A Syrah night in Kampai (Auckland CBD): 83% Semillon, 15% Sauvignon Blanc, and 2% Muscadelle. Deep gold/brown, honey, dried apricot, rich and succulent, solid acidity, full body, obviously alive and full of vigour. all balanced and very long. It's amazing nearly 70 year old! though I expected a little more density.
RVF 19
Ap 5/5, Ar 13/15, Palate 17/20, Overall 4+5/10 Total 94/100
30x 1955 & 1961 (mostly Bdx): Tasted single blind. Taste-off between the 1955 and 1961 vintages. The 1955 (80 pts) had not much to offer with a disintegrated acidity and wet cardboard smells. The 1961 (90 pts) showed young and well defined but the acidity wasn‘t that well integrated either. Unsurprisingly, both wines couldn‘t keep pace with the Yquems in the same flight.
TN: Faulty wet cardboard smells on the nose and palate which still showing a nice, undefined sweetness but also an unintegrated acidity. In addition, the finish is not existant.
Decanting: Not decanted. Maybe this would have needed a bit of air.
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Grand 1961 vs 1955 vintage tasting (Fribourg): Big 1961 vs 1955 tastings including 10 direct match-ups and 11 individual wines from 1961. The tasting was conducted in flights of 4, single-blind and with no previous decant with all bottles opened 1h prior to start. The line-up was dominated by Bordeaux reds, but also included 5 Sauternes, 1 Champagne, 3 Burgundy reds and 1 Ribera del Duero. The following observations are worth mentioning: i) 1961 generally came across as a better vintage today than 1955, ii) the performance correlated with the 1855 classification, iii) The most outstanding wines were outside of the Bordeaux reds with Veuve Clicquot Rosé '61, Vega Sicilia Unico '61 (both 97) and La Tour Blanche '61 (96) worth mentioning, iv) Top-performing Bordeaux was Margaux (95) in 1961 and Mouton in 1955. List of wines included in the tasting story.
Tasting note: Not really expressive and hard to pin-point the individual flavours. Not as sweet as the '61 next to it. Palate is marked by faulty notes and a brutally short finish. Something clearly went wrong here at one point over the last 66 years.
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No noted taken. Good provenance. Perfect levels, full bottle.
Enjoyed at the Bday bash, with a 'bring an experienced/resurrection possible example bottle' if one wishes, as well.
Deliciouso!
Thick, viscous, yummy, and actually to me Young! I advise, if the same provenance bottle is out there, give her another 6 years, unless you want to give her 12 for fun.
This will tip my handle, but Lovely with flaming hot crunchy Cheetos (as does Everything, especially bubbles and sweeties, and pinot noir).
One of the best sweeties I have had, and Much better than the '61 Siduriat.
92.5 pts.
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I am not a big fan of Gilette and this didn’t real help change my mind. The fruit expression was simple for such a mature Sauternes. Still fresh though.
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Just a delicious smkoey treat - yet the fruit was absolutle intact. Perfect now but probably could last much longer... shared with the whole family at Pajaro. Totally lived up to what I wanted it to be
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Les Degustateurs (Custom House Chicago IL): This was the first of two sauternes to end our evening. Initially it was fantastic but a little bit corse. Unbelievable flaovr and great balance of nose, taste and aftertaste.
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11/4/2023 - evanqian wrote: 94 Points
A Syrah night in Kampai (Auckland CBD): 83% Semillon, 15% Sauvignon Blanc, and 2% Muscadelle. Deep gold/brown, honey, dried apricot, rich and succulent, solid acidity, full body, obviously alive and full of vigour. all balanced and very long. It's amazing nearly 70 year old! though I expected a little more density.
RVF 19
Ap 5/5, Ar 13/15, Palate 17/20, Overall 4+5/10
Total 94/100
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10/17/2021 - Cailles wrote: 80 Points
30x 1955 & 1961 (mostly Bdx): Tasted single blind. Taste-off between the 1955 and 1961 vintages. The 1955 (80 pts) had not much to offer with a disintegrated acidity and wet cardboard smells. The 1961 (90 pts) showed young and well defined but the acidity wasn‘t that well integrated either. Unsurprisingly, both wines couldn‘t keep pace with the Yquems in the same flight.
TN: Faulty wet cardboard smells on the nose and palate which still showing a nice, undefined sweetness but also an unintegrated acidity. In addition, the finish is not existant.
Decanting: Not decanted. Maybe this would have needed a bit of air.
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9/20/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 75 Points
Grand 1961 vs 1955 vintage tasting (Fribourg): Big 1961 vs 1955 tastings including 10 direct match-ups and 11 individual wines from 1961. The tasting was conducted in flights of 4, single-blind and with no previous decant with all bottles opened 1h prior to start. The line-up was dominated by Bordeaux reds, but also included 5 Sauternes, 1 Champagne, 3 Burgundy reds and 1 Ribera del Duero. The following observations are worth mentioning: i) 1961 generally came across as a better vintage today than 1955, ii) the performance correlated with the 1855 classification, iii) The most outstanding wines were outside of the Bordeaux reds with Veuve Clicquot Rosé '61, Vega Sicilia Unico '61 (both 97) and La Tour Blanche '61 (96) worth mentioning, iv) Top-performing Bordeaux was Margaux (95) in 1961 and Mouton in 1955. List of wines included in the tasting story.
Tasting note:
Not really expressive and hard to pin-point the individual flavours. Not as sweet as the '61 next to it. Palate is marked by faulty notes and a brutally short finish. Something clearly went wrong here at one point over the last 66 years.
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10/26/2020 - englishman's claret wrote: 93 Points
A bit simple for 55 Sauternes, but without doubt fresh, lively, bitter orange peel masking the actual age.
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9/6/2018 - wendt wrote:
Excellent
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9/16/2015 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lemon custard, dark straw color, mint.
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4/5/2015 - CarpeVinoDiem Likes this wine: 92 Points
No noted taken.
Good provenance.
Perfect levels, full bottle.
Enjoyed at the Bday bash,
with a 'bring an experienced/resurrection possible example bottle'
if one wishes, as well.
Deliciouso!
Thick, viscous, yummy, and actually to me Young!
I advise, if the same provenance bottle is out there,
give her another 6 years,
unless you want to give her 12 for fun.
This will tip my handle,
but Lovely with flaming hot crunchy Cheetos
(as does Everything, especially bubbles and sweeties, and pinot noir).
One of the best sweeties I have had,
and Much better than the '61 Siduriat.
92.5 pts.
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12/18/2014 - dcwino wrote: 92 Points
Holiday Bordeaux Dinner with Eric - 82, 89 & 90 FGs among others (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): Dry yellow pit fruits and burnt sugar. Excellent concentration and still very sweet. Neither nose nor palate is terribly complex. Very fresh as one expects from Gilette.
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12/18/2014 - Eric wrote:
A great dinner at Capella in DC (Washington DC): Not my favorite. A bit hot and burned. A lot of that comes down to the fact that I don't really love very mature Sauternes.
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5/6/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Chicago Wine Flock...1955s and More from Jamie G (Michael Restaurant - Winnetka IL): Fat, rich and unctuous with some apricot and tropical fruit. Great start, good textures, moderate length. Very pleasurable.
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5/6/2014 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
Retrospective Old and Older Treasured wines 1955 (Restaurant Michael Winnetka IL): Good color, good finish, a bit stringent, delicious finish, honey, apricot and pineapple.
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4/2/2011 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
I am not a big fan of Gilette and this didn’t real help change my mind. The fruit expression was simple for such a mature Sauternes. Still fresh though.
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6/19/2009 - grrrpor wrote: 94 Points
Just a delicious smkoey treat - yet the fruit was absolutle intact. Perfect now but probably could last much longer... shared with the whole family at Pajaro. Totally lived up to what I wanted it to be
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1/28/2009 - jlgnml wrote: 95 Points
Les Degustateurs (Custom House Chicago IL): This was the first of two sauternes to end our evening. Initially it was fantastic but a little bit corse. Unbelievable flaovr and great balance of nose, taste and aftertaste.
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8/6/2005 - buckeye76 wrote: 93 Points
APRICOTS AND PEACHES IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
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