A 3 Year Anniversary Calls For A Bottle Of Bubbly

Today it is exactly three years I started this blog, with a post of four bottles of Madeira. Now, 590 posts later, I think its time to change the front picture as well, to something more along the lines of the name of this blog. These beauties were tasted in August 2008. The 61 Monfortino was bought jointly by the Barolo Boys on one of our trips to Piedmont. :-)

But first, the celebratory bubbles:
NV Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs L´Epurée, AR Lenoble
A fine, elegant, somewhat mature nose with notes of white currants, hyacinth, dry fudge and hazelnuts. Very fine. A refined note of wet asphalt. This is good.
The taste feels younger than the nose with notes of lemon cream, hazelnuts, fresh grass and sweet minerals. A high, fine acidity. Long and fine. Very, very good.
90p   (tasted 2014/11)

1964 Barolo, Giacomo Conterno
A deep, beautifully mature nose with notes of sweet cherries soaked in some muscovado sugar and balsamic vinegar, lots of mushrooms, moist undergrowth and tobacco. With more air a wonderful scent of fresh rose petals emerge. Very, very deep. Just lovely!
The taste is mature but still fresh with a lot of concentration and structure, with notes of sweet red currants, red cherries, tobacco, rosehips, ceps and worn leather. A very long, intense finish with integrated tannins and a wonderful warmth. This is drinking great on this evening.
96p   (tasted 2008/08)

1961 Barolo Monfortino Riserva, Giacomo Monfortino
Could the three year older Monfortino perform better? Ooooooh yes! And then some! The nose is to die for, with its concentration, power and refinement. Stunning notes of dark cherries, ceps, dried flowers, old wood, sugared coffee and fresh roses. So, so fine. Depth, structure and a graceful character. Perfect.
The taste is wonderfully concentrated, tight and focused with notes of ripe red and black cherries, old Zegna leather, very expensive soap, dried ceps and rosehip powder. The finish goes on, and on, and on. The tannins shows themselves at the end of the finish. This isn´t, how strange it sounds, fully mature yet. A privilege to drink.
99p   (tasted 2008/08)