It had been about two years since I last tasted this wine, and it remained ethereal to my palate. Medium yellow and still showing a brisk, tiny bead, the nose was as mesmerizing as ever. Bread dough, almonds, citrus and cardamom are some of the numerous aromas that would trigger one's olfactory bulb. The palate showed nice acidity yet a creamy mouth texture. The flavors mirrorred the nose and the crisp finish was very long. This is truly a celestial, feminine Champagne which seems to keep getting even better. It is going to last longer than I had originally anticipated. Drink now-12/25.

This wine was kindly provided by our dear friends, Amy and Ken Emery. I forgot that I had tasted this wine nine months earlier. This version (a bit more mature than the bottle tasted 1/14/11) was medium gold and showed a very brisk bead (especially for a 26-year-old Champagne). The nose was very intense, with a aromas of marzipan, walnuts, crème brulée and a touch of sherry. A medium-bodied sparkler on the palate, with crisp acidity and flavors in line with the nose. The middle was solid and the finish went on and on. Fantastic bubbly! Drink now-12/20.

This medium gold-colored wine, provided by Luz and Marshall Banker, was opened and briefly sampled by our purveyor. Since it was felt to be quite reduced, it was decanted and allowed to aerate for 30 minutes or so before serving. I personally saved much of the wine in my glass for later tasting, as it did not give up much when served with its food pairing. Fortunately, time in glass was what this wine needed. Over a two-hour period, the "teasing" was replaced by a moderately intense nose of green apples, wet stones and vanilla cream. Medium-bodied on the palate, with low-to-medium acidity, good minerality and a solid middle. The round finish was medium in length. A touch more acidity and better aromatics would have resulted in a higher score, although the latter may have further emerged had it been given even more time in decanter (or glass). Drink now-12/15.

This '61 (with high shoulder/low neck fill), pristinely cellared (before and after my acquisition), was given to me by an ageing friend in 1994 (when the wine was 33-years-old). This dear friend knew that it was my wife's birth year, and I elected to open other '61s on her 40th. Now, at her young age of 50, we decided to open this bottle and enjoy it with good friends. The crumbly cork was effectively extracted by Ken Johnson (AKA "Dr. Bordeaux") and the wine was gently decanted and served immediately. Our fear about the delicate nature of the wine was quickly dispelled. Indeed, it needed air! The nose was pleasant from the get-go, but developed over 90 minutes to show a beautiful bouquet of dark plum, leather, kirsch, licorice and lavender. Full-bodied and unctuous on the palate, with high acidity and medium residual tannins. The flavors were complex and mirrored the nose. Long, slightly tart finish. This bottle showed very nicely. The nose was exquisite, largely because of the reason why the palate was a bit shy of great...lots of acid. This bottle was very well-preserved because of the acid/tannin structure, which accordingly resulted in a fresh nose. The palate which followed was a bit tough, but pleasant nonetheless. Bravo to Clos Fortet...a right bank wine which (assuming well-cellared) is still youthful at 50! Drink now-12/20.

This bottle was kindly provided by Ken Johnson. The fill was mid-shoulder and the external appearance of the bottle suggested that the liquid inside would be good. Our anticipation was heightened by a very pristine cork which was extracted intact. The wine, deep garnet/amber in color, was gently decanted and served immediately. Our concern about the potential delicate nature of this '61 was unfounded...rather than "dying" in the glass, the nose opened over the first 30 minutes to show a very complex bouquet of grilled meat, bramble fruit, mint, cocoa, saddle leather and earth. Full-bodied on the palate and with medium acidity, it likewise showed medium residual tannins and complex flavors mirroring the nose. The solid middle lead to a medium-to-long finish. Given that this wine is 50-years-old, I will not say that I really liked this WINE...what I will say is that I really liked this BOTTLE. Assuming comparably cellared, drink now-12/16.

This opaque crimson wine, kindly provided by Amy and Ken Emery, was splash-decanted, allowing approximately one hour in decanter, subsequently being serially tasted over the ensuing hour. The nose showed full-throttle aromas of black raspberries, crushed rocks, roasted meat, licorice and tobacco. The palate followed with similar complex flavors, framed by a structure of medium acidity and massive dusty tannins. Despite 15% alcohol, it was well-integrated. The middle palate was solid and the finish very long, albeit a bit astringent. This is a blockbuster Syrah which is still in its infancy. Although it is delicious even now, additional time in bottle will round out some of the rough edges and, for my palate, could vault this wine into perfection status. Drink 1/20-12/40.

This particular port, provided by Ken Johnson, was bottled in 2001 and appeared to be in pristine condition. Medium amber in color, it showed a moderately intense nose of walnuts, maraschino cherries and black tea. Medium-bodied on the palate, with low-to-medium acidity and light residual tannins. The flavors mirrored the nose. The alcohol (20%) was a bit hot, but this could have been mitigated by lowering the serving temperature a few degrees (ideally to 60-65 degrees). The middle palate was solid and the finish medium-length, albeit with a whiff of heat. This port should hold up for many more years. Drink now-12/25.