Man, I need to start writing up the nights where there are four, six or eight wines more often. I would get a lot more articles done that way, although I have been tweeting notes for a lot of those nights, follow me @JohnKapon if you want to get more of those. I think I have at least 400+ new wine notes on Twitter from this past year alone, but I digress. ..

One of my signature moves is to write up two parts of a three part tasting and let part three slip into the lost tasting files, but not this time! This was the Tasting of the Year dagnabbit, and I will finish this! That was my own version of self-motivation, and with the most historical retrospective of Petrus EVER waiting in the wings, I had to pull myself away from those 57 vintages to finish the 37 wines we had on Day Three of the Tasting of the Year.

The second white was equally as fascinating. It had a fresher, more youthful nose compared to the 1920, but it still possessed mature, warm fruit with lots of alcohol and acidity. Someone noted, ‘rubbery,’ while another found it to be an ‘Yquem- style, but not the sweetness.’ Apricot, nut, honey and warm toast were both in the mouth and on the palate, and it was so Yquem, as it should have been because it was a 1968 Ygrec, Yquem’s dry white! This was another delicious white Bordeaux, so viscous, with a hint of benevolent bitters to its finish. We all need to age our white Bordeaux more, as this great wine from a theoretically horrible vintage proved (95).

A couple of sweet wines ended the lunch portion of our program, beginning with a wine that emitted ‘cloudberry and white truffle.’ It was really complex and reminded me of an old Riesling, and there was this almost smoked ham quality to go with citrus and apricot jam. The palate was sweet, oily and creamy, and 98s and 99s were coming from the crowd for this viscous, yet not heavy, white. ‘Fresh peach and raspberry’ came from the crowd. After some time, I determined that it wasn’t Riesling, it wasn’t Sauternes, it was beautiful, satiny and polished, it being a 1921 Bredif Collection Vouvray. Impressive (96).

The next wine wasn’t so impressive. White Port, Madeira, Massandra, Sherry and Vin Santo were all written by me, each followed by ‘ish.’ It was awkward and angular and made me frown when I tasted it; the aromas were much better than its flavors, if you could even call them that. It was a 1910 Leone Bianchi Marsala Vecchio Amabile Riserva. That’s a lot of names for a wine I could call a lot of names. I guess we should keep Marsala for cooking (NR).

We were back to Italy with a simple and disappointing 1967 Biondi Santi Brunello Riserva. The nose seduced at first in a shows a little, says a lot way, but its palate was watery, light and uncomplicated. Red fruit, citrus, tomato and leather were all there in average fashion (85).

The fourth wine of this first flight was clearly a big-time Rhone with its citrusy, meaty and peppery nose. There were lots of tangy red fruit aromas, and it was pungent in a great way. The palate was identical with animal, ham and garden joining the party, and it still had excellent acidity. Its rich personality held in the glass as menthol flavors developed. It was a wine from a ‘rustic vintage,’ it being a 1975 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle. Good show (95).

The last wine of the first flight was full of asparagus, which somehow degenerated into Golden Showers in our distinguished group. Its exotic, wild nose had grilled pea shoots and pheromones running around, and Super Mario noted ‘more vegetal qualities’ while Juha noted ‘candy.’ There were milky flavors and ‘Asian action’ on the palate, which had me leaning towards something South African. The palate became quite herbal, and asparagus took over there as well in this interesting 1979 Wynn’s Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (90).

The next wine had me guessing La Turque, but it was far from it. Its deep, heavy nose had lots of black fruits and a touch of gingerbread. Its palate was round, fat and inky but also flabby, with nice cherry flavors on its finish. This was a 1985 Ornellaia (91).

I think the La Mouline took over my senses for a few minutes, as I was then convinced that the next wine was La Turque as well, 1985 of course. The nose was pepper city, and its palate was chunky, rich and long. SuperSomm noted ‘so licorice’ and ‘green vegetal,’ and I noted a moldy confectioners quality. I was stunned to learn this was a 1988 Dalla Valle Maya! ‘Impressive, but doesn’t compute,’ ended my note (93).

For the final wine in this first vintage flight, my tastebuds recalibrated, as I guessed Italian, and it was, a 1988 Il Caberlot. I think this wine had a special significance for Pekka, but I can’t recall. The Caberlot was very leathery, with tasty caramel flavors and a gritty, rocky, minerally finish (92).

I guessed the next wine to be 1961 Latour, but it was a glorious 1953 Lafite Rothschild instead I can live with that . It had a deep, intoxicating nose, one that Bordeaux dreams are made of. There was impressive power and t ‘n a here, which is why I thought it was the ’61 Latour. Juha hailed it as ‘so aristocratic’ and ‘complete.’ Its cedar flavors were divine on its gritty palate, which also had this slaty grind to it. Dry, old cassis balanced the cedar perfectly in this great bottle. The most interesting fact shared about this legendary vintage for Lafite was that the Chateau bottled over the course of a year, leading to possible bottle variation (98).

The next wine was actually decanted four hours prior, which possibly affected its score. I understand the theory behind lots of air to make a wine ‘open,’ but it also softens a wine where its intensity factor can be compromised. I would rather decant an old wine repeatedly over and over if it needs more air time as opposed to keeping it open that long, but that’s just me. Pekka found it, ‘so thick.’ It was almost disdainfully nutty, along with aromas of wheat, cereal, chocolate and a pinch of port. The palate was thick, rich, oily and gritty, chock full of sparkle. Other comments for this 1962 Vega Sicilia Unico included, ‘not ready yet,’ ‘tannins puckering,’ and ‘not as complete.’ I couldn’t help but wonder if I would have given it a point higher if it had a little less air time, as usually this wine has me around 95 points (94).

Batman was all over the ‘melted butter’ in the next wine. It had a wow nose, rich and ‘Montrachet good,’ per Juha. It was almost toxically good, and the palate didn’t disappoint either, producing a tasty, rich and heavy rock n’ roll experience. I was waiting for the 1961 Latour to show up, Pekka’s #1 wine of all-time, one that he’s had over 100 times. That’s sexy and I know it (96).

The last wine in this stellar flight was a 1972 Penfolds Grange It had ‘a Syrah feeling but not Rhone,’ someone noted, along with ‘ripe blueberry’ and ‘salt licorice.’ It had a bacony, minty nose, and while it was a bit Rhony, it was more concentrated, possessing a sweet red cherry and eucalyptus two-step. It gained in the glass (94).

The next wine had a unique, seductive nose with exotic qualities of garden, date, game, yogurt and a red fruit rainbow. There were delicious strawberry flavors and solid acid. This was sweet, sexy shit. I guessed 1970 Rayas, but it was a 1970 Henri Jayer Vosne Romanee, back when the Cros Parantoux was still going in the Vo Ro, I believe. Dirk Diggler said, ‘he wouldn’t but he did.’ Not sure the context anymore, but I found it important enough to write down, so there you go (95).

A bottle of 1974 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon was much better than the magnum I had had a couple months prior, and this bottle came apparently direct from Heitz. This was a classic and what this wine is all about with its mint and chocolate 1947 Mouton character. Asphalt and eucalyptus flavors combined on its rich, heavy palate. When it gets this old, it’s all about the bottle (96).

The next wine was a 1989 Haut Brion, which was incredible as always. I have written up the greatness of this wine so many times, I only found it necessary to write ‘what else is new?’ Juha added, ‘hot stones from a dry season’ (98).

And so ended the last tasting portion of our program, and so began the dinner and final chapter of this legendary weekend. But first, we had a magnum of 1964 Salon, which had a great nose fill of white sugar, butter, ice and diamonds. The front palate was pure and clean with caramel flavors developing, but its finish was a bit yeasty with morning mouth. Was it a kiss oxidized? Something was off, unfortunately, and despite the color, nose and attack being outstanding, something was amiss at the end (94A-M).

Dinner began with a ‘young Sauvignon Blanc,’ but although it was Sauv Blanc, it wasn’t that young, at least for the grape. Aromas of grass, grapefruit, cat’s pee, gooseberry and rye bread were all present in this pungent white. The palate had sweet pineapple and passionfruit flavors and a ripe and racy finish. This was a pure and tropical wine that was impressively fresh, given the fact that it was a 1999 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc (92).

The next two whites were cross dressers, as I thought the first was Burgundy and the second Rhone, and it was the exact opposite! The first of the two whites had old notes of mature wood, cobwebs, butter and milk in its nose. The palate had nice richness, with tasty and creamy cantaloupe flavors, along with solid acidity. This 1989 Jaboulet Hermitage Blanc Chevalier de Sterimberg was buttery, gamy and fully mature, seemingly older than it was, but liked by me nonetheless (93).

The 1984 Lafon Meursault Charmes had an exotic Rhone-like nose with candle and beeswax, glue, kinked fruit and game. The palate was meaty and oily, with ‘dry brass’ and ‘old hay’ flavors per Super Mario. Its game flavors were great, and while it was missing a bit of acidity, this Rhone impostor from a terrible vintage was quite good and still playing its song (93).

There was one more white, and it had honeyed nose that was musky and perfumed. There was eskimo action here that made me want to snuggle in an igloo, and great fruit that got more complicated. The palate was sweet and tropical, clean and citrusy, ‘viscous’ per SuperSomm, along with asparagus flavors and a minerally finish. Petrol started to dominate in this 1957 Gobelsburg Gruner Veltiner Private Reserve (93).

Finally, we landed in RC territory. I was beginning to think it was going to be excluded from the weekend, but I should have known better. The 1955 DRC Romanee Conti had autumnal aromas of rust, truffle and a sweet, brown core. There were tasty ice cream flavors along with wormy, tree bark ones. ‘Nice juice,’ came from the crowd, and this flirty Pinot was arguably a touch advanced, but it wouldn’t let you know it once you closed your eyes and opened your mouth. Tasty and balanced, its acid came out of hiding and lifted into a great, energetic finish (96+).

The next wine was a stunningly and surprisingly good 1999 Rousseau Clos de la Roche. This is a wine that people basically ignore in the Rousseau portfolio, and after one sip of this 1999, I have no good reason why that is! This was pure 1999 at its best with perfume and cherry sex appeal going with loads of vitamin as well. There were oceans of concentrated fruit in this oily and sexy now wine with great pitch and substance. This was absolutely delicious, although it did lose a step or two in the glass over time. This was still a wow wine for me (94).

I thought the 1998 Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Francaises was a Clos des Goisses, oh well. It was long and zippy, fresh and citrusy with nice tang. There were snowcapped vitamin flavors in this excellent yet young bubbly. The great Champagnes are better to drink when 1996 and older, for now (93).

Five dessert wines to go. I think I can, I think I can. The first was a touch oxidized, but it was supposed to be as it was a 1904 Arbois Vin Jaune from the Jura, which makes oxidized styles of wine to begin with. The flavors were dry and awkward, varying from lanolin to morning mouth to sherry to Comte cheese. Pucker up and blow lol (82).

A 1939 Massandra White Muscatis about as good a Massandra as I can remember. Aromas of chamomile and honey were lush and so sweet, and its oily texture gave off a hedonistic vibe. Someone noted, ‘Cantonese chicken with bamboo’ in this wild wine (95).

The 1903 Oliveiras Madeira Boal Rservaat first reminded me of sniffing glue or rubber cement, but tea took over. There was crazy power in this Hugo Chavez of a wine. It was powerful with thundering acidity, and sweet chocolate flavors rounded it out well. Who was I kidding? Nothing could round this out; its power and acidity were next level. Of all the dessert wines, Madeira is probably my favorite (96).

Was the next port? But it smelled almost like a cognac. There was lots of acid and a touch of mint in this semi-sickly ‘oil painting’ of a wine. It was a 1912 Niepoort Colheita Port (91).

The reds began with an obscure yet ‘famous’ wine, per Pekka. Batman was on the case with ‘high acidity,’ definitely placing it outside the Bordeaux camp. I got cedar, chocolate and cassis, but who was I to question Batman? The palate definitely wasn’t Bordeaux, Nebbiolo I questioned? In a roundabout way, the wine was a combination of my instincts. There were earthy and chocolaty flavors along with sweet and sour cherry, and a dry, leathery finish. Someone observed ‘bitter dark chocolate,’ and Chianti was my last guess for this 1986 Isole E Olena Collexione di Marche Cabernet Sauvignon. I think it won some major tasting years that Pekka held years ago, but time had passed this wine by now, I guess. It was still good with nice acidity (90).

I didn’t take a note for the Madeira Malvasia Velha bottled in 1954, as I didn’t want the sugar here to affect my palate after lunch. There was the tasting, after all.

We were back in the other room for the tasting portion of our Saturday marathon, and a magnum of 1976 Philipponat Champagne Clos des Goisses welcomed us to the second act of our day. I guessed Clos des Goisses, as I find its style easy to identify, at least the style of its recently disgorged bottles. This magnum was disgorged only two months prior, and Champagnes need much more time in the bottle after disgorgement to get the mature aromas and flavors out of them, at least in my opinion. The Goisses was grassy and fresh, pungent and vivacious with oodles of zip. It was a touch too grassy for me, and Juha noted ‘coffee’ (92+M).

A nutty nose that was deep, heavy and rich had an oaky streak to it that I was hoping would blow off. The palate was more oaky, making this not my cup of tea. The oak eventually blew off, and this 1924 Margaux was pretty and fragrant (90).

A 1928 Smith Haut Lafitte was the definition of doctored. ‘Funny’ and ‘cheap candy’ came from the crowd. This was a wild and kinky wine, although I am not sure I could call it even that. There was nice definition to this reconditioned gone wild Bordeaux. The best way I could describe it is sour candy city with a touch of bathroom sex where the girl is sucking on sour apple and watermelon jolly ranchers at the same time. Amongst other things. The funny thing about it was that was exactly it (90?).

The 1905 Louis Jadot Charmes Chambertin was breathtaking wine, a veritable secret agent of the wine world, as its complex aromas and flavors touched many parts of the globe. Hints of Italy, Spain and the Rhone were all there; let’s hope figuratively. Its sweet nose was ripe and red, and its saucy palate was full of coffee flavors. It was ripe, rich and exciting, lush and oily with impressive acidity. Its flavors became more nutty and caramel-y in the glass, and this wine was good to the last drop. This was one of my wines of the weekend (96+).

A 1930 Pichon Lalande began the next flight seductively, and coffee was the first impression. Olive and a red and brown fruit mí©lange followed. There were flavors of wafer, tobacco and red citrus. The wine was in 92 point territory but fell a point every sip as the air attacked. Good thing I drank it in three sips. This was a solid effort given the fact that 1930 was about as difficult a vintage as you’ll find in the history of wine (90).

I generally love old Cvnes, but this 1951 Cvne Rioja Vina Imperial didn’t excite me as much as usual. There was this raw poultry aroma at first, but thankfully the nose got beyond that and opened into light citrus, wafer and street corner. Someone noted, ‘bloody steak’ (91).

The 1975 Lafleur was black as midnight, so concentrated and rich. It was ‘a tannic pucker’ as one commented. Secondary aromas of leather, tar and mint gave way to flavors of tobacco, plum and more leather. Monstrously tight, it was hailed as ‘a voluptuous virgin,’ with decadent cherry flavors slowly emerging. This will be thrilling wine for decades to come. This was another wine of the weekend (96+).

A new flight turned out to have two of the weekend’s most legendary wines, even though neither made it into my weekend’s top wines. The first wines was another Cune, this time being a 1933 Cvne Rioja Vina Real. Again I was disappointed, as there was a metallic nose, with some Burgish fruit behind it. Suprisingly, it was Dirk Diggler’s favorite wine of the flight (90).

The next wine was another super-concentrated wine that was earthy and a touch dirty in that diaper and band-aid direction. There were black fruits, and its dirty started becoming a good, nightclub dirty. The palate was rich and concentrated, a heavy wine with an ocean of fruit and penetrating acid. It was another wine of the century, a 1947 Cheval Blanc. It was also a reconditioned bottle. The wine was outstanding, but I remain convinced that this wine was at its best a little more than a decade ago (95).

I was convinced into believing the 1987 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo was a Cali Cab, even though my first instinct was Italy. Dangit! It was solid and leathery, dry and impressive for a vintage I have never seen or heard much about in Italy (93).

The notes started to fade, and the next flight was one of Port, beginning with a 1908 Warre’s Vintage Port that looked like a white port and perhaps was suffering a little bottle sickness. But for 104 years old, it got a round of applause (90).

I can’t tell you much about a 1917 Borges Soaltheira Vineyard Vintage Port except that I gave it (93).

I can tell you that the 1931 Niepoort Garrafeira Port was thrilling. It spent six years in wood before being bottled in 1938 in demi-john bottles, before being decanted into normal bottles in 1979. It was one of the best ports I have ever had, full of caramel and pepper, delicious yet most importantly smooth. The secret of the Garrafeira style is one that needs to be shared with the majority of the wine world! Thanks to Dirk Niepoort for this memorable experience. He was also the only winemaker in attendance (97).

A 1963 Cockburn’s Vintage Port was a bit young and sweet by comparison (91).

All I can tell you about the 1980 Quinto do Noval Vintage Port is that it was the best port from this obscure vintage (92).

A 1932 Veuve Clicquot had things like ‘pickled jalapeno’ and ‘leather couch.’ This was like a dry fino, and its overly tangy and bretty personality made me (DQ) it.

I guess the whole flight wasn’t Champagne, as we had a red sparkler, ‘Sparkling Shiraz,’ I wrote. It wasn’t bad, and while mature, there was still acidity there. Grapes, raisins and figs were present in this rich and drinkable 1965 Bertani Recioto Valpolicella Valpantena Riserva Spumante Naturale (90).

Unfortunately, a 1949 Dom Perignon was completely oxidized (DQ).

A 1934 Bouchard Corton Blanc had a metallic nose but a powerful palate. It had great acidity, but felt a bit fresh for 1934. It was reconditioned, as most bottles in the Bouchard cellar are. The palate was full of minerals, ice and fat skin, and this was certainly rich and sexy chardonnay that kept getting better and better (95).

The 1991 DRC Montrachet was guava city. It had a minty, Monty style with its big mouthfeel, and Juha noted ‘jasmine flavors.’ It was not the greatest example/vintage of this legendary wine (92).

There was a second flight of whites, and two were no good, starting with a 1942 Les Successeurs de J.M. Garnier Meursault (DQ).

The next wine had a Rhony kink but also had this older, buttery white Burg thing happening. It felt like it had the same top-off of the ’34 Blanc. It wasn’t as good as the ’34, but it was still solid with nice minerals to go with its butter flavors. ‘Tropical,’ ‘mocha’ and ‘roasted’ came from the crowd for this 1926 Leon Christophe Meursault (92).

Unfortunately, a 1958 Haut Brion Blanc was completely oxidized (DQ).

There was only one flight of reds left for the day, and we started with a ‘rocket ship’ of a 1983 Rousseau Chambertin. This bottle was quite vigorous, so much so I thought it might be from 1990. There were great rose, vitamin, perfume, waterfall, mineral and red fruit aromas. This was high-pitched in every which way, and there was citrus and depth to its palate. Its acid uncurled like a cobra, and ‘raspberry smoothie’ and ‘perfect’ came from the crowd. Its saucy finish had the topic of ‘kissemura’ making a comeback. I have had good luck with 1983 Burgs, and this was a fantastic bottle (95).

The 1992 Leroy Richebourg had so much cedar that it almost had me in Bordeaux territory, but the rose, blood and musk said Burgundy. It had a screechy nose, and an even tighter palate, although the wine did open on its finish more. Red citrus flavors were present, and while the wine was big in true Leroy fashion, the vintage’s shortcomings were evident (92).

SuperSomm noted ‘a hint of chicken shit’ in 1990 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle. It had a buttery nose with percolating hints of acid, but its palate seemed really evolved and jammy. It was smooth and satiny, but I wanted and expected more from this wine (94).

And that was Day Two of the Tasting of the Year.

The second wine had a fabulous nose with aromas of decadent chocolate. Bordeaux was definitely in the house. ‘Smoky’ and ‘powerful’ came from the crowd for this dark wine. ‘So much fruit,’ I wrote, including plum and black cherry, along with great spice. The palate was delicious and mature, similar to the nose but milder, with more carob. It, too, gained in the glass and got richer. While balanced and smooth, it gained this old Burgundy complexity. I was stunned to discover this gorgeous wine was a 1940 La Mission Haut Brion. God bless old wine (95).

The third wine in this incredible, opening flight was another great nose, ‘Spain?’ I guessed. There was big-time coffee bean here, in an espresso ice cream direction. Truffle, chocolate and black fire emerged, and while the palate was again milder than the nose, it was still delicious. The nose became super smoky in a wet tobacco, leafy way. The palate had a hint of metal on the finish; it was pretty but not magnificent. Super Mario found ‘almond butter,’ and SuperSomm added ‘a bit volatile.’ It was a 1925 Marques de Riscal Rioja (93).

Back to Bordeaux?’ I questioned for the next wine. I was on an early roll. It seemed fresher and younger than the second wine, but it wasn’t younger in the end. There were wonderful garden aromas, a stick of cinnamon and great balance with its elegant plum fruit. I was in 1959 camp I must confess, but this 1915 Palmer was much older than that. There was nice balance on its citrusy and waterfall-y palate, which had touches of cedar, tobacco and caramel. While there was initially nice grit to its finish and lingering acidity, the 1915 faded quickly after fifteen minutes or so. So this rating is for the ladies, because I know they hate when that happens lol. Classy and classic, pure and super for 97 years old, the 1915 Palmer was excellent, flirting with outstanding, but it just couldn’t keep it up (92).

A 1953 Mouton Rothschild was actually disappointing; perhaps it was a case of reconditioning gone wrong, as its color was quite youthful. Its nose was mild and not showy, yet it still gave a deep impression. Aromas of seashell, black fruit and pencil gave way to a soft and tender palate. Polished and pretty, there was substance there but in reserve. It felt younger than it was, even though it had mature qualities. It was polished like 1953 can be (92).

The last wine in this second flight had a gorgeous nose with aromas of wafer, caramel and a touch of mint. I was convinced this was from Italy due to its heavy leather and tar in the nose. Someone found it ‘balsamic,’ but its palate had more Cali Cabernet in that Ridge Monte Bello direction. ‘Mint chocolate’ flavors combined with caramel and a stony, gritty finish in this 1952 Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon Cask J-9. Well done(93).

The next wine had ‘moldy hay’ in its nose per Super Mario. I added ‘raining, barn, woman.’ Bad JK, bad. It was a good mold, like cheese, and it also had nice nut, earth and black/purple fruit. Its palate was elegant and balanced yet shy. It was a 1978 Chateau Montlena Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, which almost seemed like it needed more time(93).

The next wine had a sweet nose full of caramel, tangerine and mint. This was a delicious wine, fantastic if you will. It had that Cali mint a la old Heitz, and it was gritty and sturdy with outstanding acidity. I found this 1977 Chateau Musar outstanding, although one found it had ‘a lot of makeup’ (95).

This flight kept holding its own with a 1971 Guigal Cote-Rotie La Mouline. The nose was open with aromas of weed, forest bark, mushroom, tea, coffee, animal and bacon mixed with ham. As you can see, there was a lot going on lol. This was complicated stuff, and SuperSomm added ‘incense smoke.’ There was no doubting this was Cote Rotie, and I knew because I brought this bottle. This was delicious wine, in a gorgeous spot, released from the cold, dark cellars of The Cardinal himself. As great as the storage is in the caverns of The Cardinal, trust me when I tell you don’t go down there (95).

Dr. Brown’s celery soda was in the house thanks to a 1986 Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz. This was a sweet, yet great wine, SuperSomm was guessing 1977 Grange at first. It definitely had that sweet, saucy Aussie style, but it wasn’t over the top, even Goldilocks would have found it just right. It was delicious, and this flight was a great one (94).

The party started crashing hard thanks to a 1956 Undurraga Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva, a Chilean Cabernet. They should have kept this bottle in Chile. It had a yogurt nose with signs of Bordeaux behind it, but the yogurt stuck to the palate, and Batman found it ‘volatile and unpleasant.’ It was drinkable but barely legal for admission requirements. I have never liked Chilean wines. Sorry (80).

A 1950 La Fleur Petrus was Bordeaux at first smell, with a great balance of chocolate, caramel and coffee. It had dark Bordeaux fruits and nice acidity. This Pomerol still had lots to give and was a solid wine from this cult vintage (93).

Perhaps a bit of palate fatigue was setting in, as I have great memories of 1970 Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon, but this bottle wasn’t one of them. Pekka found it ‘a bit peculiar, but I like it.’ There was glue and paint on top of cedar and anise aromas, with flavors of hot earth and minerals (92).

SuperSomm kept firing away, this time with ‘autumn forest, smoke and truffle’ in the 1993 Le Pin. This was definitely an XXX wine, dirty and open with lots of earth and flesh. SuperSomm added ‘kissemura,’ which is slang for something in Swedish. Here, kitty kitty (92).

There were very few wines on this weekend that I found so bad, they didn’t deserve a number…ie, a score below 80. The 1962 Carbonnieux Blanc was one of them. It was hideously oaky and the palate was awful. Glue, green and apple were about all I could say, but it wasn’t enough in any which way (NR).

The third white quickly recalibrated my wine sense with a zippy, perfect bottle of 1998 Coche-Dury Corton Charlemagne. Its signature white fruits, minerals and kink were all on fine display in this fresh bottle, and its finish said it still had plenty of life left in it (94).

The reds started with a classy and classic 1943 Calon Segur (91).Aromas and flavors of earth, cedar, tobacco and cassis came together in this smooth, polished and easy wine. Some violets emerged with time (91).

A 1983 Opus One was kind of oaky and disappointing. Ehhhhh (84).

I couldn’t write much more than ‘I’m done!’ for a 2000 DRC La Tache. I wasn’t kidding (92)

There was a corked 1918 Coutet (DQ) and a decent 1902 Boal Madeira from Lord-knows-who (93).

And that was Day One of the Tasting of the Year.

This is an article about one specific collection, one of the most special collections ever to be auctioned, one so special it achieved over double its high estimate, something I have never seen before, and we have realistic estimates. This was a collection of only Chateau Latour, one of the greatest wines in the world today. But this was no ordinary collection, this was a collection from one of the former family owners of Chateau Latour, and because of their ownership, they would get ‘x’ amount of cases every year direct from the Chateau. These cases went straight into the family’s personal Chateau, where it remained untouched ever since, and the oldest wine on offer was from 1905.

I could immediately smell the freshness still in the 1938 Latour. There was that old vanilla ice cream quality to its fruit along with light cedar, citrus dust and caramel, and its palate was tender, soft and smooth, easy like a day at the beach. Touches of cedar, vanilla, mesquite and cinnamon graced this elegant red, and while it was soft by the usual Latour standards, I was still impressed (90).

The 1948 Latour was much bigger and oakier in its nose, with lots of wood and green bean fruit behind it. The palate was rich and heavy, fleshy and fresh with wonderful texture and a zippy finish. Its wood blew off into a waterfall of cascading cassis and beef, and its weight stood out in this flight. Coffee and chocolate flavors emerged with air, and the wine really started to sing after some time in the glass. I have had this vintage twice before and always been underwhelmed, but I guess I didn’t have them from the right cellar (95).

The next flight began with another impressive ‘off’ vintage, the 1951 Latour. ‘Tannic’ came from the crowd, and we had another incredibly fresh, old wine on our hands. Signature walnut and black fruit were present in the nose, which came across almost as if a shot of Napa Valley was in my glass. The palate was heavy and oily with black fruit and cola flavors, along with a dry, slaty finish (93).

The 1954 Latour was at the bottom of our evening’s pyramid along with the 1938, but that was still a good place to be. This was a bit of a sibling to the 1948 with its green bean fruit, and the nose was quite cedary, showing some fresh paint as well. The palate was chocolaty and tasty with a flash of flesh. Smooth and lingering, there were also chalk and green bean flavors in this lighter yet lovely Latour (91).

The 1964 Latour that followed smelled like it was from the 1980s or younger. Although it was a bit shy, it gave off this Harlan-esque impression in the nose; this was a Napa Valley Latour. The palate was wow with its rich and oily personality. Flavors of chocolate, coffee and minerals combined with a lip and ass-smacking finish. Damn, that’s the second time I wrote that this week, I must have something on my mind (95).

The 1941 Latour is another forgotten vintage that will forever be remembered by me now. The ’41 had perfect purple in its rich and luscious nose, along with caramel cream and a dusty perfume. Its aromas were fresh like mountaintops, and it made me want to sing zippedy doo dah. Garden, citrus and beef broth all emerged in its nose, which took on a touch of tropical kink. The palate was lush and grapy with toasted almond flavors and drops of oil and sex. ‘Carraway’ and ‘wet saddle’ came from the crowd. This was a stunning wine that still had more youth in it than age (96).

The 1942 Latour was also outstanding. A recent outstanding 1941 DRC Richebourg and memories of numerous, great 1942 La Taches made me think this pair of vintages could be two of the forgotten greats. Let’s not forget legends like 1941 Unico in Spain and Inglenook in California, I think it might even have been great in Piedmont as well. Perhaps 1941 is the greatest forgotten vintage of the 20th Century? Back to the 1942…it was much grapier in its nose, in a good way. Its nose was creamy, sexy and exciting with its honeyed, sweet and flamboyant fruit. Surely this had to be from decades later? There was musky t ‘n a in the nose, which also became leathery, adding aromas of bread crust fresh from the oven. The palate was rich and sweet, chewy and fresh, with a gritty and dusty finish. This was another Latour whose freshness made it seem much younger than it was (95).

If the 1947 Latour were a husband, the 1949 Latour would be its wife. This was much more of an intellectual wine, not as obvious or open as many of the previous standouts. There were aromas of candle wax, cedar, citrus and some cobweb in the attic. The nose was more elegant and tangy, still long, but much more feminine. The palate was, of course, fresh, thicker than I expected, but also more on the citrusy side. Flavors of milk and forest floor signaled a different side of Latour, but despite its elegance, it stayed powerful and lingering on its finish. I noted that I wished I had the chance to get to know a full bottle of this wine over the course of an entire evening (96+).

Hello, 1959 Latour. This was still a baby, full of slate, minerals, cedar and paint before giving way to chocolate and coffee. This was another Napa Valley Latour, so young and so chunky that it gave off some Napa vibes, as in the natural expression of Cabernet there. The Cabernet flavors really came through with lots of asphalt, along with rich leather. This was a man still in boy’s clothing (97).

The 1961 Latour finished the two-day procession of Latours as it should have, on top. It was so much tighter than any other Latour previously tasted. Minerals and slate were sentinels guarding its cassis, ink and black fruit. The palate was incredible with an endless finish that was incredibly long and full of superb acidity. Full-bodied, massive and rich, there was a shot of port to its palate, more in texture than in sweetness. ‘Its tannins are still very fresh,’ noted someone. This was as good as this legendary wine gets (99).