A somewhat belated note here, due to my having had to "reconstruct" the experience after the fact, and also because this summer has been my busiest ever.
There was a thread not to long ago on another board (Wine Berserkers) asking what was the wine that was wasted because you were too shot to appreciate it; I had no response at the time. Now I sort of do - the lesson here is given the opportunity to open anything from a friend's cellar, think about that carefully at the end of a day when you were up until 2am and then drove for 8.5 hours.
But there's another lesson here: even with your palate in a compromised state, Bolly VVF still rocks.
Bollinger, Vieilles Vignes Francaises, Blanc de Noirs Brut, Champagne 1992
Golden, hinting at salmon. Incredibly deep, phenomenally dense, almost heady nose of cherries-incarnate, blackberry, prominent blood orange, with baker’s yeast, and honey. Same notes on the palate, with a pile-driver vein of blood orange acidity; powerful, with expansive presence, and extraordinary depth. It is not complexity that drives this, but rather its harmonious texture and its formidable drive. The nose was still outstandingly potent in the empty bottle the next day, and the last drops unbelievably fresh; the nose was still impressive, though past it, three weeks later in the recorked bottle. It must be noted that my palate was actually rather shot while drinking this, and so I can’t even claim to have fully experienced it, and its greatness still shone through. Without question one of the three greatest Champagnes I’ve had (next to the 1996 Krug and 1988 Veuve Cliquot Grand Dame Rose). I would recommend giving this some time to freshen after opening. Should hold at this level for at least another 5 years, depending on how mature you like your Champagne. An impressive experience! 5 Stars [6/15/16]