96PolWinston, 55Wynns Michael, 64Wynns, 76Grange, 82LLC,more
Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 5:43 pm
NV Ruinart Blanc de Blanc Champagne
Big mousse with dense bubbles. Nose packed with fresh whipped vanilla cream! Palate has not only lovely softness but also beautiful length, and requisite structure. Finishes with plenty of acid (typical of youthful BdB style) that some found too sour. Lovely wine – fresh, delicate, elegant and individualistic.
90/100
1996 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill Champagne
Powerfully complex nose blazing out reams of fresh vanilla, marzipan, lemon meringue and strawberries. Awesome focus and structure on the palate with stunning length, and amazingly approachable. Best Winston I have ever had by a long margin. You’re a fool if you love champagne and don’t buy this great wine. An indisputably great wine now; a legend in 10+ years.
95+/100
1988 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Champagne
Gold colour. Very developed oxidative nose with hints of hazelnuts, sherry and cognac. Palate is antithetical and lovely – strikingly youthful, tight and shy. Excellent length and body. Seemed a little awkward at this stage and may have needed more airtime. Outstanding wine though.
92/100
1989 Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric-Émile Vendage Tardive Riesling
A touch too acidic but with excellent upfront fruit sweetness. Very good length. Have to admit I didn’t pay much attention to this as the following wine was being poured…
89/100
1955 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Hermitage Claret [aka “Michael Shirazâ€Â]
One of the legends of Australian wine, and the 1st Michael Shiraz (the second was released with the 1990 vintage). One 500-gallon vat stood out (about 2,300 litres) and was bottled separately by David Wynn and named after his son. With current prices of $3,000+ (even more exxy than the more famous 1962 Penfolds Bin 60A), I thought it unlikely I would ever get to try this wine. And here it is. The legend. The reason for tonight’s celebration. The level was high shoulder. The cork in one piece (just). The colour surprisingly mid red, with clear bricking. The 1st aromas: VA, acetone. Then after 10 minutes of gentle coaxing in the glass: pomegranate molasses, blackberries. All still austere. After 45 minutes: old leather boots, herbs and spice, with judicious sweet oak (supposedly matured in old fortified wine casks). After one hour: fruit sweetness seeping in lifting the overall profile of this wine to alarming complexity. The palate too is lovely with both old bones and generous fruit, dissipating with trenchant acidity that comes to the fore like sour cherries or red burgundy. Tannins completely resolved. Held for over 4 hours in Mark’s glass. In deference and utmost respect to this wine and its maker, no score. Some wines, like many experiences, transcend such mortal subjectivities and insignificancies. Because this wine, while it sat in my glass for nigh on 2.5 hours, evolved and changed, refusing to yield its last gasp of breath (which never came, despite 52 years of age), provided many wonderful and evocative memories and passing of history that only time (and age) can sadly erase. No number can express the marvel of drinking this wine, such that I want the smell, taste and feel of this wine to live with me in memoriam. Thank you to Mark Stevens for this extreme act of generosity and the chance to drink one of Australia's most famous (and rarest) wines. The exemplification of how wine can enrich one’s life.
NR
1964 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Claret
The backup wine, but given how quickly we were downing bottles, the call came out to open the bottle. Bigger wine and more powerful than the 55 Michael with rampant gobs of nail polish remover. Not as complex, more one dimensional and singular. Initially preferred this wine because of its power (lots of soy and BBQ sauce flavours!), length and less acidic backbone but in the end this wine had nowhere to go. It is what it was. The 55 showed more complexity and character.
92/100
1982 Chateau Léoville-Las Cases (St.-Julien)
Compared to previous bottles, this one was a little below par or simply suffered being squashed in between two great wines. This bottle was more overtly green, vegetable-laden and forward, masking that blackberry/cassis authority it possesses. Make no mistake this was still fine wine, quite youthful but made to look simple when it stood beside the wine that followed. Not the table lifter that other bottles have been unfortunately. Not from my cellar (where they have been stupendous).
92/100
1976 Penfolds Grange Hermitage
A clear step up in intensity, complexity and glory from the LLC. Massive deep red. The nose? Well I knew that this was special when I could smell it being poured in the decanter, from across the table!. Swirling aromas erupt from the bouquet with coffee, red and black fruits, spice, ground ginger, soy and liquorice. It’s all here, honed, focussed, seamless and glorious. The palate too mirrors the bouquet, with astounding length, vibrant ripe fruit, concentration, beautiful texture and mouth-feel, and some of the most seductive tannins you will find in any wine. As good as the silky 82 Grange was last week, this one goes even further with more of everything crammed in yet always in equally stunning balance. It is not without reason that this is one of the greatest Grange’s ever produced, and is still young. I will be keeping my 6 bottles for a further 10 years. A true ‘wow’ wine. Awesome in a word. WOTN.
96+/100
1970 Graham’s Vintage Port
Excellent and powerful and still oh-so-youthful. Needs a decade more time. Alcohol augments this wine with sweet purity. In many cases, like a decadent Xmas fruitcake loaded with cranberries, raising and ripe black fruits. Excellent wine.
91/100
1998 Zind Humbrecht Riesling Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain (??) Sélections de Grains Nobles
Deep gold. Intensely concentrated nose and bouquet akin to golden syrup! Jam-packed with honey, marmalade, and five spice. Weighty and unctuous. Perhaps only lacking enough acid to match the enormous fruit profile. Super powerful and gorgeous wine that stains the teeth.
93/100
Big mousse with dense bubbles. Nose packed with fresh whipped vanilla cream! Palate has not only lovely softness but also beautiful length, and requisite structure. Finishes with plenty of acid (typical of youthful BdB style) that some found too sour. Lovely wine – fresh, delicate, elegant and individualistic.
90/100
1996 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill Champagne
Powerfully complex nose blazing out reams of fresh vanilla, marzipan, lemon meringue and strawberries. Awesome focus and structure on the palate with stunning length, and amazingly approachable. Best Winston I have ever had by a long margin. You’re a fool if you love champagne and don’t buy this great wine. An indisputably great wine now; a legend in 10+ years.
95+/100
1988 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Champagne
Gold colour. Very developed oxidative nose with hints of hazelnuts, sherry and cognac. Palate is antithetical and lovely – strikingly youthful, tight and shy. Excellent length and body. Seemed a little awkward at this stage and may have needed more airtime. Outstanding wine though.
92/100
1989 Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric-Émile Vendage Tardive Riesling
A touch too acidic but with excellent upfront fruit sweetness. Very good length. Have to admit I didn’t pay much attention to this as the following wine was being poured…
89/100
1955 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Hermitage Claret [aka “Michael Shirazâ€Â]
One of the legends of Australian wine, and the 1st Michael Shiraz (the second was released with the 1990 vintage). One 500-gallon vat stood out (about 2,300 litres) and was bottled separately by David Wynn and named after his son. With current prices of $3,000+ (even more exxy than the more famous 1962 Penfolds Bin 60A), I thought it unlikely I would ever get to try this wine. And here it is. The legend. The reason for tonight’s celebration. The level was high shoulder. The cork in one piece (just). The colour surprisingly mid red, with clear bricking. The 1st aromas: VA, acetone. Then after 10 minutes of gentle coaxing in the glass: pomegranate molasses, blackberries. All still austere. After 45 minutes: old leather boots, herbs and spice, with judicious sweet oak (supposedly matured in old fortified wine casks). After one hour: fruit sweetness seeping in lifting the overall profile of this wine to alarming complexity. The palate too is lovely with both old bones and generous fruit, dissipating with trenchant acidity that comes to the fore like sour cherries or red burgundy. Tannins completely resolved. Held for over 4 hours in Mark’s glass. In deference and utmost respect to this wine and its maker, no score. Some wines, like many experiences, transcend such mortal subjectivities and insignificancies. Because this wine, while it sat in my glass for nigh on 2.5 hours, evolved and changed, refusing to yield its last gasp of breath (which never came, despite 52 years of age), provided many wonderful and evocative memories and passing of history that only time (and age) can sadly erase. No number can express the marvel of drinking this wine, such that I want the smell, taste and feel of this wine to live with me in memoriam. Thank you to Mark Stevens for this extreme act of generosity and the chance to drink one of Australia's most famous (and rarest) wines. The exemplification of how wine can enrich one’s life.
NR
1964 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Claret
The backup wine, but given how quickly we were downing bottles, the call came out to open the bottle. Bigger wine and more powerful than the 55 Michael with rampant gobs of nail polish remover. Not as complex, more one dimensional and singular. Initially preferred this wine because of its power (lots of soy and BBQ sauce flavours!), length and less acidic backbone but in the end this wine had nowhere to go. It is what it was. The 55 showed more complexity and character.
92/100
1982 Chateau Léoville-Las Cases (St.-Julien)
Compared to previous bottles, this one was a little below par or simply suffered being squashed in between two great wines. This bottle was more overtly green, vegetable-laden and forward, masking that blackberry/cassis authority it possesses. Make no mistake this was still fine wine, quite youthful but made to look simple when it stood beside the wine that followed. Not the table lifter that other bottles have been unfortunately. Not from my cellar (where they have been stupendous).
92/100
1976 Penfolds Grange Hermitage
A clear step up in intensity, complexity and glory from the LLC. Massive deep red. The nose? Well I knew that this was special when I could smell it being poured in the decanter, from across the table!. Swirling aromas erupt from the bouquet with coffee, red and black fruits, spice, ground ginger, soy and liquorice. It’s all here, honed, focussed, seamless and glorious. The palate too mirrors the bouquet, with astounding length, vibrant ripe fruit, concentration, beautiful texture and mouth-feel, and some of the most seductive tannins you will find in any wine. As good as the silky 82 Grange was last week, this one goes even further with more of everything crammed in yet always in equally stunning balance. It is not without reason that this is one of the greatest Grange’s ever produced, and is still young. I will be keeping my 6 bottles for a further 10 years. A true ‘wow’ wine. Awesome in a word. WOTN.
96+/100
1970 Graham’s Vintage Port
Excellent and powerful and still oh-so-youthful. Needs a decade more time. Alcohol augments this wine with sweet purity. In many cases, like a decadent Xmas fruitcake loaded with cranberries, raising and ripe black fruits. Excellent wine.
91/100
1998 Zind Humbrecht Riesling Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain (??) Sélections de Grains Nobles
Deep gold. Intensely concentrated nose and bouquet akin to golden syrup! Jam-packed with honey, marmalade, and five spice. Weighty and unctuous. Perhaps only lacking enough acid to match the enormous fruit profile. Super powerful and gorgeous wine that stains the teeth.
93/100