Dinner with Finnish company

A small dinner with new and old friends. Starting with oysters and shrimps in sallad juice, followed by steamed fillet of plaice in a white wine sause. Then over to duck breast with mushroom risotto, and then some cheese.

• 1995 Henriot Champagne Brut Millésimé 91 Points

  France, Champagne

  Good mature champagne with lots of nuts, brioche, some caramel and a hint of cream, but still keeping it fresh with good acidity and a nice mousse. Could perhaps wish for a little more energy to the fruit, but overall very nice.

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• 2008 Zoltán Demeter Furmint Tokaji Kakas 93 Points

  Hungary, Tokaji

  This wine is really something special. Less than 500 bottles made. we get a nose of wild flowers - dandelion, lily of the valley, white roses - and fruit dominated by green apples and pear. Also some lamon and orange peel. On the palate rich, almost unctous but with a piercing acidity and minerals by the cartload. Extremly long finish dominated by lemon and chalk.
  
  This wine displays a mixure of opulence and freshness I'm not sure I've encountered before. I'm not sure what to make of it, but it's damn good.

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• 2000 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Riserva Granbussia 93 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  I have been looking forward to this bottle for several years, and now's the time. Mushroom risotto with ducksbreast should give the wine ample opportunity to shine. 60 minute decant. Transparent red, bricking at the edges. The nose is initally a bit subdued, but gradually we get roses, cherry, strawberry, cedar and a hint of tar. Not very intense, but beautifully detailed. On the palate also rather elegant, with obvious signs of maturity: mushrooms, dried roses, etc. Fairly elegant structure, but still quite powerfull tannins, which are perhaps not fully integrated. Medium+ acidity. Good length with lemon, and fading red fruits. Still quite youthfull, probably has a decade or two of life left.
  
  Really good, even excellent under normal circs, but perhaps still a disappointment, if a small one. I was sort of hoping for that extra magic.

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• 2004 Antonin Rodet Corton 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  I had fairly low expectations of this bottle, considering the perhaps not top-tier producer and the vintage, but luckily they where exceeded. The wine is surprisingly dark both in colour and character. Lots of dark fruit, with cherries/kirschwasser and plums. Also some wood and hints of spice. On the palate sturdy structure with an almost whole cluster character (I have no idea if any proportion of the grapes used for this where whole cluster). Also some clay, some green herbal notes and a cool, dark, reserved fruit. Medium acidity, some earthy minerals, medium finish. Feels like it could still use some time in the cellar, as it is now quite powerfull, but borderline monolithic.
  
  Ok, not top-notch Corton, but good QPR (I paid around 30 euros some years ago) and drinking quite nicely with an assortement of cheese.

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