Raffles Hotel 120th Anniversary event

Raffles Hotel Food, Art and Wine Experience - part of their 120th Anniversary celebrations. Went with Elaine, John and Elvine.

This may be a rather unfair comparison between unlike varietals, but these two wines completely overshadowed all the other wines at the tasting, including some stellar names like the 1994 Petrus, 2003 and '04 Cos D'Estournel and a couple of Chapelle d'Ausone.

• 2000 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche 96 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Tâche Grand Cru

  My first glass of the tasting, followed closely by the DRC Romanee St. Vivant 2002. This was not as enchanting as its stablemate, but more subtle, stately and intriguing. A reddish-brown colour - absolutely gorgeous nose. Cranberries and cherries wreathed in layers of alluring Vosne spiciness, and notes of coffee and vanillia. Not as strongly perfumed as the Romanee St. Vivant, but entirely captivating, with so many things going on! The palate was rather more subtle and subdued, but very good. Surprsingly bright at the front of the tongue, with slightly cooked cherry / berry again and a nice burst of acid, then the wine unfolds - layers and layers of flavours quietly but inexorably opening up, with spice, truffles and again, the wonderful use of oak expressing itself in cinamon, coffee and vanilla notes. Nice, fine tannins, with just that little bit of bite to add depth. And finally, a longish finish with a dash of fruit and exotic spice. I agree with the previous taster about that little lack of acid on the mid-palate, and the finish was just a tad bit hollow considering the stately beauty of the wine - but that notwithstanding, this wine was absolutely superb and drinking so well now. It will go a few more years with ease, but I'm not sure that this is one of the longer-living La Taches.

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• 2002 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant 96 Points

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

  Awesome. Lots of exclamation marks in my notes. This was my favourite of the afternoon, beating out an excellent La Tache 2000 and a host of other top wines. A nice subdued reddish hue. The nose was absolutely, absolutely stunning, beating the already superb nose of the La Tache, no easy task. Cooked cherries, meat, all sorts of exotic Vosne Romanee spice - I got five spice, cinamon, pepper and more. The oak was less pronounced than on the La Tache, but there were still small notes of coffee and vanilla. A deep breath before taking a sip, and the palate just explodes in your mouth and goes on and on and on. It was absolutely stunning with layers and layers of fruits and spice, pepper, cherries, berries, almost too much to describe. This is certainly not the most defined or subtle wine in the world at the moment, almost, almost bordering on being over-the-top, but a good amount of acid and bite reins it in. The mid-palate was equally favourful and complex, with flavour after flavour bursting like fireworks in the mouth, followed by a succulent finish that just would not stop. Pure seduction. I found the La Tache more refined and integrated at the moment, but could not help enjoying this unashamedly in-your-face beauty more. Good enough structure, with grippy tannins and fresh enough acid suggests that this will do very well in the cellar. This is one that I would love to drink when it hits 15-20 years.

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• 1994 Pétrus 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  A powerful merlot, very good wine, but far from transcendent. Plum and spice on the nose, with very Bordeaux wet leaves and forest floor. Nice enough. Palate was more impressive, with good complexity: Mouthfilling flavours of plum and spice and all sorts of secondary flavours emerging under the cover of firm, velvety tannins and a hint of bitterness. Good finish with a swish of oak. The complexity just lifted this wine from the ranks of many good and competently made but uninteresting wines. I did however feel that it lacked a bit of acid balance, and found this just a bit too big and hulking. I would have appreciated just a little more polish and finesse from a Petrus.

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• 1990 Château Figeac 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Drank from a Jeroboam, double decanted. Very good. Dark ruby colour. Alluring nose, with spice cake, dark cherry, some earth and minerals with nice notes of vanilla. Great balance on the palate, noticeable vanilla flavours with reserved yet absolutely insistent plum and spice flavours filling the mouth and a polished finish with the smallest of vegetal tinges. Powerful but elegant - impeccably made. Enough freshnes and grip to keep this going for a long time yet.

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• 2005 Château Cos d'Estournel 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  So, so good, but oh so young - this was absolutely infanticide. Dark, inky purpe in colour. Lots of dark fruit on the nose, with ripe blueberries and blackberries. The palate was dominated by its huge structure at first - stiff tannins and fresh acid - but a great backdrop of dark fruits that was lurking in the background started coming out with time, mingling with notes of minty eucalytptus, herbs (fennel and thyme?) and nice oaky notes. Very nice, very mouthwatering. There are all sorts of disparate bits now, but it will integrate in time to make a glorious wine. This will be a stunner when its time comes - a wine with superb, superb potential. I think it will do better than the 2003, which is otherwise an accomplished wine in its own right and drinking far better at this point of time.

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• 2003 Château Cos d'Estournel 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Whoops, this was a little closed at the moment. Neverthelss, a very very good, superbly balanced, extremely stately wine. Dark inky purple. Sweetish nose, with vanilla, blackcurrant and slightly leathery edges. Beautiful balance and refinement on the palate with nice acid and big, but very fine tannins. Nice subtle flavours of blackcurrant and herbs. An intellectual wine with just the right amount of everything. It is drinking far better than the 2005 at the moment, but I think the '05 just that bit more complex.

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• 2003 Chapelle d'Ausone 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Tasted alongside the 2002, which I felt was a far better wine. This suffered from the same problem as many of the 2003 right banks - slightly flabby fruit, masked with a high degree of toast in the barriques. The first thing that hits the nose is whiffs of burnt caramel. There are some blueberry notes floating around somewhere, but they a rather overwhelmed. Much the same on the palate, toasty, oaky flavours with some fruit and licorice flavours peaking out. Good-ish finish, fine balance. Firm tannins abound. A pleasant enough wine, but I will not be rushing out to buy any of this at its price.

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• 2002 Chapelle d'Ausone 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Excellent - poised and very, very refined, with a welcoming nose of cherry / berry with elegant minerality and a super smooth palate with slightly darker fruit and chocolate notes. Superb balance and great focus and precision. It is a tad straightforward, and seemed to lack a little on the finish. Otherwise, a very pretty wine that is drinking beautifully now. Tremendously enjoyable.

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• 2000 Château La Fleur-Pétrus 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  A very attractive, pretty wine, with a sweet nose of plums and cherries with nice earthy layers. Sweetish on the palate as well, but powerful and focused with cherry and peppery spice. Well support by a good acid backbone, smooth tannins with a slight bittersweet kick at the end. I agree with a previous TN about a little lack of finesse.

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• 2003 Château La Lagune 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

  Alright wine, but paled in comparison to the other Bordeaux on show.

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• 2006 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Les Jalets 88 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage

  Not bad - rather light and bright for its varietal, with cooked cherry notes mingling with meaty flavours. Good balance.

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• 2004 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Petite Chapelle 90 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  RHAFWE tasting. I enjoyed this wine quite a bit. Straightforward, not too complex, but very nicely balanced and immensely quaffable with a classic meat, minerals and slight sweaty leather nose. Raw meat and mushrooms on the palate with just the slightest flush of fruit. This will be great with a roast beef.

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• 2005 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Gigondas 89 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas

  Raw meat and spice on the nose, with more of the same on the palate, along with a distinct black pepper flavour and an interesting mineral edge. Rather chewy tannins. Straightforward, but certainly a good enough wine at its price. This ought to pair well with a peppery dish or roasted / BBQ meats.

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• 2006 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Cèdres 89 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  I found this just a tad better than the 2005. Still a simple wine, but this had a little more balance and consistency and just a little edge of complexity. Red cherries on the nose, with some meat and garrigue. Slightly plummier on the palate, with more meat flavours and a touch of pepper and mint.

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• 2006 Marchesi de' Frescobaldi Cabernet Sauvignon Castiglioni Toscana IGT 87 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Alright wine, extremely young, very unpretentious. An interesting, herby nose with clear notes of rosemary and oregano. Sweet, herby palate, with strawberry mingling with herbs and a flush of spice. Will probably go well with Italian / Provencal food. It certainly paired nicely with the Stilton in port wine that we had.

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• 2004 Marchesi de' Frescobaldi Chianti Rùfina Riserva Castello di Nipozzano Montesodi 90 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Rùfina

  Pretty good. A dark coloured wine, with a nose reminiscent of cherry flavoured cough syrupy, with notes of black licorice. Slightly cola-ish, cherry-ade on the tongue, developing into ripe strawberry. Still very tannic, mouth-drying, almost distractingly so, but a good wine nonetheless. It seems to lack a little complexity, but I am sure this will be far better with the right food.

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• 2004 Marchesi de' Frescobaldi Castello di Nipozzano Mormoreto Toscana IGT 90 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  A rather modern wine that gives a sense of being very competently made without being outstanding. Cherry, herb and vanilla on the nose, cherry cola wreathed in oak notes on the palate and a nice velvety finish. Smooth, approachable wine with a great sense of balance, just the right amount of acid and tannins - very easy to enjoy this one, but a little more difficult mustering any great excitement about it.

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All in all, an absolutely brilliant tasting. Pity they ran out of wines early - I missed out on the champagne while the rest missed the DRC.