In typical fashion, all were served half blind, but atypically, we didn't have a fully blind joker inserted this time:
Vieux Chateau Certan 1969
Healthy colour. The nose was soft and sweet, typical old Bordeaux, with a hint of rye bread suggesting that it's a bit too old. The palate had fine fruit still, but the acids were a bit out of synch. Fine still, in fact extremely enjoyable, but still obviously on its last legs. It's still a wine that I will gladly drink whenever, but maybe 5 years ago it would have been a great favourite with me.
VCC 1979
A lovely nose. A bit minty, with a rather prominent blueberry note to all the typical notes one finds in VCC (which are actually a bit odd: there's much Cabernets in it, so it seems sort of half left, half right bank to me - and a perfect mix of the two!). Fine palate, well balanced, with fine acidity on the finish, but a bit too soft on the mid-palate. Nice stuff!
VCC 1978
Deliciously bretty, Cabernet Franc-like nose. There is fine minerality and balance on the palate. Refreshing and long.
VCC 1987 (magnum)
Sweet, peaches in sugar water, but with lovely savoury, Cab F-like notes also, leafy. The palate was strongly fruity, perfectly balanced, deliciously bitter, refreshingly acidic and long. What is it about VCC that they make off-vintages so well?
VCC 1990
Corked. But not very badly, so in the beginning it gave immense pleasure. The structure especially seemes perfectly in synch with the fruit and there was fine acidity also. I'd love to get a good bottle.
VCC 1983
Utterly closed at first. It did open up well, but was raisiny, over-ripe to me, jammy, with red apples. Fine, but uninspiring. It had so many over-ripe notes that I was certain it was the 1990!
Finally the fully blind stuff:
Ch La Nerthe 2000 CdP
Vegetal and earthy nose, but very, very sweet. It had hints of pepper and coca-cola. The palate was very sweet also and had too much alcohol. I thought it was Amarone with a bit of age on it, despite the lack of raisins on the nose. I liked bits and pieces of the wine, but as a whole it didn't please. A pity, as I usually tend to like Nerthe.
Ch Montrose 2003
What the f**k is this? Banana bread and honey on the nose with blueberry milkshake. The palate is totally out of synch with the nose: big, extracted, but dry fruit rather than sweet, much tannins, low acidity. Freakish wine. Not to my taste.
Kracher Zwischen dem Seen Muskat TBA #5 1995 11%
Botrytis, botrytis, botrytis. I like it. It has lots of acidity.
Chambers (Rosewood Vineyards) Grand Muscat Rutherglen NV
Rancio!!!! Intense, charred, earthy and oxidised nose. Similar palate, very, very sweet, but very savoury also. I love this sort of dessert!