Tight bouquet with some smoke. On the palate a fresh start, minerals, firm tart lemon and lime, ripe fruits and some yeast. Beautiful and focused bubble which shows character. 90 – 91.

Somewhat sweet bouquet with honey, fennel, celery and very ripe yellow tropical fruits. On the palate honey, apricots, mango, grapefruit, candy, a and a slight touch of petrol. Beautiful balance between sweetness and acidity. Some bitterness in the finish. A beautifully mature and elegant wine.

Rust, iodine and wet wood in the bouquet. On the palate just a slightly sweet start with ripe red fruits. The wine is very mature, bus still drinkable. I did not score it.

Very mature bouquet with tea, coffee, butterscotch and caramel. On the palate mocha and some sweet impressions. Even some red fruits. A lot of oak and vanilla. In fact very mature, but still very drinkable. I did not score the wine.

The bouquet is rustic with tea, figs and chocolate. On the palate a sweet start with rose hips, good acidity and even still some bite. A still juicy and pleasurable wine. I don´t like to score wines of this age, because they have probably been better and then it doesn´t seem fair. But in this case the wine is still so drinkable that a score of 92 (which includes some respect for the age) seems just.

Mature bouquet with red fruits, chocolate and some toast. On the palate red fruits, butterscotch, chocolate and a firm amount of acidity. Juicy and still a good length. My score of 90 includes some respect for the age.

Mature bouquet with chocolate, coffee, caramel and camel (yes… camel ;-)) On the palate chocolate, mocha, coffee candy, firm acidity and tannin that still has a bite. Some bitterness and sweetness in the long finish. Impressive for a wine of this age. The score of 91 includes respect for the age.

Smoke, tobacco and chocolate in the bouquet. On the palate very mature, rust, rose hips, chocolate and high acidity. Too old but still drinkable. No score.

Smoke, tobacco, cinnamon and other sweet spices in the bouquet. On the palate still some red fruit (acidity), caramel, cinnamon and coffee. Very mature, but still an enjoyable wine. Certainly considering the vintage a nice surprise. No score.

In the bouquet smoke, chocolate and figs. On the palate coffee, figs, dates and an overload of acidity. Still drinkable, but much too old. No score.

Beautiful bouquet with barnyard, coffee, chocolate cinnamon and fennel. On the palate still juicy red fruits acidity, fennel and cinnamon. Still lively and pleasurable. In fact most tasters thought this wine is too old (and in fact it is), I could still discover some pleasurable aspects. Nevertheless no score.

Beautiful bouquet with smoke, exclusive oak, cinnamon and pleasant barnyard. On the palate a juicy wine with melted tannin with still a (very) little bite, juicy acidity and some cinnamon. Most of the tasters, including the person who brought the bottle, thought the wine was too old. And in fact the wine definitely has been better, but imho this is a grand old lady now which is still remarkably beautiful. I will not score it. The text should be enough.

Beautiful bouquet with smoke, sweet spices and vanilla. On the palate a sweet start followed by a lot of red fruit acidity, and imho too much acidity. I did not score the wine.

Beautiful bouquet with iodine, cinnamon and some pleasant barnyard. On the palate red fruits, cinnamon and other sweet spices, licorice, beautiful acidity and good tannin which is soft and still has a pleasant bite. Great wine and this is a perfect bottle; beautifully mature and it will probably stay on this level for some years.

Smoky bouquet with cedar, red forest fruits and sweet spices. On the palate a mature wine with still beautiful red fruits, some chocolate, bell pepper, elegant acidity, a pleasant bit of sweetness and beautifully mild tannin. Still a beautiful, aristocratic and feminine wine. Drink now or soon.

Rustic bouquet with dark and red forest fruits. A pleasant touch of barnyard as well. On the palate ripe dark forest fruits and rustic as well. The tannin still has a firm bite. Straight forward wine, but certainly very good. Can probably last until 2020+.

Dark orange brown color. In the bouquet a mature wine with tangerine, orange, honey, caramel and almonds. On the palate the tangerine and caramel dominate. Apricots and minerals as well. Beautiful balance between sweetness and acidity. A nice and mature Yquem with good complexity. Will probably be still interesting a decade from now, but will definitely not improve anymore. (Based upon the bottle we had tonight)

In the bouquet orange peel, polishing wax, butter candy and caramel. On the palate a lot of sweetness, sugar, apricots, also good acidity and bitterness. Less complex than d’Yquem 1966 although I scored the wines the same (Both wines were completely blind tasted).

Beautiful bouquet with apricots and orange peel. Same on the palate. Beautiful acidity, sweetness and bitterness. Beautiful wine and not tired at all. Still a good future.

Beautiful white and yellow tropical fruits in the bouquet. On the palate a nice play between the acidity and sweetness. Yellow tropical fruits and some smoky minerals as well as some bitterness. Clean wine. 87 for now.

Beautiful bouquet with tropical fruits, minerals and some petrol. On the palate concentrated with white and yellow fruits, crustacean and some salty impressions. Beautiful wine.

Beautiful bouquet with white and yellow fruits. Same on the palate, good minerals and fresh acidity, a pleasant dose of oak and some ok bitterness in the finish. Overall a very clean and fresh wine with good minerality. Early maturity now.

Beautiful, mature and elegant bouquet. On the palate an enormously concentrated wine with yellow and white fruits, a lot of minerals and a touch of petrol. Very good wine.

Very grapy gewürztraminer bouquet. On the palate a concentrated and very tasty wine with honey and apricots and a lot of sweetness.

Tasted completely blind and my tasting notes supports the extreme drinking window in CT. A very firm and still locked bouquet with red and black berry fruits. On the palate bell pepper, harsh cherries, cassis, red fruits, some dark fruits as well, firm acidity and a lot of sticky tannin. A very classical wine which still needs a lot of time. Most of the tasters did not like the wine and to be honest, I can understand them. The wine is not much fun yet. In 10 years from now (so around 2024) the wine will probably be much more approachable and friendly. Of course I am not sure, but I really hope that between 2024 and 2030+ everything will fall into place and the wine will show elegance and finesse. For the pleasure of today 89 is already a high score, but I hope from 2024 onwards it will be 92 plus.

Lush bouquet with ripe red and black berry fruits and spiciness. On the palate a sweet start with licorice, dark berry fruits, good acidity and still youthful tannin. No more notes unfortunately.

Beautiful bouquet with some sweetness and herbs and spices. On the palate garrigue as well, red berry fruits, good acidity and a firm amount of slightly drying tannin. Still quite youthful, but also complex and beautiful. If I had a bottle I would probably open it between 2018 and 2020. 90+ for today.

Not so many notes. In the bouquet ripe red berry fruits. On the palate a lot of sweetness and garrigue. Beautiful acidity, spicy and powerful tannin and a firm amount of alcohol. Overall a very good wine with still a good future. (2018+) 89 for today.

In the bouquet loads of black and red forest fruits and beautifully sweet garrigue. On the palate the same. A lot of sweetness, beautifully balanced by good acidity and tannin and a pleasant dose of oak. Drank two of my three bottles now and I really should keep the last one to drink in the mid 2020’s or even later.

Not so very many specific (blind) notes. Beautiful ripe fruits and garrigue in the bouquet. On the palate the wine is more developed that Grand Venuer Vielles vignes of the same vintage. Everything is in beautiful harmony. Beautifully ripe fruits, good balance between acidity and sweetness and round tannin. Lush and sexy. A great wine with a good future.

A lot of sweet spices in the bouquet. Same on the palate with a firm amount of sweetness balanced by good acidity and beautifully round tannin. A concentrated beauty, completely ready now and the next few years.

Just a few notes: Beautiful bouquet with cassis and pleasant oak. On the palate Cabernet and some bell pepper and a beautiful classical style of wine. Ready now, but no hurry.

The bouquet is a feast with dark cassis, luxurious oak, cedar, cigar box, smoke and graphite. Same on the palate; beautiful cassis and beautiful toasted oak flavors. Luxury in a glass. It has that 2002 bitterness, but overall this is a real pleasure! Early maturity now and probably still great until well into the 2020's. 94 for an off vintage is a pretty high score, but the wine deserves it.

Hardly any bouquet; not sure if it was pnp. On the palate quite special with spices, medicine, fennel and oak bitterness. Very tasty and special wine. See also my previous tasting notes.

See also previous note. In the bouquet the orange is dominating now. On the palate a full bodied yet elegant wine with apricots, good acidity and bitterness. A beautiful and elegant wine. Still youthful.

Sherry and nutty flavors in the bouquet. On the palate the same, with currants, mocha, coffee and caramel as well. Splendid for a wine of this age! For the pleasure it gives tonight I scored it 92.