The next Champagne was also outstanding, this one being a 1973 Krug Dinner had begun. The Krug had a great, fresh nose full of apples and crackers, with a touch of anisette. Its palate was long, zippy and tasty, with some ‘old school Creamsicle’ per Dapper Dave. The Krug had plenty of stuffing to it as well, but it had more balance, too (96).

There was a 1973 Dom Perignon Rose which was a dirty birdie of sorts, ‘grungy’ according to one of the guests. It was an accurate comment; I just never have loved old DP Roses (92).

The 2004 DRC Montrachet surprisingly felt a step behind, more surprisingly so because I recently had an all-star bottle of this. This bottle was more milky and yeasty with a bit of fresh pencil and a kiss of eucalyptus. It was creamy with green apple and corny goodness. It was buttery and sweet, yet oaky and austere. Maybe it needed a little more time, but time was not something we wanted to give with the red wines that were on tap (95).

Well, well, well, 1961 Petrus again, my second bottle in three months. That officially constitutes a good year, and while this was ‘freakishly great’ per the Dapper one, it didn’t quite hit the highest of high notes for me like the bottle I had with The Rev a couple months prior. Don’t get me wrong, this was still best wines of my life category, ie 97 points and up. This bottle had that rich and creamy Pomerol nose with plums, honey and sex all over the house. It was delicious and rich, chewy and deep purple, with traces of game and lots of exotic things happening that only happen abroad (97).

The 1978 Dujac Clos St. Denis was rich and beefy, ‘dirty’ per The Mogul. There’s a joke to be made in there somewhere, but the CSD got better and better as the dirt blew off, and the fruit blew in. There’s a joke to be made there, too, lol. 1978 is probably the greatest expression of Dujac ever, and after some air, the CSD showed why (96).

The 1969 Dujac Bonnes Mares was a rare bird, and its first commercial vintage, I believe. It had a rich and gamy nose, and Big Boy found it ‘crazy’ in a good way. There was lots of autumn howling in the glass, and its finish was neverending. This was a creamy and satiny wine, although it got more gamy with time. It was a ‘drink up’ kind of bottle (96).

The Grands Echezeaux almost stole the show, were it not for the biggest and baddest of them all, the RC, or ‘RC RC’ as many like to call it. The GE had everything you could ask in a ’71 DRC wine: beef, blood, menthol, citrus, red fruits, game and autumn leaves. There was a great expression of fruit perfectly balanced by its long finish, which was singing with acidity. The GE outperformed the next two wines/bottles on this rare occasion, but the RC showed why it is the most expensive wine in the world. It should almost be forbidden to open a bottle of this wine before it reaches age 30, as the older ones are where you can really taste the difference. On this amazing night, we were able to taste four differences for this legendary vintage of DRC, which may be drinking better for this Domaine than any other older, mature vintage as far as consistency and reliability.

Enjoy all of 2016’s Vintage Tastings and share in the unforgettable memories of the world’s greatest wines, tasted with the worlds greatest palates and collectors.

In case you missed one, here’s your opportunity to enjoy a recap of some of the most amazing wine experiences, as witnessed and described by our very own, John Kapon.

Open a bottle, sip, read and enjoy!

Since this article has taken me well over a month to write, let’s just get to it. The Grand Finale, indeed.

We left off with some 1969 Leroy Musigny, and picked it up with a 2011 DRC Montrachet. I love 2011 whites right now, and the DRC didn’t disappoint. It was sweet and tasty, more delicate than I expected but admittedly an adolescent. It was still abundant in its usual, sweet fashion, but it needed more time than most 2011s (95+).

A 1975 Dom Perignon Oenotheque was disgorged in 2007. It was wafery and spiny, more Oenotheque than 1975 (94).

And now it was time for our main event, eight great wines from 1961, and from Bordeaux. It was only right, since our host, The Rev, was born in 1961. 1961 Mouton Rothschild was first, and it was served a bit cold, to be honest. There was still nice mint, that old, signature mint that develops in great Moutons, just like a great, old Heitz Martha’s Vineyard. It’s palate wasn’t perfect, though, and this bottle was a bit mature once it warmed up (93A).

The 1961 Haut Brion put up a good fight. It, too, was delicious, super nutty with sweet peanut butter and honeyed flavors. This was also rich and decadent, very long and stylish, keeping pace with the La Miss (97).

A 1961 Palmer was good, but weird. The Punisher found it ‘vitaminy,’ and I wasn’t sure about the bottle (93?)

The 1961 Petrus, as usual, was the top of the pyramid. This was a classic wine in every which way. This was a lot of people’s wine of the night, including mine. While my notes were waning, I did find it ‘rock solid with enough fine chalk and stone for a quarry,’ and its fruit was ‘absolutely perfect.’ It also got a ‘longggggggg’ (99pts).

1961 Trotanoy held its own quite well with its usual chocolate city party. It was like George Clinton performing in a glass of wine. ‘Great,’ ‘tasty’ and ‘solid’ were semi-legible, and other notes weren’t (96).

There was still one more Pomerol power display, the 1961 L’Evangile. Someone found ‘something extra’ here, and I found the usual chocolate, but this bottle was a little dirtier than previous memories. It had a little wheaty funk to it, but it was still an outstanding wine (95).

But the 1978 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle was even better. I have had mixed experiences with this wine, but this bottle was superb. This wine was black as night with bacon, chocolate and that Rhone hot rocks action. It kept getting bigger, longer and better, and its acidity crackled. I finally felt the ’61 comparison thanks to this bottle (98).

What can I possibly say, other than eternal thanks to The Rev for hosting us all, and sharing in the biggest way imaginable. Sharing is what makes wine great, to experience it with friends, to taste, to explore, to learn again. It is continuing education in one of its greatest expressions, and The Rev is as good a teacher as any. Thank you, brother.

We followed with another Roederer, this time a 1962 Roederer Cristal, which was quite buttery, a bit like a DRC Montrachet. There were lots of caramel and rich maple flavors to this oakier Champagne. It got a little musty with some time in the glass, and while still outstanding, I am not sure anything will reach the heights of that one magical bottle I had with Bad Boy at Spago many years back. It is all about the bottles when it comes to old wine (95).

The 1962 Krug Private Cuvee was bottled for Great Britain, and it had that apple nose with the juice. Its finish was drier and brought out more sour apple in a good way, and its acidity and finish were huge. It got better and better, as if it was powering up with more oxygen, and it also had ‘more bubbles’ per Mr. Galloni (96+).

The 2004 DRC Montrachet was more oaky and floral but no slouch by comparison. There was good weight to its full body and a rich and buttery overall feel. Todd found it ‘magical,’ and Antonio and JP were also loving it. It got thicker and more integrated as time went on, much better than the bottle I had recently (which was two months later), for those of you keeping score (97).

The 1947 Leroy Musigny was super sweet with thick orange fruit. This was a great Moose, rich and classy with added peel to the orange, and added body and length to the Vogue. Solid stuff (95).

I believe the 1947 Pierre Ponnelle Musigny was made by Georges Roumier, but someone can get me a fact check on Aisle 9. It was the best wine of the flight, so chances are it was. There was a lot of fruit to this smoky wine, and its alcohol and acidity were sizzling. Firm, long and full of citrus with the black to back it up, the Ponnelle loved, lingered and loved some more (96).

It was 1959’s turn, and we started with a whimper thanks to an affected 1959 Faiveley Musigny (DQ).Musigny was the theme on this night, and a Bouchard Pere et Fils Musigny helped get us back on track. This was a solid wine, earthy and rich with sweet brown sugar flavors and a leathery finish. It was best upon first sip, and oxygen took it down a point (94).

The 1959 Prieur Musigny didn’t excite much, getting ‘very dry’ from Mr. Vinous and ‘still tannic’ from another. It was gamy and creamy, a bit hard and while still very good, very good wasn’t what this crowd was looking for (91).

It was on to 1969, and back Pierre with a 1969 Ponnelle Musigny. Its nose was full of cobwebs and super sweet. Its finish was quite metallic with lots of aluminum (91).

There was a 1969 Leroy Musigny served thereafter, but I didn’t quite put any notes together. Antonio found it ‘fantastic’ and another ‘very pretty.’

Some palate cleansers were on tap, so this was a good time to take a break. Older Burgundies can be spectacular, but it is harder to hit as many consistent heights as Bordeaux when you get in that 50 year plus category. Good thing we had nine ’61 Bordeaux still to go amongst others. Part IV is coming.