I celebrated a significant birthday this year and with the help of some enthusiastic members of the Port Forum (click on ‘links’ for more information) we uncorked some splendid wines:

Viña Pomal 1961 (Bodegas Bilbainas) ***

I know little about the background to this wine which I bought at auction some years ago. There is no indication of ageing (crianza, reserva, gran reserva) but it has certainly spent some time in wood: still showing good brick red colour, woody – gamey aromas, still very recognisable as Rioja with soft strawberry fruit, a touch musty (bret perhaps?) but not dry or dried up, losing its gaminess with exposure to air. A curiosity but one that lives on. 15

Chateau Leoville Las Cases, St. Julien, 1961 *****

No one had thought about laying down any 1961 Claret for me so I am very grateful for the opportunity to taste this, one of the top wines from one of the best Bordeaux vintages of all time: retaining a lovely colour, still mid-deep with a thin brown rim; beautiful nose, elegant, floral and scented, naturally sweet, ripe blackcurrant fruit still very much in evidence with a touch of classic cedar too; still sweet, gentle, a touch leathery and gamey, drier towards the finish but smooth with wonderful poise. A great wine that shows the pedigree of the vintage. 19.5  

Location: Rowleys, Baslow, Derbyshire
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Meursault Les Rougeots 2004 (Coche-Dury) *****

Mid-straw in colour; lovely, taut minerally aromas, subdued smoky new oak with much more ti give on the nose; fine streak of acidity, very fresh, almost steely but with plenty of underlying richness, sublime length. Outstanding. Better still in 10 years. 19

Chateau Latour 1988 ****

Deep centre, purple rim, still youthful in appearance; very fine, open, ripe and scented: damsons, plums. Cedary and a ltouch of liquorice; rich, concentrated, firm, slightly green tannins, sweet plummy fruit, savoury, still fresh, elegant, long and linear. 18

Chateau Latour 1979 ** / ***

Still deep, surprisingly so; slightly damp  vegetal quality on the nose, lard and chip fat, drying out with a cedary character underlying; better on the palate, firm if dry fruit, still just about holding together, dry tannins, verging on lean but not unpleasnt to drink, some grce and elegance on the finish. Drink soon.  14.5

Chateau Margaux 1972

This is only the second time in my life that I have drunk first growth claret from the dismal 1972 vintage: pale colour, browing rim; hollow, slightly musty (but not corky), damp raspberries, weedy and growing thinner in the glass, just a vestige of fruit; very light and acidic, thin, dried out but still with a hint of past elegance. Short. Abrupt.  10

Clos Windsbuhl, Gewurtztaminer 2005 Vendage Tardive (Zind-Humbrecht) ****

 Pale; fresh yet restrained, very pure, apricots and crushed rose petals, still with much more to give; very fresh and zsety on the palate, lovely poise, spicy tropical flavours, well defined, great purity. Needs another 5 years plus.   18

Location: Dinner with Jonathan Owen, Dean Row, Wilmslow
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Corton Charlemagne 2004 (Bonneau de Martray) *****

Pale lemon in colour, youthful green tinge; restrained,  minerally, lemon butter and smoky oak evident, still needing time to integrate, quite taut, this wine never seems to age; lovely, taut minerally flavours, slightly more evolved on the palate than on the nose, fine acidity, quite steely but with a long, ripe finish, needs more time, at least another two years. 19

Chateau Pichon Lalande 1986 ****

Still mid-deep in colour with very little browning on the rim; fine, fragrant, showing some evolution on the nose, cedary, touch of resin, blackcurrant, slight soily undertone but fine and focuse; lovely lithe tannins on the palate, fine and firm, gentle and focused. Drink within the next 5 years. 17

Chateau Cheval Blanc 1988 ****

Mid-deep youthful colour; very fine, plummy, cedary fruit, opening up, delightful floral fragrance; firm, quite tight, (65% Cabernet Franc), some richness evident, still very fresh and quite sweet, quite plump with good depth and length. Very good but stops short of outstanding. 18   

Location: The Rookery, Ashford-in the-Water
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Viña Ardanza, Bodegas La Rioja Alta, Reserva 1996  ****

Bodegas La Rioja Alta make some of the finest traditional Riojas that combine the elegance of Tempranillo fruit with age. Despite the many changes in the region since I first came to know it in the mid-1980s La Rioja Alta have built on and maintained their very individual house style without cutting any corners.  Mid-deep with a brick red / amber rim; lovely, scented fruit embellished by savoury - leather oak, an exquisite combination; soft, elegant sweet fruit, supple and  refined with great balance and poise, slightly dusty tannins, a touch of tobacco but not drying out. Very fine. 18

Location: The Rookery
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Another wine from my Christmas mixed case from the Wine Society:

Montevertine 2006  IGT ****

Originally a Vino di Tavola because the Chianti Classico consorzio said the vineyard we untypical despite being planted in the 1960s with Sangiovese. This wine is 90% Sangiovese with the remainder made up from Canaiolo and Colorino.  High altitude vineyard run by Martino Manetti. Mid-deep youthful colour; black fruit, touch of tar but not teriibly expressive, still quite closed with more to give; firm, fine, quite sinewy with tea leaf tannins and acidity, very elegant and Burgundian and more evolved on the palate than on the nose, fine length with a streak of acidity extending right the way through. Very much a food wine. 17

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