We started with a Hugel Riesling Vendage Tardive 1989 (14% abv; 25g/l RS; 6,4g/l acidity) which was much nicer than a previous bottle I had tried. The earlier bottle had had nice and pure Riesling aromas but was a bit flabby. This bottle, however, seemed to have much higher acidity: though obviously from a warm year, it was refreshing and moreish. It wasn't terribly petrolly but did have a purity of Rieslingness that was very charming. A very satisfying bottle and one that has a long life ahead.
Then we had our main line-up, for once not blind!
Château Beychevelle 1953 St.-Julien
Sadly this was utterly dead. On the merchant's web site the level was promised as much higher than this bottle's low shoulder.
Château L'Évangile 1964 Pomerol
This was a truly lovely old wine. It seemed like quintessential aged Pomerol to me with its plummy, elegant and dark fruit and perhaps even a touch of funk. With air, the fruit became brighter and showed more red berry aromas. It has aged very gracefully and still shows some dark fruit, but the structure is fully resolved. Persistent and refreshing aftertaste. To me, an ideal moment to drink it.
Château Lascombes 1975 Margaux
This has a powerful aroma of strawberry and was very sweet and red toned (and perhaps had a touch of VA, too). It developed some clay and liquorice scents with time. Tannic, sweet and strawberried, quite high acidity. Though Lascombes was supposedly in a bad phase at this time, I didn't think this was a bad wine at all. And though 1975 has the reputation for tannins overwhelming the fruit, I found this to be balanced. My one criticism of this otherwise charming wine was that it was a bit one dimensional in this company.
Château Nenin 1975 Pomerol
This was really a treat! Like with the L'Evangile, I thought this to be an archetype of Pomerol. A bit loamy, plummy, dark but sweet and expressive fruit. Elegant but pleasantly structured palate but the fruit is more to the fore (once again, no sign of those '75 overwhelming tannins). Long and refreshing and moreish. Lovely!
Château Pichon-Baron 1989 Pauillac
Very, very sweet scent, cassis rather than blackberry leaves, still some oak present and it even has some banana scents. Full bodied, sweet, very ripe and so soft that I wondered if they spoofulated already in the late '80s. Frankly quite anonymous and lacking in personality in this company.
Château Lynch-Bages 1989 Pauillac
This was quite a lovely wine. Though the fruit showed that it was obviously from a warm year, it wasn't over-ripe to my tastes. Once it started to open up (it was still a youngster) it showed as a classic Pauillac with its earthy and slightly herbaceous notes but that classic style was coupled to sweeter than usual fruit (which, for once, I didn't mind at all!). Lovely!
Château Pichon-Lalande 1990 Pauillac
A really lovely, classic Pauillac scent: herbaceous, blackcurrant leaves, dark fruit, elegant and cedary rather than overtly fruity. Lighter than the the two '89s preceding it (and none the worse for it), but with good structure and fruit. Very refreshing and moreish. Lovely!
Practically all critics bash this wine and say it is too green and thin. I have had it only a couple times but it has always seemed like a very classically proportioned wine to me - which is amazing, since it was the product of such a hot vintage. I tend to prefer classical proportions to silicon implants, so I won't complain when this is served to me.
Château Branaire-Ducru 1990 Margaux
Dark and over-ripe to my nostrils. It had too much blueberry and fat. It did turn a bit leafy with time, but it still seemed to lack the grace of Grecian statues. Full bodied and sweet, dark toned fruit, very concentrated and oddly enough highish acidity. A bit of a brute. I imagine I might be more forgiving if it was the only wine on the table, but with such a plethora of riches beside it, I feel a bit disappointed.
Let's just all continue to enjoy what we enjoy.