NV Jacques Selosse Cuvee Substance
This was the first time I have tried Selosse, and I was quite impressed with the style. Very clear, crisp, crystalline flavours (note to self: easy on the alliteration). Good depth and quite refreshing. Elegant rather than big bready yeast. 12
1990 Krug
Quite a contrast, as you would expect. At first this seems very clumsy next to the Selosse. Still quite four-square. Very rich marmite on toast nose, much richer colour. Dense, packed palate – intense and mouthfilling. A lot of yeast-derived flavour, but without any cloying sweetness. Needs way more time. 14+
2002 Leflaive Batard Montrachet
Bold nutty nose with some oak yet to integrate. Ripe orchard fruit, white flowers chip in. Palate introduces minerals and some citrus into the mix. Not exactly a pleasure to drink yet, but power and balance suggest a good future ahead. 13+
1995 Drouhin Montrachet Marquise de Laguiche
Developed colour, but no noticeable oxidation. Very stony minerally on the nose with a slight suggestion of Mirabelle lift. Palate follow, good depth and intensity. Not a great Montrachet but a good one. 14
1996 Mugnier Musigny
This was a disappointment. Read on if you must. The wine was not shot or unpleasant or anything, just a woosy wittle whimp, not up to GC standard, let alone a ’96 GC. I do appreciate subtle Burgs, but there’s subtle and then there’s drinking water... Pale ruby colour, just starting to brick, and soft nose, showing red fruit and some bright autumn leaves, if you look really really hard. Palate follows that simple recipe without bothering to elaborate. No mid-palate. Short. No real complexity. Left my glass over two hours to see if it would develop. Nope. About what I would expect from a decent Village. 8
1996 Rousseau Chambertin
Well well, this still has some growing to do. Deeper colour, penetrating nose. Riper red fruit as well as hints of black. Clove and spice rack, some forest floor. Intense palate, still showing some tannic bite. If anything holds this back from being great, it might be a quibble about the balance – my view is that it just needs more time to knit together. 14+
1989 Guigal La Turque
My favourite wine of the night – not the greatest wine by any means, just the most perfectly mature for my taste. Some bricking evident, developed nose of leather, blood with some lighter fruit tones. Smooth palate with great grip. Not a blockbuster at all. Mainly secondary characteristics, smoke, leaf mulch. Time to drink this one. 12
1986 Grange
Gosh. You would know this is not the ’98 or ’96 immediately – but not because it’s showing any age! Rather this is probably the last of the ‘great’ Granges to me, i.e. before they became more about brand and oak. Deep dark colour, showing no signs of age. Nose has a beautiful chalky undertone, still quite primary. Rich, powerful palate with blackberries, currants, leather, brambles. Tagging descriptions really does it little justice: there’s a lot going on. Very integrated, balanced and high grip. I can easily imagine this lasting well past its 5th decade. 17+
1989 Gaja Barbaresco Costa Russi
Inky red, almost opaque. Tight dusty nose that doesn’t give a lot away. Hints of cherries and bitter coffee. Palate is more dense and revealing, though less than generous. Gravel, tar and blood complement the flavours from the nose. Sharp, precise wine. It’s hard to know whether there’s more in store with further age. 12
1990 Lafite
Classic cedar and black currant, some pencil and dust. Palate is generous enough, though doesn’t have a lot of drive or persistence. Classic Lafite / Pauillac. Elegant, and hints of slight sap, perhaps just a touch lighter under-ripe fruit. A decent effort – better than expected – though not spectacular. 13
1986 Haut-Brion
If you like some dirt and rubber in your first growth then this is the right wine. Markedly more purple than the Lafite for some reason. Darker fruit, but too many distractions – perhaps even a bretty bottle. Based on this showing, HB would be far and away the weakest first from ’86. And well behind many other classed growths. 9
1986 Yquem
Sweet apricot, perhaps pineapple and nuts on the nose. Palate shows rich botrytis and ‘vanilla / caramel’ hints also. Dense but not cloying, rather elegant with good spine. Viscosity is there, but does not detract or unbalance the wine. 16
2004 Donnhoff Eiswein
Beautiful essence of Riesling on the nose. Palate follows suit, pretty, weighty, rich yet smart and precise with its acidity. It’s tempting to want to keep drinking it all night... perhaps from an Imperial! 15+
NOTES ON SCORES
1 – 5 points: bad wine
6 – 10 points: good wine
11 – 15 points: excellent wine
16 – 20 points: spectacularly fantastic wine
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