Friday 1 July 2016

Drinking Tonight - A Young Burgundy & A Mature Bordeaux

For starter tonight we had some langoustines, toast and a yummy lime- and garlic mayonnaise. To go with that I opened a half bottle of

2014 Saint-Aubin La Princée, Hubert Lamy
This producer keeps on turning out great Chardonnay´s from Saint-Aubin. This youngster has a fine, cool, spicy nose with notes of red apples, grilled lemons, Jerusalem artichoke cream and lots and lots of minerals. Refined and racy. Very, very good.
The taste is young and perky with notes of dry lemon curd, summer flowers, matchbox and crushed rocks. A very fine acidity. A great structure for aging. This will be a stunner in 6-8 years.
92p   (tasted 2016/07)


Having suffered from a stubborn summer cold the last week, now that I was back in shape, I needed something soothing, classic and aristocratic. A mature Bordeaux of course! It went very well with the roulads of veal with roasted root vegetables and a light herb and Madeira sauce I had prepared.

1961 Château Bellegrave
To my knowledge I have never tasted anything from this St Emilion estate before. The cork cane up in two pieces, looking perfect for its age. The first sniff was just what I wanted and needed - round, sweet and warm with that haunting perfume that can only come from long bottle aging. With thirty minutes in the glass fine aromas of dark plums, moist autumn leaves, saw dust and summer warm stables rises from the glass. Keeps on evolving for two hours before it peeks. Caught in a perfect time.
The taste is mature but still juicy with a fine warmth and notes of plums, fir, autumn leaves, stables and cigarr ashes. The finish is long, warm and delivers a small but still, a distinct tannin bite, after all these years. Given this blind I would have guessed a fine bottle from 85 or 78. These 61´s still have lots to offer.
91p   (tasted 2016/07)



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