Another spontaneous dinner invitation, this time mine.
Leroy Chambolle-Musigny Les Fremières 1996
Bottle number 606 of 1755. Unchanged raspberry-ruby-red colour, soft black reflections. Tiny truffle top note already, which made itself felt only just after the cork was pulled, same as the high acidity and a faint dryness to the tannin – this needs plenty of air if opened today. Barely any red beet to the raspberry and blood orange here anymore, otherwise same as a couple of years ago. Long and subtle. Floral and fruity, and much more complex after three hours plus, more opulent, rounder and as if thicker, with the acidity much more integrated. Longer, too. Remo’s favourite wine of the night. Rating: 92+/93?
Gaja Langhe Sperss 1996
From half bottle. I was curious to retaste this, but sampling young Gaja tends to be a (pretty useless) academic exercise, and pulling corks on his 1996 crus (of which the Sperss is the most powerful, and may be the most ageworthy) cannot be recommended. Ridiculously youthful, Christian guessed (I served all wines blind) this to be 3- to 5-years-old. Glossy, youthfully deep colour, with a slight pink-orange rim. Petrol, sweet marzipan and asphalt, intense black cherry coulis. Huge body and tannin that is not too finely grained. Powerful finish, recurring black cherry on the aftertaste. Sweeter and more glyceric with airing, but no less powerful. Palate-staining wine that will one day taste much like 1978 Serralunga Barolo does today, fractionally tarrier perhaps (but I have overestimated the influence of new oak in other Gaja crus before). Profits from 5 to 6 (or more?) hours’ airing, but really needs many more years of bottle age. Remo, who found this gigantic if not monstrous, much prefers the more elegant and low-acid 1997 crus. Rating: 96(+?)
Château Pichon Longueville Baron Pauillac 1995
Christian neither liked the Leroy nor the Gaja (even though he admired the power and youthfulness of the latter), and demanded I open either a Bordeaux or a Supertuscan. Best bottle of 1995 Pichon Baron I have had (not a secret I am not great fan of the Château, or rather, the style). Glossy ruby-black. Top note of lead pencil to cassis liqueur, elegant fruit. Integrated, faintly nutty oak. Complex dried mushrooms finesse note. Soft Asian broth cube spice. Round tannin. Smooth finish of medium-plus length, touch of cherry on the aftertaste. Not a heavy-weight, but very harmonious – a lighter, elegant 1995 that is already drinking well. Needless to say, Christian’s favourite wine of the night. Rating: 89-
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
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„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti