Magnum Mike's Magnificent Half Century

Mike's about to turn 50, so what better plan than to fill the private room at La Trompette with eager wine lovers and lovingly assembled magnums?

• 2006 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  Magnum. Obvious class on the nose, which was silky and sensual with musk and a touch of cream, and towards the end of the glass some green grass and even some biltong. Wasn't quite as exciting on the palate, which had tasty notes of creme pat and orange juice but could have benefited from a little more cut. Still a wonderful start to proceedings, though!

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Gorgeous dish, the interplay of the crème fraiche and horseradish making for an unimprovable summer starter

• 1998 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Rare 95 Points

  France, Champagne

  Magnum. Smoky and vinous on the nose, with hints of exotic wood and gravy; it reminded me of a mature white Burgundy. Concentrated and substantial on the palate, and pretty generously dosed, with the flavour of beurre blanc and a bitter, saline finish. This wasn't as popular around the table as the Comtes, but I loved its depth of flavour and slightly sleazy charm.

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• 2004 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 95 Points

  France, Champagne

  Magnum. Elegant, almost ethereal nose, with an icing sugar feel. Although also crisp and elegant on the palate - certainly less of a bruiser than the Rare '98 - I found it very approachable, like a cuddle lubricated with whipped cream. Some ginger spice, too, and a herbal finish. Really glorious, and one of today's most popular bottles.

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The name of the dish doesn't record its best feature, which was the delicious seam of tarragon to be found throughout. My course of the day.

• NV Henri Giraud Champagne Grand Cru Fût De Chêne Brut Rosé Aÿ 94 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Magnum, disgorged October 2018 (which I think makes it a 2012 or 13 base). Salmon pink, noticeably fizzy, and smelled like gamey red Burgundy (specifically, Guillemot Serpentières!). Savoury and spicy on the palate, with a full-bodied chewiness, decent acidity although no sharp edges, and indeed a lovely ease to it. A beautiful wine, if not especially complex; it reminded us a little of Tempier with bubbles.

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• 2007 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 96 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Half-magnum. I was determined not to like this to the exclusion of the other wines in the flight, but was powerless in the face of probably the best Raveneau showing I've experienced. Very ripe on the nose, with lime sherbert and some vestigal oak, the overall effect being extremely seductive. Relatively opulent on the palate too, with vanilla and something seaweedy, a caressing mouthfeel and lovely balance. Got the most votes from the table in the "which would you take home with you?" poll, including mine - delicious stuff.

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• 2019 Alvina Pernot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Magnum. My first time with a posh 2019 white since EP (which was conducted virtually!), and I'm glad I bought plenty of them as this was extremely encouraging. Whilst balanced and remaining in a classical register (per Jasper: "you can tell the grapes are ripe, but the terroir expresses itself most"), the wine was on the full-bodied and sexy side, with custard, butter and a hint of banana, and had a very long finish. Hedonistic, and lovely with the relatively rich dish.

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• 2014 Kumeu River Chardonnay Maté's Vineyard 93 Points

  New Zealand, North Island, Auckland, Kumeu

  Magnum. We had another mag of this a few months back, and although I've given this another '93' I think it was a hair behind that one, lacking its extreme sense of precision. The wine's still definitely in a good place though, the acidity and reduction being in excellent balance, especially with some air time. The lovely combination of toast and crisp lime also remained!

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• 2017 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Magnum. A much more restrained wine than its flight-mates, and probably the wine that still has the most upside, but its class is already obvious. A little bit of savoury reduction and some spearmint on the nose. The palate remains very tense, with coiled citric energy and excellent purity and coherence. There's nothing out of place here - aristocractic Burgundy, for sure.

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• 2009 Ridge Geyserville 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Magnum. The gorgeously deep, layered, plummy nose was the wine's best feature - come on and dive in! Still delicious though, with deep red fruit, carbon and espresso, and a streak of salinity. Somehow opulent without being soft, and a lovely savoury finish. This is a wine I've loved over previous years and I wonder if it's now very slightly past its peak, or if the precision of the Muse left the Geyser feeling a bit unsubtle by comparison.

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• 2013 Vérité La Muse 94 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Magnum. This was today's dark horse (I'd barely heard of the wine, and didn't know what grapes it's made from - turns out it's 89% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec), and it certainly had plenty of dark-toned intensity... and it turned out to be my favourite of the reds. Pretty oaky on the nose still, though in an attractive way, and a hint of leafy Cabernet too. Very concentrated on the palate, but super clean with it; the wine has 14.5% ABV but somehow still seems cool and poised, with mesmerisingly precise notes of black cherry, graphite, lavender and cocoa. Some people will no doubt be repelled by a wine that's so obviously 'well made', but that's not always a pejorative and this striking wine was definitely popular around the table; and it is likely to be superb in 5-10 years' time.

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• 1986 Dominus Estate 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Magnum. Soft and savoury, with the cigar box on the nose and relative austerity making this a plausible ringer for a Left Banker. Balanced and easy to enjoy, with some green notes and plenty of salinity (maybe slightly too much).

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What luck to be sitting between two people who don't like blue cheese...

• 1973 L'Archiviste Rivesaltes 92 Points

  France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Rivesaltes

  A lovely gold colour. Plenty of deep, figgy toffee and sticky barley sugar, though also refreshingly light on its feet. Persistent finish. Really delicious, but lacked the epic concentration of some other Rivesaltes.

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• NV Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Réserve 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  Magnum, disgorged 2022. A well-rounded palate-cleanser, although drinking it on the same occasion as the other Champagnes we had was a useful reminder of the hierarchy, as by comparison the mousse felt clumsy and the finish short.

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• 2001 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Auction 95 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Magnum...! Top, top wine, obviously. Tropical fruit, lime jam and Chantilly cream on the to-die-for nose. Lovely balance on the elegant palate, with more cream, Sarawak pepper and a really long finish. I think the wine may well still have some upside, although I'm certainly glad to have tried it... can I have another glass now please?

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Stunning lunch - a rollercoaster of vinous pleasure. Thanks to our cheerful and amazingly generous host, and to Dan and Chris for the additional Champagnes, as well as the talented and accommodating staff at La T.

Finishing with Louis Bouron Heritage Cognac (apparently distilled with grapes from the 1906 vintage and bottled in 2006) and cigars on the sunny streets of Chiswick topped things off to perfection. Cheers guys!