TN: '75 La Tache, '95 d'Yquem, '14 Drouhin Petit Monts + some smashing Champagnes

SMD AT YAN - Yan, National Gallery, Singapore (6/10/2020)

  • 2002 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut - France, Champagne
    This was really quite a stunning champagne, if perhaps just a bit on the young side. It took the better part of two hours to come alive tonight. The nose was pure Krug from the get-go though, and absolutely fabulous - toast and burnt butter, vanilla and cream, then red apples and just a hint of juniper berries, all these lined with a nice little touch of stony, chalky minerality and a sprinkle of lemon zest. The palate was very serious, but seemed a couple of steps behind in terms of development at first, with a squeeze of lemony acidity and the remnants of a lacy mousse running through quietly powerful notes of green and red apples, these again lined with a refined minerality. With time though, this just stretched its legs and opened up, with deep, strong, powerful layers of cream and white fruit, yet it was always wonderfully refined and precise, with a grace that belied its power. And the finish - wow. This just stretched out into a tremendously long back-palate, with little notes of cream and biscuit and toast, all nestling amidst the more citrusy notes. What a marvellous wine this was, and with its best years ahead of it too. (95 pts.)
  • 1996 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses - France, Champagne
    A solid champagne, but this lagged behind both Krug 2002 and the Cristal 2008 on the same flight. The nose here was very advanced, with honey and caramel, and then oxidative shades of browned apples swirling around a core of cherry flesh, fresher apple and spice aromas. The oxidative notes put me off a bit, but past that, this was actually a really nice nose. The palate was very solid. Grippy, deep and powerful, this had a wonderfully sinewy seam of lemon juice and minerality running through a mouthful of bright citrus and green apple notes, somehow drinking younger than the nose led on. On the midpalate and beyond, some of those meaty, earthy notes started to drift out as well, before a sharper, more defined notes of citrus zest reasserted itself on a long, precise finish. Very nice. Lots of cut and energy on this - a true 1996 - but this somehow was not deliciously complete as the Cristal nor effortlessly strong as the Krug. Still though, very good and drinking fairly well now. (93 pts.)
  • 2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut - France, Champagne
    A baby, but boy this was absolutely lovely. We decanted it for an hour or so, and it really opened this up beautifully. What a lovely nose this had, with drifts of spice and flowers and apples, beeswax and honey - a lovely raft of aromas. The palate was young, but entirely lovely, with sweet apples and ripe lemons gliding across the mouth in a wonderful show of precision and grace. Neat little finish too, with little notes of lemon zest, mineral, and just a hint of florals. There was just a crystalline cut and thrust about the wine, but also a creamy, almost palate-enveloping fruitiness - so that it drank so very easily, almost making the wine seem simpler than it actually was. A real sleight of hand there. All in all, a wonderful champagne, with its best years still way ahead of it yet. (94 pts.)
  • 2014 Joseph Drouhin Vosne-RomanĂ©e 1er Cru Les Petits Monts - France, Burgundy, CĂ´te de Nuits, Vosne-RomanĂ©e 1er Cru
    Such a very lovely wine this. I loved the nose - pure Vosne sexiness in its fragrant notes of wood spices, like sandlewood and cardamom and cloves, and then floating notes of black cherries and berries, violet florals, these mixed with a lovely streak of stony minerality. Airy and aromatic - this was amazing. I loved it on the palate too. There was still a hint of new oak in there, but boy this was slinky and elegant, with silken tannins and lovely bright 2014 acidity framing a beautifully pure mouthful of dark cherries and red berries lined with a gentle waft or spice and florals, all dancing through the mouth into a beautifully perfumes finish. What a wonderfully seductive wine - this was Burgundy just the way I like it. Pure, ethereal and elegant, and already drinking beautifully well. (95 pts.)
  • 1975 Domaine de la RomanĂ©e-Conti La Tâche - France, Burgundy, CĂ´te de Nuits, La Tâche Grand Cru
    A far cry from the last bottle I had, but this was still a real treat. The nose smelt mature for sure, with layers of damp earthy sous bois and dead leaves underlying more typical aged La Tache notes of sweet, almost stewed berries, blushing violets and warm spice, all this ringed with a smoky, cigarette ash character. Quite attractive actually. The palate was even smokier, very cigarettish actually - almost like a Rioja in that aspect - and then opening up with sweet notes of dark cherries and sweet, stewed berries, still ringing with some of that spicy, wild, blushing, floral La Tache deliciousness. Still transparent and pure, still with a fading voluptuousness. There was still quite a bit of grip and structure to it too, with a real length and vibrancy at the surprisingly long finish that filled the mouth with warm, spicy yumminess. Clearly not at its strongest anymore, but boy this still really packed a punch. A lovely mouthful, even now. (93 pts.)
  • 1995 Château d’Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
    I have had quite a few bottles of this over the years, and they have all been very good. This was no exception, although I did feel that it was rather a half-step behind the other examples I have tried. The nose was classic Sauternes, with notes of acacia honey and beeswax, dried stone fruit along with some burnt sugar, and just that little ring of metallic iron-like notes. This was pleasant, but it certainly did not have some of coconutty, treacle-like richness of nose that the great d’Yquem vintages show - which made me guess Raymond Ladin or Suduiraut instead. The palate was a bit fuller and more generous though. When served a bit over-chilled, what stood out was the lovely cut and structure of the wine, with candied lemon acidity and a distinct lack of botrytised richness lending the palate a really nice sense of definition, freshness and balance. With time, air and a little warming up though, a nice sense of depth and intensity came out too, with more dried stone fruit notes, and a bit of molasses on the midpalate and into the finish, and little touches of spice and honey stretching away in the end. Maybe not the most complete or compelling of d’Yquems then, but this was certainly a nicely fresh and balanced charmer, with a good backbone of structure to boot. I am not sure this is one for the extreme long-term though. On present evidence, this may not be a bad time to start drinking. (93 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

1 Like

Great notes, I have also greatly enjoyed 14 Drouhin PM a few times.

I was quite stunned by that wine. We were all quite sure it was a Vosne Grand Cru when served blind - we just could not quite place either the plot or the maker given how light on its feet it was. Lovely wine.

What are the odds! I’ve had all these wines other than the Yquem.

If you were in Singapore, I would say it is time to buy a lottery ticket and try your luck!