Dinner @ R&Y

Tasted Saturday, June 13, 2009 by SimonG with 616 views

Flight 1 (1 Note)

  • 1916 Château Palmer Flawed

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Label degraded so that it's clearly palmer but the vintage is unknown. Looks old though. Very dark greyey-green bottle. Good level - just about to the bottom of the neck, total ullage from cork about an inch. Capsule quite rusted and cork pushed out ever so slightly. Top part of the cork comes out but the rest crumbles in to fragments. Just about able to make out the vintage from the side of the cork looks to be 1916 - the 19 and 6 are clear and there's a slight flaw in the cork where the 1 for the decade is - becomes decipherable as the cork fragment dries out. The same year is just about discernible, with the eye of faith, on the label - at the bottom though rather than above the chateau as on more recent vintages. Decanted to clean up and tasted straight away. Pale browney garnet, very thin and pale, water-like on the rim and pretty light all the way through. Nose initially dirty, then a moderately rich, caramel, oloroso aroma that pleasant but not claret. Palate heavily oxidised, thin and acidic. Sadly this is DOA. The first sip leaves an unpleasant almost metallic after taste, but actually with some air this moderates somewhat but it's hardly a pleasant drink. Worth a few sips though for the historical interest - a 93 year old bottle made as the Western Front was bogged-down in the Somme.

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Flight 2 (1 Note)

Flight 3 (1 Note)

Flight 4 (3 Notes)

  • 1970 Château Troplong Mondot

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

    Served blind. Mid to deep garnet - looks like a late 80s rather than 1970. Mineral and a slightly green edge to the nose, seems to be a left bank cabernet - when revealed it's clear that the extra age (I thought late 80s) explains the merlot-lushness having faded to nothing, giving the impression of a leaner, left-bank wine. Refreshing, mineral, good acidity, lost most of its flesh but an excellent food wine. Rather overshadowed by the other two reds here, but this is a decent example that has aged well and went nicely with lamb. ***

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  • 1990 Château Talbot

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

    Blind. This is far more exotic and lush than the St Pierre alongside it. Ripeness evident with fruitcake aromas not disimilar to an 82, spice and the occassional touch of vanilla and mint. Initially this confuses me and I wonder whether this might be a new-world ringer before thinking better of it and settling firmly in Pomerol. Doh! Really good and showing well, but possibly a little atypical for th eappelation. This is a little unpredictable, unruly and precocious compared to the well-behaved prim and proper 90 St Pierre. Is is a better wine? No. More fun? Yes! ****

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  • 1990 Château Saint-Pierre

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

    Blind. This has a very clean and elegant nose, clearly cabernet dominated, I'd guess left bank but no idea where. After a lot of wild guessing Ray revealed this as a St Julien - slightly surprised as I didn't get any of the cedarwood aromas I usually associate with St J. This is ready but will hold for years - very elegant and correct, proper wine. Nicely mineral and refreshing with impeccable poise, and a bright finish. Lovely ****1/2

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Flight 5 (1 Note)

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