September 13, 2019 - This second bottle is even better than the first. Light yellow in color and plenty of sulfur and flint on the nose. Immediately the quality and super showing is evident. Fruit is bright with plenty of acidity. There is white mushroom and some light hazelnut aroma. Whereas the previous bottle held its ground, this bottle continued to improve with time. I don’t usually time or mention the finish but the fragrance and aroma lingers endlessly. A bit of honey not unlike the finest orange blossom honey emerges along with a hint of saline. A mind boggling showing. This bottle is at least as good the the 69 Charmes.
September 7, 2019 - A remarkable medium yellow in color. Starts off as a pretty standard white mushroom and popcorn notes. There is a little bit of baked apple. No bad signs of oxidation. With about 20-30 minutes there is a hint of smokiness and white pepper similar to an aged northern Rhône. The fruit is a bit riper and more round compared to the ageless 69 Charmes. The acidity ratchets up with time. The finish is very persistent and lingering.
Bottle label is very moldy and the sediment is crusted against the glass. Quite possibly an original release or at the very least not a very recent release. These 60s Leroy really have aged well!
February 28, 2017 - 50th Birthday Winefoolishness (Chicago, IL): A revelatory wine that was my first glimpse at 50+ year old White Burgundy. First off, there is absolutely no signs of any oxidation whatsoever. W.O.W. nose that is huge with tertiary notes of smoke, meat and sweat interwoven with mature white fruit. Almost Syrah like in its meatiness. The palate is similarly youthful and meaty. Good fresh acids keep the wine persistent. Held in the glass for an hour. Impressive.
February 28, 2017 - 50th Birthday Celebration Dinner with Wine (Hughes House - Chicago IL): Popped and poured. Baked apple with sweet and savory spice. Got off to a slow start but this really opened up and lengthened with 5+ minutes in glass. Aromas and flavors kept getting more complex and powerful over the next 15-20 minutes, at which point it started to show its age. Wonderful.
March 14, 2014 - Orangey color. Funky at first, but when that passed it was replaced by a lot of caramel, orange, grapefruit, apricot and a touch of band-aid on a very nice nose. The caramel is the very fatty kind that reminds me of the caramel sense you get from a nice jamon iberico de bellota. Soft, lovely mouthfeel, with excellent acidity remaining and citrus fruit all over the palate. Surprisingly long finish. Really great given the bottle's age. These certainly have some life left in them.
October 20, 2012 - 50th Birthday Celebration Dinner with Wine (Chez Schmidt - Chicago IL): Started with a bit of sulfur, which is good, having kept this wine wonderfully fresh. Huge orchard fruit, slightly nutty, shockingly fresh and charming, lots of power. If tasted blind, I'd have thought this 20 years younger.
September 25, 2012 - Deep yellow. Advanced with some apricot and apple in the nose. Lush with good fruit and some acid remaining. 93 pts.
September 25, 2012 - Surprisingly good, and quite enjoyable after an initial funk blew off.
December 25, 2007 - A bit oxidized, but enjoyable. Wasn't sure what to expect, as this was a major leaker, but a few of us liked it. Will be interesting to see if the non leaking bottle performs better/differently.