Birthday wines

I got together with some (non-wine) friends, and brought a few wines for the occasion:

• 1995 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 95 Points

  France, Champagne

  I really like this Champagne and this bottle was no exception. Pale straw colour, very fine mousse and a fresh nose of butter biscuits, lemon zest and chalk. Gripping acidity and tongue coating midpalate with very fine fruit (honeydew melon, green apples) and a long, dry finish. Excellent, and will be better IMO in 5-10 years.

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• 2000 Mont du Toit 88 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Wellington

  This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah. Aged almost 2 years in small oak barrels. Deep opaque crimson-purple, thick tears. On the nose it's very fruit forward, with red currants, raspberry and even a touch of fresh tomatoe. Ample on the palate, very good fruit and acidity but not a lot of complexity, soft tannins and medium length. I'm wondering how this will evolve - a little too fruit-forward for me at the moment.

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• 1998 Roc de Cambes 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Côtes de Bourg

  Double decanted and consumed 2 hours later. Dark ruby, with sweet blackberry and plum notes on the notes, overlayed with a touch of bacon and cloves. On the palate it is very smooth, quite Merlot dominated and with very very fine tannins. Medium finish. Though a very enjoyable wine, this bottle was not as strcutured as the previous one I had - no decanting next time.

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• 1989 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  This bottle was better than the one I brought to the Gary Margol offline (or perhaps it's just the Screagle, Harlan and HSS that made that bottle look bad). Decanted for 90 minutes, put back in the bottle and consumed 2 hours later. Oodles of ripe dark fruit, coffee, tobacco and a touch or thyme on the nose. On the palate it is powerful yet elegant, with gripping dry tannins, savoury notes intermingled with prunes, black cherries and blackcurrants. Long finish. Excellent.

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• 1968 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 89 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  My second of two bottles that I purchased a couple of years ago. Recorked under suprvision at tenuta Greppo in 1995. I followed the instructions of the producer, and opened the bottle 8 hours in advance, without decanting it. I double-decanted for sediment just before going to the restaurant. Bright garnet-orange and translucent, with some thinning at the rims. Fantastic nose of roses, bacon, tar, ripe apricots, plums and quince. The acidity is enormous, with mature fruit and tea-like notes, fine powdery tannins and a long sweet finish. This bottle was much better than the one consumed about 18 months ago.

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• 1998 Dönnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese 88 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  A very smooth, pleasing wine with medium lemony acidity, nice fruit (not very sweet for a Spatelese) and a lingering finish. Not much secondary character nor complexity, but a bottle that's guaranteed to be finished (and it was).

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I was a bit worried at first that my friends, unaccustomed to the offline pace that I am, will not finish the wines - they were slow at first but caught up quickly. There were no leftovers, and we didn't have a spit bucket... WOTN for everyone was the 1989 Pichon, with the 1995 Comtes de Champagne getting enthusiastic remarks as well.