Paul invited us around for a light lunch. We drank well.
1988 Pol Roger Champagne Vintage Brut: A golden colour. The nose has some honey, white mushroom, grilled nuts and baked apple. Baked apple and brioche flavours abound on the palate. It has the vintage’s line of strong, minerally acidity.
2010 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Corton-Charlemagne, Grand Cru: Very expressive, showing some light tropical fruits, white peach, aniseed and flint. It is full, rich and powerful. With air, the lemon and mineral spine of Corton becomes evident.
2010 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chevalier-Montrachet, Grand Cru: Very, tight, fine, intense and classy. There’s fine white peach, honeysuckle and struck match on the nose. The pure white peach in the mouth is so pristine. It is a wine of perfect shape and build, finishing with loads of sappy, dry extract and possessing outstanding length.
2005 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots: Purchased on release. Lovingly cellared Chez Holmes since. Pours out glistening with a green tinge, oh so youthful. Smells of wet cardboard and hessian. Fucking cork!
2015 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos des Grandes Vignes: Has some meaty reduction and plenty of oak spice. There’s powerful dark fruits, loads of earth and a suggestion of purple flowers. It is ripe, rich, deep and long. Needs plenty of time.
2015 Domaine Bruno Clair Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, Grand Cru: Highly perfumed and extremely pretty Beze. A lovely nose of blue and black fruits trimmed with floral spice. It is sweet, dense and full, with latent power and a light on its feet feel. Balance is extraordinary and it has length to burn.
1990 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Rouge: An expressive nose of ripe cherry, plum, Asian spice, leather and tobacco. It is generous and full, with good fruit intensity, a velvety feel and plenty of earth to the long finish. Delicious now but so much left in the tank for extended cellaring.
2001 Château d’Yquem: Complex aromatics of apricot, honey, lavender, coconut ice and vanilla. Awesome concentration and sweetness, perfectly balanced by the wine’s minerally acidity. A powerful, luscious and intense Yquem of superb proportion, length and class.