Achim's Magnum Tasting 2016

Berens am Kai 1 star Restaurant
Tasted Thursday, December 15, 2016 by aquacongas with 722 views

Introduction

A great wine lover organized again his famous Best Bottle Magnum at Berens am Kai in Düsseldorf. Most bottles were from Bordeaux, the flights were blind

Flight 1 - White Wines (2 Notes)

The Starter, very young Mosel Riesling and an extra bottle from Peter Michael, only 120 magnums made, I guessed a little bit older

Flight 2 - Old Pomerols (2 Notes)

A great Vieux Certan

  • 1945 Château Gazin Pomerol 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    From Magnum,
    drank it together with Vieux Certan 1955.
    This wine shows more aging signs than his flight partner,from the nose it was burgundy than BX, some mushrooms,extract sweetness, one-dimensional in the finish, some licorice and a hint of lovage, middle long aftertaste, passed his peak, 93-94

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  • 1955 Vieux Château Certan 97 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    From Magnum
    Caramell, red cooked fruits (not in an overripe way), no oxidation signs, licorice, cigar box, black tea after half hour,long clean finish after cassis and cherries, precise and refreshing, 97-98

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Flight 3 (2 Notes)

An unbelievable HB and a brutal young Palmer 1983

  • 1953 Château Haut-Brion 98 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    From magnum
    For me one of the wines of the evening, so fresh and so vital, drank it together with 1983 Palmer. It was not clear which was the younger wine. I exaggerate it a little bit but a great extract sweetness, spicy, pencil, essence of cassis,leather, tobacco leaves, 98-99

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  • 1983 Château Palmer 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    From Magnum,
    much tooy oung even after three hours of double decantation, closed, primary notes, cassis, cedar, present and firm tannins, needs many years to show his grace, I cant rate, let's say 95++

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Flight 4 - Montrose (2 Notes)

  • 1959 Château Montrose 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

    From Magnum,
    Beat the 1961 Montrose in this flight, very accessible, sweet cherries, salty and refreshing minerality, well balanced, the finish is elegant and middle long

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  • 1961 Château Montrose 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

    From magnum
    this time not so strong as last year, the nose is a little bit reluctant and austere, the tannins feel ripe but not very accessible, you could think it was a cold years and not that hot as 1961 was

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Flight 5 - 1970 battle (2 Notes)

My WOTN

  • 1970 Château Latour Grand Vin 99 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    a masterpiece, a giant from magnum,
    still primary fruit notes, minimal secundary and tertiary notes, a black currant bomb, fine and firm tannins, great acidity backbone, very enjoyable now but will be pleasant over the next 30 years, three hours of double decantation was not enough, 99+

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  • 1970 Château Lafleur 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    From Magnum
    A little bit dusty, discreet fruit notes, getting better with time, red berries and black currant, no chance against Lator 1970 from same bottle size

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Flight 6 - The American beauties (2 Notes)

A phenomenal Martha's Vineyard

Flight 7 - The "Undrinkable" Ones (2 Notes)

Wait at least 10 more years or decant 24hours

  • 1982 Château Mouton Rothschild 97 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    From magnum
    the bottle was from a perfect cellar, so the bottle was even after 4 hours of decantation too closed and firm, you feel the power and the graceness but the beauty is hidden behind the structure and tannins of the wine, the same for the Latour 1982 from MG, 97-100, will survive at least 30 more years

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  • 1982 Château Latour Grand Vin 97 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    From magnum
    the bottle was from a perfect cellar, so the bottle was even after 4 hours of decantation too closed and firm, you feelthe power the graceness but the beauty is hidden behind the structure and tannins of the wine, the same for the Mouton 1982 from MG, 97-100, will survive at least 30 more years

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Flight 8 - Merlot is dominating (2 Notes)

Flight 9 - The Classics (2 Notes)

  • 1989 Château Haut-Brion 98 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    From magnum,
    much too young, it is like drinking a five year old Bordeaux, the cassis notes are overlayed at this stage,I think it is much more fun to drink it from regular bottle, the same level as LMHB 1990 in the same flight, will last at least the next 30 years

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  • 1990 Château La Mission Haut-Brion 97 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    much too young, it is like drinking a five year old Bordeaux, the cassis notes are overlayed at this stage,I think it is much more fun to drink it from regular bottle, the same level as HB 1989 in the same flight, will last at least the next 30 years

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Flight 10 - Some more 1982 Bordeaux action with some Californian help (3 Notes)

Flight 11 - For his alone (1 Note)

Flight 12 - Two wild ones (2 Notes)

  • 1990 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    From Magnum, decanted for 3 hours
    very strong and powerful, but a little bit one-dimensional, dark berries, spicy, mighty tannins, needs much time to show his beauty, at this stage 95-96, lost against La Chapelle 1990

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  • 1990 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 97 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    From Magnum,
    even after 3 hours of decantation a little bit closed, very young, great acidity structure, ripe fine grained tannins, from this perfect bottle at least 10 more years to get rounder and smoother, tobacco, pepper, spyicy, 97+

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Flight 13 - A great bubbly finish (1 Note)

In strong fitness

  • 1996 Bollinger Champagne La Grande Année 96 Points

    France, Champagne

    From Magnum
    In phantastic shape, again. Citrus, brioche, some mocca, and a great nutty finish, second time from MG, very vivid and clean, staring to reach his peak if you like the young stage of a champagne. If you like older champagnes there is no hurry,give him at leats 10 more years (from Magnum), 96+

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Closing

For me the winners were Vieux Certan 1955, Latour 1970 (WOTN) and Martha's Vineyard 1975. Mouton and Latour 1982 from perfect cellars are in this stage "undrinkable" Haut Brion 1989 and LMHB 1990 are a hint more accessible than the mentioned Premier Crus.

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