We started with a champagne made with 6 of the grape varieties from the Champagne region: a 2000 Moutard Cuvée des 6 Cépages, disgorged in June 2004. Medium lemony robe. A gorgeous bouquet of lemon, pear, apple, acacia, with just the faintest hint of toasty notes. A fine creamy mousse, with just enough acidity to balance out the richness on the palate, giving it a harmonious mouthfeel with complex flavours filling out the middle palate, finishing long and smooth. Gorgeous! I doubt we could identify the taste profile of the individual grape varieties but the sum was definitely much more than the individuals! 18/20
Our first course was grilled langoustines, with tarragon butter. These yummy crustaceans were happily washed down with 2001 Bourgogne Chardonnay, Coche-Dury. What a remarkably youthful 12-year-old Bourgogne blanc this was! We all felt rather stricken by this display of seemingly eternal youthfulness. Vibrant acidity giving the wine poise, energy and freshness, with a lively lift at the finish. Slightly waxy, lemon peel and pear notes.
While Richard was serving up the grouse with red cabbage and fried bread, accompanied by a delicious wild mushroom bake brought by our friends, we started on the flight of 3 wines from Southern Rhone. The idea was that we could compare them in pairs. First pair was 1990 and 1989 Rayas. The 1990 Rayas revealed a bouquet of redcurrant, plum, white pepper and tarragon. The palate showed more spicy notes. The fine tannins were still a little astringent. Overall, the structure seemed taut. There seemed more complexity and generosity on the nose than on the palate. Drinking very well now and probably will benefit from further ageing in bottle and can keep for 10 - 15 years. 18/20 The 1989 Rayas, with its deeper garnet colour, by comparison was lush and rich, with a robust structure lying underneath the velvety coating. Redcurrant, even some dried strawberry or currant, layered with notes of spice. A truly sensational Rayas, ticking all the boxes, for balance, opulence, complexity, structure, finish and longevity. Very fine. 19/20
We were supposed to retain some 1989 Rayas in the glass so that it could be compared with the 1989 Beaucastel Hommage à Jacques Perrin. Frankly there was very little comparison to be made, as the styles and flavour profiles were so very different. Here we had an intensely deep, almost ruby colour. The nose was distinctly gamey and sauvage, with very ripe underlying bramble fruit. A very fine and robust structure of vibrant acidity, giving a wonderful lift to the robust and masculine structure. Some astringency at the finish. This made such a fantastic pairing with the grouse and ceps in the mushroom bake. An exotic, utterly toothsome and truly memorable wine. It was quite hard to go back to the lushness of the Rayas after having your senses so awakened by the Hommage à Jacques Perrin. You could drink this now with decanting.....and it will continue to improve over next 8 - 10 years, drinking well way beyond this. 19.5/20
Some of us were still thirsty after these 3 beauties. So Richard pulled out the 2005 Henri Bonneau Cuvée des Célestins. This showed much promise but was frankly too young and drunk too fast! (I didn't really get round to this, being a very slow drinker!)
We finished the evening with a 1966 Graham's. This was unctuous and there was remarkable freshness underneath the layers of rich flavours of cherry, plum, toffee, and fruitcake. Great acidity balancing all this richness. Here we were shown what great ports could do to you - you couldn't stop sipping it! A very long finish. A formidable tour de force! 19.5/20
These great Châteauneuf du Papes were so magnificent because they were allowed to age gracefully and slowly. I adore southern Rhone wines - I love that boldness, that ruggedness wrapped up in that herby and spicy veneer, that wild untamed beauty. And needless to say, the grouse-Hommage à acques Perrin pairing was simply spot on......I was left speechless!
Sadly that might have been our last bottle of Hommage à Jacques Perrin!.......It will be very interesting if one could retaste the 1989 pair in 10, 15 and 20 years' time! And time will be the judge!
Our first course was grilled langoustines, with tarragon butter. These yummy crustaceans were happily washed down with 2001 Bourgogne Chardonnay, Coche-Dury. What a remarkably youthful 12-year-old Bourgogne blanc this was! We all felt rather stricken by this display of seemingly eternal youthfulness. Vibrant acidity giving the wine poise, energy and freshness, with a lively lift at the finish. Slightly waxy, lemon peel and pear notes.
While Richard was serving up the grouse with red cabbage and fried bread, accompanied by a delicious wild mushroom bake brought by our friends, we started on the flight of 3 wines from Southern Rhone. The idea was that we could compare them in pairs. First pair was 1990 and 1989 Rayas. The 1990 Rayas revealed a bouquet of redcurrant, plum, white pepper and tarragon. The palate showed more spicy notes. The fine tannins were still a little astringent. Overall, the structure seemed taut. There seemed more complexity and generosity on the nose than on the palate. Drinking very well now and probably will benefit from further ageing in bottle and can keep for 10 - 15 years. 18/20 The 1989 Rayas, with its deeper garnet colour, by comparison was lush and rich, with a robust structure lying underneath the velvety coating. Redcurrant, even some dried strawberry or currant, layered with notes of spice. A truly sensational Rayas, ticking all the boxes, for balance, opulence, complexity, structure, finish and longevity. Very fine. 19/20
We were supposed to retain some 1989 Rayas in the glass so that it could be compared with the 1989 Beaucastel Hommage à Jacques Perrin. Frankly there was very little comparison to be made, as the styles and flavour profiles were so very different. Here we had an intensely deep, almost ruby colour. The nose was distinctly gamey and sauvage, with very ripe underlying bramble fruit. A very fine and robust structure of vibrant acidity, giving a wonderful lift to the robust and masculine structure. Some astringency at the finish. This made such a fantastic pairing with the grouse and ceps in the mushroom bake. An exotic, utterly toothsome and truly memorable wine. It was quite hard to go back to the lushness of the Rayas after having your senses so awakened by the Hommage à Jacques Perrin. You could drink this now with decanting.....and it will continue to improve over next 8 - 10 years, drinking well way beyond this. 19.5/20
Some of us were still thirsty after these 3 beauties. So Richard pulled out the 2005 Henri Bonneau Cuvée des Célestins. This showed much promise but was frankly too young and drunk too fast! (I didn't really get round to this, being a very slow drinker!)
We finished the evening with a 1966 Graham's. This was unctuous and there was remarkable freshness underneath the layers of rich flavours of cherry, plum, toffee, and fruitcake. Great acidity balancing all this richness. Here we were shown what great ports could do to you - you couldn't stop sipping it! A very long finish. A formidable tour de force! 19.5/20
These great Châteauneuf du Papes were so magnificent because they were allowed to age gracefully and slowly. I adore southern Rhone wines - I love that boldness, that ruggedness wrapped up in that herby and spicy veneer, that wild untamed beauty. And needless to say, the grouse-Hommage à acques Perrin pairing was simply spot on......I was left speechless!
Sadly that might have been our last bottle of Hommage à Jacques Perrin!.......It will be very interesting if one could retaste the 1989 pair in 10, 15 and 20 years' time! And time will be the judge!
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