Home at Twixmas with some fun wines

Home with several friends opening some decent booze.

• 2006 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

  Bouquet of turned earth, pulverised rocks and minerals. A vibrant acidity, some breadth to the mid-palate and this core of minerals - bags of crushed rocks and dry stones. Slight aniseed and chalky notes came through on the finish along with some barley sugar. It has guts but perhaps is now starting to reach its plateau at 12 years.

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• 2007 Joseph Drouhin Corton-Charlemagne 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

  (Tasted Blind): Light to medium yellow colour. An intense and striking bouquet, bursting with freshness and ripe stone fruit with wet chalk, adding a mineral touch. Inviting palate with incisive acidity, giving freshness, feeling more alert than the Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne, offering breadth and an almost austere, metallic texture. There is peach golden apple, crushed rocks and spice with tertiary mushroom and nut notes starting to come through; it has depth and complexity, with a persistent finish. Lovely vitality, this is a clean, direct CC that manages to weave elegance through its more upright structure.

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• 2004 Château Léoville Barton 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  A deep garnet colour, showing some maturity. A bouquet of mushrooms and earthy elements with cedar wood, ripe blackberry towards blackcurrant, mineral and a touch of ground pepper. A gorgeous entry, so richly textured, borders on jam-like fruitiness (opulent) yet balanced by lively mineral-edged acidity. Almost foursquare in structure, there is flesh and some gently grippy tannins yet also elegance and the riper fruit with cassis edges, all leading to a harmonious blend of flavours that work well together.

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• 2001 Château Lafite Rothschild 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  A medium to deep garnet with a complex and enticing bouquet displaying a sultry blend of milk chocolate, mocha, wild forest berries, black cherry, cigar box and cedar wood.
  
  On the palate, the entry is svelte and alluring with melted chocolate, macchiato foam and some tilled soil. Plenty of blackberry, black and red cherry and some redcurrant. Medium over full-bodied, the mid-palate is intense with a polished sheen, smooth as silk, yet it doesn't have the grunt that one might expect. The tannins are sweet and fine-grained and the acidity is vibrant and lifted. Notes of tobacco add complexity to the finish, and the tannin profile is simply amazing. The wine has superb layers of fruit, with a light cocoa powder dusting and an extended finish. This is a great Bordeaux.

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• 1999 Château Margaux 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  A deep garnet colour indicating maturity. Lifted aromas of evolving earth and button mushroom with echoes of tobacco, spice and blackcurrants.
  On the palate, the wine is incredibly elegant, concentrated with a lovely balance betweens its earthy elements and the inherent black fruit character and moments dry Scottish heather, resulting in a wine that is both complex and harmonious. With an excellent depth of flavour, this is a fine example with lively acidity, resolved but present tannins, and a long farewell.

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