Ifune in NYC (Frankie & Johnnie's Steakhouse, NYC): Honey, quince and tropical notes. Sharp, crisp and a bit lean; a lot of the sugar seems to have melted away as this was only mildly sweet. A nice wine that did get better with air, but I recall having better bottles of this. I liked it, but others liked it more than I did, as I found it a bit severe.
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Golden honey color in the glass. Nose of pineapple, light creme brullee. I found the palate still fresh with layers of honey, light apricot, orange. Being 40 years, it has a very mild hint of earthy age to it, but one that complements the fruit more than anything. Nice acidity, but at a level that matches the citrus composition of the wine. Nothing near the sumptuousness of it's southern sauterne kin, but rather a fruitier, fresher desert wine that rarely fails to disappoint.
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Dinner Chez Sugarman (NYC): This was very pretty to behold as the wine filled the glass, a lovely yellow-gold color. Somewhat tight at first, with air it began to really open up, with aromas of honeycomb, lanolin, wax, quince, pineapple, lemon and peaches. The notes were very fresh and vibrant for a wine of this age, and there was no sign of oxydation. The mouthfeel was slightly waxy, and offered up similar elements in a beautifully layered presentation. The sweetness was evident on the attack, but slowly faded away, almost curtsying aside to let the fruit flavors shine, and the acidity at the back swept in and slowly cleansed your palate. Not too heavy nor too light, this was what I would call a very balanced wine. Everything was in its place, nothing cried out for attention, like an orchestra where all the instruments are working together to form a wonderful crescendo.
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TN: Eric Levine comes to NYC. (Beacon Restaurant): This bottle is showing its age a bit as the sweetness has faded more than other bottles and there's a bit more of an oxidative note to the wine. The usual quince, pineapple and mineral flavors and aromas are there, as is the bitter note I usually find on the finish. The acidity is still vibrant and the wine still provides a nice window into what aged Chenin is about, but I'd start drinking these up. B+.
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New Year's Eve Celebration at Steve & Barb's house. Dark gold upon pouring with a very complex melange of flavor/scent sensations that included honeycomb, beeswax and lanolin. Medium bodied with some sweetness showing on the front of the palate which quickly dissipated into the complexity of the wine. Long finish is rather ethereal, just sort of lingering and then dissipating, never a bit heavy. Certainly a pointe right now and probably the finest showing we've yet had for a bottle of this wine. 50+14+13+9+9 = 95
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Dark gold in color and one of the finest bottles yet from this case. Medium bodied with flavors of figs, candied citrus and orange blossoms. Very fleshy. Clearly showing secondary and maybe tertiary characteristics at this point in time. A luscious sweetness to it, in fact sweeter than previous bottles have shown. Long finish. A wonderful example of aged wine. 50+13+13+8.5+8.5 = 93
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Party at Jay's. (Jay's): This one we had at Jay's place with the '24 Huet and this bottle isn't showing as well as usual. It was a little less sweet than most other bottles and is showing its age more. There's some burnt sugar, apricot, mineral and pineapple with a touch of bitterness on the finish. Solid B+.
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Friends and vino at Applewood. (Applewood): Thanks to a closeout sale on this stuff that I bought heavily into and got a bunch of friends to join in on me, I've probably had this wine at least 14 times in the last two years and five times so far this year. It typically shows in the Solid B+ to Solid A- range depending on the bottle and this showing was a good one. Its sweetness is not what it was, though there's still enough to go around. This bottle shows quite a bit of marzipan with a hit of quince, mineral and shoe polish. It's also showing a tad younger and tighter than some recent bottles, though it's time to start drinking these up as I don't see any improvement potential. No real rush, though. A-.
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Six '89 Vietti with Luca Currado (Il Corso): I threw this in as I wanted something sweet. Should’ve opened it up in the day so it would’ve had a chance to fill in. Showed better on the nose than on the palate, where it remained fairly inexpressive. The usual, bergamot, orange citrus, apricot and some mineral, but I’ve had better bottles. B+, though most showings are in the A- range.
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Dinner at home with Lil & Lori. Amber in color, this was a wonderful match with Dena's shrimp dish that contained capers and feta cheese. Fully developed and medium bodied this wine showed notes of candle wax and forest floor along with a nice spiciness and florality. Medium length on the finish. A very refined wine. 50+13+12+8+8 = 91
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Deep amber color. Quite viscous. Nose likely compromised by an elderly cork. Still very nice on the palate, exhibiting lovely honeyed appricots, peaches, pear. [13% abv.; $70.00].
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Children's Hospital Charity Dinner at Acme. A little something extra I brought along for our table to enjoy after dinner. Dark gold in the glass after the cork was pushed down into the bottle by the waiter. Luckily the cork was not an indication of the wine. This opened beautifully in the glass with waxy citrus notes and a long finish. Still nicely structured with many more years of good drinking for well stored bottles. Shows more rounded than overtly sweet at this stage. Even with no food pairing and out of lousy stemware this showed verywell. 50+12+13+8.5+8.5 = 92
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Dinner at Steve & Barb's house. Lots of concern about opening this bottle given the bad cork and oxidized wine that greeted us last time around on this one but nothing to worry about here. Medium to dark gold in the glass, and in Steve's fancy new decanter contraption. A complex and earthy nose greets us and is really breathtaking. Medium bodied with very good acidity on the palate, there are notions of quince and mirabelles and a slight feeling of the fruit floating gently above the tongue, a sensation only the world's finest aged white wines are capable of producing. Viscous and lightly sweet, much less sweet than all the young Baumard QdC I've had. The finish persists for quite a while. A big thumbs up from everyone around the table and the evening is off to a wonderful start. I would say that pristine bottles have many years of quality drinking yet to come. 50+13+13+9+9 = 94
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Older and interesting wines with the Meat Fairy at Châteauneuf-du-Joe. (Dougherty's.): Hadn't tried this wine in about six years, but recently found some at a steal and stocked up. Glad I did as this wine is still terrific, though was a bit outclassed by the Huet that followed. Solid gold in color with typical Chenin aromas of yellow fruts, light earl grey tea and a touch of shoe polish. On the palate this bottle seems to actually show a little more youthfully, yet less sweet and thick as the last bottle I had. The acidity is a bit more apparent, the wine a touch more focused and the fruit a younger quince with light earl grey notes. What becomes apparent when tasting side by side with the Huet, and this seems to be a rule to me, is that Quarts de Chaume doesn't show its minerality as much as Vouvray does. Not a knock, just an observation. Good stuff that belies its 36 year old age and it improved even more with air. Solid A-.
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Dinner at Steve & Barb's house. Cork soaked through and this told the story. Sadly this was very flat on the palate and really not what it should be. Dumped in the sink. Not rated.
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Tasted April 1, 2007 at an offline. Opened and decanted right before serving (I believe). Dark gold color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of honey, apricots and a bit of diesel that blew off pretty quickly. Flavors of apricots with some lychee notes. Slightly racy acidity, light to medium body. Drink now.
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Tasted April 22, 2006 at LilacWine’s house in Fredericksburg, TX. Opened and served immediately in a Spigelau Authentis Magnum glass. Dark yellow color in the glass with almost amber shades, still fairly clear. First hit on the nose is diesel followed by some orange then some dried apricot and then some pear notes. Flavors of orange, some mineral and some dried yellow fruits. Quite interesting but I have to say it could have shown better. I’d drink now if not already. No value recommendation considering current pricing.
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5/22/2021 - Fat1Wombat wrote: flawed
Unfortunately corked.
Disappointing given that we popped it for a 50th.
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12/13/2017 - logos Likes this wine: 76 Points
medium amber. clear, botrtisy, attracive, delicately flowery, slightly baked appley nose. delicious,slightly drying, bit bitter flavour with honeyed somewhat reserved but elegant character. smoky-tinged agreeable finish.
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12/16/2015 - mdefreitas wrote: 90 Points
Ifune in NYC (Frankie & Johnnie's Steakhouse, NYC): Honey, quince and tropical notes. Sharp, crisp and a bit lean; a lot of the sugar seems to have melted away as this was only mildly sweet. A nice wine that did get better with air, but I recall having better bottles of this. I liked it, but others liked it more than I did, as I found it a bit severe.
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5/14/2013 - EMichels wrote: flawed
Mildly corked
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6/2/2012 - DonWinspear wrote: 91 Points
Golden honey color in the glass. Nose of pineapple, light creme brullee. I found the palate still fresh with layers of honey, light apricot, orange. Being 40 years, it has a very mild hint of earthy age to it, but one that complements the fruit more than anything. Nice acidity, but at a level that matches the citrus composition of the wine. Nothing near the sumptuousness of it's southern sauterne kin, but rather a fruitier, fresher desert wine that rarely fails to disappoint.
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3/14/2012 - Vinotas wrote:
Dinner Chez Sugarman (NYC): This was very pretty to behold as the wine filled the glass, a lovely yellow-gold color. Somewhat tight at first, with air it began to really open up, with aromas of honeycomb, lanolin, wax, quince, pineapple, lemon and peaches. The notes were very fresh and vibrant for a wine of this age, and there was no sign of oxydation. The mouthfeel was slightly waxy, and offered up similar elements in a beautifully layered presentation. The sweetness was evident on the attack, but slowly faded away, almost curtsying aside to let the fruit flavors shine, and the acidity at the back swept in and slowly cleansed your palate. Not too heavy nor too light, this was what I would call a very balanced wine. Everything was in its place, nothing cried out for attention, like an orchestra where all the instruments are working together to form a wonderful crescendo.
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12/28/2011 - BradKNYC wrote:
TN: Eric Levine comes to NYC. (Beacon Restaurant): This bottle is showing its age a bit as the sweetness has faded more than other bottles and there's a bit more of an oxidative note to the wine. The usual quince, pineapple and mineral flavors and aromas are there, as is the bitter note I usually find on the finish. The acidity is still vibrant and the wine still provides a nice window into what aged Chenin is about, but I'd start drinking these up. B+.
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12/31/2010 - JeffGMorris wrote: 95 Points
New Year's Eve Celebration at Steve & Barb's house. Dark gold upon pouring with a very complex melange of flavor/scent sensations that included honeycomb, beeswax and lanolin. Medium bodied with some sweetness showing on the front of the palate which quickly dissipated into the complexity of the wine. Long finish is rather ethereal, just sort of lingering and then dissipating, never a bit heavy. Certainly a pointe right now and probably the finest showing we've yet had for a bottle of this wine. 50+14+13+9+9 = 95
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3/28/2010 - JeffGMorris wrote: 93 Points
Dark gold in color and one of the finest bottles yet from this case. Medium bodied with flavors of figs, candied citrus and orange blossoms. Very fleshy. Clearly showing secondary and maybe tertiary characteristics at this point in time. A luscious sweetness to it, in fact sweeter than previous bottles have shown. Long finish. A wonderful example of aged wine. 50+13+13+8.5+8.5 = 93
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5/16/2009 - BradKNYC wrote:
Party at Jay's. (Jay's): This one we had at Jay's place with the '24 Huet and this bottle isn't showing as well as usual. It was a little less sweet than most other bottles and is showing its age more. There's some burnt sugar, apricot, mineral and pineapple with a touch of bitterness on the finish. Solid B+.
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5/6/2009 - BradKNYC wrote:
Friends and vino at Applewood. (Applewood): Thanks to a closeout sale on this stuff that I bought heavily into and got a bunch of friends to join in on me, I've probably had this wine at least 14 times in the last two years and five times so far this year. It typically shows in the Solid B+ to Solid A- range depending on the bottle and this showing was a good one. Its sweetness is not what it was, though there's still enough to go around. This bottle shows quite a bit of marzipan with a hit of quince, mineral and shoe polish. It's also showing a tad younger and tighter than some recent bottles, though it's time to start drinking these up as I don't see any improvement potential. No real rush, though. A-.
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3/8/2009 - BradKNYC wrote:
Six '89 Vietti with Luca Currado (Il Corso): I threw this in as I wanted something sweet. Should’ve opened it up in the day so it would’ve had a chance to fill in. Showed better on the nose than on the palate, where it remained fairly inexpressive. The usual, bergamot, orange citrus, apricot and some mineral, but I’ve had better bottles. B+, though most showings are in the A- range.
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1/18/2009 - JeffGMorris wrote: 91 Points
Dinner at home with Lil & Lori. Amber in color, this was a wonderful match with Dena's shrimp dish that contained capers and feta cheese. Fully developed and medium bodied this wine showed notes of candle wax and forest floor along with a nice spiciness and florality. Medium length on the finish. A very refined wine. 50+13+12+8+8 = 91
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12/26/2008 - Bacchant wrote: 90 Points
Deep amber color. Quite viscous. Nose likely compromised by an elderly cork. Still very nice on the palate, exhibiting lovely honeyed appricots, peaches, pear. [13% abv.; $70.00].
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9/12/2008 - JeffGMorris wrote: 92 Points
Children's Hospital Charity Dinner at Acme. A little something extra I brought along for our table to enjoy after dinner. Dark gold in the glass after the cork was pushed down into the bottle by the waiter. Luckily the cork was not an indication of the wine. This opened beautifully in the glass with waxy citrus notes and a long finish. Still nicely structured with many more years of good drinking for well stored bottles. Shows more rounded than overtly sweet at this stage. Even with no food pairing and out of lousy stemware this showed verywell. 50+12+13+8.5+8.5 = 92
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11/4/2007 - win wrote: 92 Points
At Half Moon Bay with friends at the Ritz Carlton. Minimal notes.
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9/15/2007 - JeffGMorris wrote: 94 Points
Dinner at Steve & Barb's house. Lots of concern about opening this bottle given the bad cork and oxidized wine that greeted us last time around on this one but nothing to worry about here. Medium to dark gold in the glass, and in Steve's fancy new decanter contraption. A complex and earthy nose greets us and is really breathtaking. Medium bodied with very good acidity on the palate, there are notions of quince and mirabelles and a slight feeling of the fruit floating gently above the tongue, a sensation only the world's finest aged white wines are capable of producing. Viscous and lightly sweet, much less sweet than all the young Baumard QdC I've had. The finish persists for quite a while. A big thumbs up from everyone around the table and the evening is off to a wonderful start. I would say that pristine bottles have many years of quality drinking yet to come. 50+13+13+9+9 = 94
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9/8/2007 - BradKNYC wrote:
Older and interesting wines with the Meat Fairy at Châteauneuf-du-Joe. (Dougherty's.): Hadn't tried this wine in about six years, but recently found some at a steal and stocked up. Glad I did as this wine is still terrific, though was a bit outclassed by the Huet that followed. Solid gold in color with typical Chenin aromas of yellow fruts, light earl grey tea and a touch of shoe polish. On the palate this bottle seems to actually show a little more youthfully, yet less sweet and thick as the last bottle I had. The acidity is a bit more apparent, the wine a touch more focused and the fruit a younger quince with light earl grey notes. What becomes apparent when tasting side by side with the Huet, and this seems to be a rule to me, is that Quarts de Chaume doesn't show its minerality as much as Vouvray does. Not a knock, just an observation. Good stuff that belies its 36 year old age and it improved even more with air. Solid A-.
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6/2/2007 - JeffGMorris wrote: flawed
Dinner at Steve & Barb's house. Cork soaked through and this told the story. Sadly this was very flat on the palate and really not what it should be. Dumped in the sink. Not rated.
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4/1/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points
DAWGS Offline with Randy Sloan of Match Vineyards (Nick & Sam's, Dallas, Texas): WIML90, WA90,WS94
Tasted April 1, 2007 at an offline. Opened and decanted right before serving (I believe). Dark gold color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of honey, apricots and a bit of diesel that blew off pretty quickly. Flavors of apricots with some lychee notes. Slightly racy acidity, light to medium body. Drink now.
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4/22/2006 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points
Central Texas Offline in Fredericksburg, TX (LilacWine's house in Fredericksburg, TX): WIML90,WA90,WS94
Tasted April 22, 2006 at LilacWine’s house in Fredericksburg, TX. Opened and served immediately in a Spigelau Authentis Magnum glass. Dark yellow color in the glass with almost amber shades, still fairly clear. First hit on the nose is diesel followed by some orange then some dried apricot and then some pear notes. Flavors of orange, some mineral and some dried yellow fruits. Quite interesting but I have to say it could have shown better. I’d drink now if not already. No value recommendation considering current pricing.
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