TNs: Dog Wines: '70 Vega Unico, '82 Latour, '94 La Tache, '06 Musigny + Richebourg etc

DOG YEAR WINES - Yan, National Gallery, Singapore (26/8/2020)

One the best dinners I have had in awhile, with a small but immaculately curate llne-up, themed around wines from the Chinese Zodiac year of the Dog (for N’s birthday celebration)

Wines were absolutely fabulous, go with some great company and really good food.

  • 2006 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Rosé Brut - France, Champagne
    Absolutely delicious, and drinking so well even now. It had a gentle, lovely nose, with drifts of strawberries, red apples and rose petals - these touched with little hints of citrus blood orange, and then just that little bit of cream, yeast and mineral. Lovely. The palate took over just where the nose left off, with a really fine, creamy mousse and fresh but gentle blood orange acidity wrapped around a wonderfully integrated core of strawberries, apples and cherry flesh, all nicely underlined by a lovely streak of stony mineral, and then a nice linger of spice and rather perfumey florals drifting away into a quietly long finish. Such a very delicious rose champagne - elegance in a glass.
  • 1958 Château Cos d’Estournel - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
    Old and rather past its prime, which is expected given its age, but this was actually surprisingly alive. The nose definitely smelt of something old - with earth and leafy sous bois wrapped around some preseved berry and plum aromas, and then a little lift of tobacco spice. Rather funky, but decent enough. The palate was a lot fresher than the nose would suggest, still with a light layering of powdery tannins and a decent amount of acidity undergirding fairly pleasant flavours of plums, cassis and a sprinkle of dried berries, alongside more tertiary notes of earth, meat and a little spice. Quite yummy actually, and with a surprising amount of grip and persistence. Clearly past it’s prime, but still quite giving. I enjoyed this. (90 pts.)
  • 1970 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
    This was simply amazing even better than the tremendous magnum I had a decade or so back. The best wine in the midst of a very serious line-up, and probably one of the top 10 or 20 wines I can remember ever having. The nose was just beautiful, with lifted wafts of dried plums and cherries, honeyed dates, a twist of sweet American oak, and then drifts of fragrant smoke and sweet spices. Just wonderful - complex, alluring, seductive. Lovely. The palate simply floored me. Wow. How do I even begin to describe this - deep, powerful, generous, yet also effortless and elegant, with such purity and clarity to it. Perfeclt integrated, and the balance was just pristine. This just danced across the mouth with layer after effortless later of black cherry, blueberries and dark plum, all seasoned with a gentle infusion of spice and smoke, all drifting away into an inexorably long finish. This was fantastic. Intensity and complexity without a smidgen or weight on it. It’s bottles like this that make me fall in love with wine all over again. A masterpiece, drinking at absolute peak now. (98 pts.)
  • 1994 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Tâche Grand Cru
    Not the strongest La Tache by any stretch of the imagination, but this was still very pleasurable. I really liked this nose - a touch of honey and dried dates, sweet florals, shades of wood spice, a hint of leafiness in there, but otherwise this was just a lovely, sweet La Tache nose. The palate lagged behind somewhat unfortunately. This was a true 1994, with a rather leaner, less voluptuous feel than one would expect for a La Tache. There was still Grand Cru weight and persistence to it though, with attractive flavours of red cherries and sweet blueberries, then hints of wood spice and wildflowers, all trailing away into a nicely fresh finish. One could sense the structural ribs of the wine sticking out somewhat - with citrusy acidity and a chew of fine but firm tannins - but this was otherwise quite pleasant. About time to drink up though. (92 pts.)
  • 1982 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
    Oh wow. Still rather youthful, but this was a left-bank Bordeaux par excellence. What a nose this had. Classic, classic Pauillac, with lovely draws of cassis and sweet black cherries, then earth and graphite and fragrant wafts tobacco spice. I just loved this. The palate was pure Latour - power, strength and nobility, with a superb structure of fine velvety tannins and perfectly integrated acidty wound around a tremendously pure core of cassis and black cherries, then earth, and mineral, graphite and a little sprinkle of tobacco spice. This almost brought tears to my eyes. As perfect a left-bank as one could ask for. What a finish too - long, effortless, noble, with a beautiful pull of cassis and spice that just refused to quit. Wow. Absolutely wonderful - this was probably one of the greatest, if not THE greatest Bordeaux that I can remember having. (98 pts.)
  • 2006 Joseph Drouhin Musigny - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Musigny Grand Cru
    A lovely wine, but not as complete as one would expect from a top Drouhin Musigny. The nose was to-die-for, but the palate was not quite as good. But I am getting ahead of myself. On first pour, this just burst out of the glass with absolutely entrancing aromas of blueberries and sweet cherries, perfumed violets and loamy earth, and then a little sprinkle of fresh ground spice. A knockout. This was absolutely wonderful - one of the best bouquets I have come across in any wine for ages. The palate was unfortunately a couple of steps back, but that said, it was no slouch either. This was just delicious. Not quite as full and complete as a Musigny from a great vintage, but it was very pleasing indeed, with a creamy mouthful of blueberries and dark cherries wrapped in absolutely silky tannins and a decent cloak of balancing acidity. Nice finish too, with blushing notes of spice and violets drifting away into lovely long linger. Not a blockbuster, not quite as complete as a great Musigny, but boy this was so enjoyable. It can last, but no issue drinking now I think. A real charmer. (94 pts.)
  • 2006 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru
    A superb wine, even though this was easily a decade from peak. The nose was deep and compelling, with wonderful draws of sweet black cherries and plums seasoned with gobs of violets, earth and roasted meats, these with a liberal infusion of wood spice. Rather more reserved than the blushing beauty of a Musigny we had alongside, but this was very attractive nonetheless. The palate was another story - full and powerful and absolutely mouthfilling, a true Richebourg, with a deep seam of blueberries and black cherry flavours, these lined with a spine of stony mineral and then a liberal bloom of wood spice, all leading into a wonderful long, full, generous finish. There was so much power on this, yet also an effortless grace and sinewy strength. Great structure too, with a velvety grip of tannins and beautifully integrated acidity that kept that wine floating across the mouth. A tremendous wine. Drinking well enough now, but this should really hit its stride 8-10 years from now. (95 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

1 Like

no dogs here. Nice job.

Being a dog is not a bad thing. [wink.gif]

Haha - 1982 in Bordeaux probably the only truly outstanding dog year in the Chinese zodiac. It goes in cycles of 12 years per zodiac animal. Saying that though, 1970 for Vega Sicilia was pretty special.