Fathers 60th Birthday

Tasted Sunday, August 31, 2014 - Monday, September 1, 2014 by Lilja with 797 views

Flight 1 - Aperitifes (1 Note)

  • 1989 Hugel Tokay Pinot Gris Sélection de Grains Nobles Flawed

    France, Alsace

    (8/31/2014)

    I suspect this was just very slightly corked, therefor I won't rate. However the wine is this still very pleasing. Nose is full of caramel, butterscotch, flowers, honey, jasmine, raisins and botrytis. Intensely sweet, with good acidity and a slight warm finish. Very long in the mouth. But it feels just a tad bit off, there's a chlorine component in the nose and the palate is not as full as I would have expected.

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Flight 2 - Champagnes (3 Notes)

  • 2000 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut 91 Points

    France, Champagne

    (8/31/2014)

    Interesting nose with the expected yeasty, bread aromas as well as some oak and minerals. Given a few more minutes and sniffs there is something else reminding me of steak tartare and lots of herbs. High tart acidity, good intensity and great length. Immaculate champagne!

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  • 1990 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut La Grande Dame 94 Points

    France, Champagne

    (8/31/2014)

    Mature nose, not far from a white burgundy. Lemon, canary melon, biscuits, liver and sunflower seeds. But the real treat comes on the palate. Incredibly round, creamy and fruity. Good acidity and on the long, long finish there is a slight sea salty salinity.

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  • 1981 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut Flawed

    France, Champagne

    (8/31/2014)

    Unfortunately this had been stored improperly at room temperature for at least a decade. As we knew about this the expectations weren't great. Turned out to be less damaged than we had feared. The nose has a slight touch of madeira, dried fruit and dust. But there is nice buttery biscuits and stable hay. In the mouth the wine feels a lot more oxidized. Dried out fruit, a decent length and round acidity. This is a flawed wine, but we had not problem emptying the bottle.

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Flight 3 - Whites (4 Notes)

  • 2001 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

    (8/31/2014)

    Had some unfair competition, but some of the guests really enjoyed the clean freshness of this wine. Lots of minerality, crushed stones, wet gravel and plaster. But there is also some mature notes of ripe apples, honey and rubber. High acidity, medium+ body but with good, mouth filling fruit. Really good intensity and great length. Would have been a few points more for me with a bit higher complexity on the nose.

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  • 1997 Maison Leroy Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 90 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru

    (8/31/2014)

    Quite mature, at least aroma wise. Nose is full of nuts, almond & hazelnuts. Oak, hay, liver and fish soup. Full bodied, but high acidity with a hint of tartness and bitterness. Slightly dissapointed. Not bad per see, but did not excite me.

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  • 1990 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet 97 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

    (8/31/2014)

    This is a real stunner! Intensely layered nose of butter, apple, mineral, nuts, and honey. But the taste is breathtaking! By far the highest intensity I've encountered in a white wine, but still managing to be elegant and fresh. Long, long, loooong finish and a balance that turns all the other wines in the flight into mediocrity!

    Even for it's age the acidity is still not without tartness and I wouldn't hesitate to save this for another 5-7 years (I so wish there was another bottle to save!)

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  • 1979 Lur-Saluces "Y" 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur

    (8/31/2014)

    This is a weird experience! Precisely the nose of a mature Sauternes. Honey, saffron, hints of camphor and lots of dried fruit. Yellow raisins and figs. But this is a dry wine, and very dry it is. High, clear tart acidity, full bodied with good fruit and distinct alcoholic warmth on the finish. Fully vital, but the drying fruit suggest a sooner rather than later drinking window.

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Flight 4 - Reds part 1 (4 Notes)

  • 1954 Arthur Barolet et Fils Chambolle-Musigny

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny

    (8/31/2014)

    Not surprisingly this is a very mature wine. Nose is dominated by leather, tobacco, spices and herbs. There is some fruit in the form of dried cranberries and wolfberries. On the palate the wine is alive, but not really walking upright any more. Mostly acidity, some fruit and a bitter finish. Not bad for a 60-year old wine though!

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  • 1972 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares Averys bottling

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

    (8/31/2014)

    Another old wine, another mature nose. The familiar leather, tobacco and prunes goes hand in hand with boiled vegetables. But there is also some funky earthy aromas as well as sour cherries. Good, almost sweet fruit on the palate, distinct acidity and dryness. Warm finish. There is still life here!

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  • 1976 Bertrand J. Denoune Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet

    (8/31/2014)

    Leather, tobacco, mushrooms and a slight funky stable note. Mature, but not without a nice spicy pinot fruitiness. Good fruit on the palate, high acidity and good length. This is nothing extraordinary, but very vital for it's age and a tasty wine.

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  • 1978 Domaine Chanson Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Fèves

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru

    (9/1/2014)

    Slightly roasted, earth, green bell pepper, wet puddle. Very much aged. The aromas dies off quite fast and this is a wine that might have peaked quite a while ago. But the palate is somewhat more alive. High acidity, no tannins to speak of and a decent fruit. Maybe I dismissed it as over the top too quickly, and as I have another bottle I will try it again in the near future.

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Flight 5 - Reds part 2 (3 Notes)

  • 1982 Le Savour Club Chapelle-Chambertin 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru

    (9/1/2014)

    A splendid wine! Earth, mushrooms, cherries, cranberries and roasted aromas of coffee and dark, but elegant chocolate.
    Really supple, tasty fruit on the palate. With a high but round and smooth acidity. Good length. This is the perfect definition of savoriness!

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  • 1993 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux 95 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

    (9/1/2014)

    Unfathomable how young and vibrant this is. I've had recent vintages from good burgundy producers with less life in them. Nose is deeply saturated and full. Light spiciness, black cherries, lots of herbs with coriander at the front. Earth, dirt, wet autumn leaves and some buttery oak aromas.
    Incredible intensity and packed fruit, high acidity with distinct structure and tannins. Good balance, but will get even better.

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  • 1990 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant 96 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru

    (9/1/2014)

    More oak and funky horse than the Echezeaux '93, but otherwise fairly similar. Big, intense young nose, full of pinot spices, pepper, sage, thai basil and some green notes of cut grass and lots of red, dark berries. unripe blackberries, cranberries and those small wild black cherries you find in the woods. High intensity. This is still young, but with supple fruit on the palate. High acidity, distinct tannins and an incredible length.

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Flight 6 - Sweets (3 Notes)

  • 1981 Château d'Yquem 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    (9/1/2014)

    Big, intense nose. Saffron, honey, botrytis, brown sugar, orange zest, raisins and dried apricots. Full bodied, concentration through the roof, superb balance and long never ending finish. Brilliant wine, but I've had other Sauternes that was just as good, and the two other wines in the sweet flight made a very similar impression (Gilette '70 & Suduiraut '76).

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  • 1970 Château Gilette Crème de Tête 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    (9/1/2014)

    Absolutely as good as d'Yquem '81 if not even better. Fresh elegant nose, full of honey, saffron, dried fruit, but with slightly more burned notes. There is also a very nice perfumed, flowery touch. Sweet, with great fresh acidity and a fantastic length. Slightly warm on the finish. Just proves to me again that Sauternes in general are under estimated, under priced and world class wines.

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  • 1976 Château Suduiraut 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    (9/1/2014)

    Of the 3 sauternes of the evening this is the that felt the oldest and most mature. Nose is big with lots of spices, white pepper, band aid, saffron, dried apricots and big raisins and a slight touch of burned rubber. High sweetness, but with good acidity and good length. The fruit seems slightly dry in the mouth, and a bit weak on the mid palate.

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