| | Spanish Red - 1988 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Ygay Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
Oak and blackcurrants greet the nose, followed by vanilla pod. Relatively closed, the entry has lively acidity and tart blackcurrants and feels a little hollow and watery (poorer crop?) with some oak infusions.
Very much a youthful vibrancy, the mid-palate offers some cherry notes and plenty of fine grained by firm tannin. Lacks some mid-palate. (88 pts.)
- 1981 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Viña Real Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Dark deep garnet running to a mahogany rim. Fairly intense bouquet, the aromas are red cherries and plums with blackberries and blackcurrant, cedar and cigar box open to oak spice.
Full-bodied, the entry is soft with ripe berry fruits, dry balanced acidity and chalky tannins. Medium alcohol, there is plenty of fruit and the finish is domainted by spice and a twist of pepper. Long, smooth and most enjoyable! touch of mineral on the finish (90 pts.)
Pinot and Chardonnay - 1991 Kumeu River Chardonnay Estate - New Zealand, North Island, Auckland, Kumeu
12.5% alc.Some toast and nuts reminiscent of Meursault. Entry is cedar, juicy peach towards exotic fruits with apricot, dry with sprightly acidity, rounded in the mid-palate, fairly complex with that more leesy aspect of fuller-Burgundy wines and some spice. Traces of trying to be elegant but seems a more fleshy approachable style. Pricey wine! (87 pts.)
- 1989 Domaine Georges Clerget Chambolle-Musigny - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny
Very complex nose with a cigar box, damson, prunes and a hint of nut. Intense but feels a little evolved. The palate is balanced with fresh acidity, soft tannins and medium bodied. Pepper and cigar box yields to a high spiky alcohol yet retain a very long finish. Fairly broad the wine has a chewy, almost bitter aftertaste showing stewed plums and damsons. Tricky to assess. (87 pts.)
War-time Vintages - Sparkling & Red - 1943 Pommery Champagne Brut Millésimé - France, Champagne
Very slight pétillance (main bubbles long since departed) with old yellow-gold colour. A deep rich yeasty bouquet filled with brandy notes, ripe flavours, almost like sweet wine. A sort of still heavier styled Burgundy yet with fresh acidity. A curiosity more than anything. £100/bottle (86 pts.)
- 1945 Louis Latour Beaujolais-Villages - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages
Cloudy, brown-red with a musty bouquet of figs, liquorice and sour apricots. Didn't expect or promise a lot, but the palate had a surprising youthful freshness, elegance and lovely weight in the mouth that worked nicely. Dry with some meat stock and roasted meat with a long finish. (81 pts.)
- 1945 Domaine Jaboulet-Vercherre Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Apparently large negoçiants that initially had no link to wine. Grenache-based, the wine is quite musty with a caramel note on the palate, rich but with little fruit. The mid-palate is very sweet and bold, almost port-like. A suggestion of an arrested or stuck fermentation, given the noted RS on the finish? Or alternatively slightly fortified, hence the port-like raisin and lifted tones? (75 pts.)
- 1942 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
£175. Released in 1983 - top year in its day. Spent 25-30 years in American oak; 70 Tempranillo, 13 Mazuelo, 12 Garnacha and 5 Graciano. Garnet mahogany with a bright orange rim. Beautiful nose of dark chocolate tilled soil that on entry has a full body, plenty of fruit, intense with refined yet semi-aggressive tannins. Slightly lean or just an elegant wine, it seems well-knit and, at this stage, in perfect nick. A real find! (96 pts.)
War-time Vintages - Sweet - 1945 Eugen Wirth Niersteiner Fritzenhölle Riesling Goldbeerenauslese - Germany, Rheinhessen
£100. Florescent yellow with a bright, fresh nose showing spice and lemon zest. Typical racy acidity, clean and pure showing little signs of the age it is. A delicate wine with some botrytis but not as complex as expected. Long winding finish, some richness, glassy texture. RS is present but well integrated behind the zesty acidity. (95 pts.)
- 1945 Château Filhot - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Deuxieme cru with lots of young vines in the blend.
Amber gold runs to a greeny-yellow edge indicating some serious age.
Honeyed bouquet showing quince and orange/lemon marmalade.
Richly opulent on entry, the wine feels quite alcoholic, giving a spicy impression yet is extraordinary. Amazing complexity with plenty of botrytis, ripe lemons, and stewed apricots underscored by a linear fresh acidity. Elegant, well-preserved freshness that integrates its noted sweetness; the finish showcases tangerine, spice, and a persistent length. Arguably fading a tad but privilege to have. (92 pts.)
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