Every day, every one of us plays the role of judge. We judge people when we interact with them, we judge people when we read about them, we judge people when we look at them without knowing a thing about them. Then there are real judges, the ones that lay down the law, so to speak. But when it comes to wine, there is only one Judge, but he lays down bottles. And after reviewing the thousands of cases over which he presides, I can safely call him ‘Your Honor.’

A quartet of ancient Margauxs followed, as in the appellation and not the Chateau, save one. The 1929 Cheateau La Colonilla sounded more like a reason to visit the doctor than a wine. Old banana wood and mesquite came out of its sickly nose. Tree bark was there and still fresh, but the palate was a bit tangy, although it possessed nice fruit. It was generous like a good ’29 should be, but there was fungus under its nails and more tang without the Shanghai. The Judge observed ‘incense’ while I found cocoa. It was interesting and good in a perverse way (87).

Sebastien likened the 1928 Margaux to ‘an artist’s studio,’ as he smelled canvas and palette. It was spot on! There was also some George Clintonesque chocolate city there as well. The palate continued that theme in lush, tasty and long fashion. The Judge admired its meatiness, and I its salty finish. Sebastien found its salt to be that of a langoustine, ie of a brinier nature. Chateau Margaux clearly stood out from the rest of the pack (95).

A 1937 Gruaud Larose also had a salty nose, a la seawater from the ocean. It had a soft and smooth palate that was easy, luscious and tender. The goose made it even more loose, or better, I guess that is all about relativity (93).

Hong Kong has many connoisseurs, but only one wine ‘Sifu’ aka wine master. A recent, casual lunch reminded me why. There aren’t many lunches that start with a wine from 1907, but this was the Sifu, I tried to tell you! Technically, it was a 1907 Graf au Bitz Eltviller Klumbchen Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese. In German, that translates to ‘Go F Yourself, Frenchie.’ Don’t shoot the translator, ok? This was finally a TBA that I could love, because it finished dryly! So it only takes 106 years, got it. The mental note was made. This was a wow wine that was still fresh, but aromas of hazelnut, game, apricot, peach and petrol all came across maturely. There was a ‘density’ to its tea-like flavors. The Sifu enjoyed its ‘fruit juice’ qualities. Divine, delicious and magical all came to mind. The Failo, aka ‘Fat Boss,’ likened drinking it to ‘like getting out of the shower.’ I think I would have preferred if his skinny secretary said it first (96).

The 1990 Trotanoy was garden fresh with dusty cocoa, citrus and a waterfall of plum aromas. This was shy, yet tasty and long. It was a touch closed but still smooth and inviting (93).

1975 La Mission Haut Brion has been one of my favorite wines from the ’70s for a while, but this bottle wasn’t quite as flamboyant as recent memories. It was a bit shut down. It opened slowly but not surely into aromas of coffee, wheat, earth and a pinch of chocolate. It was tight and while I’ve had better bottles, it was still solid (95).

The closer was a killer, courtesy of one of Burgundy’s hottest producers. Every wine I drink from Louis-Michel Liger-Belair is delicious; even his Vosne Romanee makes me warm and fuzzy. His 2006 Liger-Belair La Romanee made me downright hot and bothered. James Suckling noted ‘roses’ while Tucker was more feeling the ‘peonies.’ Its nose was amazing; there was so much greatness happening here. Its palate had what I would call latent acidity, because its fruit was so good and covered up the crime scene. There was a kiss of rubber, as in a Lamborghini leaving you in the dust. Its palate was so rich and so much better than anything and every other red we tasted before. It was deeper, rounder and longer yet still so friendly and fresh. A recent conversation with Aubert de Villaine about Louis-Michel had Aubert calling him ‘a good addition to Burgundy.’ Those words don’t come easily when it comes to the Godfather (96).

There are many women wine lovers in the world, but very few actual collectors. I’m not sure why, nor will I dare venture to guess. I’ll leave that to the sociology professors. However, I recently had the good fortune of reacquainting myself with a woman who not only loves wine, but also collects. And when I was invited down into her cellar, it was clear that this was no ordinary collection; this was a collection fit for a Queen.

Bottle after bottle of the best of the best littered the shelves of her temperature-controlled cellar, one that was about to go through an expansion actually. Cases littered the aisles like roadblocks; there wasn’t much room left, for sure. We did our damnedest to make more room in the cellar, but our efforts went unnoticed in the basement. They were, however, quite appreciated in the dining room.

The dueling theme continued with our next flight, beginning with a 1978 DRC La Tache. This was an extraordinary bottle, with a nose full of mint, menthol, rose, earth, iron, blood and tomato. This was fabulous wine, long and delicate yet intense. There was a touch of good green in this so fine and so long red. A kiss of bouillon rounded out its complex finish. It’s tough to imagine it getting any better, but it isn’t going to get any worse any time soon, either (96).

We should have served the 1972 DRC La Tache beforehand, but the ’78 somehow made its way around first, and no one turned it down, of course. It felt like the ’72 was out plowing in the vineyard all summer while the ’78 was the one entertaining at the Domaine. The Hedonist observed that ‘it would have been hot were it not for its younger sister.’ After that ’78, this was square and dirty, with a touch of garbage and alley compromising its blacker fruit (89).

The Queen wasn’t impressed with the 1990 Vogue Musigny that she brought, and neither have many Burgundy connoisseurs for a while now. I don’t consider myself a hater, but this has always been a weird wine. It was initially milky and stemmy, but it did improve to reveal some dark, meaty fruit. Bran, wheat and oat joined the party. Its palate was square with blacker fruit. There was tang on its finish, but it was thin in the middle. I wish I was like that (92).

The 1993 Drouhin Musigny was quite tight and acidic, very iron fisty in its nose. There were forest and blacker fruit aromas, and its palate was mainly about olive, citrus and bread. To be honest, I expected more from this wine, which showed that rubbery, tight side of 1993. It needs more time (93+).

Everyone loves a good Hollywood ending. Boy gets girl, good defeats evil, big family hug, Hollywood Jef turns 55, money shot… and fifty-five is significant of course, it’s like a notice that you are now about to pass the legal speed limit, and all fun must get off at the next exit. But Hollywood Jef is no ordinary man; he has been following a strict diet of fine and rare wine for the last decade or two and is seemingly getting younger with each sip. When he invited me to his 55th birthday celebration, I moved our next Hong Kong auction back a week, because I knew it would be that special. I underestimated.

A magnum of 1971 Dom Perignon provided ample amplitude for the cocktail session. It was a clean and classy magnum, more wheaty than expected, but it still possessed signature white fruit. It was fresh and zippy, all one could ask for out of a magnum of this wine. I was a few minutes late arriving, so I didn’t have too much time with it (95M).

Two whites followed, beginning with a magnum of 1966 Leroy Montrachet, courtesy of the Wolfgang Grunewald collection. Everyone that was fortunate enough to buy from that auction in 2008 keeps telling me they wished they bought more. This magnum was another example. It had a warm, open and mature Chardonnay nose with aromas of candle wax, old honey, game and sea salt. It was sound and rich in a mature way, not like internet money. This was EF Hutton money; Leroy earned it. Someone called it or Leroy ‘one of the greatest,’ and its creamy and nutty finish didn’t have me disagreeing (95M).

Three magnums of DRC Richebourg equal one happy dinner table. The 1971 DRC Richebourg was spectacular like all 1971 DRCs always are. Aromas of tomato, menthol, rose oil, vitamins, creamsicle, tree, forest and wet wood combined harmonically in its nose. The palate was minty and rich with meaty flavors of dill and truffle. It still seemed so young and had some wet toad goodness to it. The Rev picked up some ‘licorice’ on its grainy, granular and thick finish. Touches of cedar and eucalyptus rounded out this special wine (97M).

Twin towers of La Tache were a fitting follow up to the riches of Richebourg, beginning with a 1971 DRC La Tache. It equaled the greatness of the ’71 Richebourg in the nose, but it had more rose and cedar goodness. There were also aromas of oyster shells and red dates. Its fruit was oily and its palate saucy and meaty. Rich and leathery, it felt like a Hermes bag in the mouth, supplemented by great cedar and red citrus flavors. Usually I am in 98 point territory for this wine, but on this night, the Richebourg was the LT’s equal (97M).

After so many great DRC’s that were drunk to the last drop, the Bordeaux were a bit anti-climactic. Those that argue that Burgundy should come after Bordeaux had a case in point on this night. My notes started to wane. Yes, I am predictable. The first wine was out of double magnum, the only non-magnum in the crowd. It had a great nose full of nutty goodness, with some caramel and chocolate. Wet wood, bamboo and wafer flavors complemented nice acidity in this solid wine (94D).

The 1949 Gruaud Larose had aromas of chocolate, caramel, cedar, spice, cabinet and nutmeg. Its palate was soft, creamy and easy. It didn’t live up to its younger brother’s performance (92M).

The 1945 Gruaud Larose was ‘too tannic’ per Bipin. I wrote a few more words, but ‘cold, simple and easy’ were all I could read (90M).

The last wine on this night was actually from the vintage of our Hollywood host, a 1958 Latour. It was quite good given the vintage’s lackluster reputation in Bordeaux. It was smooth, balanced and lush without the richness. It was an uplifting finish to a heavenly night (93M).