We have a birthday to celebrate!

All the wines are here, plus 1 more magnum of champagne and 1 magnum of 1982 Mouton!
There were 14 of us after all.........

17 Jan 2014: We had a birthday to celebrate! And bravo to the team at Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons (Great Milton, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom) for an impeccable job they did in looking after us (and all the heavy lifting for the sommeliers)! We were told to wait in the bar for an hour before sitting down at 9 pm (I think so as not to stress the kitchen) but when we did sit down, the food came at a very good pace and all at once for all 14 of us! So well done!

2000 Pol Roger Cuvée Winston Churchill (magnum) I had never seen 2 magnums of champagne being consumed at such speed! It was a richly intense bouquet of lemon peel, ripe pear, almond and shortbread. Fine creamy mousse on the palate, persistent and delicate bubbles racing to the surface…..a note of minerality dominates on the palate. Vibrant acidity. Finishes extremely long. Sensational. I would drink this now but it will drink well for 6 - 8+ years, depending on your taste. 18.5/20

2008 Meursault Les Clous (magnum) 

This is a magnum bottle of our own wine……it was so delicious….still full of tension and energy, even in its 5th year for a village wine. Loved the lemon and pear notes……with a very fine detail in the long finish. A really brilliant effort and almost delivering above its level! 18/20 (It went brilliantly with the brill, oyster, wasabi and cucumber dish - highly recommended!)

The brilliant brill dish, with oyster, wasabi and cucumber!

Wild mushroom risotto with truffle cream

1954 Lafite (double magnum) - correct! The birth year wine!Medium garnet. Notes of cigar box, cedar, fig, coffee, gamey and mushroomy…….with just a whiff of volatility initially. Silky on the palate, still holding its structure well, albeit in a lighter frame. A languorous finish……marred by just a hint of acidic kick at the end. For me, as I was enjoying it rather slowly….it came through rather well and its best pair was with the mushroom risotto! If your bottle is a 750 ml version, I would be drinking this very soon! 16.5/20

1953 Lafite (magnum) Quite a change from the 1954. This was vigorous, still bursting with blueberry fruit, complementing notes of violet, sweet tobacco, spice and sweaty saddle. A lovely concentration of flavours, intense and powerful at the same time. Drinking perfectly now, and over the next 8 – 10 years! 19/20

1982 Mouton Rothschild (magnum and bottle) Unfortunately the magnum was mildly corked  (but we finished it all the same!) The bottle was amazingly youthful (in fact not quite ready if not aerated properly - I would give it another 5 years before trying again)! Cedar, blueberry, blackberry, violet….medium bodied.

1983 Yquem Amber-gold colour. A rich and intensely complex nose of ripe peach, honey, marmalade and rye bread. Lusciously sweet but deftly balanced by firm acidity. The palate was weighty, but it did not feel heavy at all. The freshness was so remarkable that it was almost irresistible! Awesome! Drink now with a massively long life ahead! 18.5/20


1955 Taylor’s A medium brown colour. Raisin, hazelnut, fruitcake like aromas. Very spirity finish. Perfect with cigars! This might not be the best example of this port, as we had expected more freshness. 16/20


What an indulgence! And the parties continue.......with a friend's 40th to look forward to next month!

Note: There were 14 of us to help us with this line-up! Apparently, a few of us were still thirsty afterwards and enjoyed a digestif or two with the birthday boy! I admit not having the stamina to keep up with this lot!


The following day, we had a bottle from the birth year as well: 1954 Boal! Amber-tawny colour, medium sweet on entry, with a dry finish. Lovely nutty and slightly caramelised notes with a hint of ginger! I loved it with cheese!