We were told this was at least 40 years old, which was shocking given its freshness, but it had been well stored for decades. All Chardonnay, clearly showing an under-ripe character, but still fun and pleasurable, just not uniquely exciting for me.
Served to us blind by the sommelier. This was a head scratcher. Petrol intensive with rich apple and pear, we all thought it was Riesling and debated Germany vs Alsace. Slightly floral with faint hints of residual sweetness. We don't actually know the cepage, but we know this was from the early 1970s and probably bought shortly thereafter and perfectly stored since.
From a bottle perfectly stored for prob the past 50 years. All black fruit, shockingly fresh with great intensity. Cigarbox aromas and great spice on both nose and palate. Very long, very nuanced with new flavors unfolding through the hour I was able to keep some in my glass.
From bottle perfectly stored for probably the past 50+ years. Riper vs the Latour 1920, but less harmonious or powerful. Big structure still more front-and-center vs fruit, earth or spice. Moderate length. Still very interesting.
Another perfectly stored bottle. Black fruit with mature and meaty character. Slightly rugged and firm vs the amazing Latour 1920, this showed more power and concentration. Some thought this the Wine of the Night, and while I couldn't agree with that, it was my 2nd favorite Bordeaux in a long night of great wines.
While this was also perfectly stored for decades by the restaurant, I believe we were told it was reconditioned and recorked at some point in its history. Spice and cigarbox are very charming with less fruit than earth. Nicely mature, very nicely balanced. Soft, charming with moderate length.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Another bottle perfectly stored for 50+ years, even if this bottle (close to the last in inventory) had ullage of ~5-6 cm. Black and red cherry throughout with sweet spice, even at this age (especially at this advanced age?) it was unmistakably Vosne-Romanee tonight.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
Another bottle perfectly stored 50+ years. Dense, dark and meaty with background spice. Long and powerful on finish. Kept getting better with more time in glass.
Another bottle perfectly stored for 50+ years. All black fruit with great combination of fruit, spice, and earthy character. Incredibly fresh for its age. An amazing Villages level wine at this age, albeit a Clos just next to Clos Vougeot.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Another bottle perfectly stored for decades. My obvious first question was who the heck was Paul Bouchard? I will have to do some research. The wine, however, was no mystery but just beautiful. More mature than the other 1953s in the flight (!), but great red and black cherry flavors and aromas with complex layers of earthy elements throughout. Well textured, advanced and incredibly elegant. Some thought this the Wine of the Flight, but I couldn't quite agree.
Bottle stored perfectly for decades. Very good overall combination of mushroom and remaining black fruit along with spice hints on nose and palate. Good flavor, just simpler/ faded structural elements mad this some what shorter and simpler than some of the nuanced older wines in this flight.
Another bottle perfectly stored for decades, this showed beautifully in contrast to the flawed 1947. Mature black fruit with spice and tobacco throughout. Very energetic for its age, showing great mouth feel and textures.
Another bottle stored perfectly for decades, this was still incredibly fresh with intense black fruit to start, followed by big spice, but slightly shorter and less nuanced vs the sensational bottle of 1949 served in the next glass.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Romanée Grand Cru
Impossible to fairly assess because we only gave this a quick decant before serving when it needed or deserved hours of air. At first, reticent and reserved with backward black berries and faint spice hints in the background. The wine then proceeded to continuously open and shut over the course of the next couple of hours, titillating us with its potential.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru
Open and decanted close to an hour before serving, could have used more air. Spice start-to-finish with plenty of red berry aromas and flavors. Great balance and textures from the first sip to the end. Stunning aromatics kept expanding with more time in glass.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru
I am certain we would enjoyed this wine far more if served in a different context, particularly alongside the 1991 RSV. This came across as larger scaled and slightly more rugged for DRC, with more prominent structural elements vs organoleptic pleasure.
Pristine, well stored bottle. Starts with enormous power and plenty of black fruit, dark chocolate, intense liqueur, subtle spice. Similar start on palate, moderates somewhat quickly. Very enjoyable overall with great concentration, I did find this a little short of complexity, while others liked this a lot more and thought it close to tonight's WOTN. Perhaps this would have benefited from a couple of hours of air before serving.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru
Small tasting. Ripe, lush stone and orchard fruit aromas and flavors, with moderate length and density for its terroir, but still nicely textured and good overall.
From perfectly stored bottle. More concentrated and intense overall vs the Guiraud 1922 in the next glass. slightly less sweet, more nuanced, greater length.
NV Bollinger Coteaux Champenois Aÿ-Marne
France, Champagne, Coteaux Champenois
We were told this was at least 40 years old, which was shocking given its freshness, but it had been well stored for decades. All Chardonnay, clearly showing an under-ripe character, but still fun and pleasurable, just not uniquely exciting for me.
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NV Constantino Dão Douro Escolha 90 Points
Portugal, Douro
Served to us blind by the sommelier. This was a head scratcher. Petrol intensive with rich apple and pear, we all thought it was Riesling and debated Germany vs Alsace. Slightly floral with faint hints of residual sweetness. We don't actually know the cepage, but we know this was from the early 1970s and probably bought shortly thereafter and perfectly stored since.
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1920 Château Latour Grand Vin 97 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
From a bottle perfectly stored for prob the past 50 years. All black fruit, shockingly fresh with great intensity. Cigarbox aromas and great spice on both nose and palate. Very long, very nuanced with new flavors unfolding through the hour I was able to keep some in my glass.
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1921 Château Margaux 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
From bottle perfectly stored for probably the past 50+ years. Riper vs the Latour 1920, but less harmonious or powerful. Big structure still more front-and-center vs fruit, earth or spice. Moderate length. Still very interesting.
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1929 Château Duhart-Milon 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Another perfectly stored bottle. Black fruit with mature and meaty character. Slightly rugged and firm vs the amazing Latour 1920, this showed more power and concentration. Some thought this the Wine of the Night, and while I couldn't agree with that, it was my 2nd favorite Bordeaux in a long night of great wines.
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1919 Château Lafite Rothschild 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
While this was also perfectly stored for decades by the restaurant, I believe we were told it was reconditioned and recorked at some point in its history. Spice and cigarbox are very charming with less fruit than earth. Nicely mature, very nicely balanced. Soft, charming with moderate length.
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1953 Pierre Ponnelle Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts 95 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Another bottle perfectly stored for 50+ years, even if this bottle (close to the last in inventory) had ullage of ~5-6 cm. Black and red cherry throughout with sweet spice, even at this age (especially at this advanced age?) it was unmistakably Vosne-Romanee tonight.
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1953 Pierre Ponnelle Corton-Clos du Roi 96 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru
Another bottle perfectly stored 50+ years. Dense, dark and meaty with background spice. Long and powerful on finish. Kept getting better with more time in glass.
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1953 Pierre Ponnelle Vougeot Clos du Prieuré 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vougeot
Another bottle perfectly stored for 50+ years. All black fruit with great combination of fruit, spice, and earthy character. Incredibly fresh for its age. An amazing Villages level wine at this age, albeit a Clos just next to Clos Vougeot.
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1953 Paul Bouchard Clos Vougeot 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Another bottle perfectly stored for decades. My obvious first question was who the heck was Paul Bouchard? I will have to do some research. The wine, however, was no mystery but just beautiful. More mature than the other 1953s in the flight (!), but great red and black cherry flavors and aromas with complex layers of earthy elements throughout. Well textured, advanced and incredibly elegant. Some thought this the Wine of the Flight, but I couldn't quite agree.
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1947 Château Pontet-Canet
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Bottle stored perfectly for decades. Very good overall combination of mushroom and remaining black fruit along with spice hints on nose and palate. Good flavor, just simpler/ faded structural elements mad this some what shorter and simpler than some of the nuanced older wines in this flight.
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1947 Château Cos d'Estournel Flawed
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe
Bottle stored perfectly for 50+ years, but this bottle was somewhat dirty and showing some sign of rot and spoilage.
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1949 Château Cos d'Estournel 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe
Another bottle perfectly stored for decades, this showed beautifully in contrast to the flawed 1947. Mature black fruit with spice and tobacco throughout. Very energetic for its age, showing great mouth feel and textures.
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1959 Château Cos d'Estournel 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe
Another bottle stored perfectly for decades, this was still incredibly fresh with intense black fruit to start, followed by big spice, but slightly shorter and less nuanced vs the sensational bottle of 1949 served in the next glass.
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1978 Bouchard Père et Fils La Romanée
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Romanée Grand Cru
Impossible to fairly assess because we only gave this a quick decant before serving when it needed or deserved hours of air. At first, reticent and reserved with backward black berries and faint spice hints in the background. The wine then proceeded to continuously open and shut over the course of the next couple of hours, titillating us with its potential.
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1991 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru
Open and decanted close to an hour before serving, could have used more air. Spice start-to-finish with plenty of red berry aromas and flavors. Great balance and textures from the first sip to the end. Stunning aromatics kept expanding with more time in glass.
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1991 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru
I am certain we would enjoyed this wine far more if served in a different context, particularly alongside the 1991 RSV. This came across as larger scaled and slightly more rugged for DRC, with more prominent structural elements vs organoleptic pleasure.
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1964 Château Lafleur 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Pristine, well stored bottle. Starts with enormous power and plenty of black fruit, dark chocolate, intense liqueur, subtle spice. Similar start on palate, moderates somewhat quickly. Very enjoyable overall with great concentration, I did find this a little short of complexity, while others liked this a lot more and thought it close to tonight's WOTN. Perhaps this would have benefited from a couple of hours of air before serving.
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2011 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Le Montrachet
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru
Small tasting. Ripe, lush stone and orchard fruit aromas and flavors, with moderate length and density for its terroir, but still nicely textured and good overall.
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1922 Château Guiraud 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
From perfectly stored bottle. Moderate intensity, modest sweetness. Dry apricot aromas and flavors, very good depth.
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1939 Château Coutet Barsac 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac
From perfectly stored bottle. More concentrated and intense overall vs the Guiraud 1922 in the next glass. slightly less sweet, more nuanced, greater length.
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1834 Barbeito Madeira Terrantez 95 Points
Portugal, Madeira
A little something with which to finish up the evening. Intense figs, pignoli and caramel with incredible length.
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