6 Decades of Wine

13 Nov 2011: We were invited to a dear friend's 60th birthday party last night.  Every detail was meticulously considered and organised by our host (I should say hostess, as Anne was the mastermind of the surprise party): the result was a beautifully orchestrated soirée, with a trio of musicians serenading the guests who indulged in the fine cuisine prepared by Jeremy, the chef from The Mirror, the decadent cakes from Sevva and the amazing selection of 6 decades of fine wine, culminating in the enthralling performance by a duo of baritone and tenor. 



The baritone performing to an enthralled audience
with the tenor in the background having just delivered an amazing performance

 Following are the 6 decades of wine wih my impression - each wine was chosen for the style and for the vintage qualities that best represented the particular decade:

2002 Dom Pérignon - fresh and lively, floral, some tropical fruit, mineral, great acidity; a great champagne in the making, but for my personal preference, I would cellar this for a few more years to build complexity. 18/20

1999 Bâtard Montrachet, Domaine Leflaive (in magnums) - Double decanted about 45 minutes before serving. Rounded, well-textured, showing some maturity in the nose, layered notes of toast, hazelnuts, white peach and floral, with minerality, very endearing and approachable now. Good length.  Drink now and over next 10+ years for optimum enjoyment (longer for larger formats).  (All 6 magnums came in one original case.) 18.5/20

1982 Château Léoville Poyferré - Double-decanted about 2 hours before serving.  Deep ruby colour. Showing no signs of fatigue at all.  Still showing a firm but velvety tannin structure, with some acidity,  and a dense and concentrated cassis and plums, with liquorice and violet undertones.  Brooding, and unrelenting still. This was easily enjoyed last night but could do with further cellaring to mellow out.  Drink now and over next 20+ years.  17.5/20

The bottles of 1971 Echezeaux, DRC

1971 Echézeaux, Domaine de la Romanée Conti - Pale garnet core.  A wine of immense delicacy and finesse, that still showed lovely intensity and much energy, underneath the delicate appearance. Mature bouquet of rose, spice, leather, game and truffle, with still a hint of red fruit on the palate. Silky texture, effortlessly coating our palate with the most charming sweet flavours and leaving behind a very memorable aftertaste. (Richard said he just couldn't stop himself from drinking it!)  All the corks came out very well. Consistent levels of around 4- 4.5 cm for all 12 bottles that came from one original wooden case. Slight bottle variation but on the whole an impressive demonstration of the characteristics of this vintage and the impressive quality of DRC. Drink now and over next 5+ years, depending on cellar conditons. 18.5/20

(And a case of 2003 Clos de Vougeot, Méo-Camuzet, had been slipped in as back-up, and just as well it had been , as it did a fine job keeping up the drinking!  Plum, cherry, with plenty of spice and mocha, and some hints of leather and earthy character.  Juicy and mouthfilling, with ripe and firm tannin and lively acidity. An elegantly crafted wine for this very challenging hot vintage.  Drinking well now and over next 8 - 10 years. 17/20)
   
1967 Château d'Yquem - Bright and deep amber colour.  Plenty of botrytis here: honey, dried fruit (apricot and pineapple) and marmalade. Full-bodied but not overly unctuous, still showing plenty of lively acidity and much intensity  on the palate.  The sweetness building up on the palate, with a slight dryness at the finish.  Lovely to enjoy on its own! 17.5/20

1951 Burmester Colheita Port - Lovely mature bouquet of mocha, prunes, walnuts, figs and fruitcake, with burnt sugar notes on the palate.  Tasting very fresh still, with mouthcoating texture and a long sweet finish. (It went beautifully with the chocolate cake, I thought!)  17/20  

A beautiful drink from the birth year of our dear friend, and a very appropriate way to mark the end of a very indulgent and generous evening!  


The wines plus the reserve wine of 2003 Clos de Vougeot, Meo-Camuzet
minus the 2002 Dom Perignon