20 Mature Magnums (mostly Bdx, w/ Unico, Vogue Musigny, Marthas): From magnum, tasted double blind. No detailed notes taken. I was so consumed by the incredible Vogue Musigny 1952 in the next glass, that I didn’t give this enough attention. But part of the reason for that is that this paled in comparison. While it had a beautiful sweet fruit core, there was not much more. A bit of tertiary notes and herbs but overall a bit unimpressive vs the competition. Still, definitely an ok to good wine without fault.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Magnum Rarities Tasting in Zurich (Zunfthaus zur Waag, Zurich): From Magnum and tasted blind. A limited aroma palette, but what was there was precise and intense: Tobacco, leather and concentrated fruit of cassis and brambleberry. A juicy, fruit -forward palate with tangible, slightly mouthcoating tannin. Incredibly youthful and I would have guessed 80ies. We later on also had the 1982 and this was clearly superior.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
English Bottled by Hankey Bannister. I bought two bottles at Strakers in about 2017 for not very much, the other was low-mid shoulder and drinkable, just, this one a better mid shoulder. Slow oxygenated for 10 hours.
Good colour, faded rim but garnet core. The nose isn’t great, stables, rubber, vestige of fruit. Flavour, resolved claret, cranberry and pomegranate fruit, nice. Much better than the nose would suggest. Drying out quite a bit but holds up well enough in the glass. A pleasant, faded old wine. Glad to have been able to drink this. A wine from a different time
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
English bottled by Hankey Bannister. Tatty label and low-mid shoulder, a cheapish, risky auction purchase. I opened this at noon, cork came out in 2 pieces. Distinctly oxidised nose. Smelt well gone. Six hours later not much change, too old. A taste, maderised but there is some fruit here nonetheless. However not good enough to drink with dinner so I opened something else. At 11 hours after opening, still a strong whiff of oxidation on the nose but there is some fruit. To taste now, this is drinkable and there is some fruit, certainly improved on earlier but a bit dried out and lots of oxidative raisin notes. Tastes better than it smells. This would have been a big wine. I put the rest in some small bottles I had and have put them in the fridge. Will taste again tomorrow but with low expectations. On the second day the oxidised notes had gone altogether. This needed nearly 24 hours of slow oxidation to bring it to peak condition. Not a profound drinking experience but I was able to enjoy the bottle.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bottle with original cork. Still very dark ruby red colour, nose of liquorice, strawberry, cedars, leather - outstanding. Good level of acidity, Tannins exactly where they should be, still so present. Plums, slightly smoky but over all full bodied. I guess it depends on the bottle but this one is a real stunner!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cheval Blanc tasting (30 different vintages) at the Rheingau Gourmet Festival 2014: rubin red color; pomme de granate, bread, herbs; medium body; smooth tannins; well-balanced texture.
Great wine.
Vintages 3rd flight: 1947-1950-1952-1953-1961
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The White Club private tasting and dinner (Basel): Probably the wine, that I enjoyed most to drink this evening, as it was so round and creamy and still rich but not too heavy. Exotic notes of eucalyptus and then the classic mature Bordeaux notes of leather, cigar, cedar wood. Really impressive!!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This showed a brown sugar color with vague hints of red and brick poking through. The longer the wine remained open, the darker the color got. By the end of the lunch, the wine was a completely different shade. As Spock would say, "Fascinating." Incredible scents of licorice, earth, truffles, herbs, soy, kirsch, black cherry, root beer and fresh coffee wafted from the glass in a continuos stream of perfume. In the mouth, your palate was drenched with very concentrated, dense, blackberry, coffee, black fruit and cola notes. The viscous texture with the silky patina of age was a treat I will not forget. The finish, texture and flavor continued opening and improving in the glass during the two hours we spent with the wine. It reminded me of the 21 Cheval Blanc.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Red with clear browning at the rim. Obvious scents of black currants and other red and black berries. There is also an acetone note. Good and solid on the mid palate, medium bodied and drinking really well. Somewhat simple in flavour, at least compared to some of the other wines on this night. Delightful on the medium finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
5/21/2023 - Cailles wrote: 92 Points
20 Mature Magnums (mostly Bdx, w/ Unico, Vogue Musigny, Marthas): From magnum, tasted double blind. No detailed notes taken. I was so consumed by the incredible Vogue Musigny 1952 in the next glass, that I didn’t give this enough attention. But part of the reason for that is that this paled in comparison. While it had a beautiful sweet fruit core, there was not much more. A bit of tertiary notes and herbs but overall a bit unimpressive vs the competition. Still, definitely an ok to good wine without fault.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/6/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 95 Points
Magnum Rarities Tasting in Zurich (Zunfthaus zur Waag, Zurich): From Magnum and tasted blind. A limited aroma palette, but what was there was precise and intense: Tobacco, leather and concentrated fruit of cassis and brambleberry. A juicy, fruit -forward palate with tangible, slightly mouthcoating tannin. Incredibly youthful and I would have guessed 80ies. We later on also had the 1982 and this was clearly superior.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/6/2023 - G_H wrote:
Annual Richter All-Magnum Extravaganza: Dense, overripe nose, dried figs, malt, espresso, slightly oxidative. Not an ideal bottle of this wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2021 - kevin h wrote: 89 Points
English Bottled by Hankey Bannister. I bought two bottles at Strakers in about 2017 for not very much, the other was low-mid shoulder and drinkable, just, this one a better mid shoulder. Slow oxygenated for 10 hours.
Good colour, faded rim but garnet core. The nose isn’t great, stables, rubber, vestige of fruit. Flavour, resolved claret, cranberry and pomegranate fruit, nice. Much better than the nose would suggest. Drying out quite a bit but holds up well enough in the glass. A pleasant, faded old wine. Glad to have been able to drink this. A wine from a different time
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/1/2019 - G_H wrote: flawed
Cheval Blanc Vertical ‘Chez Elke’ (Hotel Hohenzollern, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler): Corked - but the wine behind shows the richness of this wine...
What a shame
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/1/2019 - hartmarco wrote: flawed
Sadly corked bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2019 - nywine68 wrote: 93 Points
An Evening of Vinous Merriment and Majesty Among Friends (Craft, New York): Classic right bank profile with dark fruit but not heavy at all. A more evolved nose compared to the '52 and '53 tasted alongside. Still firmly tannic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2018 - sdr Does not like this wine: 81 Points
Great Wine Seminar. British bottled. Unbelievably dark. Dull.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2017 - kevin h wrote: 89 Points
English bottled by Hankey Bannister. Tatty label and low-mid shoulder, a cheapish, risky auction purchase. I opened this at noon, cork came out in 2 pieces. Distinctly oxidised nose. Smelt well gone. Six hours later not much change, too old. A taste, maderised but there is some fruit here nonetheless. However not good enough to drink with dinner so I opened something else. At 11 hours after opening, still a strong whiff of oxidation on the nose but there is some fruit. To taste now, this is drinkable and there is some fruit, certainly improved on earlier but a bit dried out and lots of oxidative raisin notes. Tastes better than it smells. This would have been a big wine. I put the rest in some small bottles I had and have put them in the fridge. Will taste again tomorrow but with low expectations. On the second day the oxidised notes had gone altogether. This needed nearly 24 hours of slow oxidation to bring it to peak condition. Not a profound drinking experience but I was able to enjoy the bottle.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2017 - bacchus1988 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Bottle with original cork. Still very dark ruby red colour, nose of liquorice, strawberry, cedars, leather - outstanding. Good level of acidity, Tannins exactly where they should be, still so present. Plums, slightly smoky but over all full bodied. I guess it depends on the bottle but this one is a real stunner!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2014 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 97 Points
nearly as great as the 47. for me the best old bx in a flight of 27
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2014 - Fatty Cat wrote: 95 Points
Cheval Blanc tasting (30 different vintages) at the Rheingau Gourmet Festival 2014: rubin red color; pomme de granate, bread, herbs; medium body; smooth tannins; well-balanced texture.
Great wine.
Vintages 3rd flight: 1947-1950-1952-1953-1961
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/18/2013 - -E- wrote: flawed
Night of the titans (Onda Mezzanine, Oslo): Oksydert.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/18/2013 - LWI wrote: flawed
Anti Bag in Box Dinner: Madeira and Balsamico. Powerful wine below.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2012 - G_H Likes this wine: 95 Points
The White Club private tasting and dinner (Basel): Probably the wine, that I enjoyed most to drink this evening, as it was so round and creamy and still rich but not too heavy. Exotic notes of eucalyptus and then the classic mature Bordeaux notes of leather, cigar, cedar wood. Really impressive!!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/6/2008 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
This showed a brown sugar color with vague hints of red and brick poking through. The longer the wine remained open, the darker the color got. By the end of the lunch, the wine was a completely different shade. As Spock would say, "Fascinating." Incredible scents of licorice, earth, truffles, herbs, soy, kirsch, black cherry, root beer and fresh coffee wafted from the glass in a continuos stream of perfume. In the mouth, your palate was drenched with very concentrated, dense, blackberry, coffee, black fruit and cola notes. The viscous texture with the silky patina of age was a treat I will not forget. The finish, texture and flavor continued opening and improving in the glass during the two hours we spent with the wine. It reminded me of the 21 Cheval Blanc.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2006 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
Young, a bit tannic, cedary and alas the last bottle Dr. Bob had. My pick of the flight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2006 - Ben wrote: 92 Points
Nothing like buying old wine direct from the chateau.
I hope the other two are as spectacular.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2005 - Ben wrote:
going to drink it tom. at wine group year end lunch, dinner. i´ll let you know..... if I remember
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/3/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 90 Points
Red with clear browning at the rim. Obvious scents of black currants and other red and black berries. There is also an acetone note. Good and solid on the mid palate, medium bodied and drinking really well. Somewhat simple in flavour, at least compared to some of the other wines on this night. Delightful on the medium finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment