We did the 1964s earlier....now it's the turn for 1974s......and thank you to the birthday boy for bringing them to dinner at Upper Modern Bistro!
1974 Louis Roederer: Amber gold colour. On the nose it was caramel and honey, toffee apple-like, with notes of roasted hazelnut. We had it served in a white wine glass. Delicate mousse, creamy texture, with a long caramelised finish. Almost like dessert...There was a good deal of complexity, coming in layers on the palate but it didn't quite have enough acidity to give it that extra dimension and lift! 16/20
2004 Chablis Les Preuses, William Fèvre: Pale gold hue. Nose of lemon peel, almond, pear, herbal, lightly spicy. Rich in texture, almost full-bodied. Crisp long complex saline finish. Great detail, precisely structured with such purity. Very classy. 18/20
1974 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Simi Winery: (I did not look at the back but I guess this would be predominant Cabernet Sauvignon, with a minor percentage of other Bordeaux blend grape varieties?) Deep garnet colour. Mineral graphite note, paired with earthy, cherry, plum, with a slight herbaceous note which surfaced with extended aeration in the glass. Medium bodied, delivered great freshness, intensity of flavours and silky tannin. An excellent effort for the vintage! 16.5/20
1974 Cabernet Sauvignon, Inglenook: (Francis Ford Coppola purchased this winery in 1975 intent on restoring the former glory under Gustave Niebaum the founder and his grandnephew John Daniel Jr - so this would have been the last vintage made by its previous owner which was Hublein Incorporated.) Started off being slightly maderised but settled down a little with some aeration. On the palate, it was rich, fleshy, layered and chewy still. The fruit, still very much present, was very ripe (probably over-ripe), dried fruit and cooked prunes, with some dusty and liquorice notes. I didn't like so much the lowish acidity....found it a little cloying and uninspiring. 14.5/20
2001 Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto Riserva, Bruno Giacosa: (This bottle was opened at 3 pm, double decanted after opening, and then decanted at the restaurant from 8 pm till about 10 pm.) Deep garnet colour. Hot tar, tobacco, plum, redcurrant, earthy, liquorice spice on the nose. On the palate, it showed an opulently smooth texture, with perfectly balancing acidity. A powerful wine of immense structure, but rather elegantly presented and nicely proportioned. The finish was exceptionally long! An awesome wine (but I really think it should wait another 6 - 8 years before we enjoy it again)! 18.5+/20
1983 Hermitage La Chapelle, Jaboulet: (Decanted for an hour and a half before we tried it) This seemed rather subdued when served next to the Giacosa! A very attractive bouquet of red fruit, black pepper, herbs, leather, violet, with savoury and earthy notes. Really gorgeous, silky smooth on the palate, with wonderful acidity keeping the palate refreshed, Plenty of finesse and depth. Not a particularly long finish but I did not sense any dryness at the finish. Not a huge Hermitage, but a very elegant one it was and nowhere near its decline. Drink over next 5 - 6 years. 17.5/20
What a treat! The food was totally on form last night....I got my favourite pig's trotter dip, smoked salmon toast and artichoke macaroni. Those who went for the meaty main courses said that the chicken main course was really good! And of course, you cannot miss Jeremy's selection of cheese - I picked for us Comté 48 months, Coulommiers, Abbaye de Tamié, Fourme d'Ambert, a cheese like Saint Félicien but called Petit Mosellan and a couple others slipped in by our very friendly waiter (think one was Colombier). Absolutely delicious...and definitely worth saving room for it!
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