Happy Birthday again David!
1998 Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg / C. von Schubert Riesling Spätlese (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) AP 3 536 014 14 99
Soft florals, tinge of smoke, kiwi fruit and some background sulphur that blew off with time. The palate is a refreshing combination of clean acid with just a hint of fruit sweetness. Nice length and delicately textured, this is lovely drinking now, but will improve over the next 10+ years.
91/100
1998 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling-Auslese (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) AP 2 577 050 6 39
Slightly more developed in colour than the Maximin. The nose shows honey, toast, a little bit of peach and mango and with a touch of kerosene and lanolin to it. Awesome balance, poise and length to the palate. Intense fruit flavour lends a pleasing mouth-feel to the wine without being broad. Drinking superbly at the moment and should continue to do so over the next 5 years.
92/100
1995 Domaine François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux
Honeyed nose, with lemon and sesame over the top of some slightly oxidative characters. The good weight on the palate is spoiled by some heat and some more oxidative characters. Improved slightly to the final score with food, but drink now based on this bottle.
87/100
1997 Domaine Blain-Gagnard Bâtard-Montrachet
Golden colour. Nutty and honeyed aromas, with a touch of basil, butterscotch and restrained quality oak. Delicious, balanced palate with excellent texture and length. Opened up and took on more weight and length with air, I think this lovely wine will be best drunk over the next 5-10 years.
93/100
1993 G. Vachet-Rousseau Père et Fils Mazis-Chambertin
A great nose of blood, violets, milk chocolate and strawberry. The nose is open and lovely, but the palate shows signs of not being ready yet with drying tannins and simple primary flavours. I feel that the structure is good enough that this has the potential to improve in the next 4-5 years.
90/100
1986 Château Leoville-Barton
Smells like class. Decanted for three hours. Cedar, spice, pencil shavings, violets, cassis and blackberry. The depth and primary flavour on the palate is surprising for a 21 year old wine. Brilliant length and structure. Still slightly austere on the palate, but has the structure and fruit to go the distance and achieve its wonderful potential.
94/100
1995 E. Guigal La Mouline Côte-Rôtie
The nose is expressive immediately on opening and seemed similar after three hours. Pepper, floral, charred meat, chinese five spice and restrained oak. The palate exhibits great concentration and layers of intense flavour while not being overwhelming. Great length and enjoyable to drink even at this early stage of its life.
95/100
1988 Château Rieussec
Dark golden colour, darker than the '83 I opened a couple of weekends afterward. Rich nose of caramel, spice, apple and coconut. Medium level of sweetness on the palate with a core of acid that is only just enough to keep the focus. I enjoyed drinking it and thought it quite tasty, if slightly simple.
88/100
NV Chambers Rutherglen Rare Tokay
A wine for deep contemplation. The nose is stunningly complex - deep coffee, toffee, raisin, floral notes, truffles, Christmas cake, rum, chocolate and tea leaves. So viscous that it clings to the side of the glass with every swirl. This amazing viscosity carries across to the palate where the wine rolls around, covering your mouth with incredible, powerful, complex flavour that stays in your mouth for what seems like forever after swallowing. Memorising and incredible.
98/100
The following evening after the drive home, I finished my smuggled back glass of the following;
1988 Hugel Gewurztraminer Sélections de Grains Nobles
Great colour, a very light shimmering gold. Nose shows honey, nutty, and pineapple aromas, it is still very floral and fresh. The palate is medium bodied with a full mouth-feel and just hints at richness, with the sweetness balanced by fresh, acidity that disposes of any notion of broadness and focuses the wine into a long, dry and clean finish. Showed no signs of overt alcohol despite it sitting at 15%. Still so young at 19 years, this will live on for some time!
93/100 
