Ray & Marianne's Wedding

The best wine at a wedding ever! Congrats Ray and Marianne!

• 2005 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  (6/11/2016)

  Delicious in a slightly sweeter, more obvious fashion. The nose showed ripe cherries and berries alongside more lemony notes, and then a bit of yeast and mineral. Nice, in a typically Cristal way. The palate was still primary, but there was a lovely marriage of depth and intensity of flavour with a characteristic purity and balance, with juicy flavours of sweet lemons, apples and a touch of berry fruit laced with a fine mousse and a good stream of citrusy notes. Long finish too, with quite a bit of power behind its citrusy notes, and then just a hint of spice trailing away behind. Really primary still, this had a bit of a tart edge to it amidst the plump fruit, but it clearly is a Champagne of quality. I would actually keep it away for a good 6-8 years more.

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• 2004 Château Margaux 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  (6/11/2016)

  Very good indeed, if just a touch reserved. On first pour, the nose was a little muted, only slowly opening up with gentle wafts of smoky spice, dried flowers and earth floating amidst a core of sour cherries, cassis and just a hint of roasted capsicums. Very attractive. It was on the palate where the wine showed its strength though. While not the richest Margaux, this had a depth that set it apart from the 2004 Cos d'Estournel that preceded it, with a nicely layered mouthful of sour cherries and cassis nicely underpinned by fresh, juicy acidity and silky fine tannins. There was lovely elegant finesse and a crystal clear purity to the wine that I really liked. Lovely finish too - long, juicy, with succulent black fruit trailing away in a nice, fresh end. A very accomplished wine for its vintage, if just rather muted and one-dimensional at points, this will be very nice in a 8-10 years when it opens up and takes on more complexity.

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• 2004 Château Cos d'Estournel 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  (6/10/2016)

  One of a pair with a 2004 Left Banks, this was very pleasant. The nose was was classic Cos, with sweet notes of dark cherries and cassis wreathed in fragrant drifts of tobacco and wood spices. The palate has opened up dramatically since the last time I had it, some 7 years back. There was now a nice sense of clarity to its pure flavours of cassis and blackberries, all laced with lifted notes of spice and tobacco leading into a clean, minerally finish. Fine tannins and lovely acidity made for a gentle, bit nicely structured frame - so while this was drinking well enough, I think it has some way to go yet, perhaps 3-4 years to peak. Not a blockbuster, but this was very pleasant.

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