanctus Jacobus". Golden, high viscosity; mature yellow apples, some sweetness, light apricot; similar in the mouth, a bit short, good acidity, on its way down still a pretty drink. 85p
Clos du Marquis 2003. (Blind) Dark with a short and watery brim, no blueness; blackcurrants and blueberries, some pepper, fresh; in the mouth it is very tight and dry, not very generous, tobacco and herbs. Guessed Pauillac, for example not entirely convincing example of Ch“teau Pichon-Longueville Baron 1995. Big surprise what the vintage was revealed.89p
Nicolas Potel Clos de la Roche 1989. (Blind) Clearly developed color: light and more brown than red, light viscosity; some cellar notes, dusty, mushrooms; fine freshness in the mouth, fragile, OK length, some red/light berries, but rather tart. A dissappointment. 86p
Negro G. Giovenale Barolo 1958. (Blind) Old Nebbiolo color; acidic smell, rosehips otherwise quite maderized; in the mouth it was quite intense and long, slightly bitter, but definitely over the hill. 76p
4 Blind Reds
2007 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia. (Blind) Medium dark color; warm fruit and plentiful tannins, bark, quite intense, some sweetness, a bit short. A rather bland wine, but develops slightly in the glass. 84p. Big surprise when its identity was revealed. Serious cellaring is needed here!
1999 Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici Riserva. (Blind) Dark young color; decent dark berry fruit, good tannins, tendency towards complexity, a little whiff of sweetness, a bit watery. 86p
Cantina di Castelnuovo Berardenga, Chianti Classico Riserva 1995. (Blind) Dark color; mature berry sweetness; from the smell I would never had guess what was coming. In the mouth there were very high acidity and the highest level of tannins I have experienced in any wine. Everything was glued together, and it took some minutes to get the parts in their right place. Try in 50 years.
1993 Chateau Musar. (Blind) Light and mature color; wild strawberries and flowers, mature tertiary aromas leaning towards old logs; wonderful sweet fruit, fresh and complex, easy drinking and mature, not much VA. Pegged this as Musar 91 or 92.
1988 Across Europe
1988 Faiveley Mazis-Chambertin. Shy earthy nose, some flowers and red berries; some tannins are still there, moderate length, red and dark berries, fine sweetness, but somewhat unfocussed. 89p
1988 Ch“teau Cos d'Estournel. Dark without any noticeable signs of maturity; Bell peppers and blueberries on the nose, some tea or herbal elements; Softer in the mouth than expected, nice acidity, comforting and round. 91p. This was blind to the rest of the pack, and they landed on a good Chinon, due to identifying this as mainly Cabernet Franc.
1988 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. Spicy with some mint, slightly floral; warm fruit, more spices in the mouth, round and pleasing. Lacking a bit in length, should have been more focused, fades in the glass. Not an optimal bottle.
1988 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia. A surprising combination of fresh candy and red unripe apples on the nose; fresh and long, some cool flowers. The acid and tannins are pronounced. Very fine wine. 93p
1988 Ch“teau de Beaucastel. Mature smell with some cellar notes; long and pleasant in the mouth, warm and raisiny, again a bit unfocussed. Not an optimal bottle.
1988 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino. Some tart fruit, decent, some spiciness, but on its way down.
3 Sweet Germans
1976 Dr. Heinrich Nägler Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling Auslese. Wonderful dark golden; mature golden apples, fresh, pronounced smell of orange; fine freshness and sweetness in combination, intriguing taste of mature oranges, balanced, could have been a bit longer.
2006 Schloss Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Beerenauslese. Light golden; fresh apples, sweet, intense and medium rich. Very fine start to the taste curve, but tails off a bit too soon. Complexity is not there yet. A like my BAs with more age. 92p
2005 Wegeler Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Beerenauslese. Tropical fruit, pinapple; powerful and sweet, but not very refined. Not cloying, but one-dimensional. 90p
2007 The Foreign Affair Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine. (Blind) Quite dark with a watery brim; warm and primary smell; raisins and dark berries in combination, good freshness, moderately sweet. 90p
Two VPs from 1963
1963 Fonseca. Oporto bottled. Wonderful fill, good cork. Tawnyish color; smells of herbs, caramel and spices what an incredible and complex nose! The mouth reiterates the smell, except for even more structure and toughness than I expected, combined with warmth and elegance. Long, intense, and elegant - no sign of an alcoholic finish. 97p
1963 Ferreira. Bottled by the Norwegian wine monopoly. The uncle of a friend bought a pallet of these upon release, and they have only moved once. Somewhat anonymous smell; Younger than the Fonseca, pronounced raisin, wonderful dark berry fruit, pleasing. However, I have had better, i.e. more complex, bottles of this. 92p
Some sleep, and here you go:
Saturday
Some fizz
1985 de Venoge Brut. Quite developed color clear golden; a little mouse, tiny bubbles; nice tart taste, yellow apples, some brioche, tight, moderate body, intense and long. Very fine wine. 93p
1985 Charles Heidsieck Cuvée Charlie. (Blind). Light, good fizz, tiny bubbles; a hint of rowanberry, but at the same time something creamy, glorious acidity, tight, very intense, complex. Guessed 2002 BdB! Actually there is still some positive development ahead. 96p
5 Reds (blind)
2001 Antinori Tignanello. Very dark but not blue, heavy viscosity, thin brim; a lot of dark berries, eucalyptus, spices; soft fruitiness mixed with plenty of tannins, appears more developed on taste than on smell; good length. At the moment, not very complex.
1985 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. Light brown, rather long brim; shy nose, some spices and good acidity; moderate body, pronounced acidity in the mouth, tannic, elegant. Guessed Medoc 1986. 93p
1996 Ch“teau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Dark with relatively long brim; Fine earthy smell, some flowers and dark berries; moderat body and length, tannins most present, dry and tight. A good wine, but demanding. Guessed Pessac-Léognan mid 90’s. 92+p
1999 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Ornellaia. Dark, a hint of blue; some spiciness on the nose, dark berries; pronounced tannins, very fine length and intensity, primary. Guessed Bordeaux 2008. 91+p
2003 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Sassicaia. Very dark; heavy wine, masses of everything, yet balanced and complex. 92+p
1966 Medoc
1966 Ch“teau Lascombes. Top shoulder fill. Moderate depth, long brim; slightly maderized nose; Good structure, fine acid, good length, a little fruit and tannins left, floral. Liked this better than others. 90p
1966 Ch“teau Léoville Barton. In neck. Wine Society botteling. Slightly darker than Lascobes; Shy nose, some spices and decaying logs; rather light in the mouth, refreshing, moderate body, the acidity carries the wine. 91p
1966 Ch“teau Léoville Las Cases. In neck fill. Yet another twist darker; smells of bark and underbrush; this is also on the light side, refreshing but rather forgettable. 91p
1966 Ch“teau Mouton Rothschild. Top shoulder fill. Surprisingly dark; nice acidity in the mouth, plenty of tannins left, fine but light fruit, some underbrush and logs as well. 93p
1966 Ch“teau Latour. Oxydized.
5 Blind Whites
2009 Closson Chase Chardonnay Sans Chêne Closson Chase Vineyard (Ontario, Canada). Very light, a hint of yellow; fresh nose, some greenness combined with depth; fresh, long and intense; slightly tropical, plus lemon. 90p
1996 Ch“teau La Tour-Martillac Blanc. What is this?? Golden color leaning towards the dark; smells of hermetized apricots, a bit pinapple; similar in the mouth, shortish. 86p
2006 Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Gräfenberg Riesling Erstes Gewächs. Fresh and clean on the nose, some minerals and lime; wonderful structure and length, intense, some spiciness, and some botrytis? Great wine.93p
2007 Maison Albert Bichot Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Domaine Long-Depaquit. Oyster shells, minerals; fine intensity and length, but the complexity and intensity are wanting. Slightly disappointing. 91p
1993 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne. Fantastic mature nose; great intensity and length, round and fresh, complex and comforting. Easy drinking. 94p
4 Half Blinds
1970 Faustino Rioja Gran Reserva I. Fine fruity and spicy nose; tart, some tannins but also very good fruit, a hint of sweetness. Guessed Ribera mid 90’s (!) 91p
1978 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. Warm and sweet fruit and intriguing nose; fairly high acidity, but little tannins, almost some cooked fruit. Have had much better bottles of this, which is strange given that this has spent most of its life either in cask (240 months) or at the same retailers’ cellar as my other bottles. 85p
1955 Ch“teau Léoville Las Cases. Oxydized
1964 Ch“teau Léoville Las Cases. Oxydized
5 Half Blinds
1967 Cappellano Barolo. (Semi Blind) Wonderful old Nebbiolo color with residual red; gorgeous nose with rosehips and blackthorn; some spiciness in the mouth, fresh with plenty of tannins, clear fruit, intense. 94p
1971 Azienda Ceretto s.r.l. Barolo Grignore. (Semi Blind) Good fruit, but some cellar smell after a while in the glass; fine berry fruit and freshness, not very complex. 91p
1990 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia (Blind) Rather dark, long clear brim; wonderful sweet nose, some smokiness; in the mouth it is both opulent and elegant at the same time, a little licorice, flowers. Bravo! 95p Much better than a recent previous bottle that was more closed. We had the 1988 also, which was good, but much tighter and the 2007 which was completely shut down.
1961 Fontana Saverio Barolo (Castiglione Falletto). (Semi Blind) A little and shy nose, with classical ‘roses and tar’ as well as some flowers; fresh, long and intense. Good wine. The producer is no longer operational. 91p
1964 Produttori del Barbaresco (normale). (Blind) Fresh and intense, classical, but short and plain. 88p
3 Reds
1961 Antonio Vallana e Figlio Piemonte Nebbiolo Spanna Cinque Castelli. Powerful red berry fruit, spice, mint; gorgeously long and complex, still a lot of fruit left, spicy (!), wonderful acidity, long and intense. Bravo! 95p
1998 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino. Perfumed, intense and smoky smell; a lot of clean berry aromas, complex; in the mouth it is round and warm, dark berries, very strong until the mid of the tasting curve, then falls off a bit, but still fine length. 94+p
1961 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino. A tiny hint of oxidation on the nose; rosehips and roses, still some fruit left, noticeably but fine graded tannins, surprisingly moderate acidity, elegant, younger than I expected. 95p
4 Blinds
2008 Domaine Lamy-Pillot Le Montrachet. Spicy, fat, minerally and citrusy nose; gorgeous lime fruit, intense, playful, a lot of sweet berry fruit (still on a definite tight side), complex even it is obviously very young. Guessed 2008 high end Central Burgundy (pat my own back). 97p
1970 Caves São João Dão Porta dos Cavaleiros. (Magnum). Corcked.
1990 Serafin Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes. Fantastic nose: long and spicy; deep fruit, long and intense. Guessed Vosne-Romanee mid 90’s.
2003 Harlan Estate. Everything is massive: oak, fruit, tannins, acid. Some cooked fruit, falls rapidly off the cliff, taste wise. Impossible to finish a glass. Extraordinary unbalanced and inelegant. 74p
6 Sweets some blind
1976 Balthasar Ress Hattenheimer Engelmannsberg Riesling Beerenauslese. Mature oranges and orange marmalade, spice and acid on the nose; fresh, long the aromas almost duplicates the fantastic nose. 93p
1976 Weingut Konrad Knobel Guldental Riesling Beerenauslese (Nahe). Deep mature orange smell; some spiciness, great balance, fresh and long and of course very sweet, far from cloying. 94p A gem at 5 Euros.
1996 Ch“teau d'Yquem. Oranges and marmalede, some spiciness and varnish; rich sweetness, fine acidity to balance, intense long, deep and complex. 95p
2001 Ch“teau d'Yquem. My first one. I was most anxious if this would live up to the hype. Worried when sniffing it. Yes, it was good, but not extraordinary. Tasting it, I just had to laugh. Such a combination of intensity, richness, lightness, and balance! It is somehow almost cool. Imagine what this will taste like in 20-50 years! 99p
1971 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Beerenauslese. (Blind) Fresh and long (a bit unfocussed at this moment, not the wine), some bitterness, rich and intense. 94p
1927 Cockburn (believed). (Blind) This was the last one of 40+ wines this evening, and probably did not get the attention it deserved at 4 AM. Very raisiny on smell; wonderful length, surprisingly it still has some berry fruit but it is residing, making way to the alcohol. However, still elegant and complex. 95p
