Wine group at my place - 1988 thirty years on. 28/05/2018 (TNB)

Notes brief and a bit unspecific owing to cooking, etc.

• Champagne Grand Cru Comtesse Marie de France 1988 (P. Bara) My last bottle of this - interesting mature fizz but tiring a little.
• Champagne Brut Noble Cuvée 1988 (Lanson) Stylish, fully mature but holding well, light-bodied but with lots of strength, in the Lanson way.
• Château de Fonsalette blanc Reserve 1988 Lovely mature wine - hard to place its origins but fine and complex.
• Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 1988 (Beaucastel) Another fine old Rhone - this one more readily identifiable. Very fine.
• Tokay Pinot Gris Clos Jebsal 1988 (Zind-Humbrecht) Very dry and elegant. Everything about it was oddly much more reminiscent of Gewurtztraminer than Pinot Gris. Like all the 88 whites, this was in fine condition.
• Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 1988 Another stylish wine - as you tend to get from this property.
• Meursault 1er Cru Blagny 1988 (F. Jobard) All the bottles I have had of this have been stunning. White Burgundy at an age one would not want to risk these days.
• Clos Vougeot 1988 (Méo-Camuzet) Unlike some 88 Burgundies which can be quite hard work, this had a fantastic grace about it. Just beautiful to drink.
• Domaine de Chevalier 1988 The red too stylish - very classic mature Claret with cigar box and tobacco. Lovely.
• Clos de L'Arbalestrier St. Joseph 1988 (Florentin) Such a one-off this property - it produced great wines for a long time.
• Coteaux du Layon Clos de Sainte Catherine 1988 (Baumard) Baumard’s best sweet wine, I feel. Very enjoyable.

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