1996 Comte Audoin de Dampierre Family Reserve Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Champagne
Toast, apple and light floral aromas. Lovely weight to the palate. Still balanced, but the acid has softened considerably. This bottle, a year on from the last one confirms my suspicions that it will likely be at its best in its youth.
92/100
1989 Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Françaises Blanc de Noir Champagne
Amber coloured. The nose is stunningly complex with chocolate, fennel, vanilla, five spice, earth, truffles and saffron. A refined palate with delicate flavour and rather than the explosiveness I was expecting. Softly textured and with very good length, I would put it at its peak now. A challenging, uniquely interesting wine.
95/100
2002 Domaine François Raveneau Chablis Butteaux 1er Cru
A nose of iodine, subtle vanilla, oyster shells and sea spray. The palate has lovely weight of subtly rich flavour with excellent balancing acidity. Long finish. Significantly better than a bottle tried early last year. I would love to see another bottle in 5 years time.
92/100
1995 Remoissenet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Romanee
Light golden coloured. A soapy, nutty, struck match and slightly oxidative nose. Lovely toffee character and texture on the front palate into the mid-palate but takes on a bit of bitterness on the finish. Drink now based on this bottle.
88/100
1986 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne
A youthful straw colour. The nose drew me in with aromas of smoke, lifted floral notes, smoke and earth, matchstick and cashew. The palate is the very essence of subtility and purity. Superb balance, structure and persistence. One of the best wines I have had the fortune to drink thus far.
97/100
1998 Domaine Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques
A lovely, expressive nose – with strawberry, earth, cinnamon, violets and cherry. Texturally excellent, showing good balance and depth. Drinking well now, but will improve over the next 5 years. Needed a bit more length to reach brilliance, but still a great wine.
92/100
1996 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares
Deeply scented nose of raspberry, black pepper, pine and earth. The tannins on the palate demand food. Great depth to the darkly flavoured palate. Standing out is the incredible persistence of flavour, it was exceptionally long and pleasing. This wine provided a very interesting experience.
93/100
1982 Château Ducru Beaucaillou
Excellent colour, deep purple with no browning. Pencil shavings and graphite, cedar and blackberry. The palate shows similar youthful character, with concentrated juicy fruit complimenting the excellent tannin structure. The length and focus of the palate stands out as being exceptional. Very impressive and a step up in class from a bottle that I had earlier last year.
94/100
1988 Château Mouton Rothschild
A dark, brooding, appealing nose of coffee, chocolate, blackberry, cedar and jasmine tea. The palate is austere and dominated by tannin and I struggle to see it having enough fruit to live long enough for these tannins to resolve despite the immense structure. I still thought it very good, but lacking in the fruit and depth on the palate that I would look for in a wine at this level.
89/100
1995 Marchese Lodovico Antinori Tenuta dell’Ornellaia
Dark ruby coloured. The nose shows aromas of dark chocolate, olive, tobacco, violets and spice. The flavour is concentrated and intense on the front palate but is brought back under control by the tannins and acid across the mid palate and the medium length finish. Lots of points of interest to this wine.
92/100
1994 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Tokay Pinot Gris Rotenberg Vendange Tardive
A nose of coconut, honey, pineapple, mango and spice. Concentrated richness and intensity on the palate but with the vibrant acidity to keep balance. Very long length, but a touch of bitterness on the back palate was the only thing to stop this wine from being incredible.
93/100