Marvellous 1961 Bordeaux

15-24 Dec 2012: Richard cooked a beautiful roasted saddle of lamb, with rosemary, lots of onion and sweet garlic! Divine. It was a perfect Pauillac evening.

The 1982 Lynch Bages was initially more closed than the 1982 Grand Puy Lacoste.  It needed time for the bouquet to come through and even more time for the palate.  The nose was earthy, with leather, kirsch, raisin, and liquorice notes.  Slightly more reserved and tightly structured than the more aromatic and voluptuous Grand Puy Lacoste.  Full-bodied, with a velvety structure of tannin.  A low-ish level of acidity.  It needed a good part of the evening to take on more weight and for the depth and complexity of flavours to become more apparent.  When it finally did, it was well worth the wait! Patience is required for this wine.  17.5+/20

The 1982 Grand Puy Lacoste was a very attractive wine. Head-turning bouquet of cassis, blueberry, coffee, leather, cigar smoke, violet and cedar, with hints of liquorice spice and warm stoney earth. A rich and concentrated palate that impressed with elegance rather than heaviness, velvety tannin, and just enough acidity to keep the wine fresh. Just coming into its drinking window now and with a long life ahead!  17.5/20

The 1961 Grand Puy Lacoste was a fully mature wine, with very impressive bouquet of coffee, leather, kirsch, sweet cloves and nutmeg.  An absolute beauty that has retained freshness, poise, elegance and depth.  Very supple on the palate, with the sweet fruit finish that lingers for a very long time.  Drinking at peak now but there is no hurry to drink up this wine.  18/20

A few days later, we had the 1961 Gruaud Larose.  Ruby core, with just a tiny hint of garnet at rim. A mature and smokey bouquet met the nose, enchanting us with aromas of sweet tobacco, oregano, dried flowers, cedar, crushed stone, leather and mushroom. Velvety texture, rich in complexity and depth, with abundant sweet blueberry and blackberry fruit lacing the tertiary notes.  A glorious wine, that did not fade at all during the course of 4 hours, still showing a robust structure of velvety tannin and firm acidity.  The finish went on and on.  Marvellous!!!  19/20

For Christmas Eve dinner, joined by two close friends, we had some more 1961 over a superb meal at Otto e Mezzo!

1961 Plince showed a ruby core. A very attractive nose of tobacco, coriander, pot pourri, leather and just a hint of soya sauce. A medium-bodied wine, that improved in the glass, but a little light on the mid palate and finish, did not quite have the same magnitude and vinosity as the 1961 Palmer that followed.  Slightly drying finish. 17.5/20

1961 Palmer was a tour de force.  A totally magnificent example of a great classic from Bordeaux.  Still showing plenty of energy and vigour on the nose, palate and finish.  The bouquet was a very complex pot pourri of intense aromas of strawberry and blueberry, layered with notes of leather, mocha, spice, cedar and coffee.  The intensity and richness on the palate was simply astounding, the flavours deftly coating the palate, leading to a finish that lingered till the next sip.  A sensational wine that almost seemed timeless.  20/20

1962 La Tache

25 Dec 2012: Garnet-ruby hue.  An intensely aromatic bouquet that reminds me of warm chocolate pudding dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg, complete with preserve of forest berries. Just a hint of sappy and herbal note on the palate.  All the opulence and richness nicely delivered through a relatively youthful structure of silky tannin and vibrant acidity.  The slightly astringent finish lasted a whole minute. An ultimate expression of purity, finesse and opulence. This is drinking at peak now, and will continue to drink well for 10+ years.  19.5/20 

1963 Taylor's

24 December 2012:  A number of the pre-1970 ports were bottled without any labels, and were just washed with some white paint upon release.  The embossed capsule would bear evidence of the provenance.  This 1963 Taylor's was a bottle recently shipped back to Hong Kong, from a bigger batch.  There was a little stickiness on the wax capsule, and the cork felt a little loose through the wax, but the level was well above shoulder, into neck.  We decided to try this bottle with a few friends/connoisseurs.  Wow!  What strength, youthful vigour, intensity and concentration!  This port is developing at glacial pace and the best is yet to come! Dried fruit, raisin, apricot, nuts, toffee apple, enhanced with some coffee notes!  Unctous on the palate, with firm acidity, giving the wine tremendous lift, and a phenomenal and long finish.  No sign of drying out at all.  This is a port very much in its youth.  Drinking perfectly now and over the next 20+ years! Our scores amongst the four of us ranged from 98 to 100 points!  A truly great classic and a wine amongst the best of all times!

1990 Echezeaux DRC versus Jayer

13 December 2012:  A few Burgundy nuts got together at La Maison Restaurant in Wanchai and we had two very fine pairs of wines for comparison.

First pair was 1990 DRC Echézeaux versus 1990 Jayer Echézeaux.  In anticipation of the broad-shouldered structures, both wines were given same amount of time in the glass to breathe.  The nose of the 1990 DRC was a very elegant and classic perfume of floral, with notes of earth, nutmeg and cloves, as well as some dark fruit.  Perfectly balanced, firmly structured, with plenty of freshness and a long and layered finish.  Very elegant, superb purity and a very good showing of DRC Echézeaux. 18/20  By comparison, the 1990 Jayer showed a ripe and concentrated nose of warm earth, plum, kirsch and blackberry on the nose, followed by sappy notes on the palate.  There was more than a hint of the drying finish on this wine.  17.5/20 As the evening progressed, the Jayer seemed to be losing steam on the palate, while the DRC grew from strength to strength.  I couldn't help noticing the differences in their prices....the DRC would be around GBP 800 a bottle and the Jayer last went for over GBP 4,150 a bottle at the Sotheby's auction in London in December 2012!

Next pair was the 1988 versus the 1990 DRC Romanée Saint Vivant.  Both wines showed the vintage characteristics rather well.  The 1988 was a textbook terroir expression of lovely sous bois and spicy notes, with pure red and dark fruit, while displaying a more austere, linear structure with good acidity, but with no shortage of finesse and elegance. Drink now and over next 5 - 6 years. 18.5/20  The 1990 showed a more opulent bouquet with notes of spice, earth and ripe dark fruit.  There was weight, density and depth on the palate. Finishes long.  A juicy and structured wine with a long life ahead.   Drink now and over next 8 - 10 years.  18.5/20 

1997 Leroy Vosne-Romanee Les Genaivrieres

16 Dec 2012:  We have definitely caught the 'Leroy' bug.  The recent tasting of the old Maison wines was so sensational that we couldn't wait to open another bottle.  1997 Vosne-Romanée Les Genaivrières, Domaine Leroy.  A very seductive Vosne bouquet of dried flowers, mocha, sweet leather, layered with sweet spices of cloves and coriander.  The mid weight palate still showed plenty of red fruit, with a most endearing sweet sensation endorsing the silky mouthfeel, kept afresh with a good level of acidity.  Just a little astringent on the otherwise beautiful finish. The overall impression was harmony, complete with the hallmark finesse.  A very stylish mature Vosne villages, a very good effor for the vintage, drinking perfectly now, and over the next 3 - 5 years.  17.5/20

A Leroy Evening

The Leroy Wines Line-Up

8 Dec 2012: We all arrived at this dinner with a lot of expectations, understandably.  We were going to appreciate the wines by Leroy from the vintages of 1961 and 1962, as well as a few recent vintage whites from Domaine d'Auvenay.  All the older vintage bottles were recent releases from the cellars at the domaine and they were the original negoce wines that predated the purchase of vineyards which would give rise to Domaine Leroy.  We had 16 wines altogether, sneaking in a 1962 Château d'Yquem to end the evening.  With pen and paper at hand, we were ready to go!
2007 Bourgogne Aligoté, Domaine d'Auvenay: Pale lemon colour. The nose reveals evident oak, with nuances of spice, vanilla and smoke, but it does not detract from the pure citrus fruit, floral and almond notes. A nicely rounded mouthfeel, quite chewy, balanced by lively acidity. Finishes long.  A very fine example of Aligoté and one made to last a while.  Drink now and over next 8 - 10+ years?  17/20
2004 Auxey-Duresses Les Clous, Domaine d'Auvenay: A more elegant nose here, quite subtle, with notes of floral and almond. Some minerality present in the linear structure, still showing good energy and tension.  A less substantial mouthfeel.  Spicy finish.  15.5/20

2001 Meursault Narvaux, Domaine d'Auvenay: Medium gold hue. Oxidation seems to have started its course in this bottle.  Ripe pear, honey, toffee, toasted almond and nutmeg.  Medium-full body, marked by lowish acidity.  Drink now.  15/20

1961 Beaune 1er Cru Les Teurons, Maison Leroy: A rather mature bouquet of plum, black cherry,  leather , smoke and soya sauce.  Light body, good acidity and silky texture.  Finishes short.  Probably better 10 years ago. 15.5/20

1961 Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Argillières, Maison Leroy: Medium-pale garnet.  A mature Burgundian nose that evokes game, leather, spices, underscored by sweet raspberry fruit.  Silky tannin and still fresh acidity.  Long finish.  A very attractive wine in a rustic style, with those hallmark sauvage notes. At peak. Drink now. 17.5/20

1962 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetières, Maison Leroy: A well-structured wine given its age, showing lively acidity and fine silky tannin. Alluring aromas of leather, sous-bois, with ripe sweet red fruit still abundant.  Long finish. Drink now and over next 4 - 5 years.  17.5/20

1961 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetières, Maison Leroy: Here the nose has more farmyard, mushroom and earthy notes, with coffee and leather.  Astringent finish.  Less acidity than the 1962.  More austere. Drink now and over next 3- 4 years. 16.5/20

1961 Clos de Vougeot, Maison Leroy: A very fine bouquet of the soils of Burgundy!  Leather, sous-bois, mushroom, game, earthy, with nuances of strawberry and cloves.  Perhaps not showing the most powerful structure, but there was a nicely rounded mouthfeel, with a good level of acidity, but probably drinking at peak now.  17.5/20

1961 Corton, Maison Leroy: A harmonious assembly of silky tannin, firm acidity and fresh fruit aromas nuanced with spices and leather. A very elegantly matured Corton.  Just a little astringent at the finish. Drink now and over next 6 - 8+ years.  18/20

1961 Grands Echézeaux, Maison Leroy: Drop-dead gorgeous aromatics.  Pure ripe fruit of plum and raspberry, layered with coffee, leather and tobacco.  A beautifully balanced wine, with plenty of finesse and complexity, the finish that lingers.  19/20

1962 Romanée Saint Vivant, Maison Leroy: Perhaps a touch on the over-ripe side, with notes of stewed fruit, spice and herb. Velvety ripe tannin, with firm acidity, sufficiently complex but not in a very elegant style.  Finish a little short.  Disappointing. 17/20

1962 Richebourg, Maison Leroy: Beautiful perfume of dried rose petals, leather, plum, sous-bois and tea leaves. Very fine structure of lively acidity and silky tannin that has so well integrated. There is incredible harmony and balance here, a wine that showcases the best signature of Burgundy wines, finesse, elegance, complexity and harmony.  Simply sensational, leaving you with an ethereal sense of perfection. Drinking at peak now and over next 8 - 10+ years. 19.5/20

1962 La Romanée, Maison Leroy: Less effusive on the nose, but slowly the intense bouquet shows notes of coffee, chocolate, nuts, autumn leaves and nutmeg. A more solid and intellectual wine, a little taciturn at the moment, will need more time to coax the best out. Drink over next 10 - 15+ years. 19.5/20

1961 Chambertin, Maison Leroy: A more muscular style of wine, more austere.  Sauvage, animal, leather notes, with underbrush and stones, with just a hint of raspberry.  Not so generous on the mouthfeel, lowish acidity. A heftily structured and well-balanced wine that will drink well for 8 - 10+ years. 18/20

1961 Musigny, Maison Leroy: Almost unctuous on the palate, quite opulent and rich in style. Just a hint of madeirisation.  Notes of stewed fruit, chocolate, fruitcake, nutty and coffee. Lacking in that stylish elegance that one would expect from a Musigny. 18/20

1962 Château d'Yquem: Deep amber hue. Botritised notes of marmalade, orange peel, with honey, hazelnuts and apricot. Not a rich Yquem, quite elegant, medium bodied, stll balanced with plenty of acidity, but already showing a drying finish.  Needs drinking!  18/20

The Really Serious Wines!

As for the food, we were totally spoilt once again by our most generous host and the duo of great chefs (Chef Xavier Gutierrez from Arzak and Chef Daniel Negreira from DN-Innovación).  The chefs very cleverly created a number of mushroom-based creations to go with the mature burgundies......the creative highlights for me were the Portobello Pizza and the 'Chicken' which almost tasted like a vegetarian version of 'sausage' meat made with mushroom, then formed into the shape of chicken, before roasting!  The best part was the table service - the 'chicken' was carved in front of us!

'Portobello Pizza'



 All the meat and poultry dishes were fabulously flavourful and very well-proportioned.  The plum chicken was absolutely juicy, tender and perfectly seasoned with just the right amount of plum sauce, not to interfere with the wine.  Coating the lamb with toasted chopped cashew nuts was simply brilliant.

'Duck Cous-Cous'

The duck breast with mint cous-cous went beautifully with the Richebourg.  The rich Musigny paired beautifully with the Kobe cheekbone.  The pigeon was so tender and juicy and was accompanied by burnt fig.  Well, I think I did run out of steam when dessert came....

What a sensational evening!  50 and 51 year old wines, whether at Premier Cru or Grand Cru level, most of which still performing so well, and showing such consistent quality, amazing balance and beautiful harmony.  Here we have experienced the timeless quality of Burgundy wines!  In a word, incredible!   

A Vega Sicilia Unico evening (with other interesting additions)

7 Dec 2012:  I was treated to a superb Spanish meal (complete with Spanish wine too!) at DN-Innovación in Taipei.  Chef Xavier Gutierrez (from Arzak) and chef Daniel Negreira (from DN-Innovación) joined forces to create a special menu for us. 

'SALT'

I particularly liked the dishes "Salt" where a piece of raw prawn was placed on top of some spicy sauce and on top of a bed of hardened salt.  A dip had been made in the salt bed whereby the green tea sauce was to be poured.  We had to wait a minute for the green tea sauce to take up some of the salty content before dipping the prawn in. The sweetness of the raw prawn married very well with the slightly saline green tea sauce, an ingenious creation!  This went beautifully with the 1975 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne or the 1946 Castillo Ygay Blanco Reserva Especial, which had taken on a quality not dissimilar to an aged Sercial! My other favourite dish would be the duck tiramisu!  The combination of almond and the taste of duck was unique and paired very well with the 1966 Vega Sicilia Unico!



Ladybird

 Dessert was a bright red ladybird, which was almost too pretty to be devoured!




The Vega Sicilia Line-Up

 As for the wines:
1975 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne: Amber hue.  Mature aromas of honey, hazelnut, mushroom and gingerbread greeted the nose. The palate was an elegant presentation of fine, persistent bubbles, with lively acidity, keeping the delicious flavours alive and the palate refreshed.  Long spicy finish.  A very fine aged champagne and would make a perfect pair with a number of the dishes, including the prawn described above, but also the little red "Bucket" - which contained mushroom dust/mousse and foie gras! 

2004 Que Bonito Cacareaba, Benjamin Romeo: A limited production white Rioja by Benjamin Romeo (Bodega Contador). About 5,000 bottles produced per year.  Mainly Garnacha Blanca, with the balance made up of Viura and Malvasia.  Very low yields.  Hand harvested.  Barrel fermented, followed by 8 months of ageing in new French oak barrels.  Pale golden robe.  A honeyed, spicy and citrus nose, with nuances of herbs, quince, honeysuckle and beeswax.  Full-bodied, unctuous but balanced by good level of acidity. Still tasting relatively youthful and fresh.  (www.bodegacontador.com)

1946 Castillo Ygay Blanco Reserva Especial: Viura and Malvisa blend. Deep amber colour. A mature white Rioja, with notes of honey, caramel, toasted hazelnuts, mushroom, smoke, and some rancio character.  Light-bodied.  Still reasonably balanced, with a slightly tart finish.  Almost like an aged Sercial.

1973 Vega Sicilia Unico: Ruby colour, with no sign of bricking at all.  A gorgeous nose of plum, star fruit, nutmeg, tea leaves, leather and chocolate. A very elegant wine, still full of vigour, with silky tannin, vibrant acidity and a long finish. Drink now and over next 10+ years. 

1966 Vega Sicilia Unico: This seemed to have been made in a much more rustic style. Deep garnet colour.  Full-bodied, velvety, with richness from super ripe fruit.  Almost port-like, displaying notes of prunes, dates, Turkish coffee, Christmas pudding and hints of madeirisation. Finishes long.  More like a fortified wine.  Drink now.

1959 Vega Sicilia Unico: Garnet colour. Madeirised notes of prunes, fruit cake, marmalade, almost reminding one of a Scotch whisky, with just a hint of volatile acidity. Slightly tart finish.

1938 Vega Sicilia Unico: Pale garnet.  Notes of caramel, toffee and nutty notes, with slight hint of leather. Silky texture, savoury finish.

1963 Taylors: Deep ruby.  Still very youthful.  Quite spirity initially.  Sweet and velvety nectar, tasting of nuts, toffee, fruitcake and stewed prunes, balanced by vibrant acidity.  Long long finish.  Gorgeous!

This was the first of two evenings....and I couldn't wait!  Thank you so much to a very generous host!

Mercury in Retrograde

25 Nov 2012: I was only introduced to this cosmic phenomenon known as ‘Mercury in Retrograde’ not so long ago. In layman’s terms, I believe this refers to the rhythm of Mercury causing havoc to our routines and plans here on Earth, engendering frustrations and plenty of disappointments. And it’s not been difficult at all to embrace this concept, however heebiejeebie it may sound – isn’t it wonderful when you are given an excuse to lay the blame on someone else when things do not go according to plan? We should well have checked the cosmic calendar before planning this trip to Bourgogne and Bordeaux. I have never had a good experience when it comes to air transport in France, and on this jinxed trip with Mercury in Retrograde, the angst had been taken to a new high!


We thought we had allowed plenty of time to get from the Côte d’Or to Lyon’s Saint Exupéry airport for our flight to Bordeaux. Friends of our would be familiar with our infamous penchant for leaving a touch too late from a certain domaine in Morey Saint Denis and putting ourselves in situations where my eyes would be darting between the speedometer and the clock every few minutes, with literally seconds to spare at the departure gate. This time we arrived at exactly one hour before the flight! We even found time to fill up the tank. I then left Richard with our rather voluminous luggage at the terminal while I returned the hired car. When I got back to the terminal, he was nowhere to be found and could not be contacted because he decided to embark on a long conference call while I was returning the car. Déjà -vu! He finally emerged 30 minutes later, still with one hand on the phone and the other pushing the heavy trolley. World War III about to break out! When we finally got to the luggage drop off counter, we had one of those trained-to-be-unhelpful Air France staff who told us that we had to remove some weight from one of our suitcases. The flight was leaving in about 30 minutes – a fact that totally escaped her! We had nowhere to put the excessive luggage and I was not going to use the transparent bin liner that she produced to put the extra bottles of wine that we had picked up in Bourgogne. After a vigorous exercise of manic unpacking and repacking, we were told that we could choose to pay excess baggage penalty instead of laying on this airport drama for all to witness – an important detail that somehow she decided to omit from the beginning. 20 whole minutes wasted on this futile exercise! I guess for this Air France staff, her only responsibility was to check in our luggage, anything else was none of her concern, least our departure time and our anxious looks. Service more fitting for the civil service! We ran like maniacs to the customs control area to find ourselves joining a very long queue. At least we found one airport staff who sympathized with us and let us jump the queue and speed through the hand luggage checking process. We arrived at the departure gate, 2 minutes before scheduled departure! More déjà-vu! The glass of Pol Roger at the Cordeillan-Bages Hotel in Bordeaux was the most beautiful glass of champagne I had had for a long time! Lesson learnt: Avoid airports in France if you can! (Tip: Stop over at Troisgros for a gourmand evening to break up the 7 hour drive between Bourgogne and Bordeaux!)

Well, Mercury still in Retrograde for our second flight this week. This time it was the 07:20 flight from Bordeaux to Paris. First of all, the hotel (Le Saint James) totally forgot about our wake-up call. So we left half an hour later than we should have! We stupidly had not bothered to look up the map on how to get to Merignac Airport – if we had gone the wrong way on the Rocade, it would be an hour before we were to find it. Instead, I thought I would rely on the SatNav which had so far worked rather well for us during our stay in Bordeaux, occasionally taking us along some less obvious routes. As I didn’t have the street name for the airport, I just typed in ‘Merignac’, expecting that a sign for the airport would clearly present itself along the way. We got suspiciously worried when the SatNav instead of leading us onto the Rocade, took us into the sleepy city of Bordeaux, and threatened to guide us further into the heart of the city, amongst the city’s UNESCO World Heritage listed monuments! It’s already 6:25 am and the flight is less than an hour away! Panic began to set in……followed by anguish……distress….and suddenly inspiration came when we spotted a taxi waiting at the taxi rank! Richard negotiated to pay the taxi driver to lead us to the airport, with us and our huge amount of luggage, following in our hired car behind. The taxi driver was quick to sense our anguish and we whizzed off at a good pace to the airport. 06:50 – arrival at airport. Just enough time to return the hired car and check in (with the usual amount of fuss over luggage weight)……what a nightmare it has been! It was hard to believe that we actually made it!

Mercury in Retrograde – this has never been more real! I will definitely consult the calendar before our next trip!

Red Obsession

22 Nov 2012: It was such a privilege to be invited to the premier screening of ‘Red Obsession’ at Theatre Français in the heart of Bordeaux city. Red Obsession is an interview-based documentary produced by friends of ours from Australia about the Chinese obsession with red Bordeaux wine. In some ways, we feel that we have travelled some of the way with them along this 2-year journey in the making of this film and we were rather eager to see the result. Unlike Mondovino, the mood of the film was not one of controversy. Rather it was an elegant representation of the state of the wine industry in Bordeaux at this point in time, that it’s in a state of flux, that Bordeaux through its 200 year history, had seen ups and downs and had always managed to bounce back (triumphantly). Liv-Ex, the barometer of wine prices, was created on the basis that investment in wine (predominantly classed growth Bordeaux), over a 30-year timeframe, since the 80’s, had still outperformed a number of common investment asset classes. This underlines the premise that Bordeaux wine prices must have the ability to go up and down in dramatic moves.


The movie also served to intellectually explore the Chinese obsession with red Bordeaux, depicting the feverish heights of the obsession with Lafite, Lafite and Laifte, to the inspiration to build a château in China, to the purchase of châteaux in Bordeaux, and to the budding passion in making good quality Bordeaux blend red wine in China. The movie made connection with the rationale or lack of rationale in this obsession with a bitter past in China’s history, but also highlighted that China’s interest in red wine is also in a state of flux…..Brandname recognition and strong marketing effort would go some way to explain the increasing sales and the importance of the Chinese market. Slowdown in economy has not in any visible way reversed the growing trend, which is a good sign that the love of red wine is being embraced by more than just the super wealthy in China. Congratulations to the Red Obsession team on taking on such a much-discussed topic with such level-headedness! Bravo indeed! (And great photography!) We cannot wait till the movie goes on general release so we can see it again, (as we missed the first 10 minutes, thanks to the heavy traffic in Bordeaux city :(!

Our hosts laid on a wonderful cocktail dinatoire after the screening at Café Opera, right opposite the Grand Hotel de Bordeaux. A wonderful venue, housed inside the Grand Theatre, a beautiful 18th Century work of architecture by Architect Victor Louis. The snacks were really tasty! I think everyone (especially the interviewees) were all a little nervous about how this would turn out and it was to everyone’s relief that the result was a realistic, plausible and intellectual interpretation of this point in history.

1957 Palmer and 1967 Petrus

23 Nov 2012:  We tasted some very delicious old Bordeaux on this trip and my highlights were: 1957 Palmer (in magnum) and 1967 Petrus. We were first served a 1967 Palmer (in magnum). Garnet core. A mature bouquet of tobacco, coffee, berries, leather, with just a hint of caramel. Still relatively well-structured, with a good level of acidity and a velvety texture. A wine that has reached its peak and will not benefit from further ageing. 17.5/20 By contrast, the 1957 Palmer (in magnum) showed a deeper hue, ruby-garnet. The nose needed some aeration to open up to a perfume of floral, spice, tobacco, blueberry, coffee, cedar and leather. Still showing vibrant acidity and an incredible structure of fine velvety tannin, framing the generous sweet fruit that is still evident on the palate. This tastes so much fresher and energetic than the 1967, almost as if it should have been the younger vintage of the two. This wine continues to develop in the glass, and an hour later, it was still tasting incredibly fresh and harmonious. A wine that offers great enjoyment now and over the next 8 – 10 years. 18.5/20 (Note: these 2 magnums were ex-Chateau and were served at lunch at the Chateau.)

On the same evening, we had a bottle of 1967 Pétrus, a bottle that we had brought over from Hong Kong (yes, to drink in Bordeaux!). This bottle had covered quite a distance – it was bought at auction in the US a while ago, then it was recently shipped back to HK after Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc in New York (particularly the warehouse of one of the auction houses!) and had endured travel time in my suitcase, from HK to London, and France. Deep ruby-garnet hue. Hallmark bouquet of truffle, liquorice, blueberry, cedar, leather, lifted by the a floral touch of dried rose petals. On the palate, the wine flaunts great intensity of flavours, framed by the mouthcoating texture and firm acidity keeping a balanced, poised and elegant structure. Slightly drying on the persistent finish. A glorious wine that is drinking at peak now and over next 8 – 10+ years. Surprisingly good for the vintage. 19/20

On the same evening, we also enjoyed a bottle of 2007 Haut Brion Blanc. Pale gold. A richly intense nose of smoke, sweet hay, gooseberry, fig, pineapple and a touch of honey. A full-bodied wine, waxy texture, lush and concentrated, balanced by firm acidity. Incredibly long finish. Can be enjoyed now but will certainly benefit from some more bottle age…….a wine that will last a long time. 18/20

A Vertical of Drouhin Musigny

20 Nov 2012:  Richard, with the help of Becky, Jasper and David (and a few others), hosted a vertical tasting of Drouhin Musigny in Bourgogne! It was another well-attended event, supported by some very dear friends and wine experts and we were particularly pleased that Véronique Drouhin was able to join us. Out of the 22 vintages of Drouhin Musigny that we tasted, only 4 of them were somewhat out of condition.

The Drouhin holding of Musigny covers 0.67 ha at the northern end of the Grand Cru climat. It is largely the result of a single block purchase in 1961, with replanting of vines in 1973 and 1976. The vineyard is now biodynamically farmed. I think it would be fair to say that we tasted a range of wines showing very consistent high quality and a finesse and opulence that could only be the benchmark for Musigny.

Here are my very brief notes:

2009: Bright red fruit, floral and spicy notes. Very youthful. Lovely structure and elegance. Textbook Musigny. 18/20

2008: Lovely red fruit, with nuances of sous-bois and tea leaves. Poised structure, generous mouthfeel, with ripe velvety tannin and vibrant acidity. Persistent finish. Really gorgeous. 18.5/20

2007: Much more evolved than 2008. Showing sauvage and earthy notes, with some tea leaves. A more delicate frame, lower in acidity. Drinking deliciously now. A charming Musigny, but does not have the class and pedigree to age effortlessly over a long time. 17/20

2006 (magnum): A great perfume of strawberry red fruit and pot pourri. Some sappy notes on palate. A well-crafted wine but lacking in ripeness, depth and concentration. 16.5/20

2005: Very intense nose. Rich and complex perfume. Fabulously balanced and harmonious. Epitome of finesse, elegance, opulence, richness and concentration. Great definition of minerality on palate. Persistent finish. A complete wine for the very long haul. 19.5/20

2004: 100% destemmed. Sauvage notes, animal, tea leaves, and just a hint of herbaceous note on the palate. Silky texture, with fine acidity. Medium weight, well-balanced, and a long finish. A very good effort for a challenging vintage. 17.5/20

2003: Rather atypical. Some notes of stewed fruit, toffee and coffee notes. Ripe and firm tannin, lowish in acidity. Astringent finish. 15.5/20

2002: Farmyard, rusty nail, spice and red fruit notes. Needed aeration to emerge as a real beauty. Poise, purity, elegance and finesse, with a fine structure of decent acidity and silky tannin. Very smooth mouthfeel. 18/20

2001: Quite a floral (violet) nose, with red fruit, animal, coffee and spicy notes. Firm minerality on the palate. A slightly tighter structure than the 2002. Harmonious and gorgeous. Quite sensual. 18.5/20

1999: Quite a deeper colour here. Intense nose with a sweet note dominating the bouquet. Red and black fruit and spices. Rather youthful still, with lots of energy. Robustly structured, with high concentration of high quality raw material, firm ripe tannin. Opulently textured. Long long finish. Drinking well now, with excellent potential for ageing. 19/20

1996: Prune, plum, coffee and violet notes. Velvety tannin, with vibrant and firm acidity. Nicely weighty on the palate, showing generosity and a long finish. 18/20

1995: Red fruit, earthy, sweaty saddle and lightly spicy. Firm, slightly astringent tannin, lower acidity. A little austere still but coming round nicely. 17.5/20

1993: Not sure what to make of it…..slightly madeirised and rather bretty?

1990: A fleshy and flamboyant wine, with the hallmark elegance and finesse. Richness without the weight, mouthcoatingly sensual, a beautifully long long finsish. Notes of coffee, raspberry, pot pourri and minerality on palate. A scrumptious wine. My wine of the flight. 19.5/20

1989: Quite a similar bouquet and palate sensation to the 1990. Slightly more linear in structure than the 1990, but still rewards with mouthcoating richness and a lingering finish. Good acidity. 19/20

1988: A very expressive bouquet. Coffee, mocha, plum, dark fruit, nutmeg. Velvety texture. Firm acidity. A wine still with lots of vigour but perhaps less generous on the palate compared to the 1985! 18/20

1985: Quite mature and charmingly delicious. Mocha, nutmeg and berries. Generous on the palate, with silky texture and a lovely finish. Drinking at peak now. Will not benefit from further ageing. 18.5/20

1983: Rusty nail, mocha and berries. Sweet notes on the palate, does not have the intensity of the 1985. Very good effort for the vintage. 17/20

1978: Very expressive of the vintage. Gracefully aged mature Musigny, with a very refined bouquet of coffee, berries, nutmeg and pot pourri. There still shows a very nice intensity of flavours on the palate, and a well-knit structure, keeping the wine fresh and poised. Plenty of pur sweet fruit on the palate. Drink now. 18.5/20

1971: out of condition

1964: out of condition

1962: out of condition

A sensational tasting……..and what an achievement that we pulled this off as it hadn’t been that easy with logistics and a few other hiccups along the way this year! For me, every bottle of Musigny is a very special bottle and I look forward to re-tasting some of these wines on other occasions, when I would have more time to really appreciate and savour every drop of this precious Grand Cru!