London visit and Xmas 25/12/2008 (TNB)

• Chablis 1er cru Montmains 2005 (Denis Race) Very Chablis. Quite mineral. Pleasing ripe yet dry fruit. Sealed with a synthetic cork. Very drinkable.
• Champagne Brut NV (Louis Roederer) Lovely marriage of medium weight, elegance, and some underlying strength that will let it age well for a few years. Bare
• Soave Classico 2007 (Pieropan) Crystal-clear as usual. Textbook Soave. Top
• Amotillado VORS (Bodegas Tradicion - Fortnum and Mason) Quite light in colour and weight on the palate, but splendidly clean and great intensity and length. Bare
• Warre 1980 Drinking really well now from a half, lovely fruit and balance. Bare
• Pol Roger 1998 A great success, fairly forward (as the vintage tends to be) but this will improve for a few years yet. Excellent.
• Chateau d'Issan 1990 Quite baked fruit (as a few 90's tend to have), fairly substantial but I feel there's not so much in reserve.
• Chateau Rabaud Promis 1988 This wine always seems quite light, but it's classic Sauternes drinking nicely.

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Two recent bottles 18/12/2008 (TNB)

• Tokay Pinot Gris Vendage Tardive 1989 (Hugel) Very fine, with all the richness and mouthfeel of a sweet wine but really almost dry. Fabulous balance, drinking beautifully now. From a half.
• Champagne Vieilles Vignes de Cramant 2002 (Larmandier-Bernier) Very restrained, lemony, pretty dry but the fruit quality means there's no hint of meanness. Classy stuff that I think will improve. Top

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Friday night 13/12/2008 (TNB)

• Champagne 2002 (F. Bonville) While in complete balance, this is pretty forceful wine with an amazing palate of red fruits and apples. A mistake perhaps to try a new producer in a vintage which (though it has a huge reputation) I haven't tried much yet. There's still a touch of hardness in the background, but on the whole this is full relatively forward yet with a fair amount of positive evolution ahead. Lovely.

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Weekend drinking 07/12/2008 (TNB)

• Meursault Poruzots 2000 (F. Jobard) There's something about this vineyard - the wine is so mineral, slightly bitter almost - very characterful and just a bit demanding to drink. I love it. This is still a touch hard at the end. Top
• Bastor Lamontagne 1988 From a half, very reliable Sauternes always from this property. Good fruit, nice botrytis.

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At D.L.'s 05/12/2008 (TNB)

A bit of a reality check: even Montrose doesn't manage to produce great wine in vintages like 72 and 79!

• Champagne 1985 (A. Gratien) Honey, still water. Very savoury - showing its age in style. Rather fine.
• Riesling Craighall Vineyard 2008 (Dry River) Dry, very intense, limey, very long finish. This is real wine. Maybe even
• Puligny Montrachet 1er cru Les Folatieres 2002 (Lambrays) Great density, intense, very long. Brilliant.
• Morey St Denis 1er cru Les Monts Luisants 1982 (Pernin-Rossin) Looks gorgeous in the glass. Fishy, mineral, smoky, intensely beetrooty pinot. Splendidly fresh. Long too.
• Chateaux Montrose 1972 Slightly suggestive of drains - varnishy nose. On the palate, rather light classic Claret.
• Chateaux Montrose 1967 Quite light and dry. Classic, drinkable. Fades a bit. I have had better bottles (and indeed halves) of thios wine.
• Chateaux Montrose 1976 Odd - probably flawed. I'd guess there are better bottles.
• Chateaux Montrose 1979 Quite capsicum - a touch unripe. Drinkable mature Claret, but not a strong effort for a great property in a middling vintage. Bare
• Chateaux Montrose 1989 Dark, quite cooked, substantial, tannic, quite hard too. A great Montrose.
• Doisy Daene 1983 Copper-coloured, very botrytised, apricot fruit, tiring a little, pleasant.

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